Alright, so in the moment you don't really feel it. You're so busy baking and shopping and wrapping and decorating that you don't really notice the heady anticipation of the Christmas season, but it's there. Behind all that grumping and grousing and frustration, it's there. And then it's finally Christmas, and you think, Where did the last four weeks go? You smile as everyone opens their presents and you laugh through Christmas dinner and assess the carnage when it's all over...and you think, Crap...it's over. You finally realize that, all along, you were excited for it, but by then it's over.
It always hits me that night. When I finally lay down in bed, I get this empty feeling in the pit of my stomach (despite having eaten enough to kill an elephant in the preceeding 16 hours), and I almost feel this sense of dread. I start thinking of all the ways I didn't take the time to really enjoy the experience of Christmas: I didn't take enough pictures; we should've taken a group shot. I kept barking at the kids to "go downstairs and stay out of the kitchen." I didn't even pay attention when they opened their gifts! I didn't visit with my sisters. I didn't visit with my sister-in-law's parents. Wait...did I even thank Mom and Dad for my new coat? Of course, at that point, it's over; and there's no going back.
The next day, my mom and I hit the after Christmas sales to buy Christmas cards and wrapping paper. It's only been 24 hours, and we're already moving on to next Christmas! I didn't even take the time to savor this Christmas. But that's the way it is, isn't it?
The very worst, though, is the next day. That's when I realize that it's now time for me to go back to my own house, to my job, to my life. It's the agonizing reality that no matter what, Christmas and the Christmas season will never again be like they were when I was 5 or 10 or even 15. And that's the biggest of the post-Christmas let downs.
That's where I am today. I'm laying in my bed in my old bedroom in my parents' house, typing this and wishing that I could go back. I don't want to be 5 or 10 or even 15 again; I just want to go back 72 hours and take the time to enjoy it all a little more.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Game Day Pat White
Tomorrow is the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, NC, featuring the WVU Mountaineers and the UNC Tarheels. Tomorrow is also Pat White's last football game in a WVU uniform...ever. I could cry. No, really. I could curl up in a fetal position, suck my thumb, and cry. *Sigh* I guess it's true what they say: All good things must come to an end. So here is the last "Game Day Pat White" post...
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
In Case You're Feeling Grinchy...
...from the best non-Christmas Christmas movie ever, "Love Actually."
(OK, I should set this up for those of you who haven't seen the movie. He is the best friend of "Juliet's" husband, and he's madly in love with her. She doesn't know it, but begins to suspect when she watches the wedding video he filmed for them and notices a lot of close-up shots of herself. He tortures himself through the whole movie, trying to decide whether to tell her or whether to just cut himself out of their lives, and this is how he resolves the situation.)
(OK, I should set this up for those of you who haven't seen the movie. He is the best friend of "Juliet's" husband, and he's madly in love with her. She doesn't know it, but begins to suspect when she watches the wedding video he filmed for them and notices a lot of close-up shots of herself. He tortures himself through the whole movie, trying to decide whether to tell her or whether to just cut himself out of their lives, and this is how he resolves the situation.)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Um...
Kanye, I'm a huge fan. Really. But there's a reason why you're a rapper and not a singer...
Despite his promise at the end of this clip that his live performance would be better on Saturday Night Live than this dress rehearsal, it was not.
Despite his promise at the end of this clip that his live performance would be better on Saturday Night Live than this dress rehearsal, it was not.
Ten on Tuesday: Christmas Eve Eve Edition
1. We always go to "midnight Mass" on Christmas Eve...but it's at 11pm.
2. When we were kids, Boo and I would wake up early, but my dad wouldn't let us go downstairs to where the tree was until he went down and turned on all the lights and got the camera ready. We'd sit in the kitchen or at the top of the steps, waiting for him to call us down. The "big kids" would let us go down first. It always seemed like there was a river of gifts pouring out from under the tree.
3. My mom always bakes caramel pecan rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. They are the best doughy bits of deliciousness we'll eat the whole day.
4. Three Christmas gifts from my childhood really stand out in my mind: my Smurf roller skates, my Annie doll, and a cardigan sweater my grandma gave me and which my mom still has tucked away in the cedar chest.
5. One year at Thanksgiving, we all drove up to the top of the mountain to pick out our Christmas trees from my cousin's tree farm. We carefully picked and tagged our trees and drove back down the mountain. By the time my dad and brother-in-law went back to cut them down, about 3 feet of snow had fallen. They had to literally dig to the base of the trees to cut them down, then drag them out to the cars through all that snow. Needless to say, we never picked a tree from that tree farm again.
6. My uber-fan brother-in-law puts up a WVU Christmas tree, complete with gold and blue lights and exclusively WVU ornaments. He leaves it up through March Madness.
7. My all-time favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night." It even brings tears to my eyes.
8. My least favorite Christmas song (besides "The Christmas Shoes") is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I used to love it, but then last year, when everything happened with Mikey, it turned into a tormenting reminder that never again would the lyrics "we all will be together" be true.
9. The older I get, the more I understand why my mom never seemed to enjoy the holidays as much as I did when I was a kid. It's just so busy for adults that it's hard to take the time to really enjoy the season.
10. I wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas with many happy memories made and lots of love shared!
2. When we were kids, Boo and I would wake up early, but my dad wouldn't let us go downstairs to where the tree was until he went down and turned on all the lights and got the camera ready. We'd sit in the kitchen or at the top of the steps, waiting for him to call us down. The "big kids" would let us go down first. It always seemed like there was a river of gifts pouring out from under the tree.
3. My mom always bakes caramel pecan rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. They are the best doughy bits of deliciousness we'll eat the whole day.
4. Three Christmas gifts from my childhood really stand out in my mind: my Smurf roller skates, my Annie doll, and a cardigan sweater my grandma gave me and which my mom still has tucked away in the cedar chest.
5. One year at Thanksgiving, we all drove up to the top of the mountain to pick out our Christmas trees from my cousin's tree farm. We carefully picked and tagged our trees and drove back down the mountain. By the time my dad and brother-in-law went back to cut them down, about 3 feet of snow had fallen. They had to literally dig to the base of the trees to cut them down, then drag them out to the cars through all that snow. Needless to say, we never picked a tree from that tree farm again.
6. My uber-fan brother-in-law puts up a WVU Christmas tree, complete with gold and blue lights and exclusively WVU ornaments. He leaves it up through March Madness.
7. My all-time favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night." It even brings tears to my eyes.
8. My least favorite Christmas song (besides "The Christmas Shoes") is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I used to love it, but then last year, when everything happened with Mikey, it turned into a tormenting reminder that never again would the lyrics "we all will be together" be true.
9. The older I get, the more I understand why my mom never seemed to enjoy the holidays as much as I did when I was a kid. It's just so busy for adults that it's hard to take the time to really enjoy the season.
10. I wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas with many happy memories made and lots of love shared!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Doing Unto Others
The other day, Mountain Laurel posted about an idea she had for a new blog, which would feature stories about random acts of kindness and other such heartwarming stories. It made me think of a story about my dad.
When I was a kid, my dad was the assistant superintendent of schools in our county. His very best friend was the director of elementary education and had an office right next to my dad. Dad and Gary would spend their lunch hours together almost everyday, either at our house (in the summer or on snow days when my mom was home) or out at local diners and such. One day, Dad and Gary drove out to a little place called Cool Springs. It was a kitschy little tourist trap near U.S. Route 50 with a gift shop and lunch counter. As they sat there eating their hot dogs and chili, a man came in and asked how far it was from Cool Springs to Elkins, WV. The man was dressed somewhat shabbily, and it was clear that he had been traveling for a while. He explained that he was trying to walk to Elkins -- a rather long trek that would take him over the mountain -- but wasn't sure how far he could get that day. Dad and Gary offered to drive him as far as they could, but he said he didn't want to be any trouble. They explained that it was a long walk and that it would be cold that night, but he seemed to think that he'd be OK.
The man asked the lady at the lunch counter how much a bowl of soup would be. He didn't have much money, and he was obviously trying to guage what he could afford. Dad and Gary told him to order whatever he wanted and said that they would take care of it. They even insisted that he take something with him to eat along the way.
After they all finished their lunch, Dad looked at the man and asked if he had other clothes with him or at least another coat. The man said that he did not, but, again, insisted that he would be OK. My dad insisted that the man take his jacket, a down jacket that my mom had just bought a few days before. The man reluctantly, but very gratefully took the jacket and set off on his way.
If I had to guess, I would guess that Dad and Gary did many things like that in their day. Unfortunately, Gary died over 10 years ago after suffering a heart attack. I'm quite certain, though, that he helped many people along the way.
When I was a kid, my dad was the assistant superintendent of schools in our county. His very best friend was the director of elementary education and had an office right next to my dad. Dad and Gary would spend their lunch hours together almost everyday, either at our house (in the summer or on snow days when my mom was home) or out at local diners and such. One day, Dad and Gary drove out to a little place called Cool Springs. It was a kitschy little tourist trap near U.S. Route 50 with a gift shop and lunch counter. As they sat there eating their hot dogs and chili, a man came in and asked how far it was from Cool Springs to Elkins, WV. The man was dressed somewhat shabbily, and it was clear that he had been traveling for a while. He explained that he was trying to walk to Elkins -- a rather long trek that would take him over the mountain -- but wasn't sure how far he could get that day. Dad and Gary offered to drive him as far as they could, but he said he didn't want to be any trouble. They explained that it was a long walk and that it would be cold that night, but he seemed to think that he'd be OK.
The man asked the lady at the lunch counter how much a bowl of soup would be. He didn't have much money, and he was obviously trying to guage what he could afford. Dad and Gary told him to order whatever he wanted and said that they would take care of it. They even insisted that he take something with him to eat along the way.
After they all finished their lunch, Dad looked at the man and asked if he had other clothes with him or at least another coat. The man said that he did not, but, again, insisted that he would be OK. My dad insisted that the man take his jacket, a down jacket that my mom had just bought a few days before. The man reluctantly, but very gratefully took the jacket and set off on his way.
If I had to guess, I would guess that Dad and Gary did many things like that in their day. Unfortunately, Gary died over 10 years ago after suffering a heart attack. I'm quite certain, though, that he helped many people along the way.
*Insert Pouty Face Here*
Well, the "new guy" had to go back this morning for work and for Christmas with his own family. Sure, he'll be back in a few days (we only brought one car up, so he'll have to pick me up), but for now, it sucks. I wish he could've stayed to meet two of my aunts and two of my uncles, who are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. I suppose there will be other dinners.
In the meantime, I think my parents really like him. Even my mom seemed disappointed that he wouldn't be here to meet her sisters. And my dad wondered out loud this afternoon, "I guess our boy should be getting pretty close to home by now." I can honestly say that they have not seemed this excited about any of my other boyfriends.
In the meantime, I think my parents really like him. Even my mom seemed disappointed that he wouldn't be here to meet her sisters. And my dad wondered out loud this afternoon, "I guess our boy should be getting pretty close to home by now." I can honestly say that they have not seemed this excited about any of my other boyfriends.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
One Year
Today marks the first anniversary of Mikey's death. Mass was for Mikey this morning, and we've been to the cemetery. Save for a few dicey moments at Mass, I think we're all doing rather well. Actually, I think it helps that I am at home. I think if I were in Huntington, it would be a lot easier to just let myself wallow. Here, though, I have to think about my parents, and it would not help them at all if I just sat around and cried all day.
Still, I do miss Mikey, and I do have moments when I think about this day, one year ago. You know what's strange about that? On this day, one year ago, I lay in my bed after returning home from the hospital and thinking, How will this feel in a year? Will it hurt less? Will I have moved on from it? Will I have some sense of closure? I still feel sad, and I still wish he was here. It doesn't hurt much less. I haven't moved on from it. And I have no sense of closure.
But this day is certainly more bearable than that day. We aren't watching Mikey live out his last moments in sheer agony. We aren't keeping vigil in a hospital room, hearing things like, "He can have as much morphine as he needs. There's no limit at this point." We aren't leaning in close to his face to try to make out his faint mumblings. He is at peace, and to some degree, we are at peace. To some degree.
Still, I do miss Mikey, and I do have moments when I think about this day, one year ago. You know what's strange about that? On this day, one year ago, I lay in my bed after returning home from the hospital and thinking, How will this feel in a year? Will it hurt less? Will I have moved on from it? Will I have some sense of closure? I still feel sad, and I still wish he was here. It doesn't hurt much less. I haven't moved on from it. And I have no sense of closure.
But this day is certainly more bearable than that day. We aren't watching Mikey live out his last moments in sheer agony. We aren't keeping vigil in a hospital room, hearing things like, "He can have as much morphine as he needs. There's no limit at this point." We aren't leaning in close to his face to try to make out his faint mumblings. He is at peace, and to some degree, we are at peace. To some degree.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
If You Have a Minute...
...and surely you have at least one, please visit these sites:
All Hannah wants for Christmas is a card from you.
Hannah's Caring Bridge
My good friend Kristen's mother lost her battle with glioblastoma multiforme last January. She was a wonderful woman, who is dearly missed. I'm sure she's watching out for Hannah now.
All Hannah wants for Christmas is a card from you.
Hannah's Caring Bridge
My good friend Kristen's mother lost her battle with glioblastoma multiforme last January. She was a wonderful woman, who is dearly missed. I'm sure she's watching out for Hannah now.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ten on Tuesday
1. I worked my butt off today. It's funny what the prospect of getting an extra half-day off of work will do to light a fire under you.
2. I finally started my Christmas shopping this evening, and I somehow managed to knock half of it out!
3. I have to make two more batches of fudge tomorrow. For those of you keeping track, that makes five batches for the Junior League fundraiser, one batch for work, and two batches for a friend. That's eight batches of fudge, people!
4. Nothing is more fun than driving around looking at Christmas lights. Some houses look perfect, and some look perfectly awful. Mine looks perfectly boring this year.
5. After briefly jumping back up to $1.85 for twelve hours (yes, twelve short hours), gas is back down to $1.69.
6. If I were to take the time to go through the laundry basket of things that need to be ironed (and have for over a year now), I could probably come up with at least six more outfits for my wardrobe.
7. When I finally got a key for the elevator at the new/temporary office, it didn't work. Is this some sort of cosmic sign that my ass is getting too big, and I need to walk the stairs?
8. I finally saw "Dark Knight," which is decidedly better than "Batman Begins." "Batman Begins" never actually gets started at all. It just drags on and on and on, sucking for air and offering Christian Bale as its only redeeming quality.
9. Nothing irks me more than when I'm standing in a store, waiting to be helped, and a sales associate is two feet away from me talking to some friend or old neighbor or former co-worker. Go grab a coffee and catch up after your shift!
10. Blah.
2. I finally started my Christmas shopping this evening, and I somehow managed to knock half of it out!
3. I have to make two more batches of fudge tomorrow. For those of you keeping track, that makes five batches for the Junior League fundraiser, one batch for work, and two batches for a friend. That's eight batches of fudge, people!
4. Nothing is more fun than driving around looking at Christmas lights. Some houses look perfect, and some look perfectly awful. Mine looks perfectly boring this year.
5. After briefly jumping back up to $1.85 for twelve hours (yes, twelve short hours), gas is back down to $1.69.
6. If I were to take the time to go through the laundry basket of things that need to be ironed (and have for over a year now), I could probably come up with at least six more outfits for my wardrobe.
7. When I finally got a key for the elevator at the new/temporary office, it didn't work. Is this some sort of cosmic sign that my ass is getting too big, and I need to walk the stairs?
8. I finally saw "Dark Knight," which is decidedly better than "Batman Begins." "Batman Begins" never actually gets started at all. It just drags on and on and on, sucking for air and offering Christian Bale as its only redeeming quality.
9. Nothing irks me more than when I'm standing in a store, waiting to be helped, and a sales associate is two feet away from me talking to some friend or old neighbor or former co-worker. Go grab a coffee and catch up after your shift!
10. Blah.
Friday, December 12, 2008
I Think It's a Sign!
There is a sign on the door in my new/temporary office with my name and office number on it so the movers would know whose office was where. It's taped to one of those name plate holders, so I lifted it up to determine if my name plate would fit into it. When I did, guess what I found...I found this:
That just proves it! Pat White and I are meant to be together!
That just proves it! Pat White and I are meant to be together!
One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...
I'm counting to ten and breathing deeply. I am so aggravated right now. The movers came yesterday to pick up all of our stuff from the old office (at the Capitol). When something like 50 contractors showed up at the same time as the movers to assess the situation, the boss told everyone that they could just go on home for the day. That was around 10am. Now, I happened to be at the Subaru garage getting my car fixed at that point, but the LawChick called and told me not to bother making the trip to Charleston. The boss said that we should report to the new/temporary office (downtown) on Friday.
When we arrived at the new office at 8am this morning, we found 2 of our co-workers standing in the lobby. As it turns out, you cannot get to the 4th floor of the building (where our temporary offices are located) without a key for the elevator. Great. So as 2 more co-workers joined us, we all sat there twiddling our thumbs until someone finally came with a key.
Once on the 4th floor, I combed through all the offices until I found mine. And I found it without a single stick of furniture in it. Not a one. I was so pissed. What was the point of me coming in to "work" today if I had no place to work? (At least I had the forethought to bring my laptop with me.) The LawChick and 2 of our other co-workers decided we should "walk it off" with a trip to the bagel shop down the block, so we did.
Not long after we returned, the movers arrived with my desk and chair, but none of my boxes have made it yet. Those who have gotten their boxes have found boxes torn up, files dumped out, and things broken. I'm not hopeful for my stuff...
Can you "go postal" if you don't actually work for the Postal Service?
When we arrived at the new office at 8am this morning, we found 2 of our co-workers standing in the lobby. As it turns out, you cannot get to the 4th floor of the building (where our temporary offices are located) without a key for the elevator. Great. So as 2 more co-workers joined us, we all sat there twiddling our thumbs until someone finally came with a key.
Once on the 4th floor, I combed through all the offices until I found mine. And I found it without a single stick of furniture in it. Not a one. I was so pissed. What was the point of me coming in to "work" today if I had no place to work? (At least I had the forethought to bring my laptop with me.) The LawChick and 2 of our other co-workers decided we should "walk it off" with a trip to the bagel shop down the block, so we did.
Not long after we returned, the movers arrived with my desk and chair, but none of my boxes have made it yet. Those who have gotten their boxes have found boxes torn up, files dumped out, and things broken. I'm not hopeful for my stuff...
Can you "go postal" if you don't actually work for the Postal Service?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Who Wrote This Crap?!
So I know that this post is likely to draw some ire from you sensitive, feeling readers out there, but can I just propose that "The Christmas Shoes" is THE WORST Christmas song ever written? If you don't know "The Christmas Shoes," it's a song about a guy who (in typical guy fashion) is doing his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve when a poor (and by "poor," I mean economically disadvantaged) little boy comes up to the counter holding a pair of women's shoes in his hand and saying, "Sir I wanna buy these shoes for my Momma please/It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size/Could you hurry Sir?/Daddy says there's not much time/You see, she's been sick for quite a while/
And I know these shoes will make her smile/And I want her to look beautiful/If Momma meets Jesus, tonight."
Wow. Just...wow. Really? Someone thought that would make for a lovely little Christmas song? Because it doesn't. It does nothing to buoy my spirits, least of all now, having buried my only brother on Christmas Eve last year. I mean, I thought it was a horrible song before that, but now, it's just...just...wow.
I am embarking on a single-handed campaign to banish this depressing crap from the airwaves forever! Who's with me? Oh, wait...if you're "with me," then it's not really a "single-handed campaign." OK, then I am embarking on a regular old campaign to banish this depressing crap from the airwaves forever! Call your local radio station now!
And I know these shoes will make her smile/And I want her to look beautiful/If Momma meets Jesus, tonight."
Wow. Just...wow. Really? Someone thought that would make for a lovely little Christmas song? Because it doesn't. It does nothing to buoy my spirits, least of all now, having buried my only brother on Christmas Eve last year. I mean, I thought it was a horrible song before that, but now, it's just...just...wow.
I am embarking on a single-handed campaign to banish this depressing crap from the airwaves forever! Who's with me? Oh, wait...if you're "with me," then it's not really a "single-handed campaign." OK, then I am embarking on a regular old campaign to banish this depressing crap from the airwaves forever! Call your local radio station now!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Ten on Tuesday
1. I'm typing this on my new laptop computer, which my parents bought me for Christmas. Aren't they the greatest?
2. SciFi channel shows 4 straight episodes of "Lost" every Monday night. If you need to catch up or if you just need a fix of Jack, I suggest you tune in. It'll cure what ails you.
3. I have made 2 batches of my 5 batches of peanut butter fudge for the Junior League's Christmas gift basket fundraiser. I haven't cut it yet because it's supposed to set up for 4 hours, and I didn't have time to cut it this morning, but it looks like it turned out. Here's hoping...
4. My beautiful red roses have finally bitten the dust. They lasted for a little over a week, though!
5. I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet, and I have no idea where to even begin.
6. I have so much stuff on my "to do" list that I wonder when it will all get done, but if it doesn't, it doesn't.
7. Gas is now down to $1.69 a gallon in Huntington.
8. It took me no less than 5 hours to drive from Huntington to Morgantown for that football game Saturday. It's usually only about a 3-hour trip, but the weather was absolutely wretched. I was only averaging about 35 or 45 miles an hour on the interstate.
9. Have I mentioned yet today that I'm totally over this office move?
10. And finally...we end with a joke: What's the difference between Cheerios and Notre Dame? *Drumroll* Cheerios belong in a bowl! *Rimshot* Thank you, thank you! I'll be at Schecky's Laugh House through the 15th. Don't forget to tip your waitstaff.
2. SciFi channel shows 4 straight episodes of "Lost" every Monday night. If you need to catch up or if you just need a fix of Jack, I suggest you tune in. It'll cure what ails you.
3. I have made 2 batches of my 5 batches of peanut butter fudge for the Junior League's Christmas gift basket fundraiser. I haven't cut it yet because it's supposed to set up for 4 hours, and I didn't have time to cut it this morning, but it looks like it turned out. Here's hoping...
4. My beautiful red roses have finally bitten the dust. They lasted for a little over a week, though!
5. I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet, and I have no idea where to even begin.
6. I have so much stuff on my "to do" list that I wonder when it will all get done, but if it doesn't, it doesn't.
7. Gas is now down to $1.69 a gallon in Huntington.
8. It took me no less than 5 hours to drive from Huntington to Morgantown for that football game Saturday. It's usually only about a 3-hour trip, but the weather was absolutely wretched. I was only averaging about 35 or 45 miles an hour on the interstate.
9. Have I mentioned yet today that I'm totally over this office move?
10. And finally...we end with a joke: What's the difference between Cheerios and Notre Dame? *Drumroll* Cheerios belong in a bowl! *Rimshot* Thank you, thank you! I'll be at Schecky's Laugh House through the 15th. Don't forget to tip your waitstaff.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Oy to the Vey.
Well, work is about to get a whole lot more interesting. We are about to move our offices from our lofty perch in the main Capitol building to a temporary location in downtown Charleston. Why, you ask? Well, our suite is going to be gutted and renovated over the next four to six months. That should be exciting, right? I should be looking forward to getting a new office with new furniture and fresh paint, but I'm just not. This temporary move is going to be a huge pain in the derriere. No, worse than that. This temporary move is going to make it incredibly difficult for me to even do my job! While I'll be downtown, all of my case files and records will have to remain in the Capitol. So I will be at the mercy of a runner to pull and copy what items I need, or I'll have to drive back and forth from the temporary office back to the Capitol when I need things. Neither proposition seems like a good proposition.
Anyway, in the meantime, we are packing up our offices, and everything is in complete disarray. All the while, potential contractors (that's right -- construction is supposed to start January 1st, and they haven't even hired a contractor yet!) keep popping in, pulling on door jambs and inspecting windows. The third set just stopped by today. Now, I have to set this up, so bear with me...
My office happens to look out across California Avenue to the lot where the justices park. On any given day in the fall through early spring, I can count on people walking through my office to the window to look for certain justices' cars, saying, "Let me look out your window," as they blow by. It's mildly annoying, but that's one of the perils of having this particular office. Of course, in the summer, when the trees are full of leaves and you can't see anything, it's wholly annoying. So this summer, I put up a sign on my door that said, "The Observation Deck is closed for the summer due to the current tree cover. Please come back in the fall. --Management"
So today, as the bidding contractors were walking through the suite, three men -- without so much as knocking -- poked their heads into the door and said, "Can we check out your deck?" I said, "There is no deck." They pointed to the sign and said, "The observation deck?" With a tone of sheer exasperation, I said, "There is no observation deck. It's a joke. People treat my office as an observation deck." They looked momentarily confused and then laughed.
Um, hello?! Did you see a deck hanging off the side of the building when you parked in front of it? I hope to God they don't end up with the winning bid; we could be in real trouble...
Anyway, in the meantime, we are packing up our offices, and everything is in complete disarray. All the while, potential contractors (that's right -- construction is supposed to start January 1st, and they haven't even hired a contractor yet!) keep popping in, pulling on door jambs and inspecting windows. The third set just stopped by today. Now, I have to set this up, so bear with me...
My office happens to look out across California Avenue to the lot where the justices park. On any given day in the fall through early spring, I can count on people walking through my office to the window to look for certain justices' cars, saying, "Let me look out your window," as they blow by. It's mildly annoying, but that's one of the perils of having this particular office. Of course, in the summer, when the trees are full of leaves and you can't see anything, it's wholly annoying. So this summer, I put up a sign on my door that said, "The Observation Deck is closed for the summer due to the current tree cover. Please come back in the fall. --Management"
So today, as the bidding contractors were walking through the suite, three men -- without so much as knocking -- poked their heads into the door and said, "Can we check out your deck?" I said, "There is no deck." They pointed to the sign and said, "The observation deck?" With a tone of sheer exasperation, I said, "There is no observation deck. It's a joke. People treat my office as an observation deck." They looked momentarily confused and then laughed.
Um, hello?! Did you see a deck hanging off the side of the building when you parked in front of it? I hope to God they don't end up with the winning bid; we could be in real trouble...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Kickin' It Old School
So you'll never guess where I had dinner tonight. I ate at the Marshall University dining hall. The new guy and I were driving by on our way to a local restaurant, and when I looked in and saw all those kids sitting in there eating, it made me long for my own days of crappy cafeteria food and immeasurable quantities of sugary cereals. I said, "You know where I want to eat sometime? I want to eat in the dining hall." When we got to the restaurant and found it closed for a private party, the new guy said, "The dining hall it is then."
For $5.65, you can eat your fill of crap. There was pizza, nachos with all the fixings, salad, a deli bar, roast beef, and a grill. I chose roasted red potatoes, grilled cheese, and french fries, all of which I chased with vanilla frozen yogurt with Coco Puffs on top. For a brief moment, I felt like I was back in college again. That is, I felt like I was back in college until I noticed all the college kids looking at me as if to say, "Who's the old lady?"
For $5.65, you can eat your fill of crap. There was pizza, nachos with all the fixings, salad, a deli bar, roast beef, and a grill. I chose roasted red potatoes, grilled cheese, and french fries, all of which I chased with vanilla frozen yogurt with Coco Puffs on top. For a brief moment, I felt like I was back in college again. That is, I felt like I was back in college until I noticed all the college kids looking at me as if to say, "Who's the old lady?"
Thursday, December 04, 2008
James Taylor: Fire and Rain
As I begin that journey into "this time last year," I find myself feeling some need to just make myself feel things. Actually, I vascillate between wanting to think about it all and feel it all again and just wanting to sleep through the next few weeks. I think we all know I can't just sleep through it, though. So the alternative is just to think about it all and deal with it all.
Today, I was searching YouTube for Christmas videos, and for some reason, I thought of James Taylor and "Fire and Rain." Once before, I thought of that song and thought of Mikey, and I listened to it over and over for hours as I sat and cried. It still makes me cry. I know the story behind the song is slightly more than just the death of a loved one, but it really does sum up how I feel about the loss of Mikey most days.
First the studio version, and then a live version I really like.
Today, I was searching YouTube for Christmas videos, and for some reason, I thought of James Taylor and "Fire and Rain." Once before, I thought of that song and thought of Mikey, and I listened to it over and over for hours as I sat and cried. It still makes me cry. I know the story behind the song is slightly more than just the death of a loved one, but it really does sum up how I feel about the loss of Mikey most days.
First the studio version, and then a live version I really like.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Ten on Tuesday: Pictorial
This week, I'm going to shake things up a bit by featuring 10 of my favorite photos on my hard drive. (This is gonna be a tough one...)
1. May 2005 -- My nephew's graduation. I love that Tyler, Haley, and Elizabeth are all wearing their "cool dude" shades and that Haley is all "Hollywood Glamazon."
2. October 2005 -- Baby Lily. I took this one about 2 weeks after Lily was born. I had flown up to D.C. to stay with Boo and Fred for a few days, and this was one of the very first pictures I took of Lily.
3. Memorial Day 2006 -- My parents' backyard. I love this picture of Lily. I love the green grass and the purple flower. And I love that she hated the feeling of the grass back then, but she still smiled (sort of) for the picture.
4. Memorial Day 2006 -- My mom's kitchen. Sick of seeing this face yet? This is one of my all-time favorites of Lily. In fact, I still have it in a frame in my living room, even though she's 3 years old now. I can't just get enough of those big ol' eyes!
5. October 2006 -- Mountaineer Field. This is so typically Tyler. He's showing me the Oreo Dippin' Dots stuck in his teeth. Tyler is the king of gross-out pictures.
6. May 2007 -- Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon. Don't think I'm self-centered or anything, but I love this picture of me. It's so uncharacteristically laid back and fun-loving. It's the Lara I want to be. Mind you, it took me a half of a bucket-o-beer to get to "laid back" and "fun-loving"...
7. September 2007 -- WVU vs. ECU. I think it goes without saying why this is one of my favorites.
8. October 2007 -- State XC meet, Cabell Midland High School. The thing I like about this picture is that it shows 2 sisters -- my nieces, Lindsey and Erica -- who actually like each other. Well, most of the time anyway.
9. July 2008 -- Cape Cod. This is my wallpaper on my desktop.
10. Date and location unknown. OK, so I didn't actually take this picture, but it is one of my favorites, so it makes the list.
1. May 2005 -- My nephew's graduation. I love that Tyler, Haley, and Elizabeth are all wearing their "cool dude" shades and that Haley is all "Hollywood Glamazon."
2. October 2005 -- Baby Lily. I took this one about 2 weeks after Lily was born. I had flown up to D.C. to stay with Boo and Fred for a few days, and this was one of the very first pictures I took of Lily.
3. Memorial Day 2006 -- My parents' backyard. I love this picture of Lily. I love the green grass and the purple flower. And I love that she hated the feeling of the grass back then, but she still smiled (sort of) for the picture.
4. Memorial Day 2006 -- My mom's kitchen. Sick of seeing this face yet? This is one of my all-time favorites of Lily. In fact, I still have it in a frame in my living room, even though she's 3 years old now. I can't just get enough of those big ol' eyes!
5. October 2006 -- Mountaineer Field. This is so typically Tyler. He's showing me the Oreo Dippin' Dots stuck in his teeth. Tyler is the king of gross-out pictures.
6. May 2007 -- Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon. Don't think I'm self-centered or anything, but I love this picture of me. It's so uncharacteristically laid back and fun-loving. It's the Lara I want to be. Mind you, it took me a half of a bucket-o-beer to get to "laid back" and "fun-loving"...
7. September 2007 -- WVU vs. ECU. I think it goes without saying why this is one of my favorites.
8. October 2007 -- State XC meet, Cabell Midland High School. The thing I like about this picture is that it shows 2 sisters -- my nieces, Lindsey and Erica -- who actually like each other. Well, most of the time anyway.
9. July 2008 -- Cape Cod. This is my wallpaper on my desktop.
10. Date and location unknown. OK, so I didn't actually take this picture, but it is one of my favorites, so it makes the list.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Take Me Home, Country Roads
Well, I'm back from the great white north, otherwise known as Preston County. The new guy and I went to Kingwood to celebrate Thanksgiving. About 3 seconds after the last stragglers of my immediate family walked through the door and the volume level hit a fevered pitch, I wondered if I had made a mistake in thrusting the new guy into the holiday equation so early in our relationship. After all, 23 people -- 11 of whom are kids -- can present a pretty intimidating, if not crazy, brood. But the new guy did just fine, and, in fact, he and one of my brothers-in-law actually knew each other already. Crazy coincidence.
Anyway, the new guy and I drove up Wednesday evening and found Leslie, Fred, and Lily already at my parents' house. We all sat down to dinner, and I tried to get Lily to perform for the new guy. When I asked, "Hey, Lily, can you sing 'Country Roads' for us?" she replied, "No, thanks. Maybe later." So Fred tried to bribe her with the promise of a cookie. She started out well enough, but quickly became distracted: Countwy wooooaaads, take me hoooooome to da pwaaaace I bewoooong...hey mama, that biscuit has jam on it! Fred tried to get her back on track by singing the first words of the first verse. She fell for it...for about 2 lines, and then she became distracted again. So the new guy tried to prompt her by singing the first few words of the second verse. Lily looked at him kind of funny and said, "Hey, you need to do this -- " and then she cleared her throat. He said, "What?" She said, "Go -- " and then cleared her throat again, following that with, "You got a fwog in your throat!" I guess she didn't like his singing! As you can imagine, that was only the beginning of Lily's entertaining one-liners.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend...
Lily has turned into one of those kids who doesn't want to pose for the camera, so I had to try to be sneaky about the pictures I did take. I love this one with her little hands propping up her head.
Here she is vegging out in front of some show or another.
No one ever said the girl was dainty...that's an entire chocolate truffle shoved in her mouth.
Of course, you have to balance all that sugar with a little protein, so she then turned her attention -- and her dirty little fingers -- to the peanut tray. (That's Leslie to her left and Erica to her right.)
The classic Lily "stink eye," as captured by niece, Alex, who hijacked my camera for a couple of hours.
All in all, it was a good trip, and the new guy seems no worse for the wear. He even wants to go back for Christmas. Really?! Do you think that's a sign of mental illness?
Anyway, the new guy and I drove up Wednesday evening and found Leslie, Fred, and Lily already at my parents' house. We all sat down to dinner, and I tried to get Lily to perform for the new guy. When I asked, "Hey, Lily, can you sing 'Country Roads' for us?" she replied, "No, thanks. Maybe later." So Fred tried to bribe her with the promise of a cookie. She started out well enough, but quickly became distracted: Countwy wooooaaads, take me hoooooome to da pwaaaace I bewoooong...hey mama, that biscuit has jam on it! Fred tried to get her back on track by singing the first words of the first verse. She fell for it...for about 2 lines, and then she became distracted again. So the new guy tried to prompt her by singing the first few words of the second verse. Lily looked at him kind of funny and said, "Hey, you need to do this -- " and then she cleared her throat. He said, "What?" She said, "Go -- " and then cleared her throat again, following that with, "You got a fwog in your throat!" I guess she didn't like his singing! As you can imagine, that was only the beginning of Lily's entertaining one-liners.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend...
Lily has turned into one of those kids who doesn't want to pose for the camera, so I had to try to be sneaky about the pictures I did take. I love this one with her little hands propping up her head.
Here she is vegging out in front of some show or another.
No one ever said the girl was dainty...that's an entire chocolate truffle shoved in her mouth.
Of course, you have to balance all that sugar with a little protein, so she then turned her attention -- and her dirty little fingers -- to the peanut tray. (That's Leslie to her left and Erica to her right.)
The classic Lily "stink eye," as captured by niece, Alex, who hijacked my camera for a couple of hours.
All in all, it was a good trip, and the new guy seems no worse for the wear. He even wants to go back for Christmas. Really?! Do you think that's a sign of mental illness?
Monday, November 24, 2008
He May Well Be Perfect
The new guy knows that this is going to be a hard week for me, and he knows that Christmas is going to be even more difficult. He has said a million times that he just wants to be there to help me through. I've assured him that I'll be fine and that I want him to spend time with his own family and do his own thing, but he's insistent that he wants to go home with me for Thanksgiving and that he'll be in Kingwood by Christmas day as well. He is far more kind and thoughtful and genuine than any man I have ever met. That alone makes me feel better.
But then this morning, when it seemed like I was going to have a particularly bad day(work stress), he decided to go one step further than just holding my hand or stroking my head. He surprised me with a dozen red roses. Although just seeing him this evening would have turned my day around, the roses certainly didn't hurt. The card read, "Thankful for you."
And when I called him to thank him, he said, "Well, I knew you were having a bad day, and I just wanted to make it better, and I knew exactly what would do it." Besides, he said, I was responsible for everything he is wearing today (doing his laundry and ironing his shirt, that is). I guess he felt like he needed to somehow return the favor.
Of course, I never doubt that he appreciates my cooking dinner for us or doing the laundry or cleaning up after us or ironing his shirts. First of all, he always thanks me each and every time I do even the smallest thing for him. Second of all, I actually enjoy doing things for him. It makes me feel loved and needed and important in someone's life. Third of all, he does far more than his part to "repay" me. Yesterday alone, he spent over an hour of his only truly free day raking up leaves in the front yard with me.
No, I know well that he is thankful for me. I just hope he knows how thankful I am for him.
But then this morning, when it seemed like I was going to have a particularly bad day(work stress), he decided to go one step further than just holding my hand or stroking my head. He surprised me with a dozen red roses. Although just seeing him this evening would have turned my day around, the roses certainly didn't hurt. The card read, "Thankful for you."
And when I called him to thank him, he said, "Well, I knew you were having a bad day, and I just wanted to make it better, and I knew exactly what would do it." Besides, he said, I was responsible for everything he is wearing today (doing his laundry and ironing his shirt, that is). I guess he felt like he needed to somehow return the favor.
Of course, I never doubt that he appreciates my cooking dinner for us or doing the laundry or cleaning up after us or ironing his shirts. First of all, he always thanks me each and every time I do even the smallest thing for him. Second of all, I actually enjoy doing things for him. It makes me feel loved and needed and important in someone's life. Third of all, he does far more than his part to "repay" me. Yesterday alone, he spent over an hour of his only truly free day raking up leaves in the front yard with me.
No, I know well that he is thankful for me. I just hope he knows how thankful I am for him.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Telling Lies
Last year, my parents were in China over Thanksgiving. They left for their journey knowing that Mikey had just had a PET scan and could expect the results right around Thanksgiving. Every time they called home, they'd ask him if he'd gotten the results. He hadn't, though, so he kept saying, "No, we should know by Wednesday." "Wednesday," of course, would have been the day before Thanksgiving.
When that Wednesday came, we all called Mikey in turn, asking about the results. He said, "Actually, I didn't get the results today. Maybe Friday." So we all took him at his word and went on with our Thanksgiving celebrations, each at our own homes (except me -- I joined in with my oldest sister and her family) and my parents in China.
Then that Saturday, at the WVU-UConn game, Mikey finally broke his silence. As the band played its half-time show, Mikey and I talked about Ryan shooting his first deer and about the incredible season WVU was having. Then he said, "Well listen, I got the results back from the PET scan." My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath. He slowly and almost matter-of-factly shook his head and said, "It's not good." As he motioned with his hand, he said, "It's all over. I'm on borrowed time now." And then he said, "I actually found out on Wednesday, but I didn't want to ruin everyone's Thanksgiving." So he and Cherie just suffered the news alone. They grieved that night and the next day alone. It breaks my heart now to think about it.
At some point, I knew I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and I jumped up and rushed up the steps to the bathroom. Almost as if on cue, my mom called my cell phone from China. Her first question: What did Mike find out? I knew I couldn't answer her honestly. First of all, she was half a world away. Second of all, I didn't feel it was my news to tell. So like Mikey had done a few days before, I lied. "I don't know. He didn't say, so I guess he hasn't found out anything yet." (I would later learn that my mom didn't believe that Mikey didn't know. She assumed that the news was bad and that that was why he wasn't saying anything.)
Later, after the game let out, Mikey and Cherie and Ryan went one way while my niece Ashley and her boyfriend and I went another. We met up with my oldest sister, Erin, outside the stadium and began our walk back to the car. Erin asked if Mikey had said anything about the PET scan. I quickly answered, "He didn't say. I don't know if he knows anything yet." I walked ahead, worried that she'd ask more questions.
Once back at Erin's house, my sister, Jenny, called my cell and asked the same question. Tired and emotionally drained by the weight of the news, I snapped, "Look, if I knew anything, I couldn't say anyway. It wouldn't be my news to tell." She said, "Then I guess you don't have to say anything. I guess I know the answer."
I never told anyone what Mikey told me. Obviously, they all found out in turn; although, I never asked any of them about it or about how Mikey had broken the news. We just never discussed it.
I wondered and worried later whether Mikey had intended for me tell the others. Maybe he didn't want to have to tell everyone, so he was hoping I would. In that case, I let him down terribly. But I just didn't know. Maybe he just needed to tell someone, so he just blurted it out. Maybe he wasn't ready to tell everyone else at that point. In that case, I didn't let him down, except in my inability to keep my composure.
I guess I'll never know, and in the meantime, I go back and forth in regret over the lies I told that day. Were they lies of compassion? Was I just trying to spare everyone the devastating truth? Or were they lies of selfishness? Did I just not want to be the one to have to break the news? I don't know. What I do know, though, is that I didn't do anything more than what Mikey had done, and Mikey was beyond reproach.
When that Wednesday came, we all called Mikey in turn, asking about the results. He said, "Actually, I didn't get the results today. Maybe Friday." So we all took him at his word and went on with our Thanksgiving celebrations, each at our own homes (except me -- I joined in with my oldest sister and her family) and my parents in China.
Then that Saturday, at the WVU-UConn game, Mikey finally broke his silence. As the band played its half-time show, Mikey and I talked about Ryan shooting his first deer and about the incredible season WVU was having. Then he said, "Well listen, I got the results back from the PET scan." My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath. He slowly and almost matter-of-factly shook his head and said, "It's not good." As he motioned with his hand, he said, "It's all over. I'm on borrowed time now." And then he said, "I actually found out on Wednesday, but I didn't want to ruin everyone's Thanksgiving." So he and Cherie just suffered the news alone. They grieved that night and the next day alone. It breaks my heart now to think about it.
At some point, I knew I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and I jumped up and rushed up the steps to the bathroom. Almost as if on cue, my mom called my cell phone from China. Her first question: What did Mike find out? I knew I couldn't answer her honestly. First of all, she was half a world away. Second of all, I didn't feel it was my news to tell. So like Mikey had done a few days before, I lied. "I don't know. He didn't say, so I guess he hasn't found out anything yet." (I would later learn that my mom didn't believe that Mikey didn't know. She assumed that the news was bad and that that was why he wasn't saying anything.)
Later, after the game let out, Mikey and Cherie and Ryan went one way while my niece Ashley and her boyfriend and I went another. We met up with my oldest sister, Erin, outside the stadium and began our walk back to the car. Erin asked if Mikey had said anything about the PET scan. I quickly answered, "He didn't say. I don't know if he knows anything yet." I walked ahead, worried that she'd ask more questions.
Once back at Erin's house, my sister, Jenny, called my cell and asked the same question. Tired and emotionally drained by the weight of the news, I snapped, "Look, if I knew anything, I couldn't say anyway. It wouldn't be my news to tell." She said, "Then I guess you don't have to say anything. I guess I know the answer."
I never told anyone what Mikey told me. Obviously, they all found out in turn; although, I never asked any of them about it or about how Mikey had broken the news. We just never discussed it.
I wondered and worried later whether Mikey had intended for me tell the others. Maybe he didn't want to have to tell everyone, so he was hoping I would. In that case, I let him down terribly. But I just didn't know. Maybe he just needed to tell someone, so he just blurted it out. Maybe he wasn't ready to tell everyone else at that point. In that case, I didn't let him down, except in my inability to keep my composure.
I guess I'll never know, and in the meantime, I go back and forth in regret over the lies I told that day. Were they lies of compassion? Was I just trying to spare everyone the devastating truth? Or were they lies of selfishness? Did I just not want to be the one to have to break the news? I don't know. What I do know, though, is that I didn't do anything more than what Mikey had done, and Mikey was beyond reproach.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Game Day Pat White
I'm getting a late start! The game started 30 minutes ago, so I hope you're watching.
UPDATE: Yay, secret boyfriend Pat White! You are far and away the greatest player in college football today! Forget the the Heisman Trophy. Let McCoy and Daniel fight over it. You don't need no stinkin' Heisman. Today you set a new Big East record for most touchdowns by a QB, surpassing the great Donovan McNabb. You also set a new NCAA record for most rushing yards by a QB. On top of that, you threw two incredible blocks for Noel Devine. Yes, you are the greatest, and we will miss you next year!
UPDATE: Yay, secret boyfriend Pat White! You are far and away the greatest player in college football today! Forget the the Heisman Trophy. Let McCoy and Daniel fight over it. You don't need no stinkin' Heisman. Today you set a new Big East record for most touchdowns by a QB, surpassing the great Donovan McNabb. You also set a new NCAA record for most rushing yards by a QB. On top of that, you threw two incredible blocks for Noel Devine. Yes, you are the greatest, and we will miss you next year!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Eleven Months
I'm not even sure what to say this month. Actually, it's more that I don't want to say anything because maybe if I pretend that it hasn't been eleven months, then I can avoid the fact that next month, it will have been a year.
Of course, in some ways, it's already been a year. It will have been a year ago Thanksgiving weekend that Mikey told me that he didn't have much time left. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I can picture the look on his face. I can see his right hand -- index finger tracing figure eights across his chest and abdomen -- indicating that the cancer had continued to spread and was "all over." I can feel the lump forming in my throat. I can feel myself looking over at Ryan, wondering if they'd told him yet. And I can hear Cherie saying, "Did you notice his eyes? They're yellow," almost as if she didn't grasp the gravity of what they were telling me.
There. In that stadium. Halftime. Going from the highest of highs (a huge lead over Big East leader UConn and the prospect of seeing WVU play for a national title) to the lowest of lows.
I remember it as if it was yesterday, and yet it was a year ago.
It's also been three years -- three years since Mikey had his first surgery. That was the day before Thanksgiving 2005. The doctors opened him up and removed a foot of his colon, along with several lymph nodes. At the time, the doctors indicated that the cancer did not appear to have spread any further than that. The liver looked clean, they said. That would prove to be inaccurate, but at the time, we were relieved.
Mikey spent that Thanksgiving -- and the next eight days -- in a hospital bed with no food or water. As we sat around the dinner table eating turkey and potatoes and green beans and pie, Mikey lay in a hospital room, fed by a tube in his nose and a sponge dipped in water and pressed only lightly to his lips, and then only occasionally. But as horrible and heart-wrenching as that was, it would only be worse two years later. Who knew? Not us. We never imagined that it could get worse than that.
Eleven months. One year. Three years. One hundred years. It doesn't matter. The holidays will never be the same. Our lives will never be the same.
NOTE: That picture was taken just a few minutes before Mikey told me the news. Like I said, the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows. But doesn't he look happy?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Ten on Tuesday
So you've missed me, huh? Awww...I feel so loved! I'd like to say that I haven't blogged for a while because the new guy occupies every minute of my spare time, but it's more because my life just hasn't been that exciting. I've become domesticated, so I'm not having the usual adventures. But a "boring" evening at home cooking dinner and discussing the day's events with the new guy isn't so bad, I promise you that. Anyway, on with the 10...
1. As Bryan and Jennifer pointed out in recent comments, Hellington has been deemed the most unhealthy city in the country. Dare to dream. If you haven't read the article...well, I hate to point you to it, but go ahead. I cringed when I read it. First of all, it's a little harsh, almost mean-spirited. Second of all, it's not entirely innaccurate. Although, it bears pointing out that the "Huntington area" of which the article speaks includes southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, both of which are rather poor, depressed areas. Still, no one wants to think that they live in a physiological hellhole.
2. It snowed here last night and today...in mid-November...which is almost unheard of for this area. Is this a sign of what's to come this winter?
3. I have had the strangest "bug" for the last 3 days. I have stomach cramping and other rather unpleasant symptoms, but I have not been nauseated or lost my appetite at all. I feel like I'm being gypped! A good stomach bug should be worth at least 5 lost pounds!
4. I watched an episode of Ricky Gervais's "The Office" last night. It was the first one I'd seen. All I can is WOW! They sure can get away with a lot more on Brittish TV than we can here! I want more BBC in my America!
5. I finally finished watching "Casino Royale" last night, so now I can see "Quantum of Solace." Daniel Craig...YUUUUUMMY! There is nothing I don't love about that man. I even loved him in "Road to Perdition," and he was a real prick in that one.
6. Gas is down to $2.09 in Huntington!
7. Mine must be the most poorly insulated house ever built. Even the carpeted floors are cold!
8. I think Lily is coming home for Thanksgiving! I can't wait to see the little brat.
9. Sometimes I accidentally leave my seat warmer on in my car when I get home in the evening. In and of itself, that's not a problem. However, when I get in my car the next morning -- especially if it's not a particularly cold morning -- I sometimes get startled when my butt begins to feel hot.
10. The beautiful Alex sent me a text message the other day to let me know that her school pictures came in and that they were "beautiful," so she would let me have one. I said, "Oh good! I was afraid they'd turn out looking like crap." She replied, "I know, right?" When I said, "You couldn't take a bad picture," she said, "That's why you're my favorite aunt!" I know, right?
1. As Bryan and Jennifer pointed out in recent comments, Hellington has been deemed the most unhealthy city in the country. Dare to dream. If you haven't read the article...well, I hate to point you to it, but go ahead. I cringed when I read it. First of all, it's a little harsh, almost mean-spirited. Second of all, it's not entirely innaccurate. Although, it bears pointing out that the "Huntington area" of which the article speaks includes southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, both of which are rather poor, depressed areas. Still, no one wants to think that they live in a physiological hellhole.
2. It snowed here last night and today...in mid-November...which is almost unheard of for this area. Is this a sign of what's to come this winter?
3. I have had the strangest "bug" for the last 3 days. I have stomach cramping and other rather unpleasant symptoms, but I have not been nauseated or lost my appetite at all. I feel like I'm being gypped! A good stomach bug should be worth at least 5 lost pounds!
4. I watched an episode of Ricky Gervais's "The Office" last night. It was the first one I'd seen. All I can is WOW! They sure can get away with a lot more on Brittish TV than we can here! I want more BBC in my America!
5. I finally finished watching "Casino Royale" last night, so now I can see "Quantum of Solace." Daniel Craig...YUUUUUMMY! There is nothing I don't love about that man. I even loved him in "Road to Perdition," and he was a real prick in that one.
6. Gas is down to $2.09 in Huntington!
7. Mine must be the most poorly insulated house ever built. Even the carpeted floors are cold!
8. I think Lily is coming home for Thanksgiving! I can't wait to see the little brat.
9. Sometimes I accidentally leave my seat warmer on in my car when I get home in the evening. In and of itself, that's not a problem. However, when I get in my car the next morning -- especially if it's not a particularly cold morning -- I sometimes get startled when my butt begins to feel hot.
10. The beautiful Alex sent me a text message the other day to let me know that her school pictures came in and that they were "beautiful," so she would let me have one. I said, "Oh good! I was afraid they'd turn out looking like crap." She replied, "I know, right?" When I said, "You couldn't take a bad picture," she said, "That's why you're my favorite aunt!" I know, right?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Streamlining
I spent my Election Day cleaning out closets and drawers. It was a forced purge, so it was mildly successful. In the one closet, I already had two big kitchen garbage bags and one shopping bag filled with clothes and accessories destined for Goodwill. They'd been sitting in there, taking up space, for at least three months. I hadn't taken them to Goodwill, though, because I was afraid I might change my mind about some item in those bags and decide to keep it. Mind you, I have no recollection of what I put in those bags, so it's hard to say what I thought I might want to later retrieve.
To those three bags, I added two more kitchen garbage bags and another shopping bag last Tuesday -- six bags in all. As I plowed through my forced purge, I realized that I had been holding on to certain items -- "just in case" -- for years! Sweaters I hadn't worn in two or three years and which are now too short in the waist to be stylish (or even decent), sweaters that had shrunk, pants that I hope never to grow back into, skirts that never fit to begin with -- all just sitting there, taking up space. Why?
And then there are the boxes. In two of my closets are three boxes which I have yet to unpack two years after my last move! I have no idea what is in those boxes, but if I haven't needed it in two years, then I could probably safely throw it away, right? And that is precisely what I should've done: Just take those boxes straight out to the trash. Still, I kept them. I didn't even bother to go through them. I just left them for another day of purging.
The maddening part of my pack-ratism is that it isn't confined to my house. It has spread to my office, too. Here we are, on the verge of a move to temporary offices, and I'm having to pack up all of my stuff. I'm sorting through things, trying to determine what can be thrown away, what I can safely send to storage, and what I will need in my temporary office. So far, I have thrown away only one small trash can's worth of stuff. I have five boxes of stuff that can be stored...and only one box of stuff that I will need in my temporary office. And it's not even full! If all that other stuff isn't "essential" to my daily work, then why do I keep it? I'm telling you, it's a sickness.
To those three bags, I added two more kitchen garbage bags and another shopping bag last Tuesday -- six bags in all. As I plowed through my forced purge, I realized that I had been holding on to certain items -- "just in case" -- for years! Sweaters I hadn't worn in two or three years and which are now too short in the waist to be stylish (or even decent), sweaters that had shrunk, pants that I hope never to grow back into, skirts that never fit to begin with -- all just sitting there, taking up space. Why?
And then there are the boxes. In two of my closets are three boxes which I have yet to unpack two years after my last move! I have no idea what is in those boxes, but if I haven't needed it in two years, then I could probably safely throw it away, right? And that is precisely what I should've done: Just take those boxes straight out to the trash. Still, I kept them. I didn't even bother to go through them. I just left them for another day of purging.
The maddening part of my pack-ratism is that it isn't confined to my house. It has spread to my office, too. Here we are, on the verge of a move to temporary offices, and I'm having to pack up all of my stuff. I'm sorting through things, trying to determine what can be thrown away, what I can safely send to storage, and what I will need in my temporary office. So far, I have thrown away only one small trash can's worth of stuff. I have five boxes of stuff that can be stored...and only one box of stuff that I will need in my temporary office. And it's not even full! If all that other stuff isn't "essential" to my daily work, then why do I keep it? I'm telling you, it's a sickness.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Ten on Tuesday: The New Guy
Ten on Tuesday: The New Guy
Today's 10 is a list of reasons why the guy I have been seeing is so wonderful.
1. He has the most entertaining stories, and he tells them so beautifully. I don't think I've ever laughed so much as I have in these last few weeks.
2. He is very sweet and very attentive, and he wants to make me happy all the time.
3. He's Catholic, and he goes to Mass with me without my even asking him to. My mom will love that.
4. He makes me smile every day, even bad days when I feel like nothing can make me smile.
5. He makes me feel relaxed and comfortable in every situation.
6. He's incredibly smart and witty.
7. He looks really handsome in a suit.
8. He has wavy hair, and I love a man with wavy hair.
9. He challenges me in so many ways, and it's making me a better person.
10. Even though we aren't very similar politically or socially, he still wants the same things in life that I do -- a family, a simple life, and laughter every day.
Today's 10 is a list of reasons why the guy I have been seeing is so wonderful.
1. He has the most entertaining stories, and he tells them so beautifully. I don't think I've ever laughed so much as I have in these last few weeks.
2. He is very sweet and very attentive, and he wants to make me happy all the time.
3. He's Catholic, and he goes to Mass with me without my even asking him to. My mom will love that.
4. He makes me smile every day, even bad days when I feel like nothing can make me smile.
5. He makes me feel relaxed and comfortable in every situation.
6. He's incredibly smart and witty.
7. He looks really handsome in a suit.
8. He has wavy hair, and I love a man with wavy hair.
9. He challenges me in so many ways, and it's making me a better person.
10. Even though we aren't very similar politically or socially, he still wants the same things in life that I do -- a family, a simple life, and laughter every day.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Of Rivalry and Romance
So I took my new "friend" home with me this weekend for the WVU game. Now, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this new guy isn't exactly a WVU fan. In fact, he's employed by that other school, Marshall University. (As one of the girls I carpool with likes to say, it's a "mixed marriage" of sorts.) If you are unfamiliar with the dynamic between WVU and Marshall, let's just say that it's not always pleasant. Marshall feels as though it is treated as WVU's "little brother," when it wants to be seen as an equal to WVU. For it's part, well, WVU feels as though Marshall is its "little brother." But, hey, that's better than being thought of as the "little sister," right?
Anyhow, this little rivalry plays out in our relationship fairly often, even when we don't really intend for it to. I knew that if he went home with me, my dyed-in-the-wool Gold and Blue family would show little mercy. There would be comments made about WVU beating Marshall in their annual football face-off. There would be questions about why he didn't go to a "real" university. There would be jabs about green (their team color) being the color of envy. Of course, I knew the new guy could handle it. He's nothing if not quick-witted...and full of ammunition. He'd fire back with warnings of "thug ball" under Bobby Huggins. He'd throw out the whole Heather Bresch degree scandal. He'd talk about recruiting my high school-age niece to attend Marshall. What I wasn't quite expecting was this little exchange, which took place Sunday morning in my parents' kitchen...
Dad: Well, when I worked at the University...
New Guy: *Raises eyebrow, cocks head slightly, and offers a wry smile*
Dad: Er, I mean...that's not to say...I didn't mean to imply that WVU is the university.
New Guy: *Breaks into a wide grin* No, sir, I understand perfectly what you mean. I'm just giving you a hard time.
It left my dad momentarily speechless, and it left my mom chuckling. She always had a soft spot for Marshall (even if that soft spot is of the "but they're our little brother" variety), and she loves when my dad gets put in his place. I was pretty sure then that the new guy had won over my parents.
Anyhow, this little rivalry plays out in our relationship fairly often, even when we don't really intend for it to. I knew that if he went home with me, my dyed-in-the-wool Gold and Blue family would show little mercy. There would be comments made about WVU beating Marshall in their annual football face-off. There would be questions about why he didn't go to a "real" university. There would be jabs about green (their team color) being the color of envy. Of course, I knew the new guy could handle it. He's nothing if not quick-witted...and full of ammunition. He'd fire back with warnings of "thug ball" under Bobby Huggins. He'd throw out the whole Heather Bresch degree scandal. He'd talk about recruiting my high school-age niece to attend Marshall. What I wasn't quite expecting was this little exchange, which took place Sunday morning in my parents' kitchen...
Dad: Well, when I worked at the University...
New Guy: *Raises eyebrow, cocks head slightly, and offers a wry smile*
Dad: Er, I mean...that's not to say...I didn't mean to imply that WVU is the university.
New Guy: *Breaks into a wide grin* No, sir, I understand perfectly what you mean. I'm just giving you a hard time.
It left my dad momentarily speechless, and it left my mom chuckling. She always had a soft spot for Marshall (even if that soft spot is of the "but they're our little brother" variety), and she loves when my dad gets put in his place. I was pretty sure then that the new guy had won over my parents.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Game Day Pat White
Today is the WVU-Cincinnati game, and you know what that means...time for another picture of my secret boyfriend, Pat White! And what a great picture it is. If you didn't think Pat was cute before, then you have to see it now, right? (And what the heck was wrong with you before?) I mean, look at that smile! Those eyes! He's just...just...perfect!
Let's goooooooo, Mountaineers!
Let's goooooooo, Mountaineers!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Alex, the Beautiful
My niece, Alex, ran in the state cross-country meet this weekend; and it happened to be at one of the nearby high schools, so, naturally, I went to watch her run. The night before the meet, she sent me a text message asking, "Are you going to bring your camera to take lots of beautiful pictures of beautiful me?" Oh, Alex. Shy, unassuming, humble Alex. So of course I took my camera, and of course I got some beautiful pictures of beautiful her.
Every year, they have cutesy little t-shirts printed. I did love this year's tee. Clever, huh?
Sometimes Alex reminds me so much of her older sister, Erica. Erica runs for WVU.
Alex is going through this phase where she keeps dying streaks in her hair. Earlier this fall, it was a bright fuchsia streak. Then she dyed it blue to match her homecoming gown. Part of me wants to roll my eyes, but then another part of me says, Meh, that's just Alex being Alex. What's wrong with that?
There she is crossing the finish line.
Now if I had just finished running 3 miles, I'd be bent over, crying and puking up my carb-loaded dinner from the night before. Alex is tough, though. She barely even cringed.
And here she is explaining to 2 of her teammates how she was passed by another runner along the course. Hey, if only 1 runner passed her, I think that's great. Every runner would've passed me, especially after I started walking about 30 seconds into the race...
Her team ended up finishing 4th out of 11. This was the first time in something like 7 years that they didn't either win it all (4 times) or come in second, but their top runner had a sprained ankle, so that made a huge difference. Oh well, Alex is only a junior, so there's always next year.
Every year, they have cutesy little t-shirts printed. I did love this year's tee. Clever, huh?
Sometimes Alex reminds me so much of her older sister, Erica. Erica runs for WVU.
Alex is going through this phase where she keeps dying streaks in her hair. Earlier this fall, it was a bright fuchsia streak. Then she dyed it blue to match her homecoming gown. Part of me wants to roll my eyes, but then another part of me says, Meh, that's just Alex being Alex. What's wrong with that?
There she is crossing the finish line.
Now if I had just finished running 3 miles, I'd be bent over, crying and puking up my carb-loaded dinner from the night before. Alex is tough, though. She barely even cringed.
And here she is explaining to 2 of her teammates how she was passed by another runner along the course. Hey, if only 1 runner passed her, I think that's great. Every runner would've passed me, especially after I started walking about 30 seconds into the race...
Her team ended up finishing 4th out of 11. This was the first time in something like 7 years that they didn't either win it all (4 times) or come in second, but their top runner had a sprained ankle, so that made a huge difference. Oh well, Alex is only a junior, so there's always next year.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Ten on Tuesday: Election Edition
1. I am so over election season. One more day, and I know I would've gone postal.
2. There is one good thing about the election, though...it means a day off for me!
3. Of course, my "to do" list for my day off is as long as the entrails of that poor dead caribou Sarah Palin and her child are proudly smiling over in that well-publicized photo.
4. I still haven't decided who I am going to vote for in the Supreme Court race...and I work for the Supreme Court! One of the candidates -- Menis Ketchum, who is a man -- is wearing more make-up in his TV spots than RuPaul wears at a drag show. Another of the candidates -- Beth Walker -- spends her 30-second TV spots talking about how she believes the U.S. Constitution "isn't written in pencil" and that she'll fight "to protect your 2nd Amendment rights." That's great, Ms. Walker, but the state Supreme Court doesn't hear federal cases. The third candidate -- Margaret Workman -- was once on the Court, but she just up and quit one day before her term ended. What makes me think she won't do it again?
5. I may not vote at all for mayor. I mean really. Both candidates are scary idiots in their own way. I'm not altogether convinced that this city wouldn't do better under total anarchy.
6. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person under the age of 65 who votes at my polling location.
7. The first time I voted for President was 1996, and I voted for Clinton. I truly believed in my vote, too. I have voted for President twice since then, and both times I had to hold my nose to do it. (Although, in my mind, anyone was better than W.)
8. I hate it when I see candidates for big offices (like CONGRESS!) standing on the side of the road, waving at the passing motorists like idiots. If you don't have anything better to do than stand there and wave for hours on end, then I don't think I want you in Congress.
9. Jennifer Garner robo-called me this weekend to encourage me to vote for Barack Obama. I hear Hank Williams, Jr., is making robo-calls in southern West Virginia encouraging everyone to vote for John McCain.
10. OK, I've decided who to vote for in the Supreme Court race now. I'm going to write myself in. With 8 years at the Court, I'm far more qualified than any of the 3 candidates, so I think it only makes sense.
2. There is one good thing about the election, though...it means a day off for me!
3. Of course, my "to do" list for my day off is as long as the entrails of that poor dead caribou Sarah Palin and her child are proudly smiling over in that well-publicized photo.
4. I still haven't decided who I am going to vote for in the Supreme Court race...and I work for the Supreme Court! One of the candidates -- Menis Ketchum, who is a man -- is wearing more make-up in his TV spots than RuPaul wears at a drag show. Another of the candidates -- Beth Walker -- spends her 30-second TV spots talking about how she believes the U.S. Constitution "isn't written in pencil" and that she'll fight "to protect your 2nd Amendment rights." That's great, Ms. Walker, but the state Supreme Court doesn't hear federal cases. The third candidate -- Margaret Workman -- was once on the Court, but she just up and quit one day before her term ended. What makes me think she won't do it again?
5. I may not vote at all for mayor. I mean really. Both candidates are scary idiots in their own way. I'm not altogether convinced that this city wouldn't do better under total anarchy.
6. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person under the age of 65 who votes at my polling location.
7. The first time I voted for President was 1996, and I voted for Clinton. I truly believed in my vote, too. I have voted for President twice since then, and both times I had to hold my nose to do it. (Although, in my mind, anyone was better than W.)
8. I hate it when I see candidates for big offices (like CONGRESS!) standing on the side of the road, waving at the passing motorists like idiots. If you don't have anything better to do than stand there and wave for hours on end, then I don't think I want you in Congress.
9. Jennifer Garner robo-called me this weekend to encourage me to vote for Barack Obama. I hear Hank Williams, Jr., is making robo-calls in southern West Virginia encouraging everyone to vote for John McCain.
10. OK, I've decided who to vote for in the Supreme Court race now. I'm going to write myself in. With 8 years at the Court, I'm far more qualified than any of the 3 candidates, so I think it only makes sense.
Monday, November 03, 2008
WVU-Auburn Game
So I went up to Morgantown a couple of weeks ago for the WVU-Auburn game, and I had a blast! It was a night game -- broadcast on ESPN -- and it was one of those games where the crowd only sits for TV time-outs and half-time. Since it was a Gold Rush night, the stands were a sea of bright gold...except for the two corner sections of the South Endzone, which were filled with Auburn orange. The Auburn crowd was incredible, by the way. It was, by far, the biggest crowd of visiting fans I have ever seen at Mountaineer Field, and every one of those fans was totally into the game. They chanted, they cheered, they sang along with their band. It really did make the game that much more fun.
Of course, one thing the Auburn fans probably weren't prepared for (besides the ass-waxing put on their team by the Mountaineers): the cold. It was about 45 degrees, which isn't that bad, but the breeze was stiff and chilly. Even I was cold. But who cared? After a rough start, the Mountaineers found their stride and won.
* * * * * *
My nephews, Ryan and Tyler, were there despite the fact that it was a school night. The game didn't kick off until 7:45, so I knew it was going to be a long night and a rough morning.
Ryan didn't seem to mind. He wasn't really cold or tired.
Tyler, on the other hand, didn't make it through the game. I will say that he was a trooper, though, and he didn't do his regular, "When is it over? Can we go now?" schtick. Of course, maybe that's because he fell asleep right at the beginning of the second half...
He slept solid through the roar of the third and fourth quarters, not even so much as flinching or fluttering an eyelash. He looked so peaceful laying half-way across his mommy's lap and half-way across his own seat. But with the clock winding down in the waning minutes of the game, my sister-in-law decided that she needed to wake him up. She leaned over and quietly said his name as she gently squeezed his arm. As careful as she was, though, she must have startled him because he promptly rolled right off her lap and onto the ground! I have to say that it was the funniest thing I'd seen in a while. He was completely and utterly confused when he popped back up to his knees. I don't think he had a clue where he was or how he got there. I think that'll be his last night game for a while.
Of course, one thing the Auburn fans probably weren't prepared for (besides the ass-waxing put on their team by the Mountaineers): the cold. It was about 45 degrees, which isn't that bad, but the breeze was stiff and chilly. Even I was cold. But who cared? After a rough start, the Mountaineers found their stride and won.
* * * * * *
My nephews, Ryan and Tyler, were there despite the fact that it was a school night. The game didn't kick off until 7:45, so I knew it was going to be a long night and a rough morning.
Ryan didn't seem to mind. He wasn't really cold or tired.
Tyler, on the other hand, didn't make it through the game. I will say that he was a trooper, though, and he didn't do his regular, "When is it over? Can we go now?" schtick. Of course, maybe that's because he fell asleep right at the beginning of the second half...
He slept solid through the roar of the third and fourth quarters, not even so much as flinching or fluttering an eyelash. He looked so peaceful laying half-way across his mommy's lap and half-way across his own seat. But with the clock winding down in the waning minutes of the game, my sister-in-law decided that she needed to wake him up. She leaned over and quietly said his name as she gently squeezed his arm. As careful as she was, though, she must have startled him because he promptly rolled right off her lap and onto the ground! I have to say that it was the funniest thing I'd seen in a while. He was completely and utterly confused when he popped back up to his knees. I don't think he had a clue where he was or how he got there. I think that'll be his last night game for a while.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ten on Tuesday
1. I got my flu shot this morning. I never, ever got a flu shot until I came to work for the Court. The Court arranged for us each to get a free flu shot every year, so I started getting them...until the vaccine shortage we had a few years ago. That year, the Court couldn't get us all a flu shot, so I went without. And I got the flu. And it sucked. I will never again go without a flu shot.
2. I'm not sure which is worse: summer humidity or winter dryness. Either way, good hair days are few and far between for me.
3. Heads up to the lady in the automotive department at Wal-Mart last night: When they ask you what color your car is, they don't need the manufacturer's fancy color moniker. It is sufficient to say "blue" or "red." You don't need to hem and haw around for five minutes saying, "Oh, gee. What is it called? Um, maybe...uh...was it called 'champagne beige,' I think?"
4. In 4 short weeks, we are going to be moved from our offices at the Capitol to temporary offices in downtown Charleston for 6 months while they completely gut our suite and rebuild it. I think I would rather just have my current crappy office repainted and recarpeted than endure the inconvenience of temporary relocation. No, really.
5. I just got an invitation to a New Year's Eve party. Holy crap! Is it already time to make NYE plans?
6. I received my Verizon modem via UPS today, and when I picked it up from the Clerk's Office, the installation CD was hanging out of the end of the box! I wonder if anything else fell out along the way...
7. Sometimes I need look no further than the first name of the child in my abuse and neglect cases to know that the child has been abused.
8. I'm glad Election Day is just one short week away. Living in this part of the state is unbearable during election season. Not only do we get bombarded with West Virginia political ads, but we also have to suffer through Kentucky and Ohio ads.
9. It snowed back home today.
10. I know I must be in love because I'm going to a Marshall football game in 20-some-degree weather on a weeknight just because my new "friend" is a Marshall loyalist. And he and I aren't even going to sit together! I'm just going so that I can be in the same place as him! Lord, deliver me from this evil...
2. I'm not sure which is worse: summer humidity or winter dryness. Either way, good hair days are few and far between for me.
3. Heads up to the lady in the automotive department at Wal-Mart last night: When they ask you what color your car is, they don't need the manufacturer's fancy color moniker. It is sufficient to say "blue" or "red." You don't need to hem and haw around for five minutes saying, "Oh, gee. What is it called? Um, maybe...uh...was it called 'champagne beige,' I think?"
4. In 4 short weeks, we are going to be moved from our offices at the Capitol to temporary offices in downtown Charleston for 6 months while they completely gut our suite and rebuild it. I think I would rather just have my current crappy office repainted and recarpeted than endure the inconvenience of temporary relocation. No, really.
5. I just got an invitation to a New Year's Eve party. Holy crap! Is it already time to make NYE plans?
6. I received my Verizon modem via UPS today, and when I picked it up from the Clerk's Office, the installation CD was hanging out of the end of the box! I wonder if anything else fell out along the way...
7. Sometimes I need look no further than the first name of the child in my abuse and neglect cases to know that the child has been abused.
8. I'm glad Election Day is just one short week away. Living in this part of the state is unbearable during election season. Not only do we get bombarded with West Virginia political ads, but we also have to suffer through Kentucky and Ohio ads.
9. It snowed back home today.
10. I know I must be in love because I'm going to a Marshall football game in 20-some-degree weather on a weeknight just because my new "friend" is a Marshall loyalist. And he and I aren't even going to sit together! I'm just going so that I can be in the same place as him! Lord, deliver me from this evil...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Nice Try, But No.
So I was reading a news headline to my friend that said, "Single Lightning Strike Kills 52 Cows." He said, "And do you know what it smelled like? Bacon!" He was clearly very proud of himself for coming up with that little doozie so quickly. Of course, I laughed -- hysterically! -- but not because it was the funny one-liner he had hoped it would be. No, instead, and in between hiccup-inducing fits of laughter, I said, "Honey, bacon doesn't come from cows!" He looked at me defiantly for a quick moment and then got the shit!-you're-right look on his face. I'll be laughing about that one for days.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Game Day Pat White
I'm heading up to Morgantown today after work for the WVU-Auburn game. I have no idea how it will end, but I don't even care. I mean, what could be better than watching football on a cool, crisp fall evening at Mountaineer Field? Oh wait, there is something better than that...watching Pat White play football on a cool, crisp fall evening at Mountaineer Field!
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Random Picture Memories
This picture of Ashley and Lily was taken at the Bickford reunion (my mom's mom's family) in 2007, just before Lily moved to Massachusetts. Ashley is the oldest of my parents' grandchildren at 23, and Lily is the youngest at 3 (although they were 22 and 2 at the time). Of course, I remember when Ashley was Lily's age. I can hardly believe that she's about to graduate with a degree in occupational therapy and get married! I won't say that it feels like just yesterday that she was born because it doesn't. I was only 10 years old then, and that feels like ages ago. But it does seem like just yesterday that Ashley was a punk kid in high school. That makes sense, though, since I'm clinging desperately to 27, which would make Ashley 17...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Ten on Tuesday: The Mikey Edition
It's Tuesday, and it's also the 10th month since Mikey's passing, so today's Ten on Tuesday is all about Mikey...
1. As I've mentioned before, Mikey was a huge WVU football fan. Sometimes, when I'm at Mountaineer Field, I try to "hear" him yelling about the defense or talking about "missed opportunities." God knows there would've been a lot of yelling this season...
2. There is a little writing desk in the back room of the basement at my parents' house that used to belong to Mikey when he was a kid. Daddy offered to let me have it, and I'm going to take it. I have no idea where I'll put it, but I'm going to take it.
3. I'm starting to worry about November and December and how I'll handle those two months. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving that Mikey told me at that football game that he wasn't going to make it; and, of course, it was December when he passed away, scarcely a month later. I keep having these thoughts that maybe I can just sleep through those two months. It worries me that that seems like a workable solution.
4. Mikey took me to my very first concert. It was Debbie Gibson, and it was at the Palumbo Center at Dusquesne University. Now that's the mark of a doting brother -- that he, at 24 or 25, would take his two baby sisters to see some teen queen sing and prance around a stage to the sickeningly sweet tones of "Shake Your Love."
5. Mikey taught me how to throw a football, how to make a lay-up, and how to swing a baseball bat. I have never been very good at any of those things, but I remember exactly what he taught me to do.
6. When Boo and I were kids, Mikey never tried to shut us out of his room. Of course, there wasn't really a lock on his door, but he never even asked us to stay out of his room. I can remember the way it smelled, the pictures and Budweiser mirrors that hung on the walls, the baseball penants pinned over the bed, the knick-knacks on the shelves given to him by girlfriends, even a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...everything.
7. Mikey did not like Suzy-Qs, which I always found strange. I mean, who doesn't like Suzy-Qs?
8. If ever you complained about something, Mikey would say, "Well, what do you want? Eggs in your beer?" I never knew what that meant, and I guess I never will, but I use it all the time.
9. Thankfully, I can still see Mikey's facial expressions in my mind's eye. I can see his "I got ya!" expression and his "What a rube!" expression and his "What the heck were they thinking?" expression and his "I adore my boys..." expression.
10. I miss Mikey even more after writing all these things.
1. As I've mentioned before, Mikey was a huge WVU football fan. Sometimes, when I'm at Mountaineer Field, I try to "hear" him yelling about the defense or talking about "missed opportunities." God knows there would've been a lot of yelling this season...
2. There is a little writing desk in the back room of the basement at my parents' house that used to belong to Mikey when he was a kid. Daddy offered to let me have it, and I'm going to take it. I have no idea where I'll put it, but I'm going to take it.
3. I'm starting to worry about November and December and how I'll handle those two months. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving that Mikey told me at that football game that he wasn't going to make it; and, of course, it was December when he passed away, scarcely a month later. I keep having these thoughts that maybe I can just sleep through those two months. It worries me that that seems like a workable solution.
4. Mikey took me to my very first concert. It was Debbie Gibson, and it was at the Palumbo Center at Dusquesne University. Now that's the mark of a doting brother -- that he, at 24 or 25, would take his two baby sisters to see some teen queen sing and prance around a stage to the sickeningly sweet tones of "Shake Your Love."
5. Mikey taught me how to throw a football, how to make a lay-up, and how to swing a baseball bat. I have never been very good at any of those things, but I remember exactly what he taught me to do.
6. When Boo and I were kids, Mikey never tried to shut us out of his room. Of course, there wasn't really a lock on his door, but he never even asked us to stay out of his room. I can remember the way it smelled, the pictures and Budweiser mirrors that hung on the walls, the baseball penants pinned over the bed, the knick-knacks on the shelves given to him by girlfriends, even a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...everything.
7. Mikey did not like Suzy-Qs, which I always found strange. I mean, who doesn't like Suzy-Qs?
8. If ever you complained about something, Mikey would say, "Well, what do you want? Eggs in your beer?" I never knew what that meant, and I guess I never will, but I use it all the time.
9. Thankfully, I can still see Mikey's facial expressions in my mind's eye. I can see his "I got ya!" expression and his "What a rube!" expression and his "What the heck were they thinking?" expression and his "I adore my boys..." expression.
10. I miss Mikey even more after writing all these things.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
My Economy, Myself
So the state of the economy affected me in a most peculiar way this week. It hit me, and I felt it in my ovaries. That's right, the economy has taken over my ovaries.
About a year ago, I went off my birth control pill. It kind of happened by accident. I wasn't able to pick up my December pack because I was back home and ended up being there for almost a month. So I decided to just stop taking them altogether. I didn't really need them anyway.
This week, though, I decided to go back on the pill, so I had my doctor phone in a prescription for Yaz, which is what I had taken before. I went to Wal-Mart last night to pick up the prescription, knowing that I'd have to pay full price because I hadn't met my deductible yet for my prescriptions. I remembered that the pills had always been $40 before, and even that seemed like an a lot to me. Yeah, well, apparently there has been a little inflation in the birth control market in the last year because my pills cost me $53 last night! $53! And then I started to think about it...I did have two prescriptions earlier for my sprained ankle and for a UTI, so I had spent some money toward my prescription deductible. I'm guessing, then, that the actual price of the pills was probably $60 or more, and $53 represented the balance remaining on my deductible!
Higher gas prices -- I don't like it, but I can live with it. Bigger utility bills -- what are you gonna do about that? Increased grocery bill -- gas prices always trickle down. But inflation in my ovaries?! It's unacceptable! I protest, and I demand a bailout for my reproductive system! In fact, I'm going to write my Congressman right now...
About a year ago, I went off my birth control pill. It kind of happened by accident. I wasn't able to pick up my December pack because I was back home and ended up being there for almost a month. So I decided to just stop taking them altogether. I didn't really need them anyway.
This week, though, I decided to go back on the pill, so I had my doctor phone in a prescription for Yaz, which is what I had taken before. I went to Wal-Mart last night to pick up the prescription, knowing that I'd have to pay full price because I hadn't met my deductible yet for my prescriptions. I remembered that the pills had always been $40 before, and even that seemed like an a lot to me. Yeah, well, apparently there has been a little inflation in the birth control market in the last year because my pills cost me $53 last night! $53! And then I started to think about it...I did have two prescriptions earlier for my sprained ankle and for a UTI, so I had spent some money toward my prescription deductible. I'm guessing, then, that the actual price of the pills was probably $60 or more, and $53 represented the balance remaining on my deductible!
Higher gas prices -- I don't like it, but I can live with it. Bigger utility bills -- what are you gonna do about that? Increased grocery bill -- gas prices always trickle down. But inflation in my ovaries?! It's unacceptable! I protest, and I demand a bailout for my reproductive system! In fact, I'm going to write my Congressman right now...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Taking Another Cue From MountainLaurel...
Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...
You Are a Bette!
You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"
Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.
How to Get Along with Me
- * Stand up for yourself... and me.
- * Be confident, strong, and direct.
- * Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
- * Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
- * Give me space to be alone.
- * Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
- * I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
- * When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.
What I Like About Being a Bette
- * being independent and self-reliant
- * being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
- * being courageous, straightforward, and honest
- * getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
- * supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
- * upholding just causes
What's Hard About Being a Bette
- * overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
- * being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
- * sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
- * never forgetting injuries or injustices
- * putting too much pressure on myself
- * getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right
Bettes as Children Often
- * are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
- * are sometimes loners
- * seize control so they won't be controlled
- * figure out others' weaknesses
- * attack verbally or physically when provoked
- * take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings
Bettes as Parents
- * are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
- * are sometimes overprotective
- * can be demanding, controlling, and rigid
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy
I Have an Explanation
Some people have been wondering where I've been. I went from posting every day to posting one or two times a week. I have a very good explanation. I do. I just can't really share it with you. But know that I am alive and well and happy. Very, very happy. And when I'm not spending my evenings posting to this blog, I'm spending them with the person who makes me happy. Very, very happy. I can't wait to get to the point to where I feel comfortable talking about him and how wonderful he is. For now, though, I'm playing it by ear...and I'm very, very happy.
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Terrible Day at Mountaineer Field
When this football season began, I believed that WVU could go undefeated. The worst case scenario seemed to be 10-2. Now it seems as if we'll be lucky to go 6-6. And I hate to say it, but there is only one reason for this year's dismal performance: poor coaching. Granted, we lost some great players last year; however, we also returned some phenomenal players. No, it is a case of poor coaching, plain and simple. And it all came to a head this past weekend when WVU took on Syracuse -- one of the worst teams in the Big East conference, if not the country. A 29-point favorite, WVU only won by a score of 17-6. 17-6!!! By the third quarter, fans were standing in their seats, turning toward the press box, and booing the offensive coordinator. Now, I, personally, do not believe in booing in any circumstance; however, I could certainly appreciate the frustration of those booing fans. And I hate to say it -- I really do -- but if Rich Rodriguez had stayed at WVU, this team would be 6-0 right now and ranked in the top 10.
* * * * * *
After taking a pretty bad hit in the Rutgers game the weekend before, my secret boyfriend Pat White did not play this weekend. In fact, he didn't even suit up. Always his teammates' greatest cheerleader, though, he walked the sideline and pushed the team on. Of course, I got a few pictures...
Cheering on your fellow players can make a man very thirsty. Naturally he needed a little Gatorade during this time-out.
He looks a little grumpy here. Maybe it was the bad play-calling, but I tend to think it's because he couldn't find me in the crowd.
Damn that long shirt tail! It's obstructing what would otherwise be a perfect shot of his exquisite derriere!
* * * * * *
After taking a pretty bad hit in the Rutgers game the weekend before, my secret boyfriend Pat White did not play this weekend. In fact, he didn't even suit up. Always his teammates' greatest cheerleader, though, he walked the sideline and pushed the team on. Of course, I got a few pictures...
Cheering on your fellow players can make a man very thirsty. Naturally he needed a little Gatorade during this time-out.
He looks a little grumpy here. Maybe it was the bad play-calling, but I tend to think it's because he couldn't find me in the crowd.
Damn that long shirt tail! It's obstructing what would otherwise be a perfect shot of his exquisite derriere!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Things That Make Me Happy
I posted not long ago about things that make me want to cry; and that day, I did want to cry. Today, though, I'm happy. Why, you ask? Well, there are several reasons...
Hearing Lily sing every word of every verse of "Country Roads" in perfect pitch and at the top of her lungs, even if it's over the phone and from hundreds of miles away...that makes me happy.
Having Lily ask when I can come to her house again...that makes me happy.
Knowing that I get to spend another Saturday afternoon at Mountaineer Field with family...that makes me happy.
Driving up the interstate to my real home on a clear, blue fall afternoon...that makes me happy.
Coming back from lunch and finding a sweet, blonde, smiling baby being passed around between my co-workers and knowing that I'm going to get to take a turn...that makes me happy.
Spending an evening with someone who I genuinely like and who can make me smile with very little effort at all...that makes me happy.
Knowing that I am loved...that makes me happy.
Hearing Lily sing every word of every verse of "Country Roads" in perfect pitch and at the top of her lungs, even if it's over the phone and from hundreds of miles away...that makes me happy.
Having Lily ask when I can come to her house again...that makes me happy.
Knowing that I get to spend another Saturday afternoon at Mountaineer Field with family...that makes me happy.
Driving up the interstate to my real home on a clear, blue fall afternoon...that makes me happy.
Coming back from lunch and finding a sweet, blonde, smiling baby being passed around between my co-workers and knowing that I'm going to get to take a turn...that makes me happy.
Spending an evening with someone who I genuinely like and who can make me smile with very little effort at all...that makes me happy.
Knowing that I am loved...that makes me happy.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Ten on Tuesday
1. This weekend will be my third weekend in a row at home in Kingwood. Not only am I getting tired of driving up there, but I'm pretty sure my mom is tired of having me up there.
2. When I was home last weekend, my parents took me to the basement, pointed to three boxes and said, "This is all your stuff. Take it with you when you leave." So I sat down and started to sift through it; and in it, I found letters that the kids had written to me when I was in college. One said simply, "Dear Lara, We miss you. Won't you please bring us a present?" It wasn't signed, but I think it was from the Arthurs kids. The oldest would have been 8 then, and the youngest was only 2.
3. A friend and I have decided that Tuesdays are overrated and Thursdays are underrated. Therefore, we have renamed Tuesday "Monday Lite" and Thursday "Friday Eve."
4. Gas is down to $3.39 in Huntington right now. Wouldn't it be incredible if it got back under $3/gallon?
5. Looking around my desk at work today, I realized that I need to update my photos of the kids. The most recent photo is still well over a year old!
6. One of my carpoolers got a new vehicle. Now I want her to drive everyday...but I guess that would defeat the purpose of her being in the carpool...
7. I got an e-mail forward today that actually made me chuckle. This was the attachment...
8. Rye bread undoubtedly makes for the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
9. The older I get, the more I think I look like my dad. The bridge of my nose is definitely his, and I think the eyes might be, too.
10. I ate a dinner of pizza and bottled beer off of a picnic table in the back of a slightly shady convenience store/pizza parlor last night, and it was the best meal I've ever had.
2. When I was home last weekend, my parents took me to the basement, pointed to three boxes and said, "This is all your stuff. Take it with you when you leave." So I sat down and started to sift through it; and in it, I found letters that the kids had written to me when I was in college. One said simply, "Dear Lara, We miss you. Won't you please bring us a present?" It wasn't signed, but I think it was from the Arthurs kids. The oldest would have been 8 then, and the youngest was only 2.
3. A friend and I have decided that Tuesdays are overrated and Thursdays are underrated. Therefore, we have renamed Tuesday "Monday Lite" and Thursday "Friday Eve."
4. Gas is down to $3.39 in Huntington right now. Wouldn't it be incredible if it got back under $3/gallon?
5. Looking around my desk at work today, I realized that I need to update my photos of the kids. The most recent photo is still well over a year old!
6. One of my carpoolers got a new vehicle. Now I want her to drive everyday...but I guess that would defeat the purpose of her being in the carpool...
7. I got an e-mail forward today that actually made me chuckle. This was the attachment...
8. Rye bread undoubtedly makes for the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
9. The older I get, the more I think I look like my dad. The bridge of my nose is definitely his, and I think the eyes might be, too.
10. I ate a dinner of pizza and bottled beer off of a picnic table in the back of a slightly shady convenience store/pizza parlor last night, and it was the best meal I've ever had.
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