i conquered curling ribbon

What tends to happen over break is that I have tons more time to blog because I am home from work. But most of you have less time, cause your kids are home with you. And you are entertaining them, not worrying about your blogs. Plus, it's Christmas, so there's that keeping everyone busy.

But I thought I would share a few more of my favorite ornaments. This one is from when I was little, and it certainly is retro looking. But I love how baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary are looking all cuddled up in the stable.

This is one of the other ones that I like, one of my more recent purchases. I think I shared before that I like to find one or two unique ornaments each year to add to my collection. I like an eclectic look, not so matchy-matchy. And I love ornaments as presents. Especially if they have sparkles or glitter.

And I love that this picture is so in focus that you can see the dust on top. Yup. But I like the way the silver sparkles reflect the different colors of the lights. So pretty.

And, this just in, I finally learned how to curl ribbon for the top of presents. I have never been able to do this. Really. I end up with flat stringy ribbons. Truly. I tie the ribbons and then hand them to Charlie to curl. But last night we went over to some friends' house and I learned how to do it! My friend Bethany is a master at it, and I can finally do it! I curled ribbon for several of her presents and I did a good job. I wish I had a picture of it, but I don't. She was so surprised that I couldn't do it, since she thinks I am so crafty, but it was just something I could not do. It's a random skill, I know. And now I can curl with the best of them.

It's a little victory. But a victory nonetheless.

wedding dress white

A story of several wedding dresses and my random sewing skills. Several years ago in June I went to the church early for a wedding with my husband, who was doing the sound for the wedding of our Pastor's middle daughter, Lauren. I ended up helping out as the wedding director was running around and when the bride's mom went to practice bustling up the dress, there was no loop.

We looked and looked and looked for the loop. There was lots of lace and beading on the skirt and we thought maybe we were missing something, but it just wasn't there. The hook was there, but there was nothing to hook the hook onto. Problem.

So that's how I ended up like this, ten minutes before Lauren walked down the aisle.

I said to someone, "if you have a needle and white thread, I could probably make a loop. It wouldn't be hard." So we ran around, looking for a needle. Turned out the reception decorator had a needle, but only had black thread. We looked around some more and I noticed that some she was using some cheesecloth, which is basically thread. We tore some thread off the edge and I ran down the hallway to the holding room and had Lauren lean against this cubby thing while I swore I wouldn't poke her and sewed on a loop of thread. In the picture she is meeting one of her fiancee's relatives while I am sewing.

It was one of the most random instances of my life, when my sewing skills came in handy and I was able to help. And I love that someone captured it on camera.

Two, I have gotten addicted to the TLC show Say Yes to the Dress where brides come to Kleinfeld's bridal salon and look a wedding dresses. I love it. I liked picking out my own wedding dress and find it fun to watch others figure out what they like. It's fun when they get all emotional and cry choosing their gowns. But the interesting point about the one I watched today, was that one of the customers on this rerun was Kate Gosselin, who was picking out the dress for her vow renewal. I found it sad to watch, as she was so excited to find a dress and was thinking about what Jon would like her in and what made her feel pretty. The whole situation with Jon and Kate is so sad and slightly disturbing. There is so much trash out there about them, and I just feel bad that their kids will be able to dig it up someday. Everything lives out there on the internet.

Remember that wisdom, folks. Everything lives forever on the internet. It takes a court order when you die to have someone shut your blog or Facebook account down, I read recently. They are looking into changing that, but it will live on long past you. And that may not be a good thing.

Okay, that was a sidebar, but those are my thoughts on wedding dresses. Did you love yours? I liked mine a lot. I think I looked really good in it and felt pretty that day. It's what I could hope for on my day. Tell me about yours.

10 things I love

1. I love when modern teen movies are based on Shakespeare. If you haven't seen 10 things I hate about you or She's the Man, then you need to. The former is based on the play Taming of the Shrew, and the latter on Twelfth Night.

2. I love sarcasm and movies with quick dialogue with pop culture references.

3. Music with mood appropriate soundtracks. Both of these movies have awesome soundtracks.

4. Heath Ledger. Gone too soon. This was still one of my favorite performances from him. He was scary and almost unidentifiable in Batman, and charming in Cassanova, but this movie really speaks to me. I love the character he plays, and when he sings on the football field, it's movie magic.

5. "Who needs affection when I have blind hatred?" Cause the dialogue is so well written. I know it's based on Shakespeare, and many of the lines are direct modernizations of the original, but the delivery is impressive as well.

6. Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum are one charming pair. Let's face it, Channing Tatum is hot (and recently married) and he spends half of this movie with his shirt off. The scene in this movie where Viola as Sebastian fends off women in the diner is one of my favorites.

7. Gag reels. All movies should have gag reels included on the Special Features. It just says something about the fact that actors are real people.


8. I like teen movies that have some sort of message, and these two certainly do. If you don't believe me, then watch them. They are definitely teen movies, but I like what they have to say about relationships. Be who you are. Make your own choices. Solve your own problems. If you have teenagers, it might scare you to see what's really out there going on with kids, but then again, you might need to see it.

9. Wherever they filmed 10 things was gorgeous. I know it is Seattle, but the building they use for the school is amazing. I wish my high school looked like that.

10. Movies. I love movies and have watched many this week, while getting stuff done. I think I've mentioned that we don't have the good cable (a problem that will be remedied soon) and I like to have voices in the background. I pop in a DVD and it's like instant company. And I get all sappy about a good love story.

more to tell about NYC

This was the view from our hotel room as the fireworks went off over the Hudson river. We had the best view, and we pulled our chairs up to the window and listened to the music from the TV as the fireworks went off. It was cool to see such a display and not be in the middle of the crushing crowd down by the water. We talked to another couple the next day who went down to the water, and it took them three hours to get back the one mile to the hotel.

Sunday morning we had reservations for Tavern on the Green, which is in Central Park. We had made reservations for their Sunday Stimulus Buffet which sounded amazing, but even though I called and asked if I could make reservations online, and the woman said yes, the answer was no. Evidently you can't reserve the buffet online, you can only make a la carte reservations so we ended up in the dining room with the regular menu. Which Charlie wasn't too excited about. Even with the mistake, I still had a wonderful time there, sitting in the crystal room.

The ceiling looks like cake frosting and is just beautiful. I was so excited to be there and take in such a New York experience. We had our picture taken by the official photographer and I bought a copy in a special green leather holder thing.

After the brunch we wandered around Central Park and saw a couple of places that I remembered from many movies, including Enchanted. I felt like I should break into song or something, but I am not talented that way.

So one big exciting thing that happened was at the movies. We had bought tickets to see the Transformers movie in IMAX at a theatre on Broadway. We walked over there from Central Park and while Charlie went to the bathroom, I got in line to get drinks. These two women behind me are talking about how expensive it was to buy tickets to the movies, and if people had a family of four, it could really add up. I was eavesdropping, I admit, but the woman's voice sounded familiar, so I looked over my shoulder. And my jaw dropped. Behind me was Diane Keaton and Carol Kane (from the Princess Bride.)

I turned and stared. And said "seriously?" My new friend Diane told me it was okay. I laughed, because Charlie had the camera. In the bathroom.

I got my drinks and stepped aside. Diane and Carol got their snacks. I kept praying for Charlie to hurry up! I asked Diane what movie they were seeing (Public Enemy.)

Finally Charlie came out of the bathroom and I told him to get out the camera, QUICK. I asked if we could take a picture and Diane said sure. We posed. And smiled. And Charlie had the camera set on Landscape. Thus my picture looks like this.


Charlie told her we really loved "Mad Money," which we did. She laughed and said that she didn't hear that compliment very often and we told her we thought it was hilarious. If you haven't seen it, you should.

We went in and took our seats, and had about a half an hour to wait until the movie. Charlie texted everyone he knew about our run in with our new best friend Diane (Carol stepped out of the picture, I don't know why.) All day we kept grinning about meeting a famous person. Our New York experience was complete. Yankees game, check, Tavern on the Green, check, Central Park, check, famous person, check.

I will say that either I was the only person that recognized the famous people, or other New Yorkers are just really blase' about seeing celebrities. Maybe they are used to it, and maybe that's why Diane and Carol can go to the movies without people bugging them too much. Anyway, she was very gracious about it, and we were thrilled.

Yay, New York.

cause Kathie Lee is an expert...

Now, I didn't get up early this morning to see any real new programs and I have just really turned on my TV at 11am, to see the Later Today show, with Kathie Lee Gifford and some other woman. The two women are discussing Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, and their lives and fame.

Kathie Lee: I always knew Michael's life wouldn't end well. Not that I'm clairvoyant or anything, but I always saw red flags in his life.

Other Lady: Really? I always remember Farrah's hair.

Kathie Lee: Well, he probably confused attention with love. You know, he wasn't allowed to be a child when he was a child, so when he grew up he acted like a child...you know, building Neverland and acting like Peter Pan. What we don't get as children, we search for as adults.

Other Lady: He died of a heart attack.

Kathie Lee: 50 year old people don't die. There must have been some health problems.

Other Lady: Well, he was certainly taking some medication.

Kathie Lee: You can't live your life so differently from other people and not expect trouble.

Other Lady: HMMM.

Kathie Lee: We're going to talk to Rabbi Shmooly (um, who?) who is vacationing in Iceland with his family, but certainly is an expert on this kind of situation.

Other Lady: Well, Akon is pulling his tour bus over to the side of the road to talk to us.

Akon: Yeah, I saw Michael about 6 months ago and he was excited to go on tour. (screen showing picture of Akon, evidently a very angry black rapper, as witnessed by his furrowed brow in the photo they have.)

Kathie Lee: Yeah, I really don't know Michael Jackson, even after all these years. (You mean, you and MJ weren't best buds?) We may never really know him.

Commercial

Dawna somebody from London holding newpaper: London blamed for Jackson't death is the headline this morning.

Michael somebody from Encino: I'm outside this house, where the Jackson Family MAY be holed up. We think at some point yesterday all the siblings were here, but some have left, but the parents may still be here, and one sibling, but we're not sure. (shots of lots of people with sparkly gloves.)

Other Lady: You know, I watched that Farrah special about a month ago and it made me think about how hard cancer is on the people around the sick person.

Kevin Tibbles in Indiana: This is the two bedroom house where Michael was born. (shots of lots of people hanging around the house) Gary, Indiana has never forgotten Michael, even though the Jackson family never came back.

Some woman in Harlem: Michael was number one. People are gathered up around the Apollo and started selling t-shirts, like this one (hold up shirt with Jackson pictures) for $10. (No, I don't want to buy one, and I want to know how they got the shirts printed so fast.)

Kathie Lee: Thank you for those moving words. When we come back, we'll have a panel discussion about Michael and Farrah (yeah, you've talked a lot about Farrah.)

Commercial.

All right, now I was typing as they were talking, and while I did not get every word, this is really the kind of drivel they were spinning this morning. Wow. Kathie Lee spotted the red flags in MJ's life? Well, why didn't she call him up and tell him, then. Oh, you think that he had health problems? Do you? Maybe the fact that he died from a heart attack clued you in, huh? I have no idea who this other lady was, but Kathie Lee should stay off TV, or at least stop giving her opinion on TV. She is so not qualified to be anyone's life coach. Um, remember the child laborers in some third world country that you didn't know about? Um, remember how your husband cheated on you?

And now, I have to go google Rabbi Schmooly, whoever he is. I'll report back later.

Evidently, Rabbi Shmuley is America's Rabbi and has his own website and podcasts! Wow. I didn't know America had a rabbi. And I have to say that as I am still listening to this panel of experts, I cannot believe the crap that people say about a famous person who has died. Let him rest, people. I am going to pop in a DVD and get some work done. Remember MJ and Farrah however you would like.

jim + pam = happiness

This is my current wallpaper on my computer and I love it. Don't you love it? Even if you don't love the Office, you have to admit that this photo is lovely. And the man in it is handsome. Soooo handsome. MMMMmmm.


Here are the reasons I like it. And these are in no particular order...I'm just calling them like I see them.

1. I love the lighting in the shot. I know it is California and they are outside and it is warm there and I want to be on that red carpet.
2. I wish I could get dressed up for fancy stuff.
3. I love the expression on Jim's/John's face. So sweet. Smiling down on Pam/Jenna in the way that makes me think that he might have actually had a thing for her at one time. And I know that stars are ACTING, they aren't actually in love, but I still like to think it's real. I still think that Chandler and Monica are together somewhere. Leave me to my fantasy.
4. I wish Charlie would wear a tux all the time. He's going to be in a wedding in May and I was so happy when the groom asked him. I knew I would get to see him in a tux. Yum.
5. Did you see the episode of the Office after the superbowl and Jim told Pam's dad how he felt about Pam? I think my heart skipped a beat. I rewound it and played that part twice. Great writing on that show.

In the past I have had pictures of Lucy on my wallpaper. I have had hail and leaves and trees (of course) the X-men (charlie's pic) and Iron Man. Depending on my mood, I change it around.

Which brings me to my next question...what's on your screen?

how I blog when I'm tired

This post doesn't really have a topic and sometimes that is ok, I guess. I just feel the need to post, but there isn't that much to talk about. So, here are some random happenings from this week.

• The men at church were hosting a chili cook-off and Charlie was excited about how he might be able to bring home the leftovers. He thought it would save me from cooking one night this week. I asked him if he'd ever noticed that I never made chili and he hadn't thought about it that much. I told him it was because I hate chili. He decided not to bring any home.
• I accidentally fell asleep this afternoon with wet hair and woke up with dry, out-of-control, non-moussed frizzy hair. It was ugly. My hair is now in a French braid.
• I cut my finger yesterday and everytime I bend it, it hurts.
• When it rains in the afternoons, you should think of me. Because I am standing outside for 45 minutes with a yellow slicker on, holding an umbrella by pressing my arm to my side so that I can keep a dry-erase board dry, so that I can do my carpool job. That happened two days this week. You should try it.
• Punxsutawney Phil is only right 37% of the time.
• It is legal to tackle someone by pulling on their hair. It's legal in football. I don't imagine it's a good practice in life.
• I got French fries at McDonald's today and they only filled my fry container up about half way and I didn't notice until I got home. Honestly, the fries are my favorite part. If the French really did invent them, I have to give them props.
• I keep waiting for Emily's blog to have a new design, and each day I am so excited to click over there, but it hasn't happened yet.
• I am waiting for The Office to come on after the Super Bowl, but it means watching the end of the SB to see it, and I just don't think I have that much energy left tonight. Thank goodness I can watch later online.
• We used up our January allotment of grocery money by the 25th, and although I could have shopped anyway, I decided to have a grocery challenge and see if we could eat all week without shopping for anything else. We had some weird combinations, but we managed to do it. Tuesday night we had leftover porkchops with pancakes and we each had an egg. Strange, but tasty.

That's probably more than you ever wanted to know about my sleepy little life. We really don't do much around here, and the grocery challenge was actually one of the most interesting parts of the week. See what I mean? If that's the highlight of my week?

Time for bed. Nighty-night.

sleeping cutie

Lucy has found a new perch, the back of the couch. I spotted her up there sleeping the other day, and each time she woke up she would survey the back yard.

What a life, huh?

why I will never eat Gobstoppers again...

Today was quite the day. As I sit here on the couch trying to figure out how to explain it, I can't quite find the right words to describe it. I'll try.

Today I choked.

Literally.

Everyone at my school has been at a conference the past couple of days. It was a good one with lots of sharing and personal stories. Lots of tissues and deep, meaningful conversations as we learn how to build relationships with our students. It has been a cathartic experience.

It has been a lot of time sitting in a chair, though. So today I brought some Gobstoppers with me. I thought it would entertain me to have something to chew and suck on during the meetings.

Not too smart.

While our presenter is in the middle of a really personal story about her past, my GS broke apart in my mouth, just as I inhaled.

I'm sitting there and all of a sudden, I have this huge piece of jawbreaker in my windpipe. It hurt. But strangely enough I could breathe. So I'm sitting there with this thing in there and each time I swallowed it bobbled up or down, but it didn't go anywhere. But I could breathe. Strange. I thought to myself "if I get up and go to the bathroom, I can probably hack it up, but then I'll be alone. What if I can't get it up?"

The presenter is still walking around in front of me and I'm sitting close to the front. I figure I'll wait until she finishes her story and then I'll have another teacher go with me.

And then it happened.

I breathed wrong and coughed.

Then I couldn't breathe. I started hacking and gagging. Right in the middle of this intense moment with the trainer. Matt, our IT guy, is next to me and he turns and looks at me.

I managed to squeak out "help."

And he's up. And I'm gagging and choking and am only sucking in a little air and the jawbreaker is moving around in my windpipe, but not really coming up. It just keeps coming up far enough to make me gag and then moving down again.

Matt leans me over and I'm still gagging. He has his hands around me, ready if I completely stop coughing. But leaned over I somehow managed to cough hard enough and it popped up into my mouth. "It's out." I whispered.

Well, by now I'm crying and shaking and every eye in the room is on me. The presenter has stopped. The world has stopped.

People hand me tissues and water and Matt looks like he's gonna have a heart attack. I felt that way a little bit. The presenter asks me if I'm all right. Yes, I am. They clap for me and for Matt, the hero.

I kinda miss the next 15 minutes while in a daze. Every time I cough, eyes turn towards me. And my windpipe realllllllllly hurts. A couple times when I coughed, I tasted blood, so I know I scratched the lining with my gobstopper. And it's still really sore. Can't do anything about it really, cause it's only designed for air. It doesn't hurt to swallow or drink, so it's a strange feeling to have that pipe bother me. That isn't the only that normally bothers us.

Someone followed me home in case I flaked out while I drove. As soon as I saw my husband I started crying. He asked me what was wrong. I told him I did a bad thing. Which isn't really the case, but I was really mortified that it happened in front of all those people.

That was my day. Please tell me yours was better.

I am America and so can you!

I voted. Yup, I'm done. Actually I was done last week, but with everything going on with the funeral, I didn't get to tell you about it. Not that everyone was dying to know that I voted, or that you cared who I voted for. Like my little out-on-a-limb self is so important that you model your political minds after me.

But, I'm proud to say that I went, stood in line, and voted. It only took about 40 minutes and I took part in the democratic process. Of course, I hit a snafu since I had both gotten married and moved since my last voting experience. So I had to sit at this little sidetable with other wrong-record-losers and fill out new forms. Then I voted.

And I know I avoided the big election day lines. And the school where I work is not a voting precinct like many, so we actually have school that day. So I would have had to go and vote before or after. Not fun.

I remember the first time I voted and thinking about how grown up I was. I was in college and I came home for fall break. I went in to fill out and absentee ballot, but they let me vote early. Of course, this was in Florida and I could have done it all wrong, but I felt proud that I was grown up and making choices. My mom gave me sage advice that day, "When in doubt, vote for a woman." I still laugh at that, but it isn't any worse than any other non-informed voter theory.

My Pastor says he doesn't care who you vote for as long as you vote. And I agree. You can't complain unless you vote, in my humble opinion. At least I made a choice and took part in being an American. More than it being my right, it's my priviledge. Many countries don't vote, and many don't let women vote.

So, all this to say that I am done. I cast my ballot, wore my sticker and now can sit back and enjoy election night returns.

Happy Voting!

*** the post title refers to Stephen Colbert's book of the same title. Makes no sense, but makes me laugh. Of course, this note is for those of you not cool enough to watch the Colbert Report to begin with.

the royal musicians

As Queen of the Indoors, I am sure you've guessed that I like to be inside. And I do. I like to look at nature, but from the safety of my window. I love trees and grass, but our yard isn't even close to being lovely enough to go outside and enjoy. And because of this, and because I like to read, I like music as well.

But I am spoiled. Well, what Queen isn't spoiled?

Spoiled by XM radio.

Oh, what delights the royal musicians, XM radio, have brought me. No more commercials. Music divided by genres. All sorts of genres. Two hundred and twenty-seven something genres. We have XM through our DirecTv satellite dish and I have a receiver in my car.

And I love the features it has. If I am in the house, I can scroll through the channels to see what I want. And each time a new song comes up, you can see the title and artist. So helpful if you happen to like a song and would love to buy it for your iPod but the stupid DJ never tells you who sang it or what it's called. And in the house, I can even rewind if I want to, because we have a DVR. Lovely.

In the car, my unit is nice as well. Simple, but nice. It has 8 presets that I can switch between, but it also shows me the title and artist. This is the feature that spoils me. When I am driving with other people now, I keep looking for the information. And some newer cars have that kind of thing, but older cars don't. I want to know who sang that song. Sometimes it's not important, but other times it can drive you crazy not to know. Especially if you've heard the song several hundred times but can't identify who the singer is. So frustrating.

And, if I want to be outside, which I rarely do, I have a nifty little set of speakers that my car XM unit pops into and it becomes a boom box. Love it.

So, you see. Along with my title and my crown, the royal musicians have spoiled me for good. I can never go back to life before XM. Sigh.

Isn't life good?

pre-empted

I missed him last night...

For him..

Not quite a fair trade, ya think?

like a long lost friend

When I was an art teacher, I taught high school, and I loved it. I really liked working with teenagers figuring out who they wanted to be. I felt like I had some influence with them, and I could talk with them about their interests. I was also lucky enough to chaperone a trip to Spain, then lead my own to Italy one year, and London/Paris the following.

I loved traveling. It was all I wanted to do growing up in a small town. I wanted to see the world. When I studied art in college, my textbooks were filled with artworks, cathedrals, museums, sculptures, etc, that were all somewhere else. America is so young, and Europe is full of history everywhere you go. Sit on a park bench, someone famous probably sat there.

Anyway, when I got the chance to go...I packed light on clothes and heavy on film and I went. Sure, it was a guided tour, but I think Europe with a tour guide is good. With a translator is even better. I saw so many places and things that were in my textbooks. Sometimes I broke down in tears when standing somewhere that I had only seen in books. I was so touched. In Rome, I wandered in awe around the coliseum, where Christians were fed to the lions. How often can you walk in footprints that are thousands of years old? Not on this continent.

The last trip I took culminated in Paris. Such a pretty city with a really snotty attitude. I think the French countryside is gorgeous and the people are warm. I visited Versailles, the famous Monet gardens and bridge and walked the Louvre. Stood in front of and under this:

Don't know why I thought you couldn't walk underneath it. Seems silly now, but I guess I thought that would be off limits. It's not. Just so you know. And it is painted a chocolate brown. Didn't really think about that, either. I thought it was just faded black, but it is brown.

But interestingly enough, there was always one sight that warmed my heart and beckoned me closer. The bright lights, the tantalizing smell, the familiar menu. Ahhhh, McDonald's.

I hang my head in shame. I know. Travel that many miles and eat at a McDonald's? Seems really like an insult to the French people, the Italian people, the Greek people, the British people! But let me tell you, you will be so happy to see those Golden Arches if you ever travel abroad.

Seriously.

Let me explain.

Our tour included breakfast and dinner in the cost, so those meals were preplanned and not always so scrumptious. In fact, often they were repititous. And sometimes strangely foreign. Now I like to try new things, but I would like to choose them, not just have them set in front of me. So for two weeks our stomachs experienced some upheaval as we adjusted to food that we weren't used to eating.

But at lunch, if we were in a big city, sometimes we were able to find a McDonald's and it was so exciting. I remember in Rome, we walked down this street with some fantastically expensive shops, a bookstore and a Prada. Then, the McDonald's. It was like seeing the American flag waving and welcoming me home.

Double cheeseburger, no pickle, fries and a Sprite.

Amen.

Isn't it funny that such a small thing can help us adjust and feel normal? I love to travel, but there are times when I am tired of absorbing the newness around me and just want something familiar. A security blanket of Americana, if you will.

And, I may apologize to the British, and the Greeks and the Italians for skipping the local fare and eating under the arches, but I won't apologize to the snooty French.

I think you know what the French can kiss. My derriere.

I have cheated, and I'm not proud

Can I just say that I normally hate Walmart and I don't shop there much. Not much at all. I don't like the bad lighting and the crowds and the odd selection of stuff they stock. I like a SuperWalmart alright...one with a McDonald's ain't half bad. But even then, we have to drive 40 minutes to a nice one and I don't have the time, the inclination, or the gas. Plus, my friendly neighborhood Target is three minutes away.



Then my Mom moved to town. From a town that only had a Walmart. And she needs her Walmart fix every now and then and she took me with her last week.



Look what I found.



Cute plaid pajama pants. With a satin ribbon. For $10.



Now, these were hidden amongst a big rack of nothing special. And they were the coolest things I saw the whole trip, but they are soft and cute and I bought a black shirt to go with them. I love them.



Am I a convert? No.



I will continue to be happy with my well-lit, cheerily decorated, slightly more expensive but better quality Target around the corner. As it is, I feel like I have cheated on Target by showing you all these flannel pants, but they are so cute. I had to. I did also show you my pink plaid flip flops from Target, so I guess my conscience is clear.



It feels so good to un-burden.

mmmm...mongolian beef

I am a little weird, I'll give you that. I read the end of books, I don't like blue bathrooms with seashell motifs, I am probably high on paint fumes and I am obsessed with lemon drops. But, I am an American.

And I love the Olympics.

Seriously. The Olympics are 17 days of sports mixed with soap opera. And that could be why macho sports guys don't really take them seriously. But I love them. And I cheer for the Americans while learning about people from other cultures. And other countries that I have never heard of, and I thought I was good at geography.

So yesterday I made my plans. Invited over another Olympic minded friend. I made a banner to show my support and hung it above my TV. And we ordered Chinese food and settled in for the Opening Ceremonies.

Here we are. This is my friend Kristen and me with our Chinese food and our banner and some guy doing tai chi on the TV screen. Yes, I am in my pajamas.

The Opening Ceremonies were cool, at least the part I stayed up for. The drummers, the flying dancers, the dancers with lights on their costumes, the ones in the boxes and the cool painting that all the athletes walked over. Interesting stuff. And the parade of nations was a learning experience.

They don't have alphabetical order in China. Because the have no alphabet. So, the countries were ordered by the number of strokes it takes the make the character that is their name. So after Greece, it jumped all over the place. I thought maybe this might mean that the US could be closer to the front, because I tend to go to bed after cheering them on. But no, they were still 2/3 back in the parade, about where they would normally be in the alphabet.

I was getting sleepy waiting for the US team, and I was on my couch. Poor President Bush who was sitting there waiting, in the stands, in some seats that didn't look all that special, and in the intense Beijing heat. He looked so bored, even with the binoculars they gave him to look around. I had the Matt Lauer to keep telling me facts about the parading countries, and I am sure Bush would have enjoyed those tidbits.

So, now begins two weeks of interesting stories and sporting events. I like gymnastics, diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and anything with a horse. Girly events, I guess. But, hey, I am nothing if not a girl. And I will take a peek at some of the more obscure sports that who ever knew anyone practiced, let alone could win a medal for. Like ping-pong, or women's steeplechase (which looks like women jumping over horse jumps) and white water rafting.

What's your favorite event to watch?

fairy tale endings...

Ok, so I'm not going to tell you what happens. I don't know what happens in 752 pages.

I just know the last two pages.

Because I am weak.


I had to fly to Michigan and I did not have time to get to the bookstore. No, I didn't go at midnight, although I am sure it was fun. And I didn't go on Saturday. I bought the book today.

But I saw it in the airport.

And I walked over, picked it up, flipped to the back. And read. And smiled.

It was what I wanted.

Then I calmly put it back and got on the plane. Thinking about those two lovers, caught in all that fictional turmoil.

Exhale.

See, I don't like books with bad endings. It better end happy. If I am going to enter into an alternate reality (and I have a VIVID imagination) it needs to be better than my own life. This is why I am not so big on Faulkner or Andre Dubois or any other writer who doesn't wrap it up in a nice neat bow at the end. I can tolerate realistic fiction to some extent, like Jodi Picoult, who I think is amazing. But the loose ends need to be tied up and someone needs to smile and go on living at the end.

So I'm happy. Even if I cheated. And you'll never tell what I did. And you don't even know how it ends from what I've said. You don't know what I wanted.

But I got it.

Now, page one.

(yes, I know. there is only one label that's appropriate.)

old friends, new friends

Have you ever had an "aha" moment with someone? Where you are talking to a stranger and then something comes up and you realize how you are already connected? Maybe through someone you both know, or that you go to the same gym (this one NEVER happens to me) or that you went to the same high school? Well, it happened to me the other day when I was least expecting it.



Let's back up, so I can tell two stories.



1. My mom has moved up here and is currently living in my house. She sold her house in Florida and is looking for one here. Yesterday we went out with our realtor and looked at houses, townhouses, condos, etc. Funny stories about that later. One house we went to had people in it because their realtor had not told them we were coming. Ok, story number 2.



2. About 9 years ago when I graduated from college, I lived by myself in an apartment and was working for the summer at my college until I found a teaching job. New guy gets hired at the college: Ryan. He is working in technology and we are talking because we are the only young people and whatdoyaknow? He lives across the parking lot from my apt and I can see into his windows from my windows. Very Friends. So we become buds and see movies and keep each other company sometimes until I moved in with another friend in a different complex. He ended up dating another friend of mine, Donna, who also found a job at our college.



Ok, so nice memories, huh?



Not so much.



See, Ryan and Donna were killed in an apartment fire on Valentine's Day. Some crazy chick was mad at her ex-boyfriend and set a couch on fire on a balcony at the building where Donna and her sister lived. Donna, her sister Rachel, their roommate Beth and Ryan all died when the building caught on fire. The girl did get sent to prison, in case you were curious.



Why are we talking about this?



Well, I kept in touch with Ryan's parents for a while, until they moved to Arizona to escape all the memories in a town where they raised their son. I couldn't find them after that.



Until yesterday.



That house we walked into where the people were still home? Ryan's sister's house.



I was walking around and looking at the house when I spotted a picture of Ryan. The lady of the house said we could ask her any questions and I am sure she meant about the house, but I said "Ryan, right? How do you know Ryan?"



She told me that she was his sister and I started babbling about how I knew him and the memories I had and how I used to keep in touch with her parents and blah, blah... Our realtor was looking at me like I was crazy, but I later explained.



The sister was so nice. We had a little cry and she gave me her parent's email address and told me to get in touch with them.


I could not believe it. Really. I mean, coincidences happen all the time, but that was amazing.



Isn't funny how little moments can really get you? I think of Ryan and Donna every Valentine's Day and wonder why that happened. What I do know is that God holds us in the palm of his hand and can take us through trials, tough times and fires.



Figuratively and literally.

i see dead people

I know that saying is a little old school, but today I discovered Ghost Whisperer. With nothing to do on a Friday night after I painted a faux glaze on the kitchen island, I turned on the TV. I looked around a little on the guide and saw Ghost Whisperer. I knew it had Jennifer Love Hewitt in it, and then I discovered a few other people are in it that I recognize. One lady from the Practice, Ayisha Tyler from Friends, and David Conrad (from a little known show called Relativity.) Now, I found Jennifer Love to be a little whiny on Party of Five, but I did really like that show. And she has really grown up into a great actress on TV.

Ok, it's time to share a little talent I have. I have a knack for remembering actors and actresses on TV. I can see a person on a show and connect the dots to where I have seen them before. Kinda like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Sometimes this talent drives my husband crazy, and sometimes he finds it useful. My friends all think I'm a little freaky, but it's a memory thing. I like to watch the openings and credits of shows, and it makes me crazy when the opening doesn't show the person's face with their name. How can I link them together if I don't see them together?

We used to play this little game with my old roommate, where we would name a celebrity and she would try to tell us what movie or tv show they were in. While I am great at this, Kristen is not. She would crack us up trying to remember where she had seen George Clooney and she thought Cameron Diaz was a baseball player. She would entertain us many nights with this game.

Anyway, I was happy to see all these actors that I once liked in other things doing so well in Ghost Whisperer. JLH has grown up and Ayisha Tyler is way less annoying when she isn't trying to steal Ross from Rachel. And David Conrad? Well, let's just say I'll add him to the list of David's that are my boyfriends.