Pizza For One Can Be Fun

On Sunday, I ordered a pizza basically just for me. Yes, Eddie was there, but he's not a huge pizza-eater (yet). He'll just have a few picked-off toppings and then gnaw on a bit of crust for awhile, so you really can't count him for that. It's super-rare that I order a pizza for only little old me and each time I do it, I am reminded of the first time I ever had a pizza all to myself. 19 and in my second semester of my sophomore year, I'd moved into a single dorm room. I'd ordered pizza plenty, but never just for me. It's such a communal food, I'd really never seriously considered getting one just for me, and in a dorm, there's almost always someone else around who'll go in on one with you. When there wasn't, I usually ordered a hoagie or wings. One night, it was a weeknight, and I think maybe a Wednesday, not that that matters, I really, really wanted pizza. No one wanted to order one, and I returned to my room, dejected. I wanted pizza! Maybe, I thought, I'll just order a small. I'm sure they hate that, but I want pizza! Looking at the menu it occurred to me - I had a fridge, I had a microwave - I could get a WHOLE LARGE PIZZA and put away what I didn't want for later. Maybe you think that sounds obvious, but for me, living alone for the first time in my life, it was a revelation. Proof of my total independence and freedom. I called the pizza place almost guiltily, as though they'd know this whole pizza would be eaten by one greedy little girl. I ordered only Extra Cheese, because that's what I wanted and I didn't need to tolerate the pepperoni for the person who was really in the mood for it, or worry that "Extra cheese is just extra fat" as my one friend always argued. I wonder if I sounded vaguely surprised when the Pizza Order Guy said "Okay, about 20 minutes" and told me the price "Really? Great!!". When the pizza arrived I squirreled it back to my room, expecting someone to materialize and try to share it with me. No one said a word. I sat on the floor, warm, delicious-scented box in front of me and admired it for a moment. I opened it and inhaled the steamy aroma of my very own whole giant pizza. I was tempted, briefly to try and eat the whole thing, but I wanted to enjoy my gluttony, not die from it. To this moment, I can still remember biting into the first slice. A greasy, perfect burst of My-Own-Ness that I hope I never forget. I savored that piece, probably the slowest I ever ate anything. I felt decadent and a little naughty, cross-legged on the floor, with a pizza box, no plate at all, and several cans of pop. After a few pieces, I gleefully wrapped up the rest and put it in my fridge. I ate a couple pieces each night, my night-time snack, but I grinned at the pizza every time I opened the fridge. Sunday I ordered a pizza with onions, green peppers, hot sausage, tomatoes and extra cheese (to hold on the toppings, I was afraid the regular cheese wouldn't be up to the job). The Husband would have hated it, he doesn't "do" veggies on his pizza. I briefly considered getting it half plain, or with pepperoni, so that when he got home, we would both have leftover pizza, but in the end, I wanted that All-to-Myself feeling that is even less common now that I'm a mommy. There are still two pieces sitting in the fridge, making me smile each time I open the fridge. Maybe I'll eat them tonight, or maybe save them one more day, eat them tomorrow when the Husband is at work and the baby's in bed and I can pretend I'm a single college girl, alone in my own world with my own pizza.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

From the elusive wild Tigger.

At the Parade

Yesterday Eddie and I had quite a banner day. We celebrated my grandmother's birthday with a surprise birthday party, though Eddie slept through most of it. We went to our community's Halloween parade, took a nap, played the rest of the afternoon, we ordered a pizza and watched the Steelers' heart-breaking loss. The Husband was out of town, so we had some quality Mommy-Eddie time. While we were in the parade, Eddie decided that he did not want ride in the stroller. Or walk. He wanted flop around in the leaves on the side of the side of the road. Since this was not really a good option, I ended up carrying him the entire way - lucky for me, it's not a long parade, and my neighbor who was there with her kids offered to push the stroller. Anyway, because of that, I don't have too many pics. Here's one of us in our costumes before we left. Thanks to EDW for the costume idea for me. I made my flower mask myself, which for me is a stunning amount of artistic work. Of course, the wind whipped it off my head the moment we stepped outside, so I ended up wearing it around my neck. A very nice little "bride" came up to tell me she could tell I was a flower and that she thought my costume was very neat. God bless that little girl!! The parade also included a giant spoon (at first, the people I walked with couldn't tell what he was, one thought he was a giant silver sperm!) There were too lady bugs, another bumble bee, a bottle of ketchup, a host of Disney princess, a Terrible Towel (definitely the most creative costume I saw) and a tiny pair of two month old Tiggers, who slept contentedly in their parents' arms throughout the parade. Tonight we'll be trick-or-treating at WalMart, one more practice for tomorrow night. And more candy for me.

Turn Your Speakers On and Watch This. Now.

A friend showed me these guys and I about wet myself. You can see their two other videos by going to Google Video and searching "Chinese Guys". Quite possibly my favorite part is the third guy, in the background of all of them, totally ignoring what's going on and playing video game.

Friday Feast

Feast One Hundred & Seventeen Appetizer Create a new candle scent. Fresh Baked Bread. Nothing smells better than that. Soup Name one way you show affection to others. I touch their arms or shoulders. Salad What is your favorite writing instrument? my computer. My handwriting is mostly illegible even to me and I can type WAAAAAYYYYY faster than I can write. Main Course If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online, from which site would you buy? Probably Amazon. Always something on there I want. Dessert Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be? Probably, I don't know as what yet. Eddie's going to be a bumble bee, so I was trying to think of something related to that, but I don't want to spend any money and I have no artistic skills. I'll probably dig out my old hippie costume.

Happy Birthday, Grandma

My paternal grandmother is turning 80 today. Quite a milestone, I'd say. I can't imagine myself at 80, 50 is about my limit at the moment. My grandmother doesn't read my blog, so wishing her a happy birthday here isn't going to mean much to her. She pretty much gave up on computers, I think, when Hurricane Charlie blew her house away with her computer in it. In the last few years, she's lost her house (and basically everything in it, moved to a new state and had to share a very small house with her husband, son and daughter-in-law, broken her hip, survived cancer, had her dog pass away, got her first great-grandchild, started building a new house, got a new puppy and started a new job for the first time in about 50 years. It's been eventful, to say the least. My grandmother is a beacon of faith to our family - really the foundation for my father's faith and our family. She's the one we jokingly (sort of) say has the direct line to God. I adore her, and while I am sad she lost her stuff when the hurricane hit, I'm so glad she's moved closer and we get to see her and my grandfather more. She's a fierce board game competitor and probably one of the three nicest people on this planet. (My maternal grandfather is another, leaving one space open for someone I haven't met yet). Happy birthday, Grandma. I love you.

A Sudden Cool Breeze

On my way to a meeting at the church, I stopped at the grocery store (we're out of Diet Coke, which is simply unacceptable). Putting Eddie back into the car, I heard a tearing sound. I could feel something cool on my back, and putting my hand there, I had a small tear near the top of my jeans. I tugged my sweatshirt down, it wasn't too bad and I had a big shirt on, and all I was going to do was sit at the meeting. I took Eddie to my parents house to stay with my dad, and when I reached in to get him . . . . Rrrrrrriip!! I could feel the rip shoot down my leg: As you can see, my backside felt considerably cooler. Now, I didn't want to put Eddie BACK in the car, take him home, out of the car, run in the house, change, put him back in the car again and go back to my dad's, but I also didn't want to moon my father. So I carried Eddie in, explained the situation and backed out, then came home, walked up my front steps holding my coat down as far as it would go (as I don't think the neighbors would care to see my panties/butt, either. I just want to say that this was NOT due to the size of my rear, but my obsession with wearing my "favorite" jeans, whichever they are at the moment, as often as possible I occasionally wear the same jeans 4 days in one week. I've started buying multiple pairs of the same jeans in the hopes that they will break in the same way and I'll end up with three or four exactly the same favorite jeans. Sigh. RIP, my beloved favorite jeans. Now I have to break in a new pair. .. .

Finally, The Harvest

Weeks ago I promised you pictures from the Harvest, when my family gathers at my aunt and uncle's vineyard to pick grapes. This year was cold and wet and miserable, but we still had a good time and picked lots of grapes.This is Carol and in the background Carl. They're not technically family, but they are for all intents and purposes. I like this picture because I think you can really understand how unpleasant the weather was. Here's a bad one of me, but it's proof that I did my work the old-fashioned way - with an infant strapped to my back. That's my grandmother with us. Here's a better one of me, with Jean. I think she is my second-cousin in-law, but I'm bad with that sort of thing: A few more picking pictures: After the harvest (and showers and all), there's a party in the barn. This is me with my (all of) my cousins at the bonfire. There were some deep fried turkeys, yum. Peter's brave enough to get close to the fry vats. Eddie was less than helpful, but had a good time: This is me with my Aunt Jan - she worked like crazy, and was in charge of the food for the weekend: Here are the some of the grapes. We picked about 3 tons!

Tagged (not really)

PaperbackWriter didn't specifically tag me, but I wanted to play .. . 1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Goodness, I'm gonna need several of these buttons. I'm gonna start with the next idiot who does something stupid in traffic that almost causes an accident when I have the baby in the car. 2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be? I don't want anyone to die, but if Barbra Streisand would just have never existed, that would be good. Come on, she just told one fan at her own concert F**k off! Nice. 3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? That woman who used her baby as a weapon, the last several people who were rude to me for no reason, and a few people I won't name specifically. There's a lot - we'd probably need to set a schedule. 4. What is your favorite cheese? Melty. 5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make? If I have to make it - grilled cheese and chipped ham. If someone's going to make it for me - Peppi's Roethlisburger. mmmmmmmmm. 6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie (porn counts) celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice? I can't choose one, so let's narrow it down to: Will Smith, Val Kilmer, Naveen Andrews, Brendan Frazer, Hines Ward, and probably still Harrison Ford, though he's starting to show his age. 7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick? Weird Al Yankovic, no question, no need for a backup. 8. Now that you've slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy crap, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it? I need new butt kickin' boots, then maybe a facial and pedicure. 9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? By myself? Probably to visit my brother, or my cousin, or EDW. If I can take the Husband - St. Maarten or Vegas, baby! 10. Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do? If we went to St. Maarten, probably buy jewerly. If we went to Vegas - buy a ticket to see Mamma Mia! 11. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is...? Sea Breeze, or possible Schmirnoff XXX because it's not too sweet, or too strong. Now, that's a good angel. 12. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there? Gosh, that's hard. Somewhere I could wear a big dress and be put on a pedestal 13. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? Use common sense 14. You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what's the premise? I can't tell you the one we came up with today, because you'd steal it and make my millions. How about an otherwise normal wife and mother discovers that when she writes a story in her magic journal it comes true? 15. What is your favorite curse word? Probably "ass" because of it's usability, you know like in "kiss my" or "I'll kick his", dumb a--, smart a--, jacka--, a--hole, a--hat, and so on. 16. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do? Mummies, hunh? That's a toughie, don't know much about them. Probably climb out the window behind the bed, for safety's sake. Or possible ask them if there's something I can help them, I mean, maybe they just need some new sheets or something. 17. Your house is on fire! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don't worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely.So what's the item? It's a tough call. Maybe Steve-o the TiVo, or my wedding album. 18. The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour? Attempt to figure out how to outsmart the AoD and live another 80 good years? See Homer Simpson's list,pretty much that. 19. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What's it gonna be? I'd probably go for something like the Force, except you just know it wouldn't be too long before I'd misuse that and be heading down the Dark path. So, maybe just something like telekinesis or the power to pause the world around me for a few seconds. 20. You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? Our wedding or the first half-hour we were alone with Eddie. 21. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? (the answer "nothing" doesn't count) My miscarriage 22. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this... you can move to anywhere else in the world! What country are you going to live in now? St. Maarten - Great weather, lots of English-speakers, great beaches and a place where the beers are 50 cents! Possibly Guatemala, it would make additional adoptions from there easy and the exchange rate's in my favor. 23. This question still counts, even for those of you who are under age. Check it out. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be? Probably Malone's - the one I can walk home from :D 24. Hopefully you didn't mention this in the super-powers question.... If you did, then we'll just expand on that. Check it out... Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like "Dude, check it out... I can FLOAT!"? M's - she'd be happy for me, and she's skinny enough I might be able to lift her, too. 25. The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life? River Phoenix, but only if he promised to stay clean. 26. The Celestial Gates of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn't think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. Of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? That's hard. Possibly the Husband's grandfather who is one of the people Eddie is named after, but who didn't get to meet him. Or the Husband's aunt who passed on too young (55). Also there is my friend Janet who died rather suddenly when her kids were too little to lose their mommy (especially if I could bring her back retro-actively) or my former coworker, Shelly, who I didn't know well enough, but was murdered not long after her wedding while her husband was at sea in the Navy. There are more, too, my uncle and cousin who both died as newborns, my girl scout leaders who were all too young, my bulletin board friend's son . . . see, it's too much responsibility. 27. What's your theme song? easiest question here! Dancing Queen!!! I am the Dancing Queen, young and sweet only seventeen! (in my head) I hereby tag anyone who has time to do this long-ass (see!) meme.

A Few of His Favorite Things

I just finished admiring my perfect sleeping child, and being amazed at how such a little tiny person can have so much personality, likes and dislikes and definitely his own plans and designs. In honor of my beautiful little man, here is a list of the things he loves, the thing that light up his face and warm my heart. 1. His fishies. For Eddie's first birthday, his father and I got him an aquarium and 5 goldfish (a few catfish and a big ugly plecostomus came a few weeks later) because he loooooved the tanks at Wal*Mart. The first day he had them, he pointed each one out to me saying "Dah, dah, dah..." as though he was naming them. I kind of thought he'd be thrilled and then get used to them and probably find them boring. Instead, he is still, almost three months later, completely entranced by them. As soon as we lift him from him crib in the morning he points at them and says "Neh!!" with great urgency. He is able to feed them with the pellet-type food we bought. He will sit on your lap and watch them. If you let him, he'll open the top and try to pet them. At night, before we put him to bed, he feeds them again and blows them a kiss (the ONLY living thing he will consistently blow kisses to). We can even convince him to go up to his room by saying "Let's go see your fishies!" He just adores them. 2. Fruit, especially strawberries. This kid eats fruit like crazy. If we don't provide fruit for a meal at home he'll start shouting and pointing to the kitchen. I dread winter when fruit will be more expensive and harder to find. 3. Juice. Going along with the fruit theme, I guess. This kid drinks so much juice (which is really 1/3 to 1/4 juice cut with water) that I can't believe he's not basically a fountain. Don't get me wrong, we change plenty of wet diapers, but I've seen him chug 6oz of juice without taking a breath (no mean task with a sippy cup) and demand more. 4. The Backyardigans. Possibly the least annoying toddler-aimed TV show since Sesame Street, the Backyardigans use their imaginations to go on fantastic adventures. They use "big words", always speak properly and use real children to voice the characters. The songs are very catchy. Eddie totally rocked out to their soundtrack in the car the other day, to the point I thought he was having a seizure, until he stopped, looked at me, said "he!" and went back to grooving. 5. Baths. Really, water in general - his water table, the dog's water dish, puddles, whatever, but a bath is the best. He'll usually stay in there until I drag him out, wrinkly and wiggly, and he'll grump a bit while I dry him off. He loves to splash, to play in the faucet's stream, blow bubbles off his hands, even put his face in the water and blow his own bubbles. Well, those are Eddie's top 5; there are other things that come and go - certain toys that are great for a few days, then get forgotten and rediscovered, foods he can't live without and then can't stand. I can't wait to see what he loves next.

Friday Feast

Feast One Hundred & Sixteen Appetizer What is your favorite beverage? Diet Coke with Lime. At room temperature. Or, hot Earl Grey tea with a half-packet of Splenda and some lemon juice. Soup Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work. Don't have one at home - at work, I've got my electric kettle (for making tea), my kleenex box since I have a cold, and my 2 liter of Diet Coke with Lime. Salad On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are? Honestly? :D I'd say a 9. Main Course If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why? I would rename Blueballs, PA because I feel bad for them. It's a bad name. I'd call it Relief, PA instead. Dessert What stresses you out? What calms you down? Stress: Lack of sleep, rude people, missing self-imposed deadlines, too much to do. Calms: Music, Steve-o the TiVo, hot bubble bath, deep breathing, hugs from Eddie.

I Hate the World Today

Actually I don't, but I love that line from the Meredith Brooks song "Bitch". One of the best starts to a song ever. And there are plenty of days that's true. I don't hate the world today, but I'm about as close to total apathy as I can get. This cold has been going on, oh, I don't know, for about a year now. I'm sick, I'm behind at everything and more than anything, what I want is to sit in a nice steamy room for an hour, and then sleep, really sleep for about 12. Of course, for the past 10 days or so, if I fall asleep, I wake up shortly thereafter because: 1. I cough myself awake. 2. The baby coughs until I wake up. 3. The baby cries or 4. I dream the baby is crying. Tonight I think I'll drink a few beers and a bottle of NyQuil, put earplugs in and pass out before I even reach the bed. I've felt so out of it all day that I've spent a total of at least an hour, staring at my monitor going "hunh?" And, just because blogger hates me, I've successfully posted on a couple of people's blogs, but at least three others I've tried to post on have lost the comment and on every single one, I've had a 7-10 letter verification, usually with the letters that are hard to distinguish. Grrrrr. Now, I'm patiently waiting for my coworker to finish up and drive me home, so I can look around at my messy kitchen, out-of-control dining room and almost-gas-station-worthy bathroom and wish I had the energy to clean one of them. But hey, tomorrow's Friday, right?

Dentist Days

Yesterday I went to the dentist. Why is it, that with all the advances in modern medicine, with technology advancing like crazy in every direction in every field, we can't come up with something better than Scary Metal Scraping Hook? There has got to be a better way. Come on, now, all you inventors looking to make bazillions - drop your Pet Rock wannabes and get cracking on the No-touchy Plaque remover. I know you can do it. And please, will someone tell me why we can take X-rays of any other body part just with your basic point and shoot but for teeth, we have to put a giant sharp-cornered piece of plastic inside? They do lung X-rays all the time, you never hear the guy say "Now inhale this pointy thing so it's in your right lung . .." No one likes going to the dentist, I'm sure, but those who know me may also know my special dread of it. Years of bad dental experiences made me bordering on the phobic, and only the thought of having to set a good example for my son finally compelled me to make the call last year and set up an appointment (for several years I hadn't had dental coverage, a convenient excuse -then, once I did, the fear of what they'd find after so many years of missed appointments held me back.) I actually picked up and dialed the phone at least three times, hanging up in a panic, before I finally made that first appointment. Now, I've got THREE under my belt, and very few tears at any of them. Yesterday I realized - I am no longer terrified of the dentist's office!! I give credit to the practice I go to, called The Dentistry. Their motto is something like: We Cater to Cowards. Boy howdy, they do! Also, I want to mention very nice Dental Hygenist Ben who told me that I have beautiful eyes (blush) and Carl, who is the front desk greeter/appointment scheduler/office manager kinda guy. I call him Gay Carl in my head, not because he's swishy, but because he fits the original meaning of the word, which according to Dictionary.com is "having or showing a merry, lively mood" or "given to or abounding in social pleasures". He's the absolute most pleasant person to talk to on the phone, and I hate talking on the phone. For my previous appointment I was running a few minutes late. As I pulled into the parking lot, my cell rang - the Dentistry. I picked it up "Hi, sorry, I'm pulling in now!" Carl said "Oh, Jami dear" (he always calls me that)"I was just calling to be sure you're okay. If you're safe, that's all that matters. See you soon!" He calls to confirm appointments "Hello, Jami dear, it's Carl. We have you for Monday at 10 - still good? Oh wonderful! See you then!" See, how can you NOT want to go? My doctor is Dr. Rudolph and I like him just fine. Generally I wouldn't do ads for anyone, but if they can get me to not hate the dentist, they deserve something.

The Post I Meant To Write

Here's what I planned to write earlier, when I had too many other things to deal with. Yesterday my mom brought out some of the things she'd kept from my childhood. She'd put them away until her grandchildren would use them, and to me, it's like a time capsule that appears piece by piece every time I visit her house. My rocking chair is out now, a little red wooden one as old as I am, made by the Amish. But yesterday was the best so far! First, my old favorite book - "What Will I Be?" the copyright is from the 60s, and the book is a little bit chauvinist. A little girl looks in the mirror and imagines what she will be when she is grown up. Her career choices in this book are nurse, cowgirl, stewardess and ballerina. Now, in the first three, she bests the men in the scene she envisions (the doctor can't save the boy, but she can; she out-rides the cowboys; the male pilot is helpless as the plane is going down, she saves the day), so I guess it was an early stab at feminism. More importantly - my Spelling B!!!! I was so excited to see this. I loooooooved this toy. The picture doesn't give you the whole thing. It has a little case and a booklet for playing some of the games. How excited was I to see this? Not only did I yell "MY SPELLING B!!" upon seeing it, but I even knew that it needed a 9-volt battery. Which of course, my parents didn't have and we don't have any here, either. I'll get one tomorrow. I can't wait to play it. It has hang-man (called "Mystery Word") and scramble. It has the easy "Starts With" game and the pictures where you have to spell the word. I probably won't play those, too easy. I played this game until I was way too old for it - maybe this game is partially responsible for my love of word games. Not only is Eddie not old enough to use it, but even when he is, I don't know . ..I mean, it's MINE. My maiden name and my parents' phone number is all over it, a testament to the absentmindedness of my childhood, but I managed to never lose the B. There's not a point here - I was just really excited to see my old toy. I'm sure there are plenty of toys I loved and outgrew, but how many would I actually want back? I don't know. I don't care. I have to see if I can find a 9-volt battery somewhere in the house.

It's Just Another Monday . . .

It's Monday and the start of a new week. We're not off to the best of starts. My Grandfather is in the hospital, for what, we're not sure yet. I had a dentist appointment, and most of my time this morning has been installing the FORTY-THREE updates or upgrades or whatever that Microsoft insists I need and trying to figure out why Access won't work. Assuming that all works, I should be able to finally get some pictures of the harvest up. I wrote an hour and half worth of the story last week, which got lost in one of the upgrades, installs, re-installs, copying, etc. Grrrr. But, at least I have nice clean teeth.

Lucky Friday the Thirteenth

I'm not a superstitious person - I don't knock on wood or throw perfectly good salt over my shoulder. I avoid walking under ladders strictly for safety reasons, not for luck and I open my umbrella indoors all the time. However, I do have to admit that when we were booking our trip to Guatemala this year to pick up our son and I saw that our return date of Friday, January 13, I did have a moment's pause. See, the adoption process didn't go as smoothly for us as you might hope, though taking to other adoptive parents, I'd say surprises, setbacks and "Arrghhh-NOOooooo" moments are pretty much par for the course. I didn't really believe that the Friday the Thirteenth would screw us up, but it did seem a bit ominous. We went ahead however, not wanting to pay for an extra night at the hotel and a more expensive weekend flight home just to assuage our slight concern. I'm so glad we didn't change. Forever now, every time someone mentions to me that it's Friday the 13th, I will remember the day that I brought my baby home. We first met him on the 9th, and that was a great day. The adoption in Guatemala was done on the 11th, and that was fine, and the day that we'll probably celebrate, but the 13th was the day it all became real. When we walked out of customs in Atlanta, with his papers saying he was a legal resident. When the plane touched down in Pittsburgh and I told him "We're home, Eddie" When I put him in his car seat in our car and saw all the familiar things that mean home after a long flight. And Friday the 13th was the day I put him in his crib in his room in his home for the very first time. It was the day that I stopped having adoption worries and started having real normal first-time-Mommy worries (why is everything in the world germy and dangerous? Is the room too hot? No? Then it must be too cold. Will he stop breathing if I stop staring at him? Laugh now all you not-yet-Mommies, all the people out there with kids know that you had that thought at least once.) So it's not a real anniversary, this Friday the Thirteenth, but it's a reminder. For me, it was the luckiest day ever.

Friday Feast

Feast One Hundred Fifteen Appetizer Approximately how many hours per week do you spend reading other blogs? Probably about an hour or so a day. Maybe more . . . UPDATE: Whoops, that was per DAY, so I guess, 7 per week? Soup Your community wants everyone to give one thing to put into a time capsule. What item would you choose to include? My spare (broken) TiVo remote. Poor thing wore out. I love TiVo. Salad What is the most interesting tourist attraction you've ever visited? I enjoyed the M&M "Factory" in Las Vegas. Main Course If you could give an award to anyone for anything, who would it be and what would the award be titled? There are already awards for excellent teachers (though probably not enough). I'd have to give an award to someone who took a big chance to follow a dream, had it not work out, and did it all over again for a new dream. Dessert What do you think your favorite color reveals about your personality? I have absolutely no idea. I don't even know what my "favorite" color is. I love all dark colors. Maybe that means I'm deep :D

The First Ten Years

Ten years ago, right now, as I type this, I was leaving the church a married woman. It was the best day of my life, maybe tied now with the day I first held my son. Everything went according to plan, but the food, the music, the flowers, the gown, none of that can compare to the importance of that day. Though I remember every moment, from the time the alarm went off until I fell asleep in my new husband's arms, the few things that stick with me most are: stepping into the aisle and seeing the Husband at the front of the church, saying our vows to each other, and the absolutely rightness I felt when I looked in his eyes. It was a perfect day. We had a morning wedding. While I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, not even a little not even at all, I couldn't imagine an entire day of waiting, rushing, getting ready, being nervous. Our day flowed perfectly - I had all the time I needed and not a single moment to sit around and wonder if something would go wrong. We had a lovely ceremony. Officiated by my good friend Rev. Dr. Bob Maravalli, the ceremony fit our hopes exactly - good message and short. When Bob asked us during the premarital counseling "how do you envision the ceremony?" we both said "Short". M sang and did a lovely job. The Husband's friends managed to pull a small, unnoticeable to anyone but us prank. The flowers were perfect, everyone looked perfect. All of our friends and relatives attended (and were, uh, as perfect as they can be . . . ) We had a customized brunch menu. I am sure I was the most bizarre and difficult bride to work with food-wise. Oh, I was no bride-zilla, as those girls are now being called, but I wanted what I wanted for my first meal as a married lady. And it was delicious - stuffed french toast, made-to-order omelets, all the breakfast fixings and some lunch as well. We had a great pasta station, a waffle station and a pastries station, so that if your table hadn't been sent to the buffet yet, you could still get plenty to eat. The hall gave me my own little food-slave, who preceded me down the buffet, filling my plate with what I pointed to, and then ran to the other stations for me. We had an open bar, but only wine and beer - who needs the hard stuff at noon? People who wanted to still managed to get sloshed (I'm talking to you, both of my grandmas). We danced and danced. I was the first one on the dance floor and the last one off (they actually kicked us out, I would've kept going.) When the DJ played "my song" - Dancing Queen by Abba, the bridesmaids made a circle around me on the floor and I shook my groove thang. It was fantastic. Of course, the wedding is just a day. The marriage is what counts, and I couldn't ask for more. Yes, we've had our ups and downs, good days and bad, but I wouldn't trade a single one of them. Being married to the right person is the best feeling in the world, and I hope I live up to my end of the bargain. I love you, Husband, and I look forward to a hundred more anniversaries, if God will give them to us. Special thanks to my parents, who footed the bill for most of the party, to my in-laws - who, besides being the best in-laws of anyone I know, raised my perfect mate and my MIL also made our wedding centerpieces, aisle decorators and a lovely shadowbox with flowers from my bouquet, to M - the BEST maid of honor anyone's ever had and the only person who knows me almost as well as the Husband (sometimes I feel like she's part of the marriage, he got us both in the deal, but you know - not in the gross way) and to everyone who showed up to wish us well. And to my grandmothers who's drunken escapades make for a great family story.

AAARRRRGGGHHHH

That's the sound of another day lost to recovering this #)$(%*#) computer! Make our lives easier my white patootie. In the days before computers, did anyone ever accidentally erase their entire file cabinet? Ever have a mechanical typewriter blow up on you? Of course not. I have a nice post I've been working on between screams of rage and tears of frustration but I can't finish it properly now, so I'll get to it tonight, I promise. These are the days when I know that what I really need is a nice competent personal assistant.

Recovering . . .

What an exciting (dripping sarcasm) couple of days it's been. I am in the middle of a horrendous cold, with all the joy that entails. Then, as mentioned, the death of beloved my beloved lappy, and now dealing with a new (used) one which won't seem to let the wireless stuff work, won't work with yahoo IM, etc., etc. Last night, tired and sitting in my messy living room, listening to the baby snore over the monitor (oh yes, he has the cold, too, of course) I couldn't find the remote to turn the TV on and I was about half a straw away from running screaming from the house. I turned the TV on by hand, and later DID locate the remote. Don't you hate days like that? However, the Husband made up for it, at least partially, by giving me one of my favorite luxuries - the Bed to Myself. Don't get me wrong. I love the Husband, and there's nothing as great as a good cuddle, but I'm what you might call a "busy" sleeper, and having someone else in the bed impedes my progress and frustrates me, so I wake up angry, and not sure why. I also love having all the pillows; the Husband only takes one when he sleeps on the couch, leaving me his spare. I form them in a big U around me, including Madrid the Body Pillow. It feels decadent and perfect. So I slept soundly, the full 8-hours one is supposed to get, and today, I am sort of vaguely hopeful. Today, I will get the computer stuff sorted out. The new-used lappy isn't bad. The keys make a very satisfying clicking noise. All my documents and files and whatnot is here, and that's the important part. I'm a little less stuffy and my head actually doesn't hurt today. It's rainy, and I love to be in the darkened living room, listening to the rain, typing away. The Bed to Myself, both the luxury itself and the evidence of the Husband's thoughtfulness, might not seem like much, but it's enough to make today a brand new day.

Here I Go Again

Argghyuurrrrhgggghnnnnn!! That's about how I feel. I've been in tears twice today, trying to get all my old stuff on my (sort of) new lappy. I hate this. See, here at the company who shall not be named, I've never had a new new laptop, just new used ones. This has caused me to be the person holding the potato when it dies, to mix metaphors, and maybe make a new one. So I've been through this. Only this time, there's no IT guy. There's only the engineer who is already busy up to his buttocks and me. Why won't Outlook import my old mail? How the heck should I know. "Only re-copy the things you need" Do I need {aoieutoauweiuoi}.exe??? Sadly, this new-used lappy doesn't have my little finger pad thing for the mousey. That means I either have to hook up a mouse (which is a pain at home, since I'm usually on the couch or floor) or hope that this ancient, dried out "pencil top" doesn't disintegrate into tiny pieces in my keyboard. sigh. I'm back up and running, for now. I have to reset my stuff, it still looks like someone else's computer. Thanks, PW, for missing me. I miss me, too.

I'll Be Back

Hey folks, Sorry it's been so long. I had a great time at the harvest (pictures eventually, I promise) but now my beloved lappy has up and died on me. I'm now almost two whole days with no working computer, writing this on a borrowed, super-slow desktop. Currently my "stuff" is being transferred (hopefully) to a new (used) lappy, and assuming all goes according to plan (does it ever?) I should be back up and running sometime today.

A Time to Harvest

It's grape-picking time for our family. My aunt and uncle own a vineyard (no, we're not as rich as that makes us sound) and each year most of my family members head on down to Virginia to help bring in the harvest. I avoided it the first few years, on the premise that I don't want to spend my weekend doing farm labor for no pay. I don't even like wine, so the promise of a free bottle is not that enticing. But family is family, and as I later found out, harvesting grapes is fairly easy, as far as your farm-work goes. There is something touching and wonderful about our family bringing in the harvest together. We all love each other, but our family is, well, eclectic in styles, tastes, beliefs, attitudes and pretty much whatever else you've got. But working in the fields, laughing and sharing, then sitting down for a big meal after a hard day's work, that's what family is all about. Anyway, because of the harvest, I probably won't be posting for a few days. I'll bring back some pictures.

Closer, but Ruder

I recently had a rather jarring experience. I discovered that one of my good friends is rude. This might sound ridiculously stupid, how can you not know someone is rude? But here's how it happened. I'd been planning to meet a few friends for lunch. One of us had even rearranged some activities and given up a favorite pastime to be there. While the idea was mostly just to get together, we also called it a late birthday celebration for me. Then, one friend didn't show. Called at the last minute, she'd forgotten this other thing, with another friend, sorry, see you some other time. More surprised than hurt, I said to the Husband, "Can you believe Shawna (not her real name) would blow us off like that?" The Husband looked at me like I must be kidding and then said "Are you kidding?" I looked at him blankly, what did that mean? He continued "Haven't you ever noticed that Shawna is totally inconsiderate?" I immediately jumped to her defense! She volunteers, she does this, she does that, she's such a good person. "Yes," he patiently "She is a very good person who does nice things for people, but she pulls this kind of thing all the time." He easily rattled off several other times Shawna has done this exact thing to me or our mutual friends. I was gobsmacked. I've known her for years, and it never really sunk in - she's just plain rude about this one thing. And, the better she knows you, the worse it gets - at first, she's late, but on her way or she gives you more notice. I guess her increasing rudeness in this area is a testament to her confidence in the friendship. The friend she blew me off to see - it's the one who doesn't call her to make dates, who isn't always available, who probably pulls the same thing on her. I'm not going to go down that path - I don't have it in me and I don't play games. I'll probably keep going on the way I have, but next time, I won't be surprised.

Naked Ambition

A few nights ago I had a dream. I won't bore you with the details, but it culminated in me having to give a client presentation while naked. The room in which I gave the presentation was chilly and I shivered the whole time. In the dream, I finished the presentation and realized that I could easily walk to M's office and she'd give me some of her extra clothes, and so I did. Off topic a bit - I chose a lovely black evening gown, the kind with the feathers around the collar and a big swishy bottom with a slit, as well as full length opera gloves, and thus dressed went back to my job. The interesting part, in my opinion, is that I didn't feel embarrassed to be presenting or walking the streets of Pittsburgh in the altogether, I only felt annoyed that I had to do it when it was so cold in the room and outside. M says the dream means that I'm confident and hate to be cold. I think it means I should lay off the pre-bedtime cookies.

Chapter Two, Part 2 is Up

If you haven't so far, check out: Prologue Chapter One, part 1 Chapter One, part 2 Chapter Two, part 1 Then read the lastest, Chapter Two, Part 2.

Don't Hug an Asian Today!

Recently I read this letter to Dear Abby in which an Asian woman explains that she and other Asians do not like to be hugged. Therefore, in the interest of cultural diversity and mutual respect, I declare today to be Don't Hug an Asian Day. To celebrate this day, walk up to any Asian (remember, Indians count!) and say "Hello Sir or Ma'am" (say both, they'll be impressed with your formality) "I want you to know that I value and respect your culture. Especially (name something Asian you like here, such as fortune cookies, firecrackers, karoake, sushi, M*A*S*H or Lucy Liu). Because of my appreciation of your culture, I will not be hugging you." Then make a very stiff, formal, deep bow (curtseying is not okay) and walk quickly away. Now go out and have a great politically correct Don't Hug an Asian Day!!