fear in a handful of dustmites

how to get fast service at an auto repair shop

2011-10-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

step one: bring a baby.

step two: change the baby in the middle of the waiting area.

step three: give the baby his bottle when he starts to get fussy.

step four: after the baby downs his bottle and continues to be fussy, nurse him in the middle of said waiting area. discretely, of course. (thank goodness for those cover things!)

knocked an entire hour off our waiting time.

oh, yeah, blogspot. i had a baby.

a world of extremes

2011-07-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

pregnancy is less wonderful in the last handful of weeks than it was a couple months ago. there was a wonderful baby shower where i was able to see some dear friends- two even flew in from maryland. there's the darling bassinet we put together sitting next to our bed, ready for its little occupant to make its arrival.

but there's also the heat. a scorching heat wave that makes your face feel like it's about to melt off. even worse in a car without air conditioning.

then there's the pregnancy-related blister-type thing that set up camp on my upper lip. that bled and bled and bled and eventually had to be removed. imagine- 91/2 months pregnant, lying on the doc's table, primed for surgery. the shot, the little whizzing machine that pressed a burning into my face (and gave off a whiff of burning flesh) and seven stitches in this sticky, sticky heat.

brutal.

then little bubba. apparently, at one of my doctor appointments, he measured a bit big. an ultrasound was prescribed where the technician determined the not-so-little guy was already a bouncing almost-9 pounds. and that was a week and a half ago! she made note that he has the chubbiest cheeks she's ever seen- look at that chin!

but now that surgery's done, and ma's flown in to help, i think we're ready for him to get here.

where's the director who's going to shout 'ACTION!' to get this show going???

2011-06-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

i could write about the horrible dinner J got us from a fancy chinese restaurant when i was craving chinese food, disgusting you with how soapy the sweet and sour prawns were, the lack of rice with the meal, and the big black hair wrapped around the egg roll. or i could talk about our neighbour's stunning revelation that they had roaches, and were planning to spray just their apartment so the the critters could come scurrying to ours. i could talk about the awesome bachelorette party (and subsequent wedding) we attended where i got all the answers i needed by a fortune teller. but those things happened weeks ago, so let me focus on this one.

monday: i woke up with hives. my face itchy and blotchy, i wasn't too concerned as i had a doctor appointment that morning. only i didn't- i showed up, only to find out the appointment wasn't until wednesday. they squeezed me in anyhow and told me to take some benedryl and come back if it didn't go away.

tuesday: the bumps seemed to subside some, despite the 90degree (plus) weather. i had all manner of errands to run, and the fact i don't have airconditioning in my car didn't help.

by wednesday: the hives had developed into a full blown rash. i made another appointment at the doctor, being transferred from person to person, as internal medicine thought Ob/Gyn should deal with it since they diagnosed it, and Ob/Gyn thought internal medicine should take care of it due to it not being a condition related to pregnancy. finally i was scheduled for an appointment during work hours. i went in to work then, and partway through the day i went to my appointment. by this day, the temperature had climbed to 96degrees, and i was dying by the time i arrived. the doctor on duty confirmed the rash and some extra swollen tonsils, and gave me a prescription to fill. i drove back to my home town to fill the prescription and return to work, and was sitting at a red light not far from my destination. !bam! a car hits me from behind. i pull over, in shock, then get out of the car. i look at my bumper and at the car that pulled over behind me. the driver doesn't bother to get out of his car.

"are you okay?" i ask, approaching the passenger window. the guy rolled down the window and answered in the affirmative. "are you?" he asked. "i'm not sure. i think so-" i look around me, dazed. the guy continues, "it looks like your car's fine." and then he peels off back into traffic.

still in shock, i go to the pharmacy and then to work. several hours later i return home to a panicked J. he reminds me to call my car insurance, which i do. and then i realize i hadn't felt bubba move since the accident. i call the on-call nurse who instructs me to the hospital immediately. everything after that is a daze- arriving at the ER in a whirlwind, being ushered to the birthing area, getting hooked up to a monitor to hear the heartbeat, the nurse telling me i'm having contractions... finally things begin to slow down. J's mom and stepfather arrive to check in on us. the contractions slow down. friends of our stop by with our hometeachers. and eventually we're deemed ready to return home.

it's going to be awhile before i complain of being bored again- that's the sort of excitement i can do without.

ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-04-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

my life no longer changes in grand ways- a trip to europe, a safari in the african bush... it changes in small ways.

*like sunflowers. which i managed to grow from seeds to seedlings, placed in pots on the porch, and were promptly nuzzled to death by the ferocious beast that lives downstairs (and tends to haunt my backdoor all hours of the night).

sunflowers. or, at least, what's left of the twelve dancing princesses.

damage the beastie has inflicted. all the mud and dirt? from the flowerpots that held my little sunflowers.

*sammy samuel samerai. who will sleep on your chest, curl up to you on the couch...
and destroy whatever projects you're working on. like my layered gray's anatomy, cut and layered into delightful images (below is the page he destroyed. he has an obsession with paper and promptly chewed off several of limbs)

(a page he hasn't gotten to, yet)
*and turning into a major clutz. seriously- i have bruises all over my body, and my hand is currently burned in several places because of a bowl of clam chowder and a microwave. life shouldn't be this difficult.

*and the fact that my belly is becoming progressively more unwieldy- i no longer walk from place to place, i steer my belly. navigate my Bauch. maneuver my heft.

*changing my name. which is every bit as complicated and problematic as i thought it'd be. which is a terrible shame, because that only feeds my tendency to procrastinate.

i think these changes are enough for now. i mean, who needs sleep, right?

boys boys boys

2011-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

a couple months ago we found out little bubba's a boy. i think j was a little shell-shocked seeing the little guy squirm on the ultrasound- he didn't have too strong of a reaction. i know he was hoping for a girl, but- i knew he was going to be a boy. that way i won't have to stop calling him bubba.

finding out the gender was certainly a huge step toward making the let's-have-a-baby situation all the realer (can i use that as a word?). another came just a couple weeks ago when i flew home. it wasn't the eleven hours on the plane (a layover in phoenix where i didn't even get to disembark) or little bubba using my bladder as a punching bag the entire way there (having to get up to use the restroom every 20 minutes- priceless). it was the moment where, late at night, i was using my belly as a desktop, my laptop settled comfortably on it, when all of a sudden- plunk! the laptop jumped an inch into the air. visible evidence that he is indeed squirming around. it was so very awesome. tonight, in fact, j was able to feel him giving me a good hefty kick in the ribs for the first time. he likes to do that just when i'm dozing off for a nap- it makes me jolt awake because i think i'm falling.

the visit home was so very awesome. i was able to see some fabulosa friends. and of course there was the visits with my siblings. there were all these new inlaws to get to know, and we made a good time of it, playing cards and telling some really horrible jokes. i got a little homesick coming home- not because i didn't miss j and the cats, but because i hated to leave. but j fed me, the house was wonderfully clean, and there was work the next morning.

and so the next round begins...

of recent happenings

2011-03-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

my belly button has disappeared. it was there one day, gone the next. it's very unnerving. there's a space where my belly button SHOULD be. but it's absence is certainly notable.
it's just not natural, that's what.

i was subpoenaed to court a couple weeks ago. it wasn't so bad, as i had a couple of co-workers with me, also waiting their turn to testify. the attorney told me i would be up next, so i ate a handful of yogurt-covered blueberries (just in case i was on the stand too long and subsequently died of hunger- one can't be too sure, after all) then ran to the bathroom (more pregnancy preparations). when i flashed my usual 'how's it going' smile in the mirror, i realized my teeth were slightly off-colour. a full-on tongue exposure revealed my whole mouth was blue. the yogurt-covered blueberries! i hurried out to the waiting area, hoping and hoping and hoping i hadn't been called, yet. what was i going to do in front of the judge with a mouth full of blue? how professional was i going to look? should i start with: "i'm sorry, you're honour- you must forgive an unthinking, potentially half-starved pregnant woman for her error in judgment. please don't blame the blueberries" and throw myself at the mercy of the court? i bided my time, waiting... and the court adjourned for lunch.

i needn't have worried at all, actually. all that waiting got us another day to come in, as the first witnesss took nearly the entire day.

mmm... yogurt-covered blueberries...

2011-02-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

yesterday i hunted down subway and got a delicious flatbread sandwich with all the fixin's. my favourite sandwich. delicious sweet onion sauce, crispy lettuce, toasted provolone cheese all wrapped up in one of those subway sandwich bag. it was all i could do to not rip open into that sandwich then and there, but i refrained, placed on the car seat next to me (within arm's reach, of course), and drove to work.

i gobbled half that sandwich for lunch. it was delicious. i thought about eating the other half, but i again put temptation behind me, or in this case, put it in the fridge.

i thought about that sandwich last night. i even dreamed about it while i slept. i held off eating it for breakfast, waited through brunch, and by lunch, my mouth was watering. i heaved my pregnant booty off my chair and padded to the employee room. mmm.... sandwich...

only, no sandwich. someone had thrown it away. or eaten it. my yogurt was there- why couldn't they have taken that?

?!???

bleakdom

2011-02-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

it's winter. snowy, cold, and too depressing. i don't know if it's the evening hours at work or the pregnancy, but it's hard to be motivated. for anything. i had a list of projects i wanted to do today, and i haven't been able to tackle any of them. my predominant mood is sadness. j threw a piece of popcorn in my face and i felt sad. i had to go to a restaurant by myself to satisfy a craving and i felt sad. i think about having to cook dinner and i feel sad. on top of it all, the underlying homesickness that i typically feel is pushing itself forward. i have a terrible case of the blahs.

blah, blah, blah.

i can't blame everything on the pregnancy. other than feeling chunky and having a hard time sleeping, i don't seem to be showing any of the typical symptoms. i rarely feel nauseous, i don't have any swollen ankles or fingers (yet), and i haven't experienced morning sickness. but i feel out of shape, hungry all-the-time, and my bones feel exceptionally weary. it's hard for me to not think about the things i'm giving up- travel, trying new things, spontaneity... maybe i'm mourning the loss of a lifestyle.

...

on the other hand, i've been able to hear bubba's heartbeat twice. i've been able to see bubba doing acrobats on the ultrasound. when i'm faced with these more tangible signs, i feel hope. and excitement. and anticipation. i almost get emotional. there's so much possibility, and above all, i carry with me the future. i get so overwhelmed with THESE thoughts, it's hard to even breathe.

maybe it's the seesawing that's so exhausting.

2011-02-12T19:41:00.001-08:00

in october, this was joe's birthday present:

joe calls him sammy-short-for-samurai. and he lives up to his name. he was sweet, cute, cuddly-the qualities you want in a kitten. and then the honeymoon was over. now he races up and down the apartment, tears at the wallpaper until it's in shreds, had ripped down most of the blinds, and the shower curtain is riddled with holes. he howls when your in the bathroom and he's on the wrong side of the door, attacks your ankles when you walk by the bed, and has somehow managed to tear down my entire standing wardrobe.

yet he fetches. that's right. it only works with those twisty pull tabs that come on water bottles, but when you toss it, he races after it, picks it up in his mouth, then trots back to you, tab in mouth. he'll drop it at your feet and wait for another go. oh- and he crawls into bed with you. under the covers- just to keep your toes warm.

he's actually quite awesome.

waiter, there's something bigger than a fly in my soup.

2011-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

j bought me a delicious sandwich from this pizza place we go to every other week. they sell large pizzas for really cheap every tuesday, so that's been our default tuesday meal. being pregnant, i had a hankering for anything OTHER than pizza, so he bought me a delicious omelet sandwich. i gobbled up half, setting the other half into the fridge for lunch the next day.

next day, i unwrapped the sandwich- and there, flattened between the wax paper and the bun, was a 1 1/2 inch orange roach. my first thought- had i missed something in other sandwiches i'd eaten there? were the pizzas always so reliable? i immediately brushed the roach-infested-tasty-sandwich in the garbage. in retrospect i could have used it to demand my money back, but i don't even want to step foot in that pizzeria again. and what if all they did was invite me to get a replacement sandwich? it was bad enough i had several clients to meet with after that. during these meetings, i kept having flashbacks of that gigantic bug who'd probably begun eating my lunch. and who knows what was in the other half the sandwich? the sandwich i ate???

now my stomach churns at the thought of food. i choke it down because i have to, but ... ew. and i have a stomach of iron. is it the pregnancy? or is it seeing a bug in a bite that was intended for my personal digestion?

disgusted am i.

tidings

2011-01-30T06:46:00.000-08:00

it's been an action-packed couple of months. we've gone from:
to:needless to say, we've been riding the emotional roller coaster. it's so odd- the first couple months i didn't dare say anything to anyone. it was a cross between not wanting to jinx it to not really wanting to accept the reality of how much our lives are about to change. even if it's for the better. because everything i'd thought awesome before now needs to be looked at with a more scrutinizing eye. the one-and-a-half bedroom apartment that had been HUGE before now seems cramped. the two door car that i love now seems a bit inconvenient. the bathroom destroying cats that i thought adorable now seem like a handful.

it didn't take me long to figure out there was something going on. right from week one my body started complaining that something odd and foreign was setting up home base inside it. and now- even the figure i once took for granted is now misshapen and odd looking. getting an ultrasound a couple weeks ago, though- that changed everything. little bubba was squirreling around turning backflips, swimming the breaststroke, i think at one point a little game of solitaire was laid out. it was at that point things went from: 'holy crap' to 'totally awesome.'

although there's still a little bit of that 'holy crap' there. i mean- we are having a baby, after all.

just a little flying machine

2010-09-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

on groupon (a mailing list with great deals), i found a coupon for 1/2 off a flying lesson. the idea appealed to me, and as it was less than $100, i got it. last week i decided to use it while the weather was still nice. j went with me. we drove to this tiny airport and miraculously got in through the gate (it would take me forever to describe the hassle this process took). we found the bunker and parked, being guided in by the man i'd had to call to help us.

we waited a half hour before we were helped as it was a small facility. one guy sitting in the tiny office seemed to be harassing the poor kid who was our instructor.

'should i go get you something to eat?'
'what time are you off?'
'you want me to get you a burger?'
'what are your plans afterward?'
x100.

the poor kid seemed to try to brush him off, but the guy was very persistent.

so this kid (he didn't look older than 17) pulled J and i upstairs and walked us through the parts of the plane using a tiny hand-held model. he then had me sit in a mock cockpit and went over the switches. and that was it. a ten-minutes prep before i took my husband's life in my hands.a quick stop to a green toilet (that had to be charged, looked like it belonged in outer space and made all sorts of strange and terrible gurgling noises) and we were heading out to the tarmac. the kid showed me the tiny plane we'd be using and again went over the body parts.
we checked the gas, looked at the wheels and wings, then before i knew it, i was settled into the pilot seat and strapping on my belt. this became the most terrifying experience of my life. to summarize J, i thought we were going to die. J later said (as he sat behind me in the passenger's seat) he kept reaching forward to try to grab the wheel or in some way save himself. on the other hand, it was also the most exhilarating experience (and it needs to be said- not many husbands would place their lives in their wives' hands). i thought our kid instructor would fly letting me be his 'big assistant' or at the least, keep the controls covered at all times.this was so not the case. in fact, i don't think he touched the controls at all.

first i had to get the plane moving. when it's on the ground, you control the plane using the foot pedals, which controlled the wheels. i forgot this at one point, and J practically screamed when the plane started kareening toward the grass and i yanked on the wheel by accident. i got us straightened out, though, and we made our way around the runway.
we lined up-
then it was our turn to take off.

we accelerated and like magic, the plane left the ground. the instructor had me aim for the horizon and we were off, climbing higher and higher. every 3 seconds i would think: if the plane fell out of the sky at THIS height, would we survive? what about now? and what about now? J softly whimpered behind me (actually, he didn't make a sound but i knew he was doing it in his mind) as the instructor had me turn left... then right. i was so gentle (a.k.a. terrified) that i could have run a mile on the treadmill before i finished banking. i managed to not be ill, which i think my instructor took as an offense as he asked if i'd let him make a much sharper turn. i said no, as i was already feeling ill. then he asked if he could show me how to mke a pencil float by suddenly dropping the plane- i think J was a little disappointed i said no to that as well- 'as long as HE did it,' he'd later say.

we flew over our home then turned back.
the descent was even worse than the ascent.my stomach was in my throat the entire time as i tried to come down gently. regardless- intentionally aiming myself toward the earth was much different than away. i panicked a little every time i dipped below the horizon, which was OFTEN as i tried to land. J said this terrified him the most, but i inched my way downward, fighitng the turbulance until we hit ground and we taxied back in.
holy hannah- it's a miracle we're still alive.

2010-09-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

my wedding adventure. (photos below courtesy of tim hass, picture-taker extraordinaire)

let me back up a second. our wedding photographer, being the great guy he was, decided to take photos of me and my bridesmaid dressed in our wedding finery up on Rainier. this was one of the Best Things Ever because to know me is to know my love for that mountain. so friday morning K, Skittles, J and i got into pa's truck and headed up to Rainier. J met up with Skittle's stepma and pa while we 3 girls took over a family restroom in the new (uglier) visitor's center and changed into our dresses. it was the first time i'd been completely tied into the dress and the corset made me feel claustrophobic. it didn't help that people banged on the door every 2 minutes, wanting our fantastic corner of the world. we were already feeling a mite shameless as we'd had to beg for a parking spot near the inn as the lots were full and the closest parking was 2 miles down the road.

we were to meet the photographer, Steve, at 2 pm. he was an hour late (due to heavy tourist traffic and terrible parking availability) which wouldn't have been so bad, but i was in a wedding dress. and i don't particularly like being the center of attention. the 2 together made for a very disagreeable combination. i was quite uncomfortable with all those eyes on me. people kept approaching me- some telling me how nice i looked, others laughing and asking if the groom had stood me up. i avoided eye contact as much as possible, more likely saving my ego but hurting feelings along the way. self preservation at all costs, right? J and Skittle's folks had rejoined us and were scouring the parking lots to find him. at last Steve arrived, J went to the inn to listen to his Zune and the others came to help.

being a model was exhausting. Steve had a lot of locations for us to go to, and we'd be in the same location with a variety of poses. partway through i told him i could feel my skin sizzling, but he'd found so many great spots, we carried on regardless. notable: getting kindly reprimanded for stepping off the trail behind the visitor's center, and also going to Christine Falls, my favourite locale.

Steve had also found a pretty little waterfall which he had me stand next to barefoot so it wouldn't be so slippery. i asked if he'd take photos of K and Skittles next to the fall as well, and i moved toward where Steve pointed. sadly, i didn't hear him warn me about the muddy bits and i couldn't see around my big dress, so i stepped on a patch of slickness, slipped on my butt, and started sliding toward the water. i was able to stop myself with my feet, but before i could stand, Steve jumped over the bush and planted himself right in the middle of my dress doing 2 things:
-pushing me down toward the water again, being held away from the edge by his bootly anchor
-leaving a large muddy boot print in the middle of my dress.

so very sad. but he thought he was saving my life, and that, above all else, was the kindest thing anyone had done for me.

but the poor dress. we also (at the end of the photos) went hiking into the woods where he had me pose and sit among thorns and thistles. the payoff was brilliant. if fact, the images are here:
http://hsh-photography.com/Clients/Joe_Danielle/Wedding_Photos/index.htm
he had a great eye, and of course i couldn't be mad about the dress as he'd made the gesture to save my life, to keep me from slipping off into the falls. yet- the dress.

Steve followed us back to the house. J and Skittle's folks had already taken off and given ma a head's up re: the dress. K called her to confirm. by the time we got home, ma had a team gathered to clean the dress bit by blessed bit. it took them hours.

of course i was sunburned. i'd gambled and lost. the women gathered there became a flurry of aloe and lavender, and the burn reduced. poor Steve had to overhear many versions of the boot story as everyone wanted to know what happened. J's family as well as mine gathered from the far corners of the earth and met for a barbecue and rehearsal dinner. J's best man and his wife were there as well, and it was a goodly yet productive gathering.

saturday- up early. there was a flurry of activity at the house, and of course there were nails and hair and make-up. the temperature reached an uncharacteristic 92 degrees, so we sweated through the preparations. at 5pm, my bridesmaids and i put up balloons and got back at 5.30pm. of course ma was panicked because i needed to get cinched into that corset. we managed to dress, despite a plethora of door knockings and disruptions.

finally i was dressed and everyone was outside. pa waited for me by the back door and then walked me down the aisle to canon in d. cheesy? perhaps. but it was my kind o' cheese.

the entire walk down (which felt like an eternity) i kept thinking: "is it too late to back out now? what about now?" if pa hadn't been on one of my arms anchoring me down, i don't know what i would have done. my stomach was a flutter of nerves, but i looked ahead, forced a smile on my lips, and saw J up there, all grins. i felt much better a) knowing he was at the end of that aisle and b) knowing he was probably as nervous as i was.
i finally made it to where J waited for me. and what are the first words he says when he meets his wife-to-be?

"didn't i see you in the never-ending story?" (yet i personally loved the tiara, and i think i looked smashing in it).

my uncle officiated, we had our readings, and the ceremony went fine, despite our inability to figure out which finger the rings belonged on. we kept switching them throughout the ceremony, as those around us tried to get our attention to switch yet again.

we had a receiving line and it was so lovely getting to meet friends and family i hadn't seen in forever. i wish i could have prolonged that for hours- we didn't get much chance to mingle after dinner as of course there were photos and things to take care of. but oh, how i loved having all those wonderful people there. tim (the photographer whose lovely photos grace this blog) took many candid shots, my face twisted into various conversations that have now been encapsulated in those images. so fantastic.

after the receiving line, J and i went inside- i stripped off that horrible girdle, tights, and boots to put on a pair of white flip-flops. he and i then snuck around to the back and ran through the banner my brother and his wife had made.
he and i cut the cake, ate dinner, gave an irish toast with the mead Skittle's stepma had made us, then snuck out front for photos.

(photos of family below)

we then had our first dances (after the first couple's dance, J threw me over his shoulder and carted me away) while some of the folk blew bubbles at us. then the bouquet and garter toss. the band came on, and it was dark enough for the tiki torches. magical.

i have to say, ma and her pals put on one fantastic show. the wedding was beautiful from the first to the last, and that was due entirely to her efforts and those who contributed. it was memorable, and made more so by those who took photos for us so that we could keep those memories.

what a brilliant day.

2010-09-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

on wednesday, K and Skittles took me on a bachelorette adventure. J had leaked that K and he were pitching in together, which i thought meant we were going paragliding, as the parents had bought her a pass for her birthday. K asked and i told her my guess and she informed me i was wrong.

wednesday morning pa dropped Skittles and i off at K's work. her kid showed us his classroom and pa took him- and we climbed into K's car, which had been decorated by Skittle's stepma for our little extravaganza.

en route to wherever we were going, K told me we were going bungee-jumping. immediately, i felt nauseous, and had K pull over as my stomach struggled with that info. i ran into the nearest fast food joint to deal with much sudden durchfall. i was so nervous. not once did i plot on how to get out of doing it- that was the plan, so i was going to go along with it, not matter how much it terrified me.
K let me deal with my upset bowels for 2 hours. oh, the cruelty! 2 minutes away from our destination, she let me know we were actually going paragliding instead. what a world of difference! J asked me later why i was able to skydive but not bungee-jump. very simple. skydiving did not require me to jump off a cliff head-first, relying on a slim nylon cord to keep me from crashing into the earth. plus, once you reach as far as you're going to go, you sort of bob up and down for a bit of time. ugh.
so we made it to the paragliding place and met our instructor in this building filled with harnasses suspended from the ceiling. it was fun bobbing up and down while we chatted.
we got some training, signed our life away,
then headed out for our adventure. we were too late to hike to our destination, so we had to meet up with a packed truck to drive us up to the top. we also got to hike in about a mile carrying our parachutes in these huge mushroom packs on our backs.
about an hour traveling, we finally arrive at our destination. a huge cliff overlooking a loake, city, trees- crazy gorgeous view. we had 3 men with us- our tandems. there was a very attractive ecuadorian, the spacey yet kind owner, and an older guy who was uncomfortably flirtatious with me, despite knowing i was engaged. flirtatious guy jumped off first, so i had Skittles go with him- i couldn't stomach the thought of him putting them moves on me when i couldn't escape. my gift to K was letting her go with the hot guy (her later complaint was that he didn't speak any English).
so Skittles went first. so funny- she screamed as they jumped off.
i thought K was going next, but her ecuadorian wanted to jump up higher. that left me. my guy told me my job was to run as hard as i could. when he gave me the go-ahead, i did- but the wind was strong and i couldn't go anywhere. then the wind picked me up and i was running in the air. he kept yelling at me to run, so i did, even though i wasn't touching the ground. finally i got a good couple steps on the ground and we were airborne.there wasn't that freefall rush, but we sort of glided into the air. the view was of course breathtaking and we skimmed the trees, almost touching them with our toes. we were able to stay in the air over a half hour due to the wind and updrafts. my guide would find one, spin us up through the air, and i'd become nauseous. finally i had to beg him to stop, and we drifted peaceful.
we'd float over to Skittles who was doing spirals with her crazy guy, and then K who was filming everything (that later got erased by her little guy).we finally drifted toward the ground. i opted for a butt landing, as the standing sounded too difficult.

when we got there, the family was waiting for us- B, ma, Skittle's stepma and K (ma's cousin). pa and Skittle's pa were on their way to pick up J at the airport. i guess M and C, friends of ours, had hiked all the way to our jumping off point (a 2 hour hike) only to miss us by a matter of minutes.
another adventure survived.

2010-09-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

We left at 7.30am on a Saturday. Of course J was running late. He likes to think I'm always the one who drags my feet.
We get to the site late, but still before the group we were to meet up with. We gathered then went into a little room to watch a video. The video just explained the paperwork we'd signed regarding wavers for liability. One of the girls from our group panicked and dropped out. Bad timing on her part: you get a full refund if you change your mind before watching the video and signing paperwork, 50% after, 25% if you suit up, and 0% if you get on the plane.
J and I met our respective jump instructors- mine was a supernice, touchy guy named Dave. We boarded the plane. As we got higher in the air, my heart and stomach stayed on the ground, my courage shrinking the higher we climbed. J looked like he was made of stone and his tandem guy had to keep poking him to make sure he was still alive. We finally got to the perfect altitude (Scary High) and one tandem group left then we were up. One of the guys offered to jump with me and before I knew it, I was rocking at the edge of the plane. If I didn't have someone attached to me, I would have been too paralyzed to move.
The world was so tiny below me and all of a sudden I was falling, my tandem having pushed us away from the plane, and I couldn't breathe with the wind blowing the air out of my lungs. I tried to curve my body into that weird banana shape I'd been told to make but it was difficult as I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even look at the ground. I was too busy trying to suck air into my lungs.
Finally my tandem pulled the cord and the harness yanked my crotch and that was a new painful sensation to think about. The other guy was floating near me and he waved- a friendly face so high in the sky was such a relief- The view was breathtaking (although not as literally as the few moments before).

At last my tandem man yanked on the rip cord and the harness jerked me upward as the parachute opened, and I got to concentrate on the pain in my crotch for the entire drift down. It was a stunning panorama. I was handed the steering mechanisms, and it was exciting to control such a vehicle with just a tiny tug of one hand.
Amazing.
And by the way, I have finally developed motion sickness. Very bad timing.

by the way, i like this photo better

2010-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

omigosh- we're so friggin' adorable. how can you stand it?

life alterations (no sewing required, although a stitch or two would be nice)

2010-03-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

J and i announced our engagement, with mixed results. it's interesting how so many people take a vow of silence on every aspect of your life until there is a decision made that has absolutely nothing to do with them, then there's a flood of advice and queries into your sanity and hopes that he's at least a good guy.

i am sane. he's a good guy. and we have a huge TV, so i guess there's no backing out now.

(the above photo, by the way, was taken by my cousin, yerffej. i think it's hilarious)

i suppose now comes the chaos. so far, though, everything's been painless. it helps that J is pretty easy-going.

should i commemorate the occasion with a funny story about us? we have our moments, despite what the above photo might suggest. there was the time i came home, hung up my coat, went into the bedroom and had a hand grab at me from under the bed, and i screamed... well, i suppose that was more blood-curdling than funny. wait- there was the time i came home to find the dishes done and rainbow carnations on the coffee table- hm. that's a bit more AWESOME than funny. there was the time nike got her tail smashed in a crashing window and J made sure he was okay for me- that was a more kind than anything. well, there are oodles of funny moments, but i guess i've got all the other kinds on my mind right now.

just a working stiff

2010-02-12T19:26:00.001-08:00

today the mother of a client threw a french fry at me. in the middle of a family session. was it any less funny or weird in person than what it seems on the computer screen? no.
i made a comment to her son (my client). she said: "i hope you don't take this in the wrong way," then she threw the french fry. followed up by: "i just thought what you said was really stupid."
hm.

J bought a $600 42' flat screen TV, only to have it arrive with a shattered screen. the horrible part? half that money was mine. he's taking care of business, but in the meanwhile, the teeny entertainment stand is not fulfilling its entire potential.

my cousin had his leg amputated. sadness abounds.

i skipped relief society on sunday because the ward is meeting at a lutheran college and our sunday school is held in their multi-floored library. i entered to be spiritually fulfilled, and didn't leave until several hours after. i found an entire library row of josephus ramblings. too delicious.

and speaking of delicious, i have a cup of hot chocolate macaroon (coconut) right beside me. the only disappointment is that it's nearly gone. and the cafe is an eternity away.

i went to a cotillion and had a marvelous time. too bad they were a few males shot. the cotillion leader (dressed in a frumpy and ruffly man-shirt) reassigned my gender and i became a male for most of the dances. not too complex until we came to a bit where i had to lead in a 4-second waltz. i kept forgetting who was in charge and ended up injuring many feet. i don't think i left with as many friends as i came in with.

2009-10-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

i've been working on my life story, and have been reflecting on my tender years. i was very opinionated, even as a little rascal, and quickly learned what i loved and what i hated. i was a passionate kid, and rarely fell between the two, merely 'liking' or tolerating something.

Hates:
-in 1976, I had to wear The Pumpkin Outfit for Halloween. It had been Dad's when he was a little boy, and it was horribly uncomfortable. To make it poof out, handfuls of newspapers had to be stuffed into the round part of the pumpkin. The worse bit was the hat—an adorable stem that tied behind the ears. It made movement uncomfortable, and I was grateful when I grew out of that little-but-cute stage and I didn't have to wear that terrible little costume.

-getting my hair curled. Every Sunday, in fact. Mom loved dressing me up in frumpy ruffly dresses, and I often felt like an overstuffed doll. She'd curl my hair and with each curl, she'd count aloud to twenty. The good part was I learned to count at a young age. The hating part: having to wait for each precious bit of hair to be curled.

-falling asleep with gum in my hair. Mom had to cut it out. Sadly, I learned the power of the scissors from this experience, and it wasn't long before I was trying to cut my own bangs (and making a terrible mess of it).

-sparklers. They were loud, scary, and they burned you when you were careless. 'Nuff said.

Loves:
-in 1977 I was finally big enough to wear the gorgeous Korean outfit Dad had gotten me. It was made of a bright silk and was so beautiful, I felt like a princess wearing it. Also well-loved was the Korean pendant Dad had given me. It had the Korean characters for Angel on it, and I treasured it until it got lost in a move.

-my Big Bird. I loved Sesame Street. In a few years we'd only have cassette tapes of Sesame Street to listen to, but when I was little, I loved watching the show. Oscar had always been my favourite, but I loved my big stuffed bird, and dragged that thing with me everywhere.

-the quiet book. Mom or Granny A had made it, and it had neat things inside. Clothespins for hanging tiny clothes, a tiny road to drive a tiny car on... each page brought endless fun, and entertainment for those long Sacrament meetings.

-Muskrat Love. My favourite song, I'd sing along to this loudly whenever it came on the radio. Thank goodness we were living in the 70s then, as it came on the radio often. The car we owned was a little red or white one, and I loved kicking my feet up on the front seat and singing my heart out. Mom always had the radio station tuned to the oldies station, and I learned them quickly. I still have a fondness for them.

-teeny little dolls. Granny A always made paper dolls for me, and Mom gave me these little plastic dolls with snap on clothes. They were adorable, and the tinier the better.

-bike-riding. Mom and Dad would take us riding all the time: they each had a bike seat for us on the backs. I preferred Mom's pink one to Dad's white one, as the pink was lower to the ground and more comfortable. Dad's seemed to be mounted twenty feet up and I was nervous about falling on it. Odds were always in Brandon's favour, as I was usually relegated to Dad's.

Dad was always keen to teach us lessons on life. I learned the value of money from an early age. He would give me a dime, then offer to trade pennies for them. I'd comply at first because the pennies were bigger, but after finding they bought less, learned to stick with the dimes. This little “allowance” ended shortly after I caught on to Dad's tricks.

simpering september

2009-09-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

let's compare the last two days, shall we? yesterday being so craptastic, today being quite uncraptastic. to summarize, (because the confidentiality clause forces my lips to stay shut on sundry work topics)the program manager challenged me because i chose ethics over making us more money. the stress over the confrontation ate a whole in my stomach the size of kansas, and i had to rollerblade for over an hour to get the bad taste out of my mouth. picked up pizza and jalapeno poppers for J, then i went to a new writers' group (to supplement the one i already participate in- which i love) to check it out. then the evening got WEIRD. three participants- all in their 50s. two women, one men. very quirky. the first woman started talking about her son who had tried to kill himself- he was 18 and placed in a residential program in the same town i live in (about 15 miles from the meetup location). she and the other woman talked about a sister who had killed herself, then began discussing therapist at residential placements. so odd, since I'M a therapist at a residential placement, working with same clients as her son. i kept my lips shut lest it turn into therapy time, but then the talk turned to seattle and mount rainier... so when they asked me where i was from (the base of rainier) and what i do (work as a therapist. where? at a residential facility), it became a bit... surreal. when they further asked me what i was working on (writing-wise), i told them i was working on a book about my experiences... living on rainier... and dealing with the suicide of a friend of mine. it was odd. so odd.
then a drive home where i was talking to my sister. the call dropped and when i answered her call two seconds later, it was my mom- who was driving in another car behind her. what a weird day.

today- addressed the situation with the program director in a way that satisfied me and my ethics, then went to a birthday party for merissa where we went to this recreational place full of those children's jumping castles and we could jump to our heart's content. there were slides, obstacle courses, castles, a trampoline basketball hoop, and a jumping-castle type batting cage. so much fun. and it IS possible to jump too much. off for cake and ice cream, then a phone call from BSAL to figure out when we get to meet up tomorrow (she and her husband are driving through here en route from virginia to maine) and the day comes to a very satisfying close. except it's 11pm and i haven't even begun to start cleaning the place, yet. i'm way too excited!

a visit from the skit

2009-09-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

this visit happened a month ago, but was fun:

Whitney (a.k.a Skittles) recently made the trek out to Massachusetts. She arrived at the Manchester airport at 11.30am. I met her at the wrong luggage place, but she was clever enough to hunt me down and get the show on the road.

We picked up her luggage, no problem. Her blue suitcase was easy to pick out, and even though she didn't have a big red ribbon around her, Whitney was pretty easy to pick out as well. We grabbed her bag, then headed out to where Joe was waiting for us, engine running.

Skittles was up for anything. Joe stopped for cash while she and I perused a consignment shop and looked at goofy dresses. Whitney got to talk to Carter on the phone while we made our way to the Rock 'n Ribfest... a yearly event at the Amheiser-Busch factory, featuring loads of meat and meat and meat. Barbequed meat, pulled meat, deep fried meat- we got to walk around, getting sunburnt, looking at animals in cages and kids in karate uniforms. After oodles of suntime and loads of bad music from a cover band, we headed home. Whitney was tuckered out, so we went grocery shopping, bought a soda maker, then headed home for an evening of tacos and video games.

Whitney was particularly keen on a Zombie versus Plants computer game, and she saved us all from getting our brains eaten multiple times. She and Joe bonded over Twilight, when I think Joe impressed her by giving her a Bella and Edward sticker. Ahoy!

Sunday

Whitney got up at the crack of dawn (well, 9am, actually, but during the doggone days of summer, that's pretty early) and went with me to church. Skiddadled home, then headed up to Gloucester to check out the pirate festival. Sadly, Whitney dragged rainy weather with her, so it was drizzling all day (and every day for the rest of her visit). We scoped out the pirate festival, which sadly ended up being nothing more than a scraggly group of people dressed in fancy costumes and shouting over each other regarding the condition of their ships and treasure caches. Joe knew one of the security guys who tried to talk us into going in, and instead ended up losing the baby carriage he was holding onto when it rolled down the hill. I remarked: “I hope there isn't a baby in there”, only to hear a piercing wail and the guy say: “Whoops. There is.” Brain damage notwithstanding, we opted against going in and instead wandered along the coast looking for snail shells.

I even got my feet wet in the tide until Whitney appetite was properly whetted, and we made our way to some grub at a local Friendlies (despite Joe's grumbles about the food being less than par). I really wanted that Reeces Pieces ice cream sunday, though, so Whitney and I vetoed him and we went anyway. The food was good. Of course I couldn't wait for dessert, so I ordered it with the meal and was properly food before I took a bite of the appetizers. Skittles couldn't even finish hers, so Joe ended up polishing it off. Mmm...

We were wiped out by the end of it all, and Whitney was exhausted from only getting ten hours of sleep, so we went home and vegged on movies and ice-cream sandwiches.

Monday

We let nature take its course and Whitney slept in until 11am. It's Whitney's vacation, after all, and she can sleep in however late she dang well pleases! And pleases she did, every morning. or... afternoon. Anyway, we got up. Of course it was pouring, but Whitney and I opted to try out some tennis regardless of the downpour.

Surprisingly, we played better than we'd ever played, and actually hit the ball over the net a couple times. We got thoroughly wet, then headed home to change.

A very drizzly day ahead of us, we decided to head out to The Butterfly Place. I should have taken the gigantic schoolbus parked in front of the building as a warning. We went ahead, paid our fee, and entered, only to be plunged into a room jam-packed with many, many children and many, many butterflies.

The marvel of the children's loud and atrocious behaviors sadly outshone the beautiful flitting behaviors of the butterflies, so we didn't stay long. Whitney had a much better touch with the camera, so all the photos that turned out were hers.

We opted to salvage the day by heading to Boston. We circled around a parking garage for almost an hour looking for a spot, then caught the train downtown. What fun! We walked along the freedom trail looking at the sights, ending up at

Faneuil Hall for food. There was a huge selection. Of all the options: New England clam chowder, Phad Thais, Turkish Gyros, Whitney settled on Chinese food. That's my kind of girl!

We then made our way outside, battling the tourist crowds, and stumbled on a group of British acrobats who put on a spectacular show using stilts and juggling balls, and contorting into all sorts of painful-looking poses.

We had a great time wandering around. Whitney sampled her first gelato and shopped around for the Perfect Souvenir T-shirt. Thankfully we had umbrellas this time. We bought a few canoli and the famous Mike's pastries (Whitney even gave the canoli a thumb's up), then met up with Joe to head to Chunkies- a combination restaurant/movie theater. We ordered up some good grub, then settled in to watch the latest Pixar film, Up. Great movie. Joe was bawling within the first ten minutes- that's how good it was.

Tuesday

We were out and about at a fairly reasonable hour. Gave ourselves a good breakfast, then headed out to the boulevard. Whitney was bound and determined to try rollerblading. Got out of the car, strapped the blades onto her feet, then held her up as she stood and balanced. Before I knew it, she was heading down the sidewalk going 30mph. No issues with balance, no issues with stopping- that girl was a natural. She'll be hitting the roller derbies in no time!

I was very impressed, especially as I've been rollerblading for a year now, and STILL haven't managed to master the art of stopping.

We changed into some hiking clothes and made up some homemade bread so it would be waiting for us when we got back. We then hit the hiking trail for some geocaching. Another thing Whitney was a wiz at. Of the three geocaches we were looking for, we managed to find two of them. Not bad! Whitney used the GPS like a pro.

The third geocache wasn't an easy find. We spent a very damp two hours trailblazing the deep woods of the Dracut-Lowell national park, following the coordinates far from the trails. Whitney bravely pushed on, battling mosquitoes and undergrowth until we successfully found what we were looking for. She ended up with quite the collection of mosquito and tick bites, after deciding it wasn't all that cool to spray her entire person with bug spray. But Whitney didn't mumble a single complaint. She was a warrior, that one!

The contents of the geocache wasn't all that spectacular. Whitney walked away with some stickers and a green lizard, while I scored a few glow in the dark sticks. Butthe success at finding the thing was all we needed to feel we were very, very awesome.

By the way- the sandwiches we made with the homemade bread was fantastic. In fact, I think I'll go have a slice right now.

The lure of the nearby stadium being too much, we met up with Joe and headed out to watch the Spinners play ball! It was Politically Incorrect night, and we were entertained by sumo wrestlers, a subway sandwich eating contest, and of course baseball. Joe found a caricature artist who was willing to tackle the faces of Whitney and I, so we sat down and had ourselves drawn.

We gorged on nachoes, fried dough, and peanuts, before heading back home, wet and tired from a very busy day.

Wednesday

We met up with Joe at a fairly reasonable hour, and drove up to New Hampshire to go to the Lost River. It was a long drive, but we got along fine with Ipods and Joe's talk radio. Once we got there, we immediately found a place where you can buy a bunch of dirt and pan for gemstones. I bought a bag and Whitney and I swished those pans around until our trays were brimming with rubies and bits of minerals so sparkly, they made my eyes hurt.

We then headed into the beautiful forest/gorge. There was a lot to see- beautiful views and many side trails that took us through tight squeezes (there was even one called the Lemon Squeeze) through rocks and caves and very dark, damp places.

Whitney braved them all- I sort of dragged myself along, wary I'd get stuck and have to be blasted out with dynamite.

It was like some sort of bizarre fairy land with tons of ladders and bridges and walkways leading to dark and mysterious corners of the world.

Awesome! (and no ticks this time)

We then headed to find something to eat. We ran into an unusual restaurant called The Common Man, which was decorated brilliantly. We sat on couches around little coffee tables, and ate crackers and fancy cheeses until our appetizers came. Then we ordered meals- Whitney got a Mexican pizza, Joe got a burger, and I indulged in a Mac and Cheese pizza, which was surprisingly good. Whitney scored in the dessert department while mine fell flat. Still, we walked away with tight tummies and another fabulous day in our pocket.

Thursday

A glorious day which promised at least an hour of sunshine. We didn't even think about the fact that we'd need sunscreen, so we fried our faces when we went whale watching at the Bostonharbor. Joe and Whitney rode the waves and had no problems as we headed out to open water.

I, on the other hand, felt every choppy wave in my bones and in my stomach. I barely made it without losing my breakfast on the guy standing below me (on the second deck- we were up top on the third).

After an hour or so, we were finally rewarded with our first whale sighting. After that, there was no stopping them as we saw loads of hunchback whales, frolicking and sporting among the waves. We even got to hear them singing as they did whatever whales do when they sing. The sun blasted through the fog, so our view was good, and this is the time that we really got sunburned. The day ended up being beautiful and we didn't get a drop of rain the entire time we were out.

The ride back afforded a great view of Boston and we had a great ti

me playing “king of the world” (particularly crazy as we watched the movie Titanic the night before).

We then went to Bill and Bob's, which happens to be Joe's most favouritest roast beef in the world.

Friday

I had to work, so Whitney had to entertain herself for several hours (killing zombies and such) while I slaved away at my desk. After I got back, we made up some pizzas, then headed to watch a couple of my

old roommates participate in Chaotic Wrestling. The Logan Brothers and Chase del Monte managed to maintain their titles and we watched a very riveting show. Lots of challenges and “in your face”

moments that had us laughing our boots off.

Quite entertaining.

Saturday

A day that started out gorgeously, but ended in rain. After Whitney woke up, we made up some German pancakes from one of Granny Andrews' old recipes, then headed out to a pool party/barbeque at a friend's house. Skittles splashed in the pool and chowed down on hot dogs and chips while I caught a few rays before the downpour. Joe met up with us there and we goofed around a few hours before heading home. We then watched Land of the Lost, which proved to be a better movie than I think any of us expected.

Sunday

Sadly, the last day. We went to church in the morning, then Whitney packed up her clothes and souvenirs and got ready to leave. We met up at Joe's house to do a load of laundry (after Nike was kind enough to vomit on her sheets). We watched some Futurama on the Tivo until it was time to head out to the airport. Joe dropped us off and I got Whitney checked in and her luggage paid for and collected (I'd completely forgotten the airlines had taken to charging for checked luggage. I'm getting mighty forgetful in my old age). I then waited with her as she went through the metal detector, then waved her off Paul-style as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and departed for home. All in all, a visit I thoroughly enjoyed, and even now as I pick up random cups stashed under the couch, I miss her terribly. Come any time, Skittles- the door is always open to you!

just a manic sunday

2009-09-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

church this morning, then a realization that i'd committed to bringing dessert to a co-workers house for lunch. so i hied me home and made a scrumptious batch of no-bake cookies. these little cookies are so delectable, so mouth-watering, that it is physically impossible to refrain from eating less than 12 (i should know. i'm on number 13 as i type). oh, yum. sadly, my timing was about 4 hours off as i forgot these little suckers needed to set, so J and i headed out as my cookies were left on the kitchen table, a gooey un-set mess.
cookie'less, we drove out to pelham where my co-worker resides. her husband greeted us and my eye was immediately drawn to the off-road segway on the side of the house. a couple of lustful glances and the owner of said segway offered J and i lessons. this $64.000 was so much fun- backward, forward, side to side... all with the flick of a wrist and pressure shifted from heel to toe. i did fine during the mobility portion of the adventure- it was getting off and on the darn thing that i was horribly inept with. i couldn't get off it without making the thing drive backward into the bushes. thankfully the segway's owner was immediately on hand to keep me from rolling backward into traffic.
much good food- it should have been the first moment of the day when food passed my lips, being fast sunday and all. sadly, when i made cookies earlier in the day, the wooden spoon covered with batter found its way to my lips before i remembered with a jolt that i wasn't supposed to be eating yet. so by the time i ate that afternoon, i was already on second lunch (otherwise known as onsies). there was this delectable salad dressing: it was a sweet and sour poppyseed concoction, perfectly delicious on the walnuts, strawberries and greens salad. my co-worker gave us a tour of her house (including an up-close and personal visit to her wasp infected bathroom, and by that i'm certainly not referring to any white anglo saxon protestants).
then to J's aunt's house for more eats and for lobster, fer goodness' sake. i stuffed myself silly, only to realize too late that i was taking up precious stomach room. a friend of the family had brought these Absolutely Scrumptious cream puffs that were to die for. seriously. die. for. i had 7. and that was without stomach room. my pants were already a bit tight going in- one can only imagine the pressure the pants seams were under when i left.
so finally got home late tonight, (sunday) feeling fat as a walrus and fried as scrambled eggs, as my face caught the attention of every ray of sunshine that happened by this way. i'm red and pooped. and i need another cookie.

achte meine gute

2009-09-05T18:38:00.001-07:00

i'm so sorry, my little blog. i'm sorry for the neglect, for the good intentions, for failing to nourish you with thoughts and events and inspirations. i am fully prepared to make up for that neglect... starting tomorrow. there are just so many more interesting things to do (heaven forbid) 'sides sit on my buttocks and try to make sense of the world.

2008-09-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

for a minute there, i was being stalked. scary texts and everything. must make more than a mental note.
2nd stalker, one lifetime. i've more than met my quota.

opa of the ululating orchids

2008-07-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

went out to seattle this last weekend. but before i grovel for forgiveness in having shafted half the people i know (who all happen to live out there), let me just say i orbited around my parents' house for nearly the entire visit. grandpa (opa) has been living out there for the last while and he's been ailing. this strong man has become so fragile, i was afraid to help him up lest i crush something. he was lucid on saturday, so we had a delightful conversation centering around the rise and fall and rise of the red sox. he had a mini-stroke while we were talking, and it was horrifying for me to realize just how fragile he'd become. he wasn't always a kind man, but he was fair. and he was smart. and he wasn't afraid of anything. he was ill sunday and spent the afternoon in bed. friends, immediates, and extendeds headed up to the Mountain for an afternoon of waterfalls and marmots, then feasted on hawaiian haystacks. i had to say my goodbyes to everyone that evening, then, as i had to leave for the airport in the wee sma's. opa woke at 2am and he called me to his room to give his farewell. he remembered who i was and wished me the best in life. heartbreaking how final it felt. lieber opa! so bossy, so stubborn, yet he delighted in whatever delighted us grandkids. encouraged us to expand our horizons and try new things. when i was in hawaii, he fell, breaking 4 ribs. i moved into his retirement home and took care of him. but i think he did more for me than i could have ever done for him- we talked of books and baseball and 'krauts' (opa was never very PC). he even ate my cooking (that in itself is love). my thoughts are scattered. if this can be pieced together to make any sense, i've done a better job than i could have anticipated.

forward all good thoughts care of opa.

busy in aurora

2008-01-01T13:07:00.001-08:00

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2007-12-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

i'm on a roll, so i may as well catch up best i can. it's been crazy these last two months. i've met up with J's neighbours a few times- Jen and i went to a couple of those mini- concerts at Barnes and Nobles- one was an open mike night and a delightful variety of people performed. a memorable performer, Johnny Earthquake, was this savvy old man with long and flowy hair, a beard down to his belt, a red high top and a green high top, and of course a pirate hat. he played some rockin' tunes that underscore the eventual demise of the government and we tapped our toes and flipped through books of ridiculous road signs.
on a dreary note, we've been have ridiculous amounts of snow the last month. it's been building up in piles. there was an icicle hanging outside my window that was longer than i was. i prayed it wouldn't fall when someone was beneath it- it would certainly pierce someone from stem to stern. my days have been consistently engaged in chiseling my car out of ice or shoveling snow from the driveway. naturally the snow plow would come just as i was making any headway, pushing all the snow back where it was to begin with.
it was on such a snowy icy day that i made my way to work. i was in a caravan of several slow-moving vehicles when a black cat ran between my wheels. all i could do was try to swerve but of course i hit him. if i'd stopped, the car behind me would slide into me, resulting in a domino of cars smashing into each other. of course i had the radio on and just at that moment came the line "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" and i just bawled into my steering wheel.
i don't like this cold.

on a cheerier note, i met up with Aaron Cali. holy crapola, batman! i hadn't seen him since college. he was my first boyfriend back in junior high. we were part of a little group that played truth or dare around the lunch table. we had nicknames for each other and were as nice as we were catty. i think everyone had a crush on aaron, although i secretly had a crush on rex ames. aaron and i were paired up a few times by dares from our friends. i think he went out with half my friends. oh, the good old days. now he's a dad with four girls and a lovely wife that i haven't the pleasure of meeting. he happened to be in town to teach a few classes. i headed out to meet up with him in boston, and got so lost, i missed out on meeting him for dinner. we did manage to catch a bruins game and we cheered them on as we talked about old times, new times, and recipes. it was great fun. parking cost $30, but the reminiscing was priceless.

2007-12-31T16:23:00.001-08:00

That boy Oscar!!!!

2007-12-31T16:13:00.001-08:00

Craig, that cute boy that plays pool

the Other gals: Leslie, Claire, me, Martonne

(below) Jeremy and Katrina, Jared and Claire

(far west) Louie and... rats. her name escapes me. Louie and his Gal friend.

and... Martonne, of course.

2007-12-31T16:05:00.000-08:00

J pickin' noses that ain't his

Claire and Thorwald
Ammon Starr- reunited post-mission after... well, let's just say it's been many many years.
Cheesy gals- that's Amy, me, and Rachel.
Leslie, Thorwald (the side of his head, anyway), Amy, and Chip

2007-12-31T15:56:00.001-08:00

Ma and Carter

Pa and Carter

Chase and his nametag

J and I with the troll...
Seattle skyline

2007-12-31T15:50:00.001-08:00

kaesha and her baby (even crabby, he's cute!)

jared as cyclops

chase, goofy as always

joe and brandon

kaesha's step-squirts, kedyns and kaylani

2007-12-31T14:40:00.000-08:00

the family gather with blurry vision and googly eyes

i'm fearfully behind in posting, so i'll get some photos out of the way, then conveniently backtrack.
J and i went to seattle for a few days and spent some time with the famdamly. it was post-thanksgiving, pre-christmas, and we were celebrating the birth of K's little squirt, carter. hilarity ensued as all the anjews siblings got together. dad made J learn 500 and every evening we played cards.

the boys be hungry!

i got a day up in seattle where i dragged J to pike's place, the pirate store, and ye olde curiousity shoppe, where he miraculously seemed very unamazed. then to claire's for some gossip and a quick trek to see aurora's troll. finally, an evening out where i met up with my nearest and dearest, with only a few beloved faces
missing. we ate at FLAME, which closed unceremoniously at 8pm. they let us stay until quite late, however, as our numbers packed their little restaurant. martonne convinced J and i to stay up even later and we partied hardy until i couldn't keep my eyes open so i drove us home and that was that.
the last fully day we were there, we had quite a bit of snowfall. undaunted, my family met at K's house, then drove out to the Key Arena where we watched the transiberian orchestra perform. although we were 20minutes late, we enjoyed a brilliant show. all stops pulled. the only exception to the joy was the woman behind me who Kept Answering Her Cell Phone during the performance. much as i would ordinarily love to hear how aunt betty is managing with her third ulcer, i was gnashing my teeth at the nerve. still, i loved the show.

chase and carter and kedyn

frightening kibbles

2007-11-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

i really need to take a few weekends back and see if i can't get caught up.
the weekend just before halloween was entertaining. i'd bought a few odds and ends just in case i made it to an event for dressing up- no one i knew was really in the mood. i got a wee bit of a celebration in, however, when J, marissa, and derek met at my place and we headed out for freak parks unknown. took us a while to find the one we were looking for, but we weren't disappointed. after paying a hefty fee of $25 each, we were given entrance to 3 haunted houses and one haunted hay ride. each had a different theme, including one which was 3-D. squeamish though i am at frightening things, none were too terribly terrifying. J pulled me along and as we somehow managed to end up first of every group that went in, would often use me to shield him from anything jumpy.
J and derek decided to go on this ridiculous ride that spins you and throws you in the air so high it makes you feel like you left your stomach behind as you come back down. marissa treated me to some steaming hot cocoa as we watched the boys scream like banshees. when they came out, we ran to the next haunted house line. the boys were in a tither (or is it a dither?) about the possibility of J getting jumped. apparently, this big guy tried to get into one of the seats on the ride. the fellow in charge of the ride couldn't get the safety bar over the guy. J, trying to be funny, said: "I hope you fall out!" the fellow, NOT finding it funny, grumbled while the girlfriend chastized J for being an old man and picked on persons younger than he. as he was telling us this in the line for the next haunted house, he noticed the big guy and his girl in the line right in front of us. J tapped his shoulder to apologize, but the fellow wouldn't have any of that.
humbug.
after we got through all the haunted houses we could handle, J and derek convinced marissa and i to go on the ride with them. we did and it was as nauseating as i thought it would be. finally it was over, though, and the safety bars were released. marissa, looking a delicate shade of green, slid off her seat and beat it over to the side. i was a bit slower, unfortunately, and didn't make it off the seat before the other 6 riders chanted: One More Time. the safety latches lowered and i was stuck for another long nauseating spin. i felt my head about to pop off my shoulders and my stomach about to empty and just as i was close to passing out, the ride slowed. this time, before the ride even came to a stop, the chanting started up and the Ride Man sent us for another spin. three rides in a row. when we finally came to a stop (finally!), i was genuinely surprised i hadn't lost my lunch. i slid to the ground and we dizzily made our way to the car. as we drove home, every lurch in the road made my head spin and i felt sick, sick, sick.
what a great night.

the next day, sylvi came out for a few days. i was up bright eyed and ready for visiting early sunday morning when she sent me a text saying she missed her flight. she arrived much later in the day than either of us expected. even so, we had a great time putzing around town, getting good food, gossiping, and walking our socks off. that night we headed over to J's to watch the red sox kick some butt (as i have no cable) and eat leftovers. monday she had an interview to attend which was all very well as i had work. when she got back, we headed over to the 99 where we gossiped some more and were hit on by a man who jealously watched us share this volcanic chocolate cake sunday. mmm. headed back to my place for a little bollywood. we danced along to Bride and Prejudice and laughed at love's antics (particularly in the form of a gospel choir serenading the young love on a beach). we tried to get her in bed at a reasonable hour, but my suspicion is that she missed her return flight. i think she sneaked out the door around 5.30am and i could swear her flight left at 6. i won't know for sure, though, as she didn't wake me up before she go-go'ed.
ahoy!

baby bloomers

2007-10-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

my baby sister has gone and multiplied, replenishing the earth. she had a rough labor which ended in a c-section, during which time i was attached to my phone, waiting for hourly updates. i was frustrated i was in MA rather than WA where i could be more supportive.
she's my younger sister by six years and it's weird to think of her having babies. i mean, this was little crabby cupcake- the kid who would cry when she didn't get her way, who would bite you then tell on you. when mom told her to clean her room, she would pile all of her things on her bed, then throw a blanket over it. mom didn't suspect a thing until kaesha forgot to make her bed one morning and we saw how she slept on all of her clothes and toys, princess and the pea style. fondly known as 'the pest,' she was one of those kids that had to sleep with every stuffed animal in the house, buried under a pile of toys.
i was there when she met malua- we were both working in hawaii at the polynesian cultural center. she had the more prestigious job of hostessing luau's, while i was chopping pipikaula in the back kitchen. i made more money, but she was flirting with her to-be husband.
so here is the little rascal now. i'm not sure of his name- kaesha always said she would name him parker if he looked like spiderman- carter if otherwise. now it might be me, but this kid looks more like samoa joe than spiderman, so i'm assuming it's carter. his nose certainly looks samoan- in that regard, he looks like his father. what an adorable little bugger!

2007-10-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

crazy day. i worked late last night, pulling in at 10pm. so today i was in a state of chaos, heading out the door to work.
i get into my office, start up the computer, and have about 3 coworkers stop by to update me on the status of my clients.
and i realize-
i forgot my brassiere.
i quickly altered the angle i was sitting in, finished the conversation i was then having, snuck out the door... and headed home. thankfully i live only a couple miles away.
after a short day of work, i headed out to the gym. midst lunge, i received a call from my neighbour, informing me the door to the apartment was open and little nike, goddess of victory, was wandering the hall. i was quite lucky she didn't find her way out the building.
it's a good thing for me i have nothing to steal. my neighbourhood is seedy at best. i woke this morning to find i hadn't locked the door last night. hopefully the downstairs neighbours don't discover this bad habit of mine, as they are certainly suspect.
i treated myself to a vanilla bean coolata at the local D&D to soothe my rumpled spirits.
oh! i wanted to mention that a couple weeks ago i was logged onto Joost and stumbled on a few episodes of a terrible show called 'anything for love' (FOX). i was letting it play in the background as i traced pages for my grail diary- when suddenly i heard a voice that was very familiar. it was R*, from SLC- the brother of a fellow i dated my sophomore year of college. i met these boys at a concert they were putting on. they were in a band with their sister. the boy i dated was sweet and exceptionally gifted (he was the first significant talent i dated). his brother, R*, was very arrogant and obnoxious. he married a girl with long blonde hair who was several years his senior. that was the last i heard of him until his voice caught my ear on this show. apparently, you have to completely humiliate yourself to win the affection of whoever you're after. R* had a crush on a girl he'd met a few years ago, but at the time was 'engaged in another relationship' (his marriage). now that he was free, he wanted to tell this girl he was ready to do 'anything for love.'
the girl, stunned she was invited to humiliate herself on national TV, politely turned him down and let him know she was certainly not interested in him.
poor R*. if he hadn't embarrassed his brother so many times and put him down in front of me, i might have graced him with a little more sympathy. nothing doing.

2007-10-16T18:30:00.001-07:00

extra photos:
UR with his pretzel

me trying to line up my shot

and lots of feet!

weekend flurries

2007-10-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

last weekend, i must confess, i spent a delightful handful of days back at the ol' MD stomping grounds. i admit i didn't get to see all the people i wanted to see- too many persons found themselves caught up in the quagmire of busy'ness that usually takes over our lives... a few couldn't make the drive out to arlington...
still. utterly delightful.
friday j and i flew out to baltimore. we promptly parted ways as bsal picked me up at the airport. we promptly hied out to crystal city where we putzed around looking for raclette grills and laughing at the ridiculous proliferation of kitchen gadgets. we then met up with stephen at some little french bistro where i gorged on crepes. mmm... crepes.
we then caught the underground to go downtown where she could register for her triathlon (that girl is HARD CORE) where she returned some bicycle gear and then we went back to her place, gossiping about miscreant porch roofs and boys. i stumbled over a gathering place for acorns, falling gracelessly to the ground and skinning my knee. i limped pathetically back to her house where RB and stephen were waiting for us. RB had brought olives and artichoke hearts with him and, true to tradition, some funky beverage (something with pomegranates this time).
delicious.
we made pizzas, lit the candles, and had a brilliant time eating our food in her dimly lit backyard. good food, great company. we huddled around stephen's massive TV and watched a few shows, keeping bsal up too late to make it to her triathlon.
saturday morning uncle richard picked me up for some good times at the anjews household. i sorted through my piles of boxes, then went to whitney's soccer game. got to pal around with zak who's all grown up and smoking cigars at college (so debonair!)
that evening to dennis' where he fed us delicious foods and gave me a jar of squirrel meat to take back with me to NH. i couldn't figure out how i'd stash it on the plane, though, so i left it with him- waiting for me for the next time i show. we played frisbee, then hit the pool table. yah- generally i suck at pool. and this time was no exception.
sunday- to paul's for pretzels! his sister was there as well as mega who is as lovely and as swiss as always.
off to opa's. he's not doing so well. he fractured something new and is completely bedridden. i broke my heart to see him. i desperately want him to move back to seattle to stay with my folks.
naja.
grabbed my bags now stuffed with books from my boxes- i didn't check anything so my bags were heavy- no less so when my backpack strap broke and i had to drag everything around by the straps.
a hearty thanks for a gorgeous time and a bis spater to those i leave behind.
ahoy!

road bumps

2007-10-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

so here's the skinny on the car.
first off, i love my car. that is... i loveD my car (note past tense). i loved him so much, i flew drove him out to seattle so i wouldn't have to sell him. when i found a job in boston, i flew out to seattle so BSAL and i could drive him back. Methus'leh and i have been around the block a few times and i knew every creak and grumble.
a few weeks back, i woke up running a little late. i showered, grabbed a bite to eat, then threw on some work clothes. just as i was grabbing my bag, i heard a heart-wrenching *crash*. the downstairs neighbour raced up to my apartment and pounded on my door. i ignored her as i continued to get dressed. i raced downstairs, figuring i would see her after work. climbed in my car and turned the ignition. twisted the steering wheel- and the car wouldn't move. i double checked the shifter- it was in first gear. checked the e-brake... it was off. i climbed out of my car- and noticed the wheel.
the rest of the car- perfect shape as usual. i calmly called the insurance company, called the police. got everything in order. the neighbour came out and said she heard the crash and noticed some woman across the street who saw the accident, but that the woman didn't speak english and wouldn't talk to me. so i was a sad victim of a hit-and-run. no one owned up to hitting my car and with a huge deductable- i just sat on the curb and cried. the insurance company totaled my methus'leh and i had to fork out for an imposter.
sucks to be me- i just paid off the car six months ago and now i start again...

it's just a girl

2007-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

life is too chaotic not to keep a journal of some sorts. so here i am...jotting. jotting and tittling, perhaps?
anyhow.
i'm currently residing 'twixt new hampshire and massachusetts. i honestly never thought i would end up here, yet- here i be.
i live in a decent-sized apartment in a crappy neighbourhood where my car was recently totaled outside my apartment in a nasty hit-and-run.
i live with a cat (Nike, the little goddess of victory), a houseplant, and a fish. that picture, by the way, is of nike- not the houseplant, not the fish, and certainly not of me. she's got this 'thing' where she gets the devil in her and she runs like a crazy person (no references intended) throughout the house, knocking everything over. i tried to put a puzzle together on my kitchen table- 1/3 completed, and she knocked the entire thing off, then hid several pieces throughout the house. hmm. cats.