Now to get through the 4 months until the trip!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sanibel Island FL
My friend, Karen, has invited me to go to Sanibel Island with her and her family! Beaches, shelling, swimming, food, sun! Yes!!!
Now to get through the 4 months until the trip!
Now to get through the 4 months until the trip!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Cracker the Mule and Gianna the Princess
My vacation started at 7:50 am May 23rd when I boarded the Southwest plane bound for Phoenix, AZ. A week filled with family, birthday, my niece and fun all around.
After I stepped off the plane and rounded up my suitcase, it felt fantastic when I stepped outside to wait for Mom to pick me up. No humidity and sunny skies! Oh yeah! I could breathe. Once Mom picked me up in her new red Mitsubishi I got to see my niece in person for the first time. She was asleep though, so I just had to watch her. I met her mom, Destiny, and she's really cool. Seeing my little brother (not so little anymore, 24!! Ack!) was awesome too, since I don't get to see him too often.
The first thing on our list was getting to the Grand Canyon. We set off for the huge rift in the land right after I was settled in the backseat of Mom's SUV. The scenery on the way up there is so beautiful! I navigated Mom to Desert View, the eastern entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. I figured it would be better than going to the main area first and then backtracking to get to Desert View. It was fantastic! I will post pics when I get them uploaded from my camera. The tower there at Desert View is so cool! Unfortunately they had the very top outside observatory closed due to the lightning and storms in the area. I sooo wanted to go up there! We stopped at the gift shop on the way back to the car and had lunch before we loaded back up to go to the main park. It started hailing on the way back to the car and my niece didn't know what to do when she was getting lobbed with the mushy ice in her stroller. She didn't cry but she had this look on her face that was hilarious. It was great! Her daddy started running with her stroller and she was laughing and loving it. We spent some more time over at the main park taking pictures and walking around.
Mom had gotten a room in Flagstaff for the night and so we headed off in that direction around 5 pm or so. Flagstaff is so beautiful. I loved the scenery we passed as we headed down the highway. After getting to the hotel and checking in we start hunting for somewhere to eat. We ended up at this restaurant, I can't remember the name, but it was a steakhouse close to the hotel and the food was good but the entertainment was overwhelming. The place was set up like an old western saloon right down to the stage for singing and performing. And, yeah you guessed it, the wait staff got up there and sang and danced. It was loud. I don't think I would have minded it so much if I had been able to hear Mom, who was sitting to my immediate right, talking to me. I felt like I was at a concert because I couldn't even hear the people around me talking let alone even order our food in semi-normal tones of voice. We had to practically shout at our server to order our dinners and drinks. It was ridiculous. I wanted to go find the volume button, but unfortunately there wasn't one. The food was good though.
After dinner we went back to the hotel and, though it was a little chilly, I wanted to go for a swim. Destiny was brave enough to go with me, though my brother, Brandon, wouldn't get in. It's too cold! he said. Destiny didn't get all the way in, but I wanted to swim so I said to hell with it and jumped in. It was a little chilly walking back to the room dripping wet with the hotel towel wrapped around me. But it was worth it.
Back in the room we got Gianna, my niece, ready for bed and we all just hung out, watched TV, and talked. The next morning we went to have breakfast at the buffet in the hotel and it was surprisingly good. Gianna ate like there was no tomorrow and we all had a good breakfast. After breakfast we headed back to the valley to get ready for horseback riding. I had booked all four of us for a 3 hour horseback ride at Spur Cross Stables in Cave Creek.
We got there on time after leaving Destiny's sister home with Gianna and filled out the requisite forms, then they lined us up for our horses. Brandon was in front, Destiny second, Mom third and I was put last because I had the most experience out of all of us. Brandon got a horse, Destiny got a horse, Mom got a mule named Hershey and I got a mule named Cracker. I was mad. I wanted a horse. I asked if I could have a horse but they wouldn't let me. I was stuck with Cracker. Fitting name, I would think later. After we've all mounted up and started out in a line after the guide, Cracker decides he doesn't want to be last and cuts in front of Mom's Hershey. Lovely. I should have known this animal was going to be trouble right from the start. He did fine until about halfway through the ride and decided he was just going to go at his own pace and to hell with how much I kicked him or squeezed him to go faster to keep up with the group. The guide handed me a sharp branch at some point and told me to poke him in the hind quarter with it if he started lagging again. That had about the same effect on him as squirting a water gun at the ocean. He didn't care. It was at that precise moment I remembered why I hated mules so much. They're stubborn. This one seemed more so than others I'd had to deal with. The mule was a pain my ass. I knew he was going to be, too. The rest of the ride passed slowly but surely and I resigned myself to watching the scenery and trying to keep my mule caught up with the horses. Mom's Hershey just kept pace with Cracker. All in all, it was a fun ride but I would have preferred a horse to Cracker. We fed our animals their carrots from the canvas bags we had been toting around with our water and stuff in them when we dismounted back at home base. I was never happier to see the rear end of a mule before. Brandon remarked to me on the way back home that it sucked because the ride was my idea and I got the short end of the stick. I shrugged and said maybe next time I'd get a horse.
Back home we grabbed dinner and relaxed.
Monday for Memorial Day we took flowers to my grandpa and grandma. He was a WWII vet. The cemetery was full of people and Mom was worried we'd get stuck there for a long time but the line in wasn't really bad. I miss them both so much. I wish they had been able to see their great-granddaughter before they passed.
Wednesday was my birthday and my aunt and uncle had a cook out party for me. Mom forgot my cake and birthday card. She said, "At least I remembered the presents." My response, "Well, I would hope so since you forgot everything else." With a grin of course. I had to pick out my own birthday cake at Walmart before the party. It was funny. My uncle cooked bratwursts, hamburgers, and hotdogs. Mom and I made punch, not kid friendly of course. It was my birthday! It was good but I think we should have left out the sherbet because it looked really gross when the sherbet melted. After dinner my aunt got the cake out and lit candles for me. Everyone sang Happy Birthday in English and Italian and I blew out the candles. After we all had cake all the kids got in the pool. Brandon and I joined them and we brought Gianna in with us. Brandon was throwing the younger kids and when he was done with that he took Gianna. Poor little thing, he dunked her and she did not like that. She started crying after the second time. She looked so cute in her little bathing suit.
The rest of the week was relaxation and spending as much time with Gianna, Mom, and Brandon as possible. Mom and I took Gianna with us to dinner one night at IHOP while Brandon took Destiny to work. It was good and she was such a good baby. She's a little piggy, too. She ate a whole cup of yogurt, some of Mom's strawberry french toast and scrambled eggs, and some of my fries. Then ate some snacks when we got home. I think she has her daddy's metabolism. The little shit.
Mom took me to her work one day to meet someone who wanted to see me but the lady wasn't there. Mom works from home now so she rarely has to drive into the office. She signed me in and we walked around and visited some peeps she works with. Mom's friend Barb thought Gianna was mine and told me she was beautiful. I laughed and said yeah she is but she's not mine, she's my niece. I wish she was! Brandon cut in line! It was my turn, dammit! We had a good visit with some people and then Mom and I went shopping at Arizona Mills. I love that place! It's huge and we don't have huge outlet malls like that here in Texas. Mom and I stopped in a baby clothing store and they were having a huge sale. 60% and 70% off things! Mom bought all of Gianna's Christmas stuff that day! It was funny. I bought her a couple of cute little outfits.
On Friday, me, Mom, my aunt, my two little cousins, Gianna, and my aunt's friend and her daughter went to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. It was a blast!! All of the kids had a great time. We had lunch when we first got there and the kids had boxcar meals. The boxes were shaped like little train boxcars! It was cute. We all rode the train a couple of times and saw prairie dogs and bunnies on the second trip. The kids went nuts over the little prairie dogs. The kids wanted to ride the carousel so we got them on and I took Gianna on for her first pony ride. I set her on the seat and she held onto the bar. She loved it, until the carousel pony started going up and down. I think she got a little scared when it did that. She held on until it stopped though, she was just a little fussy. I think she would have been OK if the pony hadn't gone up and down because she was loving it when we were just sitting still. After everyone was done riding the rides, we went and had ice cream. It was good stuff! A very fun day!
I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner one night for everyone. Destiny was at work, but everyone else loved it. Well, Gianna didn't like the meatballs but we think it was just the texture of the meat. It was good, if I might say so myself!
Vacation ended all too quickly because it was Saturday way too soon. I wanted to call Mom and tell her to turn around and pick me back up after she dropped me off and I'd stay for another week. I could have and probably should have, I needed another week of vacation. If I had thought about it I would have done just that. Oh well, I'll make up for it in February when John and I go out there for a couple weeks. I can't wait for Gianna to meet him. I can't wait for another vacation out there! I had so much fun!
After I stepped off the plane and rounded up my suitcase, it felt fantastic when I stepped outside to wait for Mom to pick me up. No humidity and sunny skies! Oh yeah! I could breathe. Once Mom picked me up in her new red Mitsubishi I got to see my niece in person for the first time. She was asleep though, so I just had to watch her. I met her mom, Destiny, and she's really cool. Seeing my little brother (not so little anymore, 24!! Ack!) was awesome too, since I don't get to see him too often.
The first thing on our list was getting to the Grand Canyon. We set off for the huge rift in the land right after I was settled in the backseat of Mom's SUV. The scenery on the way up there is so beautiful! I navigated Mom to Desert View, the eastern entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. I figured it would be better than going to the main area first and then backtracking to get to Desert View. It was fantastic! I will post pics when I get them uploaded from my camera. The tower there at Desert View is so cool! Unfortunately they had the very top outside observatory closed due to the lightning and storms in the area. I sooo wanted to go up there! We stopped at the gift shop on the way back to the car and had lunch before we loaded back up to go to the main park. It started hailing on the way back to the car and my niece didn't know what to do when she was getting lobbed with the mushy ice in her stroller. She didn't cry but she had this look on her face that was hilarious. It was great! Her daddy started running with her stroller and she was laughing and loving it. We spent some more time over at the main park taking pictures and walking around.
Mom had gotten a room in Flagstaff for the night and so we headed off in that direction around 5 pm or so. Flagstaff is so beautiful. I loved the scenery we passed as we headed down the highway. After getting to the hotel and checking in we start hunting for somewhere to eat. We ended up at this restaurant, I can't remember the name, but it was a steakhouse close to the hotel and the food was good but the entertainment was overwhelming. The place was set up like an old western saloon right down to the stage for singing and performing. And, yeah you guessed it, the wait staff got up there and sang and danced. It was loud. I don't think I would have minded it so much if I had been able to hear Mom, who was sitting to my immediate right, talking to me. I felt like I was at a concert because I couldn't even hear the people around me talking let alone even order our food in semi-normal tones of voice. We had to practically shout at our server to order our dinners and drinks. It was ridiculous. I wanted to go find the volume button, but unfortunately there wasn't one. The food was good though.
After dinner we went back to the hotel and, though it was a little chilly, I wanted to go for a swim. Destiny was brave enough to go with me, though my brother, Brandon, wouldn't get in. It's too cold! he said. Destiny didn't get all the way in, but I wanted to swim so I said to hell with it and jumped in. It was a little chilly walking back to the room dripping wet with the hotel towel wrapped around me. But it was worth it.
Back in the room we got Gianna, my niece, ready for bed and we all just hung out, watched TV, and talked. The next morning we went to have breakfast at the buffet in the hotel and it was surprisingly good. Gianna ate like there was no tomorrow and we all had a good breakfast. After breakfast we headed back to the valley to get ready for horseback riding. I had booked all four of us for a 3 hour horseback ride at Spur Cross Stables in Cave Creek.
We got there on time after leaving Destiny's sister home with Gianna and filled out the requisite forms, then they lined us up for our horses. Brandon was in front, Destiny second, Mom third and I was put last because I had the most experience out of all of us. Brandon got a horse, Destiny got a horse, Mom got a mule named Hershey and I got a mule named Cracker. I was mad. I wanted a horse. I asked if I could have a horse but they wouldn't let me. I was stuck with Cracker. Fitting name, I would think later. After we've all mounted up and started out in a line after the guide, Cracker decides he doesn't want to be last and cuts in front of Mom's Hershey. Lovely. I should have known this animal was going to be trouble right from the start. He did fine until about halfway through the ride and decided he was just going to go at his own pace and to hell with how much I kicked him or squeezed him to go faster to keep up with the group. The guide handed me a sharp branch at some point and told me to poke him in the hind quarter with it if he started lagging again. That had about the same effect on him as squirting a water gun at the ocean. He didn't care. It was at that precise moment I remembered why I hated mules so much. They're stubborn. This one seemed more so than others I'd had to deal with. The mule was a pain my ass. I knew he was going to be, too. The rest of the ride passed slowly but surely and I resigned myself to watching the scenery and trying to keep my mule caught up with the horses. Mom's Hershey just kept pace with Cracker. All in all, it was a fun ride but I would have preferred a horse to Cracker. We fed our animals their carrots from the canvas bags we had been toting around with our water and stuff in them when we dismounted back at home base. I was never happier to see the rear end of a mule before. Brandon remarked to me on the way back home that it sucked because the ride was my idea and I got the short end of the stick. I shrugged and said maybe next time I'd get a horse.
Back home we grabbed dinner and relaxed.
Monday for Memorial Day we took flowers to my grandpa and grandma. He was a WWII vet. The cemetery was full of people and Mom was worried we'd get stuck there for a long time but the line in wasn't really bad. I miss them both so much. I wish they had been able to see their great-granddaughter before they passed.
Wednesday was my birthday and my aunt and uncle had a cook out party for me. Mom forgot my cake and birthday card. She said, "At least I remembered the presents." My response, "Well, I would hope so since you forgot everything else." With a grin of course. I had to pick out my own birthday cake at Walmart before the party. It was funny. My uncle cooked bratwursts, hamburgers, and hotdogs. Mom and I made punch, not kid friendly of course. It was my birthday! It was good but I think we should have left out the sherbet because it looked really gross when the sherbet melted. After dinner my aunt got the cake out and lit candles for me. Everyone sang Happy Birthday in English and Italian and I blew out the candles. After we all had cake all the kids got in the pool. Brandon and I joined them and we brought Gianna in with us. Brandon was throwing the younger kids and when he was done with that he took Gianna. Poor little thing, he dunked her and she did not like that. She started crying after the second time. She looked so cute in her little bathing suit.
The rest of the week was relaxation and spending as much time with Gianna, Mom, and Brandon as possible. Mom and I took Gianna with us to dinner one night at IHOP while Brandon took Destiny to work. It was good and she was such a good baby. She's a little piggy, too. She ate a whole cup of yogurt, some of Mom's strawberry french toast and scrambled eggs, and some of my fries. Then ate some snacks when we got home. I think she has her daddy's metabolism. The little shit.
Mom took me to her work one day to meet someone who wanted to see me but the lady wasn't there. Mom works from home now so she rarely has to drive into the office. She signed me in and we walked around and visited some peeps she works with. Mom's friend Barb thought Gianna was mine and told me she was beautiful. I laughed and said yeah she is but she's not mine, she's my niece. I wish she was! Brandon cut in line! It was my turn, dammit! We had a good visit with some people and then Mom and I went shopping at Arizona Mills. I love that place! It's huge and we don't have huge outlet malls like that here in Texas. Mom and I stopped in a baby clothing store and they were having a huge sale. 60% and 70% off things! Mom bought all of Gianna's Christmas stuff that day! It was funny. I bought her a couple of cute little outfits.
On Friday, me, Mom, my aunt, my two little cousins, Gianna, and my aunt's friend and her daughter went to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. It was a blast!! All of the kids had a great time. We had lunch when we first got there and the kids had boxcar meals. The boxes were shaped like little train boxcars! It was cute. We all rode the train a couple of times and saw prairie dogs and bunnies on the second trip. The kids went nuts over the little prairie dogs. The kids wanted to ride the carousel so we got them on and I took Gianna on for her first pony ride. I set her on the seat and she held onto the bar. She loved it, until the carousel pony started going up and down. I think she got a little scared when it did that. She held on until it stopped though, she was just a little fussy. I think she would have been OK if the pony hadn't gone up and down because she was loving it when we were just sitting still. After everyone was done riding the rides, we went and had ice cream. It was good stuff! A very fun day!
I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner one night for everyone. Destiny was at work, but everyone else loved it. Well, Gianna didn't like the meatballs but we think it was just the texture of the meat. It was good, if I might say so myself!
Vacation ended all too quickly because it was Saturday way too soon. I wanted to call Mom and tell her to turn around and pick me back up after she dropped me off and I'd stay for another week. I could have and probably should have, I needed another week of vacation. If I had thought about it I would have done just that. Oh well, I'll make up for it in February when John and I go out there for a couple weeks. I can't wait for Gianna to meet him. I can't wait for another vacation out there! I had so much fun!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bubbles!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, Spring is definitely here, as evidenced by the sun being out all the time, the trees getting little tiny leaves, my grass beginning to grow non-stop, and the minor cold I picked up on Monday. I just cleared out my closet as well, putting away those long sleeved shirts and hanging up the sleeveless and short sleeved, lighter counterparts. One thing I don't like about Spring and Summer are the bugs, especially here in Texas. Y'all, we have some bugs that would blow your minds, let alone even getting near the things to kill them.
But what I've always loved about Spring and Summer is....bubbles!!! I remember when I was little my brother and I would run around outside with these huge bubble wands trailing huge, long bubbles behind us. I still love to do that! I was always disappointed when the little bottles of bubbles that you got at the store for like 10 for $1 ran out. There was never enough bubbles in there!! I remember one time my bro and I dumped all the bottles into a container and went nuts. I mean how else were we going to get our huge bubble wands full of soap to blow bubbles with??
Now I don't have to worry about running out of bubble solution. Thanks to Marie over at Make and Takes and her homemade bubble recipe! I will have to bring this along with me to Phoenix and show my niece a new experience with bubbles!
Bubbles!!!!!!!
But what I've always loved about Spring and Summer is....bubbles!!! I remember when I was little my brother and I would run around outside with these huge bubble wands trailing huge, long bubbles behind us. I still love to do that! I was always disappointed when the little bottles of bubbles that you got at the store for like 10 for $1 ran out. There was never enough bubbles in there!! I remember one time my bro and I dumped all the bottles into a container and went nuts. I mean how else were we going to get our huge bubble wands full of soap to blow bubbles with??
Now I don't have to worry about running out of bubble solution. Thanks to Marie over at Make and Takes and her homemade bubble recipe! I will have to bring this along with me to Phoenix and show my niece a new experience with bubbles!
Bubbles!!!!!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
They Grow So Fast!!
I received a package from my mom yesterday and was excited to see what was inside. I knew what it was because Mom had called me and told me that she was sending it. It was recent pictures of my niece, Gianna, who I'm going to visit over my birthday in May! She's grown so much!! Mom had sent pictures of her when she was a couple of hours old and looking at those pictures and then looking at the new ones is just amazing. I can't wait to see her!
Isn't she just a cutie??!! I love her in her little walker contraption thing! (These pics aren't the most recent, but too cute anyway!)
Isn't she just a cutie??!! I love her in her little walker contraption thing! (These pics aren't the most recent, but too cute anyway!)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What's Your Mantra?
Times are tough. No one has to say it out loud, we all know it. These are times when we all need mantras. Mantras are words that you live by. Words that help you see over whatever it is you're battling. We need to repeat them to ourselves over and over so that we don't lose sight of what is really important. But there is something to having a mantra for everyday.
I have several mantras for everyday use. One I use most is, "One day at a time." I used to always worry about what I was going to do in the future. Or where I was going to be in five years. I suddenly realized that while I was worrying about the future the present was becoming the past and I had missed it. "One day at a time" helps me through the rough patches. Helps me see that if I live the best way possible for that one day then I can do the same thing the next day. I don't let the small battles pile up, I work through them and once they are over for the day I move onto the next day's battles. One person tackling a huge problem never works.
Another is, "Just take the first step." This one helps me realize that it only takes one step to get a job started. If I'm struggling with something this is an oft repeated phrase to myself. It also helps me realize that I don't need to see the whole trail at the start of the journey. Sometimes you stumble upon better paths than the one you started on. In the end I always wind up where I want to be.
So, what's your mantra? Do you have one?
Here are some famous mantras and quotes to help inspire you:
“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.”—Eleanor Roosevelt
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”—Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win." ~Jonathan Kozel
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Roosevelt
"Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped." ~African Proverb
"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." Chinese Proverb
I have several mantras for everyday use. One I use most is, "One day at a time." I used to always worry about what I was going to do in the future. Or where I was going to be in five years. I suddenly realized that while I was worrying about the future the present was becoming the past and I had missed it. "One day at a time" helps me through the rough patches. Helps me see that if I live the best way possible for that one day then I can do the same thing the next day. I don't let the small battles pile up, I work through them and once they are over for the day I move onto the next day's battles. One person tackling a huge problem never works.
Another is, "Just take the first step." This one helps me realize that it only takes one step to get a job started. If I'm struggling with something this is an oft repeated phrase to myself. It also helps me realize that I don't need to see the whole trail at the start of the journey. Sometimes you stumble upon better paths than the one you started on. In the end I always wind up where I want to be.
So, what's your mantra? Do you have one?
Here are some famous mantras and quotes to help inspire you:
“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.”—Eleanor Roosevelt
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”—Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win." ~Jonathan Kozel
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Roosevelt
"Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped." ~African Proverb
"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." Chinese Proverb
A Cross-Country Journey and How We Survived
For some reason I found myself thinking back to when almost my entire family moved from Reading, Pennsylvania to Phoenix, Arizona. When the trip was over and we finally, finally reached our destination I think we all agreed we could call it the trip from Hell.
I'll set the scene. My mother's parents, my mother's brother's family (including two adult children and a baby grandchild), my mother, father, little brother and myself all driving in a caravan across the country. We had three huge moving trucks, the biggest ones they had, each with a car tower, my mother's Plymouth Sundance (the piece of sh*t), my Nana's old Dodge Ram pickup with a camper trailer attached, and I think my aunt's vehicle. I'm riding with my mom, my brother is riding with my dad in the moving truck, my cousin with the baby is in the moving truck with her husband, my uncle is driving their moving truck with my other cousin riding shotgun, my aunt is driving her car, and my Nana is driving the Dodge Ram with the camper.
The first attempt we make to break out of Penn State is foiled by a vehicle fire. My uncle was the first one to notice this. My Nana is in the lead with the pickup and camper, and my uncle is driving behind her. My uncle notices smoke coming from inside the camper and instantly pulls into the hammer lane next to my Nana. Nana has no idea what's going on but finally pulls over to the side of the road after my uncle waves frantically for a minute or two. Someone had the brilliant idea to use short band walkie talkies between us for better communications within the caravan. Which was a great idea except we were short by one radio. Nana didn't have a radio. Hence, the yelling and waving by my uncle. We all make a mad dash for the side of the road and my uncle gets the small fire put out before it can do any major damage to the camper. With that potential catastrophy handled we set out on the road again.
A short while later, we are on the side of the road again. This time it's a fan belt in the Dodge that has stopped us. My Nana had noticed this time because smoke had come barreling out of the hood when the belt snapped. Unfortunately the next town was 30 or so miles away and the Dodge was out of commission until we could get it fixed. It was already late in the afternoon and we were all hungry and tired. My uncle and aunt drive to the next town to find a fan belt for the truck while the rest of us wait on the side of the road like a broken down carnival troupe. A while later my uncle and aunt are back and my uncle gets the truck fixed and we start out again. Keep in mind we are still in Penn State and not even close to the state line.
We drove for a little while longer and everyone decided that it was time to call it quits for the night. Which was a great idea except it took us two hours and three towns to find a motel that had any vacancy. It took us two days to get out of Pennsylvania, when it should have only taken 6-8 hours tops. I knew then it was going to be a rough trip.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped to eat at a McDonalds. This had to be the worst McDonalds I've ever eaten at. Here's the things that went wrong at this particular establishment:
-It took forever to get our food
-My PopPop had ordered cheeseburgers and gotten hamburgers
-When PopPop took the food back to the counter he got back cheeseburgers with no meat
-My brother had ordered chicken nuggets and gotten a hamburger
-I had ordered a cheeseburger and gotten a chicken sandwich
-My mom had ordered one of their specialty burgers and gotten a double cheeseburger
-My dad got us kids little ice cream cups and the expiration date on the bottom was already past
-Of course we had already eaten the ice cream when I discovered the expiration date
Another time we stopped, this time for gas, turned into the worst fuel stop I've ever seen. I don't know if any of you have seen the movie RV with Robin Williams, but there is a scene in there where he drives around the block of the gas station time and time again because he doesn't really know how to back a RV up. That was us with the moving trucks. Someone had the brilliant idea to stop at a small gas station instead of trying to find a larger place like a truck stop or something. It was rather funny to watch my dad, my uncle, and cousin driving around the block again and again because they couldn't back up to the fuel islands. What wasn't funny was when my dad tried to back up the moving truck with attached car tower and ended up catching the front bumper on one of those concrete barrier posts by the gas pumps. They don't give. The bumper ended up being pulled halfway off the truck and my uncle and dad had to spend a while trying to push the bumper back.
We had to take several detours. One was in Missouri because there was a flood. I remember driving by the big arch and the water was halfway up the thing. Another detour was in Oklahoma.
All together the move took 12 days from start to finish. It was long, tiring, and when we finally got to Phoenix and crashed at my aunt's house I told my mom that we should never move again. I don't know how all of us survived that ordeal without taking each other out. Maybe it was the collective determination to get to the destination. Maybe it was my PopPop yelling that we were going to get to Phoenix no matter what! Maybe it was the horrifically funny ordeal we all endured at the McDonalds on the way.
I'll set the scene. My mother's parents, my mother's brother's family (including two adult children and a baby grandchild), my mother, father, little brother and myself all driving in a caravan across the country. We had three huge moving trucks, the biggest ones they had, each with a car tower, my mother's Plymouth Sundance (the piece of sh*t), my Nana's old Dodge Ram pickup with a camper trailer attached, and I think my aunt's vehicle. I'm riding with my mom, my brother is riding with my dad in the moving truck, my cousin with the baby is in the moving truck with her husband, my uncle is driving their moving truck with my other cousin riding shotgun, my aunt is driving her car, and my Nana is driving the Dodge Ram with the camper.
The first attempt we make to break out of Penn State is foiled by a vehicle fire. My uncle was the first one to notice this. My Nana is in the lead with the pickup and camper, and my uncle is driving behind her. My uncle notices smoke coming from inside the camper and instantly pulls into the hammer lane next to my Nana. Nana has no idea what's going on but finally pulls over to the side of the road after my uncle waves frantically for a minute or two. Someone had the brilliant idea to use short band walkie talkies between us for better communications within the caravan. Which was a great idea except we were short by one radio. Nana didn't have a radio. Hence, the yelling and waving by my uncle. We all make a mad dash for the side of the road and my uncle gets the small fire put out before it can do any major damage to the camper. With that potential catastrophy handled we set out on the road again.
A short while later, we are on the side of the road again. This time it's a fan belt in the Dodge that has stopped us. My Nana had noticed this time because smoke had come barreling out of the hood when the belt snapped. Unfortunately the next town was 30 or so miles away and the Dodge was out of commission until we could get it fixed. It was already late in the afternoon and we were all hungry and tired. My uncle and aunt drive to the next town to find a fan belt for the truck while the rest of us wait on the side of the road like a broken down carnival troupe. A while later my uncle and aunt are back and my uncle gets the truck fixed and we start out again. Keep in mind we are still in Penn State and not even close to the state line.
We drove for a little while longer and everyone decided that it was time to call it quits for the night. Which was a great idea except it took us two hours and three towns to find a motel that had any vacancy. It took us two days to get out of Pennsylvania, when it should have only taken 6-8 hours tops. I knew then it was going to be a rough trip.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped to eat at a McDonalds. This had to be the worst McDonalds I've ever eaten at. Here's the things that went wrong at this particular establishment:
-It took forever to get our food
-My PopPop had ordered cheeseburgers and gotten hamburgers
-When PopPop took the food back to the counter he got back cheeseburgers with no meat
-My brother had ordered chicken nuggets and gotten a hamburger
-I had ordered a cheeseburger and gotten a chicken sandwich
-My mom had ordered one of their specialty burgers and gotten a double cheeseburger
-My dad got us kids little ice cream cups and the expiration date on the bottom was already past
-Of course we had already eaten the ice cream when I discovered the expiration date
Another time we stopped, this time for gas, turned into the worst fuel stop I've ever seen. I don't know if any of you have seen the movie RV with Robin Williams, but there is a scene in there where he drives around the block of the gas station time and time again because he doesn't really know how to back a RV up. That was us with the moving trucks. Someone had the brilliant idea to stop at a small gas station instead of trying to find a larger place like a truck stop or something. It was rather funny to watch my dad, my uncle, and cousin driving around the block again and again because they couldn't back up to the fuel islands. What wasn't funny was when my dad tried to back up the moving truck with attached car tower and ended up catching the front bumper on one of those concrete barrier posts by the gas pumps. They don't give. The bumper ended up being pulled halfway off the truck and my uncle and dad had to spend a while trying to push the bumper back.
We had to take several detours. One was in Missouri because there was a flood. I remember driving by the big arch and the water was halfway up the thing. Another detour was in Oklahoma.
All together the move took 12 days from start to finish. It was long, tiring, and when we finally got to Phoenix and crashed at my aunt's house I told my mom that we should never move again. I don't know how all of us survived that ordeal without taking each other out. Maybe it was the collective determination to get to the destination. Maybe it was my PopPop yelling that we were going to get to Phoenix no matter what! Maybe it was the horrifically funny ordeal we all endured at the McDonalds on the way.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Why I Never Have Been or Never Will Be a Verizon Wireless Customer
I'll start off with a little math lesson for y'all. Bear with me, it's easy fourth grade math.
OK...
Multiply .002 by 35893...you get 71.786.
OK...
Now what if I tell you that the .002 is cents and the 35893 is a data measurement of kilobytes. This would mean that the resulting product of .002 and 35893 is 71.786 cents per kilobyte.
OK...
What would 71.786 cents be in dollars?
This is simple math as well...
Divide 71.786 by 100 because there are 100 pennies in one dollar.
The resulting quotient is .71786 cents or $.71786. See the decimal point in front of the numbers? Do not be confused by the dollar sign...that is simply a semantic of the US monetary system.
OK...everyone got that little math problem?
Can anyone tell me how not one, not two, not even three, but several grown adults cannot figure that simple math problem? With several simple examples to help out the reasoning? My favorite...if you sold your car to me for $20,000 (dollars) and I brought you 20,000 pennies for the sale of the car, you would tell me to go F--- myself.
Listen to this audio of George Vaccaro's call to the Verizon Wireless Customer Service center.
http://xkcd.com/verizon/
I have to warn you, it's painful, you will want to throw your computer, you will want to beat the reps over their heads several times with your keyboard, you will want to scream at the monitor It's fourth grade math, you nut f*cks!! It's not that difficult! Google it for Christsake!!
At least that's what I wanted to do while listening to a very patient George try to reason with the idiotic people on the phone.
You can find George's blog here. The trouble this poor guy had to go through, and is still dealing with as far as I can tell, is so absolutely frustrating and insanely stupid that you can't help feel hopelessly sorry for him. I mean if they can't do simple math what the hell else are they messing up on people's bills?
My head seriously hurt after listening to the MP3 and reading George's blog about this. It's one of those things where you shake your head and say, "Oh...my...God." All the while dumbfounded at the idea that it's possible to think that .002 cents is the same as .002 dollars.
George isn't the only person to have suffered from the complete incompetency of the CSR department of Verizon Wireless. Peter writes this about his experience with the Verizon CSR department.
Unbelievable that these people really think that .015 dollars is the exact same amount as .015 cents!! Maybe those shows like Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? are onto something...
I understand that what the CSR department should be saying is .015 dollars per kilobyte, but that is not what they are saying! $.015 would equate to point-zero-one-five dollars per kilobyte in words, not point-zero-one-five cents per kilobyte. And just to reiterate the fact that they are still getting the rate quote wrong on the phone, I called the 1-800 number for Verizon and specifically asked for the data rate for cell phone coverage in Canada and the CSR said point-zero-zero-two per kilobytes. When I asked point-zero-zero-two what per kilobyte, she responded with point-zero-zero-two cents per kilobyte!
Holy cow, save us from the idiots!
OK...
Multiply .002 by 35893...you get 71.786.
OK...
Now what if I tell you that the .002 is cents and the 35893 is a data measurement of kilobytes. This would mean that the resulting product of .002 and 35893 is 71.786 cents per kilobyte.
OK...
What would 71.786 cents be in dollars?
This is simple math as well...
Divide 71.786 by 100 because there are 100 pennies in one dollar.
The resulting quotient is .71786 cents or $.71786. See the decimal point in front of the numbers? Do not be confused by the dollar sign...that is simply a semantic of the US monetary system.
OK...everyone got that little math problem?
Can anyone tell me how not one, not two, not even three, but several grown adults cannot figure that simple math problem? With several simple examples to help out the reasoning? My favorite...if you sold your car to me for $20,000 (dollars) and I brought you 20,000 pennies for the sale of the car, you would tell me to go F--- myself.
Listen to this audio of George Vaccaro's call to the Verizon Wireless Customer Service center.
http://xkcd.com/verizon/
I have to warn you, it's painful, you will want to throw your computer, you will want to beat the reps over their heads several times with your keyboard, you will want to scream at the monitor It's fourth grade math, you nut f*cks!! It's not that difficult! Google it for Christsake!!
At least that's what I wanted to do while listening to a very patient George try to reason with the idiotic people on the phone.
You can find George's blog here. The trouble this poor guy had to go through, and is still dealing with as far as I can tell, is so absolutely frustrating and insanely stupid that you can't help feel hopelessly sorry for him. I mean if they can't do simple math what the hell else are they messing up on people's bills?
My head seriously hurt after listening to the MP3 and reading George's blog about this. It's one of those things where you shake your head and say, "Oh...my...God." All the while dumbfounded at the idea that it's possible to think that .002 cents is the same as .002 dollars.
George isn't the only person to have suffered from the complete incompetency of the CSR department of Verizon Wireless. Peter writes this about his experience with the Verizon CSR department.
Unbelievable that these people really think that .015 dollars is the exact same amount as .015 cents!! Maybe those shows like Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? are onto something...
I understand that what the CSR department should be saying is .015 dollars per kilobyte, but that is not what they are saying! $.015 would equate to point-zero-one-five dollars per kilobyte in words, not point-zero-one-five cents per kilobyte. And just to reiterate the fact that they are still getting the rate quote wrong on the phone, I called the 1-800 number for Verizon and specifically asked for the data rate for cell phone coverage in Canada and the CSR said point-zero-zero-two per kilobytes. When I asked point-zero-zero-two what per kilobyte, she responded with point-zero-zero-two cents per kilobyte!
Holy cow, save us from the idiots!
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Computer That Ate My Weekend
The new hard drive for my computer arrived last week and I didn't have the time to install it until this weekend. (They tell me I have to come to work to get paid...) Saturday morning I began tackling the breakdown of the computer and getting the new hard drive installed. Basically I had to format and install the new hard drive, copy the data from the old spare hard drive onto the new hard drive, then erase the old main hard drive and copy the data from the old spare drive onto the old main drive to act as the current spare drive.
It took the better part of the weekend because Windows takes so long to install, plus I have a ton of other programs that I use and all of them had to be reinstalled on the new hard drive. The one thing I forgot to do was backup my music. So the five hours I spent ripping music to my computer a couple weeks ago was a complete waste. The computer got a good cleaning and new hardware and is now happy and working perfectly. Hopefully, I will not have to pull it's guts out for a long time now.
It took the better part of the weekend because Windows takes so long to install, plus I have a ton of other programs that I use and all of them had to be reinstalled on the new hard drive. The one thing I forgot to do was backup my music. So the five hours I spent ripping music to my computer a couple weeks ago was a complete waste. The computer got a good cleaning and new hardware and is now happy and working perfectly. Hopefully, I will not have to pull it's guts out for a long time now.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Family Thanksgiving!
I just talked to my mom last night and she asked me about coming out to Houston for Thanksgiving this year if she can get the time off from work. John and I had family in for Christmas in '08 since we had just moved into our new house and didn't really want to spend our first Christmas as home owners not in our new house. It was fantastic to have family there!
So I tell Mom that we'd love to have her for Thanksgiving. Then she tells me she wants to bring my niece, Gianna, with her! I said Oh, yay!! Apparently Gianna was sitting there with my mom when she was talking to me because my mom said she heard me. That will be only the second time I get to visit with my niece this year. It's going to be a great time! Gianna will be a little older for this Thanksgiving than she was last year. I can't wait!
So I tell Mom that we'd love to have her for Thanksgiving. Then she tells me she wants to bring my niece, Gianna, with her! I said Oh, yay!! Apparently Gianna was sitting there with my mom when she was talking to me because my mom said she heard me. That will be only the second time I get to visit with my niece this year. It's going to be a great time! Gianna will be a little older for this Thanksgiving than she was last year. I can't wait!
The Coolest Thing I've Seen In A While
See that picture there? That's called a wordle. What the heck is a wordle you might be asking? It's sort of like refrigerator word magnets for your website. Crabmommy over on http://crabmommy.blogspot.com/ featured Wordle in one of her postings. Basically you give Wordle the URL of your website, blog, whatever, and it gathers words to put together for a collection like the one above. Kind of neat, right?You can also just type in a bunch of words and the site will get creative with the group of words you give to it. Like this:
Pretty cool, huh? And maybe just a little geeky...Try it out and see what you think!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sometimes I Really Hate Computers...
Last week, my home computer that I had built myself three years ago began to give me fits. It would freeze up and I could hear one of the two hard drives having trouble reading or loading or something. I would have to hit the reset button just to get the mouse or keyboard to give me a response. I was becoming irritated.
It was very sporadic. The first day the computer acted up it took me a couple tries to get it working and finally I gave up. Two days later I had some time and decided to try working on the computer again. That day the computer was fine and didn't give me any sh*t. WTF?? I worked on what I had to do on the computer and shut it down for the night. I began to suspect that one or both of the hard drives might be failing. Which irritated me even more because they were both bought new when I bought the rest of the hardware for the computer three years ago.
A couple of days later, I wanted to get back on the computer and install a new external DVD burner that I had bought at Best Buy. I booted up the computer and it immediately started giving me sh*t again. I hadn't even gotten the new drive plugged in before the computer decided to not cooperate. So I painstakingly coax the machine to work with me until I could run diagnostics and try to figure out what was wrong. The first run of diagnostics gave me no useful information so I decided to try on another day with different tests. In the meantime, I debated with myself about buying a new and bigger hard drive to replace whichever one I suspected was going out.
I finally convinced myself to buy a new hard drive and found myself on my laptop in the living room browsing online for a new one. I went with a 500 GB drive that was listed on a Top 10 hard drive list and put in my order.
One day before the new hard drive arrived on my doorstep I ran some special diagnostic tools that were specifically for the brand of hard drive that I currently had in the computer. The tests returned error-free results on both hard drives. WTF?? I know I'm not losing my mind. The noises I heard coming from the machine when it was giving me sh*t were classic hard drive failure sounds. The computer lock ups point to possible hard drive failure as well. So how in the hell could the tests return error free on the hard drives when nothing else was wrong with the computer? I had a moment of total anger meltdown when I thought to myself, "Well, I just bought a new hard drive for nothing!"
But I'm going to upgrade the hard drive anyway and swap all of my backed up data to the larger of the two current hard drives to keep as a secondary drive. Because, really, what kind of idiot would I be to not install the 500 GB hard drive and toss the 40 GB that's in there now? There's probably some geek/hacker law against something like that... Hopefully the new hard drive will last much longer than the previous one.
Damn machines!!
It was very sporadic. The first day the computer acted up it took me a couple tries to get it working and finally I gave up. Two days later I had some time and decided to try working on the computer again. That day the computer was fine and didn't give me any sh*t. WTF?? I worked on what I had to do on the computer and shut it down for the night. I began to suspect that one or both of the hard drives might be failing. Which irritated me even more because they were both bought new when I bought the rest of the hardware for the computer three years ago.
A couple of days later, I wanted to get back on the computer and install a new external DVD burner that I had bought at Best Buy. I booted up the computer and it immediately started giving me sh*t again. I hadn't even gotten the new drive plugged in before the computer decided to not cooperate. So I painstakingly coax the machine to work with me until I could run diagnostics and try to figure out what was wrong. The first run of diagnostics gave me no useful information so I decided to try on another day with different tests. In the meantime, I debated with myself about buying a new and bigger hard drive to replace whichever one I suspected was going out.
I finally convinced myself to buy a new hard drive and found myself on my laptop in the living room browsing online for a new one. I went with a 500 GB drive that was listed on a Top 10 hard drive list and put in my order.
One day before the new hard drive arrived on my doorstep I ran some special diagnostic tools that were specifically for the brand of hard drive that I currently had in the computer. The tests returned error-free results on both hard drives. WTF?? I know I'm not losing my mind. The noises I heard coming from the machine when it was giving me sh*t were classic hard drive failure sounds. The computer lock ups point to possible hard drive failure as well. So how in the hell could the tests return error free on the hard drives when nothing else was wrong with the computer? I had a moment of total anger meltdown when I thought to myself, "Well, I just bought a new hard drive for nothing!"
But I'm going to upgrade the hard drive anyway and swap all of my backed up data to the larger of the two current hard drives to keep as a secondary drive. Because, really, what kind of idiot would I be to not install the 500 GB hard drive and toss the 40 GB that's in there now? There's probably some geek/hacker law against something like that... Hopefully the new hard drive will last much longer than the previous one.
Damn machines!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Phoenix For My Birthday!!
On August 15th, 2008 I became an aunt to a beautiful baby girl named Gianna Rae. My little brother had a baby and I remember the exact minute he told me I was going to be an aunt. He had flown out with my mom when John and I renewed our vows and the night they got into town we went to dinner. It was before we had gotten our meals and he told everyone at the table to be quiet (my mom, my aunt, and I were talking) and said he had something to say. He looked right at me and told me I was going to be an aunt. I was like What!!?? Then I calmly turned to my husband who was sitting on my right and said, "Dammit! He beat me!"
The two people who I thought would never have children, let alone have them before myself, now have babies. My cousin, who is more like a sister to me, had a baby in 2007 and my brother in 2008.
Anyway, since I wasn't able to be there when Gianna was born, John and I are going to fly out to Phoenix for my birthday and stay for about a week visiting. Gianna will be about 9 months old so it's the perfect time to see her! I can't wait! She'll be more mobile by then and more fun to play with. I can't wait until she's older and I can teach her how to drive my brother batsh*t crazy!!
I think we're all planning on going to see the Grand Canyon too since I nor my mother have been there. I would love to go to the Scottsdale Art Walk, drive the Apache Trail, and go to Montezuma Castle, too. It's going to be an awesome trip!!
The two people who I thought would never have children, let alone have them before myself, now have babies. My cousin, who is more like a sister to me, had a baby in 2007 and my brother in 2008.
Anyway, since I wasn't able to be there when Gianna was born, John and I are going to fly out to Phoenix for my birthday and stay for about a week visiting. Gianna will be about 9 months old so it's the perfect time to see her! I can't wait! She'll be more mobile by then and more fun to play with. I can't wait until she's older and I can teach her how to drive my brother batsh*t crazy!!
I think we're all planning on going to see the Grand Canyon too since I nor my mother have been there. I would love to go to the Scottsdale Art Walk, drive the Apache Trail, and go to Montezuma Castle, too. It's going to be an awesome trip!!
It's a Small World...
...after all!! (Though it could have very easily been ruined.)
Around June of 2008 my mom invited John and I to go to Disney World with her, my two aunts, and my two uncles. Having wanted to go to Disney World since I was a kid I was on the band wagon before anyone could say, "Load up!" Of course I had to make sure that I could get the time off from work and so did John. After getting the technicalities out of the way, we were booked on a Disney World vacation for September 10th through the 16th! It was going to be fantastic! We could enjoy ourselves by ourselves if we wanted to or hang out with my family if we wanted to. There were not going to be any children along on the trip. It would be great!
Enter Tropical Storm Ike on September 1st 2008. The storm organized into a tropical storm west of the Cape Verde islands on September 1st and started barreling for the Gulf of Mexico. In the early days of the storm it looked like Ike was going to hit Florida dead on, effectively putting an end to our Disney World vacation. I prayed that it would miss Florida and not ruin Disney World for me. By early morning September 5th the storm had formed into a Category 4 hurricane with max winds of 145MPH. Whoa...
Something I did not know about hurricanes is the IKE measurement (oh, the irony!). IKE stands for Integrated Kinetic Energy and is a measure of storm surge destructive potential, similar to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. On a scale that ranges from 1-6 with 6 being the strongest, Hurricane Ike scored a 5.6, a higher rating than that of Hurricane Katrina and Wilma.
Hurricane Ike went through several periods of weakening and intensifying over it's 12 day life (tropical storm to hurricane). It also changed directions and trundled along at times, making me crazy with worry that our trip would be canceled. By September 10th the hurricane had swung under Florida and was heading for land somewhere inside the Gulf. No one could really tell exactly where the hurricane would hit. Some said extreme south Texas, others said Louisiana, and others said Galveston. I think there were a few that were even hoping Ike would just turn around and take a hike out of the Gulf. Heh-heh. I remember the signs that were being shown on the news...
We boarded our plane destined for Orlando on the morning of the 10th and I wasn't really worried anymore about the hurricane because it wasn't ravaging Florida. I tried to convince John that we should board the windows on our new house before leaving for Florida but he was not having it. He said he wasn't going to board the windows for a hurricane that might or might not make landfall here. I wasn't in the mood to argue.
We land in Orlando and go meet my family at the Disney Expressway to hitch a ride on their buses to the Magical Kingdom!! Our Disney vacation was underway!! It was fantastic the first two days we were there. I got to see princesses and everything!
It became increasingly crystal clear by the night of the 12th that Hurricane Ike was headed straight for Houston, TX via Galveston, TX. John and I looked at each other as we sat on the bed in the hotel room that night watching the massive eye of Ike get closer to the Texas coast and said, "Well, we'll deal with it when we get home." We enjoyed the rest of our vacation because, really, what were we going to do? Rush home and board up the windows? That's what insurance is for. Hurricane Ike made official land fall on September 13th in Galveston, TX at 2:10am as a strong Category 2 with storm surges along the coast ranging from 5ft to 20ft above sea level. It was catastrophic.
We were supposed to fly back to Houston on September 16th, but the airports were shut down from Ike. The airlines put us on a next day flight so we stayed at a hotel right by the airport. We flew back into Houston and headed back to our new house to see what kind of damage we faced. We had to pick up our dog from the boarder so we did that first. The damage in and around our area was unbelievable. Fences, house shingles, and trees were everywhere, electric poles and lines were down, none of the street lights worked, almost everything was closed due to no power or storm damage. It was a disaster.
We picked up our dog and then headed home. Thankfully we did not have any damage to our house! I was so relieved to pull up the driveway and not see any broken windows. The only thing amiss at our house was the neighbor's fence on the north side was completely down.
The worst thing was seeing the pictures from down south in Galveston, Port Boliver, Gilcrest, and yes, Crystal Beach. Our fun in the sun hangout was now completely demolished. My heart was breaking for all those families who lost their homes down there. For many of them it was their permanent home. I was deeply saddened to hear about the missing people down there and all of the damage the island and Galveston took on. It's completely changed down there. I'm hoping that everyone can rebuild down there and we can get our beaches and island back to what they once were before Hurricane Ike barreled into our lives. The historic loss is massive as is the more emotional loss of home.
Around June of 2008 my mom invited John and I to go to Disney World with her, my two aunts, and my two uncles. Having wanted to go to Disney World since I was a kid I was on the band wagon before anyone could say, "Load up!" Of course I had to make sure that I could get the time off from work and so did John. After getting the technicalities out of the way, we were booked on a Disney World vacation for September 10th through the 16th! It was going to be fantastic! We could enjoy ourselves by ourselves if we wanted to or hang out with my family if we wanted to. There were not going to be any children along on the trip. It would be great!
Enter Tropical Storm Ike on September 1st 2008. The storm organized into a tropical storm west of the Cape Verde islands on September 1st and started barreling for the Gulf of Mexico. In the early days of the storm it looked like Ike was going to hit Florida dead on, effectively putting an end to our Disney World vacation. I prayed that it would miss Florida and not ruin Disney World for me. By early morning September 5th the storm had formed into a Category 4 hurricane with max winds of 145MPH. Whoa...
Something I did not know about hurricanes is the IKE measurement (oh, the irony!). IKE stands for Integrated Kinetic Energy and is a measure of storm surge destructive potential, similar to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. On a scale that ranges from 1-6 with 6 being the strongest, Hurricane Ike scored a 5.6, a higher rating than that of Hurricane Katrina and Wilma.
Hurricane Ike went through several periods of weakening and intensifying over it's 12 day life (tropical storm to hurricane). It also changed directions and trundled along at times, making me crazy with worry that our trip would be canceled. By September 10th the hurricane had swung under Florida and was heading for land somewhere inside the Gulf. No one could really tell exactly where the hurricane would hit. Some said extreme south Texas, others said Louisiana, and others said Galveston. I think there were a few that were even hoping Ike would just turn around and take a hike out of the Gulf. Heh-heh. I remember the signs that were being shown on the news...
We boarded our plane destined for Orlando on the morning of the 10th and I wasn't really worried anymore about the hurricane because it wasn't ravaging Florida. I tried to convince John that we should board the windows on our new house before leaving for Florida but he was not having it. He said he wasn't going to board the windows for a hurricane that might or might not make landfall here. I wasn't in the mood to argue.
We land in Orlando and go meet my family at the Disney Expressway to hitch a ride on their buses to the Magical Kingdom!! Our Disney vacation was underway!! It was fantastic the first two days we were there. I got to see princesses and everything!
It became increasingly crystal clear by the night of the 12th that Hurricane Ike was headed straight for Houston, TX via Galveston, TX. John and I looked at each other as we sat on the bed in the hotel room that night watching the massive eye of Ike get closer to the Texas coast and said, "Well, we'll deal with it when we get home." We enjoyed the rest of our vacation because, really, what were we going to do? Rush home and board up the windows? That's what insurance is for. Hurricane Ike made official land fall on September 13th in Galveston, TX at 2:10am as a strong Category 2 with storm surges along the coast ranging from 5ft to 20ft above sea level. It was catastrophic.
We were supposed to fly back to Houston on September 16th, but the airports were shut down from Ike. The airlines put us on a next day flight so we stayed at a hotel right by the airport. We flew back into Houston and headed back to our new house to see what kind of damage we faced. We had to pick up our dog from the boarder so we did that first. The damage in and around our area was unbelievable. Fences, house shingles, and trees were everywhere, electric poles and lines were down, none of the street lights worked, almost everything was closed due to no power or storm damage. It was a disaster.
We picked up our dog and then headed home. Thankfully we did not have any damage to our house! I was so relieved to pull up the driveway and not see any broken windows. The only thing amiss at our house was the neighbor's fence on the north side was completely down.
The worst thing was seeing the pictures from down south in Galveston, Port Boliver, Gilcrest, and yes, Crystal Beach. Our fun in the sun hangout was now completely demolished. My heart was breaking for all those families who lost their homes down there. For many of them it was their permanent home. I was deeply saddened to hear about the missing people down there and all of the damage the island and Galveston took on. It's completely changed down there. I'm hoping that everyone can rebuild down there and we can get our beaches and island back to what they once were before Hurricane Ike barreled into our lives. The historic loss is massive as is the more emotional loss of home.
Move In Time!!
We couldn't move into our new house right away because John could not get home for another week. I drove down to the new house the day after I got the keys and cleaned, although there wasn't really much I could do with no water or electric turned on in the house. I didn't have to work that day because the center was closed for the tropical storm that never hit us.
After doing what I could at the new house, I drove back to the old house and started packing what I had not already packed. I called the utility companies and had the water and electric turned on. I set up a moving truck and set dates with the utility companies to turn off the utilities at the old house when we left. And then I had to wait...and wait...and wait...until John got home and we could move.
I took a long weekend off from work and we moved all of our crap in one day. We started loading the moving truck early on a Saturday morning and had the loading done a little after noon. We drove down to the new house and started unloading stuff right away. We had left John's pickup at the old house with the utility trailer attached and would drive back up for that the next day. It was around 6:30 that evening I think when we got to the master bed in the moving truck. Once we got the bed unloaded and set up, we looked at each other and said "We're done for tonight." We hadn't eaten and we were both tired, dirty, and hungry. The water and electric were on in the house and all I wanted was a shower and sleep. I didn't even really care about eating at that point. Frankly, thinking about the energy it would take to chew whatever it was we decided to eat was exhausting in itself. But we needed food. So I drove down the street to KFC and brought back a bucket of chicken. Yep, the first meal we ate in our new house was the Colonel's finest. We were tired. And we didn't have a fridge yet. And none of the boxes were unpacked.
We ate, showered, and promptly fell into bed. I think I just threw a sheet over the mattress and called it good for the night. The next morning we were up and rolling to get the pickup and then straight back to the new house to finish unloading. We had to have the truck back that night.
All in all, everything went well with moving. It was exhausting and the house was a mess for weeks later trying to get everything organized. I'm still organizing and it's been six months since we moved in. I think I walked around in a daze for a while just thinking It's ours.
After doing what I could at the new house, I drove back to the old house and started packing what I had not already packed. I called the utility companies and had the water and electric turned on. I set up a moving truck and set dates with the utility companies to turn off the utilities at the old house when we left. And then I had to wait...and wait...and wait...until John got home and we could move.
I took a long weekend off from work and we moved all of our crap in one day. We started loading the moving truck early on a Saturday morning and had the loading done a little after noon. We drove down to the new house and started unloading stuff right away. We had left John's pickup at the old house with the utility trailer attached and would drive back up for that the next day. It was around 6:30 that evening I think when we got to the master bed in the moving truck. Once we got the bed unloaded and set up, we looked at each other and said "We're done for tonight." We hadn't eaten and we were both tired, dirty, and hungry. The water and electric were on in the house and all I wanted was a shower and sleep. I didn't even really care about eating at that point. Frankly, thinking about the energy it would take to chew whatever it was we decided to eat was exhausting in itself. But we needed food. So I drove down the street to KFC and brought back a bucket of chicken. Yep, the first meal we ate in our new house was the Colonel's finest. We were tired. And we didn't have a fridge yet. And none of the boxes were unpacked.
We ate, showered, and promptly fell into bed. I think I just threw a sheet over the mattress and called it good for the night. The next morning we were up and rolling to get the pickup and then straight back to the new house to finish unloading. We had to have the truck back that night.
All in all, everything went well with moving. It was exhausting and the house was a mess for weeks later trying to get everything organized. I'm still organizing and it's been six months since we moved in. I think I walked around in a daze for a while just thinking It's ours.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Ninth Ring of Hell: Otherwise Known as Homebuying
I just realized that I never said anything more about buying and moving into our new house!
The whole home buying experience is not what I thought it would be. You know you hear horror stories about buying a home and you think mine won't be that bad. Something must have been wrong with that person's deal and that's why they had so much trouble. No, no, no...no. I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I now have my own horror story to add to the mix.
So, John and I get back from our July 4th vacation down to the beach and we have a package waiting for us. It's our financing paperwork for the house we are buying. We get that all signed and sent back next day delivery. This is Monday so the paperwork will get to the bank Tuesday. Ok, great! I've been in contact with Ryan, my realtor, to let him know how the process is coming along with the financing. Almost two weeks go by and I haven't heard anything from Arturo the loan officer at the bank. I've been trying to call him and can't get him on the phone and he hasn't returned my calls. Our estimated closing date is August 1st. It's the third week in July. Yeah.
I finally get in touch with Arturo and he tells me that the loan processor (apparently this is not one and the same person as the loan officer) is supposed to have called me. Uh, no, no one's called me. Arturo promises he will get the processor to call me that day. No phone call. Two days later, and a couple of irritated voicemails on Arturo's mailbox, the processor calls me. She is missing some paperwork that I had hand delivered to the bank for Arturo before going on vacation for the 4th. Oh, my gosh.
Now, I didn't deliver the papers directly to Arturo because he had decided to take that particular day off, but I did put them in the hands of a guy who looked competent enough to put the papers on Arturo's desk, which he had promised to do. I had even put the papers in a folder with Arturo's name written right on the front. Not difficult, I thought.
After getting off the phone with the processor I call Arturo and ask him what the hell happened to the papers that I had delivered to the bank for him. I told him about the guy I had given the folder to and he said he will find the papers. I about went ballistic. I swear if we hadn't already invested so much time into the bank I would have found another bank to do this. Finally, all of that paperwork gets worked out.
Because John was most likely going to be on the road working when we had to close a power of attorney had to be drawn up, notarized, and sent in to the processor. That was another two days of headaches, frustration, and I swear ulcer forming drama.
Finally, finally it's closing day. August 1st. I go into the title office at the appointed time and spend the next two and a half hours signing my name, plus John's name with a bunch of legalese attached to it until I think my arm is going to fall off. Before signing the papers I had the down payment money wired over from our account to the account the title secretary had given me, so I was ready to take the keys to our new house after signing the papers. Apparently that was not to be in the cards. I had plans to go see a baseball game with friends that Friday night and then I was staying over at my friend, Kristine's, house. It's coming upon the time I have to leave to go meet friends before the game and I still don't have my keys because Mary, the closer, couldn't release them to me until she got a call from the people who were in charge of the money account for the loan. OK, it wasn't that big of a deal because I had already signed the paperwork and we were just waiting on formalities. Ryan, my realtor, knew I had to leave and so he offered to hold the keys for me and when they were officially released we could meet up Saturday and he could hand them over. We all went with that plan and I went to enjoy my night out with friends.
Saturday morning comes bright and early with a phone call from Ryan. There's been some problem that has come up and all of the paperwork that I, and the sellers (who now lived out of town in northern Texas), had signed on Friday had been pulled back into underwriting. What??!! What the hell does that mean?? Ryan didn't have an answer other than we hadn't technically closed on the house, but he was not happy about any of this. I think he was more upset than me that we had to go through more crap. He asked if I could come back to the title company office first thing Monday morning and I said I'd be there. Ryan kept telling me not to worry and we were going to get this straightened out and I would have my house on Monday no matter what. Ryan was so great through the whole ordeal. (Even went to bat with Arturo for me when the bank was dragging its feet.) I hung up the phone with Ryan and cried on my friend's shoulder. We had come so far and still didn't have our house. I was at a point where my mantra had become It can't get any worse, it has to get better from here. Little did I know it could and would get worse.
So everyone goes about their merry way until Monday morning, August 4th. Now over the weekend Tropical Storm Eduoard had been making waves out in the Gulf and heading for land. The storm was predicted to be strong and it was being advised that people evacuate the area. My title company was going to finish business that Monday and close Tuesday until the storm passed. I'm there right when they open the office that morning ready to get the keys to my house even if I had to take someone's hand off to do it. Mary didn't even know why the paperwork was pulled back, the underwriting department wouldn't give her a reason. For the love of all that is holy...
I knew that if we didn't get the closing done that day, it wouldn't be done probably until Friday with the storm barreling onto land. I was livid. I was so fed up with the whole thing that I just wanted to give up after we'd come that far. About 10:30am, Mary still had not received an authorizing call to release the keys. She told me to go back to work and she would call as soon as I could come pick up the keys.
I went back to work at the Space Center only to find out that because of Eduoard we would be closing at noon and everyone was released to go home. No big deal except I couldn't drive the 62 miles to our old place because I still had to pick up keys to the new house.
About 45 minutes after getting back to my office, the title office secretary calls me and says I can pick up the keys. You mean I don't have to re-sign anything and I can just come get the keys?? WTF?? She said everything was fine now and the house was mine, though they still didn't know the reason for the delay. I hurried back to the title company and Mary handed me the keys. I think I ran out of that office screaming you can't have them back now!
I took my best friend over to see the new house and then went to hang out at her place for a little bit before going home to the old house.
The whole process was torture, but worth it in the end. I just hope that I never have to go through that nightmare again.
The funniest thing ended up being that Eduoard hit land August 5th in upper Texas, totally by-passing Houston and only dumping some rain and wind in our area. No businesses needed to be closed and there was absolutely no damage to our area. Irony, I love it...
The whole home buying experience is not what I thought it would be. You know you hear horror stories about buying a home and you think mine won't be that bad. Something must have been wrong with that person's deal and that's why they had so much trouble. No, no, no...no. I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I now have my own horror story to add to the mix.
So, John and I get back from our July 4th vacation down to the beach and we have a package waiting for us. It's our financing paperwork for the house we are buying. We get that all signed and sent back next day delivery. This is Monday so the paperwork will get to the bank Tuesday. Ok, great! I've been in contact with Ryan, my realtor, to let him know how the process is coming along with the financing. Almost two weeks go by and I haven't heard anything from Arturo the loan officer at the bank. I've been trying to call him and can't get him on the phone and he hasn't returned my calls. Our estimated closing date is August 1st. It's the third week in July. Yeah.
I finally get in touch with Arturo and he tells me that the loan processor (apparently this is not one and the same person as the loan officer) is supposed to have called me. Uh, no, no one's called me. Arturo promises he will get the processor to call me that day. No phone call. Two days later, and a couple of irritated voicemails on Arturo's mailbox, the processor calls me. She is missing some paperwork that I had hand delivered to the bank for Arturo before going on vacation for the 4th. Oh, my gosh.
Now, I didn't deliver the papers directly to Arturo because he had decided to take that particular day off, but I did put them in the hands of a guy who looked competent enough to put the papers on Arturo's desk, which he had promised to do. I had even put the papers in a folder with Arturo's name written right on the front. Not difficult, I thought.
After getting off the phone with the processor I call Arturo and ask him what the hell happened to the papers that I had delivered to the bank for him. I told him about the guy I had given the folder to and he said he will find the papers. I about went ballistic. I swear if we hadn't already invested so much time into the bank I would have found another bank to do this. Finally, all of that paperwork gets worked out.
Because John was most likely going to be on the road working when we had to close a power of attorney had to be drawn up, notarized, and sent in to the processor. That was another two days of headaches, frustration, and I swear ulcer forming drama.
Finally, finally it's closing day. August 1st. I go into the title office at the appointed time and spend the next two and a half hours signing my name, plus John's name with a bunch of legalese attached to it until I think my arm is going to fall off. Before signing the papers I had the down payment money wired over from our account to the account the title secretary had given me, so I was ready to take the keys to our new house after signing the papers. Apparently that was not to be in the cards. I had plans to go see a baseball game with friends that Friday night and then I was staying over at my friend, Kristine's, house. It's coming upon the time I have to leave to go meet friends before the game and I still don't have my keys because Mary, the closer, couldn't release them to me until she got a call from the people who were in charge of the money account for the loan. OK, it wasn't that big of a deal because I had already signed the paperwork and we were just waiting on formalities. Ryan, my realtor, knew I had to leave and so he offered to hold the keys for me and when they were officially released we could meet up Saturday and he could hand them over. We all went with that plan and I went to enjoy my night out with friends.
Saturday morning comes bright and early with a phone call from Ryan. There's been some problem that has come up and all of the paperwork that I, and the sellers (who now lived out of town in northern Texas), had signed on Friday had been pulled back into underwriting. What??!! What the hell does that mean?? Ryan didn't have an answer other than we hadn't technically closed on the house, but he was not happy about any of this. I think he was more upset than me that we had to go through more crap. He asked if I could come back to the title company office first thing Monday morning and I said I'd be there. Ryan kept telling me not to worry and we were going to get this straightened out and I would have my house on Monday no matter what. Ryan was so great through the whole ordeal. (Even went to bat with Arturo for me when the bank was dragging its feet.) I hung up the phone with Ryan and cried on my friend's shoulder. We had come so far and still didn't have our house. I was at a point where my mantra had become It can't get any worse, it has to get better from here. Little did I know it could and would get worse.
So everyone goes about their merry way until Monday morning, August 4th. Now over the weekend Tropical Storm Eduoard had been making waves out in the Gulf and heading for land. The storm was predicted to be strong and it was being advised that people evacuate the area. My title company was going to finish business that Monday and close Tuesday until the storm passed. I'm there right when they open the office that morning ready to get the keys to my house even if I had to take someone's hand off to do it. Mary didn't even know why the paperwork was pulled back, the underwriting department wouldn't give her a reason. For the love of all that is holy...
I knew that if we didn't get the closing done that day, it wouldn't be done probably until Friday with the storm barreling onto land. I was livid. I was so fed up with the whole thing that I just wanted to give up after we'd come that far. About 10:30am, Mary still had not received an authorizing call to release the keys. She told me to go back to work and she would call as soon as I could come pick up the keys.
I went back to work at the Space Center only to find out that because of Eduoard we would be closing at noon and everyone was released to go home. No big deal except I couldn't drive the 62 miles to our old place because I still had to pick up keys to the new house.
About 45 minutes after getting back to my office, the title office secretary calls me and says I can pick up the keys. You mean I don't have to re-sign anything and I can just come get the keys?? WTF?? She said everything was fine now and the house was mine, though they still didn't know the reason for the delay. I hurried back to the title company and Mary handed me the keys. I think I ran out of that office screaming you can't have them back now!
I took my best friend over to see the new house and then went to hang out at her place for a little bit before going home to the old house.
The whole process was torture, but worth it in the end. I just hope that I never have to go through that nightmare again.
The funniest thing ended up being that Eduoard hit land August 5th in upper Texas, totally by-passing Houston and only dumping some rain and wind in our area. No businesses needed to be closed and there was absolutely no damage to our area. Irony, I love it...
TSO Concert 2008!!
Well, this is going back a little in the time line, but since I didn't have a chance to write about the concert right after we saw it, this is the best I can do.
December 28, 2008 I went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra in concert at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston. It was the first time my mom and one of our friends, Bruce, had seen the band live. Two of my other friends, Kristine and Roiann, went too, but we didn't get to talk to each other because we were in different sections. They had never seen the band either.
Thinking back to the year before when John, his mom, his brother, our friend Brian, and myself had gone for the first time in Oklahoma City was very funny. I'll set the stage for you on that very cold winter night. It's about 15 degrees outside, snowing/raining/sleeting/foggy/icy mess, the drive is about 3 hours long, and we're in three different vehicles. We decided to get dinner before the show and had left early to get to Oklahoma City in time for everything. That plan went perfectly fine. We got to OKC in one piece and all together. We had dinner and still had about 2 hours before the doors opened for the concert. We all had walked down to Bricktown to have dinner because it wasn't far from the concert venue. It's still bone chilling cold and sleeting outside so we're not that excited about going outside again, but we had chilled at the restaurant as long as we could. We start walking back toward the concert venue and happen upon a Starbucks where we all just crashed for a while. The boys had even bought a small board game to play while we waited until the doors opened for the concert. It's finally time to get in the concert doors and we head back to the venue. We all get to the doors and are told that we can't go in yet because they are not ready for our show to begin yet. The band puts on two shows a day. One at 3pm and then 7:30pm. Apparently the earlier show had run a little late and they weren't set up yet for the next show. So we have to wait in a building across the street where there is no heat and no food or anything else except bathrooms for like half an hour. It was hell. Throughout this whole ordeal I keep telling everyone that this will all be worth it, trust me, I promise, you won't regret it. They doubted me. I could understand. I had not thought we'd be weathering a blizzard and ice to go to the concert. It was the threat of bodily harm that was the only thing to get them all moving when we could finally get in the doors.
We finally get in for our show and it was the most amazing thing ever!! In a previous post I had talked about Anna Phoebe, the rocking violinist. This is the first time I saw her in concert and she ROCKED!!! I didn't get pictures of that show because I had not taken my camera with me. I was worried about getting it taken away from me at the doors.
This year was much different. One thing, we were seeing the show in Houston, TX (ergo, no snow/ice/sleet/winter mess to deal with) and another thing that completely bummed us all out was that Anna Phoebe would not be playing our show this year. You see, there is actually two touring groups with TSO because they are such a big hit at Christmas time every year. They tour across the entire US and face it a single group cannot do that in two and a half months. There is a West touring group and an East touring group. Easy to figure out, the East group tours the eastern side of the US and the West group tours the western side of the US. We had seen the West tour last year and would be seeing the West tour again this year. I found out after buying tickets that Anna Phoebe, my favorite performer of the show, would be touring with the East group this year. I think I cried a little. I would not see Anna this year! I texted John that Anna would not be there and he texted back saying he wasn't gonna go then. (He was kidding of course.) Then I find out that the violinists from the two groups were swapping and we were going to get Mark Wood. Tour management made a couple other swaps and we got the East's bassist and a new violinist to assist the string master, Wood. They had to bring in two people to cover Anna's spot. I laughed then got upset again.
Anyway, all bitching aside, it was an awesome show! My other favorite performer was there. Mr. Al Pitrelli (Eeeeee!) and his lovely wife, Jane. Angus Clark, a god on a guitar (but not THE GOD, no that would be Pitrelli), rocked it despite missing his best right hand woman, Anna. The band played some new songs from their upcoming album and it was out of this world fantastic! I can't wait for the CD to hit stores. By the end of the show I had been smiling so much that my cheeks hurt. I took pictures until my camera battery died not even half way through the first half of the show. Note to self: Next year charge the camera the night before!!
After the show the band does a Meet and Greet where you can get stuff signed and shake everyone's hand and chat for a second. I got my show program signed by everyone at the table and got some awesome guitar picks from a couple of the band members. I think I will be making them into earrings and a necklace to wear to next year's show! Angus and Jeff Scott Soto called me sweetie and Jeff said he liked my tattoos! I about fell over myself. These guys are drop dead hot, by the way. (Love you, John.)
Can't wait for next year's show. It's become our tradition for Christmas!
December 28, 2008 I went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra in concert at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston. It was the first time my mom and one of our friends, Bruce, had seen the band live. Two of my other friends, Kristine and Roiann, went too, but we didn't get to talk to each other because we were in different sections. They had never seen the band either.
Thinking back to the year before when John, his mom, his brother, our friend Brian, and myself had gone for the first time in Oklahoma City was very funny. I'll set the stage for you on that very cold winter night. It's about 15 degrees outside, snowing/raining/sleeting/foggy/icy mess, the drive is about 3 hours long, and we're in three different vehicles. We decided to get dinner before the show and had left early to get to Oklahoma City in time for everything. That plan went perfectly fine. We got to OKC in one piece and all together. We had dinner and still had about 2 hours before the doors opened for the concert. We all had walked down to Bricktown to have dinner because it wasn't far from the concert venue. It's still bone chilling cold and sleeting outside so we're not that excited about going outside again, but we had chilled at the restaurant as long as we could. We start walking back toward the concert venue and happen upon a Starbucks where we all just crashed for a while. The boys had even bought a small board game to play while we waited until the doors opened for the concert. It's finally time to get in the concert doors and we head back to the venue. We all get to the doors and are told that we can't go in yet because they are not ready for our show to begin yet. The band puts on two shows a day. One at 3pm and then 7:30pm. Apparently the earlier show had run a little late and they weren't set up yet for the next show. So we have to wait in a building across the street where there is no heat and no food or anything else except bathrooms for like half an hour. It was hell. Throughout this whole ordeal I keep telling everyone that this will all be worth it, trust me, I promise, you won't regret it. They doubted me. I could understand. I had not thought we'd be weathering a blizzard and ice to go to the concert. It was the threat of bodily harm that was the only thing to get them all moving when we could finally get in the doors.
We finally get in for our show and it was the most amazing thing ever!! In a previous post I had talked about Anna Phoebe, the rocking violinist. This is the first time I saw her in concert and she ROCKED!!! I didn't get pictures of that show because I had not taken my camera with me. I was worried about getting it taken away from me at the doors.
This year was much different. One thing, we were seeing the show in Houston, TX (ergo, no snow/ice/sleet/winter mess to deal with) and another thing that completely bummed us all out was that Anna Phoebe would not be playing our show this year. You see, there is actually two touring groups with TSO because they are such a big hit at Christmas time every year. They tour across the entire US and face it a single group cannot do that in two and a half months. There is a West touring group and an East touring group. Easy to figure out, the East group tours the eastern side of the US and the West group tours the western side of the US. We had seen the West tour last year and would be seeing the West tour again this year. I found out after buying tickets that Anna Phoebe, my favorite performer of the show, would be touring with the East group this year. I think I cried a little. I would not see Anna this year! I texted John that Anna would not be there and he texted back saying he wasn't gonna go then. (He was kidding of course.) Then I find out that the violinists from the two groups were swapping and we were going to get Mark Wood. Tour management made a couple other swaps and we got the East's bassist and a new violinist to assist the string master, Wood. They had to bring in two people to cover Anna's spot. I laughed then got upset again.
Anyway, all bitching aside, it was an awesome show! My other favorite performer was there. Mr. Al Pitrelli (Eeeeee!) and his lovely wife, Jane. Angus Clark, a god on a guitar (but not THE GOD, no that would be Pitrelli), rocked it despite missing his best right hand woman, Anna. The band played some new songs from their upcoming album and it was out of this world fantastic! I can't wait for the CD to hit stores. By the end of the show I had been smiling so much that my cheeks hurt. I took pictures until my camera battery died not even half way through the first half of the show. Note to self: Next year charge the camera the night before!!
After the show the band does a Meet and Greet where you can get stuff signed and shake everyone's hand and chat for a second. I got my show program signed by everyone at the table and got some awesome guitar picks from a couple of the band members. I think I will be making them into earrings and a necklace to wear to next year's show! Angus and Jeff Scott Soto called me sweetie and Jeff said he liked my tattoos! I about fell over myself. These guys are drop dead hot, by the way. (Love you, John.)
Can't wait for next year's show. It's become our tradition for Christmas!
A Very Deserved Thanks To Our Troops
Wednesday December 10, 2008
This only takes a minute and it is very well deserved.
XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.
This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.
Thanks for taking to time to support our military!
This only takes a minute and it is very well deserved.
XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.
This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.
Thanks for taking to time to support our military!
The Day After November 4th...
Wednesday November 5, 2008
History was rewritten last night in the election of the 44th President of the United States. For the first time in the more than 200 year old history of the US, an African-American man has become the Commander in Chief. He has promised change, he has promised new winds in the economy, he has promised new health care standards, he has promised many things; however the test will come when it is time to deliver on those promises.
There was much celebration and jubilation in the streets of many US cities once the verdict was announced. Many had remained silent throughout the anxiously awaited results of the latest US presidential election. Many African-Americans wept in the streets, calling the victory a dream come true for them. It remains to be seen if the victory will truly be a victory and bring about the change as promised.
There are many challenges ahead for our newly elected president. Struggling economy, wars in far-flung places, health care concerns, environment concerns, and many, many others. He has promised the American people that we will see change with his leadership. He has promised the American people that we will see our economy bounce back and our savings begin to build again. He has promised the American people that we will work on the environment concerns shared by many nations around the world.
The harsh reality? Promises are only pretty words until they are acted upon and kept in good faith. It doesn’t matter that the newly elected president has made all of these promises to the American people during his campaign. What matters is that he keep his word and acts accordingly to bring the change to this nation that was promised. He’s promised the goods, now the question is “Will he deliver?”
History was rewritten last night in the election of the 44th President of the United States. For the first time in the more than 200 year old history of the US, an African-American man has become the Commander in Chief. He has promised change, he has promised new winds in the economy, he has promised new health care standards, he has promised many things; however the test will come when it is time to deliver on those promises.
There was much celebration and jubilation in the streets of many US cities once the verdict was announced. Many had remained silent throughout the anxiously awaited results of the latest US presidential election. Many African-Americans wept in the streets, calling the victory a dream come true for them. It remains to be seen if the victory will truly be a victory and bring about the change as promised.
There are many challenges ahead for our newly elected president. Struggling economy, wars in far-flung places, health care concerns, environment concerns, and many, many others. He has promised the American people that we will see change with his leadership. He has promised the American people that we will see our economy bounce back and our savings begin to build again. He has promised the American people that we will work on the environment concerns shared by many nations around the world.
The harsh reality? Promises are only pretty words until they are acted upon and kept in good faith. It doesn’t matter that the newly elected president has made all of these promises to the American people during his campaign. What matters is that he keep his word and acts accordingly to bring the change to this nation that was promised. He’s promised the goods, now the question is “Will he deliver?”
Could This Be The End? Or Is It The Beginning Of Another Cycle?
Friday October 24, 2008
OK, I won’t pretend to know a lot about the oil market…I’m pretty much the same as any other average American out there when it comes to oil. I see the gas prices are high, attribute that to high oil prices, and blame OPEC. However, recently I am seeing a trend, as we all are I’m sure. Gas prices are dropping…rapidly…very rapidly in some cases. In my hometown gas is an average of $2.50 a gallon for regular unleaded. I haven’t seen those kinds of prices since June of last year. In a matter of days gas prices have dropped anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar or more. That’s the groundwork of this entry.
OK, I won’t pretend to know a lot about the oil market…I’m pretty much the same as any other average American out there when it comes to oil. I see the gas prices are high, attribute that to high oil prices, and blame OPEC. However, recently I am seeing a trend, as we all are I’m sure. Gas prices are dropping…rapidly…very rapidly in some cases. In my hometown gas is an average of $2.50 a gallon for regular unleaded. I haven’t seen those kinds of prices since June of last year. In a matter of days gas prices have dropped anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar or more. That’s the groundwork of this entry.
Today I read a news article stating that OPEC is going to reduce oil production by about 1.5 million barrels in an attempt to stimulate plummeting gas and oil prices. Their theory is if they reduce production, demand for oil will skyrocket again, and put them back into their little happy places of ungodly amounts of money.
Now logically, to me anyway, that doesn’t make sense. Production does not drive demand in the oil industry…demand drives production. The proof of that is right in that same news article. Here’s my reasoning for this. When gas prices began to reach the astronomical stage, many people, including myself, began looking for serious ways to reduce their need for fuel. Whether it was by working from home more often, taking less trips, carpooling, what-have-you. Myself? I moved closer to work and bought a house, effectively cutting my commute by 95%. I also began combining as many trips as I could together into one outing. Whether it be to grocery store, work, whatever. The results of all of these people taking these steps to reduce their usage of gas are that demand for oil and gas has decreased. I’m not the only one who saw this trend either. Richard Heinburg wrote this article detailing exactly what is happening in the oil industry right now. The kicker? He wrote this in July of this year, well before this recent trend of plummeting gas prices.
Heinburg’s words in the article make sense. We’re seeing this happen right now with oil and gas prices. But…there’s always one…we still have a problem. At least according to Heinburg. This is part of his explanation: “It sounds bad, but that’s not the problem; the problem is this: once the price falls by any significant amount, demand will just pick back up again and we’ll be right back where we are now—with prices aiming for Alpha Centauri.” (Richard Heinburg, “Want Cheap Oil? Reduce Demand!” 07/05/2008)
Now that makes sense to me also. It’s a never-ending, vicious cycle because of the basic fact that when we are getting something cheap, we want more of it for that same price. I’m wondering though if we could prevent this from happening. Since most of us have learned how to live and make do with less, shouldn’t we continue to do exactly that? Instead of ramping back up to our previous consumption levels (and I’m talking everything here, not just gas) shouldn’t we keep restricting ourselves with the limits we’ve set to combat our need for everything we’ve given up? If you’ve learned to live without that extra trip to the mall, or carpooling to work, or spending less so you have more money for what you need, shouldn’t you keep doing exactly that? It’s not that difficult to reason out. Keep cutting the corners and you will keep prices on everything from skyrocketing because by setting and sticking to those limits, you have reduced demand for those things. Less demand = less production = lower prices.
Perhaps if all of us keep sticking to those limitations we’ve imposed on ourselves to combat the impact of the price of oil and gas on our bank accounts, we can avoid the possibility of putting ourselves right back where we started. With the price of everything pushing the astronomical stage.
A TSO Concert Without Their Best Violinist???? Madness!
Wednesday October 15, 2008
Ok, so I know I haven't written anything here in a long while, but tonight I just have to. For the very least to save my sanity...
Let me start at the beginning. For those of you who don't know who or what Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is it is a Rock/Classical Christmas music band that does a Winter tour every year around Christmas time. They are freakin' awesome!! They have two groups (West and East) that tour because they tour the entire US and don't have enough time for one group to do it all. I found out about TSO through a friend from my old job and fell in love with the music instantly. The first song I heard of theirs was Christmas Eve Sarajevo. Absolutely LOVE it!! It's not traditional Christmas music you hear as you walk through the mall, or any department store in the good ole' US of A. It is ROCK Christmas music with electric guitars, bass drums and everything else you'd expect to hear in a rock song. It raises the roof in our house around Christmas time. The live shows will blow your mind if you take a notion to go to one! The lights, the snow, everything!!
Last year we decided to get tickets to their Oklahoma City tour, which happens to be in the West Coast tour's territory. We got Anna Phoebe last year. Who is Anna Phoebe? Only the coolest violinist out there!! She plays this outrageously awesome pink Violectra (an electric violin) and her performances are out of this world! A simple Google search will tell you all you need to know about her. Anyway, this year since we've moved to Houston, we got tickets to the Houston show. The bonus was finding out that Anna Phoebe was playing Houston this year when I checked the tour schedule when it was first posted. The in-laws are coming into town and my mom is coming out from Phoenix to spend Christmas with us in our new house. Everyone is stoked about the concert!
Flash forward to present day and I just found out that the TSO touring management has decided to switch Anna Phoebe to the East Coast tour and replace her with Mark Wood! OMG!! Now I don't know who this Mark Wood is, I've never seen him, but I don't know if anyone can replace Anna Phoebe. It's rather upsetting that the announcement was made after tickets went on sale. I'm not saying that I would not have bought tickets to the Houston show if I had known before today that Anna wasn't playing there...I just wouldn't have gotten so psyched about her coming to Houston because now she's not touring here.
I love everything about TSO, I really do, but...there's something about the show with Anna that gives it a really huge umphh factor. I'm just glad that Angus, Al, Jane and all the rest are still touring the West.
So, the TSO concert without their best violinist?? Madness!! Absolute Madness!! We shall see how Mark Wood holds up to the West tour fans expectations. I just know it won't be the same without our Anna!
Now that it's off my chest maybe I can get over it...it just better be freakin' awesome is all I can say!
UPDATE (10/15/08 9:36pm):
I'm not taking back anything I said above, however, I am going to say that I feel better about this switch after checking out the replacement string master for Anna, Mark Wood. It seems that the East tour fans feel the same way about losing Mark this year as I'm sure the West tour fans feel about losing Anna this year. We all want "our" string masters! Perhaps this won't be as disasterous as I had it in my head to be.
The show is going to be freakin' awesome no matter who tours! I know that, I just have to get over the shock of the switch.
CAN'T WAIT FOR DECEMBER 28th!!!!!!!!
Ok, so I know I haven't written anything here in a long while, but tonight I just have to. For the very least to save my sanity...
Let me start at the beginning. For those of you who don't know who or what Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is it is a Rock/Classical Christmas music band that does a Winter tour every year around Christmas time. They are freakin' awesome!! They have two groups (West and East) that tour because they tour the entire US and don't have enough time for one group to do it all. I found out about TSO through a friend from my old job and fell in love with the music instantly. The first song I heard of theirs was Christmas Eve Sarajevo. Absolutely LOVE it!! It's not traditional Christmas music you hear as you walk through the mall, or any department store in the good ole' US of A. It is ROCK Christmas music with electric guitars, bass drums and everything else you'd expect to hear in a rock song. It raises the roof in our house around Christmas time. The live shows will blow your mind if you take a notion to go to one! The lights, the snow, everything!!
Last year we decided to get tickets to their Oklahoma City tour, which happens to be in the West Coast tour's territory. We got Anna Phoebe last year. Who is Anna Phoebe? Only the coolest violinist out there!! She plays this outrageously awesome pink Violectra (an electric violin) and her performances are out of this world! A simple Google search will tell you all you need to know about her. Anyway, this year since we've moved to Houston, we got tickets to the Houston show. The bonus was finding out that Anna Phoebe was playing Houston this year when I checked the tour schedule when it was first posted. The in-laws are coming into town and my mom is coming out from Phoenix to spend Christmas with us in our new house. Everyone is stoked about the concert!
Flash forward to present day and I just found out that the TSO touring management has decided to switch Anna Phoebe to the East Coast tour and replace her with Mark Wood! OMG!! Now I don't know who this Mark Wood is, I've never seen him, but I don't know if anyone can replace Anna Phoebe. It's rather upsetting that the announcement was made after tickets went on sale. I'm not saying that I would not have bought tickets to the Houston show if I had known before today that Anna wasn't playing there...I just wouldn't have gotten so psyched about her coming to Houston because now she's not touring here.
I love everything about TSO, I really do, but...there's something about the show with Anna that gives it a really huge umphh factor. I'm just glad that Angus, Al, Jane and all the rest are still touring the West.
So, the TSO concert without their best violinist?? Madness!! Absolute Madness!! We shall see how Mark Wood holds up to the West tour fans expectations. I just know it won't be the same without our Anna!
Now that it's off my chest maybe I can get over it...it just better be freakin' awesome is all I can say!
UPDATE (10/15/08 9:36pm):
I'm not taking back anything I said above, however, I am going to say that I feel better about this switch after checking out the replacement string master for Anna, Mark Wood. It seems that the East tour fans feel the same way about losing Mark this year as I'm sure the West tour fans feel about losing Anna this year. We all want "our" string masters! Perhaps this won't be as disasterous as I had it in my head to be.
The show is going to be freakin' awesome no matter who tours! I know that, I just have to get over the shock of the switch.
CAN'T WAIT FOR DECEMBER 28th!!!!!!!!
Global Warming...Is it really Warming? Or could it be Chilling?
Saturday July 19, 2008
OK, now I know this is a fiercely debated issue in our society today, but I'm going to open myself up for a public flogging here and say that I have my doubts about global warming. Yes, the biggest issue facing the human race in all of history (at least if you believe all the newspaper articles you read) and I have some serious doubts.
Let me start off by saying I've always had doubts about this hotly intense debate that seems to rage at any gathering as the topic to discuss. My simple basis for these doubts are this 1) Earth is not going to let us kill it 2) the government (gasp) lies! Now let me clarify that statement. The Earth is profoundly much bigger than we little humans, the Earth is essentially a self sustaining ball of matter that has endured much worse (go back and read your history books, remember the dinosaurs?) than anything we have or possibly can throw at it as humans thus far, you cannot rely solely on the factual gathering abilities of the newspapers (whether it be print or online), and do you really think the fact checkers in Washington would allow data to be easily available to the general masses which contradicts what their experts have been telling them for years about global warming? They want us to work for the truth because they know that most people won't bother to check for themselves what the newspapers and reporters on the six o' clock news are telling them. They know that most people are too busy with life to question things that look like it might be too much work to check the validity of the so called facts. They know that the general masses have been conditioned to accept information from their TV sets, newspapers, ect and repeat it for others to hear, discuss, and then fall into the cycle all over again.
You're probably thinking I don't know what I'm talking about or that I'm some stupid idiot who doesn't have a brain and can't think for herself. I can assure you I have a brain and I know how to use it. I'll admit I haven't done extensive research on this yet, but I've done enough to know that I'm not the only one in the world who has doubts about global warming.
Let me tell you what pushed me to compose this blog entry about the hottest debated issue in the world. It's a book (see, told you I have a brain) by Michael Crichton that I am currently reading. Now granted this is the same man who gave us Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, but there are some research-able points in this book. The title, you might be wondering? State of Fear.
Now I haven't even gotten halfway through reading this 623 page (not including Author's Note and other stuff at the end) novel, but it's already got me questioning all the printed words and "facts" some experts keep spewing out about global warming. This morning found me Googling some things that Crichton brings up in State of Fear. This is what I found:
Himalayan Glaciers Are Growing ... and Confounding Global Warming Alarmists - by James M. Taylor - The Heartland Institute
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20073
Antarctic Deep Sea Gets Colder
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111622.htm
An experiment that hints we are wrong on climate change - Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1363818.ece
Antarctica is getting colder - GAIA - the earth is alive
http://gaia.tribe.net/thread/60143552-1fe2-480a-85ae-78125ca0c35e
And that (excuse the pun) is just the tip of the iceberg. Now I did say you cannot rely solely on the printed word of newspapers and such, however I will point out that you take notice of the dates on these articles and that not all of them are from online newspapers.
There is a ton of more information, in addition to the above, at your fingertips right now. Go to Google, type in the phrase "antarctic growing colder" or "world glaciers increasing" or "global warming myth" or any phrase like those that has to do with global warming. The point here is that you look at both sides of the fence.
The media is always trying to sensationalize a story or some issue that we as humans are facing, and I believe that global warming is one more in a long line of candidates. Now, I'm not saying that proven data that shows the Earth has heated up a little bit over the past centuries is BS, but what I am saying is that the reality of it is we, humans, are probably not the biggest cause of this heat.
The truth can be skewed, it can be manipulated, hidden, disguised, and downright lied about. The Earth heating up is only the big picture. To really understand what is going on, you have to drill down to the minutest detail. You have to dig for the tiniest bits of information to have a solid foundation to stand the truth on, otherwise all you have is conjecture and theory.
I'm urging you to research this and not just accept what the "experts" are telling you. Don't just accept the news articles or reports about global temperature rising and the "fact" that the increasing level of CO2 is causing temperatures to rise in direct proportion. Don't accept the highly sensationalized hype that the Earth is "dying" and global warming is a catastrophe that we are inflicting on the "fading" Earth. Don't accept the claim that sea levels are rising because of melting glaciers. Don't accept any of this at face-value. Dig deeper. Find those littlest bits of information and look past the big picture. Every brush stroke is important to painting a completed canvas. I'm not suggesting you go out on a fact finding expedition to Antarctica and measure the ice there...no, I am merely suggesting that you be informed and use the brain you have to question the "truth" that the media, government, and certain experts are feeding you through newspapers and TV.
Research...it is your best friend in this life of media hype and force-fed "facts".
OK, now I know this is a fiercely debated issue in our society today, but I'm going to open myself up for a public flogging here and say that I have my doubts about global warming. Yes, the biggest issue facing the human race in all of history (at least if you believe all the newspaper articles you read) and I have some serious doubts.
Let me start off by saying I've always had doubts about this hotly intense debate that seems to rage at any gathering as the topic to discuss. My simple basis for these doubts are this 1) Earth is not going to let us kill it 2) the government (gasp) lies! Now let me clarify that statement. The Earth is profoundly much bigger than we little humans, the Earth is essentially a self sustaining ball of matter that has endured much worse (go back and read your history books, remember the dinosaurs?) than anything we have or possibly can throw at it as humans thus far, you cannot rely solely on the factual gathering abilities of the newspapers (whether it be print or online), and do you really think the fact checkers in Washington would allow data to be easily available to the general masses which contradicts what their experts have been telling them for years about global warming? They want us to work for the truth because they know that most people won't bother to check for themselves what the newspapers and reporters on the six o' clock news are telling them. They know that most people are too busy with life to question things that look like it might be too much work to check the validity of the so called facts. They know that the general masses have been conditioned to accept information from their TV sets, newspapers, ect and repeat it for others to hear, discuss, and then fall into the cycle all over again.
You're probably thinking I don't know what I'm talking about or that I'm some stupid idiot who doesn't have a brain and can't think for herself. I can assure you I have a brain and I know how to use it. I'll admit I haven't done extensive research on this yet, but I've done enough to know that I'm not the only one in the world who has doubts about global warming.
Let me tell you what pushed me to compose this blog entry about the hottest debated issue in the world. It's a book (see, told you I have a brain) by Michael Crichton that I am currently reading. Now granted this is the same man who gave us Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, but there are some research-able points in this book. The title, you might be wondering? State of Fear.
Now I haven't even gotten halfway through reading this 623 page (not including Author's Note and other stuff at the end) novel, but it's already got me questioning all the printed words and "facts" some experts keep spewing out about global warming. This morning found me Googling some things that Crichton brings up in State of Fear. This is what I found:
Himalayan Glaciers Are Growing ... and Confounding Global Warming Alarmists - by James M. Taylor - The Heartland Institute
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20073
Antarctic Deep Sea Gets Colder
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111622.htm
An experiment that hints we are wrong on climate change - Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1363818.ece
Antarctica is getting colder - GAIA - the earth is alive
http://gaia.tribe.net/thread/60143552-1fe2-480a-85ae-78125ca0c35e
And that (excuse the pun) is just the tip of the iceberg. Now I did say you cannot rely solely on the printed word of newspapers and such, however I will point out that you take notice of the dates on these articles and that not all of them are from online newspapers.
There is a ton of more information, in addition to the above, at your fingertips right now. Go to Google, type in the phrase "antarctic growing colder" or "world glaciers increasing" or "global warming myth" or any phrase like those that has to do with global warming. The point here is that you look at both sides of the fence.
The media is always trying to sensationalize a story or some issue that we as humans are facing, and I believe that global warming is one more in a long line of candidates. Now, I'm not saying that proven data that shows the Earth has heated up a little bit over the past centuries is BS, but what I am saying is that the reality of it is we, humans, are probably not the biggest cause of this heat.
The truth can be skewed, it can be manipulated, hidden, disguised, and downright lied about. The Earth heating up is only the big picture. To really understand what is going on, you have to drill down to the minutest detail. You have to dig for the tiniest bits of information to have a solid foundation to stand the truth on, otherwise all you have is conjecture and theory.
I'm urging you to research this and not just accept what the "experts" are telling you. Don't just accept the news articles or reports about global temperature rising and the "fact" that the increasing level of CO2 is causing temperatures to rise in direct proportion. Don't accept the highly sensationalized hype that the Earth is "dying" and global warming is a catastrophe that we are inflicting on the "fading" Earth. Don't accept the claim that sea levels are rising because of melting glaciers. Don't accept any of this at face-value. Dig deeper. Find those littlest bits of information and look past the big picture. Every brush stroke is important to painting a completed canvas. I'm not suggesting you go out on a fact finding expedition to Antarctica and measure the ice there...no, I am merely suggesting that you be informed and use the brain you have to question the "truth" that the media, government, and certain experts are feeding you through newspapers and TV.
Research...it is your best friend in this life of media hype and force-fed "facts".
Crystal Beach July 4th!!!
Monday July 7, 2008
Ever since the first time my husband, John, and I went and played at Crystal Beach, TX a few years ago, we've been dying to go back. It's a blast down there! Kind of like New Orlean's Mardi Gras meets Spring Break on Padre Island. It's the only place I know of where you can drive on the beach and be drinking from an open container and the cops don't even look twice. Unless you're doing something stupid that is...like the idiots we saw down there the first time who dug holes in the sand with the rear wheels of their jacked-up 4x4 Ford. It was hilarious because the cops made the stupid guys get out of their truck and fill in the holes with the sand while we all watched.
This past weekend we went back! I had set up renting a beach house down there and we brought a few friends along from Oklahoma. It was awesome! Just like old times...
I lost track of how much alcohol we went through, how many trips to the store we made, how many hours and miles of beach we walked, stumbled, or flat-out dragged ourselves through, and how many strings of beads I had thrown at me. Let's just say that if I were a pirate and the beads were actual gold, I'd be set. At one point there were people bunking in the beach house that I didn't know. (They were family and friends of one of our friends who had shown up to party with us.) It was rather funny when I woke up after a night of drinking and had no idea who these people were that were passed out on the floor and deck of the house. But I shrugged and started making breakfast.
It was four days of fun, sun, and booze. What more could you ask for?! Soooo looking forward to doing it all again next year!!!!
Ever since the first time my husband, John, and I went and played at Crystal Beach, TX a few years ago, we've been dying to go back. It's a blast down there! Kind of like New Orlean's Mardi Gras meets Spring Break on Padre Island. It's the only place I know of where you can drive on the beach and be drinking from an open container and the cops don't even look twice. Unless you're doing something stupid that is...like the idiots we saw down there the first time who dug holes in the sand with the rear wheels of their jacked-up 4x4 Ford. It was hilarious because the cops made the stupid guys get out of their truck and fill in the holes with the sand while we all watched.
This past weekend we went back! I had set up renting a beach house down there and we brought a few friends along from Oklahoma. It was awesome! Just like old times...
I lost track of how much alcohol we went through, how many trips to the store we made, how many hours and miles of beach we walked, stumbled, or flat-out dragged ourselves through, and how many strings of beads I had thrown at me. Let's just say that if I were a pirate and the beads were actual gold, I'd be set. At one point there were people bunking in the beach house that I didn't know. (They were family and friends of one of our friends who had shown up to party with us.) It was rather funny when I woke up after a night of drinking and had no idea who these people were that were passed out on the floor and deck of the house. But I shrugged and started making breakfast.
It was four days of fun, sun, and booze. What more could you ask for?! Soooo looking forward to doing it all again next year!!!!
Can You Drown In Paper?
Monday July 7, 2008
Well, we are one more baby step toward owning our home. We just finished signing the massive amount of paperwork for the FHA loan and will be sending that on it's merry little way tomorrow. I think they killed an entire forest for the paper. The home and pest inspections are completed and everything is in good shape there.
We're estimated to close on August 1st and I hear that there will be another mountain of paperwork to sign that day. Maybe we should get rubber stamps made up...
I never realized all the documentation and crap they want you to gather up. This is the computer age...can't they look that stuff up in some database somewhere?? Instead of killing more trees to print this stuff, why can't they digitally look up all the documentation we're providing and save a rain forest or two? And the hoops we're having to jump through makes me think we signed up for a three ring circus and it's only the first night of the show. Why is it all so complicated?
It will all be worth it I suppose...once we are moved and able to enjoy the place. In a few more weeks we should be in our new home...and best of all...it's ours!
Well, we are one more baby step toward owning our home. We just finished signing the massive amount of paperwork for the FHA loan and will be sending that on it's merry little way tomorrow. I think they killed an entire forest for the paper. The home and pest inspections are completed and everything is in good shape there.
We're estimated to close on August 1st and I hear that there will be another mountain of paperwork to sign that day. Maybe we should get rubber stamps made up...
I never realized all the documentation and crap they want you to gather up. This is the computer age...can't they look that stuff up in some database somewhere?? Instead of killing more trees to print this stuff, why can't they digitally look up all the documentation we're providing and save a rain forest or two? And the hoops we're having to jump through makes me think we signed up for a three ring circus and it's only the first night of the show. Why is it all so complicated?
It will all be worth it I suppose...once we are moved and able to enjoy the place. In a few more weeks we should be in our new home...and best of all...it's ours!
One More Step Toward the Dream...
Sunday June 29, 2008
Thursday afternoon June 26th I found myself driving around Houston suburbs on a tour of about seven houses that my real estate agent, Ryan, had set up appointments for. The first two were ok, though far from what I really wanted. Between the next two I really liked one of them. Our next stop had me falling in love with one of the properties and our last stop was the third house to go on my list. By the end of the afternoon I had eliminated the first two houses we looked at and had exactly three properties on my list of choices. I quickly eliminated the third house on my list and concentrated on the two remaining houses. It was excruciatingly hard to decide between the two of them because I loved both of them and they were very comparable properties. There was one thing each house had that the other lacked. The score was tied...so I called my husband. Though he wasn't much help I finally decided to go with the property that had the covered back porch, but only three bedrooms. Did I mention it was really hard to choose between the two?
Anyway, I emailed Ryan Thursday night and told him we wanted to make an offer on my first choice house. He says he will start drawing up paperwork and email the selling real estate agent and let her know an offer is forthcoming. I wait on pins and needles through Friday morning. Ryan calls me before lunch and lets me down rather gently. We didn't get my first choice. We didn't even get a chance to get our offer in before someone had an offer in and actively working that offer. I was severely disappointed, however my second choice was still open and I loved that house just as much as the other one. I told Ryan to start paperwork on an offer for that house ASAP. I didn't want to go through losing the chance before we even had it again. Friday afternoon I signed my name on the dotted line and we had our offer in.
On my way home Friday afternoon all I could think about was the offer on the house. I think I was pretty much on autopilot because I don't really remember the drive home and Friday afternoons in Houston are usually packed full with jackass drivers who think they own all the lanes of the highway. I couldn't really concentrate on anything Friday night either and had a very hard time getting to sleep that night.
Saturday dawns cloudy and threatening rain, though the moisture doesn't come. At about 11:30am or so Ryan calls.
"Good news...the house is yours!"
YES!!!! I screamed as I jumped up and down in the kitchen of our current rental.
First person I called after hanging up with Ryan, my husband. I wake him up (oh, so sorry honey) and tell him we got the house. He's half asleep and isn't really comprehending things but tells me that's good and I tell him goodbye so he can go back to sleep. Then I called my mom to tell her the good news. She was a little more enthusiastic than my husband, but then I didn't wake her up.
Closing is scheduled first of August and then we can move right in! We are now homeowners!! I can't wait to move and get settled in. Finally something of our own!
We are one step closer to our dream of home and family. Next step....baby! (I just have to get my husband home more than one day at a time!)
Thursday afternoon June 26th I found myself driving around Houston suburbs on a tour of about seven houses that my real estate agent, Ryan, had set up appointments for. The first two were ok, though far from what I really wanted. Between the next two I really liked one of them. Our next stop had me falling in love with one of the properties and our last stop was the third house to go on my list. By the end of the afternoon I had eliminated the first two houses we looked at and had exactly three properties on my list of choices. I quickly eliminated the third house on my list and concentrated on the two remaining houses. It was excruciatingly hard to decide between the two of them because I loved both of them and they were very comparable properties. There was one thing each house had that the other lacked. The score was tied...so I called my husband. Though he wasn't much help I finally decided to go with the property that had the covered back porch, but only three bedrooms. Did I mention it was really hard to choose between the two?
Anyway, I emailed Ryan Thursday night and told him we wanted to make an offer on my first choice house. He says he will start drawing up paperwork and email the selling real estate agent and let her know an offer is forthcoming. I wait on pins and needles through Friday morning. Ryan calls me before lunch and lets me down rather gently. We didn't get my first choice. We didn't even get a chance to get our offer in before someone had an offer in and actively working that offer. I was severely disappointed, however my second choice was still open and I loved that house just as much as the other one. I told Ryan to start paperwork on an offer for that house ASAP. I didn't want to go through losing the chance before we even had it again. Friday afternoon I signed my name on the dotted line and we had our offer in.
On my way home Friday afternoon all I could think about was the offer on the house. I think I was pretty much on autopilot because I don't really remember the drive home and Friday afternoons in Houston are usually packed full with jackass drivers who think they own all the lanes of the highway. I couldn't really concentrate on anything Friday night either and had a very hard time getting to sleep that night.
Saturday dawns cloudy and threatening rain, though the moisture doesn't come. At about 11:30am or so Ryan calls.
"Good news...the house is yours!"
YES!!!! I screamed as I jumped up and down in the kitchen of our current rental.
First person I called after hanging up with Ryan, my husband. I wake him up (oh, so sorry honey) and tell him we got the house. He's half asleep and isn't really comprehending things but tells me that's good and I tell him goodbye so he can go back to sleep. Then I called my mom to tell her the good news. She was a little more enthusiastic than my husband, but then I didn't wake her up.
Closing is scheduled first of August and then we can move right in! We are now homeowners!! I can't wait to move and get settled in. Finally something of our own!
We are one step closer to our dream of home and family. Next step....baby! (I just have to get my husband home more than one day at a time!)
We Are Worthy...
Monday June 16, 2008
My husband and I have been thinking about moving since we relocated from Oklahoma to Houston, Texas and the main reason is because I live so far away from where I work at the Space Center. I drive 62 miles one way to work and the reason for this is so crazy that it makes my head spin.
When I graduated college in July of 2006 and came down to my father in law's house in August to find a job in Houston, I didn't know I would be getting the job at the Space Center. By the time I had the job it was the middle of August and I had two weeks to find a place to live in the Houston area, get back to Oklahoma and pack the old house, and move everything, including my mother in law who was moving with us. The place we've been renting was available, affordable, and what I thought was a close enough distance to the Space Center. Did I think wrong... But you know, a person can only take so much, and rush through so many things, so I jumped on it and got my butt back to Oklahoma.
Fast forward to almost two years later, and I'm surprised I haven't run anyone off the road for insane stupidity. That's Houston drivers...they can't drive in rain, they can't drive in sunshine, they can't drive in fog, they can't drive in anything! Though I will take Houston over Dallas...but how many times can a person get cut off in one morning before they go absolutely batsh*t! And be given looks like they were the ones driving like a moron!
Anyway, we've been seriously considering moving ever since the second week we relocated and I received some very exciting and surprising news on my way to work this afternoon. We got pre-approval for a $110,000 FHA home loan! Now it's time to call my realtor friend and grab the properties I've been drooling over on the internet for the longest time and start home shopping! I'm so excited! I say surprising because I was worried about being approved because my husband's credit is non-existent and he's a self-employed truck driver. But worry I should have not, because obviously they think we are worthy! I can't wait to go look at some of these places! Wish us luck!
My husband and I have been thinking about moving since we relocated from Oklahoma to Houston, Texas and the main reason is because I live so far away from where I work at the Space Center. I drive 62 miles one way to work and the reason for this is so crazy that it makes my head spin.
When I graduated college in July of 2006 and came down to my father in law's house in August to find a job in Houston, I didn't know I would be getting the job at the Space Center. By the time I had the job it was the middle of August and I had two weeks to find a place to live in the Houston area, get back to Oklahoma and pack the old house, and move everything, including my mother in law who was moving with us. The place we've been renting was available, affordable, and what I thought was a close enough distance to the Space Center. Did I think wrong... But you know, a person can only take so much, and rush through so many things, so I jumped on it and got my butt back to Oklahoma.
Fast forward to almost two years later, and I'm surprised I haven't run anyone off the road for insane stupidity. That's Houston drivers...they can't drive in rain, they can't drive in sunshine, they can't drive in fog, they can't drive in anything! Though I will take Houston over Dallas...but how many times can a person get cut off in one morning before they go absolutely batsh*t! And be given looks like they were the ones driving like a moron!
Anyway, we've been seriously considering moving ever since the second week we relocated and I received some very exciting and surprising news on my way to work this afternoon. We got pre-approval for a $110,000 FHA home loan! Now it's time to call my realtor friend and grab the properties I've been drooling over on the internet for the longest time and start home shopping! I'm so excited! I say surprising because I was worried about being approved because my husband's credit is non-existent and he's a self-employed truck driver. But worry I should have not, because obviously they think we are worthy! I can't wait to go look at some of these places! Wish us luck!
Who Would Have Thought...
Monday June 16, 2008
That exercise could be so much fun!!
If you read my previous post about the Wii you'll know that it came in the mail but I was unable to play it the day it came in...it's a little thing called work that got in the way. Anyway, I finally got to play my new Wii and it was so awesome! I don't have any games for it yet other than the Wii Sports that it comes with, but let me tell you, those games are fun anyway! I especially like the tennis, baseball, and bowling. Not too into the golf, but it might be ok for real world players.
The first time I played the system, I played for about an hour and 45 minutes straight. I got a really good workout out of it too! I was actually sweating and hot by the time I decided to quit. And sore...oh, I was sore later that night. Maybe I just got too into it, but it was so much fun!
I have Mario Bros Galaxy game on the way, but it hasn't arrived yet. I played the game in a Radio Shack once and thought it was really fun, so I can't wait for it to get to my house.
If you are looking for a different type of game than just sitting and pushing buttons and flicking joysticks, then get a Wii. It gets you up off the couch and moving, and who couldn't use a little bit more exercise? Well, maybe those insane people who run 10 miles a day and bike another 5 miles...
You won't be bored, I promise!
That exercise could be so much fun!!
If you read my previous post about the Wii you'll know that it came in the mail but I was unable to play it the day it came in...it's a little thing called work that got in the way. Anyway, I finally got to play my new Wii and it was so awesome! I don't have any games for it yet other than the Wii Sports that it comes with, but let me tell you, those games are fun anyway! I especially like the tennis, baseball, and bowling. Not too into the golf, but it might be ok for real world players.
The first time I played the system, I played for about an hour and 45 minutes straight. I got a really good workout out of it too! I was actually sweating and hot by the time I decided to quit. And sore...oh, I was sore later that night. Maybe I just got too into it, but it was so much fun!
I have Mario Bros Galaxy game on the way, but it hasn't arrived yet. I played the game in a Radio Shack once and thought it was really fun, so I can't wait for it to get to my house.
If you are looking for a different type of game than just sitting and pushing buttons and flicking joysticks, then get a Wii. It gets you up off the couch and moving, and who couldn't use a little bit more exercise? Well, maybe those insane people who run 10 miles a day and bike another 5 miles...
You won't be bored, I promise!
Wii Would Like to Play...
Monday June 16, 2008
Remember that line when the Wii first debuted? It was so cool and catchy...
The Wii that I bought on Ebay for about half of what it costs in the stores...just arrived today! Unfortunately I was halfway asleep after working all night when the FedEx guy decided to show up, but I flagged him down before he got back in his truck after my dog alerted me to his presence by barking loud enough to wake the dead.
I haven't had time to set it up yet, they keep telling me I have to show up at work if I want to get paid, so I thought better of staying up and playing it this morning, opting instead to go back to sleep and go to work this evening. But...this is my last night to work this week and when I get off in the morning...you betcha, Wii time it is!!
I played the Wii in a Circuit City once and thought it was so awesome and fun to play, so I know what I'm in store for! I can't wait! I have to sleep shift back to normal human hours anyway so I figure what better way to do that than playing video games. Maybe I might even put the Wiimote down long enough to clean the house this weekend, but who really knows?
I would definitely recommend the Wii! It's so much fun!
Remember that line when the Wii first debuted? It was so cool and catchy...
The Wii that I bought on Ebay for about half of what it costs in the stores...just arrived today! Unfortunately I was halfway asleep after working all night when the FedEx guy decided to show up, but I flagged him down before he got back in his truck after my dog alerted me to his presence by barking loud enough to wake the dead.
I haven't had time to set it up yet, they keep telling me I have to show up at work if I want to get paid, so I thought better of staying up and playing it this morning, opting instead to go back to sleep and go to work this evening. But...this is my last night to work this week and when I get off in the morning...you betcha, Wii time it is!!
I played the Wii in a Circuit City once and thought it was so awesome and fun to play, so I know what I'm in store for! I can't wait! I have to sleep shift back to normal human hours anyway so I figure what better way to do that than playing video games. Maybe I might even put the Wiimote down long enough to clean the house this weekend, but who really knows?
I would definitely recommend the Wii! It's so much fun!
A Childhood Dream After Childhood...
Tuesday June 3, 2008
I'm sure a lot of you in the US had childhood dreams of going to Disney World and probably a majority of you actually had your dream come true. I mean with all the princesses, pirates, cartoons, and every other character you ever saw in the young years of your life right before your eyes, it was paradise. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to Disney World when I was a child, but alas I was not bitter, was not upset, it was just something that I knew we could never afford when I was a child. I had many other places that I got to go when I was a child...but they never made up for Disney World.
Now, however, my dream is coming true! And now, I'm guaranteed to be able to go on all the rides because I'm tall enough to ride. In September my husband and I are taking a vacation for 5 days to Disney World with a few of my aunts, uncles, and my mom! I'm so excited I can't wait! This is the first time either of us have been to Disney World and it's going to be so much fun!
Five days of princesses, pirates, cartoons, and so much more! I'm still a kid at heart and so is my husband...my mom might have her hands full! I have to get Mickey ears...it's a must! I can't wait!!
I'm sure a lot of you in the US had childhood dreams of going to Disney World and probably a majority of you actually had your dream come true. I mean with all the princesses, pirates, cartoons, and every other character you ever saw in the young years of your life right before your eyes, it was paradise. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to Disney World when I was a child, but alas I was not bitter, was not upset, it was just something that I knew we could never afford when I was a child. I had many other places that I got to go when I was a child...but they never made up for Disney World.
Now, however, my dream is coming true! And now, I'm guaranteed to be able to go on all the rides because I'm tall enough to ride. In September my husband and I are taking a vacation for 5 days to Disney World with a few of my aunts, uncles, and my mom! I'm so excited I can't wait! This is the first time either of us have been to Disney World and it's going to be so much fun!
Five days of princesses, pirates, cartoons, and so much more! I'm still a kid at heart and so is my husband...my mom might have her hands full! I have to get Mickey ears...it's a must! I can't wait!!
A little down time...
Monday May 5, 2008
The past few weeks have been really busy, chaotic, and stress inducing. My husband and I renewed our vows on April 12th and celebrated our sixth year anniversary! Six years...I can't believe it's been that long. We've been together 11 years...oh, my gosh I just typed 11 years! It's so unfathomable that we've made it through this long. I know the statistics, I know that nowadays most couples don't make it, but you know what...we did and we did it our way. A long time ago, back when we first got together, most of my family said our relationship would never work. We were too young, we hadn't had enough life experience yet, and on and on. We made it and I wouldn't change one bit of the last 11 years (there's that number again). It has been an exhilarating, stressful, sometimes ultimately terrifying time, and our relationship is stronger because of it. I've developed a list of advice for those who care to take a moment.
Cass's List of Relationship Advice
The vow renewal turned out beautifully! When we first got married we didn't have a ceremony so this was our ceremony for all of our family and friends. We had a couple of hiccups, mainly with the DJ, where I ended up completely breaking down with the last one, and my family told me it was now just like a real wedding after they had calmed me down enough so that I could breathe. I couldn't help but giggle at that. The reception turned out wonderful and fun, my husband looked so sexy at the ceremony in his suit, and I must say I looked pretty damn good too! My cousin who was my maid of honor looked so beautiful I almost cried. Most of my family was there and all of my husband's family came. My dad walked me down the isle and lost it when we got to the gazebo, which of course almost made me cry! I will post some pictures when I get them back from the photographer.
So now I am taking a little time off by taking today off of work. It's pouring rain buckets outside so it's a good day to just zone out, or blog. Or perhaps I'll go hide in my sewing room. Lord knows I have so many projects in one state of construction or another, and none even close to completion. I remember all the free time I had when I didn't, like, have to work and get one of those job things. Speaking of jobs, mine is still going great! I love working for USA and at NASA! We do so much cool stuff. We just finished up two extremely fast paced, back to back Space Station construction Shuttle flights. The next one is launching the end of this month and I'm working the beginning part of this mission. This mission is taking up the large Japanese bus-sized lab of Kibo. Kibo is the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's contribution to the International Space Station, which has been a long time coming. This dream for the Japanese nation started some twenty years ago, and has only now come to fruition.
Enjoy your day!
The past few weeks have been really busy, chaotic, and stress inducing. My husband and I renewed our vows on April 12th and celebrated our sixth year anniversary! Six years...I can't believe it's been that long. We've been together 11 years...oh, my gosh I just typed 11 years! It's so unfathomable that we've made it through this long. I know the statistics, I know that nowadays most couples don't make it, but you know what...we did and we did it our way. A long time ago, back when we first got together, most of my family said our relationship would never work. We were too young, we hadn't had enough life experience yet, and on and on. We made it and I wouldn't change one bit of the last 11 years (there's that number again). It has been an exhilarating, stressful, sometimes ultimately terrifying time, and our relationship is stronger because of it. I've developed a list of advice for those who care to take a moment.
Cass's List of Relationship Advice
- Always be honest with each other, even if the truth hurts or is damaging. Everything can be worked out as long as you are honest with each other.
- Support one another in everything and don't be afraid to admit you might need help.
- Work on things together, for there is no job too large for two people to handle.
- Tell each other "I love you" even if you think they already know it, you can never say "I love you" too much.
- Never fight angry because you will never resolve anything...table the issue and come back to it the next day.
- Make sure the person you decide to spend the rest of your life with is someone you enjoy. My husband is my best friend, he knows me better than anyone on this earth and I wouldn't have it any other way. We can talk about anything or nothing and be completely content.
- You have to have at least one thing you like to do on your own. Spending every minute of everyday doing the same things together will put unnecessary stressors on the relationship. I like to sew, my husband likes to hunt. Each person in a relationship needs at least one thing they like to do on their own, otherwise the relationship can reach a breaking point. As much as I love my husband, there are times I need a break, and the same works for him.
- Always kiss each other goodbye, even if it's only a quick trip down to the store. Life can be cruel sometimes and you never know if or when you will get another chance.
- Set aside some time for the two of you to just talk. Talk about your day, nature, or something that really interests you.
- Plan outings for just the two of you. Go to a museum, the zoo, the park, or maybe an outdoor play.
- Pick your battles wisely. Marriage and relationships are about compromise, you have to be willing to give a little. It's a two way street...both sides have to compromise equally.
- My ultimate advice would be this...Marriage takes work. It doesn't just happen and it doesn't survive on it's own. Marriage is like an infant...it needs nourishing, safety, protection, and love. Protect your marriage or relationship with the fierceness of a tiger and you just might have a chance to make it last your entire life.
The vow renewal turned out beautifully! When we first got married we didn't have a ceremony so this was our ceremony for all of our family and friends. We had a couple of hiccups, mainly with the DJ, where I ended up completely breaking down with the last one, and my family told me it was now just like a real wedding after they had calmed me down enough so that I could breathe. I couldn't help but giggle at that. The reception turned out wonderful and fun, my husband looked so sexy at the ceremony in his suit, and I must say I looked pretty damn good too! My cousin who was my maid of honor looked so beautiful I almost cried. Most of my family was there and all of my husband's family came. My dad walked me down the isle and lost it when we got to the gazebo, which of course almost made me cry! I will post some pictures when I get them back from the photographer.
So now I am taking a little time off by taking today off of work. It's pouring rain buckets outside so it's a good day to just zone out, or blog. Or perhaps I'll go hide in my sewing room. Lord knows I have so many projects in one state of construction or another, and none even close to completion. I remember all the free time I had when I didn't, like, have to work and get one of those job things. Speaking of jobs, mine is still going great! I love working for USA and at NASA! We do so much cool stuff. We just finished up two extremely fast paced, back to back Space Station construction Shuttle flights. The next one is launching the end of this month and I'm working the beginning part of this mission. This mission is taking up the large Japanese bus-sized lab of Kibo. Kibo is the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's contribution to the International Space Station, which has been a long time coming. This dream for the Japanese nation started some twenty years ago, and has only now come to fruition.
Enjoy your day!
That Time Already...Full Circle
Saturday November 10, 2007
It seems like this year has gone by in such a blur. I moved to Texas the end of last year, started a wonderful new job, and have been on a hell of a roller coaster ride since then. I'm looking at my calendar and wondering where all the months went...I mean it seems like just yesterday I was walking across the stage at my college graduation ceremony and heading to Houston to find a job. It's November 10th and the holiday season is already upon us...again. Where did it all go? I'll probably be saying the same thing in a year and a half when I have a new house and a new baby or at least one on the way. Life moves so fast now it seems!
Thanksgiving is coming up and then it will be time for Christmas...the end of the year. Beginning of a new one and one more new chance at making something count. I've done alright so far...new job, new location, good money, healthy more or less. Next year will come renewal of vows, new house and trying for a new baby.
I keep thinking to myself...life is such a wild ride that sometimes all you can do is grab the horse by the mane and hang on. You can't slow it down, you can't stop the endless march, time relentlessly crawling toward some fate you can't see. Roll with it...
Christmas! Can't wait...did some shopping today. My husband is asking me what I want for Christmas and I'm like I don't know, gotta think about it. I'm thinking to myself, Where have I had time to take a moment and say, I want that! Work's so busy I'm lucky to have a second to breathe before I have to run off again. We'll be spending Christmas with my in-laws this year and it's going to be fun. There's been some medical emergencies the past few weeks and everyone is fine now, but it will be good to spend the holidays with them. A good year and another one on the way!
Yeeeeehawwww!
It seems like this year has gone by in such a blur. I moved to Texas the end of last year, started a wonderful new job, and have been on a hell of a roller coaster ride since then. I'm looking at my calendar and wondering where all the months went...I mean it seems like just yesterday I was walking across the stage at my college graduation ceremony and heading to Houston to find a job. It's November 10th and the holiday season is already upon us...again. Where did it all go? I'll probably be saying the same thing in a year and a half when I have a new house and a new baby or at least one on the way. Life moves so fast now it seems!
Thanksgiving is coming up and then it will be time for Christmas...the end of the year. Beginning of a new one and one more new chance at making something count. I've done alright so far...new job, new location, good money, healthy more or less. Next year will come renewal of vows, new house and trying for a new baby.
I keep thinking to myself...life is such a wild ride that sometimes all you can do is grab the horse by the mane and hang on. You can't slow it down, you can't stop the endless march, time relentlessly crawling toward some fate you can't see. Roll with it...
Christmas! Can't wait...did some shopping today. My husband is asking me what I want for Christmas and I'm like I don't know, gotta think about it. I'm thinking to myself, Where have I had time to take a moment and say, I want that! Work's so busy I'm lucky to have a second to breathe before I have to run off again. We'll be spending Christmas with my in-laws this year and it's going to be fun. There's been some medical emergencies the past few weeks and everyone is fine now, but it will be good to spend the holidays with them. A good year and another one on the way!
Yeeeeehawwww!
September 11, 2007
Tuesday September 11, 2007
I shouldn't have to say much more than the title here to bring those dark, horrid memories rushing back from the grave of that bright morning six years ago. Some of us were unlucky enough to catch those heart stopping images of the second jet liner crashing into the South tower and almost all of us caught the images of the collapses. We all heard about the jet that crashed into the Pentagon just minutes after the towers were hit and later we heard about the United 93 flight that was destined for another Capitol building and how the passengers aboard that plane stood up and in their own words said we will not go meekly to our deaths. I believe the passengers of United 93 had a very real fatalism that they would not be making it home that day and they did what they had to do to save others from a fate that would match their own. I pray everyday for the families that lost those they loved, the children who will never know their fathers that perished that day, the sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, all who lost someone in those terrible attacks. But I would like to remind you dear reader, we all lost someone that day. We all lost many someones that day. They were all Americans, as are you and I. It doesn't matter that you may not have known someone personally, or that you may not have had a family member perish that day. It doesn't matter if you were across the seas, or right there in the middle of the dust and debris. As an American you lost someone that day six years ago whether you know it or not...because all of those brave, unfortunate souls were Americans.
I can't bring any one of those people back but I will never let their memories fade. We cannot let those that perished September 11, 2001 be forgotten for any reason. I believe everything happens for a reason...though we may not understand what those reasons are. I do know this...and it might give you some hope for those lost...the Reverend Mychal F. Judge is the first official recorded victim that morning and I believe he was needed that morning. He was needed to take all of those lost home that day. He was needed to guide those Americans that were lost up the stairs to Heaven. Some of you may not be religious and take my word for it I'm not a religious nut either. But I do believe in God and I believe that He calls those home that He needs the most. All of those lost Americans flew home on the wings of angels who had gone before them.
We cannot let the memories of those Americans we lost that dark day be forgotten. In the days after the attacks every composer, poet, writer and lyricist took to their tools, opened a vein, and poured out the strongest emotions we as humans possess. There are tons of magazines, newspaper articles, books, and print about 9/11 and the days and years that have followed after. The lost souls of 9/11 are written down in history, their stories, their backgrounds, their achievements, their goals, their dreams, and most importantly their spirits are forever recorded for generations to come to remember them. But we must not forget the heroes that survived that day. There are hundreds of men and women who came out of the ordeal if not unscathed then at least able to see the light of the next morning. They may have to live with the burden of the thought of what if they had gone back for that one person, or what if they had gotten there five minutes earlier, or what if they had gotten there ten minutes too late. Those people I pray for everyday also for they are the shining example of what the people of this nation are made of. Steely resolve, the drive to help those in need, and the fierceness of a tiger backed into a corner. We cannot be broken as long as we stand together and help those who we can help. We were all victims that day, but we came through it with more determination, fight, and will power than any other country I know of.
To the Red, White, and Blue nation I salute you and pray for you everyday.
I shouldn't have to say much more than the title here to bring those dark, horrid memories rushing back from the grave of that bright morning six years ago. Some of us were unlucky enough to catch those heart stopping images of the second jet liner crashing into the South tower and almost all of us caught the images of the collapses. We all heard about the jet that crashed into the Pentagon just minutes after the towers were hit and later we heard about the United 93 flight that was destined for another Capitol building and how the passengers aboard that plane stood up and in their own words said we will not go meekly to our deaths. I believe the passengers of United 93 had a very real fatalism that they would not be making it home that day and they did what they had to do to save others from a fate that would match their own. I pray everyday for the families that lost those they loved, the children who will never know their fathers that perished that day, the sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, all who lost someone in those terrible attacks. But I would like to remind you dear reader, we all lost someone that day. We all lost many someones that day. They were all Americans, as are you and I. It doesn't matter that you may not have known someone personally, or that you may not have had a family member perish that day. It doesn't matter if you were across the seas, or right there in the middle of the dust and debris. As an American you lost someone that day six years ago whether you know it or not...because all of those brave, unfortunate souls were Americans.
I can't bring any one of those people back but I will never let their memories fade. We cannot let those that perished September 11, 2001 be forgotten for any reason. I believe everything happens for a reason...though we may not understand what those reasons are. I do know this...and it might give you some hope for those lost...the Reverend Mychal F. Judge is the first official recorded victim that morning and I believe he was needed that morning. He was needed to take all of those lost home that day. He was needed to guide those Americans that were lost up the stairs to Heaven. Some of you may not be religious and take my word for it I'm not a religious nut either. But I do believe in God and I believe that He calls those home that He needs the most. All of those lost Americans flew home on the wings of angels who had gone before them.
We cannot let the memories of those Americans we lost that dark day be forgotten. In the days after the attacks every composer, poet, writer and lyricist took to their tools, opened a vein, and poured out the strongest emotions we as humans possess. There are tons of magazines, newspaper articles, books, and print about 9/11 and the days and years that have followed after. The lost souls of 9/11 are written down in history, their stories, their backgrounds, their achievements, their goals, their dreams, and most importantly their spirits are forever recorded for generations to come to remember them. But we must not forget the heroes that survived that day. There are hundreds of men and women who came out of the ordeal if not unscathed then at least able to see the light of the next morning. They may have to live with the burden of the thought of what if they had gone back for that one person, or what if they had gotten there five minutes earlier, or what if they had gotten there ten minutes too late. Those people I pray for everyday also for they are the shining example of what the people of this nation are made of. Steely resolve, the drive to help those in need, and the fierceness of a tiger backed into a corner. We cannot be broken as long as we stand together and help those who we can help. We were all victims that day, but we came through it with more determination, fight, and will power than any other country I know of.
To the Red, White, and Blue nation I salute you and pray for you everyday.
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