Thursday, December 15, 2005
No way, it’s been a week?
What a week it’s been. So, promptly after my last writing class I got sick. Not kind of sick with a cough and a sneeze, but sick with a fever, the chills and upset stomach. It wasn’t very pretty. I came home from work early on Thursday and spent the afternoon lying on the couch moaning, shivering and burning up. I felt better by Friday afternoon, but I was still very weak.
Saturday was an adventure of a different kind. One of the ladies in my critique group is a season ticket holder at the Paramount Theater up here. Her dog just got out of surgery, so she was unable to go to the show. She offered tickets to me and I snatched those babies up!
They were for Mama Mia, the musical based on the music (of all things) of ABBA. I took mom to it. We had a blast. I think it’s the most fun I have ever had at a musical. It wasn’t serious, as most traditional musicals are. The storyline was fun and the use of the music and costumes turned everything up a notch. The seats were fantastic, 9 rows from the stage. It was…amazing, fun, the cast was energetic and lively.
After the “end” of the musical portion, the cast came out and did a few dances and sang a few songs, in full costume. They had us dancing in the isles, singing along to the greatest hits of ABBA. I immediately bought the CD of the performance.
One of the best parts about seeing this musical was going with mom. She’s been having a stressful time at work and I know that life isn’t always what she would like it to be. I don’t spend as much time with her as I used to, I get all wrapped up in my own life and neglect her. So this was really special to me, I got to see a great show with my mom.
I honestly don’t know how much I will blog over the next two weeks. Work is picking up again and with the holidays, it’s tough to remember to do everything. My plan is to work on my schedule after Christmas so I can figure out what I am missing, what I might be over doing and what I need to add back in. I haven’t done a very good job these last few months of keeping up the things I want to do. My fault completely, but I’m stating to get cranky.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Yawn!
My last writing class for this term was last night. It was kind of fun, in that I got there a little early and sat around with my critique group and chatted before class started. It was also fun because the people in my group seem to have some similar opinions regarding things that happened and have a bit of a snarky attitude. Which is great fun. I try not to be mean, but sometimes it’s just fun to be snarky.
I didn’t realize that we were supposed to bring treats for the class. I’m glad I didn’t because the few people who did brought plenty for everyone. And you don’t need to eat a lot at 9pm. We were supposed to connect the treats to our stories in some way. My character likes this because…which is a good way to get a scene going. One guy said he didn’t have a scene connected to his character, he didn’t think chocolate chip cookies really existed in the 15th century. I laughed and said, “The character’s name is Maria, she likes to bake chocolate chip cookies. Oh, chocolate chips make her so happy, so happy.” I said it with a disjointed accent. It was pretty funny. And his cookies were fabulous!
I would have made my cheese cookies if I had known. They are easy and oh so cheesy. They were a hit at work, people gobbled them right up. I might make some for Christmas. Yummy easy cheesy cookies.
So, I walked up to my bus stop last night and looked around. I usually read all the headlines on the papers and take a gander at all the people waiting for the bus. There was an older couple there, it looked like they were waiting for the bus. They both had walkers and I remember thinking, “how cute.” Then I walked past the women and she was puffing away on a cigarette. Ewe. I hate cigarettes. But she had a big broad smile, so I grinned back at her.
The bus approached and I got in line, expecting the older couple to get in line as well. They didn’t though. They suddenly took off down the sidewalk at a pretty rapid pace. Then I noticed that the man had an oxygen tank hanging from his walker, while the woman had a carton of cigarettes hanging from hers…
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Coffee Snob
Somewhere along the line I became a coffee snob.
When I lived in Colorado, I hardly ever drank coffee. When I did I usually added a packet of hot coco or laced it with sugar and milk. I had only been to Starbucks once, it was a novelty out there, and thought it was good but not really worth the three bucks.
Apparently all of that has changed for me. I’ve become a coffee snob.
On my last trip to CO, mom brought coffee with her. Freshly roasted whole beans that we hand ground Thanksgiving morning to make some very wonderful coffee. The smell was dramatic and the scene was like a commercial. There was my Grandfather, in the kitchen cooking breakfast. There’s my mom, talking to Grandpa and I and taking the freshly ground coffee from the hand grinder to the pot. And there I was, grinding coffee. We stood in the kitchen, well used over the years, in the half light of morning chatting and making coffee. Really, it is what memories are made of.
But back to the issues at hand…
The next morning mom and I were not so quick to rise and Grandpa went back to his normal Folgers. I thought, well okay. At least I don’t have to grind more coffee by hand. Yeah. I’m pretty sure the coffee gave me a stomach ache. I wasn’t completely sure, but I decided it must have been since the next morning my brother and sister-in-law also served me Folgers and I had the same reaction. I decided then that it must be true.
I am a coffee snob.
I am so glad to be back in Washington, where the nearest coffee shop is only two blocks away. The coffee girls are so nice and they make coffee with such love. I have a Starbucks in my building and two just outside (one to the northeast and one to the southwest) There are coffee shops every where you go. I was really excited for Monday morning, to know that Freeman would be getting up (it was his turn to make breakfast) and make a fresh pot of coffee using freshly ground beans. Ah, the joy of coffee.
Friday, December 02, 2005
So it goes…
Not meaning to be dramatic or anything, but this week was pretty, well, dramatic.
It didn’t have to be, it just ended up being that way. But it was dramatic in a low key, slowly everything is going out of whack kind of way.
Monday was Monday. I said a couple of things I really wanted to take back and knew I couldn’t so I felt a little crappy about it. Not much I could do but berate myself for the rest of the day. (hence the post about nothing nice to say and wanting to rant on Tuesday.) Plus Monday was catch-up day for those of us that decided to take a holiday around the holiday. I went home exhausted and didn’t sleep well.
Tuesday was more of the same at work. Class Tuesday night was uneventful. Uneventful in that I refused to read aloud what I had written earlier in the week. Mostly because I was reading it over and thought, “well this is nothing but crap.” And was to embarrassed to read it. I was embarrassed to have written it. I’m embarrassed that I turned it in for the teacher to read it. The only thing I figured out was how the evil guy is killed and that my character has nightmares. Really creepy ones.
Tuesday afternoon they took my hard drive at work. Mine was drying and they came to take it away with the promise that I would have a new one Wednesday.
Wednesday morning came, and went. The guy finally showed up about 9 to install the new hard drive (after calling me at 8 and telling me he would be right over…) We had a fire drill (whoohoo!) so he took off before it had finished installing. Um, okay. So I sat down, logged myself in and got ready to work. Only it didn’t work. And the guy didn’t actually leave me a number to get a hold of him. Yeah. So, after making a couple of calls I finally got the guy. Here’s what he said, “Yeah, it must be a bad hard drive. I had some errors when I was installing it, but I just kept going anyway. I’ll be back later with a new one.” Yeah. That was at 10:30. He did show up later, at 3:30pm. Uh huh.
Meanwhile I got nothing done. Nothing.
Then yesterday I was sick. Not head cold sick, not flu sick, but sick of work. Sick of being tired. Sick of sitting at my desk and not wanting to be here. So I stayed home. And it snowed! Freeman stayed home too (he was actually a little sick, for real) and we had a great day. We watched a movie. We had a fire and drank warm drinks. I baked brownies and he made soup for dinner. And it snowed. It was beautiful!
Today is Friday. After working on it all morning I finally have my computer up and running again. Now I just have to figure out how I had it all set up so I can recreate it. It’s not snowing anymore (at least not here) but it is rainy and cold. I’m ready for a nap, instead I think I’ll work on my homework a little…
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
If you don’t have anything nice to say…
I’ve been going off the premise that if I don’t have anything good to say I should just not say anything. Though several funny thoughts have crossed my mind, these past couple of days I have been feeling rather negative, and tired. The trip to Colorado was good, though as always, too short. It was wonderful to see my family and I realize more every year how lucky I am to have them. I was very fortunate to have the childhood I had, to be able to visit my grandparents in the mountains as much as I did.
On Thanksgiving day I sat outside on their front porch and contemplated my life. It wasn’t one of those deep contemplations, I wasn’t thinking about my mortality or the pain and strife I have been through. Instead I was thinking about all the happy times I have been able to enjoy. The countless Thanksgivings I have been blessed with over the years. Though there always seem to be issues with my family, little wars going on here and there, I have been blessed with the knowledge that every year I get to return to the same house, with the same people, and do it all over again.
Every year my Grandparents have been there for me. Grandpa makes the most wonderful biscuits and gravy and has succeeded in making it impossible for me to get it anywhere else. No restaurant could possibly stand up to the ambiance of their kitchen table, to the warmth and love I am surrounded with when I am there. Grandma always has some chore for us to do, something she would like made or cleaned up, and it is always a surprise. One year we painted her bathroom. This year I cleaned her shoes out for her. It was fun to see some of the shoes she has kept (and is still keeping) one pair was from her high school years. They are still in pristine condition.
My Aunt Judy and Uncle Kenny are always fun to be around. I think as I get older I have learned to appreciate them and the things that they do even more. They have made the holiday possible for many years now. I don’t know that I have always realized their contribution to the family, though as I get older I see what they have done, what they are doing, and I love them for it. Their laughter could not be replaced. I’m always happy to see Judy and Ken’s smiling faces, they are such happy people.
Mark and Breeayne didn’t make it up to the grandparent’s this year, Mark had back surgery. But they had their own supper and we saw them before we left town.
Though all of that, through all of the traveling, driving and sleepless nights, I kept in mind the fact that I am a very lucky person. And though I am a few days late, I have to say I am very thankful for the family that I have.
So, nothing bad tonight. I was somehow able to get through the whole post without ranting. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it again tomorrow, but we’ll let that be for now. 
As you wake in the morning
What do you feel?
Does a rush of happiness
wash over you when,
Suddenly, you realize you are alive?
