Just Jen's Pen

tidbits

2009-06-22T11:51:00.004-04:00

Let’s see. There have been a few changes in plans since my last update. So…

Sam sitting went EXTREMELY well. I think I have the best behaved furry nephew on the planet. We went to G’s house on Fri night for dinner, and except for jumping off the couch and landing on Ollie--which was no slam on Ollie, Sam just NEVER looks where he is going--we had a nice time. The next day we went out to Chris & Kevin’s where everything was great, until I got out of the jeep. In Sam’s excitement to meet Gypsy (their black lab) and Candy (their little mutt), he jumped into the front seat--with one paw landing squarely on the lovely cake box from Alpen Rose. The cake was still edible, though not what you would call aesthetically pleasing. :)

Rosie the cat made it her mission to stalk and torment Sam while we were there. Poor Sam finally had enough as we were leaving and jumped out of the jeep as I turned to say goodbye and made a beeline for the feline. He didn’t get too far before we coaxed him back, but Rosie was sure caught off guard. I had a blast with Sam, even though he is a master manipulator and I am a schmuck.

Went out to Chris’s again the other week and took the kids to see the Night at the Museum 2: Battle for the Smithsonian. Hated it (think Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier form those old In Living Color skits). Seriously, it stunk-stunketty-stunk-stunk. Immensely disappointed, but had fun hanging out with the kids and then later Chris and her neighbor Amy (who also happens to be a colleague, Tech and Lambda Theta alum). We had some nice wine and lemon bars and watched 27 Dresses--way better than the other flick.

The cos collection decided to forgo the Dane Cook performance at the Palace--that gathering is postponed until a TBD date/performance we can all agree on and attend…hmmm…2023 maybe? :)

In lieu of that, I took a vacay day Fri the 12th and went with my pal Beth to the Waterfront Film Festival. We planned to dress up all Hollywood/mysterious with hats and dark shades--and we did. I even got complemented on my ensemb at the first venue--it was totally all my Stella McCartney bag (awesome score at 85% off). We seriously went to stalk any celebs that made appearances, but we happened to pick some awesome movies to see too. The first was Weather Girl. It definitely hit home with some laugh-out-loud moments. Then it was a quick brunch of eggs benedict at Monroe’s, followed by The Baker. Dry British humor my arse. This was freakin’ Hi-Larry-Us. We then had a break where Beth (8+ months pg) got to drink vicariously through me as I downed a couple of margaritas on the deck at the Butler--accompanied by the appropriate not-used-to-drinking-midday-on-a-less-than-full-tummy ramblings. So we followed our beverage break with the next logical option--ice cream from Kilwin’s, duh. :)

We made it back in time for our last feature of the day, Waiting for Ophelia. Although it was very good, it was more of a drama than the comedies form earlier in the day, so it kinda killed my buzz. That and the star was Yeardley Smith, who along with being there at a Q&A session post-flick, is also the voice of Lisa Simpson. My brain, eyes, and ears had a really difficult time getting past that--the Jose Cuervo didn’t help with the reconciliation. All in all, it was a very good time and we both plan to go again.

The Wings lost.
In Detroit.
In Game 7.
:(
Even though I didn’t jinx them by watching. Ok, I may have snuck in some radio broadcast on the way home, but that doesn’t count.

After the film fest, I picked up my latest charge. Mr. Finnigan. a 130#, 1 year old Newfoundland that belongs to a colleague of mine named Tom.

Finnigan

I took him for a test drive that weekend in preparation for watching him for a longer duration this summer. He rocks. The change jar is now officially the Angus fund so I can get my very own. :)

Work is busy, but going well. Got awesome props from our Bulgarian colleagues who prefer the NA implementation hands down over the EU implementation--which basically means I and former colleagues really did a nice job. Yeah us!!!

Well, we made the national news here for our flooding/washouts this past week. Unfortunately, I did not escape unscathed. However, compared to what others had to endure, I got off easy. The fans, a/c, and dehumidifier are still running in the basement to clean up the flood. The following is a pic I took mid-storm about 9:30 Fri night off my back deck. Mind you, there is never typically even a stream back there--just lawn. Nature’s fury, eh?

the flood

On a serious note, Leo came home three days early from his varmit hunting trip b/c he wasn’t feeling well again. He even tried to fly home. That is serious for Leo. He went to the doc as soon as he got home and has a battery of tests scheduled at the hospital this week. Good vibes, prayers, and happy karma are all welcome.

Until next time…

a star is born...

2009-06-01T12:13:00.003-04:00

I couldn't be prouder/more excited!!!

My little sister, Nanner, filmed her silver screen debut this past weekend. She was an extra in a scene for film called "The Irishman" starring Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken. The scene was shot somewhere dt Detroit this past weekend. She sat a seat away from Mr. Kilmer (ah, Iceman....) during the scene. Check it out...

She hopes this is the breakthru perfomrance she'll need to make it big in the lucrative world of infomercials! Hahaha! Go Nanner!

get nice & comfy...

2009-05-08T12:34:00.003-04:00

When you don’t know where to begin, I’m always told it is best to start at the beginning…so, chronologically, here goes…

Back when we had the subzero cold snap, in late December I think, (yeah, there really is that HUGE of a backpile of mundane tidbits) I left work late and decided to pick-up some Wendy's chili at the drive-thru. As I rolled the window down on Magellan, I heard a snap-crackle-pop and unfortunately there was no puffed rice cereal in sight. I hastily rolled the window back-up, EXTREMELY grateful that it cooperated. I vowed to myself not to use the window for a while and get it looked at. Fast forward a week or so to January when we return to work after holiday break to the news that there will be more lay-offs. Oh joy. That’s ok, I can survive w/o rolling down my driver’s window in winter in MI--no problem. I already talked about the layoffs and I don’t want to go back there, so I’m skipping it. Anywho, the layoffs have passed and then there is the announcement of the week off w/o pay--another reason to not rush out and get the window fixed. No problem, it hasn’t been a problem thus far. I’ll survive. Along comes a mild day, odd, but not unheard of in late winter/early spring MI. In a moment of spring fever while driving down 31 I press the button. A weird noise is emitted and the window shimmies down a bit before I realize what I did. Darn Narbit! I cross my fingers and press the button for it to go back up--but unfortunately the car repair gods were no longer shining on me. It wouldn’t budge. I still wasn’t ready to take it in to get fixed (had vague recollections of Leo scouring junk yards for a replacement window motor for Judea’s full-sized burgundy & silver econoline van [Bessie IV, I believe] back in the early 80s--back then the fam wasn’t going to, nor could they afford the new $300 part). I could only imagine the financial rape I was going to suffer. I summoned my redneck genes and, with the help of some colleagues and some 3M packing tape (that stuff works great Dee), was able to get the window secured in the up position. I held out as long as I could until a couple of weeks ago--the day before the rainy season here. I needed an oil change and couldn’t wait any longer. I went in and asked for the pain. Iy-yi-yi. If you have automatic windows in your vehicle--treat them kindly. $782 later, my driver’s window is functioning again. Ouch. I did do some finish damage with the packing tape too. Eh, such is life, right?

Other things that went down in that timeframe…Leo has undergone more tests and various meds…they think they now finally have a combo that will work for him. I really wish he would retire and not work so hard anymore--but c’mon, seriously, those of you who know Leo know he won’t retire until he dies. He’ll be happy here soon enough as he heads out west for his annual obliterate/annihilate ground hogs trigger happy week. Hide ground hogs, hide!

Kyle wrote a book of stories for class that the teachers had bound/published into “real” books. I was lucky enuf to receive an advance copy. It is awesome. Man, I couldn’t have gotten luckier in the nephew pool if I tried.

Came up with another design feature for the basement (scheduled completion = 2036). I have quite the collection of magnetic poetry kits (College, Shakespeare, Erotic. Hebrew, just to name a few…). What can I say? I love words. Anywho--it has been a long time since I’ve run out of space here at work to display [appropriate facets of] my collection. A jolt of inspiration sent me on a web quest for magnetic paint. Low and behold, it exists! Yeah-rah! Large sections of wall space in the basement will now be able to be transformed into magnetic poetry canvases. Woo-Hoo, happy, happy. J

I already posted about my friend Jamie’s loss too. I don’t want to talk about that again now either (dumb girl hormonies are highly active right now) or I’ll start crying again. So I’ll skip that. Instead, I’ll fast forward to the Monday after the funeral. I’ve determined little kids, as sweet and cuddly and amusing as they are, are also little germ delivery systems. I’m convinced that b/c I don’t spend a whole lot of time around them, my immunities aren’t up to snuff when faced with their sickly powers. So, the point being, after I spent some time around little kiddies that weekend, by the time Monday rolled around I felt like a giant turd. I called the boss Monday a.m. to let him know I wouldn’t be in. He almost didn’t recognize who was calling. After hanging up with him, I proceeded to sleep for another 8 hours uninterrupted--which I can’t do when I’m feeling fine. Rallied the troops and pushed myself to go in the next day. The boss came to my office/cubicle and sat down as I was firing up the system that morning--never a good sign. He said he had something big he wanted to tell me before I heard from others. Apparently he was VERY happy I called in sick the day before. He had to address a matter on my team that he was happy I wasn’t around to witness. The way he put it was that the company had given my last remaining colleague the option to resign, and he took it. Other than it wasn’t reduction-in-force related, I can’t, and frankly, don’t want to know the details. It was a shock tho. No warning or clue that something like that was brewing. And Vic, said colleague, is a very sweet, kind, and funny guy. I miss having him around. Now my team is down to me. Me and my boss. I’m starting to feel toxic, like I should warn people not to get too close. It is bad for their job health.

Planned the trip to hang with Aunt Connie up in Traverse City for July. Judea will meet me up there and we’ll be beaching, exploring, wine tasting and hitting Interlochen for both Chris Thile (love, love, love him) w/ the World Youth Symphony and the Steve Miller Band BIG, BIG smile.

I got to pick up Jamers from GRR when she flew into town for her little sister Katie’s graduation from GVSU. It was so nice to be able to see her. We went to Marie’s in East GR for lunch and got to chat with Marie for a while. Both Jamie and I worked for Marie when she ran her restaurant up in Houghton. Jamie did an awesome job as truck driver with the U-Haul--but I don’t think she ever decided on a handle--I think she just stuck with Moonshine. J We hung with Jamie’s mom, g-ma, Katie, her bf Ryan, and Katie’s friends at her apartment for quite a while then us older chicas went back to the hotel and hung out for a bit more. A very special time indeed.

Stepped foot on Hope College campus for the first time since I’ve lived in the area. It was for the Hope Fringe Festival -- a free concert that night featuring Ganges (not bad) with headliner Joe Pug. Holy smokes. Blown away by the talent in this young dude. I sat there mezmorized. Reminded me of the poetic poignant lyrics of Bob Dylan w/o the annoying weird twanginess. I felt I got to witness something really special. This kid is awesome. Can’t wait for his new CD to be released this summer.

Found the rest of my blue glass beads (for the beaded curtain in my kitchen window) on clearance at the Jo-Ann’s . I have 2.93 strands beaded and I think I’m going to need about 18-20 total. Another work in progress.

Had an impulse retail purchase experience. A big one. At least big by my standards. My dvd player started acting up--the machine jams. You can’t shut it off. You have to pull the whole entertainment center out. Unplug the machine. Shake it and jab it with a screwdriver a few random times. And, if you are lucky, when you plug it back in, it’ll work. I got mad and said screw it, I’ll just listen to a cd instead. So I grab a DMB cd and pop it into my old college 3-disc shelf stereo. Apparently, the stereo thinks I’m a liar, b/c it kept saying “no disc” after rotating around 16 times. Thoroughly po’d. I took off to Best Buy with the intention of buying a new cheap (~$40) dvd player and calling it good. I picked up the last one. Had it in my hands. Then, I made the mistake of continuing to walk around the store. I went down the home theatre system aisle. BIG mistake. I pressed the demo button on the Bose system. BIGGER mistake. I fell in like, love, and lust in an instant. I was taken back to the day when Angie M. (then L.) and I were out at 12 Oaks visiting her mom at the salon for something. We were riding the escalator up to the second floor (when it was still Hudson’s, still way cool, and still had an electronics dept). I remember asking Angie if she heard that music--there was live music coming from the electronics dept. It was Tears in Heaven. No wait. It was Clapton performing Tears in Heaven. OMG! The 12 Oaks Hudson’s at the time (this was before the Somerset Collection existed) was THE snooty Hudson’s--and it wouldn’t be impossible (improbable, yeah, impossible, no) for Eric to actually be there. We raced up the escalator and tore into the electronics dept to find two tiny speakers making it sound like Mr. C was standing right in front of you (it didn’t hurt that he was on a big screen telly too). I was blown away. I thought that someday, if I ever have the means, I want that system. Well, I don’t really have the means, but now I have the system (sans telly--I can only not afford one piece at a time). Now, I actually have to hook up to cable--can’t have static coming thru those babies. That’d be a crime.

Spent some times with my pal Chris and her family. Organized an Easter Egg hunt/ “keep-the-kids-out-from-under-our-feet-while-we-finish-the-house-for-the-inspector” day for the munchkins (they passed the inspection w/ flying colors). I think I was assigned kid duty for two main reasons: 1) I am on the same mental level as most kids, so it is a natural fit and 2) they didn’t want me wielding either hand or power tools anywhere near their home (can you blame ‘em?) J Went to a jewelry party there where I indulged too much (but if a girl can’t even buy herself fun fake jewelry, what’s the point?) but had fun. Came to pick up the jewelry and Chris and I ended up laughing like loons while splitting a couple of bottles of wine and listening to Brook tell princess stories around the campfire. Celebrated Brook’s 6th b-day and talked to their neighbor/colleague/techie/DZ alum Amy bout her new kayak--gonna have to check that out. So many wants--so little $ to fund them. Oh well. It prolly doesn’t come across very well, but I am ETERNALLY grateful for what I do have. In the process of making plans to go see the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian movie with Brook, Noah, Chris, and Kevin (if mom says it is ok for dad to go-hahaha). Mr. Kevin hooked me up w/ some commercial/industrial desk drawer modules that are going to make the base of my sewing station in the work/craft room in the basement. I just need to find a top--making a trip w/ Chris to the Haworth store for that.

Didn’t want to watch the prez the other night, so I tuned into PBS and was VERY grateful b/c the documentary, Asparagus: Stalking the American Life was just starting. I had made a mental note earlier on that I wanted to watch it, but I should know by now my mental notes aren’t as sticky as they should be. Anywho - it was awesome. I can see why it earned so many awards. I loved it. If someone had told me that a documentary featuring folksy west MI asparagus farmers, a real-honest-to-goodness 70s era disco song and dance depicting the life of asparagus, interviews with Mrs. Asparagus candidates, etc. would make me cry, I would have thought they were koo-koo for cocoa puffs. Not so, not so. Granted I was pms-y, but I think I would have cried, even if I wasn’t. Two thumbs up.

May pal Elaine and I went to the Crown Motor’s ladies night out where we were treated to valet parking, desserts from Alpen Rose, wine sampling (and a bottle to take home, nice.) from Corkscrews, chair massages, paraffin dips, airbag deployment demos, and roses--all w/o a sales pitch. Works for me. J

I’m prepping for my upcoming babysitting gig. I get to watch Sam all next weekend. Nanner is coming to Jenison to spend time with her chica Chris and her new offspring, and as adorable as Sam is, Nanner won’t be of much help if Sam is nosing around, so I get him. YEAH! We have the local recommended vet’s number programmed into the cell and playdates arranged for every day. I can’t wait! Is dog-napping a crime?

We have a Validation reunion coming up next week at New Holland Brewery. Some of my favs who have moved on to Gentex will be there. (yeah, PVL!). It should be a blast.

My cos, Kathryn (Zeta Jones), is organizing another fam get together at the Palace for the Dane Cook appearance on 12-Jun. We went (last year, I think, or maybe it was 2 years ago) and had 3 separate suites -- with the older folks (the aunts & uncles) getting the prime suite and us youngins up in the higher elevations. We ended up all cramming in the prime suite together anyways and had a blast.

Braved all of the pig ebola hype (even tho we had the majority of confirmed MI cases centered right here at Hope College, it never seemed to be too big of a deal) and went out last night to see Pop Evil perform here at Tulip Time--that in and of itself is comical to me. Bobby Vinton was the other (and more typical style) headliner at the other venue on the same night. The Tulipalooza, as the more “modern” venue, was outdoors, but within a couple hundred yards of Freedom Village, the elite retirement community here. Fled 5 opened--3 piece local group that sounded good live. A little heavier than my normal tastes, but good all the same. Was especially impressed with the drummer and the guest bongo player from Brazil. Pop Evil appeared more glam-pop-rock than I envisioned, complete with a bassist with hair similar to mine and sideburns (hopefully not similar to mine) shirtless w/ black leather vest, black pants and chains & scarves around the waist a-la Steven Tyler that shook his locks like a crazy rock man. They sounded REALLY good and polished. I liked the music--def not my fav style, but I guess that varies with mood, cuz I don't think I have a style. They got the crowd pumped and the rocked out. All in all, tre cool/fun.

Earlier this week they announced another week off w/o pay. Def not a jump for joy moment, but still WAY better than being unemployed. Nanner and Sam are planning to come out here for a couple of days then. And Judea is trying to arrange to get the boys at that time too. Hoping to use the big 6 person tent she won and camp with the boys on the beach (or as near as we can get to the beach) for a couple of nights.

Along with discontinuing free coffee service (no biggie - can’t drink that gut rot anyways), they also outlawed personal coffee makers. RIP my beloved 4 cup Kitchen Aid. (*tear*). I won’t be java deprived that easily tho. I am currently learning the subtleties and nuances of the French press. First 2 times it was a wee bit weak. Not sure if I need more beans or more brew time. Practice makes perfect, right?

OK - there is still more, but the writing bug has just about worn off for now. I’ll catch ya’ll up on more at a later time. Until then, peace out.

J

love, loss, and hope

2009-04-28T11:58:00.003-04:00

I haven't written in a while, not for lack of topics--the back pile is bigger than it ever has been--but for lack of focus.

You see, the first of my college chicas, my MTU girls, lost a parent last month. It hit us all so much harder than we ever could have imagined. Those of us in MI traveled there to be present in person while those out of state sent their love through the airwaves. Words are not enough. Actions seem hollow. There is nothing you can do to help ease the pain. My heart broke and continues to do so for my Jamers. I will continue to be there for you in any way I can. Any way you need me. I was so honored to be able to be there for you that weekend. Meeting the "Irish Lady" and hearing stories about your dad from his brothers--that is something I will always cherish. I was also thrilled to be able to help out this past weekend. Seriously, your mom and G-ma and Katie and Ryan--all so welcoming and nice. I loved hearing more about your dad (Comcast debacle, kumquat & lemondrop, etc.). Thanks for inviting me in. Thanks for sharing.

I was just starting to gain some perspective on the whole situation when a bomb just dropped on me. In the ladies room at work no less. I ran into one of my work pals and she shared with me that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She is young and happy and full of life. How can this be? Why her? Questions that really have no answers, but they haunt your brain anyway. I'm feeling blurry and unfocused again. I know it will pass. Probably too quickly at that. I need to regroup and center myself around the only thing I've found that helps--my faith.

Sending out prayers to all suffering and in need.

heartfelt thoughts

2009-03-24T13:32:00.005-04:00

First off, many congrats on the arrival of Molly Josephine!

What an awesome birthday present! She is absolutely gorgeous!!!
Hope mom and dad and big sis are doing great (btw, Happy Belated Birthday Ang!).

Conversely, sending prayers and hope and oodles of love and hugs and positive thoughts to Jamers and her fam in their time of need. As all the chicas said, the distance may limit our practical help, but it in no way diminishes the absolute love we are sending out to you. I sure hope you can feel it.

shameless adopted hometown plug

2009-03-24T13:25:00.002-04:00

If you are bored tonight and are just jonesing to know more about where I live, check out The Weather Channel's "one-tank trip from Chicago" spot tonight at 5:00 pm EST and again at 11:00 pm EST, and one last time tomorrow morning (25-Mar-2009) at 8:00 am EST.

Holland MI is the featured destination. Apparently TWC people were here filming a snow storm earlier in the year and they like the area so much they wanted to feature it--pretty sweet.

:)

projectile minutiae disgorgement - part 1

2009-03-19T11:47:00.007-04:00

Man, so many little tidbits to share, my head is spinning. I’ll start with my amusing dinner this past Tuesday night. I was invited over to Aimee and Mike’s for dinner to make up for me having to ditch them this past Sat (big hugs and kisses to the persons who invented pamprin and heating pads--w/o them I’d have quickly plotted and carried out my own demise). Anywho, the evening’s main event was the celebration of Big D’s (7th) and AA’s (4th) b-days. Both boys got Star Wars kites. Big D also got a build-your-own-monster-truck kit and a paper airplane kit. AA also got a matchbox fire engine ladder truck and a beautiful book, Brava Strega Nona! --a nod to the Italian heritage (I think mom will like it even more than he does). Aimee and Mike are AWESOME (in every sense of the word) peeps who work with me. They have 4 munchkins ages 11, 7, 4, and 2. Entering a house like that is almost like going to a foreign country for me--alien beyond compare. Lots of action, loud noises, and juggling. My favorite highlights included:

1) a dinner conversation that went something like this:

4 yo = “Mom, when you hurt your eyes, you are supposed to put mud in them. And then you brush them off like this...[demonstrating]” (referring to the biblical story of Jesus healing the blind man)
11 yo = “You know Jesus made the mud using His spit!”
7yo = “Dad, is that because they didn’t invent napkins yet?”

2) while homework was being checked and dishes put away, the 2yo running around the house in her pink piggy pjs sporting the toy welder’s goggles shouting, “Alleluia” at the top of her voice and laughing.

After the kids were put down for the night the adults dialed up the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly on the Roku box--very, very interesting, but definitely not a Tues night movie. We were all fighting the nods not even 20 minutes into it so I packed it up and headed back to the south side. I’ll have to try and watch it again on another night.

There are so many other things to share I don’t even know where to begin. It will all come across as a random prattle of disconnected, jumbled experiences--but hey, that is my life. :)

First off, before I forget…

Happy Birthday to:
Becky - hope you are over the flu and having a great day lady!

Happy Belated Birthday to:
Dee--your b-day week plans sounded Marvy-luss!
Elaine--looking forward to the celebratory night on the town!
New Maurer--Are you here yet?

Work. Work is going well. Very busy. Still a bit disjointed, but well. We’ve implemented a bunch of cost savings notions that are helping us reverse the trend. The company has ceased tuition reimbursement--I am SOOOOO thankful my MS is completed. That would devastate me to be on that path and then have the rug pulled out from underneath. Also, we are modifying our main building here to fully utilize the square footage--looks like a big wall is going in about 20 paces south of my desk. Fortunately, I won’t have to move my desk--that is only slightly less tedious than moving my home. We were able to score some deeply discounted Wings tix (~$17 a ticket for the Joe) thru an offer made to the company, I couldn’t use them so I passed the deal back on to the fam on the East side--but everyone is so busy I don’t think anyone got to use them. Other than that, I helped throw together a quick (very quick) fundraiser for our Bulgarian Orphanage Aid project. We sold green root beer floats--and we able to bring in profits totaling over $500. I has extremely pleased with the turnout. My colleagues have bigger hearts than I ever thought possible. It makes me so proud of them. I’m very lucky.

Last Friday I took a vacation day to spend with Judy here in town. The day started off great cuz I got to see U2 perform live on GMA at Fordham University in the Bronx. Man do I still like them. Bono is a intriguing as ever. Anywho, the weather here was Bee-U-Tif-Full! We hit Great Lakes Furniture. It is my FAVORITE furniture store. I’ve bought all my BR and LR furniture from them. Due to the economic situation they are going out of business. It makes me very sad. Altho I didn’t need or want new furniture, I wanted to walk around the store one last time to say goodbye. It may sound kooky, but it was one of those stores I would wander around and gain ideas and inspiration from. I’m really going to miss it. I brought one last small piece home with me--a small planter shelf for the master bath that will completely compliment my ancient ruins motif going on in there. Good-bye GLF. :(

Judy and I hit Good Earth for lunch and then toured DT Holland. Altho I live here, I rarely take the time to enjoy the inherent beauty and charm of my adopted home unless I am entertaining guests. So, it was really nice to stroll the streets with my mom. The DT association was holding their “No boys allowed” shopping weekend featuring deals and specials. I bought an autographed low country B&B cookbook (my heroin) at one store. We then stopped into The Bridge, our awesome fair trade store where Judy bought me some groovy necklaces and a scarf. My mom spoils me. All of us kids. Her grandkids too. But she really enjoys doing it. I’m almost to the point where I don’t try and stop here. Almost.

Judy and I then went to Moynihan Gallery. They were holding a b-day celebration where they had a MI puzzle all complete except for one piece. Every customer got to try their luck and pull a puzzle piece from a big jar to see if they could pick the missing piece. The grand prize was an original oil by Ms. Kate Moynihan herself. Altho I wasn’t a grand prize recipient, I picked a silver star puzzle piece winning me a Big Red print by Randall Higdon, a doors of DT Holland poster, and a collapsible/reusable shopping bag. I was happy with it. :)

We then went and got our tickets for the 7:00 showing of Taken at the local multiplex (action packed and fun for those who enjoy revenge based violence, but not altogether believable). We headed back DT for a quick dinner at CityVu Bistro, followed by a nice stroll along the Heinz/Lake Mac Walkway--then back just in time to catch the movie. We made an early night b/c we had to be out of the house by 5:45 the next morning to pick up Elaine and catch the bus in GR for our shopping trip to IL.

My luck continued on the bus as mom’s name was drawn in the raffle and she won certificates for free videos from a local place--which she gave to me. She then picked the next winner’s name out of the bowl--Me. Nice job Mom! I won a $20 gift certificate to Applebee’s--I just may have to take Kyle out to his fav place. Elaine and I had some good girl chat time on the bus on the way there--the assigned seats had us sitting together and Judy up a row and across the aisle. Mom is good at making friends so it was no biggie.

We made it to Gurnee Mills just as it was opening. None of us 3 were on a mission. Just exploring. We scored some good deals at the Bath & Body Works including some 90% off shopping/beach bags--originally $40. For $4 it was worth it just not to have to carry multiple shopping bags from all of the stores. Other than that I got a few over-the-shoulder-boulder holders and 2 more cookbooks (one on preserving year round and another on Shelburne Farms in Vermont). We headed back to the hotel at 5:00 for some snacks and toddies. Decided we were done shopping for the day--the bus was making 2 more trips back and forth to the mall. We chilled in the room for a bit (pretty decked out with a fridge, microwave, lay-z-boy, and air-hockey table) and then went across the parking lot to Timothy O’Toole’s for dinner where I excitedly ordered one of my favs, Guinness & Black (alternate names depending on where you order it, but essentially a Guinness with a shot of Chambord). This place was brand new, so I should have known better, but it was Irish themed so I just presumed they’d get it right. They didn’t. They served the Guinness ice cold. I had to wait forever for it to warm up to room temp. The consolation was that they were handing out free 6oz samplers of both Harp’s and Guinness. We all 3 took one or the other, but neither Judea nor Elaine are beer chicas, so they gave me theirs. We returned to the hotel to call it a night, but not before I sharpied a lovely stick-people couple and their dog into one of the ultra-cheesy mass produced kaka oil paintings in the room. I picked up that little habit at a funky motel up in Chassell, MI. (Angie M. -- Remember Caroline, Brandon, and you and the snowsuit sleeping bag? hahaha!)

The next am we boarded the bus for Light House Place in Michigan City, Indiana. The weather did not cooperate--shifting between drizzle and violent downpour every 20 minutes. I got a few work shirts, a potato masher at Le Creuset, and some Harry & David treasures for me and my colleagues. I spent more $ than intended, but I felt altho I may not have totally honored my less-spending/less excess plan, I made no frivolous purchases.

After we got to GR and dropped Elaine off, mom and I headed back to my place. We were whipped and made a pretty early night of it. Next am we got Judy packed up and headed out to grab breakfast before she hit the road for home and I reported to the Center for Women in Transition (CWIT) for my week of volunteer work.

Working at CWIT was an AMAZING experience. I was blown away by how good it felt to do something for people in need in my community. I can TOTALLY get the draw of working for a non-profit. It felt truly purposeful. It also made me realize just how complex my responsibilities at my primary job are. I gained new respect for many things:

*my ability to jump in and use some design/computer skills that I just take for granted everyone possesses (b/c I see us all as such unique and creative beings)
*people who sacrifice big $ paying jobs, for jobs that pay big in other less tangible, but no less valuable ways
*myself--he inner self-critical me tends to see myself as a glorified secretary at times. This being the only ‘real’ job I’ve had since college. I wasn’t sure what else I was qualified to do. I was able to prove to myself that I have skills and talents that people do indeed appreciate and value. It may seem weird, but that was a fear I have carried around inside for quite a while.

On top of all those wonderful things, I got to work with some wonderful people--Sherry and Jean in particular. Holland is really a small town at heart and I was delighted to hear Sherry needed to call someone about the DT St. Paddy’s Day parade--someone we both knew, so I got to give him a surprise hiya. I learned Sherry also dreams of opening a B&B in the very exact house I’ve had my eye on here, Windy Ridge Estate (sorry, there are no links to this at this time b/c they took it off the market--it looks like it would fit right in on Mackinaw Island). Sherry’s hubby is a Schoolcraft College Culinary School grad (uber-yeah!). While at CWIT my tasks were to design and prep things for the Volunteer Appreciation Open House (hard invites, evites, mailing labels, welcome sign, flower tags, etc.--the annual fundraiser program had already been completed). To express her gratitude, Sherry took me out to lunch on Friday to the Curragh where I got to meet her good friend, who also happens to own/run the establishment, and who happens to hail from Greece, by way of Chicago. She travels often back home to the Peloponnese to visit her rents. Altho we didn’t have much time to talk (the prepping for the big SPD shenanigans was in full swing) it was some cool kismet.

That Friday night I headed to Dan and Nadine’s for a fine dinner of raclette, wine, and scotch sampling. We had a great time and look forward to getting together again soon.

Okay, I made it half way thru my list of mundane tidbits and this is already too long, so I’m gonna cut it off here and put the rest in another post.

Wishing you all health & happiness!

a multitude of things

2009-03-05T17:56:00.002-05:00

I like to think of myself as a very practical person. I never understood the faux pas in giving a vacuum or blender as a gift. As said practical person, I also never understood the idea of collecting--be it baseball cards, Precious Moments figurines, or Longaberger baskets. Sure, as a kid I had my sticker collection and even a few garbage pail kids cards to boot. But as an adult, my thought is more--where is the practical sense in having a multitude of the same thing? Puh-leez. Just more crapola to dust.

***Disclaimers***

#1 Please know that if you happen to be a collector--I am not judging you. It just ain’t my bag. It is your duty to do what makes you happy, and if collecting civil war memorabilia gets your juices flowing, by all means, knock yourself out. Just don’t expect me to go gaga over it.

#2 I’m sorry to say, but if you ever gifted me with such a collectable it has long since been recycled via good will, a garage sale, or the much disdained re-gift (don’t knock it, it’s green).

Imagine my surprise then when I discovered I was indeed a collector--albeit, of practical things (okay, I can understand you might think I’m somewhat biased on the notion of practicality, but it is my blog so dems da berries).

My collections…
*110 candles in my house (not in boxes, but out in candle holders)
*356 cookbooks (including a few I have loaned out to some friends)
*8041 fonts (used in all my moonlighting gigs, campaign flyers, b-day invites, etc.)
*23 throw pillows (a gal has gotta be comfortable)
*50 pairs of black shoes (no, you can’t call me Imelda)
*146 bottles of nail polish (77 base colors, 69 sparkly, and yes absolutely necessary and practical when you have Flintsone feet--yes that HS comment still rings in my ears)
*11 silver rings I wear at all times (just fingers and toes--Leo’s wrath still isn’t worth it)

Looking at these numbers helps me to realize why this country is in such a state of economic distress. It is simply ludicrous. I’m going to do my part to try and put a stop to it (not the fonts tho, I get those for free).

I hereby am making a vow to seriously decrease my retail therapy sessions (if I was already past menopause I’d go cold turkey, but I know my hormonies too well). Now, the fact that I’m heading out on an overnight shopping trip here soon might appear a skosh contradictory, but I look at it as more of a test (not to mention an opportunity to reconnect with my old pal the Captain).

Also, Mount St. Garage Sale (whose basecamp is in my basement) is either going to be used in a fundraiser at work to help an orphanage in Bulgaria, or it is being taken to goodwill. I can’t stand the thought of profiting off of excess goods I don’t need when people are struggling so hard to make ends meet.

I hope this hasn’t given you the wrong idea that I am a money spending oinker. I am still koo-koo for cocoa puffs frugal, in my own way:
*Rabbit ears for 10+ years (I’m not paying to watch TV!--at least until that dang transition happens)
*Thermostat in dead winter gets a high of 62 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours every day, then sinks back to 50 degrees before I go to bed (why heat the house when I’m at work? plus, I can always blame the extra pudge on ‘layering’ to stay warm)
*The blue box college dinner still graces my plate now and then--it is the cheapest..errr..uhhh…cheesiest.
*Pro haircuts, happen on a yearly basis at most (I’m in the process of trying to get it long enuf for locks of love while still keeping it shoulder length for me...just about 3” to go…) Dye jobs are either by moi or Nanner.

So there you have it. That's my plan, what's yours?

Konbanwa (see, that Japanese class is already paying off...)

gratitudes

2009-03-05T17:47:00.003-05:00

Nanner, thanks for being a wonderful nagging lil sista. I love you!

Angie M., I’m glad you were able to use the six word memoir with your students. I do hope you share what they come up with (even if you have to keep it anonymous)! Also, isn't it about time for you to push?

Beth, thanks for your kind words--you rock! Somehow, the possibility of that travel book seems a wee bit more real…

Alex, your words and outlook hit me like a lightning bolt the other day little dude. I was thinking about the time I got to spend with you and your big brother over the holidays. I don’t know why in particular, but playing ‘Guess Who’ with you popped into my head. Your voice asking me, “Aunt Jenny, is your person’s skin color black or white?” kept playing over and over in my head. You asked that question, just like that, every time we played a round. It took a while for me to realize that at the tender young age of 5 your penchant for the precise use of words held a deeper symbolism, at least to me. I phrased my question to you the way you hear it in the mass media, “Alex, is your person black or white?”

five-year-old version = assigning skin color as just another physically descriptive feature, like eye color or hair color

adult version = assigning black or white as definitives; absolutes in and of themselves--implying we are our skin color

In the adult world where the best intentions can easily get lost amid the maze of political correctness, or worse, drowned out by the crowd, it was SO refreshing and poignant to see the world through the eyes of a five year old. Thanks pal for opening my eyes and showing me that a few simple words can make a huge difference.

:)

what is your six word story?

2009-02-19T18:55:00.008-05:00

I went to the B&N last night to use my “Thank-you for renewing your membership coupon.” That place is like primo 100% crack rock straight from Columbia for me.

I wanted to sit there all night and pour through the new releases I put in my basket. The shopkeepers there know my game. I leave stacks (9+ books in each) around the store in various spots while I’m browsing (they really need shopping carts). I then slowly move my purchases to the café (if the staff hasn’t already), where, more often than not, I occupy way more space than a single customer should. I make my café dinner order of a half-sandwich and a cup of soup (skipped the Godiva Cocoa this time--exhibiting iron will) and then lose myself in my treasures.

There are typically two piles into which I sort my treasures: “not gonna do it” & “you will be mine. Oh yes, you will be mine.” Sometimes there is a third nebulous pile: “I REALLY shouldn’t, but if my ‘oh yes’ pile is small, I don’t wanna lose you in the ‘not gonna’ pile.”

Now that you have the fascinating OCD back story--last night the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure made it into my ‘oh yes’ pile. I’m probably way behind the ball on this one and everyone has already heard about it (anyone else out there still roll-n-peg your jeans? j/k).

Just in case you haven’t…I read it last night (during the commercial breaks on the new Lost, of course). It was awesome. I loved it. It was put together by SMITH online mag way back in 2006 based on the notion that supposedly someone challenged ole Ernie Hemingway to tell a complete story in six words or less. Legend has it he came up with, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

SMITH encouraged people all over the globe to share their own six word memoirs and post them on their site (www.sixwordmemoirs.com). This book is a compilation of some of their favorites from both celebrities (Mario Batali, Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Joan Rivers, etc.) and everyday joes and janes. I ate it up. In many ways it reminded me of PostSecret.

I’m not quite comfortable putting mine out there on the SMITH site, but in the relative safety of my own little world, here are some I came up with (although I’m sure someone, somewhere out there, had similar thoughts)…

warp speed ketchup (as opposed to catsup—I REALLY dislike that spelling)

2009-02-16T17:55:00.005-05:00

It has been awhile since I’ve posted, and every day that I don’t because I lack the time, I get further behind in my posting. I feel like the chicken. And the egg.

Caution, projectile updates to follow…

As many of you know the axe was indeed swung at my place of employment last month. Although I still have my job, my little group looks like Lizzie Borden’s latest victim. My colleague/counterpart Michelle got let go. That was weird and scary and painful. I’ve never had anyone that close, both in proximity and work relation, get let go in such a manner. In addition, my boss’s boss was also let go. Feels like we were both pruned at the branches and hacked at the roots. I’m sure my bewilderment and frustration pales in comparison to those no longer here. Throughout the rest of my department there were eight other people let go. My heart and prayers go out to them. I was fully expecting to be shown the door myself. The tension from waiting all week for the phone call or tap on my shoulder was palpable. Knowing that my industry cannot sustain the losses it has suffered w/o getting bloody. I don’t like this aspect of life/work and I never want to experience it again. Unfortunately that isn’t very realistic. I don’t want to dwell on it anymore—at least right now.

In addition to the latest round of lay-offs, we are required to take a week off this quarter w/o pay. I am honestly happy to do it, especially if it means we get to save more jobs. Instead of sitting home on my plentiful backside and watching Days that week, I decided to volunteer at our local women’s crisis center. My colleague Michelle inspired me to do so—thanks Michelle. I’m excited to be able to be doing something positive that may actually help people. Last I heard I would be working on the layout for the Spring fundraiser’s program. Last year’s guest speaker at the program was Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle. I am very excited to see who it will be this year. I am also excited to spend some time outside the realm of engineers—it will be refreshing to get a swift creative kick in the hinder.

The holidays went well. My team at work adopted a holiday family—a mom, a dad, and a little boy. I, along with the rest of my colleagues, went overboard in decking them out for the season. It was the only way I could find some semblance of joy with all of the other depressing stuff going on in the area/country/world. The weather caused me some last minute scheduling readjustments, but I made it to the Motor City to see the rents, the siblings, and the nephews. A good time was had by all. The rest of holiday break was spent vegging and worrying and planning. Didn’t really do any of the projects I was supposed to at home, but my mind needed to rest and I’m ok with it. I learned I watch too much TV when I need to zone out. I learned I hate NBC’s commercial for 30 Rock that says, “What is 10 rock times 3 rock?...30 rock!” No it isn’t—It’s 30 Rock squared. Duh! Nanner dyed my hair for me over break too. Apparently growing the black dye out from Halloween is going to take (MUCH) longer than expected. So on any given day my hair is at least 3 different colors (black, red, and gray *sniff*). Sometimes there is also a stripe of brown or purple/burgundy depending on how bad my roots are showing and what color I’ve tried to cover it up with last. I’m thinking of bleaching the tips blonde just for good measure in the color spectrum.

I was invited to my pal Noahs’ for his b-day last month—which falls right around my nephew Alex’s b-day—I’ll have to catch him next time I’m in the city. I was happy to gift Noah with The Dangerous Book for Boys. What seven y/o doesn’t need to know how to build a treehouse, or skip stones, or decipher a secret code? I also got to see how well Noah’s rents’ house expansion is coming along. It is truly shocking how much more space they have. It is really beautiful. I’m so happy for them. We all (friends, fam, neighbors, colleagues, etc.) had a nice time hanging out and talking.

Next month I have a shopping trip to IL planned with Judea and my friend Elaine. We found a deal that’ll be right around 60 wampum per person including lodging and transportation. I’m not really in the mood to shop. I don’t really need/want anything. However, it is an excellent excuse at an excellent price to get the heck outta dodge and spend some time with my mom and my pal Elaine. Judea is a natural born shopper and she needs an outing just as bad as I do. Between her nightmare students and taking classes on the weekends, she is definitely looking forward to a mini-escape.

I already confessed my embarrassing reality show sin to my MTU chicas, and honestly, I’m too ashamed to repeat it here. Lara, I’m there warped in the brain with ya! Solidarity Sista!

We (Elaine, Helen, Loretta, Bolay, Leah, and I) had a hens’ night at my friend Helen’s the week before last. We did a potluck and got to see Helen’s new kitchen remodel and spend some time out of work together. I finally got my butt in gear and shared some Greece pics with them—not just Athens, but Mykonos and Santorini too. I still have to post the island stories here…but that will just have to wait for another day….

Oh yeah, Helen and I found our GR Antiques RoadShow experience will be airing on our local station in three parts: 20-Apr, 27-Apr, and 04-May. Check your local listings if you are interested. :)

I came in last week, while there was even more hijinx going on at work that I can’t get into here, to find an email from a head hunter wanting me to apply for a position down in Chi town. I’ve been putting feelers out since last fall, just to be prepared. The position sounded VERY appealing. VERY, VERY appealing. However, I really like my job. A lot. I know how difficult that is to come by, and I don’t want to leave unless I have too. I especially don’t want to relocate. I like it here. It is home. It was nice to be reassured there are jobs out there tho. And that someone thinks I’m qualified to do something other that this.

Recently, as I’ve shared with some of you, I have discovered the singular pleasure one can derive from a fine single-malt scotch served neat. Seriously, who’d have thunk it? :) The subtle complexities are as intriguing as the floral bouquet and delicious hint of berry you can find in a big fat cab. I’m currently taking delight in a bottle of 15 year old Glenfiddich. Luck upon luck, about a week after my new found interest, I was invited to dinner at some friends’ (Dan and Nadine's) house who happen to be single-malt scotch aficionados. Very serious ones—they spent their honeymoon traipsing across Scotland staying at B&Bs, and collecting rare and unique bottlings. Dinner is scheduled for next month, we’ll be supping on raclette and sampling some scotch—I’m pumped. :)

The most exciting thing that happened on V-day this year was receiving a single red rose from a stranger. That made me smile. :)

I had brunch on Sunday with my friend (Beth) and her 2 y/o daughter (Harper) and her newest coming attraction (scheduled to arrive this summer) at AlpenRose and stuffed myself to the gills--including a complimentary mimosa. Us chicas then took a stroll in the mid-morning sunlight around downtown. It is amazing how differently you see the world when you walk thru it with a 2 yo. Unfortunately, while out, I missed an invite to come to G’s that night and hang with another of my colleagues that got let go last month. I’ll catch em next time.

My friend Aimee’s grandmother (Nana) passed away last week. My prayers go out to her.
Both big bro Nick, SIL Stacy, MTU chica Lara, and pal Helen had b-day celebrations already this month--collective best wishes for another happy year!

I just got signed up today for a 10 week intro to Japanese class that kicks off next week. I’m also going to try to make knit night at the north-side li-berry next week. Okay, I’m outta words and the tummy is grumbling for dinner, and I have piles of laundry to do, and you’ve spent too much time reading this already.

Toodles

ugh - yeah!- & pause for geekiness

2009-01-08T17:13:00.008-05:00

I have a lot to share and not a lot of time to do it in, so this is gonna have to do for now.

ugh

Not more than a month's reprieve and the axe is being sharpened yet again. We'll know more details tomorrow after updates. I'm not sure how much more I can take.

yeah!

Welcome little Miss Payton Hope! Your Mommy and Daddy and big brother have been waiting for you to make your appearance.

pause for geekiness

Independent Lens (one of my FAV pbs series) is broadcasting a show called Helvetica--all about the typeface, its design, use, over-use, etc. this Sunday in my nape of the forest. Okay, so I am a major geek, but can you tell I love what I do? Check your local listings. BTW - according to the online quiz and my personality I am biergarten font....

Hmm...kinda dark and goth-like...must be the black hair from Halloween still tickling my grey matter. :) What font are you?

Gotta Motor,
Say-Yo-Nay-Ra

Thankfulness, Sadness, and Strangeness

2008-12-12T12:28:00.006-05:00

Hiya All,

Sorry it has been awhile since the last post, but things have been crazy on this end. I’ll try to get you all updated.

Thankfullness...
I made it back to Detroit for the holidays and stayed at Leo and Judea’s along with my nephews (Kyle, 11 and Alex, 5) and their border collie dog Gracie (Nick and Stacy took off for Cancun before I got there). The first night set the tone. After we watched Elf (I forget how much I like that movie) I’m crashing on the couch upstairs cuz the guest bed hurts my back. At 3:00 in the a.m. I hear Gracie whimpering in her crate downstairs, where the boys are sleeping on the aerobed. I get up and let her out and try to keep her from running all over the house with those tags jingling that sound SO loud at 3:00am. I let her out back to do her thing, where mind you I have no coat or shoes on in the frigid weather and then get her corralled back in her crate and head back upstairs to try and catch some Zs.

I’m on the couch for an hour when I hear footsteps on the stairs. Alex’s head peeps around the corner and I ask him what's wrong and he says, “Aunt Jenny, I puked.” So I go back downstairs with him and try to wake Kyle so he doesn’t roll over into the pile. Get them both up on the couch in the basement and clean up the mess and start up the laundry. Then I hurdle them upstairs to sleep in the guest bed that hurts my back. Kyle got in fine, but Alex, says we forgot about the puke on his shirt (about the size of a quarter—Aunt Jenny missed it), so we go to change his pj shirt and G-ma and G-pa wake up to see what all of the commotion is. Alex starts heaving again, all over the carpet in the computer room, so I toss Judea the trash can to catch some of it at least so it doesn’t all sink into the berber. We finally get Alex cleaned up and in bed with Kyle and then start to clean puke pile #2. At this point Judea and I are awake enuf where we are not going back to sleep. So we sit in the living room and chat. About 10 minutes in, I hear what I pray is coughing coming from the guest room. No such luck. It is now 5:20 am. We get Kyle up and moved into G-ma’s bed. We get Alex cleaned up again and bundled in a blanket in the living room and get the next load of laundry ready to go. Within the next half an hour Alex puked two more times—finally making it to the bathroom in time for the last one. Also, Kyle had to get up and leave his spot in G-ma’s bed b/c G-pa snores too loud. We were all exhausted. So, T-day was pretty laid back. Nothing fancy—there were even some naps. Got to meet Nanner’s new flame, Chris. He seems like a really nice guy. Kyle had the crowning moments at the dinner table though. I LOVE how he just speaks his mind…

“I love these cresent rolls! They are so warm and creamy!”
“I don’t mind the snow—I just want it when it is like seventy degrees out though.”

Nanner was coming down with a bug, so the next day Judea and I took the boys out to lunch at Applebee’s (Kyle’s idea of fine dining). He declared that I was coolest aunt in the history of the world when I gave him half of my steak--the boy likes his steak. We then took them on a tour of Meadow Brook Hall, which was all decorated up for Christmas, and then out to Canterbury Village. We came home in time to play some "Apples to Apples" with Aunt Wendy, Uncle Al, and Aunt Nancy.

On Saturday, Judea took Alex to the GC Santaland parade while Kyle, G-pa, and I went over to Aunt Wendy’s to help her install her new microwave. My job mainly consisted of blockading my furry nephew Sam. That was fine by me. The big oaf still thinks he is a lapdog and takes great joy in just standing on you and being petted. Kyle and I then went over to G-pa’s shop to see if we could fix a dvd issue he was having with his PC. Turns out the dvd was the issue. G-pa then took Kyle and I out to lunch at Culver’s (Kyle = “you know this place is kinda like one step up from fast food.” Did I tell you how much I love these kids?). G-pa then went with Kyle and I to the Meijer where Kyle picked out his belated b-day present. He wanted a board game, one that Alex could play too—these kids melt my heart. So, after Aunt Jenny agreed to “Beat the Parents” and “You Might Be a Redneck If...” We headed home. We beat G-ma and Alex home, so we put in Aunt Jenny’s new favorite movie, Tears of the Sun. Kyle is just about the right age to start understanding the social responsibility message. Aunt Jenny then made a lame-o dinner of hotdogs and chili for everyone. After playing Kyle’s new board games, we watched Christmas with the Kranks—that is 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back again.

By the time Sunday morn rolled around G-ma and G-pa were feeling icky enough to skip mass (translation = very, very icky). We hung around the home and made Aunt Wendy her early b-day dinner of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread, followed up with jello poke cake and peppermint ice cream. At about 4:00 I decided to hit the road back towards home. Normally, I can make the trip in 2.5 hours flat, door to door. It took me 3 hours to get from the I-275/I-96 interchange to Lansing, the road was so packed we never went over 35 mph on that stretch. After Lansing, the snow and the ice set in. So 4 hours and 45 minutes after I left the rents, I pulled into my humble abode.

Monday I woke up feeling like @$$. I dragged my hinder into work and held out as long as I could—til about 10:30. I made it home just in time to find out how useful it is to have floor drains in your garage. The coma ensued until the next day when I forced myself to make it the whole day at work. The bug then unfortunately made its way thru our team. By the time our team function for Christmas (dinner at SanChez followed by the suite for the Griffins game) rolled around that Saturday Michelle, my colleague, and her munchkins were sick. :(

I wouldn’t have traded a minute of my holiday though.
It was so nice to spend time with my family.
I am learning to appreciate them in new ways.
I’m lucky, loved and blessed.
Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about?

Sadness...
As with just about everyone else in the world right now, my company is facing extremely difficult times with its industry and the economy. This week was slated to deal with involuntary separations. Seeing as the project I work on got delayed a week ago—I was getting ready for the ole heave-ho. Luckily, I was spared, but there were a lot who were not. My prayers and best wishes go out to them. I am fortunate that I am in one of the growing areas of the industry. But seeing as just about everything depends on what happens on the world stage, everything is unpredictable. I don’t blame the company. I understand it, but I still don’t have to like it.

Strangeness…
If you know me at all you know I am a cookbook junkie—just can’t get enough of them. As of recent I have also taken a great interest in Michigan, its people, its resources, its history. While doing some Christmas shopping at the local B&N this past week, I found a book called Our Michigan, Ethnic Tales & Recipes. Right up my alley. So I was totally knocked on my keister last night when I read the dedication, as I am always drawn to do…

“Thanks
It’s impossible to mention all the people who helped make this book possible. But I do owe a special thanks to the people at the Michigan State Library for letting me check out bushels of material at a time, then letting me keep it weeks beyond the due dates without sending the sheriff after me.
Also, thanks to my fellow freelancing friend, Judy Eldridge, the people at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette, David Johnson at the State Photo Archives, Mary Flachsenhaar of the Detroit Free Press, Evelyn Cairns of the Mellus Newspapers and Christine K****** of St. Mary’s Rosary Society in B******.”

That last acknowledgement there was to my grandmother. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!!!????!!! How the H-E-double-hockey-sticks did my grandma, my Busia, get her name in a book that I bought last night? At a national chain no less!! How is it no one in my family ever mentioned/talked about this? I called Leo and asked him. After I mentioned the author’s name, he said he did remember Busia talking about sitting down for a bunch of interviews with some lady talking about food and recipes (apparently Busia used to cater weddings—I never knew that!!). This book was first published back in 1979, and then again in 2006. I am still kinda in shock.

Miscellaneous...
I still have to post about Mykonos and Santorini as well as share the pics, but I need to talk to Nanner a bit more and make sure I have the timeline of the details right.
BTW - How come no one ever told me what a hottie Jason Statham was?

Until next time,
God Bless!

philosophy & general happenstance & secrets

2008-11-24T16:39:00.006-05:00

hiya

philosophical outlook...

Slowly but surely putting the pieces of my life in some semblance of order. What order is best? Alphabetical? Chronological? Increasing Price? The more I think about it, the more I enjoy disorder. There is comfort in not having everything planned out. If there is no plan--the plan can't go awry, right? Enjoy the ride. This is so contrary to how I used to live my life. However, as I continue to grow and learn about myself I've realized that straight-laced, prim, proper, rule follower isn't the best way to live. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on becoming an anarchist. Just letting my hair down. Unclenching. It's kinda cool, kinda scary, but I'm ok with it. I'm a work in progress, and I like it that way.

general happenstance...

Been keeping myself busy as of recent with an eclectic variety of tasks and adventures. The Pfaltzgraff outlet in my town (like all others across the nation) is going out of business--online store only in the future. Anywho, picked up a hinder-load of crazy cheap dishes for the homestead. It is amazing how much time and effort can go into removing pricetags and their gummy residue. Made some homemade Christmas cards at my pal's (Kim's) house the other night and then headed over to Becky V.'s to see Kathy who was visiting from Teh-hass (thnx Dee P.) where there was wine and Guitar Hero.

sidebar: Okay, I think I am the only person on the planet that is bored by GH and the endless clicking of the multi-colored "string-buttons". Everyone seems to enjoy it and I sit their with my plastic grin on, pouring myself more wine. No offense all you GH lovers, but it just ain't my bag. Give me Wii bowling anyday.

On Sat I cruised over to Sarah's house (G was off trying to kill large furry animals, and Amiah was in Lansing w/ her g-ma) and met up with some chicas (Deb, Stacy, & Missy) to watch the Sex & The City movie, while tossing back a couple of cosmos. I think I am too mid-west-wonder-bread to develop a taste for the high fashion portrayed in the movie. I prefer my own style to anything ever put on a catwalk. It doesn't work for everybody, but it works for me.

T-day will be spent with the fam on the East side. Looking forward to seeing my nephews (the furry one included) and just chillaxing a bit.

secrets...

So I just finished reading the PostSecret books a bit ago--they are wonderfully voyeuristic and funny and tragic and beautiful, I highly recommend them. Great coffee table books too, especially if you don't have "clutch the pearls" type guests that would be rifling through them, maybe even better if you do. I have't submitted any secrets, but I was intrigued by the notion. I like to think that I am a pretty open book and that I don't have a lot of secrets. I therefore challenged myself to come up with some things that I don't think many of you would know about me. Here's some that I came up with...

When I eat cottage cheese, I put enough fresh ground black pepper in it to turn it charcoal.
I am a closet NIN fan still--something slighty rebellious about having 'Closer' blast through your headphones at work while weaving software process.
I tried to buy a new bra last week--only one in my size in all of Kohl's, pitfalls of the zip code.
Bruce Willis has replaced Mel Gibson at the top of my fav actor's list.
There are 11 pillows (6 standard, 2 king, 2 European, & 1 body) on my bed--and I need nine of the in order to fall asleep there.
If I lose my job here due to layoffs, I'm 75% certain I will be pursuing a career in an entirely new field--and that intrigues me immensely.
To this day, I wouldn't be caught dead w/o my four toe rings and sparkly toenail polish
The password to most of my life is based off of a crazy song from GCHS years.

Got any secrets of your own?

Toodles

...greek odyssey 2008 part I, Athens

2008-11-11T17:27:00.030-05:00

Hiya.

I've been trying to figure out the best/most organized way to share my Greek adventure with ya'll, and I think I've finally settled on an approach. Yeah-rah! :)

While killing sometime prior to a Pampered Chef dealy and over lunches (somewhat) and after work this week, I was able to get the Athens portion of pics all compared, uploaded, and captioned. (Woo-Hoo!!)

So I'll share the narrative here, along with a couple of key pics, and then I'll include a link to the Athens portion of the album. It the coming days, the process will be repeated for Mykonos and Santorini as well.

So, sit back and get comfy....

***FYI: there are apparently at least 9,628 different ways to spell greek words, so consider yourself warned***

Once upon a time two sisters, after some experiencing some kaka in their lives, decided to take off on an adventure. The debate raged on between Greece and Italy as a destination, throwing the Pacific US coast in there every once in a while when $$ worries clouded their vision. After some input from a trusted *friend*, Greece was declared the winner. The blonde sister (definitely denoting hair color, not smarts) used her travel agent connections and hooked us up with one honey of a deal.

So, in the afternoon on Wednesday, 26-Sep-2008, after sharing a nice meal with Leo & Judy, these two sisters hopped a 747 Amsterdam bound for the first leg of their trip. The flight there was rather uneventful except for the wisdom gained. Although there is more legroom in the bulkhead, if you sit on the aisle absolutely freaking EVERYONE will bump your shoulder on their way to/from the restroom.

The sistas arrived in Amsterdam ~ 7:30am local time and were intrigued by the group of Orthodox Jewish men donning their sacred robes and engaging in vigorous morning prayers at the empty gate next to them. They had something strapped to their foreheads--but the girls were too shy to inquire. Anywho, another 3-hour flight later and the chicas touched down in Athens--much hillier and browner than anticipated.

The driver was waiting to pick them up and take them to their hotel, the Titania, in downtown Athens, about a 40 minute drive from the airport. The chicas were pretty much quiet the whole car trip--just taking in their surroundings. The car stopped at a busy intersection en route and a few guys stepped out of the shadows with spraybottles and squegees in hand and approached the car--it was somewhat disconcerting, yet strangely comforting that some things are indeed universal. After checking in to the hotel, taking showers (no wash cloths provided), and enjoying a nice nap, the girls set out to grab some grub. They dined at Ideal, within walking distance of their hotel. They split an appetizer of zucchini croquettes and each had the special for dinner, pork tenderloin medallions with mushrooms, potatoes, with feta and oregano in a white wine sauce. Divine!

The next am the ladies were up bright and early--taking full advantage of the hotel's free breakfast buffet (yummy greek yogurt--altho blonde sister didn't like the aftertaste), before setting off on their guided tour of the town. The tour bus stopped at few other locations (including picking up 2 travelers from Brooklyn--painfully, loudly obvious to all within a 1/2 mile radius. There was a small amount of embarrassment in that these 2 were our fellow US reps abroad, but it quickly passed) before hitting our first destination, the Panathinaiko Stadium (aka Kallimarmaron or Kallimarmaro Stadium).

Panathinaiko Stadium
look closely and you can see the Olympic Rings dead center above the seats

The current stadium occupies the site of the orginal, built by Lykourgos in 330-329 BC. It was reconstructed during Hadrian's reign (117-138 AD) and then rebulit in white marble by Herodes Atticus for the Panathenaic Games in 144 AD. Neglected for many years, it was again rebuilt in white marble in 1895-1896 AD as a generous gift by Georgios Averof for the start of the first modern Olympic Games on 05-APR-1896. The current stadium is a faithful replica of Herodes Atticus's design and seats up to 60,000 souls.

The next stop on the tour brought the girls to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Temple of Olympian Zeus
that is Nanner standing there at the corner of the base with the acropolis in the background

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is the largest in all of Greece (315ft X 130ft X >60ft). Work began on the structure in the 6th century BC, although it was not completed until 650 years later. The grounds surrounding the temple were a favorite teaching spot of Socrates.

The next stop on the tour brought the girls to the base of the Acropolis of Athens.

Map of the Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens rises 490ft above sea level perched over the city. As the sisters walked the path up to the top they saw many sights incluing the Odeon (Theatre) of Herodes Atticus--a memorial built by the great leader for his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla between 174 and 161 AD. The theatre holds 5,000 people and is still in use today as a popular venue for summer concerts and plays.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus (blue on the map)

Heading further up the path the girls encoutered the famous rock where St. Paul first preached Christianity to Greece, and then the Propylaea, or gateway to the acropolis. After you pass through the Propylaea the acropolis spreads out before you and the Parthenon is immediately to your right.

The Parthenon

The Parthenon is a fascinating building, especially if you are really geeky like me. It was built to honor the goddess Athena, the city's patron. She won the battle for patronage over the god Poseidon (who presented the citizens with a sea-water fountain) by presenting the citizens with an olive tree. Olive trees once totally surrounded the base of the acropolis--some can still be found today. Anywho, construction on the Parthenon started back in 447 BC and took nine years to complete. At the time the Greeks were striving for perfection and the crazy thing was they knew back then how to compensate for the imperfection of the human eye. Some of the 'tricks' employed to preserve the optical illusion of perfection included:

#1 The base of the Parthenon is ~ 12cm higher in the middle of its length than at the ends.
#2 The columns are not straight up and down, but actually lean inward.
#3 Each of the columns has a slight bulge in the middle (hmmm...wonder why my bulge in my middle doesn't make me look perfect...)

Ok, I won't bore you with any more nerd-o facts about the the building except to say the PBS NOVA show Secrets of the Parthenon (available to view online) is freaking AWESOME!

The back side of the Parthenon

Another intact building perched on the acropolis is the Erechtheion.

The famous Caryatids of the south porch of the Erechtheion

The Erechtheion was built between 421-406 BC and is considered the most sacred site on the acropolis--supposedly this is where Poseidon left marks in the rock with his trident during his battle with Athena over the city. The south porch is famous for its Caryatids. It was found out after departure that it also contained a ceremonial snake pit....nothing more need be said.
The last site the girls saw from atop the acropolis was the Theatre of Dionysus.

The Theatre of Dionysus (red on the map)

The Theatre of Dionysus is said to be humankind's first known theatre and is the birthplace of Greek tragedy. The plays of Aeschylus (ex: Agamemnon), Sophocles (ex: Oedipus Rex), Euripides (ex: Medea), and Aristophanes (ex: The Frogs) were all performed here.

The sisters next broke free from the tour and snuck down to the shops at the base of the acropolis where one found and purchased a lovely Opal (her birthstone) and silver ring. The tour bus then dropped the girls back off at their hotel, where after a pit stop, they took off on foot to explore the city.

The girls stopped to get a quick bite at a little pastry shop and then made their way to the rail car to take them up Lykavittos Hill, the highest point in the city at 910 feet above the city. The small whitewashed chapel of Agios Georgios sits perched atop the hill. The panoramic views are breathtaking.

View from atop Lykavittos Hill, looking towards the port town of Pyraeus and the Mediterranean--the Acropolis can be seen in the middle

The girls took the long way back to the hotel, trekking past the Presidential Palace, through the National Gardens, and past the Ancient Roman Baths unearthed when steam vents were being dug for the Metro.

At this point the tootsies were in need of a rest b4 din-din. After a short nap, the chicas dressed for dinner at The Olive Garden, atop their hotel where they split a roasted veggie salad and then enjoyed their chicken tagliatelle and duck & porcini risotto (so-so). The evening was rounded out taking pictures off the roof of the city at night.

View of the Acropolis at night from the Olive Garden Restaurant atop Hotel Titania

After an all-too-brief sleep the sistas took off the next morning on foot for the Ancient Agora, the central marketplace of Athens dating from 600BC. The agora is a fascinating place filled with the ruins of many old buildings as well as salvaged architetural sculpture. It is the site of the state prison where Socrates was indicted and executed. The planning for drainage and sewers back then doesn't seem that far from what is still done toady. The Stoa of Attalos, restored with the help of John D Rockefeller Jr. between 1953 and 1956, now houses an extensive museum.

The Stoa of Attalos in the Ancient Agora

One of many salvaged pieces on display at the Stoa of Attalos

After a quick stroll through the Ancient Agora the sisters had just enough time to stop and take a few pictures at the modern Greek marketplace..it a word bustling....before heading back to their hotel to be picked up for the next leg of their trip.

One stall along the modern Greek marketplace

Full Athens album (138 pictures).

To Be Continued....

aging -> halloween -> civic duties -> saying goodbye + greece pics

2008-11-05T12:11:00.004-05:00

Hiya all.

Aging...
First off thanks to all of you for your warm b-day wishes. I had a really nice day and am blessed to have so many wonderful peeps to share it with. As for the traditional birthday treats, this year I put on a baked potato bar for my colleagues with all the trimings. That ancient old roaster I got at a garage sale up in Eagle Harbor for DZ Lambda Theta 25 year has been an awesome investment (especially seeing as I like to cook). BTW - Nicole, I know I owe you an email with an address in it--I hope to get that to you today.

Halloween...
We repeated the baked potato bar notion at the Halloween party on Fri. It was a big hit, and this time we added homemade chili to the spread. As for my costume, I was warm and cozy in my layers of velvet as some sorta goth dead vampy chica (waiting on pics). I was however, totally unprepared for how shocked everyone was/is at work by my new jet black locks. A dude who has know me since I started here, looked right at me and walked right past me all while he was looking for me. I'll dye it red again once the black starts to fade (I used the real hair dye - not the Halloweeny stuff). In the meantime, I'm digging a bunch of black clothes out of the back of the closet that I haven't worn in a while. That and I'm wearing a TON more eye makeup--otherwise it looks like I'm wearing a wig. The party itself was a hoot. No party poopers attended--which is too bad b/c I was looking forward to painting up someone's face. Oh well, there's always next year. :)

Civic duties...
I did go vote yesterday, as was my civic duty. However, I was so torn on the issues that are important to me and the candidates stance on those issues that I honestly put very little thought into the choices I made--seeing as overthinking it for 2+ years hasn't got me anywhere either. Either way I didn't run into any of the long lines that people were worried about. I guess there are benefits to living in a rural po-dunk area.

Saying Goodbye...
One of my favorite people in the whole wide world left work today. He's taking a 3 week trip to Spain with his wife before settling into his new job at a competitor. He is the first boss I had as a bonafide adult, and he was awesome at it. He slammed a beer with me after work on my first weekend here. He was the spirit behind the fun-filled trek to Isle Royale. He continued to rise through the ranks during his time here, but he never took on that pointy-haired management persona. He stayed completely true to himself. For that, he has my heartfelt admiration. He truly is one of the best men I have ever known. Although I will miss his calm, reassuring voice around here in times of chaos, I am so happy for him in his new journey. "Good Afternoon PVL!"

Greece pics...
Nanner was able to get me her pics this AM (thanks Nanner!!! :). I had a wee bit of time over lunch to look at them and start turning them all up-right and non-katy-wampus. If all goes well, a coherent album will be available by the beginning of next week. This reminds me, Em, I still have a camera to get back to you!

Odds & Ends...
*Two snaps up in a circle to Jeremy's 100% smooth surgery--may the recovery go just as well.
*Michelle P. - now that I have your email address (thanks Ang M.), I need to track you down and set up a time/date for that drink.
*Doc updates -- well let's just say the results of my tests were surprising, bewildering, and odd. I went back for follow-up tests and have another follow-up and need to schedule more tests. Yipee--I think this is the med industry's revenge on me for dissing them for so long. No worries--nothing alarming at this point, just weird.

Time to make like a banana...
Toodles!

hsm3 -> john denver -> euchre -> david addison

2008-10-27T09:40:00.004-04:00

How can she ever tie all that together you may ask. Well, it makes perfect sense to me, but for those of you not privy to the inner workings of my gray matter, read on...

I was honored to be invited out to see HSM3 on its opening weekend this past weekend with my friend Chris and her munchkins Noah (6) and Brook (5). These kiddos are hard core Troy and Gabriella fans. They loaned me their HSM1 and HSM2 dvds a while back so that I could get caught up. I had to say--the first two movies were not much more than 'eh' in my book. I was much more impressed with this last installment. Not sure if I get to attribute that to better tunes, more interesting story lines, or the fact that Zephron is now 21 so it is no longer creepy that he is a Hottie McHotHot (term borrowed from Rallycat). Whatever the reason, we all had a blast.

I then went with Chris and munckins to run a few errands--one of them being a stop at Sam's Club. This is where John Denver comes into the picture. Being the dorks that we are, we have the tunes from the movie stuck in our heads and Chris checks to see if the soundtrack is in stock at the big box store. She is immediately drawn to a cd with a shaggy haired, shirtless man. She picks it up and is about to share with me that Zephron has his own cd out and he's wearing glasses on the cover...that is until she realizes she's holding a John Denver cd in her hands. I haven't laughed that hard in a while--it was a good story Chris, I just had to share it.

After I left my HSM3 crew I headed home to change clothes and pick up some wine, cheese, and crackers to take to a UofM/MSU football party I had been invited to at my friend G's house. By the time I got there, the game was over (the Spartans dominated...if only it were Gerard in his 300/King Leonidas getup...ahhh...), but the party was still in full swing. G and Sarah and Sarah's brother, Tom, and I stayed up way past our bedtimes playing euchre--it had been awhile since I played, but Tom and I were able to win both rounds, but I'm thinking G was at a disadvantage--having been partying far longer than I. Not to mention christening the bottle of ouzo that I brought him back from Greece. I had a lot of fun that night.

So, around rolls Sunday and after I awake with a slight headache (only 2-3 glasses of wine), I remember that I bought myself a pre-birthday present at the Sam's Club--the whole 'Moonlighting' tv series on dvd. Man, did I have a crush on David Addison (Bruce Willis) growing up. I vividly recall weekly begging my parents to let me stay up a half hour past my bedtime just so I could watch end of Moonlighting. So, I ended up couch potato-ing all Sunday smirking at how cute I still find the character of David Addison. :)

So that was my weekend.

Then I woke up this am to listen to the news that I missed. The shooting at the Univeristy of Central Arkansas... that poor young tv anchor losing her struggle to survive the savage beating she got in her own home ... that and the horrendous murders/kidnapping involving Jennifer Hudson's family. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. I'm thinking it may be better to just not watch the news. There is truth to that ignorance is bliss thing.

Before I sign off I want to:
*wish a swift and painless recovery to Jeremy
*let Em know that I'm thinking of her and praying for her
*congratulate Jamie on the GREAT news about her dad's health
*welcome Elaine back from her trip to the big apple

Say-yo-nay-ra for now

nightlife, dress-up, turds and other such happenings...

2008-10-22T11:17:00.003-04:00

Hiya,

I am happy to say that I now have ALL of my Greece trip pics uploaded and captioned. I still need to get Nanner's to fill in the gaps tho. She's a busy lady, so I'm hoping that by Thanksgiving I'll have a complete album to share.

In the meantime, I thought I'd fill you in on some of the minutiae of the daily moments. I had an event filled weekend cleaning up the pit that serves as my abode. Between mountains of laundry that I need to get caught up on and cleaning out things (yes, mainly closets) to contribute to Mt. Yard Sale Kaka whose base-camp is in my basement--and of course procrastinating, I was pretty busy.

I did, however, find time to go out with some pals (Elaine, Doug, Lisa, Jim, Lee, Lynne, Harv, J, Eric, Tessa, amongst some others) to celebrate Tessa's birthday. We started out at Eric & Tessa's house and then headed on to the Groovewalk. Man, you'd never guess this was a conservative town amidst a local, state, national and even global recssion based on the amount of peeps out on the town. Lines to get in everywhere. Long, long lines. We finally hunkered down at the CitySen Lounge where I enjoyed the strongest toddy(ies) I've had in awhile. We also ran into local/state movie maker man, Hopwood Dupree, there. That was kinda cool.

next topic...

I'm in the process of helping a pal plan a Halloween Costume Party. I'm pretty pumped about it, b/c Halloween just happens to be my favorite holiday. I guess I never got over the dress-up make believe stuff from childhood (thank goodness Brook still lets me play Polly Pockets when I visit her). I LOVE IT! Growing up we always had homemade costumes, which were completely fine. This year however, I invested in a new ensemb (costume, shoes, make-up, the whole sha-bang). I'm even dying my hair for it--and not that chinzy Halloween one nite stuff. When it starts to wear out, I'll go back to being a red-head. I can't wait to dress-up. I think I'm going to start a petition to turn Halloween from a one day holiday into a week-long festival. We honestly don't have enough fun in life anymore--this will help with that. I promise. :)

next topic...

The turd. After a nice 6-month reprieve, I ran into Fecal Matter yesterday while leaving work. SOB! I think it is no coincidence that after he joined the industry, the economy went down the crapper. Why does he even make an attempt to acknowledge when he's knows I'd rather see him burned at the stake? Bastard. Ugh, anyway I hope not to repeat that run-in again anytime soon.

other random topics...

I have a follow up this Fri with the new med doctor. Hopefully I'm not too, too screwed up. We'll see. Slowly but surely overcoming obstacles with new work tasks. There is a certain software company that is making me crazy at this point--but I'm gonna beat it. Oh yeah. I will conquer! :) Ok, I've avoided dealing with said software company long enough--back to the battle!!

Catch ya later!

PS - Mad props to Em on her radio debut!!!

:)

happy birthday!

2008-10-22T11:11:00.002-04:00

channel Simon & Garfunkel...

Happy Birthday Mrs. Robinson,
We all love you more than you will know.

Whoa
Whoa
Whoa

What's that you say Mrs. Robinson?
My, how the years have flown away.

Hey
Hey
Hey

Hey
Hey
Hey...

Wishing you the very best of birthdays!!!

:)

home sweet home

2008-10-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

***DISCLAIMER***

This is not a blog about Greece. I am about 2/3 of the way thru captioning my pics, and I still need to get Nanner's pics. I will share as soon as humanly possible on that topic.

*******************

I got to catch up with some of my favorite munchkins [Brook & Noah] last night and have been officially invited to attend the opening of HSM Senior Year with them. Yeah, there are benefits to having the mental aptitude of a five year old--at least little people think I'm cool to hang around. :) Hahaha.

Brook, Princess-In-Training

I also got to see the long awaited remodeling-in-progress of Brook and Noah's rents' house. I am soooo very excited for them. This great little family is finally going to have space to breathe in their home--I think the new floor plan is almost tripling their space. The bonus part is I have my own room there--it's the play room, but I was promised (haha- Chris!!!) that I get to decorate it anyway I want. I am thinking of going with a different theme for each square foot. I may be childlike, but I'm still evil-hahahaha!.

In the meantime Brook, Noah, and their rents have moved into the barn and an RV on their property. I'm crossing my fingers for them that the construction has no delays. At least the munchkins think of it as a bit of adventure at this point.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

TTFN!

gettin' caught up

2008-10-06T16:01:00.003-04:00

Hi all. It has been awhile. Got too busy in the rush to get stuff situated before leaving for Greece to keep up with my bloggin', so now it is time to catch up.

This post is going to be all about catching up on your lives; I'll post about Greece when I have all my and nanner's pics uploaded and sorted--and when I'm a little more into the groove (I think my head is still in Amsterdam somewhere at this moment).

1 - Congrats to the Becky and family on Little Liam's safe arrival (he's one cute little dude). Also sending encouragement and support to your mom in her courageous battle with cancer. My best wishes and prayers go out to you!

2 - Congrats to the Czechoslavahouseskis on the safe arrival of Little Camille (she's one precious little lady). I hope everything works out regarding that job you interviewed for at the last minute Nicole, and that the family is getting settled into their new digs. I think I also missed a Happy Birthday in there somewhere too :(

3 - Congrats to my friends down south there on Timmy's slick negotiation skills. I've been following the news as best as I can and it sounds like the bank buy-out drama isn't over yet (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya). Also I'm sorry that I missed you on your eventful (i.e. exploding jeep story) journey back to MI.

4 - Congrats to the other southerners (but not for long) down there in KY (haha) that'll be heading back up to the great white north soon. Dee I hope the house hunting goes well--with the real estate market as it is you guys should have tons to choose from.

5 - Good vibes heading out east as Lara continues her job hunt--I know that perfect job is out there waiting for you to put all of your talents to use!

6 - Glad to hear the first ushering in of a TEENAGER! (OMG!!!--how does the time fly?) went well for Gaige. Wishing you all the best as you continue to adjust there as a family with little Elizabeth.

7 - Angie C. I skimmed thru my emails pretty fast, but I don't recall seeing any updates from you (I was probably blind), but wishing you the best all the same.

8 - Warmest wishes to my friends Mike and Aimee as they welcomed their 4th child into their home-- Little Marianne. I read Aimee's heartfelt email tale of going to pick up her new two year old daughter from her foster parents in Korea. I was bawling at my desk this morning like a lunatic. I get to go meet Marianne tomorrow--I'm sooo excited!!!

9 - A shout out to Em on the political front--I'm watching as much of the hoopla as I can stomach and I still have no idea how I'm going to vote. Did you get anything out of the Obama web cast?

10 - Congrats to my little pal JJ on spewing those new words at an exponential rate; what a hoot!

11 - Belated congrats to Angie M. on the announcement of her and Andy's impending arrival. I'm sure Sophie can't wait to be a big sister.

12 - Belated congrats to Michelle on her kick-butt triathalon abilities! You Rock!

13 - Happy belated birthday to my favorite furry nephew Sam--can't believe he's 1 already. I'll post pics from the doggy b-day party that Nanner's friend (Accessory Jen) threw for him complete with invites, presents and b-day cake.

(Sam and his pal Molly--Sam is the one licking Nanner's leg)

Ok, I think that brings me just about as up to date as I can be w/ ya'll. Until the big post(s) about Greece, here's some news to tide you over...

As you may have heard my automotive supplier company is once again going thru difficult times (as I think every business in the nation/world appears to be) and layoffs are imminent. A voluntary separation pkg was offered (that I was one service year shy of cashing in for the big $$$) which my boss signed up for, but was denied (he found that out the day I left for Greece btw). Translation, the company decided his role was vital and wasn't willing to let him go. Now if the trickle down effect applies I should be ok, but something about not counting chickens before they are hatched....

Also, right before we left Nanner found out her branch (dealing with global relocation and real estate) of a very large corporation was just sold to a Canadian company. It is unknown what this means for her job at this point--but we all know the shuffling that accompanies buy-outs, so keep your fingers crossed for her too. However, she says she'd be fine with losing her job--it would give her the final push to join the Peace Corps, something she's wanted to do for a while now. Oh well, only time will tell.

Until next time....
Peace out!
:)

...ups...and...downs...

2008-09-02T12:27:00.002-04:00

The past few days have been a mishmash of energy, emotions, and health...

Good:
Fitting into a size smaller pants than I have been wearing despite the fact that I'm more bloated than a puffer fish.

Bad:
I'm more bloated than a puffer fish.
____________________________________

Good:
The holiday weekend weather was GORGEOUS!

Bad:
I spent the better portion of the holiday weekend sleeping/ill/weak in bed (including wonderful dry heaves this morning right before work)--the Dr. appointment is just around the corner.
____________________________________

Good:
The newest Becker family member is about to enter this world.

Bad:
A beloved member of Michelle's family just left it way too soon and unexpectedly.
____________________________________

Good:
I got a digital camera (thanks Alice!) and suitcase (thanks Tuesday Morning & Samsonite) for my trip to Greece.

Bad:
I went on a PMS shopping spree on Fri and bought stuff I don't need, but wanted--and in the process spent too much wampum.
____________________________________

Good:
I was able to drag myself outta bed and fake health long enough to enjoy a cook-out at Beth and Tom's on Sunday. It was cool to meet their families (especially seeing Harper, and her twin cousins Paige and Paisley [all 1.5 yo, blonde-haired and blue-eyed] laughing and giggling non-stop) as well as to see Alice and Drew and their fun new toy.

Bad:
I only got 4 of the 9 loads of laundry that I needed to get done.
_____________________________________

I'm still pooped. Here's hoping I can get my hinder back in gear here soon. It's a short work week, right?

PS - Happy Birthday wishes out to Ricola and to Jeremy!

45 years ago today

2008-08-28T09:19:00.007-04:00

well worth repeating...

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixtythree is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day--this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

delivered August 28, 1963

at the Lincoln Memorial

in Washington D.C., USA

by Martin Luther King, Jr.

countdown to greece

2008-08-26T01:45:00.006-04:00

I told myself that I had to wait until my trip to Greece was less than a month away before I was allowed to get excited about it. So, now that I am safely within that timeframe, here goes...

We start off the trip with a flight from Detroit to Newark to Athens. In Athens we will be staying at the Titania located between the old city's two main squares. We'll have a half-day guided tour of the city and the rest of the time there we are on our own to explore.

After spending time on the mainland in Athens we are off to two islands that are part of the Cyclades, one of the island groups of the Aegean archipelago.

For island #1 we hop a plane for Mykonos where we will be staying at the Yiannaki. Mykonos is famous for its nightlife and clothing optional (Paradise Beach) and anything goes (Super Paradise Beach) beaches. Naner and I will defintely hit the nightlife, but the family style beaches of Ornos (where our hotel is) is way more our style. Unless, of course, I somehow magically swap my bod with that of Jessica Biehl between now and then... :)

For island #2 we set sail from Mykonos to Fira, the main port of Thira (aka Santorini) where we will be staying in the *town* of Firostefani at the Nomikos Villas (I plan on spending a lot of time in that hot tub sipping spirits & gazing out over that magical blue Aegean Sea). While in Santorini we plan to visit *some* of the following wineries:

Antoniou Winery
Boutari Winery [besides to bee-U-tifull pics, only helpful if you can read Greek]
Canava Roussos
Gavalas Vineyard
Hatzidakis Winery
Koutsogiannopoulos Winery
Santo Wines
Sigalas Estate

good thing we're going the public transportation route on the island--we just may be a little tipsy

I am still trying to finalize plans for a one day cooking school at Selene while on Santorini also.

If all goes wrong (b/c if all goes right I will be staying in Santorini as Jennifer Onasis-hahaha) we fly out of Santorini back to Athens and then back to the good ole USA.

In the mean time I am still trying to beg/borrow/steal a digital camera and suitable luggage for the trip. I'll keep you updated. :)

congratulations!!!!

2008-08-20T16:48:00.005-04:00

some of these are a little dated...but better late than never, right?...

1) Heartfelt congrats to proud parents Mike & Stacy, as well as proud big brothers Gaige & Tyler, on their latest edition, Elizabeth Lee. How precious!

2) Big congrats and sighs of relief to know that Jamie is no longer in 'high-risk' category for little Miss Payton Hope!

3) Happy housewarmings to the Czechoslavakahousekis. Hope the move went well!

4) Warm fuzzy (furry) congrats to Wilson and his family for getting a happy prognosis regarding the tumor!

5) Happy day to Angie & Bob for setting a date. The ceremony plans sound lovely!

6) Big (envious) smiles to Lara and Talin on their relaxing trip to Trinidad & Tobago! Can't wait to see pics!

7) Dee, I'm sure I read some happy things about you while catching up on emails, but right now it escapes me. Please forgive me, and congrats to you on simply being you!

:)