In the almost 2 years since I last posted, a lot has changed. Some has not.
The big change is that we're selling our house. We're also buying a new home. We even have a buyer for our house. It's never simple though.
In order for us to buy our new home, our contract has a contingency that we must sell our house. That contract ends November 1st.
When we accepted our buyer's offer on our house, she didn't know until a full month later that she had to sell her house in order to buy our house. Her retirement community house has been on the market now since August.
Our mortgage commitment expired on Friday. Our interest rate lock expires today. The other deadline is looming. We will need multiple extensions at this point. Financially, we're not in a place where we can make the down payment out of savings, pay for movers because we can't physically do that job ourselves anymore, and still pay for the mortgage and utilities on our current house.
Being in limbo like this sucks. We're still showing our house given that our realtor is hoping we get a better offer since we had no contingency clause with our current buyer. He also doesn't know when she'll be able to sell her place.
Until we got the news about her situation, we had been diligently paring down furniture and stuff. We have quite a few packed boxes lining the walls. I had packed away my winter clothes thinking we wouldn't need them for at least a month or two because we were supposed to be in our new house by early September.
But here we are.
Because we can't do anything by halves, we also threw in Matt getting major surgery at the beginning of December. That can be moved, but only by a few weeks to a month. It's much-needed surgery but it also comes with being down for 6-weeks.
It has been increasingly hard to stay positive and to not let the stress wear me down. It's a major fight to stay on task at home and work. I've always worked hard to make sure I didn't let my personal life affect work life, but the stress has bled over to there. I did get away last week for a couple days for an on-the-road Rolling Hills Radio but even that, as fun as it was, wasn't really relaxing. I'm sure my friends and family are super sick of hearing me complain about the situation. It's also frustrating to have people ask how the new house is and have to update them, because we actually did sell our house less than 3 days after listing it but that buyer walked on us 2 weeks later.
I really need good news soon because this is paralyzing.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Monday, October 15, 2018
Sunday, November 13, 2016
When You Love Pumpkin Flavored Everything
Some years ago, my friend Jane created a group on Facebook called "Everything Pumpkin Flavored" in honor of all those wonderful pumpkin spiced items that come out in the Fall. The group has garnered several hundred members over the years, posting recipes, beers, food, and weird things like pumpkin-spice dog treats.
As one of the admins of the group, I had the horrifying realization that I deactivated my Facebook account at the HEIGHT of everything-pumpkin-flavored season. MY GOD! Thankfully, I can still blog so I will share with you two links that I also sent to my friend/EPV admin, Ali, for her to post in my absence:
Get Your Pumpkin Fix With This Pie In A Mug
Make Better Pumpkin Pie With Twice Pureed Canned Pumpkin
On Tuesday, I'll be baking my pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. I'm going to try baking both pies at once per instructions given to me by my co-worker, Leigh Anne. This will be life-changing if it works out as it usually takes me all day to bake the 4-5 pies that I bring for Thanksgiving dinner.
As one of the admins of the group, I had the horrifying realization that I deactivated my Facebook account at the HEIGHT of everything-pumpkin-flavored season. MY GOD! Thankfully, I can still blog so I will share with you two links that I also sent to my friend/EPV admin, Ali, for her to post in my absence:
Get Your Pumpkin Fix With This Pie In A Mug
Make Better Pumpkin Pie With Twice Pureed Canned Pumpkin
On Tuesday, I'll be baking my pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. I'm going to try baking both pies at once per instructions given to me by my co-worker, Leigh Anne. This will be life-changing if it works out as it usually takes me all day to bake the 4-5 pies that I bring for Thanksgiving dinner.
Saturday, March 01, 2014
28 Days Later
Here I am at the end of 28 days away from Facebook. What have I been up to?
Books I've Read:
Morrissey: Autobiography (UK Edition)
Why Can't I Be You - Allie Larkin
Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell
Summer In A Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes - Evan Dawson
Movies I've Seen:
The Monuments Men
The Way Way Back
Blog Entries I've Written = 29
Pounds Lost = 2
Exercise Classes Attended = 8 (guessing at this since I only started recording on Feb 18th)
Nights Spent Snuggling on the Coach with Sammy & McKinley while watching many episodes of Poirot on Netflix = Too numerous to count
Outings Out Into the Cold to See Friends Socially That Weren't Connected to Work/Boards/Organizational Events = 3
Phone Calls to Parents = Three. One 2-hour call and one 1.5-hour call and one 40-minute call.
New Beers/Ciders Imbibed = 7
Southern Tier Brewing - 2XOne
Southern Tier Brewing - Grand Arbor
Otter Creek Brewing - Citra Mantra
Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits - Tongue Buckler
Stella Artois - Cidre
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 75 Minute IPA
Lagunitas Brewing Company - A Little Sumpin' Wild Ale
Musical Rehearsals Attended - 2. Will increase exponentially in the next week
Paczkis Consumed Prior to Fat Tuesday - One solitary over-filled, seemingly double-glazed wonder
Tickets Purchased To See Morrissey In Concert at Artpark: - 3. One for me and 2 for my cousin and his friend.
Buffalo Sabres Traded: Two
Books I've Read:
Morrissey: Autobiography (UK Edition)
Why Can't I Be You - Allie Larkin
Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell
Summer In A Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes - Evan Dawson
Movies I've Seen:
The Monuments Men
The Way Way Back
Blog Entries I've Written = 29
Pounds Lost = 2
Exercise Classes Attended = 8 (guessing at this since I only started recording on Feb 18th)
Nights Spent Snuggling on the Coach with Sammy & McKinley while watching many episodes of Poirot on Netflix = Too numerous to count
Outings Out Into the Cold to See Friends Socially That Weren't Connected to Work/Boards/Organizational Events = 3
Phone Calls to Parents = Three. One 2-hour call and one 1.5-hour call and one 40-minute call.
New Beers/Ciders Imbibed = 7
Southern Tier Brewing - 2XOne
Southern Tier Brewing - Grand Arbor
Otter Creek Brewing - Citra Mantra
Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits - Tongue Buckler
Stella Artois - Cidre
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 75 Minute IPA
Lagunitas Brewing Company - A Little Sumpin' Wild Ale
Musical Rehearsals Attended - 2. Will increase exponentially in the next week
Paczkis Consumed Prior to Fat Tuesday - One solitary over-filled, seemingly double-glazed wonder
Tickets Purchased To See Morrissey In Concert at Artpark: - 3. One for me and 2 for my cousin and his friend.
Buffalo Sabres Traded: Two
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Green Mountain Conversion
 | |
| My Mom, Matt, & my Dad having a mid-morning coffee |
After a tour of the center which included a tasting of a delicious, but expensive reserve blend, we grabbed an empty table outside the station to plot our next stop for the day. I decided to take some pictures and wandered into a park across the street where I came upon a couple ladies who asked if I wanted to do a coffee taste test/survey. Never to turn down a chance to taste coffee, I agreed as did my mom and Matt. Of the 3 coffees we tried in a blind taste test, we all picked "B" which turned out to be a Green Mountain Coffee's Vermont Country Blend. The losers were Maxwell House and Starbucks.
Since that trip, Matt and I have switched up our brand of coffee at home to mainly Green Mountain. It also helps that we inherited on Keurig and bought another Keurig for super cheap from friends so that Matt could have his 1-cup at work and not have to make a full pot of decaf coffee at home when he wanted a cup. I appreciate their collaboration with Newman's Own in making an affordable Fair Trade coffee available on grocery shelves.
Of course, Green Mountain Coffee has the tricky balance of maintaining its commitment to the environment while selling a popular product that seems counter to that mission.
The latest news is that Coca-Cola, in making a move against SodaStream, has bought 10% stake in Green Mountain. Since Keurig machines are not fitted with the appropriate gadget to make water fizzy, Coca-Cola will be working to create the gadget that will.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Tipping The Hat To Summer 2012
While there are actual seasons blowing in and shining down, the constant pace of my life has hardly seen a break in years. But seasons come and go regardless of whether I'm occupied or not.
This summer..
- We hosted this year's "Cousins Weekend" which saw the arrival of cousins from Albany and Boston, aunt from Buffalo, and my parents from Rochester to our house. Somehow in just a weekend, we visited Southern Tier Brewing Company, Panama Rocks, Bemus Point, Chautauqua Institution, Forte, Lily Dale, and Dunkirk. It was a bit of a whirlwind for me as the host but I was so glad to see everyone!
- My parents came down to visit a couple times to help with some household improvements and to celebrate Father's Day. My grandmother came the latter visit and we had fun going to the Yassou! Festival and finding bargains at some of the local thrift shops.
- Matt and I worked on some household projects. The downstairs bathroom saw a makeover with the old vanity being ripped out, new flooring being put down, a new-to-us toilet being installed, new lighting, a pedestal sink, and wainscoting installed on the walls. The room still needs a final bit of wainscoting and a final paint job before accessory installation can happen.
- I finally got to see Fountains Of Wayne, for free even, as part of Buffalo's Thursdays In The Harbor. It was a wonderful show even though there were only a handful of us who were familiar with a greater range of their songs beyond "Stacy's Mom."
- The end of June included the arrival of a puppy in our lives: Sammy. Sammy is a German Shepard-Lab-Mix we adopted from Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue. Matt says he's one of the best puppies he's ever had. The little guy is quite cute and quite a handful. I never had a puppy before so I was definitely not prepared for the lack of sleep, the time commitment, and the patience needed. Even so, I like having him around. He has a lot of the traits of Buddy to the point where we joke that Sammy is Buddy reincarnated. I didn't blog about Buddy dying back in April. I don't know if I ever will. I still miss him so much and probably always will.
- On the health front: Matt and I have been eating a diet that follows the Paleo Model. We were strict for the initial 30 days of the diet (started day after Mother's Day and continued until June 8th), but have relaxed to the point where 70 to 80% of our diet is paleo. The diet is a "real food" diet that is gluten free (no rice or corn even), legume free (no peanuts or soy), and dairy free. As it's anti-inflammatory, I've seen my rosacea calm down and I lost some of the stubborn weight (around 5 lbs) that had been hanging on for the last year despite all my exercise/calorie counting. Matt lost 16 pounds he had gained back after his big weight loss competition last year and saw his allergies settle down as well. I don't miss bread as much as I thought I would although lunch is a bit more complicated because there isn't the easy fall-back of sandwiches. Eating romaine wraps does get old. I also am not missing cheese as much as I thought I would either. That doesn't mean I haven't had a cheeseburger here and there over the last few months!
And forward...
- I submitted my resignation from my teaching gig at Infinity Visual & Performing Arts. Part of it is because I will have a rehearsal on Wednesday nights most of this Fall which would have made it impossible to teach the one day I'm available. Also, while I really enjoyed teaching and I liked the small group of students I had, sometimes you need to step back and refocus.
- Refocusing doesn't mean I've given up being busy. The rehearsals I will have are for JCC's production of "Legally Blonde" in November. It has been 3 seasons since I've done a musical at JCC and 2 years since I played in the pit for "Chicago" at Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown. It was time for a challenge of a familiar, but different variety.
- Busy also includes: Playing in a wedding this Saturday and enjoying Local Music Showcase, a couple trips to Rochester to celebrate my mom's birthday and my parent's 40th wedding anniversary, a Fiona Apple concert on October 9th, a Morrissey concert on October 19th, a Jamestown Community Orchestra concert on October 21st, three weekends of "Legally Blonde" performances, and Matt's 40th birthday. You'll need to check back in with me sometime in January before I have free time again, in other words.
This summer..
- We hosted this year's "Cousins Weekend" which saw the arrival of cousins from Albany and Boston, aunt from Buffalo, and my parents from Rochester to our house. Somehow in just a weekend, we visited Southern Tier Brewing Company, Panama Rocks, Bemus Point, Chautauqua Institution, Forte, Lily Dale, and Dunkirk. It was a bit of a whirlwind for me as the host but I was so glad to see everyone!
- My parents came down to visit a couple times to help with some household improvements and to celebrate Father's Day. My grandmother came the latter visit and we had fun going to the Yassou! Festival and finding bargains at some of the local thrift shops.
- Matt and I worked on some household projects. The downstairs bathroom saw a makeover with the old vanity being ripped out, new flooring being put down, a new-to-us toilet being installed, new lighting, a pedestal sink, and wainscoting installed on the walls. The room still needs a final bit of wainscoting and a final paint job before accessory installation can happen.
- I finally got to see Fountains Of Wayne, for free even, as part of Buffalo's Thursdays In The Harbor. It was a wonderful show even though there were only a handful of us who were familiar with a greater range of their songs beyond "Stacy's Mom."
- The end of June included the arrival of a puppy in our lives: Sammy. Sammy is a German Shepard-Lab-Mix we adopted from Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue. Matt says he's one of the best puppies he's ever had. The little guy is quite cute and quite a handful. I never had a puppy before so I was definitely not prepared for the lack of sleep, the time commitment, and the patience needed. Even so, I like having him around. He has a lot of the traits of Buddy to the point where we joke that Sammy is Buddy reincarnated. I didn't blog about Buddy dying back in April. I don't know if I ever will. I still miss him so much and probably always will.
- On the health front: Matt and I have been eating a diet that follows the Paleo Model. We were strict for the initial 30 days of the diet (started day after Mother's Day and continued until June 8th), but have relaxed to the point where 70 to 80% of our diet is paleo. The diet is a "real food" diet that is gluten free (no rice or corn even), legume free (no peanuts or soy), and dairy free. As it's anti-inflammatory, I've seen my rosacea calm down and I lost some of the stubborn weight (around 5 lbs) that had been hanging on for the last year despite all my exercise/calorie counting. Matt lost 16 pounds he had gained back after his big weight loss competition last year and saw his allergies settle down as well. I don't miss bread as much as I thought I would although lunch is a bit more complicated because there isn't the easy fall-back of sandwiches. Eating romaine wraps does get old. I also am not missing cheese as much as I thought I would either. That doesn't mean I haven't had a cheeseburger here and there over the last few months!
And forward...
- I submitted my resignation from my teaching gig at Infinity Visual & Performing Arts. Part of it is because I will have a rehearsal on Wednesday nights most of this Fall which would have made it impossible to teach the one day I'm available. Also, while I really enjoyed teaching and I liked the small group of students I had, sometimes you need to step back and refocus.
- Refocusing doesn't mean I've given up being busy. The rehearsals I will have are for JCC's production of "Legally Blonde" in November. It has been 3 seasons since I've done a musical at JCC and 2 years since I played in the pit for "Chicago" at Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown. It was time for a challenge of a familiar, but different variety.
- Busy also includes: Playing in a wedding this Saturday and enjoying Local Music Showcase, a couple trips to Rochester to celebrate my mom's birthday and my parent's 40th wedding anniversary, a Fiona Apple concert on October 9th, a Morrissey concert on October 19th, a Jamestown Community Orchestra concert on October 21st, three weekends of "Legally Blonde" performances, and Matt's 40th birthday. You'll need to check back in with me sometime in January before I have free time again, in other words.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Surprise Delivered by the Postal Service
A women in Rochester was at an Amvets Thrift shop where she bought a box of Christmas cards. When she got home, she realized there were other things in the box: business cards, photographs, a work ID card, and a love letter written from a husband to his wife on their 12th anniversary. The woman took a chance and sent the personal items to the address listed on the business cards with a note saying she hoped people at the address would know the people in the photographs and to let her know if they made it to the right place.
My grandmother in Buffalo received that bundle in the last week. The items had belonged to my grandfather who died in October. The pictures were of him at meetings with friends, spending time on a friend's boat in 2007, and one of him posing with me and my cousins on Easter Sunday in 1987.
My grandmother misses her husband of 61 years a great deal. She told my Aunt that she has been looking for a sign since October that he is where he's supposed to be and is happy. My grandmother says she has her answer now.
A side note - I googled the name of the woman who bought the Christmas card box and if the person I found online is the same, she's a widow too. My aunt helped write a note for my grandmother that she will send back to the kind woman whose chance purchase made all of my family smile this past week.
My grandmother in Buffalo received that bundle in the last week. The items had belonged to my grandfather who died in October. The pictures were of him at meetings with friends, spending time on a friend's boat in 2007, and one of him posing with me and my cousins on Easter Sunday in 1987.
My grandmother misses her husband of 61 years a great deal. She told my Aunt that she has been looking for a sign since October that he is where he's supposed to be and is happy. My grandmother says she has her answer now.
A side note - I googled the name of the woman who bought the Christmas card box and if the person I found online is the same, she's a widow too. My aunt helped write a note for my grandmother that she will send back to the kind woman whose chance purchase made all of my family smile this past week.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
2010 - Is It Over Already?
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I began teaching violin at Infinity Visual & Performing Arts
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not much of a resolution making sort of person, but I did pinky swear with a few friends that 2011 will be the year we're more positive.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin, Rachel, had a baby girl in May.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Grandfather died October 5th. He had been sick since this summer, but took quite a turn that first weekend of the month. Just by chance I was able to be there in the room with my family when he died. In an odd way, being there helped bring a lot more closure than I've had when other family members have died.
5. What countries did you visit?
Matt and I went to Hamilton, Ontario to see Star Wars In Concert on our 6th wedding anniversary.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
The feeling like I can move forward with things I want to do.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Losing some fear to do the things I want to do.
8. What was your biggest failure?
Still not saying no enough.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I'm still a pretty healthy gal.
10. What was the best thing you bought?
PlayStation 3, which enabled us to "cut the cord" on the upper tiers of cable.
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Matt still gets high marks.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
It would not be polite to name names.
13. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and house related stuff such as replacing the foundation on the backside of our house, fixing the furnace, and having to get our sewer line roto-rootered twice.
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Signing up for a Zumba certification class that will take place in February 2011.
15. What song will always remind you of 2010?
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I am happier. I feel more even going into the New Year than last year.
b) thinner or fatter? I think I gained a couple pounds from where I was last year. Hard to say since I KNOW I gained some "holiday weight" over the holidays last year.
c) richer or poorer? Edging toward a little poorer after some hard home maintenance costs over the last year. We're still on course though to try to purchase a car to replace my beloved Toyota Tercel.
17. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I think I should have written more. I had a nice streak going at the beginning of the year, but lost focus. I always wish I had taken more time to read, and that continues. You know it's bad when you have a monthly magazine that you still haven't read and the next issue is probably in the mail today.
18. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I had stressed less.
19. How did you spend Christmas?
We went to Cheektowaga for Christmas Eve dinner with my family. Much to my joyous excitement, Matt gave me my big Christmas gift of tickets to see New Kids On The Block/Backstreet Boys with Ali in Pittsburgh this June. After opening presents, we headed off to Midnight Mass at Queen of Martyrs where the service actually began at 10pm and only lasted 42 minutes. We left Christmas morning after eggs, toast, and copious amounts of coffee to come back to Jamestown for Christmas day with Matt's parents.
20. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I stayed in love.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
Paranormal State, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Psychic Kids, and the news.
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I'm not big on hate because it wastes so much energy. There are people who disappoint me, but I don't hate them.
23. What did you want and get?
Some pure joy.
24. What did you want and not get?
That sense that I can change some things in order to be more happy
25. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked and later went to the Brick Room for dinner with Matt, TJ Maxx, and then ice cream at The Big Dipper. I turned 34.
26. Who did you miss?
I was sorting Christmas decorations when I came across a box from my grandmother's house that hadn't been opened since she died 5 years ago. When I opened it, all the linens smelled like her house and reminded me of how much I still miss her.
27. Good Things About 2010 (a list)
I began teaching violin at Infinity Visual & Performing Arts
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not much of a resolution making sort of person, but I did pinky swear with a few friends that 2011 will be the year we're more positive.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin, Rachel, had a baby girl in May.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Grandfather died October 5th. He had been sick since this summer, but took quite a turn that first weekend of the month. Just by chance I was able to be there in the room with my family when he died. In an odd way, being there helped bring a lot more closure than I've had when other family members have died.
5. What countries did you visit?
Matt and I went to Hamilton, Ontario to see Star Wars In Concert on our 6th wedding anniversary.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
The feeling like I can move forward with things I want to do.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Losing some fear to do the things I want to do.
8. What was your biggest failure?
Still not saying no enough.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I'm still a pretty healthy gal.
10. What was the best thing you bought?
PlayStation 3, which enabled us to "cut the cord" on the upper tiers of cable.
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Matt still gets high marks.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
It would not be polite to name names.
13. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and house related stuff such as replacing the foundation on the backside of our house, fixing the furnace, and having to get our sewer line roto-rootered twice.
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Signing up for a Zumba certification class that will take place in February 2011.
15. What song will always remind you of 2010?
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I am happier. I feel more even going into the New Year than last year.
b) thinner or fatter? I think I gained a couple pounds from where I was last year. Hard to say since I KNOW I gained some "holiday weight" over the holidays last year.
c) richer or poorer? Edging toward a little poorer after some hard home maintenance costs over the last year. We're still on course though to try to purchase a car to replace my beloved Toyota Tercel.
17. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I think I should have written more. I had a nice streak going at the beginning of the year, but lost focus. I always wish I had taken more time to read, and that continues. You know it's bad when you have a monthly magazine that you still haven't read and the next issue is probably in the mail today.
18. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I had stressed less.
19. How did you spend Christmas?
We went to Cheektowaga for Christmas Eve dinner with my family. Much to my joyous excitement, Matt gave me my big Christmas gift of tickets to see New Kids On The Block/Backstreet Boys with Ali in Pittsburgh this June. After opening presents, we headed off to Midnight Mass at Queen of Martyrs where the service actually began at 10pm and only lasted 42 minutes. We left Christmas morning after eggs, toast, and copious amounts of coffee to come back to Jamestown for Christmas day with Matt's parents.
20. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I stayed in love.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
Paranormal State, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Psychic Kids, and the news.
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I'm not big on hate because it wastes so much energy. There are people who disappoint me, but I don't hate them.
23. What did you want and get?
Some pure joy.
24. What did you want and not get?
That sense that I can change some things in order to be more happy
25. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked and later went to the Brick Room for dinner with Matt, TJ Maxx, and then ice cream at The Big Dipper. I turned 34.
26. Who did you miss?
I was sorting Christmas decorations when I came across a box from my grandmother's house that hadn't been opened since she died 5 years ago. When I opened it, all the linens smelled like her house and reminded me of how much I still miss her.
27. Good Things About 2010 (a list)
Friday, September 03, 2010
Pre-Labor Day Summer Wrap-Up
The unofficial end to summer is this weekend. I'm currently scanning RADAR and several weather websites in an attempt to divine whether we're going to get so much rain that the city's Labor Day Festival, which I help organize, has to be postponed until Monday. Fingers are crossed right now.
So what about the rest of this summer?
- We took a 4-day weekend to the Midwest. A stop in Chicago was made for dinner at Hop Leaf with friends. A fantastic party in Pontiac came next with a theme of "Video Games." I went as Princess Peach.
- Matt and I spent our 6th wedding anniversary in Hamilton, Ontario to see "Star Wars In Concert." It was a fabulous performance that we capped off by having dinner at La Bella Sicilia's which is where we held our rehearsal dinner. I also convinced Matt that we needed frozen custard from Fran Ceil's.
- We took in a lecture by Ed Kashi at Chautauqua Institution courtesy of our friends from Kodak who were there for Photography week.
- An evening of Bellini's and Ballet was had with friends at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.
- My two young violin students showed up regularly for the rest of the summer. I'm hoping they come back to the program this Fall.
- Matt scored tickets to see an Abba tribute band perform at Chautauqua Institution. It was surprisingly good and revived my appreciation for that Swedish pop band.
- I was asked to play violin in the pit orchestra for Lucille Ball Little Theatre's production of "Chicago" in October. Rehearsals started this past weekend.
- We met up with Len and Ali in Cleveland for the "Dog Days of Summer" at Great Lakes Brewing Company. After admiring lots of people's dogs and having some food/beer, we headed downtown for more beverages at Flannery's. Before heading back to Jamestown, we walked around downtown and I showed Ali and Len Tower City Mall.
- We celebrated Ali and Len's 10th wedding anniversary with them, family, and friends in the cool middle-of-nowhere log cabin where Len's mom and step-dad live.
- I earnestly started clearing out a lot of my clothes that don't fit or I haven't worn in awhile. I also started a consignment account at a local shop to try to sell some of things I no longer wanted.
The Fall, which eventually turns into my "slow time" at work, is shaping up to be rather busy. There's Labor Day Festival this Sunday (unless it gets rained out), Local Music Showcase, WRFA fundraiser at Southern Tier Brewing Company, my mom's 60th birthday, "Chicago," Jamestown Community Orchestra concert, Halloween Fun Fest, pierogi party, and when we get to November I'll finally get a 2-week vacation. Just doing my best to hang in there until then!
So what about the rest of this summer?
- We took a 4-day weekend to the Midwest. A stop in Chicago was made for dinner at Hop Leaf with friends. A fantastic party in Pontiac came next with a theme of "Video Games." I went as Princess Peach.
- Matt and I spent our 6th wedding anniversary in Hamilton, Ontario to see "Star Wars In Concert." It was a fabulous performance that we capped off by having dinner at La Bella Sicilia's which is where we held our rehearsal dinner. I also convinced Matt that we needed frozen custard from Fran Ceil's.
- We took in a lecture by Ed Kashi at Chautauqua Institution courtesy of our friends from Kodak who were there for Photography week.
- An evening of Bellini's and Ballet was had with friends at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.
- My two young violin students showed up regularly for the rest of the summer. I'm hoping they come back to the program this Fall.
- Matt scored tickets to see an Abba tribute band perform at Chautauqua Institution. It was surprisingly good and revived my appreciation for that Swedish pop band.
- I was asked to play violin in the pit orchestra for Lucille Ball Little Theatre's production of "Chicago" in October. Rehearsals started this past weekend.
- We met up with Len and Ali in Cleveland for the "Dog Days of Summer" at Great Lakes Brewing Company. After admiring lots of people's dogs and having some food/beer, we headed downtown for more beverages at Flannery's. Before heading back to Jamestown, we walked around downtown and I showed Ali and Len Tower City Mall.
- We celebrated Ali and Len's 10th wedding anniversary with them, family, and friends in the cool middle-of-nowhere log cabin where Len's mom and step-dad live.
- I earnestly started clearing out a lot of my clothes that don't fit or I haven't worn in awhile. I also started a consignment account at a local shop to try to sell some of things I no longer wanted.
The Fall, which eventually turns into my "slow time" at work, is shaping up to be rather busy. There's Labor Day Festival this Sunday (unless it gets rained out), Local Music Showcase, WRFA fundraiser at Southern Tier Brewing Company, my mom's 60th birthday, "Chicago," Jamestown Community Orchestra concert, Halloween Fun Fest, pierogi party, and when we get to November I'll finally get a 2-week vacation. Just doing my best to hang in there until then!
Monday, April 05, 2010
Easter Monday Morning Quarterbacking
We did the Easter thing with my family yesterday and on the way up to Buffalo, I mused over why I never quite got why this was such a major holiday. It comes down to a lot of things for me.
First off, when you're raised Catholic, you have four weeks where you're deprived of eating meat on Fridays. I didn't care for fish as a kid, so I ended up eating a lot of macaroni and cheese on Fridays or deep fried shrimp. Fortunately, the mac'n cheese was homemade by the Parkside Diner, so I never got tired of that meal. Then after, all the fasting we finally got to eat meat on Easter Day. Hooray! Except in my family, that means fresh kielbasa and borscht. I've never really enjoyed fresh kielbasa and there was one Easter where I figured if I ate it really fast, I wouldn't be able to taste it. That didn't work out so well and the floor didn't appreciate it either when I upheaved it later. I don't think I have to explain the horror that is borscht. Fortunately, my family has added smoked kielbasa to the Easter offerings as well as ham, so dinner is not dreaded so much.
Going back to religion, I was pretty straight-forward thinking on some issues as a kid. I didn't understand what the big celebration was over the death and rising of Christ. My 9-year old train of thought went sort of like this:
"So, Jesus was a good guy and he got killed for it? And you're telling me he raised from the dead? Okay, I get there being ghosts and angels and stuff but, dude, he's STILL DEAD. Like, it's not like Jesus can hang out and ride bikes with us or climb trees. And we're supposed to super happy about this??? There's still lots of bad people out there, so I dunno if it was worth it."
I know. It's hard to reason with 9-year olds. Plus, I always thought it a bit macabre that not only were we celebrating some revered guy's death, but some of our main icons were of the guy nailed to a couple pieces of wood. Um. Hello? I don't want bloodied, beat-up guy all in my face. Thanks Mr. Jesus for the nightmares as a kid. Add to that the extended church service just because it was a major holy day and my love for Easter was very small.
Getting away from the controversial stuff, Easter falls during a time of year in Western New York that can be either wonderful or snowing. Inevitably, my mom would have picked out a cute, frilly dress for me to wear for Easter. As a kid, I would wear it and shiver because a warm sweater and slacks would have been a better match for the weather. Just try keeping your toes warm in white patent leather shoes when the temperature is 40 degrees!
It wouldn't be fair to not mention to the positive things about Easter. Of course, the candy was always a thrill as a kid. Ham for dinner also was a huge plus once I discovered the delights of Miller's Horseradish spread on each slice. Naturally, time with my family in Buffalo was and still is the biggest plus to the Easter Holiday. So Happy Dyngus Day to everyone!
First off, when you're raised Catholic, you have four weeks where you're deprived of eating meat on Fridays. I didn't care for fish as a kid, so I ended up eating a lot of macaroni and cheese on Fridays or deep fried shrimp. Fortunately, the mac'n cheese was homemade by the Parkside Diner, so I never got tired of that meal. Then after, all the fasting we finally got to eat meat on Easter Day. Hooray! Except in my family, that means fresh kielbasa and borscht. I've never really enjoyed fresh kielbasa and there was one Easter where I figured if I ate it really fast, I wouldn't be able to taste it. That didn't work out so well and the floor didn't appreciate it either when I upheaved it later. I don't think I have to explain the horror that is borscht. Fortunately, my family has added smoked kielbasa to the Easter offerings as well as ham, so dinner is not dreaded so much.
Going back to religion, I was pretty straight-forward thinking on some issues as a kid. I didn't understand what the big celebration was over the death and rising of Christ. My 9-year old train of thought went sort of like this:
"So, Jesus was a good guy and he got killed for it? And you're telling me he raised from the dead? Okay, I get there being ghosts and angels and stuff but, dude, he's STILL DEAD. Like, it's not like Jesus can hang out and ride bikes with us or climb trees. And we're supposed to super happy about this??? There's still lots of bad people out there, so I dunno if it was worth it."
I know. It's hard to reason with 9-year olds. Plus, I always thought it a bit macabre that not only were we celebrating some revered guy's death, but some of our main icons were of the guy nailed to a couple pieces of wood. Um. Hello? I don't want bloodied, beat-up guy all in my face. Thanks Mr. Jesus for the nightmares as a kid. Add to that the extended church service just because it was a major holy day and my love for Easter was very small.
Getting away from the controversial stuff, Easter falls during a time of year in Western New York that can be either wonderful or snowing. Inevitably, my mom would have picked out a cute, frilly dress for me to wear for Easter. As a kid, I would wear it and shiver because a warm sweater and slacks would have been a better match for the weather. Just try keeping your toes warm in white patent leather shoes when the temperature is 40 degrees!
It wouldn't be fair to not mention to the positive things about Easter. Of course, the candy was always a thrill as a kid. Ham for dinner also was a huge plus once I discovered the delights of Miller's Horseradish spread on each slice. Naturally, time with my family in Buffalo was and still is the biggest plus to the Easter Holiday. So Happy Dyngus Day to everyone!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Listing to the 10th Degree
1. It's finally Spring. I thought for awhile that it might pass us by but the weekend forecast says 75 and sunny.
2. Busy season is clearing its throat and saying, "Hey! Notice me!!" Phone is starting to ring off the hook and people are lining up at the window at work again.
3. We have a new, dual flush toilet in our upstairs bathroom because the old one had an internal leak that we couldn't fix and an external leak that caused water to run down through the walls onto our kitchen counter on the 1st floor.
4. I thought not blogging for a couple weeks was bad until I found out PreppyGirl hadn't blogged for two years. She ended her drought today.
5. Near the end of January, I bought a six-pack of Southern Tier Brewing's Old Man Winter and hid it in our cellar. I finally clued Matt in on this on Saturday. He was mad, at first, that I had hid it from him but then very, very happy as we both cracked into the pack. It was delicious. It's gone now. We're sad. November, or whenever it's available again, seems so very far away.
6. Apparently, ahem, certain kinds of body hair are becoming acceptable in some circles. I laughed and laughed. Hand me a razor, thankyouverymuch.
7. I passed a civil service exam and placed in the top 3. I needed to do this to keep my job. Hooray. In this economy, I can't really complain.
8. Heidi and Ryan surprised a lot of us by eloping this month out in Lake Placid. Congrats to the happy couple!
9. Facebook has increasingly become my go-to spot to post updates and see what my friends are up to. A good percentage of blogger friends are now sucking in the update category but thanks to Facebook I can tell you if work sucked or wasn't so bad, how hungover they are, and what awesome lunch special they ate at Jones 212 Bakery & Cafe. And then my mom got a Facebook account and added me as a friend.
10. I have a couple projects going and only one has a true deadline. Well, I don't know what the deadline is exactly, so I'm going with April 10th until the guys over at The Word tell me differently. How's that for a teaser?
2. Busy season is clearing its throat and saying, "Hey! Notice me!!" Phone is starting to ring off the hook and people are lining up at the window at work again.
3. We have a new, dual flush toilet in our upstairs bathroom because the old one had an internal leak that we couldn't fix and an external leak that caused water to run down through the walls onto our kitchen counter on the 1st floor.
4. I thought not blogging for a couple weeks was bad until I found out PreppyGirl hadn't blogged for two years. She ended her drought today.
5. Near the end of January, I bought a six-pack of Southern Tier Brewing's Old Man Winter and hid it in our cellar. I finally clued Matt in on this on Saturday. He was mad, at first, that I had hid it from him but then very, very happy as we both cracked into the pack. It was delicious. It's gone now. We're sad. November, or whenever it's available again, seems so very far away.
6. Apparently, ahem, certain kinds of body hair are becoming acceptable in some circles. I laughed and laughed. Hand me a razor, thankyouverymuch.
7. I passed a civil service exam and placed in the top 3. I needed to do this to keep my job. Hooray. In this economy, I can't really complain.
8. Heidi and Ryan surprised a lot of us by eloping this month out in Lake Placid. Congrats to the happy couple!
9. Facebook has increasingly become my go-to spot to post updates and see what my friends are up to. A good percentage of blogger friends are now sucking in the update category but thanks to Facebook I can tell you if work sucked or wasn't so bad, how hungover they are, and what awesome lunch special they ate at Jones 212 Bakery & Cafe. And then my mom got a Facebook account and added me as a friend.
10. I have a couple projects going and only one has a true deadline. Well, I don't know what the deadline is exactly, so I'm going with April 10th until the guys over at The Word tell me differently. How's that for a teaser?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Technically.. It's Still the Christmas Season
Since the Epiphany isn't until January 6th, I figure I'm not being too tardy in giving the Christmas update.
This had to be one of the more odd years. To be casual and personal, I swear that all the women in my family either had PMS or they're in some weird stage of menopause that makes them a little cranky.
Christmas Eve is a big deal for my side of the family. We eat a meatless dinner, open presents, and those who are still awake go to Midnight Mass. I'm just going to share the Christmas Eve dinner story.
This year is the first Christmas that all the cousins are age 21 and older. My cousin Andrew celebrated his newly legal status by disappearing just before prayers and oplatek breaking. As the family gathered in the dining room, my Aunt Ginny whispered urgently to my Uncle, "Where is Andrew?"
"He went on an errand."
"Where did he go?"
"Don't worry. He'll be back," my Uncle evaded her question as she tried to look him in the eye. My Aunt asked my cousin, April, if she knew but she wouldn't give a straight answer either. I finally asked out of the corner of my mouth, "So where did he go?"
"Beer," she replied.
Andrew sauntered in after we were all seated. His mom glared at him and said, "Don't talk to me," shaking her head as she walked away after sharing a saved piece of oplatek. He shrugged and grinned at the rest of us, taking a seat at the kids table.
As said before, all the cousins are age 21 and over but we still are required to sit at the kid's table in the kitchen. I think my younger cousins still prefer this because there's less harassment from various family members of, "Are you eating?" "Why aren't you eating?"
We still heard plenty of that since we sit right by the stove and all the food. This was great for getting food first, but not so great for my cousin Craig. My mom, as she carried a bowl of hot mushroom soup to our table, had a clumsy moment and began spilling some of the contents on Craig's leg causing him to yell,
"Ow! Ow!"
"Oh! Oh!" my mom panicked as she noticed what she was doing, but then proceeded to spill more soup on top of Craig.
Fortunately, Craig wasn't burned but his pants were left a little soggy and smelling of soup.
Fried fish, mashed potatoes, pierogis, and green peas round out the rest of Christmas Eve dinner for our family. The pierogis are the ones that we made back in October by the hundreds. Every year, as we roll out the dough someone says, "We have to be sure to make a lot of cheese. Everyone really likes the cheese pierogis."
Sometime between then and Christmas Eve, the women cooking apparently forgot this fact and sauteed up mostly sauerkraut-filled pierogis, which the majority of the people at the kids table do not eat. We can be a rather finicky bunch.
"Where are the cheese pierogis?" we cried to our parents and grandparents in the dining room.
"They're on the plate! You have to poke at them to see what is what!" they yelled back.
I began carefully poking each steaming doughy pocket to see if I could see the hint of white Farmer's cheese inside, "Nope, sauerkraut. Nope, that's another saurkraut. This one is apricot filled. Oh, here's one!"
We stared at the one cheese pierogi on the plate.
"Mom! There's only one cheese pierogi here!" April called out.
"Well, you're just going to have to make yourself more or come to this table to see if we have any," my mom called back to her.
Andrew, knowing he had to make up for sneaking out on prayers, took a plate over to the adult table and returned with enough cheese pierogi to just satisfy everyone.
"They mixed up the sauerkraut and cheese pierogies. You can't tell what is what!"
We sighed, shook our heads and ate.
The mood changed somewhere during dessert. Everyone around the adult table was leaning back, swapping stories and and laughing. My cousins, who had retired to the living room, were lightly teasing each other but smiling too. No one even argued when I threw dish towels at them and told them it was time to tackle the mounds of plates and bowls on the counter.
A moment of relaxed harmony. Merry Christmas to us.
This had to be one of the more odd years. To be casual and personal, I swear that all the women in my family either had PMS or they're in some weird stage of menopause that makes them a little cranky.
Christmas Eve is a big deal for my side of the family. We eat a meatless dinner, open presents, and those who are still awake go to Midnight Mass. I'm just going to share the Christmas Eve dinner story.
This year is the first Christmas that all the cousins are age 21 and older. My cousin Andrew celebrated his newly legal status by disappearing just before prayers and oplatek breaking. As the family gathered in the dining room, my Aunt Ginny whispered urgently to my Uncle, "Where is Andrew?"
"He went on an errand."
"Where did he go?"
"Don't worry. He'll be back," my Uncle evaded her question as she tried to look him in the eye. My Aunt asked my cousin, April, if she knew but she wouldn't give a straight answer either. I finally asked out of the corner of my mouth, "So where did he go?"
"Beer," she replied.
Andrew sauntered in after we were all seated. His mom glared at him and said, "Don't talk to me," shaking her head as she walked away after sharing a saved piece of oplatek. He shrugged and grinned at the rest of us, taking a seat at the kids table.
As said before, all the cousins are age 21 and over but we still are required to sit at the kid's table in the kitchen. I think my younger cousins still prefer this because there's less harassment from various family members of, "Are you eating?" "Why aren't you eating?"
We still heard plenty of that since we sit right by the stove and all the food. This was great for getting food first, but not so great for my cousin Craig. My mom, as she carried a bowl of hot mushroom soup to our table, had a clumsy moment and began spilling some of the contents on Craig's leg causing him to yell,
"Ow! Ow!"
"Oh! Oh!" my mom panicked as she noticed what she was doing, but then proceeded to spill more soup on top of Craig.
Fortunately, Craig wasn't burned but his pants were left a little soggy and smelling of soup.
Fried fish, mashed potatoes, pierogis, and green peas round out the rest of Christmas Eve dinner for our family. The pierogis are the ones that we made back in October by the hundreds. Every year, as we roll out the dough someone says, "We have to be sure to make a lot of cheese. Everyone really likes the cheese pierogis."
Sometime between then and Christmas Eve, the women cooking apparently forgot this fact and sauteed up mostly sauerkraut-filled pierogis, which the majority of the people at the kids table do not eat. We can be a rather finicky bunch.
"Where are the cheese pierogis?" we cried to our parents and grandparents in the dining room.
"They're on the plate! You have to poke at them to see what is what!" they yelled back.
I began carefully poking each steaming doughy pocket to see if I could see the hint of white Farmer's cheese inside, "Nope, sauerkraut. Nope, that's another saurkraut. This one is apricot filled. Oh, here's one!"
We stared at the one cheese pierogi on the plate.
"Mom! There's only one cheese pierogi here!" April called out.
"Well, you're just going to have to make yourself more or come to this table to see if we have any," my mom called back to her.
Andrew, knowing he had to make up for sneaking out on prayers, took a plate over to the adult table and returned with enough cheese pierogi to just satisfy everyone.
"They mixed up the sauerkraut and cheese pierogies. You can't tell what is what!"
We sighed, shook our heads and ate.
The mood changed somewhere during dessert. Everyone around the adult table was leaning back, swapping stories and and laughing. My cousins, who had retired to the living room, were lightly teasing each other but smiling too. No one even argued when I threw dish towels at them and told them it was time to tackle the mounds of plates and bowls on the counter.
A moment of relaxed harmony. Merry Christmas to us.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2009 - In Review
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? My new job. There was a lot of stuff in it that was totally new to me.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Not a fan of making resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? We had several friends who had babies and a couple more that conceived this year but won't give birth until 2010.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My Great-Aunt Margie died somewhat unexpectedly this past July. She had gone in for surgery but I guess I didn't consider that she wouldn't make it out. She's been missed over these holidays.
5. What countries did you visit? Once again, I stayed stateside.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A plan for where I will take myself next. More free time.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- March 19th: Morrissey at SUNY UB.
- July 4th weekend: Spending time with friends but losing my Aunt
- July 25-26: John Hughes Party in Pontiac. One crazy road trip so we could have an awesome time with out of town friends and friends from Jamestown.
- Any date that we went to a wedding. There were 7 of them.
- September 6th: my first Labor Day Festival that I helped organize
- September through November 21st: The preparation and performances of "The Producers"
- Thanksgiving Week: Managing to see a large group of friends from high school for the first time in years plus squeaking in visits with other friends
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting better at paring back where I needed to in order to maintain sanity.
9. What was your biggest failure? Still not saying no enough.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No flu or serious injuries of my own.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Lady GaGa - The Fame
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Matt still gets high marks.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some behavior by people I had to interact with because of my job.
14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage and car related stuff
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Playing in the pit orchestra for "The Producers." It was so much fun!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Probably anything by Lady GaGa
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I think there's a chance I'm sadder than last year at this time but overall I would say I'm probably happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner by a good 7 pounds at least. 20 pounds lost over 2 years!!
c) richer or poorer? I think richer since we've been better about saving money.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I still wish I had read more even though I was better about picking up a book here and there during the middle of the year.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? It goes along with 18 somewhat, but I almost wish I read fewer blogs and actually blogged more.
20. How did you spend Christmas? We went to Cheektowaga for Christmas Eve dinner with my family, Midnight Mass at St. John Adalberts, left Christmas morning to come back to Jamestown for Christmas day with Matt's parents.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I stayed in love.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Paranormal State, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and Tabatha's Salon Take Over
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No. I'm not big on hate because it wastes so much energy. There are people who disappoint me, but I don't hate them.
4. What did you want and get? I needed a job in order to avoid being laid off and I got one.
25. What did you want and not get? That sense that I'm on the right track.
26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I worked and later went to Forte for drinks with some friends. I turned 33.
27. Who did you miss? I missed seeing some friends but in an odd way I missed Matt because we were so busy during the week and then with plenty of stuff on the weekends we actually didn't get a lot of time to just sit back and say, "Hey, how you doing?"
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Not a fan of making resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? We had several friends who had babies and a couple more that conceived this year but won't give birth until 2010.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My Great-Aunt Margie died somewhat unexpectedly this past July. She had gone in for surgery but I guess I didn't consider that she wouldn't make it out. She's been missed over these holidays.
5. What countries did you visit? Once again, I stayed stateside.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A plan for where I will take myself next. More free time.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- March 19th: Morrissey at SUNY UB.
- July 4th weekend: Spending time with friends but losing my Aunt
- July 25-26: John Hughes Party in Pontiac. One crazy road trip so we could have an awesome time with out of town friends and friends from Jamestown.
- Any date that we went to a wedding. There were 7 of them.
- September 6th: my first Labor Day Festival that I helped organize
- September through November 21st: The preparation and performances of "The Producers"
- Thanksgiving Week: Managing to see a large group of friends from high school for the first time in years plus squeaking in visits with other friends
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting better at paring back where I needed to in order to maintain sanity.
9. What was your biggest failure? Still not saying no enough.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No flu or serious injuries of my own.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Lady GaGa - The Fame
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Matt still gets high marks.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some behavior by people I had to interact with because of my job.
14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage and car related stuff
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Playing in the pit orchestra for "The Producers." It was so much fun!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Probably anything by Lady GaGa
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I think there's a chance I'm sadder than last year at this time but overall I would say I'm probably happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner by a good 7 pounds at least. 20 pounds lost over 2 years!!
c) richer or poorer? I think richer since we've been better about saving money.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I still wish I had read more even though I was better about picking up a book here and there during the middle of the year.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? It goes along with 18 somewhat, but I almost wish I read fewer blogs and actually blogged more.
20. How did you spend Christmas? We went to Cheektowaga for Christmas Eve dinner with my family, Midnight Mass at St. John Adalberts, left Christmas morning to come back to Jamestown for Christmas day with Matt's parents.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I stayed in love.
22. What was your favorite TV program? Paranormal State, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and Tabatha's Salon Take Over
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No. I'm not big on hate because it wastes so much energy. There are people who disappoint me, but I don't hate them.
4. What did you want and get? I needed a job in order to avoid being laid off and I got one.
25. What did you want and not get? That sense that I'm on the right track.
26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I worked and later went to Forte for drinks with some friends. I turned 33.
27. Who did you miss? I missed seeing some friends but in an odd way I missed Matt because we were so busy during the week and then with plenty of stuff on the weekends we actually didn't get a lot of time to just sit back and say, "Hey, how you doing?"
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Mayfly Project - 2009
It's the end of 2009, so it's time to assess the year in 24 words for The MayFly Project:
Painted dining room. Acquired violin student. New job. Seven weddings. New friends. Lost family member. Wrote for The Word. Played pit for The Producers.
My past attempts at MayFly summaries:
2001
2002 (longer)
Painted dining room. Acquired violin student. New job. Seven weddings. New friends. Lost family member. Wrote for The Word. Played pit for The Producers.
My past attempts at MayFly summaries:
2001
2002 (longer)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
My Parent's Glorious Christmas Tree
As I say almost every year, why put up and decorate a tree when we can just come and appreciate my parent's gloriously decorated tree? It continues to be magnificent another year.
Incidentally, when I lived at home, decorating the tree was a big part of my holiday responsibilities and we had just as many ornaments back then.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Holiday Story Time
I'm feeling the urge to embellish, but I'll try to stay true to history as I share one of the Christmas traditions my family has endured for years.
Christmas cookie decorating has held a hallowed spot in the days of pre-Christmas preparation for my family. Always a raucous affair, when I was a child there were bowls and bowls of frosting scattered around the dining room table between heaping trays of anise-flavored cut-out cookies. My eyes would grow large as I peered over the tower of sweetness at my dad and the daunting task of sprinkling colored sugars over the confectionery delights. He'd grimly assess the job and mutter, "Well, your mother certainly made enough this year."
Cookie by cookie, we'd slap on frosting with a butter knife and carefully consider whether the Christmas Tree shape should have red garland this time or maybe just nonpareils. That studious contemplation gave way to less heavenly creations and gingerbread men started to look a little punk-rock, Christmas trees took on ghastly shades of pink and purple, and the ultimate I-don't-care was the "everything" cookie where all the sprinkles on the table were scooped up and dumped randomly on top.
When I was a child, cookie decorating took hours. When I reached my later teens and also found friends or significant others who were willing, we had more help at the table. That help became a significant factor in cookies being finished in a more timely fashion which allowed my dad to retreat to the family room sooner to watch the hockey game, and me to escape to go out anywhere that wasn't my house. The addition of a third cookie decorator was so vital that one December, after a recent break-up of a long-term relationship, my dad asked, "Do you think he'll still come and help decorate cookies?" I have the pictures to prove that my former-boyfriend was a good soul who understood.
Neither my dad nor I are even casual artists but once a year we do our best to create a display of colorful, edible delights. At the end, for all our grumbling there was a measure of pride in the work we did and gladness at some time together. To toss out it out there again, maybe this is what Christmas is truly about. I'll take those moments.
Christmas cookie decorating has held a hallowed spot in the days of pre-Christmas preparation for my family. Always a raucous affair, when I was a child there were bowls and bowls of frosting scattered around the dining room table between heaping trays of anise-flavored cut-out cookies. My eyes would grow large as I peered over the tower of sweetness at my dad and the daunting task of sprinkling colored sugars over the confectionery delights. He'd grimly assess the job and mutter, "Well, your mother certainly made enough this year."
Cookie by cookie, we'd slap on frosting with a butter knife and carefully consider whether the Christmas Tree shape should have red garland this time or maybe just nonpareils. That studious contemplation gave way to less heavenly creations and gingerbread men started to look a little punk-rock, Christmas trees took on ghastly shades of pink and purple, and the ultimate I-don't-care was the "everything" cookie where all the sprinkles on the table were scooped up and dumped randomly on top.
When I was a child, cookie decorating took hours. When I reached my later teens and also found friends or significant others who were willing, we had more help at the table. That help became a significant factor in cookies being finished in a more timely fashion which allowed my dad to retreat to the family room sooner to watch the hockey game, and me to escape to go out anywhere that wasn't my house. The addition of a third cookie decorator was so vital that one December, after a recent break-up of a long-term relationship, my dad asked, "Do you think he'll still come and help decorate cookies?" I have the pictures to prove that my former-boyfriend was a good soul who understood.
Neither my dad nor I are even casual artists but once a year we do our best to create a display of colorful, edible delights. At the end, for all our grumbling there was a measure of pride in the work we did and gladness at some time together. To toss out it out there again, maybe this is what Christmas is truly about. I'll take those moments.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Word Editorial - Happy Thanksgiving
I have been asked to contribute another editorial for the Chautauqua Region Word's "Say" section. Assuming that the latest issue is available online, my musings on Thanksgiving can be found at crword.com.
I hope all of you who celebrate the holiday have an enjoyable time!
I hope all of you who celebrate the holiday have an enjoyable time!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Kapusta!
Pierogi Party 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Season Of Weddings - Moratorium
Number of weddings attended in 2009: 7
Weddings that had cheese hors d'œuvre (apparently of huge concern to Matt): 4
Weddings in a church: 2 (1 was in the church we were married in)
Outside Weddings: 3 (1 was in a barn, but that pretty much counts as outside)
Muslim Weddings: 1
Weddings where F-List celebrities (Jon Gosslin) showed up and my mom threatened to go out and give him whatfor: 1
Weddings with live bands: 3 (King Rail was at 2 of those!)
Weddings I played violin at: 2
Weddings we danced the "Electric Slide": 3
Weddings where the groomsmen dressed in drag to demonstrate how the married couple met: 1
Total number of outfits worn to the weddings: 5 (2.5 outfits were repeated. The .5 comes into play when I changed after the ceremony because my suit was TOO hot!)
Weddings where dogs were present: 1 (The Bride & Groom's dog was tied to a tree outside the barn, but that was close enough! Plus, friends brought their dog with them whom we were all too happy to pet and love)
Weddings that we may be invited to in 2010: 2 and counting
Weddings that had cheese hors d'œuvre (apparently of huge concern to Matt): 4
Weddings in a church: 2 (1 was in the church we were married in)
Outside Weddings: 3 (1 was in a barn, but that pretty much counts as outside)
Muslim Weddings: 1
Weddings where F-List celebrities (Jon Gosslin) showed up and my mom threatened to go out and give him whatfor: 1
Weddings with live bands: 3 (King Rail was at 2 of those!)
Weddings I played violin at: 2
Weddings we danced the "Electric Slide": 3
Weddings where the groomsmen dressed in drag to demonstrate how the married couple met: 1
Total number of outfits worn to the weddings: 5 (2.5 outfits were repeated. The .5 comes into play when I changed after the ceremony because my suit was TOO hot!)
Weddings where dogs were present: 1 (The Bride & Groom's dog was tied to a tree outside the barn, but that was close enough! Plus, friends brought their dog with them whom we were all too happy to pet and love)
Weddings that we may be invited to in 2010: 2 and counting
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