It was a good Sunday!
I greeted with Margo at church, and there were some old friends who came (Bill and Josephine with kids in tow!) and some other friends who will be leaving soon for the holidays and not back until the New Year. Our small group had "clean up" duty after brunch, and while I stuck around to do it I think I managed to lift maybe two fingers. Seriously, I got to gabbing, and others got to working, and before I knew it, the place was cleaned. Wha-la! Best brunch clean up I've ever had. :)
After church I spent the afternoon doing really fun things like laundry, paying bills, going through a to-do list and cooking for the next couple of days. I made a fabulous Adobo Chicken (thanks, Chuck!). My rice cooker rocks!!!
Oh, while doing all of this I had the Patriots game on. Ouch. Clobbered by my second favorite team - the Steelers.
Going to sleep well tonight.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
14 Days
Ah, Saturdays. Sweet Saturdays.
They are meant for sleeping, sleeping in. But for some reason I couldn't get to sleep the night before, even though I tried to numb my brain with a Mork and Mindy marathon that was playing on the sci-fi channel. Nanu Nanu!
Oh well. Went to bed at 2am. Got up at 6:30am. My friends with babies have no sympathy. However, I have no excuse like that, and at my age I really and truly need sleep. ACK! Maybe tonight.
So I managed to do a bunch of things in the morning, and then I saw Kris. What a nice visit we had! She had a fabulous Thanksgiving with her mom and her cat. She brings her to visit every Sunday and on holidays, and it literally makes Kristin the happiest person on the planet. We decided to spend some time with folks that don't get visitors. So, we cruised around the nursing home, sprinkling our happy dust on anyone willing to accept it. Turns out there were two gentlemen that were especially fond of spending time with us, and we enjoyed making them laugh, telling them stories of our mischievous childhood and finding out more about their stories. One guy, a 50-ish man from Lawrence, originally from Cambodia, was in the home because of a spinal injury. He was at home one night a year ago, sitting in a chair in his kitchen when and an scquaintance came in, grabbed him by the neck and flipped him over. Within an instant, he was paralyzed and will never walk again. Sadly, he is stuck in the home, even though most of his family have moved to the west coast. He only has one relative here, and he runs his business now (because he cannot) so he doesn't have time to visit. The man's name is Paul, and I told him my father's name was Paul and had recently passed away. He was pleased the name had meaning, and I assured him I would not forget him. His spirit was so calm, so full of joy. I asked if there was any hope in getting better, and he said no..he would be like this for the rest of his life. His dream is to be moved to a home on the west coast, which can happen, but not until the trial is over. He has to testify against the man who did this to him, but thanks to a slow justice system, it won't take place until January.
Imagine. One day you are sitting at your table and within moments, you will never walk again. Paul gets around very well in his wheelchair, and he has a unique range of motion in his upper body, which enables him to exercise in unique ways. He's thankful for this. And when he was able to shake my hand, I was thankful, too.
As is typical, the day continued with more visits and time with friends. How lucky am I?!!
Janet was up from Virginia, and Bill and I hung out with her. She's doing very well, and I seriously hope she can do her residency up here in Boston. We miss you, Janet!!
While visiting with Janet and Bill, Adam and Katrina stopped by, having been in Boston visiting the North End on sort of a "date day" away from the kids. What fun! Um, this is the second "Charette" visit in one week, and that's just amazing. Katrina is expecting their 3rd child, a baby girl. I first met Adam when he was 5 and began babysitting him and his two other siblings shortly thereafter....until 2 more came, and then I bailed (actually, I went off to college or something silly). So...how appropriate to see him one last time in my youth. Ah, yes....middle age is approaching!
Soon after Adam and Katrina left, we raced to the airport to drop off Janet...after that, we met up with Meredith to eat SUSHI (yum), although she had already eaten, so she graciously blessed us with her presence. Bill hadn't been to Hanna Sushi yet. I think he's a new fan. We introduced him to something else tonight, but I will wait to share that....
Meredith and I wanted to see Slumdog Millionare. She suggested we get to the theater early because the movie is getting rave reviews and Oscar buzz. I felt she was over reacting to the holiday weekend hype, but it turns out she was absolutely correct. When Bill declined to see the movie, claiming he had "work to do", we practically pushed him out of the vehicle so we wouldn't waste time in getting to the show. He's fine. We got to the show exactly on time, perhaps 1-2 minutes late, but with previews it would have normally be fine. Unfortunately, the movie was SOLD OUT, and not just our show, but the show previous to it....so, it wasn't meant to be.
In order to soothe our sadness about missing the movie, we stopped by Trader Joe's and picked up a stash of what Meredith originally got me hooked on at a previous visit to Hanna Sushi - MOCHI!!! I got my fav green tea, and Meredith got mango... 
Thinking Bill was hard at work, we swung by his place to drop off a mango mochi package, only to discover he had just arrived at home. Seems he took a detour on his way home, stopping at a video store to GET A MOVIE! So yes, he bailed on seeing one with us, so he could see one by himself. I'm not quite sure if we or the Slumdog producers should be insulted, but hopefully he got his "work" done.
Great visits and yummy mochi to complete the evening....
I slept well.
They are meant for sleeping, sleeping in. But for some reason I couldn't get to sleep the night before, even though I tried to numb my brain with a Mork and Mindy marathon that was playing on the sci-fi channel. Nanu Nanu!
Oh well. Went to bed at 2am. Got up at 6:30am. My friends with babies have no sympathy. However, I have no excuse like that, and at my age I really and truly need sleep. ACK! Maybe tonight.
So I managed to do a bunch of things in the morning, and then I saw Kris. What a nice visit we had! She had a fabulous Thanksgiving with her mom and her cat. She brings her to visit every Sunday and on holidays, and it literally makes Kristin the happiest person on the planet. We decided to spend some time with folks that don't get visitors. So, we cruised around the nursing home, sprinkling our happy dust on anyone willing to accept it. Turns out there were two gentlemen that were especially fond of spending time with us, and we enjoyed making them laugh, telling them stories of our mischievous childhood and finding out more about their stories. One guy, a 50-ish man from Lawrence, originally from Cambodia, was in the home because of a spinal injury. He was at home one night a year ago, sitting in a chair in his kitchen when and an scquaintance came in, grabbed him by the neck and flipped him over. Within an instant, he was paralyzed and will never walk again. Sadly, he is stuck in the home, even though most of his family have moved to the west coast. He only has one relative here, and he runs his business now (because he cannot) so he doesn't have time to visit. The man's name is Paul, and I told him my father's name was Paul and had recently passed away. He was pleased the name had meaning, and I assured him I would not forget him. His spirit was so calm, so full of joy. I asked if there was any hope in getting better, and he said no..he would be like this for the rest of his life. His dream is to be moved to a home on the west coast, which can happen, but not until the trial is over. He has to testify against the man who did this to him, but thanks to a slow justice system, it won't take place until January.
Imagine. One day you are sitting at your table and within moments, you will never walk again. Paul gets around very well in his wheelchair, and he has a unique range of motion in his upper body, which enables him to exercise in unique ways. He's thankful for this. And when he was able to shake my hand, I was thankful, too.
As is typical, the day continued with more visits and time with friends. How lucky am I?!!
Janet was up from Virginia, and Bill and I hung out with her. She's doing very well, and I seriously hope she can do her residency up here in Boston. We miss you, Janet!!
While visiting with Janet and Bill, Adam and Katrina stopped by, having been in Boston visiting the North End on sort of a "date day" away from the kids. What fun! Um, this is the second "Charette" visit in one week, and that's just amazing. Katrina is expecting their 3rd child, a baby girl. I first met Adam when he was 5 and began babysitting him and his two other siblings shortly thereafter....until 2 more came, and then I bailed (actually, I went off to college or something silly). So...how appropriate to see him one last time in my youth. Ah, yes....middle age is approaching! Soon after Adam and Katrina left, we raced to the airport to drop off Janet...after that, we met up with Meredith to eat SUSHI (yum), although she had already eaten, so she graciously blessed us with her presence. Bill hadn't been to Hanna Sushi yet. I think he's a new fan. We introduced him to something else tonight, but I will wait to share that....
Meredith and I wanted to see Slumdog Millionare. She suggested we get to the theater early because the movie is getting rave reviews and Oscar buzz. I felt she was over reacting to the holiday weekend hype, but it turns out she was absolutely correct. When Bill declined to see the movie, claiming he had "work to do", we practically pushed him out of the vehicle so we wouldn't waste time in getting to the show. He's fine. We got to the show exactly on time, perhaps 1-2 minutes late, but with previews it would have normally be fine. Unfortunately, the movie was SOLD OUT, and not just our show, but the show previous to it....so, it wasn't meant to be. 
In order to soothe our sadness about missing the movie, we stopped by Trader Joe's and picked up a stash of what Meredith originally got me hooked on at a previous visit to Hanna Sushi - MOCHI!!! I got my fav green tea, and Meredith got mango... 
Thinking Bill was hard at work, we swung by his place to drop off a mango mochi package, only to discover he had just arrived at home. Seems he took a detour on his way home, stopping at a video store to GET A MOVIE! So yes, he bailed on seeing one with us, so he could see one by himself. I'm not quite sure if we or the Slumdog producers should be insulted, but hopefully he got his "work" done.
Great visits and yummy mochi to complete the evening....
I slept well.
Friday, November 28, 2008
15 Days
What a fabulous Friday!!!
Since it was a day off, I tried to sleep in, but couldn't. Instead, the day was full and absolutely wonderful. I'm glad didn't miss a moment.
Alex and Andrew came over, and we made crepes.
We were supposed to see a movie, but we couldn't get a solid consensus on what to see, and so I ended up giving one of my "typical Tracy lectures". There weren't too many gasps or yawns, so I think they had a good time. I know I enjoyed hanging with them, and I think they are both amazing young people. They are also BFFs with attitude. You gotta love it.
During our crepe making, some old friends (UM, can you say I knew a couple of these kids BEFORE they were born, and the debonair one with the glasses was 2 yrs old when I started babysitting for their family. WOW)....got to meet a boyfriend, a girlfriend and the new height of Luke (youngest and now tallest of the fam). I'm so blown away by these kids (young adults) and so thankful my "Tracy lectures" didn't scare them away from stopping by. As they all left, Luke told me to be on the look out for wedding invites. WOW. Super awesome surprise to see them today.
Speaking of surprises....
Well, it happened once again in my life. Friends felt the need to get me to a location under the guise of doing one thing, only to have it turn into a surprise bday. In this case, Lynn invited a few of us to her place for dinner and a movie/documentary. I chilled with Rob and Lynn while we discussed what pizza to order and munched on yummy spinach dip. Ann and Sue showed up (and Sue's pooch--what's her name? my memory loss is ridiculous)....with a 40th bday balloon, a homemade pie and some gifts. Silly girls!!! Great friends!!! It was really fun!!
We had pizza, salad and the ladies gave me some tips about approaching 40. I can summarize all the tips into watching out for the failure of a single item - your eyesight! So, I'm ready to squint more, look up laser eye surgery options and maybe even a seeing eye dog? They were generous with their time, gifts, kindness and yummy food. The pie Ann made was scrumptious, and whether it was in good taste or not, I took the remainder home for breakfast in the morning. HEE HEE
A day filled with planned events and unexpected surprises all mixed together to create a special memory, the day after Thanksgiving 2008.
Still thankful.
Since it was a day off, I tried to sleep in, but couldn't. Instead, the day was full and absolutely wonderful. I'm glad didn't miss a moment.
Alex and Andrew came over, and we made crepes.
We were supposed to see a movie, but we couldn't get a solid consensus on what to see, and so I ended up giving one of my "typical Tracy lectures". There weren't too many gasps or yawns, so I think they had a good time. I know I enjoyed hanging with them, and I think they are both amazing young people. They are also BFFs with attitude. You gotta love it. 
During our crepe making, some old friends (UM, can you say I knew a couple of these kids BEFORE they were born, and the debonair one with the glasses was 2 yrs old when I started babysitting for their family. WOW)....got to meet a boyfriend, a girlfriend and the new height of Luke (youngest and now tallest of the fam). I'm so blown away by these kids (young adults) and so thankful my "Tracy lectures" didn't scare them away from stopping by. As they all left, Luke told me to be on the look out for wedding invites. WOW. Super awesome surprise to see them today.Speaking of surprises....
Well, it happened once again in my life. Friends felt the need to get me to a location under the guise of doing one thing, only to have it turn into a surprise bday. In this case, Lynn invited a few of us to her place for dinner and a movie/documentary. I chilled with Rob and Lynn while we discussed what pizza to order and munched on yummy spinach dip. Ann and Sue showed up (and Sue's pooch--what's her name? my memory loss is ridiculous)....with a 40th bday balloon, a homemade pie and some gifts. Silly girls!!! Great friends!!! It was really fun!! 
We had pizza, salad and the ladies gave me some tips about approaching 40. I can summarize all the tips into watching out for the failure of a single item - your eyesight! So, I'm ready to squint more, look up laser eye surgery options and maybe even a seeing eye dog? They were generous with their time, gifts, kindness and yummy food. The pie Ann made was scrumptious, and whether it was in good taste or not, I took the remainder home for breakfast in the morning. HEE HEE A day filled with planned events and unexpected surprises all mixed together to create a special memory, the day after Thanksgiving 2008.
Still thankful.
16 Days - Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Thursday. A day to be thankful.
I did start off feeling really thankful. Seriously. I read Psalm 16 and just thanked God for friends, family, food, warmth, housing and all the other things I take for granted.
With cheese balls in hand, and an iced tea to go, I set out on my usual trek to central Massachusetts for Thanksgiving.
Well, this wasn't a usual day. I typically take Route 2 West to 190 East and end up at Lana and George's (or my sister's place) within one hour of departure. This wouldn't be the case today. Today was a day for being thankful, and this meant in spite of minor annoyances, such as traffic.
Whether it was the low price of gas, the high price of the economy keeping folks off planes or maybe even an accident, the road traveling west was absolutely the busiest I'd ever seen it. I only got to a few exits down on Route 2 before it all went very wrong. I screeched to a halt and literally drove 0-5 mph for about 30 minutes. With jersey barriers on my left side, and no exits approaching on my right side, here's what I saw in my rear view mirror:
And then, as I was able to move up a bit, I finally (after 40 min?) was able to make a U-turn off of route 2 west to go route 2 east to go to 128 south to go to I90 west to go to 495 north to go to 290/190 to Holden, Mass. (near Worcester).
The third traffic picture is what it looked like when I got to 128. Really, I couldn't catch a break. That is, until I landed on the Mass Turnpike and zoomed off.
OK. You get the idea. I was an hour late to my first stop, which made me an hour late to my second stop, and well....I really just wanted to cut open one of the cheese balls!! I did exercise self restraint, but had I to do it over again, I would absolutely nibble!
While the traffic was unexpected, it was wonderful to see my dear friend Lana who I have had in my life for more than 25 yrs....we are definitely forever friends, more like family, and I'm thankful to have been able to celebrate the holidays with her for so long.
It started off with just Lana and her family, turned to Lana, her husband and her family, and over the last 4+ yrs, it's included dear, sweet Isabella. And she is absolutely worth the drive and the traffic.
Another young one who is 9 yrs old going on 29, and who is most definitely worth the drive, traffic and cheese ball self constraint is my niece, Katherine. We watched her Disney performance (dance group) and her starring role as a lady pirate in her theater camp. It's always awesome to see her, and she ended up teaching me how to swing dance.
It was the first holiday since my father passed away, and it was really tough on mom. We had a nice talk and visit just the two of us after all the group visits were over, and it once again reminded me how blessed I am to have such a great mom.
Texts, calls, emails and two thanksgiving gatherings once again reminded me how absolutely spoiled I am to have so many loving friends and family in my life.
Thanksgiving Thursday. A day to be very thankful.
I did start off feeling really thankful. Seriously. I read Psalm 16 and just thanked God for friends, family, food, warmth, housing and all the other things I take for granted.
With cheese balls in hand, and an iced tea to go, I set out on my usual trek to central Massachusetts for Thanksgiving.
Well, this wasn't a usual day. I typically take Route 2 West to 190 East and end up at Lana and George's (or my sister's place) within one hour of departure. This wouldn't be the case today. Today was a day for being thankful, and this meant in spite of minor annoyances, such as traffic.
Whether it was the low price of gas, the high price of the economy keeping folks off planes or maybe even an accident, the road traveling west was absolutely the busiest I'd ever seen it. I only got to a few exits down on Route 2 before it all went very wrong. I screeched to a halt and literally drove 0-5 mph for about 30 minutes. With jersey barriers on my left side, and no exits approaching on my right side, here's what I saw in my rear view mirror:
And then, as I was able to move up a bit, I finally (after 40 min?) was able to make a U-turn off of route 2 west to go route 2 east to go to 128 south to go to I90 west to go to 495 north to go to 290/190 to Holden, Mass. (near Worcester).
The third traffic picture is what it looked like when I got to 128. Really, I couldn't catch a break. That is, until I landed on the Mass Turnpike and zoomed off.
OK. You get the idea. I was an hour late to my first stop, which made me an hour late to my second stop, and well....I really just wanted to cut open one of the cheese balls!! I did exercise self restraint, but had I to do it over again, I would absolutely nibble!
While the traffic was unexpected, it was wonderful to see my dear friend Lana who I have had in my life for more than 25 yrs....we are definitely forever friends, more like family, and I'm thankful to have been able to celebrate the holidays with her for so long.
It started off with just Lana and her family, turned to Lana, her husband and her family, and over the last 4+ yrs, it's included dear, sweet Isabella. And she is absolutely worth the drive and the traffic. 
Another young one who is 9 yrs old going on 29, and who is most definitely worth the drive, traffic and cheese ball self constraint is my niece, Katherine. We watched her Disney performance (dance group) and her starring role as a lady pirate in her theater camp. It's always awesome to see her, and she ended up teaching me how to swing dance. It was the first holiday since my father passed away, and it was really tough on mom. We had a nice talk and visit just the two of us after all the group visits were over, and it once again reminded me how blessed I am to have such a great mom.
Texts, calls, emails and two thanksgiving gatherings once again reminded me how absolutely spoiled I am to have so many loving friends and family in my life.
Thanksgiving Thursday. A day to be very thankful.
17 Days
It's Wednesday. Really, it is.
The work day was very light, as most folks were either shopping for Thanksgiving food items or preparing for Thanksgiving or talking about Thanksgiving....or maybe traveling to a Thanksgiving destination.
I spent the day handling client work, but the work was able to be completed by the late afternoon, at which time Christina stopped by so we could toast a thankful welcome to the end of a short work week.
Shhhh. Don't tell Raychel. She already celebrated Thanksgiving. :)
I spent the evening making a couple of cheese balls for tomorrow's festivities, watching Obama's interview with Barbara Walters and relaxing.
Maybe EVERY Wednesday should be a short work day, completed with a glass of white wine, brie, yummy bread, a visit with friends and a cheese ball creation?
Shhhh. Don't tell Raychel.
The work day was very light, as most folks were either shopping for Thanksgiving food items or preparing for Thanksgiving or talking about Thanksgiving....or maybe traveling to a Thanksgiving destination.
I spent the day handling client work, but the work was able to be completed by the late afternoon, at which time Christina stopped by so we could toast a thankful welcome to the end of a short work week.
Shhhh. Don't tell Raychel. She already celebrated Thanksgiving. :)
I spent the evening making a couple of cheese balls for tomorrow's festivities, watching Obama's interview with Barbara Walters and relaxing.
Maybe EVERY Wednesday should be a short work day, completed with a glass of white wine, brie, yummy bread, a visit with friends and a cheese ball creation?
Shhhh. Don't tell Raychel.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
18 Days
Tuesdays are always memorable, but busy. This day was no exception.
Only, I got to hang with my "boyfriend", Anderson!! Went over to Sue & Ming's place, hung out with Sue and AJ, and then we ate when Ming got home from work. Such a great late afternoon! And, the rain didn't dampen the day. Their home is always warm, literally with the gas stove and figuratively with their friendship. Anderson is just starting to get his teeth, so I'm avoiding the "nose bite" for as long as possible! Forgot to take a pix with him that night, but here we are. Aren't we a great couple?
Small group was great! We talked about friendships, and Amy had made some delicious food. I brought "healthy" desserts - apples and [light] dip with pumpkin bread. YUM! We went over to the church and started work on the clothes pantry.....I'm so thankful Timothy and Amy had this idea, as it's difficult for people in need to have to rummage through bags and bags of donations....much better to have them nicely laid out to find what they need, and much MUCH better to have items without rips or stains. We sorted through many items, but there's a lot more work today.
Finally, the evening was capped off with some time with my friend, Elaine, up from Tennessee for the Thanksgiving holiday. Again, I forgot to cart around my camera, but she had a camera phone, and we took a shot of us around 11pm....really lovely. HA!
Only, I got to hang with my "boyfriend", Anderson!! Went over to Sue & Ming's place, hung out with Sue and AJ, and then we ate when Ming got home from work. Such a great late afternoon! And, the rain didn't dampen the day. Their home is always warm, literally with the gas stove and figuratively with their friendship. Anderson is just starting to get his teeth, so I'm avoiding the "nose bite" for as long as possible! Forgot to take a pix with him that night, but here we are. Aren't we a great couple?Small group was great! We talked about friendships, and Amy had made some delicious food. I brought "healthy" desserts - apples and [light] dip with pumpkin bread. YUM! We went over to the church and started work on the clothes pantry.....I'm so thankful Timothy and Amy had this idea, as it's difficult for people in need to have to rummage through bags and bags of donations....much better to have them nicely laid out to find what they need, and much MUCH better to have items without rips or stains. We sorted through many items, but there's a lot more work today.
Finally, the evening was capped off with some time with my friend, Elaine, up from Tennessee for the Thanksgiving holiday. Again, I forgot to cart around my camera, but she had a camera phone, and we took a shot of us around 11pm....really lovely. HA!
Monday, November 24, 2008
19 Days
More than half way there....and the health profession isn't really helping me!
I had the last of my Hep A/B shots from when I started the combo shot last year prior to my trip to Ghana. And, like the 3+ other shots before it, the person (do not know if she is a nurse or office manager) cheerfully gave my my shot WITHOUT WEARING GLOVES! I'm not a germ-a-phobe. I'm really not. And, as I approach 40 I didn't get here by washing my hands every two seconds and avoiding dirt, grime and disease in general. No, I've faced those things head on at times. Really. I mean, I am in public relations.
But seriously, I am absolutely amazed at the power of a Doctor's office. Whether it be an overpriced matinee movie ticket, the wrong amount at a grocery store or ensuring I get the "buy 1 get 1 free" deal at a restaurant, I'm typically NOT SHY in asking questions and working things out. However, in the Dr's office, I tend to shut up and do as I'm told, whether I know the person's credentials or not. Are you with me? We've all done this. The woman asked me which arm I wanted for the shot, and I told her my left arm and took off my jacket. I was prepared. I had a short sleeve polo on underneath, and she took her BARE hands (dirty fingernails) and rubbed some alcohol on the intended area. I bit my lip, not wanted to suggest the gloves. I had seen this act before, in this Dr's office, and previously when I asked another staff member to wear gloves she simply said, "they don't have a size that fits me." I felt like I was at an OJ Simpson trial.
Anyway, I decided not to go down that road. The rubbing alcohol would protect me, and hopefully she wouldn't actually get her dirty hands near any open area from the result of the shot. I'd be ok. Then...it happened. She gave me the shot (did a nice job, actually), and then kind of poked around with her finger on my arm, declaring that there was no blood and I could go on my way. Again, I've seen this before! Blood from shots sometimes rears its ugly head later, and you've got a bit of a mess on your hands. I kindly asked her to put a band-aid on it...she complied (yay for speaking up!)....but again, used her un-gloved hands to kind of touch my arm to find out where she had given me the shot. She said it was really hard to find, but guessed at where it was. I couldn't take it anymore!!!!
"shouldn't you be wearing gloves?" i blurted out...
to which she replied, "no, once the needle is in then it's fine...no biggie."
horried, i shrugged and hoped that the Hep A/B that was just injected into my body wouldn't be compromised by the bacteria from her fingers. she was a nice woman. really, she was. but, i think i'm going to bring my own gloves next time and simply suggest the person wear them. or, i'll bring an entire box and give them as my donation to this office.
sigh.
the day ended on a great note, though...as I had conversations with friends and dinner with danny for his belated 40th. he told me being 40 wasn't so bad, and in fact, it really wasn't much different from 39.
they treat you the same at restaurants, too, singing corny songs and embarrassing anyone with a birthday, no matter the age. Mexican embarrassment evidently involves hats.
lana and i chit chatted about thanksgiving and her wild ways in high school (her wildly organized, clean ways - ask me about how she groomed her horse for HOURS every day)....talked all the way until my phone died. that's when you know it was a good conversation.
it's fun being in my 30s. i can still stay up late with the best of 'em.
I had the last of my Hep A/B shots from when I started the combo shot last year prior to my trip to Ghana. And, like the 3+ other shots before it, the person (do not know if she is a nurse or office manager) cheerfully gave my my shot WITHOUT WEARING GLOVES! I'm not a germ-a-phobe. I'm really not. And, as I approach 40 I didn't get here by washing my hands every two seconds and avoiding dirt, grime and disease in general. No, I've faced those things head on at times. Really. I mean, I am in public relations.
But seriously, I am absolutely amazed at the power of a Doctor's office. Whether it be an overpriced matinee movie ticket, the wrong amount at a grocery store or ensuring I get the "buy 1 get 1 free" deal at a restaurant, I'm typically NOT SHY in asking questions and working things out. However, in the Dr's office, I tend to shut up and do as I'm told, whether I know the person's credentials or not. Are you with me? We've all done this. The woman asked me which arm I wanted for the shot, and I told her my left arm and took off my jacket. I was prepared. I had a short sleeve polo on underneath, and she took her BARE hands (dirty fingernails) and rubbed some alcohol on the intended area. I bit my lip, not wanted to suggest the gloves. I had seen this act before, in this Dr's office, and previously when I asked another staff member to wear gloves she simply said, "they don't have a size that fits me." I felt like I was at an OJ Simpson trial.
Anyway, I decided not to go down that road. The rubbing alcohol would protect me, and hopefully she wouldn't actually get her dirty hands near any open area from the result of the shot. I'd be ok. Then...it happened. She gave me the shot (did a nice job, actually), and then kind of poked around with her finger on my arm, declaring that there was no blood and I could go on my way. Again, I've seen this before! Blood from shots sometimes rears its ugly head later, and you've got a bit of a mess on your hands. I kindly asked her to put a band-aid on it...she complied (yay for speaking up!)....but again, used her un-gloved hands to kind of touch my arm to find out where she had given me the shot. She said it was really hard to find, but guessed at where it was. I couldn't take it anymore!!!!
"shouldn't you be wearing gloves?" i blurted out...
to which she replied, "no, once the needle is in then it's fine...no biggie."
horried, i shrugged and hoped that the Hep A/B that was just injected into my body wouldn't be compromised by the bacteria from her fingers. she was a nice woman. really, she was. but, i think i'm going to bring my own gloves next time and simply suggest the person wear them. or, i'll bring an entire box and give them as my donation to this office.
sigh.
the day ended on a great note, though...as I had conversations with friends and dinner with danny for his belated 40th. he told me being 40 wasn't so bad, and in fact, it really wasn't much different from 39. they treat you the same at restaurants, too, singing corny songs and embarrassing anyone with a birthday, no matter the age. Mexican embarrassment evidently involves hats.
lana and i chit chatted about thanksgiving and her wild ways in high school (her wildly organized, clean ways - ask me about how she groomed her horse for HOURS every day)....talked all the way until my phone died. that's when you know it was a good conversation.
it's fun being in my 30s. i can still stay up late with the best of 'em.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
20 Days
Great day!!! Church was cool. It's always cool when people get real and talk about their faith. Two people got baptized - a 12 yr old girl and a woman from China. Very cool. They shared about how they came to believe in God.
It was the last day of my friend's visit, and it was great. Bittersweet. Time to leave but super that we reconnected. Probably won't see each other again during my "Terrific Thirties"....will need to get together in my "Fabulous Forties"!!
Speaking of fabulous forties...another friend of mine had his birthday this weekend (danny is the big 40), and we'll get together tomorrow night. He will fill me in on what I can expect.
And to catch up on yet ANOTHER forties dude, a group of us celebrated John's birthday (belated) tonight at Wagamamma's, thanks to the buy-1-get-1-free meal coupon from Kristin (aka woman that gets honked at when she borrows my SUV).
Very fun!!!
Oh, and the PATs beat the Dolpins handily today (48-28)...missed the game, but everyone in the town is starting to say, "Tom, who?"......Go Matt!!
(Don't worry, Tom, my mom still loves ya)
It was the last day of my friend's visit, and it was great. Bittersweet. Time to leave but super that we reconnected. Probably won't see each other again during my "Terrific Thirties"....will need to get together in my "Fabulous Forties"!!
Speaking of fabulous forties...another friend of mine had his birthday this weekend (danny is the big 40), and we'll get together tomorrow night. He will fill me in on what I can expect.
And to catch up on yet ANOTHER forties dude, a group of us celebrated John's birthday (belated) tonight at Wagamamma's, thanks to the buy-1-get-1-free meal coupon from Kristin (aka woman that gets honked at when she borrows my SUV).Very fun!!!
Oh, and the PATs beat the Dolpins handily today (48-28)...missed the game, but everyone in the town is starting to say, "Tom, who?"......Go Matt!!
(Don't worry, Tom, my mom still loves ya)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
21 Days
three weeks until I turn 40....
interesting...
3 weeks to be NOT middle age
3 weeks to be in my 30s
3 weeks to say i'm thirty-something
wow.
today was great....still reuniting with my old friend, and wondering what the days ahead will bring. next week is thanksgiving, and i do believe it's my most favorite holiday....yeah, i think it is.
also, please check out http://www.raceto20k.org/ and consider being one of 1,000 people to give $10. It's two Starbucks drinks, 5 gallons of gas or maybe even a few train rides... One of the first trips I plan to make in my 40s is a trip to visit these sweet girls who Thomas introduced me to virtually....if we make 1,000 donations of $10, there is a donor who will match the $10,000....but the time frame is this Sunday, Nov 23 - until day's end. Of course, in terms of giving to these girls, it's never too late or too little....anything helps, especially your prayers.
oh, and speaking of fund raisers....my friend Dave is walking as i type this...walking 12 hrs (9pm Sat to 9am Sun) to raise awareness and funds for Safe Haven - www.safehavenproject.org - the organization I went to Ghana with and to which I've had the pleasure of being involved.... here's his recent media interview from North Dakota:
interesting...
3 weeks to be NOT middle age
3 weeks to be in my 30s
3 weeks to say i'm thirty-something
wow.
today was great....still reuniting with my old friend, and wondering what the days ahead will bring. next week is thanksgiving, and i do believe it's my most favorite holiday....yeah, i think it is.
also, please check out http://www.raceto20k.org/ and consider being one of 1,000 people to give $10. It's two Starbucks drinks, 5 gallons of gas or maybe even a few train rides... One of the first trips I plan to make in my 40s is a trip to visit these sweet girls who Thomas introduced me to virtually....if we make 1,000 donations of $10, there is a donor who will match the $10,000....but the time frame is this Sunday, Nov 23 - until day's end. Of course, in terms of giving to these girls, it's never too late or too little....anything helps, especially your prayers.
oh, and speaking of fund raisers....my friend Dave is walking as i type this...walking 12 hrs (9pm Sat to 9am Sun) to raise awareness and funds for Safe Haven - www.safehavenproject.org - the organization I went to Ghana with and to which I've had the pleasure of being involved.... here's his recent media interview from North Dakota:
22 Days
Reunited with a friend I haven't seen in 8 yrs....time flies. It really does.
Was strange to reconnect after so long, but also very nice. We both remember what we looked like 8 yrs ago, and thankfully, we could both say...time has been good to us. I hope every year we can all say that....time and age should be embraced. We're eternal creatures after all....the countdown of our lives is really just the beginning.
I wonder what the next 8 yrs will bring for me and my friend?
Time will tell.
Was strange to reconnect after so long, but also very nice. We both remember what we looked like 8 yrs ago, and thankfully, we could both say...time has been good to us. I hope every year we can all say that....time and age should be embraced. We're eternal creatures after all....the countdown of our lives is really just the beginning.
I wonder what the next 8 yrs will bring for me and my friend?
Time will tell.
Friday, November 21, 2008
23 Days
When I think of number 23, I always think of the famous Psalm, Psalm 23...
The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want....
It seems like we always want something. If we have everything we need, then we want what we don't need...and if we have even what we don't need, we want less. So wanting seems to be an all encompassing emotion that never goes away. That is, unless it's filled by the Shepherd.
As I busily clean my house tonight while preparing for an onslaught of house guests in the next 4 out of 6 weekends, I have decided what I want right now.
I want a clean house.
Well, it's not dirty...not really. It's just a bit unkempt. Too much stuff for my place. I've got 2 or 3 bedroom stuff for a 1 bedroom place. I need to work on that. Maybe when I hit my 40s I can get rid of the many things in my house that I simply don't use....you know, the trinkets you vow to put on display one day or the little craft my niece made for me when she was about 6 inches shorter than she is now....I'm a bit of a pack rat because I treasure these memories and gifts....but I wonder if people in their 40s really go through all that stuff they saved....I once envisioned I would sit around and go through old cards, photos, gifts and items....but since 40 isn't feeling that old, and when a person really is "that old" to sit around and do nothing but sift through memories, are they able to remember what those things were?
My grandmother has always told me to write on the back of photos. She said that you will vow never to forget where it was taken or who was in the photo, but as sure as she is 88 yrs old, she says you will forget those things. And I can attest to many times when the labels on the back of her photos jog her memory enough for her to recall those moments. And when a photo is blank, often times the memory is, too.
I think I'm going to start labeling photos. Oh wait, they are labeled. They are digital now, and they have dates, names and are even filed away nicely. But that means they are as tucked away as the trinkets and gifts in my house are....
Ok, then. It's time to start printing photos!!
End of ramble....23 days until I'm forty....
The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want....
It seems like we always want something. If we have everything we need, then we want what we don't need...and if we have even what we don't need, we want less. So wanting seems to be an all encompassing emotion that never goes away. That is, unless it's filled by the Shepherd.
As I busily clean my house tonight while preparing for an onslaught of house guests in the next 4 out of 6 weekends, I have decided what I want right now.
I want a clean house.
Well, it's not dirty...not really. It's just a bit unkempt. Too much stuff for my place. I've got 2 or 3 bedroom stuff for a 1 bedroom place. I need to work on that. Maybe when I hit my 40s I can get rid of the many things in my house that I simply don't use....you know, the trinkets you vow to put on display one day or the little craft my niece made for me when she was about 6 inches shorter than she is now....I'm a bit of a pack rat because I treasure these memories and gifts....but I wonder if people in their 40s really go through all that stuff they saved....I once envisioned I would sit around and go through old cards, photos, gifts and items....but since 40 isn't feeling that old, and when a person really is "that old" to sit around and do nothing but sift through memories, are they able to remember what those things were?
My grandmother has always told me to write on the back of photos. She said that you will vow never to forget where it was taken or who was in the photo, but as sure as she is 88 yrs old, she says you will forget those things. And I can attest to many times when the labels on the back of her photos jog her memory enough for her to recall those moments. And when a photo is blank, often times the memory is, too.
I think I'm going to start labeling photos. Oh wait, they are labeled. They are digital now, and they have dates, names and are even filed away nicely. But that means they are as tucked away as the trinkets and gifts in my house are....
Ok, then. It's time to start printing photos!!
End of ramble....23 days until I'm forty....
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
24 Days
I can't imagine anything worse than the death of a child.
Mom just let me know that some family friends of ours had such an occasion today. The baby was born healthy last week, and today, she died. I don't know the details, and I'm at a loss for what to blog tonight.
It seems best to simply say, rest in peace, Fiona. I know you are loved and in God's arms right now, and I will be praying for your parents tonight, as they would much rather be the ones holding you....
Mom just let me know that some family friends of ours had such an occasion today. The baby was born healthy last week, and today, she died. I don't know the details, and I'm at a loss for what to blog tonight.
It seems best to simply say, rest in peace, Fiona. I know you are loved and in God's arms right now, and I will be praying for your parents tonight, as they would much rather be the ones holding you....
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
25 Days
Couldn't sleep last night. That movie (Changeling) was too intense, and I'm still processing what I saw.
I'm happy to note that my neck continues to show improvements, but unfortunately the pain has been transferred over to Raychel. Poor thing! She let me know today that she had zero range of motion and would probably have to go to the Dr.....what is happening?
Is it the computer?
Stress?
Just being a woman?
Not sure, but I pray she can get better fast. She's coming on the Mexico trip, and we need her healthy! (ha! seriously hope she gets better for other reasons)
In the news today, it seems like this economy also continues to be pain in the neck, and that's putting it lightly. Citicorp announced a layoff of 53,000 employees, and we've had clients tell us they are being forced to take mandatory time off. Most folks are annoyed by this, but would they rather be laid off? I wonder.
Thank God for work, freedom to work and the ability to work. I'm reminded all the time by people that have none of these things.
And, in an effort to minimize my time on the laptop, I'll close by saying the day ended with a lovely time at small group. We talked about the importance of prayer, ways to encourage each other and a project we will do as a group next week to help with the church's clothes' closet. Great idea. Great people. Tuesdays are special.
I'm happy to note that my neck continues to show improvements, but unfortunately the pain has been transferred over to Raychel. Poor thing! She let me know today that she had zero range of motion and would probably have to go to the Dr.....what is happening?
Is it the computer?
Stress?
Just being a woman?
Not sure, but I pray she can get better fast. She's coming on the Mexico trip, and we need her healthy! (ha! seriously hope she gets better for other reasons)
In the news today, it seems like this economy also continues to be pain in the neck, and that's putting it lightly. Citicorp announced a layoff of 53,000 employees, and we've had clients tell us they are being forced to take mandatory time off. Most folks are annoyed by this, but would they rather be laid off? I wonder.
Thank God for work, freedom to work and the ability to work. I'm reminded all the time by people that have none of these things.
And, in an effort to minimize my time on the laptop, I'll close by saying the day ended with a lovely time at small group. We talked about the importance of prayer, ways to encourage each other and a project we will do as a group next week to help with the church's clothes' closet. Great idea. Great people. Tuesdays are special.
Monday, November 17, 2008
26 Days
Got a proposal out to a potential client today. YAY!!!!!
We will know by Thursday if we won the biz. Crossing fingers, folding hands to pray and basically believing that if we should get it, we will.
Amidst the typical Monday work madness, I had a couple of off-site trips during the day today. Physical therapy for the first little trek. It went better than well! The PT was so thrilled with the progress my neck/fascia/T-1 and other numbers I can't remember are making that she exclaimed it "was a miracle"! I thought about it, and she was right. I haven't had the movement in my neck that I had today in months...really cool. Thank you, God. Thank you, Leena.
The second jaunt was a trip to the city of Cambridge office of parking...stood in line for a while, got to the window, turned in all the correct paperwork, paid the appropriate fees, got my 2009 parking stickers and visitor's pass...and when I said thank you the woman, who up until that point had been quite cheery and nice while listening to her itunes, she absolutely tripped out! Yep.
Instead of saying, "you're welcome", she said, "why don't you people just mail this stuff in??? you make me sit here and do all this work, when it would be so much easier if you just mailed things in!!!! look at the line now!! hmmmmph. sheeeesh. have a nice day."
Ouch. I just smiled and said, "you, too."
Haven't seen Alphonso (aka ex-Boss at mentoring) in a while, or at least it seemed like a while. Evidently, he felt as if it were yesterday...Maybe because he's not my boss anymore, and I'm not getting all those emails telling me to do this and do that. I miss him. Well, he was desperate to get his Angelina fix (what man isn't?) and so we saw the movie, Changeling. I'm still processing what I saw, even googling it to find out more...AMAZING movie. All I can say. If you haven't seen it, see it. It's based on a true story, and it's a story of a woman's love for her son that is at times unbearable to watch and absolutely something that you won't soon forget.
We bumped into some friends on the way out, hit the less frequented Indian restaurant when we discovered the Tibetan place was closed (boo hoo - still haven't tried it!). Good times. Good friends. Good life.
Good night,
We will know by Thursday if we won the biz. Crossing fingers, folding hands to pray and basically believing that if we should get it, we will.
Amidst the typical Monday work madness, I had a couple of off-site trips during the day today. Physical therapy for the first little trek. It went better than well! The PT was so thrilled with the progress my neck/fascia/T-1 and other numbers I can't remember are making that she exclaimed it "was a miracle"! I thought about it, and she was right. I haven't had the movement in my neck that I had today in months...really cool. Thank you, God. Thank you, Leena.
The second jaunt was a trip to the city of Cambridge office of parking...stood in line for a while, got to the window, turned in all the correct paperwork, paid the appropriate fees, got my 2009 parking stickers and visitor's pass...and when I said thank you the woman, who up until that point had been quite cheery and nice while listening to her itunes, she absolutely tripped out! Yep.
Instead of saying, "you're welcome", she said, "why don't you people just mail this stuff in??? you make me sit here and do all this work, when it would be so much easier if you just mailed things in!!!! look at the line now!! hmmmmph. sheeeesh. have a nice day."
Ouch. I just smiled and said, "you, too."
Haven't seen Alphonso (aka ex-Boss at mentoring) in a while, or at least it seemed like a while. Evidently, he felt as if it were yesterday...Maybe because he's not my boss anymore, and I'm not getting all those emails telling me to do this and do that. I miss him. Well, he was desperate to get his Angelina fix (what man isn't?) and so we saw the movie, Changeling. I'm still processing what I saw, even googling it to find out more...AMAZING movie. All I can say. If you haven't seen it, see it. It's based on a true story, and it's a story of a woman's love for her son that is at times unbearable to watch and absolutely something that you won't soon forget.We bumped into some friends on the way out, hit the less frequented Indian restaurant when we discovered the Tibetan place was closed (boo hoo - still haven't tried it!). Good times. Good friends. Good life.
Good night,
Sunday, November 16, 2008
27 Days
Sundays....are great.
Fantastic to be at such a diverse and loving church. Great friends, wonderful music, touch-your-heart preaching (guest speaker today, actually, which was really powerful), make-you-think teaching, conversation, food....what more could a person want to start her day?
And then...after church, Shannon and I played basketball. The rest of the bball posse wimped out. I think their mammas all wear combat boots!
It was my first time out in a while, both due to weather and neck constraints. Sure was fun, but I didn't last too long..it was freezing!! And I got a little sore...it was all that looking up at Shannon's great shots.
Rest of the afternoon and evening was a blur. Did some cleaning, relaxing and talked to an old friend for quite a while.
Like I said, Sundays....are great.
Fantastic to be at such a diverse and loving church. Great friends, wonderful music, touch-your-heart preaching (guest speaker today, actually, which was really powerful), make-you-think teaching, conversation, food....what more could a person want to start her day?
And then...after church, Shannon and I played basketball. The rest of the bball posse wimped out. I think their mammas all wear combat boots!
It was my first time out in a while, both due to weather and neck constraints. Sure was fun, but I didn't last too long..it was freezing!! And I got a little sore...it was all that looking up at Shannon's great shots.
Rest of the afternoon and evening was a blur. Did some cleaning, relaxing and talked to an old friend for quite a while.
Like I said, Sundays....are great.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
28 Days
28 is the second perfect number. It is also a harmonic divisor number, a happy number, a triangular number, a hexagonal number and a centered nonagonal number.
(No idea what all that means, but it's what Wikipedia says)
28 is also how many days left for me until I catapult to 40. I'm excited!! And I'm also really interested in counting down these days. Perhaps one day I will know why.
Meanwhile, it was a good Saturday. I slept in, which wasn't hard to do because I finally went to bed at 4:30am. Yes, this is the latest I've been up in a long, long time. I mean, unless you count timezones and staying up on red-eye flights. Sleep really is a good thing, and having it during the hours of say 11pm-7am are really a healthy thing. I read a book about it. Really. It helps your liver and other organs or something.
They say we women age like fine wine, and I tend to agree. I think you can say that about friendships, too. Tonight felt like sipping a fine wine. I drove about 1 hr north to hang with a dear friend who I haven't seen in 2008. Neither of us realized how long it had been, although Pam was the first to point out that we haven't seen each other this year. She was on a one year plan to work 70-80 hrs a week to save for some updates to her home, and true to her plan....she has almost completed the project, and her crazy work life is over. She's back to a normal, balanced life, working locally and enjoying her children, her family, her home. It was awesome to see her. Her lovely daughter has grown several inches since I saw her last. Time flies!
Here's to drinking that wine of friendship, aged to perfection...
And while we're at it, let's toast to ensuring the time between visits isn't so long.
(No idea what all that means, but it's what Wikipedia says)
28 is also how many days left for me until I catapult to 40. I'm excited!! And I'm also really interested in counting down these days. Perhaps one day I will know why.
Meanwhile, it was a good Saturday. I slept in, which wasn't hard to do because I finally went to bed at 4:30am. Yes, this is the latest I've been up in a long, long time. I mean, unless you count timezones and staying up on red-eye flights. Sleep really is a good thing, and having it during the hours of say 11pm-7am are really a healthy thing. I read a book about it. Really. It helps your liver and other organs or something.
They say we women age like fine wine, and I tend to agree. I think you can say that about friendships, too. Tonight felt like sipping a fine wine. I drove about 1 hr north to hang with a dear friend who I haven't seen in 2008. Neither of us realized how long it had been, although Pam was the first to point out that we haven't seen each other this year. She was on a one year plan to work 70-80 hrs a week to save for some updates to her home, and true to her plan....she has almost completed the project, and her crazy work life is over. She's back to a normal, balanced life, working locally and enjoying her children, her family, her home. It was awesome to see her. Her lovely daughter has grown several inches since I saw her last. Time flies!Here's to drinking that wine of friendship, aged to perfection...
And while we're at it, let's toast to ensuring the time between visits isn't so long.
29 Days - Fri, Nov 14th
Ah, yes. Friday!! One of my favorite days of the week.
The evening had been planned for weeks, if not months. I was going to see an old friend, someone I hadn't seen in 6 yrs. Wow. Well, at 1:45pm the dinner was canceled. Something about a hectic work day, etc. etc. Meanwhile, another friend had sent an email earlier in the day, to which I had declined due to previous plans, stating that she was going to see the new Bond film in Harvard Square. Lucky me!! One cancellation led to my now being free to go to the movies with friends. I emailed, texted and even called (very rare for me), but there was no response. Not to worry, I would start my trek to Harvard Square, meet up for dinner and go to the movie.....
Cancellation #2. Other plans were made, messages missed, etc. Not my night!
Ok. It was a Friday night, and here I was "stood up" twice!! I had the best idea. Just like she had done the night before to me, I contacted my dear MIT Sloaner friend who jumps at last minute plans and asked if she was up for dinner....she was! Well, I was going to ask her to join the whole Harvard Sq thing anyway, had it happened. She is usually quite spontaneous, and this evening was also a "make-up" for the night before when I was too tired to go out at 9pm. Lame.
We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (usually 1 hr LESS of a wait than across the way at Cheesecake Factory), and Nitesh joined us on his way home from his work in Connecticut. Thinking these two love birds might want some of their precious weekend-only-time alone, I figured after dinner I would go home and read. This is what becomes of us when we approach our golden years.
But no!! These two young cats suggested we go to the Bond film I had missed out on earlier. Wha-la!! What fun!! Now approaching 10pm, we had already passed my tired-time from the previous night, and we were going to catch the 10:30pm show...
We saw it. It was good, not great, and if I'm not mistaken this was the first Bond film where he didn't actually sleep with the infamous "Bond girl". I, for one, think this is progress! I'm not saying women weren't exactly portrayed as second class citizens in this movie (except for M), but it was nice to see a Bond woman, and not just a girl. Really, the best part of the movie was Bond's lips. I kept trying to see if he would un-pucker, but he kept a Zoolander-like look the entire movie.
It was rated 3.5 stars, which is what my hotel in Cancun is rated. I'm hoping for a better experience in Mexico, although this film wasn't bad. It just wasn't great.
We went back to Gits and Nitesh's place, had tea, talked about Nitesh's recent travels, work, the economy, communism and other such light topics.
Got home at like 2:30am....
Yeah.
I proved I could hang with the youngin's.
The evening had been planned for weeks, if not months. I was going to see an old friend, someone I hadn't seen in 6 yrs. Wow. Well, at 1:45pm the dinner was canceled. Something about a hectic work day, etc. etc. Meanwhile, another friend had sent an email earlier in the day, to which I had declined due to previous plans, stating that she was going to see the new Bond film in Harvard Square. Lucky me!! One cancellation led to my now being free to go to the movies with friends. I emailed, texted and even called (very rare for me), but there was no response. Not to worry, I would start my trek to Harvard Square, meet up for dinner and go to the movie.....
Cancellation #2. Other plans were made, messages missed, etc. Not my night!
Ok. It was a Friday night, and here I was "stood up" twice!! I had the best idea. Just like she had done the night before to me, I contacted my dear MIT Sloaner friend who jumps at last minute plans and asked if she was up for dinner....she was! Well, I was going to ask her to join the whole Harvard Sq thing anyway, had it happened. She is usually quite spontaneous, and this evening was also a "make-up" for the night before when I was too tired to go out at 9pm. Lame.
We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (usually 1 hr LESS of a wait than across the way at Cheesecake Factory), and Nitesh joined us on his way home from his work in Connecticut. Thinking these two love birds might want some of their precious weekend-only-time alone, I figured after dinner I would go home and read. This is what becomes of us when we approach our golden years.
But no!! These two young cats suggested we go to the Bond film I had missed out on earlier. Wha-la!! What fun!! Now approaching 10pm, we had already passed my tired-time from the previous night, and we were going to catch the 10:30pm show...
We saw it. It was good, not great, and if I'm not mistaken this was the first Bond film where he didn't actually sleep with the infamous "Bond girl". I, for one, think this is progress! I'm not saying women weren't exactly portrayed as second class citizens in this movie (except for M), but it was nice to see a Bond woman, and not just a girl. Really, the best part of the movie was Bond's lips. I kept trying to see if he would un-pucker, but he kept a Zoolander-like look the entire movie. It was rated 3.5 stars, which is what my hotel in Cancun is rated. I'm hoping for a better experience in Mexico, although this film wasn't bad. It just wasn't great.
We went back to Gits and Nitesh's place, had tea, talked about Nitesh's recent travels, work, the economy, communism and other such light topics.
Got home at like 2:30am....
Yeah.
I proved I could hang with the youngin's.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
30 Days...one month...whatever
I can't keep track of this countdown. I really can't.
But I can keep track of minutes on my cell phone, and last month's bill (published recently) was a doozie. OUCH!! It seems that while in Canada, a place I often visit, Verizon decided to start charging "roaming" fees. This is not something I had experienced before, and so I called them up to find out why my bill was pretty much doubled from last month, all due to these charges.
20 minutes.......
30 minutes.......
It was a long call. By the end of it both sides realized what happened, and it was cleared up for future reference. The funny thing is that I have the "North American" plan, which is unlimited data and voice, which seems to include all of Canada, except Saskatchewan, except data. If you're using voice only, it really is unlimited, and it really is all of Canada (and the U.S). BUT Mexico is not included in this North American plan for either data or voice. They are simply not considered North American. I found this out when I discussed my upcoming trip to Cancun with the guy on the phone, who suggested I simply have a really good time and not worry about the phone. It would be much more affordable that way. *wink*
I don't know, but the last time I looked at a map, which was quite recently, I had the distinct notion that Mexico was part of North America. Maybe Verizon is looking at an old map?
Speaking of Mexico, I was able to catch up with a dear friend tonight who is both Mexican and a resident of North America. We went to a favorite restaurant of hers - Cancun. Talk about authentic! Yum.
As the rain falls just as steadily as the temperature, we are sure to see snow sometime in the coming weeks.
It won't bother me, though....
Cuz I'm-a going to Mexico!!
PS - Gitika is a bad influence....trying to get me to GO OUT at 9:15pm...don't you know I need my beauty sleep, girl?? (RAIN CHECK!) Ok...ok...it's not really late, but I'm beat!! I'm still worn out from that Verizon call.
But I can keep track of minutes on my cell phone, and last month's bill (published recently) was a doozie. OUCH!! It seems that while in Canada, a place I often visit, Verizon decided to start charging "roaming" fees. This is not something I had experienced before, and so I called them up to find out why my bill was pretty much doubled from last month, all due to these charges.
20 minutes.......
30 minutes.......
It was a long call. By the end of it both sides realized what happened, and it was cleared up for future reference. The funny thing is that I have the "North American" plan, which is unlimited data and voice, which seems to include all of Canada, except Saskatchewan, except data. If you're using voice only, it really is unlimited, and it really is all of Canada (and the U.S). BUT Mexico is not included in this North American plan for either data or voice. They are simply not considered North American. I found this out when I discussed my upcoming trip to Cancun with the guy on the phone, who suggested I simply have a really good time and not worry about the phone. It would be much more affordable that way. *wink*
I don't know, but the last time I looked at a map, which was quite recently, I had the distinct notion that Mexico was part of North America. Maybe Verizon is looking at an old map?
Speaking of Mexico, I was able to catch up with a dear friend tonight who is both Mexican and a resident of North America. We went to a favorite restaurant of hers - Cancun. Talk about authentic! Yum.As the rain falls just as steadily as the temperature, we are sure to see snow sometime in the coming weeks.
It won't bother me, though....
Cuz I'm-a going to Mexico!!
PS - Gitika is a bad influence....trying to get me to GO OUT at 9:15pm...don't you know I need my beauty sleep, girl?? (RAIN CHECK!) Ok...ok...it's not really late, but I'm beat!! I'm still worn out from that Verizon call.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
32 Days......or is it 31?
Ok. Really blond moment today. And I'm not even blond right now!
A friend of mine added up the days remaining and came to the wrong date. I think when I started it was 40 days before turning 40, but that meant that the day I was in was one of the days, and so it was 39 days until turning 40. Either way, I think I'm good now. Right? My mom was the math major, not me!!
Today was a great day! Got lots of work done and stuff, but I didn't spend time with anyone, and I was getting cabin fever. So, the best part of the day was my 2-3 mile walk through Cambridge. I love where I live, and I can't believe I've already been here for 6+ yrs. It seems like only yesterday that I arrived.
Here's what I saw while walking:
- new paint job on the local barber shop next to my place. bright red and white. looks nice, but i almost tripped over the ladder still out in the sidewalk.
- a little boy just desperate to tell his mom something demanded to be picked up and held really close so he could whisper (loudly), "mommy, I love you."
- a guy that looked like Hulk Hogan walking with two young blonds. maybe it was him?
- a high school student asking people to sign a petition that would reinstate the pledge of allegiance in his school. i signed it.
In the news today they are talking about the financial/mortgage bailout and rethinking it, a potential auto bailout and the Obama transition. Oh, and Palin, Palin, Palin. Love her or hate her, the media is certainly showcasing her.
The yummiest thing I ate today was a dessert my friend Meredith turned me on to - MOCHI!!! If you haven't tried it, you must. My favorite flavor is Green Tea. YUM!!!
A friend of mine added up the days remaining and came to the wrong date. I think when I started it was 40 days before turning 40, but that meant that the day I was in was one of the days, and so it was 39 days until turning 40. Either way, I think I'm good now. Right? My mom was the math major, not me!!
Today was a great day! Got lots of work done and stuff, but I didn't spend time with anyone, and I was getting cabin fever. So, the best part of the day was my 2-3 mile walk through Cambridge. I love where I live, and I can't believe I've already been here for 6+ yrs. It seems like only yesterday that I arrived.
Here's what I saw while walking:
- new paint job on the local barber shop next to my place. bright red and white. looks nice, but i almost tripped over the ladder still out in the sidewalk.
- a little boy just desperate to tell his mom something demanded to be picked up and held really close so he could whisper (loudly), "mommy, I love you."
- a guy that looked like Hulk Hogan walking with two young blonds. maybe it was him?
- a high school student asking people to sign a petition that would reinstate the pledge of allegiance in his school. i signed it.
In the news today they are talking about the financial/mortgage bailout and rethinking it, a potential auto bailout and the Obama transition. Oh, and Palin, Palin, Palin. Love her or hate her, the media is certainly showcasing her.
The yummiest thing I ate today was a dessert my friend Meredith turned me on to - MOCHI!!! If you haven't tried it, you must. My favorite flavor is Green Tea. YUM!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
33 Days
I'm still excited about Mexico. Surely it will be fun!
But today was not Mexico.
Today consisted of a boring breakfast, a flurry of emails, phone calls and texts. There were releases to pitch, questions to answer and documents that needed editing.
In fact, I was really hammering a client, just begging them to provide the input needed (deadline approaching) for a particular document, when I found out late in the day that the client wasn't blowing off my requests...they had met with a vendor in their offices, and during the meeting the man had a heart attack and died. They nicely explained why they had been preoccupied. OUCH.
Of course I felt horrible! Horrible for this poor man's family, my client and all those in the meeting....my client had to let the family know, and I'm sure they asked him all sorts of things. What was he doing before he died? Did he look like he was in pain? Did he say anything? I'm sure they had a plethora of questions, and so I can't blame my client for blowing me off. How trivial compared to what happened!
And such is life.
Savor each day, each relationship and each moment.
Oh, and each client.
But today was not Mexico.
Today consisted of a boring breakfast, a flurry of emails, phone calls and texts. There were releases to pitch, questions to answer and documents that needed editing.
In fact, I was really hammering a client, just begging them to provide the input needed (deadline approaching) for a particular document, when I found out late in the day that the client wasn't blowing off my requests...they had met with a vendor in their offices, and during the meeting the man had a heart attack and died. They nicely explained why they had been preoccupied. OUCH.
Of course I felt horrible! Horrible for this poor man's family, my client and all those in the meeting....my client had to let the family know, and I'm sure they asked him all sorts of things. What was he doing before he died? Did he look like he was in pain? Did he say anything? I'm sure they had a plethora of questions, and so I can't blame my client for blowing me off. How trivial compared to what happened!
And such is life.
Savor each day, each relationship and each moment.
Oh, and each client.
Monday, November 10, 2008
34 Days
I JUST BOOKED MY MEXICO TRIP!!!!!!!!!! WHA-HOO!!!!!!Jodi, Raychel, Shannon and I are all going to Cancun and Chichen Itza to see the Mayan Ruins. Any tips, thoughts or suggestions?
Ok. Okay.
I'm excited.
Today was busy! Work took up most of my time, which is a good thing. Although I do try to live a fairly balanced life....things like eating and taking my daily walk took a back seat. Oh well, there's always tomorrow!
Met up with a very cool company today - www.webnotes.net - try it!!
And I hung out with Ashley tonight at her place. Wow is she ever blessed! She lives in great part of Cambridge in a huge house with a small rent. We prayed for her Uncle in Afghanistan and thanked God for the many men and women like him serving our country at home and abroad. I guess it's appropriate considering it's Veteran's Day tomorrow. Remember when we used to get that day off?
On a whim, Gitika and I ended up having dinner together, having connected after my visit with Ash. We talked politics, so it was a calm conversation (not).
All in all a good and sporadic day.
Did I mention I AM GOING TO MEXICO in December when it will be FREEZING here??!!
:)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
35 Days
Mom came to my church today. Let's just say it's a bit more "lively" than hers. ;)
She enjoyed it, and it was great to see her out and about. Actually, during the service we all did a little exercise of writing down what we've done in the past by faith. Things like, "By faith, I jumped off a cliff in New Zealand with a bungie cord tied around my ankle." Or, "By faith, I got in the car with nana yesterday." (ok, i'm kidding, but you get the point). We then wrote out our own little "mini plan" of what we hoped we would do "by faith" in the future. I thought this was an excellent exercise, and it made me think about quite a few things.
After the service we went to Maggiano's, one of my mom's all time favorite places to go when she visits me. Wanna know why? Is it because of the nice wait staff? Maybe. The great location? Not-so-much. Is it because of the food? Sure.
Well, the real reason she loves Maggiano's is because....
She loves LEFT OVERS!!!
And she took home a bag full.
It doesn't take much to please mom.
Wish I could say the same, but I'm getting there.
She enjoyed it, and it was great to see her out and about. Actually, during the service we all did a little exercise of writing down what we've done in the past by faith. Things like, "By faith, I jumped off a cliff in New Zealand with a bungie cord tied around my ankle." Or, "By faith, I got in the car with nana yesterday." (ok, i'm kidding, but you get the point). We then wrote out our own little "mini plan" of what we hoped we would do "by faith" in the future. I thought this was an excellent exercise, and it made me think about quite a few things.
After the service we went to Maggiano's, one of my mom's all time favorite places to go when she visits me. Wanna know why? Is it because of the nice wait staff? Maybe. The great location? Not-so-much. Is it because of the food? Sure.
Well, the real reason she loves Maggiano's is because....
She loves LEFT OVERS!!!
And she took home a bag full. It doesn't take much to please mom.
Wish I could say the same, but I'm getting there.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
36 Days
I slept in this morning, and it felt OH SO GOOD!!!
And then, since I had planned to be away for the weekend, I decided to catch up with some of my favorite people.
First stop - Nana's!! Nana is 88. She says anything and everything, and I told her about my blog and this desire to record my last few moments in this decade. In fact, I asked her what advice she would give to those of us headed to our 40s. She said that she had no advice to give, but that whatever the age to just "do your thing". Words to live by.
Second stop - nursing home. Well, you'd think that my grandmother would be in a nursing home, but no, she's still in her own gazillion year old house. But, my dear friend from childhood, who is only a month younger than me, has been nursing-home bound for the last ten yrs or so, stricken at a young age (19) with MS. Sadly, she's bed-ridden and occasionally wheelchair-ridden, but she shows off her smile each and every time I visit. With legions on her brain, no use of her legs and very little use of her arms, she and I pray together before I leave. And what was her prayer tonight?
She didn't pray for healing or for the relief of her pain. Instead, she prayed for her cat who is getting older and steadily failing in health. She asked God to make him feel better, to lessen his pain and to allow him to live as long as she does. May God grant her that wish.
I hate MS.
I love the people who treat it, and of course, those sweet angels who live it.
Another thing I love is New England in the fall. It was a cloudy day, but warm enough to leave the coat behind and crack the window a bit. The leaves are falling at a pretty good clip, but it sure was a lovely drive today.
And then, since I had planned to be away for the weekend, I decided to catch up with some of my favorite people.
First stop - Nana's!! Nana is 88. She says anything and everything, and I told her about my blog and this desire to record my last few moments in this decade. In fact, I asked her what advice she would give to those of us headed to our 40s. She said that she had no advice to give, but that whatever the age to just "do your thing". Words to live by.
Second stop - nursing home. Well, you'd think that my grandmother would be in a nursing home, but no, she's still in her own gazillion year old house. But, my dear friend from childhood, who is only a month younger than me, has been nursing-home bound for the last ten yrs or so, stricken at a young age (19) with MS. Sadly, she's bed-ridden and occasionally wheelchair-ridden, but she shows off her smile each and every time I visit. With legions on her brain, no use of her legs and very little use of her arms, she and I pray together before I leave. And what was her prayer tonight?She didn't pray for healing or for the relief of her pain. Instead, she prayed for her cat who is getting older and steadily failing in health. She asked God to make him feel better, to lessen his pain and to allow him to live as long as she does. May God grant her that wish.
I hate MS.
I love the people who treat it, and of course, those sweet angels who live it.
Another thing I love is New England in the fall. It was a cloudy day, but warm enough to leave the coat behind and crack the window a bit. The leaves are falling at a pretty good clip, but it sure was a lovely drive today.
Friday, November 7, 2008
37 Days
So, today didn't go the way I had planned. Do you ever have days like that?
It was my intention to go to my friend Sue's grandmother's funeral service today in the Albany, NY area, and while out that way use the time to visit Scott, Moni and their 3mo yr old princess, Natalie. I was then going to continue my trek through upstate NY by having lunch on Saturday with Erin, a friend who recently came back from a missions trip to Tanzania and who is helping take care of her sick mom.
However, the day started with an intense Physical Therapy session (I have a herniated disc in my neck that needs fixing, and I'm trying anything but surgery), which both helped the usual pain, but did create a bit of typical discomfort. And then, my friends called to let me know they were terribly sick (hoping they are resting well tonight), and that I was still invited to stay with them, but it was probably not a good idea. And amidst all of this, I actually had some work to do, which ballooned into quite a bit more than I had planned for my "casual Friday". So, I made the decision to stay back, relieve my neck/back from all that driving, got lots of work done and had a nice night. However, I was sorry to miss the service and the visit with dear friends.
Hung out with Meredith at my new favorite local spot - Hana Sushi:
http://www.hanasushicambridge.com/
So good!!
And then we went to see W. The Film. While there were some strange scenes (strange as in portraying Condi with an awkward ticking syndrome), it was an interesting movie. Not great and not bad. I think the political season has everyone rather worn out, and I frankly don't like movies without endings. Of course, this one doesn't have one (yet) in real life, so I can't blame Oliver Stone. At times I did feel as though I was watching an SNL skit without the humor. Josh Brolin was truly a dead ringer for the Prez. Wow. Tina Fey, eat your heart out.
It was my intention to go to my friend Sue's grandmother's funeral service today in the Albany, NY area, and while out that way use the time to visit Scott, Moni and their 3mo yr old princess, Natalie. I was then going to continue my trek through upstate NY by having lunch on Saturday with Erin, a friend who recently came back from a missions trip to Tanzania and who is helping take care of her sick mom.
However, the day started with an intense Physical Therapy session (I have a herniated disc in my neck that needs fixing, and I'm trying anything but surgery), which both helped the usual pain, but did create a bit of typical discomfort. And then, my friends called to let me know they were terribly sick (hoping they are resting well tonight), and that I was still invited to stay with them, but it was probably not a good idea. And amidst all of this, I actually had some work to do, which ballooned into quite a bit more than I had planned for my "casual Friday". So, I made the decision to stay back, relieve my neck/back from all that driving, got lots of work done and had a nice night. However, I was sorry to miss the service and the visit with dear friends.
Hung out with Meredith at my new favorite local spot - Hana Sushi:
http://www.hanasushicambridge.com/
So good!!
And then we went to see W. The Film. While there were some strange scenes (strange as in portraying Condi with an awkward ticking syndrome), it was an interesting movie. Not great and not bad. I think the political season has everyone rather worn out, and I frankly don't like movies without endings. Of course, this one doesn't have one (yet) in real life, so I can't blame Oliver Stone. At times I did feel as though I was watching an SNL skit without the humor. Josh Brolin was truly a dead ringer for the Prez. Wow. Tina Fey, eat your heart out.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
38 Days
Today was once again another fine day in this most delightful decade.
-slept in because I was unable to fall asleep...until say 2:30am-ish
-took meds for what has literally become a pain in the neck
-stretched out that hip which seems to have a mind of its own
Did I mention that I kept forgetting things like leaving one room to go into another, only to forget why left the other room in the first place? Or better, opening my browser to search for something, only to get to google, start typing and realize I forgot what I was searching for.
Ah, yes. The oncoming signs of age. It could also be stress, but I doubt it. Perhaps it's just too many muscle relaxants? Hmm.....
Aside from a fairly busy work day, I had the pleasure of an off-site meeting up in Nashua, NH with a potential client. It was a positive meeting, and I think I even remember what we talked about. And then I met up with Ann and Sheryl, two of my NH peeps, although Sheryl is really a Mass-girl like me. We had a nice dinner at the Outback. This reminds me that I must get to Australia one day!
So, while I was scurrying up to NH and back, my friend Kristin used my other car to go to class, as her car was totaled last week (no, it wasn't her fault!). When she dropped it off she called my RAV sexy.
Now, I'm quite sure she gets honked at no matter what vehicle she is in, so I assured her that an SUV is not sexy. If people were honking, it probably wasn't because of the car. You go, girl!! (guys, if you want her number, email me)
In closing, let me say that Youtube really is great. It allows us to capture moments in time, and store them for future viewing and listening pleasure. Tonight, as I remember one of the many bands I enjoyed in my youth, and one that includes the number of days I have left in this countdown, I can only hope that I don't have nightmares of hair, horses and hideous clothes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tknMjFKKm5c&feature=relate
(copy and paste this link)
Anyone know how to insert a link? I can't remember.....
Night!
-slept in because I was unable to fall asleep...until say 2:30am-ish
-took meds for what has literally become a pain in the neck
-stretched out that hip which seems to have a mind of its own
Did I mention that I kept forgetting things like leaving one room to go into another, only to forget why left the other room in the first place? Or better, opening my browser to search for something, only to get to google, start typing and realize I forgot what I was searching for.
Ah, yes. The oncoming signs of age. It could also be stress, but I doubt it. Perhaps it's just too many muscle relaxants? Hmm.....
Aside from a fairly busy work day, I had the pleasure of an off-site meeting up in Nashua, NH with a potential client. It was a positive meeting, and I think I even remember what we talked about. And then I met up with Ann and Sheryl, two of my NH peeps, although Sheryl is really a Mass-girl like me. We had a nice dinner at the Outback. This reminds me that I must get to Australia one day!
So, while I was scurrying up to NH and back, my friend Kristin used my other car to go to class, as her car was totaled last week (no, it wasn't her fault!). When she dropped it off she called my RAV sexy.
Now, I'm quite sure she gets honked at no matter what vehicle she is in, so I assured her that an SUV is not sexy. If people were honking, it probably wasn't because of the car. You go, girl!! (guys, if you want her number, email me)
In closing, let me say that Youtube really is great. It allows us to capture moments in time, and store them for future viewing and listening pleasure. Tonight, as I remember one of the many bands I enjoyed in my youth, and one that includes the number of days I have left in this countdown, I can only hope that I don't have nightmares of hair, horses and hideous clothes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tknMjFKKm5c&feature=relate
(copy and paste this link)
Anyone know how to insert a link? I can't remember.....
Night!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
39 Days
Nothing to say about this day except
O-B-A-M-A
History was made, and it happened before I turned 40. In fact, as I celebrate this time, I am amazed to think that during the very same year I was born both MLK, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were killed.
My mentee told me tonight that she finally felt the "Yes, I can" slogan, although like other young women they'd like to see some other barriers come down. Perhaps before I turn 50 there will be a female president?
We shopped, cooked, ate and did some homework review, specifically college entrance essay stuff. Really glad I don't have to compete to get into college with these amazing young kids. It's far easier for me to review stuff than actually do it. :)
Great night.
O-B-A-M-A
History was made, and it happened before I turned 40. In fact, as I celebrate this time, I am amazed to think that during the very same year I was born both MLK, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were killed.
My mentee told me tonight that she finally felt the "Yes, I can" slogan, although like other young women they'd like to see some other barriers come down. Perhaps before I turn 50 there will be a female president?
We shopped, cooked, ate and did some homework review, specifically college entrance essay stuff. Really glad I don't have to compete to get into college with these amazing young kids. It's far easier for me to review stuff than actually do it. :)
Great night.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
40 days
In 40 days, I will turn 40. This is supposed to be a momentous occasion. For me, it's just another birthday, and I've so many fabulous ones for which I'm grateful. But, since forty days seems to be a theme for so many programs and spiritual journeys, I figured I would see what happens during the last forty days of this absolutely fabulous decade.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again....the 30s for me have been the most exciting, enlightening and fulfilling time of my life. I'm quite sure I'll feel that way about the next decade, but for now I'm going to cherish each day and live out this one with purpose. Oh, that's another 40 day thing. :)
So....for my first day of "40 days to 40" I voted! This is really the most exciting campaign I've seen in a long time. Back in the mid-80s when I was in high school I absolutely adored Ronald Reagan (big surprise). For the first time I watched speeches given by the president and actually looked forward to them. He was able to look into the camera and give a speech that gave me hope and made me feel so patriotic. I know that feeling my Obama friends have. It's exciting, and it's uplifting, and it really has the power to bring us together, no matter the party, and I for one and very excited about this possibility. For my own political reasons, I don't think I voted with the crowd on this one, but I sure will embrace whoever wins, will pray for him and will be right there listening as he addresses the nation, puts plans in place to unify the country and works hard to do his best. It's all we can ask of each other.
Anyway, after voting, I visited with mom today, and that was a lot of fun. She's keeping herself busy, and actually went to a McCain/Palin rally last night in NH with friends!! Really cool to see so many people on both sides getting into this day.
Didn't get my free Starbucks, but I didn't really "need" it. Had it been a grande iced tea....well then, there's no question I would have gone!!
Will meet with my small group from church to discuss prayer and all that it means today and to celebrate Paige's birthday. Should be fun.
That's my first day of 40 days to 40. Not bad.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again....the 30s for me have been the most exciting, enlightening and fulfilling time of my life. I'm quite sure I'll feel that way about the next decade, but for now I'm going to cherish each day and live out this one with purpose. Oh, that's another 40 day thing. :)
So....for my first day of "40 days to 40" I voted! This is really the most exciting campaign I've seen in a long time. Back in the mid-80s when I was in high school I absolutely adored Ronald Reagan (big surprise). For the first time I watched speeches given by the president and actually looked forward to them. He was able to look into the camera and give a speech that gave me hope and made me feel so patriotic. I know that feeling my Obama friends have. It's exciting, and it's uplifting, and it really has the power to bring us together, no matter the party, and I for one and very excited about this possibility. For my own political reasons, I don't think I voted with the crowd on this one, but I sure will embrace whoever wins, will pray for him and will be right there listening as he addresses the nation, puts plans in place to unify the country and works hard to do his best. It's all we can ask of each other.
Anyway, after voting, I visited with mom today, and that was a lot of fun. She's keeping herself busy, and actually went to a McCain/Palin rally last night in NH with friends!! Really cool to see so many people on both sides getting into this day.
Didn't get my free Starbucks, but I didn't really "need" it. Had it been a grande iced tea....well then, there's no question I would have gone!!
Will meet with my small group from church to discuss prayer and all that it means today and to celebrate Paige's birthday. Should be fun.
That's my first day of 40 days to 40. Not bad.
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