Pines Lake Redhead

Sent with Love

2012-01-29T19:27:00.003-05:00

I received some unexpected photos this week. I love how a quick snapshot can brighten my day and make me smile.

My Other Mother sent me this old photo of Bud holding me when I was an infant. I need to ask if my Mom or my Other Mother knitted the fisherman's sweater Bud is wearing.

My friend in PA sent me this photo thanking me for the scarf I knitted for his birthday.

Mr. A's sponsor parents sent this to me with the caption, This is what we've been hoping for... Mr. A finding comfort away from the Academy.

The above photo buzzed my phone this morning. It was actually a wrong number. The phone it came from was a local number but the photo was obviously taken up north somewhere.

I hope this week brings some more simple and pleasant surprises. Fingers crossed.

10 Questions for Success

2012-01-26T16:10:00.005-05:00

Each week I get marketing-related news articles sent to my work email via the Linkedin network. I honestly don’t remember signing up for this service. Nonetheless, I sometimes come across an article that I find interesting and/or pertinent to my current work environment.

This week the article 10 Questions That Create Success caught my eye.

I was surprised by the questions. Even more notable, I was caught off guard. I imagined canned, cookie cutter, interview-type questions.

Instead, I read questions that really made me think. Questions that I wasn’t sure I could answer.

I’ve returned to the article several times already. So I’ve decided to attempt to answer the questions. Right here, right now. On my blog. In writing. (Duh)

The author proclaims that,

Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day.

So true. I totally agree. But can I answer the questions?

Here it goes...

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
YES! How do I know this? Because I feel their love in return.

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
Um? Does recycling count? How about this… My husband and I are raising two sons to become productive members of society and loving husbands and fathers.

3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong, flexible, and resilient?
I took the stairs in lieu of the elevator at the office. I ate healthy and drank lots of water. However, I did take the golf cart across the campus today rather than walk because the oak pollen is HIGH and I wasn’t in the mood for an asthma attack.

4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
Um? I know what my plans are for the weekend.

5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
This could be a trick question. Who doesn’t have a sarcastic monolog running through their brains at all times??? And only certain things are done in the privacy of the ladies' room. I think the question is asking if I was two-faced today or have done anything to violate my moral integrity and the question is NO! Or would that be YES!? Either way, I believe my integrity is intact.

6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
YES! Mom would be proud because her mantra of “If you can’t say anything nice…” really took hold during my formative years. Hence, the sarcastic monolog.

7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
See above reference to raising two sons. Oh, that and I went to work today to ensure continuation of awesome healthcare benefits.

8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?
Um? Crap, that’s my 3rd Um. I might have to work on that one.

9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
G-Man got up and got ready for school ahead of schedule today. That’s one for the memory books!

10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?
ABSOLUTELY!

****

Can you answer these 10 questions?

Nubby Scarves

2012-01-25T17:39:00.003-05:00

My knitting skills are basic. In fact, I taught myself how to knit using diagrams in a book. I'm sure what I do is some sort of bastard, hybridization of left-handed and right-handed knitting. All I know is that is works.

I struck gold when I stumbled upon Lion Brand Homespun yarn. One skein of this yarn creates a simple yet striking scarf. The results? Lots of Oooos and Ahhhhs.

The pattern couldn't be easier. Cast 23 stitches onto 10.5 needles. Do a seed stitch (K1, P1) for the entire row. Repeat until the end of the skein and cast off. Weave in the ends of the yarn.

Once I get into a rhythm, I don't have to even look at what I'm doing. It's very meditative and relaxing. Obviously, I plan on making lots of scarves. The top photo only shows some of my yarn stash.

The yarn with the color gradient really makes the scarf extra interesting. This particular color is called Parfait.

If you already know how to knit and are looking for something quick and easy to do, I highly recommend this pattern. If you don't know how to knit, sorry. I can't teach you. But I can send you a scarf. Of course, it might be July by the time I'm finished!

Feeling Feelings

2012-01-24T18:54:00.003-05:00

When I was married to that not-so-nice person I learned how to bury my feelings. I would withdraw my feelings and appear calm on the exterior. Any anxiety I felt and the stressors that caused my anxiety would be pushed down and out of the way so I could deal with the moment. Unfortunately, over time, I did that with all of my feelings. Not just my anxieties. All of my feelings. I practically became numb to emotions. I was the PR spokesperson for “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

I’ve heard that technique referred to as compartmentalization. I’m not sure if that’s an accurate term but I know what I did was a basic survival tool.

Once I was out of the stressful marriage and I felt safe, a lot of the emotions came flooding out. They were worse than flashbacks because it was as if I was experiencing the emotion of the situation for the first time. It was cathartic and all part of the healing process. But I continued to guard my feelings.

Whenever something slightly stressful or unpleasant arose I could feel myself withdrawing. I had to make a conscious effort to FEEL my feelings. Did I ever feel vulnerable!

Oh, I’ve come such a long way.

Now I don’t even have to think about feeling my feelings. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? I just feel. I feel and I experience and it’s wonderful. All of it is wonderful. Truly. Especially when I realize after-the-fact that I didn’t withdraw during a stressful event.

I also realize that withdrawing into myself emotionally would be easier in the short-term but not in the long run. I’m so proud of myself for not giving in to the path of least resistance method.

****

However, this whole feeling of spontaneous emotions occasionally takes me by surprise like when Robert told me the story of The Scarf.

Or when I stopped by the jewelers to get the clasp on my watch fixed. My Sweetie gave me a beautiful, bracelet watch seven years ago on the first Christmas we were married. The watch has kept perfect time every single day. I've worn it everyday with the exception of the miserable days I spent recovering from my back surgery.

When the jeweler told me that I had to leave my watch for a week I felt a pang. What??? You would have thought that she told me I had to leave Molly or one of my kids. I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked back to my car. I thought I might cry. Then I thought that I was being a little silly for being so emotional about an inanimate object and I should just stop. Finally my brain processed through it all and I decided that being a little sentimental isn't all that bad afterall.

In the meantime, my wrist feels naked.

The Scarf Guy

2012-01-23T18:40:00.003-05:00

Last week I received a pleasant surprise when a former co-worker (who is also a friend that moved to Virginia six months ago) stopped by the office at the end of the day.

Normally, I’m not a big fan of former co-workers who “come back to visit.” But Robert is different. Robert can light up the room or your day with his smile, laughter, charming yet sincere personality, and his vivaciousness. A few minute chat with Robert was exactly what I needed that long, dull day.

During our brief visit, Robert told me a story about the hand-knitted scarf I had given to him before he moved away to the cold country (yes, Virginia is the cold country compared to Florida). I wish I could give the story justice the way he did with all the proper voice impersonations, suspenseful pauses, facial expressions, and waving of arms.

Instead, I’ll give the brief summary…

On Christmas Eve, Robert’s partner asked to wear The Scarf (as it is now called) out to dinner and Robert reluctantly agreed after Partner promised not to lose it.

Upon returning home from the fancy-pants, hotel restaurant, Robert asked, Where’s The Scarf?

GASP!

The Scarf was left behind.

Back to the hotel they went.

The concierge at the hotel immediately recognized the description of The Scarf as one in the Lost & Found. She went to retrieve it but The Scarf was suddenly missing from the Lost & Found. The hotel lobby, office, and restaurant were then searched top to bottom for The Scarf… late night on Christmas EVE.

The Lost & Found was checked again and suddenly The Scarf was right on top.

Hmmm…

Robert told me that every time he goes back to the fancy-pants, hotel restaurant the staff eyeball him as The Scarf Guy.

I had tears in my eyes and my heart melted as Robert shared his story with me. I was so touched to learn that he treasured something I had made with my own hands. I had no idea. That warm and fuzzy feeling is exactly the balm I needed that day.

I'm still amazed how something so simple can remind us how much someone means to us.

Indiana, let it go.

2012-01-22T17:11:00.002-05:00

Lately, I’ve felt like an emotional sponge. My husband calls me empathetic. I call it suckage. When someone close to me is hurting, sad, or miserable I tend to feel it too.

This coming Sunday marks the 5th anniversary of my father-in-law’s passing. Each January my Sweetie gets gloomy. He misses his dad. Terribly. My once normally, even-keeled, easy-going guy becomes moody and the everyday stressors of life finally permeate his Teflon exterior. This year has been a little extra tough because a close friend just lost his own father a week ago.

Then there’s my BFF. My friend who has made me laugh and cry. Sometimes at the same time. Who at times has made me feel like the most important person in the world.

Well, she’s going through a rough patch. Ok, more than a rough patch. More like a mine field. I’ve discovered that being a BFF is sometimes like being a parent in the sense that if there was anything I could do to fix things, I would.

Finally, there’s some weird family stuff going on with my sister that’s been weighing me down for months. I can’t even begin to explain it because I don’t comprehend it myself.

The past couple of weeks I’ve been keeping to myself. I do that when my brain needs time to process the feelings I’m experiencing.

This afternoon I came to a few (painfully obvious) conclusions…

My Sweetie is a tough cookie and will be fine in a week or so (even though he’s being a crabby bass at the moment.)

(Crabby bass is an amalgamation of crabby butt and crabby ass. One must make fish lips when using this term.)

There’s nothing I can do to fix things for BFF. I’ll just continue to be her friend. She’ll land on her feet because she’s stronger than she thinks and has a family that loves her.

As for the weird stuff going on with my sister, I’ve just got to let that go. Nothing I can do. So I should stop letting it make me feel miserable, right?

As Henry Jones, Sr. would say…

Indiana, let it go.

Kinda Crabby

2012-01-18T19:34:00.001-05:00

Yea, so I’m a little crabby.

But that’s ok because life isn’t rainbows, unicorns, and pink glitter-filled balloons all day, every day.

I acknowledged my crabbiness on the drive home this evening. I tried to pinpoint the source/cause of my crankiness but then I realized that it truly didn’t matter.

This is just a touch of the grumps. Not even a case of the fraz-a-parts.

(Don’t ask me to define fraz-a-parts. It’s my mother’s word.)

A year ago, a case of the blues wasn’t just a blip in my day or week. Instead, it was all-out, full-blown, sucks-to-be-me depression. I would have called in sick to work and spent the day in bed trying to block the world out. Nothing could have made me smile and my family tip-toed around me.

This time last year was very dark.

Now that I think about it… I’m not so crabby anymore.

Maybe you don't want to sit next to me

2012-01-17T19:05:00.003-05:00

Saturday night my Sweetie and I got the chance to see the English version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

I read the Girl trilogy of books a little over a year ago and then S and I watched the Swedish films. The novels pulled me in right away because I was pleasantly surprised by how well Larsson’s words were translated from Swedish to English. But what kept me interested was Lisabeth Salander’s complex and guarded personality.

So when I found out a year ago that the films were being made in English, I knew that I wanted to see them. Ok, I was also a little extra giddy that Daniel Craig was cast for the male lead.

The opening scene of snow and ice grabbed me quickly and took my breath away. I leaned over to my Sweetie and said, I want to go to Sweden.

What is it with me and wanting to go to cold, dark, and damp climates?

Anyway... This might be viewed as sacrilege by some… I liked the cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song in the opening credits better than the original. I leaned over again and said so to S. Honestly, I try not to talk during a movie in the theater but sometimes it can’t be helped.

As with the Swedish films, the new film doesn’t sugar-coat anything. There is sexual violence in the movie and it is difficult to watch. I was prepared for it as much as I possibly could be. Because of the violence, we told G-Man that he couldn’t see the movie just yet.

I liked Daniel Craig better than his Swedish counterpart… but I might be a bit partial. On the other hand, I preferred Noomi Rapace to Rooney Mara even though both actresses went all out with their character portrayal.

During the film I might have momentarily fantasized about getting a dragon tattoo myself until the logical part of my brain concluded that I could then be called the middle-aged woman with the dragon tattoo.

My Sweetie pointed out that not having to read subtitles made the film more enjoyable and seemed to make the story flow easier. True. I brought my knitting to the theater (yes, I knit in the movie theater) with me because I figured that I wouldn’t be distracted by reading. But didn’t get a chance to knit because it was a packed theater and I didn’t want to constantly elbow the nice woman next to me.

I did notice a few quirky things about the film…

I was reminded again about how much coffee the characters drink, how many sandwiches the characters eat, and how many cigarettes they smoke. It makes me wonder if that’s an accurate slice of the Swedish lifestyle.

The newspapers in the film were in Swedish EXCEPT for when the audience was supposed to learn some information. Then the headlines or photo captions were in English. I found that odd. I can’t think of another film that’s used two different languages in that way.

The make-up artists on the James Bond movies must be awfully busy because it turns out that Daniel Craig’s back is covered in moles. Eww.

Robin Wright plays a character named Erika Berger and all of her scenes are with Daniel Craig. I know the character’s name because I read the book. Apparently, the screenwriters and/or film editors assumed that the entire audience read the book as well because her name was never mentioned.

That’s right, I sat through a 2.5 hour movie and not once did I hear Daniel Craig utter my name. I left the theater a little broken-hearted.

Oh well, there are still two movies to go in the series.

The Place of Dreams

2012-01-10T10:40:00.002-05:00

I have weird dreams. The nocturnal sort of dreams. At least I think they’re weird and I like them that way. Dream sequences in movies always freak me out because they are nothing like my dreams. It makes me wonder if movie dreams are more typical of the general population and my dreams are way out there.

As a child, I would retell my dreams to my mother and she would remark on how vivid there were. Now when I share my dreams with my Sweetie he comments on the intense details of my dreams.

I don’t put too much stock in the meaning of dreams. I usually figure it’s just my brain processing things that have occurred during my day. I will admit that sometimes I wake up from a dream with a very strong emotional feeling that stays with me all day.

The majority of my dreams take place in my childhood home in Pines Lake. I’m not really sure why Pines Lake is the setting of so many dreams but I find it fascinating and comforting. Good and bad dreams take place there. It doesn’t matter if the players in my dream have been there in real life or not. I never find that odd or out-of-place. My dreams aren’t memories or re-enactments of my childhood but rather current events taking place in a location from my past.

One interesting fact about the Pines Lake house as the backdrop… the kitchen always looks as it did BEFORE my parents remodeled it in the mid-1980’s. Can you say groovy avocado appliances and wallpaper?

Several years ago I shared this innocent, little secret of my dreams with my sister. She looked at me horrified and told me that I had serious issues and that I needed professional help. Whatever. To this day, I still don’t understand her over-the-top reaction.

But not all of my dreams take place in Pines Lake. My dreams have an entire geography and architecture outside my childhood home. All of the other locales in my dreams are fictional but they are always the same dream after dream. At one point, my brain designed these places and continues to go back to them.

I have come to realize that all of my “anxiety” dreams take place in my self-created places. Yes, anxiety dreams. You know the ones…

Ever dream that you’re in back in high school and you can’t remember your locker combination or your class schedule? When you do make it to class you find out that you never wrote your term paper or studied for the Algebra exam? Those are my high school anxiety dreams. I think I’m in my high school that I attended but the school is actually the one created by my brain. I usually wake up when I realize that I DID graduate high school (oh, so many years ago).

I have a similar dream on a college campus. It’s an urban campus like the one I attended but once again it’s one of my own creation. My anxiety once again is not knowing my class schedule. Or sometimes it's moving into the dorm and stressing about who my roommate will be. I find that last bit humorous because I went the route of the roommate lottery twice in real life and came out just fine.

I’m not sure how many people have this dream… I have a shopping mall anxiety dream. The stressor in my dream is that I’m supposed to be meeting someone and I can’t find the person. Once again, it’s a shopping mall that’s unique to my dreams.

How about the “I gotta pee” dream? Ever find yourself in a dream and really need to use the restroom but all of the toilets are occupied or out-of-order? For me, this dream always takes place in a locker room of a college natatorium. I’ve been in a few hundred swimming pool locker rooms in my lifetime. The one in my dreams must be a mosaic of all of them.

Honestly, I don’t I don’t have anxiety dreams that often (anymore). I just see them as my brain working out the stress that might be going on in my life at the time. But somehow it’s always reassuring to be in a familiar setting… especially one of my own creation.

Go ahead and leave a comment if you think I’m crazy. Or you could be kind and let me know that your brain creates dream locations too and uses them again and again.

For more spins on dreams, visit Gretchen at Second Blooming.

Sunday Morning

2012-01-08T18:17:00.002-05:00

This morning I rattled around the house with my cup of hot tea. G-Man had already left for his volunteer shift at the aquarium. My Sweetie was back in bed after being up at the wee hours working. Molly retreated to den for some more sleep after her morning potty break.

The day hadn’t started off great. A bad dream woke me up. Then an asthma attack came with breakfast. I wanted to lie down again but didn’t want to disturb my Sweetie. So I opted to stretch out on Mr. A’s queen-size bed. I chose his room simply because G-Man’s room looked like a tornado had blown through.

As I settled down on top of the quilt, I rolled to my side and noticed the empty picture frame on the bedside table. I reached for it and held it in my hand as I wondered what photo used to be in it.

For the past 10 years the frame held a photo of Mr. A and G-Man. Two brothers with their fishing poles, standing on the shore of the lake by our house, and grinning into the camera. An 8-year-old Mr. A proudly holding up a bass on the end of his line.

A lump formed in my throat as I realized what happened to the photo. The moment was surreal for me. It was if time had stopped while my brain made all of the connections. Mr. A removed the photo from the frame and took it back to the Academy with him. He had to take it out of the frame because Midshipmen are only allowed to display personal photos on their corkboards.

Wow, he really does love and miss his brother.

My children continue to amaze me. They are brothers who truly love and like one another. I marvel at their relationship and some days I even covet it. My sister and I never shared a close relationship. It’s the only thing I’ve ever missed in my life. I’m glad to know that my boys will always have each other.

Subway Tile Quilts

2012-01-05T20:41:00.005-05:00

Probably about 12-15 years ago an episode of This Old House turned on the light bulb in my brain. The house was a deconsecrated church in San Francisco converted to a home. For the kitchen backsplash the homeowners selected a simple, white subway tile laid in a running bond pattern.

Light bulb.

I realized that would be an easy yet contemporary quilt pattern to use with bright or dramatic fabrics. Truly, this is such a simple pattern but after many, many quilts I still enjoy the results achieved.

Below are some photos of three quilts I made before Christmas. I selected the fabrics and pieced the tops. My Mom quilted the layers together. Then I finished the hand binding. We make a great team.

The first two quilts I made as Hannukah gifts for the little girls in Mr. A's sponsor family. I chose different feature fabrics for each girl but made sure they worked together so I could use the same coordinating fabrics. I also embroidered their names on the tops before they were quilted.

The third quilt is a baby quilt for a friend who is expecting her second child, a girl in a few weeks. Sorry the pictures turned out crummy but I already gave the quilt and can't re-take the pics. The fabrics are non-traditional but really, they work extremely well.

I was very excited to make this quilt. For one reason because it is not a typical baby quilt. Mostly because I made a quilt for the big brother three years ago. I will ALWAYS remember his birthday because he was born on the day of my back surgery. Even though it wasn't the first thing my husband said to me, the first thing I remember hearing when I woke up was,

"Amy had her baby."

I smiled (at least I think I did) because the birth of a baby is a wonderful and happy occasion.

Next up... Soon I'll start on quilts for three babies. One each due in May, June, and July. So far two of the babies are girls!

Getting back to our routines

2012-01-04T19:25:00.003-05:00

As you might have noticed, I haven’t done much blogging in the past few weeks. More specifically, I haven’t done much blogging since Mr. A came home for winter break. It’s not that I’ve been too busy to blog… blogging just hasn’t been a priority.

Our winter break was very low-key. In fact, we really didn’t do anything blog-worthy. We just enjoyed being together. We enjoyed being our little family.

Yesterday G-Man went back to school and my Sweetie & I headed back to work. However, we seem to be stumbling through our routines this week because we’re still in a slight state of limbo with the “extra” person in the house.

Friday morning I know I’ll have tears in my eyes when I kiss eldest son good-bye and my Sweetie takes him to the airport. I know this because I may have already cried regarding the subject.

I also know that Mr. A is antsy to get back to the Academy, his routine, his shipmates, and to start a fresh new semester of classes.

I’m also a little antsy for him to get back to USNA.

Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

But it’s true. I see the eagerness in my son’s face. I hear the excitement in his voice. I’ve noticed how he refers to Bancroft Hall as “home” and no, it doesn’t hurt my feelings because somehow I understand.

I will also be glad to get back to our little family of three. I’m just as proud of us for making the adjustment to the PLRH 3 as I am of Mr. A making the adjustment to Academy life.

Yes, I will miss my son. I know what that feels like. But any tears I have are greatly overshadowed by the knowledge that he is where he belongs. He has chosen his path and it’s the one for him.

The post I forgot to title

2011-12-31T19:43:00.004-05:00

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve and we’re all cozy at home. The boys are having some friends over because we don’t want any of them out on the roads tonight. The house is bright and cheery and full of wonderful cooking smells. Molly is curled up in a ball snoozing away. We’re all comfy and content.

Amid the grocery shopping, house cleaning, and making of yummy foods, my Sweetie and I paused to reflect on all the wonderful things that happened this year. Yes, 2011 was a bumpy year for many people but for the PLRH family this year was blessed.

I can’t remember the first quarter all that well but that leads to the first wonderful thing of 2011…

I was properly diagnosed with PTSD rather than treatment-resistance depression and was taken off the two medications that weren’t appropriate for PTSD.

As a result, I lost all the weight I had gained while taken said medication. Yeah!

June was a super busy month. Mr. A graduated first in his class, G-Man turned 15, and we took Mr. A up to the US Naval Academy for Induction Day.

Over the summer, all of us grew in our own way… and all in good ways.

In August, S and I traveled back to Annapolis to visit our Midshipman for Plebe Parents Weekend and G-Man had his first day of school ever without his big brother.

Another huge milestone this year came in November when I was released from therapy after 16 months of treatment.

The best proof that treatment was effective and no longer needed came with Thanksgiving. No panic attacks this holiday season. Double Yeah!

Overall, it’s been a fantastic year. Fingers crossed that 2012 is just as awesome.

Holiday Highlights

2011-12-30T10:52:00.002-05:00

Day 7 of Winter Break and I haven’t done much of anything and it feels pretty darn good. Ok, that’s not entirely true. I’ve done plenty of things however, just not much of my usual day-to-day activities. Obviously, one thing I haven’t done much of is blogging. Turning on my computer hasn’t seemed all that important this week. But after seven days, some thoughts that have been rattling around in my brain needed to be put into words…

One of the hazards of having an entire week off from work is that I completely lost track of the days this week. I had RSVP’d to a going away party on Tuesday. It wasn’t until I got a text message from the hostess asking if I was lost and needed directions to her house that I realized that I totally forgot what day it was and missed the party.

****

While driving home from a “Winter Solstice” party last Thursday night, A and G sang Feliz Navidad with fake Russian accents.

****

There is so much glitter in our house at the moment. Most of it seems to be coming from the glitterized gift boxes in the Harry & David Tower of Treats we received.

Me: Is glitter considered a bio hazard?

S: No, why?

Me: I think I just ate some.

S: I believe it might have some anti-bacterial properties.

****

In a moment of whimsy, I bought G-Man a kazoo as a stocking stuffer. Ever hear Smoke on the Water played on a kazoo?

****

I received an enameled, cast iron, Le Creuset Dutch oven for Christmas. Is it wrong to be so excited about a cooking pot? I made the most amazing chicken smothered in onions the other night. My new pot is awesome! To make it even more fabulous… it’s aubergine!

****

Wednesday we went to Mote Marine Aquarium to see the South African penguins that are wintering in Florida. They are cute little guys (and one girl). You can see them too on their live webcam.

****

Ok, after reading this I realize that my week hasn't been terribly exciting or news worthy. Oh well, I'm enjoying myself and that's all that really matters, right?

Perspective

2011-12-22T09:01:00.004-05:00

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record. But I truly am happy. This is the first Christmas in 19 years that I haven’t let stress or fear control my life.

The past few weeks I’ve listened as co-workers, friends, and Facebook peeps stress about all of the things they “have to do” to get ready for Christmas. I smile because there isn’t anything “I have to do” because I’m ready for Christmas in my heart.

It’s not just Christmas that I’m ready for either. I’m ready for life. My life is wonderful. I’m happy and I am truly blessed.

I have a couple of close friends that are going through some bumpy times right now. I wish I could help. I wish I could fix everything for them. But the only thing I can do is just be a friend.

There are also those I know who are unhappy. I’m unsure as to why they’re unhappy. But I think it has something to do with perspective. The way we perceive the world around us affects how we think, feel, and interact with others.

Because perspective does make all the difference I would like to share a blog post from Ellie at One Crafty Mother. I don’t know Ellie in real life and I only started following her blog a few months ago… about the time she suspected something might be wrong. You see, today (3 days before Christmas) Ellie starts cancer treatment for a tumor in her neck. She has a long, bumpy road ahead of her.

I’ve been privileged enough to read Ellie’s blog as she dealt with her fear of diagnosis and then her resulting acceptance. Her post yesterday awed me. I can’t properly put into words how it made me feel. Let me just say that I admire Ellie for many reasons and I wish her all the best.

Please visit Ellie over at One Crafty Mother.

Life with Boys: Brotherly Love

2011-12-20T10:39:00.001-05:00

After reading my previous post, you might think that things are all unicorns, rainbows, and puppies at the PLRH house.

Yes, I’m thrilled to have everyone at home again. But I’ve got to admit that they’re driving me nuts! The testosterone level has hit critical mass. How can the maleness in the house grow exponentially with the addition of only one male-child?

As a friend of mine pointed out, the boys have 6 months worth of brotherly “love” pent up that they feel the need to share with each other.

Saturday afternoon the boys and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping. I seriously thought we were going to get thrown out of Macy’s. My darling children had a cologne fight at the men’s fragrance counter. However, we didn’t get actually get swarmed by the salespeople (3 of them) until I yelled,

I have to ride home in a car with both of you!

Two nights in a row I have woken up at midnight to a Nerf dart gun battle waging in the house. Of all things the boys could be doing at midnight, a dart gun battle is rather harmless. I just wish they were a little bit more stealthy about it and let me sleep.

G-Man thinks it’s fun to wrestle his brother. We keep trying to point out to him that his brother has spent the past 6 months training in the military and has learned all sorts of new things. When G-Man doesn’t heed our advice, we just kindly ask Mr. A to NOT break any of his brother’s bones or accidentally choke him out.

Then there are the “That’s What She Said” comments. Not only are the boys trying to outdo each other but I think my husband has a regressed to his teenage years as well.

Last night, Molly looked at me as if she expected me to do something about the entire “boy” situation. My only response was to grab my book and go in the bedroom to read.

I really am glad that we’re all together and that the boys get along so well together. I’m just in need of a little bit of girl time. At the very least, the testosterone in smaller doses.

Under One Roof

2011-12-18T19:22:00.001-05:00

As more time goes by, the more I understand things my mother has said through the years.

It’s no secret that I’ve terribly missed my eldest son since he left for USNA in June. I missed him so much that at times it physically hurt. I missed him so much that I cried when I saw him at the airport at Thanksgiving.

Friday night my Sweetie asked me if I was excited to see Mr. A the next day. I replied,

Yes, but I will be really glad to have the whole family under one roof again.

That’s when I thought of my mother. She has always said that she just wants everyone (my brother, sister, and I) all together for Christmas. Last year was the first time we were all together on a holiday in 20 years.

I finally understand what Mom has meant all these years.

Yes, I’ve missed my son while he’s been at school. But what I’ve truly missed is having all my guys at home… together… under one roof.

Fantasy Fest Wreath

2011-12-14T19:08:00.002-05:00

Our front door used to be green. More specifically, Village Green. While decorating for our first Christmas in the house, I realized that a traditional evergreen wreath wouldn’t show up well on the green door. I hunted high and low for a red berry wreath (and finally found one) long before they ever came trendy.

All was balanced in the front door wreath universe.

Then several years ago we painted our front door Brick Red. The wreath dilemma was back to square one. Damn.

Before I could switch gears and shop for a green wreath, a close family member gave us a white wreath. A white FEATHER wreath with silver balls and crystal baubles. I gladly accepted the thoughtfulness and secretly called it the Fantasy Fest Wreath.

I’ve been biding my time and this year I decided that the Fantasy Fest Wreath needed to be replaced. The wreath looked a little squished after being stored in the attic this past year rather than under our bed. (Hmm, intentional?) However, my mistake was not making the decision to shop for a new wreath before the second week in December. The selection of wreaths this late in the season is kinda slim.

So I opted for Plan B… enhance the Fantasy Fest look. I added a string of battery-operated, color-changing, starburst lights and I love it! The wreath is so not my style but for some reason the extra tackiness endears it to me now. I’ll shop for a new wreath next year but I am definitely keeping the blinking lights.

Missing something? Not me.

2011-12-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

I am happy. This is the first holiday season (Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s) in decades that I can say I am truly happy. Genuinely happy. Happy without trying or forcing myself.

I am also tired. Work has gotten… well, more work-like in the past year. Times are tight. Budgets have been cut, salaries frozen, and bonuses made obsolete. We’re trying to do more with less… less money and less people.

Today I attended the employee holiday luncheon. I looked forward to this event ever since it was announced a few weeks ago. I always enjoy seeing fellow employees from other departments that I normally don’t see on a regular basis. Also, this year I especially looked forward to a couple hours of down time away from the office.

Another sign of the times... No employee gift this year. I wasn't surprised because I'm familiar with the budget. No big deal, right? It certainly didn't hurt my feelings. But apparently, not all of my co-workers felt the same. I overheard plenty of chatter expressing both displeasure and disappointment regarding the Lack of Gift.

I was surprised and thought to myself,

Really people? You're going to let the absence of a $10 gift put you in a bad mood and let it ruin the festive cheer?

As I walked back to my office, I kept to myself and wondered if I was missing something. Why were they grumbling and I was perfectly content?

Duh.

They're the ones missing something. Not me.

Data Dump

2011-12-12T20:21:00.002-05:00

Before I even start, let me say,

NAVY WON!

It was a close game. The score was tied up for a little bit and I was nervous about the outcome. But in the end, Navy came out on top. Navy has won the last 10 straight Army-Navy football games. That’s truly remarkable because the second longest winning streak in the 112-year series is 5 in a row.

I was really relieved that Navy won because I didn’t want the Class of 2015 to be accused of jinxing the winning streak. In case you didn’t know, plebes get blamed for everything.

****

It was another brutal day at the office with yet another marathon meeting. Who said that things would slow down at the end of the year? I know someone did because I truly had hoped there would be a pause in the lunacy.

The result of another long day is that my brain is partially fried and my blog post is this… a data dump of some of the thoughts that have been swirling around my head for the past few days.

****

I’m still completely unorganized as far a Christmas goes and still completely unstressed. Can you say un-frigging-believable?

I have ideas for presents but haven’t done much shopping. The one package that I need to get in the mail is all sealed up and ready to go to the post office tomorrow. I do feel rather satisfied about that.

My Sweetie and I went to Ikea yesterday and bought a new bookcase that matches the entertainment center we got a couple of months ago. The bookcase is our present to each other. S had the pleasure of assembling it. Really, I think he enjoyed himself. Ok, he at least enjoyed the cold beer after the assembly.

I still plan on getting my Sweetie something small to unwrap on Christmas morning. I hope he’s planning to do the same. (hint hint)

Some other time when I’m not so comfortable sitting on the couch, I’ll take a photo of the bookcase and entertainment center and post it.

Our Christmas tree is still in the nude. Mr. A asked that we wait until he gets home to decorate. We decided to oblige him. I think mostly because no one else wants to put the lights on the tree. But we’ll let him fantasize that it’s because he’s special.

Mr. A will be home on Saturday!

Me thinks G-Man has hit another growth spurt. I’m haven’t gotten used to him being taller than me. I get a little spooked every time he walks up behind me.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of New Year's cards instead of Christmas cards.

Did I mention that I cried during the intro to the Army-Navy game? Yep, I’m a sap.

I’m trying to pace myself with the holiday treats. I overloaded on candy corn before Halloween ever arrived. In fact, an unopened bag remains in my desk drawer at the office. I also over did it a little bit with the pumpkin bread. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I didn’t want anything made out of pumpkin. So now I’m trying to wait as long as possible before I open the package of pfeffernüsse cookies I’ve hidden in the pantry.

Actually, I had to get the package out so I could spell pfeffernüsse. Perhaps I might indulge…

Bill is suppose to kick Army's ass, not mine

2011-12-09T10:17:00.006-05:00

This week has kicked my ass.

The fudge I brought into the office Monday definitely took the edge off and helped make the lunacy more tolerable.

Tuesday I had the immense pleasure (sarcasm) to oversee a 10-hour photo shoot.

By Wednesday, lunacy was the norm again and I couldn’t figure out why I was still so tired from the photo shoot. One of my awesome co-workers even commented that I looked worn out. Gee, thanks.

On Thursday, the lunacy reached critical mass and moved into the realm of hysteria. I tried best as I could to keep from nodding off at my computer and remain invisible at the same time.

Today is Friday and I still can’t shake the exhausted, worn out feeling. My goal for the day is to be productive as possible and stay under the lunacy/hysteria radar. Wish me luck.

****

One thing that has kept me going all week has been the anticipation of the Army-Navy game tomorrow. I am super excited. I can’t wait to see all the Cadets and Midshipmen and their enthusiasm. The energy is amazing! And that’s just from watching the game on TV. Next year we plan on attending in person.

Tomorrow is also Hump Day for the Plebes. December 10th is exactly halfway between I-Day (first day of being a plebe) and the Herndon Climb (last day of being a plebe). There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Also, here's a really good article on the spirit of the Army-Navy game.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

70 Years of Infamy

2011-12-07T10:06:00.002-05:00

Last June I had the privilege of sharing a table with a Pearl Harbor survivor at a local Navy League dinner. On December 7, 1942, this gentleman was a 17-year-old sailor and had been in the Navy for all of two months. He jumped from the USS Oklahoma into the harbor wearing nothing but his skivvies. Unfortunately, not many of his shipmates were as lucky.

After Pearl Harbor, he attended the US Naval Academy and graduated with the Class of 1945.

At the Navy League dinner, this salty, old sailor stood up and led the alumni in the singing of Blue & Gold (USNA’s alma mater). At the end of the verse, the grads started to take their seats but the gentleman shouted, “Second Verse” and continued to sing. The grads quickly stood back up and sort of mumbled through the second verse. One of the wives leaned over to me and said, “I’ve heard this song for 40 years and had no idea there was a second verse.”

On this, the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, I’m a little bit more emotional than usual.

Perhaps it’s because my son is now a Midshipman.

Also I might be a tad bit emotional because I’ve actually met a survivor. But yet being a survivor isn’t his defining characteristic. I will always remember him for his patriotism; his humor; his love of country, the US Navy, and singing the second verse of Blue & Gold.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

2011-12-05T14:39:00.004-05:00

It's Army-Navy Week!

Spirits are high at both USNA and West Point.

Although I'll never be privy to any of them, I'm sure shenanigans are underway at both Academies.

And smack talk between services has escalated to the annual peak.

That's right, the ultimate football game... the Army-Navy Game will be played this Saturday. The Midshipmen are going for an unprecedented 10th victory in a row. Actually, Navy's current 9-game winning streak is the longest in the history of the series.

I'm very excited. My Go Navy / Beat Army magnet is on my car. My cubicle at work is discretely decorated with spirit gear. And our N Star flag is flying at the house.

So if you're looking for me on Saturday, I'll be in front of a TV somewhere chanting, I believe that we will win!

FEAR THE GOAT!

Fighting Lunacy with Fudge

2011-12-04T19:00:00.003-05:00

Work has been driving me nuts lately. I love where I work, I enjoy my job, and I work with some awesome people. But every workplace has its lunatics.

In recent weeks, the lunatics have gotten more looney and it's really starting to wear on me.

My life is wonderful. This is the first December in many, many years that I haven't stressed about the Christmas season. I'm actually being very Zen about Christmas this year.

However, the stress from work has begun to follow me home and that's just not cool. My personal life isn't stressed at the moment and I'll be damned if I'm going to let work stress interfere.

My solution? I made fudge. Three variations to be exact... dark chocolate peppermint, maple walnut, and milk chocolate walnut.

No, I don't plan eating all of it. I'm taking it to the office tomorrow. I figure if making fudge puts a smile on my face, then eating fudge should make the lunatics smile and hopefully reduce the stress level in the building. Either that or things will be super quiet when everyone crashes from the sugar high.

The fudge recipe I use is fool-proof and changing up the flavors is a snap...

One and a half bags (18 oz) of chocolate chips
One can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Melt the chips in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and extract. Spread mixture in a 9x9 pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Let cool in refrigerator.

December 1

2011-12-01T12:08:00.002-05:00

After I flipped the calendar page this morning, I stood staring at the new month and felt like a soup sandwich.

How the heck did it get to be December already?

I am so unprepared for Christmas. I am unprepared mentally, creatively, organizationally, logistically, and in every other way.

We have a nude evergreen in our family room. The boxes of decorations made it out of the attic but are now stacked in the garage.

I haven’t formulated a Plan B for our Christmas card yet.

Advent started last Sunday and the Advent candles are still in the package sitting on the china hutch.

I’m clueless as to what to make for dinner on Christmas Eve… for 10 people.

But you know what?

I am happy.

For the first time in 20 years, I DON’T feel overwhelmed by the holiday season.

That is such a simple statement but there is SO MUCH power (empowerment?) behind it.

This is HUGE!

I don’t feel panicked. I don’t feel stressed. I don’t feel like I “have to do” X, Y, or Z to make other people happy.

If the tree doesn’t get decorated anytime soon, no big deal. We can do it when the boys are out of school.

Christmas cards? Maybe I’ll start a new tradition and send out New Year’s cards.

Advent candles? Well, there are three remaining Sundays left in Advent.

Christmas Eve dinner? I’ll come up with something. But I can tell you now that it will involve a soup or stew of some kind.

So for the month of December I’m going to enjoy myself. I’m going to enjoy my family, the spirit of the Christmas season, the beautiful weather, the Army-Navy football game, my favorite Christmas movies, Christmas cookies, and anything else I want!

Christmas Wish List

2011-11-30T13:07:00.004-05:00

Below is an actual text conversation I had with my eldest son last night.

A: If you can't get any gift ideas out of me, you can always donate whatever you'd spend on me to charity.

Me: Who are you and why do you have my son's phone?

A: Haha, who should I be?

Me: I'm just teasing you. We'll get you some skivvies and donate the rest.

A: Haha, I'm still thinking. The kid I adopted [from the Salvation Army Giving Tree] asked for clothes, shoes, a tricycle, and he likes the movie "Cars." I'm going to fix him up good this weekend. One more happy kid in the world is worth a month's pay. *

Me: I love you so much! Do you know that?

A: I love you too, Mom!

*The Navy pays for the tuition, room and board, and medical and dental care of Naval Academy midshipmen. Midshipmen also enjoy regular active-duty benefits including access to military commissaries and exchanges, commercial transportation and lodging discounts and the ability to fly space-available in military aircraft around the world. Midshipmen pay is $864 monthly, from which laundry, barber, cobbler, activities fees, yearbook and other service charges are deducted. Actual cash pay is $100 per month the first year, increasing each year to $400 per month in the fourth year.

Photo courtesy US Naval Academy Alumni Association.

Fog & Mist

2011-11-29T16:48:00.001-05:00

Call me kooky but I love damp, cold, wet, gray weather. The kind of weather that makes for a bad hair day. The kind of weather that’s raw and chills you to the bone. Tomato soup and grilled cheese kind of weather.

I love to walk in the misting rain. Somehow that damp rawness makes me feel alive. I have a desire to visit cold, damp places like the UK and the Pacific Northwest. I get pangs of jealously when Mr. A describes the foggy, autumn mornings in Annapolis.

Yesterday we had one of those days and I was stuck in the office all day. I wanted to get outside and walk through the mist. I wanted to feel the water droplets and the chill air on my face.

On my way to the car after work, I did get a little damp. I wasn’t prepared with a jacket, hat, or umbrella. I shivered and the windows fogged up as I drove home. I turned on the heat and defroster and thought about Christmas shopping with my Mom at Willowbrook Mall when I was little.

I smiled. I sang. I laughed.

I was exhilarated.

I love that kind of weather.

Post-Holiday Randomness

2011-11-28T16:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I planned on sharing all the PLRH Family Thanksgiving happenings in a series of warm, thought-provoking, humorous, witty, and emotional blog posts throughout the week.

Then I arrived at the office this morning.

Let me tell you, my brain hurts.

Let’s go with random bits and pieces instead!

I cooked ALL DAY on Wednesday. Ok, except for the pedicure, two trips to Publix, and one to Chik-fil-A, I spent ALL DAY in the kitchen. I’ve got to say that all that preparation makes the actual Thanksgiving day a whole lot easier. All I needed to cook on Thursday was the turkey, gravy, and veggies.

****

While cooking the carb-laden side dishes, I was a little appalled with how much butter I used. Normally, I don’t cook or bake (except cookies) with butter. But I figured it was only once a year and I’d go for the extra flavor. I think I used more butter on Wednesday than I have all year combined.

****

Yes, I did cry at the arrivals gate when I saw Mr. A. I have missed him so much and he looked so handsome in his uniform.

****

My husband said I fidgeted while waiting at the airport. He even posted that on Facebook. I was NOT fidgeting. After browsing the airport shops (a weird habit of mine), I sat calmly in a chair and waited. There were some USNA parents who kept going back-and-forth between the two shuttle stops coming from the terminal.

****

G-Man did make a welcome sign for his brother and then forgot it in the car. Oh well.

****

One reason my head hurts is because of the weather front sitting on top of Florida today. The natural barometer in my sinuses is screaming.

****

Despite the sinus headache, I would have really liked to have taken a walk in the rain today.

****

I’m still lamenting the lack of photos from this past weekend. Weeks ago, I found an awesome Christmas card on Tiny Prints that requires a photo.

I wanted to use a photo of the boys… preferably one with Mr. A in his uniform and G-Man almost as tall as his brother. But the few quick snaps I got really aren’t Christmas card quality. I could use this one from I-Day but I don’t think eldest son would appreciate it.

****

My brain still hurts. That’s all I can process for the moment.

In the moment

2011-11-27T12:31:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving break was the best ever in my memory… and I don’t have the photographic evidence to prove it. Sometime during the day on Wednesday, I decided not to take my camera to the airport. I wanted to experience the moment… live in the now… rather than viewing it through the camera lens.

I took that approach to the entire break and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Of course, now I wish I had a photojournalist following us the entire time. But instead of pixels I have memories of several wonderful days.

I have a lot to share. I could bore all nine of you now with one really long blog post or spread it out and bore you over several days. Yes, let’s go with the several-days-option. In the meantime, here are the few photos we did take.

Arrivals Gate

2011-11-23T08:26:00.003-05:00

As I left work last night (rather late), Mr. A and I were texting back and forth. I was about to tease him that I planned on making a huge (and embarrassing) sign so he could find us at the airport. Before I could compose the text my brain segued to the opening scene of Love Acutally... The arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport.

I started bawling.

Life has been so hectic lately that I haven't had time to pause. All at once last night, it hit me in that single moment just how much I miss my son and how excited I am to see him. I also wonder if I'm going to cry at the airport tonight or if I got it out of my system.

Tomorrow!

2011-11-22T13:08:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will see my eldest son. I will be on pins and needles while we wait for him at the airport. I know he will be easy to spot since he’s so tall and he’ll be wearing his service dress blues. But I’ll still crane my neck to try and catch the first glimpse. G-Man will probably be able to see him first. He’s the one in the family with the eagle-eyes.

I can’t wait to wrap my arms around him and hug him tight. I want to kiss him and look in those clear, blue eyes that I first stared into the night he was born.

I can’t wait to see my Sweetie embrace our eldest son while his face brims with pride and emotion.

I can’t wait to see our two sons interact as brothers after five months apart. It will be interesting to observe how they absorb the changes in each other and then fall into their sibling relationship again.

This Thanksgiving trip home will be a short and simple one. Mr. A’s wish list of activities is quite modest: eat good food, sleep, play MW3 with G-Man, see the grandparents, watch Harry Potter 7.2, and buy a Christmas tree. I think we’ll be able to accommodate him.

Life with Boys: Two Conversations

2011-11-18T11:39:00.003-05:00

Two recent conversations I've had with each of my kids...

G: Mom, I need a pink shirt for school today.

Me: Why?

G: Class photo… my class is supposed to wear pink.

Me: You couldn’t have mentioned this last night. I went to Target, you know.

G: Sorry. Do you have a pink shirt?

Me: Let’s see… Breast Cancer Awareness with bling or Breast Cancer Awareness without bling.

G: Don’t you have a plain pink shirt?

Me: Yes, it’s in the laundry. If I had known about this last night…

G: Without bling is fine.

****

A: I think I might be the only person in the history of USNA told to stop singing by the music director.

Me: (hysterical laughter)

A: I’m serious. He really told me to stop.

Me: I’m laughing because my music teacher in the 4th grade told me the same thing!

Over the Moon!

2011-11-16T18:46:00.001-05:00

I am so ridiculously happy.

Happy!!!

I’m also proud and relieved but mostly I AM HAPPY. I’ve been smiling, laughing, dancing, and singing ever since lunch.

Today I met with my therapist for the last time. That’s right, the last time. After 17 months of some pretty intense therapy for PTSD, I have been released from care.

I felt that I was ready to move on from therapy but it certainly was nice to hear it from a trained professional.

On being spammed, taking a break, and getting back to basics

2011-11-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Last week I was excited to notice that my blog comments were up. The giddiness lasted for about a second until I realized that I had actually been spammed.

Bugger.

I shut down my blog for a day and cleaned up all of the thinly veiled comments that were in truth ads for specialty mail order items.

It would be accurate to say that I was pissed. This is my blog and well, I’m kind of a control freak. I don’t like other people (especially unsavory types) messing with it. Yes, I do ask readers for their comments. The only rule really is to keep it PG-13. I guess that is what really made me mad. I got spammed with slutty stuff.

As a result, I decided to unplug from the blogosphere for a week or so. I had already missed a day in NaBloPoMo so I felt like it was a good time to take a blogging break. I reflected and wondered if I spent too much of my day online reading and writing blogs. I was curious to find out if I would miss blogging.

An experiment, if you will.

Well, the first couple of days I found myself thinking, Hmm… that would make interesting blogging material.

Eventually, I managed a whole week without reading anyone else’s blog (sorry). There are something like 240 unread posts in my reader at the moment. However, I still found myself checking my analytics. I guess deep down I’m a geek.

But then I finally came to a conclusion. I was crabby. Over the past three years, my blog has become an outlet for me. It’s a place where I can blow off steam. I can say things here that I can’t say on Facebook, at the office, or in my personal life. It’s also a place for me to be creative. PLRH is just as creative for me as knitting or quilting.

So this blogging revelation has brought me back to the basics.

I blog for me.

I blog to connect with like-minded bloggers. I blog to connect with bloggers that will open my mind. I blog to express myself without fear of criticism.

I don’t blog for money or self-promotion.

I used to do paid book reviews for BlogHer. But I’ve opted not to participate in that program any longer because BlogHer now requires that I promote the book (or product) on my Facebook page and Twitter feed.

That’s not going to happen because my Facebook page is separate from PLRH. My Facebook page is for me to connect with friends and family. PLRH doesn’t even have a FB identity. As for Twitter, I don’t even have a Twitter account and don’t plan on getting one. I’ll let the celebrities and their stalkers have that branch of social media.

My point to all of this?

I’m back to blogging. But on my terms.

Goodbyee

2011-11-11T06:39:00.000-05:00

Chili or Chile?

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Halloween. For most that means costumes, candy, and decorations. In the PLRH house, Halloween traditionally means that I should have made chili this past weekend.

Should have.

Well, I didn’t feel like making my usual chili for reasons that I don’t have the energy to explain at the moment.

When I shared this tidbit of information with my guys, you would have thought that I said Santa Claus wasn’t real.

My parents even called me Sunday afternoon to check on the chili-making status.

Ugh.

Instead I made The Kitchen Witch’s Colorado Green Chile. Yes, that’s Chile with and “e.” Since fire-roasted peppers aren’t readily available at our local pumpkin patch, I used Hatch canned, green chile peppers.

The results? This dish was a big hit. Sure, it’s not what the family thinks of when chili is mentioned. But it’s healthy, so easy to put together, and somewhat addictive.

Here’s to crossing fingers in hopes that this week is better than last and the traditional PLRH chili (with and “i”) gets made next weekend.

In the meantime, we (including my folks) have some yummy leftovers. Thanks, Kitch.

Oh My...

2011-10-30T10:16:00.002-04:00

When did these two little punks...

Turn into these big punks...

Randomness

2011-10-27T10:18:00.001-04:00

I made pumpkin bread. The recipe made two loaves but I only wanted to make one. I was too lazy to do the math to cut the recipe in half so I made two loaves.

****

In theory, an iPad would make a handy cookbook. In reality, not so much. My husband found the recipe for pumpkin bread online. Rather than print it out, I took his iPad to the kitchen. Well, the iPad kept going into sleep mode and I had to wake it up and unlock it. I was in the kitchen so my hands were messy. I was afraid to touch the device with wet or gooey hands. An actual cookbook with coated pages is so much better.

****

The hay fields at the pumpkin festival did me in after all. I had an asthma attack on Saturday night and another one Sunday morning. Yep, nature is trying to kill me.

****

My husband just finished watching South Park and switched to the Hallmark Channel. He likes to keep things interesting.

****

You know that awkward moment when you realize that you forgot to apply deodorant? Today that was me standing in line at the post office.

****

Parenting rarely follows the path of least resistance.

****

I've come to the conclusion that Wikipedia helps me get more sleep. Now instead of staying up late to finish watching a movie on TV, I can just look up the ending.

****

In the morning when I drop G-Man off at the high school, I've noticed lots of teenage boys wearing black socks with sandals. What's up with that?

****

This probably isn't a good thing... When I sing along to the car radio, I tend to drive faster. Does anyone else do this?

****

Life is a series of choices. Choose wisely.

Remembering Bud

2011-10-25T06:08:00.002-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. V lived across the street from us in Pines Lake. Mrs. V was my “other mother” and Mr. V scared me a little bit. Ok, a lot. He was a big man who I thought looked like John Wayne with the same kind of swagger and stern squint in the eye. They were a blended family with five kids… most of them teenagers by the time I came around.

All my life I heard the story of how Mr. V, “Bud” came across the street to babysit my brother and sister on the morning I was born. I always thought it was odd that a man would “babysit.” As legend goes, he made Rick and Shelly peach milkshakes with the fresh peaches my mother left sitting on the kitchen counter the day before. My first stop home from the hospital wasn’t even at home. It was across the street to meet Mr. and Mrs. V.

Years later I did the math and my father confirmed my suspicions. Yep, I’m on this earth by the grace of God and the V’s Christmas Party.

Each year on Christmas Day the V’s would have an open house for family and friends in Pines Lake. Bud would start cooking weeks beforehand. That’s what he loved to do. Cook.

After opening presents on Christmas morning, we would dress in new clothes, trudge across the street and go in through the basement door. The V’s had a finished basement that was toasty and drafty at the same time. The afternoon was filled with savory foods that Bud made himself. For the life of me, I can only remember sweet pickled mushrooms. If allowed, I would eat all of them.

One day when I was about seven, I spent the entire day with Bud. I’m not sure why he got the job of babysitting me but he did. I was so intimidated by him and I don’t think I made a peep all day long. It was a sad, yucky, cold, rainy day and I spent most of it tip-toeing around their museum-like house. That was the day Bud made Peking Duck. I remember looking through the oven window at the ducks going round on the rotisserie and thinking how similar they looked to the ducks down at the lake. That made me a little suspicious.

As it got closer to dinnertime, Bud tried to engage me with food prep. The older kids came home and I made pistachio pudding from a mix with one of the girls. I had never seen green pudding before and politely declined to have any for dessert. That was significant because I never turned down dessert.

Dinner was a loud and noisy affair. My Other Mother wasn’t there so it was Bud, the big kids and me. There was a fire in the double-sided fireplace and I could see through from the kitchen table to the dining room. The dancing fire, glow of the chandelier, and boisterous laughter made the gray, winter day recede. The big kids tried to draw me out of my shell but I was too self-conscious. I stole sideways glances at Bud when he bellowed with laughter. How could this big, stern man be so jovial?

Decades later, I wonder what he used to think of the timid, little, redheaded girl. He probably just laughed and shook his head every time I ran and hid behind someone’s legs.

Visit Heather at the EO for the 7th installment of Just Write.

Pumpkin Festival

2011-10-23T20:54:00.006-04:00

On Saturday my Sweetie volunteered selling poppies for the VFW at the local pumpkin festival. The weather was so gorgeous... an unseasonably, cool, fall day... that I decided to brave the hay fields and meet up with my Sweetie.

For those of you who aren't aware, Florida is a HUGE agricultural state. Only a few miles east (inland) of our house is a large, family farm that runs the pumpkin festival each year. This is the first time I ever attended. My avoidance of crowds (and hay fields) has kept me away in the past.

The festival was fun and very, very family oriented. There were lots of activities for little kids, craft vendors, and tons of food vendors. Can you say funnel cake? Mmm!

The little girl in the above photo was having a great time climbing on the pumpkins and running away from her mother.

I wasn't aware of this but the local Buddy Walk was being held the same day on the farm. The route of the walkers went around the perimeter of the festival. There were so many sweet, cheerful faces in the group. My eyes welled up every time I waved and counted my blessings.

I didn't do the corn maze because I figured what's the point of a maze if I could see over the top.

This sign made me laugh. But the aromas coming from that direction sure did smell good!

The farm had a produce stand that sold all homegrown items. I have never seen such beautiful eggplants before. Or purple peppers! Who knew? All the produce looked so much better than anything at the downtown farmers market. I think I found a new place to buy produce.

This guy was hanging out with the blacksmith in the "pioneer village." According to the blacksmith, it's a banana spider.

This Vietnam Era helicopter was part of a display trying to raise funds for a Vietnam Memorial in the area.

Overall, it was a lovely morning at the pumpkin festival (even if I paid $4 for a sweet tea). I only wish that I had braved the crowds years ago when the boys were little and would have enjoyed it.

Soup!

2011-10-20T05:46:00.001-04:00

I’m in love.

Ah, perhaps I should explain.

I love to make soup (and stew). I can honestly say that soup is my most favorite thing to make in the kitchen. I love how all the flavors meld together in one pot. I love that soup is almost impossible to screw up and substitutions always seem to work.

Yes, I love to eat soup too. But as an interesting side note: I NEVER order soup in a restaurant. Not really sure why. And I’ll only eat two canned soups… Campbell’s Tomato and Chicken Noodle. It’s the whole childhood-memories-comfort-factor thing when it comes to the classic Campbell’s soups.

Anyway, I’ve always considered soup-making a cold weather activity. In Florida, that only equates to about three weeks. So in that time I make my favorites… Sauerkraut Stew, Beef & Lentil, Lime Soup, and Chili. Yes, in my book, Chili is a soup/stew because it’s made in one large pot and simmered all day and quite possibly the next.

So usually around September, I get a little bummed that I haven’t spent much quality and enjoyable time in the kitchen. I start to fantasize about Halloween. Why Halloween? Because the last weekend in October has become my traditional time to make the season’s first batch of Chili.

Over the years, I’ve become a little despondent that I can't make soup year-round. Sure, there are recipes for warm weather soups but I’ve never found any I liked… until now…

While browsing in Williams-Sonoma last weekend, I saw this book:

Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan

I picked it up, thumbed through it, put it back on the shelf, picked it up again, and bought it.

I love, love, love this cookbook! As the name implies, there is a soup recipe for every day of the year. There’s an entire summer of soups!

The first recipe I tried was from June 12th – Spicy Coconut Broth with Udon Noodles & Shrimp. I selected this soup because my Sweetie requested something with shrimp in it and he “ooo-ed” when I read this one off. Yea, this soup was so outside my repertoire. I have never, ever made an Asian dish before. I had to go to two different stores to find the udon noodles, coconut milk, ginger root, lemon grass, and red curry sauce. By the time I got home, I had already made up my mind not to like this curry soup thing I was about to make.

Let me tell you, it was fantastic! I never knew that something could be spicy and so refreshing at the same time. The coconut milk, ginger, and lemon grass really did have a cooling affect. G-Man raved about it, my Sweetie had a second helping, and Mr. A begged me via text message to make it for him when he’s on leave.

(Sorry, I didn’t think to take any photos.)

Looking through the book, all of the recipes are easy to follow, some of the recipes are simple enough to make on a weeknight, and most recipes serve four… which in our house translates to two adults and one teenage boy.

So yes, I’m in love with my new cookbook.

(Except for maybe the two cauliflower recipes in the month of October. Yuck.)

****

What’s your favorite cookbook? What’s your favorite type of food to make?

The Story of Dukie

2011-10-19T05:59:00.000-04:00

This is Dukie.

That’s not his given Beanie Baby. I believe that was Tuffy. Thirteen years ago, G-Man christened him Dukie after the little Yorkie, Duke who lived two houses down the street.

G-Man has always well-loved his stuffed animals. But Dukie is a particular stand-out. G-Man loved Dukie so much and said that he loved Dukie so much that the Not-So-Nice person I used to be married to became jealous.

Yep. A grown man was jealous that a 3-year-old boy loved his stuffed animals. So jealous that he gathered up all of the stuffed animals (including Dukie and Pooh Bear), put them in a black trash bag, tossed the bag in the trunk of his car, and drove off into the night to find a dumpster.

Needless to say, G-Man was heart-broken and I was powerless to fix it. I searched and searched for a new Dukie but alas, that Beanie Baby was no longer in production.

A few years later… after that Not-So-Nice person was gone from our lives… G-Man was visiting with his cousins in New Jersey. My niece had a Tuffy and G-Man related his tale of woe as to what happened to his Dukie. My lovely and kind-hearted niece offered to give G-Man her Beanie Baby. However, for some reason I still don't understand, my sister-in-law wouldn’t allow it.

So my niece made it her mission to find G-Man a new Dukie. She scoured flea markets and antique malls. A few months later, Dukie 2.0 arrived in the mail just in time for Christmas.

G-Man and Dukie were bedtime buddies for years.

****

This past weekend I went through some plastic bins of old clothes that were on the top shelf of G-Man’s closet. I found one bin crammed full of stuffed animals. My eyes welled up with tears as I sorted through the animals. Both wonderful and painful memories. Immediately, I pulled out the musical Peter Rabbit that both boys loved and Dukie and put them in my room.

When G-Man got home I asked him to go through the clothes and animals before we took them to Goodwill. He came out of his room and asked, Where’s Dukie?

I told him that already put Dukie aside and that he was sitting on my bed. G-Man reclaimed Dukie and he’s now sitting in a place of honor on the ledge above G-Man's desk.

Just Write

2011-10-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

I’m tired and I’m not sure where to start. The past four months of work have drained me. The arts festival is over for the year and now it’s time to get back to my “regular work.” I really thought the light at end of the tunnel would come when the festival ended but in truth, today was just as stressful as any day from the past month.

My job has consumed too much of my life lately. I haven’t had the time or the energy to do the things that I want to do… quilt,swim, cook, read, blog… exercise, create, and enjoy. At one point today, I momentarily considered putting my blog on hiatus so I could participate in my “real life” activities. Then I remembered Heather’s wonderful brainchild… Just Write.

Just Write. Such a simple idea. Such a powerful idea.

I never considered myself a writer (says the girl with the blog). Probably because there are so many rules when it comes to English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Since I’m a stickler for following the rules I always get so hung up on whether or not I’m doing it right.

But the concept of Just Write is so liberating. There are no rules.

So I sit here on the sofa, the dog snoring at my feet, and my Sweetie channel surfing. Rather than staring blankly at the boob-tube, I'm writing. I'm blogging. I'm connecting. I’m confident in knowing that I don’t have to write a literary masterpiece. I don’t need to be insightful, profound, or in reality very thoughtful. I just need to be me. Brain-fried me. I write for me. The only rule is to Just Write.

See, I’m still a stickler for rules. I wasn’t going to blog today (or this week) but then I remembered that I have permission. Thank you, Heather.

Go visit Heather at EO for more Just Write.

Glad That's Over

2011-10-16T18:54:00.003-04:00

The festival is over. It was good, fun, and a ton of work. I'm tired. I'm frazzled. I feel like I just stepped off the Happy-Go-Pukey.

I plan/hope to catch up on my sleep, get my brain functioning again, and get back to blogging very, very soon. In other words, get back to my life.

Re-Post: Bond Goes Green

2011-10-13T06:07:00.000-04:00

Heck Week at the office is in full swing. I don't want to jinx myself, but things at the festival are going rather smoothly. However, I'm still ridculously tired and will be so glad when Sunday arrives. In the meantime, here's another (personal) favorite blog post...

What if MI6 merged with the EPA? James Bond’s secret agent skills would be pitted against evil, mastermind billionaires intent on polluting the world. Instead of 007 being licensed to kill, he would be licensed to recycle, reuse, and mitigate toxic spills .

Going with this theme, the boys and I have re-named all 22 James Bond movies. Of course, the boys insist that James Bond is just as brash, brawn, and suave as always. My insistence is that Daniel Craig still appears in UDT shorts.

Here’s our list of eco-friendly James Bond film titles:

1. Dr. No = Dr. CO2
2. From Russia with Love = From Greenpeace with Love
3. Goldfinger = Green Thumb
4. Thunderball - Ozoneball
5. You Only Live Twice = Use Grocery Bags Twice
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service = On Her Majesty's Environmental Protection Service
7. Diamonds Are Forever = Styrofoam is Forever
8. Live and Let Die = Live and Let Compost
9. The Man with the Golden Gun = The Man with the Hybrid Car
10. The Spy Who Love Me = The Vegan Who Loved Me
11. Moonraker = Stripminer
12. For Your Eyes Only = For Your Recycling Only
13. Octopussy = Net Free Tuna
14. A View to a Kill = A View to a No Kill Shelter
15. The Living Daylights = The Compact Fluorescent Lights
16. License to Kill = No License to Drill
17. GoldenEye = EcoWatch
18. Tomorrow Never Dies = Plastic Never Dies
19. The World in Not Enough = The World is Not Green Enough
20. Die Another Day = Dye-Free today
21. Casino Royale = Casino Recycale
22. Quantum of Solace = Quantum of Solar Panels

Maybe next we'll re-name the Bond girls. Instead of Strawberry Fields her name could be Hyrdoponic Strawberry. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Life with Boys: Did I just say that?

2011-10-12T06:19:00.001-04:00

Did I really say this to G-Man the other night???

Here’s a new pack of dental floss. Please use it. Dental hygiene is very important. Trust me, one day you’ll want to kiss a cute girl and she won’t want to get Doritos in her mouth.

(No, I wasn’t speaking from personal experience but rather from junior high gossip circa 1982. You see, Annmarie* was nervous. She was supposed to kiss Joey out by the buses after school. Well, she heard that Joey kissed Stacey at Joanne's party the weekend before. Joey had just eaten Doritos and Stacey got Doritos in her mouth. Ewww! Understandably, Annmarie didn't want to get Doritos in her mouth.)

*Normally, I would change the names to protect the innocent but in this case, I'm just so darn old that I couldn't remember the names of all the participants.

Success!

2011-10-11T06:00:00.001-04:00

This is an insane week for me at work. The fesitval my department has been preparing for all these months is finally upon us. It's only the beginning of the week and I'm already tired. So tired that I've called my co-workers by my children's names. By the end of the week I won't even remember my own name. In that light, I realize I won't have time to write interesting blog posts this week so I plan to re-tread a few of my favorites.

I feel this post fits with the Just Write theme because I remember writing it "all in one breath" back in May.

All of my life I wanted to be a Mom. Sure, at various points in time I wanted to be an archeologist, a museum curator, a forest ranger, a medical illustrator, an interior design, a chef, an international businessperson (whatever that might be), and a kindergarten teacher. But through the years my desire to be a Mom was constant.

So I didn’t pursue any of the above mentioned occupations but I did become Mom in October 1993. Then I became a Mom again in June 1996. I would have liked to have had four children but that just wasn’t in the cards.

I saw my job as Mom to love, nurture, protect, and guide. My ultimate goal was to raise two healthy, happy, considerate, well-adjusted young men who would be productive members of society. Two men who might one day eventually become loving & respectful husbands and fathers.

I didn’t read parenting books or magazines. I didn’t have the internet as a resource. I didn’t watch talk shows. I went forth in my role as Mom on pure instinct. I learned my parenting skills through example from my parents. I’ve never done anything so naturally, so innately as mothering.

But I was up against a huge obstacle – the Not-So-Nice person I originally married. He tried to put plenty of barriers in my way. Ten years of an abusive marriage. Nine years of PTSD and recovery. I was still a Mom though. I still had my goal and the things that Not-So-Nice person did made me even more determined to do my job well.

Now I have the privilege of sharing this parenting gig with the love of my life. My wonderful husband is a totally awesome Dad. Last night at the Scholar Athlete awards ceremony for the high school, we did a little fist bump when Mr. A was awarded the Overall Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Then as I thought about our TWO FANTASTIC SONS last night, a strange feeling started to come over me. A surreal, overwhelming feeling. A feeling that I didn’t understand. A feeling that I couldn’t comprehend.

Finally, this morning the Universe slapped me upside the head and at last I understood.

I DID IT. I’m successful. I’m successful as a Mom.

What did I do when I had the epiphany that I realized my life-long goal?

Simple. I sat at a red light and cried as I stared at the “Navy Mom” bumper sticker on the car in front of me.

****

Please visit Heather over at the EO for more Just Write.

Recycled Crayon "Muffins"

2011-10-09T20:13:00.004-04:00

This weekend was full of cleaning, dusting, scrubbing, sorting, organizing, shopping for furniture, building furniture, and moving furniture. To say I’m tired, sore, and sneezy would be accurate. Perhaps doing all this housework the weekend before Heck Week at the office begins wasn’t the brightest move but I do have a huge sense of accomplishment.

G-Man and I tackled the bookcases in his room. One 6-foot bookcase has been dedicated to arts & crafts supplies since we moved into the house 13 years ago. The boys and I haven’t done arts & crafts projects in years and they haven’t needed any of the supplies for school projects in ages.

So I sorted everything into the usual piles of trash, recycle, and donate. We found plenty of dried out modeling clay and markers that went straight in the trash. Two full shopping bags of goodies are going to my young nieces. Storage bins are going to Goodwill. Plenty of other stuff went in the recycling bin.

But something that was too used to donate and I couldn’t bring myself to trash? Boxes of well-worn crayons. So I put into action an idea I saw on another blog (sorry, I can’t remember which one). I sorted the crayons by color, G-Man and I peeled and broke them into pieces, placed them in a silicone muffin pan, and melted them in a 275° oven.

The result? Brightly colored, crayon discs that are perfect for little hands to use. Or as G-Man called them, “Giant Crayon Muffins.” My boys won’t be the ones to use them but I plan to give them to a co-worker who has wee ones at home.

I got a little sad while reminiscing as I sorted through everything today. But just knowing that the crayons my boys once colored with have been recycle and will be used again.

18 Years Have Passed

2011-10-07T06:08:00.001-04:00

I'm at a complete and total loss for words. Where have the past 18 years gone?

Happy Birthday, Kid.

I love you more than you'll ever know.

PLRH Declaration of Beliefs

2011-10-05T18:36:00.001-04:00

I believe…

1... In Love.

2... Professional sports seasons shouldn’t overlap.

3... In God.

4... Christmas decorations shouldn’t go up before December 1st or the beginning of Advent (whichever comes first).

5... In Karma.

6... No child should ever go to bed hungry.

7... In regular pedicures.

8... Wearing pretty underwear will make any day better.

9... In hugs and kisses.

10... Domestic Violence Awareness should get as much recognition as Breast Cancer Awareness.

11... In alone time in the loo.

12... Every person should feel safe in their own home.

13... In handwritten notes.

14... Fashion shouldn’t be painful.

15... It won’t seem as bad in the morning (whatever it is).

16... Being honest with myself.

****

What do you believe in?

The Bridge Walk

2011-10-04T05:56:00.004-04:00

I received the Facebook event invite a month ago. Last year when I received the invite I replied “No” straight away. This year I didn’t do anything at first. Instead that event reminder sat in the upper right-hand corner of my screen and stared at me every time I was on Facebook.

For weeks I went back and forth.

Should I go? Am I ready? It’s just a walk over the bridge… a walk I really like. But will it be too emotional?

I didn’t have to go. I could easily find something else worthwhile to do on a Saturday morning. But the walk is for a charity that I hold near and dear to my heart. A charity that I donate to regularly. I donate but don’t become actively involved in because it is too near and dear to my heart.

It was a lousy week and I figured that I could use some good karma in my life. So I clicked “Yes” the next time I logged onto Facebook. That’s when I noticed my friend LHB clicked “Yes” also. I called and left her a voicemail,

I saw that you RSVP’d for the SPARCC walk on Saturday and I just did too but I’m not sure if I’m ready to do it… if you know what I mean.

Later she called me back and we talked and arranged to meet at 8:30 am. I knew I could do it with my friend at my side.

Saturday morning we registered, got our purple t-shirts, and walked over the bridge. We walked and talked in the glorious weather for an hour. We shared, we vented, we listened, and we encouraged. We were two of the hundreds of purple shirts walking over the bridge. We smiled and waved as passing cars honked. We were part of the group and there for the greater cause of the walk. But we were also just two friends there for each other. We were two women, two friends, one survivor, and one supporter.

Two Redheads Stepping Out Against Domestic Violence.

Thanks for walking with me LHB. It meant the world to me.

****

Please visit Heather at The Extraordinary Ordinary for more Just Write.

Hello October!

2011-10-02T20:02:00.002-04:00

Oh my, it’s October. Where the heck did September go?

The weather in Florida really messes with my sense of season. After 14 years, I still have a hard time remembering which month it is because it always feels like summer.

On the other hand, Mr. A up in Annapolis is experiencing a seasonal fall for the first time in his memory. He told me today that the 50-degree weather has him in Christmas mode.

A cool front blew through this weekend and made the weather very pleasant. The temps were in the 60’s overnight and the highs during the day were in the 80’s and very low humidity. Absolutely gorgeous! Too bad this is only temporary.

We opened the house up and let the fresh air clear out the cobwebs. I’m not kidding. As I sat on the sofa this morning sipping my tea, I saw tumbleweeds of dog hair rolling across the floor. So I got off my duff and started cleaning while my Sweetie was outside doing battle with the hedges. In most parts of the country, people do spring cleaning. Well, down in Florida we do fall cleaning.

Now that it’s October, the craziness at work will come to a head in the next two weeks. Afterwards, my co-workers and I may have some time to breathe and I might get some decent sleep.

Another thing that October brings is Mr. A’s birthday at the end of the week. He’ll be 18 and legal. This will be the first time ever I won’t see him on his birthday. So I might be a tad bit crabby this week. Fair warning.

One more indicator that it’s October? Publix has put out the giant, black kitty-cat.

I always find it humorous that the cat is weighted down with big tubs of kitty litter.

Brain Bits

2011-09-29T13:41:00.004-04:00

Things are still hectic at work and life in general. I still don’t have enough coherent thought to compose a proper blog post but the bits and pieces of ideas are swirling around my brain. So here you have Brain Bits…

On Tuesday, I left my headlights on ALL DAY. How I missed the dinging sound as I got out of my car in the morning I’ll never know. But this is the second time I’ve left my lights on in the past month. Amazingly, my car started and I drove home rather relieved.

The next day, a co-worker came up to me and said, Oh, I meant to call you yesterday. You left your lights on. Is your car ok?

Um, thanks for letting me know.

****

Overheard at the Post Office:

Do I need to put a state and zip code on this for it to be delivered?

****

Overheard at the office:

Woman 1: Do you know a quick way to lose 5 pounds?

Woman 2: Yes! Combine carrot, apple, and pear juice and add LOTS of wheat germ and cayenne pepper.

****

Lady Gaga’s Yoü and I always makes me think of Queen and Freddie Mercury whenever I hear it on the radio. I really can’t explain it. Does anyone else get that impression? I intended to embed the video in here but I just watched it for the first time. Let’s just say that it doesn’t fit in with the PG-13 rating I try to keep on my blog. If you're feeling adventuresome, here's the link:

http://youtu.be/X9YMU0WeBwU

****

I have a co-worker that says "supposedbly" all the time. It cracks me up because it makes me think of Joey from Friends. At first, I thought he said it to be silly. But no, he actually doesn’t realize that he’s pronouncing the word incorrectly. A few people have tried to correct him but he just doesn’t “hear” the difference.

****

So another thing going on at work… Can you tell I’ve been spending a lot of time here lately?

Anyway, this week a movie scene is being filmed at the estate where I work. I can’t name names until next week. But let’s just say this place is all atwitter. The huge celebrity that most people are excited about isn’t even starring in the movie. She’s married to the director and happens to be visiting the set. I’d love the chance to meet her since she’s one of my favorite actresses but I’m not going to be a stalker about it. Well, at least not yet…

****

That’s all I have for now. Lunch is over and I need to get back at it.

It was a Monday

2011-09-27T06:00:00.003-04:00

It was a Monday. It was a Monday in the truest sense of Murphy’s Law. Nothing catastrophic happened. No meteors hurtling towards Earth or anything like that. But plenty of little annoying things that added up to Monday.

It was pouring down rain. The dog woke us up at 3:30 am to go outside. The hook & eye on my favorite, black bra broke. I couldn’t connect to the home wireless network. The IKEA customer service moron was an ass to me on the phone. I had such a bad sinus headache that it hurt to put my hair in a ponytail or even move my head. Eldest son lost his cell phone. We ran out of server space at the office (How is that even possible?). My co-worker’s car died and she needed a ride home.

After I dropped off my co-worker, I let my mind wander as I listened to the radio and drove home on auto-pilot.

I thought about my eldest son off at the Academy. I miss him so much. I never realized that missing someone so much could physically hurt.

I thought about my youngest son and how he amazes me. Yesterday he assembled his new computer desk all by himself in the blink of an eye. I have to remind myself that he’s growing up… grown up. I need step back and let him spread his wings.

I thought about my Sweetie and how his smile warms me up from the inside.

Lady Gaga’s Poker Face came on the radio and I smiled... just because.

I needed to stop at the grocery store because we were out of milk and salad stuff. I debated about going to “our” Publix. But that really didn’t make sense as I would have to drive past the house to get there.

So I decided to stop at the Publix that’s on my way home. The Publix that I used to go to so I could get out of the house when What’s-His-Face was around. The Publix that I haven’t been able to go to alone for the past seven years for fear of a panic attack.

Well, I survived the grocery store without incident. I was rather proud of myself and left the store with a spring in my step. But my head was still pounding as I headed for the house.

After dinner I grabbed a leftover fortune cookie for a sweet snack. My fortune read,

Look closely at your surroundings.

Thank you, I did and it made all the difference in my Monday.

****

Go visit Heather over at the Extraordinary Ordinary for more Just Write.

The Week in Numbers

2011-09-25T09:35:00.002-04:00

1 – The number of good night’s sleep I got this week.

2 – The number of showers I took on Saturday (refer to #9).

3 – The number of times I left the office to specifically get a Sweet Tea.

4 – The number of times I’ve wondered if candy corn contains beeswax while nibbling away on the orange, yellow, and white pieces of crack. I finally read the package and no, candy corn doesn’t contain beeswax… or crack.

5 – The number of items I ordered online.

6 – The number of days I worked this week.

7 – The number of times I told G-Man to get the collection of empty drinkware out of his room.

8 –The number of times I cursed the non-existence of House Elves.

9 – The number of seconds it took for the sweat to start pouring down my back at a press conference Saturday morning.

10 – The number of times I cursed under my breath at work this week. Ok, feel free to multiply that by your choice of figure.

I just realized that this is the second post in a row in which I’ve done a numbered list. At least I still have enough brain capacity to count to 10. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Top 10 Obtuse Things People Have Said To Me About USNA

2011-09-22T19:12:00.003-04:00

If you’ve read PLRH for the past year, you will have learned a little bit of the application process for the United States Naval Academy.

I have always assumed that the general population had a general awareness of the existence and purpose of this country’s Service Academies. Boy, I was mistaken. The following are actually questions/statements I've heard in the past year… along with some clarification.

Top 10 Obtuse Things People Have Said To Me About USNA

10. Don’t you have to know a Senator to get in there?

A nomination (Congressional, Vice President, ROTC, or other) is required to attend a Service Academy (with the exception of the United States Coast Guard Academy). A Congressional nomination is based on merit. So no, you don’t need to travel in the same social circles as a Senator.

9. You mean the ACTUAL United States Naval Academy?

Yes, the ACTUAL United States Naval Academy. As opposed to any other Naval Academy?

8. The Naval Academy? That must cost a pretty penny!

Tuition to all of the Service Academies is free… in a sense. After graduation, Mr. A will owe 5 years of service.

7. So how much does it cost to send your son there?

See above.

6. Well, at least he’ll learn a trade.

It’s true that the military (particularly Navy and Air Force) is a good place to learn a trade that is viable in the civilian world. But the purpose of the Service Academies is to create leaders.

5. Oh, you mean he’ll actually get a college degree?

Yes, all of the Service Academies are 4-year universities. Midshipmen graduate from USNA with a Bachelor of Science.

4. Where will your son go to Boot Camp?

All of the Service Academies have a version of the 6-week Plebe Summer that prepares the Midshipman physically and trains them to transition into the Brigade.

3. Is that at West Point?

NO! The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland. West Point is the nickname and location of the United States Military Academy (Army).

2. Oh, is that the school in Colorado?

Why would a Naval Academy be located in a land-locked state? The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1. How’s your Cadet doing?

Students at UNSA are referred to as Midshipmen. The entire student body is called the Brigade of Midshipmen. Students at Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard are Cadets.

Data Dump

2011-09-21T20:13:00.002-04:00

Work has been insane since June and it has yet to reach the crescendo. That should happen sometime in the next 3-4 weeks. After that I might be able to breathe.

This week has been particularly harried. Yesterday I wanted to scream,

If you want the Excel spreadsheet to total, then don’t F*@# with my formulas!!!

Essentially, I’d love to hang a sign over my desk that reads,

If your village is missing an idiot, I might be able to find you a replacement.

In the meantime, I have all of these thoughts running through my head and none of them really make up a blog post on their own. So I’ve decided to do a data dump. I can’t even call it Randomness because I don’t even feel that organized or witty.

As I mentioned last week, we’ve survived G-Man’s most recent growth spurt. When the unfettered testosterone abates, I’m always amazed by the sweet, nice, affectionate, young man that returns. The kid really does have a dry, witty sense of humor. I wish I could tell you something funny that he’s said recently but truth be told the theme of this post is “I’m kinda brain dead.”

The other day, G-man walked into my bathroom as I was drying my hair. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and let out a little shriek. He scared the begeezus out of me because for a second I thought he was Mr. A. That’s how tall he’s gotten.

Tomorrow is school picture day. This year I’m trying to be very Zen about school pictures. I didn’t rush G-Man out for a haircut. I haven’t harassed him about which shirt he plans on wearing or if he plans on ironing it. I’m trying not to tell G-Man what to do. He’s 15 years old and doesn’t need his Mommy helping him step-by-step. Besides, he has quite the stubborn, independent streak. My Sweetie says it runs in the family. That’s right, G-man gets it from my Mom.

Mr. A called last night. He got his bell rung in boxing class yesterday. Yes, they wear protective headgear. I asked how it happened. Mr. A said that he didn’t have his usual sparring partner because Mr. A gave him a concussion last week. Oh, ok. This week Mr. A got the concussion. He was rather pleased that he was able to give his new partner a bloody nose in return. My Sweetie chuckled and asked if their instructor was a Marine.

In addition to not sleeping well due to my allergies, I’ve been waking up every morning feeling as if I’ve done a workout. My Sweetie says that I do the Cha-Cha in my sleep. I mentioned it to my GP and she said that I have restless limb syndrome. She gave me a sample Rx. I looked it up when I got home and discovered that it affects neurotransmitters. More specifically, dopamine. Um, no thanks. I’d rather continue doing the Cha-Cha and keep my fingers crossed that I’ll sleep better when I get my new mouth guard.

With work and not sleeping great, I’ve been tired at the end of the day. So tired that I haven’t been reading or knitting in the evening. But rather I’ve been watching TV. Last night I watched the series premier of a brand new show. As I stared at the screen, I noticed that in the corner there was a Twitter hash tag for the show. Hmm, clever use of social media.

I just mindlessly watched a show on hoarding for an entire hour. It was like watching a grizzly car accident. I was repulsed, yet fascinated at the same time.

The Golden Compass just came on. Who am I to switch off Daniel Craig? With that I shall say goodnight.

One Photo

2011-09-20T06:08:00.003-04:00

Look at this photo! I really like the composition. That’s me. I was so engrossed watching the ducks that I didn’t even realize Dad snapped this photo. The ducks were in the retention pond near the factory (warehouse?) that was part of Dad’s company.

This must have been the only time in my entire life that I wore a cowboy hat. I was rocking those boot leg jeans too.

This photo would have been taken when we were on vacation (part business for Dad) in the Florida Panhandle… Ft. Walton Beach. We spent some time with one of Dad’s friends and his family.

That was the trip my brother, sister, and I each rode a horse for the first time. It’s also when we discovered that Rick is deathly afraid of horses. I still don’t know why.

We went to my first and only rodeo to watch the teenage daughter of Dad’s friend compete. She raced barrels. I remember being in total awe. It was a whole other world of which I had been completely ignorant. I couldn’t fathom taking care of and handling an animal that was bigger than me!

Rick had a painfully obvious crush on the rodeo girl. She was blonde and suntanned. He was also immensely jealous that she was already driving and he didn’t even have his learner’s permit yet.

After the rodeo, the dads took the teenagers to see The Bad News Bears. That means it was April 1976 and I was six years old. I was grumpy and wanted to go too. Mom told me that I wasn’t old enough. Looking back, I’m surprised my parents let Shelly go at 12 years old.

Mom and I drove back to the condo on the beach. I remember the bright lights on the “strip.” We didn’t have wide, multi-lane roads like this in Pines Lake. I thought it was odd that the movie theater was in a shopping mall. All the theaters back home were stand alone buildings.

The car was quiet. I suddenly became aware just how tired I was. After a family road trip from New Jersey to Florida and spending a couple of weeks in a two-bedroom condo with my parents and siblings, I was glad to have some alone time with Mom. I don’t remember talking about anything. I think we just enjoyed the silence.

Back at the condo, I remember standing on the balcony in my nightgown and listening to the surf and watching the moonlight reflect on the waves. I remember thinking how vast the ocean was and yet so calm and soothing.

Amazing the memories, details, and emotions one photo pulled from a shoe box at my parents’ house can evoke in a blink of an eye.

Go visit Heather over at The Extraordinary Ordinary for more Just Write.

Birthday Bacchanalia

2011-09-18T14:39:00.004-04:00

Ok, truthfully my birthday wasn’t bacchanalian in nature. I just like saying those two words together. Besides lots of sugar, starchy carbs, and fried food may have been involved.

My Sweetie started the day off with a Dunkin Donuts run so I could have my favorite chocolate donut covered in coconut with my tea at breakfast. Isn’t he a great guy?

I had an all around lazy and relaxing morning. Before we headed out to lunch with my parents, I opened cards and presents. That’s the advantage of being born in the morning. As a kid, I was always allowed to open my presents at breakfast. My brother and sister had to wait until after dinner. Hee hee.

Anyway, G-Man presented me with a handmade card and an apology:

I tried making you an origami butterfly but the online instructions were too confusing.

(chuckle) It’s ok, buddy. Origami instructions are like knitting instructions… Not designed for the Lefty.

My parents gave me these perfect little Willow Tree figurines. If you’ve ever met my boys, you would think that the figures were modeled after them and know which one is which.

All five of us went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for lunch. It was a beautiful day sitting by the water and large amounts of fried food were consumed. The only drawback? No Sweet Tea. Seriously? Your restaurant is pretending to come from the fictitious town of Greenbow, Alabama and you don’t serve Sweet Tea??? Ok, fine. I’ll take unsweet.

Mr. A (my eldest Florida Boy) called while we were waiting for lunch to arrive.

Mom, it’s cold here.

How cold is cold?

It’s like 60!!!

Sweetie, you do realize that it snows in Maryland, don’t you?

Coincidentally, Mr. A met CAPT. Jim Lovell (of Apollo 13 fame) that morning.

Mom, Jim Lovell sounds JUST LIKE Tom Hanks!

Yeah, perhaps Tom Hanks did an excellent job emulating Jim Lovell’s speech. He is an actor after all.

On the way back to my parent’s house for birthday cake, I played the birthday girl hand and asked my Sweetie to stop at Chik-fil-A for a large Sweet Tea. I’ve got to say, that man loves me.

My birthday cake this year was another pastry goddess creation. Carrot cake… Mmmm! G-Man felt the need to put a small forest of candles on the cake. I’m not sure why the number 9 was there. I’m not sure if it was part of the count or intended to be used as a multiplier. But 9 doesn’t go into 42 evenly. I’m clueless. I was able to blow them all in one breath. It’s nice to know that my asthma medication is working!

The rest of my day included a short nap (it would have been longer if someone wasn’t snoring) and Navy football. Navy didn’t win but they sure beat the spread and made South Carolina sweat for 4 quarters.

Yea, it was a pretty darn good birthday.

September 17th

2011-09-15T19:41:00.008-04:00

My 2nd Birthday

My birthday is Saturday. I will be 42. As some of us know, 42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Honestly, my numerical age doesn’t bother me. I love my birthday. I look forward to my birthday each year. I think that’s because my parents did such an excellent job of making my brother, sister, and I feel extra special on each of our special days.

****

Here’s a little trivia… September is the most common birth month. That’s not surprising when you count back 9 months to all of the holiday parties. Yes, I’m the result of the Varley’s Christmas Party, thank you very much.

So knowing that little piece of trivia, I find it odd that I’ve NEVER met anyone with the same birthday as me. I’m not even talking month/day/year. I’ve never met anyone with a September 17th birthday! I know of at least one other person who has the same birthday as every other member of my family. But no one with my birthday.

****

Military History Trivia… Operation Market Garden was launched on September 17, 1944. The operation is depicted in the 1977 movie, A Bridge Too Far, Ryan O’Neal portrays G-Man’s namesake.

****

Look at my awesome present! How cool is that?

****

Your Turn:
How do you feel about your birthday every year? Do you know anyone with the same birthday? Does your birthday share the date of an historical event?

Randomness

2011-09-14T06:00:00.003-04:00

My Mom wants to be able to text the grandchildren away at college. So my Dad added texting to their wireless plan and purchased new phones with Qwerty keyboards. Can you say future blog material?

****

Everyone in the house has survived G-Man’s most recent growth spurt. The testosterone wave has ebbed and he’s acting human again. Gosh, he’s such a nice kid when he’s human. Oh, and he’s now 5’11” and I can rest my head against his shoulder when I hug him.

****

Extreme Couponing is all the rage. Actually, it’s quickly becoming one of my pet peeves. I really wish the couponer or the cashier would tell me they have a 3-inch stack of coupons BEFORE I empty the entire contents of my shopping cart onto the conveyer belt. I’ve gotten stuck behind an extreme couponer three times in the last month.

****

The other night we watched a Chinese movie (with English subtitles) called Shaolin. It was an excellent action movie. At the climax, a soldier (bad guy) and a monk (good guy) faced off.

G-Man chuckled and said, Good going. You brought a sword to a stick fight.

****

As much as I enjoyed the plot and the action in the Shaolin movie, I didn’t like the animal stunts. It was evident that the Human Society isn’t on the set while Chinese movies are made. I squirmed and averted my eyes more than once.

****

My allergies have been really bad this summer. So bad that my airway is partially obstructed while I sleep. Apparently, that’s the reason I’ve been so sleepy All. Summer. Long. My GP wants me to see my dentist about getting a mouthpiece to wear at night.

****

The good news from my appointment this morning is that I’ve lost 23 pounds since I stopped taking the evil Seroquel six months ago. Woo hoo!

****

Another pet peeve... Nicely tailored dresses with exposed zippers. I know the whole exposed zipper thing was trendy about 2 years ago and can look young and hip... if you're 23. But really it isn't all that fashion forward. To me it looks like the designer was just downright lazy.

This Day Sucks

2011-09-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

I wake up to the sunshine streaming in the bedroom windows. I know what day it was but I don’t want to think about it. I roll over and see my Sweetie smiling at me.

Hi, would you like to go out for breakfast or stay home?

Let’s go out.

The house is eerily quiet. Mr. A is away at school. G-Man and Molly are having a sleepover at the grandparents’ house and later G-Man will spend the day volunteering with Grandfather.

In the car I pull out my cell phone and start texting.

Texting the kids?

Uh-hum… I want to tell them that I love them.

It’s still early and even the breakfast place is quiet. As I look around at the partially empty restaurant, I see reminders of the day… red, white & blue; stars & stripes.

We’re really lucky.

Yes, yes we are.

After breakfast we pick up Molly. The pure joy in her reaction to seeing us warms my heart. I feel the silkiness of her ears and the warmth of her body as she leans into me.

My sinuses hurt. Damn the fairy rings and their mold spores.

At home I box up care packages and my Sweetie pops in a U2 cd to try to cheer me up. My head still hurts so I lie down for a while. Tears dampen my pillow when I hear Sunday Bloody Sunday. I fall asleep as songs from my high school years drift in from the other room.

Later my Sweetie and I run errands. Ordinary, typical weekend chore-type errands.

Why is it that 10 years later I’m still sad?

Why am I still angry?

I need to hug the boys. I want to hug my children.

Lunch at our favorite Scottish pub.

I wish I was still in the Navy in 2001.

If you were, we wouldn’t have met.

A few more silent moments.

My life changed that day.

I know.

It was a horrible day but my life changed for the better. Do you have any idea what it felt like at the end of That Day to realize that the one person I didn’t call was the person I was married too? If That Day hadn’t happened, things wouldn't have been set in motion and we wouldn’t have met.

I know.

G-Man is home. I hug him fiercely and kiss him. He’s tall enough now that I can lay my head on his shoulder.

I love you, kiddo.

I love you too, Mom.

We talk to Mr. A on the phone.

This morning some of us walked through Memorial Hall and counted the names of the Academy grads that have died in service since That Day. The plaque is already up for our class.

I love you, kid.

I love you too, Mom.

I wish I could give you a hug.

Me too.

****
This post of free writing was written as part of the new series, Just Write... the brain-child of Heather over at The Extraordinary Ordinary.

Sandhill Crane Family

2011-09-12T06:34:00.004-04:00

Remember this little guy who hatched back in March?

Here he is at 6 months of age.

He's grown quite a bit but still relies on his parents. He will probably stay with them for up to a year. Then he'll probably join a sub-group of other single cranes for a year or two before he finds a mate.

Mom or Dad? Not really sure.

9.11.11

2011-09-08T18:58:00.002-04:00

Note: I’m posting this early because I plan to be completely unplugged on Sunday. I will never, ever forget September 11, 2001. That day is forever seared in my memory. Rather than relive all of the agony of that day through the media images (and cry for the next week) I would like to spend the day quietly with my family.

****

Do you remember where you were ten years ago today when you heard the news?

Of course you do.

Do you remember the first person you called after you heard the news?

Of course you do.

Did you call that person because you hated them?

No, of course not.

You called that person because you loved them.

The anniversary of 9/11 is the perfect day let the people you love know how you feel. Do it now. Go.

****

This is who I will be remembering on Sunday... my childhood friend.

Perhaps I’m Losing My Mind

2011-09-07T18:19:00.000-04:00

My Sweetie stood at the bathroom counter in front of his sink brushing his teeth. I walked into the bathroom and stepped up to my sink to his left. I stared at the faucet.

I wanted to wash my face and I knew I wanted to use warm water. I didn’t know which knob to turn to get hot water. I knew one knob was for hot and the other was for cold but I didn’t know which one was which.

Our bathroom faucets don’t have the letters “H” and “C” on them. Damn.

I closed my eyes and imagined the upstairs bathroom sink in Pines Lake.

But the only thing that ran through my head was,

In Mexico the “H” and the “C” were always put on the wrong knobs because the Mexican plumbers thought the “C” was for caliente.

So I tried to imagine a sink in Mexico but I couldn’t. Not that it would have done me any good. I opened my eyes.

I really didn’t know which knob to turn.

I looked at my husband’s sink to see which knob he was using but I couldn’t figure out if he had the left one or the right one turned on. Left and right weren’t registering in my brain.

I didn’t want to ask my husband which knob to turn. I didn’t want him to know that I was suddenly struggling with a task I have done every day of my life. I had to figure it out for myself.

I thought, Maybe if I close my eyes and just reached for the faucet, 40-some years of habit will know which knob to turn.

I tried to clear my mind but instead I over-thought,

Well, I’m a Lefty. Do I use my left hand? Or should I use my right hand because so many things in this world are designed for Righties?

I couldn’t decide and I didn’t move either hand.

Should I ask for help? Or should I just turn one of the knobs?

I turned the right knob on and ran my hands under the water pretending to wash them.

How long should I wait for the water to warm up? Will my husband notice that I don’t know what I’m doing?

My Sweetie finished his routine and headed for the bedroom after smiling at me and patting me on the tush.

The water was still running cold so I turned off the faucet and tried the knob on the left. The water warmed up and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I washed up, brushed my teeth, and went to bed without a word.

Days later I’m still wondering, What the heck happened?

Now each time I go to the bathroom sink I hesitate before I turn on the faucet. I KNOW left is hot and right is cold. But I still hesitate and doubt myself.

My biggest concern…

Will I forget again?

College Football Newbies

2011-09-06T18:54:00.007-04:00

Way back when… Long before Al Gore invented the internet… My Sweetie and I each attended universities that didn’t have football teams. Sad, isn’t it? Especially sad since I’ve never been enthusiastic about basketball.

We’re both football fans but over the years neither one of us has had a loyalty to any particular college team. S keeps up with the sport more than I do and we watch a few college games during the season. Usually, we’ll watch Notre Dame or USF. (This year that was one game!)

The only exception is the annual Army-Navy football game. You’ve got to admit that game is SO MUCH MORE than college football though. That game is an EVENT in the PLRH house each year.

But this year… This year is different. Eldest son is a Midshipman. We have an honest to goodness football team to cheer for all season long.

Navy football games typically aren’t broadcast on the major networks (except for the above mentioned Army-Navy game and the Navy-Notre Dame game). So I looked at my Sweetie with my big, blue eyes and kindly asked him to pry open the wallet and order the special sports TV package for the next three months.

Let me say that I’ve never been so excited for the college football season to start!

Saturday afternoon we plopped down on the sofa and watched the Navy opener against Delaware. The game was a lot of fun to watch. Navy played a good game and won. Believe it or not, we even saw Mr. A in the stands as the camera panned the student section.

Before every home game the entire Brigade of Midshimen March On the field. Too bad this wasn't televised because I would have really enjoyed seeing it.

Mr. A texted us this photo of his vantage point.

Fear the Goat! Bill the Goat! More specifically, that's Bill XXXIII and his back-up (just in case), Bill XXXIV.

Mr. A is very proud that both Proctor and Tuani are in his Company.

Every time Navy scores the Plebes have to do push-ups... The number equals Navy's score. My MIL called and asked me why Delaware wasn't doing push-ups. It's a Navy thing.

After every game the entire Brigade (football players too) sing the Academy's alma mater, Blue and Gold.

Sometime during the 2nd quarter and looked at my Sweetie and said,

We should have gotten some chips and dip. We are such college football newbies!

My Nephew's Scheme

2011-09-05T16:53:00.002-04:00

My nephew, CT is a freshman at a Big 10 school. He’s a business major. In fact, he started with the summer semester at the same time Mr. A started Plebe Summer at USNA.

During the summer, CT became friends with one of his classmates who is a machinist by trade. Together they came up with an enterprising idea to make some cash.

The friend machined dancing poles… yes, as in pole dancing… and they sold them to all of the fraternity houses on campus.

First off, kudos to CT for such a creative idea. I’ve got to admit that I was impressed by his ingenuity.

Second, many dance studios are putting forth a concerted effort to change the public’s opinion of pole dancing. It truly is a legitimate form of exercise and requires a tremendous amount of core muscle strength.

But really, the bottom line is that I’m disappointed in my nephew and his momentary lapse of morals.

No matter what anyone says, the frat houses did not buy those dancing poles so their female visitors could get a really good ab workout.

Those poles were purchased so the college boys could objectify college girls at parties. And the poles were made and sold with that intent.

Now, my husband argues that any girl who would use a dancing pole at a frat party is objectifying herself.

Excellent point.

But I still feel that by having the dancing poles in the first place sends the message to the female guests,

We already think of you as something to ogle.

And it all started with my nephew and his cunning plan.

****

This really, really bothers me because for 10 years I was married to a not-so-nice person who objectified women and did not respect them. My primary reason for divorcing him was because I didn’t want my sons to grow up to be like him. Instead, I used my father and my brother as role models in raising my sons. Along the way, I met my Sweetie and I couldn’t have picked a better father-figure and Dad for the boys.

I like to think that S and I have done a good job in teaching our sons to be respectful and considerate young men.

So it really, really irks me when my brother’s son… the same brother I used a role model… is selling dancing poles to frat houses.

****

Can you imagine drunk girls at a frat party trying to use a dancing pole? That’s an accident waiting to happen.

Perfect Definition

2011-09-04T21:03:00.004-04:00

While browsing through some books about the United States Naval Academy, I came across this quote in the synopsis of one of the books:

In the words of James Stockdale, USNA '46 and Medal of Honor Winner: "The test of character is not 'hanging in there' when you expect a light at the end of the tunnel, but performance of duty and persistence of example when you know that no light is coming."

I read this and instantly thought,

My God, that's the most perfection definition of surviving depression I've ever seen.

A Few Hours in DC

2011-09-01T20:33:00.004-04:00

On Saturday of Plebe Parents’ Weekend we drove to Washington DC for a few hours. We met up with one on my Sweetie’s numerous cousins (second cousin?) at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and then we walked down the National Mall past the Washington Memorial to the National World War II Memorial (3-mile walk roundtrip).

All of us have wanted to visit the WWII Memorial for years so we were eager to go to DC. Plus there a gazillion museums in the town! What’s not to love, right?

I’ve got say that I really don’t need to go back to DC anytime soon.

The Air & Space Museum was so freaking crowded. It was more like a tourist attraction than a museum. So many RUDE people were crammed in the building that weren’t any opportunities to learn.

The one nice thing that happened at the museum was that a family stopped and talked to Mr. A. The son wants to attend USNA but was too embarrassed to approach Mr. A so the dad struck up a conversation.

After the museum we walked down the Mall. As we passed the Washington Monument, there was a rally in progress. I won’t even tell you what the rally was about because I don’t want to give the “organization” any more air time. But I will say that there was a lot of foul language broadcast over the PA system. At one point, a group of Girls Scouts marched by singing at the tops of their lungs. Kudos to those Moms! I completely understand the First Amendment however, if TV shows have ratings, why can’t public rallies?

The WWII Memorial was impressive. I particularly liked the bronze plaques depicting different scenes. But once again, our fellow visitors annoyed the heck out of us. Even though there were signs asking visitors to respect the Memorial and not put their feet in the fountain… You guessed it. There were dozens of people lounging around the fountain with their feet dangling in the water.

By then all of us had enough of our nation’s capital and the schmucks we had encountered. So we hugged and kissed Cousin goodbye and we headed back to relative sanity of Annapolis.

Plebe Parents' Weekend

2011-08-31T18:46:00.004-04:00

Plebe Parents' Weekend was three weeks ago and I just realized that I haven't shared any photos yet. The weekend was busy, fun, and wonderful. We got rained on several times so my camera didn't come out very often. But I did get a few nice shots.

The most amazing part of the weekend was seeing how much Mr. A matured during Plebe Summer. His girlfriend, Miss K also matured quite a bit. It was remarkable to see our son a Midshipman, a grown man, and in an adult relationship.

The statue of the USS Delaware figurehead (nicknamed Tecumseh) got a makeover for Parents' Weekend. I think he looks a little bit like Gandhi with the BCG's in the top photo.

We went to Washington DC one day and saw the Washington Monument (pre-earthquake crack).

Aren't they cute? Miss K and some other girls had "Navy Girlfriend" t-shirts made up. A dozen people must have asked her where she got her shirt.

Miss K with Bill the Goat. Go Navy!

Life with Boys: Six-Pack Abs

2011-08-30T08:36:00.001-04:00

By the time I got home from work last night, the TV was on and my Sweetie’s channel surfing landed on one of the Transporter movies.

My Sweetie inclined his head towards Jason Statham and said,

I thought you might appreciate seeing his six-pack abs.

I kissed my Sweetie and said,

I like your six-pack abs.

He protested with,

I don’t have six-pack abs.

I grinned, patted his tummy, and replied,

Yes, you do. They just happen to be in an insulated cooler.

Demons Out!

2011-08-29T15:01:00.001-04:00

This song has been stuck in my head for days. The singer has a beautiful voice and overall the song is haunting. But if you listen to the lyrics… it’s a bit creepy and stalker-ish. I’d really like to get it out of my head.

What are your thoughts on this song? Have you listened to the lyrics?

Bumber Stickers Revisited

2011-08-28T12:09:00.008-04:00

Reading bumper stickers is part of my entertainment on my daily commute to and from work. There are 19 traffic lights each way so I have plenty of time to read the other drivers’ thoughts, opinions, rants, claims, and boasts.

As much as I like bumper stickers, I don’t have any on my car. It’s the whole “sticker” thing. Eldest son did put this sticker on a magnet for me. But alas, I took it off after a few weeks because condensation kept accumulating under it and I was nervous what it would to the paint finish.

I’m okay with window decals but those usually don’t show up with tinted windows. However, I do have a Go Navy license plate surround.

Anyway, my favorite kind of car sticker/magnet is the oval European-style sticker. They are usually some sort of an abbreviation so you have to be “in the know” to understand them.

Apparently, marathon running is extremely popular in Florida because a day doesn’t go by when I don't see a car with one of these:

I'd love to buy one of these stickers and put it on my car just to mess with people. Just because you have the sticker, doesn’t mean you actually ran the race. I’d like to see a certificate of authenticity or something. You know, third-party verification.

One day I saw this sticker and I was stumped for a little while:

Then it finally dawned on me! The Appalachian Trail! Well, if I ever hiked all 2,175 miles of the Trail, I hope I’d get something more than just a sticker. At least a hearty handshake and a pat on the back.

So I’ve been wondering. What sort of cool, oval sticker would I put on my car? That is, if I weren’t sticker-phobic.

Perhaps this one:

But then again, why would I go around advertising my age?

Hmm. I’m a swimmer so how about this?

How many non-swimmers would know about a 1650? The 1,650-yard swim is the longest race in collegiate swimming. That’s 66 lengths of a short-course pool. I wonder how many marathoners or tri-athletes could swim that. (In the Olympics, 1,500-meter long course is swum instead.)

But I think my favorite oval sticker would be this one:

Plebe Summer – Class of 2015

Look familiar?

TGIF

2011-08-26T18:41:00.002-04:00

Friday is my favorite day of the week. It’s kinda like Christmas Eve on a much, much smaller scale. It’s a day full of possibilities.

As much as I enjoy Fridays, I don’t wish my week away. To me, that’s the same as wishing my life away.

But this week was a little different. I have been looking forward to the weekend ALL WEEK for the following reasons:

Work has been hellacious this week. My workload has become scattered and hectic. I don’t enjoy it but I’m afraid it’s the new norm and here to stay.

Today marks the end of the first week of school. Why is the first week of school so brutal? Ugh. If you count the four years I put in, this is my 9th year of high school. I may regret saying this at a later date but… I can’t wait for high school to be over.

I’ve finally recovered from my bronchitis that I acquired in Annapolis. Too much expectorant and lots of caffeine from hot tea equals three nights of NO SLEEP. I’m really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning.

The number one reason I’m ecstatic that it’s Friday?

Today is my Sweetie’s birthday. I think toasting the man who loves me just the way I am is an excellent reason to celebrate.

Oh yea, and it’s Date Night.

See ya!

****
UPDATE
Well, the week isn't over yet. My Sweetie and I out went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. He ordered sushi and I ordered my usual (and safe) shrimp tempura. I was BOLD and had a bite of his seaweed salad. I'll never do that again!

Now I'm covered head-to-toe in hives. Huge, red, itchy, swollen welts. I've taken a benadryl and a shower. My Sweetie slathered me in topical benadryl. Not exactly what he had in mind when he said that he wanted to get his hands on me tonight. At least I'm no longer trying to scratch my freckles off.

Time to go lay under the ceiling fan.

Good night!

The R Word

2011-08-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

When raising and teaching my children who to be respectful, I taught them that certain words were not used in our house. The list contained the obvious swear words. But also other words that were derogatory or hurtful.

On that list was retard (and retarded).

Granted, I’ll admit that when I was growing up my classmates and I casually threw those words around without even thinking. In an exasperated tone we would declare something (or someone) to be,

Soooo retarded!!!!

Eventually, I matured and eliminated that phrase from my speech.

Just now I passed two co-workers in the hallway. These adult women walked out of a meeting and one said to the other,

We work with retards!

The second woman instantly erupted into a fit of cackling. I turned around and without thinking called after them,

You know, you really shouldn’t use that word.

The words flew out of my mouth just as if I were reprimanding my children.

With nary a glance backwards, the first woman said,

Excuse me, we work with special needs people.

Let me clarify that this woman used special needs as a derogatory term and none of co-workers would be classified as special needs.

****

First of all, I’m stunned that two grown women (both of them liberals) would talk like that and find humor in it.

Second, I’m kinda surprised at myself for chastising them the way I did.

Did I overreact? What would you have done?

Well Trained?

2011-08-23T16:43:00.008-04:00

This afternoon I got back to my desk after a rather lengthy meeting to discover that I had three missed calls on my cell phone from Mr. A.

Hmmm, that’s odd. It’s the middle of the day.

I started to wonder and maybe, just maybe worry a little bit.

I tried calling him back but his phone went straight to voicemail.

I suddenly had a lump in my throat and that gnawing feeling in my stomach.

I sent Mr. A a text message, Is everything ok?

I called my Sweetie. Voicemail.

I sent S a text message, Have you talked to A? I had 3 missed calls from him.

I tried not to panic.

Then I saw a post online about the earthquake on the East Coast and all of the buildings at USNA were evacuated.

Whew! That’s why he called!

Moments later my Sweetie called. He and Mr. A had been on the phone for the past hour talking Navy stuff.

Apparently, after Bancroft Hall stopped shaking, all of the Midshipmen were told to evacuate the building. Mr. A and his roommate squared away their room real quick just in case of a Bravo inspection later. Once outside, they realized what they had done.

My Sweetie’s advice to our eldest son,

That’s great. Just don’t do that in the event of a fire.

It's amazing how well the Navy has trained Mr. A in the past 8 weeks. Now only if I can better train my reaction to missed calls.

****
Your Turn
Did you feel the Earth move under your feet?
Who would have thought that I'd be relieved that my son called to tell me he was in an earthquake?

First Day of Weird

2011-08-22T10:47:00.004-04:00

Today is the first day of school in the PLRH family. Nothing odd about that. Plenty of kids are going back to classes today.

Except G-Man headed out the door for school this morning without his brother for the first time EVER. And Mr. A is up at USNA starting classes. I guess that officially, officially makes him a college student (and me old).

G-Man started the 10th grade today. His only hint of excitement came in the form of the comment, I’m glad I’m not a freshman anymore. It was also accompanied by a sly grin.

Preparing for school this year seemed a bit half-assed. It didn’t seem like we did nearly enough back-to-school shopping or buy enough snacks at the grocery store yesterday.

I have to stop and remind myself that one kid is “out of the house” and the other really doesn’t need a double dose of motherly attention all the time. Being Mom is so ingrained in me. I need to learn to step back a little bit. G-Man is 15 years old, a sophomore in high school and on his way to becoming an adult.

I know some of my reminders/questions this morning drove him a bit insane:

Did you take your vitamin?

Where’s your water bottle?

Do you have your schedule?

By the time we left the house he was annoyed with me, as you can see in the photo I insisted on taking.

Sorry Kid, we all have some adjusting to do. But you should know by now that I won't stop taking photos. :)

****UPDATED****

Here's Mr. A's first day of school photo.

I'm glad to report that both boys had a good first day.

Gosh, I love my kids.

I think I'm being followed

2011-08-18T16:19:00.001-04:00

Truth be told, I don’t often think about how information regarding my interests and habits are recorded on a daily basis. If I did think about traffic cameras, internet searches, debit card purchases, phone records, and whatnot, I’d be paranoid and probably never leave the house again after unplugging every electronic item.

So, rather than make myself insane, I happily go through life knowing that I’m not breaking any laws.

I felt perfectly comfortable with this course of action… until today.

This morning I saw this ad on two separate blogs that I read. TWO! Making the situation additionally creepy, the ads appeared on the Google Reader version of the blogs not on the actual blogs themselves.

Looks like Big Brother has figured out that my eldest attends the US Naval Academy and thinks that I might be in the market for some gifts.

Life with Boys: Hungry Teenager

2011-08-17T13:44:00.003-04:00

Methinks G-Man is about to hit a growth spurt. Why do I think this? Because food is disappearing from our house at an astonishing rate.

Last night I pulled the gallon container of milk from the frig while making dinner. The gallon of milk I had purchased only the day before. There was approximately one quart of milk remaining.

I also cut up a lovely cantaloupe last night and put it in a bowl. The few bites of melon I had were delicious and I knew I wanted to take some to work today for a snack. This is what remained in the frig this morning…

Each morning before I leave for work, I wake up G-Man, chat with him for a few minutes, and then kiss him goodbye. This is what I spied on the floor next to his bed this morning…

For those of you who can’t tell what it is… It is all that remains of the package of Newman’s O’s that I bought on Monday. I ate two cookies Monday night and two cookies last night for dessert. Guess who ate the rest?

All of that on top of G-Man’s regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus, I know he ate TWO Clif Builder’s bars that contain 20g of protein EACH!

I really don’t think G-Man is aware of how much he’s eating. Which is fine. It’s all part of being a growing teenage boy. But I do find it humorous and I wonder if perhaps he’s trying to make up for his brother’s missing portion of the grocery bill.

****
Your Turn
Do you have growing boys at home? Did you have a brother that ate everything in sight?

Catching Up

2011-08-16T16:32:00.003-04:00

The weather held long enough last Thursday for G-Man to play in the second round of golf tryouts. He played great! But alas, he didn’t make the team.

After the first round cut, G-Man was one of 12 boys vying for 8 slots on the team. Six of the golfers were on the team last year. One of the boys was the #1 high school player in the state last year.

Two years ago, a score of 45 for 9 holes shot from the Blue tees would have been enough to make the team. This year the golfers teed off from the “tips” (the tee boxes the professionals use) and had to shoot under 40 for 9 holes. That is a significant increase in skill level.

G-Man was frustrated with himself for not making the team. He finally realized just how good of a job he did when my Sweetie pointed out to him that he survived the first cut of the #2 golf team in the state. G-Man also shot par on three of the holes… FROM THE TIPS and he bogeyed another hole that he always used to have trouble with.

Later the coach said he was sad to cut kids that are really good golfers and great kids.

****

G-Man quickly recovered from his disappointment when he received an invitation to go to Orlando with a friend and his family for the weekend. There was a mix up with the family’s hotel reservation and they got upgraded to the PENTHOUSE! That’s just G-Man’s luck. The first time he ever flew, he was 5 years old and traveling with my brother. They got upgraded to first class. After that he thought all airplanes were that luxurious.

****

This past weekend was Plebe Parents’ Weekend at USNA. My Sweetie, Miss K (Mr. A’s girlfriend), and I flew up to Maryland to see our Midshipman. It was a non-stop, busy, energetic, and emotional weekend.

There’s so much to tell and photos to share. But it all will have to wait because I feel crummy right now. On Saturday, there was a forest fire near Annapolis and I had a difficult time breathing with the smoke. I’ve been coughing ever since. This morning I started coughing up yucky stuff. So I’m not sure if it’s still from the smoke or if I actually caught The Crud on the airplane.

In the meantime, here's a photo of USNA Class of 2015...

Blame my husband for the rain

2011-08-10T10:42:00.002-04:00

It started raining Saturday and had pretty much continued since. Why is it currently raining monsoon-style outside my window? Because my Sweetie had our irrigation system fixed. That’s right, we’re blaming him.

For two months we dragged the hose around from the side of the house to water our new plantings in the front flower beds because not a single drop of rain fell from the sky. We even experienced the Hose Incident and survived.

But now that our irrigation system has been fixed the heavens have opened up… and stayed open.

Normally, that would be fantastic! The plants are getting watered. Everything is green. The lakes and aquifers are refilling.

However, this particular week LRHS golf tryouts were scheduled.

G-Man tried out for the team last year. While his score (43 for 9 holes) was good enough to make the team any other year, the two vacant spots on the team were taken by two phenom golfers (35 for 9 holes) who moved to the area specifically to play for LRHS.

Yes, golf is a big sport in Florida and parents will move their families to different school districts to play for specific teams.

The weather held long enough on Monday for the first round of tryouts. G-Man survived the first cut. Woo Hoo!

He went back on Tuesday for round two and they were rained out. Round two was rescheduled for today. But from the looks of things at the moment… It’s not going to happen.

G-Man has worked hard at his golf game this summer and really wants to make the team. He’s got to be frustrated will all the delays. I know I’m frustrated at my inability to control the weather. As a Mom, I want to be able to smooth the way for my son and make this easier. But that isn’t always possible!

Please keep your fingers crossed that the weather clears eventually and G-Man can show them what he’s made of on the golf course!

The Care of Plebes

2011-08-08T19:32:00.004-04:00

This morning I was rather emotional while driving to work.

Heck, I’m still emotional.

Yesterday Mr. A met his USNA Sponsor Family.

A Sponsor Family provides support to a 4th Class Midshipman (Plebe) throughout the academic year. They give the young Mid a home-away-from-home. A quiet place off the Yard where they can relax, regroup, and recharge. Often the Sponsor-Mid relationship continues through all four years at the Academy.

Not just anyone can become a Sponsor. There is an application process and required training. Then the Academy matches the Sponsor Family and the Mid.

Mr. A’s Sponsor Parents called us at home last night to introduce themselves. They sound like wonderful people. We have plans to meet when we’re in Annapolis this weekend for Plebe Parents’ Weekend.

Anyway, back to my drive to work this morning…

Mentally, I reviewed all of the photos USNA has shared on Facebook this summer. I thought about all the people who are there to support the Plebes. Everyone. Staff, faculty, Detailers, upper classmen, Officers, Enlisted service members, and now Sponsor Families. All of these people want our Plebes to succeed.

It truly warms my heart to know that all of these people are caring for my son. I can't put into words how happy I feel that people I've never met care about my son and want him to succeed.

That’s why I started crying on my drive into the office.

I composed myself by singing along to the radio. I was still emotional when I got to my desk but I wasn’t weepy. Well, that’s until I opened my email and saw this photo sent by Mr. A’s Sponsor Mom...

Mr. A with his new “sisters.”

Here’s a slideshow highlighting a few of those special people in the lives of the Class of 2015.

All photos in the slideshow are courtesy of USNA.

I can't quit because I'm too lazy to do the paperwork

2011-08-07T15:15:00.001-04:00

I have blogger’s block.

Say THAT ten times fast.

THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT

I know, I’m a smart-ass.

Better than a dumb-ass.

Anyway, I have not been inspired lately to write any riveting blog posts. I feel like Elvis has left the building and taken my Muse with him.

For a while I thought the crazy, hectic PLRH Family schedule from Easter to July 4th kept me from having the time or the energy to write fun and exciting blog posts.

Then I began to wonder if my unscheduled, boring life of the past month prevented me from being witty and interesting. I simply haven’t done anything blogworthy in AGES!

Heck, whatever the reason I’ve contemplated throwing in the proverbial blogging towel during these past few weeks. I even have the PERFECT farewell post composed.

But then I remembered the BlogHer ads in my sidebar. I signed an agreement with BlogHer. If I decide to quit this blogging gig, I need to provide notice to BlogHer. I forget how long. Probably 30 or 60 days. Either way, I’d have to go dig out the paperwork and read it. Then I’d have to notify them IN WRITING.

Yea, sounds like a hassle to me too.

So the bottom line is that you, darling readers (all nine of you) are stuck with me and my ramblings because I’m too darn lazy for paperwork.

Do you have your Exit Buddy?

2011-08-04T11:06:00.005-04:00

Lately, I’ve reconnected with some friends from high school on Facebook. Sadly, I’ve learned that several of my former classmates have lost either one or both of their parents. I suppose we’ve reached that stage in our lives in which the older generation passes away.

It’s also a poignant reminder that I’m extremely fortunate that my parents are in excellent health.

I’m very close with my parents both geographically and emotionally. Our houses are two miles apart and we’ve been living the extended-family lifestyle for the past 14 years. It works for us. We support each other. The boys are close to their grandparents. And I truly believe that the boys have kept my parents “young” all these years.

Yes, my parents drive me nuts at times because… well, it’s in their job description. However, I can’t imagine life without them. Even worse… I can’t imagine life with one and not the other! Seriously, they have been married for so long that I’m not sure if one would know what to do with the other.

One day when they were making me particularly insane, I told them that they had to be Exit Buddies because I wasn’t going to put up with one without the other. Ever.

They stared at me confused. So I referred them to Finding Nemo.

A few weeks after that, I walked in my parents’ house to find them wearing matching t-shirts that read “Exit Buddy.”

That’s my parents.

They are now officially Exit Buddies.

Book Review: The Beach Trees

2011-08-03T16:30:00.002-04:00

Click on over to the BlogHer Book Club to read my review of The Beach Trees by Karen White.

21 Years

2011-08-02T17:51:00.004-04:00

Today is August 2nd. Only two things stuck in my mind about today's date. First, it's my nephew's 18th birthday (I still can't believe it). And second, I had a dentist appointment today because I cracked a molar.

When I got home from my exciting two hours at the dentist I checked Facebook. Because really, what else do you do when you have a raging headache and half your face is numb?

That's when I saw my husband's wall post:

Twenty-one years ago today I was sitting at the Air Track Radar Console on the USS Barbery (FF-1088) at General Quarters. All of us were sweating our tails off while steaming in the Persian Gulf and listening to the radio traffic coming in as Iraq invaded Kuwait. I cannot help but think if we had done things a bit more thoroughly then we might not be there now.

I forgot the date.

My husband and his shipmates were already sitting in the Persian Gulf when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. That was the day when most Americans said, Where the heck is Kuwait?

Twenty-one years. That's how old my husband was on that day in the Persian Gulf.

I forgot to kiss my husband this morning and thank him for his service. Don't worry. I will be sure to rectifiy that as soon as he walks in the door this evening.

To all of our country's veterans and those still serving:

THANK YOU.

Welcome to August

2011-08-01T16:39:00.002-04:00

It’s August again.

Funny, I remember it being August at exactly this time last year.

Every August I seem to pause and wonder,

Where has the year gone?

I suppose that’s because for the past 12 or so years, August has meant change.

In Florida, school starts in August.

The Southern School Schedule took some getting used to for this Yankee girl. Growing up in Pines Lake, nothing school related happened until AFTER the Labor Day picnic at The Lake.

For years, August has meant dragging the boys back-to-school shopping during the tax-free holiday. Bigger shoes. Longer jeans. New lunch boxes. In the early years, August meant new Crayons, and then years later graphing calculators.

August has meant that the boys were academically one year older. Some years it meant new schools and riding The Bus. Last year it meant the boys were together again in the same school for the first time in six years.

August also brings my Sweetie’s birthday… just about time school starts. My birthday is right around the corner in September. So not only are the boys advancing a grade, S and I are another year older as well.

This year brings even more change. G-Man will experience the First Day of School without his big brother for the first time ever and Mr. A will officially be a college student. Times are changing and the changes are good.

Where's Waldo?

2011-07-30T11:30:00.005-04:00

USNA has done a great job utilizing Facebook to keep the family and friends of the Plebes abreast of what they’re doing. Sure, three weeks may go by before we catch a glimpse of our Plebe. But it’s fun to see what everyone is doing and know that at some point during the summer our Plebe will do the same thing.

On Friday, the Class of 2015 had a formal parade.

When 1,220 Plebes are all dressed alike, picking your child out of a photo suddenly becomes a game of Where’s Waldo? That’s when you wish you had a daughter at the Academy because the women are easier to spot since they still have hair. Or you wish your child was an ethnic minority. At the very least, a HUGE football player. Nope. Our son is a tall, skinny, white kid with a shaved head and BCGs (Birth Control Glasses). He looks like the majority of the rest of the Plebes.

When I couldn’t find Mr. A in any of the close up shots of his Company, I thought that he must be in the middle of the formation and blending in.

So I broke down and went to another USNA parent’s Dropshots album to look for our Plebe. The parent who takes these photos obviously lives in the Annapolis area and visits the Yard several times a week (and has WAY too much time on their hands). Each album he/she puts up contains over 1,000 photos each. I usually don’t bother to look through all the photos unless Mr. A’s Company is specifically mentioned.

However, last night I searched through 1,091 photos looking for our son. About a quarter of the way through the album, I started to wonder if maybe he was on the sidelines with the injured Plebes.

When we talked to him last week he had hurt his knee, he had a viral respiratory infection, and pink eye. Basically, he felt like crap. About halfway through the photos, I started to worry. It was late. I was tired. My imagination started to run away. I suddenly became DETERMINED to find photographic evidence of my healthy son.

All it took was one glance and I instantly recognized Mr. A.

He looks good. He’s in his element. He’s doing what he enjoys. I’m so proud of him.

I went to bed late last night excited and content.

Oh, and here's Waldo...

Selecting Paint Colors

2011-07-28T21:01:00.003-04:00

I love color. I find trying to explain colors to others quite entertaining and sometimes exasperating. About eight years ago, I worked for a home builder assisting buyers select all of their colors and finishes for their new home. Many days I wanted to bang my head against the wall.

This scene from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is my favorite. It always makes me chuckle. Heck, the entire movie makes me chuckle. But if you've ever had to select paint colors, then this scene is definitely worth the two minutes of your time.

Early Mornings and Worrying

2011-07-27T19:46:00.002-04:00

So I still haven’t figured out what to do with myself.

However, I have realized two things:

I’ve been getting to the office way too early in the morning.

And I’ve been worrying too much about things I can’t control.

Such as… Does Mr. A have a poor attitude because he’s sick and feels crummy? Is he getting flak from the Detailers? Will G-Man make the golf team?

Yea, I really need to find something to do with myself.

At work today I had two photo shoots. One planned and one just sprung on me. I got caught in the rain both times.

The second photo shoot of the day (the planned one) was with three yoga instructors. Don’t ask. Anyway, two of the yoga instructors drove up in Mercedes-Benz and I thought to myself,

Hmmm… maybe I should change careers.

Then I watched the three yoga instructors (one of them 5 months pregnant) contort into these impossible poses on a wet, marble terrace in the drizzling rain all while being ridiculously perky.

Um… no, that’s not the career for me.

I’ll stick with my current job. I’ve just got to stop getting to the office so darn early… and stop worrying… so much.

More talk about guns

2011-07-26T10:11:00.002-04:00

This morning it dawned on me how incongruent my last two posts may seem.

On Sunday, I wrote about how disturbed I felt when the little girl sitting next to me in the movie theater announced that she wants to see everything with KILLING and VIOLENCE. Then yesterday I posted photos of my 17-year-old son during weapons training at USNA. I expressed my annoyance regarding a Facebook “friend” who took offense to the photos.

But really there’s a world of difference between an 8-year-old girl exclaiming that she wants to see killing and violence in movies and a mature 17-year-old Midshipman in the US Navy learning weapons training.

Firearms aren’t a big aspect of our lives in the PLRH family. Yes, my Sweetie owns a shotgun and a couple of pistols. (So BEWARE any potential home intruders!) Yes, I’ve gone to the firing range once in my life and fired a pistol. I shot very well but I didn’t like it. Too much power in the palm of one’s hand. I haven’t fired a gun since.

As I mentioned yesterday, S has taken both boys to the firing range so they can each learn a healthy respect for firearms. He didn’t want Mr. A to arrive at the Academy without ever firing a weapon before. S saw plenty of guys at boot camp that had never touch a gun before and were terrified. My father even said that the first time he ever fired a .45 in boot camp it went “straight in the dirt.”

I really think the posted Safety Rules at the USNA firing range say it all.

Rule 1: Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Rule 2: Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Rule 3: Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until ready to fire.
Rule 4: Keep weapon on SAFE until you intend to fire.

Plebe Update

2011-07-25T20:11:00.004-04:00

Social media is a fabulous thing. The USNA Public Affairs Office utilizes Facebook to keep the families and friends of the Class of 2015 updated on all the activities of Plebe Summer. Every day the PAO loads at least one album of photos of the plebes in action.

Even though we hadn't seen photos of Mr. A since Induction Day, it's fun to look at the photos and get a glimpse into Plebe Summer. We've seen photos of drill, sailing, the confidence course, the obstacle course, damage control training, rope climbing, martial arts, boxing, drown-proofing, and weapons training to name a few.

This weekend we finally got a peek of Mr. A at weapons training. I've got to admit that I originally passed by the above photo. Well, because they all look the same!

I shared these photos on my wall on Facebook and I received a kinda negative comment from someone regarding weapons training. Guess what folks, my son is in the US Navy. The Navy happens to be one of our country's ARMED Forces. He will be trained on a variety of weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Our Armed Forces are what keep the rest of us safe.

OK, stepping down from the soapbox now...

Anyway, Mr. A qualified Expert on the pistol. Yeah! My Sweetie had taken him to the firing range many times before leaving for the Academy. S wanted A to have a healthy respect for firearms but not be afraid of them.

Mr. A also had his second phone call home on Sunday. He's now at the halfway mark in Plebe Summer. He is so tired. Plus he's also fighting a viral respiratory infection. When 1,200 people from all over the country are thrown together in close quarters about half of them get the crud.

The good news is that Mr. A still has his sense of humor. Oh, that and he hasn't changed his mind about attending USNA. Thank goodness!

Mr. A is the plebe (white t-shirt) on the left. And yes, that is a banana in the instructor's holster.

Photos courtesy of USNA. To view more photo albums, visit USNA's public Facebook page.

Disturbing

2011-07-24T15:33:00.002-04:00

Last night the PLRH 3 (G-Man, my Sweetie, and me) saw Captain America. I know, two movies is one week! Isn’t that exciting?

Since it was opening weekend, the theater was packed and leaving the awkward empty seat between us and our neighbors wasn’t an option. To my left sat a little 8-year-old girl and on her other side, her father. I wondered why she was at a PG-13 movie but it wasn’t my place to judge.

This petite, dark-haired, bundle of enthusiasm was so excited when the previews started that I couldn’t help but chuckle. The first preview was for The Three Musketeers. She was so cute when she called them the three “Muchkinteers.” Of course she asked the same question that all kids ask,

Why are they called the Three Munchkinteers when there’s four of them?

The second preview was for Spider-Man. I have no idea why this story is being told again when it’s only been 10 years since the version with Tobey Maguire was made. Little Girl bounced up and down in her seat and exclaimed,

I want to see that! Oooo! I want to see that!

I thought that she must really like comic book heroes.

The third preview was for yet another Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie. Really? Another one? Why?

Anyway, Little Girl continued to bounce up and down in her seat. At the conclusion of the preview she announced,

I want to see that one too! I want to see that one too!

Her father jokingly asked,

Do you want to see everything?

Little Girl replied,

I want to see EVERYTHING with KILLING AND VIOLENCE!!!!

WTF?

Her father and I both stared at her in disbelief. I think he was confused and I know I was horrified. Her father asked, What? as if he hadn’t heard her correctly.

I want to see EVERYTHING with KILLING AND VIOLENCE!!!!

The father remained quiet and leaned back in his seat. I moved over in my seat to get as far away from Scary Little Girl as I could.

Her comment disturbed me so much that I couldn’t watch Captain America. I spent the entire movie wishing for it to be over so I could hurry up and leave. I didn’t want to sit next to Scary Little Girl for one more minute. I sat in the dark theater staring at her from the corner of my eye and wondering at what age she would kill her family in their sleep.

As soon as the credits rolled, I was up and out of my seat. Once outside, I told my Sweetie what came out of Scary Little Girl’s mouth. He was more generous than me and gave her the benefit of the doubt. He figures that she must have repeated something she overheard. But if that was the case, why didn’t her father correct her? Also, why did I feel so darn uncomfortable sitting next to her for two hours and I still can’t shake the feeling?

Time with G-Man

2011-07-21T11:12:00.002-04:00

My boys are alike in many ways. They both have big, kind, generous hearts. They both have the silly, odd, dry sense of humor that’s so well appreciated in our family. They are both really, really smart. Yes, while Mr. A is freakishly smart, G-man isn’t any slouch and can hold his own in an honors class.

My boys are also different in many ways because life would be boring if they were exactly the same, right? G-Man has great hand-eye coordination and plays golf. Mr. A… not so much and that’s why he’s a swimmer like me. Mr. A is outgoing and has never met a stranger. G-Man is shy. Mr. a will talk your ear off. G-Man is reserved.

I’m not sure if G-Man is shy and reserved because he’s the younger brother to such a gregarious sibling or if it’s just in his programming. You know, the whole Nature vs. Nurture debate. It doesn’t matter. Either way, I love G-Man just the way he is and I’ve been looking forward to one-on-one time with him.

Last night My Sweetie had a VFW meeting so G-Man and I had some wonderful one-on-one time. We had “date night” and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I made it home from work in record time, took a quick shower, and we went to Pei Wei for dinner. I couldn’t finish all of my Lo Mein. I was sad to leave the uneaten portion. Those noodles are soooo good. But I didn’t want to risk leaving them in the car for two hours in the 95° heat.

After dinner we went next door to the candy store. Every town should have a candy store like this one where you can find all sorts of nostalgic items from your childhood to bulk candy of any kind. Surprisingly, the interior of the store has a lovely scent to it. With all the candy you would think that it would be overly sweet but it’s not. G-Man selected Silly Bananas* (from the Runts family) and I picked up a pack of Choward’s Violet mints.

We saw Harry Potter 7, Part 2 last night. It was a tiny bit sad go to the final Harry Potter movie without Mr. A. The three of us have seen all of the movies together ever since the very first one. None of us will ever forget the first movie either because there was a fire alarm at the movie theater during the library scene.

While G-Man and I waited for the movie to start, I leaned over and told him, “We may not be all that chatty but I still enjoy spending time with you.” Believe it or not, I actually got a smile.

We both really liked the movie. There were parts of the story that I completely didn’t remember. Then I realized that I read the book the week before my back surgery and the brain termites have done a number on my memory.

There was about a 20-miute stretch of the movie in which I had tears streaming down my cheeks. The women next to me were all fumbling in their purses for Kleenex because they had used up all of their napkins. I happened to notice some movement out of the corner of my watering eye during the scene in the Forbidden Forest when Harry is talking to the ghosts of his parents, Sirius, and Remus. G-Man discretely wiped some tears from his eyes and sniffled after Lily Potter told Harry that they’ve always been with him… in his heart.

Oh boy, did my heart swell when I saw my youngest son’s reaction. I told you that he has a big, kind, generous heart… and apparently, a mushy one too.

*Did you know that artificial banana flavoring is one of the easiest flavorings to create? Also, the cream filling in Twinkies used to be banana-flavored up until WWII. The flavoring was omitted due to war shortages.

Randomness

2011-07-18T16:00:00.002-04:00

Great news! This morning I put on a pair of pants that haven’t fit me since last summer. Yeah! I haven’t stepped on a scale in a couple of months but my clothes tell me that I’m back down to my weight when I started taking that evil Seroquel a year ago.

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I’m still extremely fatigued. Running two or three errands on the weekend wipes me out and I spend the afternoon napping. I’ll be so glad when this bout of Epstein Barr passes and I can back to working out. Maybe then I’ll be able to fit into some more clothes that I have stashed away in the back of the closet.

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While running errands this weekend I kept my eyes open for new stationery. I am a self-professed stationery addict. I have quite a collection at home. This summer I’ve been flying through my stash because snail mail is the primary form of communication with Mr. A (no email, no texting, and only 3 phone calls). Well, I obviously won’t send him “thank you” notes and I’m trying to avoid anything too flowery or pink. So I’m always on the hunt for new stationery.

Saturday evening I told my Sweetie that in my opinion good quality stationery (at a reasonable price) is hard to find. He looked at me and said, “You do realize that all those notes are going to end up in the recycling bin, right?” He tried to backpedal when I shot him an icy look.

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I’m currently reading The Passage by Justin Cronin for my own personal enjoyment. I picked it up at Target because one of the reviews on the back cover stated that it was like a cross between The Stand and The Road. Cool. I really enjoyed both of those books even though the Lincoln Tunnel scene in The Stand scared the pants off me.

The Passage is a good read and I have a hard time putting it down. However, I can’t help but laugh as I read it because the author borrows from just about every post-apocalyptic story out there. The novel is mostly similar to The Stand starting with the military biological experiment and continues with long journeys, prophets, bizarre communal dreams, and the overall battle of good vs. evil. The infected creatures are similar to those in I Am Legend. The Colony, a small community of survivors is reminiscent of City of Ember. A little over halfway through the book, the main characters stumble into a situation that’s similar to the Morlocks and the Eloi relationship in H. G. Wells’ Time Machine. There’s also a scene at ‘The Ring’ which reminded me of ‘Carrousel’ in Logan’s Run.

All in all I really like the book. I should be able to finish it tonight. Of course, I just discovered that a sequel is coming out next year.

Um… Now What?

2011-07-14T14:53:00.006-04:00

I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself.

Essentially for the past two years I have exerted a tremendous, TREMENDOUS amount of emotional energy battling PTSD. A battle I’m glad to report that’s nearly over. Oh yea, and I’m going to win.

Under the guidance of a psychiatrist, during the past four months I have gradually weaned off all the medications I had been taking for Major Depressive Disorder. Medications that weren’t appropriate for PTSD. Now I’m only taking the minimum therapeutic dose of an SSRI while my doctor and I wait for my system to finish stabilizing.

During this time of medication step-down, I also happened to experience a major life change. That’s the one in which we took Mr. A to the Academy, he swore an oath to the US Navy, and the rest of us drove home without him. Oh, and I made it through that with flying colors too.

While we’re talking about emotional energy, the whole USNA application process required a boatload. Yes, Mr. A did all of the hard work. By. Himself. But that process pretty much enveloped the entire family as we provided emotional support. The application process for ANY university that G-Man decides to attend will be a snap in comparison.

So, now as I adjust to this new stage of my life, I’m not quite sure what to focus all of my energy on.

Yes, there’s still plenty of activity happening in our family of three. G-Man still has three more years of high school that I have to endure. (Did I say that out loud?) In the near future there will be driving lessons, golf lessons, sports physicals, back-to-school shopping, and golf team try outs.

However, if I were to expend the same volume of sheer energy on my guys that I spent these past two years, then I would turn into one of those neurotic, helicopter parents and both S and G-Man would leave home. They’d probably take the dog with them too.

I’ve got to figure out what to do with myself. I’m so flabbergasted by the prospect that I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even know what to think.

Suggestions? Anyone? Please!

Life with Boys: Getting a straight answer

2011-07-12T13:54:00.002-04:00

The other day I thought a snack of salami and cheese would be rather tasty so I went to the frig. After a moment of rooting around in the lunch meat drawer, I couldn’t find the package of salami. I collectively asked My Sweetie and G-Man.

Me: Don’t we have salami?

G-Man: Yes.
S: Yes.

Me: Where is the salami?

G-Man: I dunno.
S: In the frig.

Me: I can’t find it. Did you eat it all?

G-Man: Nope.
S: Not ALL of it.

Me: (to G-Man) Did YOU eat the last of the salami and throw away the empty package?

G-Man: No.

Me: (to S) Did YOU eat the last of the salami and throw away the empty package?

S: Yes, I finished it yesterday.

Me: UGH! Why didn’t you say that in the first place??

Weekend Awesomeness

2011-07-11T12:31:00.001-04:00

My goal for the weekend was to rest up as much as possible. The Epstein Barr virus flare up is extremely fatiguing but I want to be able to manage it better this time. To give you an idea what it feels like imagine the moment you realize that you’re coming down with the flu. You have a headache, sore throat, achy joints, muscle aches, and fatigue. Now imagine feeling like that for 6-8 weeks. The worst part is the feeling that someone has taken a cheese grater to my muscles.

Anyway, my weekend started off fabulous and early when I met two friends for lunch on Friday. We try to get together once a month to catch up face-to-face. Next month, our plans are for dinner and the movie, The Help.

After work on Friday, I picked up the mail and we had our first letter from Mr. A. We could tell he wrote it in a rush and he essentially reported that he was alive and the white uniforms were impossible to keep clean.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to the spa. Because really, why else would I willingly get up early on a Saturday? I believe I got the best deep tissue massage EVER! The massage therapist worked out all the remaining stubborn knots leftover from our road trip. Even with the extreme fatigue my body began to feel better. Well, at least as best as it could. Then I got a much needed hair cut and I walked out of the salon looking gorgeous.

I didn’t have any plans for the rest of the weekend until Mr. A’s first scheduled phone call home on Sunday afternoon. My Sweetie and G-Man went to the driving range and did yard work while I took naps on Saturday and Sunday. I also ran a few too many errands on Sunday and wiped myself out.

But by far and away, the highlight of the weekend was Mr. A’s phone call. As soon as I heard his voice, I knew that he was doing great. S, G-Man, and I all got on the extensions and listened to A talk for a solid 20 minutes. His first comment was that he has done more stuff in the past 10 days than he had in the past year.

He really enjoys attending the lectures they have every day. He also really likes drill (parade). The food isn’t as good as what we cook at home but blue cheese dressing can make just about anything taste good. He validated out of English I, Calculus I, and Chemistry I. So in the fall he will be in a class or two with upperclassmen. That makes him a little nervous. He’s doing summer rowing (crew) and might try out for the team in the fall. He did hurt his knee one morning during PEP (Plebe Exercise/Extermination Program) and is now doing physical therapy instead. His roommates are from Las Vegas and Ashville, NC but I can’t remember their names now. The detailer for his squad is a female who wants to be a Marine. He said that she’s really firm but acts like she’s everyone’s mother. A Marine with a maternal instinct, hmmm?

Overall, Mr. A sounded excited. I’m so very proud of my kid. He amazes me and I can’t put it into words. This morning I realized that during the 20 minutes of non-stop talking he didn’t complain once. Sure the food isn’t always great and some of the detailers are cranky but he just accepts that as a matter of course.

To wrap up our awesome weekend, our little family of three went out for ice cream to celebrate the anniversary of my back surgery.

Three Years!

2011-07-10T13:30:00.002-04:00

Today marks the three-year anniversary of my spinal fusion surgery. Since I started Pines Lake Redhead a few weeks before my surgery as a way to chronicle the process, this is also my unofficial Blogiversary.

So much has happened in the past three years. The most noticeable is that I no longer have the back pain I endured for 16 years. That in itself is a beautiful thing. Physically and mentally I feel so much better than I did three years ago. Life is wonderful.

But the unexpected bonus of this blogging gig is the community that has enveloped me. I have found love, support, humor, understanding, and friendship. I have made friends near and far. Blogosphere friends and real life friends.

I have since removed the majority of the medical information from my blog. But here are a few posts that sum up my surgery (that included the XLIF procedure).

Titanium Anniversary
XLIF One Year Post-Op
One Year

I-Day Recap

2011-07-08T16:30:00.013-04:00

Induction Day was over a week ago. I-Day was a long day. I’ve wanted to write about it but I haven’t trusted myself to not cry while doing it. Well, here it goes.

Mr. A was nervous the night before. He doesn’t get nervous very easily so he wasn’t familiar with the sensation. We dragged him to an Irish pub for dinner and he was able to eat a cold salmon and cheese plate. I’m not sure if he got any sleep that night.

The next morning we were up early and headed for the Yard. It was a two-mile walk from the hotel to the main gate and then to Alumni Hall where all of the appointees reported. We stopped on the way for a quick breakfast. By this point, Mr. A’s nerves had rubbed off on me. I didn’t want to eat either but made myself. I think even A managed a few bites of an egg sandwich.

It was still early and we had plenty of time so we took our time walking. We stopped for Colors.

Once at Alumni Hall we waited for the detailers to call Mr. A’s report time. The 8:30am report time was called 15 minutes early… as usual. We hugged, we said our “I love you’s,” and we said good-bye. Mr. A got in line with his shipmates and walked away.

Watching him walk away was so very hard. Even though I knew that I would see him that evening, I felt like we had come to the end of an era in our lives but we hadn’t started the next one yet. Looking back, I can see that the time between dropping Mr. A off and the Oath Ceremony was like a sort of limbo.

I silently cried as we crossed Stribling Walk and headed to the Midshipmen Store. We bought a few more souvenirs and by the time we checked out, I stopped my crying. I decided that I need to talk to my Mom. Of course, I started crying again while on the phone.

But then we noticed the detailers rushing some of the Plebes (that reported earlier in the day) off a bus and into the back of Bancroft Hall. We stayed for a few minutes and watched the detailers haul the Plebes’ gear to the upper deck and some of the Plebes studying their Reef Points manuals and learning how to “cover” and “uncover.”

Watching all of that actually made me relax and smile. Some helicopter parents stood there ALL DAY waiting for a glimpse of their son or daughter. Other parents grabbed seats for the 5:30pm Oath Ceremony at 8am and sat in the full sun ALL DAY.

Not the PLRH family! We saw a few more sights on the Yard, ate lunch, and walked back to the hotel for a nap.

In the afternoon, we walked back to Alumni Hall for the Parents’ Briefing that didn’t include any of the ridiculous advice from the neurotic parents’ club members. After the presentation we strolled back to Stribling Walk and claimed a spot on the lawn underneath the shade trees. It was wonderful to sit in the grass and not have to worry about fire ants. G-Man and I both napped on the quilt we brought with us.

When the Oath Ceremony started there was such a crush of people that we couldn’t see a thing. My Sweetie grabbed the camera and tried to maneuver around to get some snaps. That’s when G-Man and I had the best conversation of the day:

Mom, do you want to try and get closer?

No, it’s ok. They all look the same anyway. As long as I can hear the Oath and say good-bye to A afterwards, I’ll be happy.

Well, if they all look the same, can’t we just grab the first one we see, say good-bye, and leave?

By sheer luck, Mr. A happened to be in the first row for the ceremony and we found photos and video of him on the USNA Facebook site taking the Oath.

After the ceremony, the Plebes were dismissed and we had about 30 minutes to spend with Mr. A. My first impression of him when I saw him with the shaved head, government issued glasses, and the over-sized jumper was that he looked like he did when he was in kindergarten. (No, I never dressed him in a sailor suit!)

Midshipmen aren't allowed to wear their contacts during Plebe Summer and are issued BCGs - Birth Control Glasses - so called because he'll never get a date while wearing them!

Mr. A was tired but I could tell by the tone in his voice and the look in his face that he was perfectly fine. He was in his element. All of my worry evaporated. I knew that this new phase of his life would be challenging but that he was definitely ready for it. I didn’t even need to talk to him. I just sat and listened while he called his grandparents, his girlfriend, and then described his day to us.

When it was time to say good-bye, we all hugged A. My Sweetie choked up. G-Man with all of his complaining that day even choked up when he hugged his big brother. My eyes welled with tears but this time from love and pride. Mr. A gave me an extra kiss on my forehead, said Adios, and walked back to his Company.

Then our family of three gathered our things and walked (I hobbled) back to town. We stopped at the very first restaurant we came to and had and excellent dinner. We toasted Mr. A and the Class of 2015.