I contemplate playing a "flight's been cancelled" April fools joke on Melissa, so, thankfully I pretend to check our flight status and I discover that the correct departure time is 1:05p not 10:50a. I hold off on that prank, but a plan begins to formulate in my mind. We discuss ways of getting to the airport, besides Jen taking us, and opt to stay with the original plan.
Have I mentioned that I love Midway in Chicago...it is just so doable. We have a big breakfast at Harry Carey's, do a little airport shopping, find our gate, and begin the wait. I could people watch all day, so it doesn't seem long until they're calling our seat row. After getting situated I begin watch the guy in front of me pull the headrest towards his head and miraculously it stays put. I try mine. Instant pillow. I quickly flashback to my nine hour head jerking trip to Paris and wonder if all modern planes have this luxury.
Sleep does not come easy because of Mary and Melissa's constant chatter about 6 full days of beach and sun. My plan to April fool her starts to take a nasty turn. Now to set up the joke fully, I must describe the characters that will play the parts. I'll start with grandpa and grandma. They like to do things certain ways and who can blame them? They have just entertained my brother's family of 5 for a week and we heard nothing but exciting stories including a day trip to Disney. Then they traveled back to Orlando to pick up my sister-in-law and niece so they could spend 3 days while waiting for their cruise ship to sail.
Let me see, we each had a suitcase and a carry-on, and I never did get a final suitcase count from the other relatives, but I say all that to say this...it's ok to say, shoes go here...makeup goes on the left of the bathroom sink...we'll take your suggestions into consideration but we'll pick the restaurant. AND sleeping arrangements have been predetermined. Long story short, I'm a little worried about Melissa getting to the beach EVERY day, because I want to meld my schedule into theirs. Foremost in my mind is April 1st, as I start my sermon to Melissa that consideration and respect to Gram and Grandpa might mean using the trailer park pool instead of the beach!!!
She understands the consideration part but she's having nothing to do with the pool vs. the beach. After touch down in St. Pete/Clearwater, we head to Bradenton via the Sunshine Bridge, and past the Pittsburgh Pirates spring training ballpark where Grandpa belted out the national anthem a few short days ago.
We eat supper and catch up with Ardy, and then I pull Gram aside to give her the game plan. She doesn't want to comply, at first, but when I tell her Melissa has fooled Mark and I every year since she was about 5, she jumps on board. Gram starts in with everyone on the "rules" of the trailer, then she talks about how tired she and grandpa are this year and that the pool is just going to have to do.
It almost sounds like we're not going to the beach at all. Melissa's face starts to turn a pallid shade of white. Then grandpa jumps in and says this is just the way it's going to be and that the pool is going to be good enough. Melissa is now looking somewhat horror stricken. Aunt Ardy takes the side of the pool and says how you don't get all sandy and that the water temp is set on about 98.6 degrees.
Finally Melissa sheepishly starts to ask for at least one day at the beach and we can't hold out any longer...April Fools. I finally got her good and it's close to midnight, by now, so I don't have to worry about any repercussions. It's good to be me and in Florida.
4/1/04
3/28/04
Vacations Clear Your Mind
You can't turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again. ~ Bonnie Prudden
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I fear I have become addicted to nice weather. I moved from my insanely boring halls at the high school to outdoor walking. I will not go back there until I'm forced to in the winter.
Another quiet weekend slowly creeps into history. It's hard not to wish away the days until my Florida trip. Let me tell you a bit about Bradenton and the adventurous vacation that awaits myself, Melissa and Mary. I won't be able to post to this journal and I would hate to have you miss any of the excitement.
Wednesday night after Mary's softball game and coffee house auditions we will throw our shorts, t-shirts, and swim suits into the jeep and head to Chicago. Ben or Jennifer will drive us to Midway, so as not to have to pay for a week of parking, and we'll be off at around 11:00am Thursday.
Then the party gets started. We'll go to this little known beach on Anna Maria Island every day with our sunscreen, books, and cooler lunch. The evenings are reserved for shuffleboard with the locals and midnight swims in the trailer park pool. Grandpa and Gram will insist on endless games of Shang-hi, Mexican Train, and Golf (a card game not real golf). When we tire of luck-based games, we'll attempt to beat gram in scrabble.
If the weather does not cooperate we'll head to a huge flea market called the Red Barn, where the must-have is a bag of sugar popcorn. My daily walk consists of a few hundred times around the complex and I will lap the three-wheelers at least twice. Ohhhh the thrills and excitement of spring break. By now, the slow green fingers of jealousy must be already reaching your neck and chocking you with envy so I will sign off to pack.
See ya on the flip flop side.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I fear I have become addicted to nice weather. I moved from my insanely boring halls at the high school to outdoor walking. I will not go back there until I'm forced to in the winter.
Another quiet weekend slowly creeps into history. It's hard not to wish away the days until my Florida trip. Let me tell you a bit about Bradenton and the adventurous vacation that awaits myself, Melissa and Mary. I won't be able to post to this journal and I would hate to have you miss any of the excitement.
Wednesday night after Mary's softball game and coffee house auditions we will throw our shorts, t-shirts, and swim suits into the jeep and head to Chicago. Ben or Jennifer will drive us to Midway, so as not to have to pay for a week of parking, and we'll be off at around 11:00am Thursday.
Then the party gets started. We'll go to this little known beach on Anna Maria Island every day with our sunscreen, books, and cooler lunch. The evenings are reserved for shuffleboard with the locals and midnight swims in the trailer park pool. Grandpa and Gram will insist on endless games of Shang-hi, Mexican Train, and Golf (a card game not real golf). When we tire of luck-based games, we'll attempt to beat gram in scrabble.
If the weather does not cooperate we'll head to a huge flea market called the Red Barn, where the must-have is a bag of sugar popcorn. My daily walk consists of a few hundred times around the complex and I will lap the three-wheelers at least twice. Ohhhh the thrills and excitement of spring break. By now, the slow green fingers of jealousy must be already reaching your neck and chocking you with envy so I will sign off to pack.
See ya on the flip flop side.
3/25/04
Up From The Catacombs
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...or something like that.
Before I relay my itinerary for the past week, I must first give my unbiased, mom-style, ostentatious, review of Melissa's performance in Cinderella.
Proud!
And a little confused. I don't know where she got the truckload of talent to pull this character off, but she absolutely turned into Portia Krelman (Cinderella's stepsister) at every performance. Come to think of it, she is Portia Krelman. Portia actually thought the prince would fall for her in all her “glory".
She (Portia), lived her life in the moment without much regard for what other people thought. She knew nothing of peer pressure and the tension of living up to her high-strung mother's aspirations. Who would want to marry a stupid stuffy prince anyway? Especially one that went for just another pretty face and based his everlasting love on whether or not a shoe would fit his wife to be. Ha! Portia Krelman and the prince...that'll be the day.
Back to Melissa...like I said, I couldn't have been prouder. This show was an arduous and formidable task that she tackled head on. When she looks back on her MSHS years, besides her friendships, this WILL be the highlight. And even though the shoe didn't fit, she unequivocally broke her leg.
Are you wondering why I titled this post, Up From The Catacombs? I have quarantined myself in the basement all week. I don't know how a family can collect so much stuff that their basement could actually be declared a disaster area. It's gone now. Don’t worry kids, it's not gone per-say, but it's organized and packed away. If you want it, you must pick it up before Melissa graduates from college.
I still don't know why anyone would want to keep a life size poster cutout of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Sometimes you just have to let it go.
Before I relay my itinerary for the past week, I must first give my unbiased, mom-style, ostentatious, review of Melissa's performance in Cinderella.
Proud!
And a little confused. I don't know where she got the truckload of talent to pull this character off, but she absolutely turned into Portia Krelman (Cinderella's stepsister) at every performance. Come to think of it, she is Portia Krelman. Portia actually thought the prince would fall for her in all her “glory".
She (Portia), lived her life in the moment without much regard for what other people thought. She knew nothing of peer pressure and the tension of living up to her high-strung mother's aspirations. Who would want to marry a stupid stuffy prince anyway? Especially one that went for just another pretty face and based his everlasting love on whether or not a shoe would fit his wife to be. Ha! Portia Krelman and the prince...that'll be the day.
Back to Melissa...like I said, I couldn't have been prouder. This show was an arduous and formidable task that she tackled head on. When she looks back on her MSHS years, besides her friendships, this WILL be the highlight. And even though the shoe didn't fit, she unequivocally broke her leg.
Are you wondering why I titled this post, Up From The Catacombs? I have quarantined myself in the basement all week. I don't know how a family can collect so much stuff that their basement could actually be declared a disaster area. It's gone now. Don’t worry kids, it's not gone per-say, but it's organized and packed away. If you want it, you must pick it up before Melissa graduates from college.
I still don't know why anyone would want to keep a life size poster cutout of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Sometimes you just have to let it go.
3/21/04
And They Lived Happily Ever After
The reviews are in!!
I am totally amazed and blown away by the efforts and outcome of this small town high school production. What more can I do than toot my own horn here? It's better that, than swaggling any one else's horn.
After auditions back in October, an army of VOLUNTEER kids, parents, choir teacher and wife, accompanist, costume lady, set construction crew, stage manager, choir secretary, orchestra members, and many more too numerous to mention set out to pull this production together!
And what an astounding, awesome, spectacular, phenomenal, fabulous, extraordinary show it was. Ok, yes, I used my thesaurus for some of those adjectives. It is incredible to me that this type of accomplishment can be reached by high school students.
In my book, these exceptional results can only be obtained by having one supernatural director. She brought this show to life and breathed an attitude of camaraderie, family, and unity into these 40 students and created in them a sense of accomplishment and achievement they will remember the rest of their lives. I am truly thankful that Melissa got to be a part of all this.
And my warmest thanks to those of you that came to support her: Ben, Jennifer, Paul and Teresa, Jake, Christy, Jessica, Sue, Amanda, and Melissa, Kate, Mark, and Meg, Beth, Anne, Kathleen, and all the 2003 Allegro alumni!
Thanks again. I am, of course, working on a slide show that I will post to the web site soon. And to Molly....I don't think you'll ever know just how much inspiration you have given these kids, but then again, impossible things are happening every day. God bless.
I am totally amazed and blown away by the efforts and outcome of this small town high school production. What more can I do than toot my own horn here? It's better that, than swaggling any one else's horn.
After auditions back in October, an army of VOLUNTEER kids, parents, choir teacher and wife, accompanist, costume lady, set construction crew, stage manager, choir secretary, orchestra members, and many more too numerous to mention set out to pull this production together!
And what an astounding, awesome, spectacular, phenomenal, fabulous, extraordinary show it was. Ok, yes, I used my thesaurus for some of those adjectives. It is incredible to me that this type of accomplishment can be reached by high school students.
In my book, these exceptional results can only be obtained by having one supernatural director. She brought this show to life and breathed an attitude of camaraderie, family, and unity into these 40 students and created in them a sense of accomplishment and achievement they will remember the rest of their lives. I am truly thankful that Melissa got to be a part of all this.
And my warmest thanks to those of you that came to support her: Ben, Jennifer, Paul and Teresa, Jake, Christy, Jessica, Sue, Amanda, and Melissa, Kate, Mark, and Meg, Beth, Anne, Kathleen, and all the 2003 Allegro alumni!
Thanks again. I am, of course, working on a slide show that I will post to the web site soon. And to Molly....I don't think you'll ever know just how much inspiration you have given these kids, but then again, impossible things are happening every day. God bless.
3/13/04
Unemployed Lament
The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time ~ Bertrand Russel
At the risk of repeating myself every month...March is now flying by. Is this happening to anyone else, or is it just me.
My first full week of unemployment was somewhat disconcerting. I shouldn't be so hard on myself...I cannot write a novel in a week. What's wrong with me? I have had, what I will call a withdrawal headache, for most of the week.
I can accept that as a sign of stress. Good stress and bad stress must affect you physical body the same way. Just let me believe that for the time being. I sure as heck haven't missed the job.
Other members of the household, who shall remain nameless, have decided that I can now fry the bacon up in a pan, again. I feel like the majority of the week was spent on the couch or on the Cinderella set.
I have reacquainted myself with Regis, Kelly, Oprah, and Dr Phil. Love those guys, but there will come a day when I will be bored again with their endless banter. Not to say that some of it is not worthwhile, but I know all that already. I did pull my "writing" up out of the catacombs of Appleworks and reread all I had written so far. It lit a spark in me to delve into it again...and if felt right.
The dog has been on a literal crapfest all week and fortunately, for her sake, is winding down. I am "doing" one room a day from now until Cinderella opens. I started with Jennifer's upstairs room, since Mary is moving in with us for the week. (They sold their house and are living in Spring Lake, so she doesn't want to commute during the show).
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Tivo. I can watch my favorites...American Idol, Survivor, West Wing, and American Dreams on Saturday in about half the time. Thanks again, kids! Looking forward to having the whole family together again for the Saturday night dinner show. Break a leg, Melissa!
Out. *****put bios in here
At the risk of repeating myself every month...March is now flying by. Is this happening to anyone else, or is it just me.
My first full week of unemployment was somewhat disconcerting. I shouldn't be so hard on myself...I cannot write a novel in a week. What's wrong with me? I have had, what I will call a withdrawal headache, for most of the week.
I can accept that as a sign of stress. Good stress and bad stress must affect you physical body the same way. Just let me believe that for the time being. I sure as heck haven't missed the job.
Other members of the household, who shall remain nameless, have decided that I can now fry the bacon up in a pan, again. I feel like the majority of the week was spent on the couch or on the Cinderella set.
I have reacquainted myself with Regis, Kelly, Oprah, and Dr Phil. Love those guys, but there will come a day when I will be bored again with their endless banter. Not to say that some of it is not worthwhile, but I know all that already. I did pull my "writing" up out of the catacombs of Appleworks and reread all I had written so far. It lit a spark in me to delve into it again...and if felt right.
The dog has been on a literal crapfest all week and fortunately, for her sake, is winding down. I am "doing" one room a day from now until Cinderella opens. I started with Jennifer's upstairs room, since Mary is moving in with us for the week. (They sold their house and are living in Spring Lake, so she doesn't want to commute during the show).
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Tivo. I can watch my favorites...American Idol, Survivor, West Wing, and American Dreams on Saturday in about half the time. Thanks again, kids! Looking forward to having the whole family together again for the Saturday night dinner show. Break a leg, Melissa!
Out. *****put bios in here
3/8/04
I Roam From Town To Town
Memories and important yesterdays, were once todays. Treasure and notice today. ~ Oscar Levent
I went in to work for a couple of hours to wrap up lose ends. Before I left I started some Swiss steak in the crock-pot. As I came in the door around noon the aroma was already decadent. Add to that, fresh green beans, cheesy potatoes, applesauce, and Hudsonville Moose Tracks Ice Cream for desert.
Did a little Internet surfing. Starting this September or next I would like to vacation for a month at a time. Mark wants to start by going out west. It sounds good to me...nature, mountains, and the Grand Canyon. My next choice would be New York.
My Internet surfing keeps taking me to foreign cities. In my favorites is a site that I got from goggling “quaint furnished Parisian apartments.” Using that as our base we would then see the lay of the land on exotic rail excursions, of course. My favorites in no particular order would be ~ London, England ~ Vienna, Austria ~ Rome, Venice, and Florence, Italy ~ Paris, France ~ and anywhere in Germany, Switzerland, and Australia. Let's see that takes us to 2012. And of course I'd like to be a gourmet chef and learn to ballroom dance.
My mind is racing with all this free time. Funny story....Melissa and Mary were trying to get the hood of Mary's car open to put in windshield wiper fluid at the high school parking lot. Their choir teacher and accompanist came out just as they were fiddling with the latch. Mr. Lawton's comment, "how many alto's does it take to raise the hood of a car?"
Then Melissa and I watched the making of "The Passion." Mel Gibson is my new hero. Mark has always known that if we were to play "The Newlywed Game" and he was asked to name my favorite male movie star, unequivocally the answer was to be Tom Hanks. I'm rethinking that one.
Read a little more in my new book; A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. It's Haven's memoirs about growing up in the 60's and 70's in Mooreland, Indiana. She thinks heaven is going to be some kind of scratch and sniff smorgasbord. She'll first ask to smell the scent of their family's brand new teardrop shaped camper. Then she'll ask for her Grandpa's universal pick-up truck smell. And then a combination of Old Spice and unfiltered Lucky Strikes. The best she'll save for last, unleaded gasoline. She states that if she could have gotten her nose close enough to the nozzle at the corner service station (that's a gas station for those of you that didn't know) she would have sniffed unleaded gasoline until she was retarded. Some things just strike me funny. It's a great read. Maybe it's just because I'm from a smaller town in Indiana than Mooreland.
Dinner over and cleaned up. No more dishes in the sink for me. It was a good Monday.
I went in to work for a couple of hours to wrap up lose ends. Before I left I started some Swiss steak in the crock-pot. As I came in the door around noon the aroma was already decadent. Add to that, fresh green beans, cheesy potatoes, applesauce, and Hudsonville Moose Tracks Ice Cream for desert.
Did a little Internet surfing. Starting this September or next I would like to vacation for a month at a time. Mark wants to start by going out west. It sounds good to me...nature, mountains, and the Grand Canyon. My next choice would be New York.
My Internet surfing keeps taking me to foreign cities. In my favorites is a site that I got from goggling “quaint furnished Parisian apartments.” Using that as our base we would then see the lay of the land on exotic rail excursions, of course. My favorites in no particular order would be ~ London, England ~ Vienna, Austria ~ Rome, Venice, and Florence, Italy ~ Paris, France ~ and anywhere in Germany, Switzerland, and Australia. Let's see that takes us to 2012. And of course I'd like to be a gourmet chef and learn to ballroom dance.
My mind is racing with all this free time. Funny story....Melissa and Mary were trying to get the hood of Mary's car open to put in windshield wiper fluid at the high school parking lot. Their choir teacher and accompanist came out just as they were fiddling with the latch. Mr. Lawton's comment, "how many alto's does it take to raise the hood of a car?"
Then Melissa and I watched the making of "The Passion." Mel Gibson is my new hero. Mark has always known that if we were to play "The Newlywed Game" and he was asked to name my favorite male movie star, unequivocally the answer was to be Tom Hanks. I'm rethinking that one.
Read a little more in my new book; A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. It's Haven's memoirs about growing up in the 60's and 70's in Mooreland, Indiana. She thinks heaven is going to be some kind of scratch and sniff smorgasbord. She'll first ask to smell the scent of their family's brand new teardrop shaped camper. Then she'll ask for her Grandpa's universal pick-up truck smell. And then a combination of Old Spice and unfiltered Lucky Strikes. The best she'll save for last, unleaded gasoline. She states that if she could have gotten her nose close enough to the nozzle at the corner service station (that's a gas station for those of you that didn't know) she would have sniffed unleaded gasoline until she was retarded. Some things just strike me funny. It's a great read. Maybe it's just because I'm from a smaller town in Indiana than Mooreland.
Dinner over and cleaned up. No more dishes in the sink for me. It was a good Monday.
3/7/04
It's A Dog's Life
There is no motivational quote today. Period.
12pm - 5:30 Saturday: Set construction. C'mon why can't the coachmen just walk along side the dang pumpkin?
5:30pm Saturday: The news spreads like wild fire. All 5 choirs receive a #1 rating at district festival
5:35pm Saturday: Dog sh*** in our den.
5:40pm Saturday: Suddenly our Burger King take out doesn't sound that appetizing anymore
9:50pm Saturday: Mark walks dog and she does her regular business
1:30am Sunday: Unbeknownst to us dog sh*** again in den.
1:35am Sunday: Melissa and Mary try to sneak in without waking us, unfortunately Mary steps in sh**
2:00am Sunday: Everyone asleep.
Somewhere between the hours of
2 & 8am Sunday: Dog sh*** and pees in den.
8:30am Sunday: Mary leaves and to avoid stepping in sh** plods through the pee.
3:00pm Sunday: Mark and I enjoy Melissa's excellent festival concert at the lovely MSHS auditorium
4:30pm Sunday: We stop at D & W to do the weekly grocery shopping
4:45pm Sunday: Dog sh*** by back door and all four of our shoes manage to find it while unloading groceries
9:00am Monday: I call Pat Nolan, he can't get my dog back, but he can help me get some of my life back.
12pm - 5:30 Saturday: Set construction. C'mon why can't the coachmen just walk along side the dang pumpkin?
5:30pm Saturday: The news spreads like wild fire. All 5 choirs receive a #1 rating at district festival
5:35pm Saturday: Dog sh*** in our den.
5:40pm Saturday: Suddenly our Burger King take out doesn't sound that appetizing anymore
9:50pm Saturday: Mark walks dog and she does her regular business
1:30am Sunday: Unbeknownst to us dog sh*** again in den.
1:35am Sunday: Melissa and Mary try to sneak in without waking us, unfortunately Mary steps in sh**
2:00am Sunday: Everyone asleep.
Somewhere between the hours of
2 & 8am Sunday: Dog sh*** and pees in den.
8:30am Sunday: Mary leaves and to avoid stepping in sh** plods through the pee.
3:00pm Sunday: Mark and I enjoy Melissa's excellent festival concert at the lovely MSHS auditorium
4:30pm Sunday: We stop at D & W to do the weekly grocery shopping
4:45pm Sunday: Dog sh*** by back door and all four of our shoes manage to find it while unloading groceries
9:00am Monday: I call Pat Nolan, he can't get my dog back, but he can help me get some of my life back.
3/5/04
Another One Opens
Be absolutely determined to enjoy what you do ~ Sara Kowles Bolton
Follow your heart, believe in yourself, and find a way to earn a living by developing your passion. All phrases I have heard before and determined to do after reading a typical self-help book, or attending a cheerleading-go-for-the-gold-direct-sales convention.
Yesterday, on my lone journey out of the city, I finally listened to the small still voice that has been screaming in my ear, head, and heart for 6 months. And with one phone call, I finally unbuckled the last strap that has been keeping me tied to this cumbersome burden that I call a job.
I quit. That was all. So now I am free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I'm poor at last! What? It was the right thing to do. "Wake-up and smell the coffee," and "Stop and smell the roses." have whole new meaning now. I can't wait to see what lies ahead. I will keep you posted because, I CAN!
Follow your heart, believe in yourself, and find a way to earn a living by developing your passion. All phrases I have heard before and determined to do after reading a typical self-help book, or attending a cheerleading-go-for-the-gold-direct-sales convention.
Yesterday, on my lone journey out of the city, I finally listened to the small still voice that has been screaming in my ear, head, and heart for 6 months. And with one phone call, I finally unbuckled the last strap that has been keeping me tied to this cumbersome burden that I call a job.
I quit. That was all. So now I am free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I'm poor at last! What? It was the right thing to do. "Wake-up and smell the coffee," and "Stop and smell the roses." have whole new meaning now. I can't wait to see what lies ahead. I will keep you posted because, I CAN!
3/3/04
When One Door Closes
There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in~Deepak Chopra
Happy 21st birthday Jennifer. I actually celebrate 4 birthdays a year. My own. And the celebration on each child's birthday is that it is never going to be their BIRTH - day again.
We both felt a little bittersweet as we commemorated her big day in downtown Chicago. She has decided that this is the last special b-day. The fun ones are over. Years 1-9 are unique in a childish sense. 10 is that you hit double digits. 12 is kinda your last child b-day. 13; you're a teenager. Of course, there is Sweet 16. 18; and you could actually be on your own, buy a gun. 19 is your last teen-age year.
And then 21! There you are.
You wished and hoped for it and then somehow you don't really want it to commence.
I felt, as I so often have in the last few months, that life is a vapor. It’s hard to believe that 21 years have gone by since the 70-degree day in 1983 when Jennifer Grace came on the scene.
Fast forward to our perfect 3-3-04. We stopped in at Ed's to chat with Bill. It is always good to see Bill because that means that we laughed uncontrollably all through our free lunch.
We collected her 14 rolls of film illustrating her 9 days in Paris. She is really picky when it comes to critiquing photos and at close analysis I feel like she was 99% pleased. We sat at the food court in Nordstrom's to look at all 215 pics and then did very little shopping.
Our next mission included Jen receiving an adult type haircut. She ended up with bangs, which she hasn't had since 7th grade. Let go Jen, you have to let go! So mission accomplished we head to Borders for what we thought would be a browsing session. But Jen has always been a reader. She used to host reading parties where the guests included her friend Beth, and the venue would be on their beds or out on a blanket in the lawn.
We came away with 4 or 5 new books to share. Finally we had the loveliest dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe overlooking Michigan Ave. We thanked ourselves over and over for driving into the city and not having to trudge to the train. When we got back to her apartment we started up a reading party that didn't last very long. The next morning we headed to the Golden Nugget for breakfast with Ben. We chit chatted about Springhill and brainstormed one-liners for Melissa's Cinderella program.
No offense to you Ben, but I think the sweetest words I have ever heard are, "It's a girl."
Happy 21st birthday Jennifer. I actually celebrate 4 birthdays a year. My own. And the celebration on each child's birthday is that it is never going to be their BIRTH - day again.
We both felt a little bittersweet as we commemorated her big day in downtown Chicago. She has decided that this is the last special b-day. The fun ones are over. Years 1-9 are unique in a childish sense. 10 is that you hit double digits. 12 is kinda your last child b-day. 13; you're a teenager. Of course, there is Sweet 16. 18; and you could actually be on your own, buy a gun. 19 is your last teen-age year.
And then 21! There you are.
You wished and hoped for it and then somehow you don't really want it to commence.
I felt, as I so often have in the last few months, that life is a vapor. It’s hard to believe that 21 years have gone by since the 70-degree day in 1983 when Jennifer Grace came on the scene.
Fast forward to our perfect 3-3-04. We stopped in at Ed's to chat with Bill. It is always good to see Bill because that means that we laughed uncontrollably all through our free lunch.
We collected her 14 rolls of film illustrating her 9 days in Paris. She is really picky when it comes to critiquing photos and at close analysis I feel like she was 99% pleased. We sat at the food court in Nordstrom's to look at all 215 pics and then did very little shopping.
Our next mission included Jen receiving an adult type haircut. She ended up with bangs, which she hasn't had since 7th grade. Let go Jen, you have to let go! So mission accomplished we head to Borders for what we thought would be a browsing session. But Jen has always been a reader. She used to host reading parties where the guests included her friend Beth, and the venue would be on their beds or out on a blanket in the lawn.
We came away with 4 or 5 new books to share. Finally we had the loveliest dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe overlooking Michigan Ave. We thanked ourselves over and over for driving into the city and not having to trudge to the train. When we got back to her apartment we started up a reading party that didn't last very long. The next morning we headed to the Golden Nugget for breakfast with Ben. We chit chatted about Springhill and brainstormed one-liners for Melissa's Cinderella program.
No offense to you Ben, but I think the sweetest words I have ever heard are, "It's a girl."
2/28/04
I'm Walkin' On Sunshine
What sunshine is to flowers: smiles are to humanity ~ John Addison
First of all, Joan Rivers should not be on TV in any capacity.
And second of all...... Ahhhhhhhhhh!! My whole attitude has changed with the weather. We traveled to Chicago for about 24 hours. What fun. Ben's Friday night Improv Olympic show proved hilarious and he played to a packed house.
Kept the windows down and the radio up during our Saturday errand run. Around 5pm we dropped Jen at work and got Melissa home in time to see "The Movie" with her friends, but she won’t or can’t talk about it because she said it was beyond words.
I still don't know if I can bring myself to see it. I'm a little worried because, as a believer, I'm somewhat afraid it won't affect me enough. I do not want to come away and stay complacent. I don't know. Sometimes I want to change and become "sold out" and yet I like my life the way it is and who I am right now. Who am I kidding? I don't like quite a few things about myself. I'm self-centered, a procrastinator, AND a gossip. I sit on fences and tell myself the glass is half empty. I let the weather dictate my mood and I don't want to see a movie that will turn my life upside down? The Bible says God could vomit when he sees believers being lukewarm. He'd rather us be hot (sold out) or cold (non believer). I could use a swift kick in the pants. I'll go.
First of all, Joan Rivers should not be on TV in any capacity.
And second of all...... Ahhhhhhhhhh!! My whole attitude has changed with the weather. We traveled to Chicago for about 24 hours. What fun. Ben's Friday night Improv Olympic show proved hilarious and he played to a packed house.
Kept the windows down and the radio up during our Saturday errand run. Around 5pm we dropped Jen at work and got Melissa home in time to see "The Movie" with her friends, but she won’t or can’t talk about it because she said it was beyond words.
I still don't know if I can bring myself to see it. I'm a little worried because, as a believer, I'm somewhat afraid it won't affect me enough. I do not want to come away and stay complacent. I don't know. Sometimes I want to change and become "sold out" and yet I like my life the way it is and who I am right now. Who am I kidding? I don't like quite a few things about myself. I'm self-centered, a procrastinator, AND a gossip. I sit on fences and tell myself the glass is half empty. I let the weather dictate my mood and I don't want to see a movie that will turn my life upside down? The Bible says God could vomit when he sees believers being lukewarm. He'd rather us be hot (sold out) or cold (non believer). I could use a swift kick in the pants. I'll go.
2/26/04
Come Fly With Me
Very little is needed to make a happy life ~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
I swear it is the little things in life that make me the happiest...heading out of town on a Friday night makes me smile.
Cheap airfare is my biggest satisfaction right now.
Breakfast with old friends is forever an upper.
I had to wait on a train for the first time in my life on Pontaluna Road. Trains are bittersweet. Depending upon my mood, their whistle can wash me in melancholy and cause a lonely, desolate state of mind. And yet, it can bring to mind thoughts of home, dreaming in my upstairs dormer and not letting myself dwell on the fact that it was a freight train.
My youthful mind conjured up images of men in top hats eating, drinking, smoking and laughing. Or women in fancy hats going somewhere entertaining or important. Routinely the dream included a teenage girl heading west on a complete unknown adventure. Or returning east because of lost love or heartache.
I will never forget the look on my kid’s faces when they came downstairs the first year we put a train around the Christmas tree trunk.
My absolute favorite thing about Paris was riding the Metro, watching the Parisians, and listening to the street musicians play "Autumn Leaves" on their accordions.
I could go to Disneyworld for the day, pay the admission price, and just ride around on the monorail until closing. Or as Jen called it when she was 3 or 7 "the Meijerail."
I slept in a caboose once at Springhill. I can still remember the dream...I was the 5th sister in Little Women and I was heading west in a respectable hat to teach pioneer children in a one room schoolhouse.
I dream of seeing Europe by rail and on my list of 100 things to do, see, have, or experience before I die is head to New York by train for Christmas.
The List of 100...maybe I'll make that a journal entry soon. At this time in my life I absolutely WILL relish the journey and quit waiting for the destination or even the next stop.
All these thoughts went through my head while waiting for the graffiti covered boxcars to pass by and I could get home to buy my airline tickets for spring break.
Someday, I'll ride the train anywhere and everywhere, but for now I'll settle for a 2 and 1/2 hour plane ride to Florida.
Maybe I'll buy a proper hat for Easter.
I swear it is the little things in life that make me the happiest...heading out of town on a Friday night makes me smile.
Cheap airfare is my biggest satisfaction right now.
Breakfast with old friends is forever an upper.
I had to wait on a train for the first time in my life on Pontaluna Road. Trains are bittersweet. Depending upon my mood, their whistle can wash me in melancholy and cause a lonely, desolate state of mind. And yet, it can bring to mind thoughts of home, dreaming in my upstairs dormer and not letting myself dwell on the fact that it was a freight train.
My youthful mind conjured up images of men in top hats eating, drinking, smoking and laughing. Or women in fancy hats going somewhere entertaining or important. Routinely the dream included a teenage girl heading west on a complete unknown adventure. Or returning east because of lost love or heartache.
I will never forget the look on my kid’s faces when they came downstairs the first year we put a train around the Christmas tree trunk.
My absolute favorite thing about Paris was riding the Metro, watching the Parisians, and listening to the street musicians play "Autumn Leaves" on their accordions.
I could go to Disneyworld for the day, pay the admission price, and just ride around on the monorail until closing. Or as Jen called it when she was 3 or 7 "the Meijerail."
I slept in a caboose once at Springhill. I can still remember the dream...I was the 5th sister in Little Women and I was heading west in a respectable hat to teach pioneer children in a one room schoolhouse.
I dream of seeing Europe by rail and on my list of 100 things to do, see, have, or experience before I die is head to New York by train for Christmas.
The List of 100...maybe I'll make that a journal entry soon. At this time in my life I absolutely WILL relish the journey and quit waiting for the destination or even the next stop.
All these thoughts went through my head while waiting for the graffiti covered boxcars to pass by and I could get home to buy my airline tickets for spring break.
Someday, I'll ride the train anywhere and everywhere, but for now I'll settle for a 2 and 1/2 hour plane ride to Florida.
Maybe I'll buy a proper hat for Easter.
2/19/04
Excitement Mounts
The best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend ~ Cali Rae Turner
My sister, Joy, was here for about 24 hours. It's always inspiring and exhilarating to see her and reminisce uninterrupted.
When our kids were younger we constantly longed for extended lazy afternoons spent together and now that we had one we just sat and talked about our kids. It was heartwarming.
We reached the end of the shabby chic Internet highway. And, as always, discussed ways to be in business together.
Excitement for the weekend: Carryout from the Station on Friday, along with a little surfing for cheap spring break tickets. I forced myself to scrapbook last year's spring break on Saturday, then off to Barnes and Noble with a stop at Brann's Steakhouse. Man I can hardly contain myself.
Helped Melissa with her bio for Cinderella, and discussed the possibilities of her going to Africa this summer. There goes my European vacation but how the heck do you say no to a missions minded kid?
I think I'll head to Chicago this week to attend Ben's film festival and help Jen celebrate her 21st birthday. Ben also has a show at Improv Olympic on Friday night.
Once again my "to do" list grows longer and my motivation to start it grows weaker. I have, in fact, discovered an awesome new 30-day miracle diet and so far I've already lost 8 days.
My sister, Joy, was here for about 24 hours. It's always inspiring and exhilarating to see her and reminisce uninterrupted.
When our kids were younger we constantly longed for extended lazy afternoons spent together and now that we had one we just sat and talked about our kids. It was heartwarming.
We reached the end of the shabby chic Internet highway. And, as always, discussed ways to be in business together.
Excitement for the weekend: Carryout from the Station on Friday, along with a little surfing for cheap spring break tickets. I forced myself to scrapbook last year's spring break on Saturday, then off to Barnes and Noble with a stop at Brann's Steakhouse. Man I can hardly contain myself.
Helped Melissa with her bio for Cinderella, and discussed the possibilities of her going to Africa this summer. There goes my European vacation but how the heck do you say no to a missions minded kid?
I think I'll head to Chicago this week to attend Ben's film festival and help Jen celebrate her 21st birthday. Ben also has a show at Improv Olympic on Friday night.
Once again my "to do" list grows longer and my motivation to start it grows weaker. I have, in fact, discovered an awesome new 30-day miracle diet and so far I've already lost 8 days.
Retirement
We should always be thankful for those who rekindle the inner spirit~ Albert Schweitzer
A colossal burden is melting away. And the crux of the matter is all I have to do is unbuckle a strap and it will fall off and evaporate, completely.
I still believe that I could write a book. I even have the title: “I Could Write A Book.” I have a fiction piece started because I believe I would step on toes if I wrote non-fiction. I just need to prioritize my time, which will be much easier after I unbuckle the strap.
I got a call from my dad this morning. He's home from Florida for a week and he might come up to Michigan for a snowmobile ride. My dad is closer to his 80's than his 70's and he thinks he needs to get a snowmobile ride in every winter. I'll bet my mom is looking forward to a little peace and quiet.
If I had to name the two people that have influenced me the most in life it would be, without a doubt, those two. I could list for days their character traits and they would be the first to mention their personality flaws. But since I write this journal and they don't here are a few reasons why they deserve all the happiness in the world.
They are faithful, loving, caring, concerned, servants, strong, secure, free from doubts and fears, trustworthy, courageous, moral, kind, and have a work ethic that is off the charts. God bless you, both.
A colossal burden is melting away. And the crux of the matter is all I have to do is unbuckle a strap and it will fall off and evaporate, completely.
I still believe that I could write a book. I even have the title: “I Could Write A Book.” I have a fiction piece started because I believe I would step on toes if I wrote non-fiction. I just need to prioritize my time, which will be much easier after I unbuckle the strap.
I got a call from my dad this morning. He's home from Florida for a week and he might come up to Michigan for a snowmobile ride. My dad is closer to his 80's than his 70's and he thinks he needs to get a snowmobile ride in every winter. I'll bet my mom is looking forward to a little peace and quiet.
If I had to name the two people that have influenced me the most in life it would be, without a doubt, those two. I could list for days their character traits and they would be the first to mention their personality flaws. But since I write this journal and they don't here are a few reasons why they deserve all the happiness in the world.
They are faithful, loving, caring, concerned, servants, strong, secure, free from doubts and fears, trustworthy, courageous, moral, kind, and have a work ethic that is off the charts. God bless you, both.
2/15/04
Let The Sunshine In
I believe that children are our future!
Friday evening the sun set in spectacular fashion and not until around 6:30, so yeah, the days are getting longer.
Actually, the sun was my drug of choice all weekend. Crisp, clear, cold, and still lots of snow in case anyone wintering in Florida wants to know. Wanted to go to the basketball game, but wanted to stay home more.
Saturday we provided the Krispy Kremes and spent the day turning the high school stage into Cinderella’s hometown. This is going to be some show! Friday night will be the night most of the family shows up; so if you want tickets, let me know! I won't beg.
One of my new favorite things is diet coke in little half cans. Who thinks of these things? I also have a philosophy on why there is nothing to do in Muskegon. All the talented, humorous, creative, artsy, and fartsy people that are born and raised here feel the need to get the heck out the minute they hear the first chords of pomp and circumstance. That's all fine and good and I'd hate to be the one to discourage anyone from getting a college education, but in the words of Rose from The Titanic, (said in a hoarse whisper) "come baaaaack."
Come back and start a comedy club with improv classes and troupes. Come back and open a non-chain restaurant with festive outdoor seating. Come back and start a mom and pop specialty grocery store. Come back and open a diner with sassy waiters and waitresses. Surely some excellent instrumentalists from all those State champion bands would be interested in starting a blues club or playing some jazz. How about a little hole-in-the-wall flower shop with striped awnings? Come back and operate an art atelier that showcases up and coming new talent. Start a dance studio next to the theatre troupe and give ballroom dancing lessons and put on small productions at the existing venues. Then open another mom and pop restaurant with a dance floor that specializes in ambience and romantic, raspy, Nora Jones type nightclub acts. How about a pizza place that bakes pizza in hearth type ovens? Bistros, cafes, discotheques, cabarets, did I say comedy clubs? How about opening an authentic vintage clothing store or a retro furniture store? For that matter any kind of furniture would work well here. How does a recording studio with your own record label sound? How about: shoot (on location) a SNL type TV show that is actually funny? Or start up a small film production company. And then with all the plays, movies, and music stars, we would need a unique photography studio that could handle all the headshots.
So go... and then come back and bring your talents, gifts, and cherry county playhouse with you.
Break a leg.
Friday evening the sun set in spectacular fashion and not until around 6:30, so yeah, the days are getting longer.
Actually, the sun was my drug of choice all weekend. Crisp, clear, cold, and still lots of snow in case anyone wintering in Florida wants to know. Wanted to go to the basketball game, but wanted to stay home more.
Saturday we provided the Krispy Kremes and spent the day turning the high school stage into Cinderella’s hometown. This is going to be some show! Friday night will be the night most of the family shows up; so if you want tickets, let me know! I won't beg.
One of my new favorite things is diet coke in little half cans. Who thinks of these things? I also have a philosophy on why there is nothing to do in Muskegon. All the talented, humorous, creative, artsy, and fartsy people that are born and raised here feel the need to get the heck out the minute they hear the first chords of pomp and circumstance. That's all fine and good and I'd hate to be the one to discourage anyone from getting a college education, but in the words of Rose from The Titanic, (said in a hoarse whisper) "come baaaaack."
Come back and start a comedy club with improv classes and troupes. Come back and open a non-chain restaurant with festive outdoor seating. Come back and start a mom and pop specialty grocery store. Come back and open a diner with sassy waiters and waitresses. Surely some excellent instrumentalists from all those State champion bands would be interested in starting a blues club or playing some jazz. How about a little hole-in-the-wall flower shop with striped awnings? Come back and operate an art atelier that showcases up and coming new talent. Start a dance studio next to the theatre troupe and give ballroom dancing lessons and put on small productions at the existing venues. Then open another mom and pop restaurant with a dance floor that specializes in ambience and romantic, raspy, Nora Jones type nightclub acts. How about a pizza place that bakes pizza in hearth type ovens? Bistros, cafes, discotheques, cabarets, did I say comedy clubs? How about opening an authentic vintage clothing store or a retro furniture store? For that matter any kind of furniture would work well here. How does a recording studio with your own record label sound? How about: shoot (on location) a SNL type TV show that is actually funny? Or start up a small film production company. And then with all the plays, movies, and music stars, we would need a unique photography studio that could handle all the headshots.
So go... and then come back and bring your talents, gifts, and cherry county playhouse with you.
Break a leg.
2/14/04
Decisions Decisions
It matters not what team you are on, pick one, suit up, and jump in the game ~ That quote is mine and I’m not even going to charge you for that little pearl of wisdom.
Who even knows what teams are in the Superbowl? Tigers and lions and bears, oh my! I have lost all interest in major league sports, except for the Cubs (maybe this is THE year) and the Redwings (just another winning year). Michigan only has a tiny window of opportunity for bragging rights on their sports teams...I think it's late in July for a few days when the Lions are just getting ready for preseason and the Tigers have not mathematically eliminated themselves from the pennant race.
It's all about the almighty dollar. There's no loyalty to playing on the same team your whole career. I just watched the coin toss, and members from both teams are all hugging and patting the opponents on the rear end. C'mon! We know you are all going to get a boatload of $ and a ring the size of a buick while it costs us, the average fan, the same amount of money to attend a sporting event as players used to get for signing bonuses.
Whatever happened to Cinderella stories like "Hoosiers"?
Yup, I think I'm too far gone to rescue...unless of course Barry Sanders returns. Let's call that movie...The Return Of The King. Bring on the "Survivor" All-Stars.
What can I say about the half-time show? Just plain tacky, tasteless, crass, neanderthal, vulgar, raw, unrefined, talentless... so the adjectives are free, as well.
Josh Groban has left the building.
Who even knows what teams are in the Superbowl? Tigers and lions and bears, oh my! I have lost all interest in major league sports, except for the Cubs (maybe this is THE year) and the Redwings (just another winning year). Michigan only has a tiny window of opportunity for bragging rights on their sports teams...I think it's late in July for a few days when the Lions are just getting ready for preseason and the Tigers have not mathematically eliminated themselves from the pennant race.
It's all about the almighty dollar. There's no loyalty to playing on the same team your whole career. I just watched the coin toss, and members from both teams are all hugging and patting the opponents on the rear end. C'mon! We know you are all going to get a boatload of $ and a ring the size of a buick while it costs us, the average fan, the same amount of money to attend a sporting event as players used to get for signing bonuses.
Whatever happened to Cinderella stories like "Hoosiers"?
Yup, I think I'm too far gone to rescue...unless of course Barry Sanders returns. Let's call that movie...The Return Of The King. Bring on the "Survivor" All-Stars.
What can I say about the half-time show? Just plain tacky, tasteless, crass, neanderthal, vulgar, raw, unrefined, talentless... so the adjectives are free, as well.
Josh Groban has left the building.
2/10/04
Crazy Day
The perfect journey is circular ~ ~the joy of departure and the joy of return ~ Dino Basili
The first 10 days of February seem like they lasted about 1/2 hour.
Jennifer flies back to Chicago via Munich tonight. First leg; 3am-4:30am and then the last leg from 5:30am to 3:15pm Michigan time so say a little prayer for her.
Things are going very slow at work; I need to come up with a creative way to make a part-time paycheck for the next 3 years. My passion is photos and music. I sat here yesterday and went through all our music files looking for "traveling" music.
Any of you who need an idea for Pop Go The Sailors give me a shout. I have a ton of ideas. But keep in mind I'm a member of the "country" club. I need to have Melissa and Mary do a Judd’s song before I die or they graduate.
So I put out a couple of fires at work, met with a rep from the Merchandise Mart, took a couple of measurements for window treatments, headed home, ate supper on the fly, stopped by my gym: aka the high school to walk.
I had just finished one round and the batteries go dead in the CD player, (shoulda downloaded my country onto the ipod). I'm power walking in silence and as I am rounding the back hallway, all of a sudden the lights start dimming, strobe lights begin to flash, all the doors automatically slam shut and an alarm that could wake the dead starts to blare repeatedly for about 20 minutes.
Instant headache, that didn't want to quit when the alarm did. As I left the high school I had to stop by the costume room to pick up a work order for the cast of Cinderella's costumes (say that 10 times fast) and I ran into Melissa in the hall. That made my day. If it were possible to stay in choir and get her G.E.D. she'd do it! I don't know how she's going to make it for another year and 1/2.
I say a little prayer for her.
OK then that was my day.
The first 10 days of February seem like they lasted about 1/2 hour.
Jennifer flies back to Chicago via Munich tonight. First leg; 3am-4:30am and then the last leg from 5:30am to 3:15pm Michigan time so say a little prayer for her.
Things are going very slow at work; I need to come up with a creative way to make a part-time paycheck for the next 3 years. My passion is photos and music. I sat here yesterday and went through all our music files looking for "traveling" music.
Any of you who need an idea for Pop Go The Sailors give me a shout. I have a ton of ideas. But keep in mind I'm a member of the "country" club. I need to have Melissa and Mary do a Judd’s song before I die or they graduate.
So I put out a couple of fires at work, met with a rep from the Merchandise Mart, took a couple of measurements for window treatments, headed home, ate supper on the fly, stopped by my gym: aka the high school to walk.
I had just finished one round and the batteries go dead in the CD player, (shoulda downloaded my country onto the ipod). I'm power walking in silence and as I am rounding the back hallway, all of a sudden the lights start dimming, strobe lights begin to flash, all the doors automatically slam shut and an alarm that could wake the dead starts to blare repeatedly for about 20 minutes.
Instant headache, that didn't want to quit when the alarm did. As I left the high school I had to stop by the costume room to pick up a work order for the cast of Cinderella's costumes (say that 10 times fast) and I ran into Melissa in the hall. That made my day. If it were possible to stay in choir and get her G.E.D. she'd do it! I don't know how she's going to make it for another year and 1/2.
I say a little prayer for her.
OK then that was my day.
2/8/04
Same Old Same Old
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once ~ Albert Einstein
Kind of a laid back sort of weekend. Nice. I couldn't even bring myself to go to the basketball game Friday night. I'm such a poor excuse for a fan.
Mark brought home a couple of movies, Secondhand Lions and Lost In Translation. The acting in Secondhand Lions was all over the place. The storytelling was acceptable, but I could have lived without the back-stories being reenacted. Lost In Translation was worthy of a nomination but not good enough to beat LOTR for the academy award. Neither one was "my kind of movie" but entertaining none the less.
Saturday was spent doing the mundane. The menu was meat loaf, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli with cheese, applesauce and frosted brownies, but no one was hungry at the same time. So it will remain the menu for the majority of the week.
Did my own laundry.
Got all the IRS papers together. Paid everybody's bills including running out to get a $100. Graphing calculator for the little princess.
I guess she was pretty happy for the guy’s octet at S & E contest. I don't know if happy is the right word, maybe more like jealous. From her description of the judges, director, and audience, there wasn't a dry eye in the place after they sang. Good for them!
The girl’s octet received a 1st rating, also, but I don't know if her heart is in the right place. Teenagers. The excitement builds, doesn’t it? The next weeks are going to start to fly. We will probably spend the rest of February weekends working on the set for Cinderella.
I know most of you are waiting with bated breath to here of some romantic caper for Valentine's Day. Not going to happen. When you are as crazy in love as we are, you don't need all the bling-bling. What?
Kind of a laid back sort of weekend. Nice. I couldn't even bring myself to go to the basketball game Friday night. I'm such a poor excuse for a fan.
Mark brought home a couple of movies, Secondhand Lions and Lost In Translation. The acting in Secondhand Lions was all over the place. The storytelling was acceptable, but I could have lived without the back-stories being reenacted. Lost In Translation was worthy of a nomination but not good enough to beat LOTR for the academy award. Neither one was "my kind of movie" but entertaining none the less.
Saturday was spent doing the mundane. The menu was meat loaf, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli with cheese, applesauce and frosted brownies, but no one was hungry at the same time. So it will remain the menu for the majority of the week.
Did my own laundry.
Got all the IRS papers together. Paid everybody's bills including running out to get a $100. Graphing calculator for the little princess.
I guess she was pretty happy for the guy’s octet at S & E contest. I don't know if happy is the right word, maybe more like jealous. From her description of the judges, director, and audience, there wasn't a dry eye in the place after they sang. Good for them!
The girl’s octet received a 1st rating, also, but I don't know if her heart is in the right place. Teenagers. The excitement builds, doesn’t it? The next weeks are going to start to fly. We will probably spend the rest of February weekends working on the set for Cinderella.
I know most of you are waiting with bated breath to here of some romantic caper for Valentine's Day. Not going to happen. When you are as crazy in love as we are, you don't need all the bling-bling. What?
2/7/04
Grrrrrrrr
People will support that which they help create ~ Mary Kay Ash
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs you have nothing on me, except maybe a little extra spending money. I have a living, breathing, live-in tech support guy. I'm not kidding you, Mark is a genius when it comes to computers.
I wasn't going to post this journal on my website until I had complete control, and I could just sit down, type a few lines about my day, preview, and publish with my eyes closed. Almost every weekend since Christmas, I have been reading, studying, previewing and publishing the blog to nowhere.
Finally, on a cold snowy, sunshine less, Saturday, around the end of January, Mark, (Ben) and I win the battle. We reached Mordor. So imagine my surprise on Thursday when I get ready to post and nothing. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. No big deal, I have Friday off, I will fix it myself.
Once again, I must reiterate that I live with a genius. He gets home from a long day of mindless deliveries, clicks on a couple of keys, cleans a few cache files, zaps a P-RAMM, disks the utilities, defrags the hard drive and voila, I'm back in the blogging business.
What a guy. I am going to have to force quit the mean spirited remarks about him having no life.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs you have nothing on me, except maybe a little extra spending money. I have a living, breathing, live-in tech support guy. I'm not kidding you, Mark is a genius when it comes to computers.
I wasn't going to post this journal on my website until I had complete control, and I could just sit down, type a few lines about my day, preview, and publish with my eyes closed. Almost every weekend since Christmas, I have been reading, studying, previewing and publishing the blog to nowhere.
Finally, on a cold snowy, sunshine less, Saturday, around the end of January, Mark, (Ben) and I win the battle. We reached Mordor. So imagine my surprise on Thursday when I get ready to post and nothing. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. No big deal, I have Friday off, I will fix it myself.
Once again, I must reiterate that I live with a genius. He gets home from a long day of mindless deliveries, clicks on a couple of keys, cleans a few cache files, zaps a P-RAMM, disks the utilities, defrags the hard drive and voila, I'm back in the blogging business.
What a guy. I am going to have to force quit the mean spirited remarks about him having no life.
2/5/04
What If God Were One Of Us
Perhaps too much of everything is as bad as too little ~ Edna Ferber
I was so pleased to see the sun yesterday that I felt somewhat intoxicated. I literally said out loud, while walking my little dog, "welcome back old friend!!"
I love Michigan more that anything, but c'mon this isn't Alaska, we're in the 40th parallel for crying out loud. January's total sunshine= 24 hours.
Not making plans for spring break is coming back to haunt me.
Life coach. Perhaps that is what I'll be when I grow up. According to the USA today people that need a little fire lit under them are hiring Life Coaches. You pay me $200-$300 per session and I will. for sure, give you a little constructive criticism, some direction for the task at hand, an "atta boy" pat on the back, or even some good old fashioned bobby knight praise.
I am still so angry about the super bowl half time that I have quit wearing a seatbelt. Reality TV has spun out of control. Someone should suggest that Donald Trump go on extreme makeover, or better yet, just have all his apprentice wannabes' hold him down and give him a buzz cut.
Happy Belated Groundhogs Day. Only in America would we keep alive a moronic tradition such as this. Puxatawny Phil. Puxatawny Schmil.
And I wonder why God isn't one of us.
I was so pleased to see the sun yesterday that I felt somewhat intoxicated. I literally said out loud, while walking my little dog, "welcome back old friend!!"
I love Michigan more that anything, but c'mon this isn't Alaska, we're in the 40th parallel for crying out loud. January's total sunshine= 24 hours.
Not making plans for spring break is coming back to haunt me.
Life coach. Perhaps that is what I'll be when I grow up. According to the USA today people that need a little fire lit under them are hiring Life Coaches. You pay me $200-$300 per session and I will. for sure, give you a little constructive criticism, some direction for the task at hand, an "atta boy" pat on the back, or even some good old fashioned bobby knight praise.
I am still so angry about the super bowl half time that I have quit wearing a seatbelt. Reality TV has spun out of control. Someone should suggest that Donald Trump go on extreme makeover, or better yet, just have all his apprentice wannabes' hold him down and give him a buzz cut.
Happy Belated Groundhogs Day. Only in America would we keep alive a moronic tradition such as this. Puxatawny Phil. Puxatawny Schmil.
And I wonder why God isn't one of us.
2/2/04
Living Vicariously
I see who I want to be in my daughter's eyes. ****
Jen is winging her way to Europe for the 3rd time. Tonight as I watch her flight path on the internet, I am playing my favorite European artists...Edith Piaf, Andrea Bocelli, and Frank Sinatra.
We lost power for about an hour. Talk about inconvenience. Can you say spoiled? I was trying to journal here about how much Jennifer means to me and how I wish I were sitting next to her on that plane.
I had actually done an illustrious job of describing her need for independence and adventure. And then bam, everything went black. After stumbling to the kitchen for candles and matches and extracting my hand from the soft butter dish I decide to watch a little TV. After realizing that the TV has a cord running into the electrical outlet in the wall, I gave up and headed to bed. I'll read a bit until I fall asleep. No light. Unfortunately for me, Melissa needs the flashlight WITH batteries to study for a chemistry test.
Maybe I'll use the solitude to say a little prayer for that Boeing 747 and it's precious cargo.
I don't know what compels her to Paris, I question if it has much to do with the city itself, but everything to do with how she learned to be on her own there and yet totally reliant on God. The flight track says her plane is on schedule to land in about 20 minutes. She has a layover in Frankfurt, Germany and then on to Paris, France. She arrives at 5:30 am on Feb 3. I wonder if I will get much sleep tonight.
Au Revoir
Jen is winging her way to Europe for the 3rd time. Tonight as I watch her flight path on the internet, I am playing my favorite European artists...Edith Piaf, Andrea Bocelli, and Frank Sinatra.
We lost power for about an hour. Talk about inconvenience. Can you say spoiled? I was trying to journal here about how much Jennifer means to me and how I wish I were sitting next to her on that plane.
I had actually done an illustrious job of describing her need for independence and adventure. And then bam, everything went black. After stumbling to the kitchen for candles and matches and extracting my hand from the soft butter dish I decide to watch a little TV. After realizing that the TV has a cord running into the electrical outlet in the wall, I gave up and headed to bed. I'll read a bit until I fall asleep. No light. Unfortunately for me, Melissa needs the flashlight WITH batteries to study for a chemistry test.
Maybe I'll use the solitude to say a little prayer for that Boeing 747 and it's precious cargo.
I don't know what compels her to Paris, I question if it has much to do with the city itself, but everything to do with how she learned to be on her own there and yet totally reliant on God. The flight track says her plane is on schedule to land in about 20 minutes. She has a layover in Frankfurt, Germany and then on to Paris, France. She arrives at 5:30 am on Feb 3. I wonder if I will get much sleep tonight.
Au Revoir
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