Our office is in the middle of nowhere. We don't have any signs on our door, our windows have closed blinds and we're not located in any kind of 'business' or industrial area. However, we manage to have all kinds of interesting things happen despite our anonymous front. Upstairs from our office is a dentist office, and on a regular basis we'll have people walk into our office, look around and ask "Is this the dentist office?". Now, picture this; when you walk into our office, it's an open room with three desks which are normally occupied by yours truly and my lovely co-worker and friend, Steph. At any given time, there are at least 3 or 4 saddles laying on the floor, and there's a giant fake horse torso sitting in middle of the room with a saddle or two sitting on it. The urge to make some snappy response is strong in both Steph and I, but we simply smile and say "No, the dentist is upstairs".
One time, there was a man sitting outside the front door when I came in one morning. He had a bike, and he seemed to be travelling. I don't recall what our initial conversation was, but he did indicate that he was travelling cross country, so I invited him to use our restroom if he needed it. He didn't ask to use the restroom at that time, but a number of hours later, he came into the office. He began to tell us about his travels, and at first it was a bit charming, but then, he started to tell us how he'd met this woman (can't recall how he met her), that she lived up the road from us and that she was going to leave everything and go travel with him. He asked us if we thought he should let her travel with him. The conversation got very strange after that, and made us both very uncomfortable. Don't remember exactly how we extricated ourselves from the situation, but he did leave after a bit, and we never saw him again.
Today though, takes the cake. We were quietly working away when a woman with a walker came to our door. I was on the phone, and as she struggled to open our door, Steph went to let her in. I heard her ask if she could use the bathroom, and Steph indicated she could and showed her the way. She was very large, and obviously had a very hard time moving. We heard her clatter to the back towards the bathroom. In the meantime, I got off the phone, and was extremely warm, so I decided to step outside for a few minutes. As I stood outside, I didn't see any strange car in the parking lot, but I did spot a van in the lot of the liquor store next door (I know, I know, I'm naming all these businesses when I said that we were in middle of nowhere...but trust me, we are!) with a man at the wheel.
I come back in from outside, refreshed, sit down, and suddenly we hear "Somebody help me! Somebody help me!" from the bathroom. My FIRST thought as I make my way down the hall is "This is a set-up, we're going to get robbed". I come around the corner, Steph's right behind me, and the walker is propping the door open, and the woman is still yelling. I say "I'm here, are you ok?" I open the door, and she's on the toilet, trying to get up. She tells me she needs help to get up. I'm hesitant to step into the bathroom and leave Steph outside, if it is a trap, but I also see that she doesn't seem to be able to get up on her own. I steel myself, and step in. I offer her my arm and she grasps it, but can't pull herself up. She says she needs both of us to help her. At this point, my heart starts to race, and I'm really concerned that with both of us in the bathroom, someone could come in and hold us up.........but we do it. Steph comes in too, and we pull her up off the toilet. Nothing happens outside, and my mind starts to calm down. The woman says she needs to clean herself, so we leave the bathroom and let her pull herself together.
After a few minutes, she comes back down the hallway on her walker, thanks us for our help and I open the doors for her so she can go outside. The van, is now right in front of our door, and I swear they were modern day gypsies. There were all kinds of shiny objects, stuffed animals etc. in the front area of the van. The young man behind the wheel was olive skinned and had dark hair, the woman that stepped out of the back to help the elderly woman was dressed in bright clothing, had wild hair and jewelry......gypsies.
My heart didn't stop pounding for a few minutes. When I said something to Steph about us being held-up, she had not even thought about it, but my saying something gave her the chills just thinking about it.
I would have been ready for anything. The only thing I would not have been able to handle was if someone had walked in with a gun. Other than that...I'm pretty proud of having had my senses about me, should this episode become something more than what it was.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thank goodness for short weeks
Monday's done. Have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Felt like crap again today. Went to the gym after work for my 45 day follow up. Haven't lost a pound. Haven't lost a single inch. I am stronger though and slightly more flexible.
Sigh.
I'm not an idiot, I know that all the holiday eating has packed on a few pounds in the last few weeks. But what sucks is that I've been working out like a fiend. Grrrrr. I can console myself in the fact that I 'feel' good though. Come January 2nd, the food indulgence stops, and we're back to berries, nuts and veggies for a while. Sigh.
Have two interviewee's coming in tomorrow, two on Wednesday and two on Thursday. Hopefully we'll find someone good out of that batch. I really need the help.
My next assignment is to learn how to write press releases. My plate's full, but I have to say, it's finally full of things that I enjoy doing. Once we have someone in place that's able to handle all the day-to-day small stuff, I'll be much happier.
Felt like crap again today. Went to the gym after work for my 45 day follow up. Haven't lost a pound. Haven't lost a single inch. I am stronger though and slightly more flexible.
Sigh.
I'm not an idiot, I know that all the holiday eating has packed on a few pounds in the last few weeks. But what sucks is that I've been working out like a fiend. Grrrrr. I can console myself in the fact that I 'feel' good though. Come January 2nd, the food indulgence stops, and we're back to berries, nuts and veggies for a while. Sigh.
Have two interviewee's coming in tomorrow, two on Wednesday and two on Thursday. Hopefully we'll find someone good out of that batch. I really need the help.
My next assignment is to learn how to write press releases. My plate's full, but I have to say, it's finally full of things that I enjoy doing. Once we have someone in place that's able to handle all the day-to-day small stuff, I'll be much happier.
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| Matthew, Anna, Yours Truly and Maggie (oh, and those are my very awesome new boots!) |
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The day after Christmas
The wind is vicious outside, assaulting the building and everything in its path....snow's being whipped around with such force that it's hard to tell if it's snowing hard, or if it's just a small amount of snow magnified by the air. The weather forecasters have called for everything from 1" to 10"....at this point, who knows. I figure I'll wake up in the morning and just 'see' what happens.
Left work early on Thursday and just came home and went to bed. I slept for a bit and felt a bit better when I woke up. I decided I felt well enough to meet Paul at the gym, so that's what I did. Bad mistake. Really felt like crap afterwards. It was an early bed night but I slept horribly. Seems that lately portions of the night are spent battling the cat for pillow space. When he first started sleeping on my pillow, he made himself really small and squished up against the wall. Now? I suppose he feels some sort of entitlement due to the time he's put in to sleeping on my pillow and he takes up 3/4 of it; leaving me a small corner to rest my head on. Why do I put up with it you ask?? Well, have you SEEN my cat? How can anyone deny anything to a creature so beautiful???
So, after a horrible night's sleep on Thursday night, we got up on Friday morning, had some coffee, laid around the house for a bit and then went to the bank. We finally opened up a joint account. Only took 4 years! Ha! So bank, followed by some last minute shopping, and then we came back home to kick back before heading into town for our yearly dinner at Fogo De Chao.
I was thrilled to have fit into my new sweater dress, and Paul looked mighty handsome in his shirt and slacks. It was really cold down-town so we didn't walk much before heading into the restaurant. Dinner was spectacular, as always. Fogo has hands-down the best service I've ever experienced in any restaurant. Our waiter was wonderful, and we really enjoyed talking with him. I think he liked us too...I didn't see him spending as much 'chat' time with any other table. He's been out of work the whole week prior with a herniated disk, and was still having a hard time with pain, but his spirits were very high. I began feeling really ill half-way through our meal, so we called it a night early and headed back home.
We did our gift exchange with Paul and Barbara when we got home. My Paul got me the most brilliant pair of boots ever! We'd seen them together online a few weeks before, and he bought them for me. I was thrilled! I got him a new briefcase; something he'd needed for a long time. I was sick of seeing him with his ratty messenger bag. So now, he has a 'big boy' leather briefcase.
Taz got a ton of presents from Paul & Barb, and proceeded to have a great time playing with them.
Saturday morning, bright and early we headed for Paul's cousin's house. I still felt horrible, but thought that getting out would do me good. Words can't describe what an amazingly wonderful time we had. Being around three young children as they opened their gifts from Santa, was the best gift I could have had this Christmas. Sheer and utter joy they were. Maggie, Anna and Matthew. Three of the neatest, funnest, smartest and coolest kids I've ever met. I am so thankful to Erik and Lynn for having shared this with us. We had a great time opening presents and having a super yum breakfast that everyone helped put together (except for me, I took pictures of everyone helping....). :)
Paul and I came home before Barb & Paul did, and I lay down again....this time for the count. Pretty much did nothing for the rest of the day.
I talked to Dan in the afternoon. He'd been sick too, and sounded it. We chatted for a while; I still feel as though this 'distance' has come up between us. Dealing with it a bit better than I was last week though. I realize that I need to consciously make myself move past the feelings of sadness and put them behind me. The more I do it, the easier it is to do. He told me that he'd spoke to my mother, and that Guido wasn't doing well. He didn't know much, but said they thought it was cancer. Today, I sent my mother a message. I have no desire to rekindle any relationship, but I do wish Guido the best. I didn't speak to Jake over the holidays. I did send him a note, but he didn't reply. I didn't expect him too.
At times, I feel as though I lead this double life. One life where everything is shit. All my relationships are filled with anger, sadness, drama, despair. When this dark life hits, it hits hard, and there are moments when I seriously wonder how to make it through to the next moment. How easy it would be to simply stop having any more moments. At the peak of darkness, I remind myself of the other life. The one filled with love, laughter, friendships...the one that I walk in and through every day. This is the life I have to cling to, but I'm filled with guilt because the dark one hangs right there, over my shoulder, pulling me down.........I can only hope that one day, the life that's filled with darkness will see the light. I can hope right?
Left work early on Thursday and just came home and went to bed. I slept for a bit and felt a bit better when I woke up. I decided I felt well enough to meet Paul at the gym, so that's what I did. Bad mistake. Really felt like crap afterwards. It was an early bed night but I slept horribly. Seems that lately portions of the night are spent battling the cat for pillow space. When he first started sleeping on my pillow, he made himself really small and squished up against the wall. Now? I suppose he feels some sort of entitlement due to the time he's put in to sleeping on my pillow and he takes up 3/4 of it; leaving me a small corner to rest my head on. Why do I put up with it you ask?? Well, have you SEEN my cat? How can anyone deny anything to a creature so beautiful???
So, after a horrible night's sleep on Thursday night, we got up on Friday morning, had some coffee, laid around the house for a bit and then went to the bank. We finally opened up a joint account. Only took 4 years! Ha! So bank, followed by some last minute shopping, and then we came back home to kick back before heading into town for our yearly dinner at Fogo De Chao.
I was thrilled to have fit into my new sweater dress, and Paul looked mighty handsome in his shirt and slacks. It was really cold down-town so we didn't walk much before heading into the restaurant. Dinner was spectacular, as always. Fogo has hands-down the best service I've ever experienced in any restaurant. Our waiter was wonderful, and we really enjoyed talking with him. I think he liked us too...I didn't see him spending as much 'chat' time with any other table. He's been out of work the whole week prior with a herniated disk, and was still having a hard time with pain, but his spirits were very high. I began feeling really ill half-way through our meal, so we called it a night early and headed back home.
We did our gift exchange with Paul and Barbara when we got home. My Paul got me the most brilliant pair of boots ever! We'd seen them together online a few weeks before, and he bought them for me. I was thrilled! I got him a new briefcase; something he'd needed for a long time. I was sick of seeing him with his ratty messenger bag. So now, he has a 'big boy' leather briefcase.
Taz got a ton of presents from Paul & Barb, and proceeded to have a great time playing with them.
Saturday morning, bright and early we headed for Paul's cousin's house. I still felt horrible, but thought that getting out would do me good. Words can't describe what an amazingly wonderful time we had. Being around three young children as they opened their gifts from Santa, was the best gift I could have had this Christmas. Sheer and utter joy they were. Maggie, Anna and Matthew. Three of the neatest, funnest, smartest and coolest kids I've ever met. I am so thankful to Erik and Lynn for having shared this with us. We had a great time opening presents and having a super yum breakfast that everyone helped put together (except for me, I took pictures of everyone helping....). :)
Paul and I came home before Barb & Paul did, and I lay down again....this time for the count. Pretty much did nothing for the rest of the day.
I talked to Dan in the afternoon. He'd been sick too, and sounded it. We chatted for a while; I still feel as though this 'distance' has come up between us. Dealing with it a bit better than I was last week though. I realize that I need to consciously make myself move past the feelings of sadness and put them behind me. The more I do it, the easier it is to do. He told me that he'd spoke to my mother, and that Guido wasn't doing well. He didn't know much, but said they thought it was cancer. Today, I sent my mother a message. I have no desire to rekindle any relationship, but I do wish Guido the best. I didn't speak to Jake over the holidays. I did send him a note, but he didn't reply. I didn't expect him too.
At times, I feel as though I lead this double life. One life where everything is shit. All my relationships are filled with anger, sadness, drama, despair. When this dark life hits, it hits hard, and there are moments when I seriously wonder how to make it through to the next moment. How easy it would be to simply stop having any more moments. At the peak of darkness, I remind myself of the other life. The one filled with love, laughter, friendships...the one that I walk in and through every day. This is the life I have to cling to, but I'm filled with guilt because the dark one hangs right there, over my shoulder, pulling me down.........I can only hope that one day, the life that's filled with darkness will see the light. I can hope right?
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sick :(
Started two days ago, and has progressively spiraled into full blown 'feel-like-shit-ness'. Urgh. Something's wrong with my thermometer at home too; took my temp last night because I felt feverish and it seems I'm on my way to being a cadaver. My temp was 95.5. I don't think that 3 degrees below normal is well, normal. In any case, that's what it said. I do have some lovely yellow snot flying out of my nose every few minutes, and my chest feels as though someone's stabbing it with an ice-pick..but other than that? All's good.
I'm at work, other than Gene and my husband, I think the phone has maybe rang twice. I haven't had a single new email since 10am and our shipment's not coming in today. I should have stayed home.
The good news is I'm leaving in a few minutes. Gene came in and closed us down. :)
I'm at work, other than Gene and my husband, I think the phone has maybe rang twice. I haven't had a single new email since 10am and our shipment's not coming in today. I should have stayed home.
The good news is I'm leaving in a few minutes. Gene came in and closed us down. :)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, Tuesday
Went to see Dr. Fader this morning. What a wonderful woman she is. You know you have a good physician when she walks in and gives you a genuine smile and a hug as a way of greeting. She should lead the 'beside manner' course for all doctors.
Exam went well, but I need to go get an ultrasound, so she can make sure there are no residual problems left from the cyst removal last year. I guess I am a bit young to be experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms, but I sure am having them! I'll have to schedule the ultrasound in the next couple of days. All I have left medically is to go see the bone doc about the arthritis. Sigh....it sucks to feel your body giving out on you. Although, I continue to feel healthier than I have in years. Going to the gym 6 days a week has also caused my general well-being to improve tremendously. I am so proud of myself for really pushing the envelope and not giving up. I can't believe that 6 weeks ago I was having a hard time keeping up 20 minutes of moderate treadmill, and now, I can go 30 minutes pretty hard-core and feel like I could go longer. I've also noticed an increase in strength on the machines. Next Monday I have my last "face to face" and I'll see how my measurements have changed. The weight isn't dropping as easily as it was, but I can feel/see positive changes in my body.
Spoke to Dan last night. He's at Ft. Polk. He sounded really tired. They haven't done all the 'intake' process yet, so he's not able to leave the base or do much of anything. He doesn't even have an address yet, which sucks because I can't send him his Christmas presents. He's hoping to be done with the intake by the first week of January. I feel a 'change' in him since he left after Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure. I think I'm so sensitive to both the boys, I just don't know. Jake has completely withdrawn again, so I'm back to the waiting game. I have to keep reminding myself that he's not 12 anymore. I understand he's angry, I understand he has issues he needs to deal with, but I also need to realize that he's on his way to being 17, and aside from all the emotional hurdles revolving around me, the divorce, etc. he's also dealing with the standard 17 year old teen emotions and problems. I guess there will be one of two outcomes; one - he'll come around or two - he won't. I'm ready for both, and hoping and praying for the first.
It's official, I'm going to England in February. Need to get my butt in gear and get my passport re-newed, but I leave on the 17th of February and come back on the 26th. Hoping to see my family at the tail-end of the trip. I'm really excited about this. :)
Here's a song Paul found today that I really loved:
Exam went well, but I need to go get an ultrasound, so she can make sure there are no residual problems left from the cyst removal last year. I guess I am a bit young to be experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms, but I sure am having them! I'll have to schedule the ultrasound in the next couple of days. All I have left medically is to go see the bone doc about the arthritis. Sigh....it sucks to feel your body giving out on you. Although, I continue to feel healthier than I have in years. Going to the gym 6 days a week has also caused my general well-being to improve tremendously. I am so proud of myself for really pushing the envelope and not giving up. I can't believe that 6 weeks ago I was having a hard time keeping up 20 minutes of moderate treadmill, and now, I can go 30 minutes pretty hard-core and feel like I could go longer. I've also noticed an increase in strength on the machines. Next Monday I have my last "face to face" and I'll see how my measurements have changed. The weight isn't dropping as easily as it was, but I can feel/see positive changes in my body.
Spoke to Dan last night. He's at Ft. Polk. He sounded really tired. They haven't done all the 'intake' process yet, so he's not able to leave the base or do much of anything. He doesn't even have an address yet, which sucks because I can't send him his Christmas presents. He's hoping to be done with the intake by the first week of January. I feel a 'change' in him since he left after Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure. I think I'm so sensitive to both the boys, I just don't know. Jake has completely withdrawn again, so I'm back to the waiting game. I have to keep reminding myself that he's not 12 anymore. I understand he's angry, I understand he has issues he needs to deal with, but I also need to realize that he's on his way to being 17, and aside from all the emotional hurdles revolving around me, the divorce, etc. he's also dealing with the standard 17 year old teen emotions and problems. I guess there will be one of two outcomes; one - he'll come around or two - he won't. I'm ready for both, and hoping and praying for the first.
It's official, I'm going to England in February. Need to get my butt in gear and get my passport re-newed, but I leave on the 17th of February and come back on the 26th. Hoping to see my family at the tail-end of the trip. I'm really excited about this. :)
Here's a song Paul found today that I really loved:
Saturday, December 18, 2010
More Pictures
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| The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY |
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| The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY |
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| The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York |
Saturday Morning
Dreamed about Abby last night. Got beagle kisses in my sleep. Not a bad thing. Too bad I woke up feeling really crappy though. My throat hurts and I have a headache. We have a long list of things that need to get done today to get ready for Erik and his family coming over tomorrow. Don't know if we'll make it to the gym today though.....will have to get up early and go tomorrow before the cooking begins.
Have had some more time to think about Jake. I'd like to know if there's some protocol to how I should be feeling. My heart hurts so much, but I realize that I can't let that hurt overtake everything else. I need to move forward and onwards. Life doesn't stop for heartache, and I can't shut myself down. When I make the decision to move through and up, I begin to feel guilty for not continuing to feel sad and hurt. It's a vicious circle at its worst.
It's occurred to me too, that if my kids are like me, they don't stop to think about how *I* am feeling. My feelings to them, are inconsequential, all that matters to them is their world and their feelings. I say this because to an extent, it's how I feel about my mother. I know how *I* feel, and those feelings, thoughts, emotions, memories are my reality. Her's may be completely different. I dread that Jake, and to an extend Dan have memories that I don't have. How do you reconcile that?
I do need to remind myself that I'm not alone. There are entire groups out there dedicated to estranged parents and estranged children. I'm not travelling this path on my own, but I have no desire for company in this at the time. I'll simply continue moving forward one day at a time. I will be happy, and I'll let myself feel sad when I need to.
Have had some more time to think about Jake. I'd like to know if there's some protocol to how I should be feeling. My heart hurts so much, but I realize that I can't let that hurt overtake everything else. I need to move forward and onwards. Life doesn't stop for heartache, and I can't shut myself down. When I make the decision to move through and up, I begin to feel guilty for not continuing to feel sad and hurt. It's a vicious circle at its worst.
It's occurred to me too, that if my kids are like me, they don't stop to think about how *I* am feeling. My feelings to them, are inconsequential, all that matters to them is their world and their feelings. I say this because to an extent, it's how I feel about my mother. I know how *I* feel, and those feelings, thoughts, emotions, memories are my reality. Her's may be completely different. I dread that Jake, and to an extend Dan have memories that I don't have. How do you reconcile that?
I do need to remind myself that I'm not alone. There are entire groups out there dedicated to estranged parents and estranged children. I'm not travelling this path on my own, but I have no desire for company in this at the time. I'll simply continue moving forward one day at a time. I will be happy, and I'll let myself feel sad when I need to.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sad
Dealing with knowing that my son hates me is not an easy thing. All I can do is move forward one day at a time, and just hope that things will change someday.
Breaks my heart.
I imagine his is broken too. I wish we could heal together.
Breaks my heart.
I imagine his is broken too. I wish we could heal together.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Thursday Night
Had our first snow today. Started around 10am or so, and came down hard. I left work early, around 12:15pm because the highway was already backing up. Took me about an hour and a half to get home. Road crews were not ready for this one, that's for sure. Rt. 70 was horribly slick; I stayed under 40mph the whole way to 695, and that was about an 8mph crawl. Made it home fine though. Finished my Christmas cards, worked on emails, stayed warm.
Made a chicken casserole for dinner tonight, was really good!
Cooked egg noodles
Chicken breast - cooked, and cut into bite size chunks.
Mushroom soup
1/2 and 1/2
frozen peas
shredded cheddar
cayenne pepper
curry powder
panko
Mix the soup, half/half, peas, cayenne, curry and cheddar. Fold in chicken and noodles. Sprinkle with more cheese and then panko.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour or until bubbling.
Was yum.
Now, I'm craving something sweet. I feel like I'm pms'ing, but my cycle's so off it's not even funny. I go see Dr. Fader on Tuesday, and hopefully she'll tell me if I'm simply pre-menopausal or if it's something else.
Now, a few more New York pics. :)
I'm still in love by the way.
Made a chicken casserole for dinner tonight, was really good!
Cooked egg noodles
Chicken breast - cooked, and cut into bite size chunks.
Mushroom soup
1/2 and 1/2
frozen peas
shredded cheddar
cayenne pepper
curry powder
panko
Mix the soup, half/half, peas, cayenne, curry and cheddar. Fold in chicken and noodles. Sprinkle with more cheese and then panko.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour or until bubbling.
Was yum.
Now, I'm craving something sweet. I feel like I'm pms'ing, but my cycle's so off it's not even funny. I go see Dr. Fader on Tuesday, and hopefully she'll tell me if I'm simply pre-menopausal or if it's something else.
Now, a few more New York pics. :)
I'm still in love by the way.
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| Foot Fetish |
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| Gazing |
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| The Met |
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Love...Continued
Enough of that though. Back to the love bit.
We crammed days worth of doing in a short 7 1/2 hours. I know for a fact that we probably walked close to 7 miles in all. The amount of pain we were both in by the time we got on the bus to come home was tremendous, but not once did I wish I hadn't done it!
Stepping into Times Square for the first time was like having a shot of adrenaline pumped into the heart. The lights, the noise, the people, the smell even....I could have let myself drown in it. Everything seemed to be in high definition. Despite the rain, it was all crisp and clear and vibrant.
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| West Side Chicago :) |
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| Rain, Wind....No matter. Times Square makes it feel alright |
Our aim was to hoof it to the MET. While we met our goal, it wasn't without some suffering. What started out as a drizzle developed into a full fledged downpour. We'd brought one small umbrella, but Paul soon found himself shelling out $5.00 for a Champion impostor umbrella from a street-vendor. Worth every penny that umbrella was! We weaved our way up 7th Ave with W 59th as our first goal. Even at 10ish a.m. on a rainy Sunday morning in December, we had to make our way in out of the bodies going in the opposite direction, and around the bodies that weren't going fast enough for us.
So many storefronts gussied up in Christmas cheer. It literally was how it looks in the movies. Most of the time, when I've gone somewhere that I've heard talked up a lot before hand, I wind up disappointed. Not in New York though. It met every expectation. Except for one. The people. Perhaps we were just lucky, but everyone we interacted with was pleasant, kind and fun.
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| Window on W 59th |
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| W 57th at Central Park It's late, and I'm sleepy....so more next time. Good night. |
Monday, December 13, 2010
I'm Hopelessly In Love
With the City of New York.
How can I have gone 40 plus years and never have set foot in that place before yesterday? Seriously...I need to have my head examined. From the instant we came out of the Lincoln Tunnel and began making our way into Manhattan, I was a goner.
I had bought a coupon on Groupon a few weeks ago, that gave us to round-trip tickets to New York on Hunt Valley Motor Coach for $50.00. I wanted to go before Christmas, just because I'd heard that the city is all decked out in holiday cheer this time of year, but Saturday's were excluded from the offer, so I picked a Sunday as our day. We left out of Pikesville at 6:30am and pulled into the city by 10am. The bus had a nice crowd, but wasn't full which was nice. Was a very pleasant ride, and we chatted with a mother and son who made the trip on a regular basis so her son can see his doctor as he has cancer. They were filled with information about the city, what to do, where to go, etc.
We pulled into the corner of 46th & 8th. It was grey and drizzling, but that didn't dampen my mood. We had decided to walk to the MET, and as we rounded the corner into Times Square I was overcome with joy. The lights and the traffic and the people...it was dizzying!
(Lunch break is over - more later...and pictures!)
How can I have gone 40 plus years and never have set foot in that place before yesterday? Seriously...I need to have my head examined. From the instant we came out of the Lincoln Tunnel and began making our way into Manhattan, I was a goner.
I had bought a coupon on Groupon a few weeks ago, that gave us to round-trip tickets to New York on Hunt Valley Motor Coach for $50.00. I wanted to go before Christmas, just because I'd heard that the city is all decked out in holiday cheer this time of year, but Saturday's were excluded from the offer, so I picked a Sunday as our day. We left out of Pikesville at 6:30am and pulled into the city by 10am. The bus had a nice crowd, but wasn't full which was nice. Was a very pleasant ride, and we chatted with a mother and son who made the trip on a regular basis so her son can see his doctor as he has cancer. They were filled with information about the city, what to do, where to go, etc.
We pulled into the corner of 46th & 8th. It was grey and drizzling, but that didn't dampen my mood. We had decided to walk to the MET, and as we rounded the corner into Times Square I was overcome with joy. The lights and the traffic and the people...it was dizzying!
(Lunch break is over - more later...and pictures!)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Afternoon
Was super crabby this morning. Felt really schlumpy, was having a mini-money freak-out, and was missing having the house all to myself.
I met Paul at the gym at 12:30ish, and spend 40 minutes swimming hard, followed by about 7 minutes in the hot tub. After a shower, I felt like a new person. Didn't feel schlumpy anymore, stopped being freaked about money, and sharing a home didn't feel so bad anymore.
We went to Mari-Luna and had a lovely lunch. We decided that Mari-Luna is definitely 'our' place. It's so neat to walk in, and have people know you. The smiles are much more genuine than when a stranger smiles at you.
Speaking of smiles, that's something that I've been more aware of lately. I've been making myself look at people when I walk around in public and 'smile'. I've been met with mixed results. Some people simply don't make eye contact, others do, but don't smile back, and then you have the 'return smile' folks. Those are my favourite. It's an instant charge and generates this influx of happiness.
Not doing anything right now. Paul's asleep on the couch, the cat's napping above him on the back of the couch, Indiana Jones is on the tv, and I'm just sitting here passing the time. I started the Harira when we got home earlier, and it's smelling really, really good. I added some saffron to it, and used brown lentils instead of green ones, so we'll see how it turns out. I forgot to buy cilantro too, so maybe it's not Harira after all and it's a new recipe invented by yours truly. ;)
I met Paul at the gym at 12:30ish, and spend 40 minutes swimming hard, followed by about 7 minutes in the hot tub. After a shower, I felt like a new person. Didn't feel schlumpy anymore, stopped being freaked about money, and sharing a home didn't feel so bad anymore.
We went to Mari-Luna and had a lovely lunch. We decided that Mari-Luna is definitely 'our' place. It's so neat to walk in, and have people know you. The smiles are much more genuine than when a stranger smiles at you.
Speaking of smiles, that's something that I've been more aware of lately. I've been making myself look at people when I walk around in public and 'smile'. I've been met with mixed results. Some people simply don't make eye contact, others do, but don't smile back, and then you have the 'return smile' folks. Those are my favourite. It's an instant charge and generates this influx of happiness.
Not doing anything right now. Paul's asleep on the couch, the cat's napping above him on the back of the couch, Indiana Jones is on the tv, and I'm just sitting here passing the time. I started the Harira when we got home earlier, and it's smelling really, really good. I added some saffron to it, and used brown lentils instead of green ones, so we'll see how it turns out. I forgot to buy cilantro too, so maybe it's not Harira after all and it's a new recipe invented by yours truly. ;)
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| Silver Bells? |
Hard Habit To Break
I love to write. I can't help myself. I love the feel of the keys beneath my fingers, I love the clacking sound as letters and words appear on the screen. I love seeing my thoughts materialize into something tangible. It makes me feel real, and I get a charge out of the experience.
So, despite the drawback of having my words 'out there' for anyone to see, I'll take my chances and start sharing my brain again.
We had our first snow of the season today. Was quite unexpected and wreaked havoc in our immediate area. I don't think we even have a 1/4" out there, but I think it took so many by surprise that the sliding began, and just didn't stop. I'm glad that I don't have to be on the roads for another couple of hours, and hopefully, things will have cleared up by then!
I'm looking forward the weekend.
THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN YESTERDAY
So here I am, it's Saturday morning.
Paul's at work.
Paul Sr. & Barbara have gone off to run errands.
Cat's asleep on the couch.
It's quiet.
Peaceful.
I'm going to get motivated here shortly and do some housework, then get ready to go meet Paul at the gym. My knees have been really bothering me, so it'll just be the pool for me today. I may even indulge in some jacuzzi for a bit, or the sauna.
I'm going to cook Harira for dinner tonight. This is an amazingly wonderfully yummy stew/soup, that is very easy to make, although it takes a long time to cook. This is the recipe I use. Maybe I'll take a picture when I'm done, because it looks a lot better than the picture on that site!
This was my picture from last night. I'm debating whether to start another 365 Project.....I'll have to see. If I do, it'll be on January 1st.
So, despite the drawback of having my words 'out there' for anyone to see, I'll take my chances and start sharing my brain again.
We had our first snow of the season today. Was quite unexpected and wreaked havoc in our immediate area. I don't think we even have a 1/4" out there, but I think it took so many by surprise that the sliding began, and just didn't stop. I'm glad that I don't have to be on the roads for another couple of hours, and hopefully, things will have cleared up by then!
I'm looking forward the weekend.
THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN YESTERDAY
So here I am, it's Saturday morning.
Paul's at work.
Paul Sr. & Barbara have gone off to run errands.
Cat's asleep on the couch.
It's quiet.
Peaceful.
I'm going to get motivated here shortly and do some housework, then get ready to go meet Paul at the gym. My knees have been really bothering me, so it'll just be the pool for me today. I may even indulge in some jacuzzi for a bit, or the sauna.
I'm going to cook Harira for dinner tonight. This is an amazingly wonderfully yummy stew/soup, that is very easy to make, although it takes a long time to cook. This is the recipe I use. Maybe I'll take a picture when I'm done, because it looks a lot better than the picture on that site!
This was my picture from last night. I'm debating whether to start another 365 Project.....I'll have to see. If I do, it'll be on January 1st.
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| Merry X-Mas! |
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