I haven't posted anything since November 14th.
Anybody still out there?
Considering how utterly boring my life is (wake up, shower, go to work, work, go home, sleep, repeat), the past month has been a bit overwhelming.
I may have mentioned my new job. Well, it's turning into more of a career than a job, not that I was looking for a career at age 53... It's just requiring a lot more daily work; there's no sliding, no easy day, no day when I can just let things sit 'cause I'll have plenty of time to do it (whatever "it" is) tomorrow. No, I work. I work many more hours a day than I used to --- and I'm not particularly happy about it!
I planned on winning the MegaMillions jackpot so I could retire for Christmas. What an awesome gift to myself THAT would have been! But I didn't win. Not even $10. Nothing. Nada. Nil. Zip. Squat. Zero. Not even the cost of my ticket.
So I still have to work. And if I wasn't charged with posting it all on SalesForce.com, I'd be okay with the workload. But trying to incorporate all this additional detail-work, record-keeping, into my workflow? Nope, not doing too well at it. I'm really going to try to do better. Actually, it's not an option. I have to do better or get slapped on the wrist for it at my annual review.
And then there's my knee. And my knee surgery. And my wondering at the last minute, in the waiting room at the surgical center, if it was a good idea to go through with it. (For the record, yes, yes it was!) I'm in physical therapy twice a week right now, and I'm thinking I really will have to go to the gym a couple of times a week at least post-PT. While for the most part I'm pain-free now, I have to work back up to my normal level of strength, and it does get stiff and tight really easily...
Have I mentioned holidays? Thanksgiving, although I don't have to do much, just 5 lbs of mashed potatoes and a salad, is a big deal for me. And Christmas? If it's not moving, it gets decorated in my house. I even have a hat for my husband, for when he stops long enough for me to plop it on his head! I'm WAY behind in my decorating, what with (a) a late Thanksgiving, (b) my 35th high school reunion on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, (c) my surgery on 12/5, plus recovery, (d) PT 2 days a week, (e) my birthday, and (f) gift shopping for Christmas.
My living room/library looks like who did it and ran, to use a phrase I learned as a child, which as an adult makes no sense, but I use it anyway... I have boxes and ornaments and the detritus of everyday living just strewn around the floor, the coffee table, the end tables, the chair and sofas, and the dining room table. My kitchen is a wreck and needs a thorough straightening up post-holiday cooking, pre-Christmas Eve party, which pretty much means the afternoon of the 24th, before my shower, before my guests, but after my cooking. And just 'cause we haven't been there in a month, we're going to the lake this weekend.
Anyone have another 24 hours in a day they can lend me for the next 5 days?
We have family to see, friends to see, places to go... And not nearly enough time to do it all. But that's part of the wonder of the holiday. When it gets right down to it, I have a spare room or two I can throw things into and then I can shut the door and no one will know what's behind Door # Messy. I'm off until January 6, so I have some time to sort of week through that stuff that doesn't get put away but gets hidden away, so hopefully I'll be the proud owner of a clean and organized home sometime over the next two weeks. Maybe not in time for Christmas, but certainly by the time I go back to work. And in all honesty, isn't that what we all want? To come home from work to a neat and clean home?
My knee feels okay today, but my head is throbbing, like a sinus pressure throb. J is sick with diarrhea and an upset stomach (yay), my mom was a bit under the weather, too - and they both got sick after my birthday dinner. (NO, I didn't cook! We went out together.) We all had different entrees, but shared french fries and dipping sauces. I never even had a twinge of not feeling well, so I don't know what it is... What I DO know is he'd better get well quick and keep his germs to himself. I have a party to prepare for!
I got a beautiful hand knitted/crocheted infinity cowl from my sister P - in the most beautiful shade of purple! It arrived in time for my birthday, and today it's going to be 53 degrees, and it will be CLOSE TO 70 DEGREES by Sunday. This is NJ, for crying out loud! It's supposed to be cold. Okay, it doesn't have to be Arctic-ly frigid, but 69 degrees??? Really? And then 32 by Monday? Yea, I'm going to be sick over the holidays, I just know it... But as long as I make it through Christmas Day, I have a HUGE pile of books and some more lined up on my Kindle so I'm ready. And cable is paid for... Bring it on! NOT!
Today's my last day in the office until January 6, so I'd better go. Happy Holidays to you all, and I'll try to catch up with some holiday posts and photos in the next couple of weeks...
HO, HO, HO!!!
About Me
- Krys72599
- I'm happy, married, and looking forward to sharing my world with you! If you're interested, that is!
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Do I Have an Accent?
They're right!!! Take this quiz and let me know how you did!!!
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Northeast
Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Not MIA, just IA...
Maybe that post title isn't very self-explanatory, so here you go...
Meaning that things have just been topsy-turvy around here. Lots has been going on - let me enlighten you.
WORK-RELATED:
My company has been laying people off for the past year or so, and while I've never really been nervous about my job, now I am. And not so much about getting laid off, but more about not being able to do my new job...
I've always been a part of a department that sort of flew under the radar for the most part. We brought in $20 million so I'm sure if we DIDN'T bring it in, we'd have been noticed, but for the most part, since we consistently made our numbers we sort of never drew attention to ourselves. The irony is we were always ticked off that we were being treated as the "red-headed step-children," as my colleague would say.
NOW, however, my job description has changed and I've been told I have to toot my own horn and the horn of my new department, that NOW we WANT attention brought to our division and I have to contribute to that.
My job has changed. I'm now going to be specializing a particular subject category, focusing not on all the accounts in my geographical territory, but on a handful (25 or 30) key accounts that are supposed to be the focus of my attention and the attention of the company. I have to grow their business, proactively expand our volume of sales with these customers, and make sure everyone knows what I'm doing, how I'm doing it and how successful I'm being.
HEALTH-RELATED:
I think I've mentioned the chronic bursitis in my hips. I also have two knees (!), both with a torn meniscus and arthritis. I have seen my GP, an orthopedist, an acupuncturist, a rheumatoid arthritis specialist, and most recently an orthopedic surgeon, the one who did hubby's shoulder surgery.
Regarding my hips - they hurt. They hurt all the time. I really don't want to be taking anti-inflammatories every day, and I really don't want to start with cortisone shots at age 52 (who knows how much shot-related deterioration I'll have in the next 30 years...). But I'm not sure what else to do. I've gone for therapy, taken yoga, done some stretching at the gym, and nothing has relieved the pain. I seriously walk about 20 feet or so before I'm walking relatively normally, after I've been seated for a while and my hips have stiffened up. I just called a radio doctor this weekend and he's recommended some alternative treatment. I'm in enough pain to follow up on his website...
Regarding my knees - the surgeon said he'd recommend surgery on my left knee. It's funny, I first had trouble with my right knee last December. I'd gone shopping for the day and my knee hurt so much that I really thought, at the time, that I would have to call J to come and get me, that I wouldn't be able to drive home. So I started seeing doctors about my right knee. NOW it's my left one that's worse, and while the pain isn't as severe as the one day in December, it's constant. I feel stiffness and pain, like a tight muscle or tendon, on the back of my knee, and it's constant. Again, when I'm sitting, it takes me a long time to get up and walk.
So I made an appointment with another orthopedic surgeon, the one who just operated on our friend K. K has had 20 years worth of trouble with his knees, and he was up and around within a week, actually up and around the next day, but functioning almost normally within a week, with painkillers only one day, and Advil for a few days. I go on November 6.
FAMILY-RELATED:
Just worrying about a sister who's not as happy as she should be... and hoping all my family stays healthy and safe...
We're waiting for a new great-nephew to be born. October 18th was his due date, but apparently he's real comfy and in no hurry to be born, so if he doesn't decide to make an appearance on his own, R has to be in the hospital at 1:30am Friday morning and they'll induce. I'm leaving for New Orleans Saturday morning so that's not great timing as far as I'm concerned. On my last business trip I missed a family funeral. It looks like I'm going to miss a baby this time around...
And my holiday resolution, which has to start being implemented NOW -- I HAVE to clean this house. Thank goodness I have a lot of days off left to take this year so I'll do it and get the house ready for the holidays. There won't be too much of that staying home and watching TV and eating bon-bons I'm so used to...
And just for fun, here are a few photos I've taken that you might enjoy...
This is Dobby who was originally named Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) except that when my daughter called her, the dog would sit instead of come, thinking she was saying "Sit."
Took this photo at the lake this past weekend, with nothing but my iPhone. Even I'm impressed with this picture...
This is the rocking horse hubby made for the nephew-to-be. He made a cradle for our great niece and planned to make another but the kids freaked out and said the cradle was an heirloom and they were going to pass it along to each other as needed. So J decided to make a rocking horse this time, even before we knew they were having a boy.
This is my new kitchen at the lake house - I don't have a photo (yet) of the backsplash up and grouted, but here's a shot of the new cabinets and counters and appliances, even though the counters are messy with tools and grout...
And another iPhone photo I love, the view from my office window, unfiltered.
We were at Sam's Club a few weekends ago, and we were walking to our car when we saw this, 2 dogs in the back of the SUV, no owner, no one in the car (and I checked)... They were just hanging there, waiting for their people...
Not Missing in Action, just in Action...
Meaning that things have just been topsy-turvy around here. Lots has been going on - let me enlighten you.
WORK-RELATED:
My company has been laying people off for the past year or so, and while I've never really been nervous about my job, now I am. And not so much about getting laid off, but more about not being able to do my new job...
I've always been a part of a department that sort of flew under the radar for the most part. We brought in $20 million so I'm sure if we DIDN'T bring it in, we'd have been noticed, but for the most part, since we consistently made our numbers we sort of never drew attention to ourselves. The irony is we were always ticked off that we were being treated as the "red-headed step-children," as my colleague would say.
NOW, however, my job description has changed and I've been told I have to toot my own horn and the horn of my new department, that NOW we WANT attention brought to our division and I have to contribute to that.
My job has changed. I'm now going to be specializing a particular subject category, focusing not on all the accounts in my geographical territory, but on a handful (25 or 30) key accounts that are supposed to be the focus of my attention and the attention of the company. I have to grow their business, proactively expand our volume of sales with these customers, and make sure everyone knows what I'm doing, how I'm doing it and how successful I'm being.
HEALTH-RELATED:
I think I've mentioned the chronic bursitis in my hips. I also have two knees (!), both with a torn meniscus and arthritis. I have seen my GP, an orthopedist, an acupuncturist, a rheumatoid arthritis specialist, and most recently an orthopedic surgeon, the one who did hubby's shoulder surgery.
Regarding my hips - they hurt. They hurt all the time. I really don't want to be taking anti-inflammatories every day, and I really don't want to start with cortisone shots at age 52 (who knows how much shot-related deterioration I'll have in the next 30 years...). But I'm not sure what else to do. I've gone for therapy, taken yoga, done some stretching at the gym, and nothing has relieved the pain. I seriously walk about 20 feet or so before I'm walking relatively normally, after I've been seated for a while and my hips have stiffened up. I just called a radio doctor this weekend and he's recommended some alternative treatment. I'm in enough pain to follow up on his website...
Regarding my knees - the surgeon said he'd recommend surgery on my left knee. It's funny, I first had trouble with my right knee last December. I'd gone shopping for the day and my knee hurt so much that I really thought, at the time, that I would have to call J to come and get me, that I wouldn't be able to drive home. So I started seeing doctors about my right knee. NOW it's my left one that's worse, and while the pain isn't as severe as the one day in December, it's constant. I feel stiffness and pain, like a tight muscle or tendon, on the back of my knee, and it's constant. Again, when I'm sitting, it takes me a long time to get up and walk.
So I made an appointment with another orthopedic surgeon, the one who just operated on our friend K. K has had 20 years worth of trouble with his knees, and he was up and around within a week, actually up and around the next day, but functioning almost normally within a week, with painkillers only one day, and Advil for a few days. I go on November 6.
FAMILY-RELATED:
Just worrying about a sister who's not as happy as she should be... and hoping all my family stays healthy and safe...
We're waiting for a new great-nephew to be born. October 18th was his due date, but apparently he's real comfy and in no hurry to be born, so if he doesn't decide to make an appearance on his own, R has to be in the hospital at 1:30am Friday morning and they'll induce. I'm leaving for New Orleans Saturday morning so that's not great timing as far as I'm concerned. On my last business trip I missed a family funeral. It looks like I'm going to miss a baby this time around...
And my holiday resolution, which has to start being implemented NOW -- I HAVE to clean this house. Thank goodness I have a lot of days off left to take this year so I'll do it and get the house ready for the holidays. There won't be too much of that staying home and watching TV and eating bon-bons I'm so used to...
And just for fun, here are a few photos I've taken that you might enjoy...
This is Dobby who was originally named Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) except that when my daughter called her, the dog would sit instead of come, thinking she was saying "Sit."
Took this photo at the lake this past weekend, with nothing but my iPhone. Even I'm impressed with this picture...
This is the rocking horse hubby made for the nephew-to-be. He made a cradle for our great niece and planned to make another but the kids freaked out and said the cradle was an heirloom and they were going to pass it along to each other as needed. So J decided to make a rocking horse this time, even before we knew they were having a boy.
This is my new kitchen at the lake house - I don't have a photo (yet) of the backsplash up and grouted, but here's a shot of the new cabinets and counters and appliances, even though the counters are messy with tools and grout...
And another iPhone photo I love, the view from my office window, unfiltered.
We were at Sam's Club a few weekends ago, and we were walking to our car when we saw this, 2 dogs in the back of the SUV, no owner, no one in the car (and I checked)... They were just hanging there, waiting for their people...
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
It's Been 12 Years
They say you always remember where you were when...
I will never forget where I was, how I felt, what I thought, how I cried, on September 11, 2001.
I've seen so many posts about it this year, more I feel, than in past years. Perhaps people are finally able to deal with it, speak about it. I posted something in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of that awful day. (In case you're interested, here's a link: 09/11/2011)
I still can't express how I felt, how lost, how hurt, how disbelieving, how horrified, how terrified I was. They're just words. And they're not big enough, important enough, strong enough to express it all.
So I'll just stop here with this: I am praying again for strength and comfort and healing for all those touched by this tragedy, those who have lost loved ones, or even just acquaintances, those who are still suffering, those of us affected by this horrible loss.
I will never forget where I was, how I felt, what I thought, how I cried, on September 11, 2001.
I've seen so many posts about it this year, more I feel, than in past years. Perhaps people are finally able to deal with it, speak about it. I posted something in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of that awful day. (In case you're interested, here's a link: 09/11/2011)
I still can't express how I felt, how lost, how hurt, how disbelieving, how horrified, how terrified I was. They're just words. And they're not big enough, important enough, strong enough to express it all.
So I'll just stop here with this: I am praying again for strength and comfort and healing for all those touched by this tragedy, those who have lost loved ones, or even just acquaintances, those who are still suffering, those of us affected by this horrible loss.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Our new kitchen
Tearing out the old... My beautiful farmhouse sink cracked. I'm so disappointed...
Some of the cabinets in, some with doors, stove is not hooked up yet...
Putting that cabinet over the refrigerator was tough!
Working on gas pipes...
It took all day Saturday, but we're now ready for counters...
I'll look for curtains and "stuff" later: can't wait to put food away...
Bits & Pieces of My Days...
I'm doing a Day in the Life mini album later this month so if you're not an Instagram follower of mine, here are a few highlights...
I wore orange today. It was a gloomy rainy day but not when I looked in my mirror!
My work computer really needed a cleaning! It took 3 hours!!
Reading on the train: Hunting Eve, by Iris Johansen.
It's pretty quiet on the train - room to spread out...
I'm on the train now and it's hard to type so I'll sign off. More soon...
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Surprise!
It's no surprise to me that I'm married to THE best guy in the world, but just in case you all weren't sure about it...
Last Thursday was our 14th wedding anniversary. This is what we looked like the day we got married:
We had a bit of a tough year, with his surgery, his deciding whether to retire or not (he's not retiring!), lay-offs at my company which thankfully didn't affect me...
Guess he decided I deserved more than "just" flowers this year (we never exchange anniversary gifts - we just go out to eat and he sends me flowers).
This is what he got me this year: OMG!!!
He's a wonderful husband! Think I'll keep him for sure!!!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
S Family Picnic
We had such a great time yesterday. We invited hubby's sister and her family up to the lake house for the day. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll shut up now and just post my pictures.
Yea, right, like I could ever post pictures without commentary...
The day started with J fishing my chair out of the lake. The wind must have blown it into the water overnight. And yes, he is *standing* in a paddle boat WITHOUT a life jacket...
Our nephew took baby E out with her mom (his sister) for a ride...
You can't tell here but I ran outside to take this photo and tripped over the chaise lounge, fell and bruised my left arm and left leg and just for giggles, hit my head on the chair. Yes, I have a lump and a red mark on my forehead, thanks for asking!
There was fishing.
There was dancing.
There was eating. (This photo was taken when prepping for the party. Forgot to take a photo of the delicious food!)
J is making a rocking horse for our nephew's soon-to-be baby... I'll post a photo when it's done. It's gorgeous!
I treated myself to this pair of Kate Spade earrings. I fell in love with them when I saw them online.
Well, break time is over. I'm off to clean my kitchen before we go to our daughter's home for a visit. More later!
Friday, June 28, 2013
UD Alumna
My nephew - well, actually, he's my first cousin's son so technically he's my first cousin, once removed. I think. Anyway, my nephew first cousin, once removed, is going to the University of Delaware!!! Yay! Just got this video from our alumni association so I thought I'd post it here...
Friday, June 14, 2013
Graduation Party & Volunteer Reading
On Sunday we went to my cousin's son's high school graduation party. R will be attending my alma mater: the University of Delaware! GO, FIGHTIN' BLUE HENS!!!
Here are some pictures from the party, along with some commentary...
Here's the view from the hot tub end of the pool - yes, that's their shed.
This is the hot tub end of the pool. Apparently cousin R and his son R built the deck and the pergola.
Dinner is served! And it was delicious! We had baked ziti (with vodka sauce, my favorite!), fried chicken, pierogi with fried onions and butter, caprese salad, meatballs, cole slaw, and that's all I took. There was more, but my plate was full!
This is the view from the waterfall side of the pool, looking toward their house. That low addition on the right is their new great room/family room. When they remodeled their kitchen, they blew out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, made that one giant space, and added this room onto the house.
Hi there, it's a self portrait! Not too smart to try to take it with the sun behind me, but it did give me some nifty lighting effects...
Here's hubby, post dinner, pre dessert. Yes, he always looks stressed when he's relaxing!
Cousin R and his beautiful dog, Kallie. Kallie is a Tibetan Terrier - not a terrier at all, and normally her hair is much longer, but they shaved her for the summer. She's so well-behaved. Apparently she won't go in the pool. She's four years old. The day after they brought Kallie home, R's wife was walking her around the pool on a leash, talking on her cell phone, telling everyone about their new puppy. R almost choked laughing as he told me she walked the poor puppy right off the edge into the water, and Kallie's been scared of the pool ever since! And before anyone gets all up in my face, he wasn't laughing at the poor pup, but he WAS laughing at his wife!
This photo was taken across the pool, toward the waterfall which you can just barely see on the right side of the picture.
Here's N and R, cousin R's two children (he's the soon-to-be-Blue-Hen; she's a UConn Husky), standing with my mom, their grandmother by proxy. Their real grandmother on our side died before my cousin married his wife, so they asked my mom if the kids could call her Babci (grandmother).
And here's the family photo... Cousin R, his wife M, daughter N, my mom, their son R, me, and J.
And just 'cause I can't end it there, here's another story... I volunteer as a reader at my husband's school. I've been doing it for eight years. It's a program sponsored by my company. Yesterday was my last day reading for this school year. I brought them Munchkins and they made me some beautiful thank you cards (you can see them in the second photo below). Miss G, the teacher, put a thank you sign up on her white board. I got lots of hugs, and they told me I "was the best reader they ever had!" (I was about to let that go to my head until I remembered they're second grade so they've only had two readers before me... although there are two per class and we alternate weeks, so I guess I'm the best of six...) I get so much from reading to them; I can only hope they get as much from me. I try to share my love of reading, how much I get out of it, how easy it is, that you have only to practice to get better at it... A couple of the students were eager to tell me that they'd been reading books since they last saw me, "books that aren't for school!" That last photo is the group when they came to visit at our office last month. Once a year, in May, they come to us and we read to them in their class groups in our cafeteria. We give them apples and cookies, milk and juice and water. They're always impressed and it's a mini field trip for them.
This is the class at my office building - that's my reading partner; we alternate weeks. When she remembers to go... Sorry, couldn't resist...
Here are some pictures from the party, along with some commentary...
Here's the view from the hot tub end of the pool - yes, that's their shed.
This is the hot tub end of the pool. Apparently cousin R and his son R built the deck and the pergola.
Dinner is served! And it was delicious! We had baked ziti (with vodka sauce, my favorite!), fried chicken, pierogi with fried onions and butter, caprese salad, meatballs, cole slaw, and that's all I took. There was more, but my plate was full!
This is the view from the waterfall side of the pool, looking toward their house. That low addition on the right is their new great room/family room. When they remodeled their kitchen, they blew out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, made that one giant space, and added this room onto the house.
Hi there, it's a self portrait! Not too smart to try to take it with the sun behind me, but it did give me some nifty lighting effects...
Here's hubby, post dinner, pre dessert. Yes, he always looks stressed when he's relaxing!
Cousin R and his beautiful dog, Kallie. Kallie is a Tibetan Terrier - not a terrier at all, and normally her hair is much longer, but they shaved her for the summer. She's so well-behaved. Apparently she won't go in the pool. She's four years old. The day after they brought Kallie home, R's wife was walking her around the pool on a leash, talking on her cell phone, telling everyone about their new puppy. R almost choked laughing as he told me she walked the poor puppy right off the edge into the water, and Kallie's been scared of the pool ever since! And before anyone gets all up in my face, he wasn't laughing at the poor pup, but he WAS laughing at his wife!
This photo was taken across the pool, toward the waterfall which you can just barely see on the right side of the picture.
Here's N and R, cousin R's two children (he's the soon-to-be-Blue-Hen; she's a UConn Husky), standing with my mom, their grandmother by proxy. Their real grandmother on our side died before my cousin married his wife, so they asked my mom if the kids could call her Babci (grandmother).
And here's the family photo... Cousin R, his wife M, daughter N, my mom, their son R, me, and J.
And just 'cause I can't end it there, here's another story... I volunteer as a reader at my husband's school. I've been doing it for eight years. It's a program sponsored by my company. Yesterday was my last day reading for this school year. I brought them Munchkins and they made me some beautiful thank you cards (you can see them in the second photo below). Miss G, the teacher, put a thank you sign up on her white board. I got lots of hugs, and they told me I "was the best reader they ever had!" (I was about to let that go to my head until I remembered they're second grade so they've only had two readers before me... although there are two per class and we alternate weeks, so I guess I'm the best of six...) I get so much from reading to them; I can only hope they get as much from me. I try to share my love of reading, how much I get out of it, how easy it is, that you have only to practice to get better at it... A couple of the students were eager to tell me that they'd been reading books since they last saw me, "books that aren't for school!" That last photo is the group when they came to visit at our office last month. Once a year, in May, they come to us and we read to them in their class groups in our cafeteria. We give them apples and cookies, milk and juice and water. They're always impressed and it's a mini field trip for them.
This is the class at my office building - that's my reading partner; we alternate weeks. When she remembers to go... Sorry, couldn't resist...
Friday, June 07, 2013
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Bad Lip Reading
Here are a couple of fun minutes... I love You Tube... This appealed to me because I find myself watching people's lips all the time, trying to figure out what they're saying...
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Oklahoma/F5
On Monday Moore, OK, was obliterated by an F5 tornado that "touched down" for 40 minutes.
40 minutes. F5.
I can't conceive of that violence being on the ground for 40 minutes. (It will never be an EF5 in my mind - I'm too old to change now.)
The images are horrific. Tornado? Massive destruction? Implosion? There aren't any words to describe the devastation. When someone says "it's like a war zone," yes, yes, it is...
24 people died. Including, I believe, 9 children, 2 of whom were babies. At least that's the last I heard. Entire schools were demolished. This morning there was a video taken during the storm. At first it was completely black, with someone screaming in the background. Then there was light, daylight, seen through walls that were no longer there. A water fountain attached to a cinder block wall with the rest of the school surrounding it gone. Children walking around, totally disoriented.
[I am stunned that I am writing a post using words like "obliterated," "violence," "horrific," "destruction," "devastation," "war zone."]
There were heart-warming images, too. The older woman finding her dog on camera, crawling out from under the rubble. The black puppy sitting, just sitting, waiting to be rescued. Just sitting above the body of his deceased owner. (I heard a story later that it might not have been his owner. Either way, they found that person because the puppy wouldn't move.) A neighbor running, full out, to the damaged school to see if the little boy who lived next door, his special little pal, was okay. Their hug, once they saw each other, the way the little boy just jumped into the man's arms. The woman whose neighbor helped find jewelry that belonged to the woman's grandmother in the remains of what was her house.
The stories, OMG, the stories. The mother who covered her baby with her body and was killed saving her own child. The man who held onto his daughter by her hair, refusing to let the wind take her. The 22 people who sheltered in a bank vault and survived.
Interviews with Hurricane Sandy survivors show people saying that this tornado was worse than "what we went through." Certainly it was, for some of us - I lost some food, was a bit cold for a few days. But people on Breezy Point or the NJ shore, for instance, lost everything. Those words I mentioned above? They apply to the loss of homes on Breezy Point and the Shore during Hurricane Sandy. But those victims were interviewed yesterday and they said the suffering from this tornado? It was worse. "We lost a lot. Many homes were damaged. But nothing like the all-out destruction of Moore, OK."
Amazing. Simply amazing. It restores my faith in mankind, that even those people who have every right to feel sorry for themselves can recognize that others are worse off, can sympathize, empathize, can help, can recognize the scale of the destruction...
I'm making a donation to the Red Cross. Are you?
40 minutes. F5.
I can't conceive of that violence being on the ground for 40 minutes. (It will never be an EF5 in my mind - I'm too old to change now.)
The images are horrific. Tornado? Massive destruction? Implosion? There aren't any words to describe the devastation. When someone says "it's like a war zone," yes, yes, it is...
24 people died. Including, I believe, 9 children, 2 of whom were babies. At least that's the last I heard. Entire schools were demolished. This morning there was a video taken during the storm. At first it was completely black, with someone screaming in the background. Then there was light, daylight, seen through walls that were no longer there. A water fountain attached to a cinder block wall with the rest of the school surrounding it gone. Children walking around, totally disoriented.
[I am stunned that I am writing a post using words like "obliterated," "violence," "horrific," "destruction," "devastation," "war zone."]
There were heart-warming images, too. The older woman finding her dog on camera, crawling out from under the rubble. The black puppy sitting, just sitting, waiting to be rescued. Just sitting above the body of his deceased owner. (I heard a story later that it might not have been his owner. Either way, they found that person because the puppy wouldn't move.) A neighbor running, full out, to the damaged school to see if the little boy who lived next door, his special little pal, was okay. Their hug, once they saw each other, the way the little boy just jumped into the man's arms. The woman whose neighbor helped find jewelry that belonged to the woman's grandmother in the remains of what was her house.
The stories, OMG, the stories. The mother who covered her baby with her body and was killed saving her own child. The man who held onto his daughter by her hair, refusing to let the wind take her. The 22 people who sheltered in a bank vault and survived.
Interviews with Hurricane Sandy survivors show people saying that this tornado was worse than "what we went through." Certainly it was, for some of us - I lost some food, was a bit cold for a few days. But people on Breezy Point or the NJ shore, for instance, lost everything. Those words I mentioned above? They apply to the loss of homes on Breezy Point and the Shore during Hurricane Sandy. But those victims were interviewed yesterday and they said the suffering from this tornado? It was worse. "We lost a lot. Many homes were damaged. But nothing like the all-out destruction of Moore, OK."
Amazing. Simply amazing. It restores my faith in mankind, that even those people who have every right to feel sorry for themselves can recognize that others are worse off, can sympathize, empathize, can help, can recognize the scale of the destruction...
I'm making a donation to the Red Cross. Are you?
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
RIP Zach Sobiech
This wonderful young man died Monday after a bout with cancer. He learned in 18 short years what I sincerely hope I learn in my lifetime, that we need to live life to the fullest, with joy and love and an appreciation for all we've been given.
Rest in peace, Zach Sobiech.
Rest in peace, Zach Sobiech.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
New Floor Update
I realized when I was responding to a post on Young House Love that I'd never posted a photo of the new floor at the lake house. So how could I point them to a photo if I never posted one? So here you go, photos of before, during and after. And yes, hubby did much of this with a bum arm, prior to surgery...
Keep in mind we only took these photos for ourselves, not for publication, so don't count on any white balancing, cleaning up of clutter in the background, or consistent points of view...
I'll have to take photos this weekend when we tear out the kitchen island that is at the opposite end of the room in this last photo, to your left if you're standing where I was when I took the photo. The floor will be extended into the kitchen then all the new cabinets and appliances will be installed. Then I'll have to take some more photos!
Keep in mind we only took these photos for ourselves, not for publication, so don't count on any white balancing, cleaning up of clutter in the background, or consistent points of view...
I'll have to take photos this weekend when we tear out the kitchen island that is at the opposite end of the room in this last photo, to your left if you're standing where I was when I took the photo. The floor will be extended into the kitchen then all the new cabinets and appliances will be installed. Then I'll have to take some more photos!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Miami, Part 1
I got to Miami Sunday night, to the hotel at about 9:35. Asked the front desk dude if there was a restaurant open at that hour and he assured me that, yes, there was. Would I like him to make a reservation for me for, say, twenty minutes from now? For some tapas and a glass of wine, perhaps?
Sure, I responded, as long as I could wear my pajamas to the restaurant.
Okay, so that wasn't the best picture to put in his head 'cause he VERY quickly suggested room service.
I called room service and they said it was a hour wait, but since I had no plans to go anywhere or do anything other than plop in front of the TV, that was fine.
I ordered my chicken enchiladas and a large coke. Proof positive I didn't really read the menu very carefully? It was delivered in 20 minutes (I picked the right thing!) and I took a huge bite.
It was FULL of jalapeños! Thought I'd be a Tums customer for sure that night but it didn't bother me at all! Of course the "large" coke was one of those new small bottles, the ones you can drink 10 of if you're not in NYC (Mr. Bloomberg is not my friend!). I was still thirsty when I was finished but at least I wasn't hungry anymore!
More Miami excitement to come in the next installment!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Sunday Is Mother's Day
I know you're all going to say, "MY mom is the best," but the only other two people on this planet who are allowed to say this are my sisters!
Our mom IS the best. THE best. The BEST. THE BEST.
My mom hasn't had an easy life. Let's just recap it (very briefly):
She was born in Poland.
She left Poland at the start of WWII to go to Siberia.
She left Siberia, traveled through Iran and Iraq, and left for Africa from the port of Pahlavi.
Went to East Africa, Mombasa, to be exact. She was then relocated by train and trucks to Nairobi, then to camp in Koja, Kenya.
They were relocated again, to Masindi in Western Uganda, and then to England by way of Egypt. She traveled by boat, went through the Suez Canal, through the Mediterranean Sea, throught the Strait of Gibraltar, and up to Liverpool, England.
She lived near Newton Abbot in Devonshire (now Devon), in England. She attended high school and college in England, then relocated again. She traveled by boat on the second Mauretania in 1952, to New York City, and eventually to NJ, where she met Daddy and the rest is MY history...
She is without a doubt the strongest woman I know. She has survived WWII, living in camps an surviving on potatoes, the loss of her home, the deaths of her sister, parents and husband. She has struggled with many surgeries, survived bladder cancer, suffered much physical pain, with not one complaint.
I have always said that if I could be half the woman she is, half the mother she is, I'd consider myself a total success.
Mommy, thank you. Thanks for teaching me right from wrong. Thanks for showing me what a good, strong, loving marriage is. Thanks for showing me, by example, what a good, strong, loving woman is.
And that awesome news you just gave me? That you're cancer-free again?
Our mom IS the best. THE best. The BEST. THE BEST.
My mom hasn't had an easy life. Let's just recap it (very briefly):
She was born in Poland.
She left Poland at the start of WWII to go to Siberia.
She left Siberia, traveled through Iran and Iraq, and left for Africa from the port of Pahlavi.
Went to East Africa, Mombasa, to be exact. She was then relocated by train and trucks to Nairobi, then to camp in Koja, Kenya.
They were relocated again, to Masindi in Western Uganda, and then to England by way of Egypt. She traveled by boat, went through the Suez Canal, through the Mediterranean Sea, throught the Strait of Gibraltar, and up to Liverpool, England.
She lived near Newton Abbot in Devonshire (now Devon), in England. She attended high school and college in England, then relocated again. She traveled by boat on the second Mauretania in 1952, to New York City, and eventually to NJ, where she met Daddy and the rest is MY history...
She is without a doubt the strongest woman I know. She has survived WWII, living in camps an surviving on potatoes, the loss of her home, the deaths of her sister, parents and husband. She has struggled with many surgeries, survived bladder cancer, suffered much physical pain, with not one complaint.
I have always said that if I could be half the woman she is, half the mother she is, I'd consider myself a total success.
Mommy, thank you. Thanks for teaching me right from wrong. Thanks for showing me what a good, strong, loving marriage is. Thanks for showing me, by example, what a good, strong, loving woman is.
You are an incredible mom, and am proud of you. I love you.
YAY!!!
Cleveland Horror
On Monday, May 6, three women were rescued from 10 years in captivity in a house in Cleveland. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight were kidnapped by Ariel Castro in the 2000s, kept in the basement and later in separate rooms in the house, tied up and chained.
He raped them, impregnated them, starved and punched them to force miscarriages, for all but one child from one of the women, Amanda Berry.
He's on suicide watch. I have mixed feelings. He deserves the death penalty but suicide seems an easy way out for him. Perhaps life in prison where he'll most likely be murdered?
I don't think it's right to wish him death, but I can't help but think of the 10 years, MORE than 10 years, these girls and their families have been suffering. His obvious mental illness is no excuse for what he did. It might explain it, but it doesn't excuse it.
And his two brothers, in and out of that house all the time over the past ten years? They knew nothing? So far police have released them and not charged them. And his mom, living two blocks away? Really? No idea?
THIS is why I always want to know my sisters or my mom or my daughter or my son or my husband is home safe, at school safe, wherever they are. THIS is why I have no problem "checking in" with my mom so she knows I'm home, safe and sound. THIS really could happen to just about anyone, anytime, anywhere. There are a lot of crazy people in this world, just walking around, appearing normal...
He raped them, impregnated them, starved and punched them to force miscarriages, for all but one child from one of the women, Amanda Berry.
He's on suicide watch. I have mixed feelings. He deserves the death penalty but suicide seems an easy way out for him. Perhaps life in prison where he'll most likely be murdered?
I don't think it's right to wish him death, but I can't help but think of the 10 years, MORE than 10 years, these girls and their families have been suffering. His obvious mental illness is no excuse for what he did. It might explain it, but it doesn't excuse it.
And his two brothers, in and out of that house all the time over the past ten years? They knew nothing? So far police have released them and not charged them. And his mom, living two blocks away? Really? No idea?
THIS is why I always want to know my sisters or my mom or my daughter or my son or my husband is home safe, at school safe, wherever they are. THIS is why I have no problem "checking in" with my mom so she knows I'm home, safe and sound. THIS really could happen to just about anyone, anytime, anywhere. There are a lot of crazy people in this world, just walking around, appearing normal...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Random Bits
Some random photos from the past month... I haven't been here, so I thought, not all of you are on Instagram so these little pieces of my rather boring life, well, you haven't been bored by them yet!
So here you go...
I got my hair cut. It looked so silky and full of movement and body. It has not looked like this since the day the stylist did it. I love the randomness of the colors, I like the chunkiness... Too bad I'll never see it this way again.
The lake is looking rather beautiful... The water is up, the sun was out... Was. It rained all day today. Three inches of rain overnight and into this morning...
Every child in the school made a get well card for hubby. 700+ cards arrived in a box. I cried reading some of them. The kids were told to just tell Mr. S. what they missed about him, or wish him well, or just write "Get Well Soon." Some of them really took the instructions to heart. Once kid wrote "You're like a grandfather to me!" Another wrote, "You've been a part of my life as long as I can remember, since I was a baby." Another wrote about how he's taught her grandma, and her mom, and her older brother, and "Now you're teaching me!" Several mentioned that they missed him at the front door, saying, "Good Morning!" And many of them quoted his "It's another day in Paradise" line. Balled my eyes out, I did...
My first attempt at sushi. Yes, I'm 52. And proud that I've been right all along. Not a fan of sushi. Now I can say, "Been there, done that, won't do it again."
This little stuffed whatever it is has been propped on this cubicle wall for over a month. I must have walked past it 200 times before I noticed the backside, courtesy of our digital manager... Laughed out loud...
Bought this knob plate and key on Open Sky. I've had it for about three or four years. Finally found a place to put it, in the upstairs bathroom. I toss my damp face cloth on it - love the look of it...
I'm really going to try to write more regularly, but today I only had time for a couple of photos and a couple of lines...
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