So I have recently made a mistake. Here's how the conversation went: (A=Andy, C=me) (the day after the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee once again delayed discussing pay raises for our dismally-paid pastors)
A: Yeah, you know how Pastor Pam's tv wasn't plugged in? It's broken.
C: Oh really? Why don't they get a new one?
A: I think they can't afford it. They can't afford internet service either.
C: That's a shame, they have such a huge DVD collection and I know they're movie buffs.
A: Yeah, it sucks for them.
C: Well gosh, I wonder it would be nice of us to give them our tv? We can buy a new one.
A: We don't need a new one.
C: Yeah, I know, but we can afford it and it does look really small in that huge entertainment center. It would be nice to have a bigger one. And we sit so far back from it in our living room.
A: Do you think they would want our old tv?
C: Yeah, I imagine they would, it's a nice tv. And if we got a new one, we could ask them if they would like to take it off our hands, so it wouldn't look like charity.
A: Meh.
C: Meh.
So at that point, I thought, "oh, moot point, we are not going to do anything." But in REALITY, the hubby was trying to contain his glee as he hustled off to pick out his new tv online!! He called his Dad, he checked the sales, he measured the entertainment center for how "big we could go," and when I tried to put the brakes on, he said,
"This is not a conversation between you and me now. You said we could get one, I heard you, you said it. Now it is a conversation between me and my friendly Best Buy salesman. Or Circuit City, I haven't decided."
So we may have a new tv. I'm not super-duper excited about it but ehhhhhhhh. If I let him get it, he'll probably let me paint anything in the house the way I want instead of arguing with me. And I'm sure there will be other perks. That would definitely be his Christmas present though!!!! I was not planning on spending that amount of money this year except on improvements to the house.
In other money news, it looks like my company is going to pay for my parking (210/mo) in exchange for my loading/unloading the dishwashers in the two small kitchens and wiping down the counters every day. Pretty sweet, right? Since we are not pregnant yet I am trying to gather as much money as I can. Sometimes it's tough because I just want to stay home already to SEE my husband, but I know this isn't forever.
One thing that really bothers me--besides never seeing my husband and commuting two hours a day--is the fact that our nutrition is awful. We continually eat "out" or eat take-out. It's terrible. And I eat out at lunch probably four days out of five. My only healthy meal every day is breakfast. And since my butt sits in that seat from 8 am to 6 pm, I'm hungry about 3 and want a snack, so I go to the Baskin Robbins for ice cream. I can feel my jeans getting tighter, and I don't like it. And eating out so much isn't economical either.
I've also been having a LOT of frustration at work--came home the other day in tears. My immediate superior is great, but another person in the dept who is higher than I am has become extremely bossy and patronizing. I hate having to deal with that kind of crap. It's so stupid--why not just be nice about it? Really, what's the point of being a witch to other people? Perhaps my feathers are ruffled because I'm prideful. I may not be the highest-ranking person in the company, but I'm just as intrinsically good as anyone else and deserving of respect. We all are.
I hate being talked down to, I really do. It's one of my pet peeves. But Andy and I talked about it and my plan is to wait until I get pregnant, and then if I'm really sick during the pregnancy, I'll just quit. If I find it pretty tolerable, I'll stick it out until I'm 8ish months along. It's not necessarily a bad place to work--just one particular frustration with one person. I like everybody else, and I even like this person when she's not trying to throw her weight around.
Andy wants me to quit right now because he never sees me and there's so much to do on the house and the dog is always alone and I'm always exhausted from being gone 12 hours a day. But I don't know--I'm afraid that would 1) look poorly on my resume, and 2) make me feel like I weren't doing anything. Right now I am earning good money for the hours I work, and I am really hoping we'll either be able to enjoy the money or save it.
Andy's in the shower getting ready for church. We are slowly getting the smell out of this place; the more dust we remove, the better it smells. And this house is going to be so great when we are finished with it! Zillow has it currently listed as worth 75k more than we paid for it, and that does not include improvements like adding square footage (next project) by finishing the front porch and finishing the back porch to turn it into a bedroom. We are really hoping we'll be able to make back what we put into this house. We don't know much about home improvement so we're just plugging away and hiring people when we need help.
I guess that is about it for now. The sun has come out and it's gorgeous today--maybe I'll go take some video of our lake and post it? I think I am going to purchase the "Audio Tools" that go with the the video software so that I can create music videos. Would anybody else enjoy that?
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Saturday Update
Andy's coming home! He just called. WOOHOO! Apparently he finished up at dawn this morning. For those of you who are familiar with Boy Scouts, he had to go away because he was getting the top honor in the Order of the Arrow. Order of the Arrow is like a secret honor society in Scouts, and this top honor is a really big deal. They have to set up committees and do all sorts of preparation for months beforehand, then the person getting initiated has to go through a bunch of tasks before the ceremony happens. And apparently my husband blazed through them so he could come on home to me! (He has been a little bit in the doghouse these past few weeks because I'm *sick* of his being gone...but he won't have anywhere to go for quite awhile now.)
I know he'll sleep this morning and day as he hasn't slept since the night before last. But he's going to come up to Renee and Leigh's and we'll do pumpkins and watch movies and such. I'm sure he'll get tired and pass out but since we're staying the night, that's fine.
We got the hardwood floor wood already and it's stacked up in the living room. I can't help but feel that this will singlehandedly be the biggest improvement to this house. I keep meaning to take pictures but I really prefer taking them when a room is officially "done," and I doubt *anything* will be really done until we're ready to sell this place.
Incidentally, two things are coming up: my birthday and Christmas. I know you all don't know me but I'm batty about both holidays. We are currently in Birthday Month and within a couple of weeks we'll be in Birthday Week, which means cookies and cupcakes for everybody. On my birthday I always wear a big button that says, "Birthday girl" and force everyone to celebrate by giving them more cake. I know, I know, am I pushy or what?? I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! I mean really--one year gone by. That's something to celebrate. I have friends who haven't made it this far in life and I staunchly feel that every year survived and lived is an accomplishment. So eat that cookie for me! :) My coworkers are a little curious about this--I've already invited all of them to accompany me to the California Pizza Kitchen for a birthday lunch, and I'll be bringing pastries all week. Luckily, another guy in the office has the same birthday (down to the year, but I'm a few hours older) so I am going to promote his birthday as well.
And thennnnnnnnnnnnnn, it's CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!!!!!! Oh heavens, I can't get enough of that Christmas music and the decorations and the snow and the good feelings all around. I get teary-eyed every step of the way. I am seriously like Christmas with the Kranks--and my husband is too, because he doesn't really like it (but humors me). I'm going to go to the Christmas Tree Shops and buy a houseful of decorations. I love Christmas because:
1. The food
2. The wonderful music
3. The smells (this year will be my first real Christmas tree ever, as my mom and brother are allergic to pine)
4. The way we all stomp around in snow boots and zip-zop snow pants
5. The decorations--both in my house and throughout the city (bows! bows!)
6. The reminder of the imporance of family
7. The sense of community. For ONCE, people look each other in the eye and nod. For ONCE, we see the less fortunate--not just see them as "those poor people" as Bostonians tend to do, but see them as PEOPLE. We give each other dignity back.
8. The reminder--all too important--of what Christianity is all about. Jesus' arrival as a baby in a manger really hits home with me--his lowly birth, his sweetness, his need for humanity to love him back, his Grace. Sometimes during Easter I feel a sense of shame because I know he died for me in *that* awful way. I feel that it's a debt I could never repay, and I don't even know where to start. But on Christmas...well, I know how to change a diaper, I know how to coo and rock, and I know how to snuggle a baby to sleep. I feel like Christmas--or rather, the way Jesus chose to come into this world--is a gift for me because it makes me feel so much closer to him, so loved, and so quietly honest. Babies don't hold a record of wrongs, and neither does Jesus.
Annnnnd, here is the video I took last week on our hike. I can't figure out how to add audio but I had planned to add Nickel Creek to it.
I know he'll sleep this morning and day as he hasn't slept since the night before last. But he's going to come up to Renee and Leigh's and we'll do pumpkins and watch movies and such. I'm sure he'll get tired and pass out but since we're staying the night, that's fine.
We got the hardwood floor wood already and it's stacked up in the living room. I can't help but feel that this will singlehandedly be the biggest improvement to this house. I keep meaning to take pictures but I really prefer taking them when a room is officially "done," and I doubt *anything* will be really done until we're ready to sell this place.
Incidentally, two things are coming up: my birthday and Christmas. I know you all don't know me but I'm batty about both holidays. We are currently in Birthday Month and within a couple of weeks we'll be in Birthday Week, which means cookies and cupcakes for everybody. On my birthday I always wear a big button that says, "Birthday girl" and force everyone to celebrate by giving them more cake. I know, I know, am I pushy or what?? I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! I mean really--one year gone by. That's something to celebrate. I have friends who haven't made it this far in life and I staunchly feel that every year survived and lived is an accomplishment. So eat that cookie for me! :) My coworkers are a little curious about this--I've already invited all of them to accompany me to the California Pizza Kitchen for a birthday lunch, and I'll be bringing pastries all week. Luckily, another guy in the office has the same birthday (down to the year, but I'm a few hours older) so I am going to promote his birthday as well.
And thennnnnnnnnnnnnn, it's CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!!!!!! Oh heavens, I can't get enough of that Christmas music and the decorations and the snow and the good feelings all around. I get teary-eyed every step of the way. I am seriously like Christmas with the Kranks--and my husband is too, because he doesn't really like it (but humors me). I'm going to go to the Christmas Tree Shops and buy a houseful of decorations. I love Christmas because:
1. The food
2. The wonderful music
3. The smells (this year will be my first real Christmas tree ever, as my mom and brother are allergic to pine)
4. The way we all stomp around in snow boots and zip-zop snow pants
5. The decorations--both in my house and throughout the city (bows! bows!)
6. The reminder of the imporance of family
7. The sense of community. For ONCE, people look each other in the eye and nod. For ONCE, we see the less fortunate--not just see them as "those poor people" as Bostonians tend to do, but see them as PEOPLE. We give each other dignity back.
8. The reminder--all too important--of what Christianity is all about. Jesus' arrival as a baby in a manger really hits home with me--his lowly birth, his sweetness, his need for humanity to love him back, his Grace. Sometimes during Easter I feel a sense of shame because I know he died for me in *that* awful way. I feel that it's a debt I could never repay, and I don't even know where to start. But on Christmas...well, I know how to change a diaper, I know how to coo and rock, and I know how to snuggle a baby to sleep. I feel like Christmas--or rather, the way Jesus chose to come into this world--is a gift for me because it makes me feel so much closer to him, so loved, and so quietly honest. Babies don't hold a record of wrongs, and neither does Jesus.
Annnnnd, here is the video I took last week on our hike. I can't figure out how to add audio but I had planned to add Nickel Creek to it.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Go buy the book!
Have you bought it yet? Get thee to a bookstore!
Visit Nancy's website.
Read an interview with Nancy.
Have you read it yet? What did you think? Comment away!
Visit Nancy's website.
Read an interview with Nancy.
Have you read it yet? What did you think? Comment away!
No News is Good News
I've been asked to update, so here goes:
This past weekend we took our annual romantic weekend getaway to New Hampshire. It was lovely! On Saturday we drove up to the Mulburn Inn (same place we went last year) and on the way we stopped at Franconia National Park. We hiked up to the lost lake, which was absolutely gorgeous. Apparently a couple of guys lived there for years, just hiking and fishing in the lake. I wonder, what kind of courage would one have to have to take an adventure like that? Was there more of a desire to GO to a beautiful place or to leave a grungy place? Were they excited about something better or were they just content to leave the junk behind?
At exactly the wrong time, I'm hit with a strong desire to simplify my life. I want crap OUT of my house and I want everything organized. I want things to be clear and predictable. Are they? Not at all! Not even a little bit. I've got things here and there and everywhere. Andy and I were talking about it in the car on the way to NH--do we ever think we'll simplify our lives? We were both raised to be packrats but we can't stand it! I hope within the next year or so we'll be able to get rid of stuff and have a simplified lifestyle. My goal is to have the house organized by the time we leave in a little under 2 years. Andy wants to get it done before we have a baby because babies mean loads of presents from the new grandparents. So that cuts our time down a bit! I don't know if it's possible. We really need to be on Clean Sweep or something.
Oh, anyway, back to my weekend. Saturday night we had a nice dinner (sore! but nice) and Sunday we had a lovely homecooked breakfast followed by a drive through the Presidential Mountain chain. Silly me, I didn't realize we had driven through it--I was watching for someone's face in the mountain! I had confused the Old Man in the Mountain with Mt Rushmore with the Presidential Mountain chain. Then we went to the outlet malls in North Conway (didn't buy anything, just browsed) and drove past lake Winipekasee (sp?). I hear the Romneys have a place there. Then we came back to the house, walked the dog, and had a lovely evening of TWO home movies.
Next week we get the hardwood floors put in, so we are going to try to organize some tonight (ha ha ha, as if). Andy's waiting for his car to be finished and as soon as that happens, he's going to buy a canoe with his birthday money. Oh, how I look forward to floating around in our lake with a good book! (Maybe Nancy's book?)
So, there it is! I'm tired and disorganized but everything's fine. No news is good news, right?
This past weekend we took our annual romantic weekend getaway to New Hampshire. It was lovely! On Saturday we drove up to the Mulburn Inn (same place we went last year) and on the way we stopped at Franconia National Park. We hiked up to the lost lake, which was absolutely gorgeous. Apparently a couple of guys lived there for years, just hiking and fishing in the lake. I wonder, what kind of courage would one have to have to take an adventure like that? Was there more of a desire to GO to a beautiful place or to leave a grungy place? Were they excited about something better or were they just content to leave the junk behind?
At exactly the wrong time, I'm hit with a strong desire to simplify my life. I want crap OUT of my house and I want everything organized. I want things to be clear and predictable. Are they? Not at all! Not even a little bit. I've got things here and there and everywhere. Andy and I were talking about it in the car on the way to NH--do we ever think we'll simplify our lives? We were both raised to be packrats but we can't stand it! I hope within the next year or so we'll be able to get rid of stuff and have a simplified lifestyle. My goal is to have the house organized by the time we leave in a little under 2 years. Andy wants to get it done before we have a baby because babies mean loads of presents from the new grandparents. So that cuts our time down a bit! I don't know if it's possible. We really need to be on Clean Sweep or something.
Oh, anyway, back to my weekend. Saturday night we had a nice dinner (sore! but nice) and Sunday we had a lovely homecooked breakfast followed by a drive through the Presidential Mountain chain. Silly me, I didn't realize we had driven through it--I was watching for someone's face in the mountain! I had confused the Old Man in the Mountain with Mt Rushmore with the Presidential Mountain chain. Then we went to the outlet malls in North Conway (didn't buy anything, just browsed) and drove past lake Winipekasee (sp?). I hear the Romneys have a place there. Then we came back to the house, walked the dog, and had a lovely evening of TWO home movies.
Next week we get the hardwood floors put in, so we are going to try to organize some tonight (ha ha ha, as if). Andy's waiting for his car to be finished and as soon as that happens, he's going to buy a canoe with his birthday money. Oh, how I look forward to floating around in our lake with a good book! (Maybe Nancy's book?)
So, there it is! I'm tired and disorganized but everything's fine. No news is good news, right?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday update
Well, folks, it's Saturday and Chester and I are sitting on the couch with a log burning in the fireplace. I'm drinking tea and he's watching the log...will it move? What's it going to do? Watch! Watch! Of course we can't figure out which way the flue is open and closed so I've smoked up the whole house. When it gets really cold outside we'll be able to tell the difference. Right now it's only in the 50s, but I'm trying to avoid turning the oil heat on. Since it's just me here today, I don't need to heat the whole house.
Did you all see the post about Nancy's book? Check it out! (Gracie, she moved back to TN, she's Southern through and through!) Until that book comes out I'm reading Harry Potter 2. Well, re-reading for the fifth (at least) time. I had a wonderful morning of laying in bed reading for an hour before I got up. It was delightful!
Has anyone else ever wondered about how the Internet--and blogging in particular--can tend to exaggerate our emotions? It's like we almost feel embarrassed when our lives are stable and healthy because it's disinteresting. Of course, folks like Nancy can turn any mundane experience into a hilarious account, but the rest of us just sort of putter along and go through life. It seems that it's become fashionable to highlight what's wrong with ourselves--to make each individual life into a soap opera. I wonder, though, if it's just me who has noticed that. A slight funk suddenly becomes a deep depression, and a marital tiff becomes cause for intense therapy. It's almost like we have no patience for working through things--it's so much easier to think we can farm out that work to doctors, therapists, and drugs than to think we can or should do it ourselves.
I'm not at *all* saying those three things aren't useful--they definitely are in the right circumstance--but it seems to me that it's become a first reaction ("I'll just go get some Prozac from my family doctor") rather than one part of a comprehensive treatment. Incidentally, I've never known any treatment that worked that did NOT involve a significant investment from the person being treated. Drugs do help but they must be in tandem with therapy. Therapy does work but it requires a change of lifestyle and a support system. There's no easy solution, and you can't really "farm it out" to anyone without doing some work yourself.
Given that there's no easy solution for real mental illness, I wonder why people are so quick to categorize themselves as being mentally ill. For example, my desire to have a clean house coupled with my love of orderliness does NOT inherently mean that I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. People truly do suffer from that and would be an insult to lump my enjoyment of order with their suffocating need for it. Similarly, a situational issue that makes us sad and disoriented does not necessarily mean we are "depressed" to a clinial extent. Some people absolutely are--and deserve treatment--but I am continually surprised at how quick we are to pass off situational sadness as full-blown depression. What is it that makes people eager to categorize themselves as mentally ill?
There's a song that goes, "If you want to be somebody else, if you're tired of fighting battles with yourself, then change your mind." It seems to me that many of my generation *don't* change our mindset and we don't take active steps to change the situations that cause our sadness. It's almost like it has become fashionable to be dreary.
I suppose I find it fascinating because it's completely counter-intuitive to me. Wouldn't we all want to be happy? Wouldn't we fix the situation rather than medicate the symptom? Or is this perhaps just dramatics and we all know it?
Did you all see the post about Nancy's book? Check it out! (Gracie, she moved back to TN, she's Southern through and through!) Until that book comes out I'm reading Harry Potter 2. Well, re-reading for the fifth (at least) time. I had a wonderful morning of laying in bed reading for an hour before I got up. It was delightful!
Has anyone else ever wondered about how the Internet--and blogging in particular--can tend to exaggerate our emotions? It's like we almost feel embarrassed when our lives are stable and healthy because it's disinteresting. Of course, folks like Nancy can turn any mundane experience into a hilarious account, but the rest of us just sort of putter along and go through life. It seems that it's become fashionable to highlight what's wrong with ourselves--to make each individual life into a soap opera. I wonder, though, if it's just me who has noticed that. A slight funk suddenly becomes a deep depression, and a marital tiff becomes cause for intense therapy. It's almost like we have no patience for working through things--it's so much easier to think we can farm out that work to doctors, therapists, and drugs than to think we can or should do it ourselves.
I'm not at *all* saying those three things aren't useful--they definitely are in the right circumstance--but it seems to me that it's become a first reaction ("I'll just go get some Prozac from my family doctor") rather than one part of a comprehensive treatment. Incidentally, I've never known any treatment that worked that did NOT involve a significant investment from the person being treated. Drugs do help but they must be in tandem with therapy. Therapy does work but it requires a change of lifestyle and a support system. There's no easy solution, and you can't really "farm it out" to anyone without doing some work yourself.
Given that there's no easy solution for real mental illness, I wonder why people are so quick to categorize themselves as being mentally ill. For example, my desire to have a clean house coupled with my love of orderliness does NOT inherently mean that I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. People truly do suffer from that and would be an insult to lump my enjoyment of order with their suffocating need for it. Similarly, a situational issue that makes us sad and disoriented does not necessarily mean we are "depressed" to a clinial extent. Some people absolutely are--and deserve treatment--but I am continually surprised at how quick we are to pass off situational sadness as full-blown depression. What is it that makes people eager to categorize themselves as mentally ill?
There's a song that goes, "If you want to be somebody else, if you're tired of fighting battles with yourself, then change your mind." It seems to me that many of my generation *don't* change our mindset and we don't take active steps to change the situations that cause our sadness. It's almost like it has become fashionable to be dreary.
I suppose I find it fascinating because it's completely counter-intuitive to me. Wouldn't we all want to be happy? Wouldn't we fix the situation rather than medicate the symptom? Or is this perhaps just dramatics and we all know it?
A great new book--check it out!
A friend of mine wrote this. If you like a good laugh from a smart woman, check it out! It comes out October 9th.
Check it out on amazon.com, where you can pre-order it for a substantial discount. Here's the description: For the first 20 years of her life, all Nancy French knew of the world was Paris--Paris, Tennessee, that is. When the former homecoming queen trades in cow-tipping, big hair, and the Catfish Capital of the World for a new life in the Big Apple, she is in for a real education. With a keen sense of humor, French discusses everything from the South's obsession with church attendance to the blue-state notion that red staters think as slowly as they speak.
Please feel free to copy this html and put it on your own site! Let's spread the word and support Nancy!
Check it out on amazon.com, where you can pre-order it for a substantial discount. Here's the description: For the first 20 years of her life, all Nancy French knew of the world was Paris--Paris, Tennessee, that is. When the former homecoming queen trades in cow-tipping, big hair, and the Catfish Capital of the World for a new life in the Big Apple, she is in for a real education. With a keen sense of humor, French discusses everything from the South's obsession with church attendance to the blue-state notion that red staters think as slowly as they speak.
Please feel free to copy this html and put it on your own site! Let's spread the word and support Nancy!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Okay, a real post
I know I have posted anything real in awhile, sorry sorry! The hubby got into a car wreck on Monday and his car is drivable but pretty darn beat up. We are waiting on the assessor to come and figure out the damage to determine whether they will total it or fix it. We would rather fix it because another car payment is not that exciting.
Hubby's bday is coming up. He really, really doesn't want me to get him anything but I want to get him something! He especially doesn't want me to waste 3 dollars on a card because he will just throw it away. I am thinking of trying to get some Bruins tickets or something like that--something that will be a real treat for him. It would be even better if I told him he could take a guy to it instead of me; then he could drink beer and eat nachos with jalepenos to his heart's content. We will have to wait and see though. He can be really uptight about money so I don't want to spend "too much" even though he bought me a huge anniversary present. I just don't understand that man; he sees presents for me as "an investment" and presents for him as "a waste of money."
Chester is getting a bath today and he doesn't know it yet. He's enjoying having me home; I haven't been home much lately! As I am a real homebody this has been probably more stressful on me than on the dog. I just love being home and everything home-ish. I don't like being gone 7 am to 9:30 pm. The house is not clean enough and I haven't had time to do anything crafty lately.
Oh did I mention I now have a minimum hour-long commute? Superfun. Maggie suggested I find some books-on-cd and I may do that. Usually I flip around on the radio and sing really loudly to keep myself awake at 6:50 am. My xm radio works again and I have been meaning to plug it in in my car (but first I have to find it and put the magnetic antenna up). That has the best music. I wish I had a smaller version of it though; one the size of an Ipod that I could slip in to work and listen to while writing code. I would like an Ipod except for the work it takes to set up and purchase music lists--too much for me! I'd rather just listen to non-commercial radio. And now I also have to pay $210 in parking a month. I have offered to take over kitchen duty in exchange for the company's paying for my parking and the Executive Assistant perked up at this idea and said she'd forward it on to management right away. Apparently having the regular cleaning service also run the dishwasher, put away dishes, and wipe the counters once a day is really expensive. Even though I know it would be adding extra work to an already-hectic schedule, I would like to have that extra money every month.
And the ultra-top-secret news that you CANNOT tell anybody (for folks who actually know me) is that we quit with the birth control a few weeks ago. What's the sense in waiting until January? Obviously I'll post as soon as something comes of it.
My dad has not been feeling well and no, I don't want to talk about it, but there it is.
In better news, my birthday is coming up in November--that means only one month and a week until Birthday Month and a little more than that until Birthday Week. Woohoo!
Tonight we are going to Manchester to watch Renee's husband in the Ultimate Fighting competition at the Verizon arena. He is competing for the New England Middleweight championship. This is his last fight ever--he just turned 33 and he feels it's time to retire "because kids will be coming along soon." And of course he told me that about 30 minutes after Renee had been telling me she couldn't see kids coming along for at least 3-4 years...ha ha. They are too cute together. They really are a wonderful couple. I may make signs to take tonight; I'm gonna call her to ask if that's "done" and then I'll go to Walmart and buy the stuff to make them. I think we're going to try to be there in time to have dinner with Renee. She is really nervous for Leigh and wants him to win so badly so that he can go out with a real flair.
I guess that is it. I'm gonna go grab another half-cup of coffee and get ready to shower the dog. I have also been meaning to install my software for downloading/manipulating video files so I can start posting our videos to you-tube so I may do that.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Hubby's bday is coming up. He really, really doesn't want me to get him anything but I want to get him something! He especially doesn't want me to waste 3 dollars on a card because he will just throw it away. I am thinking of trying to get some Bruins tickets or something like that--something that will be a real treat for him. It would be even better if I told him he could take a guy to it instead of me; then he could drink beer and eat nachos with jalepenos to his heart's content. We will have to wait and see though. He can be really uptight about money so I don't want to spend "too much" even though he bought me a huge anniversary present. I just don't understand that man; he sees presents for me as "an investment" and presents for him as "a waste of money."
Chester is getting a bath today and he doesn't know it yet. He's enjoying having me home; I haven't been home much lately! As I am a real homebody this has been probably more stressful on me than on the dog. I just love being home and everything home-ish. I don't like being gone 7 am to 9:30 pm. The house is not clean enough and I haven't had time to do anything crafty lately.
Oh did I mention I now have a minimum hour-long commute? Superfun. Maggie suggested I find some books-on-cd and I may do that. Usually I flip around on the radio and sing really loudly to keep myself awake at 6:50 am. My xm radio works again and I have been meaning to plug it in in my car (but first I have to find it and put the magnetic antenna up). That has the best music. I wish I had a smaller version of it though; one the size of an Ipod that I could slip in to work and listen to while writing code. I would like an Ipod except for the work it takes to set up and purchase music lists--too much for me! I'd rather just listen to non-commercial radio. And now I also have to pay $210 in parking a month. I have offered to take over kitchen duty in exchange for the company's paying for my parking and the Executive Assistant perked up at this idea and said she'd forward it on to management right away. Apparently having the regular cleaning service also run the dishwasher, put away dishes, and wipe the counters once a day is really expensive. Even though I know it would be adding extra work to an already-hectic schedule, I would like to have that extra money every month.
And the ultra-top-secret news that you CANNOT tell anybody (for folks who actually know me) is that we quit with the birth control a few weeks ago. What's the sense in waiting until January? Obviously I'll post as soon as something comes of it.
My dad has not been feeling well and no, I don't want to talk about it, but there it is.
In better news, my birthday is coming up in November--that means only one month and a week until Birthday Month and a little more than that until Birthday Week. Woohoo!
Tonight we are going to Manchester to watch Renee's husband in the Ultimate Fighting competition at the Verizon arena. He is competing for the New England Middleweight championship. This is his last fight ever--he just turned 33 and he feels it's time to retire "because kids will be coming along soon." And of course he told me that about 30 minutes after Renee had been telling me she couldn't see kids coming along for at least 3-4 years...ha ha. They are too cute together. They really are a wonderful couple. I may make signs to take tonight; I'm gonna call her to ask if that's "done" and then I'll go to Walmart and buy the stuff to make them. I think we're going to try to be there in time to have dinner with Renee. She is really nervous for Leigh and wants him to win so badly so that he can go out with a real flair.
I guess that is it. I'm gonna go grab another half-cup of coffee and get ready to shower the dog. I have also been meaning to install my software for downloading/manipulating video files so I can start posting our videos to you-tube so I may do that.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Hello out there!
I've been asked to update but things are just rather eh right now. The hubby got into a three-car wreck (got sandwiched between a car in front and an asphalt truck pulling a trailer from behind...the back of his Jeep is pretty smashed) and I've been out every evening for a week so I feel rather swamped. But tonight...tonight I'll be watching the Office and eating popcorn. I CANNOT WAIT! Right now though I've got to get back to work, so I'll leave you with this tear-jerker:
If anybody is going to be around during the Office, I am christy_re on yahoo messenger.
If anybody is going to be around during the Office, I am christy_re on yahoo messenger.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sept 11th
Five years ago I was awoken by a phone call from my dad, who immediately asked if I had seen the news. I said, "No, Dad, you woke me up!" And I still recall his reply and I think I will until my dying day:
"Oh it's awful, it's just awful...(deep breath)...terrorists have attacked New York and Washington. The President is in a plane, they won't disclose his location, but he's alive. Our nation is under attack." He told me to stay in my dorm room until we figured more out, and that he had to call my brother to tell him.
I stumbled out of my bedroom in time to see the towers collapse on TV. I called my then-longtime-boyfriend who was from Long Island. He couldn't get in touch with his dad who worked in Rockefeller Center and his best friend worked in Tower 2. He had to get off the phone in case someone--anyone--called with news. He was beside himself with panic. I felt numb.
The campus was surreal. A lot of the Vanderbilt kids had parents who worked in the Twin Towers. People were hysterical, there was a huge phone bank in the student union for kids to try--and try--and TRY to reach family in New York. Counselors were bussed in from miles around. I didn't cry because I felt I didn't deserve to cry for those I didn't know.
A Sigma Chi who had just graduated died in the Towers. He sent an email before he died. The Sigma Chis hung their one-story-high flag from their building and put floodlights on it, and blared bagpipes funeral music for a whole two days. The frat brothers sobbed. Many other Vanderbilt recent alumni died that day. I wrote a prayer and gave it at the University-wide service. I don't remember much from that service because they played Adagio for Strings, which is what we played at Justin's memorial service, and I suddenly couldn't stop crying. I have never heard that song since he died and not cried. People thought I was sobbing for those who died in the Towers and I guess I was...I was crying for all who grieve, and all we've lost, and lives snuffed out too early. Suddenly I was surrounded by other people who had lost their best friends like I had. It was terrible.
My ex's dad walked all the way to Long Island in borrowed shoes where his exhausted wife picked him up, crying. His best friend happened to be late to work that day and got off the train just as the towers collapsed. He turned and ran. He made it home okay. What luck. My ex's home church lost over 200 people that day.
My roommate wanted to watch every piece of news coverage, almost like a drug. For me it was too close. A family friend was in the Towers too at a conference. He was in one of the lower stories and ran to safety. Others weren't so lucky. I still hate seeing the footage. In fact it makes me sick.
It's still really hard for me to process all of this. My dog's whimpering because I'm crying--"It's okay, Chester!" But really, it's not. They're still out there, and they're planning more. I just hope we stay one step ahead. And I admit, I still like the photo of the Statue of Liberty with her middle finger stuck high in the air, saying, "We're coming, motherfuckers!" I know it's wrong to feel vengeful but there it is.
"Oh it's awful, it's just awful...(deep breath)...terrorists have attacked New York and Washington. The President is in a plane, they won't disclose his location, but he's alive. Our nation is under attack." He told me to stay in my dorm room until we figured more out, and that he had to call my brother to tell him.
I stumbled out of my bedroom in time to see the towers collapse on TV. I called my then-longtime-boyfriend who was from Long Island. He couldn't get in touch with his dad who worked in Rockefeller Center and his best friend worked in Tower 2. He had to get off the phone in case someone--anyone--called with news. He was beside himself with panic. I felt numb.
The campus was surreal. A lot of the Vanderbilt kids had parents who worked in the Twin Towers. People were hysterical, there was a huge phone bank in the student union for kids to try--and try--and TRY to reach family in New York. Counselors were bussed in from miles around. I didn't cry because I felt I didn't deserve to cry for those I didn't know.
A Sigma Chi who had just graduated died in the Towers. He sent an email before he died. The Sigma Chis hung their one-story-high flag from their building and put floodlights on it, and blared bagpipes funeral music for a whole two days. The frat brothers sobbed. Many other Vanderbilt recent alumni died that day. I wrote a prayer and gave it at the University-wide service. I don't remember much from that service because they played Adagio for Strings, which is what we played at Justin's memorial service, and I suddenly couldn't stop crying. I have never heard that song since he died and not cried. People thought I was sobbing for those who died in the Towers and I guess I was...I was crying for all who grieve, and all we've lost, and lives snuffed out too early. Suddenly I was surrounded by other people who had lost their best friends like I had. It was terrible.
My ex's dad walked all the way to Long Island in borrowed shoes where his exhausted wife picked him up, crying. His best friend happened to be late to work that day and got off the train just as the towers collapsed. He turned and ran. He made it home okay. What luck. My ex's home church lost over 200 people that day.
My roommate wanted to watch every piece of news coverage, almost like a drug. For me it was too close. A family friend was in the Towers too at a conference. He was in one of the lower stories and ran to safety. Others weren't so lucky. I still hate seeing the footage. In fact it makes me sick.
It's still really hard for me to process all of this. My dog's whimpering because I'm crying--"It's okay, Chester!" But really, it's not. They're still out there, and they're planning more. I just hope we stay one step ahead. And I admit, I still like the photo of the Statue of Liberty with her middle finger stuck high in the air, saying, "We're coming, motherfuckers!" I know it's wrong to feel vengeful but there it is.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
I've been tagged!
Jule Ann has tagged me for a word association game. Here goes!
I'm supposed to tag others to do a word association, so I tag Maggie.
- aluminum - foil
- braid - hair
- claustrophobia - small rooms
- dumpling - gang
- elevator - up
I'm supposed to tag others to do a word association, so I tag Maggie.
- Kumquat
- Gobbledygook
- Lollygag
- Diphthong
- Masticate
Monday, September 04, 2006
Labor Day Blahs
I've been asked to update, so update I shall.
First, damn you, Aunt Flo. You are not welcome in my house.
Second, I'm lately frustrated with how MEAN Massachusetts people can be. I keep thinking I'm oversensitive but no, I'm not. People around here keep positive thoughts to themselves and anything negative has to be broadcast to the world. There is very little community, very little happiness anywhere near Boston and I struggle to insulate myself from it. It doesn't help that I'm a homebody at heart. I like warm fires, clean kitchens and fresh muffins. I want to sit at my computer and type from home after taking the dog on a walk around the lake. I don't like it when people are in my face, criticizing everything they can, and I don't like bullies. There are a lot of bullies around here. Boston's full of them, and it's pretty well-known. What a sad, pathetic way of life, you know? Blech! Sometimes I feel like I just want to shower off all the negativity with a good scrub and some fresh bath salts. It's so pervasive and it feels like poison to the soul. Perhaps a bath is what I need tonight, along with some positive thinking! Now I know why Paul spoke of a Christian warrior, with weapons like Scripture and the Spirit.
Third, we went to one of the strangest weddings I've ever been to last night. It was nearly two hours long and was a Methodist wedding that discussed GLBT's right to marriage in the OPENING LINE, then had Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian blessings followed by a communion served by a rainbow-frocked priest to the tune of African drums and songs in an African language. There were only white liberals there. In fact, we were probably the odd ones out because we're conservatives. I'm really happy for the couple getting married--they're wonderful together--but MAN, that was a strange wedding to attend. I'm still chewing on it in my mind.
Fourth, I made a bumblebee-themed gazebo bird-house thing today with my friend Karen (from the Republican Women's group here in Boston, all 16 of us...). It was fun and the little house is a-dor-a-ble! We grabbed some lunch at Panera and came back and did our crafts and had tea and talked for hours. It was really nice. And now I have realized my new hobby is doing random crafty things for the nursery we're starting to put together. It's relaxing, creative, and productive. I feel like I'm actually taking pro-active steps toward Baby when in reality I'm just getting paint and hot glue all over my fingers.
This is what I made:
Fifth (who's really counting now?), the hubby and I cleaned out the front porch on Saturday and set up the laundry room as the office. It's not super-polished but it looks good, and I'm glad we did it. We also created a lot more space in the front porch to put our stuff when we finish the back porch.
Sixth (yeah, I'm still counting), I've been working on my cookng skills and they are vastly improved! I'm gonna start dinner here in a minute and start bugging the husband to do some tidying and/or dishes. He's been laying around reading his new sci-fi novels all day.
Finally, I have word that I may have some business thrown my way for editing and technical writing. I would love to get that going! It would give me peace of mind to know I'd be able to earn some money AND stay home instead of just assuming/hoping it'll happen.
I guess that's it. I'm off to make rosemary chicken with garlic potato wedges. If I screw up we'll order pizza.
First, damn you, Aunt Flo. You are not welcome in my house.
Second, I'm lately frustrated with how MEAN Massachusetts people can be. I keep thinking I'm oversensitive but no, I'm not. People around here keep positive thoughts to themselves and anything negative has to be broadcast to the world. There is very little community, very little happiness anywhere near Boston and I struggle to insulate myself from it. It doesn't help that I'm a homebody at heart. I like warm fires, clean kitchens and fresh muffins. I want to sit at my computer and type from home after taking the dog on a walk around the lake. I don't like it when people are in my face, criticizing everything they can, and I don't like bullies. There are a lot of bullies around here. Boston's full of them, and it's pretty well-known. What a sad, pathetic way of life, you know? Blech! Sometimes I feel like I just want to shower off all the negativity with a good scrub and some fresh bath salts. It's so pervasive and it feels like poison to the soul. Perhaps a bath is what I need tonight, along with some positive thinking! Now I know why Paul spoke of a Christian warrior, with weapons like Scripture and the Spirit.
Third, we went to one of the strangest weddings I've ever been to last night. It was nearly two hours long and was a Methodist wedding that discussed GLBT's right to marriage in the OPENING LINE, then had Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian blessings followed by a communion served by a rainbow-frocked priest to the tune of African drums and songs in an African language. There were only white liberals there. In fact, we were probably the odd ones out because we're conservatives. I'm really happy for the couple getting married--they're wonderful together--but MAN, that was a strange wedding to attend. I'm still chewing on it in my mind.
Fourth, I made a bumblebee-themed gazebo bird-house thing today with my friend Karen (from the Republican Women's group here in Boston, all 16 of us...). It was fun and the little house is a-dor-a-ble! We grabbed some lunch at Panera and came back and did our crafts and had tea and talked for hours. It was really nice. And now I have realized my new hobby is doing random crafty things for the nursery we're starting to put together. It's relaxing, creative, and productive. I feel like I'm actually taking pro-active steps toward Baby when in reality I'm just getting paint and hot glue all over my fingers.
This is what I made:
Fifth (who's really counting now?), the hubby and I cleaned out the front porch on Saturday and set up the laundry room as the office. It's not super-polished but it looks good, and I'm glad we did it. We also created a lot more space in the front porch to put our stuff when we finish the back porch.
Sixth (yeah, I'm still counting), I've been working on my cookng skills and they are vastly improved! I'm gonna start dinner here in a minute and start bugging the husband to do some tidying and/or dishes. He's been laying around reading his new sci-fi novels all day.
Finally, I have word that I may have some business thrown my way for editing and technical writing. I would love to get that going! It would give me peace of mind to know I'd be able to earn some money AND stay home instead of just assuming/hoping it'll happen.
I guess that's it. I'm off to make rosemary chicken with garlic potato wedges. If I screw up we'll order pizza.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Never Marry a Career Woman
I found this Forbes article very interesting. Check it out, then read the rest of my post.
First, I was disappointed that the female journalist chose to counter the male journalist's mounds of empirical evidence with anecdotal commentary. Just because she feels these things aren't true for her doesn't mean the studies were wrong in their widespread polls. Moreover, she points out how things are "better" in her marriage...than what? The implied "than" is a marriage in which one spouse stays home with children. She insinuates that this leads to marital dischord (as evidenced by preferring to sit by people other than the spouses at dinners?) and points out that unlike "other" couples, she and her husband enjoy their quality time more and work harder to stay in love with each other. Like I said, her anecdotal commentary isn't very convincing, which is disappointing. I wish she would have scrounged some statistics up, because without them, it looks like she's making it up. (I read a similar commentary in Parents magazine. In a letter to the editor, an angry mother wrote a response to the article on how toddlers should be kept at a healthy body weight through healthy snacks, exercise, and awareness on the part of the parent. It emphasized the fact that many parents delude themselves into thinking their toddlers are healthy when they're really quite overweight--and how this can affect the kid for years to come. Well, the angry mother's toddler was rather husky, and she didn't think he was fat, so the whole article must be wrong!)
Back to the Forbes article at hand. I'm troubled by some of these statistics, as you'll notice they imply that well-educated women, whether they have careers or stay home, are destined to be less happy than their high-school-educated peers. Well, crap. I hope that isn't true. BUT, if it is, I have a possible reason why. I think college-educated people are more likely to fall into the spiritual trap of materialism and success. The reasons for this are not necessary a lack of virtue--instead, it is perhaps a temperament thing.
Let me explain by describing a conversation the husband and I had yesterday. I've realized lately that I have had a lifetime habit of seeing what is "successful" and achieving it, come hell or high water. Read 500 books a summer? No problem! Varsity tennis, varsity volleyball, local community theatre, top band and choir, state choir, local youth symphony, and more while maintaining a 4.0 even taking every honors class and college course available? You got it! This desire to be the best, the most accomplished, the most enviable is part of what led me to Vanderbilt and later to Harvard. And shocker of shockers, it has led me to hope I could make it work in the corporate sector. Wealth is, at my age, the new frontier, and my gut reaction is to conquer it!
But at this point I had to put on the brakes. Did I ever stop to examine whether I really *wanted* to achieve these goals? Nah, not really. I wanted success, I wanted honor, I wanted to be better than all my peers. I fall prey to whatever is successful, materialism included, perhaps because it is in my very temperament. Why else did I work three years and take out massive student loans to slap "Harvard" on my already-impressive pedigree? Spiritually, this is bad. Swallowing my pride is one of the most difficult things for me to do, and engaging in humble acts is painful for me. This is not good. There's absolutely no room for what God wants in this attitude.
Had I not put on the brakes, I could see this taking me down a very dangerous road. Let's call that road the "Restoration Hardware" road. Do I really need a 100 dollar toilet paper holder? Nope. Does it really look different from the 15-dollar one at Lowe's? Nope--except to the trained eye (and this trained eye is not God's eye). As tempting as Restoration Hardware is, if I were to shop there it would be to impress certain people with my success, and that's not how I should be spending my money. I should be spending my money on God, family, community, and charity, not toilet paper holders. It's a matter of priority, and college-educated women like me may fall prey to the evil temptations of pride and desire for success. Dedication to worldly honor was what has driven us thus far, and if we don't stop to think through it, we may continue to ignore God's viewpoint.
But I digress--back to the article. The last point I wanted to make was about the state of homes with working women. What makes this a conundrum is the fact that many women still feel pressure to have Better Homes and Gardens-style homes while working 50 hours a week, shuttling their kids around, maintaining a happy marriage, and maintaining their precious beauty? Is this really possible? I don't think so--something's gotta give. And whatever that "something" is, a woman's likely to feel frustrated about it. All too often it's the relationships with the kids or husband, and this leads to divorce. You can't pay a maid service to listen to your husband talk about his day, and no nanny truly substitutes for time with Mom. Perhaps many women have found out the hard way that you can't have it all--just as men have discovered. I'm feeling this pain now, as I feel pressure to have a spotless home while working 45 hours, commuting up to 2 hours a day, spending time with the dog, talking with the husband, and staying well-read so as to be an interesting person. I haven't even had time for exercise! I can't imagine throwing children to the mix, much less keep this schedule up for long. It's exhausting, and it's taking a toll on our marriage even now. We work hard to overcome it, but I can't imagine working hard to overcome it for the next 40 years until retirement.
How, exactly, do you put a marriage and family first in such a demanding world? Is not being a career woman the ticket, or is it something else? I'd love to hear some thoughts.
First, I was disappointed that the female journalist chose to counter the male journalist's mounds of empirical evidence with anecdotal commentary. Just because she feels these things aren't true for her doesn't mean the studies were wrong in their widespread polls. Moreover, she points out how things are "better" in her marriage...than what? The implied "than" is a marriage in which one spouse stays home with children. She insinuates that this leads to marital dischord (as evidenced by preferring to sit by people other than the spouses at dinners?) and points out that unlike "other" couples, she and her husband enjoy their quality time more and work harder to stay in love with each other. Like I said, her anecdotal commentary isn't very convincing, which is disappointing. I wish she would have scrounged some statistics up, because without them, it looks like she's making it up. (I read a similar commentary in Parents magazine. In a letter to the editor, an angry mother wrote a response to the article on how toddlers should be kept at a healthy body weight through healthy snacks, exercise, and awareness on the part of the parent. It emphasized the fact that many parents delude themselves into thinking their toddlers are healthy when they're really quite overweight--and how this can affect the kid for years to come. Well, the angry mother's toddler was rather husky, and she didn't think he was fat, so the whole article must be wrong!)
Back to the Forbes article at hand. I'm troubled by some of these statistics, as you'll notice they imply that well-educated women, whether they have careers or stay home, are destined to be less happy than their high-school-educated peers. Well, crap. I hope that isn't true. BUT, if it is, I have a possible reason why. I think college-educated people are more likely to fall into the spiritual trap of materialism and success. The reasons for this are not necessary a lack of virtue--instead, it is perhaps a temperament thing.
Let me explain by describing a conversation the husband and I had yesterday. I've realized lately that I have had a lifetime habit of seeing what is "successful" and achieving it, come hell or high water. Read 500 books a summer? No problem! Varsity tennis, varsity volleyball, local community theatre, top band and choir, state choir, local youth symphony, and more while maintaining a 4.0 even taking every honors class and college course available? You got it! This desire to be the best, the most accomplished, the most enviable is part of what led me to Vanderbilt and later to Harvard. And shocker of shockers, it has led me to hope I could make it work in the corporate sector. Wealth is, at my age, the new frontier, and my gut reaction is to conquer it!
But at this point I had to put on the brakes. Did I ever stop to examine whether I really *wanted* to achieve these goals? Nah, not really. I wanted success, I wanted honor, I wanted to be better than all my peers. I fall prey to whatever is successful, materialism included, perhaps because it is in my very temperament. Why else did I work three years and take out massive student loans to slap "Harvard" on my already-impressive pedigree? Spiritually, this is bad. Swallowing my pride is one of the most difficult things for me to do, and engaging in humble acts is painful for me. This is not good. There's absolutely no room for what God wants in this attitude.
Had I not put on the brakes, I could see this taking me down a very dangerous road. Let's call that road the "Restoration Hardware" road. Do I really need a 100 dollar toilet paper holder? Nope. Does it really look different from the 15-dollar one at Lowe's? Nope--except to the trained eye (and this trained eye is not God's eye). As tempting as Restoration Hardware is, if I were to shop there it would be to impress certain people with my success, and that's not how I should be spending my money. I should be spending my money on God, family, community, and charity, not toilet paper holders. It's a matter of priority, and college-educated women like me may fall prey to the evil temptations of pride and desire for success. Dedication to worldly honor was what has driven us thus far, and if we don't stop to think through it, we may continue to ignore God's viewpoint.
But I digress--back to the article. The last point I wanted to make was about the state of homes with working women. What makes this a conundrum is the fact that many women still feel pressure to have Better Homes and Gardens-style homes while working 50 hours a week, shuttling their kids around, maintaining a happy marriage, and maintaining their precious beauty? Is this really possible? I don't think so--something's gotta give. And whatever that "something" is, a woman's likely to feel frustrated about it. All too often it's the relationships with the kids or husband, and this leads to divorce. You can't pay a maid service to listen to your husband talk about his day, and no nanny truly substitutes for time with Mom. Perhaps many women have found out the hard way that you can't have it all--just as men have discovered. I'm feeling this pain now, as I feel pressure to have a spotless home while working 45 hours, commuting up to 2 hours a day, spending time with the dog, talking with the husband, and staying well-read so as to be an interesting person. I haven't even had time for exercise! I can't imagine throwing children to the mix, much less keep this schedule up for long. It's exhausting, and it's taking a toll on our marriage even now. We work hard to overcome it, but I can't imagine working hard to overcome it for the next 40 years until retirement.
How, exactly, do you put a marriage and family first in such a demanding world? Is not being a career woman the ticket, or is it something else? I'd love to hear some thoughts.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Now I know why
Tuesdays suck.
I just received the obituary of one of my sorority sisters. She died Saturday in a car wreck in Memphis.
It's awkward receiving news like this at work.
I just received the obituary of one of my sorority sisters. She died Saturday in a car wreck in Memphis.
It's awkward receiving news like this at work.
Tuesdays are Poo-days!
From an email to AutumnAdytum, in an effort to cut down on rewriting and get back to work, as it IS the end of my lunch break in a couple of minutes...
Tonight we're going out to the North End and getting dinner at Dolce Vita (fancy italian restaurant) and then Mike's Pastry for cannolis. I am going with the rest of the marketing dept as a goodbye to a few of our staff who are leaving. And dinner is covered by the company! Woo!
Tuesdays normally suck. I am definitely cranky and am trying to find things to be cranky about but besides the lack of sleep I'm okay. Dammit. Way to ruin a perfectly good bad mood! And then I'll get stuffed with cannolis...what's a girl to do on a Tuesday? I guess I'll have fun, but I don't have to be *happy* about it! :)
I was reading Billy Graham Sunday night and the book was overall very good. But the husband and I had a disagreement about the timeline for dishes--which was totally minor--and then I read a chapter on death and how we should look on the death of a Christian as a release into a better life, and next thing you know the husband is coming in from washing dishes and I burst into tears because I had just finished the chapter and he was like, "I'm sorry! I'll go do more dishes! I'm sorry! Don't cry!" Ha ha ha. I didn't milk it; I told him I was reading about funerals and he put my book away and came to bed and we read fiction together.
Tonight we're going out to the North End and getting dinner at Dolce Vita (fancy italian restaurant) and then Mike's Pastry for cannolis. I am going with the rest of the marketing dept as a goodbye to a few of our staff who are leaving. And dinner is covered by the company! Woo!
Tuesdays normally suck. I am definitely cranky and am trying to find things to be cranky about but besides the lack of sleep I'm okay. Dammit. Way to ruin a perfectly good bad mood! And then I'll get stuffed with cannolis...what's a girl to do on a Tuesday? I guess I'll have fun, but I don't have to be *happy* about it! :)
I was reading Billy Graham Sunday night and the book was overall very good. But the husband and I had a disagreement about the timeline for dishes--which was totally minor--and then I read a chapter on death and how we should look on the death of a Christian as a release into a better life, and next thing you know the husband is coming in from washing dishes and I burst into tears because I had just finished the chapter and he was like, "I'm sorry! I'll go do more dishes! I'm sorry! Don't cry!" Ha ha ha. I didn't milk it; I told him I was reading about funerals and he put my book away and came to bed and we read fiction together.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Theological Reflection
Last night the husband and I were at dinner, trying to think of *something* to talk about besides babies, and the conversation switched to our faith. After thought, I declared, "You know, I feel like we're living in Patmos."
"Patmos?" He replied.
"Yes, we definitely live in Patmos."
"No, we don't."
"We don't?" I incredulously asked.
(laughing) "No, honey, we live in BABYLON."
Touche, dear husband, touche. We are in the belly of the beast, trying to keep the flame of faith alive in an uncompromisingly spiritually devoid place. When I first moved to Cambridge, the city seemed to exist in shades of gray. After a few months, I realized, "This city has turned its back on God." There is an ethos here that rejects what is good, what is right, what is healthy in the name of militant individualism. We have made a god of secularism, of hippies, of "alternative" and "progressive" thought. Ann Coulter was right--liberalism can be a religion, complete with mantra, dogma, and consequences. Even the origin and afterlife are explained by Darwinism and atheism.
Now that we live in the suburbs, it's not quite as strong, but it is still painfully present. Our home often feels like an outpost, and I spend so much time in defense mode that I rarely nuture my faith. Those who defend their farms against constant attack rarely have time to till and harvest, and I have been struggling so hard to keep what I have that I haven't grown in faith. I wonder sometimes how Christians felt before the fall of Rome, when good sense had gone the way of the wind and self-indulgence was law. Did they feel isolated too?
In better news, I have figured out a way to try to work from home. I'm going to try to drum up some business in editing, as I'm really good at it, enjoy it, and get paid to do it already. Here's the site I've developed. If you know any college/grad students or authors, point them my way! The husband and I are thinking that we'll begin trying to conceive this winter, barring unforeseen problems. I really hate that we've had to put it off.
And in still better news, the husband also had a long talk with his boss about promotions. It looks like in order to fast-track him, we'll have to leave in two and a half years to go to the next council. Darn! And I was SO hoping to stay. This is great news because if we leave in 2.5 years we'll 1) get a cheaper house, 2) he'll get bigger raises more often, and 3) well, we'll get to leave. The first two things also mean we'll be able to afford more kids while I stay home. Woohoo! I realize this is all in the future, but I am pleased that it looks like our rock-and-a-hard-place conundrum is temporary.
I think we're going to tidy the house (haven't done dishes in a week!) and then go for a hike. It'll be great! Chester would be excited if we'd say the word "walk," but we've been putting it off because we don't want him to go bonkers an hour before it's time to go.
Ooo, ooo, will I say it? "Chester, do you wanna go for a walk? You DO??" Hee hee.
"Patmos?" He replied.
"Yes, we definitely live in Patmos."
"No, we don't."
"We don't?" I incredulously asked.
(laughing) "No, honey, we live in BABYLON."
Touche, dear husband, touche. We are in the belly of the beast, trying to keep the flame of faith alive in an uncompromisingly spiritually devoid place. When I first moved to Cambridge, the city seemed to exist in shades of gray. After a few months, I realized, "This city has turned its back on God." There is an ethos here that rejects what is good, what is right, what is healthy in the name of militant individualism. We have made a god of secularism, of hippies, of "alternative" and "progressive" thought. Ann Coulter was right--liberalism can be a religion, complete with mantra, dogma, and consequences. Even the origin and afterlife are explained by Darwinism and atheism.
Now that we live in the suburbs, it's not quite as strong, but it is still painfully present. Our home often feels like an outpost, and I spend so much time in defense mode that I rarely nuture my faith. Those who defend their farms against constant attack rarely have time to till and harvest, and I have been struggling so hard to keep what I have that I haven't grown in faith. I wonder sometimes how Christians felt before the fall of Rome, when good sense had gone the way of the wind and self-indulgence was law. Did they feel isolated too?
In better news, I have figured out a way to try to work from home. I'm going to try to drum up some business in editing, as I'm really good at it, enjoy it, and get paid to do it already. Here's the site I've developed. If you know any college/grad students or authors, point them my way! The husband and I are thinking that we'll begin trying to conceive this winter, barring unforeseen problems. I really hate that we've had to put it off.
And in still better news, the husband also had a long talk with his boss about promotions. It looks like in order to fast-track him, we'll have to leave in two and a half years to go to the next council. Darn! And I was SO hoping to stay. This is great news because if we leave in 2.5 years we'll 1) get a cheaper house, 2) he'll get bigger raises more often, and 3) well, we'll get to leave. The first two things also mean we'll be able to afford more kids while I stay home. Woohoo! I realize this is all in the future, but I am pleased that it looks like our rock-and-a-hard-place conundrum is temporary.
I think we're going to tidy the house (haven't done dishes in a week!) and then go for a hike. It'll be great! Chester would be excited if we'd say the word "walk," but we've been putting it off because we don't want him to go bonkers an hour before it's time to go.
Ooo, ooo, will I say it? "Chester, do you wanna go for a walk? You DO??" Hee hee.
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