Saturday, August 21, 2010

Suuuummmmmer Time, and the Living is Easy

Headed up to the lake tomorrow, to a friend's lake house. BH is fighting a bad cold and is working on some presentations, so I am going up by myself. So it will be my friend and me. Her husband is staying at their real home this weekend to finish some of his projects.

She and me and her dog. Pool, lake and hot tub. And sail boat and ski boat. I think we are going to do it all.

I don't water ski any more, haven't since I was in my 20s. I MUCH prefer to DRIVE the boat. Which makes it nice for all, as it gives those who usually drive a chance to ski (or board or slalom).

And she is the one who got me interested in sailing (even though I don't do it). She has been sailing since she was itty-bitty, so it's fun to be on a boat with her.

Anyway, going to bed soon and head up to the lake house around 8 am tomorrow! Yay!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Why, yes - I AM alive...

Just not posting much, as there are THINGS (job things) going on, and it's all good and not good. I mean, after being laid off for several months, I found a new job. But things aren't going as well as I had hoped. More on that as things develop.

We are getting ready to go on our honeymoon (yes, I know - a year and 5 months later) to Yellowstone. YAY!

We went to the movies today, I saw Eat Pray Love, BH saw The Expendables. EPL was like eating an ice cream cake - slow, sweet and good while it lasted.

Got a nook from Barnes and Noble, am loving it! I got rid of my blackberry, but in the three months I have been back on a regular phone found that I am missing it... go figure!

I am getting antsy to move... not sure why, just ready for a change. BH hates moving, so we have been tossing around some ideas. My favorite so far is to junk everything we have and start new! Just wish we had the funds to that... You know what they say: caviar taste on a spam budget!

It's getting late, BH fell asleep watching tv - better get him into bed! And I am yawning... do you sometimes crave sleep, like food or water?

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Bad blogger..... bad, bad blogger

Yes, I have been a terrible blogger. There is a lot going on, but nothing worth writing about.... I promise to catch up soon!

Ummm... good weekend, BH and I went to see "Kick Ass." It was.... for teenage boys. There was some funny moments, and I get the sense of humor, but am getting too old for these comic book movies (especially since I don't follow comic books).

We are planning on a trade-off, we will go see "Robin Hood" for him and "Letters to Juliet" for me. It seems movies are getting worse and worse... Hollywood is really in a slump!

We are doing Dr. Who, and even though I loved Da*id Ten*et, I am enjoying the new Doctor! I only got into this a couple years ago, when BH and I met. With him being British, he was raised with the show and enjoys it. It is nice having On Demand, and watching it the next day or so after it airs, 'cause we can cut out the commercials!

See, told you things were boring.....

Friday, April 30, 2010

Lazy

Been meaning to post, there has been a lot going on (started new temp job, celebrated one year anniversary, took a trip home to Alabama, loads of weddings coming up, BH really involved with Red Cross, lots of thinking from other blogs), but have been lazy and unmotivated lately. Sigh...

To follow up from my last blog, I never continued my thread of thought about friends. I have been reading blogs for several years, one blog even before there was the term blog (hi, HG!). It gives me a false sense of "knowing" someone, of feeling like there is a link when they don't know me from Adam.

I have made several blogging friends (they know who I am, we have e-mailed and chatted on the phone and there isn't the cyper-stalking creepiness going on), but it still is all very un-real. They are all more open in their lives than I am, more able to chat about this-and-that in a more story-telling way than I have, and they make all the little things in their lives seem fun! exciting! new!

By having blogging friends, it gives me the sense of chatting with a friend by reading their blogs. I know, weird. And some of my blogging friends and I are friends on FaceBook as well, so there are more ways of staying connected through the web.

Has the web taken over friendships? Is it too easy to be involved without having even chatted with someone (live) in a while? Where are the friends to go out to eat with, go to the movies with, go shopping, get a manicure, hiking, walking, actually DOING things?

Well, I need to get over my laziness - and over myself with the serious stuff!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Blogs I follow

There is one blog I follow that brings up some interesting questions at the end of each blog about friendship and today's world. I love the blog (www.mwfseekingbff.com), and found it brings some.... interest into my life.

You see, I was raised in a military family. Every three years, we moved someplace NEW. Ohio, Illinois, California, Virginia, Alabama, Germany, Nebraska, back to Alabama.... I went to five different GRADE schools (luckily, jr. high was in one location and high school was in one location).

I wouldn't give up that life for anything - I got to do more and see more of the world by the time I was sixteen than most people do in a life time (I went across the Atlantic 8 times by the time I was 14).

HOWEVER, I think it may have retarded my ability to keep friends. I can make friends easily. Heck, I could talk to a brick wall if need be. I LOVE to talk to people and and enjoy learning about other's lives. The issue is that, growing up, nothing was permanent. People move in and out of our lives. Family remains, but we never really lived close to family to see on a day-to-day basis.

Keeping friends.... well, that's another story. It's so easy, too easy, to drift apart once LIFE happens.

My family moved the summer between my last year of high school and starting college. I chose to move with my family across country and to a university where I knew no one. I joined a sorority. I liked it, but felt like the odd man out. A lot. My sorority sisters were nice, but most of them grew up in the area and knew each other from high school or church. I transferred colleges two years in, and did not stay in touch with any of my "sisters." (side note, thanks to Face Book, I have reconnected with the ones I truly enjoyed being friends with, but they are still in the state I went to college in, no one within 500 miles of me now!)

I always had a core group of 3-4 friends, but that group fluctuated - it's very liquid. And now, married for about a year, I find that even though I have good friends that I can count on for ANYTHING (five, to be exact, and I know I am lucky), our lack of day-to-day or even month-to-month of seeing each other or even talking makes for a feeling of never being able to totally catch up with each other.

I feel ALONE. I know I am not, my husband is wonderful, I have the best family, and good friends. But on that day-to-day need of a female friend, well, there hasn't been one in a while. I can't expect BH to want to discuss "Glee," as he doesn't watch. I can't expect BH to come with me for a mani or pedi, he isn't inclined to get one. We shop together, but usually for things for him, it's more fun to shop for guys or home stuff, anyway. He isn't a female and I can't expect him to fill that need.

But it would be nice to have a friend that I have known for years and can chit-chat with about everything and nothing. From politics to hair color. But I never lived anywhere or stayed in touch with anyone long enough to have that type of friendship.

I think it's part of getting older and having been so mobile. Or maybe I don't need or want that type of friendship as much as I think I do. Or maybe it's that I never had that type of friendship.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wednesday...

It's Wednesday.

And it FEELS like a Wednesday. Neither here nor there or anywhere.

I am ready for the weekend. I am ready to spend time with BH. I am ready to have some pizza! Or exercise! Or read! Or sleep, shop, watch tv or watch a movie....

I want to be anywhere but where I am. Sigh....

Monday, March 22, 2010

Weekend!

The weekend was fun...

Friday, we went over to one of my friend's homes. BH and I made dinner, my friend and his girlfriend made dessert, and then we played Apples to Apples and Life. I know, it sounds kind of boring - but it was good friends, good company, good food, and good games! Saturday was an early phone call from a friend in Birmingham that I haven't heard from in YEARS. We chatted a while and it was nice. Then BH and I went to an indoor flea market and wandered around and then went to see "The Bounty Hunter." Don't bother - not that great. And I love me some Gerard Butler. Oh, well. On Sunday, I cleaned a bit and then we went out to lunch and to see "The Runaways," about Joan Jett and one of the first girl-only punk bands. It was... ok. Dak*ta Fan*ing is all grown up! But it could have been about any band in the mid-seventies, with all the same issues and problems. Wait for the DVD.

But we had a good time, and I am feeling SO much better. However, I think I pulled a blond moment (blond is not a hair color, it's a state of mind).... I love Z-pack - it's a great drug. I just took my last one - maybe 10 minutes ago? And as I peeled back the backing, I saw it had "Day 3" on it. This was my last pill. Out of 6. Oops. Guess I should have read the back of the package! Hope the dosage was the same for each pill, supposedly the drug works for a total of 10 days. Sigh... But I am feeling better! Yay me!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Yuck, repeat

Bronchitis.... per the doctor. Thanks, BH, for making me go. Antibiotics and an inhaler. And a husband who knows best! Of course, the continual hacking cough that interrupted his sleep and movie watching might have played a part... :-)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

St. Pat's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This used to be one of my favorite holidays. Not in a bad or good way, it's kind of fallen off my radar. Sigh...

When I moved to Chicago, I looked for a good exercise class. To make a long story short, I ended up in an Irish dance class (talk about sweat!). I love Irish dance, and even though I am not a great dancer, I get it - and can do a good light jig and reel.

The girls (women, ladies, etc.) in my class became good friends. My bestest friends. One of them was lead singer in a popular traditional Irish band. At least twice a month, for about five years, our group (core group of 4, usually 5-8 of us) would go to hear the band at bars around Chicago and the band leader (married to my friend, the lead singer) would "ask" us to dance a few jigs and reels during their gig. I have danced at some of the finest Chicago Irish bars!!!!

St. Pat's was huge - obviously. In fact, I usually took half day vacation from work to go to the bar where the band would be performing that night (around 6 pm - midnight) to stake out a table for our group. Usually one or two from the group would meet me there for lunch, and we would drag it out.... Hey, it's a HUGE day here for the Irish bars and getting a table is a BIG DEAL. Don't judge!!! Lots of phone calls throughout the day - "Where's the table?" "I should be there by 3..." "When did so and so get there?"

Of the core 4 of us, we all invited friends. So there could be as little as 10 people in our group or as large as 20. By 5 pm, most everyone would be there - by 7 pm ALL of us would be there! And that's just OUR group. The band played at the same bar/restaurant for three years in a row, another bar/restaurant two years in a row - the place would be PACKED!

I am not a big drinker - maybe two or three beers or ciders from 3-ish till the end of the night, and that was all. It was about being with friends, dancing, hearing music we loved, and the party atmosphere that made everyone happy! With it being St. Pat's, we danced almost every song - cheered by the (drunk) patrons and having a great time!

Then the lead singer and band leader got divorced. The band broke up. Some of us went to a new dance school. Some of the girls I haven't seen since 2007. Some I still talk to. Some I don't. But it was a good 5 years and we had a good time together. 2002-2007 was awesome!

I miss the getting together with the friends whose heritage and love for all things Irish was a blast! But things have changed and time moves on.....

Still, lots of fun times and good memories.... Raising a glass in memory to all my friends and family! Here's to us! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Monday, March 15, 2010

The yuck, continued...

STILL sick, but getting better... The weekend was quiet. BH took good care of me, and we both were happy for some sunshine on Sunday.

I hate coughing - especially when it feels like I am coughing up a lung!

We saw some kitties yesterday at PetSmart to adopt, one was really sweet. But since the next couple months are possibly bringing some changes, we want to wait until the end of April.

Umm... all is good, just trying to get well!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Still Yuck

Too much information, but funny.

I am still sick and it is gross. Nose and lungs. Won't go any further than that. Yesterday was the worst. I got home from work, looking and feeling like death warmed over. I changed into my nightclothes and passed out on the sofa.

BH put the kettle on so I could have some TheraFlu. He made sure I was comfy on the sofa and brought me the mug. I was holding the mug to my chest, to feel the heat through the congestion.

I was getting all "I feel gross, thanks for taking care of me, I feel gross" then started the lovely hacking cough.

And then started to cry. BH patted my leg and told me I would be better soon, it's all ok, etc. I said through tears, "No, when I coughed, I spilled some of the TheraFlu and burned myself..." He was concerned and said, "Let me see, is it ok?"

Remember, I had changed into nightclothes - tee shirt and cut-off sweats (sexy, I know) - and was holding the TheraFlu to my CHEST.

I couldn't help it, I started giggling through the crying and basically flashed him. He started laughing, too. Then went and got me some aloe vera lotion for the red splotch. While I went through a box of tissues to mop up all the extra fluid from the crying and the cold. Oh, and the damp spot on my shirt.

I then proceeded to have a gross night, but feel better this morning. And I didn't need the aloe vera this morning!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Yuck...

I am sick. Well, a cold is coming on. Sore throat, stuffy nose, breathing through my mouth (gross). Thanks, BH! He had the exact same thing Saturday. And Sunday. And Monday. He is feeling better today. So hopefully I can go home, dose up on NyQuil, go to bed and wake up well!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Fun time were had by all, until...

We had a blast Friday night - went with a friend and her husband to a charity variety show. Dinner was good, the show was fun. Then I got all icky on the way home because I was so tired and PMSing.

My husband (BH - he is very British and my husband!) and I fought most of the way home - the whole hour drive (don't get me started about driving in the burbs of Chicago!).

Needless to say, once we got home and were sitting on the sofa we clarified and made up. I hate being angry at BH, and I refuse for us to go to bed until there is a resolution (even if it resolving to shelve til the morning). I do love him!

I feel really bad I ruined the end of a good night - I hate PMS - but am glad I we got it all worked out!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Anything new?

No, nothing new, just a kind of same old/same old week.... It is getting warmer (yay) and the snow is melting. I think we are feeling spring fever - need to get outside and DO something!

The house is still a wreck, and there is always laundry piling up. We are going with friends to a benefit on Friday night, meeting for dinner before at an Irish place that has some English food, my British husband is excited about that (they even have beans on toast on the menu).

But the rest of the weekend, internet, is going to be MINE! Read, clean, and relax - what could be better!!!?

Monday, March 1, 2010

Recap

Good and bad weekend. Good, we did a lot of running around. Bad, we did a lot of running around. I am embarrassed to admit, I hit the wall and got nasty about being gone from 9 am till 6 pm on Saturday and from 10 am till 7 pm on Sunday. We were in the library parking lot about 2 pm on Sunday and I got very snappy. Didn't ruin the weekend, and I felt bad about it - but I need a day to recoup from the week of work!

We discussed, and he agreed - too much running around. So the next couple weekends will be doing the (much needed) cleaning at home and relaxing with the gazillion books we haven't read yet and the bazillion movies we have on DVD that need to be watched!

Friday, February 26, 2010

It's cold

It's cold, but sunny. After a surprise 6 inches of snow, sun is about all I can hope for!

You know, I have been heavy all my life. Not fat, but definitely a big girl. And it always surprises me when I see a picture of myself or catch a glimpse of my reflection, because I don't look at all the way I think I look (in my head).

Now I have gained more weight, so I have crossed the line from chubby to fat, but I still am surprised that it isn't Nic*le Kidm*n staring back at me from the mirror!

Just kidding, sort of. I am in the process of dieting and working out, but instead of the sexy blond or redhead I know I am, it's not what people see... ;-)

It doesn't help that the rest of my family is relatively small (weight-wise, we are all tall). And I wish that I didn't love pizza so much. Or cake. Or milkshakes. But I know what my weaknesses are and I am trying to do something about it.

Fingers crossed! This isn't a "New Year's Resolution," this is what I need to do to be healthy!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Umm...

Just testing the waters of blogging, making sense of my life as an older bride.

I miss my family. A lot. I am so thankful my husband really likes my parents. In fact, as much as we love Chicago, we are hoping to move back to Bama (or GA or FL or TN) to be closer. Keep your fingers crossed!