Weekend Getaway...

Adam and I traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY last weekend. As it turns out, I do have family! Who knew. My grandfather was the oldest of 10 siblings and his youngest sibling (Terry) happened to be celebrating her 80th birthday... well it was a surprise party thrown by her daughters - Terri, Helen, Ret and Cheryl. All of my aunt Terry's siblings have passed away so having a few of us there to represent the "Lopes clan" was really special to her.
This is us right before hitting the road (yes, Danielle came out in her PJ's to take a picture of us!!! Thanks Danielle ;~)

I appreciate the effort but a sign (prolly cost the tax payers a pretty penny) over a highway as you are going 80mph past it? Is that really effective?

Lunch stop along the way... Here I am holding up the Cherry Hill Diner sign...

and Adam trying to crush the sign... yeah, we are SO grown up!

After we made it to NY we went out to eat at Bookmakers... we were seated outside (1 of 2 couples there) and had a fabu waiter and ate some darn good food! This is us waiting for dinner...

More to come!

New Shoes!

For Jaime's wedding! I am anxious to wear them! Now I just need to get the dress altered ;~)

Update on the tire

The whole tire blowout/tow thing worked out for the better... If I had gotten the spare put on (by divine intervention because I wasn't doing it) then I would have had to drive the money pit to the mechanic and then found a way back to work while it was getting new shoes.

The way it worked out was better... Karen was on her way in so she just swung over and picked me up... I got to work somewhat on time... and I didn't have to worry about another accident (this time I would have been on I-95). And honest to goodness, the price for the tow was perfectly fine with me... I don't know what everyone complains about... seemed absolutely reasonable and completely worth it to me ~

Besides, without Karen, I wouldn't have gotten my awesome pictures!!! And Danielle... yes, they are totally making it into the photo album! This is deserving of its own page ;~)

And the story ends happily... we got the Jeep, err money pit, back yesterday (yes New Life is that good!) and it's running great.... well, it's running and all the tires are on and in tact... really, that is all I can ask for.

Tire Blowout

Ok, so Adam and I went away this weekend and had a GREAT time... and I will post about that soon... however, I have to post this first...

This happened on my drive in this morning...

That would be the front driver's side tire...

This is me pulled over in a shipyard/warehouse type place... at the exit ramp from I-95. Luckily I blew out on train tracks so I was moving slowly and I was not on the highway!


Karen (aka KMR, aka my hero) came to get me and take me to work... For anyone that knows me, you know I have a 'wall' of tow truck pictures (self-fulfilling, maybe). So far it has Jaime and Kelly from Spring Break 99 and Adam from Niagara Falls 03... now I can add Myself (portrait done by Karen)... Work 06!


Ahhh the money pit in all it's glory! Thanks to New Life Automotive, it won't be too much of a stretch on the wallet ;~) Love those guys!

I am so old...

it apparently takes a few hours for injuries to set in.

I played Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball this past Saturday. We got our you know what's handed to us in Ultimate Frisbee but won 2 out of 3 in volleyball... good times had by all. So Adam and I leave the field, rush home to get ready for a party... shower, change and jump in the car. We drive to Hagerstown (good hour and a half car ride) and stop at a grocery store to bring chips and dip. I step... err, attempt to step, out of the car. Yeah, not so much, I can barely put pressure on my left foot. At first I think that I just have to walk it off... be a man, shake it off...

Not so much again. I am basically limping my way through the grocery store. We pick up an Ace bandage (didn't you know I have my medical degree) and get back in the car. I wrap my foot and ankel (3 times cause I couldn't get it right...) and think, yeah, this will go away.

Meanwhile, we are heading to a house full of poeple that I haven't met and that Adam hasn't seen since graduation day (for the most part)... something of an inpromptu high school reunion brought on by myspace. Anyway, here comes hop-a-long Jessica... what an entrance to make! We make our introductions and I sit down, keeping my foot elevated (told you I have a degree in medical-ness).

The host, Pat, asks if I wanted some ice... nah, big strong Jessica can walk it off... (in reality I just didn't want to be 'that girl'... you know, all the attention must be on her even though this event is totally about Adam. Anyway, Pat (aka my hero) didn't take no for an answer... he brought me tylenol and ice and made me sit through the pain of the ice until my foot numbed.

Sweet relief! I still felt some pain but nothing like it had been (I was near tears and contemplating asking Adam if we could leave and swing by the emergency room on the way home). Pat, your my new best friend ;~)

The rest of the evening was great and everyone was a lot of fun. It was great to see Adam mixing it up with old friends ~ and to see how far he has come since his days in high school. I am pretty darn proud of that boy, err man ;~)

Perils of moving...

Some of you may remember when I asked around if anyone had seen the tray that goes with our end table. Last week I was unpacking yet more boxes and I opened the bottom of my China Cabinet and lo and behold, our tray was sitting neatly in the bottom. Not only that but so were several book shelves that we thought bit the dust in the move. Apparently I just have really good storage.

So all is well that ends well ~

And because I love pictures... here is the set back together again!

Thanks again to everyone that helped us move!

In a library with Amy...

in high school studying for a test, I copied this poem and through all my many moves I have kept it. It gets stuck in different boxes and different files but somehow I never lose track of it. It is by far one of my favorite poems and now I am going to share ~

Lament of a Normal Child by Phyllis McGinley

The school where I go is a modern school
    With numerous modern graces.
And there they cling to the modern rule
    Of "Cherish the Problem Cases!"
From nine to three
I develop Me.
    I dance when I'm feeling dancy,
Or everywhere lay on
With creaking crayon
    The colors that suit my fancy.
But when the commoner tasks are done,
    Deserted, ignored, I stand.
For the rest have complexes, everyone;
    Or a hyperactive gland.

Oh, how can I ever be reconciled
    To my hatefully normal station?
Why counldn't I be a Problem Child
    Endowed with a small fixation?
Why wasn't I trained for a Problem Child
    With an Interesting Fixation?

I dread the sound of the morning bell.
    The iron has entered my soul.
I'm a square little peg who fits too well
    In a square little normal hole.
For seven years
In Mortimer Sears
    Has the Oedipus angle fourished;
And Jessamine Gray,
She cheats at play
    Because she is undernourished.
The teachers beam on Frederick Knipe
    With scientific grattitude,
For Fred, they claim, is a perfect type
    Of the Antisocial Attitude.
And Cuthbert Jones has this temper riled
    In a way professors mention.
But I am a Perfectly Normal Child,
    So I don't get any attention.
I'm nothing at all but a Normal Child,
    So I don't get the least attention.

The others jeer as they pass my way.
    They titter without forbearance.
"He's Perfectly Normal," they shrilly say,
    "With Perfectly Normal parents."
I learn to read
With a normal speed.
    I answer when I'm commanded.
Infected antrums
Don't give me tantrums.
    I don't even write left-handed.
I build with blocks when they give me blocks,
    When it's busy hour, I labor.
And I seldom delight in landing socks
    On the ear of my little neighbor.

    I sit on the steps alone.
Why couldn't I be a Problem Child
    With a Case to call my own?
Why wasn't I born a Problem Child
    With a Complex of my own?

Happy Birthday Carrie!

Actually, I am a day late but in my defense, I was at her party last night! And now thanks to the modern world... all of my loyal readers can see the fun that was had!
Here is Scott (thrower of said party and husband of said birthday girl) and Carrie, the birthday girl!!

Carrie's mom surprised her by coming in from out of state to see her!

Trying to blow out the candles... they may have been trick candles ;~)

Random pics of the evening...


Hope you had a good day Carrie!!!

Adam got a FT job!!!

Adam has been offered a position at a law firm in Towson! Let's just say the fit is kinda like this...
I like to think that the job is a direct result of how well I dress him
but alas, I think it is due to his skill, determination and overall "Adamness"... a quality that many strive for and only few achieve.


He starts July 3rd which gives him a full week of relaxing
and enjoying time off, something like this...


Congrats Honey!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! I love you ~

A haircut for a worthy cause...

My friend Rose decided a while ago that she was going to grow her hair out to a substantial length and then donate it... Last night was the big event and I was on hand to document the whole thing... Since there are more than a couple, I thought I would keep them small ;~)


The "Before" picture.


Now that is a face of someone losing over 10 inches of hair!


Somewhat like a trophy, wouldn't you say?


Now comes the styling part...


Feeling free and lighter!


Back in her apartment modeling the latest and greatest in headwear! It's a little hard to see but she looks amazing! Trust me ;~)

Awesome job Rose! My mom would be proud and pleased ;~)

Sorry about the lack of posting...

it's been a busy week and it continued straight into the weekend! Adam and I went to Hagerstown Saturday and stayed overnight. Adam went to a few meetings at the AA convention and Sandy (mom-in-law) and I made anklets all evening long! What fun... we ended making 2 for ourselves and 1 for Rob and 1 for Danielle... it was only fair, they supplied us with the handmade glass beads.

What you say... Danielle and Rob have homemade glass beads! They do and they handed them over to have anklets made out of them. Actually Danielle, in her 'get rid of everything before we move' bequeathed the glass bead making kit to me.... so she came over Friday night and taught Adam and I how to make glass beads. It involves a blow torch and patience... yeah, awesome combo...

Oh and Paco... I swear, I was supposed to go to Hagerstown Friday night... it was a last minute decision to go Saturday morning... ask Danielle, she was peeved that I didn't go to the pool with her!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the bead making extravaganza...


Adam working on his masterpiece.


Spinning the glass over the flame.


Danielle and I - always up for a photo op!

Anyway... Sandy and I made anklets out of hemp rope and homemade glass beads... it was a lot of fun! Then we hung out with Adam's dad Sunday morning, headed home, did a mad cleaning frenzy and had my dad and his girlfriend over for dinner. It was a great night and Adam made a fantastic meal! Lemon butter caper orange roughy, edamame, wheat pasta with tomatoes, garlic and lime and strawberry salad with poppy seed vinaigrette dressing! Good times... and I married a great man!

Oh and Paco - (lots of shout outs for you!) tell wifey that we had berries with balsamic vinaigrette over vanilla bean ice cream for dessert and it was fantabulous!!!!

Life is good ~

Comments

Just a note that I am not entertaining anonymous comments any longer. I will not be used for childish middle school games. If you don't identify yourself by your name or if I can't immediately identify who you are, then I will delete the comment.

Thanks

Survivor Harbor 7

Ok, it's my bragging time... Rob, Danielle and Adam ran the Survivor Harbor 7 this past weekend. Rob ran the 7 mile portion and Danielle and Adam ran the 3 mile portion.

I was supposed to run the 3 mile with Adam and Danielle but had to pull out about 2 weeks ago.... so I dropped Adam off at the 3 mile start and waited at the finish line...

Rob came in first out of the 3 of them. He then circled around and joined up with Danielle for her last mile... yeah, he ran 7 miles and then thought, I have more energy, I'll run another mile... Ahhh, to be that in shape.

Here is a pic of the 3 of them very shortly after they ran across the finish line...


And here I am being very proud of my man!!! (complete with Starbucks coffee mug attached to my purse ;~)


To Adam, Rob and Danielle... I couldn't be more proud! You guys were awesome!

I apparently will never outgrow high school

My friend Jaime's bridal shower was yesterday and I spent a solid hour fretting about what to wear. Seriously… I was going back and forth trying to decide what the 'popular girls' would wear. Keep in mind, I have been friends with Jaime for years and I am in her wedding... she could careless about what I wear... regardless....

A little background... In middle/high school I wasn’t what you call popular… I was a wallflower, of the grandest proportions. Admittedly I spread my wings a little more when I went to a smaller Christian school my last 2 years, but from fifth grade to tenth grade, my greatest goal was to be invisible. And for the most part I succeeded.

Flash forward to present day and I am much more comfortable with myself. More confident so I take greater risks… certainly risks that I wouldn’t have taken in school. I wear what makes me comfortable and what have you... or so I thought.

Back to yesterday when I worried about what to wear. Brown pants, hippie tank top, black guachos, gray 'rebel' shirt, flowery skirt, pink shirt.... as it turns out, pink was the color of the day ;~)

Looks like school be damned... I am popular.

That is Kelly, Heather, Jaime and I looking fabulous!

Kelly - if you read this post and don't leave me a comment, you're in big trouble! I know where you sit and I can hold your contracts hostage ~ j/k ;~) Love ya!

Ok, Ok... I get it... ;~)

I wanted to respond to everyone's comments but putting all of this in a comment seemed a tad excessive so....

Kathi - I couldn't delete you if I wanted to ;~) Thanks for the kind words... and the reminder of the difference between sad and disappointed. That was an excellent point ~

Dad - Thanks for everything... not just this comment but everything, I don't know what I would do without you. God definitely had a plan there ~

Tom - Anytime you want! I am always ready to talk about that boat ;~) You actually gave me a good idea for a project (and eventual blog)... and my dad is pretty awesome ;~)

Johnnie - Thanks for the insight. I try to remember that, I swear I do!

Leesa - I have had that thought too, like maybe there is a bigger reason why I am here... haven't figured out what it is but I have had the thought. I stay because of the $$ and the benefits... I know $$ isn't everything but it is a factor right now. While my husband can command WAY more money then I will ever make and does bring home good money, right now I am the one with the steady income and I am the one who provides the benefits... I do like your idea of finding someone that does what I want to do ;~)

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I do appreciate them. I know in my heart of hearts that my mom was (and would be if she was here) proud of me. I just get a little stuck in my head sometimes and can't seem to shake the funk.

I do wish that I had taken more cues from her... listened a little more... given her ideas more credence... done more with her... asked her more questions...

It's just one of those things that death takes from you. I am realizing that I knew very little about the woman that raised me. Now, at the age I am, is when I was supposed to be asking questions about her life. (I only recently figured out that my mom had a life before me, who knew ;~)

I do have journals, pictures, documents and memorabilia to go through, when the time is right ;~)

Thanks again to everyone ~

One of those days...

I can't seem to shake this blah feeling. I have been having this re-occuring thought process and it's troubling me. I know my mom wanted me to be happy and satisfied in my career. I know, every parent wishes that for their kids but she gave me advice and nudged me as I was deciding. She always stressed that it was important and I should work hard to do something that I love. That urging was born out of a lifetime of working just to provide for me... I know she never really liked any of her jobs. She did them to put food on the table and I think she wanted more for me.

So where am I now? In a job that I fell bass ackwards into, doing something that is completely contradictory to my degree and lifestyle, wishing that I was somewhere else.

Please don't anyone write in and say 'most people feel that way' and/or 'hardly anyone uses their degree for the intended purpose' - You run the risk of your comment being deleted.

I digress... the thought process is this... I think of all the times my mom helped and encouraged me to find a career... then I think about all the opportunity that I had to make something out of my life... then I think about the wasted opportunity that I didn't grab onto... then I look around and see where I am professionally and I can't help but think that she would be so dissapointed in me. (Not me as a person, just me as a professional... I am smarter than that!)

It hurts to think that I have let my mom down.

Please know that I am not looking to be fixed... only to throw what is on my mind out into the universe. Sometimes just saying it outloud makes me feel better.

Oh and earlier this morning, I tried to eat my body weight in fruit roll-ups. Not a feat I would recommend.

For your weekly smile... my dog sleepy on daddy's lap laying across daddy's laptop computer. I love this house.

We have a visitor...

...the ever lovable Jack Jack! We are dogsitting for Joy while she is away with her family this weekend.

FYI - Vicki (Joy's mom, standing at the van) is a very good friend of mine who I have known since my childhood... when I was 9 she would babysit me during the day when my mom was working and then eventually I started babysitting her kids. I also spent quite a few summers at her house as a mother's helper. In fact, I spent a good chunk of my childhood with her and her family and and I loved every minute of it ~ Hard to believe I used to hold Joy as a newborn and now she is gaining on me in height! Amazing! Anyway, I digress... all this to say that I love this family a lot!!!

Back to the show....



Here are Joy and I introducing the dogs. A little sniff and we are good to go.



Seriously, is that not a grin to melt your heart ;~)

Adam and I have noticed a little 'competition' from Jack Jack and Riley... If Adam or I pet one, the other races over. Or if we are sitting somewhere and one comes to snuggle, the other is right behind trying to snuggle more... Ahhh sibling (sort of) rivalry.

They are getting along well though so it is a happy household. Moments of chasing each other around the apartment followed by Riley needed to take a break (he is almost 9 ;~)... All in all, it's going to be a fun weekend!!!



Oh and random shot of my husband wearing my pink trucker hat... and looking VERY hardcore ~ being married is fun ;~)

Heavy on the videos...

Sorry I have been so heavy on the videos lately but this one is totally worth it! Too awesome... oh and I stole it from Laura! Thanks chick!

The Crazy craze...

Getting to know me

I got this from Kathi's, be sure to check hers out too.

I AM: trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up
I WANT: to be able to stay home with my babies (you know, when I have them)
I WISH: that there was a cure for cancer
I HATE: that my mom was taken before she got to meet her grandchildren
I MISS: my mom every single day (right there with you Kathi)
I FEAR: instability
I HEAR: sounds of the office
I WONDER: how old I will be when I die
I REGRET: there are lots of things I would like to change if I could but I heard it said once that regret for the past is a waste of spirit and I believe that.
I AM NOT: an optimist ~ I am trying, but I am not one by nature
I DANCE: occasionally... with the right amount of liquid courage
I SING: even though I stink ;~)
I CRY: when I think about a certain conversation with my mom
I AM NOT ALWAYS: happy when I should be
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: I wish I could write language here but maybe someday :)
I WRITE: whatever I think is important or relevant at the time
I CONFUSE: my husband on a daily basis (sorry sweetie, I love you ;~)
I NEED: forgiveness daily (amen Kathi!)
I SHOULD: trust God more
I START: a lot of books and a lot of projects
I FINISH: amost nothing... I am one of those people
I TAG: everyone who reads this! Well, you don't have to but would love to read it if you do!