Year End Reflections

Let's do a quick recap...

1. I'm now 34


2. Almost lost one of my best friends


3. Gained a few new ones


4. Divorced - officially


5. Dating - officially


6. Went through 3 different hair stylists


7. Did a few things that scared me


8. Watched the Cardinals win the World Series


9. Got a speeding ticket for the first time since I was 20 - thanks NY - you really do suck!


10. Saw Guns N Roses

I think the homeless person (see picture) I saw on the train a few weeks ago sums it up best...

"I got no worries, no job, no boss, no woman (no man for that matter) but I'm not against the gays, that's not my business, you wanna be gay be gay who am I to judge anybody. I've got 25 hallways I can sleep in anytime I want, I don't worry about anything. I'm just sitting here on this train enjoying my buzz. I'm not drunk, I'm just buzzed. Just riding this train, keeping warm. You white folks come out when it gets cold out - not like us black folks - we don't handle the cold like you do..."

He continued voicing the random thoughts in his head for the entire 20 minute train ride and it was awesome. He may have been buzzed but he sure did have the right idea: a) just sit and enjoy the ride b) live and let live c) don't forget to rest once in awhile d) don't worry too much e) if you're white be sure to dress warmly because apparently we like the cold :-)

From his picture you can see that he is dressed for the holidays as well which is nice :-) He clearly has the Christmas spirit.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!

This one's for you...

A poem for Kirk

Kirk, You are the man
You make deer meatloaf - and tomatoes you can
Your kid Lil E - he is so cute
And you have a beautiful wife Julie to boot (as in bonus not as in kick)

New Baden is where you live
Oh what I wouldn't give
For an ice cream from the Frosty Whip
But that sh*t would go straight from my lips to the hip

Julie and Me - we're a couple of "Basket Cases"
But who could resist our sweet round faces
Two crazy girls who laugh and cackle like witches
And proud to be a couple of bad a** b*tches!


And Scene

Note: The Frosty Whip was my favorite ice cream place in New Baden when I was a kid. Sadly it's no longer there. As a child I told my parents that if they ever got divorced I would live with Dad because he was the one who always took me to the Frosty Whip.

Note 2: New Baden IL was originally named Baden but was renamed New Baden after being destroyed by a tornado in the late 1800's early 1900's.

Note 3: Kirk makes the best deer meatloaf and canned tomatoes ever!

Storefront Dogs

Uhhhh

Tonight's news had a story about a man in Lakeland, FL who was attacked by an 11 foot alligator. The man was rescued by 4 police officers - who risked their lives to save him.

The man, the reporter stated, admitted he had been smoking crack-cocaine before he was attacked. A few sentences later the reporter said that authorities were still trying to figure out what the victim was doing down by the water, naked, at 4 am.

Uhhh... BECAUSE HE WAS SMOKING CRACK-COCAINE...because he was smoking crack-cocaine.

I'm not a doctor or a detective but I have a pretty big hunch that's probably the reason the dude was hanging out naked near alligator infested waters - just a hunch.

Swingers

Had a great weekend (miss ya B) with the girls. Stef and I did some shopping on Saturday and saw a great band last night at the Burren (Acme Music Trio). Kristin and I did some more Xmas shopping today and we got to play on the swings and the jungle gym of a school playground - it's been so long since either of us had been on a swing that we both got sick! :-) It was so much fun though!!

Once Upon a Time...

There's a guy who works on the fifth floor who has over the course of the last few months brought Emma and I various sweet treats. Home-made ice cream, cookies, and today a chocolate cake (see picture). In addition to the cake there is also a large bin of chocolate chip cookies in the office left over from the training I did yesterday. Emma and I have a really hard time saying no to the sweets and I'd been battling those damn cookies ALL DAY when 5th floor sugar daddy brings down the aforementioned cake.

I cussed when I saw him walk past with the evil chocolate creation. But it didn't take long before I went over for a taste test...surprise surprise. I asked Emma angrily through a mouth full of cake why the hell he keeps bringing us all this food! Emma's theory is as follows:

"He is the witch from Hansel and Gretel and he's trying to fatten us up so he can take us upstairs to cook us in the autoclaves so the researchers can eat us!" I almost spit the cake out of my mouth and I asked her - well why hasn't he taken me yet? ;)

Stuff

Check out the cool kicks Kristin got me....And the cool drag queen we met the other night at the bar.

Weekend

Had a great weekend! Thanks B.

Finally Dancin' with Mr. Brownstone

15 years since the STL Riot at Riverport. 15 years since my rock n roll heart was broken in the middle of "Rocket Queen". 15 years since I sat in a baby blue Chevette in complete shock at what had just happened. 15 years I've waited and last night I waited some more. I was about to start a mini riot of my own having to wait for sooooo long but it was so worth the wait as G n R finally took the stage just before midnight.

I have to say that being at the concert made me feel like I was stuck in the 80's but I'll live with it because it was awesome! Plus there were several peeps there who were clearly stuck in the hair band era (scary scary scary) so I'm glad that at least I had on my "trendy" G n' R shirt (thank you Urban Outfitters) and wasn't sporting a mullet. ;)

As you can see from the abnormally large, super close up picture - I'm pretty happy. I'd like to give a shout out to Kristin for being a super sport and trekking all the way to Worcester with me, staying up way past our bedtimes, and rocking out - good times! :-)

Natae + Axl = L.O.V.E.

My Happy Moment

I waited at the Central Square T-stop for the train after a particularly melancholy afternoon. The train pulled up and I realized I would have to cram into an overcrowded T car. This normally doesn't trip my trigger. I hate all those freakin' people around me; too close, too smelly, too loud, too much...I was almost positive the ride was going to be painfully unpleasant both emotionally and physically (sometimes the quiet (in my own head) the T affords leads to too much time to think which can be a bit overwhelming on the best of days and downright tear producing on the worst. So I was ready for the waterworks as I squeezed my way onto the car.

The train had just started to move; I had just found my footing and a place to hold onto when the middle aged man next to me with the dreadlocks broke out into an cabaret like rendition of "A Whole New World", the theme from Aladdin. I lost it. I could not stop laughing. The guy was right next to me yet I could not stop laughing. But I wasn't being rude - he could actually sing pretty well - but it just seemed so absurd that of all the songs to sing he picks that one to belt out. And then as he's singing he says "Cincess" instead of "Princess" and it made me laugh even more.

My friend who was on the train with me then points out another swingin cat sitting in the corner who has his headphones on, CD player firmly in hand, and who appears to not only be rocking out but also having a conversation with the voices in his headphones. Picture if you will a small man, shirt unbuttoned to almost his navel, several of his front teeth missing, with a completely satisfied look on his face as he sings and talks to himself.

Both of these amateur David Hasselhoff's were very obviously in their own happy places - they were content and were clearly enjoying their "happy moment" and in turn I had a happy moment as well which made all the afternoon crap seem not so bad.

Trick or Treat

Saw the best thing ever tonight while crossing the street. First let me start by saying that I think the pedestrians here are crazy - more so than the drivers I think sometimes. They walk out in front of cars without so much as a second thought to the fact that you, as a driver, are in a 5000 pound car that cannot stop on a dime. They also will not, under any circumstances, yield to other peds coming or going and it's not uncommon to get whacked with a briefcase, backpack, or purse.

Tonight though some brilliant mom/dad thought it would be really cool to let their 10 year old son walk through the crosswalk carrying his Halloween sword tucked under his arm and sticking straight out in front of him, ensuring that he would impale anyone who didn't steer clear. It was fantastic - I wish I would have had a Snickers bar to put in his candy sack for being such a "great" kid.

World Champs Baby!!

Couldn't be happier right now!!

Friday Friday - I love Friday

Two of my favorite things today.

Parents - the Visit

Newburyport & Ipswich

Weekend Pics

Mom and Dad are here for a visit - they couldn't have picked a nicer weekend as far as weather to be out and about. We went to Newport on Saturday, drove through the Cape on Sunday and saw Walden Pond yesterday.

Hangman Christ Style

True Story
Tom's daughter was at CCD (Sunday school during the week for the non catholics in the group) yesterday and they played a rather interesting game of Hangman. Instead of using the normal Hangman set up (see picture) they actually played using the Cross and Jesus.

G n R

And on the 8th day God said "Let Guns n Roses play in Worcester, MA". And it was done - well it's scheduled anyway - now we just have to wait and pray it actually happens.

Rocket Queen

Deal or No Deal....

is the Devil.

The people on it tonight - demons from hell. I kinda thought part of the idea of a game show was for you to sort of care about the contestants a little bit - but I can't remember one of the sideshow freak contestants that I've liked and actually wanted to win. Then again I don't watch it too much. It's still the devil though because when I do happen upon it I'm sucked in; attracted to it like a sorority girl to a keg at a frat party...

WTF

I just saw a news report about the Superdome's big reopening - Big Game tonight - first one in like 2 years. It's a symbol of the rebuilding of New Orleans according to the report. Also in the report is a woman who lives in a neighborhood that is still having power issues and instead of normal street signs the intersections of the still dirty streets are marked with home-made street signs. Apparently it is ever so much more important to get the Superdome functioning again then to worry about the actual citizens of the city.

I realize I'm not saying anything new here but I was so disgusted by the whole thing that I felt like writing about it. I don't know how the news reporter got through the report without ripping his soul out from the shame. I couldn't believe he was actually reporting (with conviction) about "the big game" and how the players all knew "this was much more than a game" and in the same sound bite interviewed a woman from the 9th ward who still is not settled properly into her home - because she doesn't have a home yet.

Whatever - it's disgusting.

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