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Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Going Back to Where I Came
I'm leaving in about 3 hours to travel to Upstate NY to be with my Mom. She was diagnosed with cancer 5 days ago. I am on a leave of absence at work since I don't know how long I'll be there. I started my leave on May 7th. Today is May 11th. I swear to you these past 4 days have been the longest days of my life.
I had to co-ordinate my flight based on a number of factors. First, what flight can we get on short notice that flies direct from Mpls to Alb? Not only does it have to fly direct, it must be on Northwest. Not only does it have to be a direct flight on NW, but it has to be paid for with my Mom in Law's frequent flyer miles. And on top of all that, this magical flight has to land in Albany between the hours of 3pm and 5pm. Why? Because my Uncle has a conference in Albany that finishes up between those times and he will be picking me up from he airport and driving me to the hospital. For those of you who don't know, I don't drive. I mean, I am physically able to drive and hold a license from the state of MN, but I haven't driven any sort of distance since 2003. The thought of renting a car and driving the 2.5 hours to my Mom's house was making me more nervous than the plane ride. I hate flying.
I don't have details at this time as to what kind of cancer my Mom has, how bad "bad" is, how big the tumor is, and what course of action her Oncologist is recommending she take to have it removed. I know radiation and chemo are in the works; I just don't know when it will start.
To be perfectly honest, I'm dreading this trip. I've never traveled by myself before. I've also never been away from Phillip in the 6 years we've been together. I think that will be the hardest part. I'll miss Lola and all my friends here, too. I know I won't be gone for more than 3 or 4 weeks (although this can change at any time), but it seriously feels like forever.
But I need to help my Mom and be with my family right now. My sister needs me and my help (she's planning a wedding for November!) and my grandparents need someone to help them get to and from the hospital (I can handle that driving as it's not very far from their house). I just have to get through the next couple of hours and I'll be in NY.
Then I have to take things one day at a time.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Long, Long Time...No Post
Work has kept me so busy that I haven't had time for myself. I'll be with my company for a year next month. Some days I feel like I've been working there forever, while other days I feel like I just started. These are both good and bad. I'm coming into my own and have been given many more responsibilities. Some days I'm completely overwhelmed, while other days I'm confident I can take on more. That's what I like about my job; I have no idea what I'm going to be getting into once I step in the office on any given day.
In other news, I got new glasses today. They are the same shape as my old ones, but solid black and not as thick. Oh, and sunglasses. Check 'em out.
Thankfully Vision World was having a 50% off complete glasses, or I'd have paid $800 total for both pair. But I paid a little under $400. It really sucks being blind sometimes, for sure!
I'm going to try and post more on here, if time allows. Or, rather, I should make time to post. I bought myself an awesome MacBook Pro for Christmas, so spending time online and sitting in front of a laptop is a dream. I also can work from home now that I have a functioning laptop, which rocks in all sorts of ways. Not having to go into work on the weekends is awesome. That's all I gotta say about that.
I'm off to bed. Sad, but true.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Rock Out With Your Cock Out
When The Hubs and I lived in Boston we had a handful of local bands that we liked and saw quite often. One of my favorites was The Information. I think we saw them at least 10 times in three years. They have some catchy tunes and put on a great live show. They are pretty rad, so you should check them out.
So when The Hubs and I moved to Minneapolis, we wanted to find some local bands that we could enjoy and see on a sorta-regular basis. That has not happened. I think mostly because The Hubs is more of a new wave synth-rock guy and picky about his music, and I tend to like stuff he's not into (can anyone say Leslie and the Lys?) So we don't agree on much when it comes to seeing bands. Although after discussing this with him over breakfast, he reminded me he enjoyed our friend Wes's band The Drags (now called Noble Rot) a lot, so I have to give him credit for that.
Over the past month or so, I've been searching for local bands who have more of a guitar driven sound. Not that I don't like electronic music, but I was sort of getting sick of seeing bands who rely on their Mac instead of instruments to get through the set, you know?
I went to happy hour with a friend and old co-worker on Friday and he was talking about the band he's in and how he'll be playing somewhere on some date (TBD) in January and how he wants me to go. This started the conversation of local bands and how eventually there is No Degrees of Separation between musicians and people who hang out with musicians. One guy played with this band who had a drummer who played with this band and the chick who just brought me my beer was the merch girl for the two bands at one time. And on and on it goes.
Anyway, the point is that I started listening to some local (MN and WI) bands about a month ago and I'm hoping to see them live at some point. The Rockford Mules are really great, and they are playing at The Entry on Friday next week with Chooglin' and The Mighty Mofos (who don't seem to have a Myspace wtf?).
A guy I know? knew? turned me on to Drunk Drivers, who I find myself listening to on repeat these days. It took a while for me to get into them, but now I pretty much recommend them to everyone I talk to. My coworkers are getting tired of hearing Bourbon Legend play on repeat all day long.
Winter seems to keep everyone indoors here in MN, but this year we're trying to get out more and take in more shows. The hardest part for us is getting from our house to the bus when it's -35 degrees (but feels like -75). So, yeah. Please let me know of any other great local bands I should check out in the comments.
So when The Hubs and I moved to Minneapolis, we wanted to find some local bands that we could enjoy and see on a sorta-regular basis. That has not happened. I think mostly because The Hubs is more of a new wave synth-rock guy and picky about his music, and I tend to like stuff he's not into (can anyone say Leslie and the Lys?) So we don't agree on much when it comes to seeing bands. Although after discussing this with him over breakfast, he reminded me he enjoyed our friend Wes's band The Drags (now called Noble Rot) a lot, so I have to give him credit for that.
Over the past month or so, I've been searching for local bands who have more of a guitar driven sound. Not that I don't like electronic music, but I was sort of getting sick of seeing bands who rely on their Mac instead of instruments to get through the set, you know?
I went to happy hour with a friend and old co-worker on Friday and he was talking about the band he's in and how he'll be playing somewhere on some date (TBD) in January and how he wants me to go. This started the conversation of local bands and how eventually there is No Degrees of Separation between musicians and people who hang out with musicians. One guy played with this band who had a drummer who played with this band and the chick who just brought me my beer was the merch girl for the two bands at one time. And on and on it goes.
Anyway, the point is that I started listening to some local (MN and WI) bands about a month ago and I'm hoping to see them live at some point. The Rockford Mules are really great, and they are playing at The Entry on Friday next week with Chooglin' and The Mighty Mofos (who don't seem to have a Myspace wtf?).
A guy I know? knew? turned me on to Drunk Drivers, who I find myself listening to on repeat these days. It took a while for me to get into them, but now I pretty much recommend them to everyone I talk to. My coworkers are getting tired of hearing Bourbon Legend play on repeat all day long.
Winter seems to keep everyone indoors here in MN, but this year we're trying to get out more and take in more shows. The hardest part for us is getting from our house to the bus when it's -35 degrees (but feels like -75). So, yeah. Please let me know of any other great local bands I should check out in the comments.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
What Does This MEAN?
The other night I had a dream that I had to take a CPR course for work. Now, I work as a Technical Analyst, so there's no way my job would require me to be certified in CPR. Anyway, in my dream, there were no plastic dummies on which to practice. Instead, we were paired with other people. I thought this was super creepy and weird, but I had to do this for my work, so I went with it.
When it came time to being paired with a partner, I look over to see who I'll be breathing into, and it's none other than Al Franken! I thought it was odd that he'd be in this class, too, since I didn't think Senators needed to know CPR.
If all of this isn't weird enough, the instructor informed us that we are supposed to really choke on something, in order to make the experience "realistic". I said "What? This is CPR training, not Heimlich training!" and Al said "Just go with it. I'll be fine!"
So Al proceeded to choke on something (I don't know what and the why of it all still boggles my mind) and it was my job to save him. Only I couldn't because this was a CPR training class and I had no idea what I was doing. So I pinched his nose and breathed into his mouth and pounded his chest like you see in the movies. I'm freaking out because the next Senator from Minnesota could die right in front of me AND IT WOULD BE MY FAULT because I don't know how many times to push on his ribcage to get him breathing again and deep down I know this isn't going to work because he's got something lodged in his throat which means he won't be getting any of the air I'm breathing into him and I feel like all the pressure of the world is on me TO SAVE AL FRANKEN!
Just when I thought all hope was lost, Al started coughing and looked me right in the eye and said "OK. Not bad. Your turn."
Then I woke up.
When it came time to being paired with a partner, I look over to see who I'll be breathing into, and it's none other than Al Franken! I thought it was odd that he'd be in this class, too, since I didn't think Senators needed to know CPR.
If all of this isn't weird enough, the instructor informed us that we are supposed to really choke on something, in order to make the experience "realistic". I said "What? This is CPR training, not Heimlich training!" and Al said "Just go with it. I'll be fine!"
So Al proceeded to choke on something (I don't know what and the why of it all still boggles my mind) and it was my job to save him. Only I couldn't because this was a CPR training class and I had no idea what I was doing. So I pinched his nose and breathed into his mouth and pounded his chest like you see in the movies. I'm freaking out because the next Senator from Minnesota could die right in front of me AND IT WOULD BE MY FAULT because I don't know how many times to push on his ribcage to get him breathing again and deep down I know this isn't going to work because he's got something lodged in his throat which means he won't be getting any of the air I'm breathing into him and I feel like all the pressure of the world is on me TO SAVE AL FRANKEN!
Just when I thought all hope was lost, Al started coughing and looked me right in the eye and said "OK. Not bad. Your turn."
Then I woke up.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
WTF?
I was reading the Huffington Post today and saw this ad:
So, let me get this straight. If you go on this diet (which has Rachael Ray's name attached to it), you'll change from a fat black woman to a fat white woman? I guess by just changing the color of your skin you can drop 90 pounds! Am I wrong? I mean, that's exactly what the pictures are showing me! What the fuck?!?
This made my day. I needed the laugh, for sure.
So, let me get this straight. If you go on this diet (which has Rachael Ray's name attached to it), you'll change from a fat black woman to a fat white woman? I guess by just changing the color of your skin you can drop 90 pounds! Am I wrong? I mean, that's exactly what the pictures are showing me! What the fuck?!?
This made my day. I needed the laugh, for sure.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Montreal!
The Hubs and I spent a week in Montreal. We returned last night. We had a fantastic time, although the weather could have been better. The Hotel we stayed at was gorgeous, the people were super trendy and nice, the food was out of this world, and the city itself is beautiful.
Here are some of the things we did/saw:
Went to La basilique Notre-Dame. Absolutely gorgeous. I was happy that the place didn't come crashing down on me when I stepped foot inside. I haven't been inside a Catholic church since 1993.
Walked down St Catherine's Street, did some shopping, had some lunch, and saw a movie:
Took a romantic ride through Old Montreal on a horse drawn carriage. The horse was named Jerri and the driver was Ben. Awww...how cute!
Ate some really great food. Of course, I had to get poutine! I ate it three times while in Montreal. I couldn't help myself. It's so delicious.
Went to the Science Museum and spent a good two hours playing with all the stuff there. I think we were the oldest people in there, not counting parents with their small kids. We saw the 3D IMAX movie, which made me a little nauseous, and learned about the Canadian logging industry.
And we got dressed up on Saturday and went to see a bunch of comedians. The best part of the night was when one of the local comedians said to The Hubs "you look like a mortician, only sexier!" HA! Oh, and another good part was when an audience member told a heckler to SHUT UP! I was just about to do it myself, but another woman beat me to it.
We also got to see the Sympathy for the Devil exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. No photos were allowed, but when I saw a dude snapping pictures, I thought I'd be sneaky and take one of this huge mural of Ian Curtis. If you're in Montreal, I urge you to see the exhibit. It's awesome.
And lastly, we spent a lot of time in our awesome hotel room, cuddling on the couch in front of the fire. I've never been in a hotel where there was a working fireplace in the room. And we had a separate bedroom and there was a huge soaking tub. If we go back to Montreal, we'll totally stay there again.
I know that's an abbreviated version, but I'm tired and this folding chair hurts my back when I sit here too long. I just wish I didn't have to go back to work on Saturday. I wish vacations lasted forever.
Here are some of the things we did/saw:
Went to La basilique Notre-Dame. Absolutely gorgeous. I was happy that the place didn't come crashing down on me when I stepped foot inside. I haven't been inside a Catholic church since 1993.
Walked down St Catherine's Street, did some shopping, had some lunch, and saw a movie:
Took a romantic ride through Old Montreal on a horse drawn carriage. The horse was named Jerri and the driver was Ben. Awww...how cute!
Ate some really great food. Of course, I had to get poutine! I ate it three times while in Montreal. I couldn't help myself. It's so delicious.
Went to the Science Museum and spent a good two hours playing with all the stuff there. I think we were the oldest people in there, not counting parents with their small kids. We saw the 3D IMAX movie, which made me a little nauseous, and learned about the Canadian logging industry.
And we got dressed up on Saturday and went to see a bunch of comedians. The best part of the night was when one of the local comedians said to The Hubs "you look like a mortician, only sexier!" HA! Oh, and another good part was when an audience member told a heckler to SHUT UP! I was just about to do it myself, but another woman beat me to it.
We also got to see the Sympathy for the Devil exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. No photos were allowed, but when I saw a dude snapping pictures, I thought I'd be sneaky and take one of this huge mural of Ian Curtis. If you're in Montreal, I urge you to see the exhibit. It's awesome.
And lastly, we spent a lot of time in our awesome hotel room, cuddling on the couch in front of the fire. I've never been in a hotel where there was a working fireplace in the room. And we had a separate bedroom and there was a huge soaking tub. If we go back to Montreal, we'll totally stay there again.
I know that's an abbreviated version, but I'm tired and this folding chair hurts my back when I sit here too long. I just wish I didn't have to go back to work on Saturday. I wish vacations lasted forever.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Halloween!
Last night, The Hubs and I went to our friend Molly's house for a Halloween party. It was fun. Here is proof that I had a good time. Enjoy.
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