1.25.2009

Slippery When Frozen...

Well, gang I went ice skating last night. Now anyone who has known me for a few years knows that ice and I don't get along. If there is ice anywhere; it is inevitable that I will find it and slip on it. Whether or not I fall is another story.

Anywho, for our Spouse's Social for January we went to an ice skating rink and I decided to commune with the cold and frozen water. I stepped out onto the ice with my fellow girlfriends and everything was going great, until I had to turn. (It really is too bad that they don't make rinks in a straight line.) As I was turning I felt myself loosing balance and what happened next was...well, cartoonish. My feet began to slip from under me and I tried to recover in a speedy sort of fashion so it must have looked like I was doing a Russian folk dance. Another way to picture it is to think of Goofy or Wylie coyote. In a split second both my feet were in front of my face and I landed hard (on my ass) on the ice. Thank God for the extra padding on that area! All I could do was laugh as I laid on the ice. Several of my friends surrounded me with, "Ohmygod, are you ok?" and "Oh no! Are you hurt?" To which I responded, "yes I'm fine and only my ego is bruised."

As far as ice skating goes I've decided it's much easier to fall than it is to get back up. These same friends tried to help me up while they, themselves were on ice skates. Needless to say it was next to impossible for me to get up so I just crawled to the wall and picked myself up.

I think I'm going to pass on ice skating next time.

1.22.2009

Inspiration

I've finally started writing again! Music has a way of helping me put pencil to paper (some of you already knew that from a previous post) and I think it's because it makes me focus on my characters' feelings at a certain point in the story. These are the lyrics to Breathe by Taylor Swift. If you haven't heard the song, I recommend it. It's not exactly a happy song but it's a very truthful one.

Enjoy!

I see your face in my mind as I drive away,
Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way.
People are people,And sometimes we change our minds.
But it’s killing me to see you go after all this time.

Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm

Music starts playin’ like the end of a sad movie,
It’s the kinda ending you don’t really wanna see.
Cause it’s tragedy and it’ll only bring you down,
Now I don’t know what to be without you around.

And we know it’s never simple,
Never easy.
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand,
And I can’t,Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,Breathe,
Without you,But I have to.

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt.
Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.
But people are people,
And sometimes it doesn’t work out,
Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out.
And we know it’s never simple,

Never easy.
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand,
And I can’t,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to.

It’s two a.m.
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.
Hope you know it’s not easy,
Easy for me.

It’s two a.m.
Feelin’ like I just lost a friend.
Hope you know this ain’t easy,
Easy for me.

And we know it’s never simple,
Never easy.
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
Ohhh
I can’t,Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to.
Breathe,without you,but i have to.

Sorry
Sorry
Sorry
Sorry
Sorry
Sorry
Sorry

1.18.2009

That Thing is MOVING!

Last night, I went out with some gal pals to downtown Chucktown. The Citadel was having a meet and greet for their grad students (and friends) at Mad River where there would be $2 drink specials and free finger food. I fit into the friends category; Jennifer B. (who is a Citadel grad student) invited Lindsey L. and me to attend with her and her other friend (also a Citadel grad student), Heather. It was a lot of fun!

We started the night at Social a wine bar off East Bay where we took advantage of their wine tasting specials. For a set price we enjoyed 3-2.5 oz tastes of various wines. They were either from the same region or similar types (ie. Merlot, Cab, etc.). I decided to go with the "Indicative Italians", Jennifer and Heather shared the "Mediterranean", and Lindsey went with the "Southern France". All I can say, is if those were tastes I can't imagine what a full glass is there!

When our server came out she brought the samples in a special carrier in which the three glasses were suspended by a piece of metal with three holes and a notch for each were cut into it and was completed with a handle. It was really neat and I'm not explaining it right. You'll just have to see for yourself. Anywho, although they were called a sampler set these were pretty much full glasses of wine, which when you think of the price (mine was $14) it's a tremendous deal!

The four of us enjoyed great conversation and thoroughly enjoyed our wine, after which we made our way to Mad River. Where Katie H. and her friend Rita joined us. It was fun gabbing and listening to the great music from our younger years. Around 11:30 the younger crowd (I'm totally dating myself by calling them that!) began to arrive and Katie and Rita decided to head home; we made our exits around 1:00 in the morning.

Because Jennifer had picked Heather up from the Citadel; she also dropped her off there. Neither Lindsey or I had ever seen the campus, so Jennifer (who is also married to a Citadel graduate) played tour guide. Our first stop was the chapel, which I was surprised to see was open at one-something in the morning. But Jennifer told us it usually stays open all day.

It was beautiful! That's one thing military schools really do well, their chapels. I've seen the Air Force Academy's-breathtaking, Annapolis'-gorgeous and dripping with history, and now the Citadel's-beautiful, especially its wood planked ceiling! As the three of us walked the aisle and admired the architecture. Lindsey, noticed something blue and glowing, moving on the ceiling. Some of the conversation went like this:

L: hey guys what's that blue thing glowing on the ceiling?
J: I'm not sure.
M: looks like a bug zapper.
L: why would they have a bug zapper on the roof of a chapel?
M: I don't know to kill hornets?
J: I don't think that's a bug zapper.
L: ohmygosh you guys it moved!
M&J: yeah, sure it did (raised eyebrows to each other).
L: I'm telling you guys that thing is MOVING. It was on that plank and now it's on that one (pointing).

At this point Jennifer and I think Lindsey is seeing things. Bear in mind the ceiling of the chapel is about 3 stories high, it's dark and it's one in the morning. Jennifer and I made our way back to the entrance while Lindsey was still standing in the middle of the aisle with her head cocked back. As Jennifer and I walked through the door, Lindsey said she saw it move again so the two of us turned around and us three stood near the open door with our heads tilted back. (I can't imagine how it would have looked to a passerby.) We stayed like that for about two minutes when it did in fact MOVE followed by our squealing! It looked like it crawled or slinked (like a caterpillar). Lindsey said the obligatory, "SEE, I'm not going crazy!" and Jennifer and I nodded.

For five minutes we stared up at this thing tying to figure out what it was. I think it was a mixture of terror, interest and the inability to look away as to why we stayed. But we did and made all sorts of guesses ranging from it's an alien to its a glowing caterpillar and it's a few bats. Jennifer remembered she had her camera and all of us thought it was great idea, use the zoom to see if we can get a better look at this anomaly. She ran to her car and came beck with he camera. Once it was turned it on she began to zoom in on the "creature". Just as she was fully zoomed, it moved again and we could see what it was...


A BALLOON! It was a freakin' blue, mylar balloon! We took that as our cue to leave and go home. Needless to say it was a fun-filled night...one to be remembered.

1.13.2009

Bathing Suits, really?

A few days ago I was meandoring around Target and realized they've brought their bathing suits out. Are you kidding? IT'S JANUARY! I understand it gets warmer earlier in the year here than other places, but come on.

I look at myself in the mirror and can't even imagine wearing a bathing suit any time soon. Not only are my thighs and arms not lookng the way I want them, but, hello pasty skin. I honestly think I am whiter than I was in Ohio.

1.09.2009

New Year's Festivities...

I noticed that I mentioned my New Year's Eve plans but never actually posted pictures.

Tess was scared of the fireworks.

TWINKIES!!

Lindsey and Tess

Group photo

Another (see that fire in the background...I built that! And yes I was a girlscout!)

1.06.2009

Our Trip to Kiawah...

I realized in the midst of my belly aching and all around feelings of sorry for myself; I forgot to post our pictures from Kiawah. B and I decided a short but sweet get-away was well deserved for both of us. So we packed our bags and made a reservation at the Sanctuary. Let me tell you off season holidays are the way to go! We booked an ocean front room for December 22nd. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was to prop our door open and listen to the waves crashing as we ate breakfast or relaxed in bed. Oh that was the life!

These are the views of/from our room:




View from the Atlantic Room (where we had dinner)


One of two grand staircases in The Sanctuary and pictures of their Christmas decor:

view from the lobby

Freshfields:


The Angel Oak: said to be more than 400 years old

1.02.2009

...but isn't that the kissing disease?

Like one of my friends said it's like adding insult to injury. Not only is B deployed but now I find out I have MONO? Seriously?!

It all started on the 30th when I was feeling a little more tired than normal and I attributed it to the holiday/deployment let down and the fact that I had just completed a 10 hour work day (which my body wasn't used to anyway). Add to the fact that I couldn't get warm...that should have been my first tip-off. Then on the 31st, that's right New Year's eve my throat started to hurt at work and again I could get warm, went to Lindsey L.'s house for a New Year's celebration with Michelle M., Jen B., and Katherine S. I literally sat in front of the fireplace the whole night with a blanket. My body was screaming at me and I wasn't paying attention. When I finally got home I collapsed on my bed and passed out. The 1st was all awful and painful.

What finally got me to the doc today was the fact that my throat was on fire with little pins sticking in it (along with other nastiness, which I won't describe here). As soon as I got up I hauled myself to MedCare Express--God love them by the way! Extremely nice people and the office is very welcoming. The only annoying part about this morning was that because of my insurance, I need a referral to see any other doc (that will change soon). So I called the on-call doc on base (because apparently it's a federal holiday yesterday and today--who knew) and got a referral to see another doc. Well my throat was swabbed for strep, which came back negative. The nurse said that when strep tests come back negative they automatically test for mono so they took a blood test. A few minutes later the doctor came back into the room and said, "well your mono test came back positive...blah...blah...blah." I couldn't tell you the rest because I was shocked and awed by the fact I got MONO. I'm racking brain and even now I still can't figure out where I could have gotten it. Luckily, I spoke with B and he's not feeling the slightest bit sick or feverish, which is great because it could affect his job.

It never fails when B leaves something inevitably happens (usually it's with the house). Regardless, I'm going to take a nap.