I only have one living grandparent. And she was put in hospice care today.
My grandma and I were never close. It isn't that I don't like her, but I can't really say that we ever had fun together. I feel bad for not being able to list all the awesome things I love about her that make her the best grandma ever. What I remember most about her is her saying bad things about my mom (her daughter-in-law) and complaining about the fact that my hair got darker as I got older. Oh, and the time she served us jello with mayonnaise on it, and I thought the mayonnaise was whipped cream, so I ate it, and then I almost barfed.
My dad's dad died in some kind of farming accident when my dad was only 10, and my grandma never really got over it. My grandma had to move to town with her three children. My dad, who was the youngest and the only boy, had to teach his older sisters and my grandma how to drive. My grandma started working in a factory that made plush items, like stuffed animals and college-themed blankets and toy mascots. She used to be able to name almost any college's mascot if you asked her. I don't think my grandma had any education beyond high school, but all three of her children went on to get master's degrees.
My grandma's favorite story to tell us was that in high school, all the girls had to make aprons and embroider their initials on them. Then they had to wear those aprons and take turns serving lunch to the school. My grandma's initials were NC, and all the boys called her North Carolina.
My grandma used to ride the bus to school from the farm she grew up on, and the bus was so cold that they would heat bricks by the fireplace as they got ready for school, and then take the bricks on the bus and rest their feet on the hot bricks.
My grandmother lived alone until my freshman year of college. But she was forgetting things all the time. Important things like that she had to eat every day. So my aunt forced my grandma to move into an assisted living facility, and my grandma was so mad. She used to make up crazy things like that the cooks made them eat waffles made only of water. Eventually, she started to really like the home. But she forgot more and more all the time. When I saw her three years ago, she had no idea who I was, but she knew from the way others acted that she was supposed to know who I was, so she tried to fake it. When I saw her two years ago, she pretended like she was asleep so that she wouldn't have to talk to me. When I visited her town in May, I didn't go visit her. I knew that she was being taken care of, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, and I didn't want to see how far she had deteriorated. I don't feel bad about that decision, but I do feel bad for not feeling bad.
Today my dad told me that my grandma hasn't eaten in a few days and the only word she will say is water. She can't get in and out of a bed, so she pretty much lives in a wheelchair that can recline. My grandma used to walk two miles every single day and walk to the post office every day to chat with everyone who came in about what was going on around town. And now... I don't know. I just pray that she is comfortable.
So I realize that this post just consists of my random, jumbled thoughts, but I feel jumbled right now. I don't know.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Swedish Adventures
I took my mom and her boyfriend to the American Swedish Institute today to entertain them. My mom loves going through historic mansions, and I enjoy it as well. This mansion was completed in 1908 and was crazy gorgeous with elaborate woodwork and porcelain fireplaces in 11 of the 33 rooms. Each room had furniture from the 1880s-1930s and artifacts from Swedish immigrants, but I would have preferred it if the museum showed each room as it would have been decorated/used in the early 1900s. I guess I was less interested in the general Swedish-American experience and more interested in the mansion. None of us is Swedish, but it was still interesting, and we had a good time.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday Post
The main excitement of the day was that it snowed for a little while. Huge flakes, the size of the palm of my hand. It was freaky. I don't think I have ever seen snowflakes that large before. They all melted right away though.
Last night, I drank absinthe with Stefanie and her friends. If you click the link for absinthe, you will read that absinthe is distilled with wormwood. I don't know what that means, but it does not sound good. Absinthe tastes like black licorice. I do not like black licorice, so I cannot say I am a fan of this drink. However, I did get drunk after slowly drinking one glass. And then I proceeded to have two glasses of wine. Whee! I think I also kind of propositioned some guy in a zip-up sweater about swinging. Not really, but kind of. I don't remember exactly what happened. Oh, I do remember that I told the same zip-up sweater guy that the reason I know Stefanie is that H pulled her key out of a bowl at a swingers' party. So, in summary, you probably don't want to invite me to meet your friends because I am socially awkward.
The first part of this week shall be consumed by cleaning my house before my mom gets here to celebrate Thanksgiving so that she does not know we live in total squalor. Unfortunately, no matter how much I clean, my mom will still think our house is dirty. But I still feel the need to scrub everything.
We always celebrate Thanksgiving at my mom's house, but she got time off from work, my sister isn't able to make it this year, and H probably wouldn't be able to travel to my mom's because of his work, so this year we are having Thanksgiving in Minnesota. I told my mom that I would buy all the groceries, but she still needs to cook everything. My mom said no. She will help me, but I am in charge of the meal. Except that she calls me every other day now and tell me something else that she has already cooked and is bringing with her in a cooler. She just can't help herself, and I am glad because I would rather not have Thanksgiving dinner be a disaster. H and I did the final grocery shopping tonight, so $175 later (ugh!), I think we are ready.
Last night, I drank absinthe with Stefanie and her friends. If you click the link for absinthe, you will read that absinthe is distilled with wormwood. I don't know what that means, but it does not sound good. Absinthe tastes like black licorice. I do not like black licorice, so I cannot say I am a fan of this drink. However, I did get drunk after slowly drinking one glass. And then I proceeded to have two glasses of wine. Whee! I think I also kind of propositioned some guy in a zip-up sweater about swinging. Not really, but kind of. I don't remember exactly what happened. Oh, I do remember that I told the same zip-up sweater guy that the reason I know Stefanie is that H pulled her key out of a bowl at a swingers' party. So, in summary, you probably don't want to invite me to meet your friends because I am socially awkward.
The first part of this week shall be consumed by cleaning my house before my mom gets here to celebrate Thanksgiving so that she does not know we live in total squalor. Unfortunately, no matter how much I clean, my mom will still think our house is dirty. But I still feel the need to scrub everything.
We always celebrate Thanksgiving at my mom's house, but she got time off from work, my sister isn't able to make it this year, and H probably wouldn't be able to travel to my mom's because of his work, so this year we are having Thanksgiving in Minnesota. I told my mom that I would buy all the groceries, but she still needs to cook everything. My mom said no. She will help me, but I am in charge of the meal. Except that she calls me every other day now and tell me something else that she has already cooked and is bringing with her in a cooler. She just can't help herself, and I am glad because I would rather not have Thanksgiving dinner be a disaster. H and I did the final grocery shopping tonight, so $175 later (ugh!), I think we are ready.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Observations on (Observed)
Me: H didn't have to go to work today.
Coworker: Why not?
Me: It's Veterans' Day (Observed).
I had that conversation with as many people as possible today. I just like saying (Observed).
Both of H's grandfathers and my maternal grandfather served in the military during World War II. (My paternal grandfather was a farmer with two young daughters during WWII, so he didn't serve.)
My father and H's father both served in the military during the time of the Vietnam War. H's father was drafted and served in Vietnam. He doesn't talk about it at all, and H told me not to ask about it. My father served in the engineering corps of the Army; he was sent to Germany to rebuild bridges. He got to see a lot of Europe and has some cool pictures from his time in the Army.
After seeing Saving Private Ryan, I wondered aloud whether the military really did things like send home a soldier because he was the only surviving brother. My mom said, "Why do you think your father was sent to Germany instead of Vietnam? It was because he was the only son of a farmer."
H's brother was in the Navy, so I suppose he is a veteran, although I have never thought of him that way. The word veteran makes me think of those who have served in wars, but those who have served in peacetime have made sacrifices and put themselves in harm's way as well.
PS If you want to participate in the blog share, you need to leave a comment or send me an e-mail by Tuesday the 13th at 8 pm Central. If you have already signed up to participate, you should have received an e-mail from me. If you didn't receive an e-mail from me, you need to e-mail me at andyouknowwhatelse at gmail dot com. Thanks!
Coworker: Why not?
Me: It's Veterans' Day (Observed).
I had that conversation with as many people as possible today. I just like saying (Observed).
Both of H's grandfathers and my maternal grandfather served in the military during World War II. (My paternal grandfather was a farmer with two young daughters during WWII, so he didn't serve.)
My father and H's father both served in the military during the time of the Vietnam War. H's father was drafted and served in Vietnam. He doesn't talk about it at all, and H told me not to ask about it. My father served in the engineering corps of the Army; he was sent to Germany to rebuild bridges. He got to see a lot of Europe and has some cool pictures from his time in the Army.
After seeing Saving Private Ryan, I wondered aloud whether the military really did things like send home a soldier because he was the only surviving brother. My mom said, "Why do you think your father was sent to Germany instead of Vietnam? It was because he was the only son of a farmer."
H's brother was in the Navy, so I suppose he is a veteran, although I have never thought of him that way. The word veteran makes me think of those who have served in wars, but those who have served in peacetime have made sacrifices and put themselves in harm's way as well.
PS If you want to participate in the blog share, you need to leave a comment or send me an e-mail by Tuesday the 13th at 8 pm Central. If you have already signed up to participate, you should have received an e-mail from me. If you didn't receive an e-mail from me, you need to e-mail me at andyouknowwhatelse at gmail dot com. Thanks!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Check It Before You Wreck It
Time for a comparison.
First look at the baby pictures here.
Then look at my sister's baby picture again.
Does that first picture not look like my sister as a baby on crack? It is freaky! Well, to H and me it is freaky. And also hilarious.
In unrelated picture news, I have created a logo for H's guest posts.
It is H, as drunk David Hasselhoff, as Ann Landers. How could you resist asking this guy for advice?
First look at the baby pictures here.
Then look at my sister's baby picture again.
Does that first picture not look like my sister as a baby on crack? It is freaky! Well, to H and me it is freaky. And also hilarious.
In unrelated picture news, I have created a logo for H's guest posts.
It is H, as drunk David Hasselhoff, as Ann Landers. How could you resist asking this guy for advice?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Corn Syrup
So are you guys excited about H answering all your questions? I hope so. I am a little afraid of what his answers will be, but I told him that I would not censor him like I did/tried to do last time, so be afraid. And please feel free to leave more questions.
Sarah [scroll down] wants to see pictures of me as a little kid, but I think they are all at my mom's house. Here is one picture. I am the older, blonder sister in this photo. I don't think I look like that anymore, but I do think my sister still looks like kind of the same. Except with less baby fat and more hair. When I was a baby, I had just a little bit of (bright red) hair. My mom used to stick bows to my head so that people could tell I was a girl. I asked her one time how she got the bows to stick. The answer was CORN SYRUP.
Sarah [scroll down] wants to see pictures of me as a little kid, but I think they are all at my mom's house. Here is one picture. I am the older, blonder sister in this photo. I don't think I look like that anymore, but I do think my sister still looks like kind of the same. Except with less baby fat and more hair. When I was a baby, I had just a little bit of (bright red) hair. My mom used to stick bows to my head so that people could tell I was a girl. I asked her one time how she got the bows to stick. The answer was CORN SYRUP.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Mmmm... Donuts
When I was in first grade, I made a little book about jobs.
Page 1: My dad works for a telephone company.
This was technically true. I remember that on this page I drew a picture of my dad talking on a rotary phone. Why do I remember that?
Page 2: My mom is a stay at home mom.
True. She also worked part-time at the library of a grad school, which meant that twice a week we had a crazy old lady babysitter who was obsessed with The Price Is Right.
Page 3: My Grandpa D. is a retired barber.
True.
Page 4: My Grandpa E. is a retired donut salesman.
WHAT THE HELL? My mom laughed so hard when she read this. She asked me why I wrote that, and I said, "Duh. Because he was a donut salesman."
First of all, what the hell is a donut salesman? Does he go door-to-door with a briefcase full of donuts? Does he wear plaid suit coat and stand at the counter and ask customers, "What's it gonna take to get you to walk out of here with a donut today?"
Second, my Grandpa E. was a retired farmer.
I think I got him confused with the guy on the commercial who had to wake up early and said, "Gotta make the donuts!" I was such a weird child.
Did you have any odd misconceptions when you were younger?
Page 1: My dad works for a telephone company.
This was technically true. I remember that on this page I drew a picture of my dad talking on a rotary phone. Why do I remember that?
Page 2: My mom is a stay at home mom.
True. She also worked part-time at the library of a grad school, which meant that twice a week we had a crazy old lady babysitter who was obsessed with The Price Is Right.
Page 3: My Grandpa D. is a retired barber.
True.
Page 4: My Grandpa E. is a retired donut salesman.
WHAT THE HELL? My mom laughed so hard when she read this. She asked me why I wrote that, and I said, "Duh. Because he was a donut salesman."
First of all, what the hell is a donut salesman? Does he go door-to-door with a briefcase full of donuts? Does he wear plaid suit coat and stand at the counter and ask customers, "What's it gonna take to get you to walk out of here with a donut today?"
Second, my Grandpa E. was a retired farmer.
I think I got him confused with the guy on the commercial who had to wake up early and said, "Gotta make the donuts!" I was such a weird child.
Did you have any odd misconceptions when you were younger?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Prepare Yourselves Before Reading Any Further
I had what I thought was a great idea for a blog post. I was going to post pictures of the guys I had crushes on in high school so that you could see what a fool I was in the mid 1990s. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I was in high school. In order to do this, I went through some old photo albums to see what pictures I had. I found one guy that I actually still think is quite cute, and I see why I was interested. But the others? Oh, man. I was pretty pathetic. But then I started thinking about how I would feel if some guy I went to junior high with posted a picture of me in junior high and wrote about what a loser he was for liking 13-year-old me. To be honest? I don't think it would hurt my feelings because I think if someone liked me in middle school, there was probably something wrong with them. Exhibit 1 is the picture below, which was taken during the summer between 7th and 8th grade. This picture makes me laugh SO HARD. Seriously, why did my parents let me be seen in public like this?! And that is my sister on the left. OMG. I have no words.
Hello, seventh grade -R-! I really enjoy your crazy, flyaway bangs; your gigantic, plastic framed glasses; your plaid shorts; and your GREEN socks!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Words Cannot Explain
Can I tell you how much I love this little spray bottle that I found in my mother-in-law's kitchen?
Can anyone explain how this label might be helpful? I love my mother-in-law, but there are just some things I'll never understand.
Can anyone explain how this label might be helpful? I love my mother-in-law, but there are just some things I'll never understand.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Next Year: Nunchucks and Fireworks
My nephew's eighth birthday was a few weeks ago. H was going to visit his brother (the nephew's dad) the weekend before the nephew's birthday, so H said he would stop on the way and pick up a birthday present. This seemed like a good idea.
The next week, I got a call from my brother-in-law. H had bought our nephew a video game, which I already knew about. What H had failed to mention was that the video game in question was Resident Evil 4. My brother-in-law hadn't really paid any attention to the video game until my nephew started playing it and my brother-in-law noticed that the point of the game was to kill people. With chainsaws.
"H!" I said. "I can't believe you thought Resident Evil 4 was an ok game to give an eight-year-old!"
H laughed. "I just remembered it being a cool game. I didn't think about the killing. And the chainsaws. And the cursing."
As you may have guessed, the nephew LOVED the game and thought H was super cool for giving it to him. My brother-in-law and his wife looked like the mean ones for not letting him play with the game.
Note to self: The status of best aunt and uncle has been retained. Also, do not let H buy presents by himself ever again.
P.S. We exchanged Resident Evil 4 for a Lego Star Wars video game. It seemed to go over well with parents and nephew alike.
The next week, I got a call from my brother-in-law. H had bought our nephew a video game, which I already knew about. What H had failed to mention was that the video game in question was Resident Evil 4. My brother-in-law hadn't really paid any attention to the video game until my nephew started playing it and my brother-in-law noticed that the point of the game was to kill people. With chainsaws.
"H!" I said. "I can't believe you thought Resident Evil 4 was an ok game to give an eight-year-old!"
H laughed. "I just remembered it being a cool game. I didn't think about the killing. And the chainsaws. And the cursing."
As you may have guessed, the nephew LOVED the game and thought H was super cool for giving it to him. My brother-in-law and his wife looked like the mean ones for not letting him play with the game.
Note to self: The status of best aunt and uncle has been retained. Also, do not let H buy presents by himself ever again.
P.S. We exchanged Resident Evil 4 for a Lego Star Wars video game. It seemed to go over well with parents and nephew alike.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
I am pretty sure that I can never top H's response column. He seems pretty excited to be an internet celebrity. He topped himself though by giving a speech at his brother's wedding that had everyone laughing, and his grandmother even said she would like a copy of it. I was very proud. Additionally, H was not even drunk, and he initiated The Bow Hunter. I kid you not.
The wedding was really great, not just because of H's participation as best man, but because I have never seen H's brother so happy. He seemed nervous before the ceremony, but after he and his new wife exchanged rings, he grinned from ear to ear for the rest of the entire day. It was really cool to see him so happy.
The wedding was really great, not just because of H's participation as best man, but because I have never seen H's brother so happy. He seemed nervous before the ceremony, but after he and his new wife exchanged rings, he grinned from ear to ear for the rest of the entire day. It was really cool to see him so happy.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
It Was Fruit Pie, So I Think It Was Actually A Pretty Healthy Breakfast
Water guns inside my in-laws house? Yes. All I have to say is: Serenity now.
During the time I have been with H, there were several times when we have gone to visit his family and everyone visiting had all kinds of places they needed to go and people they needed to see (including H), and I somehow got left alone at H's parents' house watching the nieces and nephews. The first time this happened, I tried to play with the kids and make sure they had the best time ever while still being kind of strict. The second time, I played with them but didn't worry so much about whether the house got messy. The third time, H walked in and caught me feeding one of the kids pie for breakfast. If they leave me alone with the kids again, I will be like, "What? You want to build a giant mud pit in the yard and wrestle each other in it and then run through the house like crazy people? Sounds good! I'll be on the porch reading High Fidelity if you need me." Ah, it's like I'm a real member of the family now.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Hypothetically Shmypothetically
If someone came and stayed at your house overnight and accidentally left a pair of pajamas in the bathroom, would you wash them before returning them? What if they also accidentally left a pair of underwear? I hypothetically feel like I should wash everything, but I think it might be weird to wash someone else's underwear. Hypothetically. Does anyone else have these dilemmas, or is it just me? Or maybe you just do whatever the heck you want and don't worry about stupid stuff like this.
Hypothetically.
It doesn't seem like most of the bloggers I read are going to BlogHer. I am not against it because there are a lot of people I would love to meet. But I will be spending this weekend at my brother-in-law's wedding instead. I just realized yesterday that since H is the best man, I will be on my own with his parents and siblings most of the time. Serenity now!
Hypothetically.
My in-laws aren't really that bad. In fact, everyone in H's family has always been more than nice to me. His family is just very different than mine. For example, I have one sister. H has three sisters and a brother. My extended family includes approximately 10 people (counting myself). H has 24 sets of aunts and uncles and over 100 cousins. So you might see why I think our families are different. You might also see why I (jokingly) say serenity now!
Don't forget: there is still plenty of time to ask H questions.
Hypothetically.
It doesn't seem like most of the bloggers I read are going to BlogHer. I am not against it because there are a lot of people I would love to meet. But I will be spending this weekend at my brother-in-law's wedding instead. I just realized yesterday that since H is the best man, I will be on my own with his parents and siblings most of the time. Serenity now!
Hypothetically.
My in-laws aren't really that bad. In fact, everyone in H's family has always been more than nice to me. His family is just very different than mine. For example, I have one sister. H has three sisters and a brother. My extended family includes approximately 10 people (counting myself). H has 24 sets of aunts and uncles and over 100 cousins. So you might see why I think our families are different. You might also see why I (jokingly) say serenity now!
Don't forget: there is still plenty of time to ask H questions.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Celebration! We're Gonna Celebrate and Have a Good Time! Come On!
Happy Independence Day to all of you (also affectionately referred to in many nations as the Day Before -R-'s Birthday)!
I have already begun the birthday celebrations. Today my assistant bought bagels for the Breakfast Birthday Celebration. Then one of my boss's took me out to lunch for the Lunch Birthday Celebration. And then after work I went to the mall for the Ann Taylor Loft Birthday Celebration, where I bought two skirts for $27.50. The sale is buy one sale item, get another sale item for half price, so one of the skirts ended up costing $7.50! Then I came home, and my dad had sent flowers for the official Floral Birthday Celebration. I am not sure yet what we are going to do tomorrow besides attempt to watch two fireworks displays at once (the Fireworks Birthday Celebration). Then it is my actual birthday, and Double G is coming to town for the Best Friend Birthday Celebration. Finally, on Saturday, H and I are going out for the Official Birthday Dinner. Considering that my 25th birthday was spent taking an official practice bar exam, I believe that I deserve all the birthday fanfare, even though my 25th birthday was 3 years ago. Plus, I am special. [Insert rap face here.]
All the birthday celebrations mean one thing: my mom's birthday is on Monday! Help! I asked my sister for gift ideas, but my sister said, "My specialty is Christmas, not birthdays." Are there any birthday specialists out there? I need something that is NOT a knick-knack. My mom's hobbies are golf and reading. She has expensive (or expensive-looking, she loves a good deal) taste. She is not good with technology. She enjoys long walks on the beach and drinking champagne in the moonlight. Oh wait. I think I got off topic there.
I have already begun the birthday celebrations. Today my assistant bought bagels for the Breakfast Birthday Celebration. Then one of my boss's took me out to lunch for the Lunch Birthday Celebration. And then after work I went to the mall for the Ann Taylor Loft Birthday Celebration, where I bought two skirts for $27.50. The sale is buy one sale item, get another sale item for half price, so one of the skirts ended up costing $7.50! Then I came home, and my dad had sent flowers for the official Floral Birthday Celebration. I am not sure yet what we are going to do tomorrow besides attempt to watch two fireworks displays at once (the Fireworks Birthday Celebration). Then it is my actual birthday, and Double G is coming to town for the Best Friend Birthday Celebration. Finally, on Saturday, H and I are going out for the Official Birthday Dinner. Considering that my 25th birthday was spent taking an official practice bar exam, I believe that I deserve all the birthday fanfare, even though my 25th birthday was 3 years ago. Plus, I am special. [Insert rap face here.]
All the birthday celebrations mean one thing: my mom's birthday is on Monday! Help! I asked my sister for gift ideas, but my sister said, "My specialty is Christmas, not birthdays." Are there any birthday specialists out there? I need something that is NOT a knick-knack. My mom's hobbies are golf and reading. She has expensive (or expensive-looking, she loves a good deal) taste. She is not good with technology. She enjoys long walks on the beach and drinking champagne in the moonlight. Oh wait. I think I got off topic there.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Family Stories
My post about Maine has made me think of my grandfather a lot recently. He grew up in New Hampshire, the youngest of nine kids. Only one of the nine kids was a girl, and she was the oldest. I think the one girl outlived all her brothers, probably in part because she was the only one who didn't smoke a pack or two a day. Anyway, I got to meet Auntie several times when I was growing up. She did not have much short term memory by the time I met her, but she would tell fantastic stories about her childhood and my grandfather.
[Sidebar: How do you pronounce "aunt"? My mom called my grandfather's sister Auntie, rhymes with Monty, and all her other aunts were Aunt (rhymes with want) Firstname. However, my sister and I grew up pronouncing "aunt" as "ant". H says aunt so that it rhymes with want as well. So I pronounce it "ant" when I am referring to my own aunts, but "aunt" (rhymes with want) when I am referring to H's aunts or my mom's aunts or when I am talking to my nieces and nephews about H's sisters. It is all very confusing to me.]
My favorite Mom'sMaidenName family story is about World War II. I don't know how this story could be totally true, but my mom acts like it is, and I like the story, so I am going to believe it. All of my grandfather's brothers joined the Navy when WWII broke out. But my grandfather was only 14. So he lied about his age and got sent to the South Pacific. As his ship was nearing Japan, another U.S. ship passed on its way back to the U.S. My grandfather was on deck and saw his brother on the other ship's deck. His brother also saw him and started yelling at my grandfather because he was too young to be there. My grandfather just smiled and waved.
Do you have any family legends? And how the heck do you say "aunt"?
[Sidebar: How do you pronounce "aunt"? My mom called my grandfather's sister Auntie, rhymes with Monty, and all her other aunts were Aunt (rhymes with want) Firstname. However, my sister and I grew up pronouncing "aunt" as "ant". H says aunt so that it rhymes with want as well. So I pronounce it "ant" when I am referring to my own aunts, but "aunt" (rhymes with want) when I am referring to H's aunts or my mom's aunts or when I am talking to my nieces and nephews about H's sisters. It is all very confusing to me.]
My favorite Mom'sMaidenName family story is about World War II. I don't know how this story could be totally true, but my mom acts like it is, and I like the story, so I am going to believe it. All of my grandfather's brothers joined the Navy when WWII broke out. But my grandfather was only 14. So he lied about his age and got sent to the South Pacific. As his ship was nearing Japan, another U.S. ship passed on its way back to the U.S. My grandfather was on deck and saw his brother on the other ship's deck. His brother also saw him and started yelling at my grandfather because he was too young to be there. My grandfather just smiled and waved.
Do you have any family legends? And how the heck do you say "aunt"?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
She's a Maine-iac, Maine-iac (On the Floor)
Breaking news: You guys, tomorrow (Friday) it is going to be June. June! How did this happen? I am excited about summer, but I have no idea what happened to the first five months of the year!
It is going to be a busy summer. I am going to Philadelphia, there are lots of office parties, my best friend (Double G) is coming to visit, H's brother is getting married, and, hopefully, we will be going to Maine for our anniversary.
I am so excited about Maine. My grandfather built a beach house in Maine. By himself. I should note that the term "beach house" is used loosely, as the house is not on the beach, but it is only about a 5 minute walk to a rocky bay, and it is about a 20 minute walk to the sandy beach. My grandfather died when I was in third grade and left the house to my mom, her sister, and her brother. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, so we could go drive up to Maine and spend a few weeks in a row, and my dad would come up for weekends. We would spend a lot of time there every summer. There was no tv (and no air conditioning), so we would take long walks, swim in the ocean until our lips turned blue, eat salt water taffy and lobster (not at the same time), pick blackberries, and swing on the tire swing. Our neighbor was a 90 year old man named Harry who mowed his own (huge lawn) and was the quintessential Maine-iac. He hated "newcomers" but loved us because he had known my grandfather.
The beach house where my grandfather had stayed as a little kid was only a 5 minute walk from our beach house. It was one room. For 9 kids (8 boys and 1 girl) and 2 parents. No running water. I can't even imagine. At the time I saw the old beach house, it was basically a shack that was falling apart. My grandfather and his brothers obviously had good memories of staying there because most of them ended up buying beach houses in the same town, and we would go see my mom's uncles when we stayed in Maine.
My mom's uncles were characters. They all had thick New Hampshire accents, and so did my mom when she talked with them. They all spoke like they were living on boats and called the bathroom "the head" and gave us directions like, "Turn starboard onto Oak Street."
We had to sell my grandfather's house because we moved to the Midwest, and it just didn't make sense to own a house in Maine. I haven't been back to the town where my grandfather had a cabin in probably 14 years, and I am kind of scared to go back. I haven't even been to Maine for 10 years. To me, Maine is my grandpa, my mom's side of the family, my family having fun together. I am scared that it won't live up to the pictures in my mind. I want to keep my memories the way they are. But I also want to see it and experience it again. It will be so different and weird to stay in a hotel though. I don't know. I am anxious and excited.
*****
To answer Jes's question in the comments of my last post, I think the best part of our trip to Chicago was the architectural boat tour, which you can buy tickets for online here. My friend who used to live in Chicago said he always took out of town guests on this tour, and my friend who currently lives in Chicago said it is the best tour in Chicago. It's only 90 minutes, and you get to see a lot of downtown. It is interesting, and my Dallas friends, H, and I all enjoyed it.
The second best part was drinking a gin and tonic. I had never had one before because I thought it sounded gross. But it wasn't. It was fabulous! It is my new go-to drink. In fact, I wish I had one right now.
It is going to be a busy summer. I am going to Philadelphia, there are lots of office parties, my best friend (Double G) is coming to visit, H's brother is getting married, and, hopefully, we will be going to Maine for our anniversary.
I am so excited about Maine. My grandfather built a beach house in Maine. By himself. I should note that the term "beach house" is used loosely, as the house is not on the beach, but it is only about a 5 minute walk to a rocky bay, and it is about a 20 minute walk to the sandy beach. My grandfather died when I was in third grade and left the house to my mom, her sister, and her brother. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, so we could go drive up to Maine and spend a few weeks in a row, and my dad would come up for weekends. We would spend a lot of time there every summer. There was no tv (and no air conditioning), so we would take long walks, swim in the ocean until our lips turned blue, eat salt water taffy and lobster (not at the same time), pick blackberries, and swing on the tire swing. Our neighbor was a 90 year old man named Harry who mowed his own (huge lawn) and was the quintessential Maine-iac. He hated "newcomers" but loved us because he had known my grandfather.
The beach house where my grandfather had stayed as a little kid was only a 5 minute walk from our beach house. It was one room. For 9 kids (8 boys and 1 girl) and 2 parents. No running water. I can't even imagine. At the time I saw the old beach house, it was basically a shack that was falling apart. My grandfather and his brothers obviously had good memories of staying there because most of them ended up buying beach houses in the same town, and we would go see my mom's uncles when we stayed in Maine.
My mom's uncles were characters. They all had thick New Hampshire accents, and so did my mom when she talked with them. They all spoke like they were living on boats and called the bathroom "the head" and gave us directions like, "Turn starboard onto Oak Street."
We had to sell my grandfather's house because we moved to the Midwest, and it just didn't make sense to own a house in Maine. I haven't been back to the town where my grandfather had a cabin in probably 14 years, and I am kind of scared to go back. I haven't even been to Maine for 10 years. To me, Maine is my grandpa, my mom's side of the family, my family having fun together. I am scared that it won't live up to the pictures in my mind. I want to keep my memories the way they are. But I also want to see it and experience it again. It will be so different and weird to stay in a hotel though. I don't know. I am anxious and excited.
*****
To answer Jes's question in the comments of my last post, I think the best part of our trip to Chicago was the architectural boat tour, which you can buy tickets for online here. My friend who used to live in Chicago said he always took out of town guests on this tour, and my friend who currently lives in Chicago said it is the best tour in Chicago. It's only 90 minutes, and you get to see a lot of downtown. It is interesting, and my Dallas friends, H, and I all enjoyed it.
The second best part was drinking a gin and tonic. I had never had one before because I thought it sounded gross. But it wasn't. It was fabulous! It is my new go-to drink. In fact, I wish I had one right now.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Mystery Griddle
H called me today and asked if I had already sent a wedding present to his cousin.
I told him that I had not, as her wedding is not for another month.
H asked if I was sure.
I told him that I was sure I had not purchased a present yet.
H asked if I was really sure.
I told him that I was sure and that I would remember if I had already bought a present.
H asked, "You didn't send her the griddle we got for our wedding, did you?" He sounded disgusted that I had sent his cousin a griddle that I had found around our house.
And then I realized what had happened. "We got a thank you note from her, didn't we?" I asked.
We had. I am guessing that the cousin had a shower in H's hometown, and H's mom got a gift and signed my name (along with H's sisters' names) on the card.
So apparently I gave H's cousin a griddle as a shower gift for a shower that I never even knew had happened. I hope she liked it.
*****
FYI, this doesn't bother me at all. I just feel bad that the poor cousin spent the time writing me a thank you note when I didn't even know I had given her a gift.
I told him that I had not, as her wedding is not for another month.
H asked if I was sure.
I told him that I was sure I had not purchased a present yet.
H asked if I was really sure.
I told him that I was sure and that I would remember if I had already bought a present.
H asked, "You didn't send her the griddle we got for our wedding, did you?" He sounded disgusted that I had sent his cousin a griddle that I had found around our house.
And then I realized what had happened. "We got a thank you note from her, didn't we?" I asked.
We had. I am guessing that the cousin had a shower in H's hometown, and H's mom got a gift and signed my name (along with H's sisters' names) on the card.
So apparently I gave H's cousin a griddle as a shower gift for a shower that I never even knew had happened. I hope she liked it.
*****
FYI, this doesn't bother me at all. I just feel bad that the poor cousin spent the time writing me a thank you note when I didn't even know I had given her a gift.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Doctor Who
I just deleted the paragraph I wrote about I feel like my head may explode because really, that is a pathetic excuse for a blog entry. Sinus pressure is just not that interesting. But wait...
I have an idea!
I will post random pictures of my trip to The Little Apple.
On the way to Apple Town, we had to wait for not one...
But TWO trains. At the same time. This was not a good omen.
But we made it there safe and sound, and here is a random picture of a building on my sister's campus.
My sister graduated and walked safely across the stage without falling down or tripping. H had to squeeze through the narrow aisle in the middle of the (two hour!) graduation ceremony so that he could use the restroom. When he came back, he sat on the aisle so that he didn't have to squish past 50 people again. And then all the graduates had to walk right past H as they exited. I said to my mom, "Maybe H will give [my sister] a high five!" And then he did! Here is a re-enactment.
Note: I do not know who that creepy-looking guy in the background is.
My sister had lots of velvet stripes and a fancy magna cum laude cord on her robe.
She is a doctor now. My sister is now Dr. -R's Little Sister-. Doctor! My little sister! Doctor! Aaaaa!
I have an idea!
I will post random pictures of my trip to The Little Apple.
On the way to Apple Town, we had to wait for not one...
But TWO trains. At the same time. This was not a good omen.
But we made it there safe and sound, and here is a random picture of a building on my sister's campus.
My sister graduated and walked safely across the stage without falling down or tripping. H had to squeeze through the narrow aisle in the middle of the (two hour!) graduation ceremony so that he could use the restroom. When he came back, he sat on the aisle so that he didn't have to squish past 50 people again. And then all the graduates had to walk right past H as they exited. I said to my mom, "Maybe H will give [my sister] a high five!" And then he did! Here is a re-enactment.
Note: I do not know who that creepy-looking guy in the background is.
My sister had lots of velvet stripes and a fancy magna cum laude cord on her robe.
She is a doctor now. My sister is now Dr. -R's Little Sister-. Doctor! My little sister! Doctor! Aaaaa!
Monday, May 07, 2007
They Might Be Giants
My sister's graduation is this weekend, so I have my outfit all planned out.
Dress from Banana Republic and purse from Kohl's (purchased on sale this weekend for either $12 or $18, I forget). In the first picture, my shoes are from Target (purchased on sale this weekend for $16), and in the second picture, my shoes are from Steve Madden (purchased on sale in January). Dorky facial expressions not for sale.
I am going to go with the gold Target sandals because I think the brown shoes will give me blisters if I wear them for long walking excursions without pantyhose.
I think I look super short in these pictures, which is good. I need to get used to it because I am shorter than everyone in my family, so our family pictures at graduation will look something like this (photos from my sister's white coat ceremony last year):
The yellow faces are kind of freaking me out. The two tall guys are my cousin and uncle, and the short guy is my dad. The gal with the white coat is obviously my sister, and the other woman is my mom. H will be in the pictures this year (he didn't attend the white coat ceremony), and he is even taller than my uncle. Also, my other cousin may show up, and she is at least six feet tall too. My sister and I are the only cousins (1) under 5'10" and (2) with brown hair. All the other cousins are svelte, blonde, Nordic giants. I feel like Laurel would fit right in. Uff da!
Dress from Banana Republic and purse from Kohl's (purchased on sale this weekend for either $12 or $18, I forget). In the first picture, my shoes are from Target (purchased on sale this weekend for $16), and in the second picture, my shoes are from Steve Madden (purchased on sale in January). Dorky facial expressions not for sale.
I am going to go with the gold Target sandals because I think the brown shoes will give me blisters if I wear them for long walking excursions without pantyhose.
I think I look super short in these pictures, which is good. I need to get used to it because I am shorter than everyone in my family, so our family pictures at graduation will look something like this (photos from my sister's white coat ceremony last year):
The yellow faces are kind of freaking me out. The two tall guys are my cousin and uncle, and the short guy is my dad. The gal with the white coat is obviously my sister, and the other woman is my mom. H will be in the pictures this year (he didn't attend the white coat ceremony), and he is even taller than my uncle. Also, my other cousin may show up, and she is at least six feet tall too. My sister and I are the only cousins (1) under 5'10" and (2) with brown hair. All the other cousins are svelte, blonde, Nordic giants. I feel like Laurel would fit right in. Uff da!
Monday, March 26, 2007
I Think We Have Enough Movies Now, H
Let's say your mom came to visit and was leaving after you went to work on Monday. You came home from work to find that before your mom left, she mopped the entire first floor. Would you be insulted or just glad that some finally did it because now you don't have to? I am hypothetically going with the latter. And now I can hypothetically post the rest of the pictures that involve the first floor of my house!
I have updated the list of prom photo challenge participants. Check them out; they are all definitely worth seeing. If you would still like to participate, just leave a comment and let me know, and I will update the list.
There are lots of memes out there about books people have read and movies they have seen. I am going to do my own thing and list the movies that H and I own. The movies we own that I have actually seen, I will put in italics. For most people, this would be all of their movies, but for whatever reason, H buys tons of movies, and I don't watch them. Without further ado, I introduce our movie collection:
1. 28 Days Later
2. American History X
3. American Pie - I think they are still making sequels to this. Eugene Levy, it is ok to turn down a movie!
4, 5. Arrested Development, seasons 1 and 2
6, 7, 8. Austin Powers 1, 2, and 3 - I realize these are not the exact names of the movies, but I am lazy
9. Baseketball
10. Beavis and Butthead, vol. 1
11. The Ben Stiller Show - I have seen a lot of these episodes, but not every one, so I don't feel right italicizing this
12. The Big Lebowski
13. Billy Madison - Our movies are so classy!
14. Boogie Nights - I have seen most of this. My college roommate and I actually saw this in the theater. We thought it was going to be a comedy. Anyway, about 5 minutes before the movie was supposed to end, the film literally started on fire. Somehow it got stuck in the projector and burnt up. We got our money back, and to this day I haven't seen the end of the film.
15. Bowling for Columbine
16. Braveheart - I have mentioned this before, but I hate this movie.
17. The Bourne Identity
18. The Bourne Supremacy
19. Caddyshack - I didn't see this until maybe last year.
20. Casino Royale
21. Chasing Amy
22. Clerks
23. Clerks (the animated tv series) - H watched these almost every day for about a month, and I think I eventually saw every episode.
24, 25. The Chappelle Show
26. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
27. Daredevil
28. Die Another Day
29. Anchorman - I realize this is out of alphabetical order, but I don't really want to renumber everything.
30, 31, 32. Die Hard 1, 2, and 3
33. Dirty Work
34. Dogma
35. A Few Good Men
36. Fantastic 4
37, 38, 39. Family Guy, seasons 1-3
40. Fargo
41. Fletch - I may or may not have seen all of this. I'm not sure.
42. Fight Club
43. The 40-Year-Old Virgin - I think I would have liked this better had I not seen the first hour with my father-in-law. Awkward.
44. Futurama - We have a whole bunch of seasons, but I didn't write down which ones.
45. The Goonies
46. Happy Gilmore
47, 48. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, vol. 1 and 2 - You need to watch these. Steven Colbert does some of the voices.
49. Hulk
50. The Incredibles
51, 52. Kill Bill, 1 and 2
53. To Kill a Mockingbird - I didn't know we owned this! I want to see this. I cannot believe I am only on 53. OMG, H buys a lot of movies.
54. Kingpin - I was forced to watch this on a bus ride in high school.
55, 56. Jackass 1 and 2
57. Idiocracy
58. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
59, 60, 61. Lord of the Rings 1, 2, and 3 - I have only seen the first one.
62. Mallrats - filmed in the Twin Cities
63. Matrix 1, 2, and 3 - I have seen the third one twice, but neither of the other two.
64. Minority Report
65. Mr. Show
66. Pearl Jam: Single Video Theory - someone in our house has a crush on Eddie Vedder, and it's not me.
67. The Punisher
68. The Royal Tenenbaums - one of my favorite movies
69. Saving Private Ryan
70. Seven
71. Signs
72-79. The Simpsons, seasons 1-8 - I have seen a lot of these, but not all.
80. Singles
81. The Sixth Sense
82. The Sound of Music - The first movie on the list owned by me, not H!
83. South Park (the movie)
84, 85. Spiderman 1 and 2
86-91. Star Wars 1-6
92. Terminator 1 and 2
93. Tommy Boy
94. Seinfeld vol. 1
95. Top Secret
96. X Men 1, 2, 3
97. XXX - the movie with Vin Deisel, you pervs - I had no idea we owned this until tonight.
98. UHF
99-103. West Wing seasons 1-5 - My only other contributions to our movie collection.
So we have at least 45 DVDs that I have not seen. Whoa.
I have updated the list of prom photo challenge participants. Check them out; they are all definitely worth seeing. If you would still like to participate, just leave a comment and let me know, and I will update the list.
There are lots of memes out there about books people have read and movies they have seen. I am going to do my own thing and list the movies that H and I own. The movies we own that I have actually seen, I will put in italics. For most people, this would be all of their movies, but for whatever reason, H buys tons of movies, and I don't watch them. Without further ado, I introduce our movie collection:
1. 28 Days Later
2. American History X
3. American Pie - I think they are still making sequels to this. Eugene Levy, it is ok to turn down a movie!
4, 5. Arrested Development, seasons 1 and 2
6, 7, 8. Austin Powers 1, 2, and 3 - I realize these are not the exact names of the movies, but I am lazy
9. Baseketball
10. Beavis and Butthead, vol. 1
11. The Ben Stiller Show - I have seen a lot of these episodes, but not every one, so I don't feel right italicizing this
12. The Big Lebowski
13. Billy Madison - Our movies are so classy!
14. Boogie Nights - I have seen most of this. My college roommate and I actually saw this in the theater. We thought it was going to be a comedy. Anyway, about 5 minutes before the movie was supposed to end, the film literally started on fire. Somehow it got stuck in the projector and burnt up. We got our money back, and to this day I haven't seen the end of the film.
15. Bowling for Columbine
16. Braveheart - I have mentioned this before, but I hate this movie.
17. The Bourne Identity
18. The Bourne Supremacy
19. Caddyshack - I didn't see this until maybe last year.
20. Casino Royale
21. Chasing Amy
22. Clerks
23. Clerks (the animated tv series) - H watched these almost every day for about a month, and I think I eventually saw every episode.
24, 25. The Chappelle Show
26. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
27. Daredevil
28. Die Another Day
29. Anchorman - I realize this is out of alphabetical order, but I don't really want to renumber everything.
30, 31, 32. Die Hard 1, 2, and 3
33. Dirty Work
34. Dogma
35. A Few Good Men
36. Fantastic 4
37, 38, 39. Family Guy, seasons 1-3
40. Fargo
41. Fletch - I may or may not have seen all of this. I'm not sure.
42. Fight Club
43. The 40-Year-Old Virgin - I think I would have liked this better had I not seen the first hour with my father-in-law. Awkward.
44. Futurama - We have a whole bunch of seasons, but I didn't write down which ones.
45. The Goonies
46. Happy Gilmore
47, 48. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, vol. 1 and 2 - You need to watch these. Steven Colbert does some of the voices.
49. Hulk
50. The Incredibles
51, 52. Kill Bill, 1 and 2
53. To Kill a Mockingbird - I didn't know we owned this! I want to see this. I cannot believe I am only on 53. OMG, H buys a lot of movies.
54. Kingpin - I was forced to watch this on a bus ride in high school.
55, 56. Jackass 1 and 2
57. Idiocracy
58. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
59, 60, 61. Lord of the Rings 1, 2, and 3 - I have only seen the first one.
62. Mallrats - filmed in the Twin Cities
63. Matrix 1, 2, and 3 - I have seen the third one twice, but neither of the other two.
64. Minority Report
65. Mr. Show
66. Pearl Jam: Single Video Theory - someone in our house has a crush on Eddie Vedder, and it's not me.
67. The Punisher
68. The Royal Tenenbaums - one of my favorite movies
69. Saving Private Ryan
70. Seven
71. Signs
72-79. The Simpsons, seasons 1-8 - I have seen a lot of these, but not all.
80. Singles
81. The Sixth Sense
82. The Sound of Music - The first movie on the list owned by me, not H!
83. South Park (the movie)
84, 85. Spiderman 1 and 2
86-91. Star Wars 1-6
92. Terminator 1 and 2
93. Tommy Boy
94. Seinfeld vol. 1
95. Top Secret
96. X Men 1, 2, 3
97. XXX - the movie with Vin Deisel, you pervs - I had no idea we owned this until tonight.
98. UHF
99-103. West Wing seasons 1-5 - My only other contributions to our movie collection.
So we have at least 45 DVDs that I have not seen. Whoa.
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