The Blasted Schedule

My two friends and I have been trying to get together for a while now. We have tried a couple of times, but something always seems to come up. Now, it our blasted schedules. We can't seem to find the one right day when we can all meet. My weekends are booked from now to Memorial Day. The weeknights are better, but I can only do Monday and Tuesday events (as long as they are now the last week of the month). So crazy!! This is our world today - three friends who cannot see each other as hard as they try!! Well, hopefully something will work out. Now, I have my afternoon free...

New deck, New Grill

The new deck is almost done and it is fantastic!! We had a really great contractor and are just thrilled with the job he has done. All that is left is for the inspector to check it on Monday, then the end can be closed with lattice. After that, we get to clean all the furniture, plant new flowers, wire the outdoor speakers, and put it all on the deck.

Bill just could not wait, though. He put together the new grill today and we will probably use it tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek...

Keep on running

As I continue my training program, I am now up to 2 miles of running. I have to say mantras to get myself through. My favorites are:

I am a strong, tough woman
Pain is weakness leaving the body
The only easy day was yesterday

I just keep a running chant going through my head and keep my eyes out for the finish line. It is getting easier.

Matthew loves Thomas...the Tank Engine, that is

I may not be a kid person, but my nephew is the cutest 3 year old alive (at least in mu humble opinion). Here he is this past weekend with his favorite train, Thomas the Tank Engine.

Shocking News

Yesterday, I received some very shocking news. Our property manager, Frank, died Sunday morning. I have known Frank since we moved to our neighborhood, and have gotten to know him better since serving on the Board of Directors. Frank was in his 50s (I would guess). Sure, he had a bit of a belly on him, but he has always had that belly. I have never known him to be sick, and he has always been present at the meetings. I was absolutely shocked to receive the e-mail that he had been in the hospital for a week and subsequently died.

It is always the most shocking when someone dies unexpectedly. It seems so out of the blue that it has been weighing on my mind ever since I found out. As far as I am concerned, there was no warning, no indication that this would happen. I think about the last time I saw him. I had no idea it would be the last time I would ever see him. I wonder when the shock will go away.

Missing Family

I just wrote a note to my cousin in Colorado. I told her how I sometimes wish that life was still like it was years ago. People used to grow up in one town, then live the rest of their lives within 20 miles. Now, my family is spread from Florida to Massachusetts to Colorado. We have Bill's parents within 1 1/2 hours. It is great to see them so often. Everyone else we see (if we are lucky) once a year. Some family, I have not seen in 5+ years. It makes me sad, but with the Internet we at least have instant communication and the ability to send pictures.

Here is a picture of my Aunt Caryl and Uncle Mac with their new granddaughter, Emily. I have not met Emily yet, but I did see Aunt Caryl and Uncle Mac on 12/31/05.

Speak Clearly!!

I am on the employee appreciation team here at work. We try to do little things that are fun that will keep up the morale. We are going to do a Tres de Mayo luncheon (since the 5th is Saturday), and two of us are organizing it. We did a spreadsheet listing each item that was needed, and how many of each we needed. We wrote up a little note, and sent it off.

Well, lesson to me, be clear when you send out a sign up sheet. I intended for each person to sign up for one thing. There would then be enough items for each person to bring something and for there not to be too much extra. Well, already, people have signed up for multiple things. I can tell we are going to have too much. When dealing with a large group, send detailed instructions!! I've got it now.

Blacksburg

What a horrible tragedy. I can't imagine what it would have been like for the students and faculty at Virginia Tech on Monday. I remember being at UGA. I would have never thought a gunman could barge into a class and kill the majority in it. It seems so unthinkable, yet I just finished a book about this very subject.

I read Jodi Piccoult's Nineteen Minutes about a fictional school shooting in New Hampshire. It was a wonderful, yet disturbing book. At least in fiction, the ends were tied neatly together and we know why the horrible events occurred. In Blacksburg, we can only piece together what is left over. So many lives taken, so many other lives affected. The scary part is that this event could have happened anywhere. You never know where tragedy may occur or how long it will be until this next one. This is the world in which we live.

You never know what you will get when you open an e-mail

I received this picture from my sister-in-law yesterday. Just this picture, no other information. I guess I am going to be an aunt again!!!

Isn't the worst when...

...comedians are not funny? Bill and I went to a local place called Tomato Jake's this weekend to see one of their monthly comedy shows. We stayed for about 5 comics, but only one was funny. I really don't know how comedians can stand on the stage after they tell a joke and no one laughs. I was mortified for them from the audience. It is painful to watch.

Luckily, the weekend got better after the show. It rained on and off all day yesterday here. Bill and I planted our vegetable garden during the "off" time which worked out well with all the rain. We spent the rest of the day being lazy around the house. We watched DVDs of The Pursuit of Happyness and Man of the Year. Both movies were good. It seems that we have been on a good run lately - we saw Stranger than Fiction last weekend and really enjoyed it. Bill also cooked up his fantastic chili - the perfect food for our weather. Sometimes a rainy day is a really good thing!

Personal Best

Yesterday, Bill and I ran the Girls on the Run 5K event in Chapel Hill. It was a wonderful event that ran through a residential area called Meadowmont. I had no idea there were such big, beautiful houses in that area. It was fun to run and look at all the different homes. It almost made me forget that I was out there running.

I set a personal best for a 5K. It was 40:38. Now, that's not a great time in the grand scheme of things, but it was a great time for me. I was able to shave about 4 minutes off my time from the Great Human Race, and ran about 80% of the course. I guess there is something to this training program I have been doing!!

A Confession

I think I may like running. I went to my class last night and ran another 1.5 miles without stopping. Tomorrow, I am doing the Girls on the Run 5K in Chapel Hill. I was just on a website looking for a 5K race to do in May. What is going on?

I have started to follow the training program and am running 3 times a week. I don't seem to mind it. I can see myself liking it. I am already thinking about how I am going to keep the training program going when I am on vacation in Boston this summer. It is totally weird for me. Maybe you do get some sort of high from exercise...

Don & Duke

I think all of the things that have been happening lately with Don Imus and Duke University are just crazy. Yes, Don should not have called the Rutger's women's basketball team "nappy headed hos", but can we just get over it already? There is a wonderful commentary by Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star pointing out that Don Imus the problem, it is the rappers and black people who use terms like "hos" to talk about women. They are the ones making it acceptable for use. Don Imus is just a lousy disc jockey who used the term inappropriately. He is not the bigger problem in this picture. Who listens to him anyway?

Then, there's the good ole Duke lacrosse team. Well, great, don't all North Carolinians look stupid now? I guess I am particularly sensitive since this event took place in my backyard. I even voted for that idiot Nifong. I think he just saw a case that could make his career - a case of racism that he could hang his name on. Did he care if there was not a shred of evidence to support the case? Apparently, he did not. Honestly, when I first heard the allegations of the "dancer" against the students, I did not believe them. My first thought was that this woman saw an opportunity to get some money from rich Duke boys. I guess that makes me a jaded person who sees the worst in people. In this case, it seems from the lack of evidence, it may also make me right.

Depression Creeps In

There are days when I get depressed. I was that way Monday and Tuesday. I felt so down. I felt as if I had an elephant sitting on my chest all day. I was gloomy, quiet, and ready to cry at the drop of a hat. I was so sad, and felt that everything was going against me for those two days. Things like dropping a piece of uncooked pasta on the floor while measuring was a huge disaster. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until the pain was gone.

Today, the pain is gone. I feel much better now. Even the fact that it has been gray and rainy all day has not gotten me down. I have these episodes every one in a while. It seems to happen every few weeks, perhaps coinciding with my visit from "Aunt Flo"? I am writing these dates down to see if I feel this way again the same time next month. At least it is gone for today.

Babies, Babies everywhere

I went to my Junior League meeting this past Wednesday. I went up to a group of ladies who I joined the JLDOC with, and found them talking about babies. I asked if two of the ladies were pregnant, and was told they were along with a third!! I congratulated them all and also said another from our group was pregnant, but not present. It made me think of all the babies that I have been around lately.

All of my girlfriends from college are mothers now. My two cousins in Denver are both moms, as well as both of my sisters-in-law. It seems that I am now at an age where it is more unusual if my friends are not mothers. Yet, I am not a mother. I am the hold out, or so it feels. I used to think I wanted children, but I am more unsure with each passing day. My doctor tells me that if I do want kids, I need to do it sooner rather than later as I an nearing 35 1/2 years old. If some way I do want a child, but in others I don't.

I read about global warming and the other horrible things that are going on to this planet. Do I want to leave a child in a place that is certain to have droughts and famine in the future? Provided that my child would be an American and more likely to survive, do I want that child to take precious resources from others in the world? My child may not be effected by global warming directly, but it will happen eventually. It makes me sad to think about the future of this planet, so do I want to bring someone else into this world to face it?

Who knows what the future holds? I just try to take life one day at a time. Right now, the baby question still eludes me. Perhaps it will be clear someday, or perhaps it is my role in life to be the doting aunt.

Updates

1. Jane finally gave me a call about the set-up with John. At first, she said I could give him her number, but then she back tracked a bit and said he really wasn't her type. After more discussion, she decided that she could not see herself in a relationship with him. So, she decided to pass on giving him her number. I think that this attempt was my one and only with matchmaking.

2. I have started to pay more attention to my training for the running class. On Thursday, I ran 1.5 miles (the goal for the night) without stopping. While my pace was very slow, it was definitely the longest continuous distance I have ever run in my life.

3. The Canes did indeed lose last night's game, our final of the season as fans. It was a game that did not matter, but it was still disappointing to see them lose 4-1. Well, actually, we did not see them lose. Jon, Michelle, Bill, and I left at the second intermission. We headed for The Sauce and enjoyed a few brews. I received a free pint because I drank my 50th beer on Wednesday night!! I am becoming a beeraholic and loving it!!!

It's a Good Friday

I love a holiday!! Especially a holiday that gives you a day off work. Both Bill and I have today off. It is unusual for companies to give Good Friday as a holiday, so I was surprised and pleased that we are both able to enjoy the day. Well, we got to sleep in at least and have a nice breakfast. The day was really a working day - I started to clean the house in anticipation of Easter and Bill worked on the outside of the house mowing the lawn and washing off the deck. We even managed a trip to the gym. I guess it is better than being at work, but I would have liked to relax.

Tonight, we will go to dinner then head to the Hurricanes Game. I know there will be beer in the mix at some point, so all is not lost. Maybe tomorrow, after the cleaning and my training run, there will be time to relax...

Too Bad, So Sad

It is official - The Carolina Hurricanes will not be in the 2006-2007 playoffs. Yes, after winning The Stanley Cup in 2006, they become the third team to fail to make the playoffs in the year following their championship. I am sure that all the folks associated with the team are very sad and disappointed in this season. It seemed that the Canes just never got it together after the short summer. The same thing happened after the Canes reached the finals in 2002. They came back the following season and were in dead last in the NHL. Then there was the strike, followed by the Championship. So, does it follow that they will have a fantastic season next year? I hope. They will certainly have plenty of time for rest this summer.

Bill and I will attend the game tomorrow night. It is a game that means absolutely nothing to Canes fans. Still we will go, celebrate what was, and hope for a better year to come. And there will be beer before and after the game.

Gotta Run/Gotta Match

I am actually starting to get into this running class (famous last words!) I got up this morning and went for a nice run. I did just what the training schedule said - walk for 5 minutes, walk/run 1.5 miles, walk 0.5 miles. I gotta say, I felt pretty good afterwards. I had so much energy this morning after getting home. I was able to get things done in the morning from finding my "lost" People magazine to getting about 90 customer statements organized and in the mail. Now that it's 3:42 p.m. I am feeling a bit tired...

In other news, Bill and I did a little matchmaking last night. His co-worker, John, met my friend, Jane (names changed to protect the innocent). The four of us went to a bar/restaurant. We sat outside until about 10:00 p.m. last night enjoying the weather and each other's company. When we left, our friends just parted ways and said goodbye. I wasn't sure what to think at all. I found out today that John did like Jane, so I had to call Jane to see if I could give John her number. As Bill said, it is a bit like passing notes at recess. I hope she says yes, then we can get out of the loop. Who know, we may have made a Love Connection yet...

Tax Day at our house

Yesterday was tax day at our house. Yes, we spent a good 2 hours processing our taxes to find out that we owe major money. After all that work, there was no reward at the end. It was a rather depressing day - not how either of us would liked to have spent a Sunday. We decided to not even file electronically. Yes, we will be saving the $16.95 per filing by sending in our return by U.S. Mail. I just hope that the Postal Service has no problems with our delivery. Can you imagine? We pay all that money in taxes for a government agency to lose/fail to deliver our return. Boy, that would just put my husband (and me, too) over the roof!