So through following links from comments in other blogs (first stop Rose, next stop Tea contest) I found a question to ponder: "What's your favorite tea moment?" And it got me thinking. I'm sure I have many great moments in my life that have involved tea, but this is the first I though of. And it stayed with me all last night. So I figure it's worth documenting. As the title says, this can be perceived as "sappy".
On one of the first mornings John slept over (oh so long ago hehe) he made tea and brought it to me in bed. Of course, he did not yet know how I liked my tea, so he brought the milk and sugar with him (not that this was hard, given the kitchen was literally two steps from the bed in my little studio, but stay with me). Anyway, I quickly fix my tea, and while I stirred he returned the milk and sugar to the kitchen. And we together enjoy our tea in bed.
The next morning he fixed my tea exactly the way I like it! (and yes, we had tea in bed again) After only one time, he figured it out and still does it right today.
Now, this is just a bit sappy if you only know that part of the story. But there's more! It may not seem all that meaningful, but to me it is really important. Most of you know my step-father turned out to not be such a great guy. Well, throughout their marriage, he and my mom both enjoyed a morning cup of coffee. He drinks it black and she likes cream and sugar. He always refused to fix her coffee the way she wanted it. He would always bring it black. He adamantly refused to put anything in her coffee. (He actually also once threw out her flavored coffee, which he disliked.)
This may not seem like that big a deal, but to me it's a simple sign of love and respect. It doesn't take much to make tea or coffee. And it takes only a little bit more effort to put in milk and sugar. Your partner should want to give you the world. Obviously those of us not in romance novels know there's no one perfect, but still...If they can't give you something as simple as your morning beverage, the way you want it, then there's something wrong.
So yeah, seeing my mom get disrespected (even in this small way) had it's effect on me. It's the small things that really count. This was just an early time when John did something great that helped me fall in love with him.
Ok end sap.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Gettysburg
So I'm a little behind, but here's a nice post about my trip to Gettysburg last Friday.
Since John was still gone, I knew I would not want to stay at home all day on Friday and do nothing. With nothing to look forward to (John at the end of the day) I knew no work would get done. So I made plans with my friend Andi-we would meet up in Gettysburg, which is about 2-2.5 hour from both of us.
I left early, thinking traffic would be crazy during rush hour. Actually ended up not being too bad once I got past 100. The GPS really wanted me to go through the city, but I was not about to try that. I took 70 to 15, which was a very nice drive. It was raining the entire way, but still not terrible. It was steady and there weren't a lot of cars around so I managed.
It did continue to rain ALL DAY, but that worked well. We started the day with a walk, first along a trail and then we were forging our own path. Yes, we had umbrellas. No, we did not use them. I used to take walks in the rain all of the time. I have gotten used to not doing that, since I'm always on my way somewhere. It's hard to get soaked when you have to then sit at a desk all day. But with nowhere to go, I just let myself enjoy the rain. And it was oh so nice.
Of course, we did end up eating lunch while still soaking wet. Oh well! After lunch we turned the heat on in the car and took the Auto tour around Gettysburg. So many freaking statues/monuments! We took quite a few pictures. I probably won't remember what any of them are though. But they are monuments to something.
Of course, then Andi drove over a concrete marker and we got stuck. Had to call a tow truck to lift us off the "rock". And Mr. Tow Truck Guy almost destroyed her muffler by pulling the car straight across the marker without lifting it up. Silly man. The nice park ranger was just glad we hadn't hit anything historic. I still picture him driving to where we were stuck, hands clenched on the steering wheel, praying to all the gods he knows that we didn't ruin history. He was obviously relieved when he saw what actually happened. Eventually we were off the rock and back on the road.
We wanted to kill some time and get hungry for dinner, so we drove down the road a bit to Cunningham Falls State Park. We saw turtles! Didn't do anything there, just drove around to check it out. John and I will be camping here some day.
After dinner we went our separate ways. The drive home was much worse than the drive back-more cars, more rain, making it hard to see. But I made it alive.
And John came home late Saturday! Words cannot express how great it is having him back. I'm thinking I can handle trips that are up to 4 days long. Sure, I was still lonely, but at day 4 I really just wanted to see his face again. Any trips longer than that will be discouraged.
Since John was still gone, I knew I would not want to stay at home all day on Friday and do nothing. With nothing to look forward to (John at the end of the day) I knew no work would get done. So I made plans with my friend Andi-we would meet up in Gettysburg, which is about 2-2.5 hour from both of us.
I left early, thinking traffic would be crazy during rush hour. Actually ended up not being too bad once I got past 100. The GPS really wanted me to go through the city, but I was not about to try that. I took 70 to 15, which was a very nice drive. It was raining the entire way, but still not terrible. It was steady and there weren't a lot of cars around so I managed.
It did continue to rain ALL DAY, but that worked well. We started the day with a walk, first along a trail and then we were forging our own path. Yes, we had umbrellas. No, we did not use them. I used to take walks in the rain all of the time. I have gotten used to not doing that, since I'm always on my way somewhere. It's hard to get soaked when you have to then sit at a desk all day. But with nowhere to go, I just let myself enjoy the rain. And it was oh so nice.
Of course, we did end up eating lunch while still soaking wet. Oh well! After lunch we turned the heat on in the car and took the Auto tour around Gettysburg. So many freaking statues/monuments! We took quite a few pictures. I probably won't remember what any of them are though. But they are monuments to something.
Of course, then Andi drove over a concrete marker and we got stuck. Had to call a tow truck to lift us off the "rock". And Mr. Tow Truck Guy almost destroyed her muffler by pulling the car straight across the marker without lifting it up. Silly man. The nice park ranger was just glad we hadn't hit anything historic. I still picture him driving to where we were stuck, hands clenched on the steering wheel, praying to all the gods he knows that we didn't ruin history. He was obviously relieved when he saw what actually happened. Eventually we were off the rock and back on the road.
We wanted to kill some time and get hungry for dinner, so we drove down the road a bit to Cunningham Falls State Park. We saw turtles! Didn't do anything there, just drove around to check it out. John and I will be camping here some day.
After dinner we went our separate ways. The drive home was much worse than the drive back-more cars, more rain, making it hard to see. But I made it alive.
And John came home late Saturday! Words cannot express how great it is having him back. I'm thinking I can handle trips that are up to 4 days long. Sure, I was still lonely, but at day 4 I really just wanted to see his face again. Any trips longer than that will be discouraged.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Desperate Housewives
For those that don't know, I am now a fan of Desperate Housewives. It started around August when I was randomly watching repeats before school started. Then John got me the first season on DVD and it's been crazy ever since. I do still need seasons 3 and 4, but watched season 5 on TV anyway.
Long story short, Bree is the best housewife. I adore her! And this, from the finale, just did me in with giggles:
"The man put chives in my Parisian salad! He should be in a straight-jacket!"
Long story short, Bree is the best housewife. I adore her! And this, from the finale, just did me in with giggles:
"The man put chives in my Parisian salad! He should be in a straight-jacket!"
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Not a military wife
Well, not a wife at all actually, but I have realized that I was right when years ago I said I couldn't handle being with someone in the military. There is no way I could be left alone for long periods of time.
I feel kind of wimpy, whining about being alone. I am usually such a strong, confident person. But this week I'm a total nut case. I do like being alone sometimes, but usually my alone time ends when someone comes home. Not having anyone else home for days is not good for me. Every noise makes me investigate what it was so I don't start imagining people in my back yard. I haven't been sleeping well at all.
I'm now preparing for the possible freak out that could happen if we do get the scary storms that are expected. I imagine the power will go out and I will be all alone in the dark. And that won't be fun. See-wimpy. I used to love storms! What the heck?!
I am actually dealing with the loneliness better today. It's half over, so I can see the end is near. And I've just kept myself busy with phone calls, catching up with TV, and cleaning. So I am capable of dealing with an empty house. I just don't like it.
I feel kind of wimpy, whining about being alone. I am usually such a strong, confident person. But this week I'm a total nut case. I do like being alone sometimes, but usually my alone time ends when someone comes home. Not having anyone else home for days is not good for me. Every noise makes me investigate what it was so I don't start imagining people in my back yard. I haven't been sleeping well at all.
I'm now preparing for the possible freak out that could happen if we do get the scary storms that are expected. I imagine the power will go out and I will be all alone in the dark. And that won't be fun. See-wimpy. I used to love storms! What the heck?!
I am actually dealing with the loneliness better today. It's half over, so I can see the end is near. And I've just kept myself busy with phone calls, catching up with TV, and cleaning. So I am capable of dealing with an empty house. I just don't like it.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Cape Henlopen
John's flight to San Fransisco was super early Sunday morning. That meant we got up at 10 til 5 (yes, am). After not going to bed to know knows when (around 1am?) I dropped him off and then came home and tried to get some more sleep. It didn't go well. I got some, but not a lot.
Knowing that I am prone to panic attacks or just general loneliness, I knew I needed to plan as many activities as possible for while he was gone. Most of those things are around the house stuff to just occupy my time (ie, mop the kitchen floor). That won't totally keep me from being lonely since it'll still be in the quiet house, but it helps.
Anyway, Sunday my friend Rob and I decided to take an adventure to the beach. We ended up at Cape Henlopen in Lewes, Delaware. This was a very nice park-at least where we were. We stayed at the not-so-crowded beach. We had a nice picnic and just sat by the water talking. I even got a little sun. Thank goodness for the gorgeous weather!
Knowing that I am prone to panic attacks or just general loneliness, I knew I needed to plan as many activities as possible for while he was gone. Most of those things are around the house stuff to just occupy my time (ie, mop the kitchen floor). That won't totally keep me from being lonely since it'll still be in the quiet house, but it helps.
Anyway, Sunday my friend Rob and I decided to take an adventure to the beach. We ended up at Cape Henlopen in Lewes, Delaware. This was a very nice park-at least where we were. We stayed at the not-so-crowded beach. We had a nice picnic and just sat by the water talking. I even got a little sun. Thank goodness for the gorgeous weather!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Pre-loneliness
John and I are spending a romantic (or maybe just relaxing) evening together as it's our last night before his trip. He's going to sunny San Fransisco for a week! (for work) So I am preparing to be lonely for the next 7 days. We all know how I hate being alone. A few days isn't so bad, but I think by day 3 or 4 I'll be needing human interaction. (at least there's work, right?) I have some plans to keep me busy, but it will still be all too dark and quiet when I'm in this big house all by myself at night. Wish me luck!
On another note, we finally watched Slumdog Millionaire last night. It was pretty fantastic. You should watch it if you haven't. And read The Three Musketeers-which I haven't read, but feel like I should have by now. Since I didn't know the third musketeer! I would not have won India's Millionaire :(
On another note, we finally watched Slumdog Millionaire last night. It was pretty fantastic. You should watch it if you haven't. And read The Three Musketeers-which I haven't read, but feel like I should have by now. Since I didn't know the third musketeer! I would not have won India's Millionaire :(
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend
a relaxing massage-and it was really needed after this crazy month
a few hours of work on Friday, but just enough to feel accomplished
boyfriend home early thanks to the government and their inability to work a full day before the long weekend
John's great grandmother turns 100 and the family celebrates
John's brother flew in from Florida-and is now staying with us before his early morning flight
a few crabs as an appetizer, made me hungry for a real crab feast
so much time with Caroline, my favorite baby girl- a few bottles and burping, pee on my pants, trying to roll herself out of her chair, full of giggles, spit up, rocking her to sleep, handing her off to grandma when her cold stopped up her nose and she wouldn't stop screaming, watching John be a fantastic uncle just made me smile and love him all the more (they are going to be an unstoppable pair as soon as she is mobile)
a few hours of work on Friday, but just enough to feel accomplished
boyfriend home early thanks to the government and their inability to work a full day before the long weekend
John's great grandmother turns 100 and the family celebrates
John's brother flew in from Florida-and is now staying with us before his early morning flight
a few crabs as an appetizer, made me hungry for a real crab feast
so much time with Caroline, my favorite baby girl- a few bottles and burping, pee on my pants, trying to roll herself out of her chair, full of giggles, spit up, rocking her to sleep, handing her off to grandma when her cold stopped up her nose and she wouldn't stop screaming, watching John be a fantastic uncle just made me smile and love him all the more (they are going to be an unstoppable pair as soon as she is mobile)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
St. Louis Graduations Part 3
The final installment.
Tuesday was another boring day. But that night was Evan's graduation. In getting ready, Evan got frustrated with his little brothers getting in his way. Connor decided no one loved him, so he refused to go. Mom was very little help in solving the problem, so it was all me. Matt finally had to just throw him over his shoulder and put him in the car. He then refused to come in the church so we left him outside.
Then Evan went and passed out right before Communion. He had been sick since my arrival, but seemed to be doing better. But somewhere along the way he got overheated and dehydrated. So they called and ambulance and took him to the hospital, leaving me to deal with two kids and the grandparents, and to attend a graduation dinner without the graduate.
So first thing was first, I had to take Connor and Harrison to day care. Of course, there was the nastiest woman ever in charge of day care and she refused to let them stay there. She acted as if I had brought the plague into her presence, complete with a hysterical "No, no no!" rant as she rushed towards me, quite like a mad woman with a knife. She didn't even give a damn when I said my brother had been rushed to the hospital. And told me Connor was old enough to babysit, so I should just take them home. We won't go into more details-but she did make me cry. The most unchristian woman I've ever met, left in charge of a Catholic school's day care. Terrible!
Now, she was right in saying the kids couldn't stay there. Since they had been sick, it was school policy that they couldn't. But she was way over the line. So you've got me crying to the principal (who was my principal) and two of my old teachers, who were all appalled at how I was treated. A woman I've known forever offered to take the boys home and have her husband watch them so that I could go to the graduation without worrying about them. So that worked out.
So the grandparents and I went to the dinner without Evan, the graduate. We ate nice food, which was hard since I was still so upset, and got updates from mom throughout the evening. They did a bunch of tests on Evan to make sure he didn't have Swine Flu, or Strep, or any number of other things. Gave him an IV and he perked right up. So he was released later that night, but missed the entire graduation. Luckily I was there and his teacher was once my teacher. So she insisted I come up and accept all his awards, his yearbook, etc. There's going to be one funny picture where I'm standing on stage with about 6 of his classmates.
Mom called right as I was leaving school saying Evan was ready to go. SO we made plans for me to run home and get the kids, then go to the hospital to pick them up. Luckily Matt pulled in the driveway right behind me (he had been at the Cards game) so I sent him to get Mom and Evan while I waited on the boys and tried to call John for a little comfort.
Well everyone was exhausted once we were all home. Connor got sad again and refused to go to sleep. Harrison, who had seen his brother pass out, was still a little freaked out. Especially since I comforted him some but then sent him away to a babysitter. Evan was doing much better but still needed to get to bed. And oh yeah, Mom was sick too in all of this. So I was fairly certain I was not going to sleep at all that night.
Our table at Graduation
We recreated the table at home so Evan could enjoy.
He'd probably kill me for sharing this pic, as he's fresh out of the hospital, but here's our one photo of the celebrating graduate.
Matt came home around 1:30 and I finally got my phone back (mom had taken it to the hospital since she has no cell right now, then she left it in Matt's car) so I set my alarm and tried to sleep. Then Rocky wanted to play so I had to get him to realize how late it was. I don't know when I finally fell asleep, but I was up at 5:30 so I could get to the airport.
It took me about 45 minutes to get through security, which was worse than some Christmas travel I've had. But I was plenty early. The flight was fairly uneventful, which was a nice welcome after the previous trip. John picked me up and took me to lunch, despite my disheveled appearance. He went back to work, I tried to nap.
Then I had to field phone calls from Connor, who wanted to come live with me because everyone there was mean. I swear, the go in cycles. Next month it'll be Harrison. They've all been through far too much. No wonder they have off days. Still, I was too overwhelmed to still be dealing with the drama.
But I am home now and all seems to have calmed down on the home front.
Tuesday was another boring day. But that night was Evan's graduation. In getting ready, Evan got frustrated with his little brothers getting in his way. Connor decided no one loved him, so he refused to go. Mom was very little help in solving the problem, so it was all me. Matt finally had to just throw him over his shoulder and put him in the car. He then refused to come in the church so we left him outside.
Then Evan went and passed out right before Communion. He had been sick since my arrival, but seemed to be doing better. But somewhere along the way he got overheated and dehydrated. So they called and ambulance and took him to the hospital, leaving me to deal with two kids and the grandparents, and to attend a graduation dinner without the graduate.
So first thing was first, I had to take Connor and Harrison to day care. Of course, there was the nastiest woman ever in charge of day care and she refused to let them stay there. She acted as if I had brought the plague into her presence, complete with a hysterical "No, no no!" rant as she rushed towards me, quite like a mad woman with a knife. She didn't even give a damn when I said my brother had been rushed to the hospital. And told me Connor was old enough to babysit, so I should just take them home. We won't go into more details-but she did make me cry. The most unchristian woman I've ever met, left in charge of a Catholic school's day care. Terrible!
Now, she was right in saying the kids couldn't stay there. Since they had been sick, it was school policy that they couldn't. But she was way over the line. So you've got me crying to the principal (who was my principal) and two of my old teachers, who were all appalled at how I was treated. A woman I've known forever offered to take the boys home and have her husband watch them so that I could go to the graduation without worrying about them. So that worked out.
So the grandparents and I went to the dinner without Evan, the graduate. We ate nice food, which was hard since I was still so upset, and got updates from mom throughout the evening. They did a bunch of tests on Evan to make sure he didn't have Swine Flu, or Strep, or any number of other things. Gave him an IV and he perked right up. So he was released later that night, but missed the entire graduation. Luckily I was there and his teacher was once my teacher. So she insisted I come up and accept all his awards, his yearbook, etc. There's going to be one funny picture where I'm standing on stage with about 6 of his classmates.
Mom called right as I was leaving school saying Evan was ready to go. SO we made plans for me to run home and get the kids, then go to the hospital to pick them up. Luckily Matt pulled in the driveway right behind me (he had been at the Cards game) so I sent him to get Mom and Evan while I waited on the boys and tried to call John for a little comfort.
Well everyone was exhausted once we were all home. Connor got sad again and refused to go to sleep. Harrison, who had seen his brother pass out, was still a little freaked out. Especially since I comforted him some but then sent him away to a babysitter. Evan was doing much better but still needed to get to bed. And oh yeah, Mom was sick too in all of this. So I was fairly certain I was not going to sleep at all that night.
Our table at Graduation
We recreated the table at home so Evan could enjoy.
He'd probably kill me for sharing this pic, as he's fresh out of the hospital, but here's our one photo of the celebrating graduate.
Matt came home around 1:30 and I finally got my phone back (mom had taken it to the hospital since she has no cell right now, then she left it in Matt's car) so I set my alarm and tried to sleep. Then Rocky wanted to play so I had to get him to realize how late it was. I don't know when I finally fell asleep, but I was up at 5:30 so I could get to the airport.
It took me about 45 minutes to get through security, which was worse than some Christmas travel I've had. But I was plenty early. The flight was fairly uneventful, which was a nice welcome after the previous trip. John picked me up and took me to lunch, despite my disheveled appearance. He went back to work, I tried to nap.
Then I had to field phone calls from Connor, who wanted to come live with me because everyone there was mean. I swear, the go in cycles. Next month it'll be Harrison. They've all been through far too much. No wonder they have off days. Still, I was too overwhelmed to still be dealing with the drama.
But I am home now and all seems to have calmed down on the home front.
Friday, May 22, 2009
St. Louis Graduations Part 2
So Sunday John and I woke up surprisingly early, considering how busy the previous day had been. We were lazy for awhile, since the fam wasn't coming to pick us up for awhile. We went home to eat then were headed to the Cardinals game.
We won't talk much about the game. We did get Lou Brock statues (umm yay?!) but that was about the best part of the game. Actually, it was a great day for baseball. But things were bad right from the first inning. Our pitcher was horrible and we never caught up from his mistakes. Of course my one game in Busch and it sucked.
We didn't have much time between the game and John's flight, so we went home and played with the dog some. I got ready for my evening. Matt and I dropped John off at the airport-an oh so very sad time- then headed to meet our aunt and uncle.
We had appetizers and dessert at Granite City Brewery, which is a very nice place. Though we didn't have any beer-weird-so I imagine I will go back some day for that. The desserts were huge! My aunt and uncle gave me a very nice pair of earrings- to go with the necklace (high school graduation) and ring (college graduation) they had already given me. Now I have a very nice set of jewels. Yay!
I pretty much crashed when I got home. I was feeling ill, pretty sure I was getting what Evan had, so I was curled up on the couch with a fever and chills. Luckily this was the worst I ever felt.
Monday was nothing too exciting. Lounging around the house, playing with the dog, etc. I went to pick up Connor and Harrison from school and saw some of my old teachers. That evening Matt and I went out with our other aunt and cousin.
We went to a place called Little Hills Winery. We got our 3 free samples then went to sit down for a meal. We were just in time for happy hour, so we got 3 glasses of wine for pretty cheap, and a load of appetizers. Then we ordered a bottle of this spiced wine to share. So much wine! But it was really great.
Now, I wasn't expecting my 14-year-old cousin to come along on this trip, but he was there. And I almost hit him and my aunt a few times. He was smoking, right in front of us. He was really rude and anti-social. He was bored and tried to rush us into leaving. And my aunt actually poured him a glass of wine form our bottle. And bought him flavored cigars on our way home. This is the cousin who has already been to rehab. And she wonders why he's not "all better."
We won't talk much about the game. We did get Lou Brock statues (umm yay?!) but that was about the best part of the game. Actually, it was a great day for baseball. But things were bad right from the first inning. Our pitcher was horrible and we never caught up from his mistakes. Of course my one game in Busch and it sucked.
We didn't have much time between the game and John's flight, so we went home and played with the dog some. I got ready for my evening. Matt and I dropped John off at the airport-an oh so very sad time- then headed to meet our aunt and uncle.
We had appetizers and dessert at Granite City Brewery, which is a very nice place. Though we didn't have any beer-weird-so I imagine I will go back some day for that. The desserts were huge! My aunt and uncle gave me a very nice pair of earrings- to go with the necklace (high school graduation) and ring (college graduation) they had already given me. Now I have a very nice set of jewels. Yay!
I pretty much crashed when I got home. I was feeling ill, pretty sure I was getting what Evan had, so I was curled up on the couch with a fever and chills. Luckily this was the worst I ever felt.
Monday was nothing too exciting. Lounging around the house, playing with the dog, etc. I went to pick up Connor and Harrison from school and saw some of my old teachers. That evening Matt and I went out with our other aunt and cousin.
We went to a place called Little Hills Winery. We got our 3 free samples then went to sit down for a meal. We were just in time for happy hour, so we got 3 glasses of wine for pretty cheap, and a load of appetizers. Then we ordered a bottle of this spiced wine to share. So much wine! But it was really great.
Now, I wasn't expecting my 14-year-old cousin to come along on this trip, but he was there. And I almost hit him and my aunt a few times. He was smoking, right in front of us. He was really rude and anti-social. He was bored and tried to rush us into leaving. And my aunt actually poured him a glass of wine form our bottle. And bought him flavored cigars on our way home. This is the cousin who has already been to rehab. And she wonders why he's not "all better."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
St. Louis Graduations Part 1
If you ever start thinking that I cannot experience any more drama, just stop yourself. Because chaos apparently follows me around. If it's just me and John life tends to run smoothly, but add in anyone else and something is bound to go wrong.
So after not really recovering from my own festivities, it was time to bail on work some more and head to St. Louis for Matt and Evan's graduations.
Friday night flight. Was delayed slightly but that was no big deal. Then, 45 minutes into the flight the turbulence started. It was on and off, but no fun at all. I am not a fan of unsmooth flights. Not really a fright issue, like the woman next to us, but more of a "it's too much like a roller coaster and I get lightheaded and nauseous" kind of problem. So I had my head buried in John's arm most of the flight. And just when I was thinking "man, we should really be starting our final decent soon, if not 15 mins ago, what the heck?" the pilot comes on. The severe weather in St. Louis called for the closing of the airport, so we were just gonna hang out up in the sky (in the bumpy clouds!) for about 25 mins, and hope something changed then. Well, we got lucky and only got stuck in the holding pattern for about 10-15 minutes and then were on our way to land. All together, only an hour late to arrive.
At which point I was sick from the ride, not eating, and having taken a pill to try to calm my nerves (on an empty stomach). So I just wanted to get food and go to bed. But we visited with the family for a bit once we got checked into the hotel.
Saturday was Matt's graduation from Mizzou (or Missou as John calls it since he cannot understand how "University of Missouri" was shortened to something involving z's), which was 2 hours away. Of course frustrations started early because Mom was running late (though not too late) and we had to make far too many pit-stops for such a short ride.
Matt (yellow) and his friend Shawn. They once played high school football together. Now they're both biologists. Aww.
We met up with Matt before he had to report. Found Grandma and Grandpa-went with them to find seats while Mom made a quick run to the store to prepare for our after part. John and I went outside to wait for Mom and another frustration began-because her quick trip to the store took forever and we were just waiting and waiting. Right up until graduation was supposed to start-we just made it in time. Somewhere in there my Father (ah!) called and I had to find him, take him to sit with the family, and go back outside to wait for Mom.
Of course, Mr. Amen was a whole other rant. I was happy he came, for Matt's sake, but really frustrated. Because I had long ago decided he wasn't worth my trouble. I was completely nuts about him being there...I believe I was ranting about the fact that he didn't deserve to meet John. Ever. But he was fine and normal and it was good that he was there.
So we went back to Matt's frat house and had a BBQ. We had a few grills going, lots of other food to eat, and it was just nice. Matt had to work at 7, so we wrapped up and prepared for home. We stopped by his bar to check it out, then were on our way.
I won't go into all the details about why, but I ended up beyond frustration with my mother for stuff that went on that day. I could not get home soon enough, though we had a 2 hour drive to make it through. John was a saint for many reasons in the fiasco that was the day. And I think I need to tell him again how grateful I am for his support.
But Hooray for Matt, the college graduate!
Ok, I am still exhausted so I will continue this later...
So after not really recovering from my own festivities, it was time to bail on work some more and head to St. Louis for Matt and Evan's graduations.
Friday night flight. Was delayed slightly but that was no big deal. Then, 45 minutes into the flight the turbulence started. It was on and off, but no fun at all. I am not a fan of unsmooth flights. Not really a fright issue, like the woman next to us, but more of a "it's too much like a roller coaster and I get lightheaded and nauseous" kind of problem. So I had my head buried in John's arm most of the flight. And just when I was thinking "man, we should really be starting our final decent soon, if not 15 mins ago, what the heck?" the pilot comes on. The severe weather in St. Louis called for the closing of the airport, so we were just gonna hang out up in the sky (in the bumpy clouds!) for about 25 mins, and hope something changed then. Well, we got lucky and only got stuck in the holding pattern for about 10-15 minutes and then were on our way to land. All together, only an hour late to arrive.
At which point I was sick from the ride, not eating, and having taken a pill to try to calm my nerves (on an empty stomach). So I just wanted to get food and go to bed. But we visited with the family for a bit once we got checked into the hotel.
Saturday was Matt's graduation from Mizzou (or Missou as John calls it since he cannot understand how "University of Missouri" was shortened to something involving z's), which was 2 hours away. Of course frustrations started early because Mom was running late (though not too late) and we had to make far too many pit-stops for such a short ride.
Matt (yellow) and his friend Shawn. They once played high school football together. Now they're both biologists. Aww.
We met up with Matt before he had to report. Found Grandma and Grandpa-went with them to find seats while Mom made a quick run to the store to prepare for our after part. John and I went outside to wait for Mom and another frustration began-because her quick trip to the store took forever and we were just waiting and waiting. Right up until graduation was supposed to start-we just made it in time. Somewhere in there my Father (ah!) called and I had to find him, take him to sit with the family, and go back outside to wait for Mom.
Of course, Mr. Amen was a whole other rant. I was happy he came, for Matt's sake, but really frustrated. Because I had long ago decided he wasn't worth my trouble. I was completely nuts about him being there...I believe I was ranting about the fact that he didn't deserve to meet John. Ever. But he was fine and normal and it was good that he was there.
So we went back to Matt's frat house and had a BBQ. We had a few grills going, lots of other food to eat, and it was just nice. Matt had to work at 7, so we wrapped up and prepared for home. We stopped by his bar to check it out, then were on our way.
I won't go into all the details about why, but I ended up beyond frustration with my mother for stuff that went on that day. I could not get home soon enough, though we had a 2 hour drive to make it through. John was a saint for many reasons in the fiasco that was the day. And I think I need to tell him again how grateful I am for his support.
But Hooray for Matt, the college graduate!
Ok, I am still exhausted so I will continue this later...
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