30 June 2008

29 June 2008

40 Days and 40 Nights

I love the Olympics. Summer or Winter, I love the games. The Summer Olympics are 40 days away. The eighth day in the eighth month in the eighth year, the games begin. The first games I remember sitting down and watching were the Winter Games in Calgary in 1988. I would curl up in my dad's recliner and watch the coverage. This was followed by summer games in Seoul. Why the Olympics? I like the pageantry of the opening ceremonies as well as the parade of nations. I like seeing the athletes with such pride for their country. Some people were concerned when they split the summer and winter games and had them alternate. I was thrilled. I only had to go every two years between games, rather than four.

I like the come from behind story; the human interest stories that come out during the games. I can still remember some of them - Rulan Gardener, the American Wrestler who beat the Russian. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. Letitia Hubert, a French figure skater who fell on every jump, but was thrilled to just be there and finish her routine. She fell so many times you could see the red marks on her legs from the ice. She got an ovation when she finished. I also like learning about where the games are being held. It's Beijing this summer and I am excited to see China, even if its only on tv.

I even love the music. Just hearing that fanfare makes me smile. But it's moments like these that bring tears to my eyes:


08 June 2008

Bonnie and Clyde

Jack and Kate have officially become partners in crime. I was in the living room drinking my coffee, watching the French Open (go Federer!!!) when I heard this rustling coming from the kitchen and noticed neither Jack nor Kate were in my line of vision. I keep their cat treats in a narrow space between the microwave and the wall. Jack was on the floor watching and waiting intently as Kate tried to squeeze into the space to get the treats. As soon as I made my presence known they looked at me with guilty faces and scattered.

03 June 2008

A Hard Days Night

I love The Beatles. Thank you Auntie Pat and Auntie Lorri for introducing me to such wonderful music when you used to babysit for me. Thank you Mom, for buying me the CDs for my birthday this year. I have worked in musical bliss for the past two days. My all time favorite songs: The Long and Winding Road, I Feel Fine, Drive My Car, and Here Comes the Sun.

Great Expectations

By now one would think that I would have eliminated all expectations, but I haven't. I thought that I had set the bar sufficiently low enough. Apparently not. As it is the day after my birthday, you can imagine that I failed to receive any type of "Happy Birthday" from someone important in my life. I don't expect a lot from this person regarding my birthday - I don't expect a card even. It doesn't make it hurt any less when they forget. I have no illusions that this person forgot, despite the protestations that work was very busy yesterday. Were this a one time event, I probably would have believed it. Unfortunately, they forget more often than they remember. It's not that I am not cognizant of the fact that this was a difficult year for them either. Given the events of the past year, I thought maybe they would have remembered more.

I had a great birthday yesterday - sunshine-y and gorgeous, dinner with friends, well wishes from friends and family. It all gets overshadowed by the one who forgot. I guess what needs to happen is to have no expectations, therefore being pleasantly surprised when they eventually remember. For now, however, I am going to focus instead on the beautiful day I had yesterday.

02 June 2008

At First Sight

There are times I wonder "what if". You could go through your life second guessing every decision you ever make. I've never been one of those people. Once I decide to do something, I usually go for it and don't look back. There are times though when I think about "what if", especially on my birthday.

For example, what if I hadn't gone to Fairfield? What if I had stayed home and gone to URI or RIC. I'd have no loans, that's for sure. I don't think I would be doing what I am doing now. Working in academia is a direct result of my working in residence life while I was an undergrad - living on campus, having Missy and Henry as mentors. I'm sure I would have found a niche at URI or RIC, but I don't think it would have been the same one. I probably would have a very different career, very different friends, and I probably would still be in New England. I probably would not have gone to Ohio State for grad school and therefore missed out on the joy and the excitement that is Big 10 football.

What if I hadn't been so shy around people? What if I hadn't run away from what scared me? Yes, I'm talking about one particular person and one particular relationship, and only they would know of what I speak right now. I don't look back on any of my relationships with regret. I do look back on the ones that weren't and wonder if I made the right choice. I was younger then (I won't say how much younger), but there was one. One in particular that I let go of. It wasn't the one I never said anything to until it was too late. No, it was one that I knew at first sight was going to be special. You know, the kind of meeting where you just look at each other and for a moment everything stops. I'm pretty sure he felt the same way. But there were obstacles and I was so so shy and pretty sheltered. We danced around it for what seemed like an eternity. We were never in the same place at the same time. When we finally got there, I was at a loss what to do next and I walked away. There are days I wish I hadn't and wonder what I would be like today as a person if I stayed. I don't know that we'd be together, but I feel like I would know myself even better. That's the kind of person he was - he let me question everything and I learned more from him than any other person.

That's my biggest "what if". That, and what if I hadn't turned down studying in Russia, but that's a story for another day.



01 June 2008

Steel Magnolias

This movie makes me cry every time. I have a new appreciation for it since I lived in Louisiana. It was filmed (and takes place) in an area about an hour from where I lived. One of the characters, Jackson's aunt (who made the bleedin' armadillo groom's cake) was from Alexandria, which is where I lived. The cast is an amazing ensemble. Like Beaches, I bawl through the entire last half hour of the movie. It's one of those movies that no matter when its on, or where I catch it in the telecast, I'll sit down and watch the rest of the movie, tissues in hand.


Mystic River

I never thought I would say this, but I miss Boston. I didn't realize how much until my sister called and asked me for directions to Newbury Street. I'm useless at giving driving directions in Boston, because I always took the T. The North End, Coolidge Corner, Harvard Square, I miss the people, the restaurants, the shopping. Don't get me wrong, I love living in North Carolina, I love my job and I am excited to hopefully go back to school (if I get accepted). My wanderlust has ebbed though, and once school is done (hopefully in 5 years), with EdD in hand, it's back to New England for me. I am happy that I have had the opportunity to travel and live in as many places as I have over the years. New England will always be home and in 5 years, I'll head home. In the interim, I will be home for vacation from July 30 - August 5. I'm hoping to get to see as many people as I possibly can while I'm home.
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