This weekend I’m heading to Florida for a few days for my cousin’s wedding. True, I haven’t actually talked to this cousin face-to-face or on the phone, well, in 15 years or so, but his mom is a loyal reader of this blog (Hi Aunt Sandy!) and one of my favorite people so off Darling and I go for a few days of family, fun and sun. A mini family reunion of sorts.
It’s also a rarity that I’m not somehow involved in this wedding in a way other than attending since I’m pretty much a perma-bridesmaid. Or if not a bridesmaid I tend to be the executive bride’s helper as was the case with the last few weddings Irish & I attended.
I thought that just for fun I’d take you through the last few weddings I’ve been in.
My college roommate’s wedding, circa 2005 (worst tan line known to man…):
My childhood friend’s wedding, circa 2007, in St. Thomas (most beautiful setting ever):
My (other) college roommate’s wedding, circa New Year’s Eve 2007 (complete with chipmunk cheeks):
My best friend from high school’s wedding, April 2008 (I’m on the far left, in case you couldn’t tell):
and most recently, my best college friend’s wedding in September 2008* (probably my favorite dress out of all of them and I have seven dresses total as we had two dresses for the one above!):
(I was in my cousin’s wedding in 2000 but that was pre-digital camera and I can’t readily find a photo to post so you’ll have to do without.)
If you know of anyone who needs a professional bridesmaid feel free to pass my name along. It’s been a whole year since I’ve been in a wedding and I’m actually itching to be in one which is rather shocking!
(First of all, I’ve been scouring the darn interwebs for an embeddable version of this video and I just can’t find it, so you’ll have to click through. Really. You should.)
I think I mentioned that last weekend I watched the Saturday Night Live Halloween Special which was maybe 90 minutes of absolute hilarity considering most of the skits were pre-1998 meaning they were really flippin’ funny.
One of my favorites? The LandShark. You can view it here. (Sorry, couldn’t find an embeddable one!) I don’t know why but it cracks me up every time.
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I have no idea why I remember this but one year my best friend and I decided to audition for the school talent show by doing a dance/lip synching routine to The Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Actually, I have no idea why we thought that was a good idea. (Confession: I’ve never seen the entire film, either.)
Could you picture me doing any of this?
I don’t think we actually made it to the audition once our parents realized what we had chosen to do. Ah, to be young and innocent!
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So it’s Halloween tomorrow which means I have to be on my guard because, um, well I’m terrified of people in masks. It’s amazing to me how a mask can transform someone you know and love into a scary, freaky specimen of a person that you suddenly don’t recognize. The maintenance man at our building scares me every year (yes, every year, even though I know it’s him) by creeping up to my desk in one of his freaky masks. Uncool.
I think it all started when I was in high school, driving home from a Halloween party and a masked/face painted dude showed up out of NOWHERE and jumped onto my car and just stared at me. My friend and I screamed and just stared at the guy. He disappeared just as quickly as he showed up. My nerves were rattled for a few hours!
Here’s hoping that the kids who come to the house don’t scare me!
Do you have a Halloween fear/phobia or conversely are you the type of person who enjoys scaring the crap out of the rest of us?
Todays’ post is all about my mom, Darling. Why? Just because I feel like it and I know that I’m incredibly blessed to have a mom like her. So, here’s the list of why my mom is fabulous:
* She reads Vogue which makes her an excellent person to turn to for fashion advice.
* She introduced me to Sex & The City.
* If it’s your birthday, you get to request your favorite dinner and cake with homemade icing.
* She loves Jack as if he were her own dog.
* She’s the best cheerleader I know.
* We have our own rituals. Like shopping & IHOP the day after Thanksgiving. Hot fudge sundaes once a month, just because.
* She was the one who encouraged me to blog.
* She calls me on my bad moods and bullshit (rare that I’m that way, but it happens and she tells me so).
* We laugh so hard it hurts more often than not.
* She has a pink cell phone.
* She wrote me a children’s book, just because. I have it tucked away for if/when I have kids.
* Darling knows when to hold my hand through certain situations and when to let me fly (and maybe crash) on my own, but she’s always there to pick up the pieces.
* She’ll gladly get on stage to sing with my dad’s band. She’s also pretty darn good at it too.
* She’s given me a list of nicknames as long as my arm, including things like Beeps. Smoodgie-San. Laser. (And no, I don’t know what they mean specifically.)
* She has a kick-ass blog. No, really. You should read her especially if you like photos, book recommendations, poems and anything else literary.
* She still gets excited about Christmas and repeatedly tells me and my brother NOT to go in my parent’s closet because we’ll run our surprises.
* We share our movie collections with each other (and not surprisingly, love the same kinds of movies).
Who is the most influential woman in your life? Does she read Vogue?
This past weekend turned out to be one of the best birthday celebration weekends I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t spend it drunk and hungover but instead very in the moment.
My brother came into town to surprise me (one of the best surprises ever!), I made some style changes to my bedroom meaning it’s almsot the way I want it to be, had beer with my favorite three men in the world (Irish, my brother, my dad), received ah-mazing presents from my long distance friends, Irish and my family as well as scoring tickets to a Deluxe Suite at the StL Cardinal’s last game.
Originally I had four tickets to sit in the nosebleeds which is really one of the best ways to see a Cardinals game but then Irish’s dad had tickets to a Deluxe Suite and I had to refrain from screaming “HELL YES!” into the phone.
On Sunday five of us piled into the car to start the adventure that would entail seats behind homeplate, unlimited free food, beer, wine and soda, as well as fantastically comfortable seats, great people watching and one of the best baseball experiences I’ve had to date.
Our view from the box:
With the always handsome Irish:
With the best brother in the world:
And we saw Albert Pujols break an old record/earn a new record:
With regular season out of the way we can now focus on post-season and hopefully make it to the World Series…
When you’re little birthdays are all about toys, streamers, balloons, party favors, junk food and really amazing cake with fabulous icing; staying up past your bedtime; having your name read over the loudspeaker at school; your favorite dinner cooked by your mom; the thrill of presents from your friends, and themed birthday parties.
When you’re a teenager (13-17) birthdays are all about wondering if your outfit looks ok at school; how many balloons will your friends buy you and stuff into your locker?; will today be the day the high school football start finally tells you he loves you?; your friends and parents trying to surprise you and surprise you they did with limo rides (13th birthday) and a DJ (16th) birthday; hoping against hope that some boy you liked liked you back; and that you have a decent showing with no drama at your birthday party which will be supplied with tunes from Cake and the Empire Records lots of junk food and copious amounts of soda.
When you’re a young adult (18-23) your birthdays are about freedom; the ability to vote and drink (legally); celebrating a birthday away from home; planning your own party which often doesn’t sound so fun so you don’t do it; taking so many shots that the entire night is a blur; waking up to find out that you danced on a bar, kissed a stranger and proclaimed your love to every single one of your friends; it’s about going through your digital camera to see what pictures were taken and then daring to check facebook to see what embarassing shots of you may have surfaced; it’s about relishing in the here and now because you’re in your early twenties and this is how you do it!
When you’re in your mid-twenties (24-26) *birthdays are about quiet celebrations; not letting your friends buy you shot after shot because you know too well that hangover feeling; being thankful for everything that you have in your life; not asking for presents because you do have everything; being pleasantly surprised by the presents your friends and family do give you because you really didn’t need/want anything; reflecting on where you are and where you want to be; thankful for the lack of wrinkles on your face; recalling the days of yesteryear and smiling on all memories fondly; resolving to be a better person; reminding yourself to live in the now; ignoring your dad’s comments about how your more than halfway to fifty even if he says it with a smile on his face; indulging in birthday cake; going to sleep at a decent hour because you’re working the next day; hugging all your friends and family at least twice- not because your drunk- but because you love them.
What are your birthdays about?
** I consider mid-twenties to be through 27 or 28 but I’m not there yet, so I’ll let you know how it goes in the next two years! **
You know the moments I’m talking about. They reaffirm that you are doing just what you should be doing with your life. Or remind you that yes, this person really loves you. Or that your family really is kick-ass, hands-down the best family out there. I’ve been noticing these moments more and more as I reflect on my last 25 years and prepare for the 26th one that’s right around the corner. Here are a few of *those* moments that have really stood out to me over the last few weeks…
* Small Mexican restaurant. Me. Irish. The couple that set us up. Beer, salsa, tortilla chips. Laughter. Looking over at Irish and he winks. And then he kisses me on the cheek and he held my hand under the table. It was one of those moments where everything just felt right. Sometimes the craziness of the world can really interrupt the flow of a relationship so these moments where it’s just natural, normal and great? Well, they are really special to me.
* It’s not often that I get a day out of the office to attend client meetings but when the client has just renewed three contracts with us, I get to go to the meetings. This particular meeting took us to a town only 30 minutes away from where my brother is attending school so my boss (my dad!) and I met up with him for a late lunch at a very local, very Greek, very awesome restaurant. We were sitting on the patio chatting about politics, healthcare, college girls, bumble bees and who knows what else (all the while sending picture texts to Darling so she could see photos of “her boys” together) and I had that ah-ha moment. I felt blessed. I felt loved. I felt honored that my 21 year-old brother thinks it is cool (or at least humors us) and wants to spend time with us. This is my family and the older I get, the cooler they get. Funny how that works.
* I’ve been living at home for almost three (!) months now. There have been a few adjustments here and there but surpsingly no rough patches. It’s amazing to me how quickly I’ve adjusted to living with my parents again. I don’t feel like a 25 (almost 26!) year-old loser. In fact, I feel more responsible because I’m saving money, paying off (and not using) my credit cards, contributing to some of the daily chores around the house, and feel stable. I loved living in apartments but it always seemed semi-permanent. I love staying with Irish but due to some reservations on his family’s side that can’t be permanent (at least not yet), for awhile. I was really quite nervous about the move but on Sunday night, I had one of *those* moments where I realized I had done the right thing. I spent most of the day with Irish wandering in and out of bookstores, enjoy lunch and just having fun and when I got home my parents and I had a pizza party complete with a girlie movie. (My dad consented to watching Sweet Home Alabama with us.) We were all feeling the Sunday Evening Blahs and so I offered to make us a pot of tea. Hanging with my parents, the dogs, getting play-by-play updates on the Cards game from Irish and sharing a pot of tea brought tears to my eyes.
*This here blog started out over four years ago as a place for me to sob via the internet. No, seriously. I went through a horrible break-up and I boohooed my feelings and thoughts all over my blog for a good six months. After that I started making “blog friends.” In the last year I’ve opened myself up to meeting ”blog friends,” calling them and sending them real mail. I remember when sharing your address or phone number with people you’ve met online was totally batshit crazy but now not so much. I went from calling people “blog friends,” to “my real life friends.” In the last few months several of those bonds have grown even stronger thanks to GChats, texts, phone calls, emails and girls’ nights for those that live close to me. Not to mention the just knowing that there is a huge support group of women (and men) out there if I ever need them. It doesn’t feel funny to me that some of my best friends are people I met on the internet. It actually feels pretty damn awesome.
So, tell me, what are some of *those* moments for you recently? What kind of things do you notice more as a birthday appears?
21 years ago today I was about to turn five and my brother was about to enter this world.
I don’t remember much about the anticipation of having a younger brother but I do remember…
…. the day I came home from kindergarten to find out my parents were at the hospital waiting for my brother to enter this world.
…. sobbing uncontrollably when visiting hours were over because I didn’t want to leave my mom at the hospital. My dad bought me a doughnut at Krispy Kreme to try to make me feel better.
…. receiving a button that said “I’m a Big Sister,” which I still have to this day. I sported it on my mini-jean jacket that I had back in the late 80s.
…. getting in trouble for watching my little brother sleep because he just fell asleep.
…. how for two years of my brother’s life he’d greet me at the door after school, drag me to the TV with his bottle hanging out of his mouth, to watch the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan. Everyday, without fail. We wore the tape out.
…. the “scary” faces he would make with my dad when all his front teeth came out.
…. the incessant amoutn of costumes he’d create/find/make out of his toys. Pirate and Ninja were the most common.
…. sticking up for him when my friends didn’t want to be nice to him. I usually unfriended people who weren’t nice to my brother.
…. New Year’s Eves spent baby-sitting him, eating pizza, watching Grease, Guys & Dolls and other musicals.
…. the year he went to Boy Scout camp for the first time. And when he was part of the Order of the Arrow ceremony.
…. his orchestra concerts, plays and Pit Orchestra performances.
…. his high school graduation. Senior Prom. First girlfriend. First break-up.
…. late night chats about how silly girls can be after break-ups, college life, dorm life, and how inconsiderate roommates can be.
….watching him grow up to be a fine, handsome, strong, independent-thinking young man.
…. that even though we have had our fights, days of silence and distance between us, we’ve been there for each other through thick and thin.
August!? Already!? I have no idea where the summer time has gone.
Current Book(s): Finished in August- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris; Lover Eternal, JR Ward; Chocolat, Joanne Harris; Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Started: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, Haruki Murakami; Girl with No Shadow, Joanne Harris
Current Music:
I’ve been listening to a lot of mixed CDs this month and each CD has a combo of hip-hop, alternative, relaxed music (Ben Harper/John Mayer) and a miscellaneous category that I don’t really know how to define but that rocks my socks off on my way to work each morning
Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:
Pinwheel cookies. (Downside to living at home: my parents buy all the goodies I loved growing up and Pinwheels are one of those things.)
Current Colors:
A bright maroon and not-quite-teal-blue
Current Obsessions:
Reading anything I can get my hands on
Gilmore Girls (started it over from the beginning)
Buying books
Wandering through the Twilight section at Borders just to see what new things they have come up with to sell
Current Drink:
Water, water, more water. Haven’t had a caffeinated soda in over 10 days!
Current Songs: Three More Days, Ray LaMontagne
Current Movie: Julie & Julia. Pretty awesome movie. Meryl Streep as Julia Child is perfection.
Current TV Show:
True Blood. Only one episodes left!
Current Wish-List:
Unrealistic: a trip to the beach; a new laptop for my birthday
Realistic: Massage! Facial!
Current Needs:
Unrealistic: more hours in the day; an office assistant
Realistic: Take better care of myself this month
Current Triumph(s):
I have my finances in order and it’s an awesome feeling. So blessed to be able to save money right now.
Current Bane(s) of my Existence:
45 minute commute, one way
26th birthday in 4 weeks and 1 day
Current Goal(s):
Continue to write more cards/notes for friends & family
Finish two or three books this month and stay on track for the Japanese Reading Challenge
Current Indulgence:
Mint chocolate chip ice cream (in moderation)
Current Blessing:
Irish. Family. Jack. Friends. A comfortable bed to lay my head on each night and unconditional love from many people in my life.
Current Slang or Saying:
I’ve been dropping the F-bomb a bit lately at work (to myself, of course) as it’s been a tad stressful
Current (Fav) Outfit:
I bought this awesome top from The Limited the other day; it’s probably my favorite even though I haven’t worn it out yet.
Current Excitement:
Irish & I are going to visit my brother next weekend to celebrate his 21st birthday (which is on Tuesday, 9/1!)
26th birthday in 4 weeks and 1 day
Entertaining a possible trip to Florida for Thanksgiving
Since I’ve been back at my parents place, I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning up/cleaning out of things and stumbled upon a huge box of my journals from high school.
First of all, my handwriting? Apalling. It’s so messy, big and just ick. I can’t believe I used to write that way and that in high school I had the prettiest handwriting among my friends! I do give myself a bonus because I managed to use legible ink, not pink like a lot of my friends did.
Secondly, the words I used for things is hilarious. Examples:
Life Juice = Coca Cola
Rat, Ring, Parrot= Rat, the nickname for a person I didn’t like; Ring nickname for a guy I had a crush on with a tongue ring; Parrot, the nickname for a friend who talked way too much
CLAA= a group I “created” to help me get over a guy I had a Crush on. I don’t even remember what the letters stand for nor could I find them in my journal!
I love that I included random facts about my day or reminders for myself, like “Don’t forget to watch the American President this Friday at 8pm,” or “My doctor says I’m 10 lbs under weight for my height/age,” (That was freshman year in high school and boy do I wish that was true now!) I also found emails that I printed out from guys I had crushes on or AOL Instant Messenger conversations and tucked into the pages, “Drawings of the day,” and an insane amount of teenage insecurities over friends. Ah, teenage insecurities. Can’t say that I miss those.
Looking back, it’s funny what I found to be important to me on a daily basis: grades, clothes, band practice and then yearbook gossip, boys, and an insane amount of concern for what others thought about me. Even funnier is that if someone had asked me to “journal,” my life online I would have laughed at them in their face. I can only imagine how much more intense high school would have been with social media. Maybe something like Mean Girls + Varsity Blues + American Pie + Weird Science/other geeky teenage movie aka way too much drama for a normal person.
A few tidbits from my sophomore year journal mostly because they made me laugh out loud…
July 21st, 1998
MM wrote K an email about his sex life. He’s such a freak.
(MM happens to own a record label now and lives somewhere in ChiTown. Also I’m glad to know I thought people who talked a lot about sex were freaks.)
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July 26, 1998
Today my brother told my dad that I cursed in an email. He’s being a huge buttface.
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Date Unknown.
NO MORE SWIMMING IN GYM CLASS!!!!!!
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Date Unknown.
Crushes of the day: Ethan Embry. Seth Green.
********* Your turn! Did you keep a journal pre-blogland? Best secret? Best code name for a crush? Something you thought was a big deal then which is not of concern at all now?
(Also, I think “A Look Back:…:” will become a weekly feature on my blog. Taking suggestions for topics to “Look Back,” on!)
