Monday, January 01, 2007
There must be something about Michigan...
I have a friend who is originally from Michigan; she has lived here in Central Florida since at least 1987, when I met her. What I find most interesting is that she has many, many friends still living in Michigan about whom she refers to as dear, close friends. Is that a Michigander trait? I have a couple of coworkers who also hail from Michigan, who also have long-term friends. Now I'm wondering if I'm the only person a little off kilter here. I was born and raised right here in Central Florida, went to school with all the same people through all the years, until I was yanked out of school my senior year and moved up to Western NC for about three years. I remember names of school mates, but we have not kept in touch. In fact, when I was in school I had only one dear friend and she moved away from Central Florida before I did... I wonder if my growing up in an alcoholic, dysfunctional home impacted the lifelong friends thing (I always kept people at arms length, deathly afraid they would find out my shame, or worse yet, visit my home unannounced), or if having lifelong close friends is simply indigenous to Michigan.
I envy that soft cushion to fall back upon when one is in need of an encouraging word or a verbal embrace.
Posted JDaaris @
11:19 AM ::
5 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Not feeling like being hypocritical tomorrow, so
I'm thinking about simply taking a drive by myself after finishing work (I volunteered to work for 2-4 hours tomorrow, might as well), hopefully before the fakery begins...maybe you know what I mean. My daughter is superficially nice to me most of the time, tho yesterday she rather lost it and reverted back to her true filthy-mouthed, temper tantrum, flouncing out of the room drama. I can't sit down and eat a meal, open presents and pretend all is hunkey-doorey, I just don't want to make the effort. I would rather drive somewhere quiet and sit by myself and reflect on better scenarios; unfortunately, tomorrow weather-wise is supposed to be wretched. Eh, my dishwasher is out for the count (2 years old, danged thing); the Sears extended warranty service can't give me an appt for fixing it until Jan 2nd (when I will not be available), and this after the technician came to the house Wed, Dec 20th and already repaired it... after waiting 13 days for that appt. It didn't complete the first wash cycle the first time we used it after he "repaired" it... you know, I can handwash the dishes, that's not the end of the world, it's just the insufferable indifference about service and the incompetence which has become the norm... gad what an awful post for Christmas Eve!
Posted JDaaris @
4:34 PM ::
2 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Do you need noise to make you feel...
alive sometimes? I suppose that sounds completely insane, but I just came in from sitting on the front porch, in the porch swing, and got lost in the sounds of the day. I could hear the unmistakable beeping of a large truck as it warned oncoming traffic it was backing up; a couple of haunting blasts from a far away freight train, neighbors in their back yard laughing, just a couple of houses down, a squirrel trilling a warning to others about some type of perceived danger, the light brush of leaves falling against the porch roof, the drone of a low-flying single-engine plane... I enjoy these sounds, do you? I find that I needs these types of sounds, am I nuts? The porch is cluttered, but cool; it's 76 degrees right now and the sky is a blue that only God creates. You would never know Christmas is less than 10 days away, there is a dearth of decorating in the house, nary a single wrapped present waiting to be opened and inspected. We have a "real" tree up, just not decorated. Just seeing it, smelling it this morning as I got up to start work was wonderful. No matter how I feel about the holiday and the inevitable memories, I love a Christmas tree painstakingly but amateurishlyly decorated with the same ornaments year after year, with loads of lights, and scads of icicles.
How 'bout you?
Posted JDaaris @
1:17 PM ::
2 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Interesting opportunity, need yer thoughts
Hiya all; can't believe it has been so long since I last blogged. We have gone from not very busy to mandatory OT at work; I worked Thanksgiving and didn't "perish" tho I thought I might! We actually had a pretty good meal (mostly courtesy of the local grocer/deli, sans the turkey, green bean casserole and some yeast rolls). I'm not feeling as morose as I once was... can't quite explain why, maybe too busy to be blue.
Anyhoo, I received a very intriguing invite in the mail yesterday. I immediately dismissed it out of hand, but my hubby was so excited on my behalf that I'm now rethinking it, no matter how absurd the idea. I've been invited to participate in a People to People Ambassador Program visiting China and exchanging ideas regarding healthcare documentation and data capture. My own professional organization thinks I would provide some expertise. The catch? We pay our own way.. which would be expected. However, the cost is just less than $5000 for the 12-day excursion, which includes transportation, accommodations and most meals. That's a bargain, in my opinion.
Reasons not to go: I hate to fly, and a trip that long would probably drive me batty. We don't have $5000 just hanging around waiting to be spent. I would lose income for two weeks during a period of time in the year when some heavy duty annual expenses are due (probably about $1000 lost). Oh, did I mention I hate to fly? :)
Reasons to go: Opportunity of a lifetime.
We would be in Beijing, Guilin and Shanghai.
I'd love your thoughts on this. Mainly, what would you do under the same circumstances?
Posted JDaaris @
11:23 AM ::
2 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Getting that "holiday thing" a bit earlier this year
No matter how hard I try, I slip into some type of hermit/loner-type existence around the winter holidays. I love Halloween, I love the fall time of year, the air crisp in the morning, the particular smell of the earth as it prepares itself for winter.. yet, I can feel myself withdrawing as time marches toward Thanksgiving and Christmas. I fake the gaiety at the obligatory Christmas parties that I'm forced to attend.. or find some excuse to send my husband to them by himself. I love the hymns associated with this time in the Christian calendar and play them on my CD player when I'm by myself, but avoid the usual pageantry of the Christmas plays and dramas which are inevitably offered during this season. I've come to realize the reason I shop for Christmas all year long is because I can't bring myself to venture into the malls when the decorations come out in full swing. I detest seeing people in green and red-themed clothing and wouldn't be "caught dead" wearing the amusing seasonal jewelry in which others delight. I usually have a very "fun" and whimsical sense of humor and would be the first to don something silly at any other time of the year, yet I become almost angry during the last eight weeks of the calendar year. I can't stand decorating the Christmas tree ~ too many memories of childhood verbal abuse while doing it, I guess. Yet, I MUST have an amateurishly decorated Christmas tree during the holidays, one with lots of lights which I can gaze at for long periods of time in silence and the dark, with only the tree lit in all its child-like glory.
We recently bought a sectional, which obliterates any spare corner in our small living room. I've been agitated about the prospect of not having our decorated tree this year, to the point where we are feverishly rearranging the dining room so it can be placed in a small spot set aside in there.
I think I'm nuts, at least during this time of year. The pleasant memories of my daughter when she was young and "still believed" are not nearly as vivid as the harsh, sad memories of my own childhood.
I would like to break this cycle, I just don't know how.
Thanks for "listening."
Posted JDaaris @
10:53 AM ::
5 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Third time's the charm? Sharing some pics
Posted JDaaris @
7:12 AM ::
1 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
I'm having problems today with blogger
I tried publishing some funny pictures yesterday, twice, and they didn't publish to my blog; yet, when I went in to delete them this morning, they were there for me to see but not share! It's not like they were X-rated pictures, they were funny pictures of animals. I seem to be having more glitches than usual here; on "the other site" as well, for that matter. I like to communicate, take the time to read others' blogs, but it is getting to be more of a hassle than a pleasure anymore. Eh, I wanted to post some musings this morning instead of gripe, but I'm tired and a little ornery, so I'll leave it at this. Take care yall... ugh, tomorrow is Monday!
Posted JDaaris @
5:32 AM ::
0 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
I'm back from Boston and raring to live!
We're back from Boston, and I'm ready to go back up dere again! Gosh, but I enjoyed the city immensely. I didn't have the stamina to do as much walking as I would have liked (am going to work on building that back up), but the city sights were amazing. The hotel was a disappointment (the only good angle was the "photo of the property" on the website, naturally!). It was right next to I-93, in an industrial area, and there was one mediocre restaurant nearby...the neighborhood was a little scary after dark, frankly. Live and learn, we'll stay closer to downtown or Cambridge when we return... and we will go back! Surprisingly, my hubby enjoyed the trip as much as I did. I'm already feeling a little nostalgic for the place, and I'm not used to New England nor a city the size of Boston. It just seemed to hustle and bustle with activity; I was attracted to that scenario like a moth to a flame. I guess I don't know myself as well as I thought. The trip itself has added a dimension to me that was lacking before we went. I can't explain it, I just feel a lot more alive having gone than I did before I went. Wonder if I've finally "lost the other oar?" ??
Posted JDaaris @
5:52 PM ::
3 chocolate drops
Gimme some chocolate!
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