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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween, 2012

Halloween, 2012. This year it seems more trick than treat.

Sandy has come and gone, leaving her destructive remains along the east coast. Two days after making landfall, life is beginning to get back to normal.

I returned to work this morning. My office, which sits along the Anacostia is lined with fans, an workers who are trying to repair the damage that Sandy brought. It seems that while my home was spared, the office, as minor as it was, got hit.

Schools are back in session, disappointing kids and half of my friends who work for the various school systems alike. Metro, the government and just about everything in DC is back to normal, or some variation.

I know we were lucky. We dodged a bullet. I also know, had Sandy taken a different path, it could very well been us who got the blunt of the storm. Instead of NYC and NJ, who at this very hour are still struggling to pick up the pieces of a broken city. Or cities. I sat for two days watching the aftermath of the hurricane, shaking my head and feeling sick to my stomach at just how a storm can bring down a city, if not permanently. at least for the foreseeable future.

My heart goes out to them.

I know my son will go trick or treating tonight, he will throw on his pirate attire and beg for candy and do everything that a happy three year old is supposed to do on Halloween, having no idea that kids in a city, not all that far in reality from him aren't able to do the same.

We are fortunate for this.

I also realize this is not your typical Happy Halloween blog post. Maybe its not supposed to be.

Maybe it doesn't have to be.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Hurricane Sandy


Hurricane Sandy...
My thoughts and prayers go out to the city of New York, and NJ where tonight, many people are without homes, food, electricity and hope. May you all be safe, stay strong and know that you are dif. in my thoughts....



Monday, October 29, 2012

Impact

Sandy began her approach this morning, though in all honesty it truly began like any other rain storm really. So much so that we headed into work, because neither Anderson nor my owns work decided to close. Still we made plans to head out early, whether we were given the OK or not. The way I figured it, they were lucky enough I made it in there, and if things where going to be heading the way they were projecting, there was no way I was going to be sitting in an office for the next forty-eight hours.

No way in hell...

And if that wasn't enough, the fact that I came in to three other people-all of which were managers-sealed the deal. I listened as one by one people called in, feeling like they were the smarter of the bunch. And I remained, earning some mad props from the managers who didn't expect most of anyone to be in. Though I admit, I got the hell out of there as fast as I could. Finishing a report and sending myself some things to do in the likelihood that I would not be in tomorrow, before deciding enough was enough and made my way home.  With the deserted roads, and government and the transportation shutdown, it made for an eerie scene as we left. It was like everything and everyone packed up and just left town.

Anderson and I picked up little man from the in-laws and then came home to hanker down for the long run. For how long, it remains to be known as of the moment, we have been fortunate enough not to lose power. It has flickered but it still remains. We were able to cook dinner, give a bath and are now watching TV. We are told its still supposed to get bad, and the winds will be the huge factor tonight. Most everything has been closed for tomorrow including the metro, the government and  my scheduled exam, which I am oh so heartbroken about. And life in the DC area at least for the moment is on standstill.

Believe me, in a town like DC, standing still is pretty damn near impossible.
Way to go Sandy.
Way to go.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sandy.

A week before election and the biggest news story is not on the candidates and where they may or may not be going, but rather a female storm named Sandy. She rolls into town in a little less than twenty four hours supposedly, bypassing your typical hurricane destination of Florida and hitting the DC/NJ/NY area.

Yep.

And despite the numerous amount of warnings we have received since Thursday, Anderson and I have seemed to be the only ones to ignore it...meaning we are totally not prepared. OK, so Andy God Bless him, has gone and decided now is a good time to go get something. Just in case. But still I am feeling very uneasy this evening as I watch the news on yet another update. Its coming. Its going to be bad, and we may or may not have power come Wednesday. This explains why he is currently out.

Pretty sure the Floridians are laughing at us right about now.
But, if they got a freak snow storm, I am sure they would be doing the same. Even if it was only a millimeter amount.

We have gone over senerios and what ifs. Losing power, the work situation. As of right now, neither Andy nor I have had work give us the we are closed signal. And neither of us expect it to come either. We have little man to think about. And everything else. I have school, its cancelled for Monday, Tuesday is still up in the air. Since I have an exam on Tuesday, a part of me really wants it closed. But not holding my breath. And until the storm actually does hit, I suppose these what ifs are truly just that, what ifs....

Until further notice.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Where o where.

Remember back in the summer, when I mentioned how swamped I was? How all I wanted was the long lazy days of summer? Except I was nothing but busy.

Well some things don't change.

Here we are, the last weekend of October is fast approaching and I find I have not slowed down at all. And where has it gone?

In school, in a wedding and a baby shower. Both were great in their own ways. I need to update and blog about them.

And one on Logan.

I keep meaning to. But between work, school and trying to keep up with a son who is becoming more of a full boy every day is exhausting enough. I will not even mention my commute, which lately has been hoovering around three hours on any given day for really no apparent reason.

The days are getting shorter, which means my time often slips right by me without a blink. And that post I had every intention on writing gets pushed off for another day, another weekend.  And suddenly I am staring at the holidays right around the corner. And I promise myself, and to my small community of readers that I will do better. Try harder. Write more.

Starting tomorrow....

Monday, October 22, 2012

A new appreciation

This morning I came in to the news that a coworker down the row from me was given the news, come Wednesday he would no longer be employed.
 
 While I don't know the full specifics of it, by my guess he did not see it coming. And for some reason this made me stop and really think. After all, I sit here patiently waiting for news on what could be great-fingers crossing-and while I may hold my breath I know that either way I do have a job. Sure at times I may bitch about it, grip about and think lord help me if I have to wake up one more morning. But for the moment, I don't have to pack up my stuff and worry about where the next pay check is going to come from.

For some reason the news just made me really think. Because I know, this could in fact happen to anyone. At any time. It could be Andy, or me or anyone. 

You just never know.

And I don't have a wife who stays home with my six kids. Like this gentlemen did. I can't even begin to imagine what that conversation around the dinner table is going to be like tonight. I wanted to do something for him, even though in reality I know I couldn't. What do you say, I'm sorry doesn't seem right. Neither does the we wish you well. Words at the moment don't see right I suppose. They did offer him a two week pay, though even that didn't seem like a great gift.

I left this evening thinking of that coworker, and for the first time in awhile I realized things could surely be a lot worse than they truly are....

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday Five-Wallflower

Happy Friday to one and all! Autumn is dif. in the air these days. I love the changing of the season, even if I am not that fond of the cold. Anyways time for another week of Friday Five: This weeks them is Wallflowers. Enjoy.

1. What do you remember about high-school dances?

I was never one to actually have dates lined up. I do however remember three guys who made those awakward moments at least bareable. 1. Eric, a year older who in the final school dance actually requested a song specifically so I could dance with him. He said he notice how I sat there and watched everyone else the entire time and thought I needed to be danced with. 2. Edison, who worked with my mom at the local Wal-Mart. He took me to my sophomore homecoming and had a huge crush on me. He didn't know much English. I didn't know much Spanish. It was a strange night, especially when the fire alarm went off. 3. David, my cousins best friend-who I asked last minute to my senior prom. English, with a brilliant accent. I was made fun of and was asked to the prom by a guy later I found was a joke that everyone was in on. Still he stepped up to the plate and said he would be honored to go. Having him on my arm that night felt pretty damn good, especially when the classmates got a look at him.. And he was hot, as in he won homecoming king at a rival high school. But he took me to mine, and was honored. His father was a member of parliament across the pond. For a moment, I thought I was fitting of Queen.

2. At whose house would you and your friends usually gather after school-related activities?

Ah, I had this friend, actually have since we still see each other to this day. We were pretty inseperateable back then. It was either her house or mine....I don't think we really cared what we did. Movies, boys. , run through rain puddles after school etc..name is Megan...yep those were the good old days.

3. Who in your school had a memorable nickname?

I don't remember, I wasn't friends with people in that sense. I know my nick name was smilie, since every time they saw me I was smiling, strange since I was bullied. But I am not sure that or this qualifies as a memorable nickname. 


4. What was your high-school cafeteria like?



Very Clickish. Loud, overcrowded and always a disorganized mess of kids.....if you didn't go where you weren't supposed to, and kept your eyes to yourself. You were fine.


5. Your parents aren’t reading this, so what were some of the crazy (or just memorable) things you or your friends did while driving?

By now I am sure you know I was not one to get myself in trouble, so for the most part it was all clean fun. But the times I do remember were of a friend or two-Megan and Wendy specifically.- Because they did drive, and had cars. We would go out, driving and just roll our window down and blare annoying pop music that we knew people hated but we didn't care because it was fun, and it was cheesy. And we were having the time of our lives jamming to Barbie Girl, and Quit Playing Games with my heart, and MMMbop And how we absolutely couldn't wait to grow up...and now looking back, those were some of the best times...

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

And the beat goes on...

Sometimes its the waiting that's the hardest. The not knowing. The thinking of all the possibilities. Each time my phone beeps, I jump. Each time a new email pops up. I hold my breath. Just waiting.

I keep checking my phone, turning it on and then off. Saving battery for the just in case they call. Though when that phone call-should it come-could be anytime from now til two weeks. For my sanity sake, I hope it is sooner rather than later.

I go through moments when I am certain it will be good news and moments when I am uncertain. I have never been through so much of a roller coaster of emotions since I first found out I was expecting.

I know I want this. I know I can do this.....
I just hope they believe it as well....

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The good old hockey game.

This past Thursday would have been the official start of the season. Friday I would have walked into the Verizon Center, taken my first good sniff of the all to familiar scent of fresh ice and thought.

Its good to be back.

But instead of entering the phone booth, ready to get the season under way I sat at home watching the Nats get defeated by the Cards. And instead of waking up Saturday morning analyzing the first two days with Anderson I sat in the comfort of my living room watching reruns of 24/7 the road to the Winter Classic with the Caps/Pens. It was the closest thing I could get to an actual season. It probably should have thrilled me, after all I know how it ends. Except, it didn't. In fact the only thing it really truly did for me was made me realize how much I missed the game. Missed the fans, missed the organ at the arena, the crappy overpriced food that one gets. I missed the fights, the chants, I miss seeing Ovi, and Laich and any other member being flashed across when they score, the obnoxious fan who always roots for the other team, no matter who that other team actually is. I miss the blood on the ice.

I miss hockey.
Period.

 Sure the fact that we don't have a season at the moment means Anderson is actually around, our weekends have remained somewhat normal. Logan has been able to enjoy both parents. But even he I find is getting a little frustrated. Resorting to watching football and the baseball playoffs. Neither of which seems to be of any interest to either of us-especially since the sox never had much of a season, and the Nats are out of it as of last Friday. He looms over the NHL network watching and analyzing last year playoffs, and he doesn't seem to care that its team he has little interest in. Its hockey. Its something. 

But its not the hockey season we hoped.

In the beginning he was siding with the players, backing them in full support. But as time goes by, even he admits that its getting a little ridiculous. His hopes of having hockey back by Thanksgiving seems to be at the moment, a little more wishful thinking than actuality. Still he remains optomistic that there will be hockey this year. Though to wait capacity he is still unsure of...
At this point, I think I would just be glad to have it back. No matter what the terms and the length was.

I just want hockey.
Period. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Strike one.

Strike one arrived this afternoon when I received the thank you but no thank you email from Disneys Moms panel.

I've received the same email from them for the past three years.  And still, every year when the month of September rolls around I sit patiently at my computer, waiting for the magical hour when the chance once again arises. Hoping that perhaps this year, well this year will be my year.

Only to find that six short-or not so-weeks later myself among the many who have to wait a full year for just the chance to join the elite group of Disney fanatics. And each year, after I receive this email, I always find myself thinking well maybe next year, next year surely will be my year. But this leads to questions whether I will even try out again. Whether I even want to put myself through it all over again. My answer for a few fleeting moments anyway is always no, this is it. But who am I kidding, I know come next September I will be waiting...wishing and hoping.

In all honesty, I do not need to get into the moms panel to determine if I know my stuff or not. After all I have helped several friends plan their own magical Disney vacations. And if I never get in? Well that doesn't mean I am going to stop giving advice.

But damn wouldn't it be nice?? 

I do however have a confession this year. I am actually somewhat OK with this not making it in this year. A few things have come up lately that have made me think, well what would I have done anyway. Things happen for a reason, and perhaps this is a sign. I was even worried should I make it through to the next round, what would I have done then? . Believe me Anderson and I discussed it a few times, going over a few senerio's in our heads should I actually land myself in more than one situation. There was a part of me that had even hoped I wouldn't get in. Which is crazy because how long had I been wanting this opportunity

We never really came up with an answer on what I would do.
And now we don't truly have to.
A part of me is just a little relieved.

The other?

The other part of me is shaking my head, trying to swallow that little bit of disappointment that is bubbling at the back of my throat and wondering if I will ever be good enough.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Still....



So I am hoping to know by the end of the week, though should have a somewhat better idea of at least one thing by tomorrow evening....though as usual there is no guarantee that I will. But here is to the whole hoping I will.

Because in all honesty. Its becoming quite painful.....
This whole waiting, hoping and wishing game.

Though in the end. Well in the end it just may be worth every second I have spend on it.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Today I don't feel like doing anything.

Its been one of those weekends. The kind that doesn't happen very often no matter how hard we try otherwise. The kind where you throw the car keys on the table and ignore them, leaving them there until Monday.

Yes that's right. We have not done a whole lot of anything.

Well for the most part.

In an executive decision we made earlier this week, Anderson and I decided that instead of doing our usual running around, hopping from one place to the next in order to avoid doing housework, we would in fact take one day of the weekend and stay home. This would also surely cut back on some expenses. While we are doing OK financially, there are at times, -like anybody right now-when that OK, doesn't feel OK enough. And so the savings would be welcomed.

Not to mention, the whole time just to enjoy as a family...

We have had this plan in place before, but it has always been shattered. Something comes up, we decide we need something or we just get bored. And if I am going to be honest, the housework is never really exciting, so we would always welcome an excuse not to do it. But for some reason this time, we were determined to actually make it work. To actually do something about a lazy weekend.

Even if it was just one of the two days.

So why this weekend?

Anderson and I already had a date night planned, with a babysitter and all. Meaning the house would have to get cleaned, not straightened or ignored but cleaned. And it was supposed to get cold and nasty. If you asked us, there were two good reasons right there.

Wouldn't you know. It worked. We cleaned yesterday after our one day lunch outing we said we would.  And the house looks amazing. We even got little man to get involved, as we speak he is up there cleaning before he goes to bed.  And when we came home last night,  our Starbucks drinks in hand, I must admit it felt incredible to come home to a clean living room knowing I could watch TV without looking around in disgust. 

And when we woke up this morning, instead of doing or usual hole in the wall for the second time in the weekend we were true to our word and stayed home. All day. Except for the bit we went to my parents to help set up a new laptop. Other than that, we have done absolutely nothing.

Except be...

Extremely lazy.

Maybe our wallets will thank us. That is, as long as this isn't just a one weekend sort of thing.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Friday Five-Favorites 10/5

Happy Friday ya'll. For most, its the beginning of a long weekend. Unless you are like myself who's company doesn't recognize it as such and then, well happy weekend....So this weeks Friday Five is favorites...

1. Where is your favorite tree?

There is this tree on the battlefields of Manassas, that I love. Especially after I was able to capture it with some great pics last fall. I think I love it more in the fall, when there aren't any leaves on it. Just seems kind of strangely eerie. Which seems sort of fitting considering its where it is.

2. Where is your favorite chair?

In our living room, its the rocker that was what I used for little man when he was born. To this day it remains one of the places he likes to cuddle with me...the husband wants to get rid of it. I have yet to allow it. Nor can I...

3. Who has your favorite hair?


I was actually watching Glee last night and fell in love with Lea Michelle's-who plays Rachel Berry-hair. I don't know. It just looked amazing. I had hair jealousy going on there.

4. What’s your favorite mug (or other drinking vessel) like?

Would it surprise you to know it is a Disney mug? More specifically it is a Beauty and the Beast mug that I have had for awhile now. The inner kid in me loves drinking hot chocolate out of it.

5.Where’s your favorite parking spot (not at home)?

Probably the schools parking lot, yes it for some reason is one I park there all the time, same spot as long as it is open.....

Well there you have it. My Friday Five...kind of strange...but its all good. Have a fabulous weekend my friends.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A watched pot....

They say a watched pot never boils. They can say the same for a phone. Though I suppose it would ring instead of boil.

And it seems as though for the past couple of hours, sitting there waiting for that phone to ring is all I have been doing.

Pretty sure by now you have at least some idea of the thing that I have been trying to elude to in previous posts.

Or maybe not.

I am so close to it, so close. And I want this. I WANT THIS. And now its officially out of my hands. Its the whole waiting game, the hardest game ever played. I keep reminding myself it hasn't been that long. That I need to be patient and something will come, they will call. Things like this, they take time.  I should know, after all I worked in HR...still from this end of things? Well its not as easy. I try to avoid the whole glancing down, checking every half hour. I do things to avoid the whole thinking and over thinking of it. I try to go with it.

And I try to half patience.

But of course the moment I get an email or a hint of a phone call. I flip out. I get excited. And try not to be disappointed when its someone else. A telemarketer.

And I try to put the phone away, get up and do something else.
Anything.

Because while  a watched phone never rings, perhaps leaving it completely just may.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Election 2012

Its hard to believe we are a month away from election. Wasn't it just yesterday I was sitting here trying to figure out who to vote for in 08'? And now here it is four years later.

I am neither Republican, nor Democrat. I do not swing far to one side nor the other. There are some things I side with the red, some I side with the blue. In fact I have always claimed myself to be an Independent for this very reason.

Whatever that means.

Here I sit, on a Wednesday evening. My husband is on the phone with my father in law, my son is asleep. And I am sitting here trying to pay attention to these debates as if I actually understand half of what they are saying. For the record, yes I understand I just find a lot of the topics to be so jumbled that its hard to believe either one of them. I used to think that half of what they discussed had little to even do with me. But I know as I get older, that it in fact does have something to do with and I should care. Even if there is a part of me that says, no matter what they say in the end, what they say and what they do in the office usually is two different things completely.

I am trying to understand. To better educate and all. Even if I am pretty sure I already know whom I am going to vote for. Still I want to try and at least get the other candidate to try and sway me, at this point I doubt it. But hey I am willing to listen.

Because those ads, well they aren't helping to much. In fact I am pretty sure they are driving me more away than anything.  Not sure how it is in the rest of the country, but here in the DC area, working in the DC area, yea its 24/7 around here. And there gets to a point when I start tuning certain things, out. 

Really I am just looking forward to the whole thing being over with.

Monday, October 1, 2012

When it rains, it pours.

Last week little man was sick. It was your typical cold, but it pretty much knocked him out. That's right he was down for the count. We flooded him with medicine, and by Friday he was back to his somewhat regular self.

Until he went to preschool. Where he was attacked by some kind of bugs all of over his face to the point where he looks like he has a case of the chicken pox. He doesn't of course, but the swelling and the bright shade of redyeing of the face is enough to fool anyone.

I know for a fact this will mean I am bound to the doctors office to get it tested since it has yet to be gone five days after it appeared.

Thankfully I had plenty of sick leave and so I was able to be with him, I had other things I had to do anyway and so the day off was welcomed.

But of course like most things, it seems when it rains it really does pour as I sit here feeling like crap. And while I know I should get to the doctor because it is not something you want to mess with at the same time, I have things I need to set time aside for. Our insurance is changing come the end of the year, so we have appointments we already need to do. Like the bug bite tests. And while I have sick leave avaliable I already took off one day last week, and there is a good possibility I will need to take time off again for something that is yet to be discussed..

And judging by the amount of work that piled up with one day out, I am not sure I can afford another day..