- Responding to a comment I made about the distinction between "Not Guilty" and "Innocent," a former professor (and a forever model of an amazing woman) noted that some nations have a "Not Proven" verdict. I think that a LOT of people need a reminder of that concept.
- One more Casey-related bullet -- I am so angry about the awful backlash and horrid comments I see made about the jurors. I don't envy them their role but admire the seriousness with which they clearly took their task. The quick timeline doesn't tell me they rushed, it tells me it was simply all to clear that the burden of proof hadn't been met and they recognized it, even if their hearts told them she was to blame. I hope the jurors find support as they move back to their normal lives.
- I have continued to be impressed by Elizabeth Smart. Such a poised young woman. I hope that self-awareness truly runs deep and isn't merely a mask.
- Apparently leaning forward repeatedly over several hours (as I did for this event), adds up. I didn't feel too bad on the 4th (the harder point was getting to the ground to sit for the fireworks), but the 5th was about the worst I can remember. A warm bath on the 6th was definitely a big push forward (and sweet since it was drawn for me, including lavender salts) and it is returning more to the "norm"...but I'm looking forward to no longer considering a 7-8 pain level a normal day.
- The Doctors (warning: a talking ad starts when you link....those are a pet peeve of mine, ads are a tolerable necessity but please keep 'em quiet) is an odd guilty addition to my TV habits. I do other stuff (umm, like writing draft blogs) while watching and doubt I could really make it a full-attention event but I somehow can't look away. Not a big Jillian Michaels fan but I'll pretend I shall be employed before she joins.
- Say Yes To the Dress is even more of a guilty pleasure. It is so out of character for me...I don't watch wedding shows or The Bachelor/ette or any other reality shows (unless House Hunters counts...which is kinda a similar show). I like the attention to emotion. I also really enjoy the shows focused on plus-sized brides. They totally focus on making the women feel beautiful as they are and finding a dress that flatters their curves rather than just hiding them.
- One more TV show comment -- I hope they don't cancel Men of a Certain Age. I have the season finale waiting on On Demand. I think TNT has failed to market it well and I'm not sure their weird split seasons work well for it, but I think it is a great drama with so many nuances to the characters.
- I did buy shorts. I was desperate and committed to a one-stop shop which meant I ended up a size up since Ross seems to pretend I don't exist. I did look in Juniors but I wouldn't have worn those at 16, let alone 33.
- In true suburban fashion, our backyard opens to another house's backyard. In true central PA fashion, across the street from the is a big field. That field played home to fireworks last night (side note: I think the fire company having fireworks at their fair has a bit of irony to it). It was a simpler show than we saw on the 4th, but it was pretty cool to be all of 250 feet away (put VIP seats to shame). The walls of the house rattled with the booms...I wanted to run in for ear plugs but figured it might be over by the time I found them. Related: There is a funnel cake truck parked less than a quarter mile from our door. How cruel!
- I hate the TV trope of dumb men and smart wives. The Fiber One commercial where the man says "fiber makes me sad" and then the wife smirks when he eats a fiber-filled granola bar is particularly crazy-making. On the other hand, I love the woman in a bug-control-product ad...her husband says "She has a problem with bugs" and the woman clarifies, "I have a problem with bugs IN MY HOUSE." Totally me.
- I am NOT a couponer. I do follow one coupon blog because it goes beyond just clipping and the woman has an amazing spirit (sadly, she was hit by a car this week and is in the hospital...I wish her well). But I totally got it during a CVS visit. I had a magazine coupon for a free PowerBar Protein Plus. CVS had a deal where you bought one and got the full amount back in a coupon to use on your next visit ("free" money, $2.59 towards just about anything). So I got a free bar (well, actually I got the Bites...they were good for a driving day) AND made two and a half dollars. I definitely got a rush and suddenly understood the couponer folks a bit.
- I have a nice stack of books on my nightstand and it makes me smile just to see all the books waiting to be visited.
Friday, July 8, 2011
bullets are kinda like fireworks...well, in my head that makes sense
I confess...I have nothing to put in this spot but I feel compelled to keep my silly little formatting gimmick.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
true spirit, in a little package
I confess...I am conflict averse enough to overthink every post, especially with quite a range of views among my audience. But, anyway...
After a party on the 3rd, I spent much of the 4th itself at Fourth Fest, a party thrown in State College with food and and a fair atmosphere and one of the country's largest fireworks shows. I went with MM and helped out at the Operation Thank You booth manned by the Air National Guard (and some volunteers and partners) where they took donations for care packages and had people write notes to troops overseas.
Most people looked up a bit as they tried to find what they wanted to say. I get that. I'm still a pacifist and I'm still not fond of our current wars. But I have always supported our troops, recognizing that we do need people willing to sacrifice and take on the battles (even if I disagree with some of them). We do need a defense system (even if I'm not sure we need the current cost level) and that will always mean needing people willing to risk their lives for the cause. The littlest kids drew "pictures" and I suggested their adult companion help them write their name and age. Slightly older ones asked for help from their parents or the booth folks.
But one little girl stole the day. She walked up alone and asked for a card. She didn't have anyone telling her what to write. I don't recall the second line right now, but it started "Dear soljer, Thank you for being brave." She drew a picture too (and some adults paused on the spelling, she was certainly young enough for the effort to count). Yeah, the pacifist nearly cried and a few of the folks in uniform got teary too. There was just something so genuine and real. It wasn't a totally different message but it was her own voice and her words and so sweet. I actually saw Mom lurking and waved her up to share it and commend her daughter.
I didn't read most cards. This girl had just walked and written with an air that drew me. Unlike the guy who I'd have been a bit scared to meet in a dark parking lot (yes, judgment....but honest). He wrote for a while and fiercely. I waited till he was gone and fished it out (they DO later screen them...you can disagree with the politics but no need to send a mean message to someone on the ground). The language made me lament our schools a bit but his got shared for this comment: "If you are male, I hope you come home safe to your family. Same if you are female."
The lone female service member looked ready to hunt him down. Earlier in the day, MM and I had talked about those sentences that get away from you....the ones you start saying and get away from you and you backtrack to cover. The added "same" felt like a backtrack, but WHERE was he planning to go???? I wondered if he was thinking about a wife and kids at home and then got the PC-bug and put "family" and went from there. But I'm not quite satisfied with that story.
I normally am not a fireworks girl but we stayed and had VIP seats for free. The Fest is self-funded so they do charge admission but we got free tickets (Aside: We also got food vouchers but a guy was cooking and invited us all over...when we didn't show, he started bringing LOADED plates...made me smile. I often lament a lot about the state of our general public but enjoyed seeing some generosity of pocket and spirit). I was pretty darn impressed. Clearly, they've stepped up fireworks since I was a youngin' and MM told me it is something like the 3rd largest 4th show in the nation. I also HIGHLY recommend watching fireworks next to two eight year-old boys. The dancing was priceless and my sideshow totally competed with the light show. Line of the show "WOW. I'm gonna stop saying 'Wow' now...[thirty second pause]..WOW."
Hurting today. I avoided bending and twisting but was still moving about a lot for the past two days and the ground is tough to sit on (even tougher just to GET to the ground). I do want to push myself to get my strength sessions in during the next month to fend off lost muscle after, but lifting today isn't going to happen.
After a party on the 3rd, I spent much of the 4th itself at Fourth Fest, a party thrown in State College with food and and a fair atmosphere and one of the country's largest fireworks shows. I went with MM and helped out at the Operation Thank You booth manned by the Air National Guard (and some volunteers and partners) where they took donations for care packages and had people write notes to troops overseas.
Most people looked up a bit as they tried to find what they wanted to say. I get that. I'm still a pacifist and I'm still not fond of our current wars. But I have always supported our troops, recognizing that we do need people willing to sacrifice and take on the battles (even if I disagree with some of them). We do need a defense system (even if I'm not sure we need the current cost level) and that will always mean needing people willing to risk their lives for the cause. The littlest kids drew "pictures" and I suggested their adult companion help them write their name and age. Slightly older ones asked for help from their parents or the booth folks.
But one little girl stole the day. She walked up alone and asked for a card. She didn't have anyone telling her what to write. I don't recall the second line right now, but it started "Dear soljer, Thank you for being brave." She drew a picture too (and some adults paused on the spelling, she was certainly young enough for the effort to count). Yeah, the pacifist nearly cried and a few of the folks in uniform got teary too. There was just something so genuine and real. It wasn't a totally different message but it was her own voice and her words and so sweet. I actually saw Mom lurking and waved her up to share it and commend her daughter.
I didn't read most cards. This girl had just walked and written with an air that drew me. Unlike the guy who I'd have been a bit scared to meet in a dark parking lot (yes, judgment....but honest). He wrote for a while and fiercely. I waited till he was gone and fished it out (they DO later screen them...you can disagree with the politics but no need to send a mean message to someone on the ground). The language made me lament our schools a bit but his got shared for this comment: "If you are male, I hope you come home safe to your family. Same if you are female."
The lone female service member looked ready to hunt him down. Earlier in the day, MM and I had talked about those sentences that get away from you....the ones you start saying and get away from you and you backtrack to cover. The added "same" felt like a backtrack, but WHERE was he planning to go???? I wondered if he was thinking about a wife and kids at home and then got the PC-bug and put "family" and went from there. But I'm not quite satisfied with that story.
I normally am not a fireworks girl but we stayed and had VIP seats for free. The Fest is self-funded so they do charge admission but we got free tickets (Aside: We also got food vouchers but a guy was cooking and invited us all over...when we didn't show, he started bringing LOADED plates...made me smile. I often lament a lot about the state of our general public but enjoyed seeing some generosity of pocket and spirit). I was pretty darn impressed. Clearly, they've stepped up fireworks since I was a youngin' and MM told me it is something like the 3rd largest 4th show in the nation. I also HIGHLY recommend watching fireworks next to two eight year-old boys. The dancing was priceless and my sideshow totally competed with the light show. Line of the show "WOW. I'm gonna stop saying 'Wow' now...[thirty second pause]..WOW."
Hurting today. I avoided bending and twisting but was still moving about a lot for the past two days and the ground is tough to sit on (even tougher just to GET to the ground). I do want to push myself to get my strength sessions in during the next month to fend off lost muscle after, but lifting today isn't going to happen.
Friday, July 1, 2011
corny, cheesy alert...
I confess...I stole him. We were at a NYE party and he was, apparently, slated to met a girl. I'd actually jokingly requested a non-smoking boy with nice biceps to kiss at midnight. He had a cigarette in hand when I walked in and I remember thinking that was a shame (he was more of a social smoker and has largely stopped for me so it was a false alarm). But we talked a bit.
Midnight passed with no kiss but later he was giving one hostess a backrub...apparently it was her attempt to show the target gal his talent. But I threw it all off by saying "Hey, not fair!" and he replied, "Don't worry, you're next." My massage was longer (ummm...and a bit more thorough but still PG) and I didn't get a kiss that night. But I did get one the next night when he invited me back over to the same house for a DVD night. (aside: I'd hoped to hear from him but hadn't and finally gave in and got a huge cheese-stuffed stromboli-like meal as a hangover remedy...of course, he sent a message RIGHT after I finished and my belly was quite cheese stuffed...not ideal for hanging out with a new boy).
Today marks six months (another aside: I totally recommend 1/1 as a handy date for ease in calcuating such things). I'm not one for monthly anniversary nods, but I'll make an exception at six. And I'll risk making him blush by saying MM rocks and has made my heart fuller than I ever knew it could be. I'd gone down the wrong road and I can't even describe how eye-opening the right one was...never knew I could feel so sure so quickly. After the movie night, it was a week before he could come for a real date and we spent HOURS a night on the phone. I hate the phone. There were lapses and we'd watch food shows on silent but it was just easy and comfortable. I love him dearly and shall include a few bullet points with some of the moments that made the last months so special:
Midnight passed with no kiss but later he was giving one hostess a backrub...apparently it was her attempt to show the target gal his talent. But I threw it all off by saying "Hey, not fair!" and he replied, "Don't worry, you're next." My massage was longer (ummm...and a bit more thorough but still PG) and I didn't get a kiss that night. But I did get one the next night when he invited me back over to the same house for a DVD night. (aside: I'd hoped to hear from him but hadn't and finally gave in and got a huge cheese-stuffed stromboli-like meal as a hangover remedy...of course, he sent a message RIGHT after I finished and my belly was quite cheese stuffed...not ideal for hanging out with a new boy).
Today marks six months (another aside: I totally recommend 1/1 as a handy date for ease in calcuating such things). I'm not one for monthly anniversary nods, but I'll make an exception at six. And I'll risk making him blush by saying MM rocks and has made my heart fuller than I ever knew it could be. I'd gone down the wrong road and I can't even describe how eye-opening the right one was...never knew I could feel so sure so quickly. After the movie night, it was a week before he could come for a real date and we spent HOURS a night on the phone. I hate the phone. There were lapses and we'd watch food shows on silent but it was just easy and comfortable. I love him dearly and shall include a few bullet points with some of the moments that made the last months so special:
- He showed up for our first unchaperoned, real date with a single rose, red wine, and my cheese of preference (sharp cheddar). He also had glasses, a plate, a knife, and a corkscrew so it was no effort for me. He also scoped out a place that had tater tots because I'd mentioned them in our phone marathons. The first time I drove out here (I despise driving and it was nearly 4h), he cooked (and is an awesome cook...totally the "hmmm...needs a dash of basil" type).
- The first time he saw me in bad endo pain was when I was visiting him. He sent a message offering to come home from work and bring me soup for lunch if it might provide some comfort. The first time he saw me after I had a run-in with the binge monster (I'd told him about the issues in advance and let him know before he came home that I'd had a relapse), he was just perfect...he sat and listened but didn't try to hug me, showing an intuitive understanding that being touched is a huge no for me in that state). He can't fix my demons and ailments but he helps me find the strength to fight them. He also is great about my body image....listening to me and saying nice things without falling into the zone where it feels like my demons are being dismissed.
- For Valentine's Day, he had a nice present and dinner plans but that wasn't what I'll remember. He drew me a bath, with a rose petal path, lavender salts, and a towel pillow for my head. Instead of trying to make it, ummm, more of an adult bath, he left me to enjoy it and relax. And he made me a yummy egg white omelet with basil and feta. Perfect.
- He loves ducks and we fed them recently. He preferred the ones that came close (I was a bit terrified by them), especially one that would grab bread from his hand. But I was focused on Gimpy Ducky...a female with an injured foot who didn't have the speed to get much of the bread since the others snatched it first. MM had better aim than I did so helped make sure Gimpy Ducky got a good snack by getting it right to her. And he promised me Gimpy Ducky would be okay. Some part-truths are okay :) Gimpy Duck can go live on the farm with Cinnamon, the dog my folks had when I was born
- He carried and assembled the treadmill I've always wanted. And, in general, has totally made space for me in his former bachelor pad house. He didn't hesitate to pull out a dresser for me and gave me lots of bathroom space (the four sisters helped him know even a non-makeup gal needs space). He even understood or at least tolerated, my need for a personal safe-shelf in the pantry area.
- More than anything else, I love that we can have simple time together. I've realized that the word "content" is highly underrated....we can spend a quiet day on the couch, sometimes each doing our own thing (me: reading, him: playing video games or watching a car auction) and it is just easy. And perfect.
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