Weekend Roundup

You're only as old as you feel, right? Right now I feel as though I'm about 70 years old. Yesterday, as I bent over to pick something up I felt a horrible pain in my lower back. Pain radiated from the back of my leg, up my ass, and into my lower back. Attempting to get out of bed this morning and dress myself was a bit of a challenge but thankfully the pain has let up a bit and the stiffness from this morning has subsided. So, it appears that a trip to the doctor is in my future this week to figure out if it's a simple muscle pull, a pinched nerve, or something more.

Why do so many Republicans always appear so angry? They're on TV, in the newspapers, or online always yelling about something. I have a few friends who are full fledged members of the GOP and they aren't angry and always appearing with venom and fire spewing from their mouths. I don't understand it.

Have you ever looked at a stranger and without hearing them say one word can just tell they're an arrogant, self serving, jackass? I have and I'm staring at one now.

Tonight the Emmy Awards are on. I planned my work trip around being able to watch them...no comments please. I've always been a lover of award shows but not really for the fashion, more for the surprise each winner shows (usually) when they're name is called. So this evening I'll be laid up in bed (see above re: back pain) waiting as each category is called.

That about covers my thoughts for now. I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Monday Recap

Adele, the only person who would have a chance at turning me straight (other than Michele Bachman's husband and his power of prayer) has an official iPhone app now. I'm like a kid in a candy store.

Fasting before having a medical procedure done isn't easy. It's probably just your mind but the minute I had to cut off all liquids all I wanted was water.  I became quite parched.

After a week of day trips I am going back to three days this week. The ability to be home every night has been great but it's time to make the serious money. There will be plenty of time for turns in a few years.

We are heading to Indiana at the end of the month and I can't wait. It's been too long since I've seen the niece and nephew and we finally get to meet Jeff. If only we didn't have to play movers along with the visit.

Into the Closet

Two days after we moved into our condo one of the closet doors fell off. Coupled with the fact that due to space issues (I warned Adam of these space issues before we bought) our dresser had to go into the closet to fit in our bedroom, we decided to take off the closet doors and come up with a new solution. Well, that was two years ago.

This past Monday I couldn't take it anymore. I told Adam I wanted a closet. I was tired of living like a college kid in a VERY expensive dorm. We had already decided that the only solution was to get new bedroom furniture as a chest of drawers was all we could accommodate. So, off we went to some furniture stores. Luckily it didn't take long for us to find the one we wanted. Once that was done, I then told Adam I wanted to go out and purchase closet doors the next day and have them installed ASAP. Oh, and while I was at it, I wanted to repaint our bedroom. Luckily, my husband loves to redecorate. We plan to stain the closet doors to match our new furniture that arrives in a few week. I feel almost grown up now. 

The Title Says It All

From my very first blog I never matched the title of a post to the actual subject of it. I though of it as my way to be different. Often, I used titles I made up or funny things I had heard that day.

If you've noticed the last few titles have matched the subject material I'm writing about. I decided to go more mainstream and stop using random things for titles. It is my sincere hope that doesn't upset you, my five faithful readers.

Home

For many years when I would tell anyone I was going back to Ohio to see my family I would refer to it as "going home." Apparently, it didn't matter that I hadn't lived there for years and that my home was now in another state. It was always referred to as "home."

This past weekend I made an impromptu visit to Ohio and was hit with the feeling that it was no longer a familiar place to me. So many things have changed over the years that it felt somewhat foreign to me. Driving around one afternoon I found myself mixing memories with questions. "Was that intersection always a stop light?" "Has that house always been there?" "When did the traffic flow around the town square change?" It certainly was a mix of emotions for me as I saw the small towns I grew up near grow into bigger towns while still trying to maintain that small town feel.

Taking off for Chicago I looked out the window and thought "It's not my home anymore but it'll always hold a special place in my heart."

Appearances of Illusion

Do you ever look at someone and think "They can't be that happy all the time?" "I bet it's all an act" you tell yourself. Yes, I realize there are people in this world that are generally very happy and only see the glass as half full...I say good for them.

However, many people try to fit in with a society that values beauty and fame quite highly. Often times, being yourself is not enough, no matter how happy you really are. They create the illusion of happiness because they have a need to appear as perfect or happy to the outside world to gain acceptance. They may have many personal problems but refuse to put on anything but a happy face.

Finally, there are the people who others think of one way but are actually quite the opposite. Recently a friend of mine made the comment that I was good with my money. While this is true as of recently, I didn't used to be smart with it at all. Because I never really talked about my financial woes with anyone but my closest friends this friend automatically assumed I was Suze Orman. Without even trying part of myself was made into an illusion.

Whatever the reason for one to create their illusion, if it makes them happy and doesn't harm anyone else, I say go for it.

Simple Math

In yesterday's blog I mentioned how I've been down about home ownership lately. This is actually an understatement. What I actually feel is regret and dread. I mentioned the other night to some friends how I feel like it's been the biggest regret of my life. I knew going into the process that owning a home isn't easy and that it's a constant work in progress with many ups and downs over the course of your ownership. Property tax increases, various building associated extras, the possibility of having to replace our furnace, and the needed repairs around the condo are all adding up to my feeling of dread.

I've made up my mind (without consulting Adam) that as soon as our mortgage permits I want to put it on the market. Unfortunately that isn't for three more years. Thankfully I think Adam agrees with me on this. As gun ho as he was to buy I think he's realizing how much it entails and how much he'd rather rent if we decide to stay in Chicago (that's another blog for another time.) So, I've told myself that for the next three years I must make the best of our home. While I'm unhappy with owning I am not unhappy with our home itself. We are comfortable here and I'll make the most of the time I live here.

Knocked Down

After what seems like months of planning, wrong sizes, transportation issues, and scheduling issues we finally have completed a small remodel of our guest bathroom. We didn't do much but I feel like it's a whole new room. Aside from painting it's our first room remodel and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I've been somewhat down lately about home ownership and this helps me out of that funk, slightly.

I'm The Same Boy I Used To Be

A and I have a friend who's had a rough time of it lately. They've been actively searching for work for a while now with no luck but have only let it get them down as of recently. I want them to know that I admire their tenacity and strength. They have their faith and a great support system of family and friends and I'm thankful for that. A and I are always here for you.

Running has made it's way back into my life recently. This time around it's morphing from only a form of exercise to that plus a way to release my tensions. I've always run with music but this time I'm not and it hasn't bothered me or in my usual case, bored me. I have a goal that I'll keep to myself for now but I can say that I'm well on my way to accomplishing it.

After three weeks off it was back to work last week. So far I'm managing to maintain a calm head and not let the summer travelers get to me. I've made the switch back to my morning flights and it's made a world of difference. A.m.'s are where this stewardess belongs. Coffee or tea?

When we brought Lucy and Ali home from the shelter Lucy couldn't get enough of us and Ali wanted nothing to do with us. My how times have changed. Ali is the lover and Lucy has become the loner.  She will not let us anywhere near her except at night and then she'll sleep between one of our legs. I wish she was as loving as she used to be but I understand that cats have such differing dispositions and just let her be in the hope that one day she'll turn back into a lover again.

I dread the start of the upcoming Presidential Primary season. The way they all campaign and bash each other, on both sides, makes me not want to vote at all. I can't stand to watch or read any political news. It's disheartening but sadly at least in my opinion, a sign of what a horrible state this country is in.

The Power of O

After years of disinterest in Oprah I decided last summer that I was going to watch the last season of the Oprah Winfrey Show so that I could make an informed decision about her. I realized that the only thing I truly knew about her was that she was rich and famous. I had heard a lot of stories about how she treated people off her show and other rumors and had regrettably made up my mind about her from those stories.

At the same time I started watching Oprah Behind the Scenes on her network OWN. Watching this show with the Oprah Show opened me up to a whole new opinion of her as a person, TV host, and businesswoman. Is she direct, aggressive, stubborn, and determined? Yes...but I think to be as successful as she is you have to be. Is she also normal, caring, understanding, and willing to compromise? The answer is also a yes. I used to be one of those people who referred to Oprah as God because she could make almost anything happen. What I've realized is that she isn't God and it was wrong of me to look at her like that. She is simply a role model and teacher to millions of people around the world. Through her many episodes she's helped people open up and attend to the issues that are laying just below the surface in all of us, including herself.

It takes a lot of someone to give themselves to something as much as Oprah has to her show, staff, and ultimately her viewers. Yes, she has been rewarded financially and with fame but I will always remember her saying in one of the episodes of Behind The Scenes that she knows how lucky she is to have a vast amount of wealth and people to do almost anything for her but that if it all went away tomorrow she'd be just fine and able to take care of herself. I found nothing but truth in that statement.

One of Oprah's famous sayings is that "you have the power." When I heard that for the first time it stuck with me. We all have the power to make whatever we want happen. People always thank Oprah for doing this or that for them or making them realize something that they never knew and she's quick to point out that she was just the teacher, they had the power of realization and acceptance. That's a profound statement that I will carry with me forever.

I could go on and on with what I learned from watching the final season of her show but I won't. I'll just mention two things I learned these past 8 months from her. 1) Stay in the moment. Don't worry about what will happen tomorrow or even in two hours. Live your life in the current moment. 2) No matter what you may think of someone we all have something to learn from them, good or bad.

Do I wish I would have watched her show before this year? Yes. Do I regret it? No. Regret is just a waste of time. I'd rather have learned a few things in a short time than nothing at all.

Mountain Time

Yes, I'm still obsessed with Adele. A and I are going to attempt to get tickets to her sold out show in Chicago later this month and probably end up spending way too much money to make it happen.

If you ever check out any of the blogs I follow please check out my friend Colleen. She writes a great blog about her travels around the world.

I'm so glad May is here and with it flowers and buds on the trees. This winter was miserable.

This is my month to work my arse off so that I can slack off in June. Now, how do I fit four different obligations and a full month of work into thirty days?

Acapella

Traveling in Europe I'm always reminded of just how dependent I am on our car. I use it for almost every errand I have to run, from picking up groceries to going to the post office. If I stop and think about why I drive everywhere the answer is always one of pure laziness. Why would I walk or take public transport if I can hope in the car and be there in minutes? Across Europe people rely on buses, trains, bikes, and their own two feet. I realize that many people do own cars and drive too but there are far fewer than in America.

 Throughout the past few days whenever we would walk around Freising or Munich or hop on and off trains I often thought about my first years in Chicago without a car. I biked, walked, or took the CTA everywhere. Running errands such as picking up groceries became something I planned out since i would have to carry it all home. Other times I'd develop a game plan and make a day out of running all my errands. There's be lunch, dinner, or drinks (and sometimes all three) with friends. At the time I was also single and though I was living the city life. How much more urban could I get? I was a city guy!

When I met Adam I also met his beloved Bonita, or for those of you that never met her, his Honda Civic. Suddenly we were driving everywhere and I was spending less and less time on public transport or my bike. I can't tell you exactly when it happened but as I have a tendency to lean towards extreme laziness as I get older I just started driving everywhere and it remains that way to this day. I've made attempts to be less reliant on our car, especially with the price of gas but I still find myself trending back to it often for almost all my errands. I am however, in need of a new bike and maybe this will be the motivation I need to get out there and be more mobile without using the car.

Was?

Adam and I always seem to take two week vacations...or as our friend Bryant likes to say "You guys can't just go to one place, it's always two or three places." However, this past trip was different than usual. First, this way a short, four day trip to Germany only. Second, I went alone because Adam's schedule didn't allow for a trip this month and I was drying to practice the German I have been learning.

Our friend Siw invited me to spend a few days with her and to help me refine what little German I know. We had a very nice time in the little town she lives in which is only about 30 minutes by train from the city centre of Munich. She gave me a tour of her little town, Freising. We went hiking in a beautiful forest preserve, had a picnic while watching planes land at the airport, and two great dinners with her mom, Maiken. I was treated to a great breakfast at her house one day that her mom put a lot of effort into and got to meet her good friend Javier and his playful dog Chico. Siw, Javier, and I spent and entire afternoon laying in the grass of the Gartnerplatz watching the people go by and talking. The next time Adam and I are in Munich I want he and I to lie there and just watch the world go by.

I learned many new German words and refined ones I already knew. It was nice to hear people speaking the language even if I only understood about 10% of what was being said. Trying to learn a new language as an adult is quite difficult and it makes me wish that learning a different language was mandatory for all students in high school like it is in most part of Europe.

Freising, Munich, and all of Bavaria are a beautiful part of the world and I look forward to my next visit, this time with Adam in tow!

I Don't Need You

Our little girls are growing up so quickly. I realized while playing with them last night that Lucy is getting so much bigger and Ali is so much more outgoing and playful. Now if only they weren't such sloppy eaters.

Adam left this morning for a quick boys trip to Vegas with a college friend. Here's to hoping he comes home with a very nice tan and some fun stories to tell. It is Vegas after all...it's never boring.

One of the best perks of being a flight attendant is that when you don't really feel like working you can almost always trade your trip to something easier and less productive. That's exactly what I've done for today. It's pays almost nothing but sometimes a guy has to do what he has to do.

Our old roommate and dear friend Tracy is coming to town this weekend. I'm sorry that I won't be able to spend as much time with her as I'd like but we are all going to dinner on Saturday night at one of our favorite sushi restaurants followed by a little bit of debauchery at the bar. It should be good times.

I have taken a couple days off from Adele, although she's singing into my ear as I type this...I missed her!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Tschuss!

Auf Wiedersehen

I just under a week I'm leaving for a quick trip to Munich, Germany to visit our friend Siw. We met her while sitting on her jump seat from Barcelona to Munich after our transatlantic cruise two years ago and then on the return flight from Munich back to Chicago four days later. She and I have stayed in touch since then and even had dinner on one of her subsequent Chicago layovers. Now it's my turn to see where she lives from her eyes. I'm really sad that Adam can't go with me due to his work schedule but I know that we'll be back there soon enough.

My little vacation also has a second purpose...to get some real experience with the limited German I've learned. One of the downfalls of learning a language from a computer program is that you have no one else to practice with. With time zone differences and varied work schedules it's not often that Siw and I can chat via Skype...so I don't have a lot of options to try out German with her. So, here my limited German and I go...off to Deutschland herself. I'm really nervous to try and converse basic sentences with people but Siw said she'd be at my side the entire time in case I don't know what's being said. I do have two important phrases down. "Wo ist die Toilette?" And "Ich Mochte eine bier bitte." Wonder if that will get me through three days?

Any Age

I'm sure Adam will roll his eyes when he reads this post. You see, since I first listened to Adele a week or so ago I can not stop listening to her. If you ask Adam he will say I'm quite literally obsessed with her. My response to that would be, yes I am. I am not ashamed to say that I spent hours last week watching various clips of her on YouTube and I decided that my favorite is her singing "Someone Like You" live at the 2011 Brit Awards. It's simply amazing. (Pardon the ad at the beginning.)

32

It wasn't two weeks after I first started dating Adam that I impulsively took a detour on my trip home from visiting a friend in Seattle to see Adam while he was visiting friends in Denver. I remember how nervous I was to see him again as well as meet his best friends whom he had talked about quite a bit. We would be staying with his friends Jill and Nick. From the moment Adam and Jill picked me up at the airport I let go of all that nervousness. Jill asked all the questions a good friend would but was also very kind and welcoming towards me. At their house I met his best friend Andrea and Jill's husband  Nick. Both couldn't have been nicer and even though I didn't learn their beloved euchre that night they still made it so much easier for me. 

This past weekend we hosted a baby shower for Jill and Nick as they are expecting their first child this summer. I was so happy to be doing this as I will always remember the way they welcomed me into their home after knowing Adam only two weeks. They have become two of my close friends over these last five years and I feel so lucky to not only be included into their little IU group of friends but to have them in my life period. They will make wonderful parents and I couldn't be happier for them.

When All Is Said And Done

What is happening to this country? With each passing day I get more disgusted while at the same time resign myself to the fact that this country is no longer a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. It's a country of business executives, for big business, and by business. 

There are proposals to do away with mortgage interest and property tax credits. If these credits are eliminated then the glut of empty houses we currently have now will look like a drop in the bucket. Fewer Americans would want to buy a home and can you blame them? It's no longer the American dream to buy a home, it's the dream of banks and mortgage brokers who make obnoxious amounts of money off your mortgage. The same banks and brokers that helped create the current economic crisis I might add.

Republicans claim taxing the rich at the same level as the middle-class will create jobs. These so called wealthiest Americans start small businesses that will help the unemployed find work and won't be able to do that if they pay more in taxes. Yet, unemployment still stands at roughly 9% and the rich are effectively paying the same tax rate as people who make far less than they do. Yet another line of crap out of the mouths of our politicians. Let me help you decode this into two words if you haven't already...big business.

The Supreme Court is a joke. Republicans like to use the term "activist judges." Well, our current majority in the court is just another example that can be used to support that term. It just so happens that instead of the term being used to describe liberal judges I'm using it to describe conservative judges. A friend once told me that an activist judge is easy to define...it's a judge that doesn't vote the way you like. Ruling that corporations, the largest and richest source of campaign contributions, can donate unlimited sums of money to candidates is just another example of how to make sure big business wins in this country.

It's time America woke up. The vast majority of so called conservative Republicans don't care about  family values and morals.  They use your beliefs to lie to you so that you'll vote for them. This is supposed to be the greatest country on earth (at least that's what been shoved down our throats for decades.) Why then are we moving backwards instead of forwards? History shows us that moving backwards is never a good thing...unless you learn history in Texas where they rewrite it to their liking, then you'll probably think everything I just wrote is wrong.

There is a certain feeling I think every homeowner gets when a project is finished. For me it happened this morning after three hours of work by a very competent and patient contracting crew. I had provided them with a laundry list of things that needed to be done and from the moment they arrived they got right to work. Most of the things were small but there were two bigger things we needed done, namely re-wiring two ceiling lights onto their own switches and the hanging of a medicine cabinet in our guest bathroom.  The medicine cabinet was hung swiftly with no problem while the re-wiring turned into a bit of a fiasco. After basically running new wire through the ceiling to one of the switches on the other side of the room they flipped the different switches at alternating times and voila...success!

There are a few other projects we'd like to do...some small and one big one (the master bath) but I feel good about what got accomplished today. Now onto those damn shower doors...

I leave you with a pic of one of the finished projects.

Sometimes

Sometimes words are not enough.
Sometimes pure feeling can move you to tears.
Sometimes a new discovery can bring back memories from long ago.
Sometimes what you think will be negative turns out completely opposite.
Sometimes an unexpected adventure can occur.
Sometimes you decide to try something scary and find it's not.
Sometimes the simple feeling of warmth on your skin can change your whole demeanor.
Sometimes a simple hug makes it all better.
Sometimes you find yourself when you aren't even looking.
Sometimes you do what you have to do.