Bring on the Trick-or-Treaters

When you don't have kids there are two categories you can fall into on Halloween - the scary old couple that never answers the door and inevitably end up with TP in their trees, or you can be the cool, overly decorated house that gives out tons of candy. While Scott will always vote for the first (his favorite part of Halloween is all the left over candy), I would love to be in the second category.

Now I need to say that I have huge issues with Trick-or-Treaters - namely, we've never had many. I grew up on a small dark street that was too spooky to trick-or-treat on (a banner year at my parent's house was 15 kids, and that was the year that I had a Halloween party). So when we moved out to the burbs I got all excited to have my first real Trick-or-Treaters (it's tough getting many kids to trick-or-treat in apartment complexes). The good news is that we had moved to a very nice neighborhood (you know, the kind where people bus their kids in just to get all the good candy), the bad news is that our driveway is so long that no kid dared go down it (too dark and scary - again!).

For the past two years all of our neighbors have run out of candy in an hour and a half - while we're stuck with tons of extra candy - and by Thanksgiving we're left with all the crapy stuff neither of us like to eat.

So I think I've remedied that problem. Three hours and seven sets of Pumpkin Head Lights and six strings of orange and purple twinkle lights later I think we may be festive enough to get some kids down to the house! I've laid in six bags of candy (all the stuff I like, just in case we don't end up giving it all away) and we're prepared for the kids (I hope)!

Current Music: Nightmare on My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (Old school, yes. But besides Thriller is there any good Halloween Music?)

Nice Weekend

The weekend was good. I got most of my check list items done, the anticipated hangover wasn't too bad, but I still didn't do much on Sunday. I got most of the Halloween decorations up - but didn't get out for any "Leaf Peepeing" unless you count raking the leaves off the porch!

I did manage to keep my worries at bay most of the weekend until I watched this weeks Grey's Anatomy, which featured a Dad that needed a transplant - ah there went the waterworks! But again, all things considered - a good weekend.

On the dad update front, the bad news is that he's still in ICU, the rejection is still quite high, so they are keeping him until it's under control. The good news is pretty good - there is no scarring on the heart, so his heart function should return, they are currently carpet-bombing his immune system to get the rejection under control and they should see results as early as tonight, and the surgical team from Stanford Surgical Team (they did the transplant) is now working on the case as well as his regular Cardiology team - so I'm feeling very good about his prospects.

Armed with a bit of good news I'm trying my damnedest to enjoy my Monday - it's a beautiful fall day and I'm thinking about skating out early to take the dog for a walk (how perky am I?).

Current Music: Hotel Song - Regina Spektor

Weekend Plans

Here's the plan:

Saturday:
Go to the office and get a bit of work done.
Run to market to pick up milk and dinner.
Clean house.
Go out with friends and drink until falling down drunk.

Sunday:
Recover from Hangover.
Drive around and look at fall colors.
Go to Garden Center and pick up mulch to "winterize" garden.
Put up Halloween decorations.

Things not to do:
Worry about state of my liver.
Worry about how behind I am I work.
Worry about my Dad.

Current Music: Better Off - Let's Go Sailing

Spoke Too Soon

Dad's back in ICU, his body is still rejecting the heart. He'll be at least another week in the hospital.

Damn.

Current Music: too late for music, I'm going to bed.

Good News

Just got off the phone with my Dad - things are looking better. He's out of ICU, and they seem to have the rejection in hand (they'll know more after the biopsy results come back late tonight). The only question mark at this point is the effectiveness of the heart - it's down to 30%, but that seems to be on the rise and with medication and exercise should continue to go up.

He's due to be released from the hospital - so friends and family are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Current Music: La Familia - Mirah

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

I like rainy days - I always have. Even when I was little - I remember hearing rain as I woke up and, before I had even opened my eyes, being happy that it was raining. I woke up that way today, smiling with my eyes shut, listening to the rain - knowing that when I opened them I would see a rainy window.

I sort of wonder how I ended up in Michigan though, with my love of rain I probably should have moved to Seattle or Portland. Maybe we still will, then I can wake up with a smile on my face more often - I think we'd all like that.

We haven't had very many good rainy days this Fall (or even summer for that matter). Don't get me wrong, I like warm sunny days, but I'm pretty much done with them after Labor day. I've been ready and waiting for Fall for a while now, and it's only just arrived - I couldn't be happier.

Scott thinks I'm mad as a hatter, he says he would rather have warm days than cool (I'll have to remind him of that next July when he's complaining about the heat). I'm thrilled to turn the air conditioner and fans off, cuddle up under a down blanket, light some candles, start a fire and drink hot tea. The strange thing is that I hate to be cold, but somehow Fall just appeals to me.

Current Music: Raindrops - Regina Spektor

Told You So (well, sort of)

Ok - I bowed to the peer pressure and just as I feared, the rockin' bangs turned into Peggy Sue (or as my dear friend pointed out, Peg Bundy)!

On the upside, I just watched the Devil Wears Prada, and saw that Anne Hathaway has some pretty rockin' bangs - so I'm trying to work something like this or this. Of course I could also go with the "Lily" look.

So the bad news is that the evil bangs looked like crap for a day or two, the good news is that they are pretty much under control and will grow out again!

Current Music: Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake

My World is Crumbing

Eighteen years ago today the earth shook under my feet.

It started off like any other day - going to classes, watching Days of Our Lives, hanging out with friends, not doing homework - you know, normal Freshman year college stuff. After classes a couple of my roommates and I headed downtown to the mall.

At 5:04pm we heard a noise, and then the ground started moving like a bad fun house. Like good California kids, we ducked for cover, I decided to head for the doorway (it was once considered a very safe place in an earthquake). As I ran to the door the glass above me shattered, behind me I heard the ceiling collapsing over the cash register (where I had been standing only moments before).

A few moments later, as I stood shaking on the curb, my roommates and the staff in the store came out of the wrecked door. Down the street someone was screaming, car and building alarms were going off everywhere, on the corner people we gathering, staring, wondering. We could hear sirens in the distance, coming to help, coming to save the ones that were screaming.

Eventually the EMTs (or maybe they were firefighters, it's always been a bit hazy) released us to go back to our car and and return to school. Once we got back to campus, life as a college student began to return to normal.

Today the earth shook again, but only for me. I learned that my Dad has been re-admitted to the hospital, his new heart may be failing. Just one year and two days later and he may need another new heart.

"A muscle as small and as brainless as an apple
that holds the entire difference between this being
an ordinary day and a disaster."
— Ben Dolnick, Zoology

My recent mental state has been precarious at best, and talking to my Dad this morning, sent me right over the edge - I tried to go into work, but ended up crying at my desk. I gave up and ended up going home to collapse.

Hopefully by tomorrow the ground will be more stable.

Current Music: Explosions - The Mary Onettes

A Long Road

This afternoon I stopped at an intersection, I sort of got stuck there for a couple of minutes. I was looking down this incredibly long road - the kind of road that just doesn't seem to end. So I just sat there, looking don that road.

It struck me, what if - instead of turning left like I'm supposed to - I went straight? It seemed so attractive all of a sudden.

Then I got sick to my stomach - the strange thing is that I couldn't really tell if I was feeling that way because I wanted to go straight or because I knew I had to turn left.

Current Music: Home - Barenaked Ladies

Photo Credit: Briemarie

Happy Birthday Boo!

Today seems oddly familiar - I spent the whole day baking (a pretty great coconut cake, if I do say so myself) and cleaning and getting stuff done around the house. Scott spent the day playing golf and going out to lunch with his buddies.

Ok - I realize that it's his birthday and he should get to do something fun. I guess I wouldn't mind so much if the exact same thing hadn't just happened!

Oh well, I suppose it's what you do for the ones you love, but my birthday better ROCK next year.

Current Music: Beautiful Day - Bedouin SoundClash

MHD

I decided to take a page out of Scoober's book and took a mental health day today, well part of Thursday too.

Thursday morning I just felt like I couldn't take any more of the office - I just needed to shut down and do nothing. So I took the afternoon and "worked from home", all things considered, I felt pretty good by Thursday night.

I wasn't exactly looking forward to work today, so when I woke up with some kind of pinched nerve in my shoulder - I took it as a sign, a sign to stay home (well, that and the fact that I couldn't really move when I wasn't connected to the heating pad!).

So one and a half days later and I'm a bit better rested, maybe ready for work again.

Current Music: All Good Things (Come to an End) - Nelly Furtado

Not Much to Say

I've been feeling a bit blue lately, and quite busy at my desk. But I did find a perfect quote:

"Silence is medication for sorrow." — Arab Proverb

That says it all - well till I get wordy again.

Current Music: Million Faces - Paulo Nutini

Just when you thought...

Just when I thought it was safe to grow the evil bangs out - you go and give me three good hair days in a row. It's just not fair!

The burn has hardly healed, I had my decision made, and now I'm thinking about going to get the evil bangs trimmed, so I can keep them for a while. But if I get them trimmed they'll probably just go all "Peggy-Sue" on me again.

Well played bangs, well played...

Current Music: Message from Yuz - Switches

p.s. - I vowed not to have any pictures taken with the evil bangs, but it was a good hair day.

Husband Training

Here's a question, when your husband (or significant other) does something helpful, but something you didn't want done, do you:

a) Yell at him for doing it.

b) Tell him that you didn't really want that done, but it was nice of him to think of it.

c) Thank him for helping out, then go back and fix it later when he's not looking.

I opted for a combination of a) and b), but perhaps that was the wrong answer. Thinking back to puppy kindergarten (oh yes, we had hoped for a well trained pooch), they said to praise the puppy when ever they did something good. So, does the same apply to men? Did I just screw up? Now is he going to pee on the rug next time I'm late getting home?

Current Music: The Truth About Men - Tracy Byrd

September Round-Up

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Summer is a time for reading, but I haven't been doing as much of it as usual. I did start re-reading the Wrinkle in Time series as well as the Dark is Rising series (coming out as a movie in winter). Both quite good, but in my search for a Harry Potter replacement, they both come up lacking.

As for magazines, it's pretty much a broken record there, though I did add Detroit Home to the list.

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
Not much in the way of movies (though I do have a ton sitting in the Tivo from a free HBO and Showtime weekend).

As for TV, well in case you didn't know, the fall premiers are here! I've picked up all my favorites (Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Men in Trees, Ugly Betty, plus all of the crime dramas), plus the new Grey's spin-off Private Practice and I'm trying out Big Shots and Dirty Sexy Money. My sister swears that Reaper is crazy funny, so I'm gonna check that out too.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
I was going to say that September is a quiet month for celebrations, but then I thought about it and there are quite a few special days - here's the run-down:

September 1 - My sister and BIL's anniversary (woo-hoo, six years and two kids later!); Pearl's Birthday; and for the morbid, the anniversary of Purdy's passing (that still gets me...)
September 12 - M's b-day, she's 46 and still one hot mama!
September 28 - my Aunt's b-day, not sure how I always manage to forget it, but I do!
September 29 - our wedding anniversary, that's right - 11 magical years together!

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Nothin' - well my dad did bring out a bunch of goodies (real sourdough bread and some great dry salami - just can find those things out here), but I don't count those as gifts - really I can't survive without them and since I can't get them here...

As for the anniversary, well we bought each other a chai latte at Starbucks, does that count? Is eleven years the "chain coffee store" anniversary?

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
Clean bill of health for both, though now that J & M's kids are back in school I'm sure that we'll becoming down with something sooner or later.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
Well the big event was Dad's visit. He was here for a week and a half - I think a good time was had by all! We went to the Henry Ford and hung out at the beach, we had a couple of nice dinners with J & M and the kids, we went to the Tiger's game (some what anti-climactic, given that they were already mathematically eliminated.) and went apple picking on a perfect fall day.

Other than the visit it was actually a quiet month, though we did enjoy a dinner out with J & M and the kids for M's birthday.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Nothin' - I've said it before and I'll say it again, I just don't cook much in the summer. And since it was a quiet month for going out, we didn't try anything new either!

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Not much, but I did put 2 great jackets on layaway at TJ Maxx - though maybe that really counts for October? Either way, I'm super excited about them.

What were this month's disappointments and accomplishments?
Nothing more that usual, really.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
While Dad was here he kept busy, building me a cool little shoe rack in the front hall. Also, he and Scott built a really nice little cabinet in the basement. We still have to paint it, but it's a nice display space and I'll put my junk storage cabinets on the back side of it!

Current Music: Baby, It's a Fact - Hellogoodbye