Just for fun, here are some random facts about my husband (who I might add, insisted I publish this after going through it for fun, he didn't want to "waste" his answers)
A - Age: older than I was yesterday
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: anything that gets me dirty
D - Dog's names: don't have any
E - Essential start your day item: Coke
F - Favorite color: yellow
G - Gold or Silver: both (and lots of it)
H - Height: 6’2.5”
I - Instruments you play: piano, recorder, xylophone
J - Job title: Chaplain's assistant
K - Kid(s): None
L - Living arrangements: one woman, our two cats, and three foster cats
M - Mom's name: Rita
N - Nicknames: PretzelBoy, Hal, Howie DaBold, Honeybunny
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: a couple different ones; tonsils, hernia, gall bladder
P - Pet Peeve: stupidity
Q - Quote from a movie/tv show: "Pyle, you knucklehead!" (Gomer Pyle)
R - Right or left handed: ambidextrous, left handed for writing
S - Siblings: 3 sisters, 3 brothers, all younger
T - Time you wake up: 6:30 am, except on weekends then maybe 12noon
U - Underwear: briefs
V - Vegetable you dislike: lima beans
W - Ways you run late: too much to do before I leave
X - X-rays you've had: you could probably see my entire skeleton if you assembled them all
Y - Yummy food you make: anything I make
Z - Zoo favorite: penquins
Disclaimer: I did not coerce any answers, however, I did have to explain the concept a few times. Sometimes he overthinks things - LOL!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Miscellaneous info - from Boomer Randomness
Just for fun, here are some random facts about me:
A - Age: old enough to know better, young enough not to care
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: dishes, that's why I have a dishwasher
D - Dog's names: don't have any
E - Essential start your day item: any fruit juice
F - Favorite color: Sapphire Blue
G - Gold or Silver: both
H - Height: 5’4”
I - Instruments you play: none - tried guitar lessons when I was a kid, didn't take
J - Job title: Business owner - pet sitting
K - Kid(s): None
L - Living arrangements: one man, our two cats, and three foster cats
M - Mom's name: Joan
N - Nicknames: Harolds1, Lydia,
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: a couple different ones, 1-4 nights
P - Pet Peeve: drivers who fail to signal, those who drive into the pedestrian walk
Q - Quote from a movie/tv show: "Don't call me Sugar!" (Gone with the Wind)
R - Right or left handed: ambidextrous, right handed for writing
S - Siblings: one sister (deceased), one brother
T - Time you wake up: early for pet sitting; if no bookings - whenever (usually 7-8am)
U - Underwear: yes
V - Vegetable you dislike: anything overcooked/soggy
W - Ways you run late: when I underestimate how long it takes to get anywhere or if I check the computer one more time......
X - X-rays you've had: you could probably see my entire skeleton if you assembled them all
Y - Yummy food you make: raspberry chip brownies
Z - Zoo favorite: all big cats
What are your A-Zs?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sad Anniversary
Today marks the one year anniversary of my sister Lora's passing. It has not been an easy year. We had a Mass said for her today to commemorate this sad day.
We are still working out the disposal of her "estate" such as it is. The house is the biggest asset and liability she had. With the housing market being "soft" people are more interested in getting a bargain.
More importantly, is how her death has affected us. My brother is angry. Mom is prone to absentmindedness. She feels disconnected, the same as after my dad died. Me, I feel abandoned, first by my dad, and then my sister.
We all know how our parents influence and interfer in our lives. Influence because when we are young, we absorb what they say and do, its how we learn things. Interfer, because when we are grown up and out of the house, parents sometimes cling to the need we had for them when we were small. It didn't matter that I was in my 40s, because I was not married, my dad felt the need to tell me what to do or how I was "supposed" to act. Never mind that I worked in a different industry, and had been on my own since I was 18. My experiences meant little to him. My comments, even when he asked for them, were suspect and lacked credibility because I wasn't a man. Yes, its true. If I offered a comment, it was dismissed. But if one of his friends made the same comment, then suddenly he took note of it. It was hurtful and laughable at times.
When my dad died suddenly, all of us lost one of our anchors. Our little boats spun around in the current for awhile. My brother and his family had each other to help move them forward. My sister and my mom were always close and were also closer in distance. She had both her daughters and son to anchor her, to help with decisions, get things done around the house, etc. She has wonderful neighbors who helped distract her by taking her to dinner, and plays. I had just met my husband-to-be, so I had a roller coaster ride, the up of the romance, and the down of the loss really wreaked havoc on my person. But I thank God for him, because I believe that things would have been quite a bit different for me otherwise, and he is the one who became my anchor.
When my sister died, it was even more shocking to our systems. No one could have guessed the outcome, no one had a chance to reconcile themselves to her death. Not like when a parent dies, its always in the back of your mind that they will not always be there, especially as they get elderly, you resign yourself to that fact. My sister was in early middle age, decades before her yet. My mom counted on her to be the one to care for her as she aged, because they were such good friends. There is still a hole that can't be filled by anyone else, especially for mom.
As for me, I feel like most of my childhood memories have left. Lora was there for most of them. Siblings have long memories, and aren't shy about making sure you don't live down some of the funny or embarassing moments in your life. And even during some of those times when we were at odds with each other, we always knew the other was there, one of the anchors of our lives. The touchpoints that helped shape us, and identify us.
The funny thing is, I think she left me even before she passed on. She decided not to come to my wedding. She's not in any of the pictures with the rest of the family. The wedding was a little more than a year before she died. Isn't that heartbreaking?
Rest in Peace, Lora.
We are still working out the disposal of her "estate" such as it is. The house is the biggest asset and liability she had. With the housing market being "soft" people are more interested in getting a bargain.
More importantly, is how her death has affected us. My brother is angry. Mom is prone to absentmindedness. She feels disconnected, the same as after my dad died. Me, I feel abandoned, first by my dad, and then my sister.
We all know how our parents influence and interfer in our lives. Influence because when we are young, we absorb what they say and do, its how we learn things. Interfer, because when we are grown up and out of the house, parents sometimes cling to the need we had for them when we were small. It didn't matter that I was in my 40s, because I was not married, my dad felt the need to tell me what to do or how I was "supposed" to act. Never mind that I worked in a different industry, and had been on my own since I was 18. My experiences meant little to him. My comments, even when he asked for them, were suspect and lacked credibility because I wasn't a man. Yes, its true. If I offered a comment, it was dismissed. But if one of his friends made the same comment, then suddenly he took note of it. It was hurtful and laughable at times.
When my dad died suddenly, all of us lost one of our anchors. Our little boats spun around in the current for awhile. My brother and his family had each other to help move them forward. My sister and my mom were always close and were also closer in distance. She had both her daughters and son to anchor her, to help with decisions, get things done around the house, etc. She has wonderful neighbors who helped distract her by taking her to dinner, and plays. I had just met my husband-to-be, so I had a roller coaster ride, the up of the romance, and the down of the loss really wreaked havoc on my person. But I thank God for him, because I believe that things would have been quite a bit different for me otherwise, and he is the one who became my anchor.
When my sister died, it was even more shocking to our systems. No one could have guessed the outcome, no one had a chance to reconcile themselves to her death. Not like when a parent dies, its always in the back of your mind that they will not always be there, especially as they get elderly, you resign yourself to that fact. My sister was in early middle age, decades before her yet. My mom counted on her to be the one to care for her as she aged, because they were such good friends. There is still a hole that can't be filled by anyone else, especially for mom.
As for me, I feel like most of my childhood memories have left. Lora was there for most of them. Siblings have long memories, and aren't shy about making sure you don't live down some of the funny or embarassing moments in your life. And even during some of those times when we were at odds with each other, we always knew the other was there, one of the anchors of our lives. The touchpoints that helped shape us, and identify us.
The funny thing is, I think she left me even before she passed on. She decided not to come to my wedding. She's not in any of the pictures with the rest of the family. The wedding was a little more than a year before she died. Isn't that heartbreaking?
Rest in Peace, Lora.
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