While walking to the Metro one morning this week, I was stopped by someone in a car - she rolled down her window and asked me for directions to a nearby hospital. I told her where to turn, she repeated it back to make sure she had it right, and then we both went out separate ways.
So, I'm always kind of excited when something like that happens, especially when I know where the person is headed and can give them directions - it makes me feel like I actually know my way around. But after telling her where to go, I found myself thinking about how I would tell the story, and that's when I decided I need a new word.
The person in the car was female, and probably around 30. So, I can't really tell the story and say "a girl stopped and asked me for directions," because using the word girl is misleading. But for me, woman is too... old, I guess. Or grown up. If I were describing myself, I would never say "I'm a fun-loving woman" or anything like that - it's too matronly or something. Really, I suppose for myself, I would probably use girl, even though it has a younger connotation. And even though I like the word chick, I know that some people are rather strongly opposed to it. So that pretty much leaves me with old-fashioned (and to some, offensive) words like gal and doll - which I would pretty much never use anyways.
Males have it much better. I generally stick with using the term guy, which can be appropriate for males of all ages, really. Or sometimes I throw in dude or man, although the latter would generally be for older males. And there's always boy, too, of course.
Anyways, now I'm on a mission to find a better casual term for female, so that I can tell a better story. Help is always welcome - I figure coining a word is probably tricky business.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
I'll be missing you
Yet another long time between posts… but this time it’s taken me a while to get the words together.
Several years ago, I made a CD for a friend of mine with several of my favorite songs on it. He listened to it then told me that I really needed to pick some more uplifting songs as favorites, because all of mine were depressing. I had never really thought about it before, but then I realized he was pretty accurate – generally, I pick my favorites based on lyrics first and musicality second, and many of the lyrics were not the most upbeat.
One of the songs on the disc, and probably my favorite song in general, is Nothing Lasts for Long, by the Samples. The lyrics can obviously be found online, but for quick reference, here you go:
Several years ago, I made a CD for a friend of mine with several of my favorite songs on it. He listened to it then told me that I really needed to pick some more uplifting songs as favorites, because all of mine were depressing. I had never really thought about it before, but then I realized he was pretty accurate – generally, I pick my favorites based on lyrics first and musicality second, and many of the lyrics were not the most upbeat.
One of the songs on the disc, and probably my favorite song in general, is Nothing Lasts for Long, by the Samples. The lyrics can obviously be found online, but for quick reference, here you go:
“Take my hand and walk with me
And tell me who you love
Make a wish and you can see
The first star from above
Ya ever feel so deep and lost
Somewhere in the past?
Is it wrong to not hold on
if nothing ever lasts?
Maybe nothing lasts for ever
Not the mountain or the sea
But the times we have together
They will always be with me
The sun is down and the wind is calm
As it gently fades away
I wonder then and I think of you
And how nothing ever stays
Take my hand and walk with me
And tell me who you love
Make a wish and you can see
The first star from above
Nothing lasts for long”
And tell me who you love
Make a wish and you can see
The first star from above
Ya ever feel so deep and lost
Somewhere in the past?
Is it wrong to not hold on
if nothing ever lasts?
Maybe nothing lasts for ever
Not the mountain or the sea
But the times we have together
They will always be with me
The sun is down and the wind is calm
As it gently fades away
I wonder then and I think of you
And how nothing ever stays
Take my hand and walk with me
And tell me who you love
Make a wish and you can see
The first star from above
Nothing lasts for long”
I know, I know – not the happiest lyrics in the world, but I read them first as a poem, and then heard the song, and it’s been one of my favorites ever since.
The past few weeks, this song has run through my head more times than I can count. On Wednesday, May 9, my good friend Matt died while playing flag football in a rec league. He was only 29, had just finished his first year of law school at George Mason, and had been married for just over a year and a half.
I’ve been gathering my thoughts for 3 weeks, and I’m still having a hard time finding the right words to say about him, especially in a post. Especially since I’m not really a “writer,” I’m not really sure how to go about capturing a friend in a paragraph (or even a page).
Matt was one of those friends that filled a room with his presence – he was constantly talking, laughing and joking, and you could always count on him to include the whole room in conversation. He always had an opinion (and was never afraid to share it), but he was happiest when someone else had an opinion, too. I guess, well, he was one of those friends where you never had to wonder where you stood or what he thought – he was direct, but still nice (something I try to pull off but don’t think I do as well as he did). Of course, he was also sarcastic and loved to give people a hard time. He did spread it around, though – I know I took my share of ribbing (especially when Kansas lost in the first round of the tournament 2 years in a row), but so did his wife Kourtnee, and our other friends, too.
The first thing that really comes to mind for me when thinking about him is how much he loved dancing. In October 2003, just a few months after moving here, my sister came to visit and a group of us went to Nick’s (a bar in VA) to go country swing dancing. It was the first time I saw Matt and our friend Holly swing dance: they were doing lifts and spins and tricks, and it was so seamless. About a year later, when Holly was married, she wore capris to her rehearsal dinner so that she and Matt could dance to the blue-grass band – and he wasn’t even the groom! And it wasn’t just Holly… Matt was able to get my roommate onto the dance floor (an achievement considering it was swing dancing), and he even got her to try a trick or two. He was the best lead that I ever danced with and he taught me the two-step, which I had wanted to learn. In April, I watched him and Kourtnee take over the floor at the wedding of our friends Bonnie and Alex, and it was so great to watch them.
The thing is, there are a million small memories that I have from our friendship over the past 4 years - those are the things that will hit me in the middle of the day when I’m thinking of something else, or will wake me up in the night when I worry because I haven’t talked to him recently. Just last week, I started to e-mail him when I saw the draft projection for Acie Law (from Texas A&M, Matt’s alma mater) in the NBA. And I guess that’s what happens when you lose a friend – you let the small things keep you connected, and use the big things to make you smile when you’re sad.
The past few weeks, this song has run through my head more times than I can count. On Wednesday, May 9, my good friend Matt died while playing flag football in a rec league. He was only 29, had just finished his first year of law school at George Mason, and had been married for just over a year and a half.
I’ve been gathering my thoughts for 3 weeks, and I’m still having a hard time finding the right words to say about him, especially in a post. Especially since I’m not really a “writer,” I’m not really sure how to go about capturing a friend in a paragraph (or even a page).
Matt was one of those friends that filled a room with his presence – he was constantly talking, laughing and joking, and you could always count on him to include the whole room in conversation. He always had an opinion (and was never afraid to share it), but he was happiest when someone else had an opinion, too. I guess, well, he was one of those friends where you never had to wonder where you stood or what he thought – he was direct, but still nice (something I try to pull off but don’t think I do as well as he did). Of course, he was also sarcastic and loved to give people a hard time. He did spread it around, though – I know I took my share of ribbing (especially when Kansas lost in the first round of the tournament 2 years in a row), but so did his wife Kourtnee, and our other friends, too.
The first thing that really comes to mind for me when thinking about him is how much he loved dancing. In October 2003, just a few months after moving here, my sister came to visit and a group of us went to Nick’s (a bar in VA) to go country swing dancing. It was the first time I saw Matt and our friend Holly swing dance: they were doing lifts and spins and tricks, and it was so seamless. About a year later, when Holly was married, she wore capris to her rehearsal dinner so that she and Matt could dance to the blue-grass band – and he wasn’t even the groom! And it wasn’t just Holly… Matt was able to get my roommate onto the dance floor (an achievement considering it was swing dancing), and he even got her to try a trick or two. He was the best lead that I ever danced with and he taught me the two-step, which I had wanted to learn. In April, I watched him and Kourtnee take over the floor at the wedding of our friends Bonnie and Alex, and it was so great to watch them.
The thing is, there are a million small memories that I have from our friendship over the past 4 years - those are the things that will hit me in the middle of the day when I’m thinking of something else, or will wake me up in the night when I worry because I haven’t talked to him recently. Just last week, I started to e-mail him when I saw the draft projection for Acie Law (from Texas A&M, Matt’s alma mater) in the NBA. And I guess that’s what happens when you lose a friend – you let the small things keep you connected, and use the big things to make you smile when you’re sad.
To Matt – a great friend who will never be forgotten… I miss you.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Exposed Brackets - #1
As promised, here is the first bracket explanation. My roommate always fills hers out using a complicated combination of her basketball knowledge, team mascots & colors, feelings about people (coaches, players, alumni, etc.) and whatever else she throws in. And of course, she always seems to be right in the top of the pool. I was unable to get a readable version of her bracket on here, but you can read her explanation and get a feel for it:
"First, I should probably give you a little background on my bracket completion process. While some of choices are probably a little tainted by popular opinion and what the 'experts' think will happen, I try to base my choices largely on my own personal likes and dislikes rather than what is truly likely. This includes my feelings toward team colors and uniforms, mascots (the Southern Illinois Salukis are my favorite, from a mascot perspective), fun team nicknames (like the ‘Zags), fun things I can should (such as ‘Bama, Baby!', which I was sadly deprived of this year), players whose names I especially enjoy, and my feelings toward people I know who attended any given school (and this can work for or against teams).
And now, some of my 2007 NCAA tournament picks:
(11)VCU over (6)Duke in the first round
This was really more a pro-VCU than anti-Duke pick. I don’t dislike Duke, I just don’t have much interest in them. Plus, the Blue Devil mascot doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t think it’s the worst mascot, but it’s far from the best.
VCU, on the other hand, has a lot going for it in my book. First, it’s in Richmond, VA, and I’ve been there—twice. My friend Rachel actually lived there for a year and had a job that was somehow affiliated with the university, and it was nice having her around (even though I didn’t actually see her that often.) I like Rachel=I like VCU. See? Second, their mascot is the Ram. It’s not one of my favorites, but I like it much better than a Blue Devil. Also, it reminds me of the St. Louis Rams. I much prefer the Kansas City Chiefs to the St. Louis Rams, but it still has that Midwest/home state connotation for me, which adds to VCU’s case. Finally, VCU really seems to be all about working together as a team and playing unselfishly, and I appreciate that.
(6)Louisville over (11) Stanford in the first round
My gut reaction, though I don’t typically consider whether one mascot would actually beat another in a fight, is that multiple Cardinals must be better than a singular Cardinal. More is better—duh. But upon further research, I discovered that A)Stanford doesn’t even have a mascot, and B) the previously mentioned Cardinal refers to the school color. A tree is also sometimes used in Stanford’s logo, but it’s part of the band or something ridiculous like that; there is NO official school mascot. If you don’t have a mascot, you don’t get any love from me. I really don’t have any feelings toward Louisville one way or another, but I have them winning based on the simple fact that they have a mascot.
(4)Virginia over (13)Albany in the first round
This was probably my toughest first round decision. Albany’s mascot is the Great Dane. Obviously the Great Dane is a dog, and if you know me, you know that I LOVE dogs. It’s always hard for me to pick a school with a non-dog mascot over one with a dog. Plus, Scooby Doo was a Great Dane, and I’ll always have a special place for him in my heart. But, UVA actually still wins out for me. While I’m pretty neutral on a Cavalier, I know a lot of lovely people that attended this school, and that carries a lot of weight for me in this case. I’ve been to Charlottesville twice, and had the Best Day Ever there. Plus, I saw the team play this fall at their new arena, so there’s that personal connection for me. So, much as I love a Great Dane (and one in particular), UVA comes out on top for me.
(2)Georgetown over (1)Kansas in the championship game
I like Kansas. I grew up in a predominantly Missouri Tigers home, but sometimes rooted for Kansas even against Mizzou, depending on my rebelliousness during any given season. I still maintain that I will pretty much always root for Kansas unless they happen to be playing against the Tigers. I like them, and I have them going far. But, I have the Georgetown Hoyas coming out on top. Why? First, their mascot is a bulldog. It’s a dog, and it was also my alma mater’s mascot, so I feel the most personal connection to this mascot. Second, Georgetown in general is the team I have seem play in person the greatest number of times (probably even when you factor in attending my own alma mater’s games!). Third, I don’t know a lot of people who went to school there, but I know a few, and they make a good impression. Finally, I really enjoy the fact that it’s a local school, and not some campus I’ve never seen in some city I haven’t visited.
So there you have it. I’m going with the Georgetown Hoyas because, when I weigh in all the factors, I like them best. "
"First, I should probably give you a little background on my bracket completion process. While some of choices are probably a little tainted by popular opinion and what the 'experts' think will happen, I try to base my choices largely on my own personal likes and dislikes rather than what is truly likely. This includes my feelings toward team colors and uniforms, mascots (the Southern Illinois Salukis are my favorite, from a mascot perspective), fun team nicknames (like the ‘Zags), fun things I can should (such as ‘Bama, Baby!', which I was sadly deprived of this year), players whose names I especially enjoy, and my feelings toward people I know who attended any given school (and this can work for or against teams).
And now, some of my 2007 NCAA tournament picks:
(11)VCU over (6)Duke in the first round
This was really more a pro-VCU than anti-Duke pick. I don’t dislike Duke, I just don’t have much interest in them. Plus, the Blue Devil mascot doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t think it’s the worst mascot, but it’s far from the best.
VCU, on the other hand, has a lot going for it in my book. First, it’s in Richmond, VA, and I’ve been there—twice. My friend Rachel actually lived there for a year and had a job that was somehow affiliated with the university, and it was nice having her around (even though I didn’t actually see her that often.) I like Rachel=I like VCU. See? Second, their mascot is the Ram. It’s not one of my favorites, but I like it much better than a Blue Devil. Also, it reminds me of the St. Louis Rams. I much prefer the Kansas City Chiefs to the St. Louis Rams, but it still has that Midwest/home state connotation for me, which adds to VCU’s case. Finally, VCU really seems to be all about working together as a team and playing unselfishly, and I appreciate that.
(6)Louisville over (11) Stanford in the first round
My gut reaction, though I don’t typically consider whether one mascot would actually beat another in a fight, is that multiple Cardinals must be better than a singular Cardinal. More is better—duh. But upon further research, I discovered that A)Stanford doesn’t even have a mascot, and B) the previously mentioned Cardinal refers to the school color. A tree is also sometimes used in Stanford’s logo, but it’s part of the band or something ridiculous like that; there is NO official school mascot. If you don’t have a mascot, you don’t get any love from me. I really don’t have any feelings toward Louisville one way or another, but I have them winning based on the simple fact that they have a mascot.
(4)Virginia over (13)Albany in the first round
This was probably my toughest first round decision. Albany’s mascot is the Great Dane. Obviously the Great Dane is a dog, and if you know me, you know that I LOVE dogs. It’s always hard for me to pick a school with a non-dog mascot over one with a dog. Plus, Scooby Doo was a Great Dane, and I’ll always have a special place for him in my heart. But, UVA actually still wins out for me. While I’m pretty neutral on a Cavalier, I know a lot of lovely people that attended this school, and that carries a lot of weight for me in this case. I’ve been to Charlottesville twice, and had the Best Day Ever there. Plus, I saw the team play this fall at their new arena, so there’s that personal connection for me. So, much as I love a Great Dane (and one in particular), UVA comes out on top for me.
(2)Georgetown over (1)Kansas in the championship game
I like Kansas. I grew up in a predominantly Missouri Tigers home, but sometimes rooted for Kansas even against Mizzou, depending on my rebelliousness during any given season. I still maintain that I will pretty much always root for Kansas unless they happen to be playing against the Tigers. I like them, and I have them going far. But, I have the Georgetown Hoyas coming out on top. Why? First, their mascot is a bulldog. It’s a dog, and it was also my alma mater’s mascot, so I feel the most personal connection to this mascot. Second, Georgetown in general is the team I have seem play in person the greatest number of times (probably even when you factor in attending my own alma mater’s games!). Third, I don’t know a lot of people who went to school there, but I know a few, and they make a good impression. Finally, I really enjoy the fact that it’s a local school, and not some campus I’ve never seen in some city I haven’t visited.
So there you have it. I’m going with the Georgetown Hoyas because, when I weigh in all the factors, I like them best. "
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Back from the hiatus
Wow, this has been a long hiatus from blogging – and I’ve actually had a lot to say. The biggest problem with being a midnight blogger is that midnight is when I should be in bed. Rarely happens, but I’m trying to make it a more common occurrence. Anyways, this is going to be a two-post post:
Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Go KU!
Anyways, as many of you know, tonight was Selection Sunday. Obviously, since I’m a big basketball fan, I have a lot to say on the upcoming tournament, but that’s going to come later this week. For right now, a quick comment on today’s Big 12 championship:
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!!!!! KU won an incredible game against the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 championship today* – they came back from being down 22 in the first half to winning in overtime. And this was just one week after the two teams met in the regular season – where Kansas came back from being down 12 at the half to win it - amazing. The ‘hawks are playing some great team basketball right now, and I’m excited for what comes next. And congrats to whoever gets Kevin Durant in the NBA draft – he is amazing!
*Special thanks to Mike D. for letting C and I watch the game on his awesome TV
Now off of basketball.
Thoughts on Sin City
The past month or so has been pretty busy. My mom came in town to visit one weekend, my brother was out here coaching in a tournament two weekends after that (his team won – woohoo!!) and my dad came out the same weekend to join in support for my bro’s team. Add in work, catching up on some reading, lots of basketball, and the start of American Idol, and I have been a busy girl. In addition to all of that, last weekend, two friends and I took a trip to Vegas, just for fun.
The Vegas Strip is a crazy city within a city. It’s like going to an amusement park, only there’s no set admission fee and you just pay to play, free drinks are easy to come by, and there are fewer of kids under age 10, although there were more families there than I would have expected.
My friends and I aren’t really the type to go crazy and have a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas kind of weekend,” but we spent a lot of time checking out the various casinos and still managed to go a bit outside our comfort zone (we watched men strip down at the Thunder from Down Under show).
This wasn’t the first time I’ve been to Las Vegas, so I had a bit more time to come away with detailed impressions. Here’s what I came up with:
- Restaurant to try:
Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. It was suggested to me by my college friend Amy, and was one of the best choices we made all weekend. Sit outside and you can see the Bellagio fountains, and the frites are a yummy cross between french fries, potato chips and those shoestring potato things that come in a can. - Most fun penny slots:
Deal or No Deal or Monopoly. If you can get in the group Monopoly game at the Bellagio, play for a while – it’s definitely worth it for the group play shots. Also, the Monopoly slots by the bathrooms across from Tangerine at the Mirage were lots of fun for me. If you find a penny or nickel Deal or No Deal machine, play until you get to the Briefcase game – it’s SO entertaining! - Best bathrooms (at least for girls):
Paris. This might seem like an odd category, but over the course of 3 days of eating, drinking and walking around, we saw lots of bathrooms. The ladies’ rooms at Paris not only feature doors that look like you’re going into a different room, but they also have the green/red indicator that lets you know whether or not the stall is occupied. Big bonus, especially for busy bathrooms. Honorable mention goes to the ones at Flamingo, which had translucent doors with a leafy/reedy design that I thought was very pretty. - Most fun bar:
Check out the flair bartenders at Harrah’s Carnaval. Even if you don’t go in, make sure you stop by to check it out, because the bartenders are truly entertaining. Two of their bartenders are in the top 4 flair bartenders - check it out: http://www.barflair.org/
Ok, that’s going to wrap it up for now. Look for a post in a couple of days comparing my roommate C’s bracket picks to my own. I’ll let you know how
Monday, January 29, 2007
Why?
Why is it that my wool pants (arguably considered winter appropriate pants) are lined with material that gets cold from the wind? Does that make any sense? The lining is 100% acetate. I only know what that is from looking it up online - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetate - and I agree that it drapes nicely, but geez it gets cold! Clothes have been around for a long time, and there are a bunch of people out there designing things. Isn’t there another low-cost alternative that won’t get so freaking cold in winter-weight pants?
And, who knew the full name was cellulose acetate? For some reason, I’m not surprised they leave the cellulose part off when it comes to the clothing tag – poor connotation and all that.
I was going to make this a longer post with more of my “why” questions, but right now I can’t seem to think of any more. Guess they’ll have to be in another installment.
And, who knew the full name was cellulose acetate? For some reason, I’m not surprised they leave the cellulose part off when it comes to the clothing tag – poor connotation and all that.
I was going to make this a longer post with more of my “why” questions, but right now I can’t seem to think of any more. Guess they’ll have to be in another installment.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
The Circle of Life
*I know I just posted about upcoming posts, but while taking a shower, I thought of a topic too important to put off.
This may sound (read) weird, but the thing I love most about being Jewish is the way that we deal with death. I know that seems like an odd topic, especially at the beginning of a new year, but it’s true. The rules regarding mourning are essentially the Jewish version of a 12-step program for recovering from the death of a loved one, and in my opinion, it is the most on-target “plan” for action that any religion can provide. As with all things Jewish, the customs vary by movement (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.) as well as by the individual or family, but the basics seem to me to be the same throughout.
For details on the process, other people explain it better than I, so read more here: http://www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/The_Stages_of_Jewish_Mourning.asp
or here:
http://www.chabad.org/generic.asp?AID=266275&gclid=CKLjlbqHwYkCFTaDGgodCnSxNQ
For those of you who didn’t read more… there are 3 steps:
1) Shiva – a weeklong period of intense mourning. Usually mourners remain at home, with only close friends and family visiting
2) Shloshim – a 30-day period of less intense mourning. Mourners go back to their usual routine, but often refrain from entertaining and/or attending social events.
3) Yartzeit – the annal memorial. This takes place once a year, every year, on the date (according to the Hebrew calendar) of the loved one’s death. Synagogues often mail you a reminder so that you know when one is coming up for someone close to you – like a parent or grandparent.
#3 is really why I’m writing this. Because I’m not always attuned to the Hebrew calendar and I don’t get the reminders from my parents’ synagogue, I sometimes miss the Yartzeit for those who have passed, and I just realized that I missed my grandmother’s. Today was not the only day that I’ve thought about her in the past year – in fact, I ask my parents about her a lot – but there’s something to be said for having one day scheduled every year to think about those you were close to that are no longer around.
So, tonight, when I remembered, I said the Mourner’s Kaddish (our standard prayer of mourning – it actually doesn’t mention death, though) and decided to post this entry... sort of my way of remembering:
My dad’s mom, my grandma, had been dealing with Alzheimer’s for several years when she died in December of 1998 [originally posted as 99] , so it some ways it seemed like a blessing. And, because I was only 17 when she died, many of my “good” memories of her are from when she was sick. But before that, she was always great fun – she loved going swimming in her apartment complex pool, she took my sister and me shopping, she sang silly songs to my cousin Marty and me, and she traveled all over the world with her sister. She baked fantastic banana bread, loved football, and she had the weirdest collection of toys that I had ever seen. So, tonight, I’m going to go to sleep thinking about Grandma, and of all of the times we spent together – and if there’s some form or semblance of afterlife, she’ll know I’m thinking of her.
This may sound (read) weird, but the thing I love most about being Jewish is the way that we deal with death. I know that seems like an odd topic, especially at the beginning of a new year, but it’s true. The rules regarding mourning are essentially the Jewish version of a 12-step program for recovering from the death of a loved one, and in my opinion, it is the most on-target “plan” for action that any religion can provide. As with all things Jewish, the customs vary by movement (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.) as well as by the individual or family, but the basics seem to me to be the same throughout.
For details on the process, other people explain it better than I, so read more here: http://www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/The_Stages_of_Jewish_Mourning.asp
or here:
http://www.chabad.org/generic.asp?AID=266275&gclid=CKLjlbqHwYkCFTaDGgodCnSxNQ
For those of you who didn’t read more… there are 3 steps:
1) Shiva – a weeklong period of intense mourning. Usually mourners remain at home, with only close friends and family visiting
2) Shloshim – a 30-day period of less intense mourning. Mourners go back to their usual routine, but often refrain from entertaining and/or attending social events.
3) Yartzeit – the annal memorial. This takes place once a year, every year, on the date (according to the Hebrew calendar) of the loved one’s death. Synagogues often mail you a reminder so that you know when one is coming up for someone close to you – like a parent or grandparent.
#3 is really why I’m writing this. Because I’m not always attuned to the Hebrew calendar and I don’t get the reminders from my parents’ synagogue, I sometimes miss the Yartzeit for those who have passed, and I just realized that I missed my grandmother’s. Today was not the only day that I’ve thought about her in the past year – in fact, I ask my parents about her a lot – but there’s something to be said for having one day scheduled every year to think about those you were close to that are no longer around.
So, tonight, when I remembered, I said the Mourner’s Kaddish (our standard prayer of mourning – it actually doesn’t mention death, though) and decided to post this entry... sort of my way of remembering:
My dad’s mom, my grandma, had been dealing with Alzheimer’s for several years when she died in December of 1998 [originally posted as 99] , so it some ways it seemed like a blessing. And, because I was only 17 when she died, many of my “good” memories of her are from when she was sick. But before that, she was always great fun – she loved going swimming in her apartment complex pool, she took my sister and me shopping, she sang silly songs to my cousin Marty and me, and she traveled all over the world with her sister. She baked fantastic banana bread, loved football, and she had the weirdest collection of toys that I had ever seen. So, tonight, I’m going to go to sleep thinking about Grandma, and of all of the times we spent together – and if there’s some form or semblance of afterlife, she’ll know I’m thinking of her.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Gathering my thoughts
In case you think I've gotten lazy, it's really just been a busy couple of weeks. But I have some topics that I've been working on, so gear up for some interesting (at least I think so) blog entries over the next month or two. Some possible upcoming topics:
How do you know whether or not frogs and turtles can talk?
Soul-mates and/or Destiny
New Year's resolutions (for reason's of timeliness, this will likely be soon)
The start of NCAA b-ball conference play
And for those who care (even if only by proxy, like me) - the Chiefs are in the playoffs!
How do you know whether or not frogs and turtles can talk?
Soul-mates and/or Destiny
New Year's resolutions (for reason's of timeliness, this will likely be soon)
The start of NCAA b-ball conference play
And for those who care (even if only by proxy, like me) - the Chiefs are in the playoffs!
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