Yikes!

Hmmm...it's been almost two months since I've been on here. I'm becoming like the people I pester about how they don't blog enough. Man, it sucks when that comes full circle and smacks you upside the head.

On a brighter note, I was inspired to actually blog today after a trip to the post office. So, I've ranted about the post office before. Justifiably so. This time, I was shocked and amazed at the level of customer service. The super nice lady with white-blond hair at the downtown Lansing branch rocked the house today. I went in to ship a care package to S, in Philly working on becoming a PA (miss you, by the way!!). Not only was Ms. White-Blond super friendly, but when I told her I was shipping homemade caramel-chocolate-nut brownies (which by the way, are neither hazardous nor a liquid, which is how the question came up...), which are affectionately known as Goo and Les Goux depending on which circle I'm running in, she complimented me on having friends so wonderful that I would take the time to ship a care package. She then asked if I had friends on the west coast ("Not yet, but one of my other best friends is moving to Sacramento tomorrow, and I plan on sending care packages to them, too!") and took the time to explain the flat-rate priority mail gig and give me several boxes to take home so that I would have them there, ready to go, for the next batch of Goo to be shipped. Ahhh. Such a refreshing experience at the one place that usually lets me down.

Rock on, Ms. White-Blond at the downtown Lansing post office! You made my day!

Red Flag My Ass!

My folks were passing through Lansing today on their way to Soaring Eagle, and as is usual, they stopped in town for a meal. I suggested Soup to Nutz in Lansing, as the brunch is usually really good and the atmosphere is comfortable. Sheryl, Mike, Runs with Spatula and Corky joined in, as they have gotten to know Rose and Hal over the last few years. After enjoying a good brunch and some amusing conversation (note to self: explore the idea of a website where you get to suggest people you think may be the Missing Link between neanderthals and modern man...), we headed out. Everyone had missions or errands except me and Sheryl, I discovered. So, I proposed a trip to Lake Michigan. In true Sheryl fashion, she was up for the adventure.

The trip to Grand Haven State Park was uneventful. We found a parking spot quickly and close to the beach, which we found out was quite the stroke of luck. We walked up toward the beach, and read the sign declaring the conditions for the day: water temperature was 73 degrees (yahoo!) and the swimming conditions were considered red. Red? Reading further: green meant swimming was safe, yellow meant to take caution, and red meant no swimming. No swimming? To drive almost two hours to such a beautiful lake and not swim?!? Sheryl and I looked out toward the water at throngs of people playing in the waves, looked at each other, and said, "Fuck it!" We headed down, and found a great spot where a family was leaving for the day, putting us in what can only be described as the front row of the beach. We set our stuff up (a ridiculous amount for two people, really), and headed into the water.

We quickly discovered the red flag was due to nearly three-foot waves crashing in. So, we made our way out fairly far and started jumping! Waves kept crashing into us, and we kept jumping into them. There's nothing quite like being slammed in the chest by a white-capped wave - it just makes me laugh, and I get that feeling of being a kid again. Sheryl's fascination of being in the water easily matches my own, and we spent the next two hours chatting, swallowing water, laughing and people watching - not a care in the world and no inclination to go home. We even got to enjoy a little rain shower while playing in the waves! We finally headed to shore and discovered that being out where we were wasn't nearly the workout that people were getting by being closer to shore. It took forever to walk up to the beach with the waves breaking all around. The rain picked up quite a bit, and we decided to call it a day and head back home. We decided to stop for a quick bite to each before hitting the expressway, and swung into Butch's Beach Burritos near the beach. It was an interesting place, serving burritos, tacos and hot dogs. For some reason, though the food wasn't fantastic, it certainly hit the spot. We continued home, and while I have the barest sunburn on my chest and sand caked in my toenails and clumpy, sandy hair, I wouldn't have traded the day for anything.

Why?

I've had a few conversations lately about technology - blogging, twittering / tweeting, social networking sites - that have given me a chance to think about why I blog. I started a little over a year ago as a way to keep track of what I was doing and thinking. I thought it might be interesting to revisit and have a sort of living history of myself. I know I could just as easily write in a journal, but typing is so much easier. And having this hanging out in the blogosphere means that I should always be able to find it, and it's not likely to end up being damaged. The central point I keep coming back to is that I do this for myself. I understand that it gives people the opportunity to know more about me and my experiences, which is a bonus. But really, if nobody ever read this thing, I would keep up with it.

And here's why... My uncle died a little over a year ago. July 21, to be exact. I wrote an entry the next evening. I just revisited that entry tonight. I have been avoiding it since the anniversary of his death, knowing it would likely stir up a lot of emotions. And it did. So, again with tears streaming down my face, but without the whiskey (for now...), I sit here reflecting about why I do what I do, and how I miss my family that have died. I remember visiting my grandma and grandpa's graves once. It took a good three years before I would do it, and I haven't been back. They died in 1996. It's not a lack of respect I don't think. I miss them, and I think about them often. I have awesome and abundant memories of them, as growing up having them in the same town allowed so much interaction. But I have never found comfort at the cemetery. Oddly, I found a great deal of comfort reading that old blog post this evening. So apparently there's more than one reason I blog...

More Travels: Sights and Sounds in WV

My Memorial weekend was a little bit different this year. I headed down to Oak Hill, West Virginia for a bit of camping and whitewater rafting. I drove down with Angela, which was an adventure in and of itself. I'm an habitual over-packer when it comes to camping, and while it's a problem I've been working on for some time, I'm not quite where I'd like to be. So, we started off the first morning cramming more stuff into my Equinox than theoretically should have fit, complete with attempting to hold stuff from falling out of the car while attempting to slam the door in the nick of time. We finally hit the road and had a great drive down - thanks to Angela's fine navigation skills, we managed to stop at Sonic near Columbus for lunch. It was my first Sonic experience, and it makes me really wish we had one here. There's just something about tater tots that I can't resist... We made it safely to Oak Hill despite the incredible winding roads through the mountains. I was glad to have driven knowing I would have been horribly carsick otherwise!

We took a little excursion to drive to a waterfall that Mike had visited on a previous trip. The waterfall played into my obsession with all things water, and I took a chance to play with my camera's settings, messing around with apertures, shutter speeds, lighting and angles. Next time, I should remember to bring the User's Manual. I still haven't corrected the settings completely!

The waterfall and a picture of my favorite rock.

I think this is the camping trip where I cooked the least. All meals were provided on the day we rafted, and we decided to check out Mike's recommendations for some of the best barbecue ever at Dirty Ernie's. The food at Ernie's was incredible - Mike wasn't lying! The ribs fell off the bones, and Angela and Eric had both ordered a sweet potato on the side that came with the most amazing spiced butter ever. The atmosphere was fun and interesting, with dollar bills decorated graffiti-style stapled to the wall (yep - we left one there, too!) and t-shirts and flags from all over the country hanging with pride. I was pleased to see a shirt from my Alma Mater made it down there - nothing like a little Wayne State Pride in rural West Virginia!

Go Warriors, formerly known as the Tartars! The Angelas (left, my driving buddy) at Dirty Ernie's.

We also couldn't resist breakfast at Biscuit World! Angela and I passed one and almost stopped then and there, foolishly under the assumption that it was a one-time chance to enter an entire world of biscuits. To our surprise, it's quite the chain! There was one near the town where we were staying, and we ventured there to see just how good it was, and were not disappointed in the least.

Mmmm...biscuits and sausage gravy - all kinds of fantastic!

We had a blast at the Red Dog River Saloon. How convenient to have a saloon at base camp! The rafting trip included two tokens for beer at the saloon, which was where we got to watch the rafting video. Angela and I wandered up there one of the nights to see what was going on, and ended up chatting up the waitress and doing some serious people watching, whilst listening to a pretty decent cover band. We watched an incredibly inebriated lady for quite a while. She was the topic of conversation to be sure, and I'm surprised she didn't fall down the side of the mountain (which is actually a concern there!). We also played pool with Duane Cochrane. No, you shouldn't know who he is. But that's just how folks in the south introduce themselves apparently - first and last name. I wouldn't think it would be a big deal, but the fact that it stuck out to me like a sore thumb made me realize how much more casual we are north of the Mason-Dixon.

The crew with our guide, Eric, and the giant cock and one of the Angelas riding said giant cock...

Angela refraining from motor-boating the mermaid.

Feelin' the Love...

I took a mental health day away from work the other day. During an extended six-week shutdown at the plant, I was contractually unable to take any vacation time, which meant missing my usual week off in July. It's not as if I've never gone six weeks without a vacation day. I do that regularly. But the fact that I couldn't take a day off, and didn't get my usual time off during July made the six weeks seem excruciatingly long. So, the plant started back up on Monday with little fanfare, but with a lot of people happy to see each other. I woke up on Tuesday and just couldn't quite motivate myself to go into work, so I called in healthy and took a day to just relax. And it was a fantastic day - a few loads of laundry, lunch out, CSA pickup, swimming, a visit from Sheryl and a great dinner (pork with pineapple-basil-jalapeno salsa) drastically improved my mood.

I went back to work on Wednesday and found these precious love notes on my monitor:


They read:
"Hey - What's the matter w/you - don't you like us no more? You are missed by somebody."
"Hi Sweetie, Stopped by to give you some LIP."
"Really- I just need a a pen. Thanks."

I know who they are from, and I was not the least bit surprised. Amused, yes. The discussion about my love notes was quickly followed by me being chastised by Dirt Dave. Apparently, going forward, I need to let him and our buddy, Tom, know that I'm not going to be at work so that it's not such a startling adjustment for them. They apparently kept looking at each other, commenting, "It's just weird without her here!" Sometimes I just love being the only woman in a office with a bunch of men...

Toronto...Part Deux

June saw another trip to Toronto. This time, Spatula and I took off on a Thursday after work to head to the great province of Ontario. It was an eventful trip as always, complete with Michael Jackson stealing Farrah Fawcett's thunder (one text and one phone call before we hit Port Huron - thanks Corky and Kirk!), Bubba Kegs of Lambrusco, too many characters to mention, awesome food and even better company.

What made the trip really special was that it happened to fall during Toronto's Gay Pride Week. We had no idea when we booked the trip, and were amused at the prospect of the sights and sounds of Pride. Note to self: going to Toronto during Pride with one of your girls automatically means you must be a lesbian, especially if you prefer comfortable shoes like I do (I'd rather have my feet look cute out of my shoes than me feet look cute in my shoes, if you know what I mean - no hammer toes for this girl!) or have a spikey bob like Spatula (even though to me it's not the least bit lesbiany). After a gentleman from Indianapolis tried for what seemed like a half hour to get us to admit that we batted for the other team while at a pizza joint at one in the morning since the crepe place was closed, I finally told him I like dick just as much as he did. He seemed to have a new-found respect for us after that! We did stick around to witness some of the parade on Sunday, and I thought it was much tamer than I anticipated. It was interesting to see all of the crazy niches (Ugandans seeking equal rights for queers, as the sign read... and the transgendered Asian women were favorites). Strange I've been to more Pride festivals than my gay best friend...

There's Pride - painted bikini to match the hair! And kids at the parade - they were fun to watch!


Ugandans - Global Human Rights for Queers! And the Black Pride float!

Tia met up with us Friday night after her drive in from New York. It's always great to see her and talk to her because it always feels like no time has passed at all. Those are some of the best friendships to have. We also met up with Sally and Kandi, who weren't quite as into the Pride festivities as we were, but were more than willing to explore the city with us. Tia, Spatula and I spent quite a bit of time at the St. Lawrence Market, where we overdosed on fried calamari (and presumably the liter of Lambrusco we split in our Bubba Kegs on the way to the market at 1 in the afternoon...), and where I had a flashback of my childhood as I stopped at the Ukrainian eatery and market and was harassed by the short Ukrainian woman, who reminded me entirely too much of my family, into buying more than I intended simply because she kept telling me what a deal she was giving me. Ukrainian women are pushy (have you met me??), and I felt like I would offend her if I said no, but I finally did. The food was all kinds of fantastic (eclairs with god knows how much shortening and fantastic apple strudel-like pastries), though, and a welcome treat after a long night of a whole lot of Carling.


Spatula with her Bubba Keg... Tia - ready for adventure... Me with Bubba Keg at the Hutch angle

Highlights of the weekend? One of my favorites was Spatula being given jewelry that looked like it fell off a truck headed to Claire's by a homeless man while standing in the open-air part of the bar, glimpsing raccoons running up a flight of stairs in downtown Toronto while at the same bar, Tia and Spatula violently ejecting a piece of salty Dutch licorice purchased for D from their mouths (I've never seen them spit food out ever!), and a hysterical cab ride back to the "gayborhood" as our hotel was called, which we shared with a guy we met at the bar who had us laughing to the point of tears running down our faces. I can't wait until the next adventure!

Spatula's new necklace... Mung beans made me think of Sheryl... Spatula's new earrings

WTF Part II

Runs With Spatula informed the Facebook world that her fabulous blog was somehow posted on "Net Right Nation, The Net Right's Blogging HQ: Your Unique Portal to the Conservative Blogosphere." I giggled quietly to myself, as Spatula, while she doesn't blog often about politics, certainly doesn't fall to the right on the political spectrum. I scrolled down a bit and read the comments under Spatula's status update, and found that my blog made it there, too. Seriously? Have they read my blog, oh say...ever?? I wonder if it would be rude to ask them to remove my blog from their blog list...
**Just to have a little fun, I think I will actually add some labels to this post!!

Note to Teachers, Counselors, etc...

Dear Teachers, Counselors and Other People With Direct Care / Contact With Children:

Please stop fucking the children.

No, really. Just stop.

I found myself involved in a conversation this weekend about teacher-student relationships in the general sense, and specifically about said relationships developing into sexual ones. It was a conversation that had me thinking for a while after. And on Monday, I stumbled upon an article about a counselor at a home for children who had a sexual relationship with one of the children she was in care of. This prompted me to do a quick search of "teacher sex with student" on MLive, which produced over a thousand results. Ick.

My stance is simple: if you're the adult and the one in a position of authority, real or perceived, it's incumbent upon you to maintain a proper distance with the child. Maybe it's my background in auditing that has so strongly enforced the concept of remaining objective both in appearance and in fact that causes me to have such a strong reaction to situations like these. Or maybe it's because I have a nephew and I can't comprehend of a person of authority taking advantage of him. The thought makes me sick. I can't comprehend, as an adult, looking at a child as an object of sexual interest. I can barely comprehend dating someone under 30 at this point.

I don't care if your home life is terrible. I don't care if your spouse ignores you, or if you were abused as a child. I don't care if the kid made the first move. I don't care about any rationale you put forth about having an intimate / sexual relationship with a child (yep, to me that means someone under the age of consent or someone with whom you have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure his or her safety and security, both physical and emotional). Children are children and you should not have inappropriate relationships with them. Resolve your shit on your own. Don't involve innocent children. It screws them up, regardless of what anyone else says.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation,
Carrie

PS - No, I never had an inappropriate relationship with a teacher. Thankfully.

WTF?

Is it really that hard to understand that if you are on the inside lane of two lanes turning right, you should stay in the inside lane instead of immediately "merging" into the left turn lane (which means cutting across two lanes of traffic)? Just wondering...

Thankful

I just got back from three ridiculously fun nights and four crazy days in Toronto. There's certainly more blogging to come, but I know if I don't get this one down, I might just forget. And, quite frankly, it deserves its own post.
I had a blast with Tia and Runs With Spatula and Sally and Kandi. My favorite quote was from Tia. Within ten minutes of seeing her, she commented, "You really dodged a bullet with that one!" It took no time at all to know what she meant, and she's definitely right (she's the good moral compass, I'm the good directional compass - everyone has a role!). I just appreciate having friends who will actually point that stuff out to me, particularly because I know it means I can reciprocate. Much love to you, Tia!

Disney Cruise - March 2009

So, I never thought I would go on a Disney cruise. I believe the last time I visited Disney World was pre-Epcot. I believe it was under construction at the time. Regardless, it's been at least 25 years. I'm not a huge Disney fan by any stretch. In terms of movies, I love Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. I know I enjoyed visiting Disney World as a kid. As an adult, I have little patience for standing in line, and I truly believe the happiest place on earth should not cost a small fortune to attend. And the fact that they do not have employees, but instead cast members, is just creepy to me. However, when my friend Jackie called and said she could book us on a Disney cruise with her cast member discount, I couldn't say no. How could I pass up a 7-night cruise for $550?

Me and Jackie tasting wine

I flew down to Orlando the day before the ship was set to sail so to speak, with my friend Brian. He and Jackie went to high school together, and as fate would have it, we all worked for contractors at GM. Jackie and KK picked us up at the airport, we headed out to dinner, and back to Jackie and Melanie's apartment. We woke up early the next morning and were off to the port - six of us in all.

The cruise was magnificent. The service was flawless, and much better than the other cruise line I vacationed on before, which was still very good. We had the same servers at our meals the entire time with the exception of the night we went to Palo, the restaurant on the top deck. Paula and Jonathan were fantastic. Jonathan brought us our favorite banana bread every night, and also provided some brain teasers and dirty jokes at the end of our meals. Paula even got a little teary on our last night. They told us a lot about the ship and the crew, noting that most crew members had worked on the Disney line for at least five years. I found that amazing.

KK, Paula, me, Jonathan, John, Brian, Melanie and Jackie

We had stops in Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay, Disney's island. Key West was a walking adventure, from the sculpture garden near the port to the southernmost point in the US. We made our way through the downtown section to the southernmost point and back again.

The southernmost point - "One Human Family" mosaic - I couldn't agree more!

The sculpture garden was incredible, both in scale and subject matter.

Grand Cayman was gorgeous, a little overcast and rainy, and then just plain hot! We enjoyed time on the beach and in the water there, and had a very relaxing afternoon. I took advantage of an excursion in Cozumel, which had me boarding a bus upon reaching the port. I was whisked away to a resort where I took a cooking class. We made tortillas with a chorizo and potato topping, grouper baked in banana leaves, and rice pudding sandwiched between cookies with a raspberry coulis. I wandered around the shops at the resort, and found a few interesting things, but only bought t-shirts for Justin and Dad (my obligatory gifts for them while on vacation).

One of my finds in Cozumel. Nothing says art like fornicating animals.

Another find in Cozumel. Maybe nothing says art like a marble penis?

Castaway Cay was a wonderful stop. It is Disney's island, and is beautiful. After walking past the family beach area and through the shops, we boarded a tram that took us to a pristine adults-only beach. Lunch was a fantastic barbecue, and the adults-only beach also had its own barbecue. I floated out quite far on an inner tube, chatted with a lifeguard who jet-skied by to make sure I was okay (oops!), and found many, many starfish on my way back into shore. The water was incredible - warm, crystal clear, and virtually colorless.

This shot was taken from the ship, and is of the pirate ship with Castaway Cay in the background.

Days at sea were equally fun. We spent a fair amount of time in the adults-only pool and hot tubs. The waitstaff was great - there's nothing like a Mai Tai delivered to you as you lounge by a pool on a giant cruise ship. It's so my style to be in water while on water. One day saw me and Brian partake in Martini tasting, confirming that a "true" martini is not something I would drink again. Bring on the girlie-tinis, though! Another day at sea offered a tour of the galley (a dream come true!), a beer tasting and a wine tasting. I took advantage of the spa and enjoyed a pedicure, too.

The ship's pastry chef. He spent an extra twenty minutes talking to me and another passenger after the tour.

The wine tasting setup. The Malbec was fantastic - enough so that I ordered it with dinner that night.

Despite not being a huge Disney fan, I knew I would find myself face to face with the characters, and knew I would be photographed with said characters. It really is bizarre to see Goofy running around the ship. There was a Characters Breakfast where all of the characters attend and visit each table so that passengers can get pictures with them. It's a brilliant piece of one-stop shopping, as in the evenings, there is a schedule of the characters' photo opportunities (which again involves waiting in line). Even better is that the schedule specifies what type of costume the characters will be in. Again, a bit creepy. I didn't pursue pictures with the characters outside of the breakfast experience. The characters always remind me of a show on MTV. I originally thought it was on True Life, but it's actually Sex2K. There was an episode about people whose sexual fetish involves dressing up in animal costumes, and they are known as Furries or Plushies. I saw this several years ago, and to this day, any time I see an animal mascot, I think of this show. So, when I saw Chip & Dale dressed up as sailors at the Character Breakfast, I could just picture them getting it on in some weird, secret room in the bowels (no pun intended) of the ship. Ick.

Me and Brian with Goofy.

There were many things that cracked me up on the ship. One of them was the Fantasia hat that was located in the kiddie pool area. The first time Brian and I saw the Fantasia hat, there was a little boy with his cheek resting on the top of it while water was spurting out of the top. I almost lost it - that hat falls in line with Disney's reputed phallic images, and to see a little boy with his face near the gushing water was almost too much for me. So, on our last night on the ship, when Brian and John and I saw that the pool had been drained, I had to get a picture with the image that almost made me cry. The angle doesn't quite do the image justice, but I'm sure you'll get the idea.

Me with the phallic spurting hat.

All in all, it was a wonderful vacation - great time to catch up with old friends, and an opportunity to make new ones. I would definitely go on another Disney cruise, and while Jackie has one lined up for September, I think I'll have to wait until next year.

Jimbo!

Another fun time with Corky and Runs With Spatula! We traveled to Grand Rapids to take in a little San Chez and a lot of The Reverend Horton Heat. Dinner was great - it always makes me wish we had a decent tapas restaurant in Lansing. One of the highlights from dinner was the scallops and bacon skewer with mango chutney. The scallops were perfectly cooked - tender as could be. The bacon is made on site at San Chez (yes, we asked - the pork bellies still have the nipples on them when they receive them!), and with the skewer, is cut into roughly 1.5 inch cubes. There's just nothing better than fat-back bacon! The other highlight for me was dessert. I ordered the chocolate empanadas with dulce de leche ice cream. It was the perfect type of chocolate, as it was rich and almost dark but not bitter. The ice cream was amazing. And I'm sure the pitcher of sangria that Runs With Spatula and I shared didn't hurt, either.
After that, we were off to the Intersection. It's a great venue for the type of show we saw. We were able to snag a few tables as we had some other friends meeting up with us. The first band, Hoots and Hellmouth hailing from Philly, was fantastic. Three guitars, two of which were acoustic, and an upright bass completed the ensemble. What was amazing is that the three guitarists were standing on drum pads. Or rather, they were stomping on the drum pads to provide percussion, all the while playing guitar and singing. They had an incredible sound that's hard to describe. It was almost a mix of bluegrass, rockabilly, and blues with am Americana roots feel to it. We chatted with two of the band members after the show, and Corky bonded with them being that he's from PA as well. We talked about Tasty Cakes and PA lingo (yous guys). I ordered their cds online, and can't wait for them to arrive. I'm even more exicted that they will be playing The Ark in Ann Arbor in September. I'm hoping to drag along some more friends to that show.
After Runs With Spatula got her picture taken with the really cool merch guy after the show, she asked me if I wanted to sit at the bar for another beer. Given that Corky was our DD that night (as with many nights...), we plunked ourselves down at the bar near the lobby and soaked in the local band playing on the mini stage there. Soon we heard the singer say, "Oh my god...it's Jimbo!" Our heads snapped around to see Jimbo Wallace, upright bass player for The Rev, working the crowd a bit. Runs With Spatula and I looked at each other, decided we had to get a picture with Jimbo, and patiently waited until the rest of the riff-raff moved along so that we could claim some time with him. If you've never seen Jimbo play, it's amazing. How often do you get to see a cute greaser throw a bass into the air and catch it? Crazy. He shook our hands, gave us hugs (I got two!), let Corky take a few pictures, and he even kissed me on my cheek. For some reason, I decided to wash my cheek even though I really didn't want to. I'm still riding the Jimbo high - just the mention of his name snaps me out of a bad mood, which has been convenient for my co-workers. It was a crazy fun night, and I can't wait for the next concert extravaganza!

Ephiphany

I had an epiphany recently. I've always been attracted to intelligent men. Really intelligent men. Guys who read physics books for fun, who can speak in computer code...god forbid if they love math, I'm diggin' on them. What I realized is that while I find intelligent men appealing, I'm really looking for someone who is smart. It is a subtle difference, but I am now realizing how important a difference that is. I haven't found that guy quite yet, but I'm shifting my focus a bit.
Intelligence is great, but I find it a bit boring after a while. It's as if the guys I've dated who fall into that category are so focused on fields of study or profession that they don't have as much a sense of adventure, or at least not one that's suited to mine.
I think the other common denominator is a lack of good friends or a support network. I've never been a loner, and I don't relate well to them. I always prefer to be on the go, spending time with friends and family, or meeting new people and having new experiences. I seem to end up with (or choose, more appropriately) people who don't have a very active social life, and I can't handle the thought of being their sole source of entertainment or social director, or worse, their sole source of emotional support. Now, finding someone who will work with me to make schedules mesh will be a challenge, but I think it's one I'm willing to take on at some point.

Father Cutie

So, Father Alberto Cutie was caught frolicking on a beach with *gasp!* a woman. Yep, Father Cutie, a Catholic priest, photographed canoodling with a woman. The archdiocese immediately relieved him of his duties at his church. Interesting - I could've sworn they would usher him off to a different congregation in a different town like they did with the priests who were caught molesting innocent children. But no, they instead take his duties away for carrying on with a consenting adult. I don't understand how the punishment for breaking one's vows can vary so wildly. Perhaps it's because the object of Father Cuties affection is a divorced woman?? Certainly we all know how the Catholic church feels about divorce... He, of course, would like to have his cake and eat it, too - he wants to remain a priest until he dies, and wants to stay in this relationship. Who can blame him?

But could the church's requirements be more backward? So often, people are told to seek the counsel of their priest when in times of crisis. Could a priest who has benefited from being married and / or having children be better equipped to assist parishioners with marital / family / relationship issues? And what's so bloody awful about progressing forward and adapting to the changing world to serve your parishioners (and ambassadors / employees, for that matter) instead of trying to fit them back into archaic molds of behavior and so-called morality?

So many years of Catholicism... I wonder if the recovery will ever be complete, or if, like so many struggles, it will remain a constant, always in need of attention? No, by the way, it wasn't all bad. There were a lot of benefits to being raised "in the church," but I believe most of those benefits would've existed regardless - time with family, time with friends, reinforced moral code - I've had a lot of positive influences in my life, and church served as a location for some of those influences to congregate. I still like to think that without church, there would have been some other avenue for that to happen.

Adopt a Highway

I participated in Adopt A Highway on Monday on a stretch of I-69 adopted by GM. It was the first time I participated in this, and I dare say, I hope it's the last. I'm all about volunteering, but this is the bottom of the barrel for me. First, standing not so far from an expressway where semi-trucks are flying by at 70+ miles an hour hardly seems safe. Second, the layers of latex gloves and work gloves made my hands sweat in a way I thought was not possible (and really, it shouldn't be possible). Third, the volume of vile and disgusting trash collected was ridiculous. Fourth, I really felt I should have had a Tetanus booster before this because of the number of sharp and / or rusty objects I "found." I would much rather work on a project to educate people on why they should not litter in the first place. Can I tell you how long it took to de-tangle my hair? It's not something I complain about normally, but I honestly could have had dreadlocks by the next day had I not taken care of it. Ugh. Other than that, it was great to spend the morning outside. I just wish it hadn't been spent picking up other people's trash.

Waterboarding!

So I read this little article about waterboarding terrorists. I don't really condone terrorism, nor do I condone torture. And yes, I have been asked how, without coercion and torture, does one expect to gather information from suspected terrorists? I don't know. That's why I am a chemical manager and not an high-ranking military or government leader. I do think it would be intriguing if said leaders had to withstand the techniques inflicted on suspects when evaluating whether or not something is torturous enough to be illegal. Perhaps W or Cheney should've been waterboarded 183 times while being questioned. I would be curious what they might admit to...

The World of Online Dating II: Missing Chromosomes

Yes, the title of this post is judgmental of me. But I believe I'm spot-on on this one. Sue me - I'm pretty sure I have a strong case.

"Single male who's never dated seeking single white female for fun dates and more.She must be young,attractive,fun,and have big breasts. She must be caring,kind and very affectionate and a bit of a flirt.She must be romantic,passsionate and into pleasing her partner."

There are so many things wrong with this, it's almost impossible to begin analyzing. I believe this would fall into Colleen's classifications of "creepies and crazies." Punctuation and grammar aside (which is hard to do), I can see why this particular person has never dated at the tender age of 34. I'm no expert by any means, still hanging in the single-not-willing-to-settle category, but seriously? Try some cogent sentences, and try not being such an ass and you just might hook up!

Easter Egg Hunt!

Before the hunt - the 7 & up age group and Runs with Spatula and Corky in the midst of the 4 - 6 age group, waiting to take pictures. Note that they are carefully stationed by a tree for safety. It gets nuts in there!

Well, I ended up chairing the Lansing Jaycees Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Capitol Lawn. Unintentionally. It just didn't seem like anyone else was going to take it on at the first committee meeting. (Note to self: skip the first meeting next year.) This was my third year in a row chairing the event. I have a huge soft spot for this, as this is the first project I ever ran, and I feel it's gotten better each year. This year, with much thanks to a great committee and incredible weather, the project was a huge success. Jim, the gentleman at the Capitol who works maintenance for us for the event, estimated 800-plus people were there, and commented that it was the best-attended he's seen. And on a more personal note, he told me that he's always impressed with how well organized the group is.

And best yet, after several discussions and a little guilt trip on my brother, Jamie, that included me pointing out that I really don't ask him for much at all, which resulted in my brother guilting my nephew, Justin, he brought Justin up to Lansing for the event. Justin had declared to my brother and mom that he didn't like Easter Egg Hunts a week before the event. I knew that at nine years of age he was on the ragged edge of enjoying it, and they weren't able to make it up for the last two due to the blizzards, but I really wanted him to see the craziness that his ol' Auntie Carrie immerses in. I'm certain he got a speech that went a little like this: "Your Auntie Carrie goes to a lot of your swim meets and does a lot of nice stuff for you. She really wants you there. And I think you should do this for your Auntie Carrie." Nice parenting, Jamie! Justin did humor me a great deal. And he did enjoy himself - bonus! Jamie and Justin both seemed shocked at the sheer number of people there. I was excited to have my brother and nephew meet so many of my Lansing friends. And to top it off, my dear friend Kirk and his cousin Bridget also joined us to help out.


Me in my ears with Justin, and Justin with Click-It the Cricket (aka Angela), Jamie and Kirk.

And I know Justin appreciated me bringing the bunny head to Mom & Dad's house for Easter brunch. My godfather died a few years ago, and we remain very close with his family - Donna, his wife, Courtney and Matt, his daughter and son-in-law, and John, their two year-old son. They have spent Easter with us the past two years. Justin put the bunny head on for when little John arrived. What cracked me up the most was when he said to John, "Did I bring you everything you wanted?" while in the bunny head and his AC/DC t-shirt. Just gotta love that kid!


Justin rockin' out the bunny head and Mom and Nancy with some Easter cheer.

Today

I wore a short-sleeved shirt and no jacket as I walked into work this morning. For some reason, it struck me how refreshing it was to feel the cool wind against my bare arms. Life doesn't get better than this kind of Michigan day.

It's Been a While...

...for a few things. I've had a little hiatus from my sweet ol' blog and a few little breaks from my sanity. Work craziness, Jaycee craziness, bridal shower fun, and a vacation in the mix have all left me stressed, tired, entertained and amused (not necessarily in that order) with a disorganized apartment and tons of stuff in my car. Neither of those lead to me being in a good frame of mind, but I've been working at prioritizing and accepting that the disorganization is temporary.

Today had me making a quick trip to the City Market with Runs With Spatula. I must make a point of going with her more often. Not surprisingly, she knows almost everyone, and the market is more fun with a few tales of some back-stories here and there. We chatted with the organic brewing supplies guys about the upcoming Beer Bus Extravaganza, chatted with the EL Food Coop lady (quite a character), Chad at the popcorn stand, and headed to the Soup Spoon Cafe for lunch with Katrina & Dan and their friend Brad (who it turns out I went to high school with, which I figured out well after lunch). Good company all the way around.

After a spot of volunteering, I chilled for a while, then decided to go see "He's Just Not That Into You." A few of my single friends had commented that it wasn't a good movie to see if you're single, and I don't quite understand why. I thought it was funny, quirky, insightful at times, and all-around entertaining. I didn't find it depressing as some of my friends had. Inspiring, maybe. Enlightening at times because most people I know, me included, have checked their phone / email / social networking sites a gazillion times to see if their interest of the moment had tried to contact them. But not depressing. I actually thought it was uplifting. But, there's me for being in the minority :) No shock there.

And I rediscovered that I like hanging out with myself. I haven't done that in a long time - just taken some time to do something for myself, by myself, that wasn't work or Jaycee or family or friend related. Just a little time for myself, by myself, and it was all kinds of fantastic. And it's not that I don't appreciate my time with my people, but it's nice to recharge every so often, and this has been one of those evenings. Ahhh...

Oops...

I somehow, without realizing it, moved the lever to the thermostat to roughly 95. I started sensing that it was a bit warm when the temp got up to around 85 or so. I thought about leaving it there, but slid it back to where it was originally. I think I'm ready for vacation.

101

Yesterday's post (or was it this morning, technically?) was the 100th. Not too shabby for 10 months of blogging, and I'm proud of myself for having kept it up. Rockin'!

Picture It...

Sunday, February 22. Grand Rapids. The 8 & Under State Swim Meet. Of course, I had to go. And I actually remembered my camera. I arrived at the pool just as a close race was finishing in the girls' relay, and was there just in time for Justin's first swim - the breaststroke leg of the 100-yard individual medley relay. I don't think I've seen him swim that fast before, and their team took 2nd! I got teary-eyed again, and both feel like an ass and a sense that nobody else feels like their heart is running around out of their body on that pool deck. Maybe that's the secret I should send in to postsecret... But alas, I thought he had a great meet overall - 2nd in two relays, 4th in the 100 IM, and 3rd in the 50 freestyle and 2nd in the 25 free.

But the interesting part was his reaction to his 50 free swim. He's been battling with his time, as he swam his fastest early in the season and has had a really hard time repeating that performance. When he doesn't get too upset, my brother does, as he seems to feel Justin's not trying hard enough and is capable of swimming faster. This time, it was Justin who was upset with his time (and maybe the fact that he placed third and not first, though he seemed okay with not placing first in his other events). So, maybe this time he did work hard and try his best and it wasn't good enough in one way or another. It's just amazing to me sometimes. I look into his sweet face and see myself. I don't remember getting overly frustrated with sports. I knew I would never be a great swimmer, so I settled for being okay. I still worked hard, but it didn't damage me that I wouldn't swim in college or ever make it to state meets. My frustration was more with my education. I was reminded today of being at home alone after school during my senior year in high school, sitting on the couch, working on Calculus homework, and hurling the book across the room in utter frustration at not being able to figure out a problem (probably matrices, damn that Rene Descartes). And it was all because of some overwhelming feeling that it should come easier to me than it did. Mind you, I got As in calc (and everything else, mostly), so how could that not be good enough? The trigger for that memory was Justin ripping off his cap and goggles after his race, and throwing a few good punches at his swim bag as he was digging for his towel, obviously upset. He pulled it together for his last race, and by the end of the meet, when I got my hugs and kisses, he was in a pretty good mood, which was nice to see.

Part of me thinks this is all a good character builder. As if somehow that the level of frustration can be good, and I know that Justin needs to learn how to deal with things, have confidence in himself, and be proud of himself. Oh, and it is so fascinating to watch my brother trying to pull the best out of his son, when my parents struggled with that very thing with him. I just hope these life lessons aren't as elusive for my nephew as they were for me.













And the pictures - Justin getting his medal for the 50 free, swimming in the 100 free relay, getting ready to swim the 50 free, and talking to my brother (who was volunteering as a timer) before the 100 free relay.

PostSecret

I usually try to remember to check PostSecret on Sundays, and if not, I'm sure to hit it on Mondays. Today's post was about that universal thing called love. And it's just funny how easy it is to relate to many of them, but particularly:

-I would like to drop an anvil on his girlfriend / love interest's head
-I am afraid I'll never find what other people have found in terms of a meaningful relationship (this person referenced their grandparents)
-and, if I could go back in time, I would've kissed him... or maybe I did, and it still didn't work out. Nonetheless, no risk, no reward!

Ah, yet another reason to love Sundays!

Things I Miss...

sunblock and mosquito bites
hugs from people taller than me
people laughing at work
relaxed shoulders
playing cards 'til five in the morning with Kirk
Lambrusco nights
sunshine
Justin's belly-laugh
sleep
Daria
bonfires
not having to say a word

Oh, Michael...

I've had a few people ask me about the latest Michael Phelps drama - mostly, I'm sure, because of how avidly I watched his races in the Olympics this past summer. I couldn't tear myself away - it's so rare to see swimming on television that I savored every moment I could. But I digress... the question of late has been what do I think about Phelps and his bong...?

Honestly, I should preface this by saying I think marijuana should be legal. I have heard one argument against legalizing being safety while driving, but frankly, there's an instant THC test nowadays that works about as quickly as a breathalyzer (I know because I got into a disagreement recently with someone at work about how long certain drugs are detectable in various samples from the body - blood, hair, urine, etc...). I often wonder if it's just because the alcohol lobby is so strong or because smoking in general has been crucified, but I'm sure in my lifetime, recreational marijuana will not be legal in this country.

So, back to Phelps. My first response was that he's an idiot for putting himself in the position to be photographed with his lips wrapped around a 3-foot bong. My next response when I heard this at work was that surely he probably needed to smoke pot to get a good case of the munchies to be able to consume his 10,000-plus calorie diet while training. Then I thought that marijuana certainly cannot be performance-enhancing in the world of swimming (oooh, look at the pretty tiles on the bottom of the pool! Oops! I think I forgot to inhale when I turned my head to breathe! My gosh - it's taking a year to swim one length of the pool!). And then I remembered reading about his training regimen - 365 days a year, for roughly eight years if you count both Olympics. Can you imagine working 365 days a year? I think I'd need more than one hit off that bong if I worked that much. Oh, and think about the lung capacity of swimmers. Phelps could probably suck down an entire joint in one hit. And speaking of, do you know how many swimmers smoke? From my recollection, a whole lot of swimmers did / do. And when you read the reactions of his fellow Olympians, consider that thought. I have yet to see anybody in the sport of swimming come down too hard on Michael. He was suspended from competition for all of three months (again, it's not performance-enhancing, and he was on the bandwagon for being monitored for doping throughout the Olympics to remain above suspicion). I don't think that USA Swimming is really going to ban the greatest swimmer of all time from competing with London four years away. At least not for a little walk in the park like he just had.

But alas, he was contrite. He's supposed to be a role model, blah blah blah. I'd be more concerned if he had been photographed snorting coke or passed out with a needle in his arm. People are calling for him to enter rehab. I mean, seriously? Rehab? For smoking a little pot? Again, seriously? So he's going to town after winning eight gold medals during one Olympic games. Give the guy a break. And really, who cares? He's an amazing swimmer, which is why I know of him. He could be a complete whackadoo and I would still love to watch him swim, because he's just such a freak of nature. So, Michael, if you're reading this, stop apologizing. Enjoy your success. We'll see you again in 2012 when major stations decide to air swimming again. It'll be a long four years without you.

As Heard While Shopping...

I ventured to the lovely Lansing Mall this evening, and overheard the following:

Girl A: Yo, Biatch! I just saw your baby daddy!
Girl B: Where he at?
Girl A: Food Court. Where else?
Girl B: That bastard!

I followed with a quick stop at Walgreens to grab some Diet Coke and a copy of US Weekly to satisfy my trashy celebrity "news" craving and heard the following:

Scene: Customer is talking on her cell phone, in an obvious rush, and hands the cashier a $100 bill for roughly $30 of merchandise...

Cashier: Joe, you denuded my drawer of all the small bills. I cannot break this customer's $100 bill.

Now, I could see in the drawer, and my many years of till experience at Record Town told me she clearly had more than enough change in $10 bills to go along with the one $20 bill she had. But that's almost beside the point. The cashier reminded me of someone from my past in such a striking way it was almost eerie. I have not heard the word "denuded" since I was a student at Oakland University. I had applied to the university and was asked to go to campus for a scholarship competition at Meadowbrook Hall. The day consisted of a tour of the mansion, lunch and an exam including a blue book essay. In the little time we had to chat with people, I met a girl named Trista. I later found out that my mom had lunch with her mom that day. In yet another fluke, we were roommates at orientation. She commuted, and I lived on campus, and we would regularly run into each other and hang out occasionally. She tried to get me to join the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) with her. I went to one meeting, where I heard the word denuded uttered by someone who was discussing having difficulty passing college algebra - I believe she was stating she felt denuded of her self-confidence because she was struggling so much with the class. It was then that I decided that the melodrama of SCA wasn't for me (that and hearing about pre-17th century role playing...shall I call for a chimney sweep??). I did end up hanging out with some of the people I met there, but I definitely remained on the fringe. But holy flashback, Batman! I can't believe that was over fifteen years ago already. I feel denuded of my sense of time!

Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...

So, I had to really dig to find a page-a-day calendar for work. I usually get one for Christmas or my birthday, but no such luck this year. I did hit the post-holiday sale at Barnes & Noble, and the best I could come up with was "Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar..." which is a humorous look at philosophy (sometimes). The entry for Thursday was:

Infinity & Eternity
Two cows are standing in the pasture. After a while, one turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that although pi is usually abbreviated to four decimal places, it actually goes on to infinity?" And the other cow replies, "Moo."

Spartan Fan?!?

My friend Ange asked me the other night if I'd like to go the MSU - PSU basketball game. I'm certain I must've looked at her like she was nuts. Now, mind you, I used to be a sports fan, which is to say I used to watch Michigan football religiously, would watch the Lions when I could bear to, loved the Pistons back in the days of Bill Laimbeer and Ricky Mahorn (yes, I even had the Bad Boys! poster - my mom was jealous), and would avidly watch the Wings during play-offs and sometimes during regular season. However, during the last several years, I changed from a rabid Michigan fan to a casual observer who would cheer for any Big Ten school - even OSU - if they were in a bowl game. But I was never, ever, a college hoops fan. Not ever. It used to drive Kirk nuts, as he was an even more die hard fan of MSU than I was of UM. We would watch the football games together, and I would gleefully watch the Wolverines saunter off to yet another bowl game (this past season being the only exception). But as soon as basketball rolled around, I had no interest whatsoever - of course, the one sport where UM didn't have a chance in hell of beating State. I swear it wasn't planned - I just thought it was kind of boring.

So, my puzzled look had Ange a bit confused perhaps, but only because she didn't know the back story. I told her I would go unless she had any other takers that would be more interested than me (I was setting the bar low, you see). She said she hadn't, and we made arrangements to meet up and head to the game.

Sunday was beautiful. We had a decent walk to the Breslin Center, complete with sunshine and melting snow. We walked in, found that our section was right across from the entrance, eventually found our seats and settled in just in time for the anthem. I always love hearing the national anthem at the beginning of sporting events. I'm sure it's because it takes me back to my days of swimming, where we always had the anthem or the pledge of allegiance to start the meets, or maybe it has a bit to do with a trip to Washington DC when I went the the Supreme Court building, the Capitol and the Tax Court (we got kicked out of there - you apparently have to have official business to visit...who knew?), along with the other monuments and museums, that has really given me a sense of nostalgia and patriotism when I hear either tribute to the United States.

Anyway, I started looking around and noticed the Izzone surrounding the court. The only other basketball game I had been to was a Pistons game at the Palace - sitting in the upper bowl, which made me a bit queasy and made the Pistons look like mini people akin to Homies running around the teeny court. This wasn't the case with the location of our seats at the State game - lower bowl, behind the band, where we could see and hear everything. I have to say, the experience, despite how poorly the team played, kind of turned me into a bit of a Spartan basketball fan. I know I enjoyed it because I started to feel a bit nauseated at the end of the game when the score was so close... that only happens when I really get into the mood, and I was surprised that I had that reaction. In terms of the ambiance, the sound was deafening, the Izzone was hilarious (even the ones way at the top of the upper bowl, which Ange pointed out to me about halfway through the game), the fans were fun to watch, we were indoors (I still hate the cold), and I reconnected with sports, which is something I haven't done as a spectator in a long, long time. Needless to say, if Ange asks me if I want to go to another game with her, she won't get such a perplexed look!

I Heart...

...the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Have I mentioned that yet? I love music. I have always loved music. But it's rare that I find I really like a soundtrack enough to buy it, let alone listen to it for weeks on end in the car. I remember commenting to Sheryl when we saw the movie together that I thought the music was incredible. I searched for a while for the soundtrack (Barnes & Noble let me down twice, which is odd, and it was finally Target to the rescue, which was also odd), and was concerned that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a great stand-alone compilation. I'm quite certain I would've loved the CD without having seen the movie.

I saw the movie for a second time, after listening to the soundtrack for weeks. And it was even more stirring than before. The tempo, the insistence, the sorrow...the entire vibe of the CD is captured in the movie, even though I'm sure it's intended to be the other way around. And there's such strong association between the music and the images in the film - from running through the streets of Mumbai to the aerial view of the city to riding on top of the train and "working" at the Taj Mahal - I can't even begin to imagine music that would pair so well with the scenes for which the music was selected. It's one thing to have songs I recognize in a movie as there's a sense of nostalgia often related to hearing them. There's something altogether different with remembering music I've never heard before because the use of the music was done in such a powerful way. I think I'm done gushing for now. By the way, have I mentioned that I like the soundtrack a bit?

Back to Rational?

Almost, but not quite...

The production schedules came in, and for me, weren't as bad as I thought. We have two more weeks of downtime scheduled in March and April. The other plant is not so lucky as they will be dropping a shift. So, another 1,100 hourly layoffs and another 50 or so salaried layoffs. I'm sure this will mean a lot of shifting around at the various plants, and I'm guessing we'll have more new-ish faces to get to know and a lot of changes over the next few months. But we're scheduled for production all year, and while that can change as quickly as an email can be sent, for now it's a relief.

We have always teased Auntie Joanne about her amusing condition where as her stress level increases, her shoulders shrug further and further upward. You could tell when she was particularly tense or upset because you could barely see her ears. I realized a long time ago that I share the same tendency. It's either that or I clench my jaw. Fortunately, I haven't been clenching my jaw (no grinding, just clenching, which is painful at best), but every so often, and quite a bit yesterday, I had to stop, think, take a deep breath, and force my shoulders down. It makes me chuckle when I do it, as I picture Auntie Joanne and just think about all the shit we gave her over the years about that. I'm sure she's proud that the tradition carries on...

Completely Irrational...

So, after a "forced" vacation this past week, which was full of budgets for both work (I know - vacation, right?) and Jaycees, not enough relaxation, lots of fun, and not enough reading, I find myself a bit anxious. Or maybe a lot anxious. And I have no desire to sleep. The irrational thought is that if I sleep, I'll eventually wake up, and then will have to go to work. My rational side, which seems to want to hide right now, realizes that I have to go to work whether I sleep or not. Right now, irrational is winning out (quite obviously).

I haven't dreaded work in a really long time - years, maybe, even with all of the craziness of the last few months. So why now? I attribute it to submitting my budget, and having the finance guy email me back that it was exactly what he was looking for, but would have to be reworked because there's an upcoming announcement about the production schedule. *gulp* That's usually not good news. At least in this climate, that's not usually good news. I'll deal with whatever comes my way, but having been out of the loop for the last week, the anticipation is getting to me. And it doesn't help that I let my sleep schedule go to hell in a hand basket this past week, too. Or rather, I let it go back to what I feel my natural biorhythms dictate, which means going to sleep around 3 or 4 in the morning and getting up around 9 or 10, not to mention the occasional catnaps of this past week.

So, I guess I should focus on the positives, right? I took my Christmas tree down and put it away in the balcony storage area. My goal was to disassemble by February 1, so I met my goal! I didn't get around to any general cleaning in the living room, so it's in a bit of disarray right now, but should be easily fixed (which is something I could be doing instead of blogging, but this is more fun). I saw Slumdog Millionaire for the second time, and loved it, and fell in love with the music even more, which is crazy since that CD has been living in my car since I got it. And I saw Gran Torino. Hilarious throughout, and a tear-jerker at the end. I loved it, and will probably see it again. And I am grateful that I have a job to go to tomorrow, even if the dread is a little overwhelming right now. I know I'll quickly get into the swing and start figuring out what's going on. It's just quite a challenge. I think it's time to curl up on the couch for a bit...