"It's comin' on Christmas...They're cuttin' down trees..." That's the first line of the song River by Joni Mitchell. The first 35 seconds or so of that song just gets me, it reduces me to tears EVERY time I hear it. It's a haunting kind of song which has nothing to do with how I feel about Christmas. I love the song but I LOVE Christmas. I find it so funny because some of the shittiest events occurred during the Christmas season, but I still adore the whole bustling, stressful, shopping, when the hell am I going to have time to make cookies, wrap the damn gift in the car, family, friends and food of it all!
This week marked the year anniversary of my husband's cancer surgery. This time last year we weren't sure if that Christmas would be his last, or would there be chemo in our future or who knows what? Well, as many know, it was a very Merry Christmas last year as the cancer was caught in time. Little did I know there would be chemo in our future as my mom is struggling with the same awful disease and the same questions of "lasts" nag at me once again.
We shop, we wrap, we cook, we bake....it's comin of Christmas!
Eleven years ago, this time of year, again, we lost my sister-in-law. It was a couple days before Christmas when we drove down to say good bye to her and early the next morning, she was gone. It was tough, but we cooked, we ate, we wrapped, we opened, we shopped but this time for the pink shirts we were all to wear at her funeral. It didn't seem like Christmas too much that year, but I have a little gingerbread ornament hanging in my kitchen with an August date on it from when we DID celebrated Christmas that year. We baked, we gathered, we decorated ...it was hot, but it was her Christmas!
Holy shit though...I still love Christmas. After all is said and done, you look back on all the Christmases and some are better than others. Some years are just a blur of trying to get the kids asleep and trying to stay awake in order to make sure it looked like"Santa was here" and God help us if the cookies we left for him aren't gone. There were many a Christmas morning when I shoved those cookies in my mouth before the kids noticed. Come to think of it, I have started many mornings like that, Christmas or not. But as my children grew up, the mornings are not quite the same, yet I still feel compelled to make sure it looks like "Santa was here". This very well maybe the last year for that. as plans of moving out and buying houses are the conversations these days. Nope, doesn't matter.... still love Christmas.
There was one Christmas in particular that stands out in my mind. It was 24 years ago this week and we got a great present that year. A beautiful baby girl. Her due date was December 25 but because of having to have a C-section, we picked that date 12/12. That would get me home in plenty of time. I had already shopped, wrapped and baked knowing that I would be a little busier that usual that year. I was then reminded of my one of my grandmother's favorite saying "you make plans and God laughs" Well he must have been hysterical because my plans went horribly awry.
Thanks to the same wonderful God, my baby girl was healthy and dare I say perfect! It was me that was not so perfect it seemed. The frightening part was no one knew why. Doctors would come in scratch their heads and send me for tests. There was one doctor in particular with no bedside manner...I believe his name was Dr. Fucking Asshole and he said very sarcastically "get a tree in here she ain't going anywhere". I wanted to go home -I couldn't miss Christmas...who would remember to eat the cookies? Who would write Merry Christmas Love Santa on the black board easel Santa was bringing? Who would fill the stockings ?
About a week and a half later, my baby went home with out me while I had an additional surgery to un-obstruct my bowel. Then there was my gig in ICU for an very scary heart issue. I didn't think I would ever see another Christmas but my biggest fear was that my precious baby girl would always feel responsible if anything ever happened to me. I WOULD NOT let that be the case. I will spare the gory details (and they are pret-tay pret-tay gory) and just say that very early Christmas morning I was in a regular room with a monitor on my heart and a phone on my ear.
"don't forget to write Merry Christmas on the board and eat those cookies and take a bite out of the carrot you had better left for the reindeer" I met my entire family, IV pole and all, at the elevator. I'll never forget the looks on their beautiful faces when the doors opened. I did something I never thought I would do again....I kissed and hugged my kids and held my 13 day old baby that I hadn't seen or held for what seemed like an eternity. We spent Christmas day in the visitor waiting room of the hospital that year and it was GREAT. Since then I really try to not stress about the holiday. If I can have a baby, two surgeries and a heart problem and still pull off a great Christmas....what is there to stress about.
I know I didn't do it alone. Somebody up there likes...no, loves me! That I know, but I also think a certain jolly ol' man helped me out as well. I really do believe that is a spirit that gets us through these days.
Yes ....I believe in Santa Claus. Now I found out recently that I was never taken to see Santa as a little girl. Yeah...I couldn't believe it either. I never got a clear cut answer exacty why only that my sister and brother did.....more middle child bullshit I guess! But now I think it is very clear why I love Christmas.....my friends...
I have Santa Issues.
Yes, I will dress up in festive clothes at holiday parties and act like a Ho Ho Ho ....all because I never saw Santa.
I will secretly watch Christmas porn, you know Rudolph, the Grinch and Charlie Brown Christmas all by myself....no grandson around...just me
I have flashing lights in my house and drink eggnog and peppermint schnapps to access..
I am addicted to the white stuff...powdered sugar
I deck too many halls...
I make sure every one feels merry (wink wink)
My favorite reindeer...Vixen
I clearly have Santa issues.... When I watch Mad Men, sure I love Don Draper, but there is something about that Roger Sterling, ....could it be the white hair...
Coincidence, I think not.
So I wish my loyal blog readers a very Happy Holiday season....a Merry Merry Christmas. I hope this made you take the time away from your baking and wrapping and shopping and stressing to appreciate everything you have and cherish the memories you make at this beautiful time of year, good, bad or otherwise. Hug your family, have another cookie, and go ahead, buy yourself a present too. Listen to that Joni Mitchell song and get a little teary like I do and then put on Christmas Vacation and watch Chevy Chase whip down that hill on that sled and laugh your ass off...I do EVERY time....just sayin.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
I'm Thankful for Peas
I am always blown away by the passage of time. They say you blink and years fly by...it is so true. I can't believe how old my kids are. I can't believe how old my friends are....yeah, yeah, yeah -I can't believe how old I am too. Any how, this particular blog title shows the passage of time because it was uttered by my son a mere 25 years ago. He was sitting in his high chair while we were all preparing for the big Thanksgiving meal. He must have overheard us talking and said he was "thankful for peas" ( I should have known then he would wind up in the food industry). Well, my big obnoxious Sicilian family thought he said he was thankful for PEACE...."Oh my God ...did you hear what he said God Bless him" "I can't believe it, God Bless him" "He is so sweet, God Bless him". Seriously, the kid was covered with peas and they had him pegged as the new Gandhi. But that is my big, obnoxious Sicilian family.(God Bless 'em)..and I'm thankful for them, So in the spirit of the season, here, in no particular order, are some of the things I am thankful for:
I am thankful for, of course, my family and my children but I am also thankful for my animals. There is nothing like sitting on the couch and have one of my many pets come and plop down on my lap. They know when you're feeling down or if you are ill. They sense things, like when my daughter was pregnant, they knew not to jump up on her. It is uncanny how they know. They are so sweet and entertaining and dependable. I know every morning my two cats will join me in the bathroom and watch the toilet flush...their little heads circling ...they are like the "we are Siamese if you please"cats from Lady and the Tramp. I am thankful for my non human family!
I am thankful that after months of stressing, I wound up in a new position that really suits me and I'm in an office surrounded by wonderful characters and supportive people and friends where I feel like I can be myself...eventually. I am still watching my language a little and trying not to be too inappropriate. Oh well, we all know it's just a fucking matter of time.
I am thankful for Happy Hour where I meet up every Friday with my "girls" from the old school. People roll their eyes when we said we would stay connected , but a shit ton of Jack and Cokes later, we have. I am so thankful for these people and the fact that we make the effort . That is an amazing thing especially when you realize how quickly you can fall off of some one's plate. I know that everyone is busy and life has a way of moving on, but a text, a let's get together, a "how's your mom doing" goes a long way in my book. I am thankful for my friends old and new!
I am thankful for Bruce Springsteen. I am obsessed, I admit it, but when a song by the Boss comes on , I am 17 years old again. I have seen him over a dozen times, with friends, with my husband (who always says he will never go to another concert with me again...just because the ONE time they guys behind us lifted me up in the air when he played Rosalita. and the ONE time I teared up when he opened with Tunnel of Love) I have even seen him a couple of times with my son, which is so awesome ...but my favorite concert partner is my sister in law...who has seen him I think 3 more times than I have. One day we will finagle our way up to the front....I know we will. I am thankful for the faith that "there's magic in the night"
I am thankful for the fact that my husband's latest colonoscopy did not turn out like the last time. They did find a polyp but they did not call us immediately with that news that no one wants to hear, especially at Thanksgiving. I am thankful for no news is good news!
I am thankful for the "remember the time" people in my life, both family and friends. The time at the Taste of Buffalo when the old guy smashed an ice cream cone like he was Godzilla walking through Tokyo. The time we went to that church and there was like 100 bottle of maple syrup on the shelves in the rectory. The time we met those guys at Angola on the lake (yeah I married one of 'em) The time at the cottage in Canada and that Battleship game with that kid and how EVERYONE we knew came to that garbage pail party. The "don't take a year" ice cream story. That "AHHH Freak Out" Mexican Train game". The time we talked each other through turning 50. ...right down to the minute. Those are just a few of many times that I am thankful for.
I am thankful for musicals. Musical have brought me years and years of happiness. Starting with listening to Camelot, Funny Girl, The Bells are Ringing and Hello Dolly with my sister to eventually being able to sing the entire score of Jesus Christ Superstar( including all the record skips ). Musicals have brought me the best friends I could have ever dreamt of having. Sitting with the altos at 16, I would have never have imagined still having breakfast with these girls, being grandmas together and especially, providing the opportunity for other 16 year olds to find their sole mates. I am thankful that everything I know I learned from watching, performing in and directing musicals. How long does it takes to get from Buffalo to Fredonia? The entire score of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .Thank you very much!
I am so thankful for this little 3 1/2 year old guy who calls me Gaga. I can't believe the happiness I feel when I am with him. I don't think I could have made it through this past year with out him. When things are at their worst, his laugh, his hugs and his little snarky sense of humor (already) makes me so thankful that he and all my kids, for that matter, are so close. Close as in where we live and close in our hearts. I am thankful my kids are so close to each other too. I was not close to my sister growing up but I don't know what I would do with out her now. With everything we are going through, our coffee getaways are better than any therapy session. I know she would say "the same to you"
I am thankful that after about 30 years, I was reunited with my friend Tommy because it was only a short time after that reunion that he passed away. I am thankful for that brief time and that when the temperature drops I will always say "Brrrrritney Sprears it's cold outside" in his honor. I miss him everyday. I also miss my sister in law, who was also taken way too soon. I miss her terribly, but I will always remember something she said as well. In her last days I remember her saying that she had the "perfect life". I was taken aback by that at first. For years she battled cancer among other things and her life was not easy looking from the outside...but to her, it was perfect and I don't think she would mind at all if I borrowed her words.
A lot of shit has happened recently, I laugh a lot, I cry a lot. I am hurt by some people but there are those I adore. I lose my shit more than I'd like to admit. I am sometimes so tired that I can't even see straight, but I will always stay for "just one more" beer. Sometimes stupid things like money issues get me down but I also know more that anyone that the best things in life aren't things....so as I prepare for an exhausting week of family and friends ..... I am thankful to be aggravated , overwhelmed, hysterical, bone weary, full of food, full of gratitude and full of joy.
To quote my guardian angel..,".I am thankful for my Perfect Life".....just saying
I am thankful for, of course, my family and my children but I am also thankful for my animals. There is nothing like sitting on the couch and have one of my many pets come and plop down on my lap. They know when you're feeling down or if you are ill. They sense things, like when my daughter was pregnant, they knew not to jump up on her. It is uncanny how they know. They are so sweet and entertaining and dependable. I know every morning my two cats will join me in the bathroom and watch the toilet flush...their little heads circling ...they are like the "we are Siamese if you please"cats from Lady and the Tramp. I am thankful for my non human family!
I am thankful that after months of stressing, I wound up in a new position that really suits me and I'm in an office surrounded by wonderful characters and supportive people and friends where I feel like I can be myself...eventually. I am still watching my language a little and trying not to be too inappropriate. Oh well, we all know it's just a fucking matter of time.
I am thankful for Happy Hour where I meet up every Friday with my "girls" from the old school. People roll their eyes when we said we would stay connected , but a shit ton of Jack and Cokes later, we have. I am so thankful for these people and the fact that we make the effort . That is an amazing thing especially when you realize how quickly you can fall off of some one's plate. I know that everyone is busy and life has a way of moving on, but a text, a let's get together, a "how's your mom doing" goes a long way in my book. I am thankful for my friends old and new!
I am thankful for Bruce Springsteen. I am obsessed, I admit it, but when a song by the Boss comes on , I am 17 years old again. I have seen him over a dozen times, with friends, with my husband (who always says he will never go to another concert with me again...just because the ONE time they guys behind us lifted me up in the air when he played Rosalita. and the ONE time I teared up when he opened with Tunnel of Love) I have even seen him a couple of times with my son, which is so awesome ...but my favorite concert partner is my sister in law...who has seen him I think 3 more times than I have. One day we will finagle our way up to the front....I know we will. I am thankful for the faith that "there's magic in the night"
I am thankful for the fact that my husband's latest colonoscopy did not turn out like the last time. They did find a polyp but they did not call us immediately with that news that no one wants to hear, especially at Thanksgiving. I am thankful for no news is good news!
I am thankful for the "remember the time" people in my life, both family and friends. The time at the Taste of Buffalo when the old guy smashed an ice cream cone like he was Godzilla walking through Tokyo. The time we went to that church and there was like 100 bottle of maple syrup on the shelves in the rectory. The time we met those guys at Angola on the lake (yeah I married one of 'em) The time at the cottage in Canada and that Battleship game with that kid and how EVERYONE we knew came to that garbage pail party. The "don't take a year" ice cream story. That "AHHH Freak Out" Mexican Train game". The time we talked each other through turning 50. ...right down to the minute. Those are just a few of many times that I am thankful for.
I am thankful for musicals. Musical have brought me years and years of happiness. Starting with listening to Camelot, Funny Girl, The Bells are Ringing and Hello Dolly with my sister to eventually being able to sing the entire score of Jesus Christ Superstar( including all the record skips ). Musicals have brought me the best friends I could have ever dreamt of having. Sitting with the altos at 16, I would have never have imagined still having breakfast with these girls, being grandmas together and especially, providing the opportunity for other 16 year olds to find their sole mates. I am thankful that everything I know I learned from watching, performing in and directing musicals. How long does it takes to get from Buffalo to Fredonia? The entire score of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .Thank you very much!
I am so thankful for this little 3 1/2 year old guy who calls me Gaga. I can't believe the happiness I feel when I am with him. I don't think I could have made it through this past year with out him. When things are at their worst, his laugh, his hugs and his little snarky sense of humor (already) makes me so thankful that he and all my kids, for that matter, are so close. Close as in where we live and close in our hearts. I am thankful my kids are so close to each other too. I was not close to my sister growing up but I don't know what I would do with out her now. With everything we are going through, our coffee getaways are better than any therapy session. I know she would say "the same to you"
I am thankful that after about 30 years, I was reunited with my friend Tommy because it was only a short time after that reunion that he passed away. I am thankful for that brief time and that when the temperature drops I will always say "Brrrrritney Sprears it's cold outside" in his honor. I miss him everyday. I also miss my sister in law, who was also taken way too soon. I miss her terribly, but I will always remember something she said as well. In her last days I remember her saying that she had the "perfect life". I was taken aback by that at first. For years she battled cancer among other things and her life was not easy looking from the outside...but to her, it was perfect and I don't think she would mind at all if I borrowed her words.
A lot of shit has happened recently, I laugh a lot, I cry a lot. I am hurt by some people but there are those I adore. I lose my shit more than I'd like to admit. I am sometimes so tired that I can't even see straight, but I will always stay for "just one more" beer. Sometimes stupid things like money issues get me down but I also know more that anyone that the best things in life aren't things....so as I prepare for an exhausting week of family and friends ..... I am thankful to be aggravated , overwhelmed, hysterical, bone weary, full of food, full of gratitude and full of joy.
To quote my guardian angel..,".I am thankful for my Perfect Life".....just saying
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Six Degrees of Jubilation
Someone recently asked me when the next installment of MJust Sayin was going to be ready. I thought long and hard before I sarcastically answered "when I have something happy to write about". I have been in a slump lately...a rut ...or what is known (to a chosen few) as the LIFE TROUGH. Now everyone is probably well aware of my family health situation, but that being said, I have been very negative lately. It seems like I am in a downward spiral of bitch, (that would be a great title for a soap opera). So in a Scarlett O'Hara moment....I made a conscious decision...."with God as my witness." to be.... happy
I decided that even if I am not in a very happy time of life....I can recall the things that make me happy...go ahead say it "go to your happy place". Now I am generally a positive, glass half full type of person. I really am...I remember being told one time that "not everything is funny, you know"...but....it kind of is... for the most part anyway. So being that person, I have found a bunch of things that make me happy. Some are big, grand events that I look back on and some are simple little things that most people don't even notice. The births of my children/grandchild/nieces & nephews (related or unrelated) of course make up a chunk of the happiest moments ever. That is kind of what they call a given. But there were certain days that even when I was in it, I knew... this is an "as good as it gets" moment.
About six years ago, my three kids and I piled in a car at midnight and drove through the night to New York City to see a friend of ours in a real live Broadway show. We went to this awesome show along with our favorite NYC Goomadi. Like that wasn't enough to make a memory or two After the show we made our way to the stage door . There was a crowd of adoring fans which we maneuvered through and caught the eye of the guy at the door. We said who we were and he said ..."right this way" and escorted us in, much to the hatred of the mere peons on the street... I remember saying "Hey we are finally as cool as we are always pretending to be". We met some of the cast and went to dinner with our Broadway star friend. Walking down the street on that warm July evening, I knew...this is a good day, one that I will always remember as pretty close to perfect.
Many of my happy moments are NYC/NJ based. Sitting on a roof top with good friends having Mojitos...watching my kids see the ocean for the first time and then years later, laughing uncontrollably while we got knocked around by the waves . going backstage at Saturday Night Live, having a handsome waiter comment on my smile as he took a picture of us. Those are all good 'go to" moments to savor on the drive home from the cancer ward of a hospital.
Five years ago I directed my first musical. Godspell... and I honestly did not know what the fuck I was doing. For some reason taking on this task at the same time we were planning a wedding (show- one weekend/wedding the next) seemed like a perfectly sane thing to do..Now I've never smoked crack, but I would image it's the feeling of pure joy and intense fear and having really no true control over anything yet watching it all unfold in front of you. For the record both events were wildly successful and I look back on that time with true happiness as they both were interwoven and life changing. On the first day of rehearsal, I suggested to this group of strangers, that it would be so cool if everyone came to the church for the wedding and surprise my daughter/our choreographer with one of the songs from the show that she had also chosen for the service.(..Godspell....God....church,.... see how this all fits.)
Fast forward six weeks later and in the back of the church sat these once strangers, now "family". I know the thought was "how sweet they came to the wedding" but when the song started and these kids stood up and filled the church with gorgeous harmonies ...it was honestly one of the most incredible moments and the beautiful, surprised look on my daughter's face is burned in my mind and heart forever.
So when I find myself looking for some cute hats and pretty scarves to bring to my mom who now lost all her hair....I think of the song "All Good Gifts" and that amazing summer.
Now its not all about good times and great days....little things make me happy too. Like making all the lights on Sheridan Drive...looking at a digital clock and the time is your birthday (3:31 in case anyone forgot) or when its 12:34 ....it's crazy how many time I look at the clock right at that 1234 time....day or night, it always makes me smile. ( yeah, I'm kind of low maintenance)
.
Working in a restaurant offers moments of happy ....sometimes. Of course getting a giant tip is great, but bear with me here. After a crazy shitstorm night (like yesterday) when the place is packed and you are actually questioning your existence, you get through it with a strange feeling of accomplishment and a pocket filled with wads of money. You'd think that is good enough ...but as you go to set up the place, that looks like Viet Nam, you grab a random hand full of silver ware and napkins etc, and just so happens you grabbed the EXACT NUMBER of everything you need, I LOVE THAT. That makes me so happy in a sad way that only other freaky, Anthony Bourdain lovin' restaurant people will understand.
So I guess I just got buried in all the negative things that were happening that I forgot about all the "good gift around us."..simple or not they keep me going and bring me back to that happy place. Like.......
I decided that even if I am not in a very happy time of life....I can recall the things that make me happy...go ahead say it "go to your happy place". Now I am generally a positive, glass half full type of person. I really am...I remember being told one time that "not everything is funny, you know"...but....it kind of is... for the most part anyway. So being that person, I have found a bunch of things that make me happy. Some are big, grand events that I look back on and some are simple little things that most people don't even notice. The births of my children/grandchild/nieces & nephews (related or unrelated) of course make up a chunk of the happiest moments ever. That is kind of what they call a given. But there were certain days that even when I was in it, I knew... this is an "as good as it gets" moment.
About six years ago, my three kids and I piled in a car at midnight and drove through the night to New York City to see a friend of ours in a real live Broadway show. We went to this awesome show along with our favorite NYC Goomadi. Like that wasn't enough to make a memory or two After the show we made our way to the stage door . There was a crowd of adoring fans which we maneuvered through and caught the eye of the guy at the door. We said who we were and he said ..."right this way" and escorted us in, much to the hatred of the mere peons on the street... I remember saying "Hey we are finally as cool as we are always pretending to be". We met some of the cast and went to dinner with our Broadway star friend. Walking down the street on that warm July evening, I knew...this is a good day, one that I will always remember as pretty close to perfect.
Many of my happy moments are NYC/NJ based. Sitting on a roof top with good friends having Mojitos...watching my kids see the ocean for the first time and then years later, laughing uncontrollably while we got knocked around by the waves . going backstage at Saturday Night Live, having a handsome waiter comment on my smile as he took a picture of us. Those are all good 'go to" moments to savor on the drive home from the cancer ward of a hospital.
Five years ago I directed my first musical. Godspell... and I honestly did not know what the fuck I was doing. For some reason taking on this task at the same time we were planning a wedding (show- one weekend/wedding the next) seemed like a perfectly sane thing to do..Now I've never smoked crack, but I would image it's the feeling of pure joy and intense fear and having really no true control over anything yet watching it all unfold in front of you. For the record both events were wildly successful and I look back on that time with true happiness as they both were interwoven and life changing. On the first day of rehearsal, I suggested to this group of strangers, that it would be so cool if everyone came to the church for the wedding and surprise my daughter/our choreographer with one of the songs from the show that she had also chosen for the service.(..Godspell....God....church,.... see how this all fits.)
Fast forward six weeks later and in the back of the church sat these once strangers, now "family". I know the thought was "how sweet they came to the wedding" but when the song started and these kids stood up and filled the church with gorgeous harmonies ...it was honestly one of the most incredible moments and the beautiful, surprised look on my daughter's face is burned in my mind and heart forever.
So when I find myself looking for some cute hats and pretty scarves to bring to my mom who now lost all her hair....I think of the song "All Good Gifts" and that amazing summer.
Now its not all about good times and great days....little things make me happy too. Like making all the lights on Sheridan Drive...looking at a digital clock and the time is your birthday (3:31 in case anyone forgot) or when its 12:34 ....it's crazy how many time I look at the clock right at that 1234 time....day or night, it always makes me smile. ( yeah, I'm kind of low maintenance)
.
Working in a restaurant offers moments of happy ....sometimes. Of course getting a giant tip is great, but bear with me here. After a crazy shitstorm night (like yesterday) when the place is packed and you are actually questioning your existence, you get through it with a strange feeling of accomplishment and a pocket filled with wads of money. You'd think that is good enough ...but as you go to set up the place, that looks like Viet Nam, you grab a random hand full of silver ware and napkins etc, and just so happens you grabbed the EXACT NUMBER of everything you need, I LOVE THAT. That makes me so happy in a sad way that only other freaky, Anthony Bourdain lovin' restaurant people will understand.
So I guess I just got buried in all the negative things that were happening that I forgot about all the "good gift around us."..simple or not they keep me going and bring me back to that happy place. Like.......
A curtain call...when the applause swells and someone "woos" (it actually makes me teary eyed)
When my grandson decided to call me Gaga..
True Laughter.... I heard this line somewhere "the moment your laugh becomes a chuckle"
When someone gets your references...doesn't everyone know who Rocky Dennis is....I guess not.
That first kiss....
Zipping up a pair of jeans that didn't always fit
...and on the other hand,,,, CAKE!!!!
Happy Hour ( duh it's right in the name)
A good shower, not your everyday one but a real good one, like after a day at the beach
The right pair of shoes
...and to come full circle...someone asking me when my next blog is because they really look forward to it.Yeah, it's been quite a year or so and I don't know how much longer this will continue but these little escapes into "happy land" remind me how blessed I am. While I'm on the subject I'm a little annoyed at how people are totally abusing the word "blessed" these days...just because your life seems to be going your way at the moment- it doesn't always warrant a hashtag ...."got what I wanted#blessed." Seriously, think about what it really means to be blessed. Hmmmm, I guess this might be a little foreshadowing, I mean if I can write about all the things that make happy, you know damn well I am ready to list all the shit that fucking PISSES ME OFF.....just sayin
Monday, October 7, 2013
Pressure Cooker
Everyone has heard of stress eaters...well I'm a stress cooker. I prefer the term Pressure Cooker because I like the cartoon visual attached to it. This pot-type contraption with gauges and dials spinning out of control, steam escaping from the lid, a "run for your lives" aura about it. Yep, that sounds about right. I realized recently that I have been cooking an awful lot lately. Now here's an understatement: I have been under some stress for the last 12 months or so, the last couple of months especially.
Now not to say I haven't done my share of stress eating. I have. I do believe I'm more of a social eater. I can successfully diet for weeks and weeks but only if there is some kind of solitary confinement involved. Put me in a social situation and it's..cake? OKAY big piece? HELL YEAH! I was told once that I eat like I'm in a competition...and in one embarrassingly proud moment , after finishing a plate of ribs, the server came to he table said " the guys in the kitchen were betting you wouldn't be able eat all that". You lose bitches!
I love eating but I really enjoy cooking. I think I like it because there's a beginning, a middle and an end and the end =eating...You sit around and say what should we eat...what do we have in the house- the beginning. You chop and mix and marinate and fry, bake or boil -the middle . Then you eat and if all goes well you hear the "mmmm-ing" and the "I can't believe you made this"- the end.
I love the freedom of cooking but I am not a fan of baking (too much measuring ) although it is starting to grow on me...literally- like on my big ass.
I also love the predictability of cooking. To paraphrase a scene from the movie Julie & Julia (about a food blogger cooking her way through the Julia Child cookbook) I love the idea that no matter what is going on in the world I know that if I melt butter add some flour ... I can make a roux which can be a gravy or a wine sauce or a cheese sauce. There is great comfort in that for me.
Now because I can't really do anything medically to help my parents or my husband.... so I cook. Here is what the doctor ordered
Knee surgery- 12 bean soup with ham and kielbasa, chili (with too many peppers I was told) Potato and Ham and cheese soup.
Hip surgery - baked macaroni with chicken sausage meat balls and beans and greens with bacon.
For the various cancers - a couple variations of chicken soup, pasta zucchini and pepperoni sauce, chocolate zucchini bread. cracker crusted cod with bowtie pasta/ fall vegetables medley
Now add the new job stress Most recently, today in fact, I came home after being in lockdown at school. Because of a crazed neighbor with a house full of guns which he burned to the ground- I thought what anybody else would in my situation....FRIED CHICKEN
Cooking, to me, is a form of control. I visit my mom, who does not seem to be improving very much physically and not at all mentally. I try to talk to her and tell her how she has to get herself up off the couch. She says she will- but doesn't do it or won't do it....not without me anyway....I feel guilty because I can't be there to help her all the time...I just can't = PORK ROAST. I have a new job, which I really like, but it's new and it's different and it's quite a bit of work=SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH SAUTEED IN OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC TOPPED WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA. My newest stress is my sweet little cocker spaniel, Cosette, who will celebrate her 15 birthday this month, is clearly (sigh) on her way out..... three words
CHICKEN. POT. PIE.
SO many things are out of my control but I knew that if I added a few mini chocolate chips to my angel food cake with strawberry sauce, it would make it better ....and it did ...on so many levels.
Now I find it funny that I am not married to a "foodie". He likes to eat and I know he likes my cooking....though he never rarely says...but he is not a foodie ( I'm not sure I like that word) ...I do have a couple food lovers in my life and I think if I was married to either of them I would be huge HUGE....like piano case for a coffin huge... like has to be cut out of my apartment huge. So I guess that is the balance of life, the recipe if you will. Since cooking together is a very intimate thing... I have F- Buddies...the F being food, ya perverts.
But I do find it completely natural that my son is a cook by trade and an awesome cook at that. I guess it's in the blood....he knows exactly what to add to what and when. His motto bacon goes with everything....I have never been prouder. . I love that for the last few Christmas mornings we spent it making sauce and this past year BRACIOLE. (with bacon)-yum
I love food ! When I first thought about starting a blog I thought maybe I'd write about food. But instead, I began writing about my musicals. I actually have a great idea for a Food Network show. Pick a Broadway musical and I would make some dishes inspired by it....For example Sound of Music- crisp apple streudels and schnitzel with noodles. Get it ...a few of her favorite things? I would call it SOUND BITES....yesssssss!
It even works with movies ...I can make something with "garlic sliced with a razor blade so thin it liquefies in the pan" ala GOODFELLAS which has one of the best food related lines in movies..."Tomorrow we eat SANGwiches".
Food is connected with so many memories....I can remember the first time I had a shrimp cocktail...I think I was six. At that time of my life I was a scrawny kid. I (believe it or not) was seriously under weight. My grandfather called me "little one". My mom used to give me all kinds of things to help boost my weight...I don't think she read the small print because I think it said "may take 30 years to kick in"
Kick in it did with a vengeance...
Yes I will continue my love affair with food . I will cook my way through the hard times and situations that I have no control over. I cook for myself and for others and I am the boss for a change. I will begrudgingly watch my carbs and stick with whole wheat pastas and chicken and fish...on the weekdays and I will fill my weekends baking and creating new recipes because I can control this...if only this.
So as we wait to hear if my mom is healthy enough for chemo this week...again, out of my hands ....I'm thinking SEAFOOD BISQUE. I will bring her some and hopefully she will eat it and get stronger because she looks like she is wasting away. It's awful but it's not only because she is sick...as she says when you get older you lose your appetite....Seriously?...when does this happen? Does this also take 30 years to kick in---just sayin'
Now not to say I haven't done my share of stress eating. I have. I do believe I'm more of a social eater. I can successfully diet for weeks and weeks but only if there is some kind of solitary confinement involved. Put me in a social situation and it's..cake? OKAY big piece? HELL YEAH! I was told once that I eat like I'm in a competition...and in one embarrassingly proud moment , after finishing a plate of ribs, the server came to he table said " the guys in the kitchen were betting you wouldn't be able eat all that". You lose bitches!
I love eating but I really enjoy cooking. I think I like it because there's a beginning, a middle and an end and the end =eating...You sit around and say what should we eat...what do we have in the house- the beginning. You chop and mix and marinate and fry, bake or boil -the middle . Then you eat and if all goes well you hear the "mmmm-ing" and the "I can't believe you made this"- the end.
I love the freedom of cooking but I am not a fan of baking (too much measuring ) although it is starting to grow on me...literally- like on my big ass.
I also love the predictability of cooking. To paraphrase a scene from the movie Julie & Julia (about a food blogger cooking her way through the Julia Child cookbook) I love the idea that no matter what is going on in the world I know that if I melt butter add some flour ... I can make a roux which can be a gravy or a wine sauce or a cheese sauce. There is great comfort in that for me.
Now because I can't really do anything medically to help my parents or my husband.... so I cook. Here is what the doctor ordered
Knee surgery- 12 bean soup with ham and kielbasa, chili (with too many peppers I was told) Potato and Ham and cheese soup.
Hip surgery - baked macaroni with chicken sausage meat balls and beans and greens with bacon.
For the various cancers - a couple variations of chicken soup, pasta zucchini and pepperoni sauce, chocolate zucchini bread. cracker crusted cod with bowtie pasta/ fall vegetables medley
Now add the new job stress Most recently, today in fact, I came home after being in lockdown at school. Because of a crazed neighbor with a house full of guns which he burned to the ground- I thought what anybody else would in my situation....FRIED CHICKEN
Cooking, to me, is a form of control. I visit my mom, who does not seem to be improving very much physically and not at all mentally. I try to talk to her and tell her how she has to get herself up off the couch. She says she will- but doesn't do it or won't do it....not without me anyway....I feel guilty because I can't be there to help her all the time...I just can't = PORK ROAST. I have a new job, which I really like, but it's new and it's different and it's quite a bit of work=SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH SAUTEED IN OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC TOPPED WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA. My newest stress is my sweet little cocker spaniel, Cosette, who will celebrate her 15 birthday this month, is clearly (sigh) on her way out..... three words
CHICKEN. POT. PIE.
SO many things are out of my control but I knew that if I added a few mini chocolate chips to my angel food cake with strawberry sauce, it would make it better ....and it did ...on so many levels.
Now I find it funny that I am not married to a "foodie". He likes to eat and I know he likes my cooking....though he never rarely says...but he is not a foodie ( I'm not sure I like that word) ...I do have a couple food lovers in my life and I think if I was married to either of them I would be huge HUGE....like piano case for a coffin huge... like has to be cut out of my apartment huge. So I guess that is the balance of life, the recipe if you will. Since cooking together is a very intimate thing... I have F- Buddies...the F being food, ya perverts.
But I do find it completely natural that my son is a cook by trade and an awesome cook at that. I guess it's in the blood....he knows exactly what to add to what and when. His motto bacon goes with everything....I have never been prouder. . I love that for the last few Christmas mornings we spent it making sauce and this past year BRACIOLE. (with bacon)-yum
I love food ! When I first thought about starting a blog I thought maybe I'd write about food. But instead, I began writing about my musicals. I actually have a great idea for a Food Network show. Pick a Broadway musical and I would make some dishes inspired by it....For example Sound of Music- crisp apple streudels and schnitzel with noodles. Get it ...a few of her favorite things? I would call it SOUND BITES....yesssssss!
It even works with movies ...I can make something with "garlic sliced with a razor blade so thin it liquefies in the pan" ala GOODFELLAS which has one of the best food related lines in movies..."Tomorrow we eat SANGwiches".
Food is connected with so many memories....I can remember the first time I had a shrimp cocktail...I think I was six. At that time of my life I was a scrawny kid. I (believe it or not) was seriously under weight. My grandfather called me "little one". My mom used to give me all kinds of things to help boost my weight...I don't think she read the small print because I think it said "may take 30 years to kick in"
Kick in it did with a vengeance...
Yes I will continue my love affair with food . I will cook my way through the hard times and situations that I have no control over. I cook for myself and for others and I am the boss for a change. I will begrudgingly watch my carbs and stick with whole wheat pastas and chicken and fish...on the weekdays and I will fill my weekends baking and creating new recipes because I can control this...if only this.
So as we wait to hear if my mom is healthy enough for chemo this week...again, out of my hands ....I'm thinking SEAFOOD BISQUE. I will bring her some and hopefully she will eat it and get stronger because she looks like she is wasting away. It's awful but it's not only because she is sick...as she says when you get older you lose your appetite....Seriously?...when does this happen? Does this also take 30 years to kick in---just sayin'
Monday, September 16, 2013
Words, Words, Words
Act 2 Scene 2.... Polonius asks Hamlet "What do you read, my lord?" and Hamlet answers "Words, Words,Words", Now I was pretty sure it was Hamlet, but I'm not going to lie and say I knew what scene it was from. I had to look it up since the most I remember about Hamlet comes from when the castaways performed it for big Hollywood producer Harold Hecuba on Gilligan's Island....don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about ("Never a borrower or a lender be...." set to the music of Carmen....classic!)
But I always remembered Words Words Words. Maybe because I love words. I bet it comes as no surprise to anyone that I love words. I always have. I remember writing stories and poems in elementary school (oh yeah, always in those anthologies) I remember making up crossword puzzles when I was junior high. Reading and rewriting plays in high school and going to school for Communications and writing for the college paper. I'm addicted to Words with Friends and I fear I have lost some friends because of it. (you know who you are). And my favorite thing to do on a Sunday is curl up on the couch, with a big cup of Tim Horton's coffee and do both Sunday crosswords puzzles ....in pen, that's right, pen, bitches! Do you know a 3 letter word for a bitter vetch? I do ERS...whatever
Words Words Words...I've made up a few and have adopted some as my own. For example
"oochie-bit" ...an oochie-bit is a cookie or pastry or even a salty type snack you eat when you're in the mood for something but you don't know what.
"Utzy" ....utzy is a feeling when you don't know what to do with yourself, your arms and legs feel all awkwardy and you can't get comfortable. Usually the only cure for feeling "utzy" is an "oochie-bit". "Frankenstrated"...now this one is a combination of being anxious and frustrated. I remember using it a lot before my daughter's wedding. Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows that there are so many things to be done, but they have to be done at certain times. I knew I had tons of tasks to accomplish like getting chair covers but you can't really get the chair covers until the morning of...I was frustrated ...I was anxious...I was frankenstrated. Use it in a sentence....it's fun!
Now my new favorite word is (you guessed it)
"Shidiot" .. it's when idiot just doesn't cover it, like some kind of super idiot ...I guess it's a cross between shit head and idiot. It's usually accompanied by head shaking in disbelief. When someone can't figure out that you can't say you're really sick and stiff someone and then post pictures of yourself on facebook having a grand ol' time at a concert or party...."shidiot".
Words, Words Words....I love 'em. I love people who use them creatively. I have been insulted and complimented many times in my life. I don't remember most of them but I do remember that I have been called effervescent and I have been called exhausting. One compliment, one insult, both so very appreciated because of the thought went into the word choice. Thank You ! That being said, I would be remiss to not mention swearing and the thought that goes into each curse word I choose. I just love to swear. I'm sure that is not a surprise to anyone either. But I am a great swearer (except during Lent). Some people think those who swear are unintelligent, rude and are resorting to profanity because they don't know how to express themselves, au contraire mother fuckers...some study showed that people who use a lot of swear words tend to be more honest and trust worthy and there is no correlation between swearing and unintelligence. So shut the hell up and look at Jon Stewart of the Daily Show. Whether you agree with his politics or not, you have to admit that he is one intelligent man...he is well read and can hold his own with any politician or author AND he swears a lot...AND he loves crossword puzzles...I dare say he is the perfect man. I would love to curl up and "do a crossword" with him some day.
Did you ever notice that if you put things in quotes and especially if you do air quotes....it sounds dirty. David Letterman did a whole Top Ten list on it years ago and the one I always remembered was "frosting the pastry"....sounds filthy and delicious. But seriously how good does it feel to say the F word sometimes. It's a noun...it's a verb...adjective and adverb. A good "what the fuck?" really sometimes says it all.
Words, Words Words. The reason I have been thinking so much about words is because I have been at a loss for words as of late. This whole mom/ cancer situation has rendered me, yes me...word girl...speechless. I really can't put into words how I am feeling these days hopeful/hopeless ...encouraged/defeated, I guess I am angry but angry doesn't cut it....angry at who ...angry at what? People ask how she is doing and I can't find the word to describe it. Maybe people are just asking to be polite, but I just can't retort with a "she's better" or "not so good" ...it just doesn't seem like there's a proper way to address it. I usually say "I don't know"...which makes me look uncaring or uninvolved which I am neither...I am angry! W
hen the doctor came out of the OR waaaaaaay earlier than he should have, I knew that was not a good thing. After I picked my heart up out of somewhere between my stomach and my toes, we all went to the little room to talk. You never want to go to that fucking little room.(appropriate use of that word as an adjective) The surgery wasn't going to help her, more cancer than he thought and going with chemo first may be the way to combat this. Ok...disappointed /relieved ? Catch your breath and regroup. Let's tell her its not all bad news, same news ...different tactic. Did we not use the right words, does she get it?
I don't know if she is giving up or if she has no fight in her...which are valid feelings but they don't match the doctor's prognosis. Now we need to try to be encouraging but not bossy...understanding but not passive. It's a whole oxymoron-ity of being a child who is now a parent to a parent whois like a child. I am talking to her like I would my grandson...especially that she needs to poop before she is released to go home. Unfortunately, taking Ninja Turtles away is not quite the incentive for her. I don't know what to think or say anymore...hopefully it's temporary or it's bye, bye blog... I feel like a wall of tears are right behind my eyes and finding the right word will burst the dam. Maybe that's why I can't find it yet. People may say vulnerable , but I HATE that word...mainly because I can't seem to say it properly and because it is a feeling that I detest. Hands are tied...loss for words....this is hell for me. I am fucking word girl....how can someone who loves words so much be in such a dilemma. WTF???
The irony - I guess is life can be good and bad at the same time. I will talk and use the wrong words til the right ones come along and just be pissed off about it. I can't tell you the amount of conversations I have with my husband on the way home from hospital visits that end with me saying a desparate "you know what I mean?" to be only answered by a resounding "uh huh" ... and there it is - the brutal irony of this word girl's life....word girl is married to a man of few word. But to quote Mae West "very few words...but a lot of action" (wink wink) ....just sayin'
But I always remembered Words Words Words. Maybe because I love words. I bet it comes as no surprise to anyone that I love words. I always have. I remember writing stories and poems in elementary school (oh yeah, always in those anthologies) I remember making up crossword puzzles when I was junior high. Reading and rewriting plays in high school and going to school for Communications and writing for the college paper. I'm addicted to Words with Friends and I fear I have lost some friends because of it. (you know who you are). And my favorite thing to do on a Sunday is curl up on the couch, with a big cup of Tim Horton's coffee and do both Sunday crosswords puzzles ....in pen, that's right, pen, bitches! Do you know a 3 letter word for a bitter vetch? I do ERS...whatever
Words Words Words...I've made up a few and have adopted some as my own. For example
"oochie-bit" ...an oochie-bit is a cookie or pastry or even a salty type snack you eat when you're in the mood for something but you don't know what.
"Utzy" ....utzy is a feeling when you don't know what to do with yourself, your arms and legs feel all awkwardy and you can't get comfortable. Usually the only cure for feeling "utzy" is an "oochie-bit". "Frankenstrated"...now this one is a combination of being anxious and frustrated. I remember using it a lot before my daughter's wedding. Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows that there are so many things to be done, but they have to be done at certain times. I knew I had tons of tasks to accomplish like getting chair covers but you can't really get the chair covers until the morning of...I was frustrated ...I was anxious...I was frankenstrated. Use it in a sentence....it's fun!
Now my new favorite word is (you guessed it)
"Shidiot" .. it's when idiot just doesn't cover it, like some kind of super idiot ...I guess it's a cross between shit head and idiot. It's usually accompanied by head shaking in disbelief. When someone can't figure out that you can't say you're really sick and stiff someone and then post pictures of yourself on facebook having a grand ol' time at a concert or party...."shidiot".
Words, Words Words....I love 'em. I love people who use them creatively. I have been insulted and complimented many times in my life. I don't remember most of them but I do remember that I have been called effervescent and I have been called exhausting. One compliment, one insult, both so very appreciated because of the thought went into the word choice. Thank You ! That being said, I would be remiss to not mention swearing and the thought that goes into each curse word I choose. I just love to swear. I'm sure that is not a surprise to anyone either. But I am a great swearer (except during Lent). Some people think those who swear are unintelligent, rude and are resorting to profanity because they don't know how to express themselves, au contraire mother fuckers...some study showed that people who use a lot of swear words tend to be more honest and trust worthy and there is no correlation between swearing and unintelligence. So shut the hell up and look at Jon Stewart of the Daily Show. Whether you agree with his politics or not, you have to admit that he is one intelligent man...he is well read and can hold his own with any politician or author AND he swears a lot...AND he loves crossword puzzles...I dare say he is the perfect man. I would love to curl up and "do a crossword" with him some day.
Did you ever notice that if you put things in quotes and especially if you do air quotes....it sounds dirty. David Letterman did a whole Top Ten list on it years ago and the one I always remembered was "frosting the pastry"....sounds filthy and delicious. But seriously how good does it feel to say the F word sometimes. It's a noun...it's a verb...adjective and adverb. A good "what the fuck?" really sometimes says it all.
Words, Words Words. The reason I have been thinking so much about words is because I have been at a loss for words as of late. This whole mom/ cancer situation has rendered me, yes me...word girl...speechless. I really can't put into words how I am feeling these days hopeful/hopeless ...encouraged/defeated, I guess I am angry but angry doesn't cut it....angry at who ...angry at what? People ask how she is doing and I can't find the word to describe it. Maybe people are just asking to be polite, but I just can't retort with a "she's better" or "not so good" ...it just doesn't seem like there's a proper way to address it. I usually say "I don't know"...which makes me look uncaring or uninvolved which I am neither...I am angry! W
hen the doctor came out of the OR waaaaaaay earlier than he should have, I knew that was not a good thing. After I picked my heart up out of somewhere between my stomach and my toes, we all went to the little room to talk. You never want to go to that fucking little room.(appropriate use of that word as an adjective) The surgery wasn't going to help her, more cancer than he thought and going with chemo first may be the way to combat this. Ok...disappointed /relieved ? Catch your breath and regroup. Let's tell her its not all bad news, same news ...different tactic. Did we not use the right words, does she get it?
I don't know if she is giving up or if she has no fight in her...which are valid feelings but they don't match the doctor's prognosis. Now we need to try to be encouraging but not bossy...understanding but not passive. It's a whole oxymoron-ity of being a child who is now a parent to a parent whois like a child. I am talking to her like I would my grandson...especially that she needs to poop before she is released to go home. Unfortunately, taking Ninja Turtles away is not quite the incentive for her. I don't know what to think or say anymore...hopefully it's temporary or it's bye, bye blog... I feel like a wall of tears are right behind my eyes and finding the right word will burst the dam. Maybe that's why I can't find it yet. People may say vulnerable , but I HATE that word...mainly because I can't seem to say it properly and because it is a feeling that I detest. Hands are tied...loss for words....this is hell for me. I am fucking word girl....how can someone who loves words so much be in such a dilemma. WTF???
The irony - I guess is life can be good and bad at the same time. I will talk and use the wrong words til the right ones come along and just be pissed off about it. I can't tell you the amount of conversations I have with my husband on the way home from hospital visits that end with me saying a desparate "you know what I mean?" to be only answered by a resounding "uh huh" ... and there it is - the brutal irony of this word girl's life....word girl is married to a man of few word. But to quote Mae West "very few words...but a lot of action" (wink wink) ....just sayin'
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Little Victories
I'm never going to win the war...what war you ask....to answer I will borrow a phrase from a early, pre -Godfather Marlon Brando movie..."whaddya got?" I bet most of you know what I am talking about. The War - The daily war with banks that screw up your account, insurance companies that screw up you policies, Tim Horton's employees that screw up your coffee order...seriously it's just black coffee...no milk, no sugar...BLACK-it can't be that difficult, I know I am trying to stay positive in the coming months and I will.... just bear with me. There is always going to be that war so I am here to tell you to celebrate the Little Victories. Ah yes, the little victories- even if they are only important to you- enjoy them.... I do. Some days are tougher than others to find them, you have to really dig... but they are there. ( I didn't hit one red light ...take that Town Highway Department!)
Now I have to admit that many, many of my little victories are what one might call "imaginary". That being said let me take you back to the early 90's. I just plopped down a big bunch of money to get floor seats for Elton John. I have always been a fan ...since Tumbleweed Connection...before all the crazy get ups and glam glasses. So I was very excited and wasn't disappointed by the awesome performance. Now about 3 or 4 months later they announce that Elton John is touring with Billy Joel ( another fav...although I have seen him a few times). I was furious! Why didn't they announce this sooner. I would have loved to see them both together. So do I now plop down another big bunch of money? The guy just played here and now he's coming back with a better show for more money. NO ...I said. I am not going and I didn't and I don't regret it. This is coming from someone who has seen Bruce Springsteen 14 times....but that's not the point. I thought it was shitty so I didn't go.....I felt like I won a small imaginary, even demented battle-----little victory?----why not
I was and still am a big letter (email now) writer. Surprise Surprise.... I wrote letters to Dog Food Companies when I found little bugs in a bag of food---FREE DOG FOOD...victory! When my oldest daughter was a baby, she got her finger caught in a little Winnie the Pooh toy...APOLOGY FROM SEARS + GIFT CERTIFICATE- --victory! One year our school was closed because of a huge ice storm in October. Some of us didn't get paid for about a week or so (not to mention property damages and generator costs) and our school district refused to compensate us---I wrote a letter to NYSUT, the union we are affiliated with, and received a BIG CHECK right around Christmas time----fa la la la laaaa victory!
Now it doesn't always work and here's a big FUCK YOU to HOTWIRE.COM
I had a couple of little victories this summer....although this one may fall under the "imaginary" category. The beginning of last year when we started our last first day of school, our superintendent came in to say how smooth things were going to run and our placements will be handled by seniority which seemed cool ( especially since I have 20 years of it). Something told me to be proactive...so I (wait for it) wrote a letter. I wrote the superintendent a letter on behalf of my fellow employees. I wanted to make a plea to consider people's talents and strengths, along with the seniority, when deciding where to place them. I knew it was a complicated process and in a school district with huge money problems, our jobs were not priority one....we HAVE jobs...a lot of people didn't. He answered me, he thanked me for suggestion and said he would do his best. Two words came to mind...Bull and Shit....but I don't regret writing it...I don't regret! A few weeks ago, we got our placements. Hello, I am the new Career Center Coordinator at the High School. After 20 years in elementary school...I finally made it to high school! I was told by my new principal it's not that different...they are just a little bigger ..but he noticed that they were bigger than me by 3rd grade anyway. ( I think I'm gonna like this guy.) But my new job, I like to think, will allow me to finally use some of my public relation skills (30 years since college but still) and my technology abilities and was told to use my creativity to make the job my own. Not too shabby...and I'm not saying that the letter I wrote last year led me to this position. Coincidence....probably.... luck of the draw ...maybe...Victory .... hells yes!
In my mind...it's a victory ....the same mind that says look about 20 pounds thinner and 20 years younger...the mind that says everyone thinks I am as funny as I do.....the mind that says no one notices the food stains on ALL my shirts nor do they see the newest little hair on my upper lip.
Another victory this summer was getting my whole family together for a mini vacation.
It was Me vs. Six Busy Schedules but I WAS VICTORIOUS!
It wasn't for a long time at all, but there we were, all seven of us together ...that's all I wanted. We came up at all different times, some of us stayed longer, some left early to go to work. some of us got to go to the pool (by the way having that imaginary extra 20 lbs. makes you freaking fly down that water slide....take that skinny bitches), but we all had a great dinner and got to lay around the hotel room laughing and enjoying each others company. I say that was quite a victory indeed. After a crazy summer of rehearsals (our show made money this year...another not so little victory) and our upcoming "fresh Hell" with doctors and hospitals, we must grab these victories and hang on to them tightly with both hands.
We met my mom and dad at the office of her new doctor ( a man, I'm told, that does not mince words or give false hopes) I accompanied my mom in to the examining room where the doctor said "this doesn't look too bad". Our first little victory. He explained what the next steps were. Surgery, but she is going to a great hospital where she will get great care (same one my husband was)another little victory. I AM feeling positive and not as scared as I may have been in the past when I was afraid to say that word out loud. Now I say it with ease and a I find that I can yell it at the top of my lungs if I want to ....take that cancer
Because this conversation happens (more than once)
Mom: I hope they don't find a tumor ....
Me: Mom ..it's CANCER remember CANCER
Mom: Oh yeah
I'm not sure she totally understands what this all entails and maybe that's a little victory too. When I left the doctor's office with my sister and daughter, we agreed we are absolutely going to get through this- it was as positive a visit as it could be. I think my mom and dad got that and I said it out loud. "I think they get it" . Ironically at that moment, my daughter pointed out that my parents were passing us going the wrong way down Main Street..... doh! ....well at least they were in the right car ....little, little victories, just sayin'
Now I have to admit that many, many of my little victories are what one might call "imaginary". That being said let me take you back to the early 90's. I just plopped down a big bunch of money to get floor seats for Elton John. I have always been a fan ...since Tumbleweed Connection...before all the crazy get ups and glam glasses. So I was very excited and wasn't disappointed by the awesome performance. Now about 3 or 4 months later they announce that Elton John is touring with Billy Joel ( another fav...although I have seen him a few times). I was furious! Why didn't they announce this sooner. I would have loved to see them both together. So do I now plop down another big bunch of money? The guy just played here and now he's coming back with a better show for more money. NO ...I said. I am not going and I didn't and I don't regret it. This is coming from someone who has seen Bruce Springsteen 14 times....but that's not the point. I thought it was shitty so I didn't go.....I felt like I won a small imaginary, even demented battle-----little victory?----why not
I was and still am a big letter (email now) writer. Surprise Surprise.... I wrote letters to Dog Food Companies when I found little bugs in a bag of food---FREE DOG FOOD...victory! When my oldest daughter was a baby, she got her finger caught in a little Winnie the Pooh toy...APOLOGY FROM SEARS + GIFT CERTIFICATE- --victory! One year our school was closed because of a huge ice storm in October. Some of us didn't get paid for about a week or so (not to mention property damages and generator costs) and our school district refused to compensate us---I wrote a letter to NYSUT, the union we are affiliated with, and received a BIG CHECK right around Christmas time----fa la la la laaaa victory!
Now it doesn't always work and here's a big FUCK YOU to HOTWIRE.COM
I had a couple of little victories this summer....although this one may fall under the "imaginary" category. The beginning of last year when we started our last first day of school, our superintendent came in to say how smooth things were going to run and our placements will be handled by seniority which seemed cool ( especially since I have 20 years of it). Something told me to be proactive...so I (wait for it) wrote a letter. I wrote the superintendent a letter on behalf of my fellow employees. I wanted to make a plea to consider people's talents and strengths, along with the seniority, when deciding where to place them. I knew it was a complicated process and in a school district with huge money problems, our jobs were not priority one....we HAVE jobs...a lot of people didn't. He answered me, he thanked me for suggestion and said he would do his best. Two words came to mind...Bull and Shit....but I don't regret writing it...I don't regret! A few weeks ago, we got our placements. Hello, I am the new Career Center Coordinator at the High School. After 20 years in elementary school...I finally made it to high school! I was told by my new principal it's not that different...they are just a little bigger ..but he noticed that they were bigger than me by 3rd grade anyway. ( I think I'm gonna like this guy.) But my new job, I like to think, will allow me to finally use some of my public relation skills (30 years since college but still) and my technology abilities and was told to use my creativity to make the job my own. Not too shabby...and I'm not saying that the letter I wrote last year led me to this position. Coincidence....probably.... luck of the draw ...maybe...Victory .... hells yes!
In my mind...it's a victory ....the same mind that says look about 20 pounds thinner and 20 years younger...the mind that says everyone thinks I am as funny as I do.....the mind that says no one notices the food stains on ALL my shirts nor do they see the newest little hair on my upper lip.
Another victory this summer was getting my whole family together for a mini vacation.
It was Me vs. Six Busy Schedules but I WAS VICTORIOUS!
It wasn't for a long time at all, but there we were, all seven of us together ...that's all I wanted. We came up at all different times, some of us stayed longer, some left early to go to work. some of us got to go to the pool (by the way having that imaginary extra 20 lbs. makes you freaking fly down that water slide....take that skinny bitches), but we all had a great dinner and got to lay around the hotel room laughing and enjoying each others company. I say that was quite a victory indeed. After a crazy summer of rehearsals (our show made money this year...another not so little victory) and our upcoming "fresh Hell" with doctors and hospitals, we must grab these victories and hang on to them tightly with both hands.
We met my mom and dad at the office of her new doctor ( a man, I'm told, that does not mince words or give false hopes) I accompanied my mom in to the examining room where the doctor said "this doesn't look too bad". Our first little victory. He explained what the next steps were. Surgery, but she is going to a great hospital where she will get great care (same one my husband was)another little victory. I AM feeling positive and not as scared as I may have been in the past when I was afraid to say that word out loud. Now I say it with ease and a I find that I can yell it at the top of my lungs if I want to ....take that cancer
Because this conversation happens (more than once)
Mom: I hope they don't find a tumor ....
Me: Mom ..it's CANCER remember CANCER
Mom: Oh yeah
I'm not sure she totally understands what this all entails and maybe that's a little victory too. When I left the doctor's office with my sister and daughter, we agreed we are absolutely going to get through this- it was as positive a visit as it could be. I think my mom and dad got that and I said it out loud. "I think they get it" . Ironically at that moment, my daughter pointed out that my parents were passing us going the wrong way down Main Street..... doh! ....well at least they were in the right car ....little, little victories, just sayin'
Monday, August 12, 2013
It's Always Something
Remember Roseanne Roseannadanna? She was on SNL Weekend Update in the 70's. She would rant and rant about nonsense and say "you know, it's always something"...sounds familiar to me. My blog (self proclaimed nonsense) has, believe it or not, a following. Now mind you, not a celebrity type following or a Charles Manson following, but a following none the less. I was asked recently why I haven't blogged lately. My answer to that was that I have been a little off my game of late. I have had a crazy year, personally and professionally and the latter is stemming from the *closing of my school/losing a job that I have done for 20 years/saying good bye to people that I realistically may never see again and not to mention the uncertainty of starting a new job (which took literally months to hear where my placement is ....more about that in the future) I told that person I don't like to write negative blogs...sarcastic , cutting and inappropriate, yes but not negative. So that being said, this happened.
My mom got sick. My mom is sick. I have to say that out loud so it will sink in,
I have mentioned my mom in past blogs ...mostly concerning our recent role reversal and not in a fun Freaky Friday way. Well looks like she is going to need me more as this new life chapter unfolds. That's okay, we got this....no need for negativity. But for those scoring at home, allow me to reiterate the events of the last 12 months. They announced our school's closing, my dad had surgery, my husband was rushed to the hospital which was the catalyst for the whole cancer thing, my mom had surgery, my husband's whole cancer thing and surgery, my dad's other surgery, the actual closing of our school and all that goes with that (*see above) of course here and there were your garden variety family dramas and friend issues and sprinkle the whole thing with MENOPAUSE.
and now this.....this last little bit of news may not have put me over the edge but I am desperately hanging on to those little tree roots as little stones and dirt crumble through my fingers.
When she called on Sunday to say she wasn't feeling well and told me her symptoms ...I didn't panic but I had that feeling, I heard that little voice. You know that little voice. That little voice that tells me when something is up, That little voice that has kept me out of trouble because it is right 95% of the time. I hate that little voice sometimes. But by mid week she was in the hospital... I found out she was in the hospital a half hour before the opening night curtain of my summer musical.... (another reason for not blogging so much....the musical sucked the life out of me and in the words of Lily Von Schtoop in Blazing Saddles..."goddammit I'm exhausted"). Now don't think that this directing gig of mine took up sooooo much time that I didn't check on her.....I had.
It's my family, my family and their Communication Italiano. It goes like this:
Calling at any time of the day or night for such pressing reason as... "I found a old high school picture of you, do you want it" or "the soup you made was delicious". But when my grandmother died.....DIED.... they didn't call me because they didn't want to "bug me at happy hour." That makes me sound like either a raging alcoholic or the biggest douche bag in the world....NO ONE DARE BOTHER ME WHILE I'M A DRINKIN'....seriously????
Well by closing night, we kind of knew it wasn't good and the remaining weeks of my summer will be spent at oncologists and other specialist. Still not negative, I've been through this before(8 months ago) and God willing the outcome will be just as positive. That's the word of the hour- POSITIVE!
So I thought I would blog about it. I am doing this for a couple reasons....I think it will be kind of therapeutic for me and I think it may benefit anyone else who may be going through some tough times themselves. I don't want to diminish the severity or importance of my or any one else's situation....but I am, I've been told, a funny girl. So if we can get through this together and have a smile or two along the way .....why the hell not? Also I thought this would be a good way to keep my loyal reader (s) informed and updated on things. Sometimes the face to face thing...not so good at it....the flooded eyes and quivery voice...so awkward and it makes me really uncomfortable ....so you can imagine how I feel when it's me - ba-da dum!.....(see what I did there, switched it up) .
I also refuse to put this shit on Facebook. Again, not my style, I like my Facebook interaction to be
a) clever and witty - posting a clip from Mommie Dearest on Mother's Day
b) gaga related- mainly adorable pictures of my adorable grandson
c) celebratory- birthdays, anniversaries and the like
d) musical- sharing an old song that always gets me (Fountain of Sorrow- Jackson Browne)
e) thought provoking- my post this morning about that moment when you wake up and all your problems and shit haven't you yet ....that split second of utter peace. It meant something different for me but judging by the response, it hit home with some people.
So posting personal stuff on Facebook .not gonna happen. It may be fine for some people, but I can't,
I just can't. The thought of pouring my soul and divulging these personal traumas only to get the obligatory comments and that horrible thumbs up..the LIKES....I will never understand that:
horrible news - "some asshole you kind of know likes this"....and besides ....who likes cancer?
So my friends, if you are choosing to come along on this new journey with me, I promise to be as snarky, sarcastic and inappropriate as humanly possible with the given situation. I will try to be inspirational and informative and most of all positive. I will really try to stay positive because when life gives you lemons...(refer to the lemons listed above) ....when life gives you lemons....fuck it ...I better open a stand, but I'm selling Lemincello....just sayin'
My mom got sick. My mom is sick. I have to say that out loud so it will sink in,
I have mentioned my mom in past blogs ...mostly concerning our recent role reversal and not in a fun Freaky Friday way. Well looks like she is going to need me more as this new life chapter unfolds. That's okay, we got this....no need for negativity. But for those scoring at home, allow me to reiterate the events of the last 12 months. They announced our school's closing, my dad had surgery, my husband was rushed to the hospital which was the catalyst for the whole cancer thing, my mom had surgery, my husband's whole cancer thing and surgery, my dad's other surgery, the actual closing of our school and all that goes with that (*see above) of course here and there were your garden variety family dramas and friend issues and sprinkle the whole thing with MENOPAUSE.
and now this.....this last little bit of news may not have put me over the edge but I am desperately hanging on to those little tree roots as little stones and dirt crumble through my fingers.
When she called on Sunday to say she wasn't feeling well and told me her symptoms ...I didn't panic but I had that feeling, I heard that little voice. You know that little voice. That little voice that tells me when something is up, That little voice that has kept me out of trouble because it is right 95% of the time. I hate that little voice sometimes. But by mid week she was in the hospital... I found out she was in the hospital a half hour before the opening night curtain of my summer musical.... (another reason for not blogging so much....the musical sucked the life out of me and in the words of Lily Von Schtoop in Blazing Saddles..."goddammit I'm exhausted"). Now don't think that this directing gig of mine took up sooooo much time that I didn't check on her.....I had.
It's my family, my family and their Communication Italiano. It goes like this:
Calling at any time of the day or night for such pressing reason as... "I found a old high school picture of you, do you want it" or "the soup you made was delicious". But when my grandmother died.....DIED.... they didn't call me because they didn't want to "bug me at happy hour." That makes me sound like either a raging alcoholic or the biggest douche bag in the world....NO ONE DARE BOTHER ME WHILE I'M A DRINKIN'....seriously????
Well by closing night, we kind of knew it wasn't good and the remaining weeks of my summer will be spent at oncologists and other specialist. Still not negative, I've been through this before(8 months ago) and God willing the outcome will be just as positive. That's the word of the hour- POSITIVE!
So I thought I would blog about it. I am doing this for a couple reasons....I think it will be kind of therapeutic for me and I think it may benefit anyone else who may be going through some tough times themselves. I don't want to diminish the severity or importance of my or any one else's situation....but I am, I've been told, a funny girl. So if we can get through this together and have a smile or two along the way .....why the hell not? Also I thought this would be a good way to keep my loyal reader (s) informed and updated on things. Sometimes the face to face thing...not so good at it....the flooded eyes and quivery voice...so awkward and it makes me really uncomfortable ....so you can imagine how I feel when it's me - ba-da dum!.....(see what I did there, switched it up) .
I also refuse to put this shit on Facebook. Again, not my style, I like my Facebook interaction to be
a) clever and witty - posting a clip from Mommie Dearest on Mother's Day
b) gaga related- mainly adorable pictures of my adorable grandson
c) celebratory- birthdays, anniversaries and the like
d) musical- sharing an old song that always gets me (Fountain of Sorrow- Jackson Browne)
e) thought provoking- my post this morning about that moment when you wake up and all your problems and shit haven't you yet ....that split second of utter peace. It meant something different for me but judging by the response, it hit home with some people.
So posting personal stuff on Facebook .not gonna happen. It may be fine for some people, but I can't,
I just can't. The thought of pouring my soul and divulging these personal traumas only to get the obligatory comments and that horrible thumbs up..the LIKES....I will never understand that:
horrible news - "some asshole you kind of know likes this"....and besides ....who likes cancer?
So my friends, if you are choosing to come along on this new journey with me, I promise to be as snarky, sarcastic and inappropriate as humanly possible with the given situation. I will try to be inspirational and informative and most of all positive. I will really try to stay positive because when life gives you lemons...(refer to the lemons listed above) ....when life gives you lemons....fuck it ...I better open a stand, but I'm selling Lemincello....just sayin'
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