From bad to bizarre

We've all had bad dreams. I'm pretty sure we've all had some weird ones as well. Lately mine have crossed the line to the truly bizarre.

Have you ever dreamed you were married to Michael Symon?


Ok, maybe that's not so weird. I mean he's an Iron Chef and has a great laugh. And I'm sure his family wouldn't think that concept is weird.

But what about dreaming of yourself as a superhero, fighting a 40-foot tall, water-breathing cyclops titan who apparently can only be defeated with a classic nintendo controller. Oh yeah, and you're wearing footie-jams where the feet are too big.

Where did that one come from? Seriously, anyone have a clue?

Thanksgiving

A day to be thankful for what we have. Today I am thankful for the following:

C: Yeah, sometimes we get on each other's nerves, stress each other out, annoy one another to the point of pure irritation. But 10-30 minutes later we're back to laughing, loving and enjoying one another. He gets me most of the time, understands where I'm coming from. He knows me better than anyone else and I don't think I'd have it any other way.

M: I can't believe that I was seen fit enough to have the miracle of this girl in my life, let alone the honor of being her mother. Yes, I freely admit that the first 4 years of her life were HARD, but to see how far she's come and to see the person she's grown into I can't help but feel blessed. I don't think I've met another child that cares for everyone the way she does. She's generous, compassionate, loving.

A: Now this guy is a kick in the pants. Boy howdy! I'm so thankful that he can see the funny side of things. He's light-hearted, relaxed, a great snuggler. He keeps my toes warm by sitting on my feet, he still gets scared of things but will put up his "brave boy" facade and charge through. He laughs from the bottom of his belly and brings smiles to my face daily.

My family: Through thick and thin they're still my family and I'm still thankful for each of them. This includes Dad, S, N, their families, C's family - T, S, L & S and their families. I'm thankful for each of these people in my life and the ways they have shaped me to be who I am today.

My job: Yes, I said my job. I am thankful for it. Without it I wouldn't be sitting here today. I love the work I do, just not always the people I have to do it with. I've learned a lot about "the real world" at this job more than any other. And for that I am thankful.

My friend K: My lunch buddy. She has given me a different perspective on life to contemplate. While we're a lot alike, we're also quite different. She's a sounding board when life gets frustrating and I hope that I don't gripe too often. We laugh about our families, our jobs, TV shows. She's so caring and supportive and I'm glad I can call her my friend.

My net friends: I've known some of these ladies longer than I've known my kids. They've been a great support in the tough times knowing I'm not alone in the struggles of day to day living. I hope I can have many more years of their friendship and wisdom. I'm thankful for their perspectives, their parenting wisdom, their world views and for hopefully learning from them to become a better person, parent and friend.

And lastly, my gamer friends: Q, Tae, Ank, Zuk, Gonz and the many others over the years... thanks for letting this girl take part in the fun and feel like one of the gang. Some of these guys are like family, some like family you can't tell anyone about (ahem tae). I'm glad I've gotten to know them and have them be part of our lives.

May this day bring good food, warm memories, and a chance to become a better person.

The joys of a clear liquid diet

I won't go into the details of WHY I'm on a clear liquid diet, you really don't need to know that. But let me tell you, there is no joy in Hadville.

Made tacos last night, was contemplating whether or not I could make tacos (or mac and cheese) into a clear liquid. The real sucky thing is that I won't even get leftovers when the solid food ban is lifted.

Thank goodness this isn't happening next week because that would be absolute sacriledge. Can you imagine how absolutely, horribly dreadful a CLD would be on Thanksgiving???

"We're having turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, homemade rolls, 2 different veggies and 3 different pies. What are you having?"

"Water and broth."

Bad dreams

Lately I've been having some pretty horrific bad dreams. The kind that just leave you screaming and emotionally drained and you wake up with a raw throat and a really awful feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Logically I know it's just my subconscious dealing with the happenings in the last few weeks, but really... every night is getting a bit rough. I'm tired of waking up and freaking out that someone is not ok. Especially when you can't reach that someone by means other than email.

I've just decided that I'll be getting an international plan by years end. Promise.

I'm still shaking and trying to rid myself of this horrible feeling. I hate this, I'm ready to sleep peacefully through the night again.

More family history

Ok, what's gotten ahold on me? I have been simply obsessed with family history and trying to track down anything I can find. C has even laughed that I've gotten my claws into his family... and that's going to be a little tougher to search for.

I just find the stories so interesting and am so enthralled by how they lived and their accomplishments. One ancestor was a bookkeeper and it was said that he set the standards of bookkeeping with books that were correct but without a single eraser mark. Wow. It's just fascinating... too bad I wasn't this interested in history when I was in high school eh?

Remembering Margaret

I've spent much of this past week delving into family history. Mostly due to the passing of grandma and having some time off work. I'm more and more convinced that grandma was an amazing woman (grandmother was too by the way).

She had a master's degree in French. She also had one in Social Work. She held many jobs in high office in the Social Work field in the area of Child Welfare. She and grandpa were part of the 1976 Episcopal General Convention that accepted the Revised Book of Common Prayer. Growing up she would have rather played with her pet hen than her dolls. And she loved the experience of freedom in the spring when she was released from long winter underwear.

I only really knew her from the time of her retirement on, so my picture of her was that of a stay at home wife who baked and sewed and did the housekeeping. I was shocked to see that she worked for many years and even helped her family during the depression when her wages went from $100/wk down to $80.

I believe that she left us in the same way she lived these past few years, not wanting to be a bother or burden on anyone. She was an amazing woman who I wish I could have known more about, talked to more, listened to more and just appreciated what she had to offer a bit more.

We'll miss you grandma