Past, Present, & Future

Past

Today I am Remembering E-Ball. I miss her terribly. I thought last year on this day that I felt this way because it was the first year. The second anniversary is just as painful and not a solid moment of sleep all night thinking about her. Let's all remember to love each other and show it every day because we don't know what the next day holds. RIP Erica Ball.

Today was also Timmy's Dad's Birthday; it may be a tough memory filled day for him too.

Present

Now that the past is out of the way, I thank Bosox Siobhan and Blood Killer Death Man for supplying perhaps the very happiest memories to balance out this day. They are amazing friends and I love them both very much. Today they will become Mr. & Mrs. and I am thrilled! What a wedding day: Seven Eight Nine!

In my crazy night of sleeplessness, I actually dreamt I was there and the JP was counting ballots because the people of Salem had taken a vote to approve their marriage. She gave up after going through a stack of unanimous yes votes and switched to a verbal vote asking for the Yay's and the Nay's - thankfully there were two of us there to vote and we screamed out, "YAY." The Yays had it and you were married. Odd - I know. Cheers to you both and many more years of happiness!

Future

While I'm certainly wishing the Boston Steamers a happy future, I am taking a very public step with my own. I did it last year for five months and it is time to do it permanently. I became a non-smoker this morning. There, I said it out loud. I quit. While I've tried the pills, the potions, the rationing, and every other method, I think willpower and determination are what allowed me to be successful for five months last year. I have willpower and will use Twitter as my crutch. If you follow me, now might be a good time to turn off mobile alerts as I plan to tweet in lieu of toking the Parliament Lights.

Name My Nephew

Please comment on this post with first & middle name suggestions. Lets help Steve & Lisa name the baby! This is pic was taken this morning with 127 days to go!

44 Days 'til 44th President!

I am looking forward to the free Let Freedom Ring concert featuring Aretha Franklin at the Kennedy Center. I discovered this while researching things for my family and friends to do in DC on Inauguration Weekend. Market Watch published a Destination DC press release featuring 44 things to do until the 44th President is inaugurated 44 days from today. Check it out! Oh yes...and 143 days 'till Baby H!

In case you missed it, Loretta Lynn's concert at the 9:30 Club has received positive reviews on the street. Sister Disco reports how our mutual friend was disappointed there were so many gays and not enough hard core country straight boys for him to look at while Rita Jean couldn't get past the tour bus without blogging...I recovered at home with a bad movie, but finally got a chance to watch MTV's Britney: For The Record . Timmy thought it would never end...and then I watched the fan feedback special. There are three TVs up in this trailer; he had options, but I think secretly enjoyed it.

I Survived Thanksgiving Dinner

Baby Lisa cooked a delicious breakfast and I laid around watching the parade. It took some effort, but I finally left for Grandma T's at around 1:30. We were supposed to eat at one, but I know my family. I arrived around 2:00 and was followed by several other families. I believe it was nearly 3:00 before the prayer. I made my Grandma Hazel's peanut butter bars and they were a hit. It is unbelievable how a simple recipe can bring back so many memories and put tears in people's eyes. Those fond memories are such a critical part of the Thanksgiving spirit.

Fortunately (for my sake,) the family drama was swept under the rug and we had a great day. My baby girl wouldn't respond to text messages, but surprised me by showing up in the early evening. She stayed several hours and posed for this four generation picture with my Mom and Grandma! It's so unpredictable with a teenager. I overheard her describing herself as nearly 15; she's only been 14 for five months. I can't judge - I wanted so hard to be 16 from the moment I became a teenager. I don't remember at what age it shifted the other way, but if the math is correct, I'm also nearly 15. Despite her sinus infection, Whitney enroute to spend the day with me before I head out tonight. I am thrilled!

Pittsburgh peeps...I'll see you tonight on the way back to the District!

Mansion Development

The deck is coming along nicely! It needs more railing before baby H comes

Clarification & Speculation

I received several questions on my vague, but ecstatic Facebook message. If you haven't yet joined the throngs of middle aged Facebook addicts, please SIGN UP today! Vergie was also clearly confused by yesterday's blog post. Here's some clarification:

I knew Baby Lisa & my Brother's summer visit to wine country was fun based on their pictures and tales of holiday adventure. I didn't realize exactly how fun it was until the call came on Wednesday that they are expecting a visitor arriving approximately 9 mos. after said visit. While they didn't tell me "when" they placed the call to the Stork, and frankly I would never ask, it would be unlike me not to speculate here. I've included a map in this post for those who need clarification. A map of the location, not the ... you know "act" of calling the stork. If you need instructions on that subject, go to the Goat for details in her recent post. I discourage, however, actually making a baby with a stranger using her method intended for pleasure only.

As I stated on Facebook, "Jason > Ecstatic about the BIG news." While I am referred to as "Uncle Jay" by quite a few of my friend's children, this is my first opportunity to be a biological Uncle. I didn't realize how happy this would make me and how schoolgirl giddy I am about this next step in their lives. Kudos for doing it just the way it should be done...they've started their lives with amazing global travel and adventures, finished their educational endeavors and graduate degrees, entrenched themselves in fantastic careers, built a mansion to house their family, and now they will have an beautiful baby. While they've received judgement for not being knocked up right after the wedding like so many rural kids, they've now proven the fact that not everyone needs to spend life making minimum wage, living in a trailer home, and struggling, just for the sake of having a family (or not understanding the option of birth control as Governor Palin would prefer.)

I am so proud to be their sibling and am absolutely certain they will be the best parents ever. I can't wait to spoil Baby H. My only question, How will Moose handle giving up his role as only child?

Have a great Friday!

Just Sayin'

I am SO excited

Outdoor Adventure Day

Despite the rain and high rivers in the Midwest, we decided to go canoeing and Dotster came along! Here are the ladies getting ready to board the ship.

Fun time in the river! We survived!

These pics were originally mobile blogged, but due to the cracked camera lense, I have replaced them with pics from the real camera.

Lisa made a fab spaghetti dinner and then we went to Grandma & Grandpa's house where we played Shanghai Rummy until nearly midnight. Grandpa won and I came in last, but only by 4 points worse than Grandma and 14 points worse than Whitney. We all think Grandpa cheated.

Erica Ball, December 14, 1972 - July 8, 2007

My best friend in the world for many many years just died this morning. I received the dreaded call. I don't know what to do when a best friend dies so I am blogging and crying. When I left the company we both worked for, she wrote this William Ernest Henley poem, Invictus, on a lovely card along with a heartfelt message of her own and some Skinny Puppy lyrics on the psychedelic doodled cover. The poem, of course, she wrote from memory. The English Lit side of Erica always shines. I will forever keep this handmade card and forever keep her in my heart.

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

I miss you already Erica.