A Work in Progress

To my friends with kids (and that's just about all of you now): I miss you.  I'm inexplicably proud of you and excited for all the positive changes in your lives. I haven't been there for you like I thought I would.  But life, in many forms, gets in the way.  I know we're on different planes of life now and it's selfish to ask; but don't forget me.  It scares me when I see us getting so far apart.  I know you often don't know what to do with me, and that's okay.  I don't know what to do with me either.  I don't want to lose touch for the next 18 years and then catch up when they leave for college.  I want to know your kids.  I want to be in their lives.  It's been an honor to see you all become parents and I want to be there to see you all become great ones.  Maybe one day, you can pass your wisdom on to me.  I want to see if they get your sense of humor, or your beauty, or your creativity, and I don't want to see it on faceb...

This afternoon on the way to work, I was tailgaited on the highway.  The kind where he was so close I couldn't even tell if he was flicking his lights at me, though I am sure he was.  I was already going 10mph over (which is plenty) and I was passing someone.  But, the more I could see him getting angry, and the closer he got to me, the longer I lingered in the fast lane.  Yes, this is dangerous, and playing into his hands, and lowering myself to his level, but if he thought for one second that tailgaiting me would get me to go faster, he was wrong, and I wanted him to know. I did eventually move, gave him the two finger salute, and was left in his dust, pondering how silly the whole thing was. It is people like that whom I would love to have a little chat with.  A chat about how one second can change your life, or, I'll say at the risk of being dramatic, take it. One second of inattentiveness, anger, aggression, and, yes, passive aggression can make all the ...

Back in August 2010, I had my most recently dental emergency, outlined in this post.   It turned out to be no big deal, and for about 75 bucks they cleaned, xray, and fixed my broken tooth.  They also filled another one.  It took less than two years for that filling to break and I had a similar panic when I realized it.  Feeling the hole in my tooth was shocking and concerning (and gross as it meant that I swallowed the filling).  I, of course, as a responsible adult, have put off finding a new dentist for almost two years.  After carrying my insurance card for six months in order to find a dentist, yesterday I couldn't find it.  So, I had to call work to get the name of the insurance company.  Then call the insurance company, get my numbers, then find a dentist.  This sounds easy, but when faced with a list of faceless dentists, how does one choose?  Luckily, my sisters dentist was on the list and I am now left to wait with my holy to...

There are two situations in which you can see me acting a fool.  1.  improv class  2.  in the presence of insects. I went up to my attic this evening, I forget the reason now, as when I got there, I discovered a small but growing bees nest in the corner of the old skylight.  Cue my first panic dance.  I took stock.  The window opens, reluctantly, when you push on the end in which they are currently habitating.  My attic has dressses, luggage, skis and a bow and arrows. It wasn't until I was attempting to push the window open with a ski pole and shoo the bees out with an arrow that I remembered that I had some bee spray in the kitchen.  Forget about it!  This will totally work!  I reiterated to myself.  I got the window open and attempt to push the hive out of it when it broke off and just fell on the floor.  Cue the panic dance and run away shouting.  I abandoned my weapons and ran downstairs to retrieve the spray...

Back in October I eluded to a 'new' 'commuter car' that never came to fruition.  Some of you may know that I have lusted after a classic mini cooper for some time now.  I have spent years trolling ebay and minimania.com looking for one in a reasonable radius at a reasonable price.  I stumbled upon one very near to my house and almost bought it.  That was, until it was hit by a state snow plow. So, the search continued.  A passive hobby, every once in a while scanning the sites until one popped up in Rhode Island.  That's not too far, and after my years of research, I know what the going rate is, and this one was cheap.  So, sight unseen (save some bad pictures) I decided to buy it. Last week I drove up there, and before I knew it I was sitting in the most adorable car ever produced by man.  I was very happy to see that it did in fact exist, was drivable, and that the seller was really selling it and not planning to murder me at all.  Every...

I know that all three of you will be relieved to see that I've all but sorted out the picture of the day project for this year.  What a relief!  But the most astute of you will see that I still owe you a day for the 30th of May.  All I did that day was drive, have a meltdown with the mini, and go to sleep.  Trust me, it wasn't that interesting.  Though, I did see a number of Amish in horse carts, ate some chocolate, and traveled down the first concrete mile in New Jersey (exciting, I know!).  But, I'm back and sorted, and the whole mini wild ass plan will soon be detailed. 

That's just silly.

Vera Bradley hell.

Andy's gradution cake. Happy med school graduation!

Some old tree.

I wasn't sure that todays picture was up to snuff (below), so I included a better one from yesterday too.

Avalanche falls at The Flume in the White mountains The mini enjoyed the Kangamangus highway immensely.

Yeah, I know, another flower. You'd rather see the mini, right?

Today was take your Ellie to work day, so I found myself running calls with Andy in Maine. T'was good times. Sadly, I didn't get to ride in this 1940's Jeep.

The first two of many, may more to come of my new ride. 

Happiest sheep ever.

Two pictures today to make up for yesterday. 

I didn't post a picture yesterday, but I was too busy stalling my mother's car 10 times in a row in the middle of a four lane road to take a picture. It wouldn't have been an pretty one anyway. Mostly it would have looked like us trying really hard not to shout at eachother, me cursing loudly, and strangers honking at us and while trying not to kill us all. Why is it that when your car becomes disabled either through user error or poorly timed mechanical failure, that people feel the need to honk at you? Do they think that I didn't notice that I was blocking two lanes of traffic and being a general pain in everyone's ass? "Oh, thank you for honking. I didn't notice that I was in the middle of the street. This is inconvenient? People want to get by? Thank you for letting me know." In reality, there was nothing I wanted more than to move the car 20 feet. Every fiber of my being was willing that car to go, but I still managed to stall over an...

Work is cool when I come home smelling like aircraft fuel.