Good Story

Did you hear about this autisic kid who scored 20 points in the last 4 minutes of a high school basketball game? He was the assistant manager for all four years, and finally got a chance to play in the last game of his senior year. It is such a great story; you have to read it for yourself [Link]

I saw the replay from the game on ESPN news today in the teacher's lounge; I will admit: I cried a little. This is like a Lifetime Original Movie waiting to happen...

The Great Book Club Revival

This has been a very quiet 4-day weekend without Matt, so I spent much of my time reading. And it was quite relaxing. Here is what I am reading, so if anyone wants to read and discuss, the invitation is open.

Let's start with Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. This one Fiona and I decided to read together. Unfortunately, I had to stop about halfway through because the boredom was just to great. Maguire would have a FABULOUS novel if he would just publish some Cliff's Notes. It is full of mythical lands and mythical races of people all of which are on some mythical journey, much like those Lord of the Ring books....Yawn.

The next book I just finished this week; it is called The Dive From Clausen's Pier. I think, perhaps, it has been recently turned into a made for TV movie. It's about what happens to a woman who comes face-to-face with an accident that leave her finance a quadriplegic. I don't want to give away too much, but lets just say that at one point in the novel I was so furious with the main character, that I threw the book across the room. I have mixed feelings about the novel, so this one would be a great one to discuss. If anyone else has read it, let me know.

That brings us to the third book that I am reading at present. It is called The Pact by Jodi Picoult. It is very intriguing. It is about a very unsuspecting teenage couple who forge a suicide pact. Only, the boyfriend lives. So now the two families, who have been best friends for 18 years are suddenly torn apart. As they begin to search for an answer to this unspeakable act, both families come face-to-face with the children they never really knew. Kinda dark, I know, but it is so different from anything else I have ever read that I am hooked. I suggest it as a must-read.

New Nephew...

Mom called me this morning to tell me I am the proud aunt of a black Cabbage Patch Kid! My brother's parenting project at school starts today and runs through the weekend. There is a monitor in it that makes the baby cry at random, and it also keeps track of how well the baby is tended to. How hilarious! My mom asked my brother what is he going to do when he has to go to church on Sunday, and Michael said he is going to sit in the cryroom! I love it!

One of these days...

The Tucson Rodeo is in town. This means that all the schools are off on Thursday and Friday of this week. VERY convenient for me. (What is not convenient for me is that my boyfriend is actually in Tucson for a two-week Army field mission and I can't even see him. *sigh* So close, yet so far away....But that is an entirely different story.) Anyway, on my day off, I offered to help a friend of mine paint the kitchen and office in her new house. It was so much fun, and it made me so excited to have my very own house with my very own rooms to paint and decorate. I can't wait to have paint swatches! I also subscribe to this magazine called REAL simple and their offspring magazine, Cottage Living; both are full of new and exciting decorating tips and color schemes. Plus, Matt and I are quite addicted to HGTV. I can't wait to have my own house. I am really inspired by this bright and modern living room. I like the fun colors and the round coffee table surrounded by four individual chairs. Its very "book club/afternoon tea" don't you think? And I love the floor-to-ceiling shelving unit with lots of unique art and knick-knacks. Perhaps on the opposite wall I will have my floor-to-ceiling bookshevles with the rolling ladder. I have always wanted one of those!

So here are my parents. They renewed their wedding vows two Sundays ago. They are such a cute couple, don't you think? They will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this summer; there will be a huge festive party! Also, that same Sunday, Matt's grandparents renewed their wedding vows as well. They will be celebrating 50 years. Isn't that amazing!

Pima Planes

This weekend Matt and I visited the Pima Air Museum. The Air Force Base is in the heart of Tucson, thus the Air Museum is a quite extensive. Now, this is not something that I would have ever thought to go to on my own. First of all, everything looks the same to me, so I can't really appreciate the unique qualities of each different plane. Matt, on the otherhand, grew up studying different planes and going to air shows with his grandfather. He also watched ALOT of Top Gun. Now, I do enjoy Top Gun, as much as the next guy, but I assure you, it has nothing to do with the aircraft. Anyway, it was a very fun afternoon. Matt was my own personal tour guide and could easily point out the names of each planes from a hundred yards away. It was really neat. The first picture is of Matt in front of....a......plane? The second pic, is of me and Matt in front of another plane. This plane is particularly significant because Matt's grandfather worked on them while he was in the Air Force. I believe it is B-47, but don't quote me on that. The final picture, is of Air Force One used by President John F. Kennedy. We got to walk around inside of it; it was very interesting! The final leg of our tour sent us 20 mins outside of Tucson, to the last remaining missile silo in the U.S. So we got to see one the last nuclear bombs leftover from the Cold War. When Matt told me were going to tour a "missile silo," I did not expect the tour to take us five feet from a nuclear war head. It's buried underneath the ground, so we actually got to go down there and see it. Very interesting and just a little nerve racking. The whole time you are thinking: "Hmmm, I am standing five feet from a nuclear bomb 300 times the size and strength of the one that wiped out Hiroshima. Good times...." We were also required to wear festive hard hats during the tour. Matt refused to take a picture of me in it; I guess the public is not ready to see me in a hard hat.....

Barnes and Noble

I love Barnes and Noble. I could spend hours and hours and my life savings in there. If I could get accidentally locked in a Barnes and Noble and had to spend the night there, I think it might be one of the happiest nights of my life. If it weren't such a social faux-pas, I would definitely show up one day in my pajamas and a blanket and just spend a few hours curled up in each isle reading the cover of every book in that place. Seriously. And then there is the Starbucks Cafe, which needs no explanation of it's own wonderfulness. Plus, being a book store, it is literally a wealth of knowledge. I went in with a multitude of quandaries and queries and walked out with all of them answered. Including how to go about publishing a short story, what exactly is a business plan, and how to revert a picture back to its original state once it has been edited in iPhoto (a problem that almost had me in tears this afternoon). I think I will start spending more Sunday afternoons at Barnes and Noble.

Surprise!

What a wonderful weekend! Matt came over early Friday afternoon, and announced that Valentine's Day was not over yet. He had made reservations at Alta Vista Bed and Breakfast, a cozy home on the outskirts of Tucson. How exciting; I love surprises! So I packed my bags, and we headed out. Now, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a bed and breakfast. This place was literally someone's home. When we checked in, Mrs. Gailea invited us into the kitchen, sat us down at the bar, and made us fresh lemonade from lemons picked right from her back yard. And then we had hot fudge brownies straight from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It was an uncharacteristically cold and rainy day in Arizona, so Matt and I spent the better part of the afternoon hanging out in the living room, putting together a puzzle, and listening to XM radio in front of the fire. All the while, Gailea tempted us with more lemonade and hot tea. It felt very much like being at home, or staying at your out-of-town aunt's house. Our room was so nice; we had our own fireplace. There were even robes in the closet and a microfridge that Gailea had filled with chocolate covered strawberries and champange. For dinner, we made reservations at a new and exciting Cajun restraunt that we definitely never found because we got lost on the way there. Very typical Matt and Marie: We will get lost, whether we are staying out of town or five minutes from my apartment. The next morning, Gailea and her husband, Peter, served us the fanciest French toast ever! It was topped with fresh strawberries and sliced almonds. We also had half a grapefruit, some sausage, and chocolate chip muffins! Then on the way out, Gailea gave me and hug and sent us on our way with a ziplock bag of MORE chocolate covered strawberries. So yeah, I don't think I could have asked for a better weekend!

Valentine's Day Edition

Let it be known that Matt Williams gets an A++ when it comes to Valentine's Day, and I, on the other hand receive a D-. The first year we were together (over five years ago now) we were away at college and Matt sent me a care package with a bear and some chocolates and a card. What did I send him? Nothing. The next Valentine's Day, I was away at college again, and he had a dozen long stem red roses and a sweet card delivered to the sorority house. What did I get him? Girl Scout cookies. This past year, Matt was in Afghanistan in the middle of a war zone and the boy manages to send me a gorgeous diamond solitaire necklace. What did I get him? Nothing. This year Matt had flowers delivered to my work. I was the envy of all the women in the building and the men glared at my roses and said Matt "put them to shame." So the question is "How do I redeem myself this year?" I mean, if I were dating me, I would have left my ass long ago....

I would like to give props to my friend Josh's blog, as it is highly festive in light of Valentine's Day. Check it out

Death and Taxes

Well, the grand plan to be a Big Girl and file my own taxes this year fell through. I have decided it is just too complicated. So thank God for Daddy. He always pulls me through. And who is excited about their tax return??!! I know I am; party at my place!

Nice People Make The World Go 'Round

This afternoon I went to Baggin's for lunch. It was delicious, as always, but instead of getting my order to go, I grabbed a table and ate right there....by myself. I have maybe only done this two other times in my life, but this time it really paid off. Perhaps I looked lonely, when in fact I was just hungry and tired, but the restraunt manager came over to me halfway through my meal and gave me a Chocolate Lover's Brownie. On the house. What a GREAT day!

Lucy and Mr. Handsome

Lucy has a boyfriend. I call him Mr. Handsome because has a beautiful fluffy, gold and white coat and a very charming meow. Also, he is abnormally friendly for a stray cat. While most stray cats hide underneath your car, this guy actually follows me around when he sees me. Once he even followed me up the stairs to my apartment and scratched against the door frame as if this was his stop. And knowing Mr. Handsome, he would have walked right in and made himself at home. Eventually, I lured him away with a handful of cereal (I was carrying groceries). Lately, Mr. Handsome has been coming around the apartment alot. He sprawls himself across the steps, and Lucy sits on the front balcony so that they are eye level. Mr. Handsome just talks and talks and talks. One afternoon I came home, and Mr. Handsome had left a dead bird at the foot of the stairs. I think he is trying to seal the deal before Valentine's Day. But he is in for a suprise; Lucy is not allowed to date yet.

This One Goes Out To The Ex-Roommates...

(Katie, Jenny, Natalie, Alicia - This one is for you)

While I was in the shower, I thought long and hard about topics for tonight's blog, and I came up with....Nothing. I know I have really talked up the whole "living alone" experience, what with the ice cream for breakfast, being able to walk around naked, having soul control of the TV remote, making your own rules, and enjoying all the peace and quite that your neighbor on the other side of that paper-thin wall will allow, but honestly, at the end of the day, there is far less excitement in your life without The Roommate. So here are the top five things that I miss about roommates:

5. The Borrowing: The Roommate is a wealth of all things borrowed; what one lacks, the other provides. Now that you are living alone, the phrase, "Hey, Roomie, can I borrow those shoes/ that sweater/ your lip gloss/ a tampon/ some conditioner/ ten dollars/ your biology notes..." no longer applies to you. The fact that I do not necessarily need to borrow some biology notes at the moment is irrelevant. The point here is that if I am in need of any of these things, I am my own roommate, and we have already established that I am fresh out of all of those things.

4. The Favor: The Roommate is the bearer of all Favors. They cover for you when you need to avoid someone, they tape Dawson's Creek for you when you are in class, they don't mind picking up dinner for you when you are starving and sitting around in your pajamas, they take care of you when you are sick, they buy you things at Wal-Mart when you desperately need them. (I think Jenny once bought me a strapless bra a half-hour before formal once.) When you are living alone, the motto, "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself," takes on a whole new meaning.

3. The Mini-Drama: The Roommate is a lover of the Mini-Drama. One great thing about living with someone is coming home and sharing your day with that person. The Roommate is always exicted to take the time to catch up on all the random adventures, laughs, and mini-dramas of the day, no matter how petty. Now, my Lucy is the love of my life, but sometimes when I start talking, she just walks away. To be honest, I just don't think we speak the same language.

2. The Teamwork: If the amount of housework expected of one person is indirectly proportional to the number of persons living in the house, then in my case, the numbers do not work in my favor.

1. The Company: Most importantly, The Roommate is your best source of company. I mean, I know I am the most exciting thing in Tucson, but even I get a little bored with myself sometimes. And today at the gym, they were playing this sassy salsa music, and all I could think of when I was on that treadmill, was "mmmmmmm...Salsa!" And my mouth watered for some of Tucson's finest Mexican food. But of course, a girl can't just go to a restaurant and eat by herself; that is just awkward.

Bored...

I stole this from Natalie's blog. Apparently, I have the personality of apple pie...


find your inner PIE @ stvlive.com

Superbowl Post-Game Analysis

Was it just me, or did the commercials really suck this year? Budweiser did well, as always, with the "magic beer fridge" and the "save yourself" and the "baby clydesdale." But the rest of them? Not so funny. But then again, I did watch the game with some random family who liked to talk very loudly during the commercial breaks and dance in front of the TV.

Also, let me express how much I do not feel like going to work today. The Monday after the Superbowl should be a national holiday, just like the day after New Year's Day is a national holiday. No one wants to go to work, and we all know it. Let stop the charade.

And finally, for my Dad's sake, I am glad Pittsburgh won; you know my mom can more than a little fiesty when her team does not win.

I was thinking about it, and one thing I love about living on my own is the making of my own rules. Like for example, Saturday morning I had ice cream for breakfast. Not exactly what you would call the breakfast of champions, but when was the last time you ate ice cream for breakfast?

Max

Apparently, my poor ole Dad has wanted a dog for the past 24 years. But, I guess my Mom thought that three kids were enough "pets" for one household. Now that my brother is going off the college in the fall, Dad finally got his puppy. He is so cute about it; whenever I call, I can barely hear my mom because Dad and the dog are wrestling in the livingroom. It took them a few days to decide on a name, as my Dad wanted to give him a classic Big Dog name like "Max." My mom, on the other hand, was thinking more along the lines of "Jerome Bettis." (She is not at all a crazy Pittsburgh fan.) But, in the end, "Max" won out. So now I have a baby brother named Max. Dad emailed me this picture of him and said, "Max is always glad to see me. This makes him feel special. How cute.