Saturday, August 15, 2009

Quote of the Day

Spike: I want to save the world.
Buffy: You do remember that you're a vampire, right?
Spike: We like to talk big. Vampires do. "I'm going to destroy the world." That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people, billions of people walking around like Happy Meals on legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision, with a real... passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square.

Blow the Dust Off Those Old Memories...

Yes, I have to admit it. Sitting here in my new house in a state I haven't called home since I was fourteen I'm forced to sit and contemplate the memories I thought I'd left behind. It surprises me sometimes when I sit back and realize how many memories I've blocked out over the years. Flipping through my photo album tonight, looking at the faces of people I haven't spoken too in years (and a few I've spoken to just a little too often) I have to smile. Those were good times. Just sitting back and having fun with friends is something I've kind of lost track of beneath the burden of responsibility. I look at my smile in those pictures and realize I can't remember the last time I smiled with that much pure, unadulterated (unenebriated) joy.

It's time to get that back.

Speaking of old friends and old memories, I spent today up at Longacre Farms in the middle of nowhere with my best friend from middle school. We had a blast. If you ever get the opportunity to swing up that way I highly recommend it. On top of the extremely cool goats and the kickin' Maize Maze (which makes the one in Fredericksburg look hopelessly puny and inferior!) they have this amazing jumping pillow. Picture "The Blob" from Fat Camp, then tack it on the ground over a sand pit and you've got a jumping pillow. This thing was SO amazing. I seriously want one! It's better than a trampoline for giving you a little extra "Oomph", which sends you flying in every direction.

Couple that with a giant slide and I think I had more fun than the kids! There are days I love being a parent. Otherwise people look at you funny when you're 26 and playing pirate on a giant wooden pirate ship! I can't wait until we get to do it again. Next up?

Spraypark!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Live a Life Less Ordinary...

I've had this song stuck in my head tonight, so I figured I'd share the joy! You can find the lyrics at http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/carbonleaf/lifelessordinary.html and the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmMbrXypXJU.

"Life Less Ordinary"
Live a life less ordinary
Live a life extraordinary with me
Live a life less sedentary
Live a life evolutionary with me

Well I hate to be a bother,
But it's you and there's no other,
I do believe
You can call me naive but...
I know me very well (at least as far as I can tell)
And I know what I need

The night you came into my life
Well it took the bones of me, took the bones of me
You blew away my storm and strife
And shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me
By the way, I do know why you stayed away...
I will keep tongue-tied next time

Live a life less ordinary
Live a life extraordinary with me
My face had said too much
Before our hands could even touch
To greet a 'hello'(So much for going slow...)
A little later on that yearI told you that I loved you dear
What do you know?
This you weren't prepared to hear
I'm a saddened man, I'm a broken boy
I'm a toddler with a complex toy
I've fallen apart, since the ambush of your heart

The night you came into my life
Well it took the bones of me, took the bones of me
You blew away my storm and strife
And shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me.
By the way, I do know why you stayed away
I will keep tongue-tied but...
Honey understand, honey understand
I won't make demands
Honey understand, honey understand
We could walk without a plan.
Honey understand (honey), honey understand
I won't rest in stone all alone
Honey understand, honey understand
I'm all ready to go
But you already know...

Live a life less ordinary
Live a life extraordinary with me.
If I could name you in this song
Would it make you smile and sing along?
This is the goal: to get into your soul
If I could make you dance for joy
Could that be the second-chance decoy?
The bird-in-hand I would need
To help you understand?

The night you came into my life, well it took the bones of me, took the bones of me
You blew away my storm and strife
And shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me
By the way, I do know why you stayed away
I will keep tongue-tied next time

Quote of the Day

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." - Terry Pratchett.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Quote of the Day

There's a lot to be said for self-delusionment when it comes to matters of the heart.

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, First Snow, 1993

My Poetry

All We Need to Know of Hell

Empty.
So empty.
Hollow and cold, with the chilling memories
Reminding me what was,
The ache in my heart telling me what is,
And the shadow of your smile
Taunting me
With what might have been.

Plucked like a flower, precious and new
From a tree with roots that span an eternity.
Only you have shared my yesterdays
And it hurts
To see who you've become.
To watch shadows darken eyes
That were meant to shine
And to see a heart so soft
Close against a pain I know
Started and Ended
With me.

So many things,
Like a boat in the desert
Or a cat in the ocean.
Where do we go from here?
Tears we've cried,
Words we've spoken
Can't be undone
And must somehow be survived.

Quote of the Day

"Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian."- Shari R. Barr

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Welcome to New York! Oh God, I'm a Yankee Again...

Well, it's the end of my fourth day of being a New Yorker. To be perfectly honest, as I haven't set foot outside my house except to run to Walmart and the grocery store since we got here I'm not entirely sure what I think about moving back to cow country. Seriously. I spent twelve years living in a city where seeing cows meant you were really, really lost. I think I passed twelve farms on our way from the highway to here!

Dude, I see cow people.

Overall, though, things are doing alright. We have slightly crazy but extremely loveable neighbors that spent over an hour this afternoon coloring with my kids. Barbara's outside helping Mike figure out how to set out the trash for the trash people. This is the first time we've had to deal with either trash pick-up or recycling, so it promises to be an experience. Astonishingly, Virginia's slightly backwater (read: cheap) when it comes to that. Go figure. Doesn't surprise me in the least.

I'm venturing out with the kids tomorrow morning to get them registered for school, then Chelsea and I (and probably Garrett) are going to go traveling down to the local dance studio to check things out and get her signed up for classes. I know she's excited and a little nervous about it. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be the first chance she's had to step out and get settled in, and I know she's been bored out of her mind without Taylor, Caleb and Kayla around.

Now I just have to find something for Alex to do. I'm hoping something at the YMCA will spark his interest, although the fact that he spent 7 hours today playing X-Box isn't very encouraging. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about it. He isn't the type to make or keep friends easily, and he rarely goes out and seeks people to play with. I realize he's probably a little young to be a social reject, but that doesn't stop me from being very, very afraid he's going to be the disruptive kid in the class nobody likes. Hopefully a fresh school and a fresh start will be what he needs to get started on the right path. And maybe I'll learn to stop being a paranoid mother and give the kid his space.

Anyway, tonight marks the last night of my vacation (officially). I have to start working half days this week and go back full time next week. Ewwwww. And we're going back to VA this weekend for my brother's wedding. The insanity of that doesn't escape me, believe me! However, having a certain fondness for my inheritance and the babysitting privileges that come with it I need to make sure we're all present and accounted for. And, of course, I wouldn't miss seeing my baby brother tie the knot.

Flipping over to the house, I have to say-I'm in love. It needs work. All right, it needs a LOT of work! I discovered it was built in 1910, however, which is just incredibly cool, and looking around I think most of it's cosmetic. There are places that we absolutely have to rip down the wallpaper and repaint, and my dad tried to do some renovations and got stalled halfway through, but calling in a good contractor and applying a little bit of elbow grease will do wonders. I figure about two more years and we'll be right where we want to be.

So yay! Welcome to New York. Now all I have to do is find a little civilization and some company to keep myself sane and we'll be in good shape.