One small step

I'm trying to branch out and meet new people. Especially people outside of work. I've lived in Milwaukee for 4 years and all of my friends are from work. I've met some people in the neighborhood or at the dog park but it's never gone farther than a casual acquaintence.

Next week, I'm going to a Young Professionals of Milwaukee event. It's something I've been meaning to do for a long time but never got around to. I'm finally making the plunge. At first, B was going to go with me. Then he found out that he has a work function the same night. I was starting to lose my enthusiasm because I didn't really want to go by myself (chicken that I am). I then asked Auzzie if she wanted to go since I know she has mentioned an interest in YPM events inthe past. She accepted and passed it on to a bunch of other people. Now there is a big group going.

This could be good or bad. I may end up chatting with the other people I know and not branching out to meet new people. I will have to make an effort to talk to strangers. Funny how that is something discouraged in children but encouraged in adults.

What do you ask a young professional? My first thought is - what do you do for a living? I need to think of something more interesting than that. Who is your favorite superhero seems a bit weird. Maybe - who is your favorite CEO? LOL. I might just stick to the weird questions.

FINALLY DONE!

Well... almost done. B and I busted our butts on Wed, Thurs & Fri to get the upstairs renovations completed. The carpet is in and most of the neccessities are in place so that we actually moved our bedroom upstairs on Friday. Still need to install the closet and finish some doors but for the most part, it's done!

The family started arriving on Friday and we had plenty of room for them. I was still doing some cleaning (vicious dust bunnies under the beds) when some arrived but was able to finish it up before long. B made some chilli for dinner on Friday night which turned out a little tooooo spicy. He didn't realize that the Indian chilli spice is much hotter than the American chilli spice. I had to pause a few times to let the fire in my mouth die down. Luckily, we had Firecracker's yummy cookies to counteract the spices too. Both moms wanted the recipe and couldn't get enough of them.

Saturday we made a few pies and started getting ready for the validation ceremony. B wanted our marriage to be recognized by the Catholic Church. The Napa Valley wedding didn't count because it was performed outside of a church. No big deal to me. It was very brief. Only my mom, B's parents and my maid of honor, Firecracker, were there. We were done in 15 minutes. I took longer to take pictures than to perform the ceremony. I wore my wedding dress again. I felt very silly climbing into my car and walking up to the church in the dress but who cares? How many women get to wear the same wedding dress twice? B was in his tux and Firecracker in her maid of honor dress too so I got to share the silliness. All of the wedding events are now officially OVER!!!

After the ceremony, we headed back to the house, changed into normal clothes and started fixing the turkey meal. A few ingredients were forgotten but in general, everything turned out pretty tastey. We all sat around the table and gorged ourselves. I didn't think I put too much on my plate but I could hardly move after dinner. When we finally came out of our food comas and moved away from the table, the parents went to bed and B, Firecracker and I spread out on the couch to watch a little Trading Spaces.

It was a great weekend. The in-laws get along really well and I think Firecracker is now considered an honorary member of both sides of the family. She was invited to go down for a visit to Indiana anytime or to come along with B and I for any holiday. Chicago is on the way after all. Even doggy seemed to have a good time. She got lots of playtime with B's dad and snuggle time with Firecracker.

Even though it was a fun time, I was happy to see everyone head home on Sunday. I needed a little time by myself after being surrounded by people for 3 days. I did absolutely NOTHING yesterday and didn't feel any twinge of guilt.

To round out a good Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I would list out the things I am thankful for:

1. A loving and supportive husband and family.

2. The really good friends that I know I can count on no matter how many times a year I see them or talk to them.

3. Completing the bulk of the house renovations! All the hard work is finally paying off.

4. A job that pays the bills and that sometimes can be fulfilling.

5. Even though there are a few aches and pains, I enjoy good health.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Personal Space

I went out for lunch to run some errands and decided to pick up a sandwich from Quiznos on my way back to the office. While waiting in line to place my order, I noticed someone hovering at my sholder. I tried not to get annoyed because I can understand trying to peak over the window separating us from the food items. I also know that some cultures do not know the meaning of personal space. As I look over my sholder, I see a tall, gangly, pimply-faced teenage boy beside me. No culteral excuse for this guy.

I place my order and move on down the line. Again, my new shadow is hovering at my sholder. I'm starting to get annoyed. The devil in me is ready to turn and tell they kid to back off. The angel in me says, chill out. Maybe he is trying to make sure they don't screw up his order.

I get up to the cash register and start paying for my meal. THERE HE IS AGAIN! This time, he doesn't have an excuse. No reason he should be breathing down my neck. I'm ready to snarl at him when the nice lady behind the counter says, "Thanks for choosing Quiznos. Have a nice day!" Her cheerful attitude (even though she is a cashier at Quiznos) neutralizes my annoyed feelings. Instead of being mean to zit-boy, I quickly exit and head for my car.

Isn't it strange how little things make a person seem odd or foreign? Like standing too close. When I first realized the person behind me was standing way too close for my comfort, my first thought was that they were probably not from the US. Maybe it's because we have so much extra space here (big houses, big cars, etc) that we even prefer extra space around ourselves too. Or maybe it's just me.

Strange weekend

The funeral this weekend was odd. Well, it was really the events around the funeral that were odd. Left work early Friday afternoon and drove down the Peoria. The plan was to drive down with my sister, mom and Aunt J on Saturday morning for the funeral. I usually wait until after work to head down but things were slow and I didn't want to drive the whole way in the dark.

I ended up meeting my mom at the mall for a bonding-shopping session. I not only got to pick out some birthday presents for myself (mom hadn't gotten around to it yet) but also spent some cash on preparations for winter. A much needed new down coat and some boots for walking the dog. We grabbed some dinner and decaf coffees to ward off the chill, then headed home.

Saturday morning, Aunt J showed up at mom's then we drove out to BFE to pick up my sister. I think if my sister hadn't been with us I would have listened to my iPod the entire trip. We my mom and aunt get going, there is no stopping them. They talked and bickered the entire way there and back. Some of the talk I could join in on but when they start going back and forth about how many kids some cousin I've never met had, I prefer to zone out. Luckily, I also had a book with me.

It was a small group at the funeral. Grandma didn't want any fuss (that's how she was). A very efficient, no nonsense lady who had been a nurse for 40 years. She was really good about keeping up correspondense. If you sent a thank you note for some gift, you would always get a note back. Almost a thank you for the thank you.

After the funeral, my cousin and step-mom called my sister and I back to Grandma's bedroom. They were looking through her jewelry and asked us if there was anything we wanted. I felt like a vulture scavenging through the remains of Grandma's life. It was weird. There was only one thing I was interested in from amongst Grandma's things - a quilt. She's been making quilts for as long as I can remember. I have one at home that she made for me while I was in college. I was hoping she had some that my other cousins didn't want. Since we didn't visit often, I consider myself low on the todem pole. I didn't want to take anything that my other cousins might want. I really lucked out though. My step-mom was about to claim this beautiful wedding ring quilt but suddenly thought it would be appropriate for me to have it since I just got married. YEAH!

I actually talked to some of my cousins for a while. This was a much more casual event than my aunt's funeral. We had dinner at grandma's house and I wanted to feel useful so spent most of my time in the kitchen. To those of you who know me well, that's a pretty typical spot for me. It was a bit strange to see my mom among my dad's family. Dad didn't seem thrilled about her being there but my mom really liked her mother-in-law and kept in contact even after the divorce. They behaved themselves.

One other weird thing I realized. My aunt died about a week before my Napa Valley wedding. My grandma died about a week before the Catholic wedding validation ceremony. Thank goodness this is the last wedding for me. I don't want this to become a pattern.

Sad news

My grandmother died. It's my dad's mother and she lived to the ripe old age of 92. Grandma K was a great lady up until the end. I haven't seen her much since my parents got divorced over 10 years ago. My sister and I never really wanted to make the trek down to Missouri and we've always been much closer to my mom's side. Given a choice, we always wanted to spend the holidays with mom's family.

I saw Grandma about a month ago at my aunt's funeral. She didn't take my aunt's death very well. It's not something you really expect to happen - outliving your children. I remember my grandma telling me at the funeral that she never expected to live as long as she had. It sounds like she has been declining since then.

Even though it was a sad occasion, I'm glad I got to see her. I would have felt worse about her death if it had been years since I had last seen her. I hope her and Aunt Sandy are having a ball together again up in heaven.

C'est la vie

I recently found out that certain friends are leaving Milwaukee. This couple is one that I've mentioned previously because we had some problems over the summer. We found out they had excluded us from an event we thought we would have been included in and then they tried to hide it from us. However, we found out by accident.

At the time, I thought we would get past the hurt feelings and our friendship would get back to normal but things never really improved. In fact, it went steadily downhill. Case in point - I found out they were leaving from a co-worker. It has become uncomfortable to even see them.

I might have been under the mistaken assumption to expect them to be first at extending an olive branch. I'm not one to go where I don't feel welcome. Considering I never really saw any sign of an olive branch, I wasn't planning on risking more hurt feelings by initiating something.

Now they are moving and I must say, I'm a little relieved. It's sad. B has known these people for quite a long time and I've known them since meeting B. Maybe we'll bury the hatchet at the farewell party or it will be the final nail in the coffin. One weird thing about the farewell, I never received the evite. B got it but I didn't even though my name appears on the list of invitees. In the back of my mind, I can hear a little voice saying, "They don't really want you there. Fate is trying to tell you not to go." B is trying to convince me otherwise. We'll see what happens.

Busy weekend

It was non-stop since Thursday night. We left home around 8pm to head down to Peoria for the wedding reception party. I had pre-made some stuff for the party but still had much to do. Got up early on Friday to start making the cakes. Don't ask me why I made the cakes instead of buying...I just wanted to. Spent most of Friday running to the grocery store or baking. Thank goodness my cousins, aunt and Firecracker came over to help out. I couldn't have finished it all without them.

Special thanks go to Firecracker for saving the chocolate cake. As I was putting it in the fridge, it started tilting and sliding sideways. She put her hand out and stopped it from ending up on the floor. Probably saved me from having a melt-down also.

Saturday also started early. I had some last minute prep to do and flowers to buy. We were decorating up to guests arriving. It was good to see everyone. I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked with some because I had to mingle. B and I kind of separated and tried to make our rounds. I didn't really see much of him that day.

We tried to get a bunch of people together to go out to the bars but most people were tired or not feeling well. We are definitely getting old. Six of us headed down to Sully's for a beer, drank 2 rounds and headed home (losers!). I had consumed enough caffeine that day to probably keep going but it's probably good that I didn't. Sunday started out early too.

We did a brunch at my mom's house on Sunday for all the people visiting from out of town and some of my relatives. I was up early baking egg casseroles and frying sausage. We put Firecracker and Auzzie to work cutting up bagels, fruit and veggies (thank you). Again we were rushing to finish before guests arrived.

Got to see a bit more of the Canadian girls before they headed home. I'm so glad they could all make it. It's a 10-hour drive which is not easy to do over a weekend. Especially since one friend came with an active 18-month old and was 7-months pregnant while the other friend is still fighting a bad cold. I maybe see them once a year or every other year but we always have fun when we get together.

Finally got home around 8pm and I went straight to bed. I need a weekend to recover from my weekend! Hopefully Thanksgiving won't be quite so hectic!

So call me a bitch...

I was talking to an old boss yesterday. One of the funnest jobs I've ever had was framing pictures through college. I even did it part-time for years after I got a "real" job just because I loved the people I worked with. Anyway...I digress.

While talking to the Boss, he mentioned that he occasionally runs into an old buddy of mine. Through college (sorry - another digression), I would have considered Ryno my best friend. As it often happens, he met a girl. The girl and I did not get along. She was a bitchy, control-freak that didn't really like the relationship I had with her boyfriend and I eventually lost touch with Ryno. While we were best buddies, he used to stop by the frame store often so Boss knew him pretty well.

Anyway...while reminiscing with Boss, he mentioned that he ran into Ryno recently at a hockey game. I mentioned that I hadn't talked to him in a long time mainly because I didn't get along with his (now) wife. Boss said, "I can see that. Even after just sitting with them for a half hour drinking a beer, she seemed like a bitch." This somehow made me feel better. You all know those women who the guys like but most women don't. It was nice to hear a guy confirm my opinion.

My next thought was, I wonder if she's now fat? Not a nice thought on my part but I remember she had the potential to become fat back when I knew her. That would just be icing on the cake if I'm still slim and she is now fat. My bitchy thought of the day. :)

Everyone is ok

Brad's family had a rude awakening yesterday morning. They live in Newburgh, Indiana which was hit by the tornado at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Luckily, it ran a little north of where his parents live and just south of one of his cousins in Boonville (yes, that is the actual name of the town). A house 3 doors down from his grandma was severly damaged but her house was fine.

B talked to his family on Sunday morning after I bugged him to call and check on them. He said if anything had gone wrong, he would have received a phone call. No news was good news in his mind. That wasn't good enough for me. Besides, I knew his mom and dad would appreciate the call to know he was thinking about them. I didn't hear many of the details (B isn't really good about transferring information) but sounded like they didn't really have any damage. I'll probably hear more details this weekend at the reception party.

No words of wisdom or great thoughts to share today. Today's been a rather crappy day and I need to escape work for a bit so blogging sounded like a good idea. The morning started with a meeting I was only supposed to attend for the first 10 minutes or so. Instead, I got stuck there for the entire thing. If the meeting topic hadn't been something I've already heard about (in more detail than I wanted to), I wouldn't have minded sticking around. This group of people, however, like to go off on tangents which I find rather annoying. I finally get time to talk about my bit and I get cut short because time is up. Nice. I was invited as a guest speaker and I got cut short.

My next downer was receiving an email from a friend who cannot make it to the reception party. The 3-hour drive to Peoria would be too painful with their almost 2-year old. Granted, I am not a parent and have not had to travel long distances with small children but this seems to be a cop out. Maybe I think it's a cop out because a different friend is traveling 10 hours by car with a very active 18 month old to come to the party (Nub Nu, Mel!). Maybe it's also because this person has not come to any other wedding event I've had to date. I can feel my obsessive analyzing side coming out... Maybe there's a hidden reason why this person isn't coming...

Another downer - sitting in a meeting for 4 hours analyzing what went wrong with a previous meeting and how can we improve for the next one. ARGH! I'm more of a take action type of person. Not one to sit around over-analyzing stuff (I do enough of this with my personal life). These types of meetings drive me bonkers! ESPECIALLY when they get off topic. I'm SOOOOO ready for the weekend.

Guess what I'm doing this weekend? PAINTING! Yes, painting again. Now that the outside is painted, we need to finish the inside. EXCITING!!! Can barely contain myself.