Enjoying the ride

Five years ago tomorrow we moved here for graduate school.  I spent the first 18 years of my life in one town (village?), 5 in my college town and now five here. Somehow I feel so, um, adultlike. Makes it seem almost hard to believe that this is what my husband looked like when I met him nine years ago.

Young Pete

He was just a pup, as they say. I was probably young lookin’ too. I STILL get carded. More often than Pete. I hope I’ll look young when I’m 50. That would be good. Will I feel adultlike then? Time will tell, God willing.

We were a little bit older when we got married five years ago. There was a badass party that day. I wish you could have been there. In retrospect, I also wish I had known what a nice drink bourbon was that day. It would have been an excellent drink. Live and learn, I guess that’s part of what these past few years have been about. Check it out, though. Don’t we look happy? And adultlike?

08.02.03

Did I have a point in this post? I don’t really remember. My train of thought seems to have driven off somewhere else. Hopefully to a place with an iced vanilla latte. Mmmm. Sorry about that tangent.

Anyway, I haven’t posted much of an anniversary lovey-dovey post. I don’t think I plan to. It’s interesting enough, I think, to just contemplate where we started, and where we’re going, and how much we’ve grown. (And I am not speaking of my hips and thighs, though that is something to contemplate also.)  And in doing all this thinking, I’ve been thinking about how much I’m enjoying the adultlike ride.

08.02.2008

Second choice

My dad and I banter about politics via email every couple of days. Well, not really banter because we’re sort of preaching to the choir as we agree about 99.98% of the issues. Anyway, I asked if he’d seen Paris Hilton’s response to the Obama ad, and he responded“Yes I’ve seen Paris Hilton’s ad. She’ s now my second choice for President behind Obama and ahead of McCain.”

I second that emotion.

Food Glorious Food

Do you eat only hamburgers and French fries? Does the sound of sushi make your stomach turn? Do you consume fewer than two fruits or vegetables each day? Is Lawry’s seasoning salt an essential to element to every meal? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you might suffer from Acute Tastebud Disorder, or ATD*.

ATD affects only 1 in 399 Americans. Even fewer still are those who are willing to admit they have a condition. Most will just live with their disorder, unhappily accepting tacos that contain cheese AND meat, or hamburgers with cheese and mushrooms.

ATD sufferers, you are not alone. There are others like you out there. It just so happens ——

THAT I AM NOT ONE OF THEM.

We’ve been hanging out with a friend of a friend lately who has perhaps the most sensitive palette of any person I’ve ever met. He doesn’t like cheese on food except for pizza. He seems to really hate the way vegetables taste, with a few notable exceptions. He says that occasionally, his body will just crave bananas and all of a sudden he’ll hit half a dozen (or some such dramatic number). This dude has really strong opinions about what he’ll eat and what he won’t. He says lots of food just tastes horrible to him. Is there something to that?

I’ve always thought that the fact that I have a penchant for grilled chicken dishes and little desire to eat mushrooms was just my personal deal. But now I’ve got to wonder, is there an actual ATD condition out there?

* ATD is a made-up medical condition conceived at dinnertime by three non-ATD types. These statements have not been approved by the FDA.

Sunday style

I recently had an email conversation with a teacher friend who did not take kindly to my pointing out that August begins on Friday. Summer’s like a weekend, he theorized. June is like Friday, July is like Saturday and August is like Sunday. And so we’re set to move on to the Sunday of our summer.

I’ve always like Sundays. There’s something calm about them that I don’t find in Saturdays. Saturdays are a little more crazy. This Saturday, for example, will be a free-for-all beach trip Wood Anniversary extravaganza. We’ll leave early, drive a couple of hours, enjoy some snacks and drinks on the beach, party down, and camp it up. (Which I’ve done already this summer, and believe you me, I’m plenty worried about the bugs. But I’ll get over it because I have undying love for crazy Saturdays, especially Beach Day Saturdays.)

Back to Sunday. Sunday’s still a time for relaxing even though you know it’s going to be short lived. Maybe that’s why I enjoy it so much: you’ve got to enjoy Sunday while it lasts, because before you know it you’ll be back to your uncomfortable desk chair and unnatural fluorescent light. It’s an opportunity to take a walk, grill some food, read a book, do your nails, watch a movie, get a tiny bit of work done – all excellent Sunday activities.

Now back to August being the Sunday of summer. Last night, as we do every Tuesday, we spent some time with Matt and JP. We did what my older relatives would call “visiting.” This means sitting around, having conversation and simply relating to each other. It seems like that’s the kind of thing that happens too infrequently in our busy-busy-busy life and times.

We visited on the back deck listening to music. The citronella candlelight was flickering in the background. The Florida insects were singing their summer songs. Laughter from some of my favorite people was ringing in my ears. It reminded me of a Sunday, even though it was really Tuesday.

As August, the Sunday of summer approaches, it’s time I enjoy it. And I will – in fabulous Sunday style.

Let me be serious for a moment.

I guess death’s just a part of life. In my real adult world, I’ve been thinking about it lately. That’s just the thing – none of us is going to get out of this alive. That’s for sure.

My parents have been struggling with their parents’ ailing health as far back as I can remember. When I was a five years old, my Mom’s dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Even to my little five-year-old perception she seemed pretty shaken. I understand why now. He was 57 years old, and my mom would’ve been 33 or so. Not much older than me.

My parents have been so good to me. And so good to Pete. And to my brother and his wife. And their parents. Imagining life without them is pretty troubling. But as I continue on my adulthood path, it seems more conceivable that someday my life may have to march on without them. I am certainly not crazy about the notion.

Even more impossible to imagine: life without my husband. Being a widow. Also possible, right? That’s my worst fear about Pete returning to Africa for field work. What if he should leave and it would be the last time we’d see each other? That’s just the thing – it could happen. Then again, it could happen tomorrow. To any of us.

Two classmates from my little college – remember, high school class of 50-something, college class of 500-something – have documented their most amazing love story, and sadly mortality plays a role. This was not a couple I knew but  in a small place like that, faces are familiar and a classmate gets to know their colleague’s story. Last week a woman lost her husband after a courageous battle with ALS.

Their strength and love is documented here. Yesterday I read nearly every entry. The writing is beautiful, and the lessons to be learned are beautiful, too. I think you’ll agree that it’s a pretty emotional read that draws things into perspective.

The message seems clear. No matter what happens, it’s your one and only life to live, and you’d better make the best of it. There’s the good, and there’s the bad. There’s the understandable and there’s the inexplicable. There’s the laughter, and the love, and the tears and the joy. There’s just no telling how long it’ll last for anyone. That’s just the thing.

Movie, fun fact and comments

Last night with with my hair happy from its cut and a belly full of pizza we sat down with the Irving Berlin classic Easter Parade. The plot is a little similar to Holiday Inn, which I also enjoy. We also had a box of Whoppers, Junior Mints and two candies to sample I’ve never had before, Boston Baked Beans and Good and Plenty. The movie was good and I was very entertained, except for the six minutes when I was asleep. If you’re looking for something a little cute and old-timey, but it on the queue. Easter Parade may earn an repeat performance sometime next Spring, and Boston Baked Beans will definitely be on my snack landscape again.

Here’s an Americana fun fact for you: did you know Irving Berlin also wrote the familiar tune “God Bless America?” You can read all about it here on the Library of Congress website.

And finally (and I wish I could find a more original way to do this but I’m not going to): I’m inviting you to comment on this here blog. Have at it!

Old school entertainment choices

With no cable, a broken iPod and very little disposable income, I’ve been kickin’ it old school with entertainment choices this summer. Last night we watched Cabaret with Calvin & Duane, while playing Scrabble. Old school.

The winner and champion of old school choices so far: I pulled my dusty copy of Gone With The Wind off the shelf. At first I had a hard time getting into Scarlett, and I’d fall asleep after only a few pages. But now, well, I’m rolling with it. And I find myself wishing I was reading most of the time. Yesterday I could hardly wait to get home from work to tear into a few more pages, and today I’m getting smart and taking the book with me so I can read during lunch.

I have no intention of becoming one of those memorabilia-collecting obsessors. (Um, I’m totally making that word up. Doesn’t it seem like a good one?) I can see how it could happen, though. Get a load of summer of this stuff:

How about this lovely, whimsical and weird doll? Or this equally delightful Franklin Mint candlestick set, yours for the taking for the mere price of more than $400? Do you prefer vintage? Then maybe this printed shirt, if it hadn’t already been sold on eBay. If you prefer modern technology, you can check out this GWTW-inspired Lindsay Lohan celebrity mishap article. And if you read Chinese better than I do, you might get into this blog titled Gone With The Wind… Tomorrow Is Another Day. You could check out recordings of Tara Winds, or snap up this copy of the unauthorized sequel.

I’m not into gear, though. I’m trying to cut back. I’ll just dive into page 254 where I left off and get my jollies the old school way.

I’m no Jack Handy

But I do have deep thoughts. Check ‘em out:

• To the rooster in my neighborhood: You wake up too early. Cock-a-doodle-don’t, pal. This is only sort of original material, I mentioned it over on my Twitter.
• Summer humidity is moist and sticky (and also possibly stinky) like underarms.
• Having babies in quick succession must be the new black. A real-life friend is expecting her second baby in 15 months, and two of the blogs I read (this one and this one) are documenting their second pregnancies inside of two calendar years, too.
• Fifth anniversary = wood anniversary. I love the innuendo there, and the gift challenge.  I think I did alright, though. Check back after August 2 and I’ll let you know if Pete agrees.

That’s all I got, y’all. Behave!

For no good reason, really.

Do you ever have a day where you’re perplexed for no good reason, really? There’s been nothing pressing today, but there are a few things that I’ve found pretty weird. Here’s a smattering. Why, for example, do I:

1. fear Mom Jeans? (And the butt that accompanies them?)
2. feel so restless?
3. get so cranky?
4. really love the tragic reality television of Wife Swap? (This is truly the only reality smut I watch and only now that we don’t have a consistent Wednesday night commitment.)
5. not know the origin of these strange bug bites on Etta’s arm?
6. hurry through life? Don’t you think I should stop and notice it more often? Take a look:

Where I wax patriotic

I really love the Fourth of July. I always have. What’s not to like? There’s music, and food, and entertainment and fireworks. Until I left home, my family would sometimes spend the evening at a party hosted by family friends. Their house was literally across the gravel road from the golf course to watch the fireworks show in that tiny western Iowa town. Even then I loved deviled eggs and the Washington, DC fireworks show on PBS.

I don’t wax patriotic too often (philosophic, maybe, but typically not patriotic) but it seems like the 4th of July is a good time for that. I’m pretty impressed with volunteer fire departments, first responders (like the one that helped Pete when he’d been hit by a car) and those who volunteer for military service. Nothing gets me goin’ on that quite like the Fourth of July.

Both of my grandfathers served in the military in WWII. Both were named James, and both had a sort of unorthodox military experience. My dad’s dad performed in military bands and shows across the Midwest. He would sing at funerals and tap dance in shows and do what he had to do. He once poignantly told my husband, “Pete, you’ll do a lot of things to keep from getting shot at.”

My mom’s dad enlisted in the Navy. He was a part of a program that was to train doctors for the war effort, but the war ended before he ever had to serve in that way. Grandpa Lott was educated by the Navy. He attended a different college each year, to work his way to becoming a doctor. Even though the war ended and he was married, he attended osteopathic college and became a doctor by virtue of his military service. He wouldn’t have run track for Notre Dame if not for the Navy and wouldn’t likely have become a doctor, either. This isn’t what he had in mind when joining the service – he had hoped to become a pilot, but his eyesight was too poor.

Anyway. I often complain about America, about how we’re too large a nation to solve our many problems, how I’m non plussed with foreign policy, how people are poor and even middle class Americans are struggling. But something about the Fourth of July seems to bring out the optimist American in me. My grandfathers and others who’ve served have made a valuable contribution to American society. So that I can enjoy the beach and fine food and voting. Thanks for that, y’all.

I have determined to be happy this Fourth of July. To celebrate the good in my life and leave as many anxious thoughts behind as I possibly can. I’m going to try to remember those who have served or are serving our country with a grateful heart. I’m going to celebrate having quit cigarette smoking a year ago, spending time with family and friends, listening to some Sousa marches on ye olde iPod and enjoying myself. At the moment, I can’t think of a better way to let freedom ring.