Friday, February 29, 2008

letting bygones be bygones

recipient of the 2008 Julian Tavarez Second Chance Award*

(photo from the Boston Herald)
take note: NOT Julio Freaking Lugo (as *some* of you predicted). =P

so JD. you made me grind my teeth with frustration & groan with agony for the better part of last year. you wore my Trotter's number on your back. you made me question every dollar of that ginormous contract that you received (when it should be noted that we could have had our original Dirt Doggin' right fielder for a hot dog & a beer). you really made it difficult for me to like your presence in Boston at all.

and then you finally figured out what you were doing during Game Six of the ALCS. when it was do-or-die time. and you managed to hack out a grand slam at the most opportune time.

for that, you are given a free pass for that disappointing first year. we're going to pretend that anything that came before that slam never even happened. here's to 2008. welcome to Boston, JD.

*in 2006, i used the name Julian Tavarez like a curse. every time i saw him warming in the pen, i would mumble incoherently & show signs of a nervous tic. and then late in the painfully long '06 season, Julian pitched a complete game and showed up to camp in 2007 with a fresh new attitude. at which point i realized that he had turned a corner with me. much to my astonishment, i no longer raged at his presence on my team, but rather embraced him as something of a new cult hero. thus was born the Julian Tavarez Second Chance Award, handed out to a player i never thought i could like but who somehow managed to win me over despite my disgust. note: Julio Lugo is not eligible for this award.

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::snicker::

i don't know why but the word "nugget"? it's funny.

what about you? any words you think are funny?

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And I Quote: February 29, 2008

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
(Berthold Auerbach)

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Thursday, February 28, 2008

he's got *my* vote

*now* we're talking. i mean really, how could you not vote for Big Papi? and with the glasses & all?


i mean, look! he already has his Secret Service & everything. because let's face it, no one messes with Papelbon & lives to tell about it. and Speedy mcEllsbury is quick enough to chase your butt down if you think you're getting away.


i do know that we should add this to the list of scariest Spring Training images though... (and did Josh just roll out of bed?! what is with the hair?)

(photos from the Boston Globe)

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

it's a mad mad mad mad world

believe it or not, there are a few things that compete with the Bartolo Colo signing as the scariest moment for me of Spring Training.

like what on *earth* is going on with Coco's head?! did he get swallowed by a Chia Pet? will it grow if he gets caught in the rain? how will that fit under a cap?! is he having problems with the Florida humidity? will he require a shoe horn to get into the car?

(photo from the Boston Herald)

seriously, this boy is not quite right. i mean, we knew that after the pantsless river dancing. and the beercase headwear. and the complete & utter insanity. but that look on his face may be just this side of psychotic. or perhaps just over the line to *that* side.

and then... God love him... there are no words for this.

(photos from the Boston Globe)

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you fail to amuse me.

bad blogger. bad!

yeah, yeah, i know...
soon. i promise.

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Monday, February 25, 2008

pretty

pretty yummy. ;-)

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out of character

i am usually a pretty neat cook, cleaning up as i go.
i made spaghetti with sausage & goat cheese for dinner tonight.
it looks like a bomb went off in my kitchen.

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And I Quote: February 25, 2008

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
(Joseph Cambell)

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the new guy

i would have to say that Sean Casey seems to be having no problems acclimating to his new team. not only is he already chatting it up with Papi...


...and Tek...


...but he's also managed to draw a crowd!


heck, he's even got Mike Timlin, he of the bloodthirsty take-no-prisoners i-scare-you-with-my death-stare mentality, busting a gut. seriously, look how hard Casey is laughing. it's making *me* laugh!


yeah, i'd have to say The Mayor is slipping into place like he was custom made to wear Boston red. and though i'm really going to miss Eric Hinkse's ear-to-ear borderline-psychotic grin, it's really hard not to like a guy that laughs & smiles this much. welcome to Bean Town, Sean!

(all photos from Yahoo! Sports)

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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Twenty Questions: February 23, 2008

1. What team would you like to have season tickets for? Where would you want to sit?
duh! the Red Sox! (i prefer to watch football from the comfort of my own home. the view is better, no one will step on me or spill beer on me, the food is cheaper, and i have a private bathroom.) location: third base side, just above the dugout.

2. What was the best day of the past week for you and why?
Thursday. got my tickets to see the Sox play in Tampa!

3. What is the best thing about the city in which you currently live?
ummm... it's less than an hour from Disney World? that's about it.

4. What do you love most about yourself?
that i can be the kind of friend i would want to be friends with.

5. What celebrity crushes did you have when you were growing up?
Luke Perry. Kirk Cameron. thank God i grew out of those phases. =P

6. What’s the weather like wherever you are today?
grey... actually just started raining. kind of humid. current temperature: 79 degrees.

7. So, tell us, what 3 things do you think of when I say elephant?
inside joke. peanuts. Amimal Kingdom.

8. What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Is it the same from when you were a kid? Did you then, and do you now, read the cereal box while you eat your cereal? And one last question …. do you drink the milk from your cereal bowl?
now: Special K Red Berries. i used to really like Cheerios -- Honey Nut or Apple Cinnamon -- but working in daycare killed my taste for Cheerios. i also liked Rice Chex. i would still eat those. i used to read the box when i was a kid. in fact, i think we fought over it. LOL! now i don't. i usually read something online or watch tv while i eat my cereal. no drinking the milk out of the bowl though. i used to when i was a kid. now the thought of drinking milk ::shudder:: but i like it wetting down my cereal. i don't use very much though. and what doesn't make it onto a spoon with some Special K gets poured down the drain.

9. What are your three most favorite articles of clothing?
dead tie between my Mike Lowell & Trot Nixon jerseys. my "What's not to love?" Sox tee. this red & white striped light sweater i got just before Christmas.

10. When was the last time you checked out a book from the library? What book was it?
"Return of the King" (from the Lord of the Rings "trilogy") -- and so far it's good. but i'm not done with it. sometimes i need to read that book in *very* small sections. i've been at it off & on for about three months now.

11. 5 things you often put off until the last minute.
putting the sheets back on my bed after i wash them. making the new time cards for work on Tuesdays. required reading. renewing my car registration (i really hate doing this for some reason, although not because it's inconvenient since i can do it online). doing my laundry (though the purpose of this procrastination is that it costs me $1.25 for each load that i wash or dry, so darn it, i am getting my money's worth!)

12. What do you do to kill time?
play online. there is always some cool link i've been meaning to check out. or some blog i can catch up on. and when all else fails, there is always
Blingo

13. What is one item that you own that has minimal monetary value, but has such sentimental value that you wouldn’t sell it for any amount of money?
my father's hymnal that he received on his confirmation

14. What are three things that you are putting off doing until later?
running the dishwasher (too humid in here right now). watching the shows i DVR'd (i have the window open, listening to the rain). making my grocery list (just plain don't feel like it).

15. You’ve been accused of something you did not do, but no one believes you. What will you do?
present the facts that prove i did not do what i was accused of & hope that the person i am dealing with is reasonable enough to revisit the incorrect accusation with fresh eyes.

16. So, tell us, how do you like your peanut butter?
is there any wrong way to enjoy peanut butter??

17. What is your favorite snack?
salty: chips. sweet: cookies. when i am trying not to eat junk: Wheat Thins.

18. What 3 things do you think of when I say lemon?
furniture polish. lemonade. my dad's favorite pie.

19. what is the oldest coin in your wallet?
1987. it's a quarter, in case you were wondering.

20. Never in my life have I:
...enjoyed anything to do with math or numbers.

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because i can't

if your religion of choice happens to be some denomination of Christianity, then i am guessing you are aware of the fact that we are currently in the season of Lent. and what is Lent if not that time of the church year that we do a lot of self-examination. and i don't know about you, but i have a pretty good list of things i am not particularly proud of.

we are taught that we will be tempted to do things we aren't supposed to do. the correct choice would be, of course, to walk away from these things when we're tempted. sometimes we make the right choice, but there are a whole lot of times we don't. or i know i don't anyway.

the focus two Sundays ago was on the Temptation of Christ. i've probably heard this "story" hundreds of times over the course of my life. it's always been pretty easy to say "Jesus is perfect, He's God, of course He resisted temptation!" end of story. i forget, in light of knowing Jesus is perfect, that when He was here on Earth, He was a man. a human being. He got to experience life on Earth just like i do. including being tempted. and the challenge lies in the fact that in order to save us from ourselves, He had to *be* like us. He had to be human & face the things we face & not just call about His divine perfection & almighty power to bail Himself out when the day-to-day got unpleasant.

so anyway, as the Bible tells us, Satan tempts Jesus three times. and he waits until Jesus is in a pretty vulnerable human state -- after spending forty days & nights in the wilderness, hot, tired, hungry, thirsty. i know i am not at my best when *i* am hot, tired, hungry or thirsty, let alone more than one at the same time. and i often "suffer" these things surrounded by creature comforts, without the benefit of sitting in the wilderness for over a month. so, suffice to say Satan picked a mighty fine time to tempt.

knowing Jesus was hungry, he pointed out that there were some stones here & surely the Son of God could turn those stones into bread. as my own stomach growls, i am thinking that the human body might have been willing to just start gnawing on the stones themselves at that point, so how difficult is it to know you have the power to fulfill your own needs right there on the spot? Jesus didn't bite.

so the Devil decides to try something else. he takes Jesus to the top of the Temple & starts taunting Him a little. the Son of God should be able to throw Himself down off this high point & suffer no harm, because God will protect Him. crafty little serpent, that Satan is. he even quoted Scripture to back this up. "says right here..." except that we aren't supposed to ask God to give us proof, and jumping off a building after reading that God will protect us isn't going to have a happy ending. once again Jesus shakes His head & says that isn't how this works.

not to be out done, Satan gives it one more shot. takes Christ to the highest mountain to show Him all the kingdoms & riches of the world. tells Jesus all that can be His -- for the one low price of bowing down & worshipping him. irony being that the world wasn't Satan's to offer as a prize in the first place, but on top of that, he was offering it to the rightful owner. that's like me taking your most prized possession & saying "i'll give this to you if you do what i want." what?! but that's what the Devil does. he makes a lot of foolish empty promises. too bad we don't see through more of them, like Jesus did...

anyway. Jesus 3, Satan 0. but i was just reading a sermon online -- One of Us -- that really put into perspective for me *why* this took place. Jesus didn't resist all these temptations because He's God and He can. He came, felt what we feel, hurt like we hurt, struggled like we struggle, died like we die -- but then came out the other side of it, victorious, *for* us because we can't.

"Why didn’t Jesus turn stones into bread? Because you can’t.
Why didn’t Jesus jump off the Temple? Because you can’t.
Why didn’t Jesus take the short cut to glory? Because you can’t.
Why did Jesus pay for all your sins on the cross? Because you can’t."


i read those four lines & all of a sudden thought... whoa. it's funny how you can grow up in a Christian faith, go to a Christian school for ten years, go to church regularly, hear all the Bible stories... and still have so much you don't know. and sometimes how much i don't know & how many times i make an enormous mess out of myself because i just cannot walk away from whatever temptation the Devil cooks up, leaves me feeling pretty small. and, well... not very good about myself. i look in the mirror and think "girl? you are not a very good or nice person. not really." but i can keep on trying because i've got a great ally:

"Your hunger and thirst, your predicament of having to trust God, your dangerous option to make deals with the devil, your requirement to know God through what IS WRITTEN. He didn’t come to save super-Christians who have convinced themselves that they are like Him. He came to save those who see temptation as a wild beast that will swallow them whole, a monster for whom they are no match."

this particular sermon really struck me. it reminds me how much i fail on my own, and how much hope i have because i do not have to do it on my own. and i just needed to get this reminder down, somewhere accessible, because Lord knows i need reminding.

as you were.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

archive diving

Jeanne tagged me earlier this week and i think i am finally ready to play along. (this one required a little research & careful selection.)

the idea of this one is that you link to five of your own favorite posts based on certain criteria. i decided to go waaaaay waaaaay back in the archives for these, since many of you haven't been around since the beginning & this will be brand new reading for you (or even if you are one of the original one or two, you probably don't remember these by now anyway).

1. Family
i went with moving on because i spend a lot of time talking about my grandparents & what wonderful people they were... but there was a reason we were so close...

2. Friends
i could have picked from a bunch of posts i've done about the people i am lucky enough to call friends, but i thought it might be fun to see some old photos & old friends, like the ones i shared in of band geeks & goofballs & great memories.

3. Yourself
letting go remains one of my very favorite blog posts... and one of the few times i've shared something intensely personal -- something i do very sparingly in my blog.

4. Something you love
because i miss it & i am excited that it's starting up again, but also because i've shared some "heavier" posts already -- and this one most certainly is not! -- i chose thirteen things i love about baseball season and i know that none of you are really surprised by this, are you? unless maybe you're really new here.

5. Your choice
when you have close to 2400 entries in your blog, it can be difficult to narrow down your favorites, so i picked two: thirteen silly things i miss about New England and star light, star bright.

i'm not going to tag anyone in particular but if you haven't played along yet, it's a lot of fun to go digging into your blog, reread some of what you've written, dust off & relive some old memories, and share some of the "best of" with the people who take their time to visit your blog & make the whole thing interactive. i would still capture my thoughts here, even if no one read or commented, but i have to say, i love when you do! happy archive diving!

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the one in the middle

Ingrid tagged me with this one almost a week ago...

the rules:
You must post the rules before you give your answers.
You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name
Each fact must begin with that letter.
If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name.
After you've been tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and answers.
At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

here's the part where i follow the rules:

L - list-maker
seriously. lists. all over the place. on post-its. on notepads. in my planner. in my head. programmed into text drafts on my cell phone. work stuff. personal stuff. songs i want to remember. blog posts i want to compose. ideas for gifts. i feel like i am most productive when i have a list to guide me, gauge my progress and cross things off as i get to them for a sense of accomplishment. sometimes i even have a master list of all my lists if i have a lot going on at the same time.

Y - young-looking
when i look in the mirror, i think i look my age, but people rarely guess my age correctly. with the exception of one moron, who thought i was old enough to have a thirty-year-old child, almost everyone thinks i am a lot younger than i am. they think i am in my mid-twenties and i often have to take out my license to prove to them that i really am in my thirties. i am not really concerned with my age (until someone thinks i look old enough to have essentially given birth to myself) but i do find it pretty funny that people really don't believe me when i tell them how old i am.

N - naive
not always, but sometimes. i rarely recognize if someone hits on me. i am shocked when people find ways to steal, cheat, embezzle or commit fraud because i would never think of trying it myself & i can't fathom how they ever formulated a plan to do so. and if you can say something with a straight face, i will most likely believe you.

N - New Englander
you can transplant the girl anywhere you like, but she never stops missing the potential for a white Christmas, dogwood & cherry trees in full bloom in Spring, Red Sox games on WTIC 1080 in the Summer, and Autumn foliage.

whew. that's harder than it looks! thank goodness they gave me a short middle name. =P and now i am supposed to pick four of you, i guess. except i don't remember wgo has already done this. so... ummmm... four of you, nominate yourselves. i know some of you need a blog idea or something, right?

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4x4

ok i know i saw this over on Carol's blog but i cannot, for the life of me, find it now. maybe i'm going crazy. (and there will be no comments from the peanut gallery about that last statement. yes, i mean *you*. stop trying to act all innocent like you would *never*.)

4 places I have worked:
at a daycare. for a computer service company. at a car dealership. in the warehouse of a catalog distribution center.

4 places I’ve been:
Quebec. Washington DC. Cooperstown, New York. Orange County, California.

4 movies I’ve watched over and over:
Ocean's Eleven. Serendipity. Fever Pitch. Father of the Bride (the Steve Martin version).

4 shows I watch:
Grey's Anatomy. Boston Legal. Men In Trees. Dirty Jobs.

4 places I’d rather be right now:
on a week-long vacation. watching a Sox game. snuggling. somewhere with a baby to love on.

4 places I’ve lived:
Bristol. Terryville. Clermont. Auburndale.

4 favorite things to eat:
potatoes. broccoli. cheesecake. cheeseburger.

4 tidbits about you:
i miss four seasons. i really want to make cupcakes for some reason. i do not tan, no matter how long i am in the sun, so i just load up on sunscreen & deal with being very white. i sleep with six pillows -- i make them into a nest.

4 qualities I don't like:
people who makes promises they cannot keep (i would rather you just say you will try your best unless you're *sure* you can make a promise without breaking it). people who are fake. people who are self-centered. people who are intentionally hurtful.

4 things I look forward to this new year:
seeing the Sox play! getting to meet Heather's son for the first time. spending time with my favorite people. seeing what the year has in store.

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

i'm afraid i could get used to this.

sometimes, it is when i am happiest that i realize the extent to which certain past relationships have damaged me, and that even though i have made progress by leaps & bounds into not being that damaged soul any longer, i am not entirely "there" yet.

you see... i've been happy lately. like... really really happy. like... perfect blue sky in the Spring with not even one puffy cloud to block the sun for even a moment. happy. content.

happy.

but there is this little voice that pipes up every so often that wonders aloud to itself -- sort of like that person you work with that wants to talk about something that's on their mind but nobody is taking the bait, so they "talk to themselves" just loud enough that you can't help but hear them, and you feel obligated to speak up but you really just want to pretend you experienced a moment of temporary deafness. and this annoying little voice wonders if it's all just going to stop abruptly. the happiness, i mean.

the progress i've made is evident though. the voice only wonders *if* it will stop. not *when* it will stop.

i hope it doesn't. because i have to tell you, i'm really loving the happy.

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oh be still my heart

if anybody needs me... ummm... well, i am certainly *not* on my way to Fort Myers to pilfer any third basemen. nope, not me.

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)

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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Little Bits of Happy: February 19, 2008

...knowing i really truly helped a friend who was having a rough day today. there really is nothing that makes me feel more accomplished than knowing i made the life of someone i care about just a little easier. it's funny. even though my self-confidence is lightyears ahead of where it used to be, i still doubt myself. but the one thing i am sure of is that i can be a good friend. i will take all those other insecurities any day of the week, though, in exchange for being the kind of person i would want to be friends with.

and i swear, i really didn't mean that to sound as egotistical as it just did. =P

one more happy? Big Papi is in Fort Myers. if i were a puppy, my tail would be wagging so hard, it would probably come unhinged.

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Monday, February 18, 2008

yum. strawberries.

here's another fun little quiz i had on hold, this time from Jeanne's blog. i've always been a big fan of the strawberry. =)




You Are a Strawberry



You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people.

You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you.



You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality.

Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you.



You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it.

In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

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at least i'm consistent.

Keri did this a while ago on her blog & i filed it away for another day. apparently today is another day. and as usual, i came up blue.

Take this test!
You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you!

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can you tell it's Monday?

first, i need to ask: why are there still telemarketing positions? i mean, seriously. when was the last time you ever actually listened to more than 2.6 words of their spiel, let alone actaully bought whatever it was they were selling? i don't understand how this is worthwhile advertising money spent. and also? why must you torture me with going through the whole process of answering a call i will ultimately hang up on because the telemarketer is rude? (well, that & if i actually had interest in what you were peddling, i would have pursued it on my own without your aggravating phone call.)

not that i don't get the poor attitude. i would not want to call people all day long, knowing what their reaction will be. although, they could opt for a better job. just saying.

but that isn't my rant for today.

what i want to know is this:
why do i have to sprint down the hallway to answer the phone, while trying to heat my lunch, only to be greeted by someone on the other end laughing until they snort & having a wonderfully merry conversation with some fellow telemarketer? then when i say "hello" about 86 times, each "hello" sounding progressively more annoyed than the one that preceded it, they finally acknowledge that i am on the other end of the phone line. and have the audacity to be irritated with *me* for interrupting their conversation!

as if.

let me save you the trouble: telemarketing is just a waste of my time & your money. save us both a headache & just stick with poorly produced commercials on my local Bay News 9 cable channel, ok?

oh & while i'm rolling, when you don't let me politely tell you that i am not interested and you just talk over me --now with higher volume & even more obnoxiousness! hooray! -- i'm going to just hang up the phone. and when you call me right back & hang up in my ear, just to show me how it feels? i hope it made you feel better. it just made me roll my eyes at your second-grade retaliation tactics.

whew. i now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

and just like that, we're back

yeah, yeah. i took an impromptu hiatus for a few days. just admit it made you miss me a little. absence makes the heart grow fonder & all that.

i'm back, so we're good now, right?

know what else is back?

the Captain.

(photo from The Boston Globe)

the Commander.

(photo from The Boston Herald)

the Flutterball.

(photo from The Boston Herald)

the Face Beast.

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)

life? it is good.
so good.

i was thinking about a year ago. they were just reassembling after a difficult 06. we were starting fresh. putting an incredibly frustrating season behind us. for the first time, i heard the names Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury during Spring Training games on the radio. (yep, i listen to those too. i soak in every possible second of baseball that i can get, because that two week drought between the Super Bowl and Pitchers & Catchers Day? it's about the most painfully empty ten days known to... well, me, anyway.)

where was i...? oh yes.

we were just meeting the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury and getting a taste of Clay Buchholz for the very first time. and just a short twelve months later, Speedy McEllsbury has played an integral role in the Sox winning their second World Series in four years, and Clay gave us the treat of a no-hitter in his second major league start.

makes me wonder what we'll see as we meet some new faces. like Michael Bowden.

(photo from The Boston Globe)
and Justin Masterson... Jed Lowrie -- all three, names that were tossed around during the interminably long Santana negotiations. after the way last year's sneak previews panned out, i have to say, i am excited we get first dibs on seeing the fruits of our farm system, even if it means taking a pass on a Beckett-Santana anchored rotation.

that's what i love best about February. anything is possible. that delicious anticipation of hot summer nights & the crack of a ball launched off the end of Papi's bat lay before us. it's all rolling out before our very eyes. the stage is being set.

roll the opening credits.

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

the greatest contradiction

i believe that love can happen in an instant, at very first sight. and grow slowly over time, building layer upon layer. don't believe in love at first sight? ask a new mother.

i believe that love is stronger than steel, resilient, powerful. and more delicate than the tiniest flower, fragile, requiring gentle and constant care.

i believe that love, like God, can come with trumpets & fanfare. and in the softest of whispers.

i believe that love is like a blizzard, swirling around us, swallowing us whole, blocking everything else from view. and like a pristine Winter night, still, peaceful, inducing silence born of awe at its perfection.

i believe that love defies logic. and makes perfect sense.

i believe that being loved is an amazing gift. and that it is even more amazing to be given someone to love.

i believe that love takes round-the-clock work. and yet is completely effortless.

i believe that love is unpredictable. and that we can rely on its presence.

i believe that love is as unique a miracle as every individual snowflake that has ever fallen, elusive like a sunbeam. and so ordinary that anyone may have it.

i believe that love shows its face in the last places we would ever think to look for it. and that it is everywhere we expect it to be.

i believe that we need to say the words 'i love you'. and that the action of loving someone, be it on a grand scale or the tiniest gesture, can never be overlooked, just because the words have crossed our lips.

i believe that love cannot be forced into being. and it cannot be stopped when it exists.

i believe that love has no clear cut definition, but that however we have it, it is precious.

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 12, 2008

The Truck arrived in Fort Myers today. a good number of pitchers are already working out. just one more day til it's official!!

Here, for example, is a new surprise of the post-World Series era for me: that little voice in the back of my head that I was issued at birth as a Sox fan, the one that says, this could all still end horribly, has not left me after all.
(Cursed to First)

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Sing Along: February 12, 2008

So what made you think you could take a life
And just push it, push it around
I guess to build yourself up so high
You had to take her and break her down

She laid her heart and soul

Right in your hands
And you stole her every dream
And you crushed her plans
She never even knew she had a choice
And that's what happens

When the only voice she hears
Is telling her she can't
You stupid boy

Oh, you always had to be right

But now you've lost the only thing
That ever made you feel alive
("Stupid Boy," Keith Urban)

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Monday, February 11, 2008

in the dark

there are nights
more often than i dare reveal
that all i want
is to curl up around his warmth
my head resting gently against his shoulder
and just be still
as the world winds slowly down to dream

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 11, 2008

two days to go!!

Oddly, I feel the same way about Tavarez' starts. And I can't even explain the fascination. I think it's mainly because he's become such a cult icon on this team... you really don't know if he's going to punch someone, hug someone, ride a donkey back and forth from the mound or start waltzing with Manny in left field.
(Surviving Grady)

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I Am Curious: February 11, 2008

in the previous post, one of the questions got me thinking. the one about home pages.

i really like my home page. iGoogle gives me access to everything i need all in one place. link to my email. weather. top headlines. sports. movie times. my photos. there are literally thousands of gadgets available to customize your page. andall i have to do is log into Google & i have access to my personal homepage from any computer.

that's not even my favorite part though. i love that i can choose a theme for my page! i rotate between several, depending on the season (since i miss having four seasons & all -- right now, i am using Winter Scape), and the coolest part about the ones i use us that it asks me for my zip code when i select the theme & then the scene changes throughout the day! so right now, it looks like morning. and the sun will move across the sky, til it sets and turns to night -- just like outside! it's the simple things that make me happy, i tell you!

so... the part i was wondering...

what do you use for your homepage when you launch the internet?

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Sunday, February 10, 2008

20 Questions: February 10, 2008

1. If you had to change the name of your blog from what it is now to something completely new, what would you change it to? Why?
i have actually considered changing the name of my blog, but then opt not to, since i've had it for over three years now. if i changed it, it would be "are we there yet?" because the "road" i am travelling down is no longer broken. it's happier, easier, sunshine-ier. "are we there yet?" still implies a journey, just like "thoughts from along the broken road", but it is filled with more excitement & anticipation for reaching the next destination.

2. Today you get to be a thief (which I know you aren’t in real life ….. right?) You are planning the heist of all heists, what are you stealing?
Mike Lowell's 2007 World Series ring. with him wearing it. >=]

3. If we were to play a game of Tic Tac Toe, would you choose to be X or O?
X. i have no clue why though. i always was drawn to the X.

4. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic?
stuck in traffic. i wouldn't feel panicky. i would have my radio. most likely have cell reception. and i could see when things started to free up again.

5. Mondays are ______________.
evil. pure evil.

6. So, tell us, what can you hear?
something rustling in the leaves. a train. some quiet traffic sounds from the main road that isn't fair away. my own typing. my cell phone buzzing to let me know i just got a Pix text. a slight breeze.

7. What is your most despised household chore?
cleaning the bathroom.

8. Which cartoon ability would you rather have: 1. The ability to paint a hole in the ground or a door in a solid wall and go through it; 2. The ability to be run over by a steamroller and shake yourself back to normal; or 3. The ability to fall hundreds of feet off a cliff to your doom and be back in the very next scene?
hmmmm... i have already proven that i can do the second option, at least in the proverbial sense. number three does not really appeal to me, for some reason. i am thinking that first one would come in very handy.

9. What is your internet home page?
iGoogle - a totally personalized home page!

10. How many lurkers do you think you have that read your blog, but never comment? Have you ever been successful at getting them to say hello? Do you mind the lurking?
well, i know that i have about eight regular readers. i suspect that i have a decent number of lurkers, based on the number of hits my blog gets in a day. either that or my regulars get really annoyed with me when i don't blog often enough & they keep checking back until i do. =P it doesn't bother me that people lurk. Lord knows i lurk on enough blogs--although i i do my best to leave a comment at least every once in a while. but i do like it when people actually come out & say hello. i have successfully coaxed a couple out in the past.

11. So, go on, tell us, what 1 word describes you on a good day? And what about on a bad day?
smiley. insecure.

12. Would you rather be Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, or Belle?
Sleeping Beauty. hands down. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam..."

13. What advice do you have to the snowplow driver who plows past your home and driveway?
i think you're lost, buddy. ;-)

14. Do you prefer paper or plastic bags at the grocery store? Why?
i get plastic. i reuse them for my bathroom garbage can or to throw away scraps when i cook so they don't smell.

15. Someone says magic and the first 3 things I think of are:
Disney World. falling in love. rabbits in hats.

16. How often do you change your passwords?
rarely. the one that i use for my "sensitive" log-ins is complete gibberish to almost anyone but me, and if you happen to be the one & only person who *could* potentially figure it out, it wouldn't matter to me that you were logged in because i trust you. my non-sensitive log-ins use a very simple password, but i don't see what you would gain by figuring it out. what could you do? log in & delete recipes from my online cookbook? =P

17. What are you obsessed with?
did you just arrive at my blog? =P Red Sox would probably top that list. followed closely by the Patriots with the Packers in third place.

18. Do you ever add crackers to soup?
no. i like crackers *with* my soup, but not in it.

19. How often do you fall asleep on the couch? ….with the tv on? ….and all the lights? Do you ever shut everything off and go back to sleeping on the couch, or do you move to your bed?
that depends. not too often at night. i usually take my nap there, if i take one, though. the tv is almost always on but not the lights. if it's a night, like last night, for the first time in i don't know how long, when i woke up, i dragged myself to bed. otehrwise i wake up too stiff & feeling like i didn't get quality sleep.

20. How many different baseball stadiums have you been in?
assuming you mean najor league? four: Fenway Park. Yankee Stadium (hey, it was a church trip to see the Sox play the Yankees). the Trop. Angel Stadium. i have also been to about a dozen to a dozen & a half league minor stadiums. i can't even remember them all now. everything from A-ball to AAA.

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View From Along the Broken Road: February 10, 2008

some favorite photos i took at Epcot yesterday




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Window Shopping: February 10, 2008

if i had a little girl, she would so be getting this from Gymboree for her Easter dress.


when i was a little girl, my Gram always got me a new dress (or when i was a not-so-little girl, she slipped me some money for a new outfit) for Christmas and for Easter. if you'll excuse the quality of the photos (old matte photos have a "texture" to them so they just don't scan very well), i will share a few Easter dresses from my past (side note: all these photos were taken at my grandparents' house)...


April 1978


April 1980 with my older cousin Kathryn


April 1982 with my brother Josh


April 1983 with my Gramp

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 10, 2007

3 more days til pitchers & catchers report!!

How very Canadian of the Blue Jays to open the roof in an effort to throw off Tim Wakefield. Are you kidding me? Tim Wakefield has faced down the howling hordes of Yankee Stadium. Some Canadian wind is going to send him reeling?

It did look touch-and-go for a moment, though, in the bottom of the first, with Frank Thomas at the plate, one out, bases loaded. WEEI's broadcast indicated that Frank Thomas has 9 hits against Tim Wakefield, and four of them are home runs. Wake proceeded to fall behind Thomas 2-0 to open the at-bat.

I don't know about you, but it was at that moment that I went into Damage Control Mode; okay, win some, lose some, everybody's got tough luck sometimes, hopefully we'll score him some more runs next inning...

Then Thomas struck out.

Then Kevin Youkilis broke for the first-base bag.

Doug Mirabelli gloved the final strike on Thomas from Wake and sent it humming down to first without a second's hesitation. Youkilis beat a napping Troy Glaus to the bag for a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the inning right there at first base.

Jaw, meet floor.

(Cursed to First)

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Saturday, February 9, 2008

off to play at Epcot

updates can be found right over there in my right sidebar for the majority of the day!

=)

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Friday, February 8, 2008

And I Quote: February 8, 2008

"I find friendship to be like wine. Raw when new. Ripened with age."
(Thomas Jefferson)

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Sing Along: February 8, 2008

We think about tomorrow then it slips away.
We talk about forever but we've only got today...

("Days Go By," Keith Urban)

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: December 8, 2007

Everything is out of whack for the Sox fan at this moment. Many of us, it seems, are struggling with a similar cognitive dissonance--feeling ourselves slipping into delirious infatuation even as we keep looking over our shoulders, into our rearview mirrors, and hatching any number of harebrained correlations between this or that lucky totem or ritual and the way this season has been going, because the idea that the Red Sox are really this good (overall, okay, I'm aware we lost tonight, but irregahdless...) is simply more than we can comprehend without some kind of paranormal forces attached.
(Cursed to First)

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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Sing Along: February 7, 2008

I was riding shotgun with my hair undone
In the front seat of his car
He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel
The other on my heart

("Our Song," Taylor Swift)

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I am Curious: February 7, 2008

as i was logging into my Hotmail account this morning, i started to wonder what people prefer for their personal email addresses. i use Gmail as my primary account for corresponding -- in fact, i usually have it open almost all the time -- but i still have the old Hotmail address that was my first email ever. i mostly just use it when i sign up for an e-newsletter or for a company to email me sales and coupons, so that i can avoid as much spam as possible in my Gmail account.

so how about you...
(you can select more than one!)

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 7, 2008

And every Sox fan minted prior to 2004 knows that ingratitude is among the cardinal sins in the eyes of the baseball gods.
(Cursed to First)

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

And I Quote: February 6, 2008

"In those times I can't seem to find God, I rest in the assurance He knows how to find me."
(Neva Coyle)

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Sing Along: February 6, 2008

And softly she whispers the words
I...I just love you
I don't know why, I just do
When are you coming home?
I'm coming home soon
And I just love you too

("I Just Love You," Five For Fighting)

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 6, 2008

Seven strong innings later Smoltz exited with an 11-0 lead to let the bullpen mop up the last two innings. "I'd hate to see him with all of his fingers," Francona said.
(Surviving Grady)

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just a couple things...

Stacy had this on her blog yesterday & since i haven't posted anything but sports really, which tends to make some of you a tad cranky, i thought i would get something different up. ;-) i'm not tagging anyone, but if you play along too, let me know!

Two names you go by… Dawn. Nonny.

Two things you are wearing right now… a navy, tan and white striped button-down shirt. the cross necklace my dad gave me for Christmas.

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship… trust. cuddliness (no, i don't care if that is not actually a word. my blog, remeber?).

Two of your favorite things to do… watch the Sox. go to Disney World.

Two things you want very badly at the moment… for baseball season to start. for it to be Friday.

Two pets you have or have had… Squirt (the cat we had when i was very little). Casey (the Cocker Spaniel i had... before).

Two things that you did last night… cooked dinner. watched tv.

Two people you think will fill this out… hmmm... Heather. Nichole. (no pressure though! promise!)

Two things you ate today… yogurt. lemon pepper chicken. (not in the same meal though. LOL!)

Two people you last talked to… two people i work with but i am not putting their names here. don't wanna give too much info about work, ya know? their initials are P & R though.

Two things you’re doing tomorrow… working. blogging.

Two longest car rides… from Connecticut to Florida when i moved here. Connecitcut to Quebec for a high school band trip.

Two favorite holidays… Thanksgiving. Christmas.

Two favorite beverages… ice cold water. unsweetened straight cranberry juice.

Two people no longer alive who you’d like to talk to… my Gram and Gramp.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

seeing red

so i've been harping on the whole Evil Hoodie thing that i blame for the lonely number one in the Patriots 2007 record. what can i say? it's how i cope. =P

the proof is in the pudding though.

Beth at Cursed to First points out a fact that i cannot ignore: the only other time we saw the Evil Hoodie was in November 2006 when we suffered a humiliating & stomach-churning loss to the Colts. so there you have it. no good ever comes from the Evil Hoodie.

i, therefore, fully believe that Bill Polian donned a Belichick costume, complete with the Evil Hoodie that he likely salvaged from the trash after that game, and somehow managed to kidnap Coach B and act as his imposter on the field Sunday evening. doesn't that make that stupid 4th & 13 decision make a whole lot more sense??

too conspiracy thoery for you?

ok fine. if it was a "league decision" that Bill not wear The Hoodie, then once again, shift your gaze to Bill Polian who is a member of what committee? yep, that's what i thought.

burn.
the Evil.
Hoodie.

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 5, 2008

There are kids right now who are the I Saw 'Em Win It All generation who'll someday wax nostalgic about the days of Trot Nixon, and his pine-tar filthy helmet, his crazy mohawk, inexplicable dugout gum-sniffing, and complete sh*t fits at umpires from the dugout that got him ejected from games he wasn't even playing in...
(Cursed to First)

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Monday, February 4, 2008

a girl & her Gram



that photo in the photo was taken when i was fourteen months old. what's even more precious is that this is the same frame my Gram had it in on her nightstand for as long as i can remember. and now it's on mine.

i was my Gram's Sweet Bug.

i can still hear her sweet soprano singing the hymn "How Great Thou Art" in my mind.

today is her birthday. the year she was born, there was a blizzard on February 4. the doctor could not make it to their house & her father delivered her. every year, there was some kind of Winter storm on her birthday -- snow, sleet, freezing rain. the first February 4 after she passed away, the sun shone.

i miss her.

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Little Bits of Happy: February 4, 2008

my blog isn't the only thing decorated for Valentines Day. these little sparklies make me pretty happy too. =)



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wrappin' it up

some final thoughts before we move along. all i can say is that i am glad the football playoffs are like pulling off a Bandaid -- it may be painful but it's quick. unlike baseball where you are forced to watch your team lose four times before they put you out of your misery.

1. Rodney Harrison & Randall Gay both down by injury on the same play nearly killed me.

2. seeing Kevin Faulk do a quick-step-limp off the field doesn't make me feel much better.

3. will someone please tell me why we spent so much time getting footage of *Peyton* during that game?! much as i do not like Eli, i think he deserved to not have to share the spotlight with the Older Manning Spawn.

4. i have no clue where the Patriots offense was during that game. it's like they used up all their points in the previous eighteen games & had nothing left for the one that mattered. we won't even start to talk about my feelings concerning Tom's offensive line. did they just not bother to make the trip to Arizona? because i think Tom spent more time on the ground in that game than he did the entire rest of the collective season.

5. what moron was running the time clock for this game?!

6. no, i do not have a problem with Bill leaving the field with one second left to play. they had screwed up the clock so badly at that point that no one knew what the heck was going on. Bill had already gone out onto the field & shook Coughlin's hand. the clock said zero. and then they tacked on another second?? whatever. i *do* still take issue with the fact that he chose not to wear The Hoodie. =P

7. i still love me some Wes Welker & Kevin Faulk.

8. would someone please stuff Joe Buck in a locker somewhere & lose the key?

9. i have to say that i was pleased with the overall officiating that took place in the game. not that this comes a shock with Mike Carey. i rarely have issue with any game he calls.

10. fourth & thirteen. FOURTH & THIRTEEN?! dude.

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the best part of the Super Bowl

i kid you not, i laughed til i cried. i think the Jeep "Rock Me Gently" commercial has really made me partial to animals. that & the one with the dog that keeps say "sausages". LOL!

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Sunday, February 3, 2008

let me sum it up for you

that was the most disappointing Patriots loss i have ever witnessed.
i blame Bill for not wearing the gray hoodie.

congrats to all Giants & anti-Patriot fans.

how many days til baseball?

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stating for the record

i know the vast majority of you list the Patriots as your #1 Despised Football Team. i know many of this same group have a tendancy of saying that all Patriots fans are arrogant, insufferable, and so cocky that they act like they've already won the Super Bowl.

i would just like to go on the record, right here in black & white, and say that i am terrified. it's an excited nervous, but i am scared just the same. i want my team to win. and i certainly don't want that annoying whiny Lesser Manning Spawn to leave the only smudge on New England's 2007 record. i am so jittery, in fact, that this has all the feel of a Sox-Yankees match up in Game 7 of the ALCS, complete with nerves. and pacing.

and no, i do not think this game is a sure win.
none of them are.
either team can win every time they take the field.
any given Sunday & all that.
that's why the play the game.
and don't think their aren't some of us Patriots fans out there that aren't keenly aware of this fact, so please stop lumping us all together.

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Saturday, February 2, 2008

what Spring will smell like at my apartment



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oh ye of little faith

i cannot believe i forgot to post this! it arrived almost a month ago!

sorry about the poor quality image courtesy of my cell phone, but there you have it: proof that Blingo is for real!

now get yourself on over to my right sidebar, click on the blue button under my photo, and get yourself signed up already!!

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Little Bits of Happy: February 2, 2008


look at all this happy goodness that arrived on my doorstep from Amy today! is she not just the sweetest thing? =) and in that white bag ? Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts. thank you so much, Amy! you totally made me smile today.

and yesterday, Keri pronounced:

also worth a big ol' smile! =)
(Ted: ;-) Chee!)

i thought it was most appropriate that i pass this one along to the Most Excellent guy i know -- even though he's trying really hard to be humble these days ;-)
Mega - rated E for Excellent!

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: February 2, 2008

Youkilis, who in third world countries is referred to as the mythical Eyaak (translated loosely as "he whose beard frightens small children and cattle")...
(Surviving Grady)

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i *told* you all i was sweet & innocent!




You Are 12% Evil



You are good. So good, that you make evil people squirm.

Just remember, you may need to turn to the dark side to get what you want!

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Friday, February 1, 2008

Friday Fill-in: February 1, 2008



Friday Fill-in #57

1. Once I was convinced that i would never live anywhere but Connecticut -- and look at me now.
2. i really hate being sick.
3. Today at work I
printed a bunch of reports.
4. What's the hype about LOSE all about?
5. If I make a mistake I
am not afraid to admit to it, apologize, and do what it takes to correct it.
6. When I woke up this morning, I thought why, oh why can't it be Saturday.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing & playing online a bit, tomorrow my plans include getting a haircut and Sunday, I want to watch the Patriots go 19-0! ::fingers firmly crossed::

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Friday's Feast: February 1, 2008



Feast One Hundred & Seventy Eight

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of cereal?
Special K Red Berries. yummy. Post Blueberry Morning is pretty good too.

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

i bought Spring Yankee Candle scents last Saturday! a whole bunch of votive size. and two new votive holders. they will go in my living room & bedroom. but not til Spring. i am still enjoying my snowmen & snowflakes and my Winter scents.

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

i really like the "Rock Me Gently" Jeep commercial. and the latest Priceless Pep Talk from Peyton commercial where he mopes about his season being over. i know there have been other funny commercials i liked too, that are not currently playing on tv, but i don't really remember them off the top of my head.

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).
Cardamom Ape

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.
I haven't seen my friends from Connecticut since last June, before their new babies were born.

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Friday Fiver: February 1, 2008



The feelings that I feel

1. What are you set on?

i have tried to answer this question about five different ways. i just can't figure out what it's actually asking. =P

2. What do you have to do right?
love the people that are important to me.

3. Have any kids?
no. but i would have some. or one. if.

4. Are you patient?
endlessly so. i worked with one-year-olds for five years. patience is not optional.

5. Friday fill-in:
I know if I put my mind to it ______.

...i can be very productive.

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Friday Fun: February 1, 2008



The High School Addition

1. What was your high school decade?

the early 90s
2. Are you still friends with your high school friends?
i'm still in contact with a couple of people. that's about it. Chele is one. =)
3. What was your favorite thing about high school?
oh dear God, it had to be the music department.
4. Your least favorite?
homework. gym class. petty behavior (still don't like that).
5. Did you have a high school sweetheart? And how did that work out?!
yeah... we were together six years. and obviously we're not now. i figure that's pretty self-explanatory.
6. Would you do the whole high school thing again, or is it better left in the past?!
once was enough for me, thanks.

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you can take the girl out of New England but...

...she'll still page people to "come to the aww-fice, please."
=P

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