Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I Want Wednesday: June 16, 2010

**My very favorite, super comfy, strappy silver sandals need to be retired. It kills a little piece of my soul every time I think about it, because let's be honest: I am not a shoe-shopping kind of girl (stop gasping like it's the first time I've confessed that because we both know it isn't) & when I find a pair I love, I get every last penny's worth out of them. I Want to check out these shoes because they *might* fit the bill.


**I Want to sit on my couch & be a big useless lump of lazy.

**I Want it to be July, wherein I will work all of five of the first eighteen days of the month. Need. Break. Badly.

Read more...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Right Now: June 15, 2010

Outside my window... it's hot. And humid. And hot. Also? There are humongous mosquitoes.

I am thinking... that whoever created Zicam Oral Mist should be given awards & accolades.

I am thankful for... quiet evenings at home.

From the kitchen... come surprises this week. There was no menu planned. There was a lesson learned though: I hate having to think about what's for dinner on short notice.

I am wearing... green capri cargo pants & my big comfy Pedroia stars & stripes Sox t-shirt. I do not match & I do not care.

I am creating... a mountain of tissues because my nose keeps running. I don't feel bad at all though, so I am not complaining.

I am going... to bed early tonight.

I am reading... Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Finding the Champion Within by Mike Lowell with Rob Bradford. I read all but the last half of the final chapter & the epilogue while waiting at the airport & then flying home. Could not stop turning the pages.

I am hoping... the Zicam keeps working.

I am hearing... the end of the baseball game. Man, I missed my Sox this weekend.

Around the house... there are small messes to be tamed. This is why I clean *before* I travel. Because I come home & make messes while I unpack, but the mess is that much smaller since it was clean to begin.

One of my favorite things... laughing with friends.

A few plans for the rest of the week... kick the rest of this (can't even really call it a) cold to the curb, get my hair cut & highlighted which it has needed badly for over a week now, and go out to dinner Friday before watching the Sox game from my usual perch on the couch.

A picture to share... of the not-quite-three-year-old who seriously blew my mind this weekend with how well he can hit. Not just off a tee, but with someone tossing underhand to him. And not little taps but home runs & line drives & grounders. In all directions. And? He switch hits. I kid you not. I'm going to inform Theo that he needs to draft the boy right now. He's going to be the Second Coming of Pedey's Laser Show. Mark my words.

Read more...

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Memory Lane: June 10, 2010

Four years ago today, my brother married my sister-in-law.


Six days ago, they brought a new little life into their family. Just in case there was any doubt that this is my brother's boy (there isn't, but for argument's sake), Memory Lane presents, my brother on the right at a month old, and his son on left.

Read more...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I Want Wednesday: June 9, 2010

**I Want to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and the Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular, now showing at Magic Kingdom.

**I Want this pitcher.


**I think this is the coolest thing ever for storing sugar & I Want it.


**While I'm at it, I Want a new canister to store my flour container too.


**You see that little triangle of white tank top showing behind the pink polo?

I Want to know how it is possible that I got a glob of yogurt to land perfectly perched there in that little space yet I lack the coordination to walk without stumbling or not drop my phone on the ground most days.

**I Want to snuggle this little cuddle bug.

Read more...

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Right Now: June 8, 2010

Outside my window... it's hot & humid. There are some low rumbles of thunder, but no rain.

I am thinking... that I have so much to do & so little motivation to make it happen.

I am thankful for... the safe arrival of my nephew this past Friday night.

From the kitchen... comes meals that require little to no cooking. It's too hot to turn on appliances that generate heat. It's too hot to eat anything hot. Heck, it might actually be too hot to eat. Unless you mean ice cream.

I am wearing... capri pj pants & a tank top.

I am creating... excuses for not getting anything done tonight.

I am going... to bed soon. See? Another excuse.

I am reading... an old issue of Redbook magazine that I didn't get to before.

I am hoping... I make it through the rest of the week.

I am hearing... the steady hum of the air conditioner.

Around the house... are piles that I am avoiding. I will regret this eventually. Like Thursday, when I am preparing to travel. I cannot leave a messy home behind me.

One of my favorite things... is sharp cheddar cheese.

A few plans for the rest of the week... cleaning, packing, flying, celebrating the anniversary of my god daughter's birth, seeing my Connecticut girlies & a whirlwind of other activities associated with being there for a quick couple of days.

A picture to share... of my sweet new nephew.

Read more...

Sunday, June 6, 2010

20 Questions: June 6, 2010

1. What do you think of chivalry?
I love it. I don't mind have doors opened for me or any other gentlemanly act bestowed upon me. Sure, I can do those things for myself, but it's awfully nice to have it done for you.

2. Silver or gold?
I prefer silver-tone, though gold looks better on me, I suppose.

3. What color are your sheets?
My cotton ones are white. My flannel ones are tan.

4. When did you last complain about the weather?
Only all day. It's hot, humid & not a breath of a breeze. It is positively stifling out there.

5. When is the last time you watched fireworks?
May 15, at EPCOT.

6. Name 5 things in your pantry.
Rice. Cream of celery soup. Fruit cups. Bottled water. Cupcake liners.

7. What are your favorite nuts?
Nichole. LFM. Heather. Alison... Oh! OH!! You mean *nuts*! Cashews.

8. What is your favorite "family-friendly" curse word?
Rats. And yes, I do actually use it.

9. What's the best thing about Mondays?
When they give you a three-day weekend.

10. What was the last thing you broke?
It's been a while. I can recall breaking something, but can no longer recall what exactly it was...

11. How often do you use a calculator?
At least once a day. I hate numbers. They are evil.

12. What is your favorite sports movie?
Oh boy... So many good ones. "Major League." "Field of Dreams." "The Cutting Edge." I think I will have to go with "Fever Pitch" though. (You saw that coming, didn't you.)

13. What did you do ten years ago that you do not now?
Ten years ago... 23 years old... ::going back in the Way Back When Machine:: Ok, got it! I do not allow another (no-authority-figure) adult tell me what to do. I demand the same respect I give.

14. When did you last have champagne?
BUBBLES! It's been a while. Nichole's birthday, I think?

15. What was your favorite subject in high school?
Anything to with the English (after freshman year, did NOT like my freshman English class).

16. Where do you store your photos?
On my hard drive. On my external hard drive. On Picasa.

17. What is the best part of traveling?
Getting to see people you miss or new sights at the other end.

18. How do you measure your worth?
By a combination of the joy I bring to the lives of those I care about and the sense of peace I feel internally.

19. Have you ever been to Las Vegas?
Nope. I've never really had the desire to go either. Just not my thing, I guess. So many other places I would choose to see over Vegas.

20. How long is your commute?
A little over 9 miles. 15 minutes without traffic. 40 minutes if traffic is at its peak. INSANITY.

Read more...

Friday, June 4, 2010

Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: May 2010

Photo of me:


1) Candle scents this month:
Clean Cotton. Sweet Violet. Blue Hydrangea. Garden Sweetpea. Willow Breeze. Ocean Blossom. Sweet Honeysuckle. Drift Away. Midnight Jasmine. Lavender Fields. Blueberry Scone. Vanilla Cupcake. Buttercream.

2) What I am reading this month:
Not much of anything. I am perpetually behind on blogs & magazines, so I've been "decluttering" in those areas.

3) Top three songs I was drawn to:
"Love Like Crazy," Lee Brice. "My Wish," Rascal Flatts. "Falling Slowly," Lee Dewyze & Crystal Bowersox.

4) Movies I saw:
Sex & the City 2. Yes, the first one was better. But this one still made me laugh. A lot.

5) Favorite tv moments of the month:
"Running" (The Good Wife): Perfect season finale, perfect cliffhanger. "Point of View" (CSI: NY): Interesting twist on the old Hitchcock movie "Rear Window." "Vacation Getaway" (CSI: NY): All three CSI season finales were, but this one left me gasping & my heart racing! "The Staircase Implementation (The Big Bang Theory): Friends spoiled me with what may be the best flashback episodes of all time, so I was nervous about Big Bang Theory going down this road. I didn't need to be. I was *not* disappointed! "Team Braverman" and "Lost and Found" (Parenthood): The last two episodes of the season made me laugh. And cry. And impatiently wait for next season.

6) Something yummy I made:
Scallops with Mushrooms and Spinach.


7) Restaurants where I ate:
Biergarten (Germany pavilion, EPCOT). Bonefish Grill. Tropicana Field. Red Mesa. Longhorn Steak House. CineBistro.

8) Something i am thankful for:
The opportunity to grow up with strong family roots. My family is extensive, on my Dad's side, and most of my relatives put down their own roots very close to my hometown. I grew up right in the middle of many of them. There were at least a dozen relatives within walking distance of my grandparents' home. I knew each of them by name. One of these relatives--the wife of one of my Dad's numerous cousins--passed away on May 11. I have many wonderful memories of Laurel. She was one of my favorite relatives, always laughing & friendly & smiling. And while I am sad that those of us who remain here have had to say goodbye, I know that she is in a far better place now. I am thankful for having such a large family, for the chance to get to know so many of them, even if I haven't seen them in quite a while, and for all the wonderful memories I can call to mind.

9) A goal I had for this month:
To survive. I'm not kidding. I need a vacation badly. Running on fumes here.

10) This month I looked forward to:
The opening of S&TC2. And Sox-Rays with Brandi.

11) Something I want to remember about this month:
My life isn't always "boring." Sometimes it runs me ragged. It's then that I truly appreciate how it's usually uneventful.

12) A photo I took this month:

Mike Lowell (second from the left) talking the ear off of anyone who dared to stand next to him. After he finished in the dugout, he moved to the bullpen.

Read more...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Sometimes it really isn't whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.

If you're a baseball fan, you no doubt heard about--if you didn't see it yourself--the bad call that cost Tigers' pitcher, Armando Galarraga, a perfect game this evening. My initial reaction was outrage, born of frustration with the rash of abysmal officiating of baseball games in recent years. As the night has worn on, I've given it some additional thought.

I feel badly for Galarraga. Though he will know in his heart that he notched himself a perfect game (plus one out), he won't get the notation on his official record. I felt badly for him right from the split second I realized that safe call had been unjustly made. Even if (big if) MLB awards him a perfect game retroactively, the rush of the moment will be gone. He won't celebrate on the field with his teammates with his heart racing & his face feeling as though the grin will crack it wide open.

But I feel equally bad for the umpire. Jim Joyce has been one of the better umpires in the game, at least in my limited recollection. He isn't a name I curse on a regular basis, of that I am certain. And tonight, he made a horrible call. And my gut knew that the minute he saw the replay, he'd feel physically ill. Despite the baseball purist I tend to be, I can't help wishing Joyce had at least had the option, given the circumstances, to say he'd like to see a replay to back his call, while the game was still live.

A few minutes ago, I saw that he had, in fact, seen the replay once he was off the field. I give him a lot of credit for openly admitting: "I don't know what to do, I cost that kid a perfect game." He went on to say that before seeing the replay, he believed the runner was safe, but that if he had been in the pitcher's shoes, he would have gotten up in his face over that call...yet Galarraga never said a single word. In fact, Galarraga's only reaction was a somewhat disbelieving smile, a shake of his head & getting set to face the next batter.

Jim Joyce feels awful. He's sorry. He made a mistake and he owns it. That's all I can ask of another human being. I truly feel awful for him right now. As bad as for Galarraga. Tomorrow, Galarraga will continue to have the sympathy of many. Tomorrow, Joyce has to step back out on that same field to call the final game of that series, where he will likely spend the game booed, heckled and ridiculed. He is a man, flesh & blood, like every one of us...and no one feels worse than he already does. I can't imagine the helplessness and regret weighing on his chest right now.

What strikes me is the compassion shown by Galarraga, who quietly stated that he feels worse for Jim Joyce than about the outcome of the game, that nobody is perfect, and that he hugged Joyce after the game ended. The humble spirit of a man "wronged," with more concern for the well-being of the man who "wronged" him than for his own personal losses. I am shamed when I think of all the opportunities I have had to react in that manner and most decidedly have *not*.

Jim Joyce, I admire the humility with which you accepted responsibility without excuse or shrugging it off. It takes a big man to own his mistakes, and you are a lesson in how we should act when we make them, which we *all* do, yet not many of us with open emotional acceptance as you have. You apologized with great remorse on camera, and you took Galarraga aside & expressed your deep regret to him personally. You haven't made an enemy of *every* baseball fan...and I suspect I do not stand alone. It's easy for us, watching on our televisions, with instant replay from multiple angles and with slow motion, to say a call was a no-brainer, but the fans don't stand in your shoes, making calls in real time, without the benefits of those tools--and you aren't notorious for making bad calls at an alarming rate. Yours is a job I would not want to have, but thank you for doing your part to make a game I love enjoyable & fair. I hope I can show even half the grace you have in accepting my much smaller, far less scrutinized mistakes on a daily basis.

Armando Galarraga, you may not have a perfect game noted in your stats, but you have shown up a large number of people with the class you exhibited tonight, in the face of deep disappointment. Very few professional athletes have my deep respect anymore, but you have rocketed to the top of my list. You are a stand-up human being, and I tip my cap to you. Please take a seat next to Mike Lowell. I'll not forget your name, but it won't be for what you were denied. It will be for the way you rose above and showed yourself to be a fine young man, when very few others would have, and no one would have judged you for it if you'd reacted differently. The recognition you deserve tonight far exceeds what you accomplished with a baseball and your pitching arm.

Read more...

  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP