Do you ever wonder which one you are?

So I met 7 women for dinner last night. A special group of women. There was P, C, S, S#2, S#3, J, and B. J#2 was ill and L had a family emergency.

Why are these women so special? They are the women that helped me get through college. They are college friends. No, they never did my homework...at least I don't think they did, but they may have. No, they never loaned me money for tuition...but quite possibly money for late night food and drinks. They were an integral part of my education, one I could never have finished college without. These women, in their own way, taught me things about life and friends and love. They helped me through experiences and issues and heartbreak. They laughed with me, cried with me and sat by me when I needed it.

As we were loudly having dinner last night, I kept looking around in wonder at the women that we became. At the things we accomplished in life and how far we had all come. I kept thinking that everyone has a role in a friendship and certainly there are roles in circles of friends. And it made me wonder if I had an impact on their life like they did on mine? Was there something that I taught them in college that made them who they are today? I hope so. I really do.

PS. To P: I had forgottn about falling down the stairs that night. I had forgotten about your broken finger. And I am so very sorry about it, even after all these years.

After talking for a couple of hours, telling stories of past and present, we made a plan. A plan to continue to meet. It made me happy.

Confessions of a bed hog...

Every morning I just naturally roll over to P's side of the bed and generally hog the whole bed after he's gotten up. I do it in my sleep so it's not like I'm waking up...saying hey let me roll over here...and doing it. But every morning I end up more on P's side of the bed, than mine.

I guess last night P got up to ah use the facilities and when he came back I had rolled onto his side. My brain must have thought that he had gotten up for the day and my body it's thing. Anyway, P tried to get me to walke up and move over and he said it wasn't working.

That's my confession of beg hogging....

An Anniversary of sorts

Today marks 18 years since my Grandpa J died. Sometimes...most times I miss him terribly. I miss the dry sense of humor that as a child I didn't appreciate, but understand as an adult. I miss the gruffness that disappeared with us grandkids. I miss the advice that he never got to give me. I think I miss most the leadership role that he had for our family. I hope that he's watching over me from somewhere and is proud of who I've become. And I hope that he knows that I still think about him. Love you Grandpa.

Friday Night Lights and a Tribute

I don't usually use names in my blog, but I feel like I need to this time.

The local high school football halftime will be dedicated to Dave tonight. It're pretty hard to describe Dave in words. He's a dynamic man with wonderful qualities.

Dave is my parent's age. He graduated right around my parents and although they knew of him then, they didn't hang around him. Although Dave went to college and has his teaching degree, he chose to work for the school district on the grounds crew. He would have made a wonderful teacher - the kind of teacher that makes an impact with kids. But he followed his heart and worked where it made him happy. He still managed to make an impact on the kids in the community.

Dave spent many years coaching, volunteering and donating to the kids in the community through sports. In fact he coached my softball teams, my sister's teams and my cousin's teams. He not only donated his time to all those teams (plus more), but donated money for uniforms and tournaments. He was a great coach. He has the ability to make it fun for you, to get you interested and to not get down on yourself when it doesn't go your way. Yet, when it was time for seriousness, he could be that also. I have lots of wonderful memories of my school years and playing sports.

Meanwhile, he continued on the grounds crew for the district. He started mowing the high school football field and taking care of that. It became his passion. He cared for that field with everything he had. In fact, the district wouldn't let anyone else mow it and left him a mower at his house near the field so he could do it when he had time. When Dave retired they placed a plaque at the field nicknaming the field "Dave's Field" for all his hard work on the field.

Sometime in there he because the leader for the "chain gang" for the football games. He and a group of guys ( my Dad included) hold the markers for the downs and the yard markers for the current placement of the ball. They talk, have fun and do thise every home football game. He's gotten the "chain gang" uniforms, jackets, hats and even had them doing the same thing at the state tournament. The group of guys get together every Friday for dinner at Dave's house and take turns bringing dinner. Then they walk down to the field for the game. They love it.

A couple of years ago Dave was diagnosed with cancer. He fought hard and with treatment went into remission. A couple of weeks ago my Mom called to say that the cancer was back and Dave was in the hospital. Then she called to say that it didn't look good for him. Well tonight, at the football game, they are going to have a surprise tribute for him at halftime. I'm both happy about this and incredibly sad. He's a single man who never married, yet gave so much to the kids in the community for so many years. And it makes me really sad to think that he won't be around someday soon.

So if you're reading this and you have some spare thoughts, send them Dave's way. I hope tonight he realizes how much of an impact he has and how many people love him.

Watch out for Turtles!

Every morning P wakes me up about 5:10 before he leaves to give me a kiss. It's earlier than I want to be awake, but if he doesn't do it I get mad. I like telling him I love him before he leaves for the day. I go back to sleep soon afterwards. Then he calls about 5:50 to wake me up for my day.

Lately, I've been kind of falling asleep again while talking on the phone. *sheepish grin*

A while ago it got all quiet on the phone and I suddenly yelled "So what's new?" (laughing from P)

Last week it got all quiet and when I realized it I yelled "WOOHOO!" {much laughing from P)

This week I yelled out "Watch out for turtles!" (extream amount of laughing from P)

See I think I'm in that half asleep, half awake state when I yell these things. And whatever I was dreaming about is trying to merge into my awake conversation. Only God knows what I was dreaming about when I said WOO HOO or if I was having some weird dream about turtles.

So the turtle line has become a staple in our conversations. P injects it into the conversation whenever he can. lol I can't wait for the next line that pops out of my mouth!

Movies, lift bridges and a brewery....

Sounds like a bad joke, huh? It's not. It was my weekend.

Friday we watched last in a set of 3 movies we rented. ALl different kinds of movies, but weird. This one had dead people talking and even with Cuba Gooding Jr, it was horrible!

Saturday we made the trip to P's work to pick up some exercise equipment. Here's hoping it gets used! Then we went to Walmart & waited an hour for them to correct P's balancing of his tires. It's the third trip there and hopefully this time it's right. I'll admit I pouted a little at spending a gorgeous summer like fall day in a store for over an hour when we had planned to be outside. Then we went to a small town art fair that was kindof disapointing. On the up side we left there and went to a local German restaurant. I had the most wonderful beef dish and can't wait for time to try making it at home. Then we went to our favorite place. We ended up in a serious conversation that started out strange and ended with kind of a weird feeling about us. It still makes me think long and hard about how certain things are important to one person and other things are important to the other person.

Sunday we got up and coudln't decide what to do. P looked up German food and found the grocery he was looking for and we jumped in the car to find it. 2 hours later we were in a little town buying all kinds of German things. Chocolate, spaetzle, puddings, bread, spaetzle makers... I wish I could have bottled the look on P's face adn the joy in his words. They were priceless. And I love that he shared that with me. Then we ended up walking up a monument and touring a B&B. Then we decided to tour Schell's Brewery. It was fun! I got a little...happy! P thought it was hillarious to watch me while I was a little drunk.

Next...a local winery! LOL

Hooky...

P and I played hooky yesterday! Ok, well not really. We each took a few hours of vacation yesterday afternoon because it was so nice out. We ended up going

Louisville Swamp . Yes I know it's called a swamp, but it's not like you're walking in water or anything. It's beautiful out there. We spent about 3 hours in there hiking around and looking at the old buildings. I sat on a bench by the old farmstead & considered the buildings. They're incredible for how old they are and that they would built by farmers!

Anyway we had dinner and of course ended up at our favorite place.
Centennial Lakes . There is one certain swing that P and I sit in all the time. We talk, laugh, joke, cuddle, swing and people watch. Then we get up and walk around the lake. I love it there.

So that was ysterday.

Today? Rain Rain Rain. Yuk!

Bad day all around

1. First was the squabble with P in the morning.
2. I had PMS/DMS and the squabble made my cry.
3. Then he told me it wasn't that big a deal & to stop crying. GRRRR. I'm freaking emotional!
4. On my way to work a guy pulled out in front of me almost hitting my front end. I honked, but it didn't seem to bother him.
5. I get to work and make my breakfast of toasted english muffin & coffee. Yay me!
6. The toaster police tells me I need an intervention and can't toast any longer it smells bad to her and she can't stand it. GRRR.

Insert office door closed crying jag here. :(

7. I left work only to drive 70 minutes to the town P works in to look at a house we like. Yes, 70 minutes.
8. The house was horrible. No wonder it hasn't sold.
9. I found out that my townhouse has lost value with the horrible housing market and I would have to pay to sell it.

Insert depressed *sigh* along with attempt at another crying jag.


It was a horrible, no good nastly, make you want to crawl back in bed kind of day yesterday.