The Garden

On Wednesday night Liz and I went to a screening of The Garden.  You can watch the trailer below.  We went to the People's Film Festival which is Omaha's longest running independent film festival.  It's free and on Wednesday nights at McFoster's.  It's put on by Progressive Omaha.  The tricky bit, for me, was that most of the people there seemed to be regulars and they knew one another.  If you know me, you know stuff like that freaks me out.  I was glad we went though.  It was a night out of the house and it reminded me that there are people out there doing all sorts of good things for the world and their own communities.  The film was heartbreaking and disturbing but it also reminded me that when people come together they can make their voices heard.  Sometimes it's helpful to be reminded of the good in people.  Oh, the movie also made me question our entire political system and the people who run it.  But, I'm still in a good mood after the State of the Union so I won't let that get me down.  Sputnik moment: well said, Mr. President.  Plus, I'm thinking about getting a garden plot in the community garden.  That could be fun.

Enjoy the trailer.  Watch the film if you get a chance.  It's well worth the 80 minutes.

(Quick side story:  Here's a conversation I had with Mae (age 3) while watching Spirit.
Mae: They're trying to slingshot him.
Me: Well, actually they're trying to lasso him.  Those ropes are called lassos.
Mae: Oh.  I don't know as much things as grown ups.
Me: That's okay.  You're still learning.  We're all still learning.
Mae: Yeah.  We're still learning.
A few minutes pass, then:
Mae: Look!  They're trying to lasso him again!)

Two Hours?? Piece o' Cake

As mentioned earlier, Sara was in Indonesia for three weeks.  This was slightly troublesome because it meant we didn't get to talk.  We are capable of going a while without talking (although we don't like to) but when we're in the same country there is the comfort of knowing we can talk if we need to.  Being forced into silence is tricky.  Anyway, Sar got back on the 24th and on the 25th we got to talk.  And talk we did.  What was it, Sar?  Nearly two hours?  We were pretty excited that we're only two time zones apart now.  California seems like nothin' compared to Jakarta.  I employed the use of screenshot to take a picture of us. We like it.  Sar likes it so much she made it her facebook picture.  I'm just thankful she's back.  And alive.  I'm really thankful she didn't catch any tropical diseases.  You may think I'm joking but the girl has a funny way of going to foreign countries and then scaring the crap out of me with the stuff she manages to pick up.  You know what's terrifying?  Your best friend's mother calling you to tell you your best friend is in the hospital in the Dominican Republic with dengue fever.  Never heard of it?  Look it up.  It's nasty.  The point, for now is that Sar is alive and well and stateside.  That's really all I can ask for.

Shabam!  Screenshot!

Rylan Jacob

My cousin, Cindy, welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world on January 24.  Rylan Jacob made his appearance a little later than we were all thinking.  I totally thought that kid was going to be here like a week ago.  But, he took his own sweet time.  He's pretty darn cute so I'm not too upset about it.  I'm a bit bummed that I probably won't meet him for a while.  That's what I get for moving 500 miles from home.  Welcome to the world, little man!  We're so glad you're here!

He's all bundled up!

Son (rhymes with phone)

Sonia turned 24 on January 23.  She's a year younger than the rest of us because she's smarty pants and had to skip a grade.  Just because she's a year younger doesn't make her any less amazing though.  In fact, I'd argue that she's even more amazing.  She's also harder than heck to pin down.  I never have any idea what that girl is up to but I know it has to be good.  So, Happy Birthday, Sonia!  I totally lucked out when you wandered into my life (or my room freshman year).  You make the world a better place.

Typical

Saturday in the Park

Okay, not really.  But, I do love that song.  If only it was actual park weather right now.  Not so, sadly.

We actually got a fair amount of snow on Saturday.  The snow wasn't the issue as much as the blowing was.  Laura and I were supposed to go bowling with the Mercy teachers but we opted out as the weather got worse.  That was the downside.  The upside was that we had made an entire dessert pizza to take with and then got to eat it ourselves.  That was a definite plus.  Well, that and playing Just Dance 2 all night.  Granted, I was playing because I was trying to make up for the fact that I took the Christmas tree down without Laura.  Who knew she'd get that upset??  Anyway, the point is that even when things don't go quite as planned, Laura and I can still manage to have a good time.  And while I think everyone knows that I'm thankful for her in general, I'm also extremely thankful for this portion of our relationship.  It's not everyday you get to live with your best friend (scratch that, I do get to live with my best friend everyday).  You get the point.

Here's a look back at the tree during happier times...

Rockstar

Today rocked.  Let me clarify the ways in which it did not rock: It did not rock in the I've fallen in love sort of way or in the all the lights turned green when I was late for something important sort of way or in the aimless wandering through Ireland sort of way or in the I just found $20 in my coat pocket from last year sort of way.  The day didn't rock in any of those ways.  Instead it rocked because I was reminded of the incredible people I have around me.  I am convinced that if, for some strange reason, my life happened to be a television show, people would not tune in to see me but rather because the supporting cast would be so stellar (and quirky).  That's the way in which today rocked.  There is so much to be thankful for.  A few highlights:

1 a.m.: I decided to check my email one last time before bed.  So, I pulled up gmail and, well, nothing new.  But then I looked over to the side and noticed a green camera next to Sara's name.  This is not overly exciting generally but Sar has been in Indonesia for almost three weeks.  She's still there.  And I haven't talked to her.  But we got to talk!  It was great.  We decided to video chat but her camera wasn't working so she could see me but I couldn't see her.  That's a little weird but it was fantastic to hear her voice.  We talked for about an hour and, while I was physically exhausted, I felt emotionally alert.  It'll be even more fun when she's back stateside and there's only a 2 hour time difference instead of 13.  Woohoo!

1:30 p.m.: Who doesn't love meeting a friend for coffee??  I met Brooke at Delice and enjoyed two hours of catching up.  You know what type of friend I love?  The type you can talk about cooking/food with.  Those are good people to have around.  This automatically makes Brooke a good person to have around.  Plus I'm a pretty big fan of the way our relationship has progressed since my freshman year at Creighton and her first year teaching there.  It's neat.

6:30 p.m.: Sue, Dave, and Katie were driving through town on their way to Colorado for the week so Laura and I met them for pizza.  I knew they'd be coming through at some point but I didn't know if I'd get to see them or not.  It was nice to chat over pizza and relax a bit.  Also, I'm fairly certain I didn't see Katie over Christmas.  So, seeing her was a definite plus.  I'm constantly amazed at what a beautiful young woman she has turned into.  I remember meeting her when she came home from the hospital.  I would have been 5 at the time.  I also remember thinking that she was pretty boring because she didn't do anything.  Now she's a sophomore in college and a world traveler.  She grew out of that whole doing nothing stage.

I discovered this site while browsing a few days ago: 29 Gifts.  I'm going to try to do this for the 28 days.  I started today with bringing dinner to the family who recently lost their husband/dad.  I'm excited to see how this goes.

Post-It

Laura and I started leaving post-its for each other soon after we began this whole roommate arrangement.  It started simply because we didn't see each other all that much so the post-its were a way to keep in touch. We have gone through packages of them.  Sometimes they say important information like, "I'll get milk on my way home", sometimes they contain quotes or song lyrics, sometimes they're silly, but mostly they just remind the other person that we care.  When we first started this I kept them on the back of my bedroom door.  My door got filled up long ago and now they sit in drawers and whatnot.  The ones I've left for Laura have lived on her desk/computer at school, in her car, and in a stack in her room.  We joke that we're going to turn them into a book someday.  

Anyway, I was looking at the back of my door and I realized how grateful I am for all of these notes.  They're a physical reminder of the past 1.5 years.  We can look at them and remember what was happening.  And I never have to doubt that she cares about me.  There's proof on hundreds of pieces of paper.  Best friends are rare.  I'm glad we have all these notes to remind us that we are stuck with each other.  And I think we're both pretty happy about that.

The back of my bedroom door

The back of our front door

(Quick explanation: We generally leave the notes on the back of the front door.  That way the other person is guaranteed to see them.  Laura made the welcome home notes for me over a year ago when I had been at home, in Illinois, for a few days.  We've left it up since then.  It's always good to be welcomed home.)

Alz

Okey dokey.  Allie is getting married.  This is a good thing.  I'm thankful for that, in and of itself.  I thought she was going to go crazy if Kevin didn't propose.  I love Kevin.  This is positive because when one of your best friends is getting married and you're in the wedding, it's really unfortunate if you do not like their significant other.  But, he's a good guy and he balances her out nicely and I truly believe they are in for a long and happy life together.  That's all good.

But, what I'm really thankful for today is simply getting to talk to Allie.  We usually have a hard time tracking one another down (it probably doesn't help that we live hundreds of miles apart) but we chatted for almost an hour and a half Wednesday night.  We talked about the wedding.  Poor girl's super stressed.  I hope I'm not that stressed when it comes time to plan a wedding someday.  Anyway, we also talked about non-wedding stuff.  Both topics of conversation, wedding and non-wedding, were good and I'm glad we got to catch up.  Neat-o, skeet-o.

This is my favorite picture of us.  Summer '04.

And We're Off...

Tuesday was the first day of the new semester for me.  I am glad to be back mostly because I'm a big nerd who happens to love school.  I'm glad that I'm getting slowly closer to my goal.  I'm glad that I have something to fill the calendar.  I'm glad that I still get to attend school.  I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity to attend a private college and graduate school and that my education has been shaped by some of the brightest minds in the country.  I'm thankful that my sex has not hindered my educational opportunities and that I am free to express my views without the threat of government intervention.  Our public education system in this country leaves much to be desired, but at least it exists.

MLKJ Day

Today (Monday) we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr.  Schoolchildren celebrate with a break from studies and the federal government celebrates with the closing of government buildings.  People across the country celebrated by doing a day of service.  I am simply grateful that we continue to celebrate the life and legacy of this great man.  His life and legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.  And in a world where hatred and bigotry still run rampant, it is important to remember that we are all called to bring peace and justice to the world.

To Kristen!

Sunday was Kristen's birthday.  Some friends and I went out on Saturday night and we toasted her at midnight with a rousing "To Kristen!" and the clinking of glasses.  Toasting someone from afar is tricky but I think we made it work.  Even though we are 551 miles apart I still tried to celebrate her (mostly with the clinking of glasses).  Here's to a friend who is funny and smart.  She knows when to commiserate and when to make you quit feeling sorry for yourself.  From that first two hour talk freshman year about faith and family to this very moment, I'm quite thankful she's part of my life.  To Kristen!

Circa Kristen's birthday 2005

Tedster

Let's be honest.  This face will probably grace the blog more than any other.  He's so stinkin' cute.  I had a blast with Teddy on Friday and am still thankful for it on Saturday.  He's getting more and more verbal.  My favorite game to play with him is to point to the pictures on my fridge and have him say names.  You can't beat hearing: "MoMo! Ab-by! (insert blank here because I can't get Teddy to say Ben's name) Chach! Maxxxx (he draws it out)! Emm-A! Mae!"  I also quite like that he calls Laura "oo-ra".  I have it on my camera but the battery is dead.  Photos will have to do.  Love from Teddy.

B-day

January 14 is my mom's birthday. She turned 51 this year. Last year (for the big 5-0) I gave hear a print from an artist I really like. It reads:

"Over the years she changed in my eyes

only from being the best mom in the world,

to on of the most amazing women I had ever met." -Myklo Designs

The sentiment holds true today. I think if you ask most people if they're thankful for their mom (or dad) they'll say yes. But it's generally kind of passive. Of course we're thankful for our parents. They fed us and bathed us and stayed up with us when we were sick and drove us to tennis lessons and school dances. Parents are solid and giving and loving. Yes, I'm thankful for my mom (and dad). I'd be crazy not to be.

You never know...

My great-grandmother passed away earlier in the week and today I got the news that a family friend died unexpectedly. While talking to my cousin, Jenny, she reminded me that you just never know the impact your words and actions can have on someone. She reminded me to never underestimate kind words or going the extra mile. Because, sometimes, when times are tough you'll find out that your words and actions have helped someone else get through. And sometimes you'll need to rely on the kind words and deeds of another person to help you along. In the wake of a school shooting in Omaha and the shooting in Arizona which has captured national attention, it is important to remember that you just never know. You never know when you might see a person for the last time or what your final words may be to someone. It's easy to get bogged down by those somewhat morbid thoughts, however. It's far better to simply be thankful for the gift of a new day, for the people who make our lives better, for the chance to say "I love you" one more time.

Lunch, Lunch, Lunch

Lunch is such a simple concept. It's often overlooked or under-appreciated during the busy work or school day. It's just something that needs to get done before you can move onto the next item on the list. Or it can be a brief respite from the insanity of the day; a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues; or a moment to be alone and bask in the silence. On Wednesday I got to have lunch with a friend. I worked for him over the summer and we try to get together fairly regularly. It was our first lunch since before Christmas and it was so nice to catch up even if only for a bit. It was lovely.

Take 2

So, Tuesday was another snow day. Our back lot finally got cleared. This is going to sound silly and superficial but I'm so thankful I have a parking space. I just got it at the beginning of December. After the snow last year and having to dig my car out on the street I took the opportunity to pay for a space in our lot when it opened up. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about my car getting plowed in or it getting hit by another car or a snowplow. It just makes me feel better and worry less.

Snow Day!

Today (Monday) was the first snow day of the year. We found out last night at about 7:30. Everything got better from there. Laura and I spent the day in our pjs (or peejays ask Katelyn spells them) playing Super Mario Bros. on Wii and making crepes. Note to self: chocolate crepes are good but must be eaten immediately. They do not keep well. It's kind of funny because I had nothing to do anyway so the snow day didn't mean much personally. It did meant that Roomie got to stay home and hang out though. That was most definitely a welcome surprise. Katelyn also came over after work and we made black bean brownies and ate dinner and caught each other up on the past few days. So, thank you snow for making my Monday more like a Saturday. You rock.

Gather the People

"Gather the People! Enter the feast!

All are invited, the greatest and least.

The banquet is ready, now to be shared.

Join in the heavenly feast that God has prepared." -Dan Schutte

"Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow Me.
I will bring you home.
I love you and you are mine." -David Haas

So, Sunday was my first day back at St. John's in a few weeks. Being home was nice, but I do miss St. John's when I'm home. Mom and I often joke about it. Anyway, at mass this week we sang both "Gather the People" and "You are Mine" which happen to be two of my favorite songs. Sitting in St. John's I feel at home and at peace even when things seem all out of whack elsewhere. That's a nice feeling. I love the community and the music and the preaching (most of the time...there's that one priest I really can't stand). I love that Laura almost always goes to mass with me, that it's not even a question anymore. I love the people I can count on seeing every week. I love baptisms when they bring the baby around and allow everyone to bless him/her. Oh, the things I enjoy...

Dishes

And now I am many days behind. But, I'll catch up.

Saturday:

I'm thankful for dishes. Specifically the pile of dishes in our sink this morning. They are a reminder of the lovely dinner we had last night. Laura and I had Erin and Emily over for dinner and spent the evening talking, eating, drinking, and laughing. So, even though the dishes needed to be done they allowed the night to continue on into the morning. I'll do the dishes any day if it means I get to have a night like that.

People Who Smile At You (thanks Frank)

(This is my post for Friday. I was too exhausted last night to write it.)

Quick backstory on this one:

One of my very best friends lives in the Bay Area. She grew up in the midwest and went to Creighton with me so she's really a midwesterner regardless of what her drivers license says. Anyway, she was visiting this summer and we were sitting outside eating ice cream. A woman ran by while out for a jog and smiled at us. I smiled and said "hi". Then this happened:

Sara: "Do you know her?"

Me: "Nope. I've never seen her before in my life."

Sara: "Oh; that's right. I forgot that people smile at complete strangers here."

Yes. Yes, we smile at complete strangers here. And that is a good thing. Today, while walking into HyVee an old (really old) woman stopped to talk to me about the drastic turn in our weather. And when I was waiting in line to check out the (old) woman in front of me turned around, looked at the 3 items in my hand, and said, "You go ahead, honey". I smiled. She smiled. We smile. And I'm glad we do. People can bash the midwest all they want; it won't change the fact that we smile.

Woot! Weather!

What am I thankful for today? Oddly enough, in the middle of January in Omaha, I'm thankful for unseasonably warm weather. We had a high of 45 today and it was marvelous. I probably should have spent more time outside but knowing that the sun was shining and that I could take my jacket off was enough to lift me out of the winter blues. I just checked the forecast and it is supposed to be 6 on Tuesday. With that in mind, I am most definitely thankful that today was a full 39 degrees warmer than next Tuesday will be. Yay for that.

'appy Teddy

Who wouldn't be thankful for this little guy? He's pretty much my favorite person in the world and the love of my life. While I was at home for Christmas Teddy learned a new catchphrase. Before I left he loved to say "hot cocoa". When I got back he had learned "happy Teddy" but his "h" is a bit quiet. So, yes, I'm thankful for the smile I got when I first saw him and the sound of him saying my name. And, of course, for a happy Teddy. (Also, sorry for poor video quailty. Only one light was on in the bathroom.)

A Few Days In...

You would think I would be able to start a resolution of sorts on the first of the year, but that's just a bit too practical for me.  Actually, I read an article once that said you shouldn't start any resolution at the beginning of the week or year.  Apparently, if you start it on some random day you're more likely to keep up with things.  Hopefully that will work for me.

2010 was a rollercoaster of emotions for me.  If you know me, you know I'm not a fan of rollercoasters.  I've been dying to be on a nice calm ride.  Somehow I don't think that's going to happen.  I guess that would take all the fun out of it anyway.  The year wasn't good and it wasn't bad.  It just was.  Unfortunately, things being somewhat stagnant tends to make me crazy.  It was punctuated by some fantastic memories, however.  Ringing in the New Year South Bend style will always be remembered.  Spring Break in the Bay Area with two of my best friends was pretty neat. The births of a few new family members springs to mind as does an amazing trip to FL to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  A relaxed evening at the Ingrid Michaelson concert holds a special place.  My birthday was full of laughter, dancing, good friends, good food, strong drinks, and a lot of love.  Teddy learned to say my name (and it simultaneously breaks my heart and makes me feel good when he cries when I leave).  Roomie visiting Chicago at the close of the year gave everything a sense of completeness.  That's a sampling.  I laughed.  I cried (a lot).  I loved.  I hoped and wished and prayed.  I guess it was a pretty good year.

It is no secret that I love boats.  Spring Break 2010.

Drinking Butterbeer in Florida with the roomie.  July 2010.

My birthday weekend was a rousing success.  October 2010.

Now, on to 2011.  As this new endeavor begins (both the new year and this blog) I have a lot to be thankful for.  If I had to pick one thing right now though, I'd have to say warmth.  I mean this in every sense of the word.  At the practical level, I'm glad our apartment is warm, that the heat in my car works, and that we don't have to gather firewood in order to stay cozy.  I am thankful for warm clothes, coats, gloves, hats, and scarves.  I'm glad my feet are surrounded by thick socks and the water in my shower heats up.  But, beyond the practical, I'm thankful for warm smiles and hugs.  For the warmth that surrounds me when I am with family and friends.  For the feeling that I am not alone even when I am by myself.  There is warmth in that.  There is a feeling of safety and security and peace.  My life is full of warmth.  Even in the bitter cold of an Omaha winter, I feel warmth (but not always warm...).  That's what I'm thankful for today.

Oh, and I remembered to take my camera with me when I went out for pizza with Laura, Katelyn, and T tonight.  I just didn't remember to take any pictures.  Oy vay.