Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Fire
Kevin is no longer the White Cloud of the fire department. In the four months since he has graduated academy and hopped from station to station, Kevin has been followed by a white cloud. Where he went, fire didn't. Kevin stood idly by while he listened to the stories from academy classmates of their sixth, seventh, even eighth fire. Would Kevin ever get a fire?
I watched the news with special interest this morning, like I do all the mornings after Kevin has been on duty, looking for him, listening to see if any firefighters had been injured during the night. I didn't see any fires on the news this morning. It was all Hurricane this and Hurricane that. When Kevin got home I was bustling about trying to get the garbage ready to go to the curb. Kevin came in grinning and holding his fire coat. "Smell this," he said.
Sure enough, it smelled like fire. I know that smell. My older brother was a volunteer firefighter and that's the way he smelled when he came in to give a kiss goodnight when he got back from a call. I love that smell. Is that sick? I love the smell of someone else's life burning. I love the smell of someone else's loss.
"You had a fire!" A family lost their home and we are celebrating a milestone.
Sick.
Kevin is no longer the White Cloud of the fire department. In the four months since he has graduated academy and hopped from station to station, Kevin has been followed by a white cloud. Where he went, fire didn't. Kevin stood idly by while he listened to the stories from academy classmates of their sixth, seventh, even eighth fire. Would Kevin ever get a fire?
I watched the news with special interest this morning, like I do all the mornings after Kevin has been on duty, looking for him, listening to see if any firefighters had been injured during the night. I didn't see any fires on the news this morning. It was all Hurricane this and Hurricane that. When Kevin got home I was bustling about trying to get the garbage ready to go to the curb. Kevin came in grinning and holding his fire coat. "Smell this," he said.
Sure enough, it smelled like fire. I know that smell. My older brother was a volunteer firefighter and that's the way he smelled when he came in to give a kiss goodnight when he got back from a call. I love that smell. Is that sick? I love the smell of someone else's life burning. I love the smell of someone else's loss.
"You had a fire!" A family lost their home and we are celebrating a milestone.
Sick.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Meow
Kevin saved a cat from a second floor balcony. Firemen really do that!
While Kevin was saving wayward cats, I was purchasing The OC Season 2!! It came with an OC pocket calendar! (The calendar proved to be a disappointment. It just says the OC and doesn't have any pictures or anything. Huh.) Kevin pretended to not be excited about having Season 2 of the OC, but I know he can't wait to watch it.
Kevin saved a cat from a second floor balcony. Firemen really do that!
While Kevin was saving wayward cats, I was purchasing The OC Season 2!! It came with an OC pocket calendar! (The calendar proved to be a disappointment. It just says the OC and doesn't have any pictures or anything. Huh.) Kevin pretended to not be excited about having Season 2 of the OC, but I know he can't wait to watch it.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
It's Easier to Get Forgiveness...
than to get permission. I didn't know that The OC Season 2 was available. I found out about 30 seconds ago. Now I feel like I can't go on unless I am the proud owner of The OC Season 2...by the end of the night. Do you think Kevin will be mad? It's pricey. Do you think he'll be mad if I get an OC cast pillow case? I saw it on Ebay. I want. I want I want I want! And I want the shirt that says I love Ryan Atwood! And I want an Adam Brody wall clock! I want the Juicy terry dress that's just like the one Summer wore in Season 1! I think Kevin needs to put one of those parent blocks on my computer to keep me away from Ebay. I have a problem. Hi, my name is Sara and I want to buy stupid ugly things on Ebay.
than to get permission. I didn't know that The OC Season 2 was available. I found out about 30 seconds ago. Now I feel like I can't go on unless I am the proud owner of The OC Season 2...by the end of the night. Do you think Kevin will be mad? It's pricey. Do you think he'll be mad if I get an OC cast pillow case? I saw it on Ebay. I want. I want I want I want! And I want the shirt that says I love Ryan Atwood! And I want an Adam Brody wall clock! I want the Juicy terry dress that's just like the one Summer wore in Season 1! I think Kevin needs to put one of those parent blocks on my computer to keep me away from Ebay. I have a problem. Hi, my name is Sara and I want to buy stupid ugly things on Ebay.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Communication
How did husbands do the grocery shopping before cell phones hit the scene? Kevin went to the grocery store alone today. This is ALWAYS my job. I made him a list and I even made it in the order of the store, dividing it up in the order of the aisles. Yes, I'm that girl. It was a pretty simple list. The only things that I thought might trip him up were finding kale and the feta cheese since it is in produce and not in cheese. But I warned him of these things.
Phone call Number One:
Me: Hello?
Kevin: Hi.
Me: What's wrong?
Kevin: Uhhh, the list says to get one pound of boneless sirloin steak but they only come in two pound packages.
Me: Get the two pound package and we'll freeze the extra.
Kevin: Oh. Ok.
Me: Did you find the kale?
Kevin: Yeah.
Me: Ok, bye.
Kevin: Bye.
Phone call Number Two:
Me: Hello?
Kevin: Do you want chicken broth in a can or in a box?
Me: It really doesn't matter. I usually get it in a can. And don't forget I need two cans.
Kevin: But there are so many. What kind am I supposed to get?
Me: It doesn't matter. It's chicken broth.
Kevin: Ok, bye.
Me: Bye.
I know there was a third phone call, but I can't even remember what it was.
How did wives find their husbands in department stores before cell phones hit the scene? We went to Dick's Sporting Goods this evening because we both needed some more running clothes. I spent a good 20 minutes picking through the clearance racks trying to find a bargain (I did, too!). I couldn't believe that Kevin wasn't tailing me and telling me to pick up the pace. With an armful of clothes I made my way to the Mens' section looking for Kevin. He was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't in the shoe section. He wasn't waiting for me up front. Finally I give up, dig out my phone, and call him.
Kevin: Hello?
Me: I'm done. I can't find you.
Kevin: I'm in the camping stuff.
Me: Upstairs?!
Kevin: Yeah, I'm by the canoes. This stuff is cool!
Me: Stay there. Bye.
Camping? He married the wrong girl. Oh, and he didn't even look at running clothes! Men.
How did husbands and wives ride in the car together amicably before the iPod? With our entire music collection at our fingertips, we no longer bicker about what to listen to. We either agree on a song, take turns, or put it on shuffle and listen to whatever pops up...unless we both agree to skip it.
Can Amish get divorced? Because I don't know how they do it. Really.
(For some reason I can't get spell check to work on blogger. I'm doing my best, but please forgive my errors.)
How did husbands do the grocery shopping before cell phones hit the scene? Kevin went to the grocery store alone today. This is ALWAYS my job. I made him a list and I even made it in the order of the store, dividing it up in the order of the aisles. Yes, I'm that girl. It was a pretty simple list. The only things that I thought might trip him up were finding kale and the feta cheese since it is in produce and not in cheese. But I warned him of these things.
Phone call Number One:
Me: Hello?
Kevin: Hi.
Me: What's wrong?
Kevin: Uhhh, the list says to get one pound of boneless sirloin steak but they only come in two pound packages.
Me: Get the two pound package and we'll freeze the extra.
Kevin: Oh. Ok.
Me: Did you find the kale?
Kevin: Yeah.
Me: Ok, bye.
Kevin: Bye.
Phone call Number Two:
Me: Hello?
Kevin: Do you want chicken broth in a can or in a box?
Me: It really doesn't matter. I usually get it in a can. And don't forget I need two cans.
Kevin: But there are so many. What kind am I supposed to get?
Me: It doesn't matter. It's chicken broth.
Kevin: Ok, bye.
Me: Bye.
I know there was a third phone call, but I can't even remember what it was.
How did wives find their husbands in department stores before cell phones hit the scene? We went to Dick's Sporting Goods this evening because we both needed some more running clothes. I spent a good 20 minutes picking through the clearance racks trying to find a bargain (I did, too!). I couldn't believe that Kevin wasn't tailing me and telling me to pick up the pace. With an armful of clothes I made my way to the Mens' section looking for Kevin. He was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't in the shoe section. He wasn't waiting for me up front. Finally I give up, dig out my phone, and call him.
Kevin: Hello?
Me: I'm done. I can't find you.
Kevin: I'm in the camping stuff.
Me: Upstairs?!
Kevin: Yeah, I'm by the canoes. This stuff is cool!
Me: Stay there. Bye.
Camping? He married the wrong girl. Oh, and he didn't even look at running clothes! Men.
How did husbands and wives ride in the car together amicably before the iPod? With our entire music collection at our fingertips, we no longer bicker about what to listen to. We either agree on a song, take turns, or put it on shuffle and listen to whatever pops up...unless we both agree to skip it.
Can Amish get divorced? Because I don't know how they do it. Really.
(For some reason I can't get spell check to work on blogger. I'm doing my best, but please forgive my errors.)
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Toddald
He sat in front of me in Library Information Systems, a freshman requirement. It was my first semester of college and he was so so so so cute. I mean, gorgeous. I mean, he stepped out of a J. Crew catalog and sat in front of me in class. I was still tied to my high school sweetheart, but it never hurts to have pretty friends. I was drawn to him. He seemed shy. I'm not shy. I tried making small talk, but he had none of it. I tried walking out of class with him, but he hurried ahead. This wasn't going well at all. I needed an actual conversation piece, something to work around. About a month into the class, I commented on his Tshirt with an El Camino on the back. I know they are trashy, but I've always liked those. It's a car. It's a pickup truck. It's perfect! This was the beginning of the friendship.
We started watching hockey games together, going out to eat, renting movies, spending A LOT of time together. Somehow, though, I kept him completely separate from my other best friends, Nick and David. In fact, they didn't even believe that he existed! They would badger me for information on him trying to catch me in my wicked lie. I told them his name was Todd McDonald and he was an aviation major. They made fun of me and called him Toddald McDonald. He was my pretend friend, Toddald.
One day I went flying with Todd and didn't come back. I didn't show up to the English class I had with most of the people on my floor that morning. Everyone was mystified when my roommate told them that I never came back that night. I finally showed up around lunch time with a fantastic tale about flying to Columbia with Todd and getting stranded there because of inclimate weather. They still didn't believe me!
Todd and I had a perfect and comfortable friendship. We decided to get an apartment together for sophomore year. It was the perfect situation. He cooked, I cleaned. I even wrote a paper or two for his Composition class and scored well, if I remember correctly. He bought an air hockey table that was used often. Our fingers became so bruised from the air hockey battles that we had to wear gloves. The puck flew off the table and broke things...lots of things. After our sophomore year and our second really fun year as freinds, Toddald moved to Columbia to be with his friends and girlfriend to finish college. I was very sad, but knew that we would remain friends. We have had minimal contact since then and I hadn't seen him since I stopped through Columbia about three years ago for a brief visit.
I still thought about him a lot and wondered what he was doing. People often wondered why we were never a couple. For one thing, the timing was never right. When we met I had a serious boyfriend and by the time we broke up Todd was madly in love with Katy, who just happens to be matched perfectly to him. For another thing, I like my life wrapped up and tied in a pretty ribbon. Todd is spontaneous and in no hurry to settle down. You know that feeling you have after graduating from college when you think, "Now what?" Well, Todd and Katy decided that the only logical answer was to move to Hawaii for a year. So that is where they are.
Todd just came back for a visit and called to say he wanted to see me before he went back. I was excited and nervous. You never know how things will be with someone who you used to be close to and love and feel comfortable with. Life is different now. I needn't have worried. Todd came over with his brother and his brother's girlfriend. I had met Keith, but not his girlfriend. Todd and Kevin had met, but only briefly before Todd moved. Kevin had never met Keith or his girlfriend, Nicola. It was as if we had all been friends for a long time. We all got along swimmingly. There were no awkward hellos or awkward goodbyes. Toddald promised to keep in better touch with email and I know he won't. Still, I'm looking forward to catching up with him in another few years to see how our lives have changed, yet stayed the same.
He sat in front of me in Library Information Systems, a freshman requirement. It was my first semester of college and he was so so so so cute. I mean, gorgeous. I mean, he stepped out of a J. Crew catalog and sat in front of me in class. I was still tied to my high school sweetheart, but it never hurts to have pretty friends. I was drawn to him. He seemed shy. I'm not shy. I tried making small talk, but he had none of it. I tried walking out of class with him, but he hurried ahead. This wasn't going well at all. I needed an actual conversation piece, something to work around. About a month into the class, I commented on his Tshirt with an El Camino on the back. I know they are trashy, but I've always liked those. It's a car. It's a pickup truck. It's perfect! This was the beginning of the friendship.
We started watching hockey games together, going out to eat, renting movies, spending A LOT of time together. Somehow, though, I kept him completely separate from my other best friends, Nick and David. In fact, they didn't even believe that he existed! They would badger me for information on him trying to catch me in my wicked lie. I told them his name was Todd McDonald and he was an aviation major. They made fun of me and called him Toddald McDonald. He was my pretend friend, Toddald.
One day I went flying with Todd and didn't come back. I didn't show up to the English class I had with most of the people on my floor that morning. Everyone was mystified when my roommate told them that I never came back that night. I finally showed up around lunch time with a fantastic tale about flying to Columbia with Todd and getting stranded there because of inclimate weather. They still didn't believe me!
Todd and I had a perfect and comfortable friendship. We decided to get an apartment together for sophomore year. It was the perfect situation. He cooked, I cleaned. I even wrote a paper or two for his Composition class and scored well, if I remember correctly. He bought an air hockey table that was used often. Our fingers became so bruised from the air hockey battles that we had to wear gloves. The puck flew off the table and broke things...lots of things. After our sophomore year and our second really fun year as freinds, Toddald moved to Columbia to be with his friends and girlfriend to finish college. I was very sad, but knew that we would remain friends. We have had minimal contact since then and I hadn't seen him since I stopped through Columbia about three years ago for a brief visit.
I still thought about him a lot and wondered what he was doing. People often wondered why we were never a couple. For one thing, the timing was never right. When we met I had a serious boyfriend and by the time we broke up Todd was madly in love with Katy, who just happens to be matched perfectly to him. For another thing, I like my life wrapped up and tied in a pretty ribbon. Todd is spontaneous and in no hurry to settle down. You know that feeling you have after graduating from college when you think, "Now what?" Well, Todd and Katy decided that the only logical answer was to move to Hawaii for a year. So that is where they are.
Todd just came back for a visit and called to say he wanted to see me before he went back. I was excited and nervous. You never know how things will be with someone who you used to be close to and love and feel comfortable with. Life is different now. I needn't have worried. Todd came over with his brother and his brother's girlfriend. I had met Keith, but not his girlfriend. Todd and Kevin had met, but only briefly before Todd moved. Kevin had never met Keith or his girlfriend, Nicola. It was as if we had all been friends for a long time. We all got along swimmingly. There were no awkward hellos or awkward goodbyes. Toddald promised to keep in better touch with email and I know he won't. Still, I'm looking forward to catching up with him in another few years to see how our lives have changed, yet stayed the same.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
I've been having a hard time at work lately. I'm not going to go into the details, but it's been a bit rough. I'm very on again, off again with this job. As soon as I'm ready to give up and find another job, something happens to make me want to keep this one. For example, while my olfactory senses were rotting in Omaha, I was certain I wanted to find employment elsewhere. On our last telecon, though, we got the details of our new company cars and soon I'll be tooling around looking like a hottie in this. The deal is too sweet to pass up!
Have I written about my Uncle Bingo before (aside from mentioning in passing that I actually have an uncle called Bingo)? Uncle Bingo's son is Bing. Bingo was recently trying to do something on my computer and was appalled at the age and slow speed of my ancient machine. Bingo went to Bing, who is a computer whiz, and told my woeful tale of slow connection and technological ignorance. Before you could say Bingo Was His Name-O, I had a new machine. I even hooked it up myself! Oh, yeah. I'm that good.
Kevin and I decided on Thursday that we would go visit the Springfield gang on Saturday. Usually I plan things much farther in advance. There was no reason, we just decided we would like to see our nieces and nephew and Kev had had weekend off. Friday Top got sick and I couldn't get her an appointment with the vet until late Saturday morning. We decided that we would still go to Springfield, even though that would really cut back on our time with the family. I was sitting outside with my Dad and Tom, my brother-in-law, while Dad grilled the meat. We chatted for awhile and when my dad went inside Tom asked, "So, do you have any big news this weekend?" I immediately knew what he (and everyone else) was thinking. I took a swig of my beer and replied, "Would I be drinking this if I was pregnant?" Huh. Seems Kev and I have been the topic of family gossip. I'm surprised, what with my inept secret keeping skills, that they even had to ask. As if I could hold in news like that.
I'll do better with blogging this week. Promise. Like I said, I'm having a hard time at work and I'm trying to catch back up after working at Offutt AFB for four weeks.
Who has read Harry Potter? Who cried? Who sat in sorrow that the book was over not wanting to pick up another book knowing that it just couldn't compare? I used Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf to get out of the funk. He's one of my favorite authors. His writing is simple and compelling.
Have I written about my Uncle Bingo before (aside from mentioning in passing that I actually have an uncle called Bingo)? Uncle Bingo's son is Bing. Bingo was recently trying to do something on my computer and was appalled at the age and slow speed of my ancient machine. Bingo went to Bing, who is a computer whiz, and told my woeful tale of slow connection and technological ignorance. Before you could say Bingo Was His Name-O, I had a new machine. I even hooked it up myself! Oh, yeah. I'm that good.
Kevin and I decided on Thursday that we would go visit the Springfield gang on Saturday. Usually I plan things much farther in advance. There was no reason, we just decided we would like to see our nieces and nephew and Kev had had weekend off. Friday Top got sick and I couldn't get her an appointment with the vet until late Saturday morning. We decided that we would still go to Springfield, even though that would really cut back on our time with the family. I was sitting outside with my Dad and Tom, my brother-in-law, while Dad grilled the meat. We chatted for awhile and when my dad went inside Tom asked, "So, do you have any big news this weekend?" I immediately knew what he (and everyone else) was thinking. I took a swig of my beer and replied, "Would I be drinking this if I was pregnant?" Huh. Seems Kev and I have been the topic of family gossip. I'm surprised, what with my inept secret keeping skills, that they even had to ask. As if I could hold in news like that.
I'll do better with blogging this week. Promise. Like I said, I'm having a hard time at work and I'm trying to catch back up after working at Offutt AFB for four weeks.
Who has read Harry Potter? Who cried? Who sat in sorrow that the book was over not wanting to pick up another book knowing that it just couldn't compare? I used Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf to get out of the funk. He's one of my favorite authors. His writing is simple and compelling.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Honey, I'm Home
Home again, home again! Four weeks is a really long time to be away for business. I was in Bellevue, Nebraska, just south of Omaha. This is the most foul smelling place I have ever visited. Really. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what I was smelling, but it was horrid. I'm from Missouri, born and raised. Here we smell things like cows and pigs or a skunk on the road. This was worse...so much worse. On a particularly hot and humid day as I exited a building I couldn't help gagging. "Oh, that STINKS!" I complained out loud to myself. No one else seemed to really mind, but a passer by told me that it was a dog food factory. Yes. That was it. Dog food! You know how when you give your dog the last of the food in the bag and as you crush up the bag to throw it away all the smelly dog food dust gusts up into your face making you cough and gag? Welcome to Bellevue, Nebraska.
Now that I'm home I can say it wasn't so bad. I complained a lot while I was there, though. Kevin and Top came up one weekend and we went to the zoo. That was fun. The rest of the time I worked, read, and knitted. I went through a pretty nasty bout of post-Harry Potter depression, but it passed.
I couldn't wait to come home. Kevin had the grand idea that it would be a really nice surprise to take up the carpet in our bedroom and finish the wood floor. It is the only room we haven't done yet. And yes, that would have been a lovely surprise...if it had been finished. Instead, I came home to the sound of a sander, two pets covered in dust squinting at me through the haze, and a filthy, FILTHY house. My sister asked if Kevin welcomed me home with a clean house and a hot dinner. Yeah, right. I got a dusty kiss and then I got to work.
In other news, Lucy is turning into a true Reisenbichler cat. Kevin's parents' cats are always fat, stubborn, and lacking in the grooming department. Lucy used to be tiny, dainty, and sweet. Then we got her fixed. Since then she has really let herself go. I noticed after being gone that she's a fat chick now. Also, she has knots in her fur. She used to be what the vet called an overgroomer and licked her belly bald. Now her belly is a mass of white fur. While she's more than happy to lay on her back to have her belly brushed, she is above doing such things for herself. She's decided that she so much likes being brushed that she bites your ankle when you stop. Argh, cats.
I knitted my grandest project to date. It's a Christmas present for my sister. She knows it's a yoga mat bag...she knows that it's mostly purple...but that's all. I can't post a picture because I want to keep some little bit of surprise. Now I'm knitting a fuzzy green poncho/shawl thingy for my three year old niece. Knit, knit knit!
I have things to do. I'm back. That's all I really wanted to say, anyway.
Home again, home again! Four weeks is a really long time to be away for business. I was in Bellevue, Nebraska, just south of Omaha. This is the most foul smelling place I have ever visited. Really. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what I was smelling, but it was horrid. I'm from Missouri, born and raised. Here we smell things like cows and pigs or a skunk on the road. This was worse...so much worse. On a particularly hot and humid day as I exited a building I couldn't help gagging. "Oh, that STINKS!" I complained out loud to myself. No one else seemed to really mind, but a passer by told me that it was a dog food factory. Yes. That was it. Dog food! You know how when you give your dog the last of the food in the bag and as you crush up the bag to throw it away all the smelly dog food dust gusts up into your face making you cough and gag? Welcome to Bellevue, Nebraska.
Now that I'm home I can say it wasn't so bad. I complained a lot while I was there, though. Kevin and Top came up one weekend and we went to the zoo. That was fun. The rest of the time I worked, read, and knitted. I went through a pretty nasty bout of post-Harry Potter depression, but it passed.
I couldn't wait to come home. Kevin had the grand idea that it would be a really nice surprise to take up the carpet in our bedroom and finish the wood floor. It is the only room we haven't done yet. And yes, that would have been a lovely surprise...if it had been finished. Instead, I came home to the sound of a sander, two pets covered in dust squinting at me through the haze, and a filthy, FILTHY house. My sister asked if Kevin welcomed me home with a clean house and a hot dinner. Yeah, right. I got a dusty kiss and then I got to work.
In other news, Lucy is turning into a true Reisenbichler cat. Kevin's parents' cats are always fat, stubborn, and lacking in the grooming department. Lucy used to be tiny, dainty, and sweet. Then we got her fixed. Since then she has really let herself go. I noticed after being gone that she's a fat chick now. Also, she has knots in her fur. She used to be what the vet called an overgroomer and licked her belly bald. Now her belly is a mass of white fur. While she's more than happy to lay on her back to have her belly brushed, she is above doing such things for herself. She's decided that she so much likes being brushed that she bites your ankle when you stop. Argh, cats.
I knitted my grandest project to date. It's a Christmas present for my sister. She knows it's a yoga mat bag...she knows that it's mostly purple...but that's all. I can't post a picture because I want to keep some little bit of surprise. Now I'm knitting a fuzzy green poncho/shawl thingy for my three year old niece. Knit, knit knit!
I have things to do. I'm back. That's all I really wanted to say, anyway.
