I woke up at 4:37 this morning thinking that Scout is either scratching to beat the band and her collar is jingling or that she is on the dresser about to play a game of whap off the knick-knacks... Then I realized that she was curled up next to me and was as bewildered as I was. That is when it hit me… Earthquake!!
A few seconds later the miniature enamel teapots that I collect were dancing across my dresser once again. My bed vibrated along with it and I did not even have to put in a quarter!
Once I got over the initial shock (pun intended) I did manage to fall back asleep.
When the alarm went off I turned on the news. I learned the epicenter was near Evansville, Indiana which is about 150 miles away and that the quake was at 4:36. Guess it took it a moment to get to me.
18 April 2008
15 April 2008
Whining...
The building I work in has ten floors. It just happens I work on the 6th floor. My company is spread out amongst four of them. Therefore, I spend a lot of time riding an elevator. There are large windows in the elevators where you can look out and watch traffic or pedestrians go by. I call it “elevator TV” but that is not what this is about. This is about a pet peeve of mine….
Just because we are in the same elevator does not mean we have to talk!
I am so happy to get that off of my chest. Now I can go about my day.
Just because we are in the same elevator does not mean we have to talk!
I am so happy to get that off of my chest. Now I can go about my day.
08 April 2008
They don't call it the "big muddy" for nothin!
Behold the mighty Mississippi river and the power that Mother Nature has… These photos are from earlier today.
This is my satellite office in Louisiana along the banks of the river. I just paid a visit there on March 25th long before the flooding began. The sand bags you see were being put in place then in anticipation of the water levels.
Here is a view of the river from the parking lot... Please note the signs for reserved parking are almost submerged. The employees are parking about a 1/4th of a mile away and walking down. Then they are towed into the area in a little boat on a tow line. You have to watch out for the water moccasins!! No, I am not kidding...
Here is a large truck going thru the parking lot. Toward the bottom of the photo is the Mississippi breaching the banks.
Another view... This time from a top a barge on the river. The almost completely submerged bridge used to be what lead you onto the barge floating there.
Here are the offices my co-workers are in. As I type this, they are evacuating them because the river has yet to crest and they are expecting another couple of feet.
Here is a view of the offices from aboard the barge. That is the Mississippi creeping up on them only held off by a few sand bags....
And you thought you were having a bad day......
This is my satellite office in Louisiana along the banks of the river. I just paid a visit there on March 25th long before the flooding began. The sand bags you see were being put in place then in anticipation of the water levels.
Here is a view of the river from the parking lot... Please note the signs for reserved parking are almost submerged. The employees are parking about a 1/4th of a mile away and walking down. Then they are towed into the area in a little boat on a tow line. You have to watch out for the water moccasins!! No, I am not kidding...
Here is a large truck going thru the parking lot. Toward the bottom of the photo is the Mississippi breaching the banks.
Another view... This time from a top a barge on the river. The almost completely submerged bridge used to be what lead you onto the barge floating there.
Here are the offices my co-workers are in. As I type this, they are evacuating them because the river has yet to crest and they are expecting another couple of feet.
Here is a view of the offices from aboard the barge. That is the Mississippi creeping up on them only held off by a few sand bags....
And you thought you were having a bad day......
03 April 2008
42 years in the making....
I sit here today pondering my 42 years on this planet. Yes, today is my birthday. I was born on April 3, 1966. It was a Palm Sunday in San Antonio, Texas where I made my debut. Believe it or not I had enough hair to pull up when I finally decided to enter the world.
I am an only child. I know, I know, there are so many clichés that go with that title. Yes, I am a tad bit spoiled even in my 40s. Don’t be hating on me because of it. I try not to ask for many things; however, my parents are very generous and I am very blessed. In all honesty, if the Lord asked me to pick any two people in the world to be my parents, I would have selected them. They are loving, loyal, compassionate, faithful, honest, caring people. I could use a thousand more positive things to describe them; however, I won’t. It would take pages to describe what good souls they both are and continue to be.
I have a multitude of first cousins. I am close to some but not all of them. It is a large generation gap in that some of my first cousins are actually older than my father. Kinda weirds me out when I think about it…. My paternal grandmother had her first child in 1915 and my Daddy, who is the baby, came along in 1939. Kinda all spread out… My maternal grandmother (Nana) gave birth to five children. My Mama is the middle child. They are a little spread out in that my youngest Aunt (Auntie D) is 11 years younger than Mama and 11 years older than me. She is like my big sister. I am grateful for her and love her tremendously.
Over the course of my 42 years I have learned many life lessons. Lessons that I would like to share with you now. So without further adieu let’s get started, shall we?
Do not under any circumstances define yourself by who you are in a relationship with at all! There was a time that people only knew me as Mrs. (name of first husband here) and did not actually know my name. It bothered me but not enough to speak up. Now I know better. I am not Mrs. or Frau (Mein Deutscher). I am Klinde, but you all know that’s not my real name but I digress…
Do not let people take advantage of you. Too many times I was burned because I would allow people to walk all over me. I was too intimidated to speak up for fear they would no longer like. I had the mad desire to please everyone all the time and would let people run me over. Now I speak up and make my voice heard and if someone disagrees or doesn’t want to be around me because of it, so be it. At least I got it off of my chest and I can not sit and sulk or worry over it.
Learn to handle money. I was a victim of credit abuse. I loved the instant purchasing power that Visa gave me. I fell into debt that was in the five figure category. Thanks to my gracious parents, they bailed me out, not once, not twice, but three times. I no longer have any type of credit card because I know I can not control myself with them. If I can’t pay for it with cash, then I can’t have it, plain and simple. No, I did not learn this from Dave Ramsey, I did this on my own because I know how I am.
You have no biological children, so what? Yes, I know that a big dream of mine was to have a bunch of rug rats. God had a different plan for me. I do not understand it; however, I do accept it because He knows better than I. The caveat is that I hate not giving my parents a grandchild because that was always a dream of theirs. My bloodline ends with me. It is a depressing thought but one that I will live with gracefully. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally in love with my seven year old step son, but wanted one of my very own. I think most women feel that need to be a mom but it just wasn’t in the cards for me.
I have a very addictive personality. Admittedly so, and I am still a work in progress on this one. There are many hurdles. When I say addictive it does not refer to drugs and alcohol, but a multitude of sins. My current addiction is playing games online. Past addictions have included cross-stitching, pottery, UT football, needlepoint, and decorating just to name a few…
So after 42 years I would like to say I have learned a little something about this thing we call life. Hopefully there will be more valuable lessons learned as I venture on my path.
I am an only child. I know, I know, there are so many clichés that go with that title. Yes, I am a tad bit spoiled even in my 40s. Don’t be hating on me because of it. I try not to ask for many things; however, my parents are very generous and I am very blessed. In all honesty, if the Lord asked me to pick any two people in the world to be my parents, I would have selected them. They are loving, loyal, compassionate, faithful, honest, caring people. I could use a thousand more positive things to describe them; however, I won’t. It would take pages to describe what good souls they both are and continue to be.
I have a multitude of first cousins. I am close to some but not all of them. It is a large generation gap in that some of my first cousins are actually older than my father. Kinda weirds me out when I think about it…. My paternal grandmother had her first child in 1915 and my Daddy, who is the baby, came along in 1939. Kinda all spread out… My maternal grandmother (Nana) gave birth to five children. My Mama is the middle child. They are a little spread out in that my youngest Aunt (Auntie D) is 11 years younger than Mama and 11 years older than me. She is like my big sister. I am grateful for her and love her tremendously.
Over the course of my 42 years I have learned many life lessons. Lessons that I would like to share with you now. So without further adieu let’s get started, shall we?
Do not under any circumstances define yourself by who you are in a relationship with at all! There was a time that people only knew me as Mrs. (name of first husband here) and did not actually know my name. It bothered me but not enough to speak up. Now I know better. I am not Mrs. or Frau (Mein Deutscher). I am Klinde, but you all know that’s not my real name but I digress…
Do not let people take advantage of you. Too many times I was burned because I would allow people to walk all over me. I was too intimidated to speak up for fear they would no longer like. I had the mad desire to please everyone all the time and would let people run me over. Now I speak up and make my voice heard and if someone disagrees or doesn’t want to be around me because of it, so be it. At least I got it off of my chest and I can not sit and sulk or worry over it.
Learn to handle money. I was a victim of credit abuse. I loved the instant purchasing power that Visa gave me. I fell into debt that was in the five figure category. Thanks to my gracious parents, they bailed me out, not once, not twice, but three times. I no longer have any type of credit card because I know I can not control myself with them. If I can’t pay for it with cash, then I can’t have it, plain and simple. No, I did not learn this from Dave Ramsey, I did this on my own because I know how I am.
You have no biological children, so what? Yes, I know that a big dream of mine was to have a bunch of rug rats. God had a different plan for me. I do not understand it; however, I do accept it because He knows better than I. The caveat is that I hate not giving my parents a grandchild because that was always a dream of theirs. My bloodline ends with me. It is a depressing thought but one that I will live with gracefully. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally in love with my seven year old step son, but wanted one of my very own. I think most women feel that need to be a mom but it just wasn’t in the cards for me.
I have a very addictive personality. Admittedly so, and I am still a work in progress on this one. There are many hurdles. When I say addictive it does not refer to drugs and alcohol, but a multitude of sins. My current addiction is playing games online. Past addictions have included cross-stitching, pottery, UT football, needlepoint, and decorating just to name a few…
So after 42 years I would like to say I have learned a little something about this thing we call life. Hopefully there will be more valuable lessons learned as I venture on my path.
24 March 2008
Things that make you go "hmmm".....
There are things that you read that make emotions well up inside you and make you pause and think. I am a step-mom. I am physically unable to have children. I always wanted to be a mother but God had a different plan for me and while I do not understand it I do accept the path He laid before me.
Right now I have quite a few friends that are pregnant as well as my sister-in-law. Seems these things always happen in groups just like all the weddings I will be attending this summer.
With that being said, I read this I wondered what I would do in a similar situation? How do you live knowing that the newly created life you carry will end almost as soon as it begins? Being Catholic I was raised to believe abortion is murder; however, there are some parts of Catholic doctrine that I do not fully agree with (but that is a post for a different day). This just made me sad and made me hurt for the poor families; however, I respect the hell out of their decision if that is what was best for them. Who am I to judge what is the most healing for them?
It was just something that made me think....
Right now I have quite a few friends that are pregnant as well as my sister-in-law. Seems these things always happen in groups just like all the weddings I will be attending this summer.
With that being said, I read this I wondered what I would do in a similar situation? How do you live knowing that the newly created life you carry will end almost as soon as it begins? Being Catholic I was raised to believe abortion is murder; however, there are some parts of Catholic doctrine that I do not fully agree with (but that is a post for a different day). This just made me sad and made me hurt for the poor families; however, I respect the hell out of their decision if that is what was best for them. Who am I to judge what is the most healing for them?
It was just something that made me think....
21 March 2008
A meme on Good Friday
Before I begin my little meme, I wanted to take a moment and wish all three of my readers a very joyous Easter. This is my favorite holiday and I am looking forward to spending it with my family.
Without further adieu, here we go…
Here is how it works:
You take each line and replace it with a single word of your choosing. Yes, just one word!!
Afterward, tag seven folks...
You're feeling: tired
To your left: telephone
On your mind: finances
Last meal included: rice
You sometimes find it hard to: sleep
The weather: nice
Something you have a collections of: shoes
A smell that cheers you up: coffee
A smell that can ruin your mood: garbage
How long since you last shaved: days
The current state of your hair: curly
The largest item on your desk right now (besides computer): scanner
Your skill with chopsticks: decent
Which section you head to first in the bookstore: classics
And after that?: fiction
Something you are craving: seafood
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: scary
How many times have you been hospitalized this year: nada
A favorite place to go for quiet time: tub
You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: teacher
Something that freaks you out a little: cockroaches
Something you've eaten too much of lately: Chinese
You have never: kayaked
You never want to: bungee
I am tagging the following:
Newscoma
Ginger
Megan
Linda
Saucygrrl
Ron
Jag
Without further adieu, here we go…
Here is how it works:
You take each line and replace it with a single word of your choosing. Yes, just one word!!
Afterward, tag seven folks...
You're feeling: tired
To your left: telephone
On your mind: finances
Last meal included: rice
You sometimes find it hard to: sleep
The weather: nice
Something you have a collections of: shoes
A smell that cheers you up: coffee
A smell that can ruin your mood: garbage
How long since you last shaved: days
The current state of your hair: curly
The largest item on your desk right now (besides computer): scanner
Your skill with chopsticks: decent
Which section you head to first in the bookstore: classics
And after that?: fiction
Something you are craving: seafood
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: scary
How many times have you been hospitalized this year: nada
A favorite place to go for quiet time: tub
You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: teacher
Something that freaks you out a little: cockroaches
Something you've eaten too much of lately: Chinese
You have never: kayaked
You never want to: bungee
I am tagging the following:
Newscoma
Ginger
Megan
Linda
Saucygrrl
Ron
Jag
19 March 2008
Same time last year....
At this time last year I had the good fortune to go to Hamburg, Germany to finally meet my husband’s parents. It is still hard for me to believe it has been a year since our adventure. I was waxing nostalgic and decided to give you a little tour of what we did while we were there. Enjoy…
This is my in-law's home. It is quaint and cozy. It is not the home my German grew up in; however, it is on the same road.
Prosit! This is my German and me toasting. We are at a nice restaurant we found on a side trip to Berlin. Excellent food, excellent bier and excellent company as Ambie and the Chef joined us on this excursion.
While in Berlin we did A LOT of walking and "touristy" things... Here I am touching part of what is left of the wall. It was electric to me to touch such a thing...
This is my favorite photo of the entire trip. It is of Brandenburger Tor otherwise known as the Brandenburg Gate.
This is my German and me. This is from St. Patty's day. We are enjoying Celtic music, wonderful food and incredible bier.
This is just a lovely building in Bergedorf. Bergedorf is a suburb of Hamburg and is the largest area near the village my German was raised in.
Here I am catching a little lip action with my German. We are about to enter a courtyard of a castle in Bergedorf. If you click here you will see a bit more about Bergedorf and the Schloss Bergedorf where the photo was taken.
This is my German and I on our last full day in Germany. Unbeknownst to us, my mother-in-law arranged for us as well as Ambie and the Chef to have our wedding vows renewed. She did this in part because she was unable to attend either of our weddings.
Two or three times a year, there is a huge carnival in Hamburg. There are rides, souvenier stands and scrumptious goodies (not to mention bier, gluhwein and many other tasty libations). The food at this is nothing like carnival food here.... No corn dogs and funnel cakes... Instead there are brats, potatoes, yummy pork, crepes, and too many other things to mention for fear of my waistline expanding.
This is a Hummel, the water carrier. These guys are all over the place and we photographed ourselves with as many as we saw. When you see him, you are supposed to say "Hummel, Hummel" and he would reply "Mors, Mors".
Here we are kicking back in an eis cafe (ice cream parlor). We are sitting in a spot where a photo was taken of the arcade style of this shopping center. The photo I am speaking of is in a book about Hamburg that my German brought with him when he moved to the U.S. eleven years ago. I would look at the photo and say "I want to go there". So he brought me
This is the inside of a beautiful church in Bergedorf. Schwester, my German's baby sister, actually got married in this place!! It was built in the 1400's... Awesome!
There was a rule about food whilst in Germany. Thank goodness I am an adventurous eater or I would have been shit outta luck.... This is me kissing the head of a smoked eel. That was the tastiest thing I had while I was there (except for bier, duh!). I am kissing it to thank it for giving the ultimate sacrifice for my dining pleasure. I won't go into detail about the couple of things I would never eat again because it will just make me gag. Suffice it to say, they were quite nasty and I would be fine to never have them again.
My trip down memory lane is complete. Thanks for tagging along!
This is my in-law's home. It is quaint and cozy. It is not the home my German grew up in; however, it is on the same road.
Prosit! This is my German and me toasting. We are at a nice restaurant we found on a side trip to Berlin. Excellent food, excellent bier and excellent company as Ambie and the Chef joined us on this excursion.
While in Berlin we did A LOT of walking and "touristy" things... Here I am touching part of what is left of the wall. It was electric to me to touch such a thing...
This is my favorite photo of the entire trip. It is of Brandenburger Tor otherwise known as the Brandenburg Gate.
This is my German and me. This is from St. Patty's day. We are enjoying Celtic music, wonderful food and incredible bier.
This is just a lovely building in Bergedorf. Bergedorf is a suburb of Hamburg and is the largest area near the village my German was raised in.
Here I am catching a little lip action with my German. We are about to enter a courtyard of a castle in Bergedorf. If you click here you will see a bit more about Bergedorf and the Schloss Bergedorf where the photo was taken.
This is my German and I on our last full day in Germany. Unbeknownst to us, my mother-in-law arranged for us as well as Ambie and the Chef to have our wedding vows renewed. She did this in part because she was unable to attend either of our weddings.
Two or three times a year, there is a huge carnival in Hamburg. There are rides, souvenier stands and scrumptious goodies (not to mention bier, gluhwein and many other tasty libations). The food at this is nothing like carnival food here.... No corn dogs and funnel cakes... Instead there are brats, potatoes, yummy pork, crepes, and too many other things to mention for fear of my waistline expanding.
This is a Hummel, the water carrier. These guys are all over the place and we photographed ourselves with as many as we saw. When you see him, you are supposed to say "Hummel, Hummel" and he would reply "Mors, Mors".
Here we are kicking back in an eis cafe (ice cream parlor). We are sitting in a spot where a photo was taken of the arcade style of this shopping center. The photo I am speaking of is in a book about Hamburg that my German brought with him when he moved to the U.S. eleven years ago. I would look at the photo and say "I want to go there". So he brought me
This is the inside of a beautiful church in Bergedorf. Schwester, my German's baby sister, actually got married in this place!! It was built in the 1400's... Awesome!
There was a rule about food whilst in Germany. Thank goodness I am an adventurous eater or I would have been shit outta luck.... This is me kissing the head of a smoked eel. That was the tastiest thing I had while I was there (except for bier, duh!). I am kissing it to thank it for giving the ultimate sacrifice for my dining pleasure. I won't go into detail about the couple of things I would never eat again because it will just make me gag. Suffice it to say, they were quite nasty and I would be fine to never have them again.
My trip down memory lane is complete. Thanks for tagging along!
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