Passing the time

A friend of mine let me borrow some music by Jack Johnson, specifically the CD titled “Sleep through the Static”.  And let me say that it is fantastic! Great sound, good vocals and overall a real treat for the ears.

If you have a chance to listen to it – I for one would highly recommend it.

Yes, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m horrible at keeping in touch. It has been said before that the first step to recognizing a problem is to admit that you have a problem. Thus, Hello – My name is Janette and I have a problem – I don’t post like I should.

So in brief – here is what has happened recently.

Lots of things going on at work.

Apartment life is still very nice – I love the peace and quiet of my own place.

Dating scene is chaotic with lots of ups and downs – I kissed a few more frogs but no princes have yet materialized (maybe I was kissing toads?? – hmmm, something to think about). So at this time no repeat dates are on the horizon.

The big birthday was on Saturday. I drove down to Austin, TX on Friday night to visit Sarah and Ryan. Had a lovely time at the Flying Saucer in the Triangle area Friday night, Saturday morning went out for Tacos (yummy, yummy), Saturday afternoon and evening spent some quality time with Sarah at the Grapevine Market perusing their selections, tasting everything from rum, to vodka, to wine and of course sampling some delicious cheeses. Then relaxing next to the pool for awhile later that evening. Saturday night spent at the apt with Ryan and Sarah enjoying our cheese purchases, some very good wine and champagne and the iconic movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Sunday saw us up at a respectable hour and heading over to Kerbey Lane for the most awesome brunch that I have had yet in my life (and I love brunch!). The eggs francisco were so delicious that I’m going to try to replicate them some time in the near future.   If you have time and are going to be in Austin in the near future – check out their menu, it is well worth the extra drive time. http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/default.aspx. After brunch, Ryan, Sarah and I went to church at Gethsemane Lutheran Church where the music was uplifting, the pastors gregarious and the baptism for a new infant church member was touching. The stained glass display at Gethsemane Lutheran Church was some of the most beautifully worked that I’ve seen since moving to TX. http://www.gethsemaneaustin.org/.

So that is it in a nutshell. Busy as usually but still enjoyable – now if only the terrible Texas summer heat would dissipate – life would then be even better.

The holiday week flew by so quickly!!

Thursday officially began the long weekend and as Tricha was in the office for the week we took a nice lunch at the Firehouse Subs location which had just opened up in Plano! Yummy – I can attest to the delectable goodness of their number one sub combo. Following our delicious lunch we returned back to the office to “work” until early closure at 3pm. Thursday eve then saw Tricha and I heading off to WalMart to pick up party supplies for the 4th and for the bridal shower I was hosting on Saturday.  After crossing almost everything off my list at WalMart we headed over to Goody Goody to pick up the adult beverage supplies for the weekend – and I do believe that everyone in the Addison area was also there purchasing their desired beverages.  While traveling on the Dallas Tollway I was amazed at the lines of traffic heading into Addison for the “Addison Kaboom Town” fireworks extravaganza that evening. It was a very popular event.

Friday, the 4th of July dawned clear and warm. Tricha arrived mid morning and she and I relaxed poolside for a few hours before heading off to a BBQ/grill session hosted by Dali and her fiance. Also in attendance for the BBQ session were Pam and Nelli who had driven up from Killeen, Tx for the weekend. All in all a wonderful day – including the required painful sunburn (which usually happens when Tricha and I get to talking and lose track of the amount of time we’ve spent in the sun), plenty of adult beverages and some excellent Americana food.

Saturday – the day of the bridal shower. I got an early start to the day by heading off to Walmart to pick up the cake, shower gifts and the last minute additions to my ever increasing list.  The guests were scheduled to arrive at 2 but by 3 there were only 5 of the 50 people invited at the apartment - and that included myself, Tricha (who graciously agreed to assist), the maid of honor and the bride and one friend. Remind me never to have a bridal shower when/if I get married.  Or at least if I do decide to go traditional, remind me only to invite people that I think will actually show up.

After 4plus hours of idle chit-chat covering every topic under the sun, I finally said farewell to the last of the guests and Tricha and I hit the road to head to McKinney for some wonderful (and much needed) drinks at Landon Winery and a fantastic dinner at Cafe Malaga with Ryan and Sarah.  So while Saturday might night have started off on the best foot it certainly ended on a high note.

American holidays are so much fun. The anticipation of the upcoming 4th of July holiday has everyone in the office smiling and eagerly anticipating the long weekend.  Personally, any holiday is a great reason to spend with family, friends or doing something you enjoy.

My week is busy (as usual) with assorted office projects, recovery from the harrowing return from LGA airport, and preparation for not only my part of the 4th of July festivities but also the chaos which accompanies hosting a bridal shower. So yes, I’m thrilled to be back in Texas, home in my own apartment and back on schedule for a normal life – but I’m going to be thrilled when things “really, really” return to normal and life is quiet once again. But until that point I just want to share some of my favorite 4th of July memories. Please keep in mind these are not presented in any type of chronological order, they are simply memories as they come to the forefront of my mind.

4th of July celebration at my Grandpa and Grandma Klein’s house in Plum City, WI. A warm summer night, open fields filled with alfalfa, clover, corn, oats and of course the garden flowers. The smell of fresh cut hay and of corn growing in the fields wafting on the warm evening breeze, the sight of horses grazing in the pasture and fireflies flickering in the twilight as us cousins ran around outside playing tag or softball or rolling down the sledding hill and then of us lighting sparklers and waiting for it to be dark enough to light off the fireworks. The adults were all in the house having pie and coffee while talking about whatever came to their mind and Grandpa was napping in his recliner in the living room, Grandma washing dishes in the kitchen with the rest of the wives and all of them coming out when it was finally dark to set of fireworks. I was little at that time – and life was spread out before me like a feast of my favorite foods.

4th of July at my Dad and Mom’s house when I was in my early teens. Mom, my sister and my brother sitting out on the front deck having watermelon in evening watching the swallows dive and swoop in pursuit of bugs. Dad lighting off fireworks in the middle of the driveway and especially the bottle rockets which he would place in a glass coke bottle, they would shoot into the sky with a whistle and pop.  The smokey excretion of the black snakes from their paper wrappers, the colorful sparks of the roman candles, the snap of the gunpowder poppers and the whirling dervish that were the spinners which Dad would nail into place on the power line post so they could spin around and around after he would light them.  I remember just how quiet and peaceful it was at the farmhouse in the summer evenings. No cars, no TV, no traffic. Just the sounds of the birds, bugs, crickets, June bugs, the lowing of the cattle in the pastures and the dogs which came up on the deck to keep us company as we spent time together.  At that point there was no concept of “quality time” together because all time was quality time. We had no idea that we would ever grow apart, or live hundreds of miles apart.

4th of July spent at Mom and Dad’s having grilled chicken, watermelon and corn on the cob. Then in the evening going with my significant other at the time and meeting my family and his to the park in Maiden Rock, WI to watch the fire department set of fireworks over Lake Pepin. I remember us bringing in blankets, coolers, camp chairs, flashlights and bug spray as we carefully chose our spots for the best view of the fireworks. The happiness of having someone hold you tight as the evening became cooler and listening with joy to the conversations, greetings of friends and the delighted laughter of the younger kids as they chased each other throughout the park. And then as we waited for the main show to begin – the fun of everyone, young and old alike, lighting sparklers and making fantastical designs, images and writings by their light until they went out.

So those are just a few of the thoughts that are going through my mind as I prepare to spend my first 4th of July in Dallas, TX. Some wonderful memories of times gone by, wishful feelings that I could be with those to whom I am closest, but also a sense of acceptance that I am where I am supposed to be at this moment in time. And most of all a sense of happiness that I am not traveling over the holiday and I can be at the place which I call – my home for now.