Saturday afforded me the chance to return to my college town. Keisha had a Pampered Chef conference downtown and she had to be there early. I offered to drive, and together we hit the road before 5am, crossing the CST/EST time zone and journeying into the future. I dropped her off at the site, walked her to the door, and spent the rest of the day largely alone.
I say alone. Perhaps I should use a different word, as I wasn't alone, per se, but I was in no one's immediate company, either. Truly, in a city as populated as Louisville, being alone is probably a thing more of the mind. Anyway, I spent the morning in my favorite coffee shop, Sunergos. I enjoyed going there and studying, listening to the mellow tunes and breathing the pleasing aroma of coffee. So I ordered me a plain coffee and sat at a table and read for four hours. I started with a little bible study, and after that I read a massive chunk of the unpublished manuscript I'm reviewing. All I can say is that it's a piece of solid writing with a very interesting magical system and some fascinating world history. I wish the author the best at getting it published.
As lunch time neared, I packed up my stuff and headed off to my favorite deli, Franks. It's hard to describe how perfect, how amazing Frank's is. Their cold-cut sandwiches are cheap and unbeatable in taste. I got a roast beef and colby with lettuce on wheat for $3. That may seem high, but the claim to fame for Frank's is that there's enough meat and filling on the sandwiches that it's hard to finish. I've ordered sandwiches from there before and taken off enough meat to fix me another lunch from the excess. This sandwich was a good 4.5-5.5" thick, if not more, and it was very filling.
After I had my lunch I drove to campus and parked behind the engineering buildings. Saturday was nice and sunny, not too cool, so I walked from the parking lot over to the library, taking my time and remembering campus. A lot's changed since I graduated. It's been two years since I sat foot on UofL's grounds, but it was still very much the same campus. My afternoon at the library went a lot like the morning. I ate and read, a little from the STAR WARS book, but mostly from the manuscript.
This doesn't sound terribly exciting, spending a day cooped up inside reading, but I have to say, I quite enjoyed myself. The joy ended when Keisha and I decided to drive to the mall. The mall of St. Matthews is a somewhat special place to us. You see, I proposed to my wife at this mall. I didn't plan to propose at this mall, but it just kinda happened.
I planned to propose beneath the fireworks and heavenly spectacle of Thunder Over Louisville. I planned to take her to the river and get down on one knee. Instead, that darned ring in my pocket kept whispering things to me, making vain promises and offering visions of grandeur. We were at the mall, sitting outside the JC Pennys beneath a copse of indoor trees and beside a mediocre fountain. Things get a little blurry, but I vaguely remember kneeling and mumbling and talking and saying a bunch of stuff about love and that stuff and pulling out a ring and people looking at us and her face and... Yeah. I hadn't planned on proposing there, but it just happened. The Precious willed it so...
I don't know why, but the city's entire population was converged at or near the St. Matthews mall. We idled in traffic for a long time before finally getting to the mall, and then we idled more as we waited forever to find a parking spot. Red Robbin (yum) was good for dinner, but after that we were ready to get the heck out of the city.
It's a shame. There are so many wonderful things about Louisville that I love and miss. However, there's plenty there to keep me far away, too, like the radiation. I guess now that the meteor's fallen and decimated the town I'll never get to go back again. Too bad, too. I wonder if my alma mater will rise above the wastes and request donations to help rebuild? Did the coffee shop survive? News reports say that there weren't many survivors, and those that did have some kind of weird glow about them now and they're all quarantined in some secret location. I guess it's good that we got out of the city before it happened, eh?
Happy Valentine's day!
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
How I Spent My Five Day Break
Day One: Thanksgiving
Like most Americans, I spent Thanksgiving/Slapsgiving feasting on a cornucopia. First up, at noon o'clock, we went to Keisha's grandma's and enjoyed her wonderful homemade stuffing, which she elects to only make this one day of the year. Everything else there was also made from her own hands (save the sweet potato casserole Keisha brought), and as always, everybody was stuffed by meal's end. Afterward, the menfolk all headed down to the garage and sat around and talked while the womenfolk stayed in the house to look through sale bills. Up came a vicious rainstorm, and 'ere long the pitter patter on the tin roof had us all a-sleepy. I finished my current Wired magazine and had a bit of a rest.
At four o'clock came my family's feast. I really wasn't too hungry, but there was plenty of wonderful food, so I had to help myself again. Mom's specialty is pineapple baked ham, which was amazing. There we all congregated in the kitchen and living room and spent a rainy, sleepy Thanksgiving evening together, filled with holiday bustle, conversation, and football.
Finally, I got my little red car back, which had broke a month ago due to a faulty starter. With it, I returned to Stewartland and settled in for a night of Fallout.
Day Two: Black Friday
To be a good husband, I told Keisha that she should go to bed early and I would run to Wal-Mart at midnight o'clock to pick up the few things she wanted from there. Besides, it had been snowing, sleeting, and raining, so there probably wouldn't be too many people out. She acquiesced, and after three hours in the Mojave Wastelands, it was time to head out for a quick run. I was naive. There wasn't a single spot open in all of the parking lot, and folks were walking across the street just to get inside the sacred grounds. So I headed back home and said I'd go out in the morning and look while she shopped elsewhere.
Well, there weren't any "steam mops" left at 9:00, so I went back home and played more Fallout. Actually, I cleaned for about an hour or so, ate lunch, read some of The Desert Spear, and then sank into Fallout. Keisha got home about noon thirty, and then we put up Christmas decorations for the rest of the afternoon.
Day Three: Lazy Saturday
We wanted to spend a day doing nothing productive. Part of me enjoyed this idea, but part of me didn't. Still, I agreed, and we got up about 8:30 and relocated to the couch. Keisha fell back asleep. I played Fallout until lunch. Then we finished off Season 3 of How I Met Your Mother (one of the funniest shows out there that I'm loving and wish I would've started earlier). Then Keisha made some homemade bread and I made a homemade broccoli soup. Then we finished off Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica and soon it was bedtime.
A perfect, lazy day, though we did give the dogs a bath and clipped each of their nails. So, maybe not completely lazy, but still, close enough.
Day Four: Church Sunday
Praise band practice at 8:15 went well for not having normal practice on Wednesday. Sunday School at 9:30 was interesting, too, where we continued our discussion in Matthew (currently Chapter 8) and talked about prayer and faith and Jesus calming the winds & waves. Church church, 10:30, was a great time of worship (I think our church is slowly coming to grips with worshiping a Creator that's deserving of worship) and a message that stepped on everybody's toes. Afternoon was some cleaning, BSG, Monk, Fallout, and a nap. Keisha had some Sherlock Holmes stories she wanted me to read aloud, so I started "A Scandal in Bohemia," where she fell asleep and I lay there and unsuccessfully tried to nap for an hour. Then night church continued the study of Philippians. Afterward, the Community went bowling, where I did surprisingly well (117 and 120 something).
Day Five: NPD Monday
Since business has been a little slow with the ole MLC, we've dropped to 32 hr work weeks while we wait out the storm. At first a little nervous (I mean, I'm essentially getting a 20% pay cut for the time being), I've been reassured by many people that this'll pass and things'll improve. So yesterday was my second No Pay Day. Keisha and I went and bought groceries, which took most of the morning, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon deep cleaning the kitchen and living room. Since we're not making as much, I've re-evaluated our budget and we're trying to work on spending for practically everything, including groceries and meal planning for the week ahead. So far, so good.
Alex & Rachael came over last night, where we cooked some tacos and sat around and ate and communed. Then the ladies did their thing and me & Alex played some banjo. Soon it was bedtime, and the pouring down rain made me sleepy.
I got in some reading over the break, plenty of video gaming, some movie watching, and some television season viewing, most thanks to Netflix and friends. There'll be a review or two or three over the next few days, and I'll be checking through my Google Reader backfeed to get caught up. Now, onto December.
Like most Americans, I spent Thanksgiving/Slapsgiving feasting on a cornucopia. First up, at noon o'clock, we went to Keisha's grandma's and enjoyed her wonderful homemade stuffing, which she elects to only make this one day of the year. Everything else there was also made from her own hands (save the sweet potato casserole Keisha brought), and as always, everybody was stuffed by meal's end. Afterward, the menfolk all headed down to the garage and sat around and talked while the womenfolk stayed in the house to look through sale bills. Up came a vicious rainstorm, and 'ere long the pitter patter on the tin roof had us all a-sleepy. I finished my current Wired magazine and had a bit of a rest.
At four o'clock came my family's feast. I really wasn't too hungry, but there was plenty of wonderful food, so I had to help myself again. Mom's specialty is pineapple baked ham, which was amazing. There we all congregated in the kitchen and living room and spent a rainy, sleepy Thanksgiving evening together, filled with holiday bustle, conversation, and football.
Finally, I got my little red car back, which had broke a month ago due to a faulty starter. With it, I returned to Stewartland and settled in for a night of Fallout.
Day Two: Black Friday
To be a good husband, I told Keisha that she should go to bed early and I would run to Wal-Mart at midnight o'clock to pick up the few things she wanted from there. Besides, it had been snowing, sleeting, and raining, so there probably wouldn't be too many people out. She acquiesced, and after three hours in the Mojave Wastelands, it was time to head out for a quick run. I was naive. There wasn't a single spot open in all of the parking lot, and folks were walking across the street just to get inside the sacred grounds. So I headed back home and said I'd go out in the morning and look while she shopped elsewhere.
Well, there weren't any "steam mops" left at 9:00, so I went back home and played more Fallout. Actually, I cleaned for about an hour or so, ate lunch, read some of The Desert Spear, and then sank into Fallout. Keisha got home about noon thirty, and then we put up Christmas decorations for the rest of the afternoon.
Day Three: Lazy Saturday
We wanted to spend a day doing nothing productive. Part of me enjoyed this idea, but part of me didn't. Still, I agreed, and we got up about 8:30 and relocated to the couch. Keisha fell back asleep. I played Fallout until lunch. Then we finished off Season 3 of How I Met Your Mother (one of the funniest shows out there that I'm loving and wish I would've started earlier). Then Keisha made some homemade bread and I made a homemade broccoli soup. Then we finished off Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica and soon it was bedtime.
A perfect, lazy day, though we did give the dogs a bath and clipped each of their nails. So, maybe not completely lazy, but still, close enough.
Day Four: Church Sunday
Praise band practice at 8:15 went well for not having normal practice on Wednesday. Sunday School at 9:30 was interesting, too, where we continued our discussion in Matthew (currently Chapter 8) and talked about prayer and faith and Jesus calming the winds & waves. Church church, 10:30, was a great time of worship (I think our church is slowly coming to grips with worshiping a Creator that's deserving of worship) and a message that stepped on everybody's toes. Afternoon was some cleaning, BSG, Monk, Fallout, and a nap. Keisha had some Sherlock Holmes stories she wanted me to read aloud, so I started "A Scandal in Bohemia," where she fell asleep and I lay there and unsuccessfully tried to nap for an hour. Then night church continued the study of Philippians. Afterward, the Community went bowling, where I did surprisingly well (117 and 120 something).
Day Five: NPD Monday
Since business has been a little slow with the ole MLC, we've dropped to 32 hr work weeks while we wait out the storm. At first a little nervous (I mean, I'm essentially getting a 20% pay cut for the time being), I've been reassured by many people that this'll pass and things'll improve. So yesterday was my second No Pay Day. Keisha and I went and bought groceries, which took most of the morning, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon deep cleaning the kitchen and living room. Since we're not making as much, I've re-evaluated our budget and we're trying to work on spending for practically everything, including groceries and meal planning for the week ahead. So far, so good.
Alex & Rachael came over last night, where we cooked some tacos and sat around and ate and communed. Then the ladies did their thing and me & Alex played some banjo. Soon it was bedtime, and the pouring down rain made me sleepy.
I got in some reading over the break, plenty of video gaming, some movie watching, and some television season viewing, most thanks to Netflix and friends. There'll be a review or two or three over the next few days, and I'll be checking through my Google Reader backfeed to get caught up. Now, onto December.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
For Veterans Day 2010
For Veterans Day today, I'd like to bring attention to my brother, Jake, who is currently serving over in Afghanistan. My brother has been written about every so often here on Rememorandom (here), and its no secret that I love and respect him tremendously. He's about fourteen months younger than me and has been in the military since he was eligible, which was around six years ago or so. Jake is not only active in the national guard, but he also works at the local outpost, doing mechanical stuff on trucks and whatnot.
His first son, Ian, was born in the fall of 09. Come January of 2010, he was to deploy for his second tour, this one in Afghanistan instead of Iraq. He would be gone for a year or so, with one brief stint of R&R break. This time around, Jake's doing stuff with military escorts and is on the road most of the time. (I think this makes me even more nervous than when he was in Iraq, but then again, I try not to think about it much.) He's scheduled to come home in January or March, and I pray for his safe return.
Brother, thank you for serving our country. Thank you for going where so many will not. I'm sorry that you've had to miss your so many of your son's Firsts. I'm thankful that there are people like you willing to give whatever is called for for the US. And to all the other veterans out there, you have my eternal gratitude.
His first son, Ian, was born in the fall of 09. Come January of 2010, he was to deploy for his second tour, this one in Afghanistan instead of Iraq. He would be gone for a year or so, with one brief stint of R&R break. This time around, Jake's doing stuff with military escorts and is on the road most of the time. (I think this makes me even more nervous than when he was in Iraq, but then again, I try not to think about it much.) He's scheduled to come home in January or March, and I pray for his safe return.
Brother, thank you for serving our country. Thank you for going where so many will not. I'm sorry that you've had to miss your so many of your son's Firsts. I'm thankful that there are people like you willing to give whatever is called for for the US. And to all the other veterans out there, you have my eternal gratitude.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
A Memorial Day Well Spent
Memorial Day is a special holiday to me for two reasons. First, my brother is in the army, currently serving on his second tour, this time in Afghanistan. His job is dangerous (though he assures us that it’s not really that bad), as he is constantly on the road, driving as an armed escort to and from places. This puts him in harm’s way more than I like to think. Thankfully, he’s never had any problems, and prayerfully, he never will. He will be returning to the States for a two week R&R in August, and then ending his tour next January or March.
The second reason Memorial Day is special is really more of a bittersweet reason. Keisha’s dad passed away shortly after we started dating. She was sixteen. I was a freshman in college. I remember getting that frantic phone call and I dropped everything and sped home, making the two hour trip in almost half the time. The loss of her father was life-changing for her and her family. Keisha still struggles from time to time with it, and it’s painful to go through something like that.
On Memorial Day, I think about these things. I remember the people that have given up their lives for our country. I thank God that we live in a place where we do have freedom. And even though we like to complain and bicker and argue over our rights, at the end of the day, our country is still far better off than many other places in the world. I also like to remember the loved ones that have gone on. Many of them are in a better place, and these thoughts are things that truly bring a smile to my face.
Yesterday, on Memorial Day, Keisha and I got up early and drove to a flea market. We spent the surprisingly cool morning shopping around for deals and bargains (I bought Joe Hill’s Heart Shaped Box for fifty cents! and Fallout3 for $15!). We enjoyed just looking at the odd things people try to sell. We enjoyed our time there, and afterwards we went to Keisha’s mom’s house to spend some time at home.
Keisha is teaching a VBS class next week, and the theme is western. Keisha grew up with horses, though the desire to ride them stagnated after her dad’s death. He was going up to the barn to shoe some horses, and on his way there, he had a heart attack and collapsed near the barn. The horses were kept up until just a few weeks ago, when they finally were sold. I went to help Keisha get some saddles and other things from the tack room. The room was dark, dusty, musty, dirty, and all-out undesirable. I bravely ventured inside, armed with a pitchfork, and slowly procured the few things she wanted. After all was removed, we headed down to sit under a shade tree and clean the stuff. It took all afternoon, wiping down and oiling the leather saddles, washing away years of dust and grime.
The whole time, I’m sure Keisha was thinking of things years back, when things were simpler and life hadn’t yet been disrupted. I know I was. I would do anything to be able to have her dad back, but I know there’s nothing I can do. Hope for the future is the only reassurance I can offer her, a faith that promises a reunion in heaven.
At the end of the day, we were both exhausted and filthy. Memorial Day was filled with a business that wasn’t restful, but at the same time, it was fun to be home with family. It was nice to work outside on things. It’s easy to see that life slows down in the country, and this is one of the things I love about where I grew up. Rural life is more pleasant than I can describe, and simplicity really does rule the day. While I don’t consider my current home to be rural, ultimately Keisha and I both want to move back to the country.
Once again, I want to thank all of the men and women who have served our country. They deserve honor and recognition for what they do. I, for one, will never slight them, and I pray you never will, either. And for those who have lost loved ones, I offer you my condolences. I truly believe God knows best, and that’s a faith I will die believing.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
A few things that I'm not thankful for.
1.0 The fact that there are millions of starving and helpless people out there
1.1 The fact that I don't do much to offset that problem
There are so many things that I actually am thankful for that I could not begin to sum it up in a list. I have been so blessed and fortunate in my life and I thank the Lord God Almighty for His blessings. A few things that I am thankful for, in no order at all...
1.0 Salvation
2.0 Turkey, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, ham, orange juice cake, sweet tea, and coffee.
3.0 Music
4.0 STAR WARS
5.0 A church that I enjoy
6.0 A Sunday School class that we actually fit in with
7.0 Friends and family
8.0 Books
9.0 Doritos
So that's it. It's a holiday that we're spending today with Keisha's family. My family's gathering will be this Saturday. I have to work tomorrow. Core dump.
Be thankful for what you have, folks, whether it's a lot or a little. There's always people better off and worse off. That's it. Nothing more for today. Farewell.
1.0 The fact that there are millions of starving and helpless people out there
1.1 The fact that I don't do much to offset that problem
There are so many things that I actually am thankful for that I could not begin to sum it up in a list. I have been so blessed and fortunate in my life and I thank the Lord God Almighty for His blessings. A few things that I am thankful for, in no order at all...
1.0 Salvation
2.0 Turkey, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, ham, orange juice cake, sweet tea, and coffee.
3.0 Music
4.0 STAR WARS
5.0 A church that I enjoy
6.0 A Sunday School class that we actually fit in with
7.0 Friends and family
8.0 Books
9.0 Doritos
So that's it. It's a holiday that we're spending today with Keisha's family. My family's gathering will be this Saturday. I have to work tomorrow. Core dump.
Be thankful for what you have, folks, whether it's a lot or a little. There's always people better off and worse off. That's it. Nothing more for today. Farewell.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween’s A-Comin’
In the spirit of the season, I shall postpone my review of STAR WARS: Fate of the Jedi: Omen until a later time, which may be tomorrow, or may be never. Now that that’s done, that means I’m starting (finally) on Joe Abercrombie’s The Last Argument of Kings today at lunch. I cannot wait to dive in and see what’s going to happen there and see how The First Law series ends.
Enough of that. Let’s take a look at some Halloween themed stuff.
I’m not sure what it is about the post-apocalyptic genre that I love so very much, but I do like it. Whether it’s reading a book or playing a game like Fallout 3, there’s something very attractive in the post-apoc setting.
2. Zombies. I found a very interesting article called “Zombie 101,” written by Matt Zoller Seitz. Basically there is a few paragraphs written about zombies and their cultural significance to us, which is interesting to read. However, at the end of the article, Seitz has created a 12 minute video essay that really drives home the point. The essay pays homage to all sorts of zombie films and I really enjoyed watching it. You can find the article and essay here.
Have you noticed that recently both zombies and vampires have become very, very popular? I’m sure Twilight had something to do with the vampire revival, but I have no clue what started up the zombie revolution. I grew up with zombies, and I can remember my mom waking me up at night when I was a wee lad to watch a movie with her because she was scared to watch it alone. That movie was Night of the Living Dead, the defining zombie movie. (Okay, in the haziness of my mind it may not actually be NotLD, but I’m pretty sure it was one of Romero’s classic B&W zombie movies.)
3. Jack-O’-Lanterns. This year I’ve decided to do some actual pumpkin carving other than a traditional Jack-face. I’ve not chosen exactly what I want to carve yet, but I have narrowed down my options. There are a lot of ideas out there, and some cool stencils, too, if you’re interested in trying it out. If it turns out good, I’ll try to post a picture.
4. Candy. Man oh man oh man do I love candy. Hard candy, like Runts, Gobstoppers, Sprees, Nerds, Sweet Tarts, Bottlecaps, and suckers, are a constant nag to my sweet-desiring mouth. Soft candy, like Chewy Sprees, Skittles, Shock Tarts, and Gummy anythings, are an equal temptation for me to scorn. And then there’s chocolate. There’s just something that’s hard to ignore when you’ve got chocolate, especially dark chocolate, tempting you, calling out to you, begging you to bite into its wonderful bark. And adding peanut butter to the chocolate is often something I cannot refuse. Dang, now I really want some candy. Maybe I can convince my brother-in-law or my cousins to part with some of their loot after the party this weekend.
I hope you all are ready for Halloween. I know I am. Plus, I’m planning on making another cheesecake for the party this weekend. I may try and put a Halloween spin on it, even, if I think I’m up to the challenge.
(NaNoWriMo is approaching quickly, and I, like Dave, am chomping at the bit. Actually, I’ve cheated a bit and wrote a few things down in my planning stage. But I’ve justified myself, telling myself that I have to still write 50,000 words in November. And I’m getting my 360 today…)
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Chimes of Freedom
It's Independence Day here in America. The day we celebrate our freedom from the Crown. The day we honor our country. The day we thank God for the freedoms we have here in the States, to worship as we please, to speak as we see fit, to carry guns, to drive on an adequate infrastructure system, to live peaceably with our fellow man, regardless of age, sex, creed, ideas, or orientation. It's America's birthday, and whatever your viewpoints are, whether you're hardcore LEFT or extreme RIGHT, come together and appreciate our country. Thank God that we don't live in a war torn third world. Thank God that we're not oppressed by an Inquisition.
And, when you've done that, eat some BBQ or something. Keisha and myself are celebrating our Independence Day with the all American Japanese cuisine from the local Little Tokyo.
+ American songs?
Woody Guthrie's classic by none other than the Boss
Bobby D's nice bit about freedom
And, when you've done that, eat some BBQ or something. Keisha and myself are celebrating our Independence Day with the all American Japanese cuisine from the local Little Tokyo.
+ American songs?
Woody Guthrie's classic by none other than the Boss
Bobby D's nice bit about freedom
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