Shopping and Traditions

This weekend was an interesting one.
Saturday Gak was supposed to work early and then, depending on the weather, we were going to go see Golden Compass. I loved the books, I'm hoping they did as good a job with the movie. Instead, due to various office politics, he ended up being called in for the closing shift. Oh well.
So, instead of him going to work and me doing stuff around the house, we ran errands. We first went to the Q-Mart (farmer's market) to see what we could get for a collection of old coins that have been pushed around for over 20 years and that none of us really wanted. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount we got for them. This was an added little holiday bonus. We picked up some meat from Frederic's Meats while we were there to stock up the freezer a little bit. Gak also stopped in at the comics shop and picked up several back issues he was missing. We hadn't gone there since September or so. We had lunch at the new Red Robin that just opened up by the new Target and then promptly spent more of our windfall there.
I'd been thinking about trading in my original DS for a new DS Lite. Gak's work is running a promotion right now giving you extra cash back for the trade, and are/were running a contest between stores to see who could get the most trade-ins. Therefore, we took the last little bit of our windfall and traded in the DS and got a brand new one in red. It's shiny. And sparkly. I'm really happy with it.
Originally we were supposed to be moving the last of the stuff from Gram's apartment yesterday. We decided to reschedule for later due to the impending weather. (Saturday couldn't have been more gorgeous! Cold and clear and bright.) Gak still had off, although there was a moment when we thought they might try and get him to come in. We had a mostly lazy day. I was a bit productive though.
A few weeks ago, Gak and I picked up a pre-lit tree from Target. It was on sale and it actually looks pretty good. So, yesterday I made a tree skirt for it (don't look too close at the edges) and Gak assembled it and got the small box of "Christmas" out of the closet. While Gak took a nap I pulled everything out of the box and decorated. There isn't much.
The first thing I pulled out of the box however, made me stop and tear up a bit. It was one of the stockings Gram made for our family well over 23 years ago now. She crocheted stockings for all of us. Mom's and mine matched being made of red, white and green squares just different sizes. Hers matched Jon and Dad's; red, white and green striped in various sizes. I now have the one that was originally Mom's. I'm not sure where the other 4 are, probably in a box at Mom and Dad's. (Yes, Dad had a stocking, even though he celebrates Hanukkah, not Christmas; we all celebrated everything.)
Some of the other ornaments made me tear up a bit. There's one Gram bought me when I was a baby and another she made when I was about 5 or 6. There are the ducks that Jay bought us. There's the pine cone from Avery. I don't have many ornaments, but they all have stories. Even the three red, plastic apples. Those were also from Mom's first tree. She bought them in New Jersey on a shopping trip with Gram, Jay and Bill.
There is a Christmas Mouse candle holder. I only have a vague idea of where the Christmas Mouse tradition started, at least for our family. It started with Mom's first tree in her own place and one of the ornaments she bought at a church craft fair. It's a cute little walnut shell being used as a bed for a sleepy little mouse. We've always had at least one Christmas Mouse floating around. I think they're cute. (Then again, I am a Ratonga in the world of Norrath...)
No, I don't have pictures right now. I'll try and take some tonight and upload them. (I was going to yesterday, but got distracted by a shiny new DS...)
Well, I'd best get back to work.
Peace to all and may you have holiday traditions and good memories.

Florida Wrapup

Well, this week has been a decent one. The weather has been nice. The two guys I had were good people. I was able to wrap up today because I only had one guy left.
Tomorrow I'll probably just wander around a bit and try and stay out of trouble. I hope I can get back OK. The weather at home today is crappy and nasty. It is supposed to be clear tomorrow and then turn nasty again Saturday into Sunday. I'm so not looking forward to that.
I really don't have a whole lot to say today. I haven't been poking around on the net much because I've been checking mail and stuff from the office. I just can't see spending $10 a night on Internet service, when I'm sitting in a company office all day, and that's "free".
Oh, you won't be getting any pictures from this trip, as I left my camera at home. Oh well. That's life.
Well, I've got some emails and stuff to wrap up before I can escape. I hope everyone is having a good week. Like I said, nothing too exciting here.
Oh, I did forget to mention I get to drive a red "New" Beetle this week. It's really kinda fun. It has an amazing amount of headroom for a little car. If I owned it, I would paint the front black, put a black strip down the middle and a few spots. The color is just about lady bug red. I know, cheezy, but hey, I'd know it was mine!
Ok, peace to all and may your week be interesting.

AAARGH

**Note, This was written on Tuesday, but for some reason didn't get posted when I told it to post!**

Well, there were no updates this weekend, because this weekend was just kinda cranky that way.

Saturday was one of those days when nothing went quite right. Gak had to close at a different store, one that I'd been past a while ago, but couldn't quite remember where it was. This lead to lots of fun time in the car with us getting snippy because the directions he had were good, but not quite right.

Saturday night I watched Zoe for Kat. Andy was at his holiday party and was going to pick up Gak on the way home. Kat was out with a few other friends to a concert. Gak and I just couldn't afford to go and besides, I was leaving in the morning for Tampa. Zoe was a major handful. It was almost like her ADD meds weren't working 100%. She was somewhat able to focus and everything, but just not quite. It was just enough to drive me batty. Andy was also about 15 minutes picking up Gak, so that was fun.

Sunday I was supposed to leave for Tampa. My flight was at noon. Gak had to be at work by 1. No problem. Well, about 9am I get an automated call from Delta. My flight's been canceled and they put me on the next one at 5pm. Uh-oh, how am I getting to the airport? Luckily Kat was available and it wasn't an issue. Well, along comes 3pm and I get another call about my flight canceled. This time they put me on a flight at noon Monday. Problem. I have to be in the office by noon Monday.

No problem, there's a flight at 7 out of Philly that will get me in by midnight. Not my idea of fun, but I'll still be there on time. (It turns out there was freezing rain up at Allentown. It was gray but dry at my house...) So, Kat and Scott pick me up and take me down to Philly. I get through security and grab a snack (I hadn't had dinner and didn't have time) and call back Abi. She'd called me as I was going through security. Well, about 5 minutes into the conversation, I look up at the board and see that my flight is delayed. And this delay will make me miss my Tampa connection. Crap.

Well, after waiting in line for a while, I get booked on the 6am (major UGH) flight out of Philly. I am able to convince Dad to come get me and then drop me back off in the morning. They live about 20 minutes closer to the airport than I do. I get up at 3am, head to the airport for my flight and amazingly enough, it all goes well. I manage to get in by 11:30, and to the office by 12:30. Mind you, I haven't had lunch. I've been up since 3am.

I was supposed to have 2.5 people this week. Well, one of them was a no-show. So, it is down to 1.5. The one guy left after today, the other is here through the end of the week. It'll be interesting at any rate. I knew I should have canceled this trip. Oh well. At least it is warm here.

The training itself has gone quite well, despite the guy here for a partial week is a total noob when it comes to our system. (It was only installed last week!) The other guy has been working with it for almost a year and one of our better customers has been teaching him how to do things. Hopefully we'll move through stuff much faster in the next few days.

Oh well. Such is life.

Ok. I just realized what time it is and that I'm hungry. I'm off to find some dinner. (I refuse to pay $10 a day for Internet at the hotel when I'm sitting in a corporate office all day...) Oh, yeah, and I forgot my camera so even though I have the afternoon off tomorrow, you won't be getting any pictures. Sorry.

Peace to all and may you not have any travel trials.

Hahaha!

Just a quick little post to tell my friend (an engineer here at the office) Don that he's old!!
Actually, he's not. To me, he's still a kid. He turns 25 today. Several of us from the office were supposed to go out to dinner Tuesday, but with everything else going on in my life, we had to change plans. I have no idea when we'll be able to go out. You may remember my post about this last year. We all went out at about this time and decided we needed to do this more often. Well, it hasn't happened. I tried in March but all hell broke loose then too. I think I'm not the one to plan these things. If I do, something breaks. Oh well.
Other than that, nothing really new since yesterday. I just wanted to laugh at Don publicly.
Peace to all and may you have friends to laugh with.

Memorial

Yesterday was a long day. Gak and I left here between 8 and 9 and got down to Maryland right about noon. It was a bit of a tough drive because it started snowing. It looks like this is going to be a rough winter. Actually, most of the snow was south, there wasn't much of anything going on up here.
My friend Michelle joined us shortly after we got there. Dad and Jon got there about 45 minutes later. All of us really tried to get as much done around Gram's apartment as possible. We got a lot of stuff packed up and is still sitting in my car. We sorted a lot of stuff to either take to Goodwill or leave for the rummage sale. It was a lot of work, but Michelle helped us sooo much. I need to talk to Kat and see when I can enlist some of our friends to help move some furniture and big stuff up here.
The memorial service was very nice. I'm trying to figure out who Gram didn't know in that place. There were so many residents who came and lots of 'family' who came as well. It was great to see some of them, who I haven't seen in quite a while. It was really nice that pretty much the entire Stradley clan came. Linda's husband had to go back and the 'kids' (my age-ish) didn't come either. There were also several other family members from another part of my family that we don't see much. It was nice of them to come.
It took us until about 7 or shortly there after to get out of there. The snow was still coming down there, but the roads were clear. We didn't get home until about 11:30 though. Because of the weather, traffic was moving slower than usual, but that was expected. What wasn't expected was being stuck on 15 for about an hour as they were cleaning up from a previous accident. There was a tractor trailer that was in the median facing our way. So they were going to pull it out and up the ramp where we were. Therefore we had to sit and wait. It wasn't that bad except I was getting tired.
Well, I guess I've got to get my butt in gear and get into the office. I told my boss on Monday that I'd be in by noon today, so I guess I'd better get moving. It's only 9, but still, I've got stuff to take care of.
Peace to all and may you have friends and family.

Announcement!

Sorry for the lack of posting over the past several days. I just haven't felt like it. I kept thinking I should over the weekend, but I just never did.
Today was a very exciting day in the world of Gak and Addey. We had our first prenatal appointment. Yes, that's right. I'm pregnant again. According to the blood work we had done a few weeks ago, I'm at about 12 weeks. According to the ultrasound, I should be at about 14 weeks. According to my travel schedule, I'm at about 12 weeks. (Besides, have you seen how big Gak is?)
My mom and dad already knew; and Mom told Gram before she passed. After everything that happened in August, Gram kept asking mom if she was for real and not just saying that. No, Gram, she wasn't just saying that to make you smile. It's true, you have a great-grandbaby on the way.
It was a very exciting appointment. The technician doing the ultrasound was the same woman as the last time. She kept looking at the screen, my charts and the little calculator wheel thing and couldn't believe the date it came up with. I know it was an impossibility because I was in Chicago at the time and the next week was the week I barely saw Gak. We're both pretty sure it was the week of his birthday, so Happy Birthday Gak! We have some blurry ultrasound pictures that you can almost see what should be the baby. We got to hear the heartbeat. That was purely a magical moment for both Gak and I. It made it real. For the last several weeks, since I found out I was pregnant, I just haven't had time to focus on it. Mom asked me if I was happy, and I said yes, but in reality I was mostly numb. Sure, I was happy to be pregnant again, but it was more of a "this is nice" as opposed to "Wow! You knew exactly what I wanted for my birthday and it is perfect!" kind of happy.
Ok. I just realized that last paragraph jumped all over the place. That's about as well as my brain is working right this moment. I've had almost no "morning sickness" to report. Just a little bit of general nausea and feeling like I'm bloated/gassy/uncomfortable. (I know, just what you wanted to hear.) Mostly it's been the heartburn. I'm soooo thankful that Tums are safe and allowed. I'll probably be going through lots more in the next few months. The baby is due sometime between May 30th and June 17th, depending on which conception dates you use. (Personally, I'm leaning more towards June than May, but I may be wrong...)
Anyhow, I've got to get going. I've got another doctor's appointment tomorrow and to pick up my brother from the airport, so I've got lots of things to clear off my plate today.
Peace to all and may your lives be filled with pleasant surprises

Goodbye Gram

Well, I got the phone call last night. Actually, it was about 12:45 this morning. I should say, mom called, but I didn't hear the phone until the last ring and thought it was my imagination.

My beloved grandmother, Ruth Elizabeth Chaddick, passed away at about 12:30 am today. According to Mom it was quick and painless. Her breathing had been labored all day. Mom did get to tell her she loved her one last time earlier in the morning. Around midnight they were sure it would be soon. Very shortly thereafter Gram made a few vocalizations and then slipped away.

She is at peace.

Mom is mostly at peace.

So am I.

It's been tough, but I honestly think that both Mom and I have been doing bits and pieces of grieving over the last few weeks. We knew the end was coming, so we could prepare for it. It was tough for me in St. Croix because I was at the beach and knew it would be the last time I called her from the sand. But that's OK. Seeing her last Monday was tough because I was pretty sure it would be the last time. But that's OK. She's out of pain, she was ready to go, and now she's in peace.

The memorial service will be held next Wednesday at where she lived. Mom and the pastor had set it all up yesterday, figuring that the end would have come by then. Gram had pretty much written it herself over the last few years, giving Mom material from other services she'd liked. It all just came together on its own.

The picture above is from Gak's and my wedding two years ago now. It's the most recent picture I have and how I want to remember her. She was a feisty, strong, smart, kind and wonderful woman. She taught me so many things and gave me so many tools; not just the wonderful gift of her crochet hooks or buying me a new sewing machine last year when we moved. She taught me through her actions to be strong, stick up for myself and that I can do just about anything if I really want to. In many senses of the word, she is my hero.

I will miss you horribly, but you will always be a part of me and have made me a much stronger person.

Peace to all and may you have special people in your lives.

Quick Update

Just a quick little update as things are a bit hectic around here.
Gram is dying. (No news there...) As in, we weren't sure she was going to make it through the night. We're not heading to Md yet, as she's still with us and I feel like I got my chance to say goodbye to her last Monday. Mom told Jon it was up to him when he decides to come out. He's been told he can take the time he needs. I emailed him to let him know I'll be able to pick him up from the airport whenever he gets in.
Another family friend has passed. Dillard A. Stradley, better known as Strad, passed away this morning. Mom and I are both surprised that he's lasted this much longer than Pat. I'm pretty sure I posted about her passing last October. Strad's been in bad shape for a very long time. This is definitely a release. He, well both him and Pat, were very important to my Gram and to my Mom. Mom grew up with their kids almost as siblings in many ways. It was always the Stradleys plus Ruth and Susie. I will miss him.
Can I tell you I'm sick of saying goodbye? I thought about it a bit this morning. If 2007 has been the year of death and loss, that can only mean that 2008 is the year of birth and new beginnings right? Right? Please, someone tell me I'm right...
Lastly, and probably the most positive, my friend Steve who got home from Iraq a few weeks back is receiving his own command. The ceremony is today up in New York. Kat, Scott and some others are going. This means I get to watch Zoe tonight. (Oh, darn, I have to spend time with my niece!)
Well, I've got a mountain of paperwork to climb so that if Mom calls, I can just turn off the computer and bolt. Yes, I will keep you posted. It may be a little delayed, but I will keep you posted.
Peace to all and may you not be living on eggshells.

Belated Birthdays and Other Odities

First off, a few belated birthday wishes. Dad's birthday was last week, while I was in St. Croix. Mine was yesterday. I don't think either one of us did much of anything. I know had the luxury of being able to spend the day in my PJs. I had plans for more productive and fun things, but I didn't get to any of them. Happy early birthday to my friend Ed, who's birthday is the 27th and Abi on the 30th. (She's exactly 51 weeks older than me. I have no idea what their plans are.
I'm not sure why, but I just haven't felt like blogging the last few weeks. I guess I'm just tired of everything. I haven't really had much positive to say and there's only so much down I feel like typing. I'm just really looking forward to the holidays and the new year.
I know I had something interesting to say when I sat down to write. Somehow, it seems to have left my brain. Maybe because it's past my bed time. I'm actually looking forward to being in the office the next two weeks. I've got a metric ton of work to get done before the quarterly training in Florida. I haven't had a whole lot of help from anyone on this this year, and it shows. I've also got a lot of work that needs to be done by the end of the year, I just hope I can get there from here. No matter what anyone else says, I just don't feel like I've been at the top of my game this year at work. Amazingly enough though, no one else seems to think so. I guess, as usual, I expect too much of myself. Nothing new or unusual there, just ask my Dad.
Ok. I'm really just rambling. I'm going to log off now and get some sleep.
Peace to all and may your days be good.

Happy Thanksgivin

I know... Thanksgiving is just about over. I just didn't get around to posting before.
Today Mom took the day off. She didn't want to see anyone, go anywhere or do anything. I don't blame her. She's been running herself ragged. That and I'm sure everything that's going on with Gram is really beginning to weigh heavily on her, no matter how much in recent week's she's said it hasn't.
So, Gak and I went over to Kat's today. I made a loaf of honey whole wheat bread (in the bread machine) and an apple crisp. She made just about everything else. Zoe was with her daddy this evening, but we had Kat's mom, Scott and his parents, Steve and even Stewart showed up. It was a good meal and good friends. We all had some laughs and enjoyed ourselves. We all ate too much.
It was a little odd not being with my parents today. I've only ever done that once before, the year I spent in Oklahoma. Then, like today, I spent it at a friend's house that time with a lot of other 'refugees' who didn't have a 'home' to go to or weren't able to get there. It meant a lot at the time, although I didn't stay close friends with any of the people there for long. I've lost contact with all of the people who were there that day. Gak was home with his parents, so he wasn't at that gathering.
Anyhow, that was an odd trip down memory lane, or at least past it. I hope everyone had a good day, with good food, good friends and good times. Peace to all and may we all remember to be thankful for all the wonderful things in our lives.