I expect that my postings over the next couple days will come in short spurts. If this morning is any sign of things to come, I doubt I will be able to maintain coherent and lengthy thought processes. I blame Amy. As previously mentioned, we finally gave up talking and drinking around 3a. Amy retired to her suite of boxes and an air mattress, while Michael and I collapsed in our dorm room. To give you an idea of our state of mind...
Michael: "Why are you wearing your bra to bed?"
Me: "I don't know. Take it off."
Michael: "OK."
I woke up this morning with my bra unhooked and tangled around my neck and one arm. Classy.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Worth the wait...and the pain
I admit that I am suffering a bit this morning from lack of sleep and lots of wine. I don't think Amy and I stopped talking for a minute since she arrived at around 8.30p last night. Ok, so we did take a break around 3a when it seemed wise that we all get a little sleep. Per usual I was up early. The suffering is worth it!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Everyone needs a weekend like this
Our fabulous friend Amy arrives in Raleigh tonight. In all other circumstances I would be cringing to think that someone would be staying with us under our current conditions. I mean, haven't you ALWAYS wanted to fly across the country to sleep on an air mattress (albeit a nice one) on the floor in a room full of boxes? Thank goodness she likes us, she really, really does.
When I think of Amy, I flash back to LA and Manila most often. Granted we've also traveled to Vegas, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Wisconsin, Virginia, Chicago and countless airports together...but our friendship was certainly solidified around our collective experiences in those two cities. While our lives circled differently, we both empathized with the strangeness and absurdity of it all. Our Philippine trips alone are worthy of a book.
As sad as it is, I don't even recall the date that we last saw each other. I had just arrived back from the Philippines and she was moving back to Seattle. That alone says its been over a year. While I don't know our itinerary yet this weekend, I know it will be filled with lots of revelry. No matter what we end of doing, there is always a story to retell afterwards. Just a few of the highlights:
Amy and I working all night in Manila and then napping at the HKG airport for a couple hours before running all over Hong Kong for a day. We enjoyed egg tarts, alcohol at all the scenic highlights, and an unexpected pirate experience. Amy almost got us poisoned when she insulted our waiter by placing a napkin over the 100-year-old eggs he set on our table. He did not care for this and spent the rest of the evening either glaring at the stupid American girls, or ignoring us. By this time we were a tad freaked at the food in front of us and the sounds emanating from the tables around us, so it really wasn't too big of a deal to go hungry. She redeemed herself by not taking pictures of me sleeping on the train back to the airport that evening.
She still remained friends with me, even after I told the man that would marry her in a heartbeat that she "just didn't love him that way and he should let her move on". It was my birthday party, so I felt somewhat allowed to be drunk and surly. (And yes, I was out of line.)
During Michael's first graduation celebration I had a little too much to drink and decided to invite our cute Hungarian neighbor Bela over to the party. It would be wrong of me not to mention that it was midnight when I rang his doorbell. Amy not only came with me willingly, she also rescued my "Birthday Shoes" (an incredible pair of pink and flowery stilettos) as I kicked them off across his lawn on the way back to the party.
On one of the first fun (non-working) trips up to our Lake Arrowhead house, we discovered upon arrival that the gas company had inadvertently disconnected us. It was about 10p and 35 degrees outside. No gas, meant no heat. Even with desperate pleading, "it is 47 degrees IN my house!", they couldn't get anyone up the mountain to reconnect us until the morning. Michael, Amy, Iona and I curled up under mountains of blankets around our giant fireplace and consumed over four bottles of wine. I am proud to say that Amy's hangover was far worse than mine and that she was the first person to "christen" our upstairs bathroom.
When we were down in Costa Rica for a business review, we took a day and went out on an island with a tour company. The day was delightfully peaceful except for the large extended family from New Jersey that was dropped off shortly after we sat down in our chairs. You can barely see them behind Amy, but know that we could hear them VERY CLEARLY from that distance. It was like being in the middle of a Sopranos episode. We could not stop laughing at the absurdity of it.
I love to cook and throw dinner parties and Amy is happy to oblige as a guest. That will be the only hard part of this weekend, as I don't have the kitchen, the utensils, the spices, nor the equipment to properly make her a meal. These grand nights would inevitably end with her sleeping on our living room couch and sneaking out in the wee hours of the morning with leftovers.
One weekend she flew up to Wisconsin with Michael and I for the weekend. No surprise that she fit right into the family and that my parents just took for granted that they had ALWAYS had four daughters.
One of my favorite Amy moments is still from my MBA graduation party. She showed up already hungover/drunk and brought Jello shots. Best part? She forgot to mix them with ANY water, so they were pure vodka and Jello. Things would make your eyes water they were that good. I hadn't realized my 30-something year old friends had that much entertainment still in them. People were falling down, stumbling into the street...just having a damn good time. We slept for a couple hours and then Michael dropped us off at LAX so that we could spend the rest of the weekend in Vegas. I am certain he would have gotten a DUI that morning if he'd been pulled over.
It will be great having the Twin Towers back together. Michael, I apologize in advance for having to take care of us this weekend. It is best to just sit back and enjoy the train wreck that will be happening before you.
When I think of Amy, I flash back to LA and Manila most often. Granted we've also traveled to Vegas, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Wisconsin, Virginia, Chicago and countless airports together...but our friendship was certainly solidified around our collective experiences in those two cities. While our lives circled differently, we both empathized with the strangeness and absurdity of it all. Our Philippine trips alone are worthy of a book.
As sad as it is, I don't even recall the date that we last saw each other. I had just arrived back from the Philippines and she was moving back to Seattle. That alone says its been over a year. While I don't know our itinerary yet this weekend, I know it will be filled with lots of revelry. No matter what we end of doing, there is always a story to retell afterwards. Just a few of the highlights:
Amy and I working all night in Manila and then napping at the HKG airport for a couple hours before running all over Hong Kong for a day. We enjoyed egg tarts, alcohol at all the scenic highlights, and an unexpected pirate experience. Amy almost got us poisoned when she insulted our waiter by placing a napkin over the 100-year-old eggs he set on our table. He did not care for this and spent the rest of the evening either glaring at the stupid American girls, or ignoring us. By this time we were a tad freaked at the food in front of us and the sounds emanating from the tables around us, so it really wasn't too big of a deal to go hungry. She redeemed herself by not taking pictures of me sleeping on the train back to the airport that evening.
She still remained friends with me, even after I told the man that would marry her in a heartbeat that she "just didn't love him that way and he should let her move on". It was my birthday party, so I felt somewhat allowed to be drunk and surly. (And yes, I was out of line.)
During Michael's first graduation celebration I had a little too much to drink and decided to invite our cute Hungarian neighbor Bela over to the party. It would be wrong of me not to mention that it was midnight when I rang his doorbell. Amy not only came with me willingly, she also rescued my "Birthday Shoes" (an incredible pair of pink and flowery stilettos) as I kicked them off across his lawn on the way back to the party.
On one of the first fun (non-working) trips up to our Lake Arrowhead house, we discovered upon arrival that the gas company had inadvertently disconnected us. It was about 10p and 35 degrees outside. No gas, meant no heat. Even with desperate pleading, "it is 47 degrees IN my house!", they couldn't get anyone up the mountain to reconnect us until the morning. Michael, Amy, Iona and I curled up under mountains of blankets around our giant fireplace and consumed over four bottles of wine. I am proud to say that Amy's hangover was far worse than mine and that she was the first person to "christen" our upstairs bathroom.
When we were down in Costa Rica for a business review, we took a day and went out on an island with a tour company. The day was delightfully peaceful except for the large extended family from New Jersey that was dropped off shortly after we sat down in our chairs. You can barely see them behind Amy, but know that we could hear them VERY CLEARLY from that distance. It was like being in the middle of a Sopranos episode. We could not stop laughing at the absurdity of it.
I love to cook and throw dinner parties and Amy is happy to oblige as a guest. That will be the only hard part of this weekend, as I don't have the kitchen, the utensils, the spices, nor the equipment to properly make her a meal. These grand nights would inevitably end with her sleeping on our living room couch and sneaking out in the wee hours of the morning with leftovers.
One weekend she flew up to Wisconsin with Michael and I for the weekend. No surprise that she fit right into the family and that my parents just took for granted that they had ALWAYS had four daughters.
One of my favorite Amy moments is still from my MBA graduation party. She showed up already hungover/drunk and brought Jello shots. Best part? She forgot to mix them with ANY water, so they were pure vodka and Jello. Things would make your eyes water they were that good. I hadn't realized my 30-something year old friends had that much entertainment still in them. People were falling down, stumbling into the street...just having a damn good time. We slept for a couple hours and then Michael dropped us off at LAX so that we could spend the rest of the weekend in Vegas. I am certain he would have gotten a DUI that morning if he'd been pulled over.It will be great having the Twin Towers back together. Michael, I apologize in advance for having to take care of us this weekend. It is best to just sit back and enjoy the train wreck that will be happening before you.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Angry Bed
I didn't sleep well last night because the bed was very, very angry. Each time one of us moved, there was a loud and angry growl. That was not the most sleep conducive situation.
Iona has pretty much slept in our bed since we rescued her almost eight years ago. Typically we sleep in a king-size, so there is plenty of room for everyone. Since moving into the Condo, our patterns have all changed considerably. The bed is a queen (and on the floor), so we're already making space concessions and then top that with Iona not willing to share well. The routine is this...I typically go to bed first, Michael brings up Iona, she sleeps next to me until Michael comes to bed, she won't compromise so she is moved to the floor. I get up early and she with me. Well, not last night.
I expect that she was cold and decided that sharing a small space with her people was the best way to stay warm. That worked until 3a or so. She was between us at head-level and I think she was actually sharing my pillow. I recall waking up slightly and seeing those giant bat ears about an inch from my face. Michael disrupted her first and that warranted a loud and angry bark. That woke me up, so I moved and got the same response. Now we are all awake. This occurred at least two more times and then i must have drifted back off, only to be awaken again by the angry bed. At this point she had managed to wedge sideways between us and actually push me slightly off the bed. Half of me was over the edge and half of me was being sat on by the angry teddy bear. Last straw; dog meet floor.
As tired as I am this morning, it doesn't seem to be affecting her. 5.25a and she was hungry and wanted me to know it. I miss my big bed. I hear it calling me from the storage POD, "Rescue me! Rescue me!" it says. The feeling is mutual.
Iona has pretty much slept in our bed since we rescued her almost eight years ago. Typically we sleep in a king-size, so there is plenty of room for everyone. Since moving into the Condo, our patterns have all changed considerably. The bed is a queen (and on the floor), so we're already making space concessions and then top that with Iona not willing to share well. The routine is this...I typically go to bed first, Michael brings up Iona, she sleeps next to me until Michael comes to bed, she won't compromise so she is moved to the floor. I get up early and she with me. Well, not last night.
I expect that she was cold and decided that sharing a small space with her people was the best way to stay warm. That worked until 3a or so. She was between us at head-level and I think she was actually sharing my pillow. I recall waking up slightly and seeing those giant bat ears about an inch from my face. Michael disrupted her first and that warranted a loud and angry bark. That woke me up, so I moved and got the same response. Now we are all awake. This occurred at least two more times and then i must have drifted back off, only to be awaken again by the angry bed. At this point she had managed to wedge sideways between us and actually push me slightly off the bed. Half of me was over the edge and half of me was being sat on by the angry teddy bear. Last straw; dog meet floor.
As tired as I am this morning, it doesn't seem to be affecting her. 5.25a and she was hungry and wanted me to know it. I miss my big bed. I hear it calling me from the storage POD, "Rescue me! Rescue me!" it says. The feeling is mutual.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Philippine Experience
We had hoped to get to the Philippines next month to help a friend celebrate his wedding. Unfortunately the house renovations are just making a trip halfway around the world unrealistic. It got me thinking though about all the time I spent there and I admit to missing it a little. It also doesn't help that my old employer has been bought out by an Indian company and many of my friends and former colleagues are feeling a bit up in arms.
As rough as living there and working those ungodly hours were, I did have some amazing experiences. One of those experiences included surviving off an average of three hours of sleep in every 24 hour period. When sleep alluded me, I would sit on my couch and watch hours of mindless TV and curse. This is my condo in Manila, my couch, and the view from my 28th floor windows.
The view from the Hilton in Cebu.The hotel is this HORRIBLE candy pink color and oddly caters to Koreans. I stayed there because it was cheaper than the Shang and they treated me really well. Complimentary wine and mango banana bread...yum. That was about all I could eat there, as everything else on that island seemed to make me nauseous.
Some of the girls (Nica, Rain and Rina) during one of our Summer events. It was so damn hot, the vodka was warm, the karoke loud, and the food...well, I really enjoyed that granola bar in my bag.
The streets of Manila are not necessarily the cleanest nor the most organized. In fact, they can be downright disgusting. That didn't stop Rain and I from enjoying ourselves on one of my last nights there!
I want my friend Rain to know that nothing would stop me from being there if SHE were getting married. I'm just saying. If people really want me to visit, then Rain just needs to get married. I will be on a plane faster than even she can imagine.
As rough as living there and working those ungodly hours were, I did have some amazing experiences. One of those experiences included surviving off an average of three hours of sleep in every 24 hour period. When sleep alluded me, I would sit on my couch and watch hours of mindless TV and curse. This is my condo in Manila, my couch, and the view from my 28th floor windows.
The view from the Hilton in Cebu.The hotel is this HORRIBLE candy pink color and oddly caters to Koreans. I stayed there because it was cheaper than the Shang and they treated me really well. Complimentary wine and mango banana bread...yum. That was about all I could eat there, as everything else on that island seemed to make me nauseous.
Some of the girls (Nica, Rain and Rina) during one of our Summer events. It was so damn hot, the vodka was warm, the karoke loud, and the food...well, I really enjoyed that granola bar in my bag.
The streets of Manila are not necessarily the cleanest nor the most organized. In fact, they can be downright disgusting. That didn't stop Rain and I from enjoying ourselves on one of my last nights there!
I want my friend Rain to know that nothing would stop me from being there if SHE were getting married. I'm just saying. If people really want me to visit, then Rain just needs to get married. I will be on a plane faster than even she can imagine.Monday, November 10, 2008
Let me rephrase that
Last night I mentioned that I was doing OK. Well, that was before the incident. For whatever reason, Michael thought it would be funny to stick his pinkie finger in my ear. I did not want this to happen and in my quest to struggle away, I punched myself in the eye. Yes, you heard me...I managed to punch MYSELF in the eye.
It reminds me of the time I attempted to put Chupa's eye gook in Elizabeth's ear. She about fell off the bed trying to escape, while I laughed so hard I was headed onto the hardwoods after her. I didn't understand at the time why she was so opposed to that. Well...now I get it. A finger, eye gook, scissors, keys and pencil tips, they belong elsewhere. Stick them in your ear, and you are liable to get punched in the eye.
It reminds me of the time I attempted to put Chupa's eye gook in Elizabeth's ear. She about fell off the bed trying to escape, while I laughed so hard I was headed onto the hardwoods after her. I didn't understand at the time why she was so opposed to that. Well...now I get it. A finger, eye gook, scissors, keys and pencil tips, they belong elsewhere. Stick them in your ear, and you are liable to get punched in the eye.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I'm OK
This was a strange week. A strange week for really no reason. I just haven't been into things and therefore have had no inspiration. But then my friend Amy sent me the Planet Unicorn website and I was reminded about all the good things in life. Like gay boys named Shannon and unicorns named Cadillac. Life is good. PLANET UNICORN...HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
We also decided earlier this week to hold off on the addition to the House until next Spring. I was seriously stressing about the money and the time. By focusing on the addition, we weren't getting enough of the existing structure updated, and that is what will give us the tax credits for 2008. We have less than 60 days left this year, so we decided to shift gears and get the existing space updated and finished, get our historic tax credits, have the house reassessed, and then move forward with our additional 900 square feet in early 2009. The good side? We get to move in earlier, get most of our stuff out of storage, and we get a chunk of this money back on our federal taxes. The bad? We basically live in a one-bedroom house and have to survive through the construction next year. The best? I don't go insane by trying to fit in EVERYTHING right now and figure out how to pay for it. This should keep the rage-filled anxiety attacks at bay for a bit longer. You are now safe walking or driving in front of me again. (Although it wouldn't KILL you to speed it up a little bit.)
We also decided earlier this week to hold off on the addition to the House until next Spring. I was seriously stressing about the money and the time. By focusing on the addition, we weren't getting enough of the existing structure updated, and that is what will give us the tax credits for 2008. We have less than 60 days left this year, so we decided to shift gears and get the existing space updated and finished, get our historic tax credits, have the house reassessed, and then move forward with our additional 900 square feet in early 2009. The good side? We get to move in earlier, get most of our stuff out of storage, and we get a chunk of this money back on our federal taxes. The bad? We basically live in a one-bedroom house and have to survive through the construction next year. The best? I don't go insane by trying to fit in EVERYTHING right now and figure out how to pay for it. This should keep the rage-filled anxiety attacks at bay for a bit longer. You are now safe walking or driving in front of me again. (Although it wouldn't KILL you to speed it up a little bit.)
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