That's the Next Edition

Update 12/15 – 12/21

I have about an hour before I need to jet, quite literally, to Burma.  I’m going to see if I can pull off a Monday email before I leave. J

I met up with Becky for breakfast bright and early on Monday.  We hadn’t seen each other since before Thanksgiving so we had a lot to catch up on.  I’m particularly proud of Becky this year.  As some of you might know, she quit her job in Marketing at Pokemon to dive into what she has always wanted to do, teach workout classes.   She started out doing ShaBam but moved onto also taking over other classes like water aerobics.  It always takes a lot to switch careers (as some of you know firsthand) and I am always impressed when I see someone make the leap.  What is even more awesome is that she is finally in a place where she’s really proud of herself too, and that’s pretty awesome.  As I’m writing this, I realize that both Evivova and Kristy Kreme both had a pretty awesome year doing the same thing – only they chose careers that took 4+ years of getting new degrees to get there – and I’m pretty proud of you guys too. J  Way to go, Idaho!

Anyway, the really funny thing I heard while with Becky was that she went on her first Motorcycle ride and there was only one extra helmet that had the confederate flag on one side and “I hate Obama” on the other.  Safety First!

Ryan and I were at work, loitering by the “balcony” waiting to get into a meeting room when our co-worker Angel, who grew up in Mexico City, walked by.

Angel: You look like you’re in HS loitering around the parking lot.

Me: You did that?

Angel: No, of course not.  We would have been kidnapped.

Me: Yeah, the cool kids in my HS waited by the radiator – so clearly I never did that.

Shana: For your next wedding http://happyplace.someecards.com/weddings/the-best-man-at-a-wedding-claimed-not-to-have-the-ring-suddenly-an-instagram-star-appeared/

Laina: Can it be ANY Instagram star? Tom Selleck the Cat is VERY popular! Or does it need to be this guy? Your prompt response is greatly appreciated, as we have a LOT of planning to do!

Shana: Weeeeelll, I feel like this guy would be better since he roller skates in wearing super hero underwear.  Tom is cute and all but lets not be cheap about this. 

Me: I am *sure* we can make some kitty super hero underwear given our combined resources.  Plus Laina and Mo have at least a month or two to teach Tom how to roller skate. 

We also went to go see this AMAZING house in Kirkland that had these great lights outside, signs to encourage donations and food drives, plus you could go inside and see this crazy forest with real stream and Christmas village with a tunnel for kids to go under.  Too cool.

And we met up with Cassidy to grab dinner and see The Theory of Everything.  Cassidy suggested that instead of caroling, we should all make it mandatory to listen to Christmas music in silence like it deserves.  And I thought that was funny.  J

We celebrated the first day of Hanukkah but lighting the menorah, saying the prayers, and putting up Hanukkah Harry.  

Dawne: Wait! What about the blood of God?  I’ll go get the wine.

Jordan: That’s the next edition.

Lucas: Yeah, that might be sending mixed signals.

Dawne: Well, you did marry a goyem (Sp?)

Me: Now let’s go sit by the Hanukkah bush and open presents.

Lucas wanted to watch a feel good movie, so I suggested Patch Adams, which was great but I forgot how much sad bit it had.  I also went to dinner with some partners.  The one guy “Young MC” who is probably around 25, nicknamed another guy we were having dinner with who is probably around 37, “Old Man Hope.” I asked him how he felt about this, and he said, “Yeah it makes me feel like an old salty dog sea captain who lives on the docks. ‘Old Man Hope, You’ll smell him before you see him!”

Lucas: Ever notice that Passover is a lot like D&D.  You sit around and tell stories.

Zach: I found the perfect present but I haven’t bought it yet.  Guess what it is – it’s a movie.

Me: Does it have Thailand in it?

Zach: Yes!

Me: And princesses?

Zach: YES!

Me: and an elephant?

Zach: Yes! It’s Prince and Me 4.

Me: But I haven’t seen 3 yet! I guess we have our flight entertainment now! 1, 2, 3 and 4!

Zach: When I was younger, my dad got a VHS of Star Wars, and it got water on it.  When he put it on, it was wide screen, so there were black bars on both the top and bottom of the screen, and I thought it was because of the water I spilled on the tape. 

We grabbed dinner at crossroads before I left for NY on Friday and it was the first time that he had seen the new Daiso store.

Lucas: I’m so used to seeing the recliner land and thinking “I don’t care.”

Even though my parents live next door to my sister, I feel like we call each other around ten times a day when I’m home. On one such occasion I heard Maureen say to Kevin, “You can have the Capri Sun, but it’s been down both Patrick’s and my pants.” 

At Church

Me: Frita, your face is bleeding.

Frita: Oh, that’s just the cancer.

I posted a couple of chalk drawings that my mom did and are up in our house.  Frita told me the story of the clown drawing which I had never heard.  When he was in the Christian Brothers, my mom brought the clown over to him.  The houses cook, Violetta took one look at it and said, “Yup.  He’s the next one to go.”  (As in, he would be the next to leave the brotherhood to marry my mom. And I think he was. J )

Okay, time is up, I’ll have so much to catch up on when I return! Happy New Year!!