Celebrations
July 04, 2006
I really am anti-social I guess.
We went downtown to Navy Pier to see the fireworks, and the humanity that we had to deal with put me in a homicidal mood (my family didn't help a whole lot either). I would have totally enjoyed myself if we were the only ones there, alas, that is not how things work.
The phone rings at 8:30 and I'm told that I need to get moving. I'm meeting my brother & SIL (with kids) and my mom at my parents house. This is the first year I'm joining them for the fireworks "tradition" and apparently, they leave the house by noon. So I get myself and the kids showered (Steve had to work, lucky duck), dressed, and on the way.
We finish getting coolers together (my mom brought three smallish ones, we really only needed one), and we are on our way. The kids all ride together with my brother's family and my mom rides shotgun with me. Dad opts to stay home (smart guy). We get downtown and decide to park to go to lunch at Portillo's instead of just zipping through the drive through. We find an open meter three blocks away and have a perfectly enjoyable lunch. We split into two factions and go find the cars. As I'm pulling out into traffic my mom gives a whoop of surprise that startles me and I nearly crash into a parked car. She was apparently unaware that you need to be, shall we say, an aggressive driver in the Loop. We get to Navy Pier and unload (which I think we shouldn't really have to do, as I feel we have overpacked), and my brother and I park the cars (THIRTY DOLLARS!!!). We go back to the picnic table and settle in.
It's only three o'clock.
My mom and I take the girls to the rides on the pier and let them all ride one ride (FIVE DOLLARS A RIDE!). While my mom is waiting with the two older girls in line, she gets bumped around and nearly tripped by this young boy behind her. He's laughing like a goon. He nearly falls down when he trips my mom and his parents ask him if he's all right. My mom told them that he nearly tripped her and they couldn't have cared less. Anyhoo, after the kids have their five dollar ninety seconds of fun, we go to Starbucks to get frappucinos. Five people behind the counter, I was about 8th in line, and it took about half an hour to get the drinks.
My mood is steadily getting darker.
We sit at the table. It's now around four thirty. We eat, play some cards, the kids play games. Oh, and we are 100 feet from the tent housing the Star Spangled Banner project. Basically, we get to hear people sing the Star Spangled Banner.
50 people.
A capella.
About half of which were surprisingly good. The other half? We shall not speak of. Emily and her cousin got up there to sing though, shocking us all. They didn't know it, but had a lyric sheet, and I'm so proud they tried.
It's starting to get dark, so we take the kids to the bathroom, Emily swears she doesn't have to go. The line for the women's room is 15 people deep or more at all times. They men's room? No line.
We are back at our picnic spot, we find the station for the simulcast of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and settle in. The fireworks are starting in about 15 minutes.
A few fires break out in neighboring picnic areas. Which is illegal where we are, and foolishly risky, given the number of small children running around.
Ten minutes to go, and someone shoots off a roman candle. Aerial fireworks are illegal in Illinois. Plus these people let their small daughter hold it while it was going off. Girl was maybe 4 or 5. One distraction and she could wind up pointing it at people. We consider it child endangerment and go to find an officer. The security there was laughable. We can't find anyone. Someone could have been raped or murdered, and no one would have known (or apparently, cared).
The fireworks start, and five minutes in, three bicyclists come, stand right in front of the kids, and have a radio blaring a station that is not the simulcast. The person with the radio was obnoxious, so I thought it wasn't worth the risk to tell him he's harshing my mellow. Another group, within sight of our children is passing the dutchie, and my mood darkens.
I can't fully enjoy the fireworks, because this moron with his bike is totally whistling and shouting for his friends and totally oblivious that others are trying to enjoy the festivities. As soon as the fireworks are over, Emily looks at me and proudly proclaims "Potty Time!".
She says she can't hold it. I'm ready to kill her because we told her to go earlier and she didn't. So I firmly grasp her hand and start swimming upstream to the people leaving the pier. We pass a security officer. On his ATV. With his feet on the handlbars talking to a pretty girl. Good to know he's patrolling the area and keeping an eye on the crowd.
As I try to find my way inside the promenade, I have been shoved and pushed from all directions. People shove their way in front of us. I am trying really, really hard not to shoot my mouth off. Or kill someone.
We find a bathroom that isn't too busy, she does her business and we head back. Everybody in our party is sitting there waiting out the crowd. I'm anxious to get going. I'm not enjoying myself, and not sure the good outweighed the bad throughout the day.
We get to the parking lot, and wait a few minutes until they open Lower Wacker Drive, and I get the hell out of there. We're nearly home while my mom and the others just made it onto the expressway. Thankfully the drive home was quick and uneventful.
I got home, got the kids up to bed, and collapsed on the bed.
Steve and I have begged off joining in this "tradition" for years, and we usually had a convenient, built-in excuse. This year, no such luck. I don't think I'm doing it again. Humanity makes me homicidal. Dealing with people drives me batshit crazy, and I'd rather not do it.
Does that make me a bad person, or just someone protective of her sanity?
We went downtown to Navy Pier to see the fireworks, and the humanity that we had to deal with put me in a homicidal mood (my family didn't help a whole lot either). I would have totally enjoyed myself if we were the only ones there, alas, that is not how things work.
The phone rings at 8:30 and I'm told that I need to get moving. I'm meeting my brother & SIL (with kids) and my mom at my parents house. This is the first year I'm joining them for the fireworks "tradition" and apparently, they leave the house by noon. So I get myself and the kids showered (Steve had to work, lucky duck), dressed, and on the way.
We finish getting coolers together (my mom brought three smallish ones, we really only needed one), and we are on our way. The kids all ride together with my brother's family and my mom rides shotgun with me. Dad opts to stay home (smart guy). We get downtown and decide to park to go to lunch at Portillo's instead of just zipping through the drive through. We find an open meter three blocks away and have a perfectly enjoyable lunch. We split into two factions and go find the cars. As I'm pulling out into traffic my mom gives a whoop of surprise that startles me and I nearly crash into a parked car. She was apparently unaware that you need to be, shall we say, an aggressive driver in the Loop. We get to Navy Pier and unload (which I think we shouldn't really have to do, as I feel we have overpacked), and my brother and I park the cars (THIRTY DOLLARS!!!). We go back to the picnic table and settle in.
It's only three o'clock.
My mom and I take the girls to the rides on the pier and let them all ride one ride (FIVE DOLLARS A RIDE!). While my mom is waiting with the two older girls in line, she gets bumped around and nearly tripped by this young boy behind her. He's laughing like a goon. He nearly falls down when he trips my mom and his parents ask him if he's all right. My mom told them that he nearly tripped her and they couldn't have cared less. Anyhoo, after the kids have their five dollar ninety seconds of fun, we go to Starbucks to get frappucinos. Five people behind the counter, I was about 8th in line, and it took about half an hour to get the drinks.
My mood is steadily getting darker.
We sit at the table. It's now around four thirty. We eat, play some cards, the kids play games. Oh, and we are 100 feet from the tent housing the Star Spangled Banner project. Basically, we get to hear people sing the Star Spangled Banner.
50 people.
A capella.
About half of which were surprisingly good. The other half? We shall not speak of. Emily and her cousin got up there to sing though, shocking us all. They didn't know it, but had a lyric sheet, and I'm so proud they tried.
It's starting to get dark, so we take the kids to the bathroom, Emily swears she doesn't have to go. The line for the women's room is 15 people deep or more at all times. They men's room? No line.
We are back at our picnic spot, we find the station for the simulcast of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and settle in. The fireworks are starting in about 15 minutes.
A few fires break out in neighboring picnic areas. Which is illegal where we are, and foolishly risky, given the number of small children running around.
Ten minutes to go, and someone shoots off a roman candle. Aerial fireworks are illegal in Illinois. Plus these people let their small daughter hold it while it was going off. Girl was maybe 4 or 5. One distraction and she could wind up pointing it at people. We consider it child endangerment and go to find an officer. The security there was laughable. We can't find anyone. Someone could have been raped or murdered, and no one would have known (or apparently, cared).
The fireworks start, and five minutes in, three bicyclists come, stand right in front of the kids, and have a radio blaring a station that is not the simulcast. The person with the radio was obnoxious, so I thought it wasn't worth the risk to tell him he's harshing my mellow. Another group, within sight of our children is passing the dutchie, and my mood darkens.
I can't fully enjoy the fireworks, because this moron with his bike is totally whistling and shouting for his friends and totally oblivious that others are trying to enjoy the festivities. As soon as the fireworks are over, Emily looks at me and proudly proclaims "Potty Time!".
She says she can't hold it. I'm ready to kill her because we told her to go earlier and she didn't. So I firmly grasp her hand and start swimming upstream to the people leaving the pier. We pass a security officer. On his ATV. With his feet on the handlbars talking to a pretty girl. Good to know he's patrolling the area and keeping an eye on the crowd.
As I try to find my way inside the promenade, I have been shoved and pushed from all directions. People shove their way in front of us. I am trying really, really hard not to shoot my mouth off. Or kill someone.
We find a bathroom that isn't too busy, she does her business and we head back. Everybody in our party is sitting there waiting out the crowd. I'm anxious to get going. I'm not enjoying myself, and not sure the good outweighed the bad throughout the day.
We get to the parking lot, and wait a few minutes until they open Lower Wacker Drive, and I get the hell out of there. We're nearly home while my mom and the others just made it onto the expressway. Thankfully the drive home was quick and uneventful.
I got home, got the kids up to bed, and collapsed on the bed.
Steve and I have begged off joining in this "tradition" for years, and we usually had a convenient, built-in excuse. This year, no such luck. I don't think I'm doing it again. Humanity makes me homicidal. Dealing with people drives me batshit crazy, and I'd rather not do it.
Does that make me a bad person, or just someone protective of her sanity?
February 09, 2006
It's official. After going on a dyeing binge and staring at my handspun yarn, and getting awesome feedback from everyone on my yarn, I though I would try to capitalize on my talents.
So lo and behold:
I have a few items up now, and if all goes well, I should have a few more in a week or so. Go check it out!
Also? Looking over there on the sidebar, I put a little linky to it.
<<<<<<<< (or >>>>>>>> depending on what skin you are using).
So lo and behold:
I have a few items up now, and if all goes well, I should have a few more in a week or so. Go check it out!
Also? Looking over there on the sidebar, I put a little linky to it.
<<<<<<<< (or >>>>>>>> depending on what skin you are using).
January 25, 2006
Three little words.
Some people don't say them enough or can't bring themselves to say them.
When my grandma was sick and my mom was out of the country, I had a revelation of sorts. I didn't even realize it happened until recently.
But I noticed something the other day.
The last thing I say to Steve before he leaves for work is "I love you".
On school nights, upon heading out the door of my in-laws after dropping the kids off, they each get a kiss and an "I love you" (even the in-laws).
The last thing I say to my mom and dad before hanging up the phone is "I love you".
Life is unpredictable and as much as I like to think that we'll all live forever, I know we only have a finite time on this planet and we are in the dark as to when our end will come. When it is my time, I don't want the last words I say to someone to be out of anger or indifference. I want people to have a sense of closure and remember that the last thing I said to them was an expression of my love for them.
If I haven't told you lately (out of embarrasment or awkwardness or whatever), I'm telling you now.
I love you.
Some people don't say them enough or can't bring themselves to say them.
When my grandma was sick and my mom was out of the country, I had a revelation of sorts. I didn't even realize it happened until recently.
But I noticed something the other day.
The last thing I say to Steve before he leaves for work is "I love you".
On school nights, upon heading out the door of my in-laws after dropping the kids off, they each get a kiss and an "I love you" (even the in-laws).
The last thing I say to my mom and dad before hanging up the phone is "I love you".
Life is unpredictable and as much as I like to think that we'll all live forever, I know we only have a finite time on this planet and we are in the dark as to when our end will come. When it is my time, I don't want the last words I say to someone to be out of anger or indifference. I want people to have a sense of closure and remember that the last thing I said to them was an expression of my love for them.
If I haven't told you lately (out of embarrasment or awkwardness or whatever), I'm telling you now.
I love you.
January 02, 2006
The end of 2005 allows me to say goodbye to an absolutely awful year. It started with sickness and death, and ended in quite the same way. In between there was theivery and the failure of our company.
After a depressing Christmas holiday and a mellow ringing in of the new year, I have a few resolutions for the new year:
1. Do my best to enjoy as much as a can this year. Kids, school, work and everything in between, my goal is to be thankful that I have the problems I do.
2. Take better care of myself. Once, a few years ago, I was 135 pounds (for about 5 minutes). I've lost weight about 5 times and every time I got complacent and let it come back on, so I'm doing what I can to change that by using itty bitty baby steps. Although I don't think the first step is supposed to be eating all the junk food so it is no longer there to tempt me.
That's all I can commit to right now, and even that's a stretch.
May you all have a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. I would say "May you live in interesting times", but I sometimes feel that's more of a curse than a blessing.
After a depressing Christmas holiday and a mellow ringing in of the new year, I have a few resolutions for the new year:
1. Do my best to enjoy as much as a can this year. Kids, school, work and everything in between, my goal is to be thankful that I have the problems I do.
2. Take better care of myself. Once, a few years ago, I was 135 pounds (for about 5 minutes). I've lost weight about 5 times and every time I got complacent and let it come back on, so I'm doing what I can to change that by using itty bitty baby steps. Although I don't think the first step is supposed to be eating all the junk food so it is no longer there to tempt me.
That's all I can commit to right now, and even that's a stretch.
May you all have a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. I would say "May you live in interesting times", but I sometimes feel that's more of a curse than a blessing.
October 31, 2005
I get to take approximately 70% of her candy because it says "May contain peanuts" on the wrapper. And there is nothing she can complain about.
Bwaaahhhaaahhaaa!
Bwaaahhhaaahhaaa!
October 28, 2005
Put
Off
Everything
Tomorrow's
Saturday!
Off
Everything
Tomorrow's
Saturday!
October 27, 2005
October 16, 2005
Woooooooooooo!
My boys in black pulled it off! Fot the first time since 1959 the White Sox are in the World Series!
Wheeeeeeee!
My boys in black pulled it off! Fot the first time since 1959 the White Sox are in the World Series!
Wheeeeeeee!
October 07, 2005
Weddings everywhere!
We're going to Cleveland, OH this weekend for another wedding, but this time it's just Steve and I. My parents are spending the weekend with the kids.
You know there will be sex and sleeping in. Mostly sleeping in. Ha!
I'll see you all Sunday afternoon!
We're going to Cleveland, OH this weekend for another wedding, but this time it's just Steve and I. My parents are spending the weekend with the kids.
You know there will be sex and sleeping in. Mostly sleeping in. Ha!
I'll see you all Sunday afternoon!
October 05, 2005
• Flickr
Sisterly Love
I've uploaded a few pictures from my cousin's wedding to my flickr account.
Now I know every mom has to say this, but my kids were SO CUTE!
Emily was a flower girl and took her job seriously (for a while) and Becca got to wear a dress that looked like an evening gown.