and another one bites the dust....

I'm always highly amused at the end of the year to go back and read journals for how I spent the last several new years' ...so I thought for EVERYONE'S bloody amusement, I would share how I've spent the last couple of days. Yesterday, I had an ENT appt. He was pleased, says everything in the throat/neck looks good - WAHOO! Then I cruised to Ames' to visit with her and Byron and Baby Jackson who just gets cuter every day- missed him while I was away! Went back home for rest and "caloric intake" then to the mothership for a mocha, perusing pretty books and writing. There's this stellar book I've found for Gretchen (shhhhh don't tell her) that I'll pick up later. After that to Susie and John's for "game night." Usually that phrase doesn't have a positive spin, memories of church socials and control freaks, but the Coppeans are laid back, so it was all good - played this game called "Hear it" or something like that - in the line of the new bonding games - lots of fun - WAY too many rules so we scrapped half of them within a couple of hours - but hey Susie and I won -that's the important part!! You'd think I'd go home and go to bed, but no - head over to Jackson and Brian's for more play- as always just laughed my head off before getting in fierce competitive mode over "You don't know Jack." The thing is, Jackson's smarter than I am- I'm never going to admit that to him , and he never reads this, but it makes for rowdy and raucous rounds of this game.

Slept oh so late today - going back to work is going to be tricky the first couple of days - checked in with various people, and am now at Nathan's doing laundry and my nails while getting ready to pop in West Wing season 3. Watching his "animal house" roomates trying to decide where they're going to lunch was just television worthy - finally I just told them they were going to Ryans - woo yeast rolls.

Tonight's plans at this point are to do a drop in at Todd and Chad's - which will be fabulous! Then to find Gretchen and Jeremy and roll with whatever flow.

Happy New Year to all

There is no deeper wave than this...

I'm sure I had a lot of things to say about driving up 95 yesterday or Christmas with my dear family or to tell one of my zillion little no-point stories. But I really just don't want to - not today, not at this hour, when a whole continent lies in ruination and despair and is wailing. We'll go about our pretty lives today and we'll fret about traffic or bills or why our hair won't flip just right while an entire generation of people have been washed away from the planet and the ones that are left are in the most raw and ripping of pain. Pain IS relative, that is true, and there are those of us right here and right now that have raw, ripping, white-hot, "God-when-will-it-stop" pain. What better place for us, than when "sorrow and suffering hold our hands," to be able to PRAY for and GIVE to the thousands of women, men and children who have been held by sorrow and suffering since this weekend's tsunami. This is just ONE eyewitness account.

The Red Cross is offering aid, you, we, can help!!!

After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas..

Or so sings Kermit the Frog in the Muppet Christmas Carol, which is ALMOST as good as Muppet Treasure Island, but hey, I'm a big Tim Curry fan (let's do the Time Warp again...)

So it's Christmas Eve, I've already written about traditions whereas at this point I have images of Topol in my head doing that funky dance around the barn singing "traditiooooooooooon! tradition!" Oh wait, the funny dance in the barn was from "If I were a rich man" No matter, it's still all good theatre. Gosh I'm rambly today, even more so than usual, probably due to the annual midnight wal-mart-ing that occurs anywhere after 12:01 am on the 24th. Due to various complications and technical difficulties, said fun did not begin until 2am-ish, ending somewhere at 5:30 to 5:45 AM!!!! Funny moments include me trying to squeeze in a power nap at midnight or so and the only free space at Nanny's at the time was in James' bed, so I totally pulled a Goldilocks. At one point he was sleepy so his sister tried to send him to bed, he pads back in the living room with an, "Erin's already asleep in my bed." Whoops- sleeping on the couch never hurt anyone.

This year for some reason, I've had more memories of growing up flood back to me, probably the whole "life-is-more-poignant-since-I've-had-cancer" thing. Anyway, last week, driving back from Lakeland with Daddy (it's about an hour and a half away) and we took all the backroads, the Florida I know and grew up with (and yes, I've ranted on this one before). With the orange trees (how I used to go out with papa sometimes while he checked on the grove workers, and I'd end up climbing a ladder and picking a few oranges while I was there.), and all the green-houses, (where we used to burn the big heaters inside our greenhouse and the big diesel stack-things outside in the shadecloth part, to keep all the plants warm.) Of dirt roads and the "muck farm", all that was part of my growing up and it's funny how we forget the little things. High school is not very prevalent in my memory but driving around Orlando, the light pole decorations remind me of those days, mostly driving around after play practices, and doing the shopping while I was "in town." (for clarification, Apopka is a little town that's north of Orlando - lived in Apopka, went to school in Orlando.)

Funny moments of today have included trying to wrangle a comforter set into a space-bag with Daddy in the hall and then vacuuming it down. See, it's the little things like that that make the holidays so fun! So Merry CHRISTmas to all and to all a good night!!!

We hold these truths to be self-evident...

DC part two. So, we left GW, after I got some giggles at the hippo that is one of their mascots. Will SOMEONE explain to me the double mascot thing?? UT has two, the Volunteer and the Smoky Dog. GW has the Colonial and the Hippo- I'm just confused!

Metro'd back to the Smithsonian - by now it was not only grey, but raining as well - LOVED IT. So we fled to the castle, firstly to get out of the rain, and well, I've just always wanted to live in a castle...When we left there it had stopped raining, so we sat on a park bench and played with the world's fattest squirrel - this is like the Bailey of the squirrel family - so all three of us had to get lots of pictues of him - we felt bad that we didn't feed him, and I'm not sure that squirrels are that thrilled about "Boost" - that was all I had on me.

Moved on the the American History museum, which, like the rest of DC is decked out for Christmas, not to mention that there are live performances everywhere. Very nice. The first exhibit we hit was "First Ladies" OF COURSE, as that's also on my "what I want to be when I grow up" list. Fun fact - Edith Roosevelt ( I bet being married to Teddy was just a BLAST) was the first "FL" to hire a pr secetary of her own. And besides Laura Bush, Mamie Eisenhower is one of my favourite FL's. Ok enough nerd-dom.

There was a BEATLES exhibit on the pop culture wing which was fun AND a good study in b/w photography for Alecia. Highlights of random exhibits - the 65 'Stang, Kermit the Frog and Oscar the Grouch. HIGHLIGHT EXHIBIT was most definitley "Price for Freedom; Americans at War." Chronicles the American Revolution through Operation Iraqui Freedom, but it was so much MORE than that. Between the artifacts and the soundbytes, the photographs and the setting that they created- it was just theater almost. Needless to say, Stacie and I both were misty-eyed and snuffly through the entire thing.

Back to the Harrington to chill a bit, and catch up with whatever was on the "E" channel. Took the metro to Union Station, I found some SOUP - oh joy. (I love getting to be normal and eat out again). We decided to bypass a cultural theatrical event (Shakespeare's "Pericles" was playing town) for Ocean's 12. EXCELLENT choice for us, if I say so myself. Highly recommending this film - better than the first - strong in the wit factor and that's always going to rate high with me. While we were still in the food court, there were some students from Gallaudet having animated fun. Reminded me of my TSD days when you would pound on the table or wave your hand around to get someone's attention. Back on the metro, we met sweet Paul, or rather he met us. He was in the inebriated-post-wedding-guest phase ( I love that phase myself - John C - WHERE did that photo of Susie and I disappear to?) wanted to show off some new dance steps - I'm always happy to oblige dancing, so we ended up doing the shag on the platform (for you British readers - that's a DANCE from the coastal carolinas) complete with a dip. He jumped the train with us and regaled us with stories for a couple of stops.

I had the genius idea to WALK to the bloody Lincoln Memorial from the Smithsonian stop, and then WALK back to our hotel. Which is all fine and good when I'm in usual health - I sometimes forget I'm in a healing phase. But it was quite the adventure as well; they're doing construction all around the Washington monument so that's all fence - there's a break at the WWII monument (GORGEOUS AT NIGHT) so we walked on the rim of the reflecting pool all the way to the monument. Kind of creepy with no moon - but that's half the fun - getting there.

Spiritual moment at the Lincoln - the three of us just spread out and had our own relfective times. I had some good prayer time myself, from the top of the steps over looking the city, with the cold and the Christmas lights, and the solitude. Walked back on the Constitution side - the side of the Vietnam memorial. Always haunting and poignant -even more so at night. Needless to say we slept very well, except for the usual hotel noises (a band, sirens, and our extremely energetic next door neighbors). Naturally we did B&N the next morning - it's my mothership after all. Then we navigated our way to Gallaudet- I've NEVER seen the campus - it's so much bigger than I expected.

A "bye" to Stacie and we were back on a plane to Orlando - but this has me just chomping at the bit to go to DC again!!

London first though.

Hail to the Chief....

he's the chief and he needs hailing...... writing this from the GW campus - having a girl weekend with Stacie and Alecia - FABULOUS fun - only glitch to this point was that my SD card in my camera JUST decided it wanted to erase itself - sigh - oh well - still have the rest of the weekend to make it up....

Adventures so far - we got flight delayed yesterday because of a fog storm over DC which apparently traveled down the eastern seaboard. But flight delays are marvelous opportunities for revelry - just started meeting people - Anthony from Michigan who worked for our airline was most helpful - we ended up comparing tattoo stories! Then there was Sergei from Moscow,(there's ALWAYS going to be a Sergei) who's a skydiving instructor - SO going skydiving now that I know someone who does it- been wanting to do that for awhile. Got here - and played navigator to Stacie's driver - in the rain and in Friday rush hour - MUCH MERRIMENT ENSUED - had a National Lampoon's European Vacation moment - "look kids - the White House, the Old Post Office..." we had to circle the block a few times to figure out where in the ninth level of Hades the parking garage was!!! We're staying at the "Harrington" which gets my absolute seal of approval - not modern, old and European-ish - and right in the middle of downtown stuff. Went out to dinner with Stacie's friends - good to meet them, and know part of her world now. Walked around - very sad that Barnes and Noble closes at 10. (Another good point of the hotel- RIGHT across the street from Barnes and Noble). Alecia and I walked to the White House to wave at the President and Laura and to see the Christmas lights.

This morning- oh my GOSH- housekeeping knocks at 9 - what's THAT??? We get up - hit B&N for b-fast coffee, then the Old Post Office (tower tour will be later), then the Metro to hit GW for Alecia to check it out - oh remember the days of being a Senior and doing college tours??? This is the perfect weekend: grey and drizzly, not toooooo cold - great for walking around the city...

SO - that's DC part one- hopefully I'll have better luck with my stupid SD card from here on out......

By the way - for fun - check out Barney Bush.

fa-who-foreyhs-do-moo-door-res....

who doesn't know that song by the WHOOS by heart? Goodness knows I do, but then again, I can probably sing every song from every musical I ever heard, (listening to Godspell right now actually, that Victor Garber, SUCH the cutie, even pre-Alias) not to mention every song from every Disney movie. This is a laughable skill, I KNOW, yet I'm going to be the one you're going to want on the camp bus when it breaks down...that and my chicken-pus story!!!

So, obviously with the holiday- and espcially in my mental state of new-ness and over awareness at everything. Not to be cliche about illness or near-death expericences, but there IS something to be said about really appreciating all the little things and savoring moments and memories. Christmas traditions in my family....NOT white Christmas - not ever, ok maybe ONCE - it grazed snow one time, in central FLORIDA - but that was it. A white Christmas would be something, maybe when I'm grown up and am one of those matriarch things - I'll herd up the brood to an inn in Vermont - let someone cook and clean for us during the holidays. What's up with all the stress of doing it all yourself - we've all been raised with it - let's stop the madness!!! But I got off on a tangent- what a shocker!!!!

Christmas in my world - usually involves me decorating my place right after Thanksgiving - skipped it this year since I was in Florida. Decorating the tree at my Nanny's - havent' done that - mostly because the tree's not up yet - but this year I brought home a big orange T for the family's enjoyment. Then there's the music- the top two that is family/childhood are the Chipmunk's Christmas and Dominick the Donkey from Lou Monte. The backstory with the latter is that a few years ago- my oh so charismatic family decided that, since we don't do mass family presents (only immediate families) that when we all got together, besides reading the CHRISTMAS STORY out of the gospels, and singing, and praying, that we would have entertainment time, so a few years ago, Daddy, Deborah and myself did a lip-sync to Dominick - (the cutest little donkey, you never see him kick....) This also lends to my adoration of donkeys, but that's a WHOLE other blog.

There will be a Wal-Mart run starting at midnight on the 23rd (technially the 24th) with Diane - and we'll be there until 3 or so. Her kids are in bed and it's been the best time to go. I rarely do any Christmas shopping, but it's great bonding with Diane - there was the year she bought Jim one of those creeper things to go under the car and she had to try it out by rolling past me on the aisle. Yeah- you had to be there.

Of course growing up - I never did presents in the morning - maybe one or two - but we waited until the end of the day -because the twins worked at Disney and that meant they worked Christmas day- so morning was the Disney parade on TV while eating wampum biscuits and playing with the one or two presents I had opened.

This year - I got to be a part of another tradition since I was home so early in Dec, helping Daddy put up Christmas lights on the house. I know most people have a tale about that one. This involved having to get a pruner out mid-hang - and Daddy tossing cut branches down on my head. Between that and him ladder-dancing to the Christmas music we had blaring out of the Durango - it was QUITE the adventure.

SO - feel free, and encourgaed to tell me YOUR memories/traditions- either comment or email me.

Those WHOOS down in WHOOVILLE liked Christmas A LOT....