When Dreams Become Real-- A long ramble

So, this might get long, and it's more for my benefit (because I want to remember every moment!) So, if you don't want to read further, just know the whole weekend was brilliant! 

We made it to Chicago Saturday and found our hotel fairly easily. I'm not sure why it never entered my mind, but we got checked in and I wasn't paying 100% attention as we did so, but we were in a very tall building and our room was at the top-- on the 40th floor! For most people, that is probably not a problem, but I have a very bad height phobia--even pictures can make me dizzy, and I'm not even comfortable going higher than 7 or 8 floors. So I kept telling myself it was okay--and it was. I just avoided the window as much as possible! 

We aren't very familiar with Chicago, or it's transportation system, and the man at the desk didn't give us the best advise, so we got a little lost trying to get to the venue. It's funny, because I don't get too excited, I just ask people and go about it, but my husband is wired different and that was a bit difficult for him. I finally asked some police officers standing near, and they actually got on the next bus with us, rode until our stop, got off, and showed us where to wait for the right bus. Honestly, everyone was so nice and we got where we needed to be--hours early. We found a pizza joint, ate a slice, and then went and got in line. We had other "Booshlrs" that were joining us and they arrived soon, so that the 3 hours we stood in line went quickly as we visited and laughed. It's nice to finally be able to put faces to URLs. That's how everyone introduced themselves-- by their Tumblr names instead of their real names. It was the funniest thing, really. We got lucky--Chicago in March can be brutal, but the weather was mild all weekend, great for walking and standing in line. 

Our wait was worth it-- general seating, which meant our little clump of fans got right in the front. I was less than 20 feet from the stage! It was amazing! I now know how those girls felt when The Beatles stepped off the plane. I screamed and laughed myself hoarse! And I clapped so much, my hands were bruised (I wear a handful of rings). I was familiar with the show--after all, he's been touring it off and on across Europe and Australia for the last year and a half. But still, seeing it live, hearing it in his voice, just seeing the expressions on his face, it all felt fresh and new. And there was material that I hadn't seen posted on Tumblr and he does enough improv that there is new stuff even for those who have seen the show multiple times. 

A couple of the girls were hosting a party in their hotel room after the show and we went, but we were so tired, and our train only ran for less than another hour, so we made our goodbyes, found our way back to our overly posh room, and passed out--for about 3 hours. Again, the husband was so worried about being late, that we got to the train station with more than an hour to spare. The train ride home was packed but uneventful. I dozed for most of it. And now I'm home and (still) exhausted. But oh so happy! 

I had hoped to have lots of brilliant photos to post this week, but it didn't really happen. Several reasons, actually. For one, my camera is on its last leg. And of course, they didn't allow photos during the show. Now, some people were brave and did (the one above isn't actually mine, I kind of, uh, borrowed it), but I wasn't taking the chance of getting kicked out. And, although we waited outside for a while, we heard the cast weren't coming out for several hours, and we didn't hang around (partly because we had a train to catch). Some of them that did stay still didn't get to meet him. It would have been a bonus, yes, but at the same time, the show was amazing and we got to sit in the second row, so I'm just going to revel in that (for the rest of my life!). And remind myself that we're never too old for adventures! I know my husband even had a good time (not that I doubted he would) just because he actually visited with some of the others of our group. He's usually content to sit back and people watch. But he actually engaged! (Bonus!)

Morning Coffee, The Christmas Edition

We will never replace our beloved Jinx, but for the first time in 35 years, my husband was catless. So I decided to surprise him with kittens for Christmas. I couldn't have done it without my kids-- they picked them up from the Humane Society Tuesday afternoon while I was at work, sneaked them into the house (while he was home) and my daughter kept them hidden in her bedroom.

 I'm not sure how, but we managed to keep it a secret. I was sure he knew something was up, but apparently we did well. He had no idea! I think I just earned the "wife of the year" award!

So I introduce to you Squirt (the tabby) and Pip (the black short-hair)!

I think the Christmas trees are coming down soon!

I Need a Little Less Reality, Please

Well, the earliest we can get a plumber is Friday, maybe. When I was little, my Grandparents lived in the boonies and had no indoor plumbing. If they did it every day, I can do it for a few days. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about it!

My husband made it to work yesterday, but he said he's never seen anything like it. When he got into Effingham there was so many Semi's lining the roads, he didn't think he was going to make it through. The authorities were directing them to every large parking lot in town until every one of them was full, eventually they parked them on the sides of the road. The truckstops kept running out of diesel and the fuel trucks couldn't get through to refill the tanks. It may be days before they get it all sorted out. Things started to get back to normal at the store yesterday, most of our delivery trucks got through and were able to get limited orders to us. We still look a bit picked through, but at least we have the staples again. Unfortunately, they are predicting more precipitation for today and tomorrow. Every one keeps saying, yes, but it's supposed to be rain tomorrow and it's going to be in the 40s. But they aren't thinking about the fact that the rain has no were to go! I think it could be a whole other bunch of problems!

I'm keeping my sense of humor in all of this. Because it's that or roll up in a ball and cry. So, laughter all around, my dears!

Mark Your Calendar!

The continuing saga of Winter Storm Ion is making my life miserable interesting. I live10 miles from where I70 and I57 crosses in Illinois. It's a trucker's haven, lots of truckstops and restaurants. The authorities have asked people to avoid parts of the town because of the congestion caused by the truckers getting off the Interstate to rest and refuel which has become a problem all on it's own. Check it out here and here. My husband works at Menard's, which is in the middle of all of that mess. He hasn't gone in the last two days (we couldn't get the car out of the drive) but he's tried it this morning.

On other fronts, I've decided people are just stupid. We have been asked to stay off the roads--so of course the store was nuts busy all day yesterday with people who just wanted to get out and see if they could! We did get milk and bread (but no eggs) but they were both later than normal. I stayed in a good mood and handled it well but its stressful and gets exhausting. And then a half hour before the end of my day, my husband called to ask me to call the City office and see if they could turn off our water-- we had a pipe break. Oh lord. I was almost in tears by that point. We had left our facets dripping, hoping to avoid such an occurrence. One good thing, we had been collecting that dripping water into jugs so we have water to drink. I've got snow melting on the stove right now so I can flush the toilets, but no shower. I left a call with the local plumber--hopefully he doesn't have too long of a back list. I'm trying to keep my sense of humor, but it's a wispy thing right now!

Wonderful Winter Weather

When I walked into work yesterday, my boss looked surprised. The head meat-cutter, the only other person there except for the boss' son, told me no one else showed up and they didn't expect me, either. I live 3 blocks away, for heavens sake. I was going to show up. To be honest, I was a bit pissed. If they didn't want me, they should have called! How was I to assume that he would assume I wasn't coming?  The store was sold out of milk, and bread, and eggs, and assorted other staples. I've never seen the shelves that empty, and there is no guarantee we'll get any today. So I worked 3 hours then they sent me home because they closed early. I could have used one of my personal days, now I'm just going to have a short check. Oh, well. So anyway, I'm going to bundle up and do it again this morning (unless he calls. Surely, he'll call this time). It's 13 below right now. It's going to be an ice-cream headache the whole way! My husband's home again. He works 15 miles away and we still can't get the car out of the garage. Hopefully, things will be better tomorrow!

Morning Coffee

I listen to music when I'm working. My husband's computer is only about 10 feet to my right and he doesn't always appreciate my musically choices so I use headphones. I took them off when I went to refill my coffee and when I got back Jinx was in the process of getting tangled up into them. When I untangled him he gave me this "woman, what are you doing?" look. I had a London radio station playing, guess at least he appreciates my taste in music!

Romance For Geeks

I've been a huge sci-fi, fantasy geek since grade school. My husband wasn't.  I need to point out he also has never been one to buy gifts or be "romantic". But for our 25th Anniversary he gifted me with this two ring set-- one says "I love you", the other says "I know". A Star Wars reference for those who aren't familiar. I've turned him into one of us!

Morning Coffee

Roscoe, our resident wanderer, wanted out 2 1/2 weeks ago and didn't come back. He has disappeared on us before, but never for more than a week. We were having frigidly cold weather at the time and we've had a few small snows, nothing that was worth measuring, but enough that I would think any creature of intelligence would want to be in and warm. We hoped, because he is such a friendly cat, that someone had taken him in. But he is wearing a collar, so we feared the worse. We got up this morning and there he sat in the hall-way in front of our son's door. He must have showed up after we went to bed. I'm surprised he didn't come in and jump on our bed. He has followed us around all morning, "talking". I'm sure he has been telling us his story. Wish I understood feline. Now he is sacked out on the husband's lap. He's a bit thinner, but otherwise seems no worse for the wear. After a week of bad news, this is quite welcome!

Belated Thanksgiving

Since the daughter was away at school for Thanksgiving I told her I would fix a Thanksgiving dinner while she was home. Well, the time has come. I'm not a huge fan of turkey, but a few years ago a customer at the store gave me a recipe that requires brining. Delish!  The bird is now soaking away in the fridge. This afternoon I'm going to bake a pumpkin pie and cut up some bread into cubes to dry for the dressing. I have homemade noodles in the freezer. I won't be doing lots of side dishes because the family doesn't care for sweet potatoes or cranberries. The cooking should be smooth and easy. We have had Spring-like weather the last few days, but tomorrow is supposed to be cold with possible snow showers. A good day to stay in, cook, and maybe take a turkey-induced nap! (I'm betting the husband even finds a football game to watch!)

Morning Coffee

This is what I got up to. I don't like cats on the cabinets, but since they rule the house, I don't often get my way. They are, indeed, so not scared of me that I had time to walk into the other room and get the camera and they didn't move. I swear, they waited! Why, may you ask, aren't they scared of me? Because my husband spoils them more than I scare them. sigh

Happy 4th of July!

I've go the day off and so does my husband! But seeing how it's Wednesday we really don't have much planned.  Maybe a dip in the pool (or two) and drink a beer (or two).  Anyway, I hope everyone has a pleasant day!

Small Changes

I had to make a change--can you find the difference?  This is in an upstairs attic room.  I walked through the house with a stack of albums and my husband asked me what I was doing.  "Changing some pictures", I said.  He suspected what I had done and ran upstairs to confirm.  Then he came looking for me, wanting to know what I had done with the "card".  My husband was a fan of what's-his-name's and saw him in concert several times back before we were married.  The "card" had his autograph.  I do respect other people's property, so I tossed it in the album cover. The poor guy was panicking, tho.  I do believe he thought I threw it away!

The Price of Admission

Over the last year I have become quite a fan of Dan Savage! Now, after watching this video, when the hubby does/says something that irritates me, I just think "price of admission"! I had the privilege of seeing Dr. Ruth during my college years. She was hilarious at the same time that she was teaching us about ourselves. I think maybe Dan is this generation's Dr. Ruth!

Slightly Amused Random Thought

Tuesday, Valentine's Day, I was stocking shelves at work and had plenty of time to think. My thoughts at that time were reflections on how many Valentine's Days I have had with my husband. And then I realized it was the 25th anniversary of when he left his ex (girlfriend, not wife, that is). Yes, he left her on Valentine's Day. His girlfriend and I were drinking buddies at the time and she later encouraged me to pursue him, so I guess that shows it was an amicable break-up! But now I wonder if maybe that is why he has a tendency to ignore Valentine's Day!

Isn't It Romantic!

My marriage has never been romantic. The closest thing I got to a marriage proposal was "when are we getting married" while we were watching an episode of The Brady Bunch in which some Brady sibling was getting married. I think it must have been one of the movies they made several years after the show ended. I informed him I required flowers when our daughter was born. I forgot to remind him of that when our son was born 2 1/2 years later, resulting in no flowers. Last year's flowers were totally unexpected. Last week he asked if I required a gift this year. I told him no, I was just as happy with acknowledgement. Guess what I found in my e-mail! And yes, I do find it funny. So much so, I sent him one back! Happy Valentine's Day, all!

Adventures on Ice

(Oh, how I wished I had thought to grab my camera this morning!)

The hubby works at Menard's as a morning stockman. It's a short shift, just 5 to 9 in the morning. About once a month I ride over with him on a Saturday and hit Walmart and a few of the other stores to get the things I can't get here in town. I figure I save us a couple gallons of gas plus I practically have the stores to myself! He debated going into work today because we had freezing rain last night. Our sidewalk and driveway were covered with a thin layer of ice, but that didn't mean that the roads were bad. So we took a chance and headed out. Everything was good until we turned off the highway onto the Outerbelt road that goes straight to Menard's. There are several truckstops off that road and they were flooded with Semis! Went passed Walmart, same thing. Even Menard's driveway was half-full. We could see the Interstate from there and traffic was barely moving. If we had listened to the radio before we left, we probably wouldn't have tried it! I dropped him off and I left to do my thing. The city roads were alright, but the parking lots were another story. The hotels were full. Not just travelers, but also employees of the local businesses. Effingham sits at the crossroads of two Interstates. It is surrounded by little towns like mine that are mainly "bedroom" communities. My town's population is a bit over 2000 and we are one of the bigger "small" towns. The "ice" hit right at 5 p.m., just as people were getting off work. It happened so fast that there were dozens and dozens of wrecks. From what I hear almost every Interstate and Highway in the area was blocked. One woman told my husband it took her 3 hours to get home (less than 20 miles).

Overheard:

Customer: There isn't many people in here this morning.

Cashier: Short on customers, even shorter on help!

I really do prefer snow.

Mailman Shuffle

I just noticed the Hollyhocks bloomed! The mailman likes to walk up to the porch, reach over the railing and put the mail in the box. It drives the husband nuts! So I got some Hollyhock starts from my neighbor and planted them in the corner. Now the mailman has to walk up on the porch, at least in the summer. My neighbor has all different colors--white, yellow, burgundy and pale pink. Somehow, last year I ended up with all yellow. This year I've got several different colors! I do like a variety! They are very pretty and seem to be doing their job well!

Stuck in the Middle, Again

My husband was adopted. It's never been something he wanted to talk about much. That's fine, it's his business. But 13 years ago his biological family found him. It's a long story that I'm not going to get into here, but the gist of it is, his biological mother was only 15 when he was born and since it was the '50s, her family arranged the adaption without her knowledge. By the time she realized she wasn't getting him back, it was too late. She and one of her sisters has respected the fact that he doesn't want a relationship. Her oldest sister doesn't. I have kept in touch with her because she never had any other children, and my children are her only grandchildren, and quite frankly, I like her. But because it is what it is, it is an uncomfortable relationship. A week and a half ago one of her nephews died, the son of the oldest sister. He lived out of state and I figured the funeral was there. But apparently there is going to be a funeral here this Saturday and this sister called and left a message that she expects us to come to the funeral. This is a man we have never met, probably never would have. My husband said "no" outright, which is just as I expected. I have no desire to go. I have a friend who had surgery this week and I had told her I would help her out Saturday. I know this sounds cold hearted. Losing a child, even when that child is in his 50s, has got to be the worst pain there is. And I feel sad for her. But I just can't believe in her grief that she took the time to call and tell /(order) us to come. I'm tied up in knots about this, and just a little mad. I hate being put in these kinds of positions!

Appliance Wars

Every major appliance in our house needs replaced, except the stove, and that's only because we just replaced it! I hate it, not because of the expense (which I'm not fond of) but because my husband and I have very different shopping styles. He wants to spend hours cruising the Internet looking for the best deal, then order it and go pick it up. Me, I want to go physically check it out. I want something sturdy, solid. I'm not so worried about the price. I want to touch it, open the door, look inside. The husband is looking for the cheapest, the best deal. So what is happening is that we aren't replacing what needs replaced. It's turned into a bit of a stand-off, which I will probably lose because each appliance is just going to totally die and have to be replaced immediately, like the stove did. We are washing all of the dishes by hand because the dishwasher is done, and the washing machine is really close. The lid on the freezer is cracked and we have "fixed" the dryer twice. It's the appliance "curse". When one goes out, the others follow it!

Epiphany

I had an epiphany about my husband this morning while I was cleaning the kitchen. Several years ago when he made the declaration that he was no longer going to help with any housework until I started working full time, I believed that he held no value on all I did because it wasn't putting money in the bank. But after the last year of being on strike, I just realized it had nothing to do with the amount of money I was making and everything to do with the fact he never realized how much I was really doing around here. He has no idea how much work goes into house keeping because he doesn't do it. For the last year he has vacuumed and shampooed the carpets, washed dishes and cleaned the bathrooms a few times. He didn't dust, or clean the refrigerator, or wipe down the molding and any of the numerous other things that need done and haven't been done since I stopped doing them! I'm not sure whether to be upset or just pissed!