Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tracey's Triangle: To eat or not to eat.

How stale something is directly related to how hungry/drunk/poor you are.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Danni's Doorstep: The Little Things are the Big Things

Below is my long reflection of this past weekend including the bombings at the marathon. The events that occurred helped to put a lot of things in perspective.

April 17, 2013

Patriot's Day - Marathon Monday

I had just gotten back home from a weekend away at a friend's wedding and I was telling Tracey of my stories of NC. We decided to go on an adventure and go letter-boxing that afternoon. I had never been and it was kind of awesome. I realized that it was something that I would probably want to do again and I was going to need my own stamp. We decided that a trip to Walmart was in order.

We pulled into the parking lot around 2:50 p.m. We had been talking in the car so the radio wasn't on. As part of my "turning off the car" procedure, I pulled the emergency brake, turned off the heat/air conditioning, turned off the lights, and turned off the radio. Since the radio hadn't been on previously, this of course turned it on instead. My radio is generally on Mix 104.1, my favorite radio station, and since it was late afternoon, I wasn't surprised to hear Gregg, Sue, and Freddy filling the speakers of my car.

"We are just getting word that there have been two explosions in Boston...we'll continue to keep you posted as more information comes in" <-Paraphrased (2 days later it's hard to remember)

Tracey and I just looked at each other and said, "What does that mean?" A million things started to run through my head. Where in Boston? How big were the explosions? Was anyone hurt? Who do I know in Boston? Then Tracey broke me out of my inner thoughts by suggesting that we run into Walmart and get what we need so we can get back to the house to learn more.

Once back in the car we were horrified to learn more details of the bombing at the marathon. As we listened in shock, my earlier questions began to run through my head. How big were the explosions? How many people are hurt? Who do I know in Boston? plus the added Do I know of anyone running in the race?

The answer was yes there were people that I knew of (not personally) participating. There was Kennedy from the Mix 104.1 morning show, with the rest of the morning show waiting for her at the finish line. Of course there was also the Hoyt's, the famous, both locally and nationally, father/son team. As I started to drive home, I handed my phone to Tracey and told her to check my Twitter for news from Kennedy, Karson, Salt, or Mix 104.1 in general. I would have to find out about the Hoyt's once I got home and could check the tracker.

From Karson & Kennedy: "Thoughts are w/those caught up in this terrible tragedy at marathon. Kennedy is off the course & everyone from the show is safe & sound."

Knowing this, we rushed home to see the coverage with our own eyes. It was horrifying to watch, we immediately started to call friends and family to make sure they were okay. I texted Elle*, who works for a newspaper, in the hopes that she wasn't covering the marathon, as many reporters are located near the finish line. I texted a friend made at another friend's bridal shower because I knew she lived in Boston and many residents watch the race on their day off. Tracey was also in contact with 2nd3rd Roommate who is an avid runner and could have very well been at or in the race.

Luckily 2nd3rd Roommate was not running in the race, but she was in Boston, near the race. Elle was not covering the race and was at work elsewhere. My friend from the bridal shower was at work near the marathon, but her building was evacuated and was currently with friends away from the marathon. While most people we know were no where near the race, this attack still feels so close to home. Maybe because it's Boston. It's my city, where I've spent so much time. Where my favorite sports teams play. Where I say I'm from, when I travel outside of New England.

Maybe it's because Boston is different from every other city. While sometimes, the impression is given that we are rude, we drink a lot, and we can't drive, we are also very loyal and not just to our sports teams, we a very caring, and very accepting community. I think all of this was very evident on Monday. From the people who opened their homes to strangers, to the runners who continued running to hospitals to give blood, to the bystanders who didn't run away and tried to help those around them. Boston maybe be a big city, but there is a "small town" family feel to it. We may yell when someone cuts us off on the highway, or tease you if you're wearing a Yankees jersey or hat, but when someone attack one of our own, we rally and stay strong for each other.

Lessons from this Weekend

Life is unpredictable and too short to worry about frivolous things and to not do what you love. What matters most are your friends and family, not the things you own or the amount of money you have. Most importantly it important to show compassion and caring to others especially when they are in need.I know that I will keep all of those affected by the attack in my thoughts and I hope you all do too.

*Name has been changed.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Ms Cleo knows all: On the Up and Up



The Story of UP

     Lovers of the English language might enjoy this.....How do
     non-natives ever learn all the nuances of the word, English???   
     It is listed in the dictionary as being an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

     There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any
     other two-letter word, and that word is "UP."    It is listed in the
     dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

     It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top
     of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

     At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and
     why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to
     write UP a report?

     We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish
     UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock
     UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

     At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People
     stir up trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP
     excuses.

     To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.   
     And this up is confusing:

     A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

     We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
     We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

     To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP
     in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of
     the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

     If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many
     ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give
     UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

     When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP .. When the
     sun comes out we say it is clearing UP ..  When it rains, it wets UP the
     earth.

     When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

     One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP,
     so....

     Time to shut UP......!

     Oh...one more thing:! What is the first thing you do in the morning 
     & the last thing you do at night?

     U    P







[Disclaimer: Cleo's sources are from the unknown, but the truth in her statements are real]

I'm UP to no good!!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Convo Convoy: Dissecting Dinner

after Danni making a really amazing chicken parm dinner

Tracey: The bread is really good.
Danni: I'm really glad that the part that came out of a can was good.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Danni's Doorstep: Leave a message..BEEP

Tracey's voicemail message:

"Hi! You've reached Tracey's cell...You know what to do!...After the tone, please record you message. When you finish recording hang up or press pound for more options"

When I call...

"Hi! You've reached Tracey's cell...You know what to do!..." ::HANG UP::

...because I know she's not going to check it.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Funnies: workplace worldview.

Coworker 1: I couldn't believe how much I was enjoying a cartoon.
Coworker 2: Yeah, you know Sometimes you need to take a step back, get out a coloring book, and color.

*I think these are words to live by.
  If life gets too stressful, Take a step back and color.