Last night was a happy hanukkah
Camille is asleep. The boys are watching Polar Express. Eli is lying on the couch next to Will and Leo is sitting on top of Eli. We need some down time after last night’s outstanding Hanukkah party. It was easily the most fun I’ve had in a little while.
What a night last night was. Soggy, cold and you could hardly see the lines painted on the road in front of you. Seemed like everybody driving was meandering to where they were going. I saw one Oldsmobile, Buick or some such long vehicle parked in a ditch. What if we’d gotten the snow that Upper East Tennessee got where my Mom lives? She said their power was out from 5pm till early in the morning. Evidently the interstate was shut down up around Kingsport.
No such for us! We were warm and happy with kids running full tilt, cats hiding in any room other than where we were and two little dogs who followed and picked up the crumbs.
Our hosts Laurie and Matt were so sweet. Dreidels were waiting and Eli was happy. Latkes were frying and everybody was happy about that! Nobody was thirsty and bellies filled up. It was so fantastic, bright and warm while the slushy rain fell through the foggy trees outside.
I was pleased to meet some of Christy’s fav people from work, Meg and Jason and their three kids. Charlotte is so cute and Aspen and Joel hit it off with Will and Eli. The boys went tearing back and forth through the house chasing each other. I think there was a robbery, or a couple even. I’ve forgotten how many times Will fell and bonked his head. All the boys looked like they fought their way out! :D By the end of the evening Camille was taking video of them all.
I was sad to say goodbye, but the sweetest were the hugs thrown back and forth. Christy and I talked quietly in the front seat about how good the food was and how we loved all the books on shelves and tables around Laurie and Matt’s house. Eli and Will were asleep by the time I dropped Christy back off at her house. Then the kids and I drove back to our house. The Buick was out of the ditch when we passed back by.
Today we’re all a bit tired, but happily so. Well we’re happy now that we figured out why we’re a bit grummpy and just need to take it easy. :)
Tonight it’s a Christabel and the Jons Christmas show at the Square Room. I can’t wait!
Hey, I’m getting married!
Almost a year ago.
Twelve months. Nearly three hundred and sixty-five days.
There have been holidays. New Years day and Fourth of July. Valentines day, Thanksgiving. There were little days, ordinary days. Days when everybody else in the world was going about their business. Days that became so much more for me. There was the day I told Christy I had fallen in love with her. The so many days when I fell in love with her again and again. The so many little things that still catch my breath and make these minutes and hours and days so much more.
Yeah, it’s like that.
I remember the first time Christy, me and the kids all hung out together. I was so nervous. It was the first time to see me being a dad. I didn’t know what the kids might do. I didn’t know what I might do!
I brought so many snacks. Willy and I picked out so many drinks for all of us that I could barely carry the bag. We met at the Worlds Fair Park and it was crowded with frisbee throwers, dog walkers and bike riders. We decided to go to Fort Kid. I mentioned how she was getting to see me as dad and I was a little nervous. Christy, in her usual matter of fact way, said something like, oh no I saw you being dad at that work picnic back in the fall. Just like that I felt something lift off me. She made me feel better. I played with the kids a little more freely. I laughed a little more, no a lot more.
I know Christy must have been nervous that day, too, or maybe not. I think the big kids must have been, too, or maybe not because we all laughed and ate grapes and chips or whatever I brought. It was such a good day and I fell in love with her then, too.
I remember our first date. I remember walking down the steps in the back of the Downtown Brewery to meet Christy and show her our table. I remember looking for her. There was this girl and that girl and then I saw her standing by a collumn near the front door. She was beautiful. I can show you exactly where she was standing. Then she saw me and she smiled.
She smiled.
She smiled when she saw me.
We talked so much that night. We talked about everything. We talked about this and that. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed hearing her talk. I drove home thinking about how much I wanted to see her again.
So just the other day, nearly a year after that first date, we went back to the Brewery and I asked her to marry me.
There are so many other things I keep thinking of that I want to tell you. I want to tell you how on our first few dates we just walked around downtown Knoxville, or how Eli loves to pick on her. Leo thinks every white car belongs to Christy, “Isty, Isty’s car?” is what he says when one passes by.
How do you write a post that tells about the love you’ve found? A love you didn’t think existed?
I don’t know.
I know I’m a very blessed man and God has made his face to shine upon me and my family.
Indeed.
A post, from out of the blue
I’ve not been writing for so long on this thing that it feels strange to do so. The fingers are stiff. My brain is sluggish. What to say? I mean a lot has happened since the last time I posted.
Maybe an explanation for why I’m even posting right now is in order. This morning I heard a thing on NPR about credit cards and how much it costs busineses to accept them. It hurts Mom & Pop stores especially. I didn’t realize my rewards card just raises the cost of what I buy since the rewards are paid for by busineses through service fees. Yeah. It was about that exciting.
Then Worker Girl txts me and says she doesn’t go to Westlook any more. I can understand why. I’ve abandoned it.
Except I haven’t really. I just haven’t had the gumption to write, so I put Westlook on a back burner, waaay in the back.
So what’s the state of the union?
It’s good.
My hair is shorter, though it needs a trimming.
I have mailed out most all of my Christmas cards. There’s only a half dozen or so that need addressing still. Several boxes of Christmas gifts have arrived and need wrapping. They also need a Christmas tree to go under. I told the kids we would go Saturday morning and get one.
There’s more to tell, but it’s late, I’m tired and I want to do it justice. I’ll just have to write another post tomorrow evening.
:)
Yay!
Starbucks is coming out with it’s own instant coffee.
It’s called Via.
It’s electric!
I saw this book at the library today.
I am totally going to build myself an electric car!
baching it yesterday and today
Somebody said to me the other night laughing as I washed a dirty dinner plate for my dessert, “I can see you’ve been baching it for a while.” I laughed, too and took a fresh plate that was handed to me. The peanut butter, chocolate plateful was wonderful.
Well as if further proof was needed, besides that and maybe the overgrown lawn, here’s more.
I’ve discovered the pure joy of a cup of nescafe. OMG. Who knew instant coffee could be so…good. I don’t know what devil’s bargin was wrought so that this grainy powder would disolve as near to instantly as you can imagine. I have nearly gone through an entire jar.
There’s nothing quite like it.
I love it.
A Long Day…
that has ended wonderfully.
I am loving Market Square these days. The kids, my fav girl and I were there this evening and had such a great time. You can’t really beat Tomato Head and Rita’s Italian Ice for dessert. Then the kids get to run off their sugar kick dodging in and out of people’s way around the Square.
My girl was saying how much downtown Knoxville has grown in the past five or so years. I remember when there wasn’t much else besides Tomato Head on the Square. It’s sweet seeing the place do well! I’m so glad it’s come back into my life. I’d fogotten how much I liked the rosemary bread and humus at Tomato Head and so does Leo as it turns out.
Next time we go there he’s getting the humus and chips. And, I’m going to remember to bring clothes for him to play in the little fountains.
I haven’t forgotten you…really
Though my favorite girl says I need to write something.
So here it goes.
I’m reading a vampire novel. Yep. I am.
I’m reading my second vampire novel as a matter of fact and I’m going to read a third. These Sookie Stackhouse novels, by Charlaine Harris, are just plain fun. I mean the fact that Elvis sightings get factored into the mix is just a riot!
So there, go read one yourself. That’s what I’m going to do right now.
:)
Four
I saw a challenge in a book today that I was fixing to shelve. The book was written by some folks associated with the Wall Street Journal in some way or other. It was about how to understand statistics and numbers and such like that. Pretty interesting stuff I thought anyway.
I opened the book randomly to see what it had to say. That’s kind of a fortune telling sort of thing. People have done that with books for ages. St Augustine had a coming to Jesus experience once when he opened the bible to a certain page. What he read, combined with a song some kids were singing in the garden nearby, led him into a spiritual experience like none he’d ever had.
That didn’t happen to me today.
What I read was like this. The author said to think of a number, but not just any number. Crap. Now I have to think of another number and I bet you’d already thought of a number too. Well. That one won’t work. The number has to epitomize you in some way or other. The author said perhaps it’s your age, weight, salary. So, you know, that sort of thing.
The first thing I thought was incredulity. How could I come up with a number that epitomized me? That’s not gonna happen. Then…it did. Here came the number four settling down in front of my mind’s eye like a sesame street foam creation. It was gigantic and it made sense.
Sometimes things don’t make sense for me. I’m a fence sitter. A little bit of this and a dab of that. I’m usually OK. I’ll make do.
My fav girl and I were walking around Walmart the other night. I told her one of the things I love about her is that she’s passionate about things. Her passion is like an open window to me.
Beautiful.
So. The number four is the number of kids I have. It’s not the end all be all number of my life. That number is not even fixed as far as I’m concerned. Who knows what the future has in store. I’m game. :) But for now it’s the number of kids in my car, with me at a restaurant, or asleep in my house. It’s a number that raises eyebrows, but seems so everyday to me.
Four.
What is your number?
Now for the obverse (flipside, dude)
I don’t like folding laundry.
I don’t like things breaking. My dvd player broke the other day. What? I’ve only had that thing 8 or 9 months.
Underarm deodorant that doesn’t work.
Nose hairs.
Things that make my Leo sick. Things he’s allergic to like lemon poppy seed muffins. Those little things made his belly SO sore yesterday and I bet they tasted good when he ate them. Breaks my heart.
People who are inconsiderate.
People who talk over children.
People who dominate a conversation.
Little dogs that bear their teeth at me.
Red light cameras.
Things I’m liking…
I discovered Jones Strawberry Lime Soda late one Friday night. There’s not much better.
I found it at another new favorite, DaVinci’s Pizza, in the Old City. So good when all you need is something simple and hot to eat with someone you love so much.
What else am I liking these days?
I think a Starbuck’s Iced Mocha Latte is the best.
I’ve mentioned laying around in bed with the kids. Listening to them wrestle and kill each other in the living room is great. That’s till one gets stomped too hard.
Cheap mp3 downloads from Amazon. They always surprise with what’s on sale.
Flip flops. This is going to be a summer of flip flops.
I’ve been favoring polos lately. Always have loved them.
And finishing books. I hate to admit that I’d gotten into a habit of not finishing books.
