In Memoriam...love you, K

Katie Wise Friedman Memorial Video from Josh on Vimeo.

It's probably a good thing . . .

...that at whenever point this coming year Sibling moves, he takes all of his gaming systems with him. We currently have a wii and a PS2 . . . and lego games for both. Tonight? We played lego Batman for like...3.5 hours. Seriously addicting - and the best part? You can play both hero AND villain...awesome!

Some might think that an evening spent as such would be a total waste. However, any time I get to spend with my bro before he moves away is time well spent, says I. And, the rest of the evening wasn't wasted! I was not called for rehearsal, so I had the chance to speak at length with P and hear how he's adjusting back to life in the states (he's doing really well), AND I filled out my passport renewal forms. Whohooo!

Hooah!

I just talked to P on the phone! After who-knows-how-many hours flying and 5 countries later, he is back in the US with his parents for the weekend on leave before having to report for deployment debriefings this Monday. His 30-day block leave starts in a few weeks. YAY!!
We're all so happy that this tour is over and finished! I'll hopefully get a chance to celebrate with him in person next month in CO.

Thanks, all, for your prayers for P and his fellow soldiers during this stay in the desert. There are still thousands of soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors out there to pray for - so keep up the good work!

Hooah!

Dogs and babies and presents, oh my!

I spent most of my day surrounded by short people. Short, as in, under 5 years old. It was lovely. There were also four-legged friends involved (I'm totally allergy-face right now, but it was totally worth it). First, we had some family pass through on their way to the mountains. I got to bestow my "Vehicles of STAR WARS" book upon my little 4-year old second cousin. He was thrilled. As was I.
Then, this evening was spent at my "second mom's" house with her family and our close friends from forever...a circle which now includes my favorite little munchkins: Addie (2); Clark (1); and Carter (4mos). The only one missing was Lake (4 mos, I think), who is spending Christmas in Texas. (And yes - to the munchkin's mommies - it is one of my biggest joys to spoil your kiddos...it'll be a loooong while before we have any of our own in our immediate family...ha!)

All in all, a wonderful day...now time for a hit of benedryl an dreamland....zzzzz

pray

My Aunt went into the ER yesterday morning - docs don't know what's wrong just yet. Hopefully will find out soon. (All I know is she has had some major blood loss....possibly something like diverticulits? Not sure.)

She lives in Shreveport...divorced...her son lives in DC...so, she doesn't have family close by to her. However, she does have some amazing friends - and for that, I am immensely grateful.

This photo would definitely be worth 1,000 words

My father is a big fan of velour jogging suits - they are his ideal after-work outfit during the winter months. In fact, I cannot remember a time when he did NOT sport these suits - they are as much a part of my dad as are his moustache or ponytail. (And to those Sopranos fans out there - my dad is quite the antithesis of a Mobster...merely a coincidence in clothing choice. But I digress.)

When I was home this last weekend, Dad donned one of his trademark velour ensembles. However, upon further inspection, I noticed that the top and bottom pieces did not match. Clearly, this was not a mistake - my father always wears matching sets - and never mixes and matches. I commented upon the brown/white top with the dark blue pants, and asked where his brown pants were...

"Oh, well, your mother cut them off just below the knees and I don't have them anymore."

"What? Why on earth did she do that?"

"Because I was Carmelo Anthony."

"I'm sorry . . . what did you just say?"

"We had a Sunday School costume party, and I dressed as Carmelo Anthony - and those were my basketball shorts."

"Wait...WHAT?"

(Mom chirping in): "He had long shorts, a Nuggets shirt and wore his doo-rag." [Yes, my father has an *actual* doo-rag, not just a bandana - I've seen it in action.]

"Was this for Halloween?"

"Ooh, no. This was back in the Spring - we just had a costume party. And I took [Sibling's] basketball with me and bounced it around. It was fun!"

"Well, what did mom go as?"

"Oh...I don't remember. She had on some crazy wig."

"And you were Carmelo Anthony..."

"Yep."



All I have to say is that I come by "teh silly" honestly. And perhaps my love of costumery is genetic, as well :)

Found

Every year, my grandmother used to take a road trip from her hometown of Mansfield, LA into Texas to look at the Bluebonnets blooming. One year, she bought Texas-shaped sunglasses, and she wore those things for a long time. (And not ironically - she totally rocked them).

After she passed away (in 1994), I became the proud owner of said sunglasses. I found them the other night in my bathroom after cleaning out the cabinets. Ahh...the memories :)

on your mark...

get set....

GO team!

Parents are in and currently at the grocery store getting apples and other things they like to snack on. We're having a special birthday dinner for my mom tonight, and tomorrow?

Tomorrow is Tina Turner concert #1. Woot!

How to have the best Saturday morning ever

1. Do not set your alarm clock;

2. Wake up when you *want* to wake up, not when you *have* to wake up;

3. Read in bed for a little while;

4. Get a phone call from your brother . . . WHO HAS JUST PROPOSED TO HIS GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!!! (who said YES, of course!)

5. Spend the rest of the morning talking to various and sundry relatives and friends about how excited we all are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. Talk to your now official future sister-in-law(!!!) and get her side of the proposal story;

7. Freak out with sheer happiness and live on cloud nine for the rest of the day!!!!!!!!!!

Alaska by the numbers

Days of vacation: 10
Miles logged in Ford Excursion rental: approximately 1,200
Not including: 160+ miles on a bus

Seen:
Grizzly bears: 5
The peak of Denali: twice
Moose: 3
Arctic chipmunks: tons
Willow Ptarmigans: 2
Loons: 4
Mosquitos: billion
Mosquito bites: 1
Beautiful panoramas: infinite
Old, bearded fishermen: infinite
Espresso joints in every town, outpost or wide spot in the road: minimum 2 each
Batmobiles: 1 (just a few miles from new VP Candidate Sarah Palin's hometown)
Giant Ice Cream cones: 2
Ted Stevens 2008 signs: 100+

National parks visited: 2 (Denali & Kenai Fjords)
Hikes taken: 3

Pounds of fish:
Caught by family: 58 (halibut, silver salmon, cod & rockfish)
Being sent (frozen) to our house: 30
Consumed by family: too many delicious pounds to count

Alcohol:
Bottles of wine purchased by family: 15
Microbrews tasted: at least 6

Gasoline:
$5.38/gallon just outside of Denali National Park
$4.38/gallon everywhere else

Trips to the ER: 1

Mementos:
Sea shells: 3
Rocks: 7
Books on moose (for dad): 2
Postcards: couple dozen
National Park stamps for passport book: 4
Long-sleeved t-shirts: 2

Average hours of daylight/day: 16
Average hours of sleep/night: 9

Road-tripping up and down Alaska with the family: PRICELESS

Impeccable timing

Me: "I can't wait to watch Michael Phelps swim tonight. NBC's going to broadcast it in an hour. I missed seeing his other swims this weekend."

Sibling: [grabs the remote, switches to ESPN]

ESPN: blah blah blah . . . Mark Sanchez' knee will be fine . . . blah blah blah . . . and in other news, Michael Phelps wins his 3rd Gold of this Olympic games.

Me: !!!!

Sibling: [sheepish look. Giggles.] "Oops. Must be one hour tape delay between ESPN & NBC. Well, now you don't have to wait to see who wins ....*chuckles*.... sorry....!"

Me: "Yeah, but . . . but . . . I wanted to *watch*.....*sigh*...."

Sibling: [flips channel back to NBC; walks off] "Okay. Goodnight. Have fun watching the swimming. Oh, and hey, at least you now have something to blog about today....ha ha ha ha!"

Pimpin' out my fam

My lovely cousin-in-law is having a Pre-Summer sale at her Etsy jewelry shop, Chloe Boutique. Now through June 20th, enjoy a 15% discount by putting “SUMMER” in the comments to the seller when checking out & she’ll send you the revised invoice. Also – purchases over $50 get free shipping!

She creates some beautiful pieces - all of which make great gifs for friends, family, girlfriends, etc. (Or, you know, for yourself!)

You can find the shop HERE.
Check it out!

The Things We Learn Late At Night

It has not been until more recent years that I have realized I am prone to insomnia a night person. This only becomes a problem when I have to get up and work a “normal” day-job (which I do). My mom is the same way . . . the polar opposite of my father in that – and many – ways (thus perhaps lending some truth to the whole ‘opposites attract’ idea.)
While I was at home this weekend, my mom and I exploited our nocturnal tendencies and stayed up talking into the wee hours. I’m not sure how it started – but it ended up being very informative, and did not (as can happen) degrade into some sort of mother-daughter pick-on-each-other session. We talked a lot about family history and the like.

Here are some of the things I learned:

• I have a few grey hairs. I was not aware of this – but my mom noticed them last time I was home. I am not sure what my natural hair really looks like, as I get it highlighted a few times a year (my secret is out).
• My dad’s mother was completely grey-haired by the time she was 30. She was also probably certifiable – but that was not something to be discussed. I am guessing that part of that stems from the fact that at a young age, she was the one to find her step-father dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Horrifying.
• My mom recorded cassette tapes of her father talking about his life. She gave them to me to transcribe for her, as it’s still too painful for her to listen to his voice. I am very excited about this project! “Papa” was a Major in the US Army and served in the Signal Corps during WWII, the Korean Conflict & Vietnam War. He died when I was about 4, but I still have a couple memories of him.
• When my mom and dad started dating in college, my dad was also dating another gal at the same time. Mom found out and gave him an ultimatum…and the rest is…well, you know how it goes. Their 40th wedding anniversary is this year.
• My mom wanted to be an architect. But that was not an “approved” subject for women in the mid-1960s at her college in Louisiana.
• There is the remotest…REMOTEST…of possibilities that we are distant…distant…relatives of the Hiltons through my dad’s grandfather. Yes. You read that correctly. Perish the thought that Paris and I could possibly share DNA. Holy crap.

Loving CO in the Springtime...

It is beautiful here. It's been a wonderful trip thus far. Very relaxing, hanging with my folks and friends here.

Tonight, we went out with P's parents to celebrate dad's birthday. It's funny...my dad is pretty shy in a lot of ways...he and my mom have friends, of course (like everyone from church). But, I think P's dad is one of his close friends - they actually talk more than just "small talk" - which is good. I'm happy for him. I remember my dad's best friend from college, whom we all called "Uncle Jonathan." Sadly, Uncle J passed away at a young age - and I didn't realize it fully at the time (I was young) - but I know now that it profoundly affected my dad. Later on in life, my dad became very close friends with one of his coworkers. And my mom was very close with his wife. And then they ended up moving away about 10 years ago - and that too was hard on my dad.
So...I'm glad he has another good friend. Makes me happy :)

Oh...and dinner tonight was awesome. I had turtle soup (a very New Orleans dish) and steak. MMMMmmm.

I'm in love . . .

. . . and the man in question is short, bald, is a real boob man and loves to drool. To call me a cradle robber would be an understatement!!

I had the GREAT pleasure of spending today with my friend Katie and her son, Clark. Katie and I have been friends...well...ever since I can remember. Our parents were friends pre-k (pre-kids), so it's been a long time.

Clark's daddy flies F-16's and currently he and his family live very far away...so this was my first chance to get to meet him in person! I took a bunch of photos - but unfortunely will have to wait until I get back to SF in order to post one.

He is the cutest. Boy. Ever. And I'm not just saying that because his momma and I have been friends for so long. Truly, he is a beautiful baby. He's 5 and a half months old, and is just the happiest, smiliest bundle around. I got to play with him a lot today and get to know this little guy. It's amazing, actually, to look up on my wall at home and see a pic of me and K in matching pj's circa kindergarten...and then spend all day today holding her SON. wow.

Anyway...I'm absolutely smitten and am so proud to be "Auntie" to this little tyke.

And pretty soon, baby Clark is going to be joined by ANOTHER little honoray nephew...Katie's and my dear friend Jen is expecting baby Carter later this summer. Carter, whose daddy flies F-22's and also lives far away, will be giving Clark-o a run for his money in terms of cuteness, especially if he follows anything at all in the footsteps of his older sister, Addie!! Can't wait to meet him!

I am so blessed to have these "nephews" and "niece" in my life. My cup overfloweth, indeed. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!! (And miss you guys, too!!)

Tuesday

Finished up one show on Sunday . . . and started rehearsal toinght for the next one.
We were already giggling our way through it...it's gonna be a fun summer.


In other news...looking forward to this long weekend. I'm headed home for a few days to chill and celebrate dad's birthday. Even though my folks were just out here, most of my time was spent at the theater, so it will be nice to relax at home.

woot.

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ down the river

If my father had a top 5 list of what makes him happy in this world (other – than, of course, his perfect kids…hahah) this is what it would look like:
1. Traveling. Anytime, anywhere (I definitely got that gene….)
2. Delta Airlines and their history
3. Dark chocolate (Moonstruck, Ghirardelli, and Maison du Chocolat)
4. Grand Lake, CO (me too)
5. Tina Turner

So…I get a phone call at work today from my father who is VERY excited about something. As it happens, it’s #5 on that list. Seems Tina is coming out of retirement for one last tour, which he read about in the paper last week. And which Tina announced (along with Cher) on the Oprah show today. (No – my parents don’t watch the Oprah show…but TINA was on today, so they watched).

Anyways…I get a call with a directive to please look up the website and see the tour schedule. I did and – unfortunately – Tina is not going to be playing in Colorado near my parents. However….she IS playing both San Jose and Sacramento. One quick phone call back to dad and we now have tickets to the San Jose show in October. I’ve seen Tina with the fam once before. I believe mom & dad have seen her three times total (once in the mid-60’s when it was Ike & Tina). And there is a strong possibility of going to the Sacramento show, too, if dad can get the whole week off of work.

So we’ll be rollin’ on down the highway all over the bay following Tina’s tour. Just like Grateful Deadheads. Only….less hippy and more….middle-aged parents with their 20-something kids. And I am TOTALLY looking forward to it!

I took this picture last weekend at Newport Beach. We had a fun - albeit very quick - trip down there. There is never a dull moment with the family.
I got there early on Saturday morning, and we hit the ground running. Went to Balboa Island and walked around/shopped and then took the very across to the peninsula, where we explored, played in the arcade (skeeball!) and had some delicous seafood. Afterwards, we walked to the beach...now. It was cold (for SoCal) a good chunk of the day. Sibling's big fleece jacket was my saving grace, since I had not thought it necessary to bring my own along.
Saturday night, when we finally returned to the hotel and Dad went to bed, the rest of us decided to hit the town. Actually, we were just looking for the movie theatre, but the lack of car and directions to any theaters prevented this from happening. So, instead, we hit up an Irish pub we found (close to the movie theater we found but at which no movies we wanted to see were playing).

It was a good decision. We had a lot of fun. And didn't cause too much trouble...HA. The funniest part, though, was the cab ride home. Our hotel was not far from the pub, but it was late, and rainy and cold. So, we ended up splitting a van cab (Mom, Sibling, S and I) with two 30-something fratboys. Here is part of our conversation:

DG#1 (Drunk Guy #1): So, where are you guys from?
Sibling: San Francisco
Mom: Colorado
DG#1: Colorado? Oh yeah? Where's that?
Me: Really? You know . . . mountains....Denver Broncos.....etc....
DG#1: Oh yeah...yeah
Me: Actually - no - it's a little beach town just a little West of here...less touristy.
DG#2: Hey - hey - we could show you all around Newport Beach! 365, 24/7 let the goodtimes roll, yeah....

Mom (getting out at the hotel): So.....you're unemployed?

Sibling starts cracking up - as he is the only one who heard her ask DG#2 that question. He promptly filled the rest of us in, though...

My End of the Phone Call

"Hey, Mom...I've gotta hang up soon, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"No, Ma...I'm only going to be at home for a few minutes - enough time to grab my stuff and head back out the door."

"No, I don't have a rehearsal tonight, but I am headed to Bible Study up at the church, and I'm going to take the bus."

"Um...hello? Have you *seen* the news? Gas is over $4/gallon here, so, yeah, I'm trying to take the bus more."

"WHAT? The bus is FINE mother. It's fine. Really. My neighborhood is *fine*. Look, I'm leaving when it's still light outside. No reason to get upset. Seriously...What? No, [Sibling] is not at home...he's still at work. Are you going to get him to talk me out of taking the bus??"

"Come on. You can't be serious. MOM. Do you know how many places I've lived where there's much worse public transportation? Seriously. You realize I've ridden public transportation in countries where I don't even speak the language, right? Right?"

"Wait - no...don't worry. I can always get a ride home. Oh you don't have to get dad involved, Mom, just-"

"....."

"Hi, Dad. I don't know. Mom's freaking out over me taking the bus tonight. To church. What? No...it's fine. Really. And I'll get a ride home, I promise."

Family Traditions

I am 28 years old. Perhaps different from a lot of people, I did not drink alcohol before I turned 21. What can I say? I was pretty goody-two-shoes. Even when I lived in France during college (and I was not yet 21), I only had wine once or twice. Looking back, I cannot believe that!

All this being said - fast foward to now. I still do not drink alcohol very often. Living in the Bay Area, I've come to appreciate good wine, indeed, but I've never been sick from drinking. I don't like the physical symptoms that come with "drunkness" and the lack of judgement that is often part of that, as well.

Anyways. Tonight. We celebrated Sibling & Shanna's bday at our neighborhood Irish pub. I started out with them there and then progressed on to a *different* Irish pub across town for a going-away party, and then went BACK to the original pub to meet up with my original crew.

When I got back, I was greeted with a round of shots. Now. This is the first time EVER that I have ever "done shots" with my brother. It was a real family bonding moment. We did two rounds of something nasty. Ick.

Anyways. A new leap year tradition, perhaps? hahaha - I'm not sure...but it was fun(ny) to partake of the aforementioned adult beverages with the same man whose toys I used to break.