Write Now
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5:33pm Sunday, December 14, 2008
I have a few minutes to spare this afternoon. I didn’t expect to spare any. I could be polishing my bathroom and dusting, but I sit here. Laptop in lap. Hands on keys. Like an addict looking for a fix.
It’s that time of year. You know, that time when we run ragged from buying gifts and delivering presents and attending Christmas parties and saying goodbye to friends as they move…
My college girls get here in 30 minutes. We’re having a Christmasy-end-of-the-semester movie night… Two movies. Three college girls. And me. Oh, and pizza, popcorn, hot chocolate, blankets, blah blah blah. I live in a fairly quiet apartment building, and things get rather LOUD when they show up. My poor neighbors. It’s like our little apartment is a jolt of caffeine. They get silly and giggly and loud. Just. Plain. Loud.
I’m in my comfy PJ clothes and hoodie… The place is silent. All I can hear are the tap tap tap of my fingers on the keys, and the steady whirrrr of my laptop fan. Calm before the storm.
I’m silent. I’m calm. But in less than an hour my borderline personality will swing from it’s current introverted state and become a silly giddy extroverted form of Mandy. I’m not sure if Drew will recognize his wife when he comes home!
Oh don’t worry. He fled the building long before they arrived. Smart man.
Right now the place just smells clean. Fresh. Warm and inviting.
Soon, my nostrils will be overrun with pizza and popcorn and cookies…
mmm… cookies.
But, first things first, gotta go brighten up the bathroom.
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Ok. Your turn. How’s your Monday going? Write. Now. And come back for more later.
Exciting for mama and papa!! Sorry – have to check out papa’s blog to find out why!!
It’s 12:06 pm. I can hear a train off in the distance and mouse clicks behind me. The children are home from school today due to weather.
I am sitting here, catching up on blogs, typing my first reply to a “write now”, amazed that at the time I started this no-one else has responded.
Now, there is performance pressure.
I’ve turned on the oven to begin making lunch for the three of us. The sleet has come and gone all morning. The tink tink tink on the windows offering dreams to the children of another day at home tomorrow. To me, it offers dreams of warm beaches and hot summers days. Tink Tink Tink – The inspiration to my mental escape.
As I come back to my reality, I give up sunny beach dreams in exchange for the rare peace of siblings getting along.
I’ll go back to reading blogs soon.
First, I must finish making lunch and try not to think about the cold that threatens to overtake my world.
1:46 pm
I’m back home from a semester away, but looky-looky I still have (overdue) work to do!
Trying to walk in love, but last night, just minutes in the door, I failed miserably.
Missing Safari, as it does spell/grammar checks, and IE does not!
My heart is broken, even in amidst the peacefulness of this empty house. Broken for those around me who are hurting so badly that they resort to ‘medicating ‘ the pain. And the ‘they’ are 14 and 16.
As the computer groans I am reminded of the work I am putting of, of my hungry belly, and of the FIVE pounds I gained during Finals Week. But, also I am reminded that *whatever* I do I must work at it with all my heart, and WRITE NOW I’m not doing that.
Jesus, write now I call upon you. Fill me with your perfect love, and help me to show those around me that you can be our everything—that in You we can experience the joy of salvation!
And now, I go to pee and then do my homework (in His name).
//1:51
2:00 pm
Had an hour long chat with a friend who is confused and frustrated with a girl. Saying a quick prayer for him.
Outside it’s cloudy, but warm. In the 70s here. My long sleeve tee is a little clingy. Tomorrow? Warmer.
In an hour I’ll leave to take my puppy, Sophie, to the vet. She’s been with us for over 1.5 months and been sick the whole time. Hoping today’s visit is a positive one. It’s been a struggle with a respiratory infection and at one point pneumonia. She’s still coughing a lot. Sad puppy eyes just move us humans, don’t they? Imagine those same sad puppy eyes on the face of a puppy who can hardly breathe and is coughing constantly. It hurts my heart. I can’t wait to have kids. One day. To love a being so much must be wonderful. I can only imagine since my experience is so limited (only a puppy).
This evening, I sleep. Been a long weekend. Christmas parties tomorrow and Wednesday. I am not a party person. Unless it’s a superbowl party and there’s only 2 or 3 couples.
Anyways.
Hey Mandy! Sounds like you are going to have a fun time. Enjoy! My monday has been pretty good just getting ready for a leadership Christmas party tonight. I have also been preparing our worship set for this Friday, trying to get it done early for everyone! Overall pretty good Monday.
Mondays are my busiest day. However, my wife stayed home today primarily because she felt so tired. There’s nothing that brings joy and tiredness like our baby boy.
Let’s see . . .
Write now I’m finally getting a chance to catch up on blog reading – goodness gracious I have missed your bloggy Miss Mandy!
I am ridiculously giddy as my parents have rolled in to town for the week. Things are as they should be – Dad is doing projects in the soon-to-be-nursery and Mom is snapping a bazillion pictures of the soon-to-be-big-sister. It feels right. A little glimpse of what used to be normalcy inserted into our “new” normal so far, far away.
This is a good, good Monday.
3:34pm Monday
At work.
Sippin’ on tea that is supposed to do something to my hormones.
I’m not a hippie. I’m not into herbal medicines, but I AM into happy hormones. Men, don’t fight me on this one…
In one hour the sun will be down. The sky will be dark. And I’ll walk home from work… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how short daylight can be during New England’s winter months.
I miss sunshine, in an existential sort of way…
i hope your sunday night was blissful. and filled your love-tank.
write now:
i’m sitting on one end of the L couch; kitty on the other. each with our own laptop. and i smile at that thought: we’re THAT comfortable with each other, and i love it.
i made two big decisions that while i’m still a bit leery about, i’m also pretty excited for.
my heart feels like it’s on a rollercoaster.
and i’m just plain mellow. maybe “blah” is a more accurate way to put it.
1:15 pm (pst)
I am off work for the rest of the day. I can’t seem to find my Christmas spirit. Poor Craig is trying so hard to get me there. It just isn’t working. I pulled into the garage and noticed that he brought home a Christmas tree. Normally I would be jumping for joy, normally it would have been up 2 weeks ago. As I sat in the car staring at it all I could think of was all the work that was going to go into it.
I am behind on all of my Christmas cards too. I made it to M so if your last name is M-Z I am getting there. I promise.
The Lord has been good to me lately. I should have nothing to complain about. I think I am just tired of the drudgery that comes with Christmas. I don’t want to go spend tons of money on gifts we don’t need. I am tired of the excess.
That is me Write Now. Sorry
1:45 San Diego time
I just scarfed down my sixth cup of coffee, I am soaked head to toe and my feet are numb and wet. San Diego is getting it’s first blow of storms. My job as an estimator of wrecked cars has brought me to mud.
. I should stop whining I picked this job and I’m working.
I’m so ready for a hot shower and warm socks and some warm soup..
Write now I am in the library tutoring. My child is taking a quiz that is how I can justify being on the computer.Today was a quiet day….kinda the calm before the storm. Had to play receptionist because there was no one else available. I have been fighting a cold for the past week. I have taken everything I know to take but sound like a 85 year old 3 pack a day smoker! Tonight is my last night of house/cat/dog sitting until the weekend and then I get to do it again. Not a bad gig.
Right now? I’m getting ready for a little shindig of my own. Started out as just a quiet night with a couple of friends….Has now turned into quite the crowd. But at least there will be Christmas movies!
4:10 pm PST
So Cal finally got a real storm today. It’s supposed to be around most of the week, which I love. I absolutely love the rain…except for the people who don’t know how to drive in it.
I just got back from visiting my high school with some friends. It was nice seeing some of my old teachers again…although they somehow have a distorted view of my high school years, and for some reason, that really irks me.
I went to lunch with my brother before that. I don’t get to see him as much these days, so it was very needed.
I’m currently listening to the rain (and Kenny Chesney) and waiting for my mom to get home so that we can finish putting up the North Pole Village.
My dad’s supposed to be making chili tonight. Perfect for the weather. Can’t wait.
It is incredibly dark in here. Aside from being completely overcast, our tree is so huge, it just does not let light into the living room. The first thing anyone says when they walk in our house is “Wow, that’s a big tree.”
Going to play some games with some friends later tonight. Probably Cranium and Catan. Love it.
7:33pm Monday
(Theresa, this is for you.)
Feet propped up on my coffee table… Watching Drew play some funny video game. We’re testing out the used Nintendo Game Cube for our friends – they’re giving it to their kids for Christmas.
I’m looking at 4 target bags on my floor. We also went shopping this morning, while our car was in the shop accruing a $1,000 bill (DONTGETMESTARTED!)… As we walked out of the store, I was all giggles and Drew was cheery as well. He smiled and said this was the first Christmas we’ve bought more presents for little people than for big people. He’d read my mind. I was just thinking that it’s the kids that really makes Christmas special… Their joy and energy… And the thrill of getting them something fun that they’ll love playing with.
We’re the cool Aunt and Uncle who spoils their nieces and nephews… And we like it that way!
Merry Christmas everybody!!
MARISA! I heart Catan! I HEART CATAN!!!!!
ME TOO!
We haven’t had the chance to play it all together all quarter. SO excited!!!
Oh, I can so relate to the addict comment. I’m already 10 minutes behind schedule for getting in the shower to get ready to go to a Christmas party, and here I sit reading blogs. I keep saying, “I’ll just read one more and then I”ll get up and get going”. What is my problem, besides being a huge procrastinator? Ok, really need to get moving now. I don’t want to be more than fashionably late.
7:40 pm
Spent most of the day doing chores.
Have caught up on blogs & tweeter. Getting ready to read about M-theory, bubble universes and Gauge-gravity duality. If it seems like I have any idea what I am talking about, I don’t.
8:34PM Monday night is tv night–Sarah Conner Chronicles and Prison Break. Get to chill and do nothing after a busy day. Made some huge decisions today. Tonight my body aches a “good ache” from an intense workout. Time to just veg…
8:16- Milwaukee Wisconsin
It’s less than 10 degrees outside.
In fact, it’s 4 degrees.
And I officially hate this state.
I’m watching the Philly Eagles beat some other team with ugly colors, contemplating a blog entry, but know I won’t end up writing it because I haven’t been very good at that stuff lately.
I’m doubting a lot of things in my life, so I’m sitting in a big vat of self pity right now I think.
So.
To recap:
cold.
hate Wisconsin.
Watching football team.
Sitting in a vat of self pity.
Sounds about right.
It’s just after 9 pm.
I’m doing what I do most nights…blogging from bed with Fox News in the background.
My son is lying next to me talking to some girl on the phone about God. Very cool.
Sammie, the dog, can’t decide if she wants to be on my lap or play with her new friend…a puppy!! Yes, a new puppy with too. much. energy.
I can hear the piano as my other son is playing the theme from The Incredible Hulk. It really is a beautiful song.
And a trombone is being blown hard as my daughter practices for her first band concert.
Life is always busy here. They come and go…visiting me…in bed…as the day wears on…
I hope Phat comes in soon. I love his kisses.
It’s 8:04 at night…
I am still working.. The shivering has stopped since my clothes are almost dry.
My husband made an awesome mexican soup called Pozole. It’s hitting the spot.
I haven’t dragged my butt into the hot bath yet, I have one or two files to go.
Been chewing on God’s answers to prayers lately.
timing, reasonings, and plans…
It will have to wait tonight.
Back to this file….
It’s 2:20 in the a.m.
Not sure why I’m still up. Today was insanely crazy and I didn’t get a moment to sit by myself until 11pm tonight. I was helping my neighbor today after she crashed her van into her closed garage door. She and her kids were here all day and I fed them and gave them naps and took care of all the them while she talked with insurance companies and repair shops. But anyway, that was today. Back to NOW.
Now I am sitting on my couch, in my warm house, while it is -20something outside with a windchill that could burn hair off your arms. The tv is on an infomercial. I’m an infomercial addict. The tv is muted though. I hear a clock ticking….most annoying sound in the world to me. My Christmas Tree is lit up and looks so pretty. My Peanut is curled into a ball on the other end of the couch sleeping.
And my “baby” just woke up crying. Dang. I guess that’s my cue to actually get upstairs and go to bed. *sigh*
3:15 am PST
I just got home from game night. Apples to Apples and Cranium Wow. No Catan, but fun nonetheless. We have our own little version of Cranium that we can never remember our own rules to. So we end up arguing for far too long. I love us…arguing and all. They give me just what I need before I know I need it.
I can hear my brother upstairs. He’s trying to get all of the homework done that he put off doing all semester. He still has two papers to write by tomorrow…er, later today. Poor guy, even if it is totally his fault. I brought him a DP when I came home. Hopefully that will help get him through.
The sound of the timed light is resonating in my head. Some days it’s creepy, others it’s soothing. I have yet to decide which one it is today.
I suppose I should get to bed now. I hear it’s absurd to be up at this hour.
Tuesday 9:14am
I love reading these. We’re all so wonderfully normal and strange – at the same time!
Tuesday 9:26 am (pst)
Write Now
I am sitting at work alone. They are all gone to a meeting. I am praying for two of my blogging friends that are having a hard time right now. I am also praising the Lord for my wonderful husband who is trying so hard to get me in the Christmas mood.
I can see blue sky! It is still cold out but I can see blue sky!! I bought a Christmas ornament when I got my skinny latte this morning. Maybe it is the step I needed to take to be HOHOHOHappy. I think I really just need to play Tevin Campbell’s version of O Holy Night 5 million times and then the conversion will be complete. I will be a walking advertisement for Merry Christmas.
PS) I use to love shopping for kids. Then they grow up and turn into teenagers.
(Teenagers can singlehandedly ruin Christmas with their greedy little selves!)