Charades

Never before did I consider charades a cruel and tiring past time but I do now. The premise sounds simple enough; pick your topic and act it out for others to guess. But little did I know how exhausting it could be or how determined to win the contestants would become. It was a grueling night that never seemed to end....torturous really. Well I did catch some of it on camera. You watch it and I'll bet you are every bit as scandalized as I am.

Karma Hug

Have you ever wondered if the Universe can hear you? Have you ever felt that Karma is working for you or watched it screw up a friend while you stand by helplessly and can do nothing? Did you know it was going to happen or did it catch you by surprise? Was it good Karma or bad?

I found I lost an important person in my life. He was vital to me and I didn't really realize it until I discovered he was dead...killed in a car accident.( I will speak further of him in another blog post.) The same day I gained a friend who is artistically inspired and so happy with life that it shows in everything he creates. Also that same day I received contact from another friend long lost to me...an email out of the blue. And yet another person who has long been important to me, yet we have been apart..also made contact with me. I hope there will be more involvement with all these people that the Universe has brought to me but I can't help wondering why? Why did this all happen in the same day? Why the roller coaster ride of emotions? Was I supposed to see something here that I missed? Am I feeling something that really means nothing?

I don't know what it all means....hopefully I will in time. Maybe it just boils down to when one door closes another opens...and all you have to do is pay attention, listen to your inner self, and carry it forward into fruition. For the time being I will trust in Karma and hope that brighter skies are in my future. I need sunshine in my life; bring it on Karma!

Carol's Surprise Party

Carol's birthday is in January. With all the holidays so recently gone by it's tough to get people geared up for a surprise party. This time the surprise was on me because it was easier than I thought it would be. There were family members; friends; and many gate crashers because the party was held at a local watering hole. It was amazing how many people were willing to be look outs too which was a big help.

Carol was taken out to dinner by Larry...he was our inside man. After dinner he casually suggested a drink at Jimmy's to round out the evening. Perfect! She stepped in the door, we yelled surprise and she started crying. (The goal is always to make them cry so I was satisfied at that point.) She later told me that it was the best surprise party she ever had. And in fact there ended up being more family members there than I had originally asked...which was great because I don't know her whole family and she was so happy to have them there.

I won't give you a blow by blow of the evening. I'll let the video speak for itself. There are other pictures that I haven't gotten my hands on yet. At least one of Carol and I kissing Larry from each side of him...a surprise for him. ha ha Everyone had a great time and I'm glad it was a success.

Board Meeting

While most people were attending wonderful parties on the eve of the New Year some people were attending to important issues; being dedicated to the cause; determined to forego the pleasures of the evening to apply their collective efforts to better the human condition. I felt our committee deserved some recognition for our splendid progress and strong committment to mankind.
These photos were taken at the beginning of our meeting. So much important work was accomplished that night...It makes me proud!

All the members were so dedicated that they insisted on returning the next morning to work even more! What a group!

Birthday 2009

It was a dark and stormy night.....oh wait, that's not the way it went at all. Let me see....it was a Saturday night not unlike many others in my life, with one exception. It was a couple of days before my birthday. I was not looking forward to this birthday. I don't look forward to any birthdays really but this one for some reason seemed more depressing than the last one. If turning 40 means you're over the hill, I've gone over the hill and into the friggin forest! And there's some dark and scary stuff lurking in that forest my friends!

On this Saturday night Justin came to the rescue and I didn't even know I needed rescuing. He invited me out to dinner for my birthday. Now let me tell you this is such a rare event that I was simply happy to go and never thought for a moment anything was a foot. Off to Olive Garden we go! This time I thought I'd try the stuffed chicken Marsala. It was good but I have no idea what they stuffed it with. They also make a soup there that is to die for. When that arrived Justin suddenly said he had to use the bathroom. I thought the timing was odd but what the hell...I had my soup. After the dinner I found out why Justin suddenly had to go to the bathroom during the soup. We were talking while waiting for the the waiter to come back to pack our leftovers. It was taking quite a while and I was getting antsy.

Around the corner comes a group of the wait staff singing something and carrying a small cake with a candle in it. Now this is when it gets really weird. I STILL didn't get what was going on here. (I know, right?) I was saying something to Justin and when I noticed them coming I felt a moment of irritation because they were so loud...so I started talking louder to Justin! Justin had a look of shock on his face...like Mom, what the hell are you doing?? When they turned and starting coming directly at me I finally got that they were singing for ME! On came the whole crew singing something I couldn't even make out and carrying a lovely molten chocolate cake with a candle in it. Fantastic! I was thrilled!

The cake was delicious and yes, I shared it with Justin. He's so good..he was actually paying attention when we first looked at the menu and I had said I always wanted to try one of those cakes. What a great son he is!
So our food was packed and we were out of there some time later. I was so full..it was uncomfortable...but happy just the same.

When we got home Sara's car was in the driveway and I did say to Justin, what the hell is Sara doing here? But I blew it off and thought she'd explain when I got in the house. Justin took the containers of our leftovers from me so I could open the door. That struck me as a little odd and I said what...is somebody going to jump out at me or what? Laughing, I opened the door and that's exactly what happened! Everyone yelled surprise and the lights came on. I was so excited I literally jumped up and down screaming like an excited teenage girl!! (someone said it was like Ed McMan just told me I won the big check!)They were laughing their butts off at me and later told me repeatedly that it was the best reaction they ever saw anybody have.

I have never had a birthday party in my whole life...really, never! And being termed "a Christmas baby" all my life, I never expected to have a party. My birthday is three days after Christmas...not a good time to try to throw a birthday party. Most people would give me a Christmas present and say it's for my birthday too. (little weazels!) :) And others just ignore the birthday completely. (Hmmm!) As you get older you're supposed to not care about birthday parties anymore. And for the most part that's always been true for me. But when people get together to throw a surprise party for you it's not about the gifts or the food...it's all about the fact that they CARED enough to want to please you!! It's all about being loved and appreciated and that's exactly the feeling they gave me. What a wonderful gift!

Happy Birthday to ME! Wooo Hooo!