Go fly a kite

We are back from Corolla. It was so nice to get away for a few days, and to see Chris, Jessica and Jeff since its been a year. Yep, a whole year. And that is inexcusable really. But we had a wonderful time. Corolla is further up the Outer Banks than I have ever been before. Its where the wild horses are, although I didn't see any of them. You have to have a permit, or a guide to go out there where they are now, since some time earlier some people were out there shooting at them. What the hell is wrong with people??? Hearing that just made me feel sick.

So no horses, but instead, it was the week of KITES. Chris bought a kite at the well-known Kitty Hawk Kites store, and it ended up being a real blast. Its one of the 2-stringed parafoil kites that you can control and do stunts and stuff. Well, I could barely control it and I certainly didn't do any stunts with it, but if you knew what you were doing you could. And we had so much fun with it that Bruce got "kite-envy", so he went to the kite store and bought a bigger kite. Still a 2 stringed parafoil. It occupied a good portion of our time.

The beach was fantastic. I LOVE the weather in September and October. We had warm sunny days, perfect for sitting out on the beach. The sand wasn't too hot to walk on, and there were no crowds. Perfect. I found it a bit chilly to swim in the ocean, but there were people doing it.

Anyway, it was good fun, wonderful scenery, awesome company, and a lot of delicious food. Whats not to love? And now we are back and today at work kind of kicked my rear end. Its always sad to have to go back to reality after a good time away.

Food Fest

Erica got home yesterday afternoon. And when we all get together, apparently the feeding frenzy never ends. I am laughing at just how bad we are. It started not long after Erica arrived. The kids went out for frozen yogurt. We have this place just up the road called Peppermints. Its a whole wall of frozen yogurt flavors, followed by another whole wall of toppings. You can have almost any fruit, candy, nut or sprinkles that you can imagine. Even cereals. And then you go to the counter and have your concoction weighed so you can pay by the ounce. Its kind of expensive, but absolutely delicious.

And while Bruce and I were still at work for the yogurt outing, we were home for Parker's at dinner time (eastern NC BBQ and slaw for those who don't know). Today was Dale's Indian Cuisine for lunch. Buffet-style. I only moderately tolerate Indian food, so at least I didn't eat disgusting amounts of it. I did decide that the curry chicken was pretty good but its not something I crave or go out of my way to eat. And tonight? Thai food. And that I do happen to love. I get mine really mild. I had the crispy chicken Pad Thai and it was as good as always. Stephen had the mango curry....at a heat level of 20. That's as hot as it can go. This is a different Thai place from the Thai 360 restaurant that we ate at last weekend with Jeanne and Calvin, but it is run by the same people so the menu is pretty similar. Stephen said that the 20 level at the place tonight was much hotter than the 20 level Mango curry he had last weekend. He didn't sweat, but he did get all red in the face while eating it. But he ate every last bite, and slurped up the curry broth afterwards, so apparently it wasn't too hot for him.

After pigging out on Thai food we went to yet another frozen yogurt place called Lo-Yo. The kids like it because the tart original flavor is really super tart. I think its good, but there are only about 5 or 6 yogurt flavors to choose from at any one time, and they did NOT have Peanut Butter today. That made me kind of sad. Peanut Butter yogurt is amazing. But I had chocolate with reece cup topping, so it was acceptable. Right now we are all stuffed and tired. Erica is going to be here until Monday morning, so.....who knows what tomorrow will bring. I might have to slow down with the feeding frenzy though. I am going to have to eat nothing but salads for the next week to make up for all of this decadence.

Trying Hard

We are trying hard to find our way back to normal after this long, heinous summer. I have a lot to say about Bruce's Dad's passing, the summer he spent so terribly sick. But not now. Its too much with me still. Its too raw. Maybe later I can sort it all out.

In the meanwhile, we get up and go about our days, go to work, run errands...all of it. We are finding our way, and eventually things will be ok again. I know this from experience. Erica is coming home to see us this weekend. Her visa was issued this week, and her plane ticket bought. She will be leaving for York at Thanksgiving. I get sad sometimes, but I am quick to push those thoughts away and think about how exciting its going to be visiting her over there. And the fact that her contract is for 2 and a half years. And how exciting its going to be for her to be able to spend her time off roaming around Europe.

And we are spending part of next week with some friends of ours. They have rented a beachfront house up in Corolla, NC. That part of the NC coast is our favorite. And its been a while since we have gone up there. We had plans to go up for our anniversary, but Dad was too sick. So this is a real treat, and I am looking so forward to it. That whole area: Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Hatteras is such a nice combination of beautiful and remote (there is even a nude beach if you know where to find it...its not on any map), but with shopping, restaurants, and interesting sights just a short drive away. If you ever go, be sure to catch a sunset up on Jockey's Ridge. Its the largest natural sand dune in the eastern US. The climb up to the top is somewhat arduous....its climbing a tall mountain of loose sand. But the view is worth it. The Hatteras lighthouse is where a lot of people go, but I didn't find it all that exciting. Maybe because the one day we finally decided to drive all the way out there (its a long haul), the darned thing was closed, and it was hotter than hell that day anyway. At least I saw it up close from the outside, and it was kind of amazing to imagine how crazy it must have been moving that thing. We watched the moving of the lighthouse on the news, but seeing it in person...what a feat!

Love to all!

A bright spot

There was a bright spot today in the sea of car problems, stove problems and the fact that we haven't even had the time to get a new roof put on after the hurricane (we have draped plastic on top of our house....again). When I got up this morning, our fridge was acting crazy. The LED read out that tells you the temp was reading 0f, instead of -4/34. Those are the ideal fridge and freezer temps, and I didn't know that until we bought this fridge. I was so upset with it, on top of everything else, that I went to work in a tizzy.

Ok, but this afternoon I set out to deal with it. Its less than a year old, so I called Samsung to see what could be done. And it makes me happy to be able to report something happy and good. First of all, after a brief recorded menu, I had an actual customer service person, a real LIVE person on the line in less than 2 minutes. She listened to the problem, put me on hold for another 2 or so minutes to look up information about this model of refrigerator. And then in 5 short minutes of a service call....gave me the answer as to how to fix it myself. Seriously, I was floored and grateful. Apparently power fluctuations can cause the thing to go into "demo" mode. All I had to do was to hold 2 buttons on the display down for 3 or 4 seconds and it just magically started working again. The display is on. The fridge is working. I could tell that while it was still working with the 0f display, it wasn't quite as cold as it usually is.

And while I can't say how aggravating it may have been if we had needed to have a repair man come out to deal with something more involved....I am happy to say that Samsung was really quick and helpful. And in today's market of pathetically poor customer service, that is something to be grateful for. And I showed both Bruce and
Stephen how to fix the problem if it happens again. Because chances are, I won't remember...LOL.

And it goes on and on and on

My stove finally gave up the ghost completely about a month ago. We have been planning meals completely around what can be cooked on a stove top, grill, microwave and toaster oven. There is no fixing it either. Its a control panel and its old enough that the part is no longer available. Bruce's car is on the fritz, too. We played musical cars today, Stephen ferrying us around trying to get the routes covered, and now its too darned late to figure out what the problem is. Its electrical...we know that much. Does it ever end? We are both tired and cranky and raw.

I do have a new stove coming next week. We have to have a very specific size, and it has to be "drop in" due to the fact that my cabinet configuration was done to make it look built-in. I like it because the sides have a lip that goes over the edges of the counter tops so nothing greasy or grungy can fall down onto the sides. Still, it makes our choices limited, and expensive. So there you go. I found one that I liked and of course it had to be ordered. Hopefully that can be dealt with and the 9 month saga of the oven that works only periodically will end.

Did I mention that I am tired??

Funeral

Barb asked, "Do you not want a funeral?". And that is a very good question. I don't know. I want my family to do whatever is comforting for them at the time. I feel like I will probably be someplace better and it won't make any difference to me. But I know that society dictates a certain etiquette, so....? I just know that for me, grief is private. What I wanted when my mother died was to have a week or so alone just to process things in my brain. Time to pull myself together, cry it all out, and try to feel like a human being again. I didn't want to answer calls, make plans, figure out food, or receive visitors until I felt like I had a handle on the situation. Then...maybe I could have handled a public funeral for people to pay their last respects. Maybe. As it was, I was so beside myself with shock that I don't remember much about that day. Those couple of days when we were doing all those necessary things to plan a funeral are a complete blur. I wouldn't have gotten through it without Bruce, I do know that. I have no idea who came, who didn't, who I spoke with or what I wore. All I remember was wanting to curl up in a ball in my bed and to be left alone. I realize everybody processes things differently, and a public funeral is expected. I seriously doubt I will be allowed to rewrite the rules anytime soon. My thoughts are just that it should be about bringing comfort to the ones still here. Of course, maybe having lots of people around to pay respects does bring comfort to some people....I will be the first to admit I am odd and reclusive. So, probably its just me. Funerals are just hard. And thats all I have to say about that.

Quote of the day

I like this quote. It seems appropriate right now:

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell

Bruce's father passed away quietly at home this past Friday. Jeanne called us Thursday morning, and told us that things were getting dire. Bruce immediately drove back up to Virginia and was there with him through until the end. His breathing slowed over the course of hours and finally he just didn't take another one. Its been hard. All of it. Watching him suffer through the illness, the long stay at the hospital....the whole family is sad and exhausted. But we go on because we have to.

I remember when my Mom died. One thought that occurred to me was how odd it was that life was going on normally for everybody else. People were still shopping, still going to work, putting gas in their cars, and making dinner. My world was crashing in on me and yet....the rest of the world was carrying on, business as usual. It seems like there should be at least a moment in time when there is a worldwide pause, just to commemorate a life passing. I know....not practical given how many people share the world with us. But still, something. Some acknowledgement of the moment. Not the funeral later, but the actual moment.

Dad's service was really nice. I don't really get the concept of funerals. Is the point to honor the life that has passed? I have always heard that its to give the survivors closure? Maybe its both. I just am so appalled at having to be paraded, tear-streaked face, broken heart and all, down the center aisle of a chapel full of gawkers and onlookers. And then to be expected to entertain a crowd of people afterwards? Yes, its what is expected. I know that. But to have to stand there and make trivial small talk over finger sandwiches when all I want to do is curl up in my bed and cry...its cruel and inhumane. There has got to be a better way. Or maybe its just me and my reclusive tendencies. I prefer to deal with my grief privately. But the service was nice. It was also exhausting and sad. I don't remember who I talked to, or what I said. But I got through it, and so did Bruce. At least there's that.

And now, we will have to pick up the pieces and get on with it. Its what people do.
It will be ok, but it takes time.