Flick your Bic for me

It's official...I have a problem.

I'm a learning junkie.

Friday I met my deadline.  I would love to say just barely, but that would be untrue.  I finished the last exam around 2:00pm.  Which was just a little under two hours of just barely.  It felt as if the weight of the world was lifted from shoulders.  And I did really well, too.  Finished with a final grade of 98.8%.  Yes, I'll wait while you clap.  

So Friday evening as I was sitting in front of the TV zoning out, because I had totally earned an evening of doing nothing but zoning...I started to surf the Internet for the next thing I can learn about.  Seriously people, what is my problem?  I have just finished the bulk of the work on this last endeavor, but still have to take the test that will certify me.  (I am hoping to have that done before the end of the month.)  

The ink hasn't even been applied to that certification yet, and I am already looking for the next.  

I feel like one of  those people in those commercials from when I was a kid about addiction.  Standing there, holding up a candle and introducing themselves and telling you their problem.  "Hello, my name is Kelly and I am a learning-a-holic."  

Is there a twelve step process for this? My office is littered with the completion certificates from so many different types of courses I have taken over the years.  Some costing, some not.  When I wanted to learn to crochet beyond the basics...I took a course.  When I wanted to learn to bake, I took a course.  When I wanted to learn photography, I took a course.  When I wanted to learn how to decorate...okay, I watched HGTV...but I learned.  

You see the pattern here.  So what's next for me?  I am going to finish up the course on being a travel agent.  I have decided I really want to find out if I can cruise for 50% off the advertised rates.  I promise to let you know how that one turns out. 

Missing my social interaction....

I am falling behind on everything lately.  Remember back when I said I was a superhero.  Well it seems-at least for the time being-I have misplaced my cape.

Working from home has been absolutely fabulous.  I didn't know I would enjoy it this much.  My stress levels have dropped considerably since I am no longer responsible for maintaining an office.  I no longer have that 1.5 hour drive to and from, that I made everyday.  More time for me to be productive.

I am eating better since I have more control of what I end and when.  No more rushing to a drive-through for lunch.  No grazing, even though I was warned it could happen.  I spend more quality time with my computer than ever before.

I can watch One Tree Hill at lunch and not subject the Captain to this it-used-to-be-good-but-is-now-limping-out-of-its-last-season substandard television.  They did a show where Brooke got to be a superhero, but now I am just digressing (has anyone noticed that I really like the word digress, I know Karla did.  She is itching to make comments on that jumble, believe you me. 

But that isn't what I was originally trying to tell you guys.  I have been slaving away at school work, trying to get this course completed.  Yes there is a deadline and yes it is quickly approaching and you would think with all of my organizational skills I would be so much closer to being done.  I have no excuse-okay maybe a lame one-and now it is all catching up with me.  

So the reason for today's post is to apologize to all of my friends and the blogs I have been missing.  I promise to hit them once this crazy next couple of weeks are over, but until then, I may be a little bit MIA.  To my twitter tribe...I miss you guys.  To my facebook friends...well, I only remember to stop by there at 2 in the morning, and it's not like anyone is ever up when I do except Patrick.  

What was I talking about?  Oh, yeah right.  So if I miss making a comment, I am still stopping by, but not taking so much time to interact.  Hopefully this will all be over soon and I will be back to my socializing self. 

Fun and Games...Let's Get this Party Started

Grace watched Owen and Harper disappear in a red stream of tail lights and sighed.  Looking down at Lucky, serenely sleeping it off in the middle of the path, she wondered how she was going to get him to her car.  Crouching down, she studied him.  There was absolutely no way she could leverage him up by herself.  She needed help.

Looking over her shoulder, she took in the motley crew that seemed to gravitate to the water tower during the winter months.  It was a local hangout for both Briarcliff and Ridgefield students, as noted by the Varsity jackets in evidence from both schools.  

Kids were clustered around the blaze for warmth.  Some sitting on logs that circled the area, while others were installed in worn out beach chairs, confiscated for their portability, coolers and beer cans making an appearance at each gathering.

Catching sight of Adam Leeland, she felt some of the tension leaving her shoulders.  Adam was a friend from school that played football.  Better still, he didn’t drink.  Pulling her phone from her bag, she pulled his name up from her contacts list and hit the call button.

He looked at the display and smiled before he put the phone to his ear.  “Yo, Gracie.  Whas’up?”

“Adam.  Man, am I glad to see you.  Can you head up the path?  I have a friend who is passed out, and I need some help getting him to my car.”  Adam’s head whip around when he realized where she was calling from.

Catching sight, he smiled and held up a hand.  “No prob, give me a sec and I’ll be right there.”

From her vantage point, Grace watched as he pocketed his phone and moved across the fire to a point on the other side she couldn’t see.  In no time, Adam re-emerged with his brother Aaron, who had graduated the previous year from Briarcliff.  

Relieved, she felt her shoulders relax, until she saw who was on Aaron’s heels.  

“Oh, man!” she groaned.   Looking up into the inky blackness dusted with stars, she demanded, “Really?”

Truman took the lead and made his way up the worn path.  He had been looking for Grace and only stopped at the bonfire as a last resort. 

“Grace.”

Eye contact was all she was going to concede.  Rolling right past Truman, she smiled, “Adam.  Aaron.  Thanks guys.  I need some help getting him to my car.”

Aaron rubbed his first finger across his brow and smiled, “Sure, kid.  Missed seeing you at the party last night.  I was sure you and Truman were going to stop by.”

Patting Aaron on the arm, Grace grinned, sarcasm dripping from every word, “Because Truman said so?  Come on, Aaron.  You know Truman doesn’t always tell the truth.”

The two brothers looked over at Truman for direction.  With none forthcoming, Adam said, “Here, give me your keys, and we can get him up to the car.”

Adam and Aaron grabbed Lucky on either side and hoisted him up.  The Leeland brothers were broad but neither as tall as Lucky.  While his weight was minimal, his length made it awkward to maneuver him toward the car.   With his head hanging forward and feet dragging, Grace found something to smile about as she watched them drag-pull Lucky toward Frenchy.

Shaking her head, she started to follow, only to be stopped short by Truman’s hand on her arm.  “You going to keep avoiding me?”

A beat of silence, then, “Sure, let’s go with that.”

Frustration riding each word, Truman said, “Come on, at least give me a chance to explain.”

Turning, Grace faced Truman across the path.  In the moonlight, her face was highlighted and eerily calm.  It was her eyes that were a mass of swirling storms and confusion.  “Okay, Tru.  Answer me this.  Why even bother with the whole of idea of going out?  What was the point?”

His face softening, Tru moved toward her, “I wasn’t trying to make a point.  I just knew when I saw you the other night that I wanted to spend some time with you.  I really missed you.  And I didn’t expect to.  I thought it would be a good idea for us to see where it went.”

“Yeah?  What’s your girlfriend think about that?  You know the one at school.  Sara.” Grace grated through a haze of humiliation.  “Your phone rang at least ten times this morning.  But don’t worry.  When I did finally answer it, she just assumed I was your sister Haley-who she’s heard so much about and can’t wait to meet-that Haley.  Seriously?  Haley sounds nothing like Harper, by the way.  Looks like you went and found yourself a rocket science major after all.”

“Technically, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“That’s your explanation?” Shaking her head, she continued, “I don’t think she would agree with you.  Especially since she introduced herself that way.”  Grace raised her voice and mimicked, “Hi this is Sara, Truman’s girlfriend.  I am sure he has told you all about me.”  Pivoting, she started up the trail to her car where she could see Lucky being unceremoniously dumped into the passenger seat.  “I wonder what she would have thought if I told her who I was.  Hey, no, this isn’t Harper.” She snorted over the name.  “This is Grace.  I‘m the girl your boyfriend spent most of last night with.  How would that have gone over?”

In a quick dart around Grace, Truman repositioned himself with his face reflected in the moonlight.  Grabbing both her hands he said, “Listen, yeah, I was seeing Sara.  Will I see her again when I go back?  I don’t know.  That’s for after the holidays.  After I saw you the other night I just wanted...  I just wanted…”

“What Truman?  What did you want?  To be able to come home and hook up with girls like me and  Kimmy Hendershott?

“The Kimmy thing happened before I saw you again.  It was a random hook-up at a party, and I just told you…”  Taking a deep breath, Truman turned toward the sound of Aaron and Adam making their way back down the path.  “What’s the use?  You’ve already decided.”

Passing Grace her keys, Adam said, “We got him in the car, just hope he doesn’t ralph all over your floors.”

“Thanks guys,” she said on a small smile.  “I should get him home.”

Aaron took the hint before Adam did and made his farewells before dragging his brother back toward the bonfire.

 

“Are we done here?” Truman’s body visibly vibrated in his anger.

Closing her eyes and licking her lips, Grace nodded.

Truman hesitated for a moment before turning and making his way back toward the party.  Opening her eyes, Grace watched him go through a gaze blurred by un-shed tears.   She could just see how tonight’s diary entry was going to start, “It was at the party…”

Hang on, I need a pen...

Our cruise is getting closer. 

Remember how I said I was not going to get all wigged out about it?  Okay, I lied.  But in my defense when I said it or typed it or even thought it I was sure I could keep myself on the straight and narrow.

Yesterday I drove the Captain crazy with all of my lists.  I am a list maker.  For our trip I currently have three.

The packing list which is pretty much self explanatory.  Do you think three bathing suits is too much?  Not enough?  The Captain is taking six, but in his defense he is planning on wearing them as shorts too.  But then I guess that doesn't really explain why he thinks he needs six pairs of shorts too.  Now I a have a quandry.

Then I have my list for the sitter.  We have someone coming in to take care of the babies while we are gone.  It's not like she hasn't done this before.  In fact, she has been our official cat sitter for about four years now.  Doesn't matter.  I still have a list.  How much food, when they eat, the names and numbers of the vet, the police and our next of kin.

And lets not forget the final list.  The check-off list.  This is all of the things that still have to be done before we go and yes packing and going over everything with the sitter are on that list as well. 

Plus there are a few things I realized I still need to purchase.  Sunscreen.  Straps for our sunglasses, travel size shampoo, conditioner and mouthwash.  Oh, crap...now I have to make another list.

I can't be the only one of my kind.  Come on, there have to be other fanatical list makers out there.  I

would just like to know where to find you.  Or am I the only one who is crazy like this? 

Book Hungry: 13 Reasons Why

Well ladies and gentlemen, its that time of the month again.  The Book Hungry Club is back with another review.  This month, at Patty Blount's suggestion, we read 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

I have been sitting here wondering how to put into words how riveting this story was.  And I have been having a really difficult time with that.  The main reason is, I can't tell you why I liked it.  Normally when I am taken by a story there is a reason, and a very compelling one at that.  Not so this book.  In fact the subject matter of this book is very dark.

Teen Suicide. (Gulp)

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a shrinking violet who thinks that topics such as teen suicide should not be written about, quite the contrary.  But there was something, no, is something about this story that had me pondering it for days after I actually finished the read.

Here is the synopsis I borrowed from the official website.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

After spending considerable time I realized the reason I thought the story was good was because I was still fixated on it days after I finished reading it.  I didn't know if I was supposed to feel bad or be angry at Hannah.  How could I not know?

Was Hannah's act of creating the tapes heroic or just a final way to stick it one last time to these people, she perceived, were the reason she decided to end her life. 

In the end, after days of writing this review in my mind I finally figured out why I thought this was one of the best young adult stories I have read this year.  Because when it was all said and done, Jay Asher left it up to me.  I got to determine if Hannah was a victim or not.  

Normally I give away the book we read to one lucky reader.  This month I am straying from my norm and am instead giving a copy to each of my teenage nieces.  I am going to encourage them to read it so we can talk about it.  Because if nothing else, it did make me wonder, do they ever feel the way she did? Because if so, I want them to know they can talk to me anytime.

 

So Easy to Please

Monday was Valentine's Day.  But you guys already knew that.

Every year I go all out and prepare a fabulous meal for the Captain on this special day.  Now I should tell you guys, in the course of full disclosure, I love to cook.  Not just enjoy, but full out LOVE.

I love everything about it.  

I especially love experimenting with different cultural dishes.  When we lived in Japan I learned to make fried rice like a pro.  I have a few variations, but I still think my husbands favorite is egg fried rice.  It is the breakfast version that is served there pretty much everyday.

I learned to love Sushi and make the regional favorites that you would see served up everywhere.  I was also Lucky that I was surrounded by friends who were all from different places.  That is one thing about the Navy that I do miss.  Chuck, a good friend of ours, his wife was Korean.  She taught me how to make Korean BBQ like nobody's business.  Another friend, Jose', he was Canadian.  Nah, just kidding, he was Mexican.  He taught me the fine art of tortilla's.  They are a lot of work, but homemade tortilla's make everything taste good and I am well versed in corn and flour.

So on Monday when I decided to make a special dinner for the Captain I didn't expect it to be hard.  In fact I figured I could whip something up in no time flat.  So imagine my surprise when I asked him what he wanted for dinner and his answer wasn't Chicken Cordon Blue, which is what I had all of the ingredients for since that is his favorite meal and he usually always requests that for dinner on this special day.

No, he was in the mood for sandwiches.  So in true KB fashion.  (KB is me by the way) I pulled up my bootstraps, er, tied my tenny's tighter?  And I set to work.  Okay, sandwiches I could do.  But he wasn't getting some meat pressed between two pieces of bread.  

I did a little digging and decided to go with the Croque Monsieur.  Which is french for Mr. Crunch.  It is a fancy way of saying a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  But of course the French make everything sound better.  Seriously, which would you rather have.  A ham and cheese sandwich or a Croque Monsieur?  It's a no brainer, right?

Can I just say...Man it was good.  I also whipped up an amazing Caesar Salad and some decadent mini chocolate bundt cakes.  To. Die. For. 

We spent the evening watching some old Farscape DVD's.  (They are his favorites)  I was hoping for some Firefly as I can't get enough of Nathan Fillion, but lucky for me, Castle came on and I got to swoon over him for an hour anyway.

So tell me friends...what did you and your significant other do?

 

F&G Looking for Lucky

It's that time of the week again...another round robin and it's my turn again.  When last we left Harper and Grace via Karla's blog they were at the police station to see Owen.  Let's see what happens next.

 

Grace looked at Owen incredulously. “You don’t want to tell her?  Don’t you think she’s going to figure it out?  And where is he anyway,” she demanded, looking around the kitchen as if Lucky would miraculously appear. 

“I don’t know.  He bailed as soon as we got home,”  Owen said miserably.  Turning off the water in the sink, he stacked the last of the dishes.  Bonelessly, he slid into one of the white chairs that flanked the antique table his mother had lovingly restored.  She always said nothing was so broken it couldn’t be fixed, but after today, O wasn’t sure.  

She had been humiliated at work.  And for what?  A case of mistaken identity.  No, it hadn’t been Owen that had accosted the teacher, but it had been one of her sons.  Of that, Owen had no doubt.

When Harper showed up at the station with Grace and her older brother in tow, O used it as an opportunity to take the focus off the incident.  He needed to speak to Lucky, but was paralyzed to do anything with everyone standing around watching him like a specimen under a microscope.  Harper’s relief had been telegraphed loud and clear.  Owen wasn’t responsible, but it was only a matter of time before she put the pieces together just as Grace predicted.

 

How he would handle that was something he could brood about later.  Right now, he needed to find his brother.  That meant he needed help.  His truck was still impounded, and he couldn’t pick it up until tomorrow.  No way could he call Harper; he didn’t want to explain.  Putting that conversation off as long as possible was priority number one.

Grace had seemed a likely alternative.  Thankfully, she agreed to come as soon as he called.  “So where do you want to look first?”

 

Before he could answer, his mother pushed into the kitchen and flashed a tired smile.  “Hi Grace.  It’s nice to see you again.  Are you guys hanging out tonight?”

Parent-speak for dating.  Grace and Owen exchanged horrified glances before tripping over each other to set the record straight.

“Hanging out?  No.”

“Hi, Mrs. Lancaster.  Um, no, I was, er, um I was...,” shrugging, she threw a glance at Owen hoping for an interception.

“Looking for Lucky,” Owen interjected in a voice one octave higher, as if it were the winning answer to a game show question.

“Yes!  Looking for Lucky,” Grace quickly agreed, slapping her hand on the counter.

“Oh-kay,” Mrs. Lancaster replied as her eyes darted back and forth between her son and the pretty blonde girl standing in her kitchen.  She didn’t believe either of them.  Retrieving a diet coke from the refrigerator, “I am going to get the kids settled upstairs with me and we’re going to watch a movie.  Race to Witch Mountain.  Again.  Make sure you lock up if you go out, but check in with me when you get home.”  Leaning over, she kissed the top of his head in a motherly gesture that sent a shot of envy piercing straight through Grace’s heart.

An hour later, driving around town, they were no closer to a Lucky sighting than when they started.  “Where the hell is he?” Owen fumed.

 

“Maybe at a friend’s?  Were there any parties tonight?”

“I already tried everyone I could think of.” Looking at Grace behind the wheel, Owen blew out a breath of frustration, “How did Harper find out about what happened anyway?”

Rolling her eyes, Grace huffed, “Kimmy Hendershott.”

“Jesus Christ.” Pure disgust laced his voice.  “I’m sure everyone’s heard about it by now.  How the hell did she find out,” he demanded?

Immediately recognizing a comrade, a fellow supporter in her campaign of dislike for Kimmy Hendershott, she explained, “Her mother works there.  She was there today when they brought you in and immediately called Harp to tell her.”

“Just out of the kindness of her heart, right?” It was uttered in such a snarky tone Grace laughed.

“Not a fan?” she enquired.

“Not even close.  That girl is trouble with a capital T.  She tried to corner me in the music supply closet last month.  Like a boa constrictor, wrapping herself around me.”  He shuddered at the memory.

“What did you do?”

“I told her thanks, but no thanks.  This was when things were going good between me and Harper.  You know, back when I thought I had a chance.”

“Did you tell her that you had a thing for Harper?” Grace demanded.

 “Maybe,” shaking his head, “Probably.  I don’t remember.  I didn’t see any reason to hide it.”

“Well that explains that,” Grace said as she made a left and headed toward the area behind the water tower where there was always a party and a bonfire this time of year.

“Explains what?”

“Why she’s suddenly Harper’s new best friend, following her everywhere.  Of course Harper thinks she’s harmless,” Grace added.

“Harmless? Most people think Poison Ivy looks harmless, too,” Owen said.

Bouncing in her seat, Grace raised her voice and said, “I know, right?  Plus, I think she hooked up with Truman recently.”

“Seriously,” he asked incredulously, even as his gaze raked the parked cars and the kids standing around as Grace pulled to a stop.

Shrugging in response, she said, “Yeah. Today was a real banner day all around.  Then I got to watch her construction zone herself all over him at the Police station.”

Snickering as he emerged from the car, he met her eyes over the top and asked, “Construction zone?”

She whipped up a caustic smile, “Yeah.  She was plastered all over him.”

Owen chuckled, “Let’s see if he’s here.”  Twin slams echoed as they made their away around the front of the car and down the path to where the bonfire blazed past the tower.

 

Halfway to the fire, Owen saw his brother, swinging a beer can he stumbled forward, “Hey, O!  Man, am I glad you made it.”  Tripping over nothing, “I told her you would be here.  Grace!  Hey Gracie, you came, too.”

   

Neither Grace nor Owen noticed the lit cell phone he was clutching in his hand.  Throwing his arm over her shoulder, he slurred and cackled at his own joke, “You aren’t still with that tool, Douche man?” 

 

“You’re drunk, Lucky,” Grace stated.

Owen pulled Lucky away and said, “Dude.  Uncool.  What the hell happened today?  What were you thinking?”

Angry, Lucky thrust back, “I just took care of your little problem, bro.  By the way, you’re welcome.”

“Welcome?  How am I going to explain this to Harper?  Who–by the way–has no idea it was you that whaled on our teacher.”

“Yes, she does,” he sing-songed.

“What?”  The quietness with which Owen posed the question in no way diminished the fury behind the word. 

Stopping suddenly, Lucky flopped to the ground and sat with his legs extended.  Hanging his head, he held up his right arm bringing his cell phone to the light.  Rolling his head back, he smiled, “Owen, telephone.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Harper,” he said on a hiccup, before crashing back and passing out.

Celebrating the love

Today is Valentine's Day.  Love it or hate it, today is the day we celebrate being in love.

There is a quote from the movie titled Valentines Day that I think is so appropriate..."love is the most shocking act left on the planet."  To me it is true.

Whether you will spend today with a loved one, mourn the loss of one, or spend time thinking of the prospect of one, I hope your day is filled with lots of happiness and fun.  Because believe me, neither of those things are under-rated.

We will spend our evening together cooking dinner, watching a romantic movie and just basking in the glow that seems to get brighter as we mark another year together.  I feel blessed and content as I write this post and wish for all of you, my faithful readers, the same.

From me to you...Happy Valentine's Day...

Sometimes Faking it is good. Right?

So last night I was sitting here to doing my online research to the far off places that we will be visiting when we go on our cruise.  To say I am excited is the understatement of the century.  I freakin can't wait.

For those of you who aren't completely Kellyfied yet, we will be celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary while on this trip.  Again, let me mention I AM excited?  

I was sitting here tonight thinking that maybe I should do something special for the Captain while we are on the cruise.  Since they have romance packages I thought I would check those out.  Wow!  That is all I can say.  For a bottle of champagne and some rose petals that will be $265.00.  

Hello!  I love him, but not that much.  Okay, that is a total lie.  I would totally spend that much money, but then I think about the excursion that could pay for, or an amazing dinner, or something equally as awesome.  Barring all that, I think about his face when he sees the cost for said champagne and rose petals.

So here is my question.  Wal-mart sells the fake rose petals in their party supply area.  How tacky do you think it would be for me to buy my own and take them with me?  I could discreetly excuse myself to run back to our state-room (I love saying state-room) to get it ready before dinner.  We are planning on having drinks in the special lounge they have for returning passengers before hand.  (I know, right?  We are pretty special.  It's such a shame I can't remember the name of said lounge.  I was going to google it but felt that would be cheating, then laughed like a loon, like you guys would even know.)

Okay, so tell me what you think.  Go with fake or dole out the dough?

Come on, I can take it.

Thursday's Video Treat...

It's Thursday and you know that means, since you guys have been so good all week you get your Video Treat.

Here it is.

Once you watch it make sure you wander over to Karla's post for the next installment of Fun and Games and you can see the awesome T-shirts I had made for #teamlucky.

Keep an eye posted for the #teamtru t'shirt's. They will be coming soon!