We slept in today. That’s one thing I know I learned from my parents… how to sleep late. 🙂 Seeing as how it was about noon, my mom suggested we eat hoagies for lunch. The best place in the world to get hoagies is this tiny little town in PA, where you call in your order to the American Legion. Since we aren’t members, we then drive around back and go in through the kitchen to pick them up. My mom won’t eat hoagies anywhere else but here. Something about the best bread and hot peppers in the world. 🙂

The Legion was having a gun show, so my dad decided he’d go in and look around while my mom and I went back to the house to eat. He bought knives and debated a few guns. He’s an Army man, Ranger, Green Beret, etc. Apparently, when he was waiting to hear about his acceptance to medical school, he told my mom if he didn’t get in, he was going to be a professional soldier. I learned that this afternoon, sitting at an old kitchen table with my mom, munching on hoagies.

It’s easy to talk to my mom… particularly when she’s not stressed out about work. Somehow her hometown makes her reminisce. I’ve never really heard the entire story of how my parents met, how he proposed, when they lived together, etc., so I asked. And she will always tell us if we ask—it’s one of the things I love best about her. She never lies or tries to hide anything.

My parents lived together for two years before they got married, and that’s a real sore spot for both of them—it’s exacerbated now because my sister lives with her boyfriend back home in WA. Being Christians now, that’s a big no-no… but my mom didn’t give me the religion perspective. Instead, she explained why it was hard for her and their relationship… the revelation about the career soldier thing was explained because it hurt her so deeply. Being a career soldier kinda eradicates plans for a wife and a family—to her, he was saying she wasn’t as important as medical school, etc. The day he got accepted, they made plans for the wedding.

They’ve been married for 27 years, through good times and bad, and they’d never survive without each other.

Then again, my dad was shooting spit wads at me through his straw at the restaurant this evening… he might not live for much longer. 😛

There was a tractor parade. I think it was sponsored by John Deere, lol.

My mom kept smacking my dad and I because he kept looking at me and then pointing, “Look.. I think, I think it’s another John Deere.” We were laughing hysterically.

The tiny new coffee shop (oh please) tried to kill me with my double espresso. It was so indescribably bad.

There were booths set up selling very odd things, including toe socks… (thought of you, Harley), Maryland crab cakes (I tried a bite and almost gagged), flea market-type things and pulled pork sandwiches…

I have pictures. And you will die.

Once we get back from dinner, I’ll upload them. 🙂

The data center of our CMS is having problems. Which means our sites, along with all of their other clients’ sites, are down.

My parents made their connection and now I must head to the airport.

I still have a headache today. (WTF)

And my fortune cookie said, “Begin… the rest is easy.”

Yeah, OK. 😛

My parents called me a little while ago. Their flight is delayed out of Seattle due to bad weather at their connecting airport: Philadelphia. It’s entirely possible that a) they might make their connection and everything will be dandy, b) they miss their connection and catch another flight later or c) they can’t get out until tomorrow, so they stay there overnight and I meet them in Philly.

Because, remember, we are taking a road trip to the middle of nowhere PA. And it was supposed to start tomorrow morning.

I still haven’t been able to shake the crazy dreams, or the headaches for that matter. And then last night I didn’t get to sleep until about 2AM. Fortunately, Bravo is running a West Wing Season Six marathon continuously… ahhhh. 🙂 It’s quite possible, I suppose, that I just wanted to stay up and watch. 😛

I do think the dreams are related to my parents coming to visit. I subscribe to the philosophy that it’s better to have never had, than to have had and lost. It’s much easier to live when you don’t know what you’re missing, in other words.

I love that my parents are coming, but every time they do, I’m reminded of how painful it is to live so far away. It’s one of the reasons I so rarely go home. Preventative medicine, shall we say.

And I know all of you will say “’tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all,” and I think that’s true for some… just not for me.

Oh, and Ellie’s doing fine. 🙂

Shot in the dark?
Hammerhead?
All-nighter?
Black Eye?
Coffee Suicide?
Cup o’ Crack?
Dead Man Walking?
Overdrive?

I prefer the term “red eye.” It’s a shot of espresso in a cup of regular drip coffee and it’s quite tasty.

This morning I stopped at my favorite local coffee shop. I have a cold weather drink and a hot weather drink. In the summer I’m a double iced espresso over ice, extra ice. In the winter, I’m a red eye.

It was cold this morning (still is), so I ordered a red eye. Two girls I didn’t recognize were working—and one was obviously new to the business. Holding the cup, she said, “OK, what’s that?”

“Oh,” I said. “Do you call it a ‘Shot in the Dark?’ It’s just a shot of espresso in a cup of drip coffee.”

The other girl looked at me and said, “It’s not on our menu.”

I looked up. It wasn’t. I smiled… “Um… OK.” I’m sure I looked confused.

“We have it,” she explained. “We just call it add a shot of espresso to your cup of coffee.”

“Long name… that must be why it’s not on your menu, huh?” I grinned. (Their menu is a small chalkboard.)

Less than amused, she said, “Well we’re not that fancy.” And walked away.

WTF did I say?!

And first of all, before any crazy coffee people jump on me, let me say: I’m from Seattle. I worked in coffee for almost seven years. I overtip and I know what I’m talking about. And I wasn’t being rude. 😛

Lovely people in the AM, hmm?

Columbus Day. Apparently our company celebrates it by… yes, that’s right… not going to work. Woohoo. 🙂

Is everyone else working? Does anybody have today off?

There’s a meme floating around that I thought was hysterical. You put “your name needs” in Google and then tack up the first ten results. Funny stuff.

Without further ado.. what I need:

Every prayer she can get.
Someone she can trust.
Gavin more than ever now.
Your help.
It.
A lot of personal attention to make her feel more secure.
To do whatever she wants.
A safe haven and a place of kindness and gentleness.
To do this.
To find Chelsea.

In all honesty, I was really hoping that one would say “a damn cookie,” but alas, it was not to be.

And why this is a hysterical site.

Today is trash day, and after much deliberation, I decided to put my trashcan, once again, on the curb.

Who here thinks it’s going to be gone when I get home?

Yeah, me too. Damn.

Talking with my landlord on Saturday, she was aghast to hear that someone had “borrowed” my trashcan. So it definitely wasn’t her. I’ll be keeping an eye on my next door neighbor. He’s a bit creepy anyway.

There are few things in life as liberating as being on the open road. Clear, sunny skies, gorgeous vistas stretched out ahead and not a soul to be seen for miles… it makes you feel as if you’re the only one alive in the world.

I took a short road trip today, and my god it made me ache. I love being on the road. I crave that kind of freedom and adventure, and short trips only serve to rip open an oozing wound.

I passed a Burlington Coat Factory on my way. The last time I was in a BCF, I was in Virginia. I had stopped to buy an umbrella so I could take pictures at a local battlefield without the rain damaging my camera. It was chilly and overcast and the VA sniper was still taking potshots at people pumping gas. That was two years ago and it felt like yesterday.

UPDATE: Apparently that was three years ago and I have no sense of time. Yeah.