Older, Maybe Wiser

Here are two Christmas pictures taken in Russia. One was last year and the other was this year. Other than the fact I am in the 2008 pictures, do you see any differences other than the gifts we're holding?

I guess we're slowly aging. That's good news.

I just hope we're wiser.

The Best YouTube Video

EVER.

This is what my wedding reception looked like.

Self-Disclosure Day

For those familiar with email and all things internet, you know that once in a while, a little list floats around that asks you to tell everyone some facts about yourself. Since today I had a lot to accomplish and was looking for a way to procrastinate, I decided to participate in the 25 Facts About You, which has been circulating on Facebook. I have asked Nick for about 8 years to do one of these and the likelihood of him doing one is about the same chance of my coming home one day and seeing him knitting me a scarf.

Some things just aren't going to happen. Ever.

TWENTY FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME

25. I'm seriously afraid of what people think when I spend time on things like this.

24. Being a writer is the most difficult, painful, vulnerable, exhilarating gift imaginable. After love, of course.

23. My family is the root of all things.

22. I think people romanticize the green on the other side, the past, and the USA.

21. Living and traveling to other countries is the only way for me. I despise tourism.

20. I think most people, even on their best days, short-change themselves. Nelson Mandela said it best. We're most afraid of our brilliant potential.

19. I drive quite aggressively and am working on taming my frustration with Ohio drivers.

18. Some of my biggest fears are drowning, living in complacency, and losing touch with God.

17. Laughter is my thing. I believe in it, use it, always want more of it. It's magical.

16. I cannot explain in words how much I am against WalMart, Best Buy, and Nestle.

15. Nick is my gravity. Our story is one of my writing projects, but I'm not yet ready to share it with the world.

14. I spent 4 months of 2002 working on growing my patience when engaged in small talk with strangers.

13. I believe every person should live at least one year in a "developing" country. I think people will find that their hearts need more work than the nations do.

12. I own several hundred books. I've read 1 or 2 from cover to cover.

11. In the closet: competitive, perfectionist, linguist, freakishly astute memory

10. I take a deep breath when people misuse the word "literally" when they mean "really" or "actually." Example, on ESPN, the sports commentator said, "Yes, and they literally killed the other team on the scoreboard." NO! No one was killed! Do people not know what "literally" means?!

9. I love purple, scarlet, sage, light green, and turquoise.

8. When I hear Last Dance by Donna Summer, I feel like I have enough joy to share with the world.

7. Strawberries and vanilla any day of the week over chocolate.

6. I quit pretending that my birthday isn't a big deal to me. I celebrate the entire month of February. (No lie.)

5. I've had two surgeries in 9 years to remove ovarian tumors. Benign.

4. A few years ago, I spent $200 on ebay for the original My So-Called Life DVD set and never batted an eyelash. Jordan Catalano is, like, the highschool mythical god every female had in her teen life.

3. Oxygen is to swimmers as New York City is to Lisa.

2. I dream and think a lot about the things I love most: relationships, fresh bread, Seattle, dancing, singing, family reunions, 4th of July, the water, Strawberry Kiwi Propel, running, boxing, tennis, sports clothes, independent book stores, flying, being clean, touch football, simplicity, faith, retreats, cleaning my windshield, Greenwich Village, Gloria Anzaldua, and painting. I adore kissing.

1. My life goal is to be a Renaissance woman.

2009 is MY Time

For about six or seven years, I began making themes, not resolutions, for the new year. Themes must be well-researched, meaningful, and personal. Each year, I choose a theme that encompasses my overall goal or wishes for the upcoming new year. Here are a few to illustrate my point:

2000: Boom
Self-explanatory. Beginning a new millenium is a gi-normous deal and, back then, was as single as a dollar bill and intended to live out my college days in quite the explosive manner at Dana's (a dive bar on Montgomery Road in Cincinnati). Oh, how I did.

2001: Onward and Upward
Ahh yes, the XU graduating year. I was off to live in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps near Seattle and fleeing the midwest in search of my vocation and identity. I didn't realize that those are often life long journeys, but aimed my sights high and headed west.

la...la...la...

2007: Spectacular
All decisions had to have the high probability of this result.

2008: Faithfulness
Ye be not confused with fidelity! Faithfulness was about a vow to keep true to myself and to stay close to what I knew to be true: 1) All cars are made to be broken 2) God exists 3) You can't win the lottery unless you play

2009: Make 2009 Your Time
A few weeks ago, my left arm handcuffed to the couch (kidding, I was in surgery recovery period), I watched an absurd amount of television and movies. As my eyes began to glaze over and dry out yet again from the winter air, I perked to attention as I heard a commercial speak into my living room, "Don't you think it's your time? Make 2009 your time and quit smoking..."

My ear canals closed after the word "time" and I quickly dismissed the fact that it was a commercial to help people stop smoking and answered the first question, "Don't you think it's your time?"

YES! It IS my time!

Make 2009 your time.

I don't smoke and that's irrelevant. The larger point is that 2009 is going to be MY time. The time of unprecedented goals and unimagined success. It's all going to start this year, my friends.

I shared my new theme with Nick who is always up for hearing my new philosophies. "That's great, babe!" Which is the exact same response when I cook a new recipe, bring home a new box of Texas toast, paint a new abstract painting, share with him a freshly polished poem, clean off the coffee table, announce I'm finally ready to go somewhere, load the address into Moses (our GPS), remind him my birthday is coming up (2.27), inform him that I scored outrageously high on an informal internet IQ test, got a new job interview, or stapled a new calendar to our bulletin board in our office. Whatever I do, to Nick, it's "great!"

So, if you watch you televisions closely and hear an anti-smoking commercial, try and find the one where you hear someone tell you to, "make 2009 your time."

You'll see. It's empowering.

"It's great!"

On the Road Again

To say our eating habits have been questionable for the past week would be the understatement of 2008. Since Christmas Eve, we have been snacking, nibbling, eating, and tasting everything that comes in front of us. Nick and I are now in Virginia, visiting my folks after a another trademark hurricane Christmas season. The travels are adding a few inches to our bellies. But, that's what the holidays are for - a little indulgence.

Christmas Eve mass was spent at our parish where we got 2nd pew seats because Nick was Eucharistic minister and one of God's top ten. As wife, I get a special view, too. We ignored the warnings to avoid the 4pm mass, which was rumored to be a madhouse with all the children attending, and I should have brought peanuts to feed the wild things. It was a gorgeous mass, but, woah...it was crazy.

From there, we went to Massillon, my old stomping grounds, and opened up gifts with my sister, brother, and their kids. We had a meal large enough for the US Army and barely put a dent in it. Nick and I camped out on their couches and were awakened at approximately 6am to a 3 year old loudly whispering, "Is Santa going to come through the chimney or the door?"



We stayed to watch the kids tear into their presents which included the largest toy dinosaur I've ever seen. A little around 8am, we took off for Russia. As every year, we attended the Cordonnier side and then the Borchers and made off with great gifts including a beautiful print out of a Cordonnier family tree, iTunes gift cards, a printer, food processor, a new camera lens, and hefty gift certificates. Nick received, twice, his request for a DVD copy of A League of Their Own. HOORAY!



The Borchers family had an unusual debacle of cinematic proportions when we went to see Valkyrie, the newest Tom Cruise movie. We ended up splitting up, uneven orders of popcorn, and a disastrous miscommunication about seating. The results were Kelly declaring it one of the worst moments EVER and Nick straining his neck for a full minute to see if anyone was going to pass him a bucket of popcorn. Keith reappears from the bathroom just as the movie begins while Jay and I just decide to keep quiet and watch the previews. It's one of those situations that doesn't sound like a big deal but just is when you're experiencing it. Lesson: always communicate before going into a family movie experience as to who is sitting where, how much popcorn should be ordered, who needs to go to the bathroom, and never ask questions if you get separated.

We all headed to Columbus to sadly watch the OSU Buckeyes get a spanking from West Virginia's bball team and then headed to Champ's for dinner. Kelly's husband, Tim, was nearly drowning in excitement to watch the UFC fights that night and so we headed off to his place for good night of Bud Light and UFC blood. Happy Holidays!

Nick and I took off Sunday morning for Virginia, where we are now, to spend time with my parents who couldn't make it up to Ohio for the holidays. It's amazing outside - a near 65 degrees - and Nick and I took a hike this morning for fresh air. It feels like the middle of April.

We'll be here until the new year to help celebrate a few things: our nephew Jesse turns the big TWO today. Tomorrow, my folks celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary, and, of course, we'll toast 2009 in together as well.

Cheers to the holidays and safe travels!

Merry Christmas!

The Cookie Monster

My sister Carmen and I tried to do something creative to take my medicated mind off the pain. So we decided to make Christmas cookies.

This was actually more of her baking and my watching TV and then hobbling into the kitchen to help decorate.

They were the most hideous looking things I've ever created.

I had to hold onto my stitches because we were laughing so hard at how ugly they were.

Winner in picture.