Archive for November, 2006

Oh Lord, comfort the families of Richa and Joe. I know that they are with You now, but we will miss them so much.

Tweet this!

I’ve had a good thanksgiving considering I’m not with my family! I hope you have had a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I went to see Stranger Than Fiction, I LOVE IT, GO SEE IT…RIGHT NOW!

LOVE (that’s special, holiday-love)

Tweet this!

edit: JACKSON WATERS music was featured on ONE TREE HILL tonight…CRAZY i tell you (seriously my mouth is still agape!)

OH MY GOSH!
Alex Riester, if you are reading this, you better freakin’ be thankful for your Christmas present from me this year buddy.
Yesterday I went out to attempt to finish some Christmas shopping. I knew specifics, what, where and for whom. This was not some meandering Christmas shopping, this was serious. I’d say I was successful, actually it was better than sucessful because things were on SALE, yay. So I headed to this one store, which shall remain nameless, (in order to protect the surprise-factor) to get a few gifts. They didn’t have what I needed to get for a certain brother of mine, but they called another store and asked them to hold the object. Now here’s where I need to explain a little something. I am not what they call “streetsmart”, I’m okay in the “booksmart” department, but I’d like to think my forte is “heartsmart”. I mean I’m not completely hopeless in the streetsmart department, I know enough not to get lost in the ghetto, and that’s about it. So the lady puts the gift on hold for me at the other store and this is where my lack of streetsmarts comes in. She tells me she’s put the gift on hold at “Bailey’s”, which is “right down the road” (20 miles, ha!). I say I won’t be able to pick the gift up until tomorrow (which is today now) because it was about 2:30 and had to be home for the boys. I come home and realize I have no idea where this store, Bailey’s, is. I google it and don’t really find anything. So I call the first store and explain and they very kindly give me the phone number and address of the store. I mapquest how to get to the store and embark on my journey tonight after dinner. It’s raining and dark, great. I’m tense and, of course, start having to pee about 5 minutes into my trip. I turn around 3 times and 30 minutes later finally get to the right street, but no store. I stop at 7-11 hoping to kill two birds with one stone, bathroom and directions. As I walk into the minimart, I look around and realize I’m the only caucasion person, not a big deal, I’m become accustomed to that here in DC. I’m hoping I haven’t stopped in the ghetto. I ask about the bathroom, but they don’t have one (don’t cry, don’t cry, hold it!) then move on to directions. I ask where the store called Bailey’s is and describe what they might sell there, and even mention the name of the first store. All of the people in 7-11 are listening to me and they all start helping (yay!). They perk up when I said the name of the first store and tell me there is another store of that same name just down the road and tell me how to get there! YAY for kind people…too bad they didn’t have a bathroom. So yeah, turns out the mystery store is the same store as the first (duh!) and they had a bathroom and I got the gift and headed home. Bailey’s was the name of the shopping center..or town, I’m still not sure. I’m totally pooped and wishing I could buy myself some more streetsmarts…hmmm oh Santa…

LOVE

ps hope this made you laugh, i’d settle for a smile though

Tweet this!

I feel like I need to make my position known on this important issue; I’m not really liking this season of Gilmore Girls or One Tree Hill. This could be due to several factors, this new “cw” business or the fact that I’ve become addicted to LOST and everything seems not-so-exciting compared to it, whatever the reason, I’m not impressed. It makes me sad. Maybe God is telling me to go easy on the tv shows.
Back to the real world; Alex stayed home sick today, which I was apprehensive about, but it wasn’t really a big deal. He slept til 11:30 then ate enough food to feed 5 people and by the time lunch was over it was time for Loren to come home. Mondays are always early-release for Loren. I’m hoping everyone will feel healthy tomorrow, because I’ve got some major shopping to do! We had a great discussion over dinner about a lot of good things. I don’t know how the conversation began, but soon we were talking about angels and eternal souls and sin and the after-life. Alex seems very curious about this, and afterwards even thanked me for explaining things to him. The only thing that can heal the hurt in his precious heart is God. I have a really hard time not thinking really negatively about his mom. I must remind myself that she is loved and cherished by Jesus, just as I am. So if you’re thinking about it, please pray for this family that I’m nannying for, that I’ve become attached to.
Okay time for bed!

LOVE!

Tweet this!

edit: ooo, I feel some nanny-hate coming on. Not cool, Grey’s Anatomy, not cool.

Happy Anniversary to the B-J Kidney! A year ago today my mom received the greatest gift from my dear Uncle Bruce. I fondly named that kidney B-J for its travels beyond one body to the next. I cannot believe it’s been a year. I feel as if everyone can breath a huge sigh of relief. The year-mark is very significant and you’ll be happy to know my mom can now change poopy diapers and garden!! I’m so very very very thankful for both my mom and Uncle Bruce, I love you both so much!

In other news, today was the first time I cried because of my job. It was bound to happen one of these days, I suppose. In my defense, it had been a long day. First of all the weather was SO crummy, tornado watches and torrential rain. I went to Loren’s school to have Thanksgiving lunch with him and got drenched and was late. I had already become a tad frustrated this morning when I was greeted with a sink full of dishes from some entertaining that took place here last night that did not include me, but did include a lot of ice cream dishes and tea cups. Whatever, I got over it and did what had to be done. I overcame my passive aggressive urge to leave the dishes there until someone else did them. Okay so I had to take the boys to counseling right after school and they asked to go to McDonald’s before we headed “downtown”. I willingly obliged, but of course it was the LONGEST time I’ve ever waited for McD’s food before in my LIFE. The lady before us had apparently ordered one of everything and there were only two people working. So we were late to counseling, not a big deal. The road on the way to the counselor’s was extremely close to being flooded, but we still made it through. On our way home however the road was closed. We had to take a huge detour and then got horribly lost. Lost and hungry with two lost and hungry boys in the car is not a good way to end the day. Thankfully we got home, but not before my patience was tested about 100 times with said hungry and lost boys. As we pull into our neighborhood, Alex goes off on how I always go to bed so late (10:30) and how that makes me a hypocrite. That was it. I got out of the car, came downstairs and broke down. Alex then came to deliver some tea their dad had made me and saw that I was upset and apologized. I know I don’t do well under stress, I’m a big baby, but that’s me. I’m currently drinking my sacred Dr. Pepper of the day and going to bed at 10:30 no matter what anyone says. BTW I definitely gave Alex a piece of my mind before breaking down privately. I’m a self-sufficient adult for goodness sake, I will go to bed when I DARN WELL please.

LOVE!

Tweet this!

further reflection has led me to believe that Julie Andrews and I are soul-mates. She stars in the two most famous nanny movies, Mary Poppins and Sound of Music (governess is basically the same thing). We are the same height. She wrote a book entitled, “Mandy” and my name is Mandy, in case you were wondering about that. Sound of Music was about a family in Austria, and Austria is my favorite country (okay that one doesn’t really count I know). I am known for my singing abilities and people often tell me that I look like Julie (okay those are lies). I so wish I could meet Julie. If you know her and don’t mind, will you please arrange a meeting? I’d be oh-so eternally grateful!

LOVE!

Tweet this!

you may not find this significant, but I do, and that is why I’m posting it. Julie Andrews (star of my beloved Sound of Music) wrote a book titled “Mandy”!!! Can you believe that? She is also the same height as me, which is not as coincidental, but nevertheless.
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is so close. Apparently the only thing I have to do is make apple pie. BTW the apple crisp turned out well! It probably could have stayed in the oven a bit longer, but I’m not going to complain, it was pure heaven. Warm apple crisp with Lite vanilla ice cream on top, oh yes oh yes.
Saturday I am volunteering with a girl from my small group. Mclean Bible does this turkey-dinner delivery project every year. I’m really excited my friends.
I’ve been a bit of a bum lately, it’s true. I’ve gotten a lot of reading done though. I really liked “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, and recommend it. I have three unread books due Friday, so I’m hoping I will finish them or be able to renew them, goodness knows I don’t want to go through Thanksgiving Break without a book!!
Okay I guess I’m off to more bumming.

LOVE!

ps. I’ve lost something pretty important, so if you think about it please pray for me.

Tweet this!

yaya, xanga loves me again.
Today I lost $6 in one set of mutual funds (Schwab) but made $6 in my other set (Waddell & Reed), how’s that for crazy?
I’m currently baking some apple crisp, for the first time, we shall see how it goes. I hope, in honor of my Baba, that it turns out well, as she was known for her apple crisp.
In other news I toured the West Wing yesterday and it was AMAZING. I loved it. My friend who is a White House intern, she got her boss to take two of her other friends, me and herself on a little tour. While there we saw Harriet Miers!! I told Harriet to tell GB I said “what up” and “peace” to Condi. I hope the messages got passed. I can’t wait to see the rest of the White House!!

LOVE!

Tweet this!

grrrr xanga hates me again.

Tweet this!

Update #2; Praise the Lord I’m still alive as are both boys! The day was actually enjoyable, much to my surprise and delight. After my last post, the three of us went to the movies (Flushed Away), where we ate indecent amounts of popcorn, candy and pop (shhh, don’t tell) and laughed our tokhes (me more than either of the boys) off. We came home and chilled. I made home-made lasagna and the boys helped. Loren went to a friend’s for a sleepover, so Alex and I had dinner together. It was amusing, because that kid tries so hard to convince me he is a gansta. I really tried my best not to laugh, but he was demonstrating all these ridiculous gangsta-dances and making this face. I was only laughing at the face. The face was saying to me, “I’m doing my best to look serious, but I think this is ridiculously funny looking too”, so I had to laugh, cause I knew he wanted to. Then we decided to watch and movie and promptly did so. I picked up my boss at the metrobus stop and learned he is off all day tomorrow, so I guess that means I am too! He’s off on Friday to for Veterans’ Day, man, good week for me!
Thanks for your concern and support, I appreciate it.

LOVE!

12:30 part 1 of the all-day nannying stint; all is well I am happy to report. The boys (and I) got to sleep in the morning, which was really nice, and may be the reason why everyone is in such good spirits today. I took Loren to see his mom, then we picked him up 1.5 hours later and headed to Target and out to eat lunch at a pizza place. The boys are currently working on fixing their PS2 together, which is a wonder of the world at this point. They usually can’t be around each other for more than 5 seconds without whining and teasing. Loren and I have a date to see Flushed Away (classiest date I’ve ever been on!) later this afternoon. I’m afraid to say anything in case I jinx it, but this day is going well. Once again, God has been faithful!

more updates later!

LOVE!

Tweet this!