A Story from Downtown

 

It's definately a Friday night! I work downtown and visit the sidewalk regularly for my hourly cigarette break. It keeps things interesting, if nothing else. During my last quick break, I about witnessed a kid getting completely demolished in a T-bone bicycle with car accident. Three young teens found it ever so entertaining to drive directly down the middle of Campbell Avenue on their bicycles! Sure, the empty road probablly looked pretty inviting at that age, with not too much traffic and people walking the sidewalks, but apparently they forgot that each city block has a cross street and totally disregarded street lights. As they were toeing that yellow line on their BMX bikes, a car came through the intersection, coming within fractions of an inch of hitting the middle boy. I'm not sure what the last boy did to avoid hitting the car himself, he must have been just that much..... more behind the rest. I almost screamed, but stopped myself, it was too far away to make a difference. I thought that I might have had a new obituary to write tomorrow.  Thank God, not. I did however manage to tell them, as they passed, that they need to watch their hind ends! Of course, they didn't hear me. The two riders who safely made it through the light were too busy telling the middle boy that he "about got creamed," in a joking manner!  I'm thinking he probablly didn't have much to say back and really just need to change his jeans.... It made me feel for their mothers! 

On my 40th! The first 13 from my 100 things about me!

Wow - I'm 40 today! 

1.    Christine is my first name, but I mostly go by Chrissie or Chris - in the blog world I'm Chris-sea

2.    Marie is my 2nd name and Sarah is my 3rd (confirmation) name.

3.    My Mom's name is Kathleen

4.    My mother's middle name is also Marie, or so we thought.  She recently discovered that her birth documents lists her middle name as Maria.

5.    I wonder if that means my middle name is Maria too?

6.    My father's name is/was Robert & his middle name is/was Frances

7.    I'm not sure if he is alive

8.    I am almost positive that he choosing to live as a homeless person in Hawaii

9.    I suppose if you were choosing to be a homeless person, Hawaii would be the place to do it

10.   The last time I physically saw my dad was in 1996

11.   We used to be very close

12.   We did not have any sort of falling out, he just hasn't gotten in touch

13.   I was conceived in Florida

You can read all 100 things about me by using the link on my left-side bar!

First Signs of Spring

The ROUND ROBIN CHALLENGE is "First signs of spring"

I had so much fun with this one and couldn't pick which photo's to use, too many goodies....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring or Fall, I can't decide which is my favorite, but it's definately one of the two. The first day of spring was upon us on Thursday! I find it hard to believe, I guess time really does fly. Days turn into months, which turn into years! Another spring upon us, my 40th. Thursday I will turn 40 years old! I do not feel 40, I thought I would be different at 40, I thought I would feel different, but I still feel like me! 

I am really looking forward to Spring this year. Winter wasn't very spectacular. Spending two winters in Massachusetts recently, has spoiled me to the awesome snowstorms and Nor'easters. In Virginia we didn't get anything, with the exception of a bunch of forcast mistakes from our local meterologists! I also spent a lot of time at Becky's this winter, meaning I was cold most of the time. She heats with Kerosene, in one room, which saves her money and does what is expected, but I've spoiled myself in the past, paying outrageous heating bills and having my home at a constant comfortable temperature, morning, noon and night.

I have no problem saying, "bring spring on!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildlife

I am surrounded by beautiful countryside, tall mountains, fresh mountain air and of course wildlife!  Wildlife wanders around here, where I live, on a fairly populated mountaintop. It doesn't matter how many times it happens, it's still exciting when you spot that rare creature running free. The cow, who got out of it's fenced area and is grazing in the road, or the deer, running so close you could reach out and touch, are normal around here. Bigger and better sightings seem to happen often too! Everyone who live in these mountains have their own wildlife sightings of some kind or other. I grew up in the suburbs and I guess I never even considered such things as I grew up.

 

The other night, while driving with Samantha, we saw a cougar standing on the side of the road. It was about as big as my (huge) german shepherd, Toby, but was a cat! Since then I've been corrected, it wasn't a cougar but a mountain lion or a panther. Regardless, it was a BIG ass cat! 

 

I've lived on top of this mountain for about 15 years total and have seen a bear, a wolf, a smaller sized cat (of some type), families of fox and now my cougar. Don't believe they live here in Virginia?  Read about Cougars living in the Applachians.

 

Samantha saw the cougar first and pointed him out to me as we drove past. (The aftermath of her first sighting was interesting, to say the least). Cougar was simply standing on the side of the road, staring us down. It's times like these that I wish I could freeze frame life, so that I could share!  

13 Quotes to ponder

Life is so funny. It amazes me how much life changes when your thoughts do. One day I think the world is ending and the next the sun is brighter than before!  I appreciated all the well wish messages and just wanted everyone to know that I'm doing great again! Again I'm able to look back and know that there truly is a plan... It's having the faith that this will again be the case, that's hard.

I've put together 13 similar quotes and quotes I like for my 13 Thursday this week! You can click each quote to see "who said it".  (And yes, I am going to try to post 13's better than I have been).

 

1.       “One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”

2. “What makes life worth living is knowing that one day you'll wake up and find the situation that makes you happier than anything in the whole world. So don't ever lose hope and give up, everything turns out okay and the good guy always wins.”

3. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

4. “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

5. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

6. “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”

7. “Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

8. “Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”

9. Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”

10.       “The human being who lives only for himself finally reaps nothing but unhappiness. Selfishness corrodes. Unselfishness ennobles, satisfies. Don't put off the joy derivable from doing helpful, kindly things for others.”

11.       “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

12.       “Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

13.       “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

 

The Chair and More

I love to play the Round Robin challenge but have been reduced to using my cell phone for the photo's because my camera is in storage with the rest of my belongings during my transition. The chair I choose holds my butt for most of the day, everyday. It's not that wonderful a chair, but I owe it some gratitude for being there when I needed it most!  So, without furthur ado, here it sits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now the More....

I just want to Thank the true friends & relatives out there that have completely rallied around me at this time in my life. I am going through a real rough spot right now, and it's really screwed up (to the max). I'm not going to go into details here, but know this, I am struggling, but also - thanks to those numerous friends, I'm making it and will survive.  Everything happens for a reason, even though you don't know the reason while it's occuring, there will come a time when you look back and say:  "aaah hah" and as the saying goes: Karma is a bitch!

Love to you all! 

Happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday!  I, as usual, am at work. Thank god I enjoy work because I'm here enough of the time. I just wanted to pop in and say hello. Everything in my life isn't exactally hunky dorey, work is about the best part right now, but it, Life, goes on as usual.

I'm on a house hunt again. Someday I'll find that perfect place, I'm just wondering when! My Mom is getting ready to visit. Her and my step-dad are traveling for the next two weeks and plan to stop by on their way back home to Massachusetts. I might just hitch a ride home with them.  :-)

Sending Love and will be back tomorrow with my Round Robin post.

 

500 Words

Created by the Love-Link

 

Why can't we all just get along?

At work last week my supervisor presented us with a Briggs-Myers personality test. Based on your answers to the 120 questions in the test, they give you a synopsis of your personality. What's your personality and what makes you tick? According to my supervisor, who is a very down to earth person, it takes one of each of the personalty types to run a succesful corporation. Sure, different personalities keeps life interesting, until, that is, it starts creating issues for no real reason. We are all very different!  Good, bad or ugly.... Some thoughts cropped up.

Are we taking this test due to the verbal knock down, drag out argument I had with a co-worker 2 weeks ago? This might be the case. We both have tremendously strong personalities, and probablly very similar. I finally had to stop biting my tongue, which I have done for close to a year now, and tell her how things were. Do they think taking this test is going to help? Why can't we all just get along?

Another verbal knock down, drag out occured the other night, with another friend of mine. Kevin and I were having fun with the test. I was reading the questions, he was guessing my answers. The friend decided to start talking a bunch of crap about the people working in offices, ie: the "corporate" world. I'm not sure if he realized that I am "one of them" - I work in the corporate world and it takes all kinds.... He thinks, and proceded to tell me bluntly and in no uncertain words, that I was feeding them information on myself. That they are analyzing my answers! That they would use these answers to determine whether I was a good worker or a good person.  This really pissed me off because he essentially was trying to tell me to fudge my own answers on my own personality test and it just struck a nerve. I'm wondering now if he thinks "corporate" is out of his league? He definately thinks of "corporate" as an authority figure? Why can't we all just get along?

I'm looking forward to getting my results. There were so many interesting questions. How much do you read? Are you the same today as you were when you were younger? How many hours do you volunteer in a month?

Volunteer? I remember what that is. I was homeschooled in 8th grade and one of Mom's ideas was for me to volunteer somewhere where I might be interested in working someday. I chose the Delmonico Nursing Home in Rockland. How many people actually volunteer these days? I'm thinking, now, that perhaps Samantha could get some good out of volunteering at an animal shelter or a vet.'s office. Her goal is to become a vet. Volunteering is good for the soul and we all should contribute  something.  It doesn't seem that many people do volunteer anymore,   including in my own life. There's just not time...  Why can't we all just "give"?

I was sitting in the truck, smoking a cigarette this evening and along walks a homeless man. I don't know if I've mentioned, but my real father chooses to be a homeless man on the streets of Hawaii (or he was a few years back, no one has had contact with him in awhile). We had a potluck lunch today and I packed up a bowl Chicken Chili, with cornbread! I rolled down the passenger window and offered the chili to him. He hadn't asked, was simply walking by, but accepted with glee and "blessed" me. I remembered my Daddy. I hope someone will do the same for him, because I can't. Why can't we all just "give"?

Have Gas, will Travel
Ok.  Maybe not.  My truck is sitting at the end of Becky's road, out of gas.  My truck, you ask?  Since when do I have a truck?  I haven't been posting so I haven't really clued you all in on the trials and tribulations of life lately.  The toyota died, leaving me to put a left-over Accura on the road, which also managed to die after two months, so much for cars built in the 80's. But actually, not, because I'm now driving Kevin's 1989 GMC Jimmy - a huge ass SUV, which apparently takes way more gas than I thought.  The truck runs great, but the gas gage doesn't work.  My original estimate was 25 miles per gallon.  I ran out of gas the first morning.  My next estimate was 20 miles per gallon.  I ran out tonight, 2 miles before I should have....  I guess I now have to live with 15 miles per gallon, in order to stay on the road and not next to it!

SHOES

Although I'm a little late with my Round Robin entry, I had my shoes all ready....

I actually had just gotten them the week before the subject was posted, so it worked out rather nicely for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better late than never.

What's your favorite?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Just popping in for my usual quicky, Bi-weekly appearance, to wish you all (all you many many readers out there ((not))) a very Happy Valentines Day. 

So tell me, What kind of goodies did you get today?

I still longingly watch my co-workers getting flowers delivered to work, but I've yet to score a man that actually buys flowers, let alone has them delivered! Maybe someday......

(The photo above, the Heart Nebula, created by the stars, and was taken by Matt Russell) 

 

Clearly Chrissie

The fact that I managed to ruin my cell phone by dropping it into a glass of milk last night, really doesn't seem like that big of a deal...  when you read these:

To my heart

Slow motion

It's been awhile

Sorry I haven't posted in forever and a day.

I promise I will update you within the next few days.

Until then, I'm sending my love!

Order Away Please!

Broken Ribs

Wow - when I wrote that, I had no idea what I was in for!  "ouch" is an understatement.   I have had really a rough few weeks.  Rib pain, due to fracture (or four ribs fractured, I should say....), has got to be one of the worst pains I've ever felt... right up next to childbirth. Unfortunately, so many people abuse pain medications (and I'm not saying that I haven't myself, in the past), but when you really need them, Dr's are leary to give them out - or give out too many~  It truly sucks!  I have an injury that supposebly will hurt for 6 weeks. I'm into week 3, with not much relief yet and have had to go to the ER numerous times because they only want to give out 12 pain pills at a time.  Give me a break!!!   Your supposed to follow up with your family physician, but what do you do when you have no insurance, no family Dr. and can't afford to see that a Dr. that requires money up front?  Suffer... or revisit the ER ~ It's truly a horrible predictament and if I weren't in so much pain, I'd truly be pissed, but it hurts to much to be pissed, or laugh, or cry, or cough, or sneeze. 

I'm ok though.  I'm fighting a little battle with some fluid in my lungs (caught on xray) but I'm dealing and I think that the fluid issue is clearing up, as I am able to cough and deep breathe better, as time goes on.  It feels like its letting up some in my lungs.

So... what was the guess on the accident report?  Actually what happened was kind of freaky... I went out to the German Shepherd (Toby) because he was twisted around in his chain and he managed to twist me up, while I was untwisting him and as he shot forward to get unhooked, took me down in a clean sweep.  He is, of course, over 100 lbs!! 

I am mad I missed the Round Robin this time around (I'll be back).

The topic for the Round Robin photo this week was "trains" - if only I had looked because Monday I drove the 3 hour trip to Richmond, to pick Sami up at Amtrak.  She's home from her holiday vacation!

Most Recent

Well the most recent thing in my life is I managed to fracture three ribs....

Promise to post about it Wednesday or Thursday, when I'm back at work but until then, you'll just have to wonder - unless of course you are one of those chosen few that are already in "the know".

Love to all!

Stay Pain Free ~ I totally wish I were.

*no that's not my real xray, so don't go trying to look for the breaks in it :-)

Round Robin Challenge

GOING GOING GONE!

  

My daughter Samantha!

 

 

(this one was obviously taken with my cell phone - but what the heck...and so be it.... and all that crap!)

 

Christmas Eve

Before you do anything, you have to check out this Christmas card!

Christmas Story 

Gather the Children around the computer, if you have some and if not, enjoy a little Christmas story yourself! 

So how are you spending your Christmas eve?  Do tell.... Do comment and let me know how your spending the night?

I almost like Christmas eve better than the actual day!  It feels special somehow, even when I'm not in the spirit, like this year... 

I am at Becky's for the holidays - not quite as good as being home for the holidays, but Becky is family to me too, so it's nice to be with loved ones!  I've known her since I was about 11 or 12, she lived down the street from me in massachusetts. 

I just called Samantha and she is having a great time!  They had the traditional Chinese food on Christmas  Eve. and I'm sure she will be headed to bed early in her homemade, matching my little sisters, pajamas. My Mom made us girls (4 of us) matching Christmas pajamas for many many years, which we were able to open on Christmas eve and she has passed that tradition down to my girl and my little sister stills gets some too, even though she is like 25!  But she's the baby, and always will be. 

Our plan is to wrap and wrap and more wrap!

 

I Heart Hotel Rooms

My weekend in the hotel is over and I wish it weren't.  There is something about staying in motels that I just love.  If I weren't a Mom, I probablly could very easily live in one.  I'm not really sure what it is that I love about motels, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I can completely relax - no worries - no worrying about straightening the house, who might come to my door, what others are doing etc etc.  Being in a motel shuts me off from the reality of life and I enjoy it immensly.  I know that probablly sounds weird, but it's true.  It might also have to do with the fact that as a little girl my Dad would take me on the weekends and we traveled alot to do fun stuff, which included staying at hotel's alot. Maybe it's the safety I would feel being with my Dad, when I didn't normally have him by my side and the motel room brings back those thoughts and feelings.

Do you think I'd make a good shrink?

I have to take plans one day at a time, now that I'm transportationless because I have to rely on others assitance.  I live 45 minutes from work and there is no such thing as public transportation in this neck of the woods.  Becky is the closest thing I have to family around here, with the exception of my aunt, Colleen.  We live too far apart for me to ask her for help and her life is so full that I wouldn't feel right even asking her for help, even though she'd probably help in a blink of an eye.  I'm pretty sure that if lived or worked closer, she would be very willing to help out.   

Tonight I'm spending the night with Becky.  She is picking me up at work when she gets out of work and tomorrow I am going to try to get the other car I own started.  I know it has flat tires and a dead battery, but I'm not sure about anything else.  It'll be interesting to see if it cranks right up or not, with a jump.  I'm sure the gas isn't good, after sitting for a few years, but you never know. 

I am beginning to really get frustrated with the whole car situation.  My regular obligations have had to be put on the back burner and I know I'm going to pay the costly price for that.  It's a vicious circle.... I have to drive in order to work and without work nobody gets anything. They aren't getting anything now, because I have to get back on the road.  I am trying to have faith, but it's hard.  I'm trying to remember that, again, everything happens for a reason and what is supposed to happen will.  And again...  it's so hard to see the lesson and the good in a situation until you look back on it. Right now it doesn't feel like there is any good in my situation, but someday soon, I'll look back and it'll be right there for me to see!