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| 36 Hours ... That's IT?! |
| Monday, November 13, 2006 |
 The weekend was a whirlwind of good times! Despite the airport shenanigans, and the drive from the airport to the bar on Friday night (I didn’t get there until midnight), and the lack of sleep, and the deadly throat virus I caught in the process, the weekend was a success and I am glad I went.
Friday night I hung out for a few hours at the local pub in the small town I grew up in. A few old friends showed up, and a few just happened to already be there, which was a great surprise. It was a good kick-off to a very quick weekend.
Saturday I had breakfast with Lori, who is “with child” and could not hang out in the smoky bar the previous night. After breakfast, we sat in her car and talked until 12:30 when it was time to meet my mother and little brother for lunch.
Lunch went well, and I got this wonderful photo of my little bro and me. I think all the money, travel and headache of going up there, was worth it just for the extra-long hug that he gave me. He’s such a special guy … and he’s got promise to be more like me than the other siblings, which of course I have to encourage. Love him, love him, love him!!
The wedding was so great! The families of the bride & groom are so great! And it was a wedding that I felt so glad to be a part of (even if I was just one of the fools crying in the audience). Not to mention the fact that the dresses … were so cool!! So, hip! So, attractive! I tell ya, everything came together beautifully!! Andrea is such a great person, and I know she’ll make an excellent wife! I can’t wait until she gets back from the honeymoon.
Moving right along to the reception: it was like a high school reunion for me. Only, a reunion of just the kids you WANT to see! I grew up in the same church with many of those in attendance, and most of us have moved away from the hometown, so we all had lots to catch up on.
I stayed with one of my oldest friends, Ashley (actually, it was at her parents’ home because she doesn’t live in the area anymore either). We had the best time together (and her husband, too). You know how there are some friends you can be totally sarcastic and honest with? She’s one of them. We can be so blunt with each other, and not only do we not get upset, but we cherish that part of the relationship (at least I do), and we laugh and laugh. She told me several times during the night, “I am so glad I’m on your good side! You have no mercy for other people.”
And? She’s totally right. I know this. And I tell myself that I need to work on it, but no progress seems to have been made, so really? What’s the point?
We laughed.
We drank.
We danced.
 
And we had a good heart-to-heart talk at 2am. (sorry, no photo of that portion of the night). She’s one of my most cherished friends, and I am so glad she is a part of my life.
Add to that the generosity of her parents for allowing me to stay in one of their spare rooms, and you’ve got yourself a great weekend!! Not to mention the necklace that her mom let me borrow for the wedding (which I accidentally wore home, and now have to mail back to her – oops!) What a great gang! 
And now, I sit here suffering a fever and raw throat … thank you Kentucky and your 39 degree weather. I guess everything comes at a price. Thank God for the Zythromax I had prescribed to me last year, but never took. Hopefully that gets me well before my trip to Canada next week. My boss will KILL me if I’m not well for it.Labels: Friends, Travel |
posted by Internal Expert @ 5:05 PM   |
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| Some Day Lady ... |
| Monday, October 23, 2006 |
Hmmm, looks like I’ve been a bit absent in the past week, eh? Well, there is a good reason (at least, it’s good to me) but it’s not really appropriate talk for a website that can be found by googling my name – so I’ll move on to another matter.
So, if you were to put a soundtrack to my high school summers it would be, hands-down, Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits. This man is a genius, is he not? I know many people may not identify with the Michigan-based musician, but I certainly did, and still do. I mean, come on – no one else has ever been able to capture that absolute mysterious beauty of meaningless teenage sex quite like Bob in his classic “Night Moves”. And I think for that sole reason, this was the great “drinking CD” that always seemed to be playing in the distance, whether it be the stereo at someone’s house, the classic rock radio station, or a car stereo. It was inescapable. It is just an excellent CD to drink beer to … they go together, is all I’m saying.
One of my dear friends also shared my love for Bob Seger, and we discussed it so much that we found ourselves talking about him on a first name basis, as if we’d known him for years. I will never forget the day we decided that if Bob were to ever go on tour again, we WOULD be in attendance at that show and we WOULD sing until we could sing no more. Years passed, and occasionally we would bring it up: “Hey, don’t forget about our promise to see Bob together.” But, the opportunity had not presented itself. Then, out of the blue, I hear on the radio several months ago that Bob is releasing a new album, which to me was like, “Duh! No one releases a new album without a tour, right?” So, I called up Val and let her know to keep her eyes open for a concert … that our dream may finally be coming to light.
Then, two weeks ago I get an email from another friend which reads:
“Hey guys!
Guess what I heard on the radio this morning?!? On November 25th, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are performing at US Bank Arena! How fun is that?? Woo Hoo, Night Moves!! Tickets go on sale this Saturday. Em, I think this is a good reason for a visit! What do you think? We can all go see Bob!!
Hope you guys have a great day!”
Naturally, my first thought is “Hallelujah!” Then, the logical accountant got wind of the news and interrupted the whole celebration. There were two reasons I would not be able to make this show. 1.) I am already going to be traveling to Cincinnati in the month of November, and twice in one month is a bit excessive (especially in November – brrrr) and 2.) November 25th is on Thanksgiving weekend. We will be in Orlando for Thanksgiving visiting my grandparents. Of course this devastated me … stupid sensible Emily! There is just no way I can justify spending the travel money twice in one month – in November, and no way can I cancel Thanksgiving just so I can go to a concert … even if it WAS the ONE and ONLY opportunity to see Bob with my friends for the rest of my life. It would be one thing if I were single, but to leave the husband alone on Thanksgiving .. and to ditch the plans with my grandparents just to get drunk for a few hours and way some old Michigan-ite dance around on stage? I just couldn’t do it … no matter how much I wanted to.
But before I resigned this as my fate, I decided to go out on a limb and hope that the husband would talk me into going anyway. Yeah right, that plan backfired really before it even took off the ground, which allowed me to be angry at him for not helping me out. So, I hopped online to see where else Bob would be visiting. Perhaps there was a good in-between venue at a more schedule-friendly time. Well, there is a show scheduled on December 2nd (which is my 25th birthday) in Kansas City! Immediately my spirits soared! Yes!! Of course, the girls can meet me in Kansas City for my birthday and we can go to the concert and party all night, and then return to our respective cities – how much more perfect can you get!? I checked the flight prices – cheap as can be! Everything was going to be alright!! So, the next day I emailed the fellow Bob-lovers and told them to meet me in Kansas City for my b-day instead, and miraculously they agreed!
But, Sensible-Adult-Accountant-Loser strikes again. Now that we are almost through with the bathroom remodel, money is tight and I just don’t need to spend that much money to satisfy a silly juvenile wish ... especially so close to Christmas – even if it IS my birthday – no, my 25th BIRTHDAY!! So, Val is going to the concert in Cincinnati with her mom instead, and I am so … freaking … jealous. Not to mention my anger toward Bob. The least the bastard could have done is consulted with me! What shitty timing!
So, I’ve been a little defunct ever since, which has also been intensified by other problems with life, and I am just waiting for the bitter disappointment to evaporate enough that I may be able to be happy for Val while she attends the concert with her mother. I mean, of all times, I should be able to take the high road on Thanksgiving and be grateful that I have grandparents and a husband and puppy to share turkey with during such a time of world events that sometimes just breathing makes me thankful for clean oxygen.
In other news, I’ve decided to participate in M. Kennedy’s National Blog Posting Month in the month of November. I’ve put together a guideline of what can be discussed, but with two out of town trips, one out of country trip, and a holiday, I am not sure I’ll be able to stick with it. So, forgive me, please. I’m doing the best I can!Labels: Daily, Friends |
| posted by Internal Expert @ 4:18 PM |
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