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"You should've been gone....knowing how I made you feel..."
The brain says one thing....
"And I should've been gone...After all your words of steel..."
The heart says another thing....
So you invite the distraction while the two do battle....
I was getting stuff done!
Closets were cleaned out!
Files were purged!
Homework was given!
A fun weekend was planned!!
And then it hit me....the flu.....
Blech.
I tried to get up and my body told me that I could go F-myself.I spent most of the next 48 hours in bed.*kicks flu in the shin*
I found it interesting so I had to share!
The following is a list of some automobiles named after people:
Aston Martin (Lionel Martin)
Audi (August Horch, Latin translation of Horch)
Cadillac (Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, founder of Detroit)
Chevrolet (Louis Chevrolet)
Chrysler (Walter Chrysler)
Daimler (Gottlieb Daimler)
Ferrari (Enzo Ferrari)
Ford (Henry Ford)
Honda (Soichiro Honda)
Lamborghini (Ferruccio Lamborghini)
Maserati (Maserati brothers)
Mercedes (Emil Jellinek's daughter Mercedes)
Opel (Adam Opel)
Peugeot (Armand Peugeot)
Porsche (Ferdinand Porsche)
Rolls-Royce (Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce)
Toyota (Sakichi Toyoda).
Info came from Reference.com
Not everyone understands the connection….sometimes I just have to go and spend time with them to know that everything will be ok….
Nothing too weird happened this time – no requests to sketch my feet at the library….I really thought that I was being Punk’d that day….
I met some new little monkeys…..and one giraffe - one of them did not want to be called a monkey!!!!!!!! (I use that many exclamation points to show the emphasis of the dislike of being called a monkey.
I held a bearded dragon…well, more that it was plopped in my hand along with a mealworm…..the dragon finally ate after I stopped saying “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!” in a pitch that made the dogs cry.
I met Anderson Cooper's doppelganger....he's 8 and a mini hurricane.
I marveled at the athletic prowess of a kid that was fighting a 103 degree fever but wanted to play since I was there. Even deathly ill, she had “Olympics” written all over her playing style.
I got to experience an extended sunshower – big and little – made me smile and bask in the glow.
I ate pizza on the beach and marveled at the lightning in the distance while enjoying the ocean breeze.
There were great chats, there were incredibly long hugs and there were all the things that I needed and more.
I never cry for anyone else the way that I do when I leave them….probably because they love openly and honestly…..despite the drama that sometimes comes their way. They provide unwavering support and I can tell them the absolute truth and know that it will be kept safe and protected. Plus they seem to need me as much as I need them. We have considered each other family for years now - even though things did not work out the way that we had expected.
It’s tough to leave but it is the right thing to do for me.
Oh Little Sunshine, I knew that I would love you, but the extreme and how quickly it happened surprised me.
And I had no idea that you would have the same exact reaction to me.
Big Sunshine had said that you would love me since he does….it works the other way too.
Bonus points for melting me with the "Bye, bye, mwah, mwah” *clunk* that you did as you started to fall asleep in my arms.
Mega bonus points for the look of shock that everyone had as you reached for me…..you are not a social sunbeam so I truly felt special that you wanted to hang out with me during the past few days.
We all make them.
Then we realize what they are and move on.
Only to re-visit them a bit later.
We remember why it fell into the mistake category in the first place.
Yeah…it was a mistake…I knew that going in…
I’m gonna clap my hands, show my palms and go...
And then go back...
"Run, Run I'm coming to get you!" That is what I have felt like for the past few days. Tornado-Viz is in town!!
The road has been flying by me at 80 mph for the past 5 days - I was beyond exhausted from spending 4 hours on the road every day.
And when I get to be that tired, everything makes me cranky. (people mean well, but it’s colossally annoying and hurtful - take a minute and think about it before you say it/write it folks)
Due to some lack of planning (not on my part), I have been scrambling to change flights and keeping other people in limbo. I need to go on this trip – it has been planned since August - everyone that I want to see will be in one place.
I will be back on the road right when I get back from this trip. I have to help move some furniture and then I will be living with dad for a week to help out. There’s no internet so it may get ugly quickly….maybe I'll take the furballs with me so that we have some entertainment!
The fact that I woke up and headed out the door at 4 am today was not lost on me - I have been known to get home after many a fun night around the same time....But today I was headed to a hospital to be moral support for my dad. I only have two parents - have to make sure that I keep them around a while!
Despite my fears, I had to be brave - even crack some jokes - "If you see your parents, a white light and our childhood dog, you need to run the other way. Yes, run!!"This surgery was needed to get his quality of life back.....it was long overdue but he has never had any other procedures done so it took a lot of convincing.After a few hours, I got the call that "everything went ok" (in Latvian - talk about instant credibility!) and was able to relax and go call the troops while he was in recovery. Mom even joked that I was being "Mom for the day".Blatantly obvious that the man was feeling no pain when I walked into his hospital room and was greeted with "Dizzzzzzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!". I was happy that he was coherant and ok and did a really good job of not crying from relief.And we talked and talked and talked....."So what did they do with the bone they took out??", "Yeah, you need another ice pack - that male nurse was cute!" and "It's on FB and Twitter that you're ok!" He has an intense recovery ahead of him, but his spirit is strong and he is motivated by being able to polka again....Big thanks to my supporters - all your texts/calls/comments helped!!
I have been in a bit of a quandary…
I had thought that I had made a decision.
And then the next day things changed.
And then they changed again.
And the ping pong action is continuing.
Every time I think that the path is clear, something changes.
So I am frozen on the spot not sure which way to go.
A reminder as to why some guys are not worth our time and some are worth all of it..... “Everything I know about marriage I learned in my cancer clinic.” I’ve been known to say this to my friends, maybe more than once, maybe even causing some of them to grind their teeth and grumble about Robin and Her Infernal Life Lessons.
I can’t help myself. I’ve worked as a breast cancer doctor for 20 years, I’ve watched thousands of couples cope with every conceivable (and sometimes unimaginable) kind of crisis, and I’ve seen all kinds of marriages, including those that rise like a beacon out of the scorched-earth terror that is a cancer clinic.
It’s a privilege to witness these couples, but the downside is I find myself muttering under my breath when my single female friends show me their ads for online dating. “Must like long walks on beach at sunset, cats,” they write, or “French food, kayaking, travel.” Or a perennial favorite: “Looking for fishing buddy; must be good with bait.” These ads make me want to climb onto my cancer doctor soapbox and proclaim, “Finding friends with fine fishing poles may be great in the short term. But what you really want to look for is somebody who will hold your purse in the cancer clinic.”
It’s one of the biggest take-home lessons from my years as an oncologist: When you’re a single woman picturing the guy of your dreams, what matters a heck of lot more than how he handles a kayak is how he handles things when you’re sick. And one shining example of this is how a guy deals with your purse.
I became acquainted with what I’ve come to call great “purse partners” at a cancer clinic in Waltham. Every day these husbands drove their wives in for their radiation treatments, and every day these couples sat side by side in the waiting room, without much fuss and without much chitchat. Each wife, when her name was called, would stand, take a breath, and hand her purse over to her husband. Then she’d disappear into the recesses of the radiation room, leaving behind a stony-faced man holding what was typically a white vinyl pocketbook. On his lap. The guy -- usually retired from the trades, a grandfather a dozen times over, a Sox fan since date of conception -- sat there silently with that purse. He didn’t read, he didn’t talk, he just sat there with the knowledge that 20 feet away technologists were preparing to program an unimaginably complicated X-ray machine and aim it at the mother of his kids.
I’d walk by and catch him staring into space, holding hard onto the pocketbook, his big gnarled knuckles clamped around the clasp, and think, “What a prince.”
I’ve worked at cancer clinics all around Boston since then, and I’ve seen purse partners from every walk of life, every age and stage. Of course, not every great guy accompanies his wife to her oncology appointment every day -- some husbands are home holding down the fort, or out earning a paycheck and paying the health insurance premiums -- but I continue to have a soft spot for the pocketbook guy. Men like him make me want to rewrite dating ads from scratch.
WANTED: A partner for richer or poorer and for better or worse and absolutely, positively in sickness and in health. A partner for fishing and French food and beach walks and kayak trips, but also for phone calls from physicians with biopsy results. A guy who knows that while much of marriage is a 50-50 give-and-take, sometimes it’s more like 80-20, and that’s OK, even when the 80-20 phase goes on and on. A man who truly doesn’t care what somebody’s breast looks like after cancer surgery, or at least will never reveal that he’s given it a moment’s thought. A guy who’s got some comfort level with secretions and knows the value of a cool, damp washcloth. A partner who knows to remove the computer mouse from a woman’s hand when she types phrases like “breast cancer death sentence” in a Google search. And, most of all, a partner who will sit in a cancer clinic waiting room and hold hard onto the purse on his lap.
I have had a few “firsts” in the past couple of days…..
Thursday - not the circumstances that I expected to have this specific experience in. It turned out to be the polar opposite of what I thought it would be. It was a fun bonding time and I have a good memory with a friend that I won’t see much of since they are moving across the country.
Friday – a first in a bar game environment, watching grown men giddily play the newest version of “Golden Tee’. I had no idea that it was as intense as it was – player’s cards, winning cash, game recaps and Youtube videos!
Saturday – I’m not a Ren Faire snob, just spoiled by the one in New York! Granted, that fair was small once too. I went to the Connecticut ren faire for the first time and had a great time despite the two monsoons that passed over. We threw sharp objects, saw a dragon carrying a “Good Humor” umbrella, met a vendor who did the “come into my booth” speech as if he was selling fake Louie’s in NYC and made friends with the King of Scotland who invited us to be merry.
There were some firsts during dinner on Saturday night as well, but they will remain undocumented to protect the innocent….
I felt like the phrase "My dance card is full" should have been used. Everything got set up and the schedule was tight but I made it! Plus I didn't have that horrible feeling that I had not been able to make it a decent visit. (some people didn't get to see me-I knew the schedules would not mesh)
I had dinner at one of my favorite Thai Places, busted out an innapropriate comment almost immediately, realized that the phrase did not translate well, ate some INCREDIBLE food (I handled the spicy, spicy goodness) and we had some amusing chats. According to M-O-M, I came back totally enthused and just talked and talked and talked. (shocker)
I got to spend M-O-M's birthday with her and make what would have been a regular day a bit more special. And I impressed myself with the lunch I made. (it presents very well and looks fancy but is easy to make!)
I traveled into NYC and had drinks with another friend - rounding it out to be a very Latvian visit! We drank some fall-appropriate pumpkin beers before I hoofed it down a few blocks to see Instrument play. The timing just worked and I got to spend some time with the boys before making the trek home.Lots of fun packed into a day and a half.....
Since our favorite DJ was not available, we opted to go to karaoke to continue my birthday celebration the other night.
We had an absolutely great time - lots of jokes, lots of laughs and lots of fun. Just the way I like it. I had friends that trooped out even though they were sick.
There was a surprise guest star as well.
I highly recommend spending a night like this with your friends - it is good for the soul!
We wore our bruises with pride back in the day. Now we're just in pain.
I was running on 3 hours of sleep but was still excited to be there.
The weather was perfect and I loved the feeling of playing a bass drum again. (until my back started to complain)
And I uttered the phrase "How did I do this for so many years?" a whole bunch of times.I may march next year...not sure yet...
I had a fun day - did a nature hike at the Arnold Arboretum, got lost and ended up in the neighboring town. I found my way back and then headed to Castle Island to fulfill my part in a pinky promise. There will definitely be another trip because there are two parts to that promise. (yes, I take my pinkie promises seriously)
My greetings came from near and far - some very creative ones too!
Some were pulling out Latvian phrases even though it’s not their culture.
Some were traveling to a gig and I was the furthest thing from their mind but they found the time to send a text.
Some that wanted to know if they called first - even though it wasn't a contest.
Some that had to call twice so they had bragging rights for double wishes (there were two of those calls).
Some that said “I need to win this week's college basketball bet so I can get you your present!” HA!
Some that sent the Gerber daisies – quite the surprise!!
I felt the love.
And then there was the last call of the night "I wanted to be one of the first and also the last to wish you a Happy Birthday!". Aww...yes, I said it - Aww...you know you want to say it too! Aww...Aww….Aww….
The fun will be continued this weekend!!
How do you talk about stuff that you know will hurt other people? You figure out a way.
How do you refrain from screaming at someone to get a clue? You just do it.
How do you not vent your anger when it is well deserved? You bite your tongue.
How do you forgive someone for lashing out at you? You don’t.
How do you stop yourself from reminding someone that they keep contradicting themselves? You bite your tongue and when you can't take it anymore, you lean on a friend.
How do keep quiet about something that you will never agree with? You withdraw your support.
How do you NOT comment on someone over stepping their boundaries? You do your best given the situation, all the while chanting "I told you so" in your head.
You do all of the above and deal with the consequences.
Hmm.....seems that I have more answers than I thought I did!
Not everyone understands the connection….sometimes I just have to go and spend time with them to know that everything will be ok….
We wore our bruises with pride back in the day. Now we're just in pain.
I had a fun day - did a nature hike at the Arnold Arboretum, got lost and ended up in the neighboring town. I found my way back and then headed to Castle Island to fulfill my part in a pinky promise. There will definitely be another trip because there are two parts to that promise. (yes, I take my pinkie promises seriously)
