To you that keeps coming from R’s site; I’d probably love to talk to you right now whoever you are. Message me here or find me on Facebook.

I was hit hard yesterday with some news that I never ever expected. I think that I’m probably still in shock. I’m pretty upset and just sad; really, really sad. I think I need a break from here for awhile. I don’t know how long that break will be. It may be a day, a few days or a week. I just need some time to gather my thoughts.

So as to not scare anyone: I’m fine, the Architect is fine, my family is fine. It was just other news that I am so not ready to talk about right now.

So I’ll see you all when I see you.

If you haven’t caught the drift from my blog lately, things have been a little bit busy for me as of late. They’ve also been quite busy for the Architect. Work and school have been insane for me. Work has been insane for him and he has a big licensure test to take this week, getting him just a bit closer to being a full architect. Things probably are not going to slow down for either of us until May.

Just about every night this week, we’ve come home and talked about all of the stuff we’re going to be able to do when May gets here. We talk about going camping and doing things outside. Even the mundane things like reading books and watching movies become May’s Holy Grails.

It’s simple stuff but stuff to look forward to all the same. We’ll get there eventually. It’s nice to have someone to struggle along with even if we are still struggling.

I’ve been running into a lack of accountability lately. It’s mostly with school and classmates right now. One of the most frustrating things to me about working with other people is having other people be accountable for their actions. It’s very easy to make excuses and just float along with the current. I probably could have gotten through college and grad school that way as well.

It can take a lot to be accountable. I understand that for a lot of people, accountability does not come easily. It means being able to admit your faults, your misdeeds and anything you may have dropped along the way. One would think that at some point in our lives, it would become easier to just be accountable for ourselves. As with maturity, I don’t think that accountability necessarily comes with age.

Case and point, last week, I and the rest of one of my class teams received an angry letter from a member of our team talking about how we were being unfair to her and how we needed to work together better and all of this other stuff. She had missed several meetings and blamed the rest of the team for not being flexible to her schedule. In reality, we were very flexible and the other three team members, myself included were all able to meet on time every time. This woman made all sorts of excuses about why she couldn’t be there and why she couldn’t get things done in time.

Excuses just don’t go over well with me at all. With all of her excuses, saying that she just forgot or something would have been better than anything else she spit out… sheesh.

What characteristic in others annoys you?

This survey hath been stolen from youandwhosearmy.

Rules of this survey – no two answers can be the same book and all books must be fiction books (hey, I read a lot of non-fiction and this is my blog and I can change the rules if I want so neener neener and neener).

Book next to your bed right now:  All of my library books live on my nightstand so there are currently about 10 books on the nightstand including The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Pollen, The Time Machine by Wells, The Kid by Dan Savage and Children of God by Russell.

Favorite series:  I still love the Harry Potter books. I am still amazed by how imaginative they are!

Favorite book:  Oh, this is difficult. I have to go with Love in the Time of Cholera by Garcia, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Niffenegger.

The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island:  Probably any of my favorites or if I had to pick a different book, probably Atlas Shrugged so I could focus on it.l

Book/series you would take with you on a long flight: Whatever I was in the middle of, I suppose.

Worst book you were made to read in school: You know, I can’t really think of a book that I hated. I got to read a lot of good classics.

Book that everyone should be made to read in school:  The Great Gatsby most definitely

Book that everyone should read, period:  I’m only halfway through it but I’m quickly becoming convinced that The Omnivore’s Dilemma is one that any person that eats food (so that pretty much includes everyone). I’ve been thouroughly freaked out and intrigued at the same time. As for fiction, I have to go with Love in the Time of Cholera; it’s such a good story.

Favorite character:  Either Florentino from Love in the Time of Cholera or Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby

Best villain:  The firemen from Fahrenheit 451. They were scary.

Favorite invented world:  I have to go with the world of Harry Potter. It’s incredibly inventive!

Most beautifully written book:  Either The Elegance of the Hedgehog or The Little Prince

Funniest book:  Definitely Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Hilarious!

We’re sitting in the car last night. It was very dark and we’re staring out in front of us at the dark highway with the bright stars above us. It was late and it had been a really long day for both of us. I’m in the passenger seat trying to stay awake so I could keep the Architect awake. We’re talking about the upcoming week and listening to classic rock on the radio.

I have a penchant for memorizing lyrics. I wish I could roll those skills into something useful. Nonetheless, I’m very entertaining in the car because I know most of the songs that come on the radio and I sing them at the top of my lungs. The Architect was giggling as I belted out songs complete with seat dancing. I love being able to make him laugh, especially when he’s stressed.

The song ends and I look over at him and say “I love you.”

It’s times like those that make me feel really alive.

What makes you feel alive?

The house had sat empty for years and years. We asked some of the neighbors about who had once lived there but even the neighbors hadn’t been around enough to see the home occupied at any point. The car had probably sat there since the house was abandoned as well. It looks like it would have been a nice car at some point. It was a shame that the car had sat out in the elements. It was probably ruined by now. Mother Nature has a way of breaking down even the strongest materials like the heavy metal that cars were made with during the 50s and 60s.

The car reminded me of one we had growing up. My dad loved that car. It was a 1960s Plymouth Fury. I remember how much I loved the smell of that car. It smelled dusty but the seats had been worn down until they were super soft. It was the perfect car to take naps in on long car trips. I remember once when we still lived in Illinois, we packed the car full to go to a wedding in Nebraska. My parents had my sisters and I sleep in sweats so that they could just carry us out to the car in the very early morning. My aunt and cousins were also with us. The car was absolutely huge and fit us all pretty comfortably. My parents were incredibly brave to take four kids under the age of four on that long of a road trip.

We stayed in an absolutely horrendous hotel. It was the kind of hotel where it was highly advisable to wear shower shoes. I still remember that even though I was all of 3 or 4. It’s amazing what you do remember.

(67. Something inspired by this picture by Youandwhosearmy: mode of creation open ( 3 pts) , 45.   Something based on or about a road trip- Mode of creation open- ( 4pts) )

For the next seven weeks, life is going to be very, very busy around here. School is intense. All of my classes are very, very writing intensive. I really wish I would have had the foresight to space them out through all of the semesters that I’ve been taking classes at this particular school. Work has also been nuts. The weekends aren’t proving to be any better really.

This is what this weekend looks like for me:

- Saturday: Get up early to write school papers, meet the wedding planner for lunch in VA, drive up to PA for the day, visit go to a play in PA, go to reception after play, and drive back down to MD.

- Sunday: Get up early and do school work all day.

This weekend shall be lovely

Just because I’ve been busy doesn’t mean that I haven’t been paying attention to the usual political circus that is DC :

- Jim Bunning: You know, I understand where this guy was coming from. I really wish that Congress would think more about where the money to pay for all of these grandiose things that they would like to do. I think him taking a stand against government spending is a good thing. The issue I took with him is the fact that he single-handedly stalled benefits from being paid to a lot of people who could really use it. I know that there are questions of how much the bill is really going to do to make a dent in the unemployment but I still think that it was an important measure to pass. I’m all for fiscal responsibility but I am almost sure that there are less important areas where Congress could stand to tighten their belts a little bit.

- Health care: There’s been a lot of news on this front this week. I will have to admit that all the health care talk has made me feel sick to my stomach (ironic, no?). One thing that struck me this week is Nancy Pelosi telling the Democratic Congressmen that they should vote for the healthcare bill even if it puts their Congressional careers in jeopardy. Good luck with that! Congressmen are all about self-preservation so I’d love to see that happen.

- Same Sex Marriage in the District: This is something I’m really excited about. It’s long overdue. This week, same sex couples were allowed to begin to apply for marriage licenses. The Supreme Court even blocked a motion to block this from happening, which is pretty cool. Also on this front, MD’s state attorney said that while MD does not currently allow same sex marriages, they will begin to accept marriages done in other states. It’s definitely a step in the right direction!

We’re only allotted a certain time here on earth unknown to everyone except the powers that be, whichever powers it is that we believe in. And maybe they don’t even know how much time we have here but the point is really that we only have the time that we are given, no more, no less.  You can take that time and do as much or as little with it as you’d like. You have that power. It’s yours whether you choose to use it or not.

We can move slow through life. It gives us a chance to savor all that is around us. We can move slow like a turtle if we want to. You look. You observe. You ponder. There is no need to rush.  You can take your time do and take in everything  around us.

You inhale and exhale.

Breathing is still just a rhythm.

(47.   Something in which a turtle is a symbolic centerpiece- mode of creation open- ( 3 pts))

If your middle name

Happens to be Wayne

Run fast, run quick

Before you commit a crime

That will make us all sick

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/wayne.html

Love letters to your wife

Made with manure

Do not a happy birthday make

Sending sentiments to your boo?

Just say it in poo

Happy birthday, I love you

Nothing simpler, nothing smellier

It’s the very, very least you can do

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/index.html

Living vicariously through role playing games

Can prove dangerous to man

Virtual girlfriends are fine for fun

But when it’s time to wed

Do yourself a favor and just run

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw100214.html

30.   Something based on or inspired by News of the Weird. Mode of creation open- ( May be repeated up to 4 times with 3 different stories for 2 pts each)

I’ve had the chance to meet a few Xangans in the past couple years. All of the ones that I have met have been pretty cool. At the second DC Xanga Meet Up, I met Alex.  Before each of the various meet-ups, I’ve felt a little apprehensive about meeting strangers from the interwebz (you never know how people are going to be in real life no matter which proper precautions you take before hand).  Nonetheless, it’s always interesting to see how people translate from screen to real life.

One thing that I can say about meeting Alex is that he is exactly what his blog makes him out to be, something that is absolutely wonderful and totally refreshing. He really felt like an old friend, definitely a high compliment. He’s a really wonderful and warm person and he’s very intelligent to boot. It is truly a winning combination

So why am I talking about Alex today? It’s his birthday today, March 1st. So happy birthday to a really cool person!

And what would a birthday be without presents? In order to make his day special, I got him two very special things:

 24 is old so I thought Alex may need a little help turning out lights and such.

Assorted virtual birthday cookies. M&M cookies mean party time!