Gotta Love DC
From taxi drivers who rarely all speak the same language to some of the most wonderful places to see how our country operates to the fabulous places to eat...You gotta love the DC area. My drive to the hotel from the airport was about 40 minute taxi ride during the end stages of evening rush hour. My driver was very nice and a surprisingly good drive, but he did have sitar music playing on the radio. I swear that one song went on uninterrupted for over thirty minutes. I timed it after the first 15 minutes. My second driver who drove me to meet Amy and her family had evening prayers and Friday night sermon on his radio.
I met Reagan's friend Amy and her husband and two children at a really good Greek/Italian place for dinner. Amy is as precious as can be. She immediately was my friend and the kids are so cute and so well-behaved. I took photos but my eyes are closed in all of the ones Amy's husband took of us (somehow, he didn't make it into any of the photos).
I have tried for two days to put pictures with this blog but they will have to wait. I do have one addition cab/limo story from the weekend. The driver to the airport met us very businesslike and introduced himself and hauled our luggage to the limo-like car (very big, very black but not really a limo). He then pulled out little white Dunkin Donut sacks for each of the three riders and gave us "gift bags" to start our trip out. There were two raised donuts inside...what a treat. I waiting until I got inside the airport and out of sight of the other two riders (we were all flying home to different locations) and I stuffed my donuts into my mouth! I think that should be a new tradition...all limo drivers should give out donuts.
What Happened to February?
I remember being six years old and waiting for my first, first cousin to be born. Those were the longest five months of my life. My aunt (who has always seemed more of an older sister since she lived with us from the time she was fourteen until she married) promised me that I would have a cute baby cousin to play with before Christmas. After waiting all that time, finally November arrived and so did Julie. Then I had to wait another six weeks for Christmas. I think all that I ever did as a child was to wait for some thing or some event. Time frequently stood still or moved at only a snail's pace.
Now it seems that some event is always slipping up on me. Time is racing at breakneck speed and somehow February will be over in seven days. How did that happen?
The Cleansing Snow
Thank you to all my friends/readers who along with the dusting of snow outside have allowed me to rid my psyche of guilt. The guilt train will not be leaving the station. The psyche is currently like the white snow outside my window.
I Refuse
I refuse to feel guilty for wanting to and planning on going to HUF this fall. I earned it, I paid my dues for twenty plus years and I deserve it. I understand that when someone (a faculty member) goes overseas that someone (a faculty member) must stay behind. I did that for twenty years and now it is my turn. I refuse to feel guilty and that comes from the mouth of a person who usually has universal guilt.
Embracing My Cultural Heritage
I have tried to post this blog FOUR times and for some reason my Mac laptop keeps shutting down my internet browser when I try to type at this address. I am trying from a PC to see if blogspot is any happier....scheeeeech!
I want to mention to my dear friend who commented that she was unaware of "My Name is Earl" currently showing on Thursday nights on NBC. It is so funny. I know Earl. I think he was in my graduating class. Gene has taught his brother Randy ("Coach, how can I get into them eeeeassssssyyyyy classes."). This friend, who has taught those "easy" classes in several states has probably had both an Earl and Randy in her classes. This is a funny TV show.
I am very comfortable in acknowledging my low cultural heritage. I have relatives who might be considered "white trash" by some but who actually were just from the deep woods of east Texas. No one had any real money. We all lived frugally. My mother made most of my clothes as did many of my relatives. We had one set of relatives who grew all their own food and had what we called a "path" out behind their plumbingless house. I loved using the path but then I never had to live in that house during the winter months. Our family lives were simple and easy going. We ate mayonaise sandwiches or butter and sugar sandwiches. Sometimes we used waxed paper for plates so we wouldn't have to wash dishes. We ate chicken fried steak and fried okra at the same meal with both biscuits and cornbread. We rode in the back of pickups. We played outside in the red dirt. It was a good life. Earl takes me back to those times.
I Was Tagged!
It's my own fault for not blogging sooner. Maybe then I could have avoided this whole "tagging" thing. But since my friend at http://www.markalanelrod.blogspot.com tagged me I suppose I will carryout out the assignment.
Four Jobs I’ve Had:
I worked for my father at his bookkeeping office. There I frequently battled the office manager for control of the radio.
Camp counselor at Camp Wlydewood...wonderful memories of fun and spiritually uplifting time.
Itenerant Speech-Language Pathologist for three small school systems in Texas. At one of them I worked in the supply closet and the two student chairs had seats of recycled materials (one of woven rope and the other of cowhide).
Orientation facilitator for the Harding University International Programs (I can talk about traveling and not bore my friends).
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:Waking Ned Devine
Chocolat
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain
Calendar Girls
A Christmas Story
Four Books I Could Read Over and Over:Lake Wobegone Days by Garrison Keillor
Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton
Under the Tuscan Sun/Bella Tuscany by Frances Mays
All the Rick Steves and Eyewitness Guidebooks
Four Places I’ve Lived:Mexia, TexasOxford, Mississippi
Scandicci, Italy
Porto Rafti, Greece
Four T.V. Shows I Watch:My Name is Earl
NCIS
Monk
White County Court TV and Searcy City Council Meeting
Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:(How can I pick only four)
Gulf Shores, Alabama
DisneyWorld
New Orleans, Louisiana
Fredericksburg, Texas
Four Websites I Visit Daily:(I don't know how to make this list an actual link to the website)
Breast Cancer Click to Give Free Mammograms
engirsh.com
facebook
dooce.com
Four Favorite Foods:Pizza at Gallo's
Real Gyros
Cheese Fondu
Mille Folia
Four Places I’d Rather Be Right Now:Il Palazzaccio in Scandicci, Italy
any small village in Ireland
sitting in a coffee shop talking with my friends
on a european train on my way to another beautiful location
Four People I’m Tagging:Reagan
Freda
Katie in NY
Jenn
