Vampire Edition (or adventures in bloodletting)

I've given blood the past three years. I decided, shortly after I turned 33, to not be a big wussy any more, confront my fear of needles and give blood on a regular basis. As I have plenty of friends/family in healthcare/EMS professions, I know the importance of giving blood.

Yesterday, however, was the first time I've ever given blood with the Mad Hatter, a witch, Dorothy (of Wizard of Oz), Chucky (of horror movie fame), a nerd and a surgeon.

There was a blood drive at the college and apparently all of our EMS students were given extra credit by their instructor if they dressed up for Halloween. The instructor came as a giant chicken.

Anyhoo, I think I'm going to back off the bloodletting wagon for awhile.

The last two times I've nearly passed out after giving. I get all sweaty, feel my eyes going crossed and end up on the floor, with my feet over my head. While this is mildly amusing to all who witness this event, it isn't my idea of a good time. Yesterday involved lying on the floor of my office, feet up on a box that was under my desk. This is not the most professional of appearances, trust.

My mother and my sister find this absolutely hysterical.

I do not. I just feel stupid.

And one pint low ...

South Florida 'pace'

The transition from Indy to Fort Myers has been overall good, with moments in time where I am incredulous at the differences between the two places and I'm not talking geography.

The 'pace' is one of those things.

South Florida's pace is slow. Reaaaaaaaaal slow at times. I have to check my tendencies toward "wtf" fairly often down here. In the grocery store, I could be in line a half-hour, with only one person ahead of me, because the cashier and the customer ahead of me are having a conversation about people that they might know ... and how they are related, how big the kids are getting, don't the tourists seem to be here earlier this year and on and on. Then, if you are to wonder if these two people knew each other, the answer is no. They might know some of the same people, might live in the same area code or might just have wanted to be chatty that day. Oh yeah, this is life down here.

Meanwhile, my popsicles are dripping, milk is getting warm and I am losing what is left of my mind.

Not one single person down here is in a hurry to do anything. If you are in a hurry, give up. You will be thwarted at every turn. Your patience is too limited to be in a hurry down here.

So I'm learning patience. Adapting. Adjusting. Slowly.

Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent

I've been reading a lot lately, nothing of serious note except for The Lost Symbol. If you are a Dan Brown fan, I recommend, otherwise ... it would make no sense at all to you.

Thinking about my upcoming trip to DC -- would love to see some of the places mentioned, must add that to my visit.

Still enjoying the Hot Damn cds. Still smiling when I think of Stan's.

So far the winter visitation schedule looks like this:


January: Sharkboy's dad, perhaps Marine.
February: Mom, Sister, Cousin K and Cousin B
March: CCM, former coworker T and her daughter

I'm sure there will be more as time goes by. Who can resist sunny 70s when faced with wind-chill, snow and ice?

Hot Damn and Stan's ... a match made in heaven

(picture 1, note plastic "butt" shorts and bikini t-shirt, worn by a man and the flamingo hat worn by the female, picture 2, note flamingo hat and bikini t-shirt. See below for explanation.)

As all great adventure stories start, it was a random suggestion at a table full of fun people, made half in jest.

Then it became serious.

It was Friday night, I was at the Sandy Parrot (a local wateringhole of pleasant reputation) with Mary, Mary's husband, Lee, and Mary's mom, Carrie. We were talking about fun little places to explore, and my love of the random road trip, when Lee suggested we get in our cars and head, immediately, for a place called Stan's in Goodland, FL. Once it was determined that Stan's could potentially be closed for the night (it was 7 then, but we'll get to that in a moment), Lee suggested a road trip for Saturday. Carrie dropped out of the fun, but the three of us left were to meet at Lee and Mary's house around 10:30 or so on Saturday morning.

I had woken up fairly early on Saturday morning -- around 7 or so, took a walk around the neighborhood then went to breakfast at FirstWatch. Came home, read the paper a bit, started laundry. Happened to look at my phone, realized it was 10:10 and I wasn't even in the neighborhood of being ready. I called Lee & Mary and reported I'd be there by 11. All good.

I get there about 10:50, freshly showered, bag packed, mind ready for adventure. Mary is still getting ready at this point (no big deal to me) and Lee hands me a beer. It was at this point I knew the day would be most excellent. Ice Cold Beer on the start of a roadtrip always portends good adventure.

We had a couple of errands to run first ... dropping off items to both of their Moms (coupons to one, tickets for the Commodores to the other) and away we go in the convertible, zipping down I-75. Sunshine, glorious sunshine and laughter were our guides.

We make it to Stan's at about 1:30 or so ... and hear live music as we arrive. Stan's is best described as a funky little small-town bar with a great following. It sits on the edge of the Everglades, has a tin roof (in parts), two stages and about 60-ish tables overall. The crowd was light on Saturday, about 60 people or so all day, coming and going with boats, cars and jetskis in attendance all day. One particularly unfortunate man on a jetski reminded me of the Chris Farley skit "fat man in a little coat" as the life jacket he wore would not keep him afloat if it was paid overtime.

The music of the day was provided by Hot Damn, a husband/wife duo out of Maine, who happened upon this place some winters ago and are now a fixture. They play damn near anything, with some definite leanings towards country music, which didn't bother me a bit.

Picture this: wooden deck, metal roof, license plates as decor, kitch for days, live music, dancing and buckets of beer under a warm October sky. Truly heaven, if you've got any sense at all.

The hours rolled by and the beer continued to taste as if it were made just for us. We laughed, told stories, enjoyed the hell out of the whole experience. As all good things must come to an end, so did Stan's. Yes, it is true, Stan's closes at 7 p.m. in the "summer" (winter hours start in November -- then open until ???) and I bought some CDs for my listening enjoyment later (all three are fabulous, btw).

One especially interesting thing to note ... next door to Stan's is a shop called The Island Woman, which sells all manner of tschotches, nonsense and whatnot, and was the store that Lee suggested I do all my Christmas shopping at for the northern relatives. The pictures included in this post are of some of the 'treasures' found at the Island Woman. Please let me know if you cannot live without any of these items, as I'm sure Stan's will become a favorite of mine in short order.

Apparently Sunday is the day that Stan's becomes out-of-control outrageous, as it is a well-known destination for local bikers. From what I could tell (60+ tables, two stages and plenty of madness), Sunday must be seen to be believed. I think a Monday off work will need to be in order for a Sunday adventure.

The 6:14 a.m. text

Yes, believe it or not, I received at text at 6:14 a.m. this morning and that person lived to see the day. Of course, it helps he is in Indy, as if he were here ... well, let's say it could get ugly.

It's not even that I mind morning. In fact, I love mornings -- it is just that my bed this morning was super-duper cozy comfy warm and cool at the same time happiness.

Oh, the text? It was a friend of mine, let's call him Marine, who had just gotten off work from closing a bar in Indy and he wanted to let me know that he wants to come visit, more than once, this winter. Why on God's happy little green earth he chose 6:14 a.m. to tell me this I do not know. Anyhoo, he and I have been friends since 7th grade and had lived in the same city for YEARS without knowing it, and rediscovered each other a year or so ago via Facebook. Many hi-larious times ensued and the last one culminated in us closing down the bar (see above) and him sleeping it off in my guest room. He wanted to make sure to tell me this morning that he hasn't had a good night of sleep since that time and that my guest bed was super comfy.

I told him to come on down, and he can check it out again. I know we'll be catching up while I'm in Indy in December, as his bday is 12/24 and he wants to celebrate.

************
This weekend looks interesting ...

I need to start thinking about DC, as I leave in two weeks and haven't so much as thought about what I will wear yet. I have a suit I need to pick up at the cleaners -- then probably need to look at Macy's/Dillards for other options. I have enough suits for the week but still want to make sure I have good evening clothes too. I'll be seeing a couple of former coworkers there, plus will have some new coworkers in tow. Should be big fun.

Saturday evening is the fundraiser of the year for my college. The Pops concert this year features the Commodores and Saturday night I'll be on my lawn chair, drinking adult beverages under the stars and listening to music. I'm excited and totally ready for that.

Sunday is still up in the air. I'm trying to do a little touristy stuff here and there and I have a few ideas bubbling around my head. Cayo Costa State Park? Capitva? Sanibel? Edison-Ford Winter Estates? Sitonmybuttandwatchfootball? :)

7 Years Ago Today

It never fails.

An email arrived today.

Every October 19, I hear from the Hex.

It is our anniversary, after all. Seven years ago today ...

For the past four years, that hasn't been true.

I don't wonder, not anymore. While we were married, while I was in counseling, I wondered, hoped, prayed, wished, dreamed we'd work it out.

Now I know --

I am happy.
I am well.
I am okay.

Seven years ... and a thousand lifetimes ago ...

The updates ...

weekend/week update for those of you interested:

1. Mom and Mom2 (mom's best friend, S) arrived late on Sunday night. Upon their arrival it was discovered that I had no a/c at home. They did not want to disturb me because of #2 and suffered in silence until I got home. Maintenance was called, a/c not fixed until Tuesday. Luckily enough, a guest suite at the apt complex was open so we all slept in relative comfort on Monday night. Today they are exploring the Edison/Ford Winter Estates and Bonita Beach, then dinner/drinks at the Sandy Parrot with my coworker and friend's parents (one of whom happens to be from my very small county in Indiana ... the world revolves around La Porte County ...).

2. Had a date this weekend ... thus the reason why they did not want to disturb me. His name, for the purposes of this blog, shall be Captain as he was kind enough to invite me out with some friends of his for a boat outing. It was a fabulous day ... gorgeous weather, food and company. The only unfortunate turn of events was the friends had to call it off early due to illness -- however, we stayed out, enjoying the water and the day. It was my first date since things ended with Jason and I back in July ...

3. Still working financial aid stuff. I believe there is a director in the works (amen), so my time working it is probably limited at this point. I've enjoyed the learning the processes but feel exceedingly ignorant of the whys and wherefores of the financial aid biz. My lack of knowledge in student services is obvious in many ways and in this case, glaringly obvious.

4. Upcoming weekend plans include a vacation day on Friday (yeah!) and a trip up to Venice, FL to stay at an oceanside place with Mom and Mom2. I am so excited about this I can hardly stand myself. I'm looking forward to the sound of waves in the morning, hunting prehistoric sharks' teeth and generally spending two relaxing days. They leave Saturday afternoon ... so I'll probably pop down to Blind Pass Beach for a little further hunting, then perhaps up to see Dad and Stepmom for dinner. Sunday is still unknown at this point.

5. I looked for a house this past weekend and will continue the house hunt until I'm satisfied. Yes, dear friends and relatives, I am looking for one with plenty of space for relative/friend storage in the winter months. Please put in your time share requests for Winter 2010 now. :)

ooh, yes ...

and a happy birthday shoutout to my dear friend MND! He turns 36 today ... you old fart, you. :)

6 years ago yesterday.

It was six years ago yesterday that Mom, Sister and I were in Florida, soaking up the sun on Siesta Key. It had been a beautiful day, lots of sun, one elderly man in a banana hammock for our viewing pleasure and good times.

We got back to the hotel ... the phone had a message.

Call Krin.

Krin is my cousin, just four months older than I am. We've had drastically different lives (her: married 17 years with 4 kiddos and now finishing nursing school) but have always been sisters in spirit and heart.

Her dad, my uncle Wayne, had been in a car accident. One so similar to the one my aunt Lindy (his wife) had had some 21 years earlier that it was frightening. She sounded so alone and scared.

Later that week, after returning to Indy -- I immediately drove north to see her and see Uncle Wayne. He squeezed my hand, I told him I loved him. A few short weeks later he was gone ... and I miss him still.

On the list of men I've known in my life, he's on top. A family man to the core, he was one of my biggest cheerleaders ... always telling me I could do whatever I wanted to do, to do the right thing, focus, work hard ... and that he loved me.

A Walk Down Memory, er, Nightmare Lane

Loyal readers .... I know you remember the dark tale of the married jerk I dated for awhile? The one who neglected to tell me he was married ... and I found out through internet research and contacted his wife to apologize?

Well Well Well.

Last Wednesday, on my work email account, I received an email from this guy and this is what it said:

"I am not talked to you for a really long time and I would really like it if you would allow me to talk with you soon. I did not treat you well at all and should have done everything that I could do to hang on to you and continue to see where our relationship could have taken us. I miss you a lot and I miss talking to you and being with you. I just wish that I would not have waited this long to get back in touch with you. I am very sorry for how things turned out and would very much like a second chance with you, if you could find it in your heart. I no longer have any of your numbers, but can give you mine in the hopes that you would either text or call me so we can get together. If nothing else I wish that you would at least text me and let me know that you are doing well.

That is all I can say for now. My phone number is 317-IAM-JERK. (changed to protect, oh hell, I don't know why I'm protecting him ... I should rent a fucking billboard with his name on it and CHEATER plastered on top.)

I hope to hear from you soon,

Jack"

First, ignore the obvious lack of any type of grammatical training whatsoever.

Second, assess the fact he emailed me. On my WORK email. And I did not work here when we "dated."

Third, Seriously. What The Fuck Is Wrong With This Guy? The term douchebag hardly contains the distain I feel for him.

My email back was simple:

"We haven't talked because you are married, just as you were when we met and when we dated. Figure out your life and quit hurting others with your selfishness."

Seriously. WTF.

Not a damn thing going on.

Nope. Nada.

(and I kinda like it that way!)

Going to DC next month for a conference, will be there a week (squeeeeee!!!!) and cannot contain my joy.

Work is good. My boss is awesome. I want to be just like her when I grow up. (there is no time frame for me growing up, btw)

Mom and Mom2 (Mom's best friend) are coming down next week. Each day my Mom gets a little more excited. I think today was a new high of excitement, she started telling me all about what she has packed already. (She leaves Saturday afternoon)

Not much else going on, just enjoying my existence.

Hope you all are doing well too.

Utter Bullshit

Roman Polanski
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

I have read, with great interest, of the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland this week. Roman Polanski, for those who don't know, is a famous director, Academy Award winner and former husband of Sharon Tate, who was savagely murdered by the Charles Manson gang. He is also the son of Holocaust survivors.

He is also a rapist.

More precisely, a rapist of a 13 year old girl. Sodomy, rape, oral sex ... all forced on a 13 year old girl. A rapist who fled the United States of America for France when it became apparent he would be (shock! awe!) punished for his crime. Which he committed. Which he admitted to.

Instead, he fled the country and has now been arrested in Switzerland, who doesn't offer the same blind eye to justice that France has for over forty years.

This is not to say that Switzerland is the end-all, be-all of justice, of course, just think of those millions of numbered bank accounts outside of many countries' jurisdictions. This is to say, in this instance, Switzerland got it right.

I do not care who you are. I do not care of your wealth. I do not care of your "genius." I do not care of your "loss" of your place here in America nor of your inability to receive your Oscar in person. Nor do I care that your victim has asked you not to be punished. You admitted guilt, you should receive your punishment.

I care about justice.

Roman Polanski -- accept justice. Accept your punishment. Atone for your decades-old sin.

Indy and beyond ...

I spent last weekend in Indy with Lu. I'm glad I went, however, I think I aged about 25 years in the process. I never thought at age 35 I would help my friend pick out her husband's urn. Seriously, if that doesn't age you nothing on earth will.

Like I said though, I'm glad I went. By the end of the weekend she was eating willingly and keeping the food down. This was a major accomplishment. She was also sleeping a bit here and there so I was pleased with that.

***************

I'm back at work, getting some things done. I'm applying to the University of Florida for an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration -- yep, I'll be a Dr. after all is said and done. I've always wanted a doctorate ...

Interesting job developments of late. I may be asked to take over another position. I'm nervous as hell but excited that they have faith in me.

Nothing else to report. Life is just moving right along. Mom and her best friend are coming in town next weekend for a week. I'm taking a day off to spend with them, so I'm excited about that.