Made in Richmond

Last night, Ross, myself, Scott, and Christi went to Magianno’s to celebrate the second anniversary of PharrOut. We got the family style option where you pay $24.95 per person and have an endless supply of food for the rest of the time you’re there. I must say, it was a wise decision-we have so many leftovers that we won’t have to cook for days. Anyway, it was great to see Scott and Christi to celebrate how far the business has come in just 2 years. I’m proud of our little PharrOut Phamily, and I look phorward to many pheasts to come!

I need one of these:

PRESENTING THE PUGGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, one of my boys called one of my girls the “N” word. Both of them are African American, not that that should make it any less bad. I didn’t even know how to begin to address this, so I had to just send them to the guidance counselor to talk it out. The little girl was crying so much she could barely breathe, but the boy didn’t see any problem with calling her that. Sigh. I hate it when I don’t know what to do.

I added some songs to the iPod shuffle on Sunday. On a whim, I decided to plunk a little Bush on there, just for kicks. Well, this evening, as I was perusing myspace.com, Glycerin came on the speakers. I literally swooned. A wave of memories of my undying love for Gavin came over me, and I was once again an awkward 14 year old listening to the Buzz in my room, truly convinced that I would one day marry him. I mean, how could a girl resist these lyrics:

must be your skin that i’m sinking in :: must be for real ‘cos now i can feel :: and i didn’t mind :: it’s not my kind :: it’s not my time to wonder why :: everything gone white :: and everything’s grey :: now you’re here now you’re away :: i don’t want this :: remember that :: i’ll never forget where you’re at :: don’t let the days go by :: glycerine

i’m never alone :: i’m alone all the time :: are you at one :: or do you lie :: we live in a wheel :: where everyone steals :: but when we rise it’s like strawberry fields

if i treated you bad :: you bruise my face :: couldn’t love you more :: you got a beautiful taste :: don’t let the days go by :: could have been easier on you :: i couldn’t change though i wanted to :: could have been easier by three :: our old friend fear and you and me :: glycerine :: don’t let the days go by :: glycerine

i needed us more :: when we wanted us less :: i could not kiss just regress :: it might just be :: clear simple and plain :: that’s just fine :: that’s just one of my names :: don’t let the days go by :: could’ve been easier on you :: glycerine

Or this face:

Sigh. I listened to it twice. I guess it really is too late, considering he’s married and has a baby on the way. Oh, and I’m married, too.

I don’t like cake. Please don’t offer me any.

I thought I already loved my brother and sister an insane amount. But it turns out, the more time I spend with them, I love them even more.

I love buying people lunch.

When watching movies, I get more upset when a dog dies than when a person dies.

Everyone in my family has dimples but me.

Billy Joel ballads make me tear up whenever I listen to them.

I sometimes think I should just give my dogs away now so I won’t have to deal with the sadness I will feel when they die.

I don’t need to use tape when painting a room.

I’ve never met a Matt I didn’t like.

I have never broken up with someone in person. And I’ve only been broken up *with* in person.

I sleep on my stomach with my arms parallel to my body, very much like a fish.

I still pretend to be a mermaid when I go swimming.

I’m scared of vampires.

I love to watch documentaries about exorcisms.

I read exceptionally quickly.

I’m a sucker for a boy with curly hair.

I use my smile to try to get people to do what I want. And it usually works.

I am able to detect if someone is BSing in about 3 seconds.

I do not fight fair.

I think cheating is a definite deal-breaker.

I cry on every anniversary of my grandma’s death.

I will eat an entire box of Swiss Cake Rolls in one sitting. Not Ho-Ho’s. It’s only Swiss for me.

I’ve had the same cut on my thumb for 10 years. I would call it a scar, but it looks brand new everyday.

Few things makes me happier than a clean kitchen.

Tonight Ross and I joined my dad’s side of the family to celebrate my grandmother’s 95th birthday. My grandma (Thelma) lives at Imperial Plaza over in Bellvue, so we all met up with her and some of her friends in one of the party rooms there to throw down. I had myself a quality meatloaf dinner, and even had a balloon tied to my chair! My grandmother seemed really happy, and it was nice to see that she and her lady friends take good care of one another. One of her friends is named Helen, and she’s just about the funniest person I’ve ever met.

Helen informed us that she had spent her whole life living 3/4 mile away from Imperial Plaza, so she’s a hard-core Richmonder through and through. Ross and I could tell she was immediately by the way she pronounced “house.” People who are Old Richmond say “house” in a way that sounds almost Canadian, but a little more slurred. Needless to say, once we made this connection, she was our favorite of the ladies joining us. But little did we know that our love for her would grow the more and more she talked.

Helen is one of those elderly ladies who seems to say whatever she wants, basically because she’s old and she can. She told a bunch of stories over dinner, but my favorite had to do with old people on a cruise, fog, and a prosthetic leg. According to Helen, some friends of her took a cruise up to Alaska (or around Alaska, I dunno-I just know that my grandmother took a similar cruise a couple times-maybe old people like it?). One morning, this couple was strolling along the deck, making their way to the dining room for breakfast. As it was foggy, the deck was a little slippery. Unfortunately the older gentleman slipped and hit the ground with such force THAT HIS ARTIFICIAL LEG FLEW OFF AND SLID INTO A CROWD OF PEOPLE. In my mind, I pictured all of these elderly people being plowed over like bowling pins by this rogue, soaring leg. Needless to day, I almost died from the hilarity of it all, and Helen seemed happy to have given us all a chuckle.

Anyway, it was a good time had by all, and it was nice to see my grandma smile so much. Happy Birthday, T-dawg!!!!!

I have been asking Ross to get me some jewelry for a Christmas or birthday present for a long time. For real, ask Maura. Anyway, he actually listened this Christmas and ordered an opal (my birthstone) ring off of the ebay.com. Unfortunately, said ring has yet to arrive and it was intended to be my “main” Christmas present. But luckily, my thoughtful husband made ammends for the tragedy today.

I got home today around 5:30 to hear Ashlee Simpson blaring from upstairs. My first thoughts was, “Man, Ross is such a forgetful bastard. He left his iPod on when he left.” My second thoughts was, “Oh no. I’m about to be murdered and the killer has decided to supply a very odd soundtrack to my slaughter.” Bravely, I made my way up the steps behind my ferocious dog Zapp, and into the sunroom, the location from which the music was blaring. And what do I find hooked up to my laptop there? None other than an iPod shuffle! I know some people think the shuffle is lame-o, but it’s perfect for me because I’m not really picky about music or the order in which it is played. I just kept saying “What the mess?!?!?!!?” over and over again. And the best part is, I have no idea what he put on it, so it’s like a nice surprise with every song that comes on!!! I’m so happy and feel so appreciated. YAY HUBS!!!!!

Most of you in the Richmond area have probably heard about the murders that took place on New Year’s Day in South Richmond. For those of you that haven’t, click here. I’ll refrain from giving a summary of the horrible events, more for my sake than anyone else’s.

We all know that Richmond can be a violent city, but I always considered the violence to be based on people making really bad decisions in the heat of the moment. But this incident required so much planning and calculation that it makes me queasy to think about it. My heart hurts for their family and friends, and particularly for the little girls’ friends and classmates who are having to deal with something this horrible way too early in their lives. Please keep all involved in your prayers. Pray for Richmond, too.

So this year is off to an amazing start. I spent last night at Blair’s house playing Pop-Culture Trivial Pursuit. It was boys against girls and the boys got pwn’d, I must say. I drank my first entire beer, and it turns out that beer makes me bossy.

I woke up at 11:30 today, ate some toast, went back to bed, woke up at 3:30, took a shower, and headed over to Chris from Canada’s to partake in the New Year’s Turkey Fry. Last New Year’s Day, Ross organized the roasting of a pig. This year he successfully orchestrated the frying of a bird in peanut oil. I must say, when that hubby of mine puts his mind to something, he can accomplish anything. Not only that, but this get-together was the ultimate example of worlds colliding-even my sister, who I love, came which was great!

Anyway, I had an awesome time at Chris’s and I seriously adore everyone that was there. I’m a little bit in love with each and everyone of them. My heart is exploding with affection for them and with gratitude that I get to call them my friends. So much that I don’t mind that I came home to Zapp eating the curtains that my mother custom-made for our dining room.

I hope everyone had a great New Year, and I wish you all many blessings this coming year!

BLOGGING RUNS IN THE FAM!!!! Check out my big sister’s new blog, dear readers!