Well, today is my birthday. Yipee. I turn 31 this year which means I am now officially "in my 30s." While I was 30 last year, that is really the cap end of your 20s. It's kind of cool to be 30. But, 31, well that isn't so cool. I'm feeling pretty good so far, but we shall see as the day progresses.
One of the interesting things about my relationship with Steve is that we have the exact same birthday. He is actually 13 minutes older than I am. Weird, huh? So, we are celebrating our birthday in style by going to The Melting Pot tonight for yummy fondue. A friend mentioned it to me last weekend, and then my dear friends, Melanie and Alan, blogged about their recent date at The Melting Pot in Dallas, so I figured it was meant to be for us to try it out.
So Happy Birthday Steve! Happy Birthday me!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
3 Months Old Already!!
It's hard to believe it's been three months already since my niece, Madison, was born! I am having such a great time being an aunt to her. I took her at the beginning of the month to have her pictures made (see my blog on being molested in the process) and they are finally ready! I just had to share them. She is SO adorable!
Oh, and while I was there picking up the pictures I recounted my terrible experience for both the manager in the store and the District Manager via phone. They were both completely shocked by what I said. I was also told this was not the first complaint they had. I sure hope it is the last!! Sexual Harassment is illegal and against every company policy in America. No reason for that kind of behavior. Blah!! But, they comped me the proofs and offered me a free introductory package the next time I come in. I told them I would only come back if the manager was the one there taking her picture. She was really sweet.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Happy Birthday to my BFF Monica!!
Happy Birthday to my Best Friend, Monica!! It was actually yesterday, but I wasn't online at all this weekend. Monica and I have been friends since we were in the same 10th grade History class at Friendswood High School. It's amazing that we have been through so much together and have remained just as close as ever. It's funny how some people will come in and out of your life like the wind, but others will always be there and your world would quit spinning if they left. That is how I feel about Monica. She is my soul mate, my sister, and my best friend forever.
Love you girl!!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Funniest Blog EVER!
Ok, so if you are a girl in your late 20s-early 30s you were probably a reader of the Baby Sitters Club books in the 80s & 90s. I stumbled across the best blog a few months ago and I highly suggest you check it out if you were a fan of the books. One of the gals our age loved them when she was young and has gone back to re-read them as an adult and this is her weekly book review from an adult's perspective. It is HILARIOUS.
Let me know what you think because it has become a new favorite blog for me to read!
www.claudiasroom.blogspot.com
PS~ I think there is also a blog out there about the Sweet Valley series, but I haven't let myself explore that one.
Let me know what you think because it has become a new favorite blog for me to read!
www.claudiasroom.blogspot.com
PS~ I think there is also a blog out there about the Sweet Valley series, but I haven't let myself explore that one.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Tragic Discovery for a Photo Nut & The Molestation at Walmart
We had a second loss last week. While taking pictures of pictures at my grandfather's funeral, my digital camera bit the dust. For a true photo junkie, it was a crushing blow. No new pictures of Maddy this week. No silly pictures of Pico sticking out from under a blanket. Tragic.
I am planning to buy a new camera soon, and look into getting my camera repaired so that Steve will have one for real estate. I guess something good can come from this!
Since I did not have a camera, I decided to take Madison (Maddy) to have her picture professionally taken at the photo place in Wal-Mart. She was a little fussy when we got there, so I let the people after me take our turn so I could get her calmed down. As we were finally getting her into position to take the pictures, the photographer's assistant kept "helping" me get her settled, and would ever so subtly grope me in the process. This happened 3 or 4 times before we were done. I was trying to keep my cool so I could get out of there. They showed me the pictures which were darling and I was asking about getting a disc of the pictures to show her mother and the woman told me they only had floppy discs. I told her no problem. She rang me up and sent me on my way. When I got out to the car, I noticed that there wasn't a disk in the bag. I went back inside to realize they were gone to lunch. I saw the groping assistant and told him what I was missing and he was SO rude to me like I was wasting his time. He gave me such attitude and was cursing under his breath. The nerve of this little perv! I will be calling their customer service department this afternoon and lodging a complaint against this little punk.
I am planning to buy a new camera soon, and look into getting my camera repaired so that Steve will have one for real estate. I guess something good can come from this!
Since I did not have a camera, I decided to take Madison (Maddy) to have her picture professionally taken at the photo place in Wal-Mart. She was a little fussy when we got there, so I let the people after me take our turn so I could get her calmed down. As we were finally getting her into position to take the pictures, the photographer's assistant kept "helping" me get her settled, and would ever so subtly grope me in the process. This happened 3 or 4 times before we were done. I was trying to keep my cool so I could get out of there. They showed me the pictures which were darling and I was asking about getting a disc of the pictures to show her mother and the woman told me they only had floppy discs. I told her no problem. She rang me up and sent me on my way. When I got out to the car, I noticed that there wasn't a disk in the bag. I went back inside to realize they were gone to lunch. I saw the groping assistant and told him what I was missing and he was SO rude to me like I was wasting his time. He gave me such attitude and was cursing under his breath. The nerve of this little perv! I will be calling their customer service department this afternoon and lodging a complaint against this little punk.
The Greatest Man I Ever Knew
I was asked to write the Eulogy for my grandfather after my family read my blogs and emails. Here is what I came up with, if you are interested.
The Greatest Man I Ever Knew
By Elizabeth Blessitt Cates (Granddaughter)
How do you sum up 85 years into a sound bite? The answer ~ You don’t.
Pawpaw Sam was a loving, caring man. He was larger than life, as anyone who ever met him can confirm. As a child, I remember him as HUGE! I am sure by the time my children and grandchildren hear the stories he will have reached a “Paul Bunyan” like legendary status. Pawpaw was built like a tank and worked hard every day of his life, until the stroke robbed him of the use of his legs.
It is strange the things you remember most when someone you love passes. I remember him always telling me his nickname was “Sambo Sneezer Ice Cream Freezer.” Even his nickname was amazing. I remember countless hours of hearing the same stories of monkeys on ships, family vacations that went awry, and countless other tales that I will always treasure. Pawpaw could lift a telephone pole and still have the gentleness to soothe a baby with ease and great love. He had an amazing strength that I have rarely seen in another person. One of my greatest memories is getting Pawpaw to do “The Bear,” which consisted of him slipping his glasses down to the end of his nose, popping out his false teeth so you could really see them and growling. We all thought this was hysterical, but it must have been too much for my cousin Doug, probably age 3 at the time, who took off screaming. Poor kid.
Pawpaw also had a real talent for making Grandma mad. I asked him one time why he did it, and he told me that he thought she was cute when she was mad. He had such a twinkle in his eye when he said it that I knew it was true.
In nearly 31 years, I never heard him utter a harsh word, curse, or do anything but be a good person. I don’t know another person in my life like that.
Pawpaw had a love for technology beyond his generation. There was never a shortage of computer parts, pieces, or manuals when he was trying to learn the new fangled machine. I think he even emailed me once. He would call me often with computer-related questions. I remember clearly trying to explain what a “blog” is after he read about it in the paper.
Pawpaw had a great affinity for animals and they LOVED him. When I was young, they had two large German Sheppards, Lady and Storm and I remember him laughing as I would ride on their back (I was probably 2 or 3 at the time) or stick things up their noses. Most recently, Pawpaw had a little Shitzu he named Little Pal who turned out to be his greatest furry companion. It was a truly sad day for him when he lost his little friend.
Pawpaw and Grandma were married for nearly 62 years. They had six children, countless grandchildren, and the newest generation of great-grandchildren. I think that relationship sets the “gold standard” which we should all try to achieve. There was always a lot of love in my grandparent’s home, and I spent countless hours there taking it all in.
I will miss my Pawpaw in a way that no one will ever know. He was a wonderful, amazing man and will always be my hero. I feel like the luckiest little girl in the world to have him as my grandfather for nearly 31 years. I know that I am a better person because of him and the example he set.
The Greatest Man I Ever Knew
By Elizabeth Blessitt Cates (Granddaughter)
How do you sum up 85 years into a sound bite? The answer ~ You don’t.
Pawpaw Sam was a loving, caring man. He was larger than life, as anyone who ever met him can confirm. As a child, I remember him as HUGE! I am sure by the time my children and grandchildren hear the stories he will have reached a “Paul Bunyan” like legendary status. Pawpaw was built like a tank and worked hard every day of his life, until the stroke robbed him of the use of his legs.
It is strange the things you remember most when someone you love passes. I remember him always telling me his nickname was “Sambo Sneezer Ice Cream Freezer.” Even his nickname was amazing. I remember countless hours of hearing the same stories of monkeys on ships, family vacations that went awry, and countless other tales that I will always treasure. Pawpaw could lift a telephone pole and still have the gentleness to soothe a baby with ease and great love. He had an amazing strength that I have rarely seen in another person. One of my greatest memories is getting Pawpaw to do “The Bear,” which consisted of him slipping his glasses down to the end of his nose, popping out his false teeth so you could really see them and growling. We all thought this was hysterical, but it must have been too much for my cousin Doug, probably age 3 at the time, who took off screaming. Poor kid.
Pawpaw also had a real talent for making Grandma mad. I asked him one time why he did it, and he told me that he thought she was cute when she was mad. He had such a twinkle in his eye when he said it that I knew it was true.
In nearly 31 years, I never heard him utter a harsh word, curse, or do anything but be a good person. I don’t know another person in my life like that.
Pawpaw had a love for technology beyond his generation. There was never a shortage of computer parts, pieces, or manuals when he was trying to learn the new fangled machine. I think he even emailed me once. He would call me often with computer-related questions. I remember clearly trying to explain what a “blog” is after he read about it in the paper.
Pawpaw had a great affinity for animals and they LOVED him. When I was young, they had two large German Sheppards, Lady and Storm and I remember him laughing as I would ride on their back (I was probably 2 or 3 at the time) or stick things up their noses. Most recently, Pawpaw had a little Shitzu he named Little Pal who turned out to be his greatest furry companion. It was a truly sad day for him when he lost his little friend.
Pawpaw and Grandma were married for nearly 62 years. They had six children, countless grandchildren, and the newest generation of great-grandchildren. I think that relationship sets the “gold standard” which we should all try to achieve. There was always a lot of love in my grandparent’s home, and I spent countless hours there taking it all in.
I will miss my Pawpaw in a way that no one will ever know. He was a wonderful, amazing man and will always be my hero. I feel like the luckiest little girl in the world to have him as my grandfather for nearly 31 years. I know that I am a better person because of him and the example he set.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Saying Goodbye
Yesterday, my grandfather made his peaceful transition home to his parents. I know that at almost 31 years old, I have been very fortunate to have one complete set of grandparents remaining. Now, that number has been reduced to one grandmother.
My pawpaw Sam was a loving, caring man. He was larger than life, as anyone who knew him can confirm. He was HUGE when I was a child (6'3, 350 lbs, built like a tank!) and I am sure will reach a Paul Bunyon standard by the time my children are old enough to hear the stories. I never heard him utter a harsh word, curse, or be anything but a good person. He worked hard every day of his life until a stroke 6 years ago robbed him of the use of his legs. I remember clearly seeing the 78 year old man rolling around on top of his roof fixing shingles because he was worried if he stood up he would fall through or off the roof. Yeah, because at 78 you are not supposed to be on the roof at all. He was amazing.
I will miss him terribly, but the loss comes at a great relief, as he has suffered unnecessarily over the past few months. When my time comes, set me on fire and throw me out of an airplane so I can go down in a literal blaze of glory. I don't want to go out like that.
I have also been given the distinct honor of eulogizing the man I have probably admired most in my entire life. It is a great honor, and I hope I can do him justice. How do you capture 85 years of greatness in a sound bite? I will try to post whatever I come up with. It's funny the things that stand out the most when someone you love dearly passes. I remember the stories, the countless hours spent listening to them over and over.
Yesterday when I got the news, I was numb. I have been waiting for a week to hear the words, "He is gone." When I finally heard them, I went into thought mode. I didn't cry. I didn't feel sad at all. The emotion hit me this morning as I was sending out the funeral information to my friends and family. I know I have a floodgate waiting to open inside my heart once I finally accept that I will never see him again. I am still mourning the loss of my Uncle Curt, who died of cancer back in 2003. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. I am sure the effect of losing my grandpa will be as profound.
Please say a prayer or send a happy thought if you don't pray for my grandfather. I know that he will be able to watch over me now from a place of peace and love.
My pawpaw Sam was a loving, caring man. He was larger than life, as anyone who knew him can confirm. He was HUGE when I was a child (6'3, 350 lbs, built like a tank!) and I am sure will reach a Paul Bunyon standard by the time my children are old enough to hear the stories. I never heard him utter a harsh word, curse, or be anything but a good person. He worked hard every day of his life until a stroke 6 years ago robbed him of the use of his legs. I remember clearly seeing the 78 year old man rolling around on top of his roof fixing shingles because he was worried if he stood up he would fall through or off the roof. Yeah, because at 78 you are not supposed to be on the roof at all. He was amazing.
I will miss him terribly, but the loss comes at a great relief, as he has suffered unnecessarily over the past few months. When my time comes, set me on fire and throw me out of an airplane so I can go down in a literal blaze of glory. I don't want to go out like that.
I have also been given the distinct honor of eulogizing the man I have probably admired most in my entire life. It is a great honor, and I hope I can do him justice. How do you capture 85 years of greatness in a sound bite? I will try to post whatever I come up with. It's funny the things that stand out the most when someone you love dearly passes. I remember the stories, the countless hours spent listening to them over and over.
Yesterday when I got the news, I was numb. I have been waiting for a week to hear the words, "He is gone." When I finally heard them, I went into thought mode. I didn't cry. I didn't feel sad at all. The emotion hit me this morning as I was sending out the funeral information to my friends and family. I know I have a floodgate waiting to open inside my heart once I finally accept that I will never see him again. I am still mourning the loss of my Uncle Curt, who died of cancer back in 2003. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. I am sure the effect of losing my grandpa will be as profound.
Please say a prayer or send a happy thought if you don't pray for my grandfather. I know that he will be able to watch over me now from a place of peace and love.
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