Downtime

I'm at Evanston Hospital in -- guess where -- Evanston IL. I have downtime. I love it. I did an hour long inservice at 8:00 am which necessitated an earlier-than-usual waketime (our new clock does not understand the meaning of the term OFF when it comes to the alarm....) and getting lost because I followed the map instead of following my nifty GPS system (gift of the first DD & SIL). For those of you who are interested, there IS no exit off I294 on Golf Rd, which is most probably why both Mapquest and the GPS system advised me to take Dempster. Sigh.

Anyway, I've been ensconsed in their "business center" where someone kindly loaned me a cord so I could get on the web, and I've had nearly four hours to myself. I've played with my talks for the next conference (Thursday and Friday), done my e-mails, and gotten some lunch in a lovely little cafe where I couldn't decide which of the yummy meals to get. I now have just under two hours left. Yummy meals in a hospital used to be an oxymoron, but no longer. They are finally realizing that we are paying customers here, and need to be treated as such.

This is always a treat -- no phones (well, one call so far on the cell), limited numbers of things I can do on the laptop, a good book -- (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd....subtitled "A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine") and a sense of nothing I HAVE to do...but just some things I want to do.

Someone just introduced me to a new blogger -- I've put it on my favorites as she seems to be my kind of person: http://christinemoers.blogspot.com/ AKA Welcome to my brain.

Here's hoping I can figure out how to get home -- Evanston is about 40 miles away, and there is no good northern east-west expressway from here to there.

Or even from there to here.

Tomorrow I head up to Appleton WI for a two day conference which is going to be great fun -- lots of wonderful people -- some of whom I've not seen in a long time. I'm looking forward to it!

Another Weekend with the MC

Ahhh....I'm spending another weekend with the MC. They are SO forbearing to have the MOB-MIL down yet again....

I finished lecturing in Lafayette IN yesterday afternoon, and after dropping Linda at the Indy airport to go back to Charlotte, hung out at Panera (the MC's former study spot) until Chris got home from work.

Now I'm huddled up on their brand new couch which was just delivered this afternoon. Chris is next to me looking again at the powerpoint I did for their wedding. Torrey is doing the cooking tonight and refused my offer of help. (She just refused again -- just for the record). We've had appetizers -- stilton cheese with cranberries and Dubliner (Trader Joe's) with crackers and Fuji apples (they've converted me from Red Delicious) and a bit of Two Buck Chuck.

Last night we went to Toby and Celise's for dinner and met Booker (age 5), Hannibal (age 13) and Nile (age 14). Kim and Eric were there too (Toby and Eric were groomsmen in The Wedding of the Decade)...it was fun to get caught up, and as Toby said, "break bread with the family." I can't think of anything better than spending an evening with family and friends -- what was really amazing was getting to know Chris' "brotha from anotha motha" a bit better. Such stories and laughter. Toby told one about a practical joke he played on Best Man Brad that will be incorporated into my lactation lectures!!

This morning Torrey and I hit the mall for my new addiction -- Barnies' flavored coffees. And of course, we ran into a sale at LS Ayers and hit the shoe section big time. Ladies' Day out culminated in groceries from Trader Joe's (hence the Dubliner & Stilton) and Meijer for tonight's dinner...

As to the MC? I'm still completely enjoying watching them enjoy each other. It's been nearly 3 months (can it be?) and their love for one another is so evident.

They could give lessons in how MCs should treat one another.

I'm taking notes...

Birthday Surprises

The DB (dearly beloved) is having one of the major milestone birthdays tomorrow I'll leave it to you to figure out just which one it might be. Given that he REALLY doesn't look his age, perhaps you'll think he's 10 years younger than he is....

That said, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a suitable birthday surprise for him. We aren't much for Big Birthday Bashes around here, so inviting 60 of his nearest and dearest friends just wouldn't cut it. Besides -- we just did The Wedding Extravaganza....

What would he enjoy the very most? Having all his children together. So I rallied the forces and for the past month or so, this has NOT been on the calendar. But I've been on e-mail and phone -- "Can you come? Do you think you can make it? DON'T say a WORD to Daddy -- I want it to be a big surprise."

And surprise it was. First to arrive were the MC, coming in after work at about 8:30 on Friday night. Torrey called -- "We're just passing the school. Make sure the back door is unlocked." In my excitement, I promptly locked it and then went back to toggle between the Olympics and James Bond.

Within minutes, the MC burst into the living room yelling, "Surprise!! Happy Birthday!" Bob was completely taken aback -- yes, he was surprised.

The Timster got in around 2:45 am, coming in to tell me hi -- but of course, the DB slept through the whole thing. Saturday morning he was up before I was, and saw Tim's car in the driveway.

Jill, Derrick & Deven arrived around 4:30 for our birthday dinner which was at 6:00. Fortunately, Bob's favorite meal is one of the three I can cook (T'giving/C'mas turkey dinner, pot roast with carrots, rice & gravy, and oyster-sauced chicken wings). He opted for the pot roast which is also Chris' favorite of mine (granted, his experience is rather limited), Torrey's second favorite, and Tim's first favorite. Hold the gravy.

Potted tulips and hyacinths from Jill, a little book on growing old from his sister, a book on "Regrettable Menus" from me (many of which could have been mine), a polo shirt and shorts, and a clock from Hammecher-Schlemmer which projects the temperature and time on the ceiling for those of us that are eyesight challenged.

Torrey & Chris' gift is coming, but I'm being a good doobie and not spilling the beans -- not even here, lest the DB read this....

Torrey and Chris left early this morning to stop by the hospital and visit new niece Molly -- born yesterday to Chris' sister Stephanie. Tim was going to leave later in the day, but this afternoon called with the rather distressing news that his car was draggin' anchor -- that is, the exhaust pipe and muffler were not in their optimal spot....hence a visit to the Muffler Man early tomorrow before heading back for school.

As birthday surprises go, I think it was the best. After all, I can't think of anything better than having my kids all together at home.

So just who was this birthday bash for? Well, DB might have received the gifts, but I think we both received The Gift!!

Valentines Day and Parties

Last week when I was in Charlotte teaching a 6 day lactation consultant preparation course, I picked up a phone message from our across-the-street neighbors. "We're having a "turn the lights off" party on the 14th -- can you and Bob come?"

It seems that there are several families in our immediate neighborhood that have made a pact to keep their Christmas lights up until Valentine's Day -- hence the "Turn the lights off" party.

In years gone by we've gotten the Christmas porch lights off, but usually left the window candles on until well into the new year. This year we busily got everything down on New Year's Day -- except for the Christmas tree which we left up until the 2nd. So I wasn't sure how we qualified for the party except that, well, we are part of the neighborhood.

What a fun idea! Since Bob was recently divested of his job (more about that in another post) we certainly weren't going to spend any $$ on V-Day -- and truth be known, neither of us are as creative as The Beamer in pulling off an amazing V-Day for the beloved (see Torrey's blog: http://www.marriedcouplebyTorrey.blogspot.com for more detailed info).

So we went across the street -- a bunch of neighbors gathered for great food, fun and fellowship -- it was a good time to get to know each other a bit better, meet their new little daughter from China (they just finished celebrating the Chinese New Year), and of course, enjoy the coziness of their home, built circa 1928 (a mere youngster compared to our home of 1898).

And now, all the C'mas lights in our neighborhood are off -- waiting for next year -- and we'll save Valentine's Day for another neighborly get together and a Turn the Lights Out party.

Sunday School...

As I write this, I think about the fact that the term "Sunday School" seems to refer to a time on Sunday mornings at church that is for children only. Despite the fact that the four of us were brought up going to Sunday School when we were kids, I honestly don't remember my parents going to Sunday School. (I'm sure my siblings will correct me if I'm wrong....) But if they didn't go, what were they doing when we were in our classes since we all went together. So maybe they did.

In any case, Bob and I have been involved in an adult Sunday School class in every church we've attended since we've been married (all three of them in nearly 36 years). College Church now refers to them as "Adult Communities" but still -- hey -- it is basically Sunday School.

We love it. It's a great opportunity for interacting, on Sunday morning, with a smaller group of people -- getting to know them better, praying for and rejoicing with one another, and having discussion surrounding the morning lesson.

When we first moved to town, we attended three or four churches, but were then invited to College Church by our neighbor-around-the-corner. But -- she invited us to attend her Sunday School class which, at that time, was called the Couples' Class. We went -- we were hooked -- and 24 years later, we are still there. Our Couples' Class morphed over the years, and is now an intergenerational class called Genesis.

OK -- so why a blog about this?

It seems that in many (most?) churches, adult Sunday School classes are totally out of vogue. What's in is a house church or a cell group or a life group (hereafter referred to as an LG) which meets on another day, another time. Church is Sunday morning (or Saturday night) and -- that's it.

Now, I'm all for the LG concept -- but for newcomers at a church, those are difficult to start attending on Tuesday evenings or whatever. It's a more intimate setting, usually at someone's home. Frequently the couple aren't placed into an LG until there are enough new people to form one.

We've gone to church with the MC several times -- both churches they have attended when they were dating/engaged and now married -- subscribe to the cell group/house church theory, so there are no adult classes on Sunday morning. So far, they've not been able to get involved in an LG -- they went to a social get together of an established LG with some other newcomers to the church -- the only other couple that were there that night were the couple that were in charge of the group!

I think it is difficult to get involved in church - particularly in a large church - if you aren't involved in a smaller group within the church -- and if you are there on Sunday morning already why not simply stay for another hour?

Within a few months of getting involved in our SS class when we started at the church, Bob was going to a Tuesday morning men's prayer breakfast. Four years later we started a life group which has been together now for 19 years -- almost the same group of people as when we started.

I love seeing change in churches -- but I do think that there needs to be more (convenient??) ways of folks becoming a community in a church. For young couples with small children, it is difficult to get out of an evening unless they are in a LG that welcomes babies, toddlers, and little kids. With adult classes on Sunday mornings, the parents can be in class when the children are in class or the babies are in the nursery (or with their parents).

Unless there are more ways for people to get to know other people in a church setting, we'll have more and more attending Bedside Baptist or Pillow Presbyterian on Sunday mornings.

Bait and Switch?

I gotta whine...so go ahead, get out the cheese, and have some with this whine...

There is going to be another wedding in our family -- my dear nephew Robbie, son of sister Rosie, is going to marry his sweet fiancee Tina the end of March. We're looking forward to having another family reunion and fun time in Jackson MS. Being AOG (aunt of the groom) is gonna be a good time!

If we get there.

I fly a lot. I am very familiar with the likes of Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, American Airlines, United, Delta....I can navigate them and get fairly good prices for tickets.

I used to be able to.

I have worked harder and longer on tickets for this trip than any other tickets I've ever purchased, including the ones we needed to fly to Europe a couple of years ago to visit Tim in Sevilla, Spain and then visit Lyn and Tim in Berlin.

What could be so hard about getting tickets from Indy to Jackson or Chicago to Jackson? They were expensive! And times were dreadful! My dear SIL suggested going to the AARP website -- which I did. Wow! Great prices! I could get the kids from Indy to Jackson for $245 each -- get them in relatively early on Friday and home to Indy early enough for Tim to get back to school Sunday night. I hopped on it. Got to the "buy it" page, and it said -- oh oh, the price has changed. Please check below. The price was now $747 each.

Huh? 747 is a Boeing, not a price for a ticket from Indy to Jackson!!

Mistake. Had to be.

Tried again -- same thing.

OK -- we'll try Chicago to Jackson.

Price on the front page: $234 each. Price on the buy page: $639.

Bait and Switch.

Yup. We're gonna love the wedding -- if we ever get there.

By the way -- Cheaptickets.com did the same thing. One price on the 'come on' page -- by the time I got to the purchase page about 2 minutes later, not only had the price nearly doubled, but the flights I had chosen were nowhere to be found.

I've not found who will accept my complaints yet.

Except you.

How's the cheese?

The Year of the MC

Check it out -- Torrey has her own blog... Find out what the Year of the MC is all about from the perspective of half of the MC.

Enjoy!!

http://www.marriedcouplebyTorrey.blogspot.com