Very little. Very sweet. Snuggly baby.
Very little. Very sweet. Furry baby.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
5 weeks old
Last week, in Metro Detroit, I got to hold a baby who was only 5 weeks old.
Today, in Baltimore, I got to play with a puppy who was only 5 weeks old.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Love is...
That's a really tough sentence to finish. I'm not going to try to define love. Sorry, if that was misleading. Instead, I am going to describe the magnificently tremendous heaping example of love that was my 30th birthday. There are a hundred ways to tell this story, to color it and make it seem more spectacular or better or more interesting than it was. But the truth is, it was absolutely perfect and spectacular just as it was and to alter it in any way would be to do a great disservice. So, here it is, the basic chronology...
5:40 PM
Rush home from work. Quick turn around, need to leave by 6:10 PM to meet friends. The house looks a little cleaner than I remember it being when I left this morning. Definitely smells like baking. Sarah tells me she was burning a vanila frosting scented candle. Her story checks out, the candle is still warm and we're running late.
I go upstairs to change and decide that, for once, I'm not going to fidget with my clothes. The people we're meeting, Mandie and Jake, are really good friends, no need to impress. We're going to have dinner at a pub and then off to some bizarre underground cabaret. Sarah convinces me to wear a new shirt, but she loses the new jeans battle. I'm saving them for my birthday party next weekend and no amount of arguing can convince me to stretch them out early.
6:3o PM
We arrive at the pub. We're always late, so I'm sure Mandie and Jake are there already. I tell the hostess we're meeting friends and ask if she minds if I poke around. "Of course not." They're not up by the bar. Not over in that corner. I come around the fireplace and I see..."OH MY HOLY RIDICULOUSNESS!!!"
Both of my sisters (from Detroit) were there!
We had dinner and a couple of drinks.
Jake and Mandie insist, we don't have to go to the cabaret thing if I don't want to. I think, "I don't really care what we do. My sisters are here and I'm happy as can be."...little did I know what they had in store.
8:00 PM
It's raining and time to head out. The cabaret started at 8:00 PM and we're late. Time to get this show on the road.
We show up at the cabaret address. "I didn't know there was a bowling alley down here," I think outloud. "Hmm, who knew?," says sneaky Sarah.
Jake and Mandie are leading the way. Followed by me, Sarah, Susan, and Jenn. As we're descending this kind of dark staircase into some unknown underground cabaret I'm thinking, "Oh crap. This might be really weird and my sisters are here. I hope I'm not getting them into anything too strange. I hope it's okay. I hope it's okay. I hope it's okay."
SURPRISE!
Did you do this?
Is that Shonda and Ryan?
Is that Brian and Jen?
Sara?! Eric?!
Lauren AND Mandie!! (I'm getting the idea now.)
The rest of the night was filled with all of my favorite things.
The beer is Fleur de Lehigh by Philadelphia Brewing Company. It's excellent and had only been on the market for 3 weeks. Rad.
Every minute from there on out was pure elation. One of my favorite people would say:
"Hey, do you want to bowl?" OK!
"Carolyn, let's have a sword fight!" OK!
"Carolyn, let's have an impromptu singing of the Michigan State fight song complete with a round of 'Go Green! Go White'!" OK!
We wore silly costumes.
Then...I fell and everyone laughed.
Then I laughed too.
We danced.
THEN, I GOT PRESENTS!!!
People came from hundreds of miles away to play and dance and bowl and give me hugs. People took days off of work to decorate and bake. People braved traffic for 5 hours. People got babysitters. Some people told elaborate lies, even though it was really hard. And altogether, I don't remember ever feeling so thoroughly loved.
The craziest part, is that Sarah did it all without me knowing. She's the best. (Even though she looks a little scared, no Sarahs were harmed in the capturing of this image. I promise)
It was the best birthday party ever... and I'll go toe to toe with anyone who dares to differ.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
How you doin'?
Before I moved to South Philly, I thought "How you doin'?" was a question reserved only for television characters, like Joey Tribiani on Friends. I had no idea that those witty bastards were stealing a line from real people. I suppose art really does imitate life.
Generally speaking, "How you doin'?" is a standard greeting around these parts. More like "hello". Not to be confused with "how are you doing?". It's more of a rhetorical question. The appropriate response is to reply with a head nod and "How you doin?" Unless, you're a midwestern transplant with an accent like a blaring fog horn. If the midwestern accent is your lot, it's best just to nod and move on.
Once, I tried to respond to a woman with a similar "How you doin?" and she looked at me like my head was spinning and I was projectile vomiting. I'm pretty sure it's because, to her delicate ears, my lame attempt to sound local came out exactly like: "Good morning my lady! Would you care for a spot of tea?" Ever since then, I've reverted to nodding and going on about my business like a good little mute girl.
There is one notable exception to the "How you doin'?" as general greeting rule, when used in exactly the Joey Tribiani fashion. You get the head to toe once over, typically accompanied by an approving nod, followed by "how you doin'?" It's gross. Well...it's usually gross, but it depends on who says it. I once went out with a guy because of a really well delivered and appreciative "Ha-lo. How you doin'?" Usually it's not so suave, but I've come to appreciate it for the local nuance that it is.
Another local nuance, neighborhood coffee shops that are reserved exclusively for Italian men. If it's not raining, there are always at least 10 Italian men sitting in front of these tiny places. The old guys sip their little espresso cups and sit on the benches closest to the building, usually holding canes and wearing hats. The younger guys at the tables with mugs, cell phones, and gold jewelry. The really young guys sort of milling about with really big to-go cups texting girls named Giana and Bella.
Yesterday, Sarah and I were walking around the neighborhood and were approaching one of these coffee shops. It was a pleasant evening, so the sidewalk was packed. No way around the mess of people. You have to at least skirt the edge of the crowd. Doing this feels a little bit like jumping into that black and white photograph, 'American Girl in Italy, 1951', but less glamorous. We're making our way through the crowd when one of the young ones turns his head directly into my ear to clear his throat and prepare to hock a huge loogie. He realizes he's doing this IN MY EAR not a moment to soon. He's able to stop himself just before the loogie flies.
Genuinely concerned, the spitter says, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"
Systems check: I am disgusted. My ear itches with the realization of what almost landed in it. Nothing actually happened. I am in fact OK. No need to make a scene. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries." I move on, quickly.
As I walk away, I swear I can practically feel his eyes doing the head to toe once over thing. He's not seriously going to... Then, the spitter calls after me, "Yo! How you doin?"
Generally speaking, "How you doin'?" is a standard greeting around these parts. More like "hello". Not to be confused with "how are you doing?". It's more of a rhetorical question. The appropriate response is to reply with a head nod and "How you doin?" Unless, you're a midwestern transplant with an accent like a blaring fog horn. If the midwestern accent is your lot, it's best just to nod and move on.
Once, I tried to respond to a woman with a similar "How you doin?" and she looked at me like my head was spinning and I was projectile vomiting. I'm pretty sure it's because, to her delicate ears, my lame attempt to sound local came out exactly like: "Good morning my lady! Would you care for a spot of tea?" Ever since then, I've reverted to nodding and going on about my business like a good little mute girl.
There is one notable exception to the "How you doin'?" as general greeting rule, when used in exactly the Joey Tribiani fashion. You get the head to toe once over, typically accompanied by an approving nod, followed by "how you doin'?" It's gross. Well...it's usually gross, but it depends on who says it. I once went out with a guy because of a really well delivered and appreciative "Ha-lo. How you doin'?" Usually it's not so suave, but I've come to appreciate it for the local nuance that it is.
Another local nuance, neighborhood coffee shops that are reserved exclusively for Italian men. If it's not raining, there are always at least 10 Italian men sitting in front of these tiny places. The old guys sip their little espresso cups and sit on the benches closest to the building, usually holding canes and wearing hats. The younger guys at the tables with mugs, cell phones, and gold jewelry. The really young guys sort of milling about with really big to-go cups texting girls named Giana and Bella.
Yesterday, Sarah and I were walking around the neighborhood and were approaching one of these coffee shops. It was a pleasant evening, so the sidewalk was packed. No way around the mess of people. You have to at least skirt the edge of the crowd. Doing this feels a little bit like jumping into that black and white photograph, 'American Girl in Italy, 1951', but less glamorous. We're making our way through the crowd when one of the young ones turns his head directly into my ear to clear his throat and prepare to hock a huge loogie. He realizes he's doing this IN MY EAR not a moment to soon. He's able to stop himself just before the loogie flies.
Genuinely concerned, the spitter says, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"
Systems check: I am disgusted. My ear itches with the realization of what almost landed in it. Nothing actually happened. I am in fact OK. No need to make a scene. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries." I move on, quickly.
As I walk away, I swear I can practically feel his eyes doing the head to toe once over thing. He's not seriously going to... Then, the spitter calls after me, "Yo! How you doin?"
Sunday, May 10, 2009
On the eve of my 30th birthday, I developed multiple personalities
Dear Carolyn,
Tomorrow you will turn 30. Don't be scared, be excited. Why be excited, you say? Because in the last 30 years you have:
Tomorrow you will turn 30. Don't be scared, be excited. Why be excited, you say? Because in the last 30 years you have:
- Learned how to read and write.
- Walked across the Mackinac Bridge.
- Loved a whole lot of people.
- Laughed louder and harder than most people dare.
- Made people feel happy and safe and loved.
- Made people feel really really angry.
- Flown kites.
- Cooked some amazing meals.
- Held brand new babies while they were still all squishy looking.
- Created great spaces.
- Bowled over 50 almost every time you've been bowling.
- Swam in big scary oceans.
- Played with kittens and puppies.
- Survived aquariums.
- Eaten ridiculous quantities of ice cream.
- Played Tetris better than anyone you've ever met.
- Felt genuinely and completely loved.
If the next 30 are half as good as the first 30, you're in for quite a ride. Happy Birthday and good luck on the run tomorrow.
All my love,
Carolyn
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The first thousand words.
Seriously, I cannot describe the crazy faced amount of happiness that was this weekend. For those of you who were a part of the crazy surprises, THANK YOU! For those of you who were not, I promise you were dearly dearly missed. There is another post abrewing that more adequately communicates this birthday, but for now this picture most succinctly sums up how it felt to be the luckiest birthday girl ever.
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