Sickly Companionship

Cody and I haven’t been feeling well and today we drew the line.  We stayed home.  If we were going to be sick and stay home, I guess, at least we could do it together.  We slept the morning away and then sat in the chair together like a couple of vegetables. . . but we did get to stare at the first game of the Twins and Tigers doubleheader today.

There are times when it’s just nice to have that companionship.

The 100- Best Punishment Ever

Well, I went from exhausted and trying to catch up from one weekend to a weekend under the weather.  I really want to share these pics from last week but still haven’t had a chance to do any editing.  So, I’ll share them SOOC.

Last Wednesday, Cody and I went down the arboretum to get some photo practice in.  Of course, he was his usual persnickity self.

And, it was some time in this moment when he took a picture of me that I’d had enough.  And so, for whatever silly little thing he did, I punished him- with 100 additional shots of him.  (Mind you it was light hearted)

I pretty much let him do his thing while I took pictures of him from different angles and played around with composition.

And just for the record, my husband does not have man-boobs.  I know I’ve posted pictures to the contrary before and I have  no idea what he did with his shirt but I have lots of beautiful shots of him from this shoot with breasts.  So mad at myself for not catching that while I was shooting.  I guess I just need to remember that he’s like the little boy whose always going to have his shirt untucked and really check out what he’s got going on.

Needless to say, I’m really glad I had 100 shots to finally get it right.  But, I’m really happy that I did take the 100 shots.  It was an excellant exercise.  I had to get more creative.  And, this shot, which is one of my favorites, was one of the last ones that I took.

And, as you can see, we had fun with it!  Doesn’t that shot say something about my sweet husband.  Even after sitting for 100 shots, he still looked at me that way.  Or perhaps in his head he was really laughing at me standing on the bench beside him. . . perhaps he needs another 100 shot punishment.

Dumbo, Scared-O

In the photography class that I am currently taking, someone posted a picture from the Disneyland ride, Dumbo.  It brought back a world of memories- of Disneyworld and their Dumbo ride.  My Floyd grandparents lived in Tampa when I was a growing up.  And many times, when we would go visit, we would go to Disneyworld (mind you it was much smaller and much cheaper then).

Dumbo was one of my favorite rides.  There was a button you could push and it would make you go up and down while going in circles.  Dad would let me have control over the button. . . and I suppose that really fueled my love fo this ride- as I was in control.   We would go up and down and up and down.

Then, one time, my mom decided to ride with me.  I suppose it was probably because Dad rode with my brother.  I commenced to doing my part of making the ride enjoyable. . . pushing the button and making sure we went up and down.

Problem is, my mom is a scared-e-cat when it comes to heights and rides.  She did not like it very much, not much at all.  I, of course, was promptly told to stop making our ride so “enjoyable”. 

I vowed then and there to never ride Dumbo with Mom again. . . She just wasn’t any fun.

I haven’t been to Disneyworld in ages. . . Epcot was brand new the last time we went.  But even if I get to go again- I will not ride Dumbo with my mom.  I’m not even sure I’d ride it with Cody either- I can tell you know that he most likely just would not get it.

The 3-Day and the 3rd Door

Last January, my best friend and I decided to do the Three Day Walk.  We whole heartedly went into the year raising funds and training for our 60 mile adventure.  Then, when I realized that the timing of our boys would affect our walk, the opportunity fell by the wayside.  Then, of course, we didn’t get “our” boys. 

I’ve been beating myself up about our decision not to complete the Three Day for quite some time now.  It wasn’t until last weekend when I was talking to Lisa about it that I really began to realize I had no way of knowing and needed to quit kicking myself.

You see, by the time the new year rolled around, I thought there were two paths my life would take in 2009- have kids or give up.  I was working to accept that.  Then came the boys- or at least they came back around- the chance to be chosen for them, our selection for them, some serious talking, and then saying good-bye and turning a corner.

What I realized this weekend was that in my short-sided thinking there were two doors for my life- with kids and without kids.  But, in reality, there was a third door- one that mingled the two paths together for just a short while.  Never in a million years did I think that I would be so far down one path and then plucked from it and onto another path.  I could have never prepared myself for that one.

This all seems like a real bummer post on a rainy Tuesday morning.  But, it isn’t meant to be.  I’m learning to accept what was behind the third door.  And in accepting what was behind that third door, I realize I have to give myself some slack this year.  This weekend I realized that I’ve also got to give myself that slack when it comes to our decision not to complete the 3-day.  It simply got caught in the strife of this year- the turmoil that I never expected when the year began and we started out to make our walk. 

The cool thing that remains is that we got to raise funds for breast cancer research- and I am proud of that- and all of you who helped us raise those funds.  I wanted to say thanks to those of you who did support our efforts and let you know that those funds have already gone towards breast cancer research.

Flashback Friday: I Nearly Died

Today’s flashback is inspired by Wednesday’s dinner, my Wednesday blog conversation with my husband, and the mileage we’ve gotten out of the original incident happened in January.

January 10, 2009

This is the place where I nearly died:

We were leaving Kansas City and heading to Springfield for the Route 66 leg of the trip.  We were already working to get in a different zone- one of stop where it interests you, eat some local non-chain food, etc.  We were getting hungry when we started seeing these billboards for “World Famous Tenderloin Sandwich”.  We saw them over and over again and each time it sounded like a good deal.  So, we drove until we finally got to Smith’s Restaurant. 

So, we were sitting inside eating.  I blew the wrapper off my straw at Cody like we often do.  He did the same.  Then, we started throwing the wadded up wrapper at each other.  Then my husband started to see his opening. . . I had on a V-Neck shirt. . . that I thought was pretty safe- it was nothing close to revealing.

Field Goal!!!  His arm’s went up in victory.  He made it.  The wrapper went down my shirt. . .  right between my breasts.  I couldn’t believe it.

I gasped.  I turned red.  I nearly died of embarrassment.  We hadn’t even gotten our meal yet.  The restaurant was packed.  I’m certain someone saw his little act of mischief.  I’m much more reserved than that.  I could barely show my face.

Tears rolled down my face.  I was laughing so hard. . .not because it was funny. . . because it was embarrasing.  I was in utter shock.

I was never so glad to get out somewhere in my life- and I mean it.  Now, looking back on it, of course, it’s hilarious.  But at that moment, it was not funny at all- at least to me.  Cody never thought it wasn’t funny.  He was so proud of himself.

He’s been warned that he will not live to see another day if he EVER does that again.

Oh, and I almost forgot, the “World Famous Pork Tenderloin Sandwich” was very good.

Flash Forward:  Wednesday I experimented with a recipe and we wound up with pork chop sandwiches that reminded us of the pork tenderloin sandwiches we’d eaten.  Then, when Cody and I were discussing funny things, the incident came up.   Thursday, Cody and I went out to eat.  We once again wound up with wadded straw wrappers.  I had to cover up to make sure that Cody didn’t do this again.  And, in the end, I won when I got the wrapper down his shirt.  At least until he got home and was able to get it out. 

I promise that in however many years we have left together on this earth, he will never live this incident down.