Thursday, January 13, 2011

Ode to My Computer - Grandpa G

Grandpa G

My Gateway MA3
wears slippers
and uses a walker.

Tick tock tick tock
goes the grandfather clock.
Tick…tick…tick tock
Waiting…waiting…waiting.

Soft foods only.
No large, difficult files.
His false teeth can’t chew bites
……..like they used to.

He is falling apart
with creaks and groans.
His battery pack needs frequent
naps to recharge.

Tick tock tick tock

What’s that you say, honey??
Sweet?
No, delete…
Replete??
No, delete
Treat??
NO DELETE
…….Blue Screen
All my work is gone
Every…last…word.

My typing is too fast,
he can’t keep up.
He’s sitting in a chair
in the middle of the mall
waiting
and forgetting why…

Grandpa is six years old.
That’s 83 in computer years!
With all those new-fangled whipper-snappers
coming on the scene,
he seems as old as Methuselah
and twice as slow.

My Gateway MA3
Wears slippers
And uses a walker

…….I need a Mac

Monday, January 3, 2011

2010 in Review

2010 was a great year but also a bit of a trying year. Little Junior (he’s almost 20, but I can still call him little) decided to join the Chickadee in Colorado and start his own life adventure. It was a year of adjustment for The Man and I - - we had come to the serious part of our relationship and there was a lot of uncertainty and tentative expectations. 2010 brought my Chickadee back home to live (not in my house, but nearby). This is also the year that I was finally able to bring my horses closer to me instead of living at the farm with the X. What a year of transition!!!

2011 is full of promise!! It will be dubbed the Year of the Party as The Man and I plan a wedding and all of the festivities that come with it. This year is my 21st anniversary of my 21st birthday and so deserves a milestone celebration (any reason for a party, right???)….. I am contemplating my goals for 2011, but first, I have to review the goals of 2010…….. drum roll please…..

Last year’s resolution post http://divorced-diva.blogspot.com/2010/01/resolvedthe-sequel.html

RESOLVED……..I will take more bubble baths-at least 2 per month
RESOLVED……..I will not use my credit cards
RESOLVED......I will blog every single week
RESOLVED……..I will promote my blog better
RESOLVED……..I will exercise at least 3 times each week
RESOLVED……..I will streamline my home-including filing and purging unwanted items
RESOLVED......I will travel to Spain in 2010
RESOLVED……By the end of the year, I will write a book

It seems that 2010 was a bust in terms of attaining my goals…….they weren’t over the top, unrealistic goals……it just seems that life got in the way. That happens sometimes…..life gets in the way of all of our good intentions. I would like to say that I am the most organized and self-disciplined person……but in actuality, I am more of a free spirit who likes to color within the lines. Instead of wallowing in guilt that I did not meet my goals…..I feel like I need to list my accomplishments of 2010.

See, I tend to be the type of person who feels guilty when she does not perform up to expectations----who the heck is setting these expectations anyway?? If I feel like I am disappointing someone, I cringe inside and run away….hide my face……and hope they give me a bit of mercy. The Man points out time and time again how I am doing so much but I can’t see it. Case in point……

The Man: What did you do today?
Obsessive Me: Not a thing….I didn’t accomplish anything, today--I feel so guilty!
The Man You don’t have to feel bad for not doing anything…..it’s okay.
OM: It’s just that all these other things got in my way today and kept me from doing anything - I wrote two papers, a blog post, read my reading assignment for school, planned half of a trip to Rome, answered some emails, followed up on feedback from a real estate showing and went to the grocery. However, my bathroom is messy, my filing needs to be done and I didn’t get my linguistics homework finished….

Seriously…..I think I need a 12 step program…….except I think I would obsess over getting all of the 12 steps done in record time……

In 2010, I….the Divorced Diva…..

Embarked on the journey to finish my degree in English.
Earned a 4.0 for 12 hours in the Spring Semester.
Anticipate getting 4 A’s for the Fall Semester (unless I get a dreaded A-).
Learned that there is a poet inside of me.
Blogged for two or three different websites.
Learned about Old World wines.
Started a new business with my daughter - Bella Event and Travel Planning.
Took a road trip from Colorado Springs to Indianapolis with 5 people and a dog, two cars and a U-Haul.
Planned my family’s first destination Christmas.
Began tennis lessons.
Learned basic Serbian.
Learned basic French.
Hosted a Kentucky Derby Party which was a raving success.
Used my neighborhood pool for the first time.
Learned to cook purple hull peas with my grandma.
Tended a garden with the hottest jalapeno peppers ever.
Created a flower bed in my back yard.
Gave horse back riding lessons after 5 years away from the sport.
Got a perfect score on my final paper on Dante’s Inferno.
Became engaged to an amazing man!!!
2010 was a good year…….but 2011 will be even better.

Stay tuned for my Resolutions………ones that allow me to color with pretty colors but within the lines.

Cheers!

Shiny Happy People

Oh how I love shiny, sparkly things---especially shiny, sparkly things that come in small packages. On Christmas Day, I awoke to the sun shining in beautiful Isla Morada. Christmas is my favorite day of the year……it’s just so full of promise, surprises and creativity. On Christmas, you are literally surrounded by wrapping paper, colorful bows, stockings full of candy and smiling faces. It’s the day of Champagne, Cinnamon Rolls and ham and cheese quiche. The day is simply buzzing with happy energy.

When I peeped my eyes open, I looked over at The Man and said, “Santa was here…..wake up!!!” He groaned a bit and said, “It’s earrrrrrrly.” I wiggled a little closer, scrunched up my shoulders, smiled and said ever so sweetly, “Santa was here!!!!” I was so excited to give him my present that I couldn’t sit still.

Since this was a destination Christmas, the family was simply filling each other’s stockings with no other presents given. The Man and I had decided to give each other simple presents with a dollar limit (although I did have my doubts as to whether either one of us would stay within the parameters). My gift was simple and practical……. something he needed but a little nicer than he would purchase for himself. I bought him a NICE pair of Nike winter running pants and a warm Under Armour-type shirt (he’s a soccer player). After he opened my gift, he said……”I need to get your present.” Suddenly……I am a bit nervous.

He tells me to close my eyes and cover them with my hands. I hear shuffling in the closet and wonder what exactly he is doing. His quiet footsteps stop in front of me and I feel him sit down beside me. Open your eyes. I held my breath…..and willed my eyes to open……and before me is a dark red box with silver lining…..housing the most beautiful ring in the history of rings. I look at it, not sure what to do next…..my heart is racing….unsure but yet completely sure. Now this ring comes with a question. Pause….. pause…pause…..pause……. I feel like a little pooch waiting for a treat……I just might jump up or bark or leave a little tiny excited puddle……I am so very, very excited!!! I look into his eyes and he smiles at me……Will You Marry Me??? Yes!!!! Yes!!! Yeeees!!

He puts the ring on my finger…..it fits so perfectly…..it is so beautiful!!! We hug for a very long time. I wanted to give you this ring today because I know it is your favorite day of the year and I wanted this day to be extra special. Sigh….. We spend the next hour telling each other the deep things in our hearts…..of how we feel lucky to have found each other……of the reasons we fell in love with each other. It was a moment to be savored and we savored every minute of it.