Chaos I Call My FaRmily: I'm Baaaccckkk!

I'm an aunt, daughter, sister, friend, believer, etc. There is a long list of words that make me giggle. I believe in having ice cream for dinner, making strangers smile and finding magic in the smallest of moments. Let's face it, if you found your way here, you probably already know me... I have nothing significant to offer the blogosphere, so this is my online diary so when I'm insane one day and lost all my real diaries that I started a million times and never finished - I have this.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

I'm Baaaccckkk!

So I apologize to my (2) followers who have been missing my posts. I have actually been unusually busy for a change and haven’t been keeping up with this as much as I would like to have.

Once I catch you up on what you’ve missed I promise I will be better about updating this! I certainly don’t want anyone losing track of my exciting and hilarious life experiences J

I believe I left off in June.

The first weekend in June, I went with Ellen and Ginny to Pennsylvania. This was their first trip and I think I can call it a success! I hope they are able to go again soon. Ginny took amazing pictures and although it’s a long drive… it was beautifulJ

The next weekend was Melissa’s wedding shower! Joyce and I threw it for her, even though Joyce was the brains behind the operation, as she is the brain behind most operations- So many showed up and Melissa was surprised and really grateful to everyone for being there. She’s adorable. Plus- the breakfast was really good! (Album to come - but here’s a teaser).

I went right from Melissa’s shower to Connecticut to spend time with Mom, Shauna, Blane and the rest of my family that came from all over for a change. It was nice to see everyone and reminded me of how strange we all are… at least you walk away with a lot of laughsJ Shauna, Mom and I stayed in a hotel and had a lot of fun on our own… per usual. Good snacks, good laughs. That’s what’s importantJ We even got around to discussing the elephant in the room… Shauna’s weight gain. SHE’S PREGNANT people. I’m not an a-hole. Well I am sometimes, but this time she IS pregnant and it’s a BOY!!!!!! YAYYYYY!! Why are her babies so adorable??? If she keeps popping out kids I’ll go broke.

The last weekend in June I went to a DISPATCH concert with Hayley. IT WAS AMAZING! By far the best concert I have ever been to. Plus it made me feel really cool. I went out for drinks first… I was out late… I didn’t fall asleep there… good timesJ

In July I won some free training sessions in Newton. It was a struggle getting myself started, but it was so nice learning what I should be doing and how I should be doing it at the gym so I feel I’m wasting less time and actually getting results. I am hopeful that I can continue to use what I learned but have had trouble getting into a good routine. Plus, I am NOT pregnant and would rather avoid that awkward discussion of people wondering if I am or not.

I have been trying to catch up on doctor’s visits since I have just got around to getting my insurance. I hate all forms of the doctor. I’m pretty sure I get this from my dad. He has NEVER willingly gone to a doctor for any reason and even forced, has only been a hand full of times. The dentist didn’t even go well. That woman HATES gums. Or she just hates mine. I have bled less donating to the Red Cross! It was NOT a good experience and 20 x-rays and 2 liters of blood later… my first check-up was done. Evidently flossing these days, entails shredding your gums to pieces. Great. Next, I went to the family doctor to get a check-up (I won’t tell you how long it’s been). These days, however, no one will have the weight conversation with you face to face. Oh no. NOW they print out a sheet that categorizes your weight and then gives you a full page of suggestions of how to go about losing the weight they suggest to make you “ideal”. So instead of having to hear it from the nurse, I get to read the sheet about how overweight I am in the waiting area before I go in to discuss the other issues that are genetically pre-determined (thanks mom and dad). I even appreciated the list of links they gave that have suggestions for how to lose weight. Like THAT’S the problem. I just don’t know how to get skinny. Aren’t they helpful! – 2 down, 1 to go.

On a happier more delightful note… Charlotte and I just returned from our week in Key West! It was amazingggg and totally worth the wait. Neither of us have been on a vacation in years… well, charlotte hasn’t been on one like – ever. So that was fun. But it was BEAUTIFUL out. (I will be adding pictures soon!)
We had SUCH a good time. They have great drinks there (very strong) and I’m proud to say I had something different to eat every meal while I was there. Which, if you know me well, is really hard! The pool was awesome too. It was salt water and about 85 degrees. The plane ride was not ideal either way. I almost committed a few crimes, but all in all everyone lived through that experience. I am determined to maintain my vacation state of mind… and so far have lasted two whole days at work without flipping out or getting angry! Which again… if you know me… is a big dealJ I know I can AT LEAST last until Friday, since I have the day off to travel to Melissa’s wedding in upstate New York!! Considering who I will be traveling with, I can already see having quite a few stories to tell when I get back.

I should probably be working right now… so I hope this satisfied the void I left with my hiatus:)

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Meet The Fam

Mom- The strongest woman I know. I attribute my humor, sarcasm and momentary lapses of sensitivity to her. My neurotic organization and timeliness could also be traced back to her, easily. I keep telling her I will make a shirt that says “only my Mother gets me”… She not only has the ability to laugh at herself, but the suspense of what may come out of her mouth next is completely worth every minute you spend with her. Every day I aspire to be as selfless as she and hope to have the same energy that she has every day! The time we spend together is rarely productive, but most often taken up by running to the bathroom with tears of laughter streaming down our faces. Or… spitting things out of our mouths- which dad loves.

Dad- The person I most often, unintentionally mirror. So many ways to explain him, but none more effective than: a Portuguese, work-a-holic, addicted to caffeine and nicotine, impressed by callouses and blood, who doesn’t know what it feels like to sit down, be bored or not know something. The man carries the most random, seemingly useless, facts and knowledge around with him. I joke that there won’t be much more room left in there if he keeps memorizing what I call “trivial” and he calls “necessary” facts about life and the world. Although he IS very handy when converting units for recipes, etc. He, too, is able to laugh at himself and always finds time to teach a good lesson. His wilderness skills are something to be admired, although his instinct to seek medical attention should not. He prides himself on still being able to run faster than me and beat me up, regardless of my age or weight. I’m still waiting for the day he isn’t expecting me…

Shauna- The milk man’s delivery, as I like to call her- Like every abnormal family, sibling rivalry was at its finest until we both traded in our stone-washed flared jeans for our big girl pants. We couldn’t be more opposite, she and I. Some of you would think, “Well, opposites attract” - you’d be wrong. We’ve worked through the years to a place of acceptance and support that is coated with humor and tough love. She’s always been a 40 yr old stuck in a whatever-age-she-was-at-the-time’s body and I exist as the sister to bring comic relief and nonsense to her carefully arranged life. But her protectiveness and respect for her family is unmatched by anyone I have ever met. She is widely known for her smile and constantly takes you off guard when she trades in her pensive stare for a witty one-liner. My victories with her stem from how many abnormal acts I can talk her into doing (which is a lot). Although her life always seems to be enveloped in constant chaos she has a resilient way of finding the blessing and purpose in every day.

Derek- The brother-in-law. We have always wanted a boy in the family. Until Derek came, I was the closest thing to it and played the role accidentally when it came to following dad around covered in grease. Derek or “the trainee” as I so lovingly like to refer to him, is carefully walking the line between finding his new family quirky and loveable and… crazy. It’s not a secret (or won’t be for long) that I play a rough game of tough love and hard-ass. As he works at earning every inch, he is finding our humorous and good-intentioned family a place where he belongs. As with every boy, he has his set-backs, but I think we will find that if he can handle us, he can handle anything. We all have to give him some credit for sticking with it and not to mention he contributed 50% of himself to my favorite treasure… my nephew.

Blane- Who knew the above two could create such a nugget of perfection. He is 4 and already such a wonderful human being! It’s all happening so fast! He seems to fit in juuussstt fine and already spends most of his time organizing his cars and using sarcasm. (I have no clue where he got that from by the way). He is SO smart and SO sensitive and caring. He's not a huge fan of sharing with his brother, but hey, I'm 26 and I still don't have the sharing thing down.I spend most of my time imagining the days when I will be able to take him to do all of the things Shauna/the law won’t let him do. What are Aunts for anyway?

Brooks- AKA Mr. Snarky-pants.What a handful! He reminds me of myself as a monstrous child. He is, however, the most polite little snark you'll ever meet. His adorable pronunciations of things and his constant questions won't keep you mad for long. In his almost 2 years of life the only thing that can get him to sleep when he's having one of his meltdowns is my singing to him. Melt. My. Heart. He has SO MUCH personality and his voice has one volume. Loud. What an entertainer though. I could watch him for hours.

Hayley- You know that best friend in every movie that every girl wants? She’s wild, unpredictable, endlessly supportive, loving, hilarious, and driven and always finds an adventure out of a mere walk down the street. She vocalizes things most people just think, finds people she encounters fascinating and always makes time for everyone. Well… not to brag, but that’s my best friend Hayley. She is my conscience, my support, my free therapist, my teacher, my patience. No one loves life more. She is constantly challenging herself, improving herself, keeping an open mind about everyone and their beliefs and is never afraid to admit when she just “doesn’t know”.She is currently engaged to someone who literally fits her so perfectly, I would gag if I didn’t love her so much and I wasn’t so grateful to God that she can be blessed in this way. A day without a thought, message or text from her is a day you have missed out on. Her Hayley-isms keep everyone guessing, laughing and appreciating her.

Charlotte- Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte… where do I begin with her? Think of the last person on earth you would ever imagine getting along with, understanding or appreciating… and then meet Charlotte. No one has taught me more than she has. In the past 4 years that I have known her, I have watched her go from a tough-as-nails, pessimistic, don’t-need-anyone, who-needs-a-direction type; to a goal-oriented, independent, selfless, thoughtful, hilarious, irreplaceable person in my life. Most people that interact with us agree that we should have our own reality show, but that usually leads into a fight about who would be the star. Her Puerto-Rican/Southie accent lends additional humor to whatever she is saying and makes you want to know her, if not, be her friend. As all roommates require, we have a routine that seems to work and although there are the moments we would like to kill each other, it’s hard to hold a grudge with someone who forgets what the issue was 30 seconds after it’s over. I thank God every day that I did not follow my instinct to run from her the day we met, but chose to stay and am grateful to be included in the people who get to watch her daily performance.

Lindey - Partner-in-crime doesn't even capture the things I have talked this girl into doing with me. She's the Bonnie to my Clyde. We go wayyyy back. Back to the days of dances, horrible bangs, skipping class and going to each others' sporting events. Life eventually got rough (as it tends to do) and we broke up... (any "we were on a break, Friends fans?"). However, we found our way back to each other, picked up right where we left off and I wouldn't have it any other way. I still cannot believe we're allowed to be grown-ups. And even though she is one of the most amazing mothers ever, I still have SUCH a hard time believing she is a wife and is a mother of two! She's literally super-woman and I'm just blessed to be in her presence. Whether I have an awful impulse to do something dumb or a thought out impulse to conquer the world, she always supports me. I've never been so proud to be friends with someone who grew so seamlessly with me from immature tweens to grown-ups with joys and struggles. Since moving back home to PA, she has been my backbone and I'm so lucky to be a part of her life and beautiful family.

Joyce- It’s funny to think of our relationship at its beginning. As hard as it may be to be intimidated by someone with such an infectious warmth and laughter, there I was. She found me as a young student and gave me an opportunity that I didn’t even know I would rise to. As my supervisor, mentor and leader, our relationship only evolved out of the uncanny similarities that we share and perhaps by her nature of wide-acceptance. To this day, I owe her thanks for my full-time job, my Graduate Student status, comic relief from daily struggles, her constant support and much more. There are no two other people on earth that can cover more random topics than she and I can in 20 minutes. She’s almost angelic in her care, concern, empathy and support for others. Anyone who places us both on the same committee or even in the same room usually appreciate our productivity and similar thinking, but also regrets our A.D.D tendencies, our need for constant sugar and our inability to stay on topic. She is truly someone that has blessed my life.

Melissa- Melissa is the the best part of any day she and I get to interact. Her resemblance to a beautifully formed porcelain doll should not be mistaken for instability or frailty. At first, second and third glance you realize how selfless and sensitive she is to everyone, while still maintaining an instinct to preserve her charming and carefully formed life. Her work-ethic guides her tendency to be hard on herself while always keeping in mind her priorities. Most would describe her as shy and introverted, but those who get the great pleasure of getting to know her, quickly find that her wit and sarcasm are hidden jewels that immediately inspire and comfort. She also just got married in the most beautiful ceremony in the most beautiful place. Everything was perfect and so... "Melissa". I am forever grateful to her that I was able to share in her day.

Renata - A new addition to the family, who easily fits in anywhere like the perfect accent to any outfit you have and think to yourself "what would put this over the top?" She is a whirlwind of laughter, wisdom, care, cheerleader and intellect. I almost forgot to add her because I forgot she wasn't always listed here. I feel like I've known her forever. Like that old soul that felt like it was never missing, because you can't remember the last time it was. She seemed to have entered my life at a time when I most needed the words only she can phrase and the support and laughter only she can offer. She is literally the reason I haven't committed a crime at work and puts me in check daily about my expectations and my hopes. She inspires me to trust what I know and dig deeper into what I question. Any day without an interaction is a day I haven't laughed hysterically or thoroughly looked into my moon-sign. You're a rockstar Tutko.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

I'm Baaaccckkk!

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