I’m in the public bathroom at work washing my hands. This woman enters. She is carrying a book (read: novel) in her hand and making a beeline to the bathroom stall.

I’ve passed her in the hall a couple times on her way to the bathroom (she always has a book).

I guess she doesn’t care that we know what she’s doing in there…and it’s not only reading.

When I was 9 my Grams remarried a year after my Papa died.  My mom didn’t care for this man so neither did I.  Years later, my mom finally forgave my Grams and started her relationship over with her mother.  3 years ago, C and I went to visit my Grams, who lives out of state.   I still didn’t like this man, and it had nothing to do with my mom’s feelings for him.  I saw first hand his need for control and the unhappiness he created for my Grams.  She finally got the courage to divorce him and it was final in February.

Why am I sharing this?

Well I got a phone call from my aunt last night.  (never a good thing when someone calls out of the blue and at 10:30 at night).  This man was out fishing with a friend when their boat tipped over.  Both men drowned.

Death is imminent.  You know everyone is going to die, sometime.  But it’s freak accidents like this that claw at my insides.  I didn’t like him, but he was still a son, a father, a grandfather and someone’s friend.  One moment in time can drastically alter many lives.

My Grams is busy blaming herself while my cousins, who happened to fly out there on Sunday for a visit, hold her hand and whisper encouraging and loving words.  It is a blessing they are there.  Every person we love is also a blessing and it’s moments like these that remind each of us to count these blessings and take nothing for granted.  For tomorrow is not promised.

On a lighter note:

The Red Wings won again last night 3-0 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Ozzie had another shutout and I’m anxiously awaiting game 3.

Firstly, Happy Memorial Day.  A thanks is deserved to all the people that have or still do serve in our military.

Memorial Day also starts off the unofficial summer.  Some years its effin cold, 30some degrees, but not this year.  The temperature today was hovering near 80.  Glorious!  It felt like summer.  The whole weekend was actually beautiful.  Somewhere between 70-75 with massive amounts of sun.  Thank you Mother Nature

So if you are interested here is a little recap of my weekend.  If you aren’t, well you know where the back/exit buttons are.

Friday:

• I got my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed (finally!)  The girl that does my hair, she’s not my favorite hairstylist to say the least but she gets the job done.  She tends to choke me with the cape and stabs combs my hair hurting my scalp every once in awhile.  She is also kind of more opinionated than I like to listen to.  But overall she’s nice enough and the job is done alright for the price I pay.  So the whole time I’m there this time she tells me about her client 2 before me that apparently puked all over the place and decided to deny it.  Yeah, say it with me…GROSS!  But the hair and brows are good so moving on…
• I shopped, I had to stop at Macy’s for my cousin T’s shower gift giftcard (I know I’m lame).  I passed by a clearance rack and found the brand of jeans I bought earlier this year that I actually like.  I tried a pair on and decided to buy them, they were on clearance after all.  So major markdown and also the 15% off if I used my Macy’s card (which YAY has a 0 balance) and they were $12.59.  So freaking awesome!  But it gets better, I found a work shirt at New York and Company for $10.59 and I stumbled across the night owl sale at Kohl’s.  I got some useful things like tanks since they were on sale but I saved my coupon thinking C would need some stuff.  I had to hurry cuz the poor doggies had been cooped up since that morning.  Unfortunately, C and I never made it back

Saturday:

• I slept in, cleaned and went to T’s bridal shower.  It was a gorgeous day for it and a very pleasant event.
• Watched the Wings beat the Pens 4-0, and spent the time making loud comments and yelling at the tv for bad calls with C.  It was tons ‘o fun.

Sunday:

• Nothing!  Totally awesomeness NOTHING!  We slept late, drank coffee on the back patio, made scrambled eggs with tomoato, green & red peppers mixed in along with sausage and hashbrowns.  Delicious!  I made pasta salad to chill in the fridge and then I sat out in the sun reading taking time to give the dogs long awaited baths with the hose.

Monday:

• We got up early to attend the Memorial Day parade in Dearborn.  Actually not attend, I got C to walk in the parade with me for the Friends of the Dearborn Animal Shelter.  The day turned hot and sunny.  It was great and poor Dottie had to walk forever.  She was such a sweet girl.  It says in her bio she pulls on a leash but I had no problems with her so they must have worked very hard with her on that.

Now it’s time for the Wings game so I’m off.  I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, or for all of you not in the States, a great Monday!

I’m reading a cheesy romance novel by Elizabeth Lowell, Eden Burning. I picked it up because the setting is on the big island of Hawaii. Every word that describes the scenery and the conversations in pidgin English pull at my heart. I miss the fragrance of the flowers, the heat of of the sun, the sound of the surf reaching the sand, the rich Hawaiian culture, the timeless hula, everything.

I put the thoughts away after I come back to reality from vacation, but they always float back to the surface. I crave the reminders of my time in Hawaii. My greedy hands turning the pages in my scrapbook, focusing in on the scenery and the feelings I had instead of the picture itself.

I haven’t traveled the world as much as I would like to, but I’ve never had a place touch my soul like Hawaii has. Every time I’ve gotten off the plane in this paradise, the sense of homecoming and warmth embraces me. Like a grandmother’s hug when she welcomes you.

I can picture myself living a completely different life there. Poorer, probably, but content. I feel blessed that C feels the same connection with the islands and maybe one day we’ll take the plunge. I’m constantly searching for peace and enlightenment. I don’t feel the pressure as much there. The natural beauty is enough to soothe the soul of doubts about what is real and what is not. It takes over me, slowing time and worries.

Feeling this and writing this seems silly unless you’ve been touched by a place, as I’ve been touched by Hawaii.

Update: 4-0 WIN!!!! Leading 1-0 in the Series

FUCK YEAH!

PS: I called Cleary getting a goal this game!

Ozzie fucking rocked–SHUTOUT!

Samuelson 2 goals…fuck yeah for a defense men too!!

Zetterburg rock on!

Let’s Go

RED WINGS!!!!!

image taken from detroitredwings.com