Thanksgiving...more than a meal!

For these things I give thanks: a family I love, and know loves me...unconditionally. And trust me, I can have some "conditions". But not only do I love each and every one of them, they are just plain fun!
My family means laughter, and for that I give thanks.

My sister was a fabulous host..........all weekend!!!

She not only served an incredible Thanksgiving meal, but provided feasts ALL weekend, morning, noon and night. And if that wasn't enough, she modeled the latest in sleepwear! She is the best!

After dinner the women did LOTS of dishes

And put up the leftovers... while the men watched football!!

Although they did put together this awesome heater, and let us join in the games!!

That's All Folks!!
Mary Kate asked me to come take a picture of her as she was leaving ....
"I will wave good bye and say
'see you soon for Christmas' and you take my picture"

Wikipedia Dating

So, although I have been gone a LOT the last few months, I have managed to find some time to brave the dating scene with a couple guys. And, strangely enough both Bobs can be found on Wikipedia. In fact, I briefly considered adding "famous enough to be on Wikipedia" to my list of date must-haves. Of course I quickly came to my single senses and realized this would make the chance of going on any future dates pretty much nil. But sometimes that doesn't seem like such a bad option either!

Wikipedia One - Animal Rights Bob (ARB). This was a blast from my high school past. Turned out to be a nostalgic few days and paved the way for connecting with some other friends from high school. But eating VEGAN is HARD! Pasta without parmesan cheese? But ARB is a good guy and very passionate about animals, although I am happy to report he did squish a giant cockroach while at my house. My ridiculously girlie and terrified screams brought him running...."I don't care what you do with it, just get it the hell out of my house!" [On a side note, it really bothers me I am like that, but I can't help it. I simply cannot remain calm when a ginormous cockroach is in my house! They just scare me!!!]

We are good friends once more and I am glad we strolled down memory lane. And very glad he squished that cockroach!

Circa 1976...plaid was quite the rage, obviously!!
Be thankful for the poor picture quality.

More on Wikipedia Two next time.............

I went to Kiawah in May....and have not been home since.....

Guatemala with Maria on a medical mission trip.

Whitewater rafting with Tracey in Colorado. We were a little apprehensive!

Rocky Mountain High!

My new friend CJ, Fort Worth.

Visiting my favorite Texans!!!

Florence

My awesome tour of Italy travel companions.

Cinque Terre!

Mi Familia-Campobasso, Italia!!

Biking at the Grand Canyon was totally grand!!!!!

It has been a great and travel-filled few months, even for me! I do love a good trip!!!!

Smoking, is just not cool.........anymore.

Holy Redeemer Church, PCE School and former site of the playground for good school children. I made a bad decision to skip recess one day. Bless me Father for I have sinned!

Snapped this while on my tour de Portsmouth, apparently some things never change in P-town.

While an eighth grade student at Portsmouth Catholic Elementary, which by the way was a result of the merging of St. Mary's and Holy Redeemer, I decided to take up smoking. Not a good idea! Sinful in fact as I found out!

One very cold winter day, while the good school children were outside playing during recess, five of us decided we were just a little too old and a little too cool to spend our time playing kickball. So we snuck inside to the girls restroom and lit up a cigarette. In our defense, we lit just one for all five of us. And there we were, leaning against the wall in the back of the restroom, sporting our totally un-cool plaid uniforms, and passing around a Marlboro. This restroom was large, big enough for ten little Catholic school girls to potty simultaneously. And then, we heard the door open and in a very strong Minnesota accent we heard four words that haunt me to this day....seriously!!

" Girls, I smell smoke". Repeat that slowly and heavy on the accent so it sounds like this:
"Girrrrls, III ssssmell smooooke".

First we tried to hide (obviously) in the stalls, you know standing on the toilet like we weren't really in there. But we were no match for St. Monique! And next? Lots of sobbing once cool girls in the principal's office, calls to parents, more sobbing, parents arriving to pick up sobbing girls......except me. Oh no, my parental call was met with "you can walk home". Did I mention it was very cold that day!! So I walked home, freezing in my uniform and crying the entire way. Just for the record, no one else had to walk!!

The aftermath: We were suspended indefinitely, I was grounded for a very long time (unfortunately this was the start of a grounding pattern that stayed with me through high school), and my mom got her one and only speeding ticket the next day which was totally my fault somehow. I think the story is she went to pick up my sister (Perfect Pat who never even thought about smoking) from college and was in such a dither about the parents of delinquent school kids meeting that night with Monsigner to determine if the sinning smoking girls were going to be allowed back to PCE that she was speeding. Do I have to take the blame for everything?? Seriously, this was a HUGE deal and fortunately completely nipped my smoking habit in the bud.....and for that I am thankful!

Trivia: Guess what song came out that year?

I was NOT born a coal miner's daughter!!

No, but my father was in fuel too, of the nuclear variety. If I had been born a coal miner's daughter, maybe I would have become a famous country music singer. I think I can rhyme better than daughter and holler, tired and hard! But it worked for Loretta Lynn and that is why I think she is awesome.

So awesome in fact I couldn't resist visiting her birthplace, Butcher Holler. On my way home last week from Portsmouth I stopped in the famous Route 23 Country Music Highway Museum and checked things out with the other two visitors. I was told by the curator (I job I would love to have, especially there) that Butcher Holler was only 15 miles away. What?? I am that close to Butcher Holler!? Well, fifteen LONG miles, as the miles are way longer when driving in hollers! At one point, I pulled over to check the directions, thinking surely I must be there by now. A nice man (NM) in a pick-up pulled up beside little ol' me (LOM) and the conversation went something like this.

NM: Hey there, you lookin' for LO-retta Lynn's ol' house?
LOM: No sir,I am just taking my dog Ellie for a little joy ride through the Kentucky hollers during this crazy thunderstorm!
(OK, I said yes, as it seemed pretty obvious and I am not really a smart ass!!)
NM: Well just foller me up the holler (now THAT is a good rhyme!).
LOM: No way I am follerin' you up this holler. I am alone, out in the middle of no freakin' where with no weapons, like I notice you have, and just this little schnoodle for protection. Do you think I am crazy???
(OK, I didn't say that either, just follered him on up the holler.)
And now, I have been to Butcher Holler!!!

Two things I have NEVER seen on Lake Murray

The first picture is a couple guys fishing on a Huck Finn style homemade raft. Never seen one before but I was a little impressed.

That second picture is just NASTY!! I THINK it was an upside down, half-dead, toxic waste infused catfish. It looked ready to explode, spewing toxic waste, or stinky fish guts, or something really really rank!! Poor thing was paddling around my dock, seriously, what is wrong with that fish?? It looks like a product of Chernobyl, nuclear disaster/tsunami in Japan, Erin Brockovich, Three Mile Island or something. I don't know but it scared me to think I am sharing water with that "fish"!! GROSS!!

Biking in Ohio;The Three Bridge Tour

Bridge number 1, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky- Or as the locals call it, "the new bridge"

Bridge Number 2, crossing back into Ohio.

This bridge was named after Carl D Perkins----
the guy who invented pancakes or breakfast,
I am not sure which one??

While in Ohio, I wanted to get out on my bike some. My brother Mike suggested The 3BT, or the Three Bridge Tour. According to my nephew Kevin, only my brother Mike and his friend actually call it that, but it sounded official.

The directions went something like this: ride downtown to Chillicothe Street, take the bridge on Route 23 over the Ohio River; go right on 23 until you come to another bridge that will take you into West Portsmouth. Follow that until you come to an exit for downtown Portsmouth. Take that exit over another bridge, crossing the Scioto River and you will end up downtown by the murals.

Holy crap, that sounded a little ambitious. WRONG! Whole ride from my Dad's house took less than an hour-ROUND TRIP, and that included stops, detours, pictures, etc.

OK, so that first picture is really a mural, but that could be me if I decided to do the REAL Ohio bike tour, the TOSRV. Maybe next year. [www.tosrv.org/11/info.htm ]

Gotta love bike tours in a small town!!

Kentucky is a great state-and here is proof!

I made a trip for Father's Day up to Ohio this past weekend. More on that later, but one definite highlight was stopping by Butcher Holler' on my way home.
Helloooo......... Loretta Lynn's birthplace!!

I love Kentucky, I think?

5. They have better "beaches"? Growing up in Portsmouth, I would go boating with my best friend and her family on the Ohio River. We always put the boat in and then headed over to the Kentucky side; her Dad said the "beaches" were better. OK, I did learn to ski!!
4. The University of Kentucky, where I received my degree, responsible for my thriving accounting career? OK, I did get an accounting degree!!
3. Original Bob? OK, there are a lot of great residuals from that union!!
2. Loretta Lynn and her awesome lyrics? OK, but definitely the Coal Miner's Daughter movie and soundtrack!!
1. Wine stopper/compass!! Yes, why didn't I think of this?? I found this while perusing the Route 23 Country Music Museum. Perfect! You can drink wine AND find your way home. Sheer genius!

Playing hooky is STILL fun!

Called in well to work one day last week, decided I needed a day off. Mental health day. I wanted to check out the Palmetto Trail. Apparently other people play hooky from work too, lots of other people if you believe this article. I like that the article uses the work truant, maybe that is why I like playing hooky, I like to be truant. The bad girl in me no doubt!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/01/26/cb.playing.hooky/index.html

This part of the Palmetto Trail goes from Peak to Pomaria, a 6.5 mile section. Warning, it is uphill, both ways, all THIRTEEN miles. Don't ask me how that is possible, but that is the way it is. Don't believe me, go ride it and tell me what you think. I rarely switched gears, never went fast or slow (unless you count the time I almost ran over a snake) and trudged along in the same couple gears for all 13 miles. Can't say I am a big fan, at least on a mountain bike. Hopefully it was just some good mental health therapy because I definitely feel better! Truancy is fun!!

Trouble in the forest!!

The biking fun continues. Wednesday I met up with three adventurous friends at Harbison forest. About five minutes into the ride, one rider down. No harm done and she was back in the saddle..... until she had a flat tire a little later. Lucky for us, ever-prepared Maureen had a tire pump! Unlucky for us, it looked like it would have a hard time inflating a ping pong ball, much less an actual tire. Not only did we not have a clue how to work the damn thing, we couldn't even see it, the parts were that tiny (or our eyes that old, or both). Maureen even had some reading glasses (do you know how small trail maps are these days). Or maybe even if we had figured out what to do with the little doohickey and thingamajig, you can't inflate a busted tire, no matter how hard you try!

Biking is fun.....and dangerous. Stay in the saddle!

So, I have always loved to bike ride ! Apparently, so has my sister. In fact, she left me a rather lengthy voice message to tell me that my renewed interest in biking brought back memories for her. Memories I am not sure I would share. Seems she always thought of her bike as her pet horse, and always named her bikes horse names (King and Flicka - her voice messages are very detailed!). I never knew that, but it explains some things! And, now that I have learned a little bike lingo, seems seats are called saddles in the world of biking. Interesting, because I feel like biking requires a lot more effort on the rider's part!

So, I have a new horse/bike! Haven't named it yet, but it was an expensive purchase. It is a mountain bike, and I am lovin' the ride. Thanks to my pal Maureen who took me to Dupont Forest a couple weeks ago where we biked to several beautiful waterfalls. A couple more trips to Harbison and I was hooked.

But my first solo biking adventure was a little traumatic!! I cracked my helmet! My carefully selected, totally awesome, EXPENSIVE, life-saving helmet intended to protect me is shattered! Fear not, it did not happen during a dangerous, speed-fueled ride where I lost control and landed on my head. Nope, I ran over it backing out of the garage! Yep, after carefully loading my bike I left my poor helmet on the ground. So, now I wear my cracked helmet and pray I don't really crash until I replace it!

There are trails all over the country to ride, I think Lee and I may find some this weekend!

The new man in my life!!

So I spent the weekend with Lee, the new man in my life. We actually met before Christmas, but with the holidays and all, this was the first time we have really had to spend an entire weekend together. He is super smart and has an awesome accent. Let's just say, I am really fond of him so far.

He did let me down once though. When I confided in someone how I got to St. Anne's from St. Anthony's, the truth came out. I took the long way, and the one with all the traffic lights.

I still like Lee, but I am just not sure I trust him completely!!

The disturbing new trend...

According to the news this morning, scientists (I personally think that term is a stretch here) have noted a "disturbing new trend". And I quote, sorta: "Scientists have noted that not only are teens increasingly communicating via text, but this has impacted their verbal communication as well."

So, I am thinking to myself, yea, I guess I do that sometimes too. Use the BFF term, or shout out OMG on occasion.

And then he added: "And not only teens, but some older adults trying to be cool".

All I can say to that is WTF?!?!?!?

eHarmony.com

So, before I introduce any more Bobs, I guess I should talk about where I find them.

For the most part, I pretty much love my life. Great family and friends, home I love, great companion Ellie, full time job, road trips always waiting to happen...you get the picture. I stay pretty busy.

But for some reason, every now and then I think I should venture into the dating scene. I see all you cool people as team players and think, hmm, maybe I should be part of a team. I always (sooner or later) come back to "WHY"????

But venture forth I do, usually courtesy of online dating. There have been a couple Bob finds in bars or through friends, but online dating is where the possibilities are endless. Beware of the "flex match"!!! And some examples... age difference (65??), distance (Nebraska, really?), religion (and trust me, I checked off a LOT of religions that would not be flex matches), etc. And those are obvious ones, sometimes you have to actually meet the guy to find the um, flex!

And, guys love to include props with their pictures.....cars, trucks, motorcycles, scuba gear, tattoos, tractors (yup), pets, former girlfriends, etc. OR, the other extreme is ONE blurry self portrait taken with a cell phone. How can I tell what kind of shoes they are wearing from that???

Just thought I would share what you may be missing!!

I love watching the bachelor!

And I have friends (who I won't call out) who love it too. I really don't watch much TV, so why do I have this obsession?? Maybe ....

Vicarious dating; so much easier than the real thing.

It is just funny! And crazy, seriously, can you really get that emotional after a single one-on-one date?? And Brad, can you really "have something special" with that many girls??

Make-believe travel to exotic destinations. Very affordable!!

Play fashion police: From the comfort of my own couch, far from the public eye, wearing black sweats, lime green ZTA tee (one of Maria's vast collection), a Chapin basketball sweatshirt (Ian's middle school reject) and brown socks that have no business being worn with tennis shoes ( in such a hurry to get to one of my anonymous friend's house, they were the first pair I grabbed). We don't judge each other, just those ridiculously thin, perfectly made up, VERY high heel shoe wearing girls who seem to cry on command.

And I don't even like Brad Womack!!

Mermis is not a common name.....just me and these creepy things!

Out of curiosity and a love of google, I typed in mermis.....and I am sure sorry.

The name originated when my awesome niece Katie was very young and called me Aunt Meremee. Many years later, and I am not sure why (do you KNOW Katie?) she modified it to Mermis.

So, it was an easy decision when Annie was born what my "grandma" name would be.

Mermis has replaced Ms. Mary, Aunt Mary, and Great Aunt Mary (heaven forbid Mary Kate and Henry actually call me that!!) Some of my friends even call me Mermis, and Ian throws out an occasional Mermdog.

A regrettable google for sure!!!! Who knew??? Hopefully not Katie!!

Mermis: Genus of long, opaque nematodes; larval stages passed in the hemocelic cavity of insects, particularly grasshoppers, whereas adults are free-living in the soil. Accidental ingestion by humans causes infection.

Read more at http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/medical/mermis.htm?ktrack=kcplink

A whole new world!

After THREE trips to the Sprint store, I have a new phone!!

First trip: I tried the "guy" thing as recommended by well, guys! "Tell them you are switching services and they will offer you a new phone, car, life, the whole deal, all for maybe $5 a month"!! So, I swaggered in and inquired about my contract as I was considering switching carriers! Of course I knew damn good and well my contract is up, I have had this same phone for THREE years! After looking at my bill and surely noting my Sprint loyalty since bag phone days (before some of you were even born) I was told "Yea, it's up, you going to Verizon?" So much for that! I left and went to see Country Strong, highly recommended, and much better than phone shopping.

Second trip: I tried a different Sprint store. Here they were a little more helpful; immediately switching my plan ($20 cheaper) according to what I am actually using! Now we're talking, and I am the only customer in the store (has that EVER happened in a cell phone store?). SO, I spend no less than an hour deciding what I need, can actually operate, and how much money I am willing to spend. After an agonizing decision, I was told "It will take 3-5 days to get here and actually we no longer carry that particular phone." What?? Turns out this is a faux store, some sort of third party posers, which explains why I was the only loser in there! So much for that too!

Third trip: Back to store number one! This time I asked for a manager, ready to give the ol "guy" thing another whirl! I explained events one and two and although he was somewhat sympathetic, he did not offer a new phone or car, or even a free car charger (yes, I was groveling but frankly just tired of the whole thing!)

SO, I have a new phone and the nice young man who I side-stepped initially for a manager, turned out to be the most helpful of all. This guy was in awe of the fact I had the same phone for so long!! Told me I definitely didn't need insurance, who does that? (I know, I know, now I am going to need it!) And found me a discount, taking another $7 off my monthly bill, bought my old phone back for $5 AND set up my email. He was genuinely concerned as he kept inquiring "are you going to be OK with this when you leave here?" And my equally genuine response? " Of course, that is why I had kids!"

Note to kids: JK, or with my new phone....JUST KIDDING!!

There is a reason it is not called sweeping snow!

However lovely, this stuff is HEAVY!!!

Yep, South Carolina is in the midst of a mega snow storm. With this much snow, I was a little concerned about the weight of the snow on my back porch.

Every time I run into my builder, he inquires about the back porch. He says he is a little worried it will crack if there is a lot of weight on it. Several tests have been made in the form of summer late night dance parties; so far so good.

FYI: A broom simply will not work. See my attempts at sweeping snow in this last picture?

Hope all this snow doesn't weigh more than a dance party.

Ten means ten, for ten, of course!!

That's how much these fingerprints cost, one of the steps required to change your name. It is time alas to return to Mary Trivisonno. My kids gave me the gift of name change for my birthday last year, and getting these prints was the final step before submitting the legal paperwork. OK, Ian submitting; thank you Ian!! I really should have had more kids, they are so damn helpful now that they are adults. Had I considered this role reversal, I may have had more. Could have spread out all my SOS calls. But as always, I digress!

The prints are made at Lex. County Sheriff Department, a large complex just a tad intimidating. Three buildings: Court, Detention, and Administration. Obviously, I chose the latter. Nervously, I explained I needed fingerprints FOR A NAME CHANGE, in case anyone in ear shot really cared. I was told "over to detention" (fondly conjuring up high school escapades and the repercussions).

Here, the guys stay behind glass, wielding weapons. Again, nervously I explain I need fingerprints FOR A NAME CHANGE. And here is the scenario between heavily armed man (HAM) and little old me (LOM). Bear in mind HAM is strictly monotone.

HAM: I need your license and ten dollars
LOM: Here you go sir (smiling as I handed him my license and a twenty)
HAM: No change
LOM: Oh, well, OK maybe I can make ten (counting my loose bills and change I only come up with $9.50)

Needing only 50 mere cents, I panhandle attorneys visiting their clients and other fingerprint seekers, with no success--- oh yes I did.

LOM:Um sir, I hate to have to drive here again, I will go look for more change in my car (to which he does not reply!)

I find some change, return, get back in line. I am not sure why everyone else needs fingerprints; normally I would be mildly curious but now I just want to get it done and leave, I am starting to get a little nervous in the detention center for this long.

HAM: You are back
LOM: Yes sir (as I hand him my license, a five, three ones and two dollars in change- change he knows I have been scrounging to get!!)
HAM: We don't take coins, bills only.
LOM: You have got to be kidding, what the hell, take this money, you KNOW I have been looking for change, make my fingerprints...NOW!!!! (OK, not really, but I thought it)

In actuality, I again implore my fellow detainees for help.

Mercifully (a bit dramatic but I am tired of loudly explaining NAME CHANGE, bumming money, and it is getting crowded) someone comes up with two one dollar BILLS and I get fingerprinted!

Ringrazi il dio! A little closer to Mary T.

Just how much these women have in common?

Mary, Sherri & Sherri (or as we call ourselves, the ARIs)

This was our annual Christmas party! Delicious meal courtesy of host Sherri S. We even had three guests; two daughters of Sherri S. and a friend of Sherri R (who agreed to come, as she "doesn't have a life right now"). Hmmm, trying not to take tooooo much offense!!

I decided to bring that sweatshirt out of it's 20 + year retirement.........I know, I am not sure why either. Nor am I sure why I still own it; that thing survived two moves AND numerous closet purgings. The pony tail just added to my 80's look!! I made that awesome original back in my sweatshirt painting days. I wish I had a scanner so I could show you an old family photo where EVERY woman and child was sporting the fruits of my labor!! Yep, 12 of us in wearable art!!! But as usual, I digress!

Just how much DO we have in common, besides of course our rhyming names??
1. We know first hand just how hard divorce is and the impact on our kids.
2. Single, fifty-ish; divorced within a few years of each other. Understand the perils of dating at our age.
3. Were all stay at home moms.
4. Saw the same counselor to maintain some sanity. Questionable results.
5. Hired the same divorce attorney.
6. Hurt and commiserate in a way few others can, especially when our exes mess with our kids!
7. Love and adore our poodle mix dogs! Took dogs trick or treating one year: dogs dressed up, we did not.

I love these girls! We will drop everything for an emergency ARI meeting! Sometimes these meetings make Original Bob look pretty good....... assuming of course I am not the one to call the meeting to order!