Vertical Horizon

I forgot to mention that listening to Vertical Horizon also takes me back. It reminds me of moving into my very own apartment, right next door to Amanda and driving to Crookston every morning. Eating my Smores Poptarts, drinking my chocolate milk and singing along with the whole CD. I just remembered this because I was listening to that CD while getting ready and thought about what that reminds me of. I just had to add that.

Memories

Well, there are days when I have nothing to say but make an entry anyway. However, that is not the case today... I would love to go on and on about our week up at Lake Mille Lacs (but I want to include pictures from the trip) or about my job outlook (which I don't want to discuss), but instead of either of those things, I want to talk about memories.

I don't really know why but I was thinking about how certain smells can trigger a memory while I was at the cabin last week. I don't think there were any particular smells that made me think about it, but I just was. You know, smells that maybe remind you of family gathering, or take you back to simpler times. For example, the smell of Strawberry Lemonade perfume from Bath and Body Works or Dr. Pepper chapstick from Lipsmackers remind me of the summer before my first year of college through my first year of college. And you can't really ever pinpoint these things until you smell them and then instantly take you back to whatever memory.

Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized that songs do the same thing. We don't have a stereo in our bathroom. But every once in a great while, when my boys are gone, I will haul out the CD player and hook it up in the bathroom so I can listen to music while I get ready. A while back I randomly grabbed a CD and happened to grab Blues Traveler. I listened to the ones that were from the radio: Run Around and Hook, but then was instantly pulled back in time as I listened to Just Wait. That song also reminds me of my first year of college. Or the song Mourning by Tantric. That reminds me of cramming for the GRE at Tabula with Harmony the week before the test. We were taking a break to get a coffee and she insisted that I listen to that song because I would be able to relate it to things going on in my personal life. To this day, I still relate it to the same time of my life whenever I hear that song...thanks a lot Harmony. ;)

Then tonight, I realized further that sometimes movies do the same thing. I saw part of Serendipity tonight on tv. I own this movie so it's not like I need to see the whole thing to know what is going on but seeing the movie brought back memories of living in West Ridge in Grand Forks while I taught in Hillsboro. There was just something about that movie that led me to watch it almost every night and to fall asleep to it almost every night. That leads me to the fact that I went for almost two months without sleeping in my bedroom at that apartment just because I had created this little haven in my livingroom and that's where I wanted to sleep, and was perfectly content with that.

So who knew that so many things could bring back memories? What things bring back memories for you? Songs? Smells? Movies? Fill me in.

Thursday

So I am home all day but I don't often notice things that have been sitting around in an obvious location (unless it's like crumbs on Lukin or something). Anyway, I was trying to think of something and happened to glance up and realized that the 2008-2009 Fighting Sioux Hockey Schedule is already posted for this year. It was like 90 degrees yesterday, and my husband has posted the hockey schedule. Weird.

I don't really know what I wanted to write about. Perhaps the fact that I got a haircut yesterday and then spent way too much money on a flat iron that I didn't use today because I am afraid to open it because of how much it cost. I think I am afraid because I want to go to the mall to the one hair store and see if they have one that is less expensive (but just as impressive). Of course, as my stylist told me, owning this one means I can throw all my other irons away. This one straightens, flip out, flips under, does spiral curls, three-barrels, everything short of making you breakfast...okay, there was one that a smidge cooler: has a universal adaptor, and turns itself off in 30 minutes if you haven't touched it. But that was another $50, and I wasn't about to go that overboard.

In other news, I got mad at Lukin today. He dropped our bathroom scale on my little toe. I yelled at him, and not that yell when you tell them not to do something, but that one yell that is more guttoral and sounds like someone else's angry voice coming from your diaphragm. He cried so hard when I put him in time out. Yes. He got time out because there wasn't any reason he needed to be lifting the scale. He was crying so hard that a half hour later when time out was over and he was sitting and snuggling with me and had fallen asleep for a nap, he was still doing that gaspy breath thing you do after you cry really hard. Poor little buddy.

Then I got mad again at dinner because he wouldn't eat. That drives me insane. But I think he has learned that he doesn't necessarily need to eat what's for dinner and he knows that he can eat something before bed. So tonight I had had it and decided that he didn't get a piece of cheese, or fruit or a cup of cereal or anything. If he wanted to eat something, he could eat the leftover mac and cheese from yesterdays lunch or the leftover carrots. If he didn't want those, he didn't eat. He must have understood that because he didn't even go to the fridge for milk after supper.

Lastly, Stacie wanted me to include some memory from my memory bank that included her. If I could wait to add it, I could make it something about her wedding...Oh I got it. Remember Stacie's "Wonderful" toast at my wedding. Hindsight being what it is, Amanda said that I should have let her do the toast, but we just did the best man and maid of honor because I hate when you go to weddings and have to listen to everyone of the bridal party (when there is more than one or two) tell some stories about their relationship with the bride or groom. Gag me. If I wanted to know memories that your third bridesmaid, who is your second cousin on your dad's side, has to say about how they feel about you getting married, I will seek them out later. I know I am a bitch but it's not like that was some big secret.

Anyway, that sort of turned into a rant, so yeah Stacie...there's your memory..."Jenny, you are lucky because Sonny is a really great guy. And Sonny, you are lucky because, well, you are. Thank you." I think we could hear the crickets. I don't think I have ever heard that place that quiet. Makes you almost wish you had written something down...makes you nervous for your wedding, doesn't it?

A week in Cavalier, ND

So we have been out of town since the 1st of July, and I am currently supposed to be packing so we can leave town again tonight, but I had to take a few minutes to give a brief rundown of our time at Grandma and Grandpa S's (my S not his S) house.

So we flew up Tuesday evening and that was pretty much it for Tuesday.

Wednesday, Stacie took half the day off so we went out to lunch with her and Mike and then we went to order tuxes for the three boys for the wedding. I have to admit that the He-Mart looks exactly the same as it did 20 years ago when I was a kid and would go in there for whatever reason my mom would make us go in there. That night we started the wedding invitation process, and that was a good thing to do.

Thursday, we went out for lunch with my mom and then ran some errands with her around town before calling Mike to see if he wanted to go golfing. So Sonny and I went with Mike for a quick 9 holes before Stacie came home from work. That night we went out and bought a few fireworks in preparation for Friday (we called them practice fireworks).

Friday was the Fourth of July (Happy Birthday America!) and we got ready and then went as a collective whole to buy fireworks before heading out to the lake for the afternoon. Needless to say, Lukin got soaked because he went to clean off his shovel and knelt down in the lake and that was the end of that. After that, we headed back to the house for a game of Bean Bags but the peanut gallery (aka: Dad and Sonny) annoyed me and I stopped after one round. Then we had our annual bar-b-que before getting to the fireworks for the evening. Sonny is a little ADD when it comes to lighting off fireworks but it's fun to watch him be like a little kid...but having him be like a little kid means you have to discipline him like a little kid ("One at a time!", "Don't hold the firework in the same hand as the punk!" Stuff like that.)

Saturday, Sonny went golfing with my dad and all the uncles. I stayed at home and my friend Karie, from high school, came over with her new baby, her "Baby Daddy" and Katelynn. We told her that she looked good with the two kids and that taking care of a third (Lukin) for a night would be a good thing. She joked that she would leave her two with my parents and then she could go out for an evening. That night we had steaks on the grill for supper before just hanging out at home for the evening.

Sunday, we went to church, then went golfing again with the uncles, but this time I got to come too. Then we came home and got freshened up before heading to the Kittson County Fair. I had never been to that fair before but Dad wanted fair food for supper and so we went. We came home after the fair and worked on invitations again for the wedding.

Monday, we woke up and I decided that we weren't going to leave until Tuesday because we were all just exhausted. So we hung out at home that day. We finally got a chance to play some cards with Mom. Mom made enough spaghetti to feed all of Cavalier, and we started on the favors for the wedding.

Tuesday, we got up early and got ourselves all ready and packed and were out the door by 10:15-ish. We headed to Grand Forks and had lunch with Amanda since I hadn't got to see her the whole time I was home, before heading to Michael's to find more wedding stuff, and then heading to the AP to come home.

Our time at home has gone quickly. I had my annual physical yesterday. Fun times. And now like I said, I should be packing for our trip tonight.

I will probably write all about that trip too when I get home.