along the journey

Well I went and banned some people from using the comments/karma- if there’s a reason you were doing this stop. If you simply made a mistake- let me know, I’ll fix it.

Last night Amy made the best dinner. She had fixed a roast, potatoes and green beans. It was really good. Afterwards she wanted to make cookies, but I didn’t want cookies. I decided I wanted a hot-milk cake. So she logged online to find a recipe and we found a recipe for gooey butter cake. I decided that’s what I wanted. So she went to the store and I played with our handsome son. When she returned we were watching That 70’s Show and she made no-bake cookies. When she was finished I made my cake. By the time it was in the oven, Mary and Henry got home. We watched Smallville as it baked. I really like that show. I think WB has done quite a good job. One thing I notice when we watch WB is the music. Most of the shows that I’ve seen on there have had excellent soundtracks. Anyway while I went out for a glass of milk after enjoying a piece of my cake, Henry began to harrass me regarding the dishes. I had washed all of the dishes, the only thing that was in the sink were some knives.

HENRY: Don’t you leave a mess in there.

ME: I really want to hold my toungue,

HENRY: Good.

ME: .. but I can’t. And I’m really sick of you harrassing me about the dishes. What a knife is in the sink. Ohmigosh a knife is in the sink, better wash it.

HENRY: If you don’t want to worry about me yelling, don’t leave a mess.

ME: Sure I’ll wash your cup for you.

HENRY: No you don’t have to do that.

ME: Oh but I will, cause I’m the better man.

HENRY: something something something

That’s about the extent of it. I washed the dishes, and his cup. Went to the bedroom, enjoyed my milk and finished watching Philly with my wife.

This morning when I left the house, Henry was sitting in the usual position in the chair, I said my courteous- have a good day and was on my way out the door when he said, “Thanks for washing my glass last night.” UGH!! That burnt me up. As if he was sitting there all morning just waiting for me. I continued out the door, trying my best to ignore him, and slammed the door.

This has been so incredibly taxing. I’ve never been in a situation like this. I did it to myself, Amy really had no part in making the decision, but she’ll apologize like it’s all her fault. I tell you one of the things this has helped us both realize is how much we appreciate my parents. We love you both so much.

Oh and the cake was amazing!!

We had an incredible weekend. It was just long enough, before we drove home, anyway. What is normally an 8-9hr trip was easily 11-12hrs. Both ways, at some point or another it was stop and go traffic on the highway, for no apparent reason, in different places. It took 4hrs to get out of Maryland on the way there and 4hrs on the Turnpike on the way home! both legs of this trip should only be about 1.5hrs. On the way home the baby was so miserable, it wasn’t even funny. I took two rolls of film, in two days. Had them both developed at Krogers- 1hr, they were having a special- double-prints for $3.99. They turned out beautifully. Visits with friends and family were priceless. I certainly remember what made it so hard to leave in the first place. We went to our old church yesterday morning, that was very tough, didn’t see many people that we know, of course 20 out of 6000 makes it difficult.

Dad gave me his Motorola t900 pager, not sure if he wants it back, or me to pay the bill or what…. I also got the new Creed CD. It’s excellent. Today has been not so eventful, but thanks for checking!

Hope everyones Thanksgiving was as family/fun-filled as mine.

Explanation of the Cube picture. I’m very interested in seeing other peoples cubes, especially people who read my webpage. If you want, leave a comment describing your scene, or a link to an entry on your blog. I wanted to make a picture, but you don’t have to.

my cube

If we got a bread machine, I wonder if we’d use it. Does anyone have a bread machine they a) use all the time, b) don’t use, and want to send to Baltimore?

We’re truly blessed. Remembering this helps us to continue moving along, it’s when we forget this that we start worrying… specifically regarding finances.

Saturday morning we woke up and met Amy’s aunt who had a friend looking to unload some furniture. Her mother was recently admitted to a nursing home and had previously been living in a retirement community. She wanted to get the furniture out of there and didn’t mind giving it away, she didn’t want to bother with selling it. Amy’s aunt was getting a few things, Amy and I were taking most of it.

The list:
• Cherry Hutch
• Cherry dining room table w/5 chairs
• coffee table
• two twin beds
• small desk w/chair
• matching dresser
• several end tables
• several lamps
• 12 place setting of fine china
• toaster overn
• misc other stuff I haven’t looked through

We’ll be moving from Amy’s mothers house into our very own house around the first of December. Prior to this we were living in a two bedroom apartment. So from two bedrooms, to six and now we’ve got loads of furniture for it. We’re pretty excited.

Aside from that we didn’t do a whole lot this weekend…. mainly lack of fundage. There was a point where it looked like Amy, Stacey and I were going to go to see Rent at a theatre here in DC. If you’re not fimiliar with Rent…. they hold the tickets for the first two rows behind the orchestra for sale 2hrs before each performance for $20. We were going to try and go, but we couldn’t find a babysitter- not that we looked real hard…. it would’ve be great. There’ll be another time.

The stress level in the house has reached a new level. I’m begining to think that when Amys step-father was in the ER last week the surgically implanted a stick in his rear. He’s been incredibly grumpy and demanding. Yesterday after church we cooked dinner for ourselves. They were not yet home. We did all of our dishes. When he came home there was a spoon and two glasses in the sink. He immediately started complaining about the dishes in the sink. I did them promptly- and loud I might add, without saying a word to him. Two more weeks I keep telling myself. His daughter came over Saturday night, she only ever comes over when she’s meeting someone at the house to do their hair. Last time this happened Mary was at school or something, she didn’t know that Shannon was coloring this ladies hair. The same thing was happening Saturday- Mary did not want her coloring peoples hair there and she knew it. When Shannon comes over she brings her two boys, maybe 10 and 6. They’re very nice, but also very obnoxious. It really guals me the way Henry treats those boys and lets them do whatever they want, but treats us as if we’re babies- as if we’re the ones that are 10 and 6, deserving of being scolded for leaving dishes in the sink, or opening our bedroom window for fresh air.

Apparently there was new anthrax discovered being sent to the Senate- specifically this time, Senator Leahy’s office, which is on the 4th floor of my building. This is the first one addressed to my building, but they don’t know if it actually made it here, or was quarantined at one of the mail rooms.

We’ll be going “home” this week. We’ll be returning to Ohio to visit with my parents. It’s going to be tough. Not sure what our travel plans are, where we’re leaving from, or when. I might take a train out to Fredrick and have Amy pick me up there, instead of waiting for me to get home. Fredrick is about 45-50 minutes from Baltimore, so by the time I go there, we’d be ahead of time. I’m excited about visiting. I’ve contacted Andy and Penny from our Small group, hoping they’ll coordinate some meeting time with the rest of the group. I also hope to meet up with Ann and Dennis, but I don’t know. We’ve not spoke with them since the move. I’m really looking forward to spending some time with my brother. I really miss him, and worry about him. Last I heard was that he had quit his job and got a new one, cooking at Bob Evans. He plans on moving to Baltimore in January… I hope that if he does that he’ll keep in touch, stay close by, stay out of trouble.

With the craziness of this week, I’ve sorta forgot to update… or done other stuff when I could’ve been updating. On Sunday we went to Amy’s brothers house. They live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland… in a small town called Betterton. Tyler, my nephew, was so cute with Caleb. He kept trying to play with him, or lay on him, or keep him from chewing on his fist. Jesse let me borrow his copy of Command and Conquer-Red Alert 2, which I’ve been playing off and on for the past few days. No online play though - not on a dial-up account. This playing games thing has completely changed having Caleb. If Amy’s busy, dishes, scrapbooking, and I have to watch the baby, this is time I used to use playing…. but now I’ve got baby duty. Last night I ended up holding Caleb in the sling while I played. He slept comfortably.

Amy goes to a different doctor this morning to follow up on her ER visit. Hopefully they’ll be able to tell her what is going on, and what she can do to prevent it again. She has been in more pain since Tuesday but we know that she can’t go back to the ER…. I’m praying everthings alright.

One day last week I was driving home from the train station… and a song came on the radio. It was by Alan Jackson, and he had written it in response to the Sept 11th attacks. He sung it for the first time on the Country Music Awards the night before. It’s not been released on CD and as far as I could find on Friday, no one has released an MP3 of it. Anyway, as I listened to the lyrics, I realized how traumatized I was/am as a result of the 9/11. I bawled. And everytime I’ve heard the song since, I’ve bawled. Here are the lyrics….

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day

Were you in the yard with your wife and children

Or workin’ on some stage in LA

Did you stand there in shock at the site of that black smoke

Risin’ against that blue sky

Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor

Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don’t know

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue

And the hero’s who died just doin’ what they do

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself and what really matters

Chorus

I’m just a singer of simple songs I’m not a real political man

I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day

Teachin’ a class full of innocent children

Or driving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone

Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her

Did you dust off that Bible at home

Did you open your eyes hoped it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset for the first in ages

Or speak to some stranger on the street

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow

Go out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watchin’

And turn on I Love Lucy reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers

Stand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

Thank God you had somebody to love

Chorus

Repeat Chorus

Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day