Notes from Beyond

Tim went to college a few semesters before me. We affectionately refer to this time as his "BE" life (i.e. before Emily). During that time, he had three buddies that were like brothers to him - Charlie, Duane, and Damien. From the stories I've heard they had a lot of fun in those days. Eventually the group spread out and moved all over the state, but every once in a while when they were in town they'd meet up for a "boys' night". Each time they got together it was like no time had past, even as girlfriends (and later wives...) were added to the mix. A couple weeks ago, Charlie got married. It was a gorgeous ceremony right on the St. Johns River. Afterward Charlie and his bride sent a very nice thank you note that included a CD of pictures from our wedding.

Charlie, Tim, and Duane at our wedding.

As I was flipping through the pictures, I found one particular picture that might just be my new favorite. We were suppose to have the ceremony outside next to a gazebo. The wedding was held in July (i.e. the middle of hurricane season) and as it turns out there was a hurricane brewing across the state (which ended up dumping several feet of water under my parents house). Due to winds from this hurricane, the ceremony ended up being moved indoors. We still got pictures next to the gazebo (like the one that's been up for ages on the Kook Tales sidebar). They turned out beautifully, but in a couple of the shots you could see the wind blowing my skirt, crinoline and all, backwards. The picture below is now one of my favorites from the day. While most of our wedding pictures are reminders of how wonderfully perfect the day was, this one immediately took me back to that moment in time, imperfections and all.

Emily & Tim, July 2005

Farewell Friend

Remember I said that we took the TIE Fighter in for what we thought was just a coolant leak? Yeah, well, we clearly don't know very much about cars. It turns out that it had a "blown head gasket" (whatever that is). We were quoted a price that we couldn't justify paying. Without fixing it, the car has a limited number of days and could basically breakdown at any time. Tim was quite upset at hearing that his TIE Fighter was on its way out. When I say upset, I mean devastated... he moped. This was the car that he brought to college, the one that took us on our very first dates and the one that got us to our honeymoon on time. It wasn't until after he talked to his dad about it that he could actually hold an entire conversation without mourning the car. We decided to sell it. Tim's only request was to have one last photo shoot.

RIP TIE Fighter

Stalking a Timothy

Tim feel asleep in the living room the other day. I noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses and I didn't see them on the table so I figured I should check to make sure he wasn't laying on them. As I crept around him looking for the glasses I was careful to be extra quiet. I didn't see them in the first go-round so I circled again. As I was doing this, he suddenly jolts awake and tells me, "I felt like I was being stalked like prey!" Finally, I got my revenge! You see, when I fall asleep in the living room I usually have the most frightening nightmares and then wake up to realize that he's watching Alien or something equally disturbing.

Happy Birthday, Tim!

The celebrations in our house continue. Thankfully, this year Tim's birthday has been much less eventful than last year. He got up and finished up work for the day and then we spent a relaxing afternoon at home together. Instead of a boring-ole two layer cake, he actually got two one layer cakes this year - one strawberry and one chocolate.

And now, in celebration of his 31 years on Earth, I give you 31 random facts about my husband:

31. Every year we go through the same conversation on his birthday; I wish him a happy insert-number-here birthday and he claims he's a year younger than he actually is. After I show him the math, he concedes.

30. He has a collection of Calvin and Hobbes books which he can relate to almost any life event.

29. He makes himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch almost everyday.

28. Whenever I'm reading a Harry Potter book, he walks around the house for several hours saying, "'Arry 'Otter" in his best British accent and as loudly as he can.

27. He's very good at the guitar, self-taught, and can figure out how to play almost any song by ear. In college, friends used to sit around and name off random songs trying to stump him, it rarely worked.

26. He has one favorite dish at every restaurant we go to and he always orders it... for example, at our Mexican place he always orders the Enchilada Supreme; at the Loop he always gets a Loop and Cheddar.

25. He wears his knee brace almost all the time. I call it his Bionic Knee.

24. His favorite meal is steak with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. If you ask him if he wants a vegetable with that, he'll say "ehhh" so I'm guessing that's a no.

23. He has two 'man caves'. One has his weight bench and gym equipment. The other is filled with Star Wars and anime toys, most of which are unopened.

22. He loves watching The Penguins of Madagascar on Nickelodeon.

21. Every time we go on a trip, he uses the drive as an excuse to get fast food. Every. Time. It's like his reward for listening to my multi-hour-sing-along-marathons.

20. He'd leave every light in the house on if it were up to him. He calls me a vampire because I'm constantly turning lights off.

19. He purposely does things to embarrass me when I make him go shopping with me. He'll talk extra loud and say things like, "Did you see the lady eating Pringles in the middle of the isle back there?!" (to be fair, there was a lady eating Pringles in the middle of the isle).

18. He almost always forgets to turn his alarm off on Fridays so it wakes us up on Saturday morning (we need one for him that you can set for Monday through Friday).

17. He is a self-proclaimed WWII Aviation Enthusiast.

16. He can name almost any plane or helicopter that flies by.

15. He has a thing for cartoon women... Betty Rubble, Marge Simpson, Lois from Family Guy, anime girls, you name it.

14. He has a collection of almost 20 gray Navy PT shirts and sweatshirts.

13. His favorite band is Radiohead.

12. He actually enjoys reading text books. While I'm curled up with some good fiction before bed, he's reading about history or science from a text book.

11. He made most of the art in our house and especially likes making 3-D abstract pieces.

10. In college he collected candy wrappers for aforementioned art (everything from Starburst to Rolo wrappers).

9. His favorite video game on the computer is Civ.

8. His favorite video game on the xbox is Halo.

7. The clothes in his closet are separated by color (all the white t-shirts together, all the gray t-shirts together, all the jeans together, all the kackis together, etc).

6. He truly believes Disney is the happiest place on Earth and his favorite ride is the People Mover.

5. He does most of the dirty work in our house all by himself and without me having to ask - he changes the cat litter and also cleans up the occasional hair-ball.

4. He's a big history buff and actually tutored many people in college. Our friends would also invite him over before a big test and let him tell them all about whatever era they were studying. This was fun for him.

3. He's also a science buff - he can discuss String Theory for hours on end.

2. He's a cat person.

1. He's my total opposite, but also my best friend!

Just Meant To Be

A couple weeks ago Tim had a dream so vivid that he told me all about it as soon as we woke up. In the dream, he was hanging out with his childhood friend, Matt. He said they were hanging out just like old times but they were all grownup and it was super life-like. The very next day, Tim's sister got an email from Matt saying he and his girlfriend, Sarah, would be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras - freaky! Keep in mind that the last time they were in contact was when Matt stumbled on a Cold Spaghetti post talking about our wedding - the day before our wedding actually took place!!! One thing is for sure... these two are cosmically connected in some way. We had been planning to go to New Orleans the weekend before they were suppose to be there so we decided to put the trip off until the next weekend. The stars aligned and we were all able to meet up at Holly and Paul's place!! It was the first time that they each got to meet the female-counterpart in the others life, as well as the first time for me and Sarah to meet the childhood friend that we've heard about for years. Matt and Sarah are living in California and doing very well. From the time they got there, it was like everyone had known each other for years! It's always fun to catch up with old friends! :o)

Still Alive... an overdue update

The author of 'Still Alive' sings it live in concert... on Rockband!

• Tim's doctor's appointments continue, but he can now drive himself - for which I'm so very thankful!! Last week, I was left home alone for THE FIRST TIME since before his surgery. I was so excited for the peace & quiet that I sat in silence the *entire* time... no music, no TV, no phone, no talking. This is somewhat unusal for me. You see, I'm often the noise-maker in our house. Sometimes a self-proclaimed babbling brook... as a child I even talked to my reflection in car windows. If you didn't know me well you'd never guess, but my closest friends know all to well. When Tim first met my childhood best friend, they had at least a five minute discussion (finishing each others sentences & everything) about how there's no stopping it, whatever is on my mind comes out... be it random & trivial or hugely profound. Anyhow, my quiet time was very enjoyable!
• In stark contrast to the previous bullet - Rockband 2 came out a little while ago. I got it a couple days after it's release. My favorite addition, besides the 80-something new songs & improved online Touring, is the freestyle option. And, by the way, I'm seriously coveting this.
  
• Shortly after I got Rockband, our AC went out! The first day I sweated through many songs in a 95 degree house, but luckily the weather turned cooler & now we don't even need the AC on.
• We had our sliding glass door open letting the breeze in. We are usually *very* careful to keep the screen door shut & locked. This night, however, we had been in & out the back door and must have forgotten to lock it. Apparently, Bella Maru, the ringleader of mischief, took advantage of this opportunity. As I walked into the kitchen to get a drink, I noticed the screen was open & immediately started yelling for Tim.We had no idea who was in the house & who wasn't, so we ran outside, barefoot & in our pajamas, with flashlights and shaking treats like manics. It turns out both Thomas & Annabelle were somewhere in the backyard. They were so scared by our antics that they bolted back to the screen door, one of them knocking over a plant on the way. I had closed the screen in hopes of keeping in any cats still in the house. They were essentially trapped between a closed screen & some frantic person running up with a bobbing ray of light... Annabelle flipped out and tried to run while Thomas looked like a deer caught in headlights. I got the screen open & Thomas shot inside. Annabelle hid under a chair until I wrangled her inside. The whole time, Sam was safely napping up in our room, completely oblivious to the commotion downstairs.
• In other news, Tim & I ventured down to Central Florida to attend a friend's celebration of 13 years in business. We were treated to great conversation & a wonderful dinner. Since we work from home & it's just us two most of the time, it's always energizing to get together with our friends & business associates.
• And finally, Tim got his voter id card in the mail this week. I rode him for weeks and weeks about getting this done and, although he almost waited until the last minute, it's done.

The Doctor's Report

All of Tim's doctors' reports last week were outstanding! He was originally in the immobile-brace for a week longer than he should have been (due to getting records switched over, appointments set-up, etc). He was a little stiff at first, but he's steadily getting his range of motion back. He's making great progress, & was particularly proud of his advancements on the cycle this week! His subconscious is basically trained to favor his hurt knee so it may take a little while for him to trust it fully, but he's on the way there! (This picture was taken a while ago, but if you click to enlarge, you can see some battle scars!). On a side note, Tim's not the only one recovering from a torn meniscus... Gov. Schwarzenegger underwent surgery this past weekend. Here's to a speedy recovery for both!

The Rumors about us being Encompassed by a Gigantic Sinkhole are False

Last week went something like this...
Monday: breakfast, Physical Therapy, work, lunch, work, dinner, work, bed
Tuesday: breakfast, work, Doctor's Office, lunch, work, dinner, work, bed
Wednesday: breakfast, Physical Therapy, work, lunch, work, dinner, Project Runway, bed
Thursday: breakfast, work, rejoice (no appts!), work, lunch, work, dinner, video games, bed
Friday: Physical Therapy, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, relax (TGIF!), bed

My commentary...
We can't complain about being busy with work (that is a good thing, after all)... but these non-stop doctor's appointments are somewhat frustrating. We lost at least 8 hours last week. Our job offers us so much flexiblilty, but at the same time, there is no escape from it... when our personal time is spent sitting in the doctor's office during the day, we have to work through our normal 'off' hours. During this catch up on work, we neglected the cleanliness of our house - that's right, it was a mess! In a mere week it went from being semi-suitable for Joe's visit to a COMPLETE and TOTAL disaster area!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last weekend went something like this...
Saturday: sleep late, breakfast, play w/ cats, call mom, watch movie, lunch, play Rockband, all-in-all do nothing, dinner, bed
Sunday: breakfast, laundry, pick up the house, dishes, laundry, shopping, dishes, entertain friends, laundry, garbage/cat litter (yuck!), relax, go to bed

My Commentary...
Saturday was a much needed day of nothing-ness, and Sunday was a much needed day of catching up (and yes, we really did have that much dishes & laundry).

In the end, I think we're starting Monday surprisingly on track!

Whiny Wendy's Venting Session

When I taught first grade, one of the literary terms we covered every year was alliteration. Somewhat as a result of this, various nicknames came about over the years that were used to a) help cement the concept of alliteration with students, and b) playfully redirect unwanted behaviors. These included imaginary characters like Sassy Sam, Bossy Betty, Mischievous Marvin (sometimes the name would change to match a student's gender). Today, I'm feeling a little like Whiny Wendy...

• I'm sick. It's just a cold, nothing major, but I'm stuffed up like a teddy bear & I feel sluggish.
• I miss my Sebastian Cat even more when I don't feel good.
  
• Doctors appointments are a doozy! Between two offices & all the reschedulings, I think we've had about 15 different appointment times.
• Tim's being a very good patient and he's recovering well, but being on crutches makes life harder - period. And having one less set of hands around the house is, quite honestly, no fun. You may remember our system of household verbs... for now Tim does what he can. I think I might actually do a cartwheel when he can change the cat litter again!!!
• Tim may have some sort of curse that's inflicted on his medical care providers. The doctor that did his surgery... went on vacation in Canada the next week, long story short, broke his ankle and had to fly home for insurance to cover his medical care. Also, the morning of his first Physical Therapist appointment, we were in the car about 10 minutes away from the office, when we got a call that his Therapist had some sort of emergency and couldn't make it in. (Since today's appointment went seamlessly, I'm hoping the timing of these two events were just a coincidence).
  
• We got a letter from the homeowners association last week requesting we please mown/edge our yard. Between the doctors appointments, weekend visitors, shopping, cleaning & cooking - I hadn't even taken note of the yard. It was out of control. Luckily, our good buddies came over for the afternoon & helped us out! Thank you, guys! :o)
  
  Overall we truly don't have that much to whine about, but that felt really good to get out.

No, really, Happy 30th Birthday!

It was Sunday night, almost midnight & we were enjoying a quiet movie & pizza with Tim's parents. The next day we were suppose to get up & drive home. It was that precise time that our plans got thrown out the window... out of nowhere, in the middle of the movie, Tim's knee slips out of joint. No wild movements or anything, he was just sitting there. He felt tightness & basically couldn't straighten his leg or put weight on it. It was locked at 90 degrees. This has happened before & it righted itself pretty quickly, but this time it didn't... so we stayed the next day. After calling around, Tim's dad got an appointment with a local Orthopedic doctor. We were thinking it would be no big deal, they'd get his leg back in shape & we'd be on the road in a couple hours. This was not the case, however. Ultimately the doctor scheduled him for a MRI later that day & surgery the next day. His MRI confirmed that a piece of his meniscus (the cartilage in his knee) was lodged & he'd definitely need surgery. After the initial shock, he's had a pretty good humor about it... yes, it wasn't the best timing (when really would be?), but we were with family & he would be taken good care of.

That's right, Tim was scheduled
for surgery on his 30th Birthday.

The Day of the Surgery:

10:30 am - My father-in-law took us to the hospital & helped us get checked in. Tim quickly found a Birds & Blooms magazine in the lobby, which did a great job of distracting him.

11:45 a.m. - Tim was settled in an outpatient room & I was retrieved from the lobby. Time to wait. At first Tim seemed a little nervous, but a few nurses & the anesthesiologist came in and set him at ease. To pass time, we talked about questions for the doctor, gossiped about People magazine & finally turned on the TV.

4:00 p.m - I set out to the cafeteria to feed my grumbling tummy and left Tim absorbed in a Travel Channel show on the Top 10 National Parks.

5:30 p.m. - Just as I was finishing my ice cream when the doctor popped in to say it was almost time.

5:45 p.m. - Tim was taken back for surgery (I lost track of time from this point forward).

Our first conversation:
E: Hi Honey! I'm here & you're okay!
T (out of it): I'm okay? I am?
E: Yes, you're leg is straight & everything!
T (wobbily lifts his head): It is? Good. (lays back looking satisfied with the straight leg) I want to get a really cool cane.
E: A cane? To walk with?
T: Mmhmm... (drifting off to sleep)
E: We'll get you a cool cane!

He'd reawaken from time to time...
asking if his leg was straight, how many holes were in his knee, saying he wanted to find certain nurses to thank them (isn't he sweet?!), asking the nurse if his vitals were healthy & just generally nodding along with post-op directions being explained to me. Tim & I were a pair. I think we asked her 1,000 questions each. I thought teaching was the top patience-testing job, but being a nurse who deals with patients waking up from anesthesia & families trying to understand all those directions... they might just give teachers a run for their money!!!

Tim's Dad picked us up from the hospital & took us to get prescriptions filled. We were home shortly after 9:00 p.m. (?) It was a long day, but they took really good care of Tim!

My husband, in his delirious state, wanted to drive home that night (against doctor's orders). I put my foot down on that one & we ended up leaving in the morning. Tim's been recovering well since with little pain. His brace stays on if he's putting weight on his leg, but he can pull it off while resting. We had a bit of a traumatic evening when we first undressed the bandage & I removed the pain pump. Seriously, I had to pull the tube out of his knee... it was long!!! We both almost fainted, but we made it out ok. I'll spare you from those pictures...

Copter Mania

Last year, starting a couple months before his birthday, Tim began hinting around as to what he wanted... in short, a Remote Control Helicopter. While trying to pick this out for him, I became overwhelmed by all the choices (indoor/outdoor, size, color, does he want an Apache? or maybe a Falcon? how about a Spinmaster?). Ultimately I decided it would be best to let him pick it out himself. Days turned into weeks, & weeks into months... still no helicopter. Finally, Tim brought it up to our friend, Adam. Adam got just as excited as Tim ever was, & two days later we had helicopters flying around the garage.

Grown-Up Boys

This is what happens when our local Mexican Restaurant is playing cartoons behind me... my husband's eyes were averted slightly upward & to the left almost the whole meal! :o) Although his head nodded along at appropriate points in conversation, I think it's safe to say he probably doesn't remember much of what was said. How did I keep this from bothering me, you ask? After being married over 3 years & dating for 5 years before that... I think we're starting to get this stuff down. It's very simple. Tim gets to be distracted by cartoons during dinner... & I get to stop next door at the scrapbooking store before we leave! Compromise. Did I mention that they were having a 75% off after Memorial Day sale? I love, Love, LOVE discounted craft supplies!

An Important Reminder...

Tim prefers the original Monty Python version, but I'm partial to the Animaniacs version. Either way, the song has helped us a lot lately.

Slot Cars

I often wonder who has more fun in the hobby room.

The video below answers that question...

Annabelle does.

Batz in the Belfry

I worked in a toy store in college & absolutely loved the Sanrio characters (this was before you could find them *everywhere*). My favorite was Pochacco (the vegetarian canine). Tim's favorite was Batz Maru (the mischievous, guitar-playing penguin). You can see a reminder of those days above... nicely preserved on Tim's headphones! :o)

Looking in on our Minions

This is how I often find my husband in the evenings.

Radiohead

We found out that Radiohead will be playing three concerts near us in May! This is very exciting seeing as they're Tim's favorite band & they haven't been known for extensive touring in the past. We're ordering tickets this weekend!!

Watch your feet so you don't trip...

This magnificent piece of heaven is Tim's slot car/train table!! It's more than quadripuled in size since it was first created (you can see various stages here and here) & it's currently a bit of a mess because he's in the middle of building the *perfect* layout... but eventually the track is going to run up the wall & on the second level. If you thought Thomas & Annabelle loved the table before... now they're obsessed. Like owner, like pet.

Measurements

The circumference of my skull measures 22 inches.
The circumference of Tim's skull is 23 ¼ inches.

He finds great pleasure in knowing this & insists it's proof of greater brain capacity. I maintain his skull bones are just 1 ¼ inches thicker...

Stay Tuned!

Tim is in the midst of making a few additions to his train tables.