Absolutely (Story of a Girl)

If someone asked you to sum up your life, could you?

I'm headed back to So Cal in a day and will be seeing about a dozen girls I haven't seen since high school, longer ago than I care to admit. When I think back to the rose colored days of after school practices, crushes, biology tests and (really unfortunate) big hair, they were all there. It was high school, so of course it was difficult, but there were lots of good times too -- bus rides to Mt Carmel, winning gold medals (I still have mine), initiations, proms...the bad things all fade until you only remember the good.

Ever since this reunion plan was hatched, I've been trying to think of how I am going to explain who I am to these people who knew me once but now don't know me at all. Will I bring up the days at the bank that dissolved into FBI interviews and police tape? The multiple breakups with the guy they all know (and may still talk to?) or the long relationship with the one they don't? How do I explain the years of solitude? (My heart really was just that broken...) How about how I lost my sense of smell last year? How I adore my dog, bought a house, love my job, and live to watch boys on skates? How about my lack of baby pictures to show off but a love for travel that has taken me all over the country? A stronger family than I had 10 years ago and a bunch of friends I'd go to the end of the Earth for....what really is the sum of a person?

I just don't know what I'll say.

American Baby

Driving home tonight I was flying down Capital Blvd, just about the only car out there. The clock struck 9 and the sky lit up. By the time I got home I had driven past 7 different sets of fireworks from Franklin County to Wake Forest to Raleigh. It was kind of cool seeing all the small town celebrations from a distance and the bigger ones in Raleigh. Mix that with the lightning from a pretty powerful storm that just blew through and you had dueling light shows. Little dandelions of colors and then blinding white lights. Very cool.

Happy birthday America!

Bye Bye Boyfriend

Happy Canada Day everyone! Or more specifically, to the little hamlet called Edmonton, Happy Cole Day! Today my favorite hockey player was traded to a team far, far away. I wish him well and hope that he has plenty of defensemen to protect him and his precious neck. For those who aren't in on the folklore, Erik's neck was broken during a game in the spring of 2006. He recovered enough to come back a few months later in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. A legend was born complete with heroes and villains (boo, Orpik, boo!). Be nice to him, Edmonton.