Mother: I’m not feeling like I have a lot to report in the mom area – our recent focus was on “THE Visit” … the kids missed school for an additional day over the long Columbus day weekend, which was a big hit with them! We took our Norwegian family to the local shopping Mecca-mall so they could process their overvalued NOKS into the American economy.  Jovita loved showing off her favorite ‘buy 2 get 1 free’ earring palace, as well as all the tween clothing boutiques. The kids had an amazing time with their cousins and were wonderful hosts showing off the local Six Flags Amusement Park, how to eat corn on the cob, carve jack-o-lanterns and navigate a corn maze.  There were a few aliens shot via Xbox, but no one else go hurt – doesn’t get much better than that!

 

Daughter: My mom wanted so much to get in on “THE Visit”…offering to have everyone “up the house”, and making lots of unsolicited suggestions on what we could do.  However, me being who I am – I was beside myself with trepidation.  Unsure of how my SIL would be,  and knowing all the potential conversation places my mom could go – I felt I had no choice but to either not get them together at all OR the have a very controlled situation.  What worked was having my folks join us for lunch at a restaurant on the last day – before we took our visitors for a 2 hr drive to the airport. Everyone wins – everyone gets to see each other, no one is plied with alcohol [as they would be over a dinner party chez moi] – the time frame is limited to about an hour – which is just enough to eat, exchange a few pleasantries and say “nice to see you again”…. I think it  was a brilliant strategic move on my part! 

 

Manager: My laser focus had shifted over the past couple weeks to focus full bore on “THE Visit”.  I applied all the PMP techniques in my arsenal to skillfully plan out all potential scenarios – while balancing the needs of the project, of course.  I was fully aware that the plans for our reunion were constantly playing in the back of my brain.  Every lunch break was just one more run to Linens N Things for a harvest table cloth, baking dish, deck candles, more towels, whatever…

 

Wife: The result of all the work and thought and planning paid off better than I could have ever imagined.  The 4 day weekend exceeded my expectations – truly!  There were no slings or arrows to me, there were no anti-American remarks, there were no twinges of jealousy over anything.  My guests were very gracious and I believe truly blown away at how wonderfully we live.  Some of the remarks from the visit were things like “Your house looks like it is from a magazine” and “are all the towels in America so fluffy and soft?”; “This room is so BIGGGG?” “ Your yard is beautiful”….they acknowledged how wonderful our home is, how pretty it is where we live….we went to the beach on Monday and it was 80 degrees! The kids were swimming, we flew kites – they had never seen such a sandy beautiful beach, nor had they ever had the opportunity to fly kites like we were doing that day.  We had planned to have locally grown corn for dinner and they shared with us how they go on these pick your own corn walks and told us about how they freeze it so they can grill it later – how big it is and how yellow it is.  Then, they had the local corn from our neighborhood farm stand that we cooked for them.  Let’s just say corn was redefined for them.  They were just amazed every day, all day long at everything.  I can’t think of a single thing that I wish had gone differently. 

Hopefully how they see us, me, America and our world will now also be redefined! Skoal!

Mother: I know it’s a trite old cliché but I’m gonna say it anyway!  “Where did the summer go?” – My kids, over indulged children that they are,  had tons of fun and we so buys – that I’m not sure their heads have stopped spinning.  They each had unique experiences and seemed to have a good time…(although they would never admit it to me ;)  The stuff that took place includes: Firing a shot gun at overnight boy scout camp… jumping into 50 degree water along the fjords of Norway…viewing Niagara falls from Canada, America, 170’ up in a Ferris wheel, and on a Maid of the Mist boat while wearing a blue poncho… body surfing at Marconi beach on the National Seashore of Cape Cod. Last but not least, Jovita actually learned to spin plates at “Performing Arts Camp” (chip off the ol’ block eh!)…So now we are back in school – New schools for each kid.  Boyzilla has moved up to the middle school in town and show promise for being a full fledged teenager.  Jovita is at the new elementary school that was just built and has just opened and she show promise to continue to drive me crazy trying to get out the door in the morning.    In a desperate blocking move, I bought her 2 hair brushes at lunch today – one for the back pack and one for the locker – just so we don’t have to run around each morning when we realize we have to brush our hair and can’t find the hair brush.  I’ll let ya know how it works out. 

 

Daughter: Working on the mom thing – slowly spending a bit more time here and there.  I have been informed over the summer “that we usta be buddies – before you had better things to do” so I am trying to make a bit more time – we have them over for summer cook outs, Jovita and I get together with my mom – which is a magic formula for a visit going better. I’m still keeping my cards close to the vest – not sure I’ll ever have my mom as a confident – but its not about what I need, it’s what she needs….just like old times!

 

Manager: This summer has been insane from work.  Which if I think of it is where my blog fell off. I would work at home and have such busy days that some of the little things I could get done at work didn’t get done and started spilling over to my Suzalita time, which I think took away from you guys….so unfair.  I’ll try to keep a better balance.  Our project is still largely a disaster – but my boss thinks I’m great – he gave me a wonderful review – I just need to make sure it doesn’t go to my head!

 

Wife: OK – this is the tricky part – my Sister-in-Law and her family are coming from the land of milk nd honey to stay with us for a few days.  Whatever possessed them to spend a week in America is beyond me – but they are on there way in 3 short weeks!!! They will arrive at JFK, spend a coupe day in NYC and then come up to see us for 4 days.  I have been working like an Egyptian slave to get the house ready (to my very high standard).  They have never been to our home so it is important to me to show it in the best possible light – truth be told – she scares me because she is always so mean to me – telling me the whole world laughs at America and inferring how lazy and stupid I am – so “bring it on” is the mood I’m trying to set – hopefully I can be a genteel hostess for a few days at least – trying hard to see her harsh words at America as envy,  to rise above her petty remarks and leave no holes barred!

 

Hope you guys will be there for me!

 

  

Mother:  School has been out for 2 weeks now, we have 2 weeks of camp under our belt and so far, well - I  think it's going sorta OK...I don't think the kids would give me the satisfaction of saying they loved it - even if it were true.  Jovita is in a group with all her friends and now she is packed for her big adventure with her dad to see her grandparents in Norway.  Boyzilla has been the most vocal about how boring the camp program is...good thing he and I are heading to Niagara Falls this weekend with his aunt and uncle...So were are balancing baysitters and camp dates while the summer gets underway...bottom line - we are all still really busy - there is something to be said for truly just doing nothing!

 

Daughter: My cousins wedding was so so very beautiful.  I have never been to such an over the top affair - Truly no holds barred - the bride was stunning and so in love and so happy - the weather was gorgeous, the mansion where it was held was glamourous - it was a wonderful evening - DH And I danced the night away and I managed to only sustain one nasty remark from mom...I guess she was on her best behavior!  Wounding, none the less.

 

Manager:It has been overwhelming at work the past month ... we arrived at our deadline in pretty good shape - but the level of effort required to keep everything moving and on track is exhausting.  I am struggling to get time with my office computer and phone and desk to do the work that I need to do - so I feel very disorganized and unable to manage all the loose ends.  Hopefully there will be alot of people away this week and I can get a bit of a breather! We'll see...

 

Wife: DH is leaving to see his family - I have mixed emotions about the whole thing - I worry about missing he and Jovita - I know that she will have a great time together with him - I know that this is an amazing opportunity for her - I feel sorta bad that it just doesn't work out for me - I only have a couple weeks of vacation and I really want to spend it doing things I want to do, not necessarily visiting with in-laws who aren't that fond of me....they will have a good time and so will boyzilla and I...

 

So stay tuned to hear about our adventures...I'm hoping to get more time to blog but the gravitational forces of the day to day are pullling me away...I promise to check in more...

 

XO

Mother: 5 days left to the school year! The count down has more than begun...the kids are restless...Boyzilla is working like crazy to cash in extra credit points for Science with a report on Lung Cancer, and extra maps for Geography and keeps bringing home the E's (A's)....Jovita is struggling to keep focused.  To incentivise her I have set up a magnetic clip on the fridge that says "E is for Earrings"... for every 3 E's she brings home I'll buy her a card of earrings from Claire's (cheapo kid style earrings buy 2 get one free) she has bit big time on this and it's helping to keep the focus.  To keep it fair for Boyzilla I'll get him a gift card to Abercrombie for all his hard work...Camp is just around the corner.  I would so love for me and the kids to just sleep in each day this summer, watch game shows till 10 am (that's what I did when I was kid in the summer) ride our bikes to the swimming hole, and complain about being bored.  Ahhh, progress and working moms....

 

Daughter: Not too much to report on this front...a couple of chit chats, not much news - I'm actually really looking forward to this wedding - it will be at a beautiful location, a fancy meal and dancing with DH.  I intend to look stunning, I really can't wait - it's 6/23 so stay tuned.

 

Manager: A bit more normalcy coming into play - feeling a bit more organized as we approach the 6/19 deadline - although I have resigned myself to some things being late and Woah ho...I cannot believe I have grown into just accepting that that's how it will be. I am shocked that I am not staying up late trying to figure out how to get every last piece in on time.  We'll have the most of it, and I'll keep working it.  It should be an exciting week next week!

 

Wife: I made a big splurge today - I went out and bought myself a new digital camera.  I have so missed having a handy camera  to take photos with - DH has a camera that he bought for his birthday last year - but I don't have total access to it...I have a SLR film camera but it's a pain now to use film...So I just broke down and bought a Nikon Coolpix L11.  It seems easy to use, I can see things without my glasses and it has lots of easy settings to set the camera to, like "Museum mode" "Fireworks mode" "Face Mode" etc.  It seems to be sure fire.  6 megapixels and great color.  So stay tuned for some updated photos. 

 

Have a great week - love to you my blogging buddies!  

 

 

Mother: We had a meeeting at the school on Friday over Boyzilla's status with the "Resource Room" (Special Ed)...He is awesome - the teacher representing the classroom front raved about his sense of humor, his motivation to learn, his wisdom beyond his years.  The special ed teacher spoke of how organized he is...in the end everyone was so pleased to have such a positive PPT meeting - I guess I knew it would be positive - he has been working his butt off - and his needs are so borderline - his handwriting is nearly illedgible and as a result was determined to be elidgible for accomodations such as access to computers...and to boot his best buddy is also in resource room, so he doesn't mind going thre. So we all had a group hug at our meeting Friday over how well his is doing and what a great kid he is....Jovita creates the balance in my life..her teacher called Thursday night to let me know she is in the end of the year dog house.   She was sent to the office during gym for her inability to stop giggling with her friend..and she has been unable to stop giggling in class and on and on and on...I guess there are worse infractions in life than giggling all the time with your friends - but we had to apply the no internet/TV rules until things shape up...Ahhh mother hood - 3 weeks of school left...

 

Daughter:  Big excitement with this wedding coming up - My mom hasn't been able to sleep nights becasue she doesn't have a new dress to wear - well that got cleared up, finally, last week with a new ensemble from Talbots...its black and white - I guess times have changed - I could hear the tape in my brain playing over how no one ever wears black to a wedding - thank Goodness times have changed.  I'm good with my beautiful hot pink dress that I bought 5 years ago - I wore it for maybe less than 8 hours and it looks awesome.  I keep thinking of all the money I'm saving - except I did spring for a $40 pair of sequined shoes!

 

Manager: I can not belive how stressed I am about this project.  8 weeks ago I was so carefree - I am so wound up about getting all this work done.  The issue is that I have about  6 hours of meetings each day that create about 4 hours of follow up - and I have all these little projects within this mess that need to get organized and pulled off.  It's very fatiguing.  The bottom line is we just don't have the resources we need - Our big deadline is 6/19 - hopefully we'll hit it...

 

Wife: We had a nice weekend - planting geraniums in the patio pots, little boat rides along the Connecticut Coastline...chores around the house - the kids wanted to go to the mall...just not alot of much going on and it was great...I think I'm feeling the overwhelming sense of summer coming on, compounded with loose ends at work - still not organized over all the camps, end of school coverage and vacation stuff etc...If I didn't know better I'd say somehow I'm procrastinating....I guess I just need a vacation of my own ...so while Jovita and DH are visitng all the Vikings, Boyzilla and I are going to go to Niagara Falls (Ontario side) with my Brother and Sister-in-law.  Any travel tips on Niagara Falls are welcome -

 

Have a great week - XO

Mother: What a wonderful Mother's Day I had last Sunday!  I felt so much love from the Saturday afternoon before as Jovita informed me that she and dad were "going out" late Saturday afternoon in a panic as she discovered she was not quite ready for Mother's Day. I heard her say to DH "Dad - she asked me where we're going..?!!" trying to be coy about going out to get a card...I so loved this....Then Sunday morning I came down to the delightful scent of fresh brewed Starbucks...Boyzilla met my bleary eyed self with a kid wrapped little box and a card...It was so joyful...the gift was Yankee Candle tealights, the card was a schmaltzy Hallmark card that makes any mother cry - but he added his own wonderful note: "Mom - you rock!! and you are not grumpy or fat!!!"  So there you have it  - out of the mouths of babes! Jovita had a sweet little card and a Jovita wrapped golden little tinsley sac ... with a sweet little windchime "The sound of love" I told her.   And it was for me ...so wonderful.  Then - they worked together with DH to make me my favorite breakfast ever - 2 eggs over easy with corned beef hash!  It really doesn't get much better than that!

 

Daughter: The shower for my cousin was so lovely!!! And as a result I am so looking forward to the wedding - as is DH.  As for my mom,  in the end I sort of felt sorry for her at the shower.  She so wanted to be there, I felt cautious hanging out with her.  I loved seeing some long lost cousins...but could understand my mom's insecurities and frustrations as she caught up with her own cousin bragging about her upcoming trip to Italy with her 4 girls who are giving she and her hubby a week together with thier daughters in an Italian villa - so she won't be at the wedding.  So sad.  So I knew this made my mom feel bad and her only defense was, well, to brag about me.  How I stay in villas with my DH's family and how great it is...and I actually allowed this bragging because I thought this person was annoying.  Then this woman also went on about her house on Cape Cod blah, blah.  I did really feel sorta weird for my mom.  I have so much to talk about my life, my other cousins that I haven't seen in so long also have interesting lives.  We are all happy in our core. I think my mom has not really had a very happy life - at least a very happy married life.  To me it's really sad - and I feel bad for her and try to compensate some how for her by agreeing to do things together...whatever- it's all fairly complex..the swirl of emotions and the weird sense of responsibility I have for her well being and happiness.

 

Manager: OMG!!! What an intense time this project is!!  We have 4 weeks until we need all materials in for building our first system and we are still designing.  It is such a nail biter! I can't take it! The guys I work with are annoyed with me because I am so in their face - trying to keep them focused from the plague of shifting priorities and outside distractions...Put this together with the fact that I'm not an engineer and just another gnat manager and it's a bad mix!  Times are tough there right now and I really don't appreciate why it takes them 3 days to complete something that they said would take a half day...whatever - I'm trying to remember that I am a successful perosn even though I  feel like a big time loser - pointy haired boss right now.  Repeat after me "I'm helping the project, I'm helping the project..."

 

Wife: Big day here today - the couch arrived after 15 weeks! That's the good news.  The other good news is that they will let us keep the mismatched peice of the sectional until they can get the actual piece that matches to us.  This is probably one of the all time worst customer experiences I've ever had....but - at least today we have a couch to sit on...DH and I went out to buy him a new suit for the wedding...the suit he has is 15 years old - he couldn't understand why I was so adamant about the refresh...also talked him into a new pair of shoes so he doesn't have to wear his shoes from the Norwegian navy...Sheesh...doesn't he get I want to show him off??? He does now!!

 

Love to you all - my blogging buddies - sorry I'm not here so often - but I do love you all!

Mother: I had a delightful day with Jovita last week - she joined me for "Take your Child to Work Day"...We both looked forward to having this day together and there were about 20 kids in my organization that had their mini-me's tagging along.  We started the day off right - with a trip to Dunkin' Donuts - "this is how it's done" I explained as I ordered my Great One and a Hot Chocolate.  I take a fair amount of abuse for my monster coffee - so I had a laugh over the two of us walking in together with our matching DnD cups...the day went on with lots of demos of the equipment we invent and manufacture, free goodies for the kids - ad specialties galore...she joined me in the design review of a board schematic - just for a while -and then I just set her up to surf the web in my office for a while to finish the meeting. The parents traded off taking the kids to demos so we could all work - the best part...when she was going to bed she told me "Mom - I had an awesome day at work with you today" - well ya know what - so did I!!!!

 

Daughter: No cantankerous stories to report this week.  I dropped off my Netflix DVD of The Queen for my foks to enjoy - so my dad and I had a nice little chit chat, my mom wasn't home at the time...The shower for my cousin is this weekend - that should produce at least one story or another - long lost relatives for a day? Who knows what could happen!

 

Manager: The amount of development work left to complete for our June 19 goal is overwhelming.  I also continue to reflect on how none of the work that I am currently involved in was managed in any way before March.  I also find it interesting that me. a PMP, has so very little respect for the PM running the entire project.  We have such different appraoches - I am emersed in the activity required to get the job done - managing vendors, aspects of the development effort, schedules, meeting and meeting and meeting to define and comunicate and close off issues.  The only activity the corporate PM is involved in is reporting.  The only thing he is involved in is the quality of the reports to Sr. Mgmt.  I can't stand it.   I do feel that I am making a difference, even though the steps are small ones - we are at least gaining on the project...

 

Wife: Our dining room looks beautiful...I had a great time painting it a bold cranberry!  The saga of our funiture continues - I think we'll have the couch finally, 15 weeks after we ordered this for a 5 week delivery! The dining room piece they also didn't order, so that will still be another 6 (or 12) weeks out.  The did agree to waive the delivery fee.  This group makes my workplace look amazing!  DH told me he was looking forward to my cousin's wedding - it has the potential to be fun...Meanwhile we sipped our first Pastis on the deck this season - beautiful sunshinny warm spring weather arrived one day a week or so ago! Looking forward to more this weekend!

 

Have a great week my dear blog buddies!!! XO

Mother: We are in the throes of school vacation this week and I am pleased to report it is totally boring.  Kids were at the YMCA program for 3 days while thier parents slaved at the office...then we all have 2 days off together doing very boring things like going to the aquarium and flying kites at the ocean.  I'm starting to regret all the international travel we did with the kids over the years...I do have to admit I could go for a cruise or week at a resort - Oh well, guess we'll have to settle for a few days at home! Poor things...

 

Daughter: Grammy came with us to the aquarium today - DH joined us and we had a nice day actually - much to my amazement.  I keep going in for more - some how believing that I need to alter my point of view and also feeling that my mom so enjoys getting out - and enjoys the kids.  She managed to get around pretty well and didn't pick at me too much.  We went out to eat after and had some wine and told some stories and then we drove around an area where her family had a cottage at the shore - she told us stories about those days, her blue convertible '47 chevy - I think the kids and DH add a new flavor to the mix and it was actually most enjoyable.

 

Manager: The insanity project moves along it's little gerbil wheel - I can see that I am helping and bringing focus.  People continue to tell me they have no idea what their assigned firmware task means, or what exactly they are supposed to be developing - so glad I ask - they all just tap away at thier keyboards building firmware for some figment of their own vision - so the good news is I keep getting people in a room and we discuss where we are going and what we are doing after all - it's all good!

 

Wife: I had the scariest week of my life this week - It was like I could see my future before my eyes and it so scared me.  I got a call from the doctor that they saw something on my mammogram and that they needed more pictures - could I please go back and have more images taken....they see something, they can't see it well - I being the data driven, cool cucumber that I am, became so scared.  This is why they do a mammo - so they can find things - I have a family history of breast cancer..I know so many people who have gone thru this horror - why would I be spared? I don't know anyone with breast cancer who made it past 5 years - I want to be there for my kids, especially now as they are so growing and shaping thier lives... I went back today, after 2 sleepless nights of creating horrible thoughts based on no information...I saw the images as they took them today today and I saw a tiny little white spot in the image - on both images.  I saw what they were looking for.  Then the technician came in to tell me that the radiologist looked at my images and everything is fine.  I started to cry - I was so relieved and actually shocked that there was NOTHING.  I came home and told DH they said it was nothing but that I saw something - he's like yeah - you saw something but a trained radiologist saw nothing and says it's fine - he eventually got me to believe the prognosis and I moved on.  I was so shook up from such a little scare - I am so grateful for my good life. I still think that I may call them on monday and ask them to tell me what the white spot was...

 

Peace to you all my blog buddies!

Mother: Lots of stories piling up here...Jovita returned from her Girl Scout meeting with tons of accessories from her badge workshop "Being your Best" ... these goodies included a curling brush with a diameter of about 1.5".  Well she looked her best alright when she came downstairs with her long blonde locks so tangled in this brush it couldn't move from her head! "Mom - I need some help!" Well after an hour of working this, cutting bristles off the brush, wetting hair, combing - even letting dad have a try - we had no option - the scissors came out and so did the tears.  I told her this would be a great story to write about. She wasn't impressed.

 

Boyzilla turned 12 on Thursday...I can't help but reflect on the moment he was born with his big blueberry eyes blinking up at me...he of course is strickly just embarrased to disgust at Abercrombie today as he carefully calculates how many T-shirts he can buy with his $50 in birdthday cash.  "MOM - I can wait in the [dressing room] line by myself..."...yeah sure - OK sorry"....and as I stepped back I said - of course he can, along with all the other 6th, 7th and 8th graders that shop here. Wow -  I had no idea I was so square.

 

Daughter: Got a phone call from dear Mom as I was singing to the CDs with my Elton glasses on ready to depart for the festivities a couple weeks ago.  "I know you are going to Elton John and I don't want to keep you - but I got an invitation to your second cousin's bridal shower and I really would like to go, but it's all the way out in blahbington and I don't want to drive and blah, blah - will you take me?"  "Well, I'm not invited" - "Oh that's OK at my age I can call and say would you invite Suz and blah blah I can get away with that"..." Yeah sure mom I'll take you."  So the next day she calls me back and tells me how "it's all ok I told them that you wanted to go the shower and would love to see everyone and would really like to go and so they will send you an invitation".  WHAT??? Did you tell them that you want me to drive you and that's the reason you are asking them to invite me"..."No I asked you and you said you wanted to go - I asked you didn't I???" Unbeliveable! I couldn't care less about this and am just trying to oblige her - when I emailed my RSVP I extended my gratitude to them for including me so that I could drive her.  BTW - she also let them know that I wanted to be invited to thier wedding. 

 

Manager: So delighted to learn that I made the top 10 again! You may remember a few blog sessions back that the ColecoVision game, Smurf's, that I worked on back in the 80's hit the 10 worst video games of all time.  Well - stand back - I've done it again! The ADAM computer - which was known in those days as "Project 101" made the top 10 worst computers of ALL TIME...in fact it was number 3!!! I had my first true love over this computer - a California man - so exoctic for my Yankee ways....learned all about RAM and ROM and admired the PM from afar wondering - could I ever do that? As I sat behind my gigantic word processor typing out stupid letters and forms ...and I also remember cashing in tons and tons of overtime - literal 24 hour days testing ADAM - I also remember how frustrated we all were testing and logging bugs and working non stop to help lauch this.  I remember a midnight polariod with me and my girlfriend co-workers holding a sign that said "We got F*ck*d by ADAM"....Ahh those were the days...by the way - I actually own and bring you this blog from the worst computer of all time #10 - I had no idea....LOL!!!!

 

Wife: We are still waiting for our couch to arrive - it was due 3 weeks ago - can't quite get an answer out of the furniture store... as a result now I'm going to paint the dining room now before they deliver it.  We have a side board coming also, which is in stock - just held up for delivery until the couch comes in.  We are hosting a big Easter dinner sunday - Egg hunt, ham dinner all the trimmings with my family.  We watched "A Good Year" last night with Russell Crowe.  All about a man who inherits a villa in France.  It was beautiful and reminiscent to watch...I asked DH if he thought we could actually but Les Terrasses [the villa where we stay in France] and he just lit into all his engineering practicallity over money, and when would we be there, and maintaining it and blah, blah.  NO imagination.  I can't believe DH won't buy me a villa! What the heck is up with that???

 

Happy Easter to you my blogging buddies! XO

I fell in love all over again on Wednesday night, with my first love – Elton John!  He gave us a truly unique performance….I showed up with my glitterati spectacles to create the EJ mood – I borrowed them for Jovita for the night and she willingly obliged her mom in this silliness “you’re really going to wear them?” Oh Yeah baby!!!  

After priceless purchases of draft beers and souvenir T-shirts we took our most excellent seats and the lights dimmed immediately – expecting to hear the classic Elton show opening anthem, Funeral for a Friend, I was pleasantly surprised when he started in on 60 Years On.  I think most people were saying “huh…?” but I was so delighted – 60 years On get it!!! I knew at that point this would be a special show.  Elton continued to dig into his vintage vinyl gold pulling out album tracks from his albums of the early 70’s…I just continued to be delighted – “He never plays this stuff!” I explained to my DH – this is for the “real” Elton fans…it was like a secret message! So for the next hour I continued to delight in singing along with Where to now St. Peter , Burn down the Mission, Madman Across the Water and other obscurities… He broke the streak of album cuts with Daniel and continued to lead the audience down memory lane with his popular hits from the 70’s and threw in a few more surprises like All the young girls love Alice and Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.  

I was in Elton heaven – sitting there singing with these ridiculous glasses on and rocking out with the original band [Nigel Olsen and Davey Johnston].  I explained to DH that Crocodile Rock is Elton’s song about our break up….”Me and Suzy had so much fun…” “Friday night’s when Suzy wore her dresses tight” “Suzy went and left me for some foreign guy..”  I think it’s funny!  

Elton was like a little elf.  Sort of diminutive and pudgy…delighting in the adoration of a stadium of fans…he told us that he was preparing for his concert on Sunday [which will be THE 60^th birthday concert broadcast by the way on MSN at  8 pm est – Live from Madison Sq Garden] and that he wanted to respond to the web site [?] of requests that his fans had, so he put together a set of these songs.  He gave a nice tribute to Bernie [Taupin – lyricist]..and then just before he played his final encore he said “You may wonder why I’m having my 60^th party at Madison Sq Garden in America – America accepted me from the word go – I owe everything to America.  Thank you America.” Now – you know that I ate this up “He said “THANK YOU AMERICA”.

Thank you Elton – for being the sound track to my life!

He played for 2 ½ hours – this is the set list [courtesy of the paper – I was too busy rocking!]

Photos are also courtesy of Providence  Journal

1.Sixty Years On
2. Madman Across the Water
3. Where to Now St. Peter?
4. Hercules
5. High Flying Bird
6. Holiday Inn
7. Burn Down the Mission
8. Take Me to the Pilot
9. Daniel
10. Honky Cat
11. Rocket Man
12. I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
13. The Bridge
14. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
15. Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
16. Bennie and the Jets
17. All the Young Girls Love Alice
18. Tiny Dancer
19. Something About the Way You Look Tonight
20. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
21. I'm Still Standing
22. The Bitch is Back
23. Crocodile Rock
24. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Encore
25. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

26 Your Song

 

Daughter: I don't know why I have not evolved enough to be able to look at my family scene from the view point of an anthropologist.  Why I let the family thing push my buttons and how I have become so on the outside of my parents as well as my husband's family. 

 

Since the first time I met my husband's family, now over 15 yearas ago, before he even asked me to marry him, I was taken aback by them - by their request that I not be in the group photo of the family, by their remarks about America being the world police and by the help wanted ads his parent clipped from the newspaper and discussed with him in a foreign language while I'm sitting there...obviously encouraging him to move back.  Now 15 years later, although we vacation together from time to time and I do my best to suck it all up - I know that none of his family is very fond of me. There is zreo relationship during the inbetween times, never any emails, thank you cards or correpsondence to me.  No one has ever tried to understand me. If they speak to me in English it will be either superficial BS "how did you sleep last night" or expressing how inferior America is "The government knew that the twin towers would be bombed but they did nothing about that - why is that?" blah, blah blah.  Every so often someone will sit beside me and tell me how great their life in Norway is and how horrible it must be for me to be an American.  "The whole world laughs at America".  It is very hard for me to open up and truly relax with these people when I feel so judged and disliked. 

 

I truly want to have a better relationship with his family - but I don't know how to get there...they all seem so focused on my knowing that their life is better and they spend so much effort competing and comparing everything.  For me, I am surrounded by a country of people who have it better and worse that I - so I just live my own life.  I don't know what it means to them to have such a need to feel so superior "Tell me - do you still use doggie bags - you would never see THAT in Norway"...well ok probably because no one ever goes out to eat.  The constant discussion that I don't go into the forest to pick wild mushroom or strawberries. "How is it for you to go picking strawberries in the forest?" while these are nicities to people who live in remote areas of the world - it is not a part of my daily life and therefore I have a bad life in thier eyes...I can't stand it.  And I let it roll and let it roll and let it roll - I will never appologize for being an american, for my life, or for my country, for what I have or don't have.

 

In addition, over these past 15 years, there has been basically no attempt by my husband's family to bring me into the family - mail is sent and addressed to him.  If his parents would call they would speak with him only - although I would go to great pains to make videos of the kids, have them converted to PAL format and shipped - there was never an acknowlegdment to me for this - and it is still the same- I send over photos of our vacations together formatted into professional scrapbooks, photo calendars of the kids.  Although my husband tells me "they say thanks" I think for all thier uppity superiority and constant bragging about how polite Norwegians as a people are - they certailnly know it is appropriate to thank me directly.  When we are all 17 together for a vacation - the conversation is in a foreign language to me, although they are all fluent in English.  They carry on in a language, while I'm sitting there, that I cannot particiapte in.  Another example of how polite Norweginas are.

 

But truth be told I am deeply hurt by their remarks and actions.  My husband doesn't really see it and is caught in the middle.

 

My own mother hated her mother in law, although I have no recollection of my grandmother disliking my mother.  My mother dislikes many people and so I don't want these sorts of relationships - I get along with most people - in my opinion.

 

So last night, over corned beef, my mom got onto how lovely my husband's parents are.  She has alway seen them high on a pedastal as  something special.  And they certainly can be - if any of you met them you would think they are lovely.  Although I have told my mom  of how I'm not part of this family and their anti american views - she holds them in such high regard.  I think my parents got sucked into their superiority scheme- what my parents don't know are the insulting remarks my sister in law had for them.  "They are typical Americans, fat and lazy - sitting there smoking..."  My mother in law always responds to my mother's christmas card telling of all the "very, very interesting things" the Norwegians are doing.  No mention of my name in the letter or my kids - a simple "it was nice to see 'The Americans' last summer".  ...  It is rather fascinating to me that it is so important to my mother to correspond with my mother in law.

 

Anyway my mom said "They are such lovely people and they love us".  "Do they?" I asked. 

 

"We'll if they don't love YOU that's not my problem".  Oh, I see.  How fascinating that my mom thinks so highly of  these people who have never embraced her own daughter. 

 

This remark wounded me.  And from there I go into a downward spiral of over emoting and just not understanding and feeling that I did something wrong - that I am once again, for the millionth time in my life - at fault.  Not understanding what I ever did or didn't do to my husband's family - constantly retracing visits to see where I may have insulted them, or stood up for myself - wondering if when I stood up for myself if that's what alienated me, and now that I just let if roll and don't stand up for myself if they hate me for that - Of course these are unanswerable questions.

 

Same with my Mom - never understanding how she is so obtuse, or simply never cares if she is hurtful.  Then all the phony "Oh what did I ever do to deserve you in my life" as she is leaving.  I would love for just once, for my mom to see something from my perspecitve.  To listen, truly to what I have to say.  To be an adult. 

 

I am also aware that  I "will never change your mother, mother in law, et al" that I am the one who needs to reconcile the situation for myself.  I don't want to alienate my husband from his family, I don't want to alienate my kids from these relatives - I do want to be a part of somethng that will likely never happen., and I think I deserve at the very leat common coutesy from them.

 

 I think I must be screwed up to have such strained personal relations with both sides of my family.  I know that I am also strong willed, and have opinions, wrong opinions mind you, but I have them.  I was 35 when I married into this family - I didn't need advice from my mother in law on how to make a casserole that would please her son, or tips on ironing his shirts.  If he wants his shirts ironed, he can do it himself.  I have only ever been criticized by her - especially when they came over to see our babies.  She basically told me I was incapable of caring for them. "You will see....when you go to the doctor he will tell you that he isn't getting enough to eat"  Never once a compliment on how well we were all doing.

 

I need to be mindful that my own mother enjoys, so much, to push my buttons and when I flinch - she wins.  I think last night I did pretty well - offering no response. 

 

But I am hurt.

 

I am struggling with this today.

 

I'm beating myself up for overreacting to all of this and not being able to just dump it.

 

Thanks for reading.  XO love my blog buddies.  I love that I can blog unconditionally - this truly helps.

 

Mother: We had a heart wrenching night last night...our busy grey tiger cat, Denali, was allowed to go outside - pretty much for the first time.  We knew since we took him under our care as a little kitten last October that by Spring he would be wanting to go out to explore the exciting terrain of our backyard.  Well, yesterday was such an amazing day - the first gorgeous day of the year, warm about 60 degrees and he seemed to have such cabin fever...longingly looking out the big glass doors...so we cracked it open a bit and watched him to see what would happen.  Fully expecting he would go about 2 ft and then come back in.  Well..he went 2 ft and 2 ft more and on and on until about an hour had passed and he didn't come back - but we could see him...stretching up a tree trunk, strolling in and out of the tall grasses, sitting on rocks...but as the kids went to get him he would run away.  When we all went to bed and there was no sight or sign of him - we all started to worry.  Would he find he way back, would he be safe all night...on and on the worry wheel turned for all of us [expect DH]...I know I had a restless sleep and was not the only one who was so happy to see him on the deck in the morning. We have been losing cats for a variety of reasons and it would be so awful to have lost cat #3 after such a short time - but alas all is well *sigh*.  If nothing else - opportunity to have the kids see how God will answer prayers...

 

Daughter: I am planning a St. Patty's Day feast for the 4 of us and my folks.  I impulsively purchased a very inexpensive ceramic platter on sale 50% off with shamrocks all over it to serve up the Corned Beef and some 50% off green napkins - trying to make it a festive time.  Today I picked up a 9 lb corned beef from the Butcher and can't wait for the hash the next day! We'll get it cooking for a few hours Saturday and have a nice visit.  I haven't seen my folks for a few weeks - so it will be nice to catch up on the day to day events.  I talked to my mom last weekend for a little bit and somehow she sounded so sad to me. I even thought she may have been crying - sort of weepy - but I couldn't tell if she was stuffy or weepy - hmmm, she just didn't sound right - so we'll have a little visit and see what's up.  

 

Manager: WoW!!! It is so busy on this new project - but I can't believe how much I am enjoying it.  I had no idea that I was such a project freak.  Well, OK I had some idea - but for about the past week and a half I have done nothing but string dependencies of resources, tasks and milestones on a MS Gantt chart....and shhh don't tell anyone - I have actually found this interesting. More interesting, is to see how this project is well underway with no clue on what they really need to do for work, how much work is infront of them and the definition of what that work really is.  So I feel as thought I have brought aboard the flashlight of reality and am shining it around the spooky cobwebs of this activity.  My biggest observation is that the Firmware, Elec and Mech resources don't talk to each other - they have meetings of each discipline, but no real system meeting...Like how is the firmware, the electrical boards and the mechanical peices of the new mousetrap going to function together?  Guess someone's got to ask the tough questions....

 

Wife: We are T-6 for the Elton John Concert next week.  I can hardly contain myself - I can't belive how much fun I have, at age 47, going to Rock Shows to see the stars I loved when I was 14.  The best part is now I actually have the means to go - I'll never forget how EJ first came to Connecticut in 1975 and guess who had NO WAY ever to get there and parents who wouldn't allow it if I did...Also - DH and I put Borat in the DVD player last weekend and we couldn't even watch the whole thing - It was so awful - We found it so overly offensive - I really can't believe that people saw humor in this movie.  So we watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days instead.  I think it's great that DH doesnt' mind the chick flicks that I constantly bring home! 

 

So...Happy St. Pat's to you all and next week I promise a full report on EJ - What he was wearing, what I was wearing, what he sang, what I sang, how much the concert T-Shits and Beers cost ...I'm starting to sound like a MasterCard ad - he is priceless to me ya know!

Mother: Cashin' in big time is this week's theme for the kids.  In the midst of the bonus room redecorating comes unloading lots, and lots of toys that ...well...we are just too big for now [if that is, you can ever be too big for toys] so we have been eBaying....with great success!!!  Boyzilla is in hot pursuit of an Xbox 360 - I pointed out to him that it could be arranged that he could get $150 for his upcoming birthday between Mom, Dad and his grandparents - so he would only have to come up with about $250...the next thing I knew I had a Game Cube system, all the controllers, ever accessory, game and even quite a few games from his Nintendo DS in my office.  "Mom can we sell these on eBay?" Then Jovita got in the act - Groovy Girls galore - then I got in the act, old ice skates for both kids...the next thing I know PayPal has rung in $500 - most of which goes to Boyzilla.  AND - He is quite aware that he has raised all the money for an Xbox [trying to work in when we'll go buy it this week!]  Jovita on the other hand, is still paying back the debt she rang up from American Girl!!!

 

Daughter: It seems like my friends and acquaintances have been losing thier parents left and right.  We seem to be "of the age" where we are all in this transition....A dear friend called Wed. night to say his dad, who had been ill with brain tumors, died...my babysitter's mom lost her dad...my brother in law in Norway lost his dad a couple weeks ago....my friend lost his mom in January....I can't quite imagine it.  We are both so blessed that our folks are still quite mobile, alert and opinionated! My mom called today and we had a nice chit chat - I'm planning a St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner that we'll share with my folks and enjoy "Christening" our new dining room table!

 

Manager: Well, it's official - I have been asked to join the "all eggs in this basket" development effort this week.  Job 1 is sorting through the 2 twisted Gantt charts [one for firmware, one for board development] and see where they meet.  Of course, it is way after the desired goal - by say - about 2 months.  "We can't add resources, we can't change scope" yeah, yeah - I've heard it all before - let me talk to the guys and figure out what is really going on - oh by the way - there is a contractor scheduled to do work since December who hasn't joined in yet...all in the day of a project manager - next week should be interesting!

 

Wife: Well - I must say a true test of marriage is home improvement.  I remember in the early days of our relationship we wallpapered the house we were in, and when I was expecting Boyzilla we papered our dining room.  That was a long time ago and I remember people saying "You did that TOGETHER?" Well, this weekend we had our first project like this in quite a while - and we have both survived.  We painted, successfully I may add, our Bonus Room!  This is a room over a double garage - about 200 sq ft. and functions as a family room. We have different opions of what constitutes quality.  But alas as I blog to you this evening - it is painted, the color is a beautiful straw color....and only I can see the imperfections - like the terrible line from wall to ceiling...hopefully the couch that is on it's way will draw the eye away from this!

 

Have a great week dear blog friends!

 

Mother: Very busy on the mom front this week - School vacation for starters  - and what a whrilwind!!! We had a thrilling time in the big apple - so fun to do this stuff with my travelin' kids! We got up early and trained into Grand Central - walked over to Rockefller center and took the obligatory photo in front of the skaters and the famous Atlas statue....from there onto the subway to Central Park West to go experience "A day at The Museum" - The Natural History Museum is very impresive! Although, I have to say, I had the movie set as a mental model and it is different from that - No Teddy Roosevelt, No little cowboy who drive a jeep around - I found the dinosaur skeleton - but it was very still - must be becasue it was daytime! Anyway - we went to the IMAX theater there to see "Roving Mars" - so very, very good!!! Produced by Disney and tells the entire story of the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity - From there the girl and I went back to American Girl for lunch in the Cafe and shopping for doll stuff - Hellllooooo...why do you think we are really there?! Anyway - I relive my girlhood fantasies at this place...THEN- on Friday we went Skiing - it went way better for me than last year - but the most notable item of that day was that I, in no way, could keep up with my kids.  Jovita was like a little pink and purple bullet - I called it a day at 2:30 and we got in lots and lots of runs....

 

Daughter: My parents truly have wonderful neighbors who really look after them...they are also genuine friends.  They do kind things for them like plow out their drive way when it snows...When my mom called to cancel the NYC day she also mentioned that these neighbors are going to Florida for 2 weeks...So when we had a bit of the white stuff this week -I gave a call over to see if they needed to be shoveled out - since we only live 10 minutes away of course it would be no trouble!!! BUT - The neighbor's daughter and boyfrined came over to plow out their parent's driveway while they are away, so my parents asked them to do theirs too...of course the kids wouldn't take any money.  Such kind spirits to help out their parents and thier parent's neighbors.  My mom did say I was marvelous however, to think to call. 

 

Manager: I have to admit - there is something about 3 days out of the office that a girl can get used to...I have the Sunday Monday blues today...I loved not working for 3 days - but I am enjoying my job right now, so I don't mind getting back in at it too much tomorrow.  I have been asked [by the company president no less] to assist on the "big" development project.  I think it is becoming a bit unweildly and they could just use an extra hand to keep it on course.  I was flattered to be asked, I am looking forward to assisting without being in charge of it.  Somehow to me, at this point of my life, that role feels just perfect.  I feel like I can really help that group out - but don't really want the pressure of running the whole show.

 

Wife: Looking forward to watching the Oscars tonight with DH, although I don't think I am winning anything...Also - working on a big project on the homefront - we finally found a couch a couple weeks ago - but it needed to be custom ordered and will be delivered in 5 Weeks! - So you see that I had no other option than to expand the project to paint the room too.  The walls are covered in finger prints and marks, and still have the base paint the builders puton 8 years ago - so I have been busy prepping and expect to start slopping it on next Saturday.  DH is going easy on this, stepping back and letting me do it.  Maybe he'll give me a hand when the actual "work" begins...no much else happening - We have dinner plans with some friends coming up and of couse we are looking forward to Elton in mid March...