Lazin on a Sunday afternoon...

What a weekend. My parents moved on Friday. I was really sad when I walked out of the house for the last time. I lived there from the time I was about 3 to I moved out when I got married. Now my parents' house isn't my house anymore. But they live in a really nice place now, and it will be so much better for them. Although, I'll admit that I cried when I left my old house for the last time. It was a really long day too. I got to the Merrymount house at 9am and I left the Marina house at 9pm. Kitty had a very stressful time moving, but he has calmed down, I am told. He has a very stressful life :) So that was my weekend from Thursday till Saturday. Today I went to Maggie's baby shower and I've been doing homework and watching the pats.

I'm making a nice fall dinner: pork roast which has been cooking in applesauce all day, and baked apples. It's nothing really fancy, but there are only two of us. We don't need fancy. And it's really easy to make, just brown a pork roast and put it in a crock pot with a quart of applesauce and 3 garlic cloves (or 1 if you don't love garlicky taste) and cook on low for 10 hours (or high for 5 hours). Core and slice a few apples (very handy to have a corer/slicer for this), coat with splenda and ground cinamon and bake for 45 minutes at 125*. Presto, a good meal for a cool fall day. And, of course, a full glass of red wine!

wow

As of today, Andrew and I have been together for 7 years. 7 years! Wow. The story of us getting together is so funny looking back. I'll never forget the conversations Jenn and I used to have around this time sophomore year:

Jenn: We have to be good tonight
Me: Absolutely. I'm going to be good
Jenn: Me too

a few hours later..

Jenn: Were you good last night?
Me: um..... no.
Jenn: Me neither

aahhh... young love. Though to clarify, to us "being good" meant not staying out until 4 am wandering around campus with our gentlemen callers. Get your mind out of the gutter, we were kids! Though we since have both married the men we were trying so hard to be "good" with when we were 19 year olds living in Saint Mary's. With a homage to Eminem on our closets and a handle of vodka hidden inside the closet (hey, I didn't say we were angels, I just said we weren't ladies of the night!).

Sophomore year was probably the worst one for my mental health. All of my friends lived on the same floor of our dorm. We had thought that would be so fun. We were so wrong. But we lived through it and amazingly are all friends again. It took a little while, but we learned a lesson. Don't live with all your friends. Sophomore year will probably always remain vivid in my memory because it was so great and so terrible at the same time. It has so many memories.

Like Katie and I sitting across from each other in the study lounge not wanting to say a word to each other, but I had such a story for her! IAN AND CHRISTINE BROKE UP!!!! Finally I couldn't keep it contained any longer and it burst out of me. We immediately forgot whatever unimportant thing we were bickering about and plotted an intricate plan to steal him. (thankfully we were successful). Looking back at it now, I just have to laugh. It's just one of many memories from that year.

Like when Andrew and I stayed up all night the night before reading day at the end of first semester just talking. And when the sun rose we decided to go eat at Davison and head to Keene. Yeah, that was the first time I met Andrew's parents and we ended up falling asleep together on the couch in their playroom. We were up for like 35 hours by the time we finally fell asleep! His parents must have thought I was a hussy. :)

And all the hours Andrew and I spent hours in the lobby of Saint Mary's. We talked about everything under the sun while chilling in the lobby of my dorm, because it was past parietals.

The further away from that year I get, the happier my memories become. Sure, putting a close knit group of girl friends on the same hallway was a terrible idea - but without all the stress, fighting, bickering and bitching, we would never have had the laughter, late nights, bonding and memories. Sophomore year is special - and October 26 of sophomore year is the day I finally agreed to have a 'casual friendship' with the man who became my husband. =)

the short list

1. Apparently Kuwait is hot and sandy.

2 I have linked two more blogs on the side. The first one is Dooce, which I have read off and on for the past year. I don't know why I haven't linked it sooner. I highly recommend it. The other is Ian's blog (linked in #1 as well). He has promised his blog will become more interesting now that he is in the sandbox otherwise known as the middle east.

3. Yay for the Red Sox. Yay more for the Pats, Yay again for the Eagles.

4. My parents are selling my childhood home on Thursday and moving out for good on Saturday. Check back later this week for a weepy update about that.

Welcome to Rocktober!

I am not ashamed to admit this. I am NOT a member of Red Sox Nation. I couldn't care less if they lose tonight. I don't care. I think baseball is the most boring sport that is played in the US. I don't understand why people can't get behind MLS. At least in soccer, the people actually have to be talented athletes. They are constantly running. Baseball players just stand there for the most part. Sometimes they swing a bat, sometimes they run about 10 yards to catch a ball. Or they have to run 90 feet to a base. And they way the sport has been reduced to statistics is just sad. What about playing for the love of the game? Why does it all have to come down to stupid numbers? Play a game, win or lose. Then go home . I don't like baseball. I find it boring, and I don't think half of the alleged "fans" actually enjoy the sport. They just like to call themselves baseball fans. Well, I am not one of them. I don't like baseball. If they lose tonight, I will go on with my life without being clinically depressed. And yes, I am a huge Patriots fan, but when they lose, I am okay with it. Last year when they forgot to play in the second half of the AFC Championship game, I was sad for about 10 minutes. Then I got over it. It's just a game. So don't whine to me if they don't win. If they do, that's great, I mean I am not rooting against the sox, per se. I'd be perfectly happy if they DID win, but I don't care if they don't.

I really enjoy books on tape and CD. Even though my little car is a 2004, it still has a tape deck which is good because most of the recorded books at libraries are still on tape. I guess the CD's cost too much. Anyway, right now I have a Danielle Steele book on CD, called Sisters. I'm about 6 chapters in right now and it is classic Danielle Steele - way too much drama and nothing every really happens. I swear the first 4 chapters all said the same thing, only in slightly different words. Anyway, the drama in this one made me cry. It's slightly odd to be crying in your car for anyone to see. People probably thought I recently lost a loved one, or was in a fight with my significant other, or some other sad event. Nope. Just listening to whomever is reading the book to me describe in his soothing, yet oddly monotone voice the carnage and wreckage that killed a beloved mother and sent a promising young woman (one of the aforementioned Sisters) to the ER fighting for her life. It's a good thing my windows are always rolled up this time of year.

I've listened to a lot of books on tape/CD. I know some people think I am crazy, but I'm in the car a lot. I started getting into them when Andrew lived in Manchester and if he wasn't coming down here to see me, I would be going up there on the weekends. Let me tell you about the traffic on a Friday night from Boston to Manch. It would take over 2 hours sometimes. But the time just melts away when you are listening to a good story. I do enjoy music, but I'm not as into it as some people and listening to someone tell me a story makes time go by so much faster than music alone. I don't think that I could listen to a non-fiction book. It's got to be fiction; it has to be a story.

Even books that I have ready many times over, like the Harry Potter series is great on audio book being ready by a proper English gentleman. Listening to him say Hermione's name is priceless.

So check out your local library. As I said, the CD selection is smaller than the tape collection, but there usually is a decent selection of CD's. And you can rip them onto your iPod and listen at your leisure.

But you don't have to take my word for it! (Take a look, it's in a book, Reading Rainbow!)

yet another crazy weekend

I feel like my weekends fly by - probably because they are always so busy. This weekend we unfortunately had an unexpected wake and funeral to attend that took up Friday night and Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon I went up to Burlington with Jenn and Katie and we went shopping! I went to LL Bean to buy these boots
They are hella warm and will keep my toesies nice and warm apres skiing! And at BC football games. Basically there are two uses for these boots, which really don't justify the purchase. But I really really wanted them. And I spent lots of money at Sephora. All in all, a very exciting and expensive shopping trip for me. Then Andrew and I watched most of the Sox game at the Burkes' which was entertaining as always, though since I had to get up early to walk this morning, we left around 11, so we didn't see the loss. Oh well. This morning I was up early and walked the 5K raising money and breast cancer awareness. Next weekend we will be in Keene for the pumpkin party. Yipee skippy.

Thank You Anonymous!

An anonymous person has pledged my walk for Breast Cancer! My mother has also pledged $25 (which I haven't posted to my page yet) and I will also pledge myself $25, bringing my total donation up to $75. Not bad seeing as I only started asking for money this past week. Thank you very much Anonymous!


I actually can see who anonymous is, but they show up on my link as anonymous, so I will keep his/her anonymity.

Thank You!!!

random conversations

Meghan: If you could give up your life and go back to college would you do it?
Andrew: Would we still be together?
Meghan: Yes
Andrew: So I could give up all this stress, worry, working full time, never having time to myself and go back to being a full time college student?
Meghan: Yes
Andrew: Yes! Would you?
Meghan: In a heartbeat. Does that make us weird?
Andrew: probably


Andrew: Why did you break up?
Meghan: I asked someone else to my Cotillion
Andrew: Who did you ask?
Meghan: Jon
Andrew: Why did you break up with Jon?
Meghan: I asked someone else to my Prom
Andrew: You have a habit of doing that
Meghan: Oh my god I do! I never thought about that till now! Why didn't I ask my current boyfriends to those things?
Andrew: You are a terrible person?

Andrew: I want to join the Army
Meghan: You aren't joining the Army
Andrew: why not?
Meghan: Because I'm not moving
Andrew: You don't have to come with me
Meghan: shut up

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer!

It's October, and we all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! We also probably all know that breast cancer is the second leading cause of deaths for women, the first being heart disease. It's hard find a person whose life or family has not been touched by cancer. Both my family and Andrew's family have lost loved ones to cancer, though I am happy to say my grandmother did beat breast cancer. This year I am walking to help raise money for a cure for breast cancer. This Sunday is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Boston and I'll be there walking until I finish! Please consider making a pledge to the cause. You can donate to my personal page here. Even if you only pledge $5, it's still $5 more to the cause of eliminating this killer. Do it for yourself, your wife, your mother, your grandmother, your aunts, your cousins, your friends, or your daughters. I know we all have budgets and money is tight, but any donation is appreciated!

What a weekend. I feel like this is the longest weekend ever. It started on Friday when Andrew and I went out to dinner with my parents to the Neighborhood Club. Then we got up early and went to the BC v Bowling Green game which was good, but BC just destroyed Bowling Green 55-24. It got a teeny bit boring. Then we went home and drove up to Haverhill for the beginning of a very long night - very long, but also fun :) I'm not complaining, I'm just tired. I finally fell into bed around 3. Then I woke up at 7 and panicked because neither Andrew nor I arranged for bedding for our guests because we passed out early. I found Brendan on the couch and Ian on the loveseat. I assumed Matt was in the spare bed and I felt REALLY badly that Ian was on the loveseat because we have queen sized blow up mattress, but it was too late at that point. So I fell back asleep until 9, when we really had to get moving. Dropping Ian off back at the hotel in Dedham was less than fun. How do you say goodbye? I essentially didn't, because I was really overtired and I knew I would cry if I tried. We got back into the car and Andrew asked me if I was okay. The tears came at that point, but only for a few seconds. If I gave in to them at that point, it would have been impossible to control. Hangover + overtiredness + goodbyes = overblown drama. So then we went down to the cape where we had missed my grandfather's memorial mass (enter Irish Catholic guilt) and cleaned out the garage. After the football game both Andrew and I had to take a nap. So we slept for about 2 hours and then the rest of the weekend continued. Which really wasn't much after that, today we just cleaned out the boat, put the air conditioners away, and put all the summer furniture in the loft. But I'm just exhausted. Good thing Thursday is a flex day!

life on the couch

I'm lying on the couch watching the Patriots game. Life is good. :) But I really hate the uniforms that the Browns wear and it's bothering me. I have yet to see Tedy on the screen either, and we are into the second quarter. Maybe more TV watching and less blogging will help me actually see more of the game. But that would mean I have to see more of the Browns uniform. Did you know that the Browns were named after their original owner? Check it on on wikipedia, the story is actually kind of interesting.

2d & 5. on the 47. We just got 2 yards because Faulk tried to run it down the middle. That does not work. I hate when they do that. Run around the large mass of large men, not through it.

Brady just threw it to someone. That someone was not Randy Moss. Not shockingly, it wasn't a completed pass.

More ads. This one is for Bud Light. I drank a lot of beer last night. That's because the Browns were here (not the Cleveland Browns, the Sand Diego Browns. Confused?) The next time we gather with the Browns I am going to try to not drink as much. Actually, I probably will because the next time I am with the entire Brown family, we will be celebrating Ian's return from Iraq. There will be much celebration and a multitude of frosty beverages at that occasion :)

I just saw Tedy for the first time. My father just made the astute remark that Tedy Bruschi is underpaid. Really, I think the sky is blue too. Call the presses.

Another ad - this one is the iPhone. I would like one of those, but I won't be paying that much money for it.

Wow, Tedy just had someone PLOW into him. I bet that hurt.

McDonalds ad. I think just watching an ad for Mickey D's clogs my ateries.

That's good for a ....... PATRIOTS FIRST DOWN!!

Brady has a green dot on his helmet. I don't know why. Maybe it's like getting a gold star. He did a good job last week so he got a green dot for his helmet. Maybe not. His son is cute. Even though his name is Jet. in my mind.

Brady to Stalworth. I don't know how to spell Stalworth. I guessed. It might be wrong. Now it's 1st and goal after that nice throw. We need a touchdown. I want it to be 17-0

Timeout. which means more ads. Now it's a truck ad - umm.... Ford maybe? Chevy? Nope, Dodge.

My brother is at the game. With Goldman Sach's tickets. I bet he has a nice view. He's probably on the 50. The most I get from vendors/clients are brownies and pens.

3rd and goal. Come on - I want to be 17-0. touchdowntouchdowntouchdown.

Nope, we actually lost yards. Damn. well, it's 13-0 now.

SKIING ADS!!!!! Well, snowboard ad. I don't snowboard, I ski. Actually it was an HP ad. Huh.

My cheeseburger is ready.