Childhood dreams CAN come true

I am NOT a concert person. But given the opportunity to see my first childhood celebrity crushes live and in person - I got past my aversion to concerts and jumped in line for tickets.

It.Was.Worth.It.

It's so amazing that after 15 years (really closer to 20, but they kept saying 15) so many women were willing to shell out close to $100 to see 5 middle aged guys sing manufactured pop songs from the 80's. Yeah, we were trying to reclaim a youth that is gone and never going to come back, but it was so fun, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do it.

Because it's so damn funny

la la la la la la TONIGHT!

In a little under 4 hours I will be at the Garden watching the New Kids. This is about 20 years after I thought that would happen, but no matter. I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Joey, Jordan, Jonathon, Donnie, and Danny will be singing directly to me. Clearly. And if Joey sings Please Don't Go Girl, I cannot vouch for my own actions.

On a completely different note, why is it that I can run into Sephora for 10 minutes and manage to spend $70? How does that happen? What do they put in the HVAC system in those stores?

ACES

This past Monday was the 10th anniversary of a pretty rough time in my life. I couldn't believe it had been 10 years since we were called back to homeroom and told of our friends' fatal commute to school that morning. I still have flashes of memories of that day. Those are the flashes that I will remember for the rest of my life. I can't remember exactly what happened and all the details of what went on. Which is the way life works; time does heal all wounds.

This year, I thought about what kinds of women they would all be now, including Kate who died 8 very short months later - on my 18th birthday, as fate would have it. Would they be married? Would they have graduate degrees? Would they have children? Nieces and nephews? Would they have had the time of their lives in college? But unfortunately they died as children. They didn't get to grow up and learn to be adults and all the joys and responsibilities that come along with it.

When Kate died, we had a Mass at school (we had already ended classes, and were just waiting for graduation) and my mother came with me - afterward she was talking about something our principal said. She had said not to worry about Kate, because she would have Erin, Colleen, and Alli waiting for her in heaven. My mother pictured the 3 girls in their NDA uniforms waiting up in heaven, high-5ing Kate when she got there. That image - of the girls all in their uniforms all together is what has stayed with me through the years.


Memories, may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were...

Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely

Last night on my way out of campus, I called Andrew to chat. I wasn't aware that Dubya was speaking last night, and I called at 8:57. So once Andrew told me, I flipped it over to NPR and listened to El Presidente tell me.... NOTHING. I already knew that the mortgage backed securites are failling. I already knew that our economy is terribly shakey right now. I already knew that people are going into foreclosure because they can't refinance or sell their houses and they had terrible ADRMs. But when I thought about it a little more, I realized Georgie's speech wasn't really intended for me. It was intended for people who really don't know what was going on and could therefore be scared into thinking that rubber stamping a bill with vague outlines for $700 BILLION dollars is a good idea.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that a bill that would inject some MAJOR funding into these failling banks and investment companies is a bad idea. On the contrary, I feel like we need to do something, and do it quickly. However, I would be very unhappy to see a bill pushed through that didn't have a lot more oversight than Bushie wants. Giving $700 B to Paulson to do what he wants with it is not going to help the situation. We need more people giving the okay. Not too many people - too many cooks in the kitchen, and all that - but no one person or small group of likeminded people should have that control. I don't want all that money to be wasted. I want it to be injected where it needs to be injected and I really want some educated people figuring this out. What I don't want is the people who got us into this mess in the first place to be handed a blank check and be told "here - go have fun". So Mr. President, good for you for admitting this is a time for government intervention. This is more than the market correcting itself. But we need more oversight on this money. We need more control over what's going on with our economy. I'm no socialist, but oversight and control over vast amounts of money never killed anyone.

Also... it isn't fair. I know I sound like a petulant 5 year old, but it isn't fair! I saved money for a down payment. I took a second look at the offers of 100% financing and scary ADRMs. I signed a 30 year fixed mortgage that I COULD AFFORD! I bought a condo instead of a house, because despite what the banks were telling me, I couldn't afford a McMansion. I've never been late on a single mortgage payment. But no one is going to try to help me - no one is going to fight for my interest rate to be lowered. Why can't I get a letter in the mail saying "hey, you were responsible, you didn't buy more than you can afford, you pay your mortgage on time... Good for you. Take a half percentage point off your interest rate". I know that it is in everyone's best interest for these people to keep paying their mortgages. I get that. But I did the right thing from the beginning, someone give me a prize! You WANT to buy my mortgage! I'm a GOOD borrower! (someone give me a prize, dammit!)

Bern-dana!

For anyone who watches The Biggest Loser, you'll feel my pain. The best team on the show just got voted off! L.T. could have won the whole thing, or at least made it really far, like Dan did last season. As much as I didn't want the yellow team to be voted off, I really wanted the gray team to stay till the end.

Oh well. Such is life.

Aside from Biggest Loser, I've got a lot of shows coming back on. I've been officially sucked into Gossip Girl (I know, I know, it's possibly the lamest show on television... but I'm hooked) and True Blood (though that show freaks me out). Army Wives is still on, and of course, still making me cry. Heroes started last night, but we haven't had time to watch yet. I DVR'd The Mentalist tonight to check it out, but that meant I had to cancel Privileged - which honestly was kind of dragging anyway. Thursday night is The Office, Gray's Anatomy, and Ugly Betty. And next week is Private Practice and Numb3rs. I don't even know how we are going to fit in LOST when it comes back. Plus I'm still DVRing The Hills and Jon & Kate Plus Eight.

My god, my DVR is going to explode. Andrew has some shows that he is taping too. Sadly, a lot of these shows are watched on Saturday and Sunday mornings. And usually halfway through the season we lose a show or two because we can't possibly fit about 8 hours of television into 4 hours on a weekend. I guess we think we're better TV watchers than we are.

I suppose I should feel guilty for watching that many TV shows... but I don't :)

open letter

Dear New England Patriots,

I know that you've been dealt a crappy deck this year. The Golden Boy himself is out until 2009. I understand that we cannot win every game - even WITH Tommy Boy. I am willing to accept a loss. I may not like it, but I'm willing to accept the random loss. However, what I witnessed today was unacceptable. A 38-13 Dolphins win is not the mark of a championship team. So buck up, rest on your bye week, and figure out what happened. I'll see you in two weeks and hopefully I won't get confused as to weather I am watching high school football or professional football.

Love,
Meghan

P.S. Tedy - good choice on the haircut. You look 10 years younger!

Short and Sweet

* True Blood on HBO. I'm not 100% sold on it yet. The first episode hooked me and the second one creeped me out. This week's looks even crazier, so it could possibly be the make or break episode. If you aren't watching and you get HBO, you should watch. If nothing else it isn't like anything that is out there now.

* I'm home sick today. Once I got past the guilt and worrying about tomorrow, I rather enjoyed it. I haven't stayed home sick since February of 2007, so this is not a common thing for me to do. Maybe I'll do it again in 19 months.

* The Pillars of the Earth. I'm 265 pages in, and still waiting to see what all the fuss is about. But I'll keep plugging along because I have never met anyone who didn't like this book.

* Matt Cassel. Not bad. Also, cuter than Tom Brady.

On our long drive home from New Hampshire today, we were talking about all the improvements we have to make in the condo before we can put it on the market. We're still a few years away from selling it, but we need to time to bring it up to this century. We've already replaced the dishwasher, stove, and air conditioner. That took us 2 years to do. Now we've got to step it up, if we want to sell in the next 10 years. Next up is the bathroom, which will be halfway completed by the beginning of November.

So, in other words, things are starting to change around here. By the time we sell this place it's going to look good. Just in time for us to buy a house that will undoubtedly need all the same work that we are doing now. Home ownership is for the birds. At least right now people shovel and rake for us.

I don't know what to say

I was thinking a lot about this post today. I hiked to the summit of Blue Hills by myself, which gave me a lot of time to think. But, what is there left to say about 9-11?

I was at the Pentagon a little over a week ago and saw for myself where the plane hit. I actually stood in the rebuilt portion of the Pentagon, the tour guide pointed out a window and showed us exactly where the plane came from. Talk about spooky - the twin towers are gone, so you can't look out the windows that the people working there on that day looked out of and imagine seeing what they saw. But you can at the Pentagon, and it's an uncomfortable feeling - though a feeling that I would say is important to have. Someone was staring out that window at one point, knowing they were going to die. I was staring out a newer version of that window knowing that people died.

I've seen Ground Zero when they were still clearing out the debris and the buildings around it were still empty. I've seen it when it was completely cleaned out and was just a hole in the ground. I've seen the Pentagon rebuilt with a lot more security and stared out a window that had a plane fly into it. I've been to memorials, observed moments of silence, listened to the songs, talked to people about it, stared at the radio tower that was on the North Tower (it's at the Newseum now), I wore an American flag pin until it fell off my clothes. What am I supposed to be doing now?

Obviously I will never forget that day. I'll never forget Chris Casey telling me what happened, getting out of class and racing down to the institute, watching people jump out of windows to their deaths, staring up at the sky a few days later when the first commercial flights were allowed to take off again. There's a lot that I won't forget, and I shouldn't forget. There's just not a whole lot more I can say about it. I guess time does heal all wounds, it's just leaving a jagged scar on this one.

5th quarter

It was the 1st quarter of the season. The first quarter!! Last year's Superbowl was heartbreaking. But, hey, you can't win every year and there was always next year. And we all waited patiently for next year to come. Tropical storm Hanna had rolled out just in time, it was a picture perfect fall day, and football was back.

Then Brady didn't get up, and I was slightly concerned. But he walked off the field... so how injured could he be?

Well maybe September of 2009 will make up for this. For now I'm placing my hopes with Cassel. While he's not Brady, I'm still going to believe he can do it. Belichick didn't cut him, so there's got to be a reason for that. And as critical as the QB is, there's a whole team of champions there!

here's a thought for you

I'm trying to enjoy fall. Andrew's given me an appreciation of the season, but it's still not my favorite. I came a long way today though. Maggie and I went for a long walk in the Blue Hills (getting lost only twice!) and then I watched the Pats win. For some reason all I want to do now is go shopping. I have no idea why. Ever since the Pats game ended I've wanted to leave my house and go spend money! I'm resisting the urge, mainly because I have no money to spend. But wouldn't it be great if I could associate shopping with fall? Maybe I wouldn't cry on Labor Day!

Back to school

Tonight marked the first night of my last fall semester. When did they start letting 12 year olds go to college? I swear that the swarming masses around me, otherwise known as college freshman, were pre-pubescent. Or am I just that old? I suppose I'm 10 years older than some of the younger members of the class of 2012. Ron Weasly would call them 'titchy'. And titchy they were, though I have no idea what that word means.

I think I am going to like this class. About 2 minutes in, I hastily wrote an email to Andrew saying "If Ian were in this class, his head would explode". To which he replied "you'll love it!". (Ian's politics are slightly to the right of mine. slightly :)) The class I am taking on Wednesday nights this semester is Intro to Environmental Management (hmm... taking intro classes my last year, much like undergrad....) When the professor said "I think we can all agree at least that global climate change exists and much of it is man made" and no one tweaked out I knew I was in a class that perhaps I won't dread quite as much as statistics and economics and finance.

Next week I am putting together a presentation on China, the environment, and the Olympics and what went drastically wrong. Should be good times.

Before I wrap up, I want to direct your attention here. Menino, in one of his more brillant ideas, has asked the property owners of the tallest buildings here in Boston to turn off the lights above the 30th floor. What a mind numblingly brilliant idea. I've been saying this for years. All lights except for security lights and navigational lights for air traffic control. The program is going to last until October 31. With a little luck maybe it will be extended!