#481 Be Thankful

this week's message on my work letter board

My last post talked about feeling blessed, so now I want to broach the topic of being thankful.  Just in time for Thanksgiving. 

This morning I woke up at 5 a.m. to go to a class at my gym, as I sometimes do.  I have the routine down and get things ready the night before.  In the morning all I have to do is brush my teeth, get dressed, throw my bags in the trunk, and go.  One of the bags is my gym bag.  The other is my backpack, in which I carry my lunch, a book, reading glasses and my cell phone, among other things. 

Lately I’ve been checking the Waze App on my way to/from work to gauge the traffic situation.  This morning after I closed the trunk of my car, I realized I hadn’t checked Waze.  I decided not to check; it was 5:30 a.m.  There shouldn’t be any traffic. 

If I had re-opened the trunk to get my cell phone out of my backpack, I would have realized that my backpack was still in my house.  Since I didn’t do that (and didn’t pay attention that the Bluetooth sign wasn’t on my car screen), I found out after I got to the gym, some 20 minutes later.

My first instinct was to go home immediately and skip my workout.  But wait!  Since my class was so early, I could do it and would have time to shower, drive home, and still be on time for work.  The one good thing about an early class.  

Despite the “rocky” beginning, my plan was falling into place.  Until I drove closer to my street and saw numerous flashing lights.  There were fire trucks everywhere and no one was able to turn into or out of my street.  I parked on the side of the main road in the grass, and decided to walk to my house to retrieve my backpack. 

As I walked, I saw what had happened – one of the houses had caught fire, with a gaping hole on the side spewing smoke.  Neighbors were huddled in their front yards, some still in robes.  I stopped long enough to talk to a few women.  They didn’t think anyone was inside.  I continued walking down the street and as I passed the cars that had lined up to get out, each person rolled down their window to ask what was going on.  I relayed the small amount of information I knew, and told them they wouldn’t be getting out soon.  I finally got my backpack, walked back to my car, and was on my way.  Despite the fire delay, I made it to work about five minutes early. 

Sometimes our day doesn’t go as planned.  Today it was my backpack.  Tuesday it was my underwear (which is why I always keep a spare set in a zip lock baggie in my gym bag – I’ve had a forgetful week!).  Usually it’s something trivial and not life-altering.  It’s ok to be annoyed, but try to keep in mind that unless someone has been seriously hurt or died, it’s not that big of a deal.  This morning I was thankful I was able to participate in my gym class.  I was thankful I was able to go back to get my backpack.  (And even if I hadn’t, I would have survived the day.)  I was thankful no one was hurt in the house fire.  I was thankful it wasn’t my house that had burned.  I was thankful I got to work on time.  (And thankful that even if I hadn’t, my co-workers would have understood my lateness.) 

Even with all the “madness” going on in the world, there is much to be thankful for.  It’s easy to remember this around Thanksgiving.  Let’s keep it going throughout the year. 

Oh yeah, thank you for reading! 

X, LG

#480.5 Blessing (Follow Up)

I know ya'll are dying to find out what happened with the electric blanket, and I have some news.

Mom called me at work Monday afternoon to gloat about her success at Kohls.  They bought an electric blanket that was originally $140-something.  With all the discounts and coupons and Kohls cash, she paid $40.  Well played, Helen.  Well played.

And I was right - their old electric blanket is close to 50 years old and was a gift from my dad's parents.  How's that for longevity?

Wishing continued blessings to you all,

X,LG

#480 Blessing

My mom and dad are 92 and 86 respectively.  They sometimes call me at work to look something up on the Internet.  Usually they ask me to print an obituary for someone who lived in another state.  Today, I attempted to help them purchase an electric blanket.  Attempted. 

My parent’s electric blanket bit the dust last week.  I estimate that it may have been at least 20 years old.  Maybe older.  Their requirements for a replacement:  queen size and dual control, meaning there are two heating zones so they can each control the temperature on their side of the blanket.  Shouldn’t be too difficult.  That’s what I usually say at the beginning. 

I spent about 20 minutes spanning two phone conversations during my lunch break trying to purchase a blanket.  I did a quick search for some reviews and found a few.  First site- Target.  But when I looked closer, two controls, only one zone.  Second site – Kohls.  They favor Kohls because my mom has a Kohls charge and constantly has coupons.  I found one blanket that had two controls and hoped it had dual zones (their site is not as descriptive as Target).  Ok, let’s do this.  While on the phone with my mom she gave me her Kohls charge number and the coupon code (it was fun trying to find the code number).  I gave her the color options and told her it was made of fleece.  “It’s free?”  she asked.  No, it’s fleece.  F-L-E-E-C-E. 

I need to pause and say that 1) my mom is hard of hearing, and 2) my office has no ceiling and is in an area with a 30-foot, barrel-shaped ceiling which allows sound to bounce around haphazardly, entertaining random people down the hall. 

I’ll also add that the last time my parents bought an electric blanket (if it wasn’t a wedding gift from 57 years ago), they were probably $50.  Now they are upwards of $200.  I told her the price of the one at Kohls and she was shocked.  “That much?!”  We need more coupons. 

Back to the fleece.  After several attempts to clarify, I heard my dad in the background finally say, “It’s FLEECE.”  Which reminds me of a scene in Christmas Vacation. 

With that settled, I started to place the order.  Kohls charge number entered, I finally got the coupon code.  Then she says, “Well, Monday is Veteran’s Day and I can get another $10 off (my dad served in the Army Reserve) so maybe we’ll wait until Monday.”  Although I think they had to use that coupon in the store, to which they finally decided to go to the store Monday and place an order at a kiosk (can you do that?).    

Let me finish by saying I love my parents and am thankful they are still on this earth.  They have been a blessing to me in ways too numerous to count over the years, so I am happy to help them with anything.  I took some deep breaths during the ordering process, but at no time was I upset.  It’s just funny.  Life situations are funny.  Every time I have a conversation with my mom at work I want to hang up and say to anyone within audio-bouncing earshot, “I’m sorry about that.”  (The last, most humorous, conversation with her was when she called asking for the last name of my nephew’s fiancé.  I must have spelled Bontrager five times, stopping, starting, repeating, laughing inside.  Not laughing at her, mind you, just laughing at the absurdity.  (Why couldn’t he have met a girl with the last name of Smith?)

I know I’m not the only one who helps their parents out in this manner.  (My brother Paul helps them out with their electronic issues.)  It’s the circle of life, right?  Just remember they are a blessing, and it's a blessing to be able to help them out. 

#479 The Year of 50: An American Girl in Paris

Sitting in the outside "courtyard" of the Louvre

Just when I thought my Year of 50 festivities had come to an end, up popped another trip. 

My friend Kerstin and I had talked about someday going to Paris.  Someday got a little more specific with both of our 50^th birthdays approaching (she’s also an October baby) and we contemplated going in 2018. 

At first, I thought I could still swing it, even after my castle adventure with Tammy in July.  But after paying my Visa bills from all my trips I decided that it would be too expensive.  I encouraged Kerstin to still go, and she found two friends from Germany (where she’s originally from) to meet her there. 

In late October Kerstin mentioned that she had been tracking flights and bought a ticket for around $600 and was going in early December.  The wheels began to turn in my head.  $600?!  I’ve paid over $500 to fly to Connecticut when traveling to The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp! 

She gave me her flight numbers.  I called Delta and talked to the nicest woman, who helped me get on the same flights for $660.  She asked the reason for my trip and I told her about both of us turning 50.  Then I asked about exit rows and told her my height.  She fixed us up with FREE exit row seats on the way back (none were available on the way there).  In a matter of an hour, I had booked a trip to Paris! 

A friend of mine had visited Paris in spring of 2018 with her family and had recommended their Airbnb. I got the information from her and booked it.  It was located near Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a few miles northeast of the city centre.  It was a great location – metro and bus stations were down the street.  I loved checking out the park.  We could even see the Eiffel Tower from a distance at night.  Here are some of the trip highlights:

Legroom

The legroom in the standard seating area wasn’t bad.  After they closed the doors, one of the flight attendants offered us two seats together in an exit row.  Hallelujah!  

Notre Dame

Notre Dame was first on our list and was incredible.  I’ve been in my fair share of cathedrals, but this one ranks high up there, along with St. Peter’s Basilica.  So massive, and yet so beautiful, with the rose windows and ornate decor.  You can’t aptly describe it to others – you must experience it for yourself.  Watching it burn on TV this past April made it that much more personal.  I’m thankful that it was not a total loss. 

View of the back of Notre Dame and the Seine

Deportation Martyrs Memorial

This memorial was listed in my Rick Steves Pocket Paris book.  Located underground behind Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite, it is a memorial to the 200,000 individuals deported from France to the Nazi concentration camps during World War II.  I likened it to 9/11 Memorial.  Very somber, but also beautiful in places.  I highly recommend. 

Inside the memorial.  Each light represents one of the 200,000 people deported.

Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees

One of the most iconic structures in Paris next to the Eiffel Tower, I think I took a photo of the arc at every angle.  The day was rainy, but still enjoyable.  We stopped in several shops along the Champs Elysees (and a café, of course) to get out of the rain.  The sun did eventually make an appearance and made the sidewalks and street glisten. 

I kept stepping out into the street to get a good view of the Arc.  

Eiffel Tower

We chose to go up into the Eiffel Tower at night to experience all of the lights.  Being that it was December, the lines were relatively short, but we did stand in the cold for a bit about halfway up.  I would rather brave the cold than stand in line for hours in the heat of the summer.  What an amazing piece of architecture!  And what views!  The tower lights up in the evenings every hour for five minutes.  We timed it perfectly and were back on the ground to catch the bedazzling show. 

Louvre

I’ve heard how massive the Louvre is and they aren’t joking.  Again, we followed (mostly) Rick Steves’ advice and hit the hot spots.  You could spend days in there! 

Mona Lisa

Venus de Milo

·         Ponte Des Art – Love Lock Bridge (from Sex and the City).  I love Sex and the City and had a short list of places featured in the last two episodes of the last season.  As we walked around the city, none were quite close enough for me to say to the non SATC fans, “Hey!  Let’s go over there and see the fountain where Carrie washed dog doo off her shoe.”  I WILL return to Paris again, and I will definitely see those places.  The closest I got to any of them was while inside the Louvre.  I looked out a window and saw the bridge where Big told Carrie, “…you’re the one.”  (Sigh)  That was close enough.  This time. 

My view of the Ponte Des Art bridge

Big and Carrie on the bridge

Versailles

It’s worth a day trip to see the Palace of Versailles, the former French royal residence.  Wow.  Beautiful grounds.  Extraordinary buildings and décor.  So much history.  It’s interesting – Versailles was created to be a “country home” away from the big city.  Then they had to create a farm on the property to get away from the country home.  The Queen’s Hamlet and the immense gardens and fountains were my favorite part. 

Versailles front courtyard.  Massive!

Kerstin and me having fun in the Hall of Mirrors.

View down the Royal Drive, with Latona Fountain

Montmartre/Sacre Coeur

Montmartre is an artistic part of town that sits on a hill north of Paris’ city centre.  Our first stop was to tour the Sacre Coeur (The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) and go up into the tower for a spectacular view.  After our tour we grabbed a crepe at the market at Square Louise-Michel and sat on a bench people-watching and basking in the warmth of the sun before wandering through the narrow, cobblestone streets. 

Sacre Coeur

We meandered down Boulevard de Clichy to see the famed Moulin Rouge.  We didn’t catch a show but was fun to see the building. 

Moulin Rouge

From there we came across Montmartre Cemetery, which was fascinating and reminded me of cemeteries in New Orleans.  Everything is above ground.  It looked like a neighborhood complete with “house” numbers.  Really interesting.  One grave stood out and I learned about the Italian actress and singer, Dalida. 

Montmartre Cemetery

Stunning memorial to Dalida

Rodin

The Rodin museum is miniscule compared to the Louvre.  The original sculptures are housed inside, while larger replicas are outside in the lovely garden. 

The original Thinker

Food! 

While in Paris, we had to have crepes.  I had several variations – sweet and savory.  I had a wonderful Nutella crepe in a café along the Champs-Elysees.  One night we had fondue (us non-vegetarians had meat and potatoes along with bread).  I had a great pasta dish at Tribeca on Rue Cler.  My mission was to have boeuf bourguignon in Paris and I was successful.   We even found a great Chinese restaurant near our apartment.  We ate breakfast each morning at the apartment – what a spread!  Wonderful breads, fruit, jam, yogurt and avocados. 

Crepes!

We stopped at a cafe for some sweet treats and a hot chocolate

Breakfast at the apartment

Nutella crepes along the Champs-Elysees

Pasta at Tribeca

Boeuf bourguignon

Christmas Market

One of the best parts of traveling is finding things that are not on the list.  The Christmas market at Jardin des Tuileries was our best find of the trip.  We loved it so much we went twice.  The market was a feast for the eyes and the stomach.  Photos cannot do it justice.  As we walked through the market, we made mental notes of what we wanted to come back and eat.  Not enough euros and not enough room in the belly.  Brats, vats of potatoes and cheese, frites, hot pasta that they would ladle onto a wheel of cheese on its side to soak up the cheesy goodness, chocolate, pastries, nuts.  Along with the food, there were carnival rides and gifts, and some drinks as well, but I saved my money for the food (and a hat), opting for an enormous serving of cheesy potatoes with ham and onions, and cut up sausages.  We returned the night before we flew home but that night was very cold so we didn’t stay as long. 

Ferris wheel at the Christmas Market

Croustillons are like large donut holes with sugar

So much chocolate!

Cheesy potatoes with a brat

Airbnb

As I mentioned before the Airbnb was a great find.  The size suited us, with one bedroom and one pull-out sofa in the living area.  Kerstin’s two friends (another Kerstin and Natalie) stayed for the weekend so we had our own rooms for the rest of the stay.  There were a couple of funny occurrences.  One night as we played cards, we started hearing noises.  We stopped to listen, and realized people were having sex in another apartment.  We heard it one other night as well.  Thin walls! 

View from apartment

Parc des Buttes Chaumont
This public park was a few blocks from our apartment.  At 61 acres, it provided a great morning workout, with winding paths and hills.   I walked two mornings and came across a couple of groups - one was older people doing Tai Chi, another was Asian women doing some kind of line dance (that's the only way I can describe it.)  I wanted to join in both, but just observed as I walked by.  

One of the many paths in the Parc de Buttes Chaumont

Friends

I’ve known Kerstin for almost 20 years.  What fun it was to meet two of her lifelong friends.  They spoke English very well and we had lots of laughs during the weekend they were with us.  One evening back at the apartment we played Spot It, which is a matching card game.  After several rounds I decided to learn a new German word for each subsequent round.  (When you lay down a card that has a matching photo, you say the name of that item – pencil, car, etc.).  I learned baby bottle (babyflasche), lightning (blitz), car (auto), apple (apfel) and lips (lippen).    

Another time, as we walked through a train tunnel, they were all talking in German and Natalie turned to me and said something to me in German.  I smiled and nodded.  Then she burst out laughing, realizing what she'd done.  Apparently she was comfortable with me pretty quickly. 

As I look back on my Year of 50, it feels a bit extravagant.  Thankfully I had the vacation days and the means to make these trips happen.  Most importantly, I was able to share these experiences with my current (and new) friends.  That is the greatest blessing.  Here's to the next 50!  

#478 The Year of 50: Live from New York...I'm 50!

October is one of my favorite months, not only because it’s my birthday month, but I love Halloween.  I’m not into the spooky/scary stuff so much, I just love a chance to dress up and act silly.  Halloween is my perfect excuse.    

I’ve attended my share of Halloween parties.  Once I went to a party with my friend Alyce and didn’t know a soul, which was convenient because that year I dressed up as Mary Katherine Gallagher and fell down all night showing my underwear to strangers. 

With this being a 50th birthday party, my costume had to be another Molly Shannon creation - Sally O'Malley.  I've loved her for so many years and was so excited to actually be her AND be 50.  

This was my first Halloween/birthday party to throw on my own.  What fun!  Thank you to my brother and sister-in-law (Paul and Lori) for allowing me to have the party at their house.  My house would have been a bit crowded. 

Finger cookies

Had to have bat cookies!

That's one big spider! 

I invited a mix of family, work friends, high school friends, and other “new” friends thrown in for good measure.  It couldn’t have gone any better.  I suggested folks dress up as Saturday Night Live characters.  I’m not a dictator and didn’t demand it.  The majority complied.  Several came in their own creations.  A few didn’t dress up at all.  The main thing is that they came and I greatly appreciated it. 

Taylor (we need more cowbell!) and Megan (Dooneese)

Wayne and Karen

Cat lady Lisa

Kelly (Lisa Loopner) and Jimmy (Todd DiLaMuca)

Julie (Ruth Bader Ginsberg)

Liam (Jack Jack) and Trina (Evelyn Deavor)

Linda (Sally O'Malley), Paul and Lori (cheeburger cheeburger)

Linda and Vivian

Krista (Collette Reardon) and Kenny

Warren Central "gang" throwing our sign

The biggest surprise of the night was my parents.  All week they said they wouldn’t make it.  Their excuses?  It was too late.  Too far to drive.  Too dark.  Etc.  The doorbell rang, I opened the door, and it took me a minute to recognize them.  My dad dressed up as a patient, and my mom dressed as a caregiver.  (Kind-of swapping places.)  Hilarious!  Must be where I get my love of costume from. 

What a way to cap my Year of 50.  I am blessed beyond measure with a wonderful family and an amazing group of friends.