A Family Affair

This year for Easter, we broke tradition. Instead of me coming home, I had my family come here. Mom, Dad, Mike, Sam, Sonia, Kristie, and Grandpa all made the trek to Orlando. Everyone arrived Friday evening after a few minor setbacks such as making wrong turns and delayed flights. Better late than never I always say. Sam & Kristie stayed with me in my apartment and everyone else stayed at the hotel. I’m not quite sure if they were the lucky or the unlucky ones. Either way, I was glad to have them.

On Saturday, we all went to the Tiger game in Lakeland. Unfortunately, they lost to the Indians, but I still had fun despite the rain and temperature changes. During the game Sam got himself and me last-minute tickets to the Maroon 5 concert in Kissimmee. We had a great time. The band was awesome! We had excellent seats for last minute – first row of the third section from the front and center.

Going to the concert the night before I had to sing in the choir probably wasn’t the best idea as I woke up with a sore throat and a rough voice. Although I don’t think the concert was entirely to blame, but it didn’t help. I still sang in both the 8:00 & 11:00 services (by the 11:00 my voice had mostly recovered). After church, we met up with the Otter clan (Jason, Nicole, and Christian as well as Jason's and Nicole's respective fathers). We swam for a bit at the hotel and then went out to dinner at Houston's Restaurant. Sam, the wine connoisseur, ordered us two bottles of wine. After dinner, we went hung out on the dock at the restaurant. Al Otter pulled out his video camera. We sat and chatted until it was time for the Michigan State/Kentucky game to start. We totally took over the lobby of the hotel to watch the tense game. Some people came in that started rooting for Kentucky. We jokingly ran them out. It was an exciting game: bouncing leads, double overtime. Mom kept pacing throughout the lobby. Dad seemed quite pessimistic throughout the game (especially when they went into overtime). But through it all, MSU came out on top and Mom celebrated with her rendition of the fight song.

I took the day off work on Monday. I got to sleep in. We went to lunch in Winter Park, did some shopping, and then relaxed at the hotel. We ordered in pizza for dinner. We ate in the lobby and hotel staff was nice enough to give us plates and silverware to use. Mike and Sonia headed back to Chicago that evening. Sam, Kristie, and I went to Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney with the Otters, while Mom reluctantly watched the baby (for those of you who don't know, I'm being incredibly sarcastic here). Dad found the hotel's guest laundry room and Sam remarked that that was his Disney World. We had a good time at Pleasure Island. We visited all the clubs and shows. At the comedy club, we made a big deal about who would sit by the phone because we didn't want to get called on (which didn't happed at all). The ironic thing is that when we saw the show at the Adventurer's Club, we all got picked on.

Tuesday morning, Sam and Grandpa flew back to Michigan and I went back to work. Mom, Dad and Kristie spent the day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Mom fell in love with "all the flowers and the animals." We met for dinner at the All Star Cafe and then watched the Tiger game at Disney's Wide World of Sports - the Spring Training home for the Atlanta Braves. It wasn't a very good game. We lost 12-4. We had just about as many hits, but we couldn't bring 'em home. Dad & Kristie left after the 6th inning, but Mom & I stayed 'til the end. An interesting thing happened, though. On the way in to meet my family, I ran into a former coworker of mine. I just thought that was kind of cool considering that there were over 11,000 people there.

Today, everyone is just taking it easy. I went to work of course, but met my parent for lunch at this Italian restaurant across the street. I think Kristie is spending the day by the pool. I don't blame her. It's a perfect day! Tonight, I think we're going to eat in and maybe go see a movie.

Everyone heads back tomorrow morning. I had a great time while everyone was here. I hope they did, too. Come back again soon!

All That Jazz

Last night I went to see "Chicago" at the Bob Carr. Once again, there was a basketball game. But the traffic wasn't quite as bad as last time. The show started an hour after the game started so that may have helped. I made it on time this time (with a half-hour to spare). The show was good, but I have to admit that it wasn't quite the caliber of Broadway (but that was to be expected). My seats weren't near as good either (but they were cheaper and that was to be expected). I still enjoyed it.

My family is going to be here in about 12 hours or so. Woohoo! I'm so excited. I have a feeling that the day is going to go by somewhat slowly because of that. Oh well.

To Mom, Dad, Gramps, Mike, Sam, Sonia, & Kristie, see you tonight. To everyone else, have a very blessed Easter!

Weekend Forcast

Orlando Forcast:

Saturday - Scattered Thunderstorms, Low: 69, High: 87
Sunday - Scattered Thunderstorms, Low: 69, High: 85
Monday - Few Showers, Low 53, High: 72
(Rain chances 30% each day)

Michigan Forcast:

Saturday - Partly Cloudy, High: 42, Low: 29
Sunday - Rain (60%), High: 37, Low: 31
Monday - Partly Cloudy, High: 46, Low: 33

Ok, so the forcast here isn't THAT great. All I have to say is that it's better than up there. See y'all tomorrow night!

A Swimming Commute

I practically had to swim to work this morning. It was raining like a monsoon. The roads were becoming flooded. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to drive down Alden Road. Luckily, Lake Cuhaci hadn't quite formed yet. I did have a few run-ins with some large puddles, though, on my my swim from the parking lot to the office. I'm just glad that I had my umbrella.

Last night for bible study, I had made the suggestion that instead of our regularly scheduled study of the book "It's Not About Me," that we should watch the movie "The Passion of the Christ." We did watch the movie and Becky made dinner beforehand. It turned out to be a really good time. Eight people showed up. Most of us had seen the movie atleast once, but there were a couple people who were seeing it for the first time. After the movie, we had a brief discussion time about the movie and people's thoughts about it.

On side note, my family will be here in 2 DAYS!!!!!

Another Busy Week Ahead

Well, I survived my hectic week last week. Actually, it turned out to not be quite as bad as I thought it would be. I got a lot of stuff done (not everything, but a lot). This week is going to be much of the same. I have a big project due next monday (but since I'm taking that day off to spend with my family, I need to finish by Friday). I'll still be busy outside of work with all of my typical extracurricular activities - volleyball, choir, etc.

I had another great weekend, though. Saturday, I went to another Tiger game. Once again, it was a come-from-behind victory (the best kind)! Sunday afternoon, I went to see the Orlando Ballet perform "Camelot." It was very good. This is the first time I've seen our ballet company perform (I don't think it will be my last).

I can't wait until Friday when my family comes to visit! I'm just hoping that the anticipation won't distract me too much from everything else I have to do. The weather forcast is fairly decent. Temperatures will range from the mid 70s to low 80s (but there a chance for some scattered and isolated thunderstorms over the weekend). I'll be checking it everyday until the weekend (I'm sure gramps will, too).

Less Than 2 Weeks!

I am so excited to have my family come down here for Easter this year. Can you believe that in the 2-1/2 years that I've lived here, my brothers have not once come to visit me?! Kristie & Sonia have both been here, multiple times. Anywho, I'm looking forward to their visit. I know I'm throwing off our family's traditional Easter celebrations and I will miss seeing all my aunts uncles and cousins. Perhaps some year I'll be able to get you ALL to come down. I can guarantee that the weather will be a lot warmer (I can't promise that it won't rain, though).

This Is The Day The Lord Has Made...

Let us reJOYce and be glad in it!

As I read through everyone else's blogs this morning (it's part of my daily routine), I realized that I am not the first to comment on today being the anniversary of Grandma's Ultimate Homecoming. Just from what everyone else has written about her, one can easily gather just how special she was. I, too, would like to add my own thoughts and memories.

Being so far away from family is hard enough as it is, especially when it's a family that is as close knit as ours. But not being near loved ones during the last moments of there earthly lives is even harder. I remember that day, two years ago today, when it was Grandma's last day. I had spent the day at Universal Studios. It was during their Mardi Gras celebration and there was going to be a parade and a concert in the evening. I remember trying to call home all day, just to brag about the weather and such, but I found it odd that no one was home all day. I noticed that I had several voicemail messages, but I had just gotten my cell phone and wasn't quite sure how to retrieve the messages. Finally, I decided to call my mom's cell phone, she was next door and that's when I received the news. I knew this day was coming, but no matter how hard you try to prepare yourself, you're never ready. I was speechless. I didn't know what to do next. Should I stay (I had been really looking forward to seeing the Hootie and the Blowfish concert) or should I go (and start looking for a flight home ASAP). Mom, told me to stay and enjoy the concert, "that's what Grandma would have wanted," and she would look for a flight for me. As soon as I got off the phone, I broke down in tears. I knew that I should be happy because she was in heaven (I had no doubts about her faith) but I was still sad that I couldn't say goodbye and I would miss her. I don't think I ever felt so alone in a sea of people. When some people saw me crying, they asked what was wrong, and I told them that my grandmother had just passed away. I remember them responding with, "is there anything I can do?" I found this somewhat odd because, really, what could they do. But I know they were just trying to be sypathetic. The concert started and the band played all their hit songs, but only one stood out to me. I was actually thinking about leaving at the time, when they started to play "Old Man & Me." I couldn't quite understand much of the lyrics, but there was a line in the chorus which stated, "I wonder who will walk with me when I get to Heaven." It got me thinking about who Grandma was walking with. Maybe it would be her brother, who was killed during WWII. Perhaps she would be reuinted with Connie. But I know one thing for sure, she is walking side by side with her Lord and Savior.

Today, as I wear her wedding ring on a chain around my neck and close to my heart, I am reminded of all the good times we've had over the 24 years we spent together. I feel so fortunate to have lived right next door so I could visit whenever I wanted. I remember the games she would teach me to play - euchre and Michigan rummy. I remember her singing "Mockingbird" and "Grandma will be your Momma, til your Momma comes home" when she would babysit me. I remeber her calling me her "little rosebud." I remember the special drawer in the pantry which was reserved especially for red licorice. I remeber helping her put all the church's offering envelopes in numerical order. I remember watching her cross-stitch and then teaching me how to do it. I remeber how she would give me a new nutcracker every Christmas to add to my collection. I remember our summer vacations at the Big Fish Inn in Ellsworth - playing euchre, going into Charlevoix and shopping at Ben Franklin's, walking on the beach at Norwood looking for Petoskey stones and watching the sunset. So many memories, but most importantly, I remember her teaching me about the love of Jesus Christ.

Today, nor any other day, is not a day to be sad. Yes, we will miss Ella Agnes (Rademacher) Cook. I admit that I shed a tear or two while writing this. But she is celebrating at the Banquet in the Sky. We, too, must celebrate with her, and wilth all of our loved ones who have passed on. For their life hasn't ended, but is just beginning and will continue forever and ever into eternity.

A Rough Week Ahead

It looks like it's going to be a rough week, this week. I'm already off to a bad start as I spilled my hot chocolate and burned my hand. But other than that, I have several projects that need to be completed within the next 2 weeks and some of them haven't even been started yet. The last thing my boss told me before I left of Friday, was to "enjoy the weekend, because next week is going to be hell." Well, I did make sure to enjoy the weekend. Friday night, I went to see "Robots." I thought that it was really cute. We saw it at the local drafthouse. I had never been there before, but there are tables and chairs and you can order food while you watch the movie. It was a very unique movie-watching experience. Saturday, I went to the Tiger game at Disney's Wide World of Sports. There ended up being four of us all together - Me, Bryan, Jen, and Jen's daughter Isabel. It was another good game. We were losing, but won it in the 9th inning. We had lawn seats in the outfield which was kind of nice. I took my beach blanket and we could just lay out and relax. I even layed down inbetween innings. We came close to catching a foul ball. It was another beautiful day - sunshine and a slight breeze. I wore sunscreen, but still added to my tan (and even a little burned in some places). I got a really nice tan line where my watch was. After the game, I went to Saturday night services and then hung out with Becky & Anna. We went out for pizza and then played a couple rounds of pool at a local bar. Afterwards, we went back to Becky's and played a couple games of Sequence. Becky won every game, but I came close a couple of times. On Sunday, we all went to the beach. It was another gorgeous day, about 80 degrees, lots of sunshine, and a nice breeze to keep us from getting too hot. It was pretty crowded because of Spring Break, but not too bad. I was surprised to see the ocean so flat. There were hardly any waves (1-2 foot at most), but there were still people trying to surf. After we "fried like Krispy Kreme" (a quote from Anna), we headed to Seafest, going on at Port Canaveral. We were a bit disappointed as it turned out not to be quite what we thought it would be. It was nothing more than a small carnival. We walked around a bit and then headed home. Becky made us dinner (baked ziti) and we played more Sequence (Becky won again).

Although this is going to be a busy week, I do have some things to look forward to. Sand volleyball starts back up and "The Incredibles" is being released to DVD on Tuesday.

Why Make Plans?

What's the point of making plans. There just going to change anyways. OK, I know that there are some things in life the do require extensive plannning, but that's not what I'm talking about. I don't typically make a whole lot of plans anyways, but recently, the plans I have made have either changed or completely fallen through. Last night was supposed to be my wallyball night. Two of our 4 players couldn't make it, so I suggested playing tennis instead. When I called to reserve a court, none were available. So much for that. After I found out about the court availability, my friend Anna called and invited me to some fundraiser/happy hour thing. So since all my other plans fell through, I went. Tonight, I had plans to have dinner with Becky & Anna and either take in an independant film or rent a movie. This morning, Jen emails me and invites me to go see "Robots." Of course I had to decline since I had already made plans with Becky & Anna. Later in the day, Becky emails me to tell me that we're rescheduling our dinner plans for tomorrow night. So, since my plans fell through, again, I replied back to Jen to say that I could make it to the movie. So far, my only "plan" for tomorrow is to go to the Tiger game. I don't know who all will come with me. I may or may not have free tickets (as it looks right now, I think I'll be buying them when I get there). I'm not making any concrete plans for tomorrow evening's entertainment. I have many options, but I am refusing to commit to anything. I'm just going to play it by ear. The same goes for the rest of the weekend.

Turn The Lights Off When You Leave A Room

I agree that this is a very good habit to form, especially when it comes to saving $$ on your electric bill. I thank my dad for ingraining it in my head many years ago. I'm still pretty good about it. Some people haven't quite learned the rule. I can always tell when someone was home at my Uncle Dale's house because every single light (and TV) would be on. Then there are those who learned the rule TOO well. At work, it fairly common practice to turn the light off in the bathroom when you leave. Thanks to dad, I do a good job about it. But it's not a good idea to follow the rule when someone is still in there (especially since there are no windows). I've lost track of how many times this has happened to me. It happened again today. I guess I must be too quiet to make my presence known.

I Wanna Be In The LIGHT

Sunday was the kick-off for Lutheran Schools Week, so church was entirely geared around it. The kids sang and the 5th Grade class presented the Children's Sermon via video. It was all about how we need to be in God's Light and not get blocked by the shadows of sin and temptation. It was really cute! I also spent most of my weekend "in the light," that is, outside in the SUNSHINE. I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect weekend. Saturday, I went to the Tiger game against the Yankees. What a GREAT game. It was awesome. I honestly thought we were done for in the 4th inning when we were down 8-1. But my Tigers never gave up. They battled back to WIN 9-8!!! After the game, I went to Trinity's annual auction. It was really neat. I had never been before. It was an island/tropical theme, so I got to get all dressed up in my island attire (which was fun in itself - I love getting dressed up). It was held at the Hyatt in the airport. It felt kind of weird to be at the airport and not picking anyone up, dropping anyone off, or flying anywhere (and to be dressed like I just returned from Hawaii). I bid on a few items, but I didn't win them. That's OK, because I couldn't really afford it anyways. I like to think that I helped raise the price so more $$ was raised for the school. I think about $13,000 was raised that evening. Sunday afternoon was spent just laying out by my pool (they finally refilled it). It was so relaxing to just lay there and have the sun beaming down on me. Don't worry Hannah, I wore SPF 30 sunblock the whole time.

I'm sorry to all you northerners that I keep bragging about the good weather here, but I can't help it! You're just going to have to come visit me (which are are welcome to do at ANY time).

Not In College Anymore

Last night, I had one of my first, "I feel old," feelings. I went with my friend Jen to the Battle of the Bands competition on the campus of UCF (that's the University of Central Florida). Her friend Alex has a band, Fairweather Friend. They did good, but they didn't win. But getting to the title of the blog, being surrounded by all these college students made me feel old. It's only been 3 years since I graduated, but it's definitely not my life anymore. As it was getting later and later, I kept thinking about how I had to get up for work in the morning. I had never been on campus before this, so trying to find my way around in the dark and in the rain was not an easy task. My goal was to try to blend in like we went there and so that Jen & I didn't look like to two Old Folks. But on our way to finding the Student Union, this young female coed asked us if we were lost. So much for blending in.

Go, Tigers, Go

Well, spring training is off and running. The Tigers had their first game this afternoon (despite the rain) and killed Philly (9-1). I should mention that my boss if from the Philidephia area and a Phillies fan. I go to my first game of the season on Saturday against the Yankees. I hope that it will be a good game.

Bills, Glorious Bills

It's the first of the month, so that means that many of my bills are due: rent, water, cell phone, internet. My water bill was a bit higher than normal this month. This is thanks to Dad who had to do 5 loads of laundry per day while he and Mom were here. I typically use about 800 gallons per month. This month, it was 1200. Even though it only adds up to an extra $3 on my bill, that's still $3 I could have saved. My cell bill was about normal. Of the 323 minutes I used last month, 156 of them were to call home, and 52 minutes were in just one call. It's a good thing that my internet is only $10 a month - that's the only reason why I still have dial-up. The good news is that I got a bonus check today for the month of January. It was only about $40 (after taxes), but I'll take it. I'll take anything.

I know, I know, this all part of being an adult in the "real world." I just kind of sucks to have most of the money you worked so hard for, go away with a quick swish of a pen on a check.