Full House

Tonight is our last night home together, the five of us. I'm not going to allow myself to get upset over this. Tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun. So much to remember for the mass portion. Congratulations Alicia and Leo!

Spend It With Family

I woke up today and had a debate to settle, internally. Do I spend 5 hours (round-trip) driving to and from the Ocean City - New Jersey beach and see my relatives. Or do I spend the day lounging at home. Typically, I would take the opportunity to do nothing all day in an empty house, especially on a Sunday. The twist is that today is my birthday. I did not want to spend my birthday alone, necessarily. Also, my parents were upset that they might not get to see me on it.

Ultimately I packed up and took the trip. It was a very strange day. I got more birthday wishes than expected (and from some people I would not have expected) and yet it did not feel like a birthday. We did not go out to dinner, there was really no gifts, and there was almost not even a cake. I spent as much time on the road as I spent down there, and until yesterday I was barely even aware that it was my birthday in 24 hours.

I can't decide if this was just an off year, or if this is another casualty of getting older. Regardless, almost as unenthusiastic as I was about today being my birthday, I am pretty much the same about telling people I am 23. For everyone older than me - I know you think I am being ridiculous thinking that 23 is so old but there is someone a few years older than you who feels the same way about you complaining about your own old age.

(This is the site every year where all of my relatives walk down to the water, convince a passerby to take our 19 cameras and take a picture of all of us. If you go back to around this time last year on the blog, you will see our last year's picture.)

Kid's Stuff

Yesterday my parents went and saw Toy Story 3. My mom came home feeling very nostalgic. She started talking about old toys and things and eventually my sister brought the conversation to old blankets. Each of us growing up, myself and my two sisters, had something we'd carry around and sleep with as kids. My younger sister and I both had blankets and my older sister had a Winnie The Pooh pillow that my grandmother made her.

At some point in my life I didn't have the blanket anymore. My younger sister's original blanket was so beat up that it was nothing more than a short knot of fabric. My older sister still has her pillow to this day on her bed.

Tonight I found out my mom has both the knot and my old blanket up in her room. She brought them both down, both sealed in bags. According to my younger sister, at some point when I was a kid my mom decided I was too old for or old enough not to need a blanket anymore and took it from me. I apparently was incredibly upset, so much so that my younger sister has never forgotten this event. I, on the other hand, have no recollection of it ever occuring. I do not remember how old I was when I no longer had this in my life, and I don't remember under what circumstances it's removal happened.

It was definitely interesting seeing it again. It is a big more tattered than I remembered it being. They got it for me when I was just a new born and I can remember that at one time it could cover me completely. I know I had it in this house which I did not move into until I was 7. So this blanket was with me, almost daily, for over seven year, most likely closer to ten. Considering how my sister's looks, I'd say the few rips and wholes are minimal.

Did you have something like this when you were growing up? Maybe a toy or pillow, something that never left your side for a big part of your childhood?

Long Weekends

Somehow long weekends are all but long enough when it comes down to how well rested you are going into the next week. Typically a long weekend means some sort of plans that happen to be a little more involved, have you a little more active, and leave you needing that extra day just to get back to base line.

Point and case - I woke up at 1 pm today. Sure it was after going to bed after 4 in which case thats only 9 hours, but if this had not been a long weekend, that kind of thing would not have happened.

Ultimately, the lesson I learned this time around was - no parties on your bonus day. What should have been a day of lounging and resting up for the return to work was spend at my Uncle's house for our family 4th of July party. By the time I got home I had about 2 hours until I wanted to be in bed. Note to future self: Take your extra day off and spend it on the couch!

(Here is the pillow case I kept referring to in my GO! blogs. I think it's pretty darn good)

Tuxes By Generation

Today, my grandpop, my dad, and myself all went to have our tuxes fitted for my sister's wedding in the fall. I always enjoy when the three of us go somewhere. I don't know why, but the idea of seeing, at once, the progression, the three generations all standing in a row - it's interesting to me.

Also, my grandpop is great. He was wearing a golf shirt and that was causing issue with trying out the dress shirt. They suggest he go change in the dressing room so that he is not trying to button a dress shirt over a polo. He liked that because he thought it was too public to change where he was. He walks over to the dressing room, and proceeds to take off his shirt. With the door still open. For the whole store to watch. So much for privacy.

Easter

Easter is great because its another holiday where our whole family can get together.

And, of course, be endlessly entertained by the new additions.

Valentine's Day Presents

So every year my parents get us something for Valentine's day. My package from them came in the mail today. I was expecting a package for a little from them, it being a large pot as the one we have is falling apart. Inside the package was also my Valentine's gift which was a really cool grey cardigan/hoodie.

What I wasn't expecting was a second package, this one from my older sister. In this was some excellent snacks and chocolate as well as a copy of the movie Away We Go on DVD. I don't know if she has seen the movie or new I had wanted to see it, but either way out I was quite happy.

In other news - our neighbors to the north have been throwing garbage out their window today, periodically. Leaving for class this afternoon we found bottles, boxes, a tomato sauce can among other trash. Later a friend of mine who was over called after he left saying there was a smashed stereo on the street as well. The. Worst.

happy thanksgiving part 2

thanksgiving was great this year because i got to celebrate it with friends last weekend (ranging from recent friends to ones i've known since before i could form memories) and with family this weekend. it's such an awesome holiday.

another celebration

a little while ago i celebrated my 100th blog post, and today I have reached another blogging landmark. today is the 100th post for my breadcrumb project. back in july i decided to start making a post once a day of a picture that in some way related to the days events whether it was something i had done, somewhere i had been, something i had seen, etc. Today marks the 100th 'breadcrumb'.
Recently I realized that I would be coming up on this post and decided to figure out both when it would be, and to see some of my past posts by starting from the beginning and looking through them. I realized that somehow the quarterly posts all, by chance, happened to be noteworthy pictures or events.

Breadcrumb #25 - Picture of the photograph of my grandparents framed in my house

Breadcrumb #50 - Philadelphia Eagles home opener

Breadcrumb #75 - Where The Wild Things Are midnight release photo

Picture 100 then was pressured because after realizing these pictures happened to coincide with those posts I thought about what I could have as my 100th picture while still wanting to not plan it out. Ultimately I decided not to plan it and see what I came across today. I took and am posting this picture because while it may seem mundane it has significance. This captures the final roster for my final semester at Fordham. Having registered this morning, I felt like it made sense to use this as my 100th image. How did we get to be choosing our final 4 or 5 (or less if you are that ahead) classes of our college careers already?

coming home to family

came home today. went to pops house with my dad and we got a pizza and watched the phils game.

also came home to two movie passes sitting on my dresser. and in cleaning out my wallet i found another movie pass that i thought i had lost - that makes 3 AMC passes and 1 Regal pass from the regal rewards card. thats a decent amount of free flicks. time to catch up on the movies i missed.

digital exhibition

i read tonight on a blog i follow written by david horvitz a pretty interesting prompt. david uploads screen shots on the program TextEdit the Mac equivalent of Notepad every one to two days of a prompt for his readers. i typically read them for a purely 'hmm thats a cool idea' but i liked the latest one. he said - go to your grandparents house an take a picture of every photograph up in the home and email the gallery to family or friends or whomever as sort of a digital exhibition. i dont have my digital camera home but im planning on trying this with my house to see, after taking pictures of the photographs here with my phone, if the idea turns out to seem as intriguing once i have all of the images. i took a picture of just one frame in my family room tonight. its probably my favorite picture we have.