Making my peace

We are preparing for our annual trip to the Outer Banks. This year I am lucky enough to get two weeks. The first week will be with my family, the second week will be with Erik's family. My sister's daughter will be having her baptism during our trip. This works out well, since my sister only lives about 90 minutes away from where we are staying (it is normally a 7 hour drive for us).

As I was starting to pack for the trip, and reminding myself to bring church clothes for myself and the kids, I suddenly thought about this post from last summer. And I realized that the vast majority of that angst is gone. I can't think of anything magic that has happened. No big event. Just time passing, I guess. There have been more family gatherings, a visit to church for my nephew's blessing, encounters with former ward members.

The other day I was having a conversation with Marc's teacher who mentioned (as part of a story he was telling) that another student in his class was Mormon. He started to explain something about Mormonism (again, relevant to the story he was telling) and I just laughed. I told him I knew all about it - I was raised Mormon and my whole family still attended that church.

He was very surprised - he had absolutely no idea. He said that seemed like that type of religion that you just don't leave. I told him it isn't and that it was very difficult. He said I didn't seem "Mormon" to him at all. I told him thank you. And I realized that now I've been out of the church for so long (it's been almost two years) that I have a whole new group of friends who never knew me as a Mormon.

Anyway, I've just been reflecting on this all. And I do feel like I've made my peace. I just don't have the anger any more. I don't have the awkwardness with my family. I don't have the feeling of being lost. I've finally reached that magic place that From the Ashes wonderfully identified as the goal so many of us have - that now I can just say, "Oh yeah, I was a Mormon once."

Having a Cornershop moment...

Many years ago Erik and I went to see Kula Shaker at the 930 club in DC. It was right after the 930 club had moved, and since we weren't really sure where it was, we got there REALLY early just in case we got lost. So we're just sitting in the car and this guy walks buy in the ugliest shirt I'd ever seen and a skirt.

We both look at each other and just start laughing. For the next two hours, we are pretty much mocking this poor guy we saw earlier walking down the street in the ugliest shirt ever made and a skirt. Until the opening act took the stage... and the lead singer was... THAT GUY...

Yes, we had been mocking the singer of Cornershop (anyone else remember Brimful of Asha??) for pretty much the whole night. And yes, he was on stage wearing that ugly shirt and apparently NOT a skirt, but in fact, a sari of some sort. We still laugh about that night.

So tonight we went to see Shiny Toy Guns at Sonar in Baltimore (thanks again to Jeremy for turning me onto them!!) I'd had several Irish Coffees prior to arriving at the club, so had a nice buzz going. The opening band (Hourly Radio) was excellent, and as I was grooving to the music, I noticed a very tall guy dressed all in black with a horrid burgundy scarf standing behind me.

Of course, how could I not mock this horrid scarf?? From that moment on, he was ASCOT MAAAAAN. We made so many Scooby Doo/Fred jokes, I almost peed myself laughing. There were just so many emo jokes to make, how could we stop??

Okay, so you know how this is going to end, right? Because karma is a total bitch...

So the next band starts to play...

Here is a picture... This would be Stars of Track and Field...

Although it is difficult to see in these camera phone pictures, I will direct your attention to the neck of the lead singer...

Yes, please take notice of the horrid burgundy ascot...

Oh, and Shiny Toy Guns ROCKED!!!

Tagged again...

This time by Sara Sue and I couldn't feel more specialer.

Here it is - "I quickly write 8 random facts/habits about myself, and then tag 8 people. If I tag you, you had better play".

1. Some of you already know this, some don't... But my breastbone is wired together in three places as a result of past heart surgery. You can actually feel the wires in some places. I have a spectacular scar running from my just below my throat to just above my stomach - and I honestly forget I have it until someone asks me about it.

2. I cannot walk out of the house in the morning without cleaning my ears. Even if I don't have time to take a shower, I will still take 30 seconds and take a wash cloth to my ears to get all the gook out.

3. My daughter Elise is named after a song by the Cure, not a song by Beethoven.

4. When I went to Spain, my favorite part of the whole trip was playing with the stray cats that run free all over Alhambra in Granada. I think that confirms I am indeed a crazy cat person.

5. I can't drink gin because everytime I do, I end up taking off my clothes. EVERY TIME. I just can't handle that stuff.

6. Sometimes, I just really really really really must have a chicken tamale from Don Pablo's.

7. When I have a really important conference at work and I know there is a jackass man on the other side, I purposefully will dress in something pink and something above the knee because then I am automatically assumed to be vapid - I like my opponent to underestimate me because then when I open my mouth and am actually very smart they are surprised. You would be shocked at how often this strategy works, but it still makes me sad that it does.

8. I had a terrible day today and stole a Valium from my husband (he has an Rx to take before dental procedures because he's needle-phobic and they don't want him to pass out) and now I feel much better.

So now I am tagging... Erik, Cool Jen SIL, Jer-my, Sister Mary Lisa, Janet from DC, Sacred Sister, Lemon Blossom, and Ros F. If you got tagged twice sorry 'bout that. I blame the Valium.

Spending the day with Vincent and Henri

Today I got up at the ass-crack of dawn to catch a bus to NYC. At 11:00 I was at Rockefeller Center hugging my younger sister. We had lunch and coffee (her treat - a late birthday present) and then she had to go to work, so I had the afternoon to myself. I didn't have a chance to go to MOMA last time I was there, and it was #1 on my list.

I spent a little over three glorious hours meandering through the museum. I have to admit, as I actually stood in front of the Starry Night and saw it for the first time in person... I cried. So if you were in MOMA today around 1:00 and happened to see a mid-thirties chick weeping in gallery #1 - yeah, that was me.

At 3:30 I started to head back towards where the bus was supposed to pick us up, except now I was carrying a big bag of books I bought for the kids. I decided to stop at the Starbucks for a quick coffee before trekking towards Central Park. When I walked out the door, THERE WAS MY BUS. Seriously... randomly... it just happened to be sitting right outside the entrance. I walked over and asked the driver if I could just board the bus there and he said sure. He said he had just sort of been waiting in the bus lane there until it was time to get the rest of the people. So I got a free ride for the last several blocks.

I realized today that I am one of those people - I *heart* New York. Everytime I leave, I can't wait to go back and see more. It is only $30 for a round trip bus ticket!! I cannot even drive to Baltimore and park for the day for that amount of money. I may have to make this a regular event.