Sorry, another post breaking up the line of Italy greatness. We went to dinner and a movie last night and had quite a bit of fun. It was the first time that we had gone out like that in quite a while. The one little blip in joyousness of the evening started as we were leaving and culminated right before the movie.
As we drove down to Victor to go to dinner, we hit a huge-mongous pothole in the road. We took stock of everything briefly, all was still in order, so we went on about our evening. We stopped and got tickets to the movie, and then went to dinner. It was great, I have a soft spot in my heart (and stomach) for P.F. Chang's chicken lettuce wraps. After eating, we walked around doing some window shopping, and burning time waiting for the movie to start. We went out to the car and happily found the right rear tire flat as a pancake. Apparently, all was not well after the wheel was introduced to the pothole. Luckily, the weather was freezing, it was raining slightly with a fair amount of teeth-chatteringly cold wind. I don't know what we would have done had it been nice out. As I was enjoying the beauty of the evening and playing with the jack and getting the small tire on, Lisa was nice enough to snap some pics of me in my nice clothes, stretched out on the pavement. Check one of them out here.
We got to the movie just fine and then we got home fine. The car went to the doctor today and has been made better. All is well in the world now, thanks to Benjamin and his friends.
28.2.09
27.2.09
Five
I apologize to my reading faithful who tuned in expecting to read more about the wondermicity and splendiferousnous of Italy. Come back tomorrow for an update on the next city in our fabulously fun and amazing tour.
This post is for Lisa. Today marks five years of marriage. To quote my lovely wife, "It seems like a whole lot longer than five years." I'll take that as a complement to mean that she can't possibly imagine living without me.
It is rather amazing to look back on the last five years and think of the growth (both physical and other, but mostly other) that I have gone through. Five years ago I was fairly naive in regards to my thoughts and views on marriage and what it takes to make it work. I have matured and learned in that time period, and hope to continue to do so. I feel that I am just now beginning to understand Lisa and who she is and what motivates her. I feel like when we got married, I knew absolutely nothing about women. Now I can proudly say that I know next to nothing, one step up from where I was.
With all of life's twists and turns that we go through, I'm glad I get to face them with Lisa.
This post is for Lisa. Today marks five years of marriage. To quote my lovely wife, "It seems like a whole lot longer than five years." I'll take that as a complement to mean that she can't possibly imagine living without me.
It is rather amazing to look back on the last five years and think of the growth (both physical and other, but mostly other) that I have gone through. Five years ago I was fairly naive in regards to my thoughts and views on marriage and what it takes to make it work. I have matured and learned in that time period, and hope to continue to do so. I feel that I am just now beginning to understand Lisa and who she is and what motivates her. I feel like when we got married, I knew absolutely nothing about women. Now I can proudly say that I know next to nothing, one step up from where I was.
With all of life's twists and turns that we go through, I'm glad I get to face them with Lisa.
25.2.09
Siena
Of the five days we spent staying in Florence, two were dedicated to traveling the Tuscan countryside enjoying some of the famous hill towns. We spent one leisure filled day soaking in the sights, sounds and of course, tastes of Siena. From Florence we took a train and then a bus to reach our destination, with the time and effort spent being very much worth while. The area through which we traveled is simply beautiful and the trip getting to Siena was quite enjoyable.
Once we arrived, we wandered narrow cobblestone streets until we came to the famous Piazza del Campo, where the Palio di Siena is held twice a year. The campo was a spectacular sight, with all of the shops, people, and the Torre del Mangia towering above everything.
We braved the heat, the lack of elevators and some rather narrow stairs, in order to climb to the top of the tower. After a little bit of sweat, we were rewarded for our efforts with unbelievable views of the surrounding countryside, town, and Duomo.
We also managed to throw in a little bit of shopping during our day in the medieval city. We picked up a few pictures, a hand-painted towel and a carved olive-wood spoon.
Siena
And of course, what would an Italian post of mine be without mention of food? We found a great little place to eat right off of the campo, in the basement of an old building. We were some of the only diners in there, and the food was simply divine. Lisa had gnocchi with eggplant and goat cheese, while I had pici noodles with arugula , tomatoes and spicy sausage. Yummy. . .
Fabulous food!
View to the top of the tower. Fun stairs.
Claustrophobia anyone?
Siena/Tuscany
The Campo as seen from the top of the Torre del Mangia. The fountain was designed by Michelangelo.
More of Siena/Tuscany
Lisa and I with a view of Tuscany from the top of the Torre del Mangia.
21.2.09
Firenze
We found a nice B&B in Florence for a week right in the center of town that got us close to everything. Our time in the Renaissance city was split fairly evenly between shopping, eating, and museum visiting. All three activities were rather incredible. I thought Lisa was going to die when she had her first bite of real four cheese pasta. We did some antique shopping, leather shopping, shoe shopping, as well as shopping shopping. We arrived in Florence with two suitcases and left with four. We were good shoppers.
Chris in the market.
While we were in the fabled Tuscan city, we also went to the Galleria degli Uffizi and the Accademia di Belle Arti. It was pretty amazing to see such famous works by world renowned artists. The statue of the David was awe inspiring and remarkable. To think that someone actually carved that statue in such exquisite detail out of a piece of rock is somewhat mind-boggling. Michelangelo, Andrea del Sarto, Botticelli and Da Vinci were inspired in the work that they did.
Florence
We also took time to wander around town and sample the variety of life around us. The Duomo was beautiful, and we walked to the top of the Campanile di Giotto which offered an amazing view of the city, Duomo and the surrounding hills. As we meandered about, we explored il Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio
which spans the Arno River and is known for it's gold and silver shops. We finished the our time off in Florence with a mouth watering meal at Trattoria la Burrasca. Ahhh, good food.
Lisa and I standing on Ponte Vecchio.
Florence
Florence
18.2.09
Roma
About a week ago, I really enjoyed going through some of our Italy photos and posting about a portion of our trip in Cinque Terre. Having said that, I think that I will spend the next several posts outlining our trip through the Italian countryside. So if you have an aversion to things Italian, stop reading and don't check back for a couple of weeks. And really, if you don't like Italy, we just might not be able to be friends.
So here is Rome, in Italian, Roma.
We flew in and took a train into the middle of Rome and started our adventure. It was fun for me to see Lisa so excited and amazed at everything. We raced around the city in just a few short days, seeing everything from the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill to the Vatican, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. In between all of that, we also ate a lot of good food. That was a constant in our trip. Honestly, that's a constant in my life. Like one of those formula's you learned in high school or college that has a constant in it. If my life could be summed up in a formula, there would be a figure in there called Packer's Constant, where Packer's Constant = Good Food. Sorry for the tangent.
We also took a really fun night walk starting in Piazza Navona and wending our way past the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and finishing at the Spanish Steps. We ate some good gelato, bought a small water-color from a painter in Piazza Navona, and generally had a great time. It was an incredible introduction to Italy for Lisa, and a great way to re-acquaint myself with il bel paese.
Me outside the Colosseum.
Lisa inside the Colosseum.
Lisa and some other people at the Trevi Fountain.
Sunset seen from the Colosseum.
Lisa overlooking the Roman Forum.
Lisa in the Vatican City.
Lisa overlooking Rome with St. Peter's Basilica in the background.
Disclaimer: Lisa is in most of these photos, because she looks much better than I do.
13.2.09
Learning
In our search and efforts to become parents, I feel like I have traveled, or maybe better yet voyaged to a better understanding of myself. While this process of learning more about myself has been good overall, it has been disappointing and frustrating as well, to me and my wife. I think we all have a self image, a certain way in which we view ourselves, or the person that we think we are. When presented with a hypothetical situation, we like to think the best of ourselves, like, I would be the one to run back into the burning building to save someone else. That is an extreme example, but I don't think it's easy to admit to ourselves (that is three "ourselves" in a very short period of time, surely I could have written that better/differently) that maybe we're not as good or heroic or faithful as we think we are. Maybe we run screaming from the burning building. That has been my experience at least.
When we have challenges with which we are faced, it tends to be rather difficult, at least for me, to see beyond the challenge, and myself, to the world around me. I think it is a daily struggle for me not to be selfish and think that the world should concern itself with my troubles and worries and fears. Fortunately for everyone else, that isn't how it works. You all have your own struggles and worries and fears, why should you be bothered with mine. And I guess that is one of the aspects of the gospel that I appreciate the most. We can be bogged down with life's daily woes, but as we put our trials aside and seek to alleviate the burdens of those around us, we realize that our problems may not be nearly as bad as we thought. We gain perspective and understanding, that indeed we are not alone. We can be united in our trials, even though they may be individual and personal. I fear that too often I refuse the power of the atonement, because I make the same mistake as the Israelites of old. I stumble over the rock that was placed in front of me for stability, while looking for the expected miracle up ahead.
Going back to the parent thing. My struggle right now is about having enough faith to step into the darkness, to move forward not knowing the end from the beginning. I'd like to think of myself as a good, faithful person, but when faced with the reality of life, in this situation, I find myself lacking. I'm scared to go forward into the dark. I want assurances. We have been talking more and more about adoption vs. fertility and which direction to pursue at this point. I have conflicting emotions with regards to both topics. Add to that the fact that I have the capacity to think something to death and then think about it some more before making a decision and that is where I have been stuck. Lisa has accepted where we are much quicker than I. She is more willing to trust in a loving Heavenly Father's care that everything will work out. I know that it will work out, I just want to know what that "work out" ends up being. I do believe that things will be great. It is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason. But there is a difference between saying that and actually living that, and that difference is faith. The wonderful Italians have a great saying for this, "Fra il dire e il fare c’รจ di mezzo il mare."
When we have challenges with which we are faced, it tends to be rather difficult, at least for me, to see beyond the challenge, and myself, to the world around me. I think it is a daily struggle for me not to be selfish and think that the world should concern itself with my troubles and worries and fears. Fortunately for everyone else, that isn't how it works. You all have your own struggles and worries and fears, why should you be bothered with mine. And I guess that is one of the aspects of the gospel that I appreciate the most. We can be bogged down with life's daily woes, but as we put our trials aside and seek to alleviate the burdens of those around us, we realize that our problems may not be nearly as bad as we thought. We gain perspective and understanding, that indeed we are not alone. We can be united in our trials, even though they may be individual and personal. I fear that too often I refuse the power of the atonement, because I make the same mistake as the Israelites of old. I stumble over the rock that was placed in front of me for stability, while looking for the expected miracle up ahead.
Going back to the parent thing. My struggle right now is about having enough faith to step into the darkness, to move forward not knowing the end from the beginning. I'd like to think of myself as a good, faithful person, but when faced with the reality of life, in this situation, I find myself lacking. I'm scared to go forward into the dark. I want assurances. We have been talking more and more about adoption vs. fertility and which direction to pursue at this point. I have conflicting emotions with regards to both topics. Add to that the fact that I have the capacity to think something to death and then think about it some more before making a decision and that is where I have been stuck. Lisa has accepted where we are much quicker than I. She is more willing to trust in a loving Heavenly Father's care that everything will work out. I know that it will work out, I just want to know what that "work out" ends up being. I do believe that things will be great. It is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason. But there is a difference between saying that and actually living that, and that difference is faith. The wonderful Italians have a great saying for this, "Fra il dire e il fare c’รจ di mezzo il mare."
Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.
Mark 9:24
11.2.09
Dreams of Italy
I was looking through some photos the other day that we had taken on our trip to Italy a few years ago, and started dreaming of going again. One of my favorite places in Italy is Cinque Terre (the five lands) on the Italian Riviera between La Spezia and Genova. I apologize upfront for the wordy story that I'm about to embark on. You've been warned.
As we were waiting out a train strike in the Florence train station, I made some calls to B&B's in Vernazza hoping to find some deals and get us a room for the next couple of days. The last person I spoke with was a gruff old Italian guy who said his wife, Barbara, was the one who ran the rooms and he didn't want to be bothered with it as she was out doing the shopping. He said he thought that they had a room available and that I should call back later. I told him to tell his wife that "Cristoforo" wanted a room for two for two nights, and that I would try and call back later. We soon boarded a train and headed out. During some of the stops, I tried more phone calls, but to no avail. I wasn't too worried however, as I thought that we would be able to get to Vernazza, a tiny town of about 500 and ask around for a room for a couple of nights. When we finally got there around 7pm, I had Lisa sit with our luggage on a bench just below the train station while I went in search of lodging. I asked several people about rooms and was directed all over the tiny town, but the only thing I found was a room for one night, and then we would have to renew the search the next day. As I trudged back up the road (it was only about 100 yards long, so there wasn't too much trudging that transpired) I saw that Lisa was surrounded by a group of the town gossips (older individuals) who were all talking to her. Before I could say anything about my failed attempt to get us a good deal, she said that one of the lady's there had a room that we could use! She thought it was pretty funny that I had run all over looking, but she was the one to find us a room just by sitting down. Go figure. So we walk with this nice lady through fabulously narrow streets to their apartment up a set of steep stairs.
After dragging our luggage up, she showed us around and it was quite nice. The location was fine, it was really clean and best of all it was private from the rest of her apartment with our own lock and key. We gladly said yes to the deal and set about signing her little contract and paying for the room. As we were winding down, I asked for a recommendation to eat that night and she sent us to an exquisite little place right up from the water. As we were walking down the stairs, she called out after us what our names were as we hadn't properly introduced ourselves. I said that my name was Cristoforo and my wife was Lisa. The lady let out a yelp and said, "I'm Barbara!!!" We confirmed that she was the same lady I had tried calling earlier and that her husband had indeed said that Cristoforo had called and wanted a room. She said that when she talked with my wife she was hesitant at first to give us the room because she felt that it was semi-reserved for Cristoforo, but since she hadn't heard anything else from him, she didn't want to lose out on a sure customer. As fate would have it, she was able to get the walk up customer, us, and fulfill the semi-reservation, also us. She called it destiny, we agreed, had a good laugh and walked out to dinner.
While in Vernazza, we did a lot of sitting on rocks looking out on the Mediterranean, eating gelato, focaccia, juicy peaches and hiking, all interspersed with picture taking. Our last night there, we went to another restaurant recommended by our destiny believing hostess, but they were full and so directed us to a sister restaurant the just happened to be situated in a tower on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea, at the bottom of which, there were waves crashing conveniently for dramatic/romantic effect. At the top of the tower we were seated right in the middle, with absolutely no view of anything except the other diners. After taking our orders however, or waiter came over and asked if we could be bothered to move to one of the tables with a dazzling view of the ocean and waves and coastline, because the couple currently seated there were nervous about a seagull that was perched close by.
He also mentioned that they would be sure to compensate us for the inconvenience and again apologized for bothering us. Oh how dreadful to be moved closer to the beautiful scenery and smells and setting sun. We made the best of the situation however and suffered through it. Our compensation ended up being a free dish, the house specialty that we had originally wanted to get but didn't because of a desire to have money to eat for the next few days. It was a spaghetti dish with a very light sauce and covered with that morning's catch of clams, mussels, and shrimp. It was easily the best meal either of us has ever eaten and we still talk about it to this day with sighs and "...Oh wouldn't that be so good right now..." thoughts.
Our short time in Vernazza seemed touched with magic, and looking back was simply amazing. Incredible. I want to go back.
It's a little fuzzy, but I love this picture of Lisa our first night in Vernazza with all of the lights and the little harbor behind her.
3.2.09
21.1.09
Freaky Friday
This post is not for the faint of heart. It is long. I whine. Sorry dad, but I think that this is something to whine about and yes I would like some cheese to go with that whine. That being said,
After about a week, I can laugh a little about Friday. The day just started out wrong. We were traveling to Logan, Utah for my grandfather's memorial service that started Saturday at 11am. We woke up at 3am (1am Logan, Utah Time - LUT) and got ready and drove to the airport for our 5:30 am (3:30 am LUT) flight. Because of the need to get the tickets somewhat last minute and searching for a reasonable deal, our travel plans literally had us going all over the US. Rochester - Philadelphia - San Diego - Salt Lake City - then a nice drive up to Logan. Just a side note, when we left Rochester it was a whopping 1-2 degrees. Really cold. It was great to see the palm trees in San Diego and quite depressing to leave them again just 50 minutes (and a tasty California Pizza Kitchen original BBQ Chicken Pizza) later.
After nearly an eternity (10 hours and 46 minutes total travel time according to Expedia.com) we arrived in Salt Lake City and went to pick up our bag. I remember thinking as we checked in that Friday morning was the first time I'd ever had to pay for a checked bag and wouldn't it be ironic if that would be the first time I'd lose my luggage while traveling. Thank you Alanis Morissette. So you have probably already guessed that our bag didn't arrive when we did. So after waiting about an hour in hopes that the bag (with all of our clothes for the memorial) would magically appear, I went to the Delta Baggage office and politely asked the nice lady what the $%@# had happened to my bag. She said that it hadn't made the connection in San Diego and that it would be put on the next flight and get to SLC by 4pm LUT. When she said this, it was about 3pm LUT. We were promised that the bag would be delivered to Lisa's sister's apartment in SLC by the time my sister picked us up to take us to Logan, at about 7pm LUT, blah blah blah (this is called foreshadowing, thank you Mr. Forsythe).
So Lisa's sister Jessie picked us up and took us to their apartment and we had fun seeing them and talking and playing with their daughter Penelope. I called the baggage claim area to make sure that my bag had made it in and was indeed shipped out as promised. Jimmy answered the phone (we became friends over the next 7 hours - more foreshadowing) and said that the lady we had been so lucky to speak with earlier had basically been lying through her teeth until her shift ended. At least, that was how it felt. He said that there was no way we would get our bag before we left for Logan, and that in fact the bag hadn't left San Diego for SLC yet. Great. We decided to make the most of our time and head to Cafe Rio (there is a distinct lack of Tex-Mex type food in the Rochester area, we constantly crave it). At this point in the story, please refer to my previous post, item 87. Near the end of munching my enchilada style pork burrito, a sick, sadly familiar feeling came over me as I tried desperately to wash down the latest bite. It wouldn't go down. I won't go into details, but I tried everything that I could to get the food out of my throat. For those of you that are wondering what I'm talking about, I have a esophageal stricture and my throat reacts like it is allergic to the food even though that it is not, causing it to clamp down. Shut off. Nothing goes down. Food Impaction.
So now we don't have our luggage, I can't swallow, and my grandfather's funeral is the next morning at 11am LUT. The throat thing has happened to me four other times and every other time, an endoscopy has been necessary to remove the food from my throat. The first time that this happened was quite the event that involved a male nurse throwing up and passing out while trying to pass a tube through my nose, down my throat and into my stomach. Not fun (thanks for being there Rose). I was really looking forward to the rest of the evening at this point. The only question was whether to go to the hospital in SLC or Logan. We opted to go to Logan because besides the constant heartburn feeling in my chest and not being able to swallow - anything - including saliva, I was basically fine.
Katie picks us up and off we go to Logan. The drive was nice (except for the not being able to swallow part) and it was good to talk with my sister. We got to the motel and we said our round of hello's before heading off to the hospital in Logan. At the hospital, the poor guy entering our info in the ER was having lots and lots of trouble typing in names and numbers. Maybe it was just late or maybe he was just new, but poor Ethan was struggling. I should mention at this point that Jimmy from Delta baggage was phoning me on a regular basis giving me updates. None of them good. It appears that the bag went off of the grid in Philadelphia and he had no idea where it was or what had happened to it. He also wasn't very positive about being able to locate it's whereabouts until it was scanned again. Yippee.
We are at last admitted to the ER and I am getting myself mentally ready for the IV (Please see item 2) and an endoscopy. I was glad that Lisa was there, as well as my mom. We were all laughing because by this point we had reached the punch drunk exhaustion stage, where movies like Dumb & Dumber become funny for normal, mature people (I think that it's funny all of the time). When the ER doctor came in, I tried my best to talk him into skipping all of the tests that are usually run and jump straight to the endoscopy, after all, we now know that I have more than a little experience in this department. Well it turns out that the doctor had some experience as well, probably more than mine, and didn't listen to me. He said he thought that they could relax my throat and force some water down to clear the impaction site (sounds important). However, a lack of endoscopy didn't save me from a needle. The medicine was given through an IV, but that was OK, I had already mentally prepared for it. What I hadn't prepared for, was after the nurse said, "You'll feel a little pinch," I felt some digging as well. Because it helps me to look away, I was looking at my support group as they watched the nurse search for a vein. Their facial expressions let me know that the pain I was feeling in my arm wasn't normal (in Italian, hanno fatto una smorfia) and that the nurse was struggling. Mercifully a vein was found and the blessed drug was administered to relax my throat. I was also given a nitroglycerin pill to open arteries. After about eight minutes, they had me drink two big glasses of water, my throat opened up like the Red Sea and the impacted food made it to the promised land. Hallelujah!
We checked out, with a copy of exactly what the doctor had done (minus the needle digging in my arm part) so that as future battles against my throat occur, I will be better armed for combat. Jimmy called and said that our long lost and most beloved bag had just arrived in San Diego. We were told that after spending the night in the beautiful San Diego weather, our bag would catch the earliest flight into SLC and they would deliver it to the front desk of the motel in Logan, but no way would it be in time for the service. On the way back to the motel we decided that our best bet would be to seek out the blessings of retail giant Wal-Mart and purchase new clothes and bathroom essentials for the memorial service. That way we wouldn't look or smell too funny, especially as I going to be singing with my siblings in front of everyone. Finally arriving back at the motel around 1am LUT (having been up for 24 hours at this point) our fateful day was ended and we crash landed into slumberville.
EPILOGUE:
In the end, it all turned out reasonably well. We got our luggage on Sunday morning at 9am LUT and we discovered a better treatment for my weird throat. It was also great to see family and be together. It was the first time since July 2005 that the entire Packer family was all in one place. I'll post some pics of us all later. Thanks for reading.
After about a week, I can laugh a little about Friday. The day just started out wrong. We were traveling to Logan, Utah for my grandfather's memorial service that started Saturday at 11am. We woke up at 3am (1am Logan, Utah Time - LUT) and got ready and drove to the airport for our 5:30 am (3:30 am LUT) flight. Because of the need to get the tickets somewhat last minute and searching for a reasonable deal, our travel plans literally had us going all over the US. Rochester - Philadelphia - San Diego - Salt Lake City - then a nice drive up to Logan. Just a side note, when we left Rochester it was a whopping 1-2 degrees. Really cold. It was great to see the palm trees in San Diego and quite depressing to leave them again just 50 minutes (and a tasty California Pizza Kitchen original BBQ Chicken Pizza) later.
After nearly an eternity (10 hours and 46 minutes total travel time according to Expedia.com) we arrived in Salt Lake City and went to pick up our bag. I remember thinking as we checked in that Friday morning was the first time I'd ever had to pay for a checked bag and wouldn't it be ironic if that would be the first time I'd lose my luggage while traveling. Thank you Alanis Morissette. So you have probably already guessed that our bag didn't arrive when we did. So after waiting about an hour in hopes that the bag (with all of our clothes for the memorial) would magically appear, I went to the Delta Baggage office and politely asked the nice lady what the $%@# had happened to my bag. She said that it hadn't made the connection in San Diego and that it would be put on the next flight and get to SLC by 4pm LUT. When she said this, it was about 3pm LUT. We were promised that the bag would be delivered to Lisa's sister's apartment in SLC by the time my sister picked us up to take us to Logan, at about 7pm LUT, blah blah blah (this is called foreshadowing, thank you Mr. Forsythe).
So Lisa's sister Jessie picked us up and took us to their apartment and we had fun seeing them and talking and playing with their daughter Penelope. I called the baggage claim area to make sure that my bag had made it in and was indeed shipped out as promised. Jimmy answered the phone (we became friends over the next 7 hours - more foreshadowing) and said that the lady we had been so lucky to speak with earlier had basically been lying through her teeth until her shift ended. At least, that was how it felt. He said that there was no way we would get our bag before we left for Logan, and that in fact the bag hadn't left San Diego for SLC yet. Great. We decided to make the most of our time and head to Cafe Rio (there is a distinct lack of Tex-Mex type food in the Rochester area, we constantly crave it). At this point in the story, please refer to my previous post, item 87. Near the end of munching my enchilada style pork burrito, a sick, sadly familiar feeling came over me as I tried desperately to wash down the latest bite. It wouldn't go down. I won't go into details, but I tried everything that I could to get the food out of my throat. For those of you that are wondering what I'm talking about, I have a esophageal stricture and my throat reacts like it is allergic to the food even though that it is not, causing it to clamp down. Shut off. Nothing goes down. Food Impaction.
So now we don't have our luggage, I can't swallow, and my grandfather's funeral is the next morning at 11am LUT. The throat thing has happened to me four other times and every other time, an endoscopy has been necessary to remove the food from my throat. The first time that this happened was quite the event that involved a male nurse throwing up and passing out while trying to pass a tube through my nose, down my throat and into my stomach. Not fun (thanks for being there Rose). I was really looking forward to the rest of the evening at this point. The only question was whether to go to the hospital in SLC or Logan. We opted to go to Logan because besides the constant heartburn feeling in my chest and not being able to swallow - anything - including saliva, I was basically fine.
Katie picks us up and off we go to Logan. The drive was nice (except for the not being able to swallow part) and it was good to talk with my sister. We got to the motel and we said our round of hello's before heading off to the hospital in Logan. At the hospital, the poor guy entering our info in the ER was having lots and lots of trouble typing in names and numbers. Maybe it was just late or maybe he was just new, but poor Ethan was struggling. I should mention at this point that Jimmy from Delta baggage was phoning me on a regular basis giving me updates. None of them good. It appears that the bag went off of the grid in Philadelphia and he had no idea where it was or what had happened to it. He also wasn't very positive about being able to locate it's whereabouts until it was scanned again. Yippee.
We are at last admitted to the ER and I am getting myself mentally ready for the IV (Please see item 2) and an endoscopy. I was glad that Lisa was there, as well as my mom. We were all laughing because by this point we had reached the punch drunk exhaustion stage, where movies like Dumb & Dumber become funny for normal, mature people (I think that it's funny all of the time). When the ER doctor came in, I tried my best to talk him into skipping all of the tests that are usually run and jump straight to the endoscopy, after all, we now know that I have more than a little experience in this department. Well it turns out that the doctor had some experience as well, probably more than mine, and didn't listen to me. He said he thought that they could relax my throat and force some water down to clear the impaction site (sounds important). However, a lack of endoscopy didn't save me from a needle. The medicine was given through an IV, but that was OK, I had already mentally prepared for it. What I hadn't prepared for, was after the nurse said, "You'll feel a little pinch," I felt some digging as well. Because it helps me to look away, I was looking at my support group as they watched the nurse search for a vein. Their facial expressions let me know that the pain I was feeling in my arm wasn't normal (in Italian, hanno fatto una smorfia) and that the nurse was struggling. Mercifully a vein was found and the blessed drug was administered to relax my throat. I was also given a nitroglycerin pill to open arteries. After about eight minutes, they had me drink two big glasses of water, my throat opened up like the Red Sea and the impacted food made it to the promised land. Hallelujah!
We checked out, with a copy of exactly what the doctor had done (minus the needle digging in my arm part) so that as future battles against my throat occur, I will be better armed for combat. Jimmy called and said that our long lost and most beloved bag had just arrived in San Diego. We were told that after spending the night in the beautiful San Diego weather, our bag would catch the earliest flight into SLC and they would deliver it to the front desk of the motel in Logan, but no way would it be in time for the service. On the way back to the motel we decided that our best bet would be to seek out the blessings of retail giant Wal-Mart and purchase new clothes and bathroom essentials for the memorial service. That way we wouldn't look or smell too funny, especially as I going to be singing with my siblings in front of everyone. Finally arriving back at the motel around 1am LUT (having been up for 24 hours at this point) our fateful day was ended and we crash landed into slumberville.
EPILOGUE:
In the end, it all turned out reasonably well. We got our luggage on Sunday morning at 9am LUT and we discovered a better treatment for my weird throat. It was also great to see family and be together. It was the first time since July 2005 that the entire Packer family was all in one place. I'll post some pics of us all later. Thanks for reading.
13.1.09
I Want To Talk About Me
My wife did this and has been telling me I need to do it as well. I'm not sure if I can come up with 100 things about me, but I'll try for some random things that most people probably don't know about me. For those of you who don't think that I can come up with 100 interesting things about myself. . . your probably right.
1. I have a slight obsession with the Wyoming Cowboys.
2. I have a more than slight fear of needles - especially for giving blood. It isn't about the pain, but just the thought of what is happening. It gives me the heeby-jeebies.
3. The last knuckle of my left pinkie finger doesn't bend.
4. I love being able to speak Italian.
5. I miss mountains.
6. I miss my dog Alex.
7. I have a minor fear of flying. But I guess if I was ever in a plane crash, it would probably be a fairly pain-free way to go.
8. I don't like bugs.
9. I pop my knuckles.
10. I used to have the best "horse" shot in basketball at the old Institute Building in Laramie. Off the wall, off the ceiling. . . nothing but net.
11. I like to sing along to songs that I know. I have a hard time just listening to music.
12. I like lazy Saturday mornings.
13. I like the number 13.
14. I'm lactose intolerant. Other than that, I think I'm fairly open minded.
15. I think that I'm funny when I tell dumb jokes or say dumb things.
16. I want to live in Lombardia.
17. When I was a little kid, I wasn't cute, but I had lots of "character". I've managed to increase that character over the years through good quality character building experiences.
18. I know all the words to "American Pie" - the song, not the movie.
19. I miss playing sports competitively.
20. I'm a bookworm. If you know me, you already knew that. It started out with Louis L'Amour westerns, then morphed into SciFi/Fantasy and has now moved on to anything that interests me. So if you have suggestions, I'm open to most everything.
21. I say funny things like "used to could" or "more funny" and it sounds right.
22. I can't ice skate at all. Not even a little.
23. I once told my wife that she has no hand-eye coordination, and she still loves me.
24. I don't really like board games. Just not my cup of tea. I think that I get too intense and a little too competitive when I play them anyway.
25. I think that I make better Italian food then most restaurants I've been in.
26. I'm married to Miss Congeniality. Really. I'm not lying. She was. Our friends the Kenyons have seen the video. If you don't believe me, ask Lisa. I'd offer to let you watch the video, but when I mentioned it to Lisa, she nixed the idea rather quickly.
27. I married up.
28. I think that because I have a needle phobia, I go to the hospital more than most people. I've had weird medical things happen to me, especially in the last five years. It's not my fault either, they just happen to me.
29. I read Pride and Prejudice and thought that it was really funny.
30. I don't think that I'm squeamish, but I don't like the sight of blood too terribly much. Every once in a while, we'll be watching TV and Lisa will pause on the Discovery Health Channel just as they are eviscerating some poor mother to get the baby out. I have to cover my eyes.
31. I'm glad I'm a guy. I'm not tough enough to be a girl.
32. I've had three concussions. . . I think.
33. I'm a homebody and have turned my wife into one as well.
34. I still think that I'm about 18-19 years old.
35. My body knows that it isn't 18-19 years old.
36. I have hand-stitched a quilt.
37. I like food. A lot. All different kinds of it.
38. I wish I could play the guitar.
39. I once ran down Grand Avenue in Laramie (at least for a few blocks) with my tennis shoes on. Try not to let your imaginations run too wild.
40. I like my job, most of the time.
41. I shot spit wads in Jr. High School gym class. Sorry Mr. Berg.
42. There is not much better in life than hitting the sweet spot on a bat, throwing a perfect spiral, or pulling up and hitting nothing but net on a jump shot.
43. I've learned that the secret to fishing is holding your mouth right.
44. I know you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
45. The only speeding ticket I ever got was with Brandon Ross, coming back from the temple.
46. I couldn't sell home security systems to save my life.
47. If given the choice between real food and dessert, I think I'd choose real food 90% of the time.
48. I carry on conversations with myself in my head, in Italian.
49. I wish I could read music. That would make piano playing so much easier. Right now I have to memorize everything that I play.
50. I'm proud to be from Wyoming.
51. I would like to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese and Farsi. Maybe Japanese as well. Arabic anyone?
52. I wish that I had the means and the time to travel wherever I so desire.
53. I really want to be a dad.
54. I'm rather proud and think highly of myself. I have this problem in that I always think that I'm right, except for once when I thought I was wrong, but I was actually right (another classic example of me thinking I'm funny).
55. I've thrown passes to a Belitnikoff award winner.
56. I think that I'm a quick learner.
57. I have mad ping-pong skills.
58. I once drove a golf ball 375 yards with a typical Laramie tail wind helping.
59. Speaking of golf, I once drove the green and eagled a par-5 on the back nine of the Lander golf course. It was during a warm spell in December about seven years ago, so there was no snow on the ground, but the pond was frozen over. I bounced the drive off of the ice and on to the green.
60. I come from a good family.
61. I've cried many times in my life, most of them because of some sort of sporting event.
62. I like Deep Thoughts.
63. I think that it is rather sad that I can quote random dumb movies better than I can quote scriptures.
64. I wish that Calvin & Hobbes was still going strong.
65. I think my wife is great. I also think it's great that she thinks I'm great.
66. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
67. I'm not a huge fan of eating fish, except for sushi. Weird.
68. Sometimes I think that I'm too laid back for my own good.
69. I'm allergic to animal dander.
70. I've never been cow-tipping. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the state-sponsored sport of Wyoming.
71. I'm not a fan of the authentic, Rochester-only garbage plate.
72. I'm not a big texter.
73. I'm somewhat scared of the dark.
74. One of the things I like best about owning a house is mowing the lawn.
75. I have a rock from the top of Wind River Peak that sits on my desk at work. It surprisingly is not a great conversation starter, mostly people look at it and then give me a funny look.
76. I know that I weigh more than I should, but I'm working on that.
77. It has taken me nearly three days to come up with this list so far.
78. I think that in general I am a happy, easy-going person. It is pretty rare that I really let something get to me. I think that I have been blessed with the ability to assume the best of people, even when they probably don't deserve it.
79. I think that I could talk for five days straight about Italy.
80. Tack on another three days if the conversation turns to Italian food.
81. I'm full of dumb sayings (gathered from Brandon Smith) that just tend to come out. When that happens at work, I get some weird looks. It seems like I get weird looks at work quite often. I guess I'm just the weird kid from Wyoming.
82. I might be the only person in Rochester that doesn't think winter is that bad. I mean, I spent five of them in Laramie. That should have prepared me well for anything, and not just education-wise.
83. When I get bored at church, I count things. Ceiling tiles, bald people. . . if it can be counted, then I have counted it.
84. My wife doesn't like it when I wink at her while I'm sitting up on the stand during church meetings. I think it's funny.
85. I like happy endings.
86. I wish that I had done a musical in high school.
87. I've had five endoscopies in the last six years. It's been 18 months since the last one. I'm due. Sorry Lisa. Maybe I could talk to the hospital and I could get a punch card, like buy nine and get the tenth for free.
88. I like to be in control, or at least feel like I have some grasp on any given situation. I have a hard time just letting myself go.
89. I think that I could still pick up a recorder and play "Hot Cross Buns".
90. One of the talents that I have been given is to be able to sleep on command. I know this drives Lisa nuts sometimes because I can just put everything out of my head and go to sleep at the drop of a hat. More than a few people have said that in this regard I am like a dog. I take that as a compliment.
91. Speaking of sleep, I can go from dead asleep to completely coherent in about .0001 seconds. This seems to mystify my wife. She can get up in the middle of the night with me snoring away (more like a bear at this point than a dog, at least that is what I've been told) and .0001 seconds later, I ask, sans sleepy voice, "Are you alright?"
92. In my office at work, I have a picture of Wyoming mountains, a picture of the 1996 Wyoming Cowboy Football Team, a Wyoming Cowboy Banner, a photo of my grandfather Packer's WWII bomber, and three pictures of different areas of Italy up on the walls.
93. I love learning Italian. I can sit down and read an Italian dictionary and count that as a good time. My wife would tell me at this point that I'm a dork.
94. I'm not the most organized person, but Lisa is. Don't worry, I'm slowly bringing her over to the dark side.
95. I have been snipe hunting. I have also been a guide for those hunting the elusive creature.
96. I think that I could write a book. In fact I've started several.
97. I've been accused by several people of liking the sound of my own voice. Alas, it is true.
98. I could easily spend an entire day doing nothing but reading a book.
99. I'd have to say that an insalata caprese is one of the most simple yet tasty treats in existence.
100. I occasionally have dreams that I'm still playing football. It is somewhat disappointing when I wake up and realize that I'm not.
1. I have a slight obsession with the Wyoming Cowboys.2. I have a more than slight fear of needles - especially for giving blood. It isn't about the pain, but just the thought of what is happening. It gives me the heeby-jeebies.
3. The last knuckle of my left pinkie finger doesn't bend.
4. I love being able to speak Italian.
5. I miss mountains.
6. I miss my dog Alex.
7. I have a minor fear of flying. But I guess if I was ever in a plane crash, it would probably be a fairly pain-free way to go.
8. I don't like bugs.
9. I pop my knuckles.
10. I used to have the best "horse" shot in basketball at the old Institute Building in Laramie. Off the wall, off the ceiling. . . nothing but net.
11. I like to sing along to songs that I know. I have a hard time just listening to music.
12. I like lazy Saturday mornings.
13. I like the number 13.
14. I'm lactose intolerant. Other than that, I think I'm fairly open minded.
15. I think that I'm funny when I tell dumb jokes or say dumb things.
16. I want to live in Lombardia.
17. When I was a little kid, I wasn't cute, but I had lots of "character". I've managed to increase that character over the years through good quality character building experiences.
18. I know all the words to "American Pie" - the song, not the movie.
19. I miss playing sports competitively.
20. I'm a bookworm. If you know me, you already knew that. It started out with Louis L'Amour westerns, then morphed into SciFi/Fantasy and has now moved on to anything that interests me. So if you have suggestions, I'm open to most everything.
21. I say funny things like "used to could" or "more funny" and it sounds right.
22. I can't ice skate at all. Not even a little.
23. I once told my wife that she has no hand-eye coordination, and she still loves me.
24. I don't really like board games. Just not my cup of tea. I think that I get too intense and a little too competitive when I play them anyway.
25. I think that I make better Italian food then most restaurants I've been in.
26. I'm married to Miss Congeniality. Really. I'm not lying. She was. Our friends the Kenyons have seen the video. If you don't believe me, ask Lisa. I'd offer to let you watch the video, but when I mentioned it to Lisa, she nixed the idea rather quickly.
27. I married up.
28. I think that because I have a needle phobia, I go to the hospital more than most people. I've had weird medical things happen to me, especially in the last five years. It's not my fault either, they just happen to me.
29. I read Pride and Prejudice and thought that it was really funny.
30. I don't think that I'm squeamish, but I don't like the sight of blood too terribly much. Every once in a while, we'll be watching TV and Lisa will pause on the Discovery Health Channel just as they are eviscerating some poor mother to get the baby out. I have to cover my eyes.
31. I'm glad I'm a guy. I'm not tough enough to be a girl.
32. I've had three concussions. . . I think.
33. I'm a homebody and have turned my wife into one as well.
34. I still think that I'm about 18-19 years old.
35. My body knows that it isn't 18-19 years old.
36. I have hand-stitched a quilt.
37. I like food. A lot. All different kinds of it.
38. I wish I could play the guitar.
39. I once ran down Grand Avenue in Laramie (at least for a few blocks) with my tennis shoes on. Try not to let your imaginations run too wild.
40. I like my job, most of the time.
41. I shot spit wads in Jr. High School gym class. Sorry Mr. Berg.
42. There is not much better in life than hitting the sweet spot on a bat, throwing a perfect spiral, or pulling up and hitting nothing but net on a jump shot.
43. I've learned that the secret to fishing is holding your mouth right.
44. I know you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
45. The only speeding ticket I ever got was with Brandon Ross, coming back from the temple.
46. I couldn't sell home security systems to save my life.
47. If given the choice between real food and dessert, I think I'd choose real food 90% of the time.
48. I carry on conversations with myself in my head, in Italian.
49. I wish I could read music. That would make piano playing so much easier. Right now I have to memorize everything that I play.
50. I'm proud to be from Wyoming.
51. I would like to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese and Farsi. Maybe Japanese as well. Arabic anyone?
52. I wish that I had the means and the time to travel wherever I so desire.
53. I really want to be a dad.
54. I'm rather proud and think highly of myself. I have this problem in that I always think that I'm right, except for once when I thought I was wrong, but I was actually right (another classic example of me thinking I'm funny).
55. I've thrown passes to a Belitnikoff award winner.
56. I think that I'm a quick learner.
57. I have mad ping-pong skills.
58. I once drove a golf ball 375 yards with a typical Laramie tail wind helping.
59. Speaking of golf, I once drove the green and eagled a par-5 on the back nine of the Lander golf course. It was during a warm spell in December about seven years ago, so there was no snow on the ground, but the pond was frozen over. I bounced the drive off of the ice and on to the green.
60. I come from a good family.
61. I've cried many times in my life, most of them because of some sort of sporting event.
62. I like Deep Thoughts.
63. I think that it is rather sad that I can quote random dumb movies better than I can quote scriptures.
64. I wish that Calvin & Hobbes was still going strong.65. I think my wife is great. I also think it's great that she thinks I'm great.66. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
67. I'm not a huge fan of eating fish, except for sushi. Weird.
68. Sometimes I think that I'm too laid back for my own good.
69. I'm allergic to animal dander.
70. I've never been cow-tipping. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the state-sponsored sport of Wyoming.
71. I'm not a fan of the authentic, Rochester-only garbage plate.
72. I'm not a big texter.
73. I'm somewhat scared of the dark.
74. One of the things I like best about owning a house is mowing the lawn.
75. I have a rock from the top of Wind River Peak that sits on my desk at work. It surprisingly is not a great conversation starter, mostly people look at it and then give me a funny look.
76. I know that I weigh more than I should, but I'm working on that.
77. It has taken me nearly three days to come up with this list so far.
78. I think that in general I am a happy, easy-going person. It is pretty rare that I really let something get to me. I think that I have been blessed with the ability to assume the best of people, even when they probably don't deserve it.
79. I think that I could talk for five days straight about Italy.
80. Tack on another three days if the conversation turns to Italian food.
81. I'm full of dumb sayings (gathered from Brandon Smith) that just tend to come out. When that happens at work, I get some weird looks. It seems like I get weird looks at work quite often. I guess I'm just the weird kid from Wyoming.
82. I might be the only person in Rochester that doesn't think winter is that bad. I mean, I spent five of them in Laramie. That should have prepared me well for anything, and not just education-wise.
83. When I get bored at church, I count things. Ceiling tiles, bald people. . . if it can be counted, then I have counted it.
84. My wife doesn't like it when I wink at her while I'm sitting up on the stand during church meetings. I think it's funny.
85. I like happy endings.
86. I wish that I had done a musical in high school.
87. I've had five endoscopies in the last six years. It's been 18 months since the last one. I'm due. Sorry Lisa. Maybe I could talk to the hospital and I could get a punch card, like buy nine and get the tenth for free.
88. I like to be in control, or at least feel like I have some grasp on any given situation. I have a hard time just letting myself go.
89. I think that I could still pick up a recorder and play "Hot Cross Buns".
90. One of the talents that I have been given is to be able to sleep on command. I know this drives Lisa nuts sometimes because I can just put everything out of my head and go to sleep at the drop of a hat. More than a few people have said that in this regard I am like a dog. I take that as a compliment.
91. Speaking of sleep, I can go from dead asleep to completely coherent in about .0001 seconds. This seems to mystify my wife. She can get up in the middle of the night with me snoring away (more like a bear at this point than a dog, at least that is what I've been told) and .0001 seconds later, I ask, sans sleepy voice, "Are you alright?"
92. In my office at work, I have a picture of Wyoming mountains, a picture of the 1996 Wyoming Cowboy Football Team, a Wyoming Cowboy Banner, a photo of my grandfather Packer's WWII bomber, and three pictures of different areas of Italy up on the walls.
93. I love learning Italian. I can sit down and read an Italian dictionary and count that as a good time. My wife would tell me at this point that I'm a dork.
94. I'm not the most organized person, but Lisa is. Don't worry, I'm slowly bringing her over to the dark side.
95. I have been snipe hunting. I have also been a guide for those hunting the elusive creature.
96. I think that I could write a book. In fact I've started several.
97. I've been accused by several people of liking the sound of my own voice. Alas, it is true.
98. I could easily spend an entire day doing nothing but reading a book.
99. I'd have to say that an insalata caprese is one of the most simple yet tasty treats in existence.
100. I occasionally have dreams that I'm still playing football. It is somewhat disappointing when I wake up and realize that I'm not.
7.1.09
Holidays
Over the holidays, Lisa and I drove to Washington D.C. to visit our friends the Kenyons. It was great to see them, and even though it had been three years, it seemed as if no time had passed. We spent some marathon days being tourists in our nation's capital and catching up on life.
Here are the Kenyons and I with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. This was right after Michelle got some good quality bird fertilizer on her sister-in-laws nice leather coat.
Here are the Kenyons and I with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. This was right after Michelle got some good quality bird fertilizer on her sister-in-laws nice leather coat. Lisa at the base of the Washington Monument, looking towards the reflection pool.
After we got back to our beloved Rochester, we spent some good quality time in relaxation mode, not accomplishing too much. In all of our laziness, we did manage to paint our bedroom and start rearranging three other rooms. It's a work in progress, but it looks good. Happy New Year all.
22.12.08
Christmas Shopping Slendor
On Saturday Lisa and I went to a wedding reception for a couple from the branch out in Palmyra. Since we were out that way, we figured that we would go to Eastview Mall down in Victor to finish out our Christmas shopping. The Eastview Mall is rather large and this time of year it is particularly crazy. We figured that we could go in fast, get what we needed and get out without too much trouble. What we hadn't factored in was all of the snow that fell the day before, and all of the snow that was supposed to fall the next day. Combine that with the fact that this was the last weekend to shop before Christmas, and people were trying to squeeze it all into one day. We got in, got what we wanted, even made a stop at Yogen Fruz. The problems started when we wanted to leave. . . similar to the Hotel California. We got into the car at 5:15 and following the route in red below, we got to the main highway at 7:00. As we were cruising past Macy's, I even had time to run in for a pit stop due to the lengthy commute getting out of the mall parking lot.
10.12.08
Calvin or Chris???
I think my wife would agree that this cartoon could very easily be about me instead of Calvin.
Addendum
It should be noted that on the post from yesterday, it is not entirely outside the realm of possibility that I ask my wife a question like she thought I was asking. Just thought I'd throw that semi-retraction out there to all of my dedicated readers because my dear wife brought to my attention that by virtue of me being me, I've given her quite a bit more material of this sort to work with in our five years of marriage than the other way around. Furthermore, if I were to continue on in this same vein, she would be left with little choice but to start bringing up things about me.
I would lose that fight. Badly.
I would lose that fight. Badly.
9.12.08
Running on Empty
Lisa has left me for a few days to go to Cortland, NY for a conference/training for work. Neither of us got a lot of sleep last night, hence the title of the post, and it has already started to take it's toll, especially on Lisa. She just called me on one of her breaks, and I asked her if she was learning anything. There was a pause on her part, and then she asked, "What kind of question is that??!!?" That drew a blank from me, until she said, "What do you mean, am I wearing anything?! Of course I am!" One positive side effect of sleep deprivation is that it makes everything much funnier. That's my random story for the day. Probably not as funny if you're names aren't Chris and Lisa.
8.12.08
Fall Pictures
We had some pics taken professionally this fall. While the pics look fine on the internet, except for my big bald head (which was supposed to be in color, lessening the baldness effect), the quality of the final prints was somewhat less than what was expected. That being said, here they are in all their glory.
hello big bald head aka Charlie Brown?
6.12.08
Birthday
Thursday was a busy day full of work and two doctor's appointments, it was also Lisa's birthday. I remember the great awakening for me (when I fully realized that the world didn't stop to enjoy the special day that I was introduced to the world) happened when I turned 19 and had three mid-term exams in college. Didn't they realize it was my birthday! Granted, that realization should have come to me much earlier in life. That being said, we did have some fun on Lisa's day. After all of the hecticnesses of our life had run their course for the day, we drove to Park Ave. All of the businesses were open late for open houses with lots of decorations, lights, treats, ice sculptures. We stopped in at Magnolia's for some hot cocoa and a piece of turtle cheesecake. The highlight though had to be Lisa winning some birthday money from the instant cash lotto tickets that I got her.
23.11.08
Blogging @ despair.com
Here is some food for thought. If you want to check out more uplifting thoughts, click here, and select the demotivators. Enjoy.
19.11.08
Snow
It really snowed last night for the first time this year. Shoveling snow is less fun than raking leaves which is less fun than mowing the lawn.
Lisa took this photo this morning, and while it is fun to see the freshly fallen snow, it is with heavy hearts that we must now say goodbye to the sun until next April or May. Good thing we have digital cable.
16.11.08
Time & Learning
Time is something that I haven't had a lot of in the last couple of weeks. Between work, church, and life in general, it seems that my spare time has been severely limited. In the midst of all of the craziness that has been going on in my life, I've had the opportunity to learn a few things. Here are a few of the more important life lessons that have come my way recently.
I love the fall leaves of western New York, this fall especially has been fabulous. We have two beautiful maples in our backyard. There are extraordinary trees all over our neighborhood. However, it's not nearly as fun to pick those leaves up off of the ground, and at that point, they aren't that pretty either. I know, earth shattering revelation.
I play in a flag football league on Monday nights at 11pm with four other guys ages 21 - 22. So starting off, there are two big red flags against it. 11pm is just not a great time for me to try and function at much other than zombie level. Add to that the fact that I'm ten years older than these guys with my mind determined to run my body like it thinks it should, and nothing quite reacts like it is supposed to. Anyhow, my body is just now finishing the recovery process from last Monday night, and I will be playing again tomorrow night. Major mind altering revelation number two is that my recovery time in between even pseudo sports has lengthened. Before you know it, I'll have to rest a month in between chess matches.
I love the fall leaves of western New York, this fall especially has been fabulous. We have two beautiful maples in our backyard. There are extraordinary trees all over our neighborhood. However, it's not nearly as fun to pick those leaves up off of the ground, and at that point, they aren't that pretty either. I know, earth shattering revelation.
I play in a flag football league on Monday nights at 11pm with four other guys ages 21 - 22. So starting off, there are two big red flags against it. 11pm is just not a great time for me to try and function at much other than zombie level. Add to that the fact that I'm ten years older than these guys with my mind determined to run my body like it thinks it should, and nothing quite reacts like it is supposed to. Anyhow, my body is just now finishing the recovery process from last Monday night, and I will be playing again tomorrow night. Major mind altering revelation number two is that my recovery time in between even pseudo sports has lengthened. Before you know it, I'll have to rest a month in between chess matches.
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