My middle name is Rose, after my maternal grandmother
I grew up in Orrington, Maine. I left when I was 17 to go to college and have never gone back to live. I am now 38 years old and have lived outside the state of Maine longer than I lived in the State of Maine…but I still call it home
I have an older brother and 5 younger sisters
My parents still live in Maine as do three sisters, brother is in Tulsa OK, one sister in NYC and one in Watertown, MA
My brother has 3 boys, a sister has 1 son…Lucy is, at this time, the youngest grandchild and the only girl
I'm a half breed: 50% Irish (Dad) 50% Italian (Mum)
I go to Mass every week and make no apologies for it; you can believe in what you believe in, let me believe in what I believe in…and let's not judge each other
Having said that, I'm a party line Republican….go ahead, judge away…but if you're going to call me dumb and a racist because I'm a Republican, be prepared to defend that statement because I graduated from College with honors, have a job, pay my taxes and though I may not like everybody, I'm no more racist than you are
Liberals drive me crazy…not because they are Liberal but because they think the rest of us are idiots for not being Liberal. Open my mind? How about you open your mind and realize there are other view points, other perceptions and ideas other than your own? I bet I've read more books about religion than you have. I bet I've read more liberal publications than you have…. I read them so I know why I don't like Liberal ideology…. I bet you've never read a Conservative publication. I bet I've got more friends that are different from me than you do…and I bet I'm more willing to change than you are.
Having said that, I may harbor some liberal tendencies….I use reusable shopping bags…and not just at the grocery store. I use them at Target, Macy's, Kohl's, LL Bean, Bed Bath and Beyond, wherever I may shop…..I also stopped buying bottled water and carry a reusable water bottle with me
When I was in college, I was a liberal for one semester…I read books by Abbie Hoffman, I went to rallies for…well, I don't really remember what they were for because I was most likely drunk and busy smoking clove cigarettes.
I started smoking in college but quit 6 years ago…I loved smoking…I got a job just so I could have smoke breaks…now the smell of it makes me sick but oh how I loved smoking! Especially when was on the phone or in the car…and nothing compared to the Friday nights spent at the bar smoking and drinking…….
Yep, I was also a great drinker; Captain and Coke was my drink of choice though I did go through a gin phase. Gave that up when I joined Weight Watchers and they pointed out I was not losing weight because I was not counting my beer and Captain and Cokes towards my points….as soon as I quit, I lost 10 pounds in like 3 weeks
I met Sean in 2005
We got engaged in 2006
We got married in 2007
We got him a Green Card in 2008
I had Lucy in 2009
We bought our first house in 2009
I wanted to get married in the Fall but settled for a May date so I could say I was married before I turned 35 (I turned 35 that August)
My husband is English and on our second date, I asked for proof that he was here legally. After he showed me his Visa, I let him kiss me.
Sean's folks are in Halifax, England….Sean will always point out when he tells someone where his family is from that it's the "original Halifax…..I hate to tell him but the people he points that out to probably don't even know there's a Halifax in Canada
Sean has a younger sister; she and her husband have two girls…so all together I have 4 nephews and 2 nieces
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a news anchor…but in College, I had a professor who said I was not pretty enough so I gave up that dream
Deep down, I really want to be a teacher
I love to write and fancy to think someday I'll write a novel but I am way too lazy for that….I just don't have the level of commitment one needs to nurture a plot and characters
So instead, I'm an Office Manager
I hated high school and as a result, keep in touch with absolutely no one I went to school with; as a matter of fact, I don't keep in touch with anyone I met before the age of 20
Some would say I was an overachiever in High School because I got decent grades, participated in this and that, played a couple sports (though not that well) I'm not sure when doing your best became a bad thing and made you an over achiever….if you find something you enjoy and want to excel at (which means you have to work hard) why is that a bad thing? Why is that over achieving? Isn't it just achieving? Besides, it made the 4 years go by pretty quick
Sometimes I wish I kept in touch with people from my childhood….I get nostalgic when I hear people talk about how they still see their childhood/high school friends. I have one friend who every five years takes a trip with her girlfriends from high school…makes me jealous and feels like I missed out on something…..but then I remember that I did not have that many friends growing up because I was busy over achieving
I talk to my Mum every Monday - Friday at 5:10 as I'm driving to pick Lucy up from Day Care. Sometimes we talk about what's going on with family, sometimes we gossip, sometimes we talk about politics or what's going on in the world. Mostly, I just call to see how she and Dad are doing and to remind her that I'm here
I don't think people know me as well as they think they do….when I was younger, I was wound pretty tightly and my siblings would tell you I was bossy, controlling, had to have everything my way and always thought I was right….and I probably was…but then I grew up…..but I think they still see me as that (funny, that's how I see some if them)
I recently reconnected with someone from my youth and I know she still thinks of me that way because when I told her I was a corporate facilitator for a number of years (I learned other people's job, wrote a training manual and then taught them how to do their jobs more efficient and effectively, company words not mine) she gave me one of those Ahh, how fitting reactions….that was my last contact with her
I'm a big fan of giving people credit for changing….we all change every 5-7 years because life changes, our bodies change (my eyesight is getting progressively worse, my memory is shot and I pee a little if I laugh too hard), our physiology changes, our environment changes, our circumstances change…so it only stands to reason that people change…sometimes for the good,, sometimes for the not so good
I'm the second oldest of 7 kids, the oldest daughter…I think I was like 4 or 5 when I changed my first diaper....which is part of why I was bossy, I was always telling my youngest sisters what to do because Mum told me too….I was like the Manchurian Candidate…
Having said that, don't even think of criticizing my family because I'll kick your ass. They are my parents, my brother, my sisters….I will love, defend and protect them with every ounce of my being….and of course judge them….but they are mine and I would not trade them for the world…well, maybe just two of them…(I'm kidding! Jesus, lighten up will ya?!?!)
I'm actually scared of, not intimidated by, but genuinely scared of a couple of my sisters and try really hard not to piss them off…but somehow, always manage to do just that
And again, having said that, don't even think of criticizing them
I hate bad grammar and the way words are misused all the time…but I have terrible grammar, can't spell for shit and am forever mispronouncing words or using the wrong form of a word….but I admit to it and am not a snob about it…well, I try not to be
I love being a Mum but must admit I miss the days where we'd wake up with no plans for the day and end up in some little town three hours from home having a fantastic meal at some restaurant we stumbled upon. I miss our bike rides after work and going to the movies. I miss our road trips to the White Mountains, our late nights playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii and lounging around on a wintry Sunday without a care in the world…..but I miss Lucy terribly when I'm away from her for more than an hour.
I tried pot a couple times in college but it just did nothing for me – and I'm pretty sure I inhaled
I like the water…I'd rather swim in the ocean than a pool, a pond or a lake. I find the waves at the beach relaxing and the sand somewhat therapeutic for the soles of my feet. I love the rocks that are shaped and smoothed from rolling around the waters for who knows how many hundreds of years. I like walking up and down the beach looking for mermaid's tears (sea glass) and I like bringing home a rock or two that has caught my eye
I like the night better than the day, the moon better than the sun and the stars better than the clouds
Aunt Nell died just over a year ago and sometimes, she'll pop into my head and I start to cry for no reason. I just miss her…and I wish she could have seen Lucy turn 1…..and could have seen Lucy start walking and heard her talking…..I just miss her
I'm terribly afraid of death…I just don't understand how the world continues…or why I don't get to see how it ends…whatever it is. When I think about it, about me dying or my parents or Sean or my siblings, I get this cold feeling that rushes through my body and I feel like I'm falling…and I have to stop thinking or I get so paralyzed with fear I can't move and forget to breathe….I get a lump in my throat and tears fill my eyes…..it is the one thing that scares me more than anything else in the world – not even snakes and spiders scare me so much
Then, I wonder what it will be like in heaven. What form will I take? Will I be in my mid-30's with Lucy and Sean? Will I be the age I was when I died? Will I be a kid? Will I be with my family or Sean's? Or will the families be together? Will we have a house?
I lose things all the time. I am forever misplacing my wallet, my debit card, my cell phone and my license….so it's ironic (I think) that Sean is always asking me where the recycling calendar is or where his sunglasses are or where his Red Sox T Shirt is or where Lucy's coat is and I always know….
I have no desire to travel. That's not to say I don't enjoy it but I don't feel the pull that so many people have to travel to Europe or England or Ireland or the Mediterranean or the Far East or Australia….I think there is lots to do and see right here in the old US of A.
When I do travel, I always freak out a bit before its time to go. I worry that I am forgetting to pack something or that I'll miss my flight or that I'll leave the stove on or that security will think I'm a terrorist or some sort of threat…
But I love road trips. I like it when we hop into the car with no destination in site, a pile of magazines, the iPod and a bagful of snacks and we just drive…
Fanny packs drive me bonkers…so do socks paired with sandals….and it makes me crazy when woman (and young girls) do not dress age appropriately. A 12 year old girl should not be wearing a strapless dress that plunges in the front and ends mid thigh….neither should a 50 year old
I worry all the time that Lucy will be picked on or bullied when she starts going to school…or that she'll be a bully or the picker on-er…
When I see a little kid on the playground by him/herself, it makes me sad
I used to travel a lot for work when I was in my 20's and living in Illinois. It always used to make me sad when I would see middle aged men sitting by themselves at a restaurant or in an airport….never dawned on me that I too was alone and someone could be looking at me with pity…
I did not get my driver's license until I was 20..and did not buy a car until I was like 23..then I drove that car for 10+ years until my mechanic refused to let me spend any more money on it – I loved car….
I worry about Sean getting into a car accident on the way home or Lucy falling and getting hurt at Day Care. I worry about my brother who sells airplanes for a living getting hurt on the job. I worry about my sisters getting into an accident or falling ill with some malady….I worry about things I have no control over…..one time, I heard on the news that a man had been killed in a car accident on 114 and I was convinced it was my friend/boss because he was not at the office when I arrived, it happened on a route he could potentially take to the office, it happened around the time he drives to work and the car was the same color as his…it wasn't him but I was sick to my stomach until I tracked him down that morning….
But it's not like I just sit around and worry; these bouts of worrying hit me at totally random moments: when I'm driving home, when I'm making dinner, when I'm working, trying to falls asleep or when I'm doing laundry…and it's just this weird little panic attack that works its way into my brain and nervous system and then vanishes as quickly as it came….
I don't really collect anything….I feel like I should but I don't…though I do bring rocks home from the beach or from someplace we've been walking if I like the look of them….and sea glass, I always pick up sea glass when I see it
I have a vague interest in photography but lack an artistic eye and patience to indulge in it…
Same thing with knitting….and quilting….and crafts in general
So I think it's safe to say, I don't have a hobby….
Unless people watching counts…my favorite thing is to go to Quincy Market with a cup of coffee, a smackerel of something and to sit on a beach just watching people go by….sometimes I make up stories about them in my head. Sometimes, I eavesdrop on their conversations, sometimes, I see someone or something so bizarre or foreign to my eye that I stare….I hate it when I get caught staring
When I was in my 20's, I picked out the name for my tell all Memoir: I'm No Good at Small Talk subtitle, When I'm Sober
Baseball is my favorite sport followed closely by basketball
I don't understand football, haven't a clue and have no interest in watching it or learning about it
The 4th of July is my favorite holiday followed by Christmas and Easter
Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday….but I do look forward to the Macy's Day Parade and the Dog Show every year…ohh and leftover turkey sandwiches…and stuffing…..so maybe it's not my least favorite holiday…Maybe its New Years Eve…
New Years Eve is my least favorite holiday
Halloween is my favorite holiday to decorate for – more so now that we have Lucy
I love buying gifts for people….I get so excited that I can't even wait to give it to them…sometimes, I get so excited I try to convince them to let me give it to them before the actual celebration or holiday….
But I hate getting gifts – it's not that I hate the gifts I receive or am ungrateful, I just get all embarrassed and don't know what to say or how to act when I receive a gift
Sometimes, I totally lack a social filter
One time, I had an employer tell me during my yearly review that I needed to try harder to put myself on the same level as my co-workers. I looked at him and cocked my head to one side and said I don't understand what you mean he responded by telling me I needed to use smaller words with my peers so they understood what I was saying….and that my humor was a bit over their heads as it was more witty than what they could interpret….I told him we should consider a new staff…
Sometimes, I've snapped at someone or been so cross with them I feel terrible…and then I cry because I was mean to them…then I call and apologize….usually it's my parents or Sean…sometimes a sister…occasionally a co-worker and one time a stranger….
I hate parties…I'm no good at being in a situation where I don't know anyone and have to socialize…I'm actually shyer than people realize…..
I can be terribly judgmental…but I'm usually more right than wrong
I'm the jealous type….I get jealous if my parents spend more time with my sister in Watertown than with me, I get jealous when I learned I've been left out of something…it could be more hurt than jealous but I am the jealous type….
I used to bit my nails
I'm pretty "regular" and hate it when something throws my schedule off
I loved being pregnant
I love sending cards to people…for their birthday, holidays, for no reason at all…its like a little shot of sunshine in their day…one time, I spent over $100 on cards…and that was with coupons!
I have a wicked sweet tooth
I love, LOVE pizza
I don't like maple syrup..or popovers…or orange juice…unless I'm sick, then I'll drink orange juice
When I was pregnant, I ate fish sticks….you know like the ones you used to get with your hot lunch at school..the ones covered in breading…. A week after I had Lucy, I tried to eat a fish stick and gagged
If I could choose any way to spend a Sunday afternoon, it would be sitting in the Public Garden with a stack of magazines, a picnic basket of cheese, bread, strawberries and apples and a pillow for when I have my nap….and course Lucy and Sean….which means we'd also have to have bubbles…and a ball…and ice cream….
Elephants are one of my favorite animals…and hippos…and giraffes….and sea turtles, I love sea turtles
I like the circus and clowns do not freak me out at all
I don't have a favorite color but yellow makes me smile
When I look at houses, I always look at the ones with a wraparound porch and imagine myself sitting on it in a rocking chair wearing a straw hat with all kinds of kids running around me and playing….
I have terrible taste in music…I'm a Conservative Catholic who favors folk music…
I have no taste in clothes
I'm passive aggressive
I hate shoe shopping – I own two pairs of comfort clogs (black and brown) and two pairs of sandals for the summer (black and brown), two pairs of sneakers (Nike for walking, Chucks for hanging out) two pair of cowboy boots (black and brown) that I don't even really wear any more but can't get rid of because I love them so much
I have never worn or owned a pair of heels…no, not even for my Wedding
I didn't even wear a Wedding Gown, or a veil….I wore a bridesmaid dress and a headband…I totally rocked that head band
At our Wedding, the photographer forgot to take a family group photo…..so did we. When I realized this, the day after our Wedding, I cried for like an hour. Then I was over it – my family was there, who needs pictures (though sometimes it does still bother me)
Our Wedding song was I Wanna Grow Old with You from the Wedding Singer
I ate two hot dogs at our Wedding…how many brides will admit to that?!?
Our first real date was watching "Lost" together and a couple of beers
I think diplomatic immunity and Astroturf are bullshit
I think air conditioning contributed to the downfall of society and communities in this country
I think if people remembered their manners, the world would be a better place
I totally get that this country was founded on the premises of immigrants seeking a better life but at some point, enough is enough
and lest we forget, when in Rome, do as the Romans do…
I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone (not only a quote from one of my favorite movies but something I do truly belive)
I think Pete Rose should in the Hall of Fame – and that the punishment did not fit the crime…
I can't believe that people my age do not know who Mary Jo Kopechne is…I know it was before our time but it was not that long before our time
I don't think of the Kennedy's as American Royalty….as a matter of fact, I don't think we have anyone or any family that comes close to being royalty
I think Hemingway, Dickens and Steinbeck are slightly overrated
The Godfather III wasn't that bad…
I can watch anyone of the following movies a hundred times…and if I'm flipping through the channels and one is on, I'll stop regardless of what point it is at: The Patriot, Con Air, The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, Die Hard (really any one of them), The Last Holiday, RoboCop, Steele Magnolias, Ocean's Eleven (or 12 or 13), Thomas Crown Affair, Breakfast Club, Mermaids, To Kill a Mockingbird, In the Heat of the Night, Elf, Legally Blonde, Liar Liar…yeah, I'll stop now
I love movies but I don't really like going to the movies (but don't tell Sean, it would ruin our date night we have planned for Saturday) I'd rather stay at home and watch the movie
I've never read Moby Dick and have no interest in reading it….but I can, like everyone else, quote the first line
When I was in the third grade, I wanted to be a nun and John Travolta's girlfriend
I also wanted to be Nancy Drew….and Harriet the Spy….
I have no artistic ability whatsoever…as a matter of fact, I really have no talent….depressing….
I read three books at the same time and sometimes, I read the last chapter first…
I have a hard time sitting still…I feel like I always have to be doing something…I can't even just sit and watch TV without doing something else at the same time like folding laundry or flipping through a magazine
I like my eyes…and my hands
I relish celebrity gossip and reality shows
I don't think I'm very good in a crises situation…I don't freak out but I second guess my decisions and allow myself to be swayed by other
James Lipton intrigues and annoys me at the same time
I don't have a hero but I have many I admire
When I lived in Illinois, I once spent two hours hiding in the bathroom from a tornado because the sirens went off…turns out they test the sirens the third Thursday of every month and it was Thursday…..
I did, while living in Illinois, see two tornadoes touch down….oddly terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time…
I worry every day if I am a good mother and wife
I hate, HATE making the bed…Sean makes our bed every day, and Lucy's
I'm a slob – Sean's side of the room is usually pretty neat…my side of the room has dirty clothes on the floors, my PJs from last night, a stack of books eschew, at least two water glasses on the night table and the top of my bureau is just a big clutter of a mess
Sean does the vacuuming…I hate vacuuming
I like doing the dishes though…and I actually don't mind cleaning the bathroom or washing the floors
I'm not a very good cook but I make really good cookies
When we were in England, I tried rabbit and LOVED IT! Every now and then, I get a craving for Rabbit Pie
- I love where I am in my life right now…..sure, I wish we had a bit more money in the bank, that I were thinner, in better shape and maybe a house that was a tiny bit bigger with a nicer yard but I'm pretty happy….isn't that what it's about?
