Post-it, anyone?

Ever since this crazy journey into parenthood began, I find I only have time for the basics of my life and blogging apparently has not been one seeing as it seen almost a full year since my last post. 

I mean. Let's get real. The most I write daily are the continuous passes on post-its to the bathroom and the nurse for my precious forgetful students who are navigating the perils of middle school.  

Yet here I find myself after a long hiatus with a head full of things to say, changes taking place, stories being rewritten, and not a post-it to be had.  Funny how life can change in the blink of an eye, isn't it.

18 and a half months ago JP changed our world forever and brought us to a place I never imagined, yet I hoped for, and one that I don't think I'll ever understand again because it's so amazing and confusing and frightening and exhilirating all at the same!  

Now, once again my professional life is changing and I couldn't be more thrilled, trepidatious, scared, overwhelmed, and pleased all at the same time.

I say "most likely" because even though the rumor was confirmed, I still don't have a contract in my hand so I don't want to get to far in, ya know?

However...

I am most likely embarking on a journey that is shall test me like never before.  I most likely will be teaching a full class load of strings *and* band...with the potential of no travel.  

Say what. 

Am I *FINALLY* being given the opportunity I've been aching for, for over a decade?  Have I finally been recognized as a strong, competent, organized, successful teacher?  Or is the power of my daily illusion in full force. 

This is going to be my time to shine. My time to prove to MYSELF that I can do this and I can do it well. Time to rid those whispers in the corners of my mind and do what I know how to do so well. 

Teach. 

So there it is. A new chapter is being formed and we have so many good things to look forward to. Our little boy is growing strong and racing towards 2. Our marriage and relationship are approaching significant milestones. We have been through so much and have come out stronger on the other side; and my career is taking yet another twist. 

I can't wait to see how it all plays out. 

What a difference a year makes

      June 25th last year Tim and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary while I was bald, sick, and sitting in the Chemo chair.  What a difference a year makes.  This year we celebrated at a friend's wedding with me healthy and having a full head of hair.  Tim is my rock, my partner, my love, my best friend, my Peter.  Even though he can be incredibly frustrating and mind-boggling at times, he is my husband and knows me better than anyone, and vice versa.  I am so profoundly thankful to have him in my life and to have had his strength through breast cancer.  I look forward, hell we *both* look forward to many more years celebrating and traversing what life throws at us.  Love ya babe, let's continue this adventure.  

My bestest friend in the whole wide world + Rascal Flatts?!

ONE WORD...

EPIC.

   
Okay maybe not as "epic" as when we were 21, footloose and fancy free, but for a couple of young 30-year-old's, one of whom is a mom and the other a teacher, the fact that we were out on a *Sunday* night for happy hour &the Rascal Flatts concert, then home by 1130pm/midnight...well, *that* my friends is EPIC.

L: Junior year of high school R: Kickin' Cancer Party

Mischa and I have been friends since about the 8th grade, so just about 14 years of age...32 minus 14 is 18 years!  It's absolutely stunning to realize that we have been friends through thick and thin, good times and bad, periods of joy, periods of sorrow, and life-changing events on both sides for over half our life.

#Crazy.

Two "Lion's Leap" outfits and our band uniform

We were inseparable in high school, she was the Tuba Goddess, and I was the Drum Line "B!tch" (yes that was my nickname given to me with love by the Line; don't tell me you're shocked! ;)  She ran with the "Hicks" throughout her time at LHS, whereas I was the band geek/school geek girl on the swim team trying to be cool chick, yet she was my bestest friend in the whole wide world, and I hers.



Over the course of our friendship we have hit a rocky patch or two, but we have *always* come out stronger for it on the other side and that is a true friendship.  There are things that I only share with her because she "gets me".  There are things she shares only with me because I know the truth behind the story and I'm not afraid to smack her upside the head with the usual "No ding-dong, this is what you need to do and you know it", and thankfully she does the same for me.

Everyone should have a bestest friend in the whole wide world; a friend like Mischa.  Someone who knows you *so* stinkin' well it's like staring in the mirror.  Someone who no matter where life takes you, no matter how much you grow up, nor how many weeks you go without seeing each other, it doesn't matter because they are truly your other half.

Prom May 1996

Our wedding June 2005

From pre-teen fantasies to squealing about boys, marching in the band, first boyfriend's, teenage angst, parent woes, Prom, after-Prom, Lion's Leap, winter formal, to coasting Mass Street with the top down listening to Spice Girls and "smoking" a cigarette cause we thought we looked cool (I say "smoking" cause I'm pretty sure we mostly held it).  From parental divorce trauma, to those early college days; a year of not talking because we were both too stubborn to admit our faults, to reuniting our two halves of a whole again.  

Puberty, wild college days, turning 30, marriage, divorce, babies, and now cancer; there's not much we haven't been through, and there's no one else I would have rather traveled this journey with.
  


As we've gotten older and become more "adult", our lives leave us precious little space to spend time together.  We live about 45minutes apart from one another, which isn't that far granted, but with my busy school schedule and her two kiddos and new hubby keepin' her busy, we don't get much "face" time anymore.  


But we always make time for Rascal Flatts!

I think it started about six years ago with my first *real* concert.  I've never been a "concert goer".  Prior to this one, the only one I'd ever been too was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones the winter after I graduated from high school. I was never big into concerts because I didn't understand why someone would want to spend all that money to just go see something that 9 times out of 10 sounded better on the CD anyways.  That was until I saw RF open for Kenny Chesney that summer.  I was transfixed.  I was hooked.  I had to go again.

Rascal Flatts 2011

Ever since that concert it became our "thing" to go see the Flatts in concert whenever they were/are here in KC.   I'll be honest and tell you that I wasn't sure how long I was going to last, Sunday night.  As my wonderful husband would attest, I have the circadian rhythm of a 70 year old...no offense but it's true.  I tend to fall asleep around 8:30 because I get up for gosh forsaken early (4:30am) and on the weekends I tend to fall asleep around 930 and wake up around 7.  What can I say, it's the way I'm wired anymore.  So I was a little concerned when we bought the tickets because the concert was on a Sunday night, but we partied like mature, adult, responsible rock stars ;), and it's another good memory in the books. ;)


So thank you my dear for putting up with me all these years.  You are truly the bestest friend a girl could have, a wonderful mother, a loving wife, and a beautiful woman inside and out.  I am grateful to have you in my life.

"Good night sweet heart well it's time to go,

Doh, doh-doh-doh.

Good night sweet heart well it's time to go,

Doh, doh-doh-doh.

I hate to leave you but I really must say,

Oh!

Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight!

Doh-doh-dee-oh-doh-dee-oh-do"

Love ya babe.  I'll talk to you later ;) 

"Don't Make Me Call the Flying Monkeys". Keurig cups, Sugar and Cream; Coffee Etiquette at the Stout House

 Anyone who knows me knows that I *LOVE* coffee.  I love smelling it straight from the bag, in fact during marching season I keep a bag of beans in my car to smell when I'm exceptionally tired.  #Isthatweird?  I'd wear a perfume made from the stuff if I found one.  It's the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I get ready before I go to bed.  While I prefer the medium to dark roasts in the form of whole beans that I can grind myself, if it's hot and black with sugar and cream on the side (preferably FF Hazelnut creamer by Coffeemate if you have it), I'll drink it down cause it's all "Sweet Nectar of the Gods".

So it came as no surprise really when my inlaws presented us with a Keurig one-cup coffee maker for Christmas.  The first thing my father-in-law handed me was a box of Keurig hot chocolate cups.  As I was thinking "Do they know you need a special coffee maker for these?" my mother-in-law rounded the corner with her customary "Now if you all don't like this the receipt's in the box" and Keurig maker in hand.  As the only serious coffee drinker in the house at the time, my initial thought was "We're gonna have to take this back and give them their money back because I can't make *my* coffee with this thing", then Tim started lookin' it over and wanted to give it a try so we took it home.  


The next morning I awoke bright and early like normal and thought I'd take this new coffee maker for it's maiden voyage...what could it hurt.  I mean, if I didn't like the coffee it produced I could always grind up a pot of my favorite (currently back on "Love Buzz" and "Mind Body & Soul" mixed together....yummmmm) in no time.  I pulled the monstrosity of a "small" kitchen appliance out of the box, found the instruction manual and gave it a quick cursory glance.  *Who reads these things anyways?*  I rinsed all the parts, ran two cycles of water through, popped a "Keurig Cup" into the holder, put my big ol' mug underneath, hit the *big* cup button and waited.  A squelching sound, followed by the whirr of the motor and coffee started streaming out.  Interesting.  It certainly looked hot, but was it good?  

No.  #Bummer.

My first disappointment came when the *big* cup button produced just a touch over half of my big mug.  My second disappointment came when I took my first sip.  Yuck.  Yuck, yuck, yuck.  I don't remember what flavor I was trying, but I do know it was a flavor I'll *never* try again.  Not only was the taste of plastic (even after the two recommended water cycles) extremely strong, but it was as if I were drinking the worst, "been sittin' on the burner for days, reduced down to a syrupy consistency, concoction labeled *coffee*" that I've ever had.  I resisted the urge to gag.  I'll be honest that I gave the new coffee maker a good honest run and could never be turned around to it.  My husband on the other hand?  He *LOVES* it.  It has turned him into a coffee drinker, which I love(d), and find somewhat amusing.  The man, who for years, has turned his nose up in disgust at the mere thought of drinking coffee now, if it's possible, drinks more coffee than ME!

Black, two sugars, two *big* cups is how he takes it.  Millstone breakfast blend is the preferred Keurig cup flavor, and then there's the coveted "One Chai Latte, One Millstone please" concoction he put together a couple of weeks back.  Thankfully he purchased a reusable cup filter thingie while I was at MMEA so he can now use his favorite Folgers flavor which is great because it's *way* less wasteful and *way* more cost effective.  Those little cups are expensive and don't do any favors for the planet!







So you're probably thinking this is a win-win situation for each of us.  He has his coffee maker, I have mine.  He has his preferred flavor/method as do I.  He prefers some sugar, while I adore my creamer.  What's the problem?  Coffee etiquette, that's the problem.  As the *senior* coffee drinker in our house and relationship, I have established "common sense coffee etiquette" rules that I would love for him to get the hang of, and if you plan on drinking coffee at my house you might want to pay attention as well ;)




1) Please don't use my coffee mug!  I know it's weird, but that's the way I am. Like a cast iron skillet, it gets seasoned with each fragrant pour of my coffee and chosen creamer.  Just like you don't care for my flavor of coffee, I don't care for yours.  Please don't spoil my sacred coffee time with careless use of my mug.

 

You're used to me doing weird things and I know even this shocked you the other night when I made my request.  Thank you for not using my coffee mug anymore.  For others let this be your gentle warning.  ;)


2) When making your coffee in the morning, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF when you are finished.  You wouldn't leave a trail of sugar on the counter-tops and floors at work, why do it at home?  I don't leave splatters of cream or coffee grounds when I'm finished, so it would be lovely if you would clean up after yourself as well so I don't stumble out in the morning & find myself walking onto sugar granules and coffee grounds scattered on the floor and then trailing my hand through them on the counter.

You know my cleaning obsession can't deal with this so why add *another* thing I have to do to my morning routine?  #notfair


3) PSA: You don't need to use a new coffee cup every.single.time. you have a cup of coffee!  I rinse mine out every morning when I'm finished and it's ready to go the next time I'm ready for a cup.  Do the same with your cups please.  *Rinse* them out (use soap if you want that's okay!) then put them on the rack where they can air dry.  This way I don't spend half my evening rinsing out coffee cups because you want a cup of coffee yet don't have anything to drink it in.  Choose your cup for the week, or deem one *yours*, as I have.  Like a seasoned skillet, it will get better with each cup if you just rinse it when you're done.

Is that gross?  I don't know and frankly I don't care because as the "Boss", as my husband has dubbed me, I get to make the rules for the inside of the house because I take care of it.  So rinse your cup out yo!

4) Speaking of rinsing...rinse out the SINK after you dump coffee down.  One thing that has stuck with me from 7th grade "Home-Ec" is the statement "A clean sink is a sign of a clean house"...know where I'm going with on this one?  RINSE THE SINK OUT!  Don't leave coffee splatters to sit all day long.  They stain, especially a white ceramic sink like ours.  #RINSEITOUT

5) Until such time that I am graced with a breakfast bar, OR a #kitchen island, our counter space is limited.  Everything has a place and a space to live ontop of said counter.  When you're finished with making your coffee *PUSH* your coffee maker back into it's corner.  It takes mere seconds, makes the counter look cleaner, and will force you to clean up your coffee grounds.  I do it every.single.night after I set my coffee up for the morning (timed CM's are the best invention ever!) and it takes less than 30seconds to do.

Did anybody else catch my gift suggestion?  ;)  Just checking.


I know these all seem simple and trite, but it's all apart of living with one another, getting along, and practicing basic etiquette.  What is etiquette you ask?  My 8th grade orchestra can answer that for you...etiquette is "Required behavior" for whatever situation you're in.  So practice good coffee etiquette.  Not only will the "Sweet Nectar of the Gods" smile upon you every morning as you waft along on it's heavenly aroma but I won't have to call the flying monkeys on you ;)