Well my fair friends, I've been busy and realized I've neglected a lot of you and haven't been able to email or post on your blogs (I've tried my best to keep up with them all!). I'm sincerely sorry.
Things have been a bit busy lately, I had an interview with the school district up here and was hired a few hours later. Today was my first day of work, and on Monday it should be a bit crazy. However weird it may sound, I look forward to hearing "Ms. Coyne" in little elementary children's voices. Ha.
My mom is in the middle of the divorce and we're in the process of packing up so there hasn't been a spare moment to speak of.
Shane and I are trying to get accustomed (is that spelled wrong?) to New Hampshire's weather. Although in Idaho for just five weeks, I got used to the 100 degree weather every day and now there is rain, fog, chilly temps, etc. Not that I'm complaining though.
On a random note, I dyed my hair last night and it seems to have went several different shades. Hmm....
Ciao.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Monday, August 15, 2005
THE TRIP
So..............................
Got back Saturday evening 8pm. As far as the highlights of the states we went through:
Across Idaho: slept the night before for two hours each, drive was nice, almost hit a deer and some quail. Shane got nauseous, I spilled soda all over my only blanket, yay.
Montana: Stopped in Billings for lunch at an Italian joint. We'd wanted to see Billings as we both thought it had potential-turns out it didn't.
Wyoming: pretty roads, lots of motorcycles (there was a huge motorcycle deal in Sturgis, South Dakota, so the cyclists we're shacking up in all sorts of hotels). It rained lots. Got a cheap hotel room, actually slept some-good times.
South Dakota: the road was bumpy at times-thus making it amusing and lots of motorcycles. That's all.
Minnesota: the one state that had a story. I had called in Wyoming the night before to make a reservation with a chain hotel, Motel 6. Confirmed a reservation with my credit card, was told that you could see the hotel from the highway. As soon as the exit gets near, we look for the hotel. Well, it was invisible. We ended up searching for an entire hour (at this point, it was 10pm, we'd been on the road for 14hours, I'd been driving for several hours and my ankle was swollen and my hips were cracking). Got the wrong directions once, got more directions and finally made it to motel 6, which was 15 miles off of the highway. We get there, wait in line and start the confirmation process. The attendant looks up at me with a smile and says, "Oh, you're under 21, I'm sorry. You need to be 21 or older to stay here." I took back my license, calmly walked back to the car and then bawled. I was so drained from the day of nonstop driving, and very little sleep that I lost it. We couldn't afford any other hotels nearby, and I was exhausted. Shane tried his best to comfort me and eventually I settled down, but there was no way to sleep in my car, so we decided to sleep off the highway somewhere. I set my wallet on the car and began looking in the car for something. We couldn't find it so we just got back in the car and tried to figure out how to get back on the interstate (there was a lot of construction going on in the area so it was confusing) . Two miles down the road we hear a scratching noise and I suddenly realize I'd left my wallet on top of the car. Shane stopped in the road, put on the four-way blinkers and got out of the car. You can imagine my emotional state at this point. We split up to go look for my wallet, which, f.y.i. held the rest of the money for the trip including my visa, my insurance and my license. Five minutes go by and I see a cop car whiz past and stop behind my car (which was parked in the road). Since I am without my license and car insurance and parked in the road, I was terrified of getting a ticket for all of that. I ran across the street towards him and started to explain our situation. He says, "Well, your wallet is on top of your car". And it was, stuck behind the antenna. I almost passed out with relief and then as Shane caught up to us, he said he'd lead us to the cheapest hotel he knew of in town. So, no ticket, friendly police, and a hotel room cheaper than motel 6. Yay.
Wisconsin: Didn't see any famous cheese. B-O-R-I-N-G.
Illinois: Witnessed a car accident that happened right in front of us, shook both of us up for a while, especially after we saw the car that caused it accelerate away. That was Chicago and it was scary.
Indiana: I've got nothing.
Michigan: stayed at Shane's grandma's, had fun.
Ohio: We stopped at a gas station and saw Amish people-which was Shane's first interaction with them. (For those unfamiliar with Amish people, they are a religious group attempting to preserve the elements of the 1600's by developing practices and doing thigns that separate themselves from American culture...no television, cars, bathrooms, etc. They also dress in drabbier garb, black, long gowns and wide brimmed hats) I went into the restroom and was shocked to see 15 Amish women standing around, talking in quiet tones. I was wearing Shane's clothes (basically, I looked like a boy) and as I entered a stall I heard them giggling. I'm glad I provided amusement.
Pennsylvania: about as exciting as Indiana.
New York: I drove the entire stretch from the border to my mom's house. Shane slept so that was a bit boring for me but I did go through my beloved Syracuse.
Vermont: Green and pretty as always, and Bennington (a town) has statues of moose, but decorated in interesting ways.
New Hampshire: WALMART! No just kidding. Getting home of course.
All in all, it wasn't too bad, had a few scary parts but the car survived in one piece!
Ciao.
Got back Saturday evening 8pm. As far as the highlights of the states we went through:
Across Idaho: slept the night before for two hours each, drive was nice, almost hit a deer and some quail. Shane got nauseous, I spilled soda all over my only blanket, yay.
Montana: Stopped in Billings for lunch at an Italian joint. We'd wanted to see Billings as we both thought it had potential-turns out it didn't.
Wyoming: pretty roads, lots of motorcycles (there was a huge motorcycle deal in Sturgis, South Dakota, so the cyclists we're shacking up in all sorts of hotels). It rained lots. Got a cheap hotel room, actually slept some-good times.
South Dakota: the road was bumpy at times-thus making it amusing and lots of motorcycles. That's all.
Minnesota: the one state that had a story. I had called in Wyoming the night before to make a reservation with a chain hotel, Motel 6. Confirmed a reservation with my credit card, was told that you could see the hotel from the highway. As soon as the exit gets near, we look for the hotel. Well, it was invisible. We ended up searching for an entire hour (at this point, it was 10pm, we'd been on the road for 14hours, I'd been driving for several hours and my ankle was swollen and my hips were cracking). Got the wrong directions once, got more directions and finally made it to motel 6, which was 15 miles off of the highway. We get there, wait in line and start the confirmation process. The attendant looks up at me with a smile and says, "Oh, you're under 21, I'm sorry. You need to be 21 or older to stay here." I took back my license, calmly walked back to the car and then bawled. I was so drained from the day of nonstop driving, and very little sleep that I lost it. We couldn't afford any other hotels nearby, and I was exhausted. Shane tried his best to comfort me and eventually I settled down, but there was no way to sleep in my car, so we decided to sleep off the highway somewhere. I set my wallet on the car and began looking in the car for something. We couldn't find it so we just got back in the car and tried to figure out how to get back on the interstate (there was a lot of construction going on in the area so it was confusing) . Two miles down the road we hear a scratching noise and I suddenly realize I'd left my wallet on top of the car. Shane stopped in the road, put on the four-way blinkers and got out of the car. You can imagine my emotional state at this point. We split up to go look for my wallet, which, f.y.i. held the rest of the money for the trip including my visa, my insurance and my license. Five minutes go by and I see a cop car whiz past and stop behind my car (which was parked in the road). Since I am without my license and car insurance and parked in the road, I was terrified of getting a ticket for all of that. I ran across the street towards him and started to explain our situation. He says, "Well, your wallet is on top of your car". And it was, stuck behind the antenna. I almost passed out with relief and then as Shane caught up to us, he said he'd lead us to the cheapest hotel he knew of in town. So, no ticket, friendly police, and a hotel room cheaper than motel 6. Yay.
Wisconsin: Didn't see any famous cheese. B-O-R-I-N-G.
Illinois: Witnessed a car accident that happened right in front of us, shook both of us up for a while, especially after we saw the car that caused it accelerate away. That was Chicago and it was scary.
Indiana: I've got nothing.
Michigan: stayed at Shane's grandma's, had fun.
Ohio: We stopped at a gas station and saw Amish people-which was Shane's first interaction with them. (For those unfamiliar with Amish people, they are a religious group attempting to preserve the elements of the 1600's by developing practices and doing thigns that separate themselves from American culture...no television, cars, bathrooms, etc. They also dress in drabbier garb, black, long gowns and wide brimmed hats) I went into the restroom and was shocked to see 15 Amish women standing around, talking in quiet tones. I was wearing Shane's clothes (basically, I looked like a boy) and as I entered a stall I heard them giggling. I'm glad I provided amusement.
Pennsylvania: about as exciting as Indiana.
New York: I drove the entire stretch from the border to my mom's house. Shane slept so that was a bit boring for me but I did go through my beloved Syracuse.
Vermont: Green and pretty as always, and Bennington (a town) has statues of moose, but decorated in interesting ways.
New Hampshire: WALMART! No just kidding. Getting home of course.
All in all, it wasn't too bad, had a few scary parts but the car survived in one piece!
Ciao.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Sickness, NH, Momma, Prayers
I've felt quite sick this weekend. It started with severe stomach pains on Saturday morning, led to extreme hot/cold flashes and ended with me leaning over a toilet bowl. Yeah, not so much fun. Afterwards, I was completely fine. I shared a bag of M&M's with Shane, ate some breakfast and went along the rest of the afternoon happily. That evening, the cramps returned and subsided a bit as I fell asleep. I awoke Sunday with the cramps again and they haven't left since. It's getting annoying.
In other news, Shane and I depart on Wednesday, I can't pinpoint when my next post will be but you can look forward to a lot of pictures of us and other things.
My mom, as I mentioned, is getting a divorce. She's moving out of the house on September 1st, with Shane, me and my sister Sarah in tow. It's getting really hard for her and I. My mother is a very strong woman, who puts my siblings well before herself, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Her marriage to my stepfather was basically out of convienence for one another, they were lonely and it would make a lot of things cheaper. Close to nine years later, it fell apart, leaving my mom feeling very guilty. I love my stepfather like a father, as does Danny so it obviously is hard for us to take, and my mom cries, feeling horrible that she's "hurting" us. Which isn't the case-some marriages just don't work. I am just concerned for my mom, she's almost forty and it doesn't seem like she'll remarry. I just want her to find someone who treats her well, makes her happy and loves her very much. My family just has all sorts of troubles (I'll save that for a LONG post) and I just wish I could fix everything. I really do.
In other news, a woman from Shane's church went in a few weeks ago to have gastric bypass surgery. Unfortunately, everything went wrong and she was put in critical condition because of complications, blood clots all in her lungs (they found over 100 total) and went into a coma. Her husband was in Iraq, was summoned home and she has two young children. The doctors were saying they'd do the best they could but it wasn't likely she'd pull through. I found out today that she awoke long enough to recognize the family members and then slipped back. Now she has pneumonia, and still in critical condition. Please, if you could just pray for her, that's all she has left. Thank you.
Ciao
In other news, Shane and I depart on Wednesday, I can't pinpoint when my next post will be but you can look forward to a lot of pictures of us and other things.
My mom, as I mentioned, is getting a divorce. She's moving out of the house on September 1st, with Shane, me and my sister Sarah in tow. It's getting really hard for her and I. My mother is a very strong woman, who puts my siblings well before herself, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Her marriage to my stepfather was basically out of convienence for one another, they were lonely and it would make a lot of things cheaper. Close to nine years later, it fell apart, leaving my mom feeling very guilty. I love my stepfather like a father, as does Danny so it obviously is hard for us to take, and my mom cries, feeling horrible that she's "hurting" us. Which isn't the case-some marriages just don't work. I am just concerned for my mom, she's almost forty and it doesn't seem like she'll remarry. I just want her to find someone who treats her well, makes her happy and loves her very much. My family just has all sorts of troubles (I'll save that for a LONG post) and I just wish I could fix everything. I really do.
In other news, a woman from Shane's church went in a few weeks ago to have gastric bypass surgery. Unfortunately, everything went wrong and she was put in critical condition because of complications, blood clots all in her lungs (they found over 100 total) and went into a coma. Her husband was in Iraq, was summoned home and she has two young children. The doctors were saying they'd do the best they could but it wasn't likely she'd pull through. I found out today that she awoke long enough to recognize the family members and then slipped back. Now she has pneumonia, and still in critical condition. Please, if you could just pray for her, that's all she has left. Thank you.
Ciao
Friday, August 05, 2005
Store Wars
Okay so this just shows you I have way too much time on my hands...
I was scrolling around and found this site, it's a spoof on Star Wars, very short video, very corny in a funny way and all for a good cause (sort of).
I was scrolling around and found this site, it's a spoof on Star Wars, very short video, very corny in a funny way and all for a good cause (sort of).
Switchfoot, Sona, Concerns
Okay, so not everyone knows this, but I really love Switchfoot. And after browsing a random blog today, I found out that their Nothing is Sound album comes out September 13th. Their website is different too, and they have clips from their songs coming out in Nothing is Sound. Exciting!
In other news, I am feeling fairly bittersweet about what is happening with my bestest buddy. As some of you may know, Sona (who is an Iraqi refugee) has enlisted with the Marines. She heads off to bootcamp on September 12th, where she will remain until December 12th, only to head off to combat training ten days later. Chances are that I won't see her before she is shipped (makes her sound like a product) to Iraq to begin her translation job. Luckily, she won't be in infantry (they changed it so women can't be on the front lines), but I still worry, being that she escaped from Baghdad eight years ago. I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of her. She's very tough, perhaps because of her background, so I don't worry that she'll die over there. I remember when we'd watch the news together and see the insurgents actions, she'd jump up on the couch and say "Stupid Iraqis! You just wait until I get my hands on every single one of you!" She scared me, so I can't imagine wait Iraq is in for. But I just worry about her emotional stability. I know she fits in extremely well with the Marines, and I've never seen her happier then when she's come back from a pool function with them. But heading off to the country that threatened the lives of her entire family, hunted them down through Syria, Iran and Turkey and destroyed their birth records (along with other important documents) has to cause a bit of traumatic recollection, right?
Along with this, Shane and I are getting ready for our big move to New Hampshire, and in doing so, are faced with a few issues.
In other news, I am feeling fairly bittersweet about what is happening with my bestest buddy. As some of you may know, Sona (who is an Iraqi refugee) has enlisted with the Marines. She heads off to bootcamp on September 12th, where she will remain until December 12th, only to head off to combat training ten days later. Chances are that I won't see her before she is shipped (makes her sound like a product) to Iraq to begin her translation job. Luckily, she won't be in infantry (they changed it so women can't be on the front lines), but I still worry, being that she escaped from Baghdad eight years ago. I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of her. She's very tough, perhaps because of her background, so I don't worry that she'll die over there. I remember when we'd watch the news together and see the insurgents actions, she'd jump up on the couch and say "Stupid Iraqis! You just wait until I get my hands on every single one of you!" She scared me, so I can't imagine wait Iraq is in for. But I just worry about her emotional stability. I know she fits in extremely well with the Marines, and I've never seen her happier then when she's come back from a pool function with them. But heading off to the country that threatened the lives of her entire family, hunted them down through Syria, Iran and Turkey and destroyed their birth records (along with other important documents) has to cause a bit of traumatic recollection, right?
Along with this, Shane and I are getting ready for our big move to New Hampshire, and in doing so, are faced with a few issues.
- How do we fit a 48qt cooler, an entire computer setup and the rest of Shane's things in the backseat of my car, and still be able to fully see out the rear window?
- How much/what kinds of food do we need for a four day trip? (keeping in mind that I have an easily upset stomach, ie:nothing too greasy, sweet or spicy)
- And along with that, what should I take if I become a tad queasy (that won't affect an ulcer)?
- Where are the cheapest hotels?
- What if we blow a tire?
- Where can we find the cheapest DC to AC adapter? (not imperative, but good to know)
- How could we go through Canada briefly if one of us (okay so it's me) doesn't have a birth certificate or social security card?
- When is the best time to go through New York City?
- Will running the air conditioner waste a lot of gas or just a little?
- How do I find information on US tollways and how much they cost?
Okay so I think that should do it, for now...but if anyone has any answers, they'd be MUCH appreciated!
Ciao.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
My Biggest Fear
No, my biggest fear is not of dying, or of speaking in front of a group of people. I guess I am not a part of the majority.
My biggest fear is spiders. Big, small, hairy, hairless, missing legs, missing a head, whatever-they're scary.
Last night, I remember waking up after a dream about Donald Trump kidnapping children and fell back asleep. The next thing I know, there is a spider, the size of my hand, crawling towards me. I sat up straight on the bed, realized it was a dream, and felt Shane pull me back to the mattress.
This morning he told me that he was half awake last night when he heard me start to breathe harshly (which is normal, usually occurs right before my sleep apnea happens) and then I screamed and I startled him with how fast I sat up. He grabbed me to prevent me from running from the tent (as it seemed I would) and I drifted off to sleep very easily.
That was not my first spider nightmare. When I lived in South Carolina, one summer, I was plagued by a seemingly neverending spider nightmare cycle. A few days after the nightmares started, I noticed a welt on my thigh from a spider bite and later learned I was allergic (the welt swelled to circle around my upper thigh).
I've been itching everywhere lately...
Ciao.
My biggest fear is spiders. Big, small, hairy, hairless, missing legs, missing a head, whatever-they're scary.
Last night, I remember waking up after a dream about Donald Trump kidnapping children and fell back asleep. The next thing I know, there is a spider, the size of my hand, crawling towards me. I sat up straight on the bed, realized it was a dream, and felt Shane pull me back to the mattress.
This morning he told me that he was half awake last night when he heard me start to breathe harshly (which is normal, usually occurs right before my sleep apnea happens) and then I screamed and I startled him with how fast I sat up. He grabbed me to prevent me from running from the tent (as it seemed I would) and I drifted off to sleep very easily.
That was not my first spider nightmare. When I lived in South Carolina, one summer, I was plagued by a seemingly neverending spider nightmare cycle. A few days after the nightmares started, I noticed a welt on my thigh from a spider bite and later learned I was allergic (the welt swelled to circle around my upper thigh).
I've been itching everywhere lately...
Ciao.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
A Lazy, lazy week
So, not a whole lot is going on for me. As titled, so far, it's been a lazy, lazy week.
Shane slaved away on my car with the next door neighbor and fixed it with some WD40, baking soda, water and two new battery clamps. I went with him and the neighbor to the store to buy the clamps and it was a rather interesting ride. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful that Shane's neighbor helped me out but his truck, which is loud, scary, and smells dangerous, frightened me a bit. As did the fact that his neighbor was smoking a cigarette while leaning over the WD40 he was spraying on the battery. But the car is fixed, so it's nice.
We went to see the Island on Sunday and it was better than I expected, not too much to say, just don't always listen to what the critics say.
Shane's family went up to visit his sister in Silverwood on Monday and we stayed here to prepare for our trip next week. Everything is falling together so nicely, it's a great, great thing.
Oh, so you've seen the picture all ready but the Seahawks Training Camp was fun...Shane managed to hurt himself (one of his many, many talents), therefore making it a memorable experience.
Something interesting, Brian, a friend who often comments on here, is the latest dater on the NY Post Dating Site. It's funny because he's been doing his own kind of commentation on their matchmaking skills (or lack thereof). Check it out (sorry Brian!).
Shane slaved away on my car with the next door neighbor and fixed it with some WD40, baking soda, water and two new battery clamps. I went with him and the neighbor to the store to buy the clamps and it was a rather interesting ride. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful that Shane's neighbor helped me out but his truck, which is loud, scary, and smells dangerous, frightened me a bit. As did the fact that his neighbor was smoking a cigarette while leaning over the WD40 he was spraying on the battery. But the car is fixed, so it's nice.
We went to see the Island on Sunday and it was better than I expected, not too much to say, just don't always listen to what the critics say.
Shane's family went up to visit his sister in Silverwood on Monday and we stayed here to prepare for our trip next week. Everything is falling together so nicely, it's a great, great thing.
Oh, so you've seen the picture all ready but the Seahawks Training Camp was fun...Shane managed to hurt himself (one of his many, many talents), therefore making it a memorable experience.
Something interesting, Brian, a friend who often comments on here, is the latest dater on the NY Post Dating Site. It's funny because he's been doing his own kind of commentation on their matchmaking skills (or lack thereof). Check it out (sorry Brian!).
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Trufant and Us Three
This is from the Seahawks Training Camp The player in the helmet is Trufant, The tall guy on the right with the dark hair is AJ, Shane's best friend. I am right behind him with the white sunglasses on my head and Shane is on the left with the glasses and the blue hat. Shane just found this and I thought it was interesting....
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