Current Dirt

I came across an article today that sums up my future goals.

…don’t go shoe shopping immediately following a pedicure. Though the polish may be dry to the touch, it’s not pointy toe sling back ready. Smudge!

Snoozing is what I have been doing when it comes to updating this site. It seems to have taken the summer off. But I haven’t. So I will once again defer to my camera to recap some of the happenings of the past month:

Fourth of July Eve with “the girls”.

One of my girlfriends has a boat and as much as I loved our day on it, I am glad it’s not mine. There’s a lot involved for such a leisurely lifestyle. I know for my friend it’s totally worth it. And for me it was totally worth visiting.

A night at the ballet.

A job perk. Our office sponsored a not-for-profit event this evening and lucky for me I got to go. It was the New York City Ballet performing Robbins at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Visiting Family

My brother and his family were in the area visiting my parents from down south. We went to the zoo, read books, took a trip to the farmer’s market, and played, and laughed. And maybe a trip or two to Lord & Taylor as long as I was in town.

Sure he can fix a computer blind folded and with his hands tied behind his back, but plumbing and electrical work? I wasn’t so sure. But I soon found out as Tom put his handyman skillz to work these past couple of days.

It started with a leaking toilet that got our basement quite damp. But no worries. Handyman to the rescue. The leak is gone and the basement dry. Then a couple of days later a breaker broke in our circuit box. He did all the right things, including replacing the breaker, but the problem is a little bit bigger and we have since called the pros. But while holding the flashlight over his shoulder as he braved a potential ZAP impressed me.

As of right now we still only have half a house of electricity. But the fridge works, the gas is getting to the stove top, it hasn’t been hot enough for air conditioning and one quick outlet switch for the coffee maker made the morning a breeze. Unfortunately I didn’t get to watch Matt and Meredith while curled up on the couch this morning but I really can’t complain. Besides, watching my computer geek husband get his hands a little dirty? Priceless.

…taste like lemon. So I found out today when one splattered on my tongue like the windshield of a car during my 30 mile bike ride for the American Diabetes Foundation. It was hot, it was sticky, it was buggy, and it was one of the best days ever. Such an amazing sense of accomplishment for me, for my team, for everyone out there today.

I am still coming off my high from the day so I don’t have all of my thoughts composed but for a person who doesn’t even own her own bike I can’t wait until next year. And hopefully I will get quite a few more rides in this summer. But more like 15-20 miles at a time. It’s amazing how much longer the last 10 miles are compared to the first 10.

Even with a three and half hour post ride nap I think I am going to sleep well tonight.

I will eat anything in the form of a marshmallow. And I will eat lots of it.

Marshmallows
Roasted Marshmallows
Marshmallow topping (for sundaes)
Marshmallow peeps
and best of all…
Marshmallow Fluff…by the spoonful.

So one day I got to thinking, what is this Never Fail Fudge recipe on all the Fluff containers all about? It calls for one entire container of Fluff…this fudge must be good. If only I could bake something other than chocolate chip cookies I would try it. But alas, I can not. I once tried a recipe for peanut butter balls. Which has all of two ingredients: peanut butter and powdered sugar. The reciped yields 24 balls. I came up with six.

So as I was sharing my pity party with anyone who would listen about my baking short falls and how I may live out my entire life without ever trying Never Fail Fudge a friend step in. He said, I’ll ask my wife to make it for you. Stop. This can’t be true. And she said she would. So Monday morning I walk in to work with a bag full of ingredients including, but not limited to, 5 cups of sugar, one jug of Fluff, and two bags of chocolate chips.

And this week my fudge arrived. My fudgalicious, fluff-a-rama, yummy, yummy Never Fail Fudge. I took half the batch to my husband’s office to share the joy. And sent my friend’s wife a thank you note that day. He said the note made her day. Funny, because she made mine.

Tonight my work girlfriends and I went to see Sex and the City. And yes, we did the obligatory Cosmos before hand (though I had a Corona Light) and discussed which characters we each are. I was immediately deemed a Charlotte (whatever). And even though this movie basically defines “Girls Night Out” I couldn’t help but wish I was sitting next to my husband. The man I sat next to during every episode of the series. The one who I could lean over and share my commentary with, like, “that would never be us” or “that is so us”. Anyway, I rode to the theater with one of the girls, because I think I look good in her new Mercedes, and at the end of the night she drove me back to the office to get my car. And that’s when it hit me. How do I get home?

I live and work in the city limits. And just last week a little girl was shot and killed by a stray bullet on a street between my house and my office. A 10 year old girl. A stray bullet. In my city. That’s not OK.

As I pulled out of the parking lot of my office I pictured street after street I could turn up to get home. But each route took me too close to the shooting. Too close to the stray bullet.

I know that this is where I should do something about it. This is where I should promise to make a change. To get involved. To lend a hand. But instead, right now, this is where I feel sad, this is where I feel hopeless.

Sex and the City was great. I laughed. I cried. I will drag my husband to see it. But this city, tonight, just made me cry.