7QT: Rollercoaster style

So, wow. I haven't written in a while. Things have been a little on the crazy side with holidays and life and stuff (I'm super articulate, too). What better way to get caught up than to just dump it all into some quick takes? In chronological order, though. Gotta keep the flow.

--- 1 ---

My 10-year high school reunion was last week. I was kind of excited about going, not having seen a bunch of people for so long, but it was in a bar and I'm an old lady, so I ended up leaving earlier than I would have liked simply because I couldn't hear anyone at all. How am I supposed to catch up with peoples' lives when I'm trying to figure out if they were talking about human resources or racehorses?

--- 2 ---

Rosie and Nate have a game where Nate will pretend to not see Rosie coming when he sits down to put on his shoes and Rosie will "sneak up" on him and attack.

With her tongue.

It's a darn good thing she's cute.

--- 3 ---

Yesterday was one of the WORST mornings I've had in a long time. Freddy refused to nap, Rosie refused to be independent, and I desperately needed both of them to do and be those things so I could get myself and things ready to go. I was stressed and lost time and patience trying to deal with them, and when I finally (finally) got everything ready to get out to the car, it was pouring, plus I'd left my umbrella in the car. I was so frustrated that I actually slammed the front door closed hard enough that I'm pretty sure the neighbors a few doors down felt it. I take solace in knowing that both of them won't remember this.

After I left, I almost got in an accident when a tree fell in the road in front of a car next to me, who then almost hit me. It wasn't a large tree - only covered the turn lane and wasn't super wide - but it would have done enough damage. Then, as I was about to get on the highway, I realized that I'd left both the diaper bag and the milk for Freddy at home. I called my sister, ready to tell her that I was just going to forget it and stay home, but she talked me out of it and I collected myself and the stuff and embarked once again on my journey. This time, Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" came on the radio. Normally, I'd change the station, but all I could think of was the Chatroulette version.

Click only if you have a desire to see a ridiculous version of Miley's already absurd video. It's a little horrifying and definitely NSFW, but it made me laugh the entire time and put me in a much better mood, which was excellent, because...

--- 4 ---

One of my former college campus ministers got married yesterday! Woohoo! I didn't bring my camera, so phone pictures will have to do.

I desperately wish this was in focus.

Glowing.

I am so happy to see her so happy. She deserves someone as holy as he seems to be. I'm just shocked that there were more religious sisters (at least 7 from 2 different orders) than priests (4)! To be fair, one of her actual sisters is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist, so most of them were fellow FSEs, but still.

--- 5 ---

Today was Rosie (Hill, not mine) and Meg's dad's funeral. I didn't know him, but I know them, and if there's anything I've learned over the years, it's, "You always go to the funeral." He sounds like he would have been a really neat person to know, though his legacy is most certainly living on (and on and on and on...).

Funerals are never what I'd call happy, but they can be beautiful. This was definitely that. Andrew, Rosie's husband, is in a schola, and they provided some absolutely heavenly music for the Mass. Meg delivered a wonderful tribute before the Mass that gave everyone a little taste of who he was - a condensed version of her blog post about him. John Paul helped screw the plate on the columbarium after the ashes were placed inside. And in a weird, sweet little twist I definitely didn't see coming, the main celebrant was our (mine, Meg, and Rosie's) former youth minister from that very parish.

I hope that there are some comforts taken in the small moments of sweetness when the ones of sorrow seem too large to overcome.

--- 6 ---

Today was also my "little" brother's birthday! Really, "little" is probably the least accurate adjective possible - he's 6'3" and was over 200 lbs while playing football in high school (he's shed a little muscle bulk and therefore weight since graduation). It's hard to believe that this guy is 19.

Taken probably 6 or 7 years ago.

SMILING. THERE'S PROOF.

There's almost 70 years between the two of them. You'll never guess which one's ridden the motorcycle.

--- 7 ---

Finally, Freddy as my dad's version of a gangster.

He's got his chains, his backwards hat, and his beer. In a goblet.

Time to hit the hay. No sleep makes Dorothy something something.

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