I'm back!!! What a fun trip!

You know you are in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when…

1. You can’t find a restaurant that takes debit or credit cards. “Cash or checks only!” Who writes a check for a burger and fries?

2. People talk about last year as a good winter because they only had 250 inches of snow. They had 360 the year before last, you know.

3. You can’t go anywhere without spotting signs for snowmobile trails.

4. The local IGA is the size of your parent’s garage, and they sell boat oars and life jackets right next to the bread and milk. You have to drive about 100 miles or more to get to a Wal-mart.

5. Half of the hotels are closed after Labor Day.

6. You run into limestone gravel roads. Actually you run into lots of dirt and gravel roads period.

7. You see signs for “homemade pasties” everywhere.

8. Everyone has a wood pile “out back” of their house.

9. Beachfront property is not just for the rich.

10. All you can see is either water or trees. It’s nature’s wonderland!

The Fifth of November...

remember, remember, the 5th of November
the gun powder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why the gun powder treason
should ever be forgot.

I finally saw V for Vendetta a couple of weeks ago, and this ditty from the movie has been churning through my brain ever since. I thought perhaps this cleansing ritual—blogging about it—might help clear it from my head.

It was a really good movie. I hadn’t read about, hadn’t heard of the characters, didn’t know the whole Guy Fawkes story, etc. I was in the dark basically…completely oblivious. But when I saw the preview (on another DVD), it looked like a DARK picture. My kind of thing! So, I opted to check it out and really liked it. It's the type of movie that still had me thinking about it the next day.

Now, I’m not so much into the overthrow of governments, really. In fact, I’m not all that political at all. [Forget that I have a poli sci minor, please! Pretend it’s not so…] Something snapped inside my head a couple of years ago, and I just lost interest. But there is something about V that pulls you in and makes you wish you had something to believe in that strongly about.

I liked the characters, the style of the film, the British humor, the twists, etc. Good stuff! Natalie Portman isn’t my favorite actress, but she does fairly well in this film. Her feigned British accent is a bit much, and sometimes I detected other accents in there. It took me forever to discover how and why I knew the voice of her co-star V. Once I saw his name in the credits, I was still in the dark. But once I saw him in one of the “behind the scenes” DVD extras, I was kicking myself… DUH!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Ready to go U.P.

Only 16 days to go before I head on my vacation! I am so ecstatically excited! WOOHOO!! Although, I don’t know who’s brilliant idea it was to schedule my vacation time for the end of summer...I’ve waited in agony since May for September to get here. HA! It’s going to be one crazy busy month though, but I think I’m ready for it.

On Friday, September 8th, my Aunt Peggy and I are riding up to my parents’ home in Croswell, Michigan together. It will be fun to catch up with her. She’s a joy to be around and a lot like my Mom, her sister. Then the next day, my parents and I leave for the U.P., and my Aunt will be staying with my Grandma while we are away for the week. [Thank you, Aunt Peggy, for volunteering to do just that! I hope you and Grandma have fun together!]

I’m thrilled to see the Great Lakes again up close and in person. I’m not a beach bunny by far. I like to swim, but not so much in such cold water, plus Lake Huron where I grew up is rather rocky. You do get used to the rocks after a while, but they are initially harsh on your feet at first. But in the U.P. near where we will be staying in Paradise (ah yes, literally in Paradise, Michigan), Lake Superior is beautiful and sandy. There are miles of remote beaches with very few people, and while I doubt either my parents or myself will be jumping in and swimming, it will be wonderful to just wade in and walk along the water. I can’t wait. There is something tranquil and harmonious about being near water for days on end. (SIGH! I’m at peace even now just pondering it...)

My parents were in charge of finding our accommodations and planning the meals, and I was in charge of coming up with the itinerary. But just last week I determined that we couldn’t possibly do the whole U.P. in a week while renting the same cabin for a week. I never realized how immensely large the U.P. is. It is around 300 miles from the Eastern tip to the Western tip, which is about the same distance from my parents’ house to the Mackinac Bridge in total, and so we have scaled back our plans to the Eastern and more Central areas of the U.P. We’ll have to see the Western side another summer.

We’ll be spending a day on Mackinac Island, visiting several waterfalls including a family favorite (Tahquamenon Falls—the ice tea colored waterfalls), discovering some lighthouses we haven’t toured before (my Mom loves lighthouses), taking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore cruise (which I am giddy about!), etc. We’ll also just be taking drives along the coast, another favorite adventure I enjoy. There are just miles of water to drive along--simply beautiful. The photo journalist in me is armed and ready!!

I’ve been looking forward to this week for months now. Just me and my parents traveling the U.P. together--it will be fun! Lots of bonding...

Howard, Where are you?

My friend, Jessica, emailed today to tell me that her new friend, Jim, was at the July 4th Singles Picnic that I went to. And so, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out if can figure out who he was. That was a busy picnic after all. There were mostly new faces there, and so in my hostess role, I was a bit of a social butterfly--going from table or group to group introducing myself and saying hi. I met so many new people that I couldn't keep them straight, but it was fun, and I like that kind of stuff. I now think I know who Jim is, and he did seem like a nice guy. He certainly seems to be into Jessica. He has called her every night this week so far...just to chat, make plans for their Friday night date, etc. He seems really into her, and I'm glad. I'm living vicariously through her...

So, I've been thinking more about Howard lately. Does anyone know any single guys named Howard? It sure would be funny to meet one. [Hint, hint! I am now taking referrals...]

Anyway, I was pondering the thought today that even if I met Howard this week and we started dating, we'd still have those 3 months or so of awkward getting-to-know-you dating. Then would come those 6 months to a year of actual steady dating (or longer depending on how things go before you really got serious), and then there would be the serious phase and an engagement, and then the wedding planning... See, I don't like to think about that. Because even if this all starts tomorrow, it’s gonna take forever. It's still a wonder to me that people still hook up at all! It sounds like an exhausting couple of years to me.

I guess it is especially frustrating when you are ready--you've been ready, and you're simply tired of waiting for something else to happen. The truth is that you see time slip away, and you’d just like to know if it will ever happen for you. If it won’t, you’d like to know. You’d like to kick hope to the curb and move on. But until then, you can’t help it. Hope resurfaces from time to time, and you find yourself dreaming of more. No one could accuse you of holding back just because you are single! You're out living your life, enjoying it—traveling, meeting people, staying busy, pursuing hobbies and other interests, etc. But you do want more. You’re happy with your present circumstances, but you have that desire to love and be loved by another! You can’t escape it.

You’ve tried the hermit lifestyle in years past, but you find that deep inside you are a people person. So you continue to immerse yourself in society. You pray and wait, and you discover the obvious once again—you are a one-person unit living in a couples or family-pack sized world! Everything around you reminds you that you are unattached--TV commercials, sitting in church, grocery shopping, eating dinner out with friends, reading books, watching movies, letters from friends, etc. You’re reminded regularly that you are single.

And remember that relationship process I mentioned earlier? Well, I'm task-oriented. I’m driven to follow a process and get things done. And this is one project I want to have started already, but I can’t get one date once in a while--let alone a regular every week occurrence with the same guy! I want to be on the journey and headed on my merry way...but I can't even get on the boat and there isn't a boat in sight. I'm waiting on the dock, binoculars in hand as I scan the horizon for signs of a boat, and there is nothing. NADA! No freighters, no cruise boats, no speedboats, no paddleboats or canoes. Not even a kayak in sight! [Not sure where the boat analogy came into this, but it did!]

Let me put it this way...you know how they say you have to date a lot of frogs to find your prince? Well, what if you aren’t meeting the frogs either? What if you seem to have gotten thrown in the wrong pond? What then? Do you migrate to another pond? Hmmmm...

Howard, I think you’re in the wrong pond! Can you hop over to mine soon? PLEASE??

Still Hoping for Howard!

My friend Jessica, one of my close girlfriends, got a phone call recently from another friend, Jeff. He was calling to tell her about a guy that he met at a singles gathering on the South side of the city.

Jeff and this guy--we’ll call him Jim...because that’s his name--started a conversation about their churches, the single life, etc. When Jeff specifically mentioned the name of his church, Jim asked Jeff if he knew my friend Jessica. Of course, Jeff, who was active in the same singles Bible study that Jessica and I attended for a few years, knew Jessica personally and told Jim that. Jim’s interest was piqued, and he asked more about her.

As the story goes, Jim had sat next to Jessica at a Christian concert 2 years ago, and he remembered her name and their encounter. Jim and Jessica had a conversation or two while at this concert, and apparently Jessica had made quite a favorable impression. So much so that 2 years later, this guy still remembered her by name and asked about her!

Curiously, shy Jeff, who rarely initiates a conversation with a woman, decided to play a bit of a matchmaker role and offered to introduce Jim and Jessica at his Sunday school class the next week. Jim thought that was a good idea. So, Jeff called Jessica and told her about the arrangement. Jessica was very intrigued. She vaguely remembered meeting a nice guy at a concert, but she couldn’t remember much more than that. However, she agreed to meet Jeff and Jim the next Sunday morning.

That Sunday arrived and Jessica went to the early Sunday AM class, but there was no sign of Jeff or Jim that morning. She was a bit disappointed, but she laughed it off and decided to go to the class again the next Sunday. After all, maybe Jim had to cancel at the last minute or something. The next week she went to the class again, but like the week before, there was no sign of Jeff or Jim that week either. Jessica tried to determine how to get a hold of Jeff, but none of us had his phone number. Eventually she joked that she must have dreamed it all up or gotten the details mixed up somehow. She had actually been home sick that day when she had taken that call from Jeff, and so she started imagining that she’d misunderstood or something.

Then she got a 2nd call from Jeff. Turns out that Jeff had been sick that first Sunday morning, and so he had to cancel on his plans with Jim. However, Jim had gone on to the class with a friend that first morning, but somehow, he didn’t spot Jessica, and she didn't spot him either. So there in a crowded room, they both were looking for the other, but their paths didn’t cross that morning.

After talking with Jessica, Jeff passed along her contact information to Jim, and Jim and Jessica arranged to meet up at the State Fair this past Sunday night at another Christian concert. Kristen and Jessica had planned to go the State Fair that evening anyway, and so they went and met up with Jim, and apparently it was a memorable evening. They talked and laughed and had a good time.

At the end of the evening, Jim asked Jessica if he could call her later in the week, she said that he could. He told her that he had to work late on Monday evening, and so he’d probably call her later in the week. Well, ever a surprise, Jim called her on Monday evening after all, and they have made arrangements for a 2nd date for this Friday evening.

I can’t tell you how excited and delighted I am for my friend Jessica. Two years ago, she had a conversation with a man at a concert, and somehow she made such an impression on him, that after 2 years he had not forgotten her, and when a chance encounter provided him with an opportunity to ask about Jessica, he took it.

Truth is that I really don’t believe in chance or accidents. I believe in design! Now, of course, I don’t really know how things will turn out here for Jessica and Jim. Only GOD knows! But I can honestly say that Jessica’s delightful story has given me hope. Hope that my Howard** still might be out there—unattached and free! I think it’s the romantic in me that despite my lack of personal experience with love, I still believe in it. I still seek it and want to give it!

Howard, if you are reading this, I don’t mean to rush you, but I’m ready when you are!


**For those of you who don’t already know, Howard is the only man in my life right now. He came into my life in my junior year of college (1994-95) and has been here ever since. He’s the ideal man! OK, so he’s an imaginary guy that my roommates and I created that year, but he’s very devoted and faithful to me. Plus, he never talks back and I never have to clean up after him. How beautiful is that!!

Long time, no post...

I survived the meds...the steroids and all! I wasn't sure I was going to make it, but I did. And I'd have to say that I am pretty much back to normal (NORMAL for me, of course, is probably not the way others would define the word, but basically this means that I'm past the insane, everyone-is-an-idiot stage). AHEM! The hot flashes are few and far between now as well. I had a couple of episodes this past weekend that started me thinking that maybe just maybe I was hitting menopause early, but really, I'm thinking that it's just the final side effects of the drugs wearing off. I hope that is all it is... HA!

It has been a couple of hugely busy weeks here at the office. It wasn't so nice when I was medicated because I couldn't seem to keep my head above water, but right now, I am enjoying the busy pace. It's so nice to have lots to do and to feel like I am really contributing. It's all good!

Tackling the world?!?! Part Deux

I’m taking just a few minutes for a mental health break and to vent. This week has just been horrible! UGH!! I am so looking forward to 4:30 PM. I feel like my nerves are frazzled, and that I’d just like to go home and get under the covers and stay there for a few days. I know by body is all out of wack because of the steroids, and the fact that I am on my cycle this week is not adding to my delightful personality this week. (HA!) I’m just hoping there are better days around the corner. [This is day 6 of 14! HELP!]

The weather here in Indiana isn’t helping either. My asthma (or whatever you call my breathing issue) is flaring back up, and I think it’s just the pressure and humidity in the air or something. I just can’t catch a good breath right now, and it doesn’t help that I’m strung out on meds and already a bit jittery. I’ve had several moments of panic. I try not to think about it, but it’s kinda hard to ignore when something inside your body is triggering a message to your brain that you aren’t getting enough air. [GULP!!]

At work, this is one of those weeks where everyone wants stuff RIGHT THIS MINUTE, or they make every project sound like an emergency, and the truth is that it’s not. It never is, and that’s annoying! Normally, I can swallow it without too much of a fuss, but there is just something about this week. I feel deeply cantankerous. I’ve caught myself biting my lips A LOT more than usual this week instead of speaking what instantly pops into my head.

But hey, I haven’t lost my sense of humor. Thanks goodness for laugher! Believe me, I’m laughing just to keep my head above water. It helps. My co-workers have been very supportive—making me laugh at my drama, asking me daily if I still feel like I work with a bunch of idiots [just for the record, I never said I worked with a bunch of idiots…I just told them what my dr. told me about his experience on steroids], taking me to lunch and cheering me up, etc. I have a lot to be thankful for. I’ve got blessings all around me. It’s just sometimes hard to see them when you are passed out on the floor… AHEM!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I’m scheduling one in beginning right now!

Tackling the world?!?!

Remember that sinus infection I got after my oral surgery back in mid- April? Well, I still have the same symptoms. My surgeon finally gave me a referral and I had my first visit with a specialist last week. Thus I’m on steroids for 2 weeks. I’m on day 4. 10 more to go! WOOHOO!!

As a warning for me since it has been a couple of years since I had taken drugs like this, my doctor relayed his recent experience with steroids. He was on the 14-day regimen as well, and the entire period was a frustration for him. He was convinced that he was working with an office full of idiots. No one else was doing his or her job correctly, and he started contemplating some major office changes. On Day 10, he came into his office to find a box of tampons in a sweet little gift bag. Apparently, his crankiness had been highly noted by his fellow staff, and they wanted to light-heartedly point it out to him before it was too late!

Well, I told my cohorts here in the office his story, and warned them that my moods and behavior might be a bit off for a few days. I didn’t want to use the pills as an excuse, but Boy, I wasn’t kidding! On Monday (day 2), I was hot all day. I mean I don’t quite know what hot flashes feel like, but I was sure I was having one. I was perspiring here at my desk as I was typing away on my computer. I wasn’t even up and moving around, and yet, my hair was damp with sweat! Nice mental picture, I know! Then yesterday (day 3) was better in the temperature regard (i.e. I wasn’t burning up any more), but I started to feel like nothing was working like it should. It seemed like my laptop and every printer in the building was giving me problems. And today (day 4), none of my software is cooperating, and even the simplest things seem to be taking twice as long to get done. Just minutes ago, I caught myself debating with a colleague. We were both saying the same thing, and I didn’t catch on until the end. We had a good laugh about it, but it has woken me up!

I’m going to try to become aware of the shifts in my mood and take a deep breath before resolving to tackle the world these next two weeks! HA!!

Where has the summer gone?

I can’t believe that it has been nearly a month since I last posted anything. I mean July is nearly over, people!! Ahhhh, but wait, this means that I am getting ever closer to my vacation time. WOOHOO!!

In September, I’m going on a week-long trip with my parents to the Upper Peninsula (or U.P.) in Michigan. I am so excited. We’re renting a cabin in Paradise, Michigan. Don’tcha just love it! I’m going to PARADISE!! OK, so it’s not quite the resort villa you may be imagining. I’ve stayed in a nearby cabin before, and this one sounds the same. It’s a small cabin in the woods on an inland lake, but there is an indoor shower with hot water and an indoor toilet. And believe me, these are luxury items in comparison to camping out in a tent or trailer, and so it’s a huge deal to me! Of course, this doesn’t mean that I won’t still have my share of run-ins with nature despite my best efforts to rid the world of spiders, but c’est la vie. I’m cursed with Spidar—my coined phrase for the ability to spot a spider rather quickly upon entry in a room, on a hike, on my car, etc. It’s just my every day reality. I've lived with this gift, if you will, for years!

However, my true delight about this trip is to have this time with my parents on my own. It’s just going to be the 3 of us exploring. We’re going to be visiting some of my childhood haunts—places like Baraga, Lake of the Clouds, the Porcupine Mountains, etc. I can’t wait to re-visit these places as an adult now and maybe get one of those cinnamon rolls as big as a plate! [Barbara: You know what I’m talking about!] There will also be trips to some of my family’s favorite spots that we ALWAYS hit on a trip to the U.P.—Tahquamenon Falls, the Soo Locks, Whitefish Point, Mackinac Island, etc. These things just don’t grow old. There is always something new to see!

On this trip, we will also be going to visit new sites as well—places I haven’t been to before. My Mom and I love lighthouses, and so we’re going to look up some new ones; and my Dad has a book on Michigan waterfalls, and so we’re going discover more of those, too. I am equally excited about the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore cruise that we are going to take. My parents have gone out on this boat cruise before, but I haven’t been before.

Yes, I just can’t wait to be up there in the U.P. –ever-armed with my camera and ready to see the world. OK, so the U.P. isn’t quite “the world,” but it is a special place to me. I’ve still got time to see the rest of the globe…think baby steps here!

Well, I should probably start packing…only 45 days to go! WOOHOO!!

Melanie, the Wedding Photographer??

Well, it’s over. I have now completed my 2nd wedding photography stint. I survived!

The first wedding (2 years ago), I enjoyed the experience but really struggled due to the poor lighting conditions at the church. I had never realized how very dark most churches are. And I don’t have the extra lighting equipment--such as the flash umbrella, etc.--and so some of the pictures needed some serious correcting after the fact, and I didn’t have a lot of experience with making adjustments to my photos. But when it was all said and done, the bride and groom were pleased with the majority of the shots, and over all I was happy the way things turned out.

This 2nd wedding (held last Saturday) went pretty well. There were hiccups to get through along the way--like not getting to take ANY shots before the wedding due to the wedding party’s late arrival at the location, the wedding starting 30 minutes late, etc. But I had my good friend Becky along to assist me, and she helped keep me sane! [Thank you, Becky!]

I took over 400 wedding photos, and there are some really great shots in the mix. I still have some correcting to do on some of the photos, but it was a good experience altogether. It was nice shooting an outdoor wedding for a change and thankfully the weather cooperated all day. It was lovely.

All in all, I enjoy taking wedding photos. I just need to get more experience posing people and working with different light conditions. Right now, I’m just into taking the photos. I'm snap-happy and due to nerves or shortness of time, I don't always see the guy walking in the distance of my shot or the hair out of place on the bride or the fact that 2 of my bridesmaids blinked. I'm more concerned with taking the shot and not having a camera malfunction. I’m also not making any manual adjustments due to poor lighting, back-lit scenarios, etc. I don’t know enough about the nitty gritty stuff at all. I feel like I need to know more and take a class or something. I feel uneducated about things like aperture, lighting, etc.

Part of me wonders whether or not I should continue taking on future photography opportunities...I know that I need more experience, more equipment, etc. to do this type of work on a regular basis, but there is another aspect to all of this that makes me wonder, too. Am I making it any less fun by taking photos for a price? I mean once it moves out of the realm of an expensive hobby, will I still love it?? Do I want this to turn into another job?

Guess I've got a lot to ponder for now...