Block Party @ MindSay 
Today was the annual block party my workplace holds to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We had games, prizes, door prizes/raffles, clog dancers, belly dancers, music, FOOD, face painting and crafts....I worked from 9:30 am until 2:30 pm. I learned how to make egg rolls and helped in making 500 of them! Yep, lots of leftovers! We also awarded 3 community members for their outstanding work in helping victims of domestic violence. The first was an investigator that works with the county's DA office. He's amazing....I've had him speak in one of my classes so I know how personal and serious he takes his job. The second person awarded was the head of the county humane society. She was awarded because my agency has an agreement with them in which they house pets of families that are fleeing violent homes. It's an amazing thing they do in helping us/our clients that way because often times there are families who want to leave but don't want to leave their pets behind. Most, if not all, shelters don't allow animals so this enables them to be able to get a fresh start and keep their furry loved ones safe too. The third person awarded was the police chief of a nearby suburb that we work very closely with. After multiple domestic violence related homicides in his district, he took a major stand and his force implemented a new program and new efforts to combat domestic violence. More law enforcement should be as dedicated and take it as seriously as he does. News crews were there, and I missed being on tv by a few inches - the person I was standing next to was on tv, but I wasn't. Oh well. I know I was there, and I smell like greasy egg rolls to prove it! There was also a table with information about therapy dogs....and there were probably 8 or so dogs there too....that drew a crowd too. I had a really great time and I was honored to be involved with the event!
Friday night party at the Vanella's
- Mrs. Vanella, I like everything you do - I like the way you move! - Sean
- Thumper
- Yohe, Chris, Josh, John with the funny shirt(s)
- Jimmy Buffett in the kitchen
- The lights going out...twice...
- Bomb punch chugging contest between Joey and his mom
- 13
- NICOLE
- 43 year old women; Quinny and John. Discuss.
- Rick Rude baseball games.
- 3 bouts of rain and storm, and then...the sprinklers came on.
- Nicole and I told Kathy the hotdog story...
Saturday night block party in Island Park
- Lindsay, Kristina, Nora, Jaimie
- EDWIN. And Edwin remembering the good old days when I called him EdLOSE <3
- Erin not able to call me
- Etienne. Etienne actually GREW. Maybe 5 inches? I think he broke 7 feet a whiiiiiile ago....eep!
- "I've seen Emily more in the last 2 nights than I have in the last 4 years" "6 years, Chris" "Shiiiiiiiiiit"
- "You look really familiar. I know you" - Dan Travers, who I used to live around the corner from. The boy who used to offer me rides - such a nice family. Glad I didn't mess up and call him Sean. I can't believe Sean has been dead for 5 years. I can't believe I didn't go to the memorial while I was so near by. I wish I knew him better; I have never heard a bad word spoken about him.
- Bomb and his cousin, La Bamba.
- Old crushes. For the first time since I was a senior in high school, I was in the same vacinity as Danny K. We took our time to talk to each other (though I talked quite a bit to George, to be shared below), but eventually got there. Joked about how I don't live in WH anymore, had to get to Mass, and how I was turning tricks to get there. I was able to be brave enough that when he said that was a lot of tricks, I told him '2 at the most; I'm just that good'. 5 yaers ago I would NEVER have had the balls to deliver a line like that. Baby steps. He's still really cute, unfortunately. He got heavier (I saw photos) but looked better last night. Couldn't see his eyes in the darkness, but I know they're still gorgeous.
- George: "When we had that class together, we were friends". We were friends? George and I? Hilarious. Also, I called George 'Rob' by accident (actually, I said, 'where IS George' and he said "I AM George". I miss Rob).
- John with the funny shirts (last night's was about squirrels) went to give me a hug and just went and picked me up.
- Getting to put my feet up on George's back.
- Realizing I STILL don't like Mike T., and that it's OKAY that I still think he's a douchebag. I don't have to like everyone, and I really don't like him. He was such a jerk back then, and even though we didn't exchange words, I know he's still the same kid. Hasn't evolved at all. Chestnut's probably the exact same way. I have forgiven everyone else; I mean, I hugged and kissed Yohe, who I know was one of them....but I will never forgive Teich and Chestnut for continuing it. And it feels GOOD to not just forgive them because time has passed.
My greatest fear in creating a Blog has happened and I'm not sure where I should go from here...
I feel as if I'm on the road to nowhere and my GPS system has failed me. It a shame that the batteries have gone dead and there isn't a store in sight...
The greatest fear I have in the creation of a Blog and joining the Blogging community is that I will reach a point where I find that I have nothing to say, no topic that reaches out the darkness and pulls me in, no new and exciting experiences that I feel I have to share with the world...
I have reached this point where I have fallen off the edge of the world into the nothingness of the void that has grown to epic proportions between my ears...
Alas, I long for a lightening bolt of creativity to strike me and to jolt me back into a mode where the ideas flow freely like the rains of spring. Striking me with such force that every single atom of nothingness is blown from my soul and shattered about the landscape like the gentle falling snows of February...
Alas, I have become nothing in a world of something...
The Earth does not shed a single tear for my loss. It continues to do what it has always done for millions of years - it just carries on. And I will do likewise even though I feel a loss from which I may not recovery...
And that's about all I have to say about that...
This is the Word of the AntiCrust...
Praise be the Word...