Gloomy Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is so gloomy today and I’m finding it mimics my mood too much for my liking.

This morning did not go as planned thanks to the freezing rain that fell all night long. I almost fell on the way to church but somehow turned it into a sidewalk skate. My boots don’t really have all that much traction on the bottoms, but I guess they were smooth enough to give me temporary grace ; )

I went grocery shopping after church and got clementines, as well as all the ingredients for homemade tomato soup – I’ll post pictures later when I make it tonight. I’ve been feeling really domestic lately and I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with my Mom’s influence, but at least she’s happy to see the change.

But all these good things that happened after scratching my original plan seem to have no meaning after a short lived phone call from a friends mother. I’ve been trying to connect with my friend “Gibbler” for almost a year via email and voice mail to no avail. (That’s a lot of ail)

She has a 20 month old daughter, so I understand her time is more precious than it used to be, but I haven’t spoke with her in a year and I feel very left out, very left behind.

Well Gibblers mother called to confirm my own mothers’ address for a Christmas card and I asked how everyone was – since I never get Gibbler on the phone, I figured that this would be a good update. Turns out Gibbler is 3 months pregnant with her second child.

… … … … … …

… … … …

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy for her and her expanding family. But that one sentence, that is supposed to be so glad and happy and full of cheer and life really took the wind out of my sails. We used to be close – I was MOH in her wedding – and now the most I hear from her is an auto reply from her email saying she’s out of the office.

Living in different states, I used to expect only random phone calls – the kind where we would talk for an hour and it would be as if no time had lapsed. But now I don’t even warrant a return email.

To me, it seems that guys get married and have families and somehow they’re still able to maintain friends outside their houses. I feel as if all the women I know – with one exception – get married and have kids and completely forget their friends. Why is that? Isn’t the cliché “it takes a village to raise a child” indicative of keeping your friends close?

Home life is fulfilling, I’m sure, and I live no where near Gibbler to know whether or not she keeps friends outside her house and her hubs, but I feel so gloomy after that phone call I just want to get in my car and go home for the night.

And wake up tomorrow to see the freezing rain turned into snow overnight.

The Owld Speckled Un

Have you heard this one? Not Yeti!

This past weekend was as much fun as it was a blur. So nice to get out of Pittsburgh for a little while, for sure, but terrible to have to leave Columbus after only a few short hours of being there.

Everytime I go back I get to see my friends – sometimes there are oversites, though – So Sorry Domer – but nevertheless, I enjoy being back. The Short North, where I usually stay, has grown up quite a lot since I last lived in the area. It looks more like Olde Worthington, all growd up.

Fitz and I got to spend some fun time together, especially once it was no longer “Carolinetime”, which is a close relative of the Nelsonville TimeWarp. But I digress.

I always leave feeling a little melancholy that I no longer live in the area that I grew up a part of, but I think it’s because I leave an area that was a part of the history that once was. Allow me to explain.

Most people complain about high school. If you polled a group, any group, you might find that they hated high school. They were teased. They were unpopular. They were waaa wa waaa wa wa wa. (*Charlie Brown teacher voice) They were not what they wanted to be. But not me.

I loved high school. For the first time in my life I really felt like I fit in. Like I had a group. Like I belonged. Granted it was with a solid cast of 7 guys and various female and male subs as we navigated the mine field of growing up, high school and, for most of us, the marching band, but we really had it made.

We made it through ridiculous science projects, had fun times at school dances (anyone remember getting Domer on the Valentine’s court? Or when he forgot the PROM TICKETS???) and seriously enjoyed our senior lunches, with or without wing-dings and rides in Olsen’s van. Where is that beast now, I wonder? The Van. Not Olsen. I know where Olsen is. Relatively speaking.

DMB’s Crash Into Me is playing on my iTunes right now and I feel like I’m 14 again. Back on the drumline and waiting for Friday Night Football to get here, all the while riding around in a silver chrysler. It was such a good time in my life. And, even though I don’t say it, often or at all, I am so grateful to those 7 guys. The brothers I never had, but somehow got anyway.

It was nice to slip back into conversation with Ross this past weekend and I feel like I haven’t missed too many beats with Fitz – did you do the Monday Night Burritos??? I must know, Purple! -But I want more of it!

Ah. Challenge.

Welcome, Adele

Welcome Adele Marie Hydzik!

Born at 6:26 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2009 to Allison & Brennen Hydzik.

8 pounds, 3 ounces, 19 inches

Photos by Keith Hodan

Congratulations Allison and Brennen. Your girl is lovely.

They say our love won’t pay the rent

So pay the bills before you accrue debt …

Repeating things in life begins to feel like the ultimate deja vu – groundhog day. And then there is repeating things multiple times within a short time span making it feel even more so.

Joe and I had another wedding this weekend and I think the thing that kept it from feeling like all the rest was the devotion that the bride’s father put into their wedding favors. He’s an avid wine connoisseur and made bottles of wine for each guest to take home with them. I didn’t get a chance to try it – yet – because it’s a little difficult to hold a flash steady when you’re not.

But some of the repetitiveness of weddings is getting to me a bit and I’m starting to notice only those parts of the day which set them apart from other weddings – the things on which they’ve spent thoughtful time – not money they didn’t have. Each one is nice in it’s own right, but I’ve come to realize that, at a wedding, guests care about very few things: Food, booze and music. Oh, and Cake.

Yes, it’s your family and friends there to support you on one of the biggest days of your life, but really, it’s more about the two of you and the commitment you’re making than the money you spend or anyone else in attendance – how else do explain some guests skipping the ceremony and heading straight for the reception venue?

Being on a plastic fast – which is still going very well by the way, more in a minute – is making me notice the things you should and shouldn’t spend money on – even for a once in a lifetime event such as a wedding. My mother went to my cousins wedding almost 8 years ago and to this day, the only thing she can remember – and raves about – was how fantastic the food was.

It’s the parts of the wedding that people participate in that they remember most.

I guess what I’m saying is don’t buy the expensive dress, no one will really notice, but go for the prime rib carving station – guests will cheer. And throw your bouquet. Not a similar, smaller “tossing” bouquet. What else are you going to do with it? Dry it out and let it collect dust for 15 years while it slowly breaks apart and you have to throw it away anyway?

These are the kinds of things I think about while waiting in line to pay for items in retail stores anyway. And yesterday I actually thought so long and hard about what I was waiting – forever – to pay for, that I actually talked myself out of everything because, even though the items were a good deal, $40 towards the fast vs. two gorgeous leather belts just sounded even better! I did buy a shirt, but that was because a staple item – such as the white button up in question – can very rarely be bought for $6.99 on sale.

A girl has to have at least something to wear to the wedding …

I’m making slow but steady process on the debt and have paid off roughly $1500 since I started this in March, which is pretty good considering I haven’t really cut down on eating in restaurants or nights out. It’s simply cash only.

If I don’t have the cash to pay for it, I don’t buy it – but the key to method is remembering to pay all the bills first so I don’t suddenly think I have cash. And then have no cell phone service.

The Shermanator

Congratulations Kate and Ross!

Here are a few pictures from the Shermanator’s wedding last weekend. Be sure to check out the custom cake topper… And Jeff Gandee’s hair ; ) Enjoy!

I’m back

Hi Allison!

I’m sorry I haven’t posted a blog in so long but I was on vacation for nine days; ironically the same time that you were off on your lovely staycation. ; )

I would have posted, but I decided it was best to unplug for those nine glorious days and, barring my cell phone, didn’t do any electronic work. And it was good.

Ross and Kate got married (Yea!) and I have some lovely photos to show you. Wait til you see their custom cake topper! You’ll flip! It looks just like the Shermanator. I mean, erm, Ross! It was such a lovely reception, I only wish I had made it to the ceremony, too. I wasn’t there, though, with good reason – My sister graduated from Ohio University earlier the same day and she took precedence over R&K. Great photos from her graduation, too!

Overall, the trip to Ohio was great and I’ve loads of pictures to share. They’re all at home, though, on my computer, so I’ll send you them later tonight.

I thought of you when Mom and I saw a semi-truck accident on tuesday morning during our drive on I-71. A Bath & Body Works truck had flipped over and can-opener’d – yes, I’m making up words – spilling individual bottles all over the place. I know you would have loved it.

Be sure and check out Joe Appel’s blog – you can see photos from the wedding we were shooting on the 20th! Chris and Amy were such a nice couple and really very easy to photograph – you’ll see what I mean.

Hope you and Brennen and Choo-Choo are all well! Can’t wait to see the dry-wall and painting you two were able to accomplish last week. I’m sure it looks great.

Later,

Caroline

Famous

My friend Joe is on the homepage of Ohio U today, in celebration of graduation from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Congratulations, Joe!

Joe's Graduation

It’s A GIRL!

It’s official. Allison and Brennen Hydzik are having a little baby Girl come October!

The surprising part is that we all thought it was going to be a boy. I even told Allison last night, so very adamantly I might add, that I thought she was having a boy (she thought so, too) and that I would be really, really surprised if it ended up being a girl. Well the sonogram is in and there is no possibility of her little buddha being a boy. YEA!!!! Can’t you just picture the baby shower?

I am going to be the best pseudo-Aunt EVER. Not that I wouldn’t have been excited for her to have a little boy, but I think having a little girl to play dress up with is going to be fantastic.

Pink tutus and Ballet shoes, to compliment sugar and spice,

A little girl with big brown curls, oh it will be so nice!

Quit your day job

Joe Appel Photography

Recently I got to do a photo shoot for the newspaper and I was able to work with two great photographers – Heidi Murrin and Joe Appel.

I’ve had a bit of experience with Joe before, as he was the photographer at the wedding of my friends Allison and Brennen, becoming a seamless part of the day (while the rest of us scurried about) documenting the event perfectly – even managing to capture a few moments the bride and groom missed as they were so busy.

I thought everything he photographed that day turned out extremely well, especially considering the weather hadn’t really been in our favor for the first half of the day, so I was very pleased when he was the photographer for the second day of shooting on the little black dress story.

Heidi had great conditions with Nordstrom – neat props, make-up artist, good looking art – and I had been extremely happy with her photos (I only wish I had something I needed head shots for!) so I was all the more excited to see Joe’s photos after having seen his work from Allison’s wedding.

Both photographers did a beautiful job and I would work with either one again in a heartbeat. It is funny though, that as I look at each photo I can see a different person. I know it’s all the same person – work with me here – but in each outfit it’s a different personality coming out. I guess clothes can make the woman!

Joe posted them here on his blog, with the full photo slide show available here of both sets of photos from Heidi (Nordstrom) and Joe (Macy’s).

Day 5 … and 6 and 7

Ever get behind balancing your checkbook? Or watching your DVR’d tv?

Somewhat stressful.

So tonight, I’m catching up with Huntington and Friends. Oh – and writing a blog post. Only part of which is fun – trust me. I’ve spent all week doing english to math conversions in preparation for the GMAT and the last thing I want to do is more math. Or solve anything else in terms of “w”.

Of the twenty-some episodes of Friends waiting for me to watch (DVR is really terrible) I managed to get my most favorite episode, “The One with all the Poker.” This has always been my front-runner favorite (with the Pilot episode a close second) because it’s the start of Rachel’s career in shopping.

Sigh.

It’s no shock that Rachel likes to shop and in “The One with all the Poker” she gets her first interview at Saks. “It’s like the mother ship is calling (her) home.”

Ever since my mother heard that line, she’s used it when I start getting closer to the ultimate personal shopping goal. Now, not to be superstitious, but she is always finding 118 in things. Change. Totals. Channels. You get the idea. It’s how she knows things are going well – almost like a pat on the back. It happens all the time and has become quite cool.

“The One with all the Poker” is Episode 1.18