approching 3 years… almost a year’s worth of highlights!

As we are approaching our 3 year anniversary, we have had a busy year.  We lost a friend, watched a lot of sports, saw the Yankees win a World Series and lose 2 members of the Yankee family, and most stressful for me- watched my baby brother graduate from high school.  Dan has changed work schedules a couple of times.  We are getting used to the DuPont schedule, and he has even been able to build our deck!!!!  Mickey is starting to calm down a bit.  My year was mostly about high school sports…  Football season was rainy and miserably as the Johnsonburg Rams were not at their best.  Basketball season was busy with ECC going into state playoffs again with Burg just missing out.  Baseball season was interesting in that Vince (my brother) was amazing with his pitching all season (one bad game does not a season make)!  The weather all baseball season was wonderful and well deserved after what we had to put up with in football season!  Truth be told that’s pretty much my year.  We lost Jeff before my birthday, which made Dan’s birthday a little less bright this year.  Dan is off on our anniversary this year so we will be making a trip to Luigi’s .  Thats all for now… I’ll expand on some parts of the past year later and try not to neglect the blog as much as I have been!!

2 years

Two years ago, my wonderful husband and I were married.  In those two years we have loved, laughed, cried, mourned and every other emotion.  So far so good.  I still find myself waiting to spend time together, even if its for me to just yell at him.  I guess thats a good sign.  I no longer hesitate before I sign my last name, hoovering between the “V” and the “W”.  I’m still not sure if they are my cousins or Dan’s.  There are some that have always been mine and they all are, its just when I explain to people who I’m talking about, I no longer say my husband’s cousin. 

Also it has almost been 2 year since Gram died.  Hard to believe that much time has gone by.  Even harder to believe Grandpa has been gone since 94.    And the scariest thing of all… my little brother is going to be a SENIOR this year!

My completely biased review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:SPOILER ALERT

As you can see from the title, I loved this movie.  It was fast paced from the first camera flashes on the screen.  I and most of the theater jumped when the Inferi grabbed Harry (even though I knew it was coming).  There were a ton of funny moments.  Ron’s expressions during the love potions scene were hilarious!  Harry had some classic lines. “and I think the pinchers”, “actually Sir after all these years I just go with it”.  The added in scenes were very well done I thought.  WWW was more chaotic then I pictured in my head.  Not to mention the fact the McClaggen was way more attractive than I pictured in my head.  And speaking of McClaggen, Quidditch was done very well.  That was once again on of the times I really wished I went to Hogworts.  Harry and Ron’s conversation of girls was amusing also.  There were some great moments.  When Harry placed his hand on Dumbledore’s chest, I cried, again knowing what was going on.  Sectumsempra felt early in the movie, but now I feel like I need to reorganize the book structure in my own head.  I had read a few other critics who thought the HBP story line was forced because it was minimal– hello– it was the same way in the book.  Its a subplot until we find out who is the half-blood prince.  Well that’s all I can think of for 7 am. Maybe an additional point or 2 after my second viewing.

Time passed

And I became a slacker…  No excuse, but well there it is.  Baseball season came and went for the Johnsonburg Rams.  We had a decent season, some highlights, some lowlights.  I’m really going to miss seeing some of the seniors play.   I wonder what the team will be like next year.  The Yanks are in second place in the AL East.  Should be in first, but we have half a season left. 

Today is an exciting day.  I get to go out to dinner with family, and at midnight……. HALF-BLOOD PRINCE!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is going to be a bittersweet moment for me.  I get to go to our new movie theatre for a midnight showing of my favorite movies of all time, but I also have to do it alone.  Dan is still working days and I could never ask him to come to a midnight show and then have to work a 12 hour day the next day.  It will also be the first movie since Chamber that I will see without Peg.  HBP is one of my favorite books in the series and cannot wait to see the movie adaptation as it looks phenomenal.  Peg and I will have to console ourselves and pretend we are watching it together since we will be wearing matching shirts! 

Lets see what else has been going on.  Jeff’s leukemia has returned again.  Dan now works on a different Tower.  Michael Jackson died, which suprisingly upset me a great deal.  MJ was a fantastic entertainer and I will miss the chance to hear more great music from him.  Hopefully some of the songs he had put away were complete and we will hear from him again.

Glorius baseball!

Now even though was have MUCH snow on the ground here in my part of PA, the college baseball season has begun.  Two of my brothers former teammates began the college baseball season.  I’m so happy to know that elsewhere in the country baseball is being played and shortly it will be our time. 

This week is District 9 playoffs.  Tomorrow is ECC first, Burg game second.  Ahhh… Clarion my favorite place to enjoy basketball.    Good luck to both the alma mater and my boys from Burg.  I wish all of you the best.  I hope the fans behave themselves.  It is strange being on both sides of the ECC Burg spectrum.  I do hope they face one another for the district title. 

I got OOP on BluRay.  It was AWESOME…. I also saw the NEWEST firtlook thingy for HBP and I really, really, can’t wait for July 17th.

Super Bowl, Spring Training, basketball playoffs and more

Well the Super Bowl was AWESOME!  Dan and I used our plan with start the game about 30 minutes late.  Since Dan was at work, I DVRed the game and we started watching when he got home.  It was the perfect plan as we caught up the the rest of the world at half time.  Work is still iffy on some days for Dan, but last week they added a day as work instead of being off so that was a good sign I think.  But time will tell. 

As the calender flipped to February it can only mean one thing– SPRING TRAINING!!!!  The baseball season doth approaches!  My favorite time of the year.  Sabathia, AJ, and Tex are all in camp and all the world is talking about is A-Rod.  I have to say, I am saddened by the whole A-Rod situation.  Mostly because I just hope my brother and his friends use their talent.  PEDs aren’t going to get you any where but in trouble, they might make you stronger, but they can’t help your timing to hit a baseball. 

We also know that with the calender flip we are now in PIAA basketball playoffs.  Burg is looking pretty tough after they victory over DCC for the AML championship.  My alma mater is not looking so tough, but you can never count out ECC. 

Last weekend Dan and I spend Saturday and Sunday in Hershey, not for a chocolate covered Valentine’s Day but rather to visit with Jeff, Jamie, and JD.  We learned that playing Wii is quite fun.  I think we did a good job with the visit and hopefully brought a bit of normalcy to them.  We also went to the Outdoors show in Harrisburg, which was also awesome.

SuperBowl, First birthdays, new prez

Well since the beginning of January quite a bit has happened.  First and most exciting to Steelers Nation PITTSBURGH’S GOIN TO THE SUPERBOWL.. HERE WE GO…….  Playoffs have been awesome and I still can’t understand how people hate Hines Ward.  He is awesome.  Like Barney only cooler.  This has been a slow month for the guys at PM 5.  Dan ended up with 2 weeks off which were put to good use snowmobiling since we have a butt load of snow.  While he was out sledding, I was busing catching myself up on the fist 2 seasons of “How I Met Your Mother”.  The more I watched the harder I laughed.  I love that show.  I also adore “Big Bang Theory” since I too heart various things.  OK enough of my boring TV watching winter life. 

We also had two First Birthday parties.  Aiden and JD both turned one and had interesting cake experiences.  JD learned that fire burns!  Aiden’s was a nice party in which I got to socialize with various relatives I don’t see often enough, though my favorite cousin-by-marriage was missing! 

I spent much of inaguration day watching the proceedings.  I feel hopeful, though I’m sure his first formal interview being given to Arab TV upset people like my mom.   Personally I look at it as positive.

new years outlook

Here we are 8 days into the new year and I have yet to comment.  First of all, I think, our party was a success on New Year’s Eve.  Even though we had way too much food.  I thought some of the extra people we invited might show up but it was only the Wilsons.   JD is getting so big.  It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since he was born.   I think we are getting better adjusted to life on the DuPont schedule.  We had a great visit from the Bliss sector of the family.  Poor Abby couldn’t figure out who I was.  But watching them was good birth control.  I watched at lot of basketball over the holiday.  We have some down time now, which is allowing us to do little things like re-finance our house.  This time fore pitchers and catchers report is the most boring time of the year.  Hopefully the Steelers will win and make Sundays exciting at least.  Dan finally figured out the entire reason I want BluRay– HARRY!!

Christmas reflection

Well here we are– almost Christmas time.  Which to every one in Elk County also means the holiday tourney doth approaches.  I have decided to take of the remainder of the week to finish getting all the last minute stuff ready for Christmas.  I have NOTHING wrapped.  Its times like this thought that we often look back on Christmases past.  I have been fortunate to have some great Christmas/New Years memories.  The New Years Eve party in my parents basement (Amanda we are still finding that silver confetti in the carpet.) , the times at Gram’s,  my first Gerg family Christmas, the Christmas party at Kathy and Andrea’s apartment, my first Christmas morning without the presents under the tree, and the first Christmas I woke up with Dan rather that at my own house.  Its hard to believe how much has changed in the past years.  Friendships come and go and then tend to come back again.  To quote a famous wizard “The ones we love never truly leave us.”  Every holiday time brings new experiences, ones we get to treasure.  I love my family and friends and am grateful to all of you for every experience you have shared with me.  So in case I don’t get to blog in the next 2 days.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Birthday excitement

When I arrived home on my birthday my gift box from Amazon was waiting for me.  Later that night as I opened the magical Amazon box to reveal my wonderful gift from my fabulous husband.  Oh to behold the collector’s edition of Tales of Beedle the Bard.  AWESOME!  I was so thrilled.  I know, I know, I’m a giant nerd!  But wow oh wow is it the coolest feeling to know I have one of these awesome collector’s edition.  I can’t really explain the coolness factor to non-Potterites, but the extra illustrations that Jo wrote with her own hand.  As you can tell from my geeky excitement this was one of the best birthday presents ever. 

Last night I also finished reading “Harry, A History.”   It should be required reading to anyone who has read the Potter series.  While I was aware of a large portion of on-line fandom, I only scratched the surface.  Melissa made me remember so many moments that I hold dear.  Like your first Potter friend (Peg).  The hesitance you have discussing Potter with those who might take the mickey out of you for it, but still needing to because of the pent up desire for conversation.  It’s amazing how much I can relate really life to Potterverse.  I bring a lot of Potter to my everyday.   Talking about reading in the car– I remember HBP- Christine reading to me in the car on the way home from DuBois.  (When she was reading Spinner’s End and my exclamations of WHAT???).  Then going to someones home to read, trying make pumpkin juice.  That was DH for us.  Butterbeer and pumpkin pasties,  coffee and reading late in the night trying to finish DH.  Wanting to continue reading even though your eyes can’t read the words anymore.  By the way people,  butterbeer (buttershots and rootbeer)  is  awesome and makes me feel  in Potter and well it tastes really good.  Thank you Melissa from the bottom of my heart.  Your hit the nail on the head with me, Potter is my refuge when all doesn’t seem right with the world for me.  Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one and its ok to be proud of loving this amazing story and world that JKR has created for us.  And I’m super jealous of you and proud that you have achieved your dreams. 

Christmas is rapidly approching and I’m not at all ready.