December 2011 Archives

It's no secret that Fuzzy and I have a lot of stuff. Of all kinds. I am having a lot of house guests in the next few weeks, so Fuzzy and I are using this week to straighten up and get some stuff done. Looking around the house tonight, I am a little overwhelmed. There is stuff everywhere. And so much of what we have is stuff that we don't use. And yet, we keep buying new things. Now, some of the things we buy is good quality stuff that will last forever, but a lot of it is also just unnecessary. So as of tonight, I am going to start an experiment: I am going to do an inventory through the year of things that I have and actually USE them. Clean my closet so I can wear more of my clothes. Watch the movies I have. Read the books. Cook the food in my cabinets.* Use the bath products.** Drink the liquor. Hang the art. And I bet that I will gain a new-found appreciation for the things that I have, and I hope to save a little money, too.***  And if there is something that we don't need or use, then we will find another home for it, whether it is by selling it, donating it, or giving it to someone who needs it.****

Yeah! Let's do this!

*I will continue to buy fresh foods, like milk, veggies, and meat.
**My skin has become really sensitive to a lot of bath products and toiletries, so I might actually end up dumping what we have and getting some new oil-free, non-scented, hypoallergenic stuff, which can get expensive. It sucks, cause I love bath products, but the painful zits all over my body have got to go (Sexy, huh?)
***We still have a good portion of credit card debt that I would love to get rid of, especially after the car crap we dealt with this year. And I would like to be able to afford to visit my brother in a couple years.
****Speaking of my brother, thinking about Africa so much lately has really made me feel like the greedy, selfish American that I am. I have so much, while so many have so little.

Today, my brother and sister-in-law take one of the biggest steps of their lives--moving to Tanzania!

(Here is Christopher getting ready for the trip.)

I am so amazingly proud of them and I am awe-inspired by their calling to mission and to live among the poor in Africa. They have been waiting for this moment for 10 years!

(Here we are under the Hwy 61 sign in downtown Vicksburg.)

I feel blessed that we've been able to see them so much this year--4 times! And this last week home for Christopher's birthday and for Christmas was really amazing.

(Our last photo together for a couple of years!)

I love you, Christopher and Katie! You will always be in my thoughts and prayers!

Kwa heri and salaam safiri!

 

 

I decided this week that I am not going to be so hard on myself. I was sitting on the couch the other day, tearing myself up mentally for not being a night person (what a lame thing to be upset about), for not having the drive to do the things on my to-do list, for having a little too much to drink a few times in the last few weeks, for being a bad friend, for having crap/ clutter all over my apartment, when suddenly, I just thought--whoa, whoa, whoa! Ease up! I guess I just got a little overwhelmed with everything going on, but then I remembered my new philosophy of "Don't be stressed!" I am really trying to not be stressed. It comes and goes.

Also, I realize that it is ok to sort of just...be. I don't HAVE to be amazing right now. I don't HAVE to have a plan.  This month is a hard one, with the Dad anniversary a few weeks ago and Christopher's departure in just a few short days (Dec 28th.) So it is ok to grieve right now, and its ok to be struggling. Soon, I'll have my shit back together. And until then, I'll just get through everything the best that I can. All is well.
 
I had a knee appointment this week, and it went better than I expected it to go. I've been in a LOT of pain lately, so I was convinced that he was going to tell me that I could never dance again (something I have heard before, but that clearly didn't stop me) and that I would be destined to a life of pain. Well, that last part might be true, but it's ok! I have my last PT appointment on Monday, a really intense home program, and the doc told me to start spinning 3 times a week for an hour, doing pilates, and swimming. Eventually, I can add 1 run a week in. NOT BAD! Also, I now have a supa-fly phat-ass knee brace with metal hinges and all sorts of things to it. It is fairly small, but very stable, so I can wear it whenever I have pain or am working out. Wooo! I'm looking forward to exercising again--I really think that my stopping is what made it so easy for me to be sick so much this winter.

I head back to MS next week for Christmas and to say goodbye to my brother for several years--so much travel for me lately--and when I return, I am going to focus on the following things:

*Cleaning my apartment!
*Scaling back the clutter!
*Exercising!
*Cleaning out my closet!
*Writing!
*Silly creative projects!
*Meditating!

You know, when I started writing this blog post, I was in kind of a funk-haze, but now that I am writing it out, I am finding myself getting actually EXCITED about the year to come. To getting back on my feet. To starting fresh! So much of this year has been about waiting--waiting to get better, waiting for C&K to leave, etc. But now, soon, the wait will be over and all bets will be off.

And then, I will be unstoppable.

Fuzzy and I were in New York State this past weekend to celebrate Christopher and Katie's calling to mission and to witness their Sending Ceremony. It was an intense weekend of emotions and not a lot of sleep, but it was utterly priceless. I feel like I understand better their desire to go to Tanzania, and meeting the people that they have been training with and from over the past few months was really special. 

Kicking off the weekend, my colleague Karen and her husband Ira took us on a hike up the West Mountain in Bear Mountain State Park. I am still in a lot of pain with my knee, but I had hiking poles, my knee was all taped up, and Karen assured me that the hike wasn't going to be that challenging--just a little uphill at the very beginning. It is also worth mentioning that Karen and Ira has already been on one hike earlier in the day. So Christopher, Fuzzy, and I took off for what we assumed to be a leisurely walk in the woods.

Christopher and I are ready to go!

 

IT WAS HARD! It was essentially mountain climbing. Rock walls, mega inclines, the works. I am not going to lie, it was really hard. But I did it, and it was so nice being in nature away from all the stress and everything. It was great to spend time with Karen, whom I adore. It was great to have some time with my brother and my husband and just let it go. It was awesome.

Our mountain looked out at Bear Mountain. I didn't even know New York had mountains.

Christopher points to the future.

 

Me with Christopher and Karen in the background. Please note: I was wearing 4 shirts (3 of them long sleeved), a coat, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of socks, winter boots (waterproof, which was an asset) and hat and gloves.

Climbing a rock wall.

Top O' the Mountain to Ya!

This is one of my favorite photos ever. My two favorite men.

Woods

Ira leading the way home.

 

All photos by Fuzzy Gerdes

It's here! The newest product from Blewt! Productions solves the age-old problem: How can I show my appreciation for two movies and not just one?

With TWO FILM T-SHIRTS!

Two Film T-Shirts! from Blewt! Productions on Vimeo.

This awesome video was directed by Steve Delahoyde and features an amazing cast including yours truly.

Steve Gadlin, the creator of Two Film T-Shirts, blogged about it here!

Here are some photos from the shoot, which was SO much fun!

Scot Goodhart in his puny one film t-shirt

And After with his Two Film T-Shirt!

"I'll be there for you."
Front row: Alan Metoskie and Scot Goodhart
Back row: Stephanie Sylvester, Jennifer Staben, and me!

The Two Film T-Shirt Crew (Stephanie Sylvester, Alan Metoskie and myself)

Stephanie and I put on our best faces

 

And strut our stuff!

All photos by Steve Gadlin

For all curious parties, my two films are Waiting for Guffman and Down By Law.

GET YOURS TODAY!

When you are in the Blewt! Family, it's not out of the ordinary to spend your Saturday looking like this:

Photo by Steve Gadlin

This is me and Stephanie Sylvester, at the Two Film T-Shirts commercial shoot. More to come soon!

You know...you've had a long day of a shooting for a commercial video, and all you want to do is come home and unwind with some dinner on your favorite Cat Plate.

Four years ago today, we lost my daddy.



I miss him every single day.

 

There is so much I want to say, but I don't know if I have the strength or energy to.
So here are some photos.

 

My brother put it amazingly on his blog today. He said, "I could not have made it to where I am today without him; I just wish he could have made it here with me." Amen.

Here's to the memory of an amazing man, who was an amazing father. I am so blessed that I got to know him for the time that I was able to. I cherish those years with all of my heart. I am who I am because of him, and I will carry him in my heart for the rest of my life.