Elizabeth & Brendan

Today sucked and tomorrow doesn’t look much better.

I know Billy is in a better place – just have to get Richie to one as well.

Me and my brothers.

Brendan follows a geek website xkcd.com and about a year ago subtle references to cancer and illness started to show up in some of the comics he creates. It turns out that his fiancee was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. While I don’t get why “Sudo make me a sandwich” is hilarious, I do get the ones about cancer. Here is one I liked because it is so true.

Life fucking sucks more often than I want it to.

Day 2 at the job and so far so good.  I am in a lot of trainings and have been exhausted at the end of the day.  I am so looking forward to this weekend so I can continue with the gardening.  I have seen some growths that do not look like weeds.  And I am pretty excited!!!

I think the gnmes will get a home this weekend as well.

So…aunt versus aunt.  Or rather ahnt versus ant.

I have always said “ant”.  I am going to my ant’s house.  Hi Ant Carol.  How are you Ant Betty?  However, after living in Mass. for about 7 years I started to notice that in my head, when talking about my ants in general, I used the word ahnt.  But I had never said it aloud.  Then comes Opening Day 2011.  B and I were at my Ant Carol’s house.  I was on the phone dealing with a work issue and was asked “Where are you?”  I responded, “I’m in NY at my ahnt’s house.”  It was the first time I had said it that way.  B and Kevin started laughing at me and then I had to explain to my co-worker.  I still do not call my ahnts “Ahnt Betty” or “Ahnt Carol”.  That is too weird for me.  But talking about ahnts is not.  Weird.

I found this map that was really interesting.  I would say my answer is choice F.

As some of you know, I have been doing genealogy research on my family and B’s. My family is pretty easy since I leave my mom’s side to Aunt Betty and Uncle Billy, my father’s mother was adopted so that branch ends which just leaves my father’s father side. About 2 weeks ago I had a find that my great-great grandmother who was born in India was born in Sitapur, Bengal. Then in the past week there has been a plethora of finds. I have been able to locate the town in Westmeath of Brendan’s paternal great-grandfather, found out his parents names (including mother’s maiden name). Then I found Brendan’s maternal great-grandfather’s parents names (again including the mother’s maiden name) and the county in Ireland from which he came. However, the best was yet to come…passport applications with…PICTURES.

Brendan’s maternal great-grandfather Patrick

After the excitement wore off, I though to myself, “Surely a 60 year old man is not touring Europe by himself, he had to have gone with someone.” He didn’t take his wife or his oldest son (Brendan’s grandfather) but his son James.

Some of the relationships may not be correct – still figuring all that crap out.

Thanks to Aunt Betty for all her help this week on the Irish documents!!!!!

Happy Anniversary to us.

Life in Somerville has kept us very busy. Between football games, hockey games, visitors, and work, we haven’t had time to write.

Brendan’s parents came up and we went apple picking. We have not yet made the pie but Brendan made a really tasty apple chutney that went well with pork chops.

Brendan and the spoiled pupster

Brendan’s parents

Brendan and Pupster

Then this weekend was the first time we didn’t have plans in what seemed like months. Brendan decided that this was the weekend to add insulation to the attic. We had R-19 and he wanted to add R-30. So after 18 rolls, 3 trips to Home Depot and a lot of Brendan’s hard labor, we are more than fully insulated. Best part is that the purchase qualifies for a tax credit.

our attic

Next week is anniversary weekend. We are going back to the hotel where Brendan proposed (Hotel Providence) and then heading to New Rivers Restaurant (thanks Emily and Lowell – still have credit on your wedding gift). We may venture to the RISD museum and Thayer Street.

Picking up from where we left off…

• Visit with the Goodalls – check (SOOOOO good to see them)
• BC versus Kent State – check
• Lilly’s baptism – check (even though the priest called Brendan “Frank” and I tried to correct him for fear of voiding the baptism
• Vegas wedding – check (turns out I like Black Jack)
• Run Boston Race for the Cure 5k – check (official time of 35:10)
• BC versus VA Tech – check (though the defensive did all they could and the lack of a real QB killed BC)
• Switzerland – check (gotta love 5 straight nights of 4 hours sleep)
• Run Somerville Homeless Coalition 5k – check (course time of 34:16)
• BC versus Notre Dame – check (great house guests who had there GPS stolen out of the car in front of our house and the QB situation is even worse than the last game.  I hope Rettig can get a medical red shirt)
• Sitting around doing nothing – check

Upcoming:

• Visit from Brendan’s parents and Eli’s first grooming
• Belle and Sebastian concert
• BC versus Maryland
• BC versus Clemson

And that takes us to the end of October.

I swear, it is either feast of famine witho our lives.

After a few weeks of just tending to the house, we have blasted off into the stratosphere. 

• This past weekend we flew to NYC Thursday night and then had a whirlwind two days in NYC.  Friday we started in Park Slope, eating bagels with Emily and goddaughter Lily (who was all smiles and giggles when we there and we thank her for the great disposition) then went to the Upper East side to hang with Billy for a bit, then down to Grand Central for some happy hour delights, followed by a trip to Citi Field (Mets won) and the night ended hanging with Jason and Selena at Muldoon’s.   Saturday we got up, went to nephew AJ’s christening and left around 3:00 for Boston. 
• Brendan then caught a flight to the UK that night (I went home).  So now I am hanging with the pupster alone this week and Brendan returns Friday night. 
• Then dinner with UK friends and the Meklers. 
• Saturday we go to the first BC game of the season, then head back to Logan and take another flight to NYC – for Lily’s baptism on Sunday.  Then we head home Monday. 
• That Thursday, Brendan leaves for Las Vegas and I leave on Friday.  We will be going to his friend’s wedding there.  Then we come back on Monday morning (love the red eye!). 
• We have a two week travel break and then I am back to Switzerland for a week. 
• And there are two more potential work trips for me before Christmas (Frankfurt and another Swiss trip).

I need a nap just thinking about all this.