Ohio '09
Life has been very surreal lately. I think I need to do a couple of entries...
Ohio was fun. For the most part a very enjoyable vacation. Siobhan enjoyed it a lot too I think, but there were a few times that she really pushed my buttons. We had dinner with my father's family who I have not seen in 30 years. We went to Cracker Barrel and they put a room full of toys and gifts in front of the actual restaurant - and she threw an absolute fit about not getting the toy that she wanted. She cried the entire drive back - 40 minutes. I hugged her and we had a little talk once I was able to get out of the car and calm her down. I think since the divorce she is really testing her limits, and also still going through some separation trauma. Other than that and a few -for the love of all that's holy will you please put your flipping shoes on, I already asked 15 times!!!- it was a very good week.
Siobhan spent a lot of time with her cousin Luke. Blowing bubbles and catching fireflies in the cool Ohio grass. Aunt Joanne bought them each birthday presents at Toys R Us and took us all out for Japanese food. We took the kids to the Bluetip Festival in Wadsworth and they got to play games and rode lots of rides. Siobhan won a stuffed tiger at darts. On Friday we took Monte and Luke back to the airport and then we had lunch at Max and Erma's and went to the Rain Forest Jungle at the Cleveland Zoo. On Saturday we went camping at Jamie's. She lives on 70 acres and has the Black River winding through her backyard. There are a ton of trails and Dawn took her car down to the campsite and let Siobhan "drive" it back to the house. She loved that!! We set up tents, but ended up camping on the living room floor instead. We were expecting some more people who didn't make it out, so there was plenty of room for everyone inside. Siobhan got to play in the tent though, and feed Jamie's horses! We had some yummy grilled corn and chicken too. Jamie and I stayed up half the night talking like we used to when we were kids. I have missed her so much!! I did get to see her mom, and she met my daughter, so that was nice. She was like a second mom to me growing up.
I didn't see as many friends as I had hoped to. There were illnesses, and family events, and car trouble. But I did get to spend quite a bit of time with Jamie and Dawn, I saw Carrie too, and Gary and Chelsea came out the night before I left. Everyone was in the backyard enjoying the firepit. I put Siobhan to bed and had a beer with my dad. Couldn't figure out where Jamie and Gary were at, but I heard their voices... so I grabbed a few beers and hunted them down... on the roof! Haha. It was just like old times, as they say. We must have sat up there for a few hours, just talking, and reminiscing. And watching my girl asleep through the window. :)
The Def Leppard show was a trip. I went with my cousin Monte, and my two best friends. It was pouring rain - a long, slow, hard rain. And of course we had lawn seats. We were like drowned rats by the time we hiked from the parking area to the arena. Poison kept saying how it had been 22 years since they first played there, and Jamie and I were freaking out 'cause we were at that show too. I loved the Poison show - they are just such a fun band! Then when they played "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" the rain stopped, the clouds cleared, and the biggest most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen filled the whole northern sky, right over us. Jamie and I just looked at each other and thanked the Universe for giving us that moment together. We left shortly after Def Leppard came on... I was sadly unimpressed and I didn't want to fight crowds in the mud to get out of there. What a great night though - one I will always remember!!
The whole trip was pretty fantastic and once again left me wishing that Ohio and Texas could be right next to each other.
I came back to Austin and spent one more night with my girl. As I was packing and unpacking and repacking for my next trip, I decided to throw the jeans I was wearing into the wash - completely forgetting that my brand new Blackberry was in my pocket. I realized it almost immediately - I freak out if I don't know where my phone is at all times - but even two minutes on gentle cycle is enough to kill a $300 cell phone. Luckily I had time to get it replaced before I left, and they did give me a break on the price. Friday morning Siobhan left for Ireland with her Daddy, and I took off to Belize.
To be cont'd...
Ohio was fun. For the most part a very enjoyable vacation. Siobhan enjoyed it a lot too I think, but there were a few times that she really pushed my buttons. We had dinner with my father's family who I have not seen in 30 years. We went to Cracker Barrel and they put a room full of toys and gifts in front of the actual restaurant - and she threw an absolute fit about not getting the toy that she wanted. She cried the entire drive back - 40 minutes. I hugged her and we had a little talk once I was able to get out of the car and calm her down. I think since the divorce she is really testing her limits, and also still going through some separation trauma. Other than that and a few -for the love of all that's holy will you please put your flipping shoes on, I already asked 15 times!!!- it was a very good week.
Siobhan spent a lot of time with her cousin Luke. Blowing bubbles and catching fireflies in the cool Ohio grass. Aunt Joanne bought them each birthday presents at Toys R Us and took us all out for Japanese food. We took the kids to the Bluetip Festival in Wadsworth and they got to play games and rode lots of rides. Siobhan won a stuffed tiger at darts. On Friday we took Monte and Luke back to the airport and then we had lunch at Max and Erma's and went to the Rain Forest Jungle at the Cleveland Zoo. On Saturday we went camping at Jamie's. She lives on 70 acres and has the Black River winding through her backyard. There are a ton of trails and Dawn took her car down to the campsite and let Siobhan "drive" it back to the house. She loved that!! We set up tents, but ended up camping on the living room floor instead. We were expecting some more people who didn't make it out, so there was plenty of room for everyone inside. Siobhan got to play in the tent though, and feed Jamie's horses! We had some yummy grilled corn and chicken too. Jamie and I stayed up half the night talking like we used to when we were kids. I have missed her so much!! I did get to see her mom, and she met my daughter, so that was nice. She was like a second mom to me growing up.
I didn't see as many friends as I had hoped to. There were illnesses, and family events, and car trouble. But I did get to spend quite a bit of time with Jamie and Dawn, I saw Carrie too, and Gary and Chelsea came out the night before I left. Everyone was in the backyard enjoying the firepit. I put Siobhan to bed and had a beer with my dad. Couldn't figure out where Jamie and Gary were at, but I heard their voices... so I grabbed a few beers and hunted them down... on the roof! Haha. It was just like old times, as they say. We must have sat up there for a few hours, just talking, and reminiscing. And watching my girl asleep through the window. :)
The Def Leppard show was a trip. I went with my cousin Monte, and my two best friends. It was pouring rain - a long, slow, hard rain. And of course we had lawn seats. We were like drowned rats by the time we hiked from the parking area to the arena. Poison kept saying how it had been 22 years since they first played there, and Jamie and I were freaking out 'cause we were at that show too. I loved the Poison show - they are just such a fun band! Then when they played "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" the rain stopped, the clouds cleared, and the biggest most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen filled the whole northern sky, right over us. Jamie and I just looked at each other and thanked the Universe for giving us that moment together. We left shortly after Def Leppard came on... I was sadly unimpressed and I didn't want to fight crowds in the mud to get out of there. What a great night though - one I will always remember!!
The whole trip was pretty fantastic and once again left me wishing that Ohio and Texas could be right next to each other.
I came back to Austin and spent one more night with my girl. As I was packing and unpacking and repacking for my next trip, I decided to throw the jeans I was wearing into the wash - completely forgetting that my brand new Blackberry was in my pocket. I realized it almost immediately - I freak out if I don't know where my phone is at all times - but even two minutes on gentle cycle is enough to kill a $300 cell phone. Luckily I had time to get it replaced before I left, and they did give me a break on the price. Friday morning Siobhan left for Ireland with her Daddy, and I took off to Belize.
To be cont'd...