Goodbye 2015

It's another bathtub blog!  But this one comes from the guest bath at Aunt Samdy and Uncle Dale's house. Hot water and a combo of bubbles and bath salts--perfection!

Earlier today, I watched a CNN show called The Best and Worst of 2015. I think that's how I'll style this blog. 

The Worst of 2015

Topping the list of most awful things in my 2015 are the two important people I lost. Just before Easter, my Uncle Ricky succumbed to Leukemia. While I did not see my uncle very much, I still retained my memory of him as being one of the coolest guys ever. To think that there wasn't going to be any chance to spend time with him hurt me harder than I expected. My mother was heartbroken at the loss of the little brother that she helped raise, and I worried about her as well as my newly widowed Aunt Mona, now on her own for the first time. 

The second loss was equally devastating, if not more so. As I was settling in to life in Knoxville and the demands of a doctoral program, word came that my darling Nini had lost her decades long battle with cancer. I realized how much I had come to rely on her--for moral support, laughter, stimulating my intellect, and the unbeatable desire for snark that rested deep within each of us. Thank goodness I have a storehouse of happy memories to tide me through until I see her again. 

Of course, my heart broke for my beloved Paris as she endured two horrible terrorist attacks. But I don't worry too much about the City of Life. No low-life bunch of crazed idiots can keep her down. #PrayforParis

The last thing in my worst list involves leaving the house on Sumerlin Court after ten happy years. My girls grew into beautiful young women within its confines, and Minnie, Mittens, and little Dinah all rest in its big backyard. Randi came into our lives there, my "daughter by another mother."  And who will ever forget our Zombie Christmas Eve. Terrific memories of both happy and sad times in the Sumerlin Ranch. 

The Best of 2015

Thinking of the good things that have happened--where do I begin?

First, I think of the morning of February 16. Waking up, I checked my email. And there it was. An offer to pursue a Ph.D. in history from the University of Tennessee. I couldn't believe it!  I still can't!  My acceptance of their offer set off the chain of events that led to my moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. 

Only slightly less high-rated among the many good things that happened in 2015 was our family trip to Europe. Watching as the girls came to know and love their German relatives, getting to see Petra, Melli, Sascha, as well as Reiner's Opitsch relations, and once again enjoying the Berliner lifestyle was amazing. The best parts of both Rome and Paris were the local pubs were frequented in each place. Especially dear to me is the memory of having an impromptu picnic dinner in the courtyard of our Rome hotel. I realized that night that there is no disappointment so great that a loving family can't fix. 

Of course, the big move to Tennessee serves as a wonderful memory of 2015. I can't believe Yvette, Maddie, and I did all that!  I love remembering how we stopped for the night to watch the first Republican debate, with Mad sitting on the end of the bed making fun of the candidates. I love my tiny flat in the west side of Knoxville, and I am blessed with classmates that have made me feel welcome and accepted. I will never forget the comfort Tess, Alicia, Adrien, and Minami provided via pancakes after a stormy session with Dr. H. And I remember the support and camaraderie of Matthew as we sought strength from the long-dead master of the Hermitage, a pilgrimage that made us bad-ass enough to survive out TA assignment. 

Last but certainly not least was my visit to Montgomery for Thanksgiving. What a wonderful time I had as my aunt and I partook of history and much, much good food. 

Through all, good and bad, I've had the support of my family, blood relations and more. I approach 2016 with a determination to do better at school, to welcome my first guests (Mom and Heidi) to the tiny flat at spring break, to coerce both Yvette and the Princess to visit, to come home for Indy Breakfast, and to continue to enjoy this amazing time in my life. 

Cheers!

Yvette says:  "I hope the world finds its way to peace."

Lorraine says: "Mushy!!"

Home for the Holidays

Here I am, snug as a bug in a rug at the home of my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dale in Sacramento. Those two snowbirds are at their winter quarters in Yuma, and Yvette is housesitting for them until they return in the spring. While I'm here as a guest during my holiday break, I feel so at home. I spent lots of time here as a kid, so it's nearly as familiar to me as my own parents' house. 

The flight here last Wednesday was fairly uneventful--only marred by an hour delay in Salt Lake City because of snow. I now know what de-icing entails. But I managed to comfort myself. 

I had instructed my babies to pick me up at the airport--inside at the escalator. After this first visit, they can pick me up at the curb. But, for the first visit home, I wanted a traditional greeting. As it turned out, their welcome was anything but traditional. As I looked down for them from the top of the escalator, I saw Maddie, Heidi, and Randi standing together, obviously hiding something behind them. That something would not remain hidden. IT WAS PENNY!!!  Yes, my beloved dingo awaited my arrival inside the airport. Penny and I had such a joyous reunion that I totally forgot to cry and hug my babies!!

Then I remembered and embarrassed the two of them with giant embraces at the baggage claim. Then, of course, I had to buy them food. Nothing much had changed since August. 

The next day, the first thing on the agenda was lunch with the Princess. OMG, it was so wonderful to be sitting opposite her, each of us talking a mile a minute and eating breakfast foods for lunch. I followed my lunch with her with an afternoon at my parents' house, catching them up on all the Knoxville news that I hadn't already shared in dozens of phone calls since I left Sacramento. And, of course, I stayed to beat them both at Jeopardy (in spite of the ridiculous rule that I have to wait until Alex reads the entire answer before I can shout out the correct question). Then it was home to Aunt Sandy's and off to Mexican food (much missed by me in Knoxville) with Yvette. 

Next on my overstuffed agenda was a new family tradition, begun this year by my innocent and naive youngest daughter. Dirty cookie decorating!  With Maddie and Randi, their friend Mia, Heidi's friend Stephanie, and hostess Heidi herself, I helped decorate a variety of X-rated cookies. A little moonshine made it all a little more fun. 

The weekend belonged to Janelle and her fifth annual holiday skating show at Iceland. She tried something a little different this year, with Act 1 consisting of an ice version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It was adorable!  The shows were not without their troubles, though. Wiring problems on Saturday night meant that I, as announcer, had to speak to the audience with my loud-ass voice until the problem was resolved. And Sunday night's show was put on in the rain. My legs were drenched, and Heather, my partner in crime at Janelle's shows, ran the music from underneath a tarp. But the skaters were real troopers--as were the audience members. 

On Monday, I had nothing scheduled until Yvette got off work and we could go shopping. And it was a good thing I didn't. One interesting thing about my aunt and uncle's house is its formidable security system. Alarm, double locks, and more!  On my first night in the house, Yvette gave me a quick introduction to the security measures, including warning me that the interior garage door would lock if you didn't either prop it open or remember to turn the lock. Ummmm. Yeah, that didn't occur to me when I went to the garage to do some laundry. The door shut behind me, and I didn't think anything of it. Until I tried to go back in the house. No dice. And no phone. And no bra on. No shoes, slippers, or even socks. No way back into the house. 

At first I tried to MacGuyver my way back in. Yeah, that didn't work. The place is a damned fortress. I could have hopped the gate at the driveway, but I had no desire to appear to one of the neighbors as a crazy shoeless woman with jiggling boobs. So, I MacGuyvered some mop bottom things into make-shift slippers. I used the dryer to warm my clothes up. The iron served as a mini-spaceheater for my feet.  I located some little bottles of Cook's in a cupboard so I knew I wouldn't go thirsty. Then, I spied a blanket. And I knew what I had to do. 

Under a gray car cover in the garage is my uncle's pride and joy, a gorgeous 1931 Model A. It looked especially appealing to a gal who was contemplating another six hours in the garage. Under the cover I went. Wrapping myself in the blanket, with the mop bottoms on my feet, I stretched out in the front seat. While I'm not especially tall, I did have to put my feet out the window to stretch my legs. 

Nervous about being alone with my own thoughts, I nevertheless made the most of my off-the-grid time. I thought about how I would have approached my textbook paper differently, imagined a trashy romance, and, best of all dozed. 

The sound of the garage opening woke me. Yvette carefully pulled her car in, and I tried not to scare her. So I stayed in the car and just lifted the cover to look out the window. If I live to be 100, I will never forget the look on poor Yvette's face. Astonishment, terror, confusion--it was all there. And I couldn't help it.  I had to laugh because the whole thing was so damned funny. 

Sadly, Yvette seems to be permanently traumatized by MY misadventure. But I found out I could be quiet with my own thoughts and not go insane from the experience.  And, damn, I love that Model A. I would have had a total Ferris Bueller joy ride had it been possible. But I didn't, Uncle Dale, and your baby suffered no harm. What a fabulous car!!

So, I quickly recovered. Today was G-rated cookie day. Well, maybe PG-13. 

The best cookie of the day was my rendition of the Tennessee state flag....

So, that's my vacation so far. Tomorrow is more family time, more Princess time, and more shopping. 

And now I'm going back to the trashy romance I'm reading--although it's not nearly as good as the one I imagined in my head yesterday as I lay wrapped in a blanket in a 1931 Model A with my feet out the window. 

End of my First Semester

Yesterday, at about 1:30 p.m., I finished and saved the final draft of my final paper for the Fall 2015 semester. I wrote a cover email to my professor. I attached the paper. And I paused a moment. Then my chosen drill sergeant, Matthew, screamed "DO IT!!!"  I hit the send button. Raucous cheering from Matthew and Michael. The semester was over. 

I can't believe it's done already. Oh, there are lingering remnants--grades to wait anxiously for, nearly thirty library books to return--but the work itself is complete. I have no clue what my grades will look like. But right this minute, there is no required book to read, no research to do, no paper to write. It's done. 

I can hardly believe what I see when I close my eyes and look back on the past four months. I was so scared of being a GTA but ended up loving it. I had health troubles that I had to take care of. I lost one of my best friends. I cried in front of one of my professors. I had a wonderful holiday with my aunt but wished so badly that my uncle could have been there. And I achingly missed my babies. Yet, somehow, I'm still here in Knoxville, in my tiny flat. 

I haven't had the time or the inclination to blog these past few weeks. Yet I had a wonderful time spending Thanksgiving with my Aunt Mona down in Montgomery, Alabama. Her son's in-laws invited us for Thanksgiving dinner, and I found that southern hospitality is alive and well. And I'm now a devotee of cornbread dressing. Perhaps the best part of Thanksgiving, though, was sitting at my sister's table via FaceTime. I even sat next to Uncle Mannie. But, man, did I ever miss the celery and peanut butter!!

I also learned that my time in the south won't be truly complete until I dip my toes into the Gulf of Mexico--I see a trip to Mobile in my future. 

During my visit with my aunt, the two of us managed to eat ridiculously well. Seriously, I even got some decent Mexican food!!  But it was the southern stuff that tickled me. 

Then there was the sightseeing. While most Alabamians shopped on Black Friday or were glued to their televisions watching the Bama-Auburn game, Mona and I soaked up history at the Confederate Memorial Park, the first White House of the Confederacy, the Alabama statehouse, and the Alabama State Archives. 

I can't thank Mona enough for such a wonderful time. Oh, and her two babies helped assuage some of the longing I feel for my own dingo. 

Now it's time to be thinking about getting my tiny flat in order. While I started out with such good intentions for keeping the place neat--well, the "road to hell..." and all that. Today I've slept late, read a trashy romance, and ate Ho Hos. Tomorrow comes the dishwashing, laundry, book-putting-away, cleaning time. But, for now, I'm going to finish this blog and read some more trash to round out my evening. 

It's been a long four months. And I owe a lot of thanks for helping me through it to the other grad students at UTK. Matthew, Alicia, Adrien, Minami, Tess, Chauntelle, Liz, Nolan, Alex, Brad, Michael, Annie, J., Robert, Maggie--you guys helped me so much!!  And Dr. S., Dr. P., and Dr. F., each of whom was so encouraging. Even Dr. H. gets a thank-you for his patience as I learned out to be a GTA. And my California support team of Mom, Dad, Yvette, Brenda, Phoebe, Tricia, Reiner, Joe, Maddie, and Heidi--can't wait to see you all in person in just a week. 

Enough of the maudlin sentimentality. Knighty-Knight from Knoxville.