Morning

I am not a morning person. It is inhumane to expect people to be up before noon. That is how coffee became my friend. My beautiful children do not understand this concept though. For those who don't know, my children are my dog and cat.

My cat has decided she is starving. Around 5:30 in the morning, my cat starts knocking things off my nightstand. Since I normally just roll over, she jumps on the bed and butts her head against me and nips at me. I have a routine where I pull the covers over my head and turn away from her. She has learned to start pushing my tv (weighs less than 10lbs) along its stand. That usually gets me up. Of course, I'm furious at this point. I eventually lay back down. She usually ends the morning by knocking my alarm clock off the night stand. This is every morning.

It gets worse on the few mornings I get to sleep in. My dog gets into the act. He jumps on the bed and tries to lick me to death. I can dive under the covers to avoid him. The problem is he starts barking at everything. At this point, I give up and get up to start my day.

This is very cruel. I love these animals and take care of all their needs. I wish I could explain to them how much I crave sleep in the morning.

So I'm sure others have horrible pet or children morning stories. Please feel free to share.

Official

I guess it's official, I am no longer a Floridian. The last vestiges of my Southern life has disappeared. I know it sounds melodramatic, but it did bother me. I spent yesterday at the BMV waiting to receive my new license plate. If that wasn't torture enough, once I received my plate I realized this was it. As my hubby removed the Florida plates and asked if I wanted to keep them, my chest constricted. This was my last official link to Florida. Of course, I decided I need a new plate holder. Can anyone guess what they will be? I'll give you a hint...die-hard Gator fan here.

I have also officially changed my phone number this weekend. I no longer have an 813 area code. 813 has been my area code almost my entire life, with the exception of those college years.

Don't get me wrong. I am pleased with my decision to move, but I guess it's finally hit me that I am not planning to move back. My girlfriend says I sound more like a Yank everyday. I don't believe her. I am a southerner at heart and always will be, even though I no longer live in the South. Go Gators!!!

Chicago!

I visited Chicago this week with my friend Michelle. We had such a wonderful vacation. The weather was a little unfriendly, all that wind and rain. We adapted though and made the best of it. We visited all the required spots; such as Millenium Park, Grant Park, Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, etc.

I think one of the reasons the trip was so nice was we had a vague list of things to do. We didn't overly prepare for the trip; just had thoughts on what we would like to see. Another thing was we adapted to situations as they occurred. Oh, it's raining, so we'll go the the museum instead of the zoo. Taxi! Taxi! Bouncer won't allow us in a bar because we're not wearing the appropriate shoes (our feet hurt, so we went comfy), check out another bar. Our motto was if we don't see it on this trip, we'll come back next year.

Michelle and I have a great time together. We always have something to talk about and laugh about. We can discuss serious topics and not so serious. She "darlings" everyone and asks how their day is going. I give unsolicited advice every where we go. It's a funny combo.

Overall an incredible trip with lots of memories and laughs.

Friendships

Having moved in the past year and establishing myself in another area with new people, it got me thinking about friendships. I have always found them very hard to maintain. Pre-email, letters and phone calls with old friends eventually faded away. When I moved this year, I thought it would be easy to maintain my friendships. With blogs, Flickr, e-mails, and phone calls; I could maintain steady communication. Plus my family still lives in the area, so I'm required to return for visits.

I have been sad to discover that as with previous decades, the influx of new technology does not help with maintaining communication. I guess for some, "out of sight, out of mind" is the motto. I understand this is the way it goes. I have been pleased to still "talk" to some friends. I even have two road trips planned with friends this summer. So, I guess there is a silver lining in moving away because those friendships have become more substantial, but it does make me sad to see the others fade away.

Starting new in town and in the workplace can be daunting. The cliques are already formed and especially in a town where people remember each other from high school. I have been very fortunate. The past few weeks, I've had a few "aaahhh" moments. I eat lunch every week with a group who have been friends for almost 30 years. They are a great group. I always have to ask questions when they tell their stories to determine which decade the situation occurred in. I was informed the other week, I was "one of us". And have started socializing with members of the group outside the group setting. I have also connected with another group of friends for girls night out as well.

I am acclimating to my new environs. I've discovered new friendships, while maintaining the former, more comfortable ones. So here's to friendship, past and present! And a heartfelt thanks to those who've put up with me through the years and those I'm getting to know now.

New Genealogy YouTube

New videos on youtube pertaining to genealogy. Lots of fun!

They are PSAs for The Genealogy Center at ACPL's Military Symposium in September.