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just a sarcastic working mom living life in New England

Back off, Red River! March 30, 2009

Filed under: things i hate,things I love — nashsmom @ 8:03 am

As many of you may know, I’m a midwestern gal.  I grew up 75 miles from Fargo and went to college in Moorhead.  I have plenty of excellent memories from the Fargo/Moorhead area and have family and friends that still live there.  And with my parents visiting from Minnesota, we’ve been pretty glued to the news trying to get updates, keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.  But now there’s a snowstorm coming today with up to 14 inches of snow and gusting winds.  

WTF, Mother Nature?

But here’s the deal, these people will survive.  Even if it does flood and homes are lost, these people will survive.  You know why?  They genuinely care about their community and their neighbors.  The mayor was on CNN last night and said the reason he didn’t call for a mandatory evacuation like some of the federal offices were recommending is because they are not like other communities out there.   They are all in this and they are in it together.  And that might not make sense to an outsider, but I totally understood what he meant and it’s true.  These people are taking shifts with their neighbors to keep each other and their homes safe.  They are all pitching in.  They are sore and tired, but they won’t stop.   The AP photos are all ariel shots of the houses surrounded by water, but I was looking for some more “real” ones and found these on the Facebook group “Fargo Moorhead Flood Information” among over 400 member submitted pics:

fargodomesandbaggers1    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the definition of community and teamwork.  Think of standing outside in single digit temps tossing a frozen turkey sandbag down a line of people this long.  Would you do it?   

And then there’s these guys who define yet another trait of the midwesterner.  No matter what the circumstances, it’s OK to laugh, drink beer……and fish.

go-fish

 

My dad asked me the other day if we knew any of our neighbors.  I was embarrassed that I only knew Hugh (who is only there 4 months in the summer) and Peter & David  (who we refer to as our gaybors).  Otherwise we lovingly refer to the rest of them as “alcoholic”, “serial killer” and our newest neighbor “hillbilly”.   Let’s hope there’s no flood in our town or we are in serious trouble.

**update**

Here are some more great pics on Boston.com.  Thanks for sending them, Paula!

 

 

Where’s Nash’s Mom? March 25, 2009

Filed under: Me — nashsmom @ 9:24 pm

I want to blog.  Really I do.  But for some reason I’m just not doing it.  I can’t really figure out why.  It could be that there has been so much bad stuff going on –  the layoffs, death (Natasha Richardson, Montana plane crash, Oakland police officers…..), destruction (flooding in Fargo – holla to my sandbagging cousin!) and the crazy ass Mexican drug cartel.  I mean, WTF??  Even the movies I’ve seen (Rachel Getting Married) and books I’ve read (Those Who Save Us) are depressing.  Throw in some 20 degree spring weather and rain in the forecast and we got ourselves a party!

So I’m just waiting.  I’ve got a sweet 3-day weekend on deck.  My parents are coming to town, we got tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters, Nash’s last basketball game is Saturday, we’re going to one of my favorite restaurants, and I might even get to a movie (or 2!) at a real live movie theatre.  

So thanks for checking in.  I promise there will be more.  One of these days…..

 

St. Patty’s Day March 18, 2009

Filed under: oddly interesting — nashsmom @ 5:09 pm
Tags:

leprechaun

I thought yesterday was just another day until Nash woke up and immediately asked me if I thought the leprechauns had come to his classroom the night before.  Huh?  Ohhh, it’s St. Patrick’s Day.  Right.  (Note to self: dress kid in something green) So I asked about these leprechauns and he proceeded to tell me that they were mischievous little guys who apparently snuck into their classroom last year and tipped over all the chairs.  Leprechaun shenanigans!  I love it!!  For breakfast he said he HAD to have Lucky Charms (and promised to not just eat the marshmallows – and kept that promise) and as a bonus, I made him toast that I made green with food coloring.  He didn’t know what to make of it.  Is it painted?  I can’t eat paint!  Is that cinnamon on it?  Really?  I can eat it??  Possibly the most exciting thing I have ever “cooked” for him.  (very exciting mommy moment).  

The hubby and I dropped our green clad child off at school and headed in to Boston.  He for a big expert witness deposition and me for that job I’m still clinging to.  We flew in in record time with barely any traffic.  We couldn’t figure it out.  Is St. Patrick’s day considered a holiday??   Apparently in Boston, it is.  BUT it’s actually called Evacuation Day and has nothing to do with drinking green beer or mischievous little leprechauns and their pots of gold.  According to Wikipedia:  

The holiday commemorates the evacuation of British forces from the city of Boston following the Siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War.   

So there you have it.  School and Government offices are closed, traffic is light and everyone is wearing green.  Happy Evacuation Day!  13 years living here in Massachusetts and I’m just learning about  this one.   I am however well aware of the next big fake holiday, Patriots’ Day, because my office is closed and I’ll finally have a day off!  What is this epic holiday you ask?  Per Wikipedia it is:

A civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.

But really it’s Marathon Monday, the day the Boston Marathon is run making it impossible to get in or around the city what with the 20,000 runners running down the streets and half a million spectators.

I love these fake holidays!!  What next?  Is someone going to tell me there’s some holiday where we celebrate the resurrection of J.C. by eating chocolate bunnies and jelly beans??    (OK, I totally stole that from the late great Bill Hicks….)

 

And breathe……. March 10, 2009

Filed under: Me — nashsmom @ 6:28 pm

The heads started rolling today but I’ve got confirmation that mine has been spared.  Whew.  Thanks to everyone who sent the good karma my way.   It worked!

But some fantastic people I know are now jobless and it sucks, sucks, sucks.  Very difficult time for everyone but especially those left with no jobs.  

Let’s hope the economy bounces back soon and we get this country back to the place where it belongs!

 

Waiting to exhale March 6, 2009

Filed under: Me,things i hate — nashsmom @ 8:21 pm

Want to know why I haven’t blogged lately?   It’s because I’ve been holding my breath.  Waiting.   Waiting for spring, waiting for an inkling of good news on the economy, waiting for something brilliant to come to mind but mostly waiting to see if I will soon join the new “it” group of  unemployed Americans.

I’ve known for nearly a month that it was probably going to happen.  Rumors, theories, game plans were all discussed between friends/co-workers.  This week we found out it will definitely happen and that it will be fairly significant.   But these things apparently take time so actual layoffs won’t happen until next week.  So this week has been filled with discussions of why we’re sure we ‘ll be sent packing as well as reasons we think they’ll keep us.  These are discussions with friends. Real friends.   People I spend more time with during the week than my own family.   The thought of any of them leaving is just as devastating to me as the thought of me leaving.

So we wait.  We check the unemployment rates (50% of your salary but maxed at $628 per week), the Cobra rates (65% federal subsidy announced this week – Yeah!), read the blogs (um, bad idea), update our resumes (done), check job postings online (ha!).  

And even if we do survive, there will be “roll backs” to be more clearly defined at a later date.  oh boy!

So I wait.  I try to sleep.  I try not to worry.  I try to have hope.  I try to plan my dignified exit (if necessary).  I try to look at the positive side of suddenly having 50 more hours a week to myself.  (I’ll cook!  I’ll clean!  I’ll exercise!  I’ll get our home movies transferred to DVDs! ).  I try to convince myself that I’ll be fine.  I drive my husband and child crazy with all of the above.  Tonight I was opening my mail and opened an unknown bill and said out loud “What the heck is this?” to which Nash replied “What is it mom, did you get fired?”.  Clearly  I’m thinking out loud a bit too much…..

On the bright side of things, Nash was the high scorer last week in his basketball game (THREE points!!), my father-in-law and his longtime girlfriend called last night and asked us to “save the date” of August 14th… for their wedding!!  I got to take my husband out on a real date for his birthday this week sans child (happy birthday, dodes!).  And had a snow day on Monday (79.5 inches so far this winter).   Oh, and Chris Isaak is following me on Twitter.

So I will be continuing to hold my breath for another week or so and really looking forward to the exhale.  If you suddenly feel a big breeze, it might just be me.

 

 
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