TerryT in Galveston

Christmas 2014 Musings

2014-12-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2014

Haven't been here in awhile; you know life, it gets in the way and out of control sometimes.

Christmas has always my favorite holiday. I just get that squishy, warm feeling all over that I associated with love, family and peacefulness. I suspect my mom had a great deal to do with that; Christmas was her favorite time of year.

Me and Mom New Braunfels 1959

Mom used to tell me about how hard it was for my grandmother at Christmas time. My grandmother was a single mom of 4 from the time my mom was 5; my mom was the youngest with 3 older brothers. She once told me that she would not have gotten anything at Christmas if it weren't for groups like Goodfellas at the Houston Chronicle. Her favorite baby doll came from them one year and she cherished that doll.


Last known picture with Mom, Granny and the 3 boys

Mom would always make sure we had lots of family and friends around at Christmas. Christmas Eve on Durhill street, was a time to gather, eat, drink, open gifts and just be thankful for all the family still here and extended family that would come to celebrate with us. We used to laugh about how we gathered the "strays"; friends that worked the doubles and late shifts at the medical center in Houston and would stop by for a bite to eat. The friends that had no family to spend time with or family was too far away to spend Christmas Eve with would show up at the Durhill house for family time with us. Too many to name and so many not with us any longer but great memories!


Mom and Dad - not sure what year

As we all got older it was still a special time but as the grandkids began to appear, my mom found a renewed spirit as she saw Christmas through their eyes. She delighted in telling them stories of Christmas when they were still so young and in awe of the bright lights and beautiful decorations! Then those grandkids brought friends from high school with babies and we watched those babies grow up. What a special time for sure!

Now, I have grandkids; well one here and one that will be here on New Years Eve. I really want to share them with my mom; some days she feels so close. I want to share the complete and utter joy my mom felt this time of year with them the way she did. I want to make Christmas as special for my daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren as my mom did for us. Can you tell I am missing mom this year more than years past?

And no, I didn't forget dad. Dad was FAMOUS for leaving his shopping for mom until December 22 or 23. Then would come the call to me or my sister; I need to shop for your mom, can we go shopping? And off we would go, usually to Galleria and the crowd and the traffic......we would walk and shop for hours. And then circle back to the first store we started in and buy something. On Christmas Eve, he would sit back and watch with that grin on his face as we prepared and celebrated and you just knew he was bursting with joy. But that wasn't his way to be exuberant, he was quietly in his element when we were all home on Christmas Eve to celebrate and he love seeing mom so happy and joyful!

If you have made it this far, I appreciate it. I love sharing the holidays with family and friends. I want you to know that even if we aren't together you are all in my mind and in my heart. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonder New Year. Don't forget to give back to church and community at this time of year; it is a special time of year - share the joy that is Christmas with all you meet!

Charlie and Mom

Mandy - Charlie - Kelly - 1988

TerryT in Galveston: Confession Time!!!!!

2012-03-18T17:35:00.001-07:00

TerryT in Galveston: Confession Time!!!!!: It’s Confession Time. For anyone in the audience that is Roman Catholic and raised in my generation, you know about going to confession...

Confession Time!!!!!

2012-03-18T17:06:00.016-07:00

It’s Confession Time.

For anyone in the audience that is Roman Catholic and raised in my generation, you know about going to confession and especially during Lent, and will understand My Confession.

Today I did not go to church; I had committed to be at Johnson Space Center all day today to help out a friend.

Norm has asked me to be a judge in the annual Space Settlement Design contest each year for the past 5 years. The competition divides 160 or so high school students into 4 companies; each company answers an RFP [request for proposal]. From Friday at around 6pm to Sunday at 7:30am they attend mini training sessions and research the best possible way to answer the RFP [Request for Proposal]. The majority of the group drives down in 3 or 4 buses from Iowa; that is 22 hours more or less from Iowa to Texas. They bring a number of chaperones, teachers, mentors and parents along with 140 high school age kids. The remainder, 20 to 25, are from the Houston area. This is one of many activities associated with National Engineers Week to increase awareness among high school students on the numerous ways they can become involved in a variety of engineering disciplines. As the daughter and sister and niece of Civil Engineers, I understand the need for good engineers in the pipeline, so to speak. We just don’t seem to have enough of them in some areas and this is one way to promote the profession.

Each year the RFP is a bit different. This year the challenge was to create a ‘moving’ settlement on Mercury while processing a fictitious ore called Reardonium. The student teams have a CEO and managers and ‘worker bees’ and each person has a job and input into the final proposal. Certain requirements have to be met such as sustaining human life in a very hostile environment at a fraction of earth’s gravity; dealing with dust; creating a pleasing home and work environment for the permanent population and for potential paying visitors to the settlement.

The kids get to work onsite at Johnson Space Center in Building 9 where all of the shuttle mockups are located; I suspect this is for the ‘wow factor’ and for inspiration. They sleep dormitory style at the onsite recreation facility, well, as much sleep as they can squeeze into the busy time. Then after the judges have seen the presentations by all 4 companies, the buses load them up and take them to the NBL [Natural Buoyancy Lab] and to see the Saturn Rocket at Rocket Park.

Around 4pm, the kids come back to the banquet hall and they are debriefed with a general list of things to improve on and each team is given a list of things that were positive about their specific proposal. Then, the team that wins the competition is given their medals and certificates. The winning team has to choose the 12 ‘top’ members and some standby members that will represent the U.S. in the international competition at JSC in July. This is truly an honor for these kids!

When all is said and done, I know I probably should have been a good girl and gone to Mass today; but I didn’t. I will say that after my day spent as a volunteer judge, listening the high school students present their concept of a space settlement on Mercury, my heart is full and my conscience is clear. You are probably asking how that is possible. For me, I feel like some of the volunteer work I am drawn to is put in my path for a reason or the people there were put in my path, for a reason. I hope that each and every one of the students there this weekend, came away with something positive out of their experience.

Either way, I feel good about my world. If you've read this far, I hope I didn't bore you too much. I am beginning to use my blog as a way to relieve stress or just share things I would like to share with my grandchildren one day.

Until next time!!!

TerryT in Galveston: Another chapter....turn the page

2012-02-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

TerryT in Galveston: Another chapter....turn the page: Today – February 29 th , is the last day of the ODIN contract between NASA and Lockheed Martin; this much is true. For me this contract ...

Another chapter....turn the page

2012-02-29T21:43:00.002-08:00

Today – February 29^th, is the last day of the ODIN contract between NASA and Lockheed Martin; this much is true.

For me this contract started in early November 1999 and ended February 2012. If I tell you it’s like a death in the family, does that make any sense at all? The grief is real and palpable.

I was a teacher technologist in Houston Independent School District [HISD] in 1999 and someone told me to look at the job postings in the online Houston Chronicle – there was a job that had My Name written all over it; so I applied in March 1999. Sometime in late September of that year, I got a call to come down to Clear Lake for a face-to-face interview and I got the job for a Tech Trainer that was versed in MS Office had PC hardware and software background and MS FrontPage experience.

Here I am, 12 years later; my kids have moved from high school to college to medical school and a surgical residency…….college to working political fundraisers and an HR Professional; I picked up a MS in Instructional Design and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and the stuff I achieve doesn’t mean a damned thing to anyone but me. Go Figure!

My kids have become productive young women and I am so very proud of their achievements. I never imagined that I would become a causality of this contract change over; I always thought I had developed a wide repertoire of skills and knowledge that would be valued on the follow on contract and I would be employed.

Sadly, that is not the case tonight. I am among the many millions of unemployed in our great nation. In one sense, it is very liberating to know I do NOT have to wake at 5:30 am to begin my day; rather, I can begin my day when either I wake up OR my dog wakes me to go out. On the other hand, I feel like a piece of drift wood cast upon the waves to wander the coastline.

I also feel like I am mourning a death in the family. I knew the patient was terminally ill for some time; the doctor had pronounced the terminal diagnosis some time ago. I have been preparing myself for the inevitable demise of the patient but there is nothing in my previous life experience to prepare me for the devastation I feel tonight. The terminal patient was pronounced dead at the close of business February 29, 2012. The wake/funeral was attended by so few as to make one wonder; did anyone else feel the devastation and loss I felt today? Why am I the only one? OR did everyone else just take the loss in stride and move on?

So, I will grieve in my own way; I will figure out how to move on and I will survive. That which does not destroy me make me stronger; I know this. But for tonight, I grieve.

I grieve for the companionship I will miss each day; I grieve for the friends that will fade away for lack of nourishment and I grieve for my losses.

Tomorrow, I will regroup and do the things I need to do to survive and move forward. The true friendships I’ve made the last 12+ years will survive. The rest will be distant memories to be revived when several are gathered to reminisce. So, to those who choose to nurture our friendship, I am honored! To those who do not, I grieve for what could not be because you made that decision but everything in its place and for a reason.

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, I will return stronger and better for the experiences of having worked at NASA for 12+ years and for the support of all of the people I’ve met and whose lives have touched mine.

THANKS for the memories, JSC!!!!!

T minus 8 days and counting.....

2012-02-21T20:00:00.002-08:00

Well, it is T-minus 8 days and counting to Unemployment.

My contract at NASA ends at the close of business on February 29, 2012 after 13 years on the same contract. The new contract did not make provisions to hire a trainer, conflict resolution specialist, customer liaison person aka jack of all trades, master of none. Layoff notices have been served - desk is pretty much cleaned out - all that is left is to say goodbye and turn in the rest of my equipment.

Over the last 13 years I have picked up certifications in Lean Six Sigma, a Masters Degree; seen both of my girls graduate from their respective undergrad programs; seen one kid go on to Med School and then Residency - get married and go into private practice.

I've met astronauts and rocket scientists and NASA upper management folks and the workers that make the space program really work and then I discovered that for the most part, they are just like the rest of us. I've made friends, lost a few, seen some move away but the lifelong friends will be with me always.

I've lost family members in that 13 year time and lived out of state for 18 months.

I've learned a lot about myself and how I respond to short, impossible deadlines; how I respond to catastrophic events and that I am strong enough to outlast them all.

And I am very uncertain as to what my future holds. For the first time in my life, I am approaching a major crossroad and neither my Mom or my Dad is here to be my sounding board. I feel like a sailboat with no centerboard - able to move but drifting with the tide.

So, I will dry my tears, put a smile on my face, hold my head up high and keep moving forward to whatever window or door is opening for me. I hope I don't miss it; I think that is the most frightening part of all of this venture. I hope and pray I recognize the open window or door when it appears.

On March 1st, I will sleep in, have my coffee and a long walk with my Maggie dog then apply for unemployment.
On March 2nd, I will get my hair trimmed and my nails and toes done.
And on March 3rd, I will get on the Triumph and sail to Progresso and Cozumel and enjoy the warm sun and clear blue water of the Gulf of Mexico. To paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara, I'll think about the rest of it when I get back from my cruise!!!

I hope to have some wonderful stories to share when I return and maybe find that centerboard for my sailboat!!

More Christmas musings.....

2011-12-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

As I got ready for work this morning [yes, I am one of 'those' people at my desk this morning] I was thinking about Christmas 2004. What a truly magical Christmas!!! The memories are bittersweet too.

My sister still had her house in Southwest Houston; I was sharing space with her. Her job, at that time, took her away on trips for a week or more at a time to the Northeast to meet with clients and I was the house-sitter - nephew-sitter while she was gone. I truly enjoyed those times, even when they were not so pleasant, but cherish the time to get close to my nephew and closer to my sister.

But that year, we had all the parental units still with us, all the grandkids and kids were in town and Mom and Dad were delighted to have the Christmas Eve family celebration at my sisters house! We had some of the proverbial 'strays' too. One family in particular was and is still very special to us; he was my girls' computer teacher in high school and we were fortunate to become friends with his precious wife and beautiful children. Both of my kids babysat both of their kids through the years and we got to watch them grow up into beautiful young people. But I digress. There were events that made This Christmas especially memorable.

2004 was the year of the "2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm"

As we made our preparations for all of the friends and family that would show up that evening there was a special 'tingle' in the air - it was cold and cloudy and the local weather forecasters were actually saying the "S" word out loud and in public! We all hoped it would snow but as the day wore on into evening, no sign of flurries.

Then around 5:30-6:00 Mom and Dad drove into the driveway and said, "We saw some flakes on the way over!" Talk about excited!!! Then when the Newlands arrived awhile later, we had a full blown dusting of snow EVERYWHERE in the yard and on the street! By Rocky Mountain or Northeast U.S. standards, this was nothing but in Houston, Texas on Christmas Eve, this was the event of the year if not the decade! S N O W on the ground and sticking for awhile at CHRISTMAS!!!!

As we visited and snacked and opened presents that Christmas Eve, everyone talked about how special THIS Christmas Eve was - we had loved ones around us and enjoyed the moment - I couldn't even tell you what anyone got as presents but we ALL got the present of a White Christmas Eve in Houston, Texas that year. In my book, that's a bucket list item checked off.

The bittersweet part of this story is, that was the last Christmas we had with my Dad. He was gone before the next Christmas but, I will always cherish that Christmas as a Very Special one with all of the family together and the white stuff on the ground. How wonderful that Dad's last Christmas was a white one and at home :-)

My Wish for all of my Family and Friends:
As you go about your preparations for this Christmas, think about the special moments - the laughter of your children - the warm feelings of being with family and friends, all together for another Christmas - the joy and delight in seeing the decorations on the houses you pass as you drive around town. Enjoy these moments, you will never ever get them back and make them into special memories to take out later and hold dear. And in the days, weeks, months and years to come, when you feel a little down and out of sorts, pull out those warm memories and let those memories warm your heart.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! From me and my family to You and Yours!!

Check out this wiki on the 2004 snowfall - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Christmas_Eve_Snowstorm

TerryT in Galveston: Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

TerryT in Galveston: Christmas Memories: Christmas Memories What are your Christmas memories? Are they warm memories of family and friends? Do you have memories of going to ...

Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T08:51:00.001-08:00

Christmas Memories

What are your Christmas memories? Are they warm memories of family and friends? Do you have memories of going to church or singing in a choir? Did you ever have to work at Christmas time?

I am feeling especially nostalgic this year and I’m not quite sure why. Daddy has been gone for 6 years this past October and Mom left us August 2010. I’m blaming this nostalgic sort of melancholy frame of mind on all of the recent past and the upcoming changes in my environment. And while I’ve been somewhat weepy I am enjoying the good, warm feeling I get when I give to family, friends and even strangers. So, if you’ve read this far and you are curious, I’m going to share my Christmas’ past, present and what I hope will be in my Christmas' to come!

Christmas’ in the past, as a small child, were magical! The season always stared with Aunt Lynne’s Christmas luncheon at the Houston Club downtown. She would book the luncheon to coincide with the large 2 story Christmas tree in the lobby and the TSU Carolers to be in attendance. There were aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, great uncles, and cousins many times removed. Various long time family friends would come and celebrate with us but the best memory of all was after lunch. Mom would take me to see the Christmas scenes, usually animated, in the windows of the downtown Foley’s department store. Talk about magical! And then we would do some shopping before heading home.

Trimming the tree at our house, when I was younger, was always interesting. The annual tug-of-war over fresh cut versus ‘it’s time for an artificial tree’ was always a lively discussion. Mom won out until after we had all mostly moved out on our own. Dad would hang the lights and then watch and direct traffic as we hung the ornaments. Then came the icicles…..a bit of background here – Dad was an engineer so, hanging icicles was not just more decoration, it was a precise balance of where and how many to hang. And woe be unto you if you pulled more than one strand at a time! Pulling out the stockings was always a treat. A friend of the family from when I was an infant, hand made and decorated a felt stocking for me with my name embroidered on the top of it. I still have it and as fragile as it is, it has been hung most every year since I received it!

Christmas Eve in the early years, were spent at my Dad’s mom’s house. I remember food and fun playing with all my cousins and visiting with all the family. And then the gift exchange! Then home with Mom and Dad and off to bed to wait for Santa to come. Some years, Santa would leave me a note after he ate his cookies and drank his milk; I think I still have one of the notes. Amazing how similar to my Dad’s handwriting it is.

Christmas morning was even more magical! The stockings were now filled and usually on the couch or a chair with all of the toys and presents Santa brought while we were sleeping. The living room would be filled with wrapping paper and squeals of delight over all the toys and presents Santa and my parents gave to us.

About the time I was in my early college years, after my Nana had passed away, we had Christmas Eve at my Mom and Dad’s house and now we had my children and then my niece and nephew along with assorted in-laws. We also had what I called the ‘strays’. These were the friends and sometimes friends of friends that had no place to go or no family close by. A lot of this group consisted of doctors and nurses, with no children, spouses or significant others, who would work a shift at the hospital and stop by on the way to work or the way home for refreshments and usually something to unwrap from Santa. Those times as a young adult and later as a mother myself, were just as magical as the Christmas’ from my childhood because I was fortunate enough to see the season through the eyes of my own beautiful daughters.

Some years have been tougher than others. Those Christmas’ that were the first holidays after losing both grandmothers, Aunt Lynne and then Dad and finally Mom were very hard. Somehow knowing how much they all loved this time of year made it easier to celebrate and remember their joy in the season.

The past couple of years my daughters and I and their spouse / significant other have celebrated along with my siblings. It’s a lot more “low key” than years past; a smaller group but still warms my heart that we all still gather together. This year, my brother is living with me. He was just recently diagnosed with MS and is unable to drive so, he is at my mercy. Not that this is a bad thing but he will be with me Christmas Eve and Christmas morning as we celebrate with my kids at my youngest daughter’s house in Houston. A different celebration in a different location from years past but the sentiment and the joyous celebration with family remains the same. We will spend a quiet Christmas Eve finishing up the wrapping and prepping for Christmas morning brunch. The oldest and my son in law are both on call Christmas Eve so they have to stay close to where they might be called in to see patients. There are no young children, this year, to share the wonders of waking up on Christmas morning and running into where the stockings are filled; signs that Santa came during the night; but my hope is that this will be my future Christmas’.

In recent years, I have come to look forward to the company's participation in the Salvation Army Christmas Angel tree. I’ve been doing this for 12 years; when the girls were younger I chose kids close to their ages and we shopped for kids that had less than us. The past 4 or 5 years I’ve picked the ‘Forgotten Seniors’ from the list, one each, male and female. I remember my mom and dad when I shop for these precious angels. After this year, I’ll have to find an Angel Tree on my own. Our contract ends February 29, 2012 and at this point I will be unemployed at close of business on that day. While I am apprehensive, I am not dwelling on my job prospects; that little issue can wait until AFTER I have celebrated this glorious time of the year with my family.

So these are my memories and my hopes for the future. My wish is that all of my precious family and friends will have a joyous and loving time with their own family and friends. Remember those who are not here to celebrate with us any longer and know they are looking down and smiling as we toast each other this Christmas Season.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!!

TerryT in Galveston: Been Awhile!

2011-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

TerryT in Galveston: Been Awhile!: I had no idea it had been so long since I put anything on here. I've composed some things but deleted them as inappropriate and trust me th...

Been Awhile!

2011-12-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

I had no idea it had been so long since I put anything on here. I've composed some things but deleted them as inappropriate and trust me they were the inappropriate ravings of a middle aged lunatic!!

I need to drop in and just express some random thoughts today; it's kind of bubbling up inside and needs an outlet so here goes!

FAMILY
I am so grateful for the chosen and biological family that I call mine own. They prop me up [sometimes they don't even know they did it!] and drag me up short as needed.

MY DAUGHTERS
I have the best 2 daughters ANYONE could ask for ever in a million years! As those of you who know me well, I am so exceedingly proud of my kids I could just bust wide open! They are both smart, gracious and loving young women who are both successful in their chosen professions. Yes, you could say this is one proud mom!

ODE TO LONG TIME FAMILY FRIENDS
Extended / chosen family can be just as close as blood relatives. Case in point: My dad's mom lived in West U on Ruskin street during my childhood and across and down the street was a woman who's family owned a downtown photography studio. Aunt Tere and in later years her son, Manual, took pictures of most all of the family at one time or another. There is a picture of me, my first Christmas and I am about 5 weeks old, at my grandmother's house with my Mom and Dad. That was the first of many pictures she and her son took of me in my lifetime all the way up to my wedding pictures.

This lady was like another aunt/grandmother/mentor to me as a child, teen and young adult. The funny thing is, my most poignant memory is one that occurred when I was about 4 or 5 years old. Every Sunday my dad would pick up Nana and Aunt Tere and we would all go to Mass together. Being the 'chatterbox' that I was, I would talk incessantly [well, that's what the adults said anyway!] and I had a particularly bad habit of starting each sentence with......Nana, You know what? or Aunt Tere, You know what? So, one Sunday, they had enough and told me I would get a nickle to spend at the drugstore soda fountain on the way home, which by the way was just enough to buy a single dip chocolate ice cream cone. I sat there in the back seat and bit my lip.......and fidgeted......and started to say something....stopped.....and I did this all the way to the Church. After Mass, I got my reward and promptly got into the car, after claiming my ice cream reward and started the conversation with......Nana, You know what? Funny that I can still remember them laughing until they cried to this day.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TRADITIONS - OLD AND NEW
As the Christmas holiday approaches and we embark a new memories and new or different traditions, I am reminded of all those long past times when we would gather at my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve. I hope this year will be the beginning of some new traditions that will incorporate some of the old ideas with my own kids. With mom and dad both gone and the 4 of us going in different directions, it's hard to let go of the old traditions. I keep thinking that change can be a good thing sometimes and this will be the start of different memories and different traditions, not bad, just different.

I won't be putting up a full size tree this year; it's just me, Bubba and my little dog so the small tree with the mini-ornaments will be fine. I don't miss having a full size tree; I always hated putting it up and decorating it alone the years I've done that so I won't miss it at all. What I will miss is having everyone wake up under the same roof Christmas morning. We will all get together at one place mid morning but it's just not the same. New memories, new traditions to look back on in the future.

PROMISE TO MYSELF
I will try to get here more often. I feel centered and calm when I can put my random thoughts on 'paper'. I just wish I was a better writer! With the ending of my contract at NASA, I will need this blog to keep calm and centered. So far I'm there but I have a feeling I won't always be this serene about losing my job for the last 12+ years. So, my promise is to stop by more than every 5 months :-) and to keep breathing deeply and letting it out slowly!!

Pet Peeves aka Yes, I am Venting!!

2011-07-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

I will have to set the stage for this one. Be patient with me so you can feel the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat experienced by myself, my daughter and her husband yesterday!!

I spent the day yesterday helping my oldest child and my son-in-law move into their new place. They are starting a new phase in their respective careers and being a Mom, I felt it was my duty to lend a helping hand, however slight, to their new adventure. I took a vacation day - all 8 hours worth - left the island early and caught up with them at the old place in League City, Texas. [for those not from the area, it's a burb about 25 miles south of Houston on I-45]

When I arrived, late, around 9am, the son-in-law was on the phone with the 'scheduled' moving company. The moving company's excuse for not being there or on the way there is "they had a 7am move and that crew isn't finished". The plan was they would call the kids or show up by noon. HA! The 3 of us made an executive decision to load our respective vehicles with the little stuff, stuff in open containers, pictures, etc and head to the new place. The new place is in the Bellaire area of Houston [again, for those not knowledgeable, Bellaire is a city within the big city and known for it's fabulous homes and great high school] We make it to the new house about 11:30am and proceed to unload boxes, bags, pictures, etc. All this time, son-in-law is talking to the original moving company and trying to arrange a backup solution. Attention Fly By Night Moving Companies: We are on to you; we know you only want the money and you hire minimum wage jerks who are also scam artists trying to screw the unsuspecting customer out of more cash!! We will not use you again and will tell everyone we know and that's a LOT of people!!!! And quit over booking your trucks and people, dumbass dispatchers!!!

We decide at this point to divide and conquer; Mom [that's me!] stays at the new place to unpack - unload - put away the few things we've brought in our vehicles and the kids [daughter and son-in-law] leave to meet the movers [or so we hope] in League City. I work on putting things away and arranging the kitchen and then I sit...........and wait...........and read my Nook............and play on my Blackberry.........and 2:30pm rolls around. No movers......no truck........craptastic!

The kids in the meantime are calling all over the Houston area looking for movers, a truck, helpers, etc. At this point it's evident that the original movers nor the backup movers are going to show up. No one is returning phone calls to the kids and they are beginning to PANIC! Son-in-law starts his new Fellowship on July 1st and this move has to take place on June 30th!! About this point in the day, I'm so bored, I go out into the backyard and start pulling weeds on the patio. Son-in-law now has several moving companies [and I use the term company loosely] lined up and the first one to show up with strong backs and a decent size truck wins the prize!

I am now running low on Nook power and only a third of the way through my latest book. My Blackberry is down to about a quarter of battery power and there is no cable tv scheduled to be installed until between 5pm and 7pm I do, however have 2 tv's in the house so if the cable guy(s) show up, I'll at least have tv. No one has shown up or called at the League City apartment and the kids have now taken apart the bed and staged all of the boxes to be moved. And they wait, and wait, and wait.

Fast forward to 5:20pm more or less. I talk to my daughter - they are still in the same holding pattern and the cable company is now on the clock. At 6:30pm I go out to my car, start it up and plug in the Blackberry so the battery can charge. I call the cable company and get a dispatcher on the phone. She was very polite and professional and tells me "it's not yet 7pm and the guy is on his way to your location." At 7:30pm, no cable guy BUT there is now a truck headed to the old apartment!! WOOHOO!!!!

Approximately 8pm, the movers are finally at the apartment - moving company number 1,268 on the call down list. The FB message from the son-in-law reads "We have adopted two special needs children. Named them "the movers". Now, I have nothing against hard worker guys that use their backs to perform manual labor BUT, what the hell happened to taking pride in your work?!?!? These guys bitched and bellyached and fussed about working so late and if I heard from the one guy another time about how he only gets to see his girlfriend 2 nights a week, I was going to SMACK the guy!!!

The movers finally make it to the new place around 11pm. HALLELUJAH! They get there right after the cable installers leave.

Oh yeah, the cable company calls about 8:30pm to say that they are about 45 minutes out and did I still want them to come out.....well, Yeah, I still want them to come do the job they were asked to do! WTH did you think I was going to say?!?!? I nicknamed the cable installer team Dingleling and Dingleberry.......first it was "it's too dark to make the connection on the pole outside"......You have got to be kidding me! There are two of you and you each have a ladder and you each have a good strong flashlight and climb that damned ladder and make the connection! So, they get the connection to the house working. Then they say....."where is the computer?" Ummmmmm......it's being loaded on a truck in League City as we speak, should be here in about an hour more or less. The two Dingles start to PACK UP THEIR STUFF!!! WTH! Oh, they cannot split the work order and only do a portion of it and they cannot do the internet connection without a computer. Plan B - call the youngest daughter, who is on her way over; in my best Mom voice I tell her, go get your laptop and bring it with you. The Dingles then give me the Reader's Digest version of a day in the life of a cable installer; up at 5am, to work at 7am and still on the clock at 9pm. [mentally I am playing my small violin in sympathy] Ok, and? You want my sympathy? You are not getting any sympathy from me - you need to work more efficiently, gripe about it less and just do your job, dammit!!

Laptop shows up, Internet and Cable T.V. are now functional. Cable guys leave. And now the moving truck shows up. All you folks reading this that are military understand the acronym for SNAFU and the phrase that starts with Cluster? Multiply that by about 1,000!!!!

The tall mover dude, Tweedledee, says to my son-in-law, after stopping traffic on the busy street in front of the house to maneuver the truck into the driveway, they won't unload the truck until they get paid and now the rules have changed, they have to get paid in CASH. NOT the agreement that was made with their company. They finally get it, that no one is paying in cash so, they get the card info and the truck is opened and they begin to unload. Tweedledee and Tweedledum start bringing things into the house; both of them constantly grousing about how late it is and they don't want to be there.....youngest daughter tells Tweedledum to be happy he's got a job and a paycheck - she works in HR for a large company and knows how tough the job market is out there. Tweedledee keeps tripping over the step down just inside the front door - the entire time he is there moving things into the house, I don't think he ever hit it just right. Oh, and they dropped the king size mattress on the ground, in the dirt and do nothing to clean it up, apologize.....nothing. Good riddance to bad news!!

By MIDNIGHT all of their stuff is in the house - HOORAY!!!! Bed is set up and has linens; boxes lined up in the extra room off the kitchen and the kids are pretty much settled into the new abode.

The things I took away from the day are this:

Mover types, the small local ones anyway, tend to be fly-by-night operations with no vision for repeat business. I've used both local and nationally known companies in my many moves and have come to the conclusion it's worth the money to spend on the bonded larger movers. My opinion and my experience color this one. [Click here for my take on my most recent move]
Cable installers come in two flavors: there are the complainers like I encountered last night that bitched and griped the whole time they were there, making sure I knew they were on their way home and got called back to do this install OR the type like I got when I moved last month - one dude, efficient, professional, offering advice on where to place the modem, etc. Cable tv and internet are necessary evils - again my opinion, the cable companies know this and are indifferent to how good or bad the customer service delivered to the customer is and they don't care as long as they get paid

So, the move from hell is over for now. The wifi at the new place was balky but we got it working this morning - me on the phone and my daughter plugging and unplugging stuff until it kicked in. We discovered that the new place has fleas in the backyard so she's hunting for flea spray this morning. Would I do it again? Hell yes, it's a Mom thing. You do what you have to for your kids. Did I want to kick some ass yesterday? DOUBLE hell yes!! Mess with me BUT do not mess with my kids, biological or married to my kids. I will be writing an impromptu review of the two cable guys; that was really uncalled for. And as for the movers, well let's just say, I won't be recommending them to move the fleas from the backyard.

In closing a general observation about customer service in general. If you don't have the personality or the patience or the demeanor to perform customer service work, I am sure there is something else out there. And if there isn't anything else out there, then be professional and give it 100% effort; you will be rewarded in the long run. I work in a customer service capacity; I know I have bad days and I have good days but I try to remember that my customer is why I get a paycheck and the customer is the primary reason I am working in a place I truly like working in and hope to continue working there. I know how easy it would be to let my personal life - family, health, money - interfere. All of those things could color how I deal with customers on a daily basis and I know that in order to give professional service, I have to leave those distractions at the door and I am a better employee and a better service provider for making the effort.

TerryT in Galveston: Game Changers aka Life Changers

2011-06-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

TerryT in Galveston: Game Changers aka Life Changers: "Let's talk about game changers - you know that play in the third quarter that changes the momentum of the game. You know what I'm talking a..."

Game Changers aka Life Changers

2011-06-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about game changers - you know that play in the third quarter that changes the momentum of the game. You know what I'm talking about, right? Or that double play in the inning that turns the game around or the home run that knocks out the starting star pitcher? Those kinds of game changers but related to life.

Life Changers are those events in your life that seem to rock you back on your heels or make you stop and reflect. They are those moments or days or weeks-months in your life that you can point to and say "Aha! At that point I started seeing my world in a different light", be it for the better or not. It's those events that cause stress, good or bad, but stress nevertheless.

At 50+ years and counting, I seem to have more of these life changing events coming closer and closer together. I think it's the piling on effect that is rocking me on my heels! I keep hearing my mom and grandma telling me 'that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and I have to wonder, is that really true? We used to tell my nephew 'it builds character' and he would do the infamous kid-eye-roll as he walked away. But seriously, why does it seem that the life altering events in our lives seem to come faster and closer together the older we get?

Let me define what I think is a life changing event:

Learning to ride a 2-wheel bike with no training wheels
Moving from Elementary to Middle to High School
Getting a new baby brother or sister in the family
Losing a favorite family member - aunt, uncle, cousin
Losing a grandparent
Moving out of the house to a college dorm
Marriage proposal
Graduating from college
Getting married
Having kids
Getting a divorce
Having to deal with teenagers alone
Watching your parents age before your eyes [and knowing you might have hastened the process!]
Moving more than a 5 hour drive away from home - to another state
Major Surgery
Menopause [sorry guys, had to go there]
Losing a parent
Making the choice to move back to your home state and then making it happen
Having to admit that your living parent needs around the clock care, not at home
Losing your second parent
Experiencing catastrophic weather events like floods and hurricanes

These are the things I have experienced in MY life. And pretty much in that order but the last few seem to come faster and closer together. As I look back over the list, I don't see anything that is glaring, out of the ordinary or earth shattering; it just looks like a list full and semi-normal life events.

Many years ago, Gail Sheehy wrote about Passages in our lives from the ages of 18 - 50. She has written other books, but her original book really spoke to me in my 30's and screams at me in my 50's! I am living those passages through life events. In a nutshell, my personal stressors are at an all time high. Life is throwing lemons and I can't make lemonade fast enough! AND I'm running out of buckets, barrels, pitchers and places to put the damned lemonade!!! How's that for cliched and snafud??

How do other people deal with these life changing, game changing events? Do they seem to come closer together as you get older or is it just me? I'll be curious to see who posts comments on this one. :-)

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Here is a site that rates the stress of events in your life: http://www.stresstips.com/lifeevents.htm
Or another site with a list of events and their point totals: http://www.stressaffect.com/Stressful-Life-Events-List.html

More crockpot cooking on a hot Sunday

2011-06-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I cooked today. Well sort of.....I took a recipe I found online and did what my Mom used to do best - I ad libbed it!

So here it is - I called it "Enchilada Crockpot Bake"

3 lbs really lean ground meat
6 tortillas - I used the low carb flour ones
1 1/2 packages finely grated cheese
1 can refried beans
1 can chopped green chilis
2 cans diced rotel tomatoes
1 can enchilada sauce
2 pkgs taco seasoning
2 cups picante sauce

I browned the meat, drained and rinsed it off
Added the canned items and the taco seasoning and mixed it all up in a large skillet

In my big crockpot, I layered torn tortillas, the meat mixture, cheese and repeated 3 times. Set the crockpot on high for 4 hours and we will see how good this is!

Howdy from The Beach

2011-05-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I moved out of DD#1 house into a 2bd/2ba apt on the Seawall....check out my blog post about the move - http://terryngalveston.blogspot.com/

Little brother is still hanging on BUT he does have a job at Target which is way better that nothing - which is what he had until 6 weeks ago. He has the little, tiny bedroom and I'm not making it very easy for him to stay.....

Gotta go dig thru another box and put some more schiznit away. {{{{HUGS}}}} to all the Sistahs!

Let's Talk About Moving

2011-05-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about moving.

I have engaged in this 'activity' way too many times in my 50+ years. I've moved from one family home to another at the age of 8, then to a college dormitory, then to Beaumont with my new husband. After that we moved 5 times in 5 years with 2 kids in tow. Never out of the state and into places I left a piece of myself behind each time.

Then there was the heart wrenching move from The House we had built together that I thought was going to be where we lived in marital bliss and watched kids and grand babies grow up. NOT! I could not wait to get out of that house after he left; the memories were just too painful and the loss of all those dreams were devastating. After the divorce there was the house I bought all by myself. Those were great times; the girls learned to stay home alone; I made friends outside of my comfort zone and moved into a different working environment. After that was the mad dash to find a rental inside the loop because HISD stopped granting out of district transfers so, we moved into the area where my daughters were already established in school.

A couple of moves after that it was a move into my sister's house to help with the nephew - little sister was traveling about 75% of the time then. And then there was The Move Out of State.....OMG!

I moved out of state for all the right reasons, or so I thought, at the time. This was one of those, you make a decision based on the facts in evidence, you pray and talk it over with those who you trust and you make the leap of faith! Northern Alabama was a very interesting place to live; I made some new friends and got re-acquainted with others. During that time I lost my dad and wasn't there for my Mom but I got myself back to Texas as quickly as I could! I laughingly tell people that I "did my 18 months in Huntsville......Alabama, not Huntsville, Texas" LOL

Newly arrived back from Alabama, I shared a house with my oldest daughter to 'help with the dogs whenever she was on call' and found my HOME on Galveston Island! From the moment I moved my belongings into that first little place in the 'hood, to the house she bought while in residency to the small 2 bdrm 2 ba apartment I am in now, I Am At Home on Galveston Island!!!

Each time I have moved I find that I pitch more material things; I cling to the family heirlooms but ditch the other 'stuff' I've accumulated. I find things that I've misplaced or lost along the way - this time it was the 2 gift cards to Target and Bed-Bath & Beyond I found while packing my dresser.

One week after the latest move, I still have lots of boxes everywhere but can function in the kitchen and my room and bathroom. Most of the boxes will be unpacked and those that are not will get stored in closets until I can let go of those items that I still hold onto even now.

If you've made it this far, thanks for putting up with my ramblings. I am enjoying writing these missives and I really need to do this more often!!

Is the earth tilting? I was in the kitchen tontie!

2011-04-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those middle of the night epiphany's where you come up with a dish that you hope and think might be good?

Well I had one this last weekend. So, while at the store I grabbed some stuff - half dozen zucchini, a thing of baby spinach, a bag of Roma tomatoes, some ricotta, some Italian mixed cheese shredded and some jar sauce.

Tonight I sliced the zucchini lengthwise and browned them in a little EVOO and some Italian flavored bread crumbs, then I layered the zucchini, spinach, chopped olives, all the ricotta, some sauce [most of one jar] and most of a package of cheese. The next layer was zucchini, spinach, more sauce and some sliced Roma tomatoes and topped it all with cheese, lots of cheese.

Now, it's in the oven baking at 350 for 35 minutes more or less......did you feel the earth tilt just a bit? YES, I was cooking!!! Now, I hope it's edible LOL

Vacation not Stay-cation!

2011-04-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Vacation as defined by Merriam Webster is "a respite or a time of respite from something" .....MY definition of vacation is testing the limits and learning to "let go"....so, I went to Costa Rica to visit family in a little Pacific Coast town called Jaco. Jaco is about 2 hours west and south of San Jose. Jaco is more civilized [according to the natives] than the coastal towns on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

Jaco is a sleepy little surfing town that attracts the rich and famous and the not so rich and famous, namely, me :-) The condo village I stayed in was about a 5-10 minute walk to the local grocery store, coffee shop, ice cream shop and other establishments. As I walked into town with my sister each morning for coffee and pastries, I caught myself asking one question.......could I live and thrive in this area? Believe it or not, the answer was yes more than it was no!! I could let go of the things that complicate and learn to simplify, if motivated strongly enough to do so.

The other thing I found myself doing was hiking into the rain forest about a mile to a beautiful waterfall and then hiking out again....drenched in sweat but reveling in the wonder of that waterfall and the cool water that was the reward for the long arduous hike in.....then there was the beautiful vistas up and down the mountain roads. Did you know that Papaya grows in huge bunches on trees not much taller than me? [no short jokes please!] AND did you know that bananas in their groves are wrapped with plastic bags on the trees? No clue why but you can bet I'm going to figure that one out.

We saw iguanas and macaws in their natural habitat; crocodiles by the dozens under a highway bridge. I learned a few basic Spanish phrases and felt humbled by not knowing the language. I watched towering waves on a black sand beach and just "got away from my reality".

Now, I am on my way home....to work, family, friends.....reality. Vacation, for me, was a way to rest my mind and give peace and quiet to my soul and learn to appreciate a simpler way of life. Enjoy the zip line video attached to the blog today!! The zip line experience thru the canopy was, for me, the Ultimate Act of Letting Go and trusting the guides and their equipment!!!

Family, Home and other stuff

2011-03-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my first post, I have lots to say. Now confession time, no real plan of what to say or how to say it. One thing I learned from my Mom and Dad was to have a plan and a backup plan and sometimes a backup to the backup!! So, I thought I would start with what is precious to me my family and my 'home'.

BTW, is there an etiquette to these blog posts? I hope that I don't offend anyone; that is not my intention. My initial plan is to just write what is on my mind, sort of a stream of consciousness and to tell my story, share my travels and share my family. With that said, let's get this thing started!

Let me start with home....Home is where the heart is and those that know me well know my heart is in Texas and more specifically, Houston where I was born and Galveston where I live right now. I am a city girl, no doubt about it, first and foremost. I have to have the large malls to shop in and choices of restaurants and lots of entertainment. BUT, I am also a die-hard beach bum!! I never thought I would have loved living on Galveston Island as much as I do but I cannot imagine living out the rest of my life anyplace else and of that I am 100% sure. I've tried living in other places in Texas and enjoyed some more than others. San Antonio and Fort Worth were special because my babies were born in those places. College Station/Bryan because I love being an Aggie and I do bleed maroon. Beaumont [sorry Wiz] was the worst place in Texas I've lived. And then there was my ill-advised move out of state. Suffice it to say that I came home and left some good friends behind but I can always go visit or stay in touch online. I can say unequivocally, I will live out the rest of my remaining years in Texas!!!

Then there is family. I am so very blessed to have a large extended family - my own precious children, a wonderful son-in-law, brothers, sisters, niece and nephew, cousins, aunts, uncles and that's just the biological family. Then, there is my chosen family, of which there are many members, scattered far and wide across the U.S.A. My parents and grandparents molded a very strong sense of family from a very young age. When you are part Italian, part Irish and part Cajun French you can't help but have an enormously strong sense of family. I was the oldest of 4 and was lucky enough to know so many of the aunts, uncles and cousins that my younger siblings never knew and for that I am ever so grateful. My only regret is that I didn't record some of 'those conversations', you know the ones where Aunt So-and-So tells you those old family stories. If Only...If Only....I had recorded or had written something down.......so, one of the things I will focus on in my blog posts is to re-tell family history, as I know it. IF you get bored with my family ramblings, just skim on down and I will respect that this isn't very interesting to some....or most.

There you have it, my first official blog post. That first one last night was only a test. I hope this is the first of many to come!.

Inaugural Blog post

2011-03-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

My first ever blog post. I have no idea what to say or how to say it but I have something to say!

Check back later and I may.....or may not....have something profound to take away.

For now, a saying I found online today:

Don't make a lateral move from one "average" friend to
another.
Start collecting friends w/better character and drive!
Those who challenge you to do more and be more!
Hang w/people who enjoy helping other people and do so
without expectation of repayment.