In Flanders Fields

Today is Memorial Day, a day in the United States where we honor those who fought and those who died in wars. In honor of Memorial Day, below is a poem that is often recited on this day.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

[The poppies referred to in the poem grew in abundance in Flanders where war casualties of World War I were buried. They became a symbol of Remembrance Day, and today Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day.]

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. And to those who have fallen, fought, or are fighting, I say thank you.

Toot Your Horn Tuesday!

I was invited to join this by Leah, from A Silly Little Sparrow, so I figured I would give it a shot. I'm going to let all of you know what good I've done this week, as opposed to Mondays, where I tell everyone the bad. It will be nice to change things up and let everyone know that I really am a smart, good person and not the wacky ditz I usually appear to be on Not Me! Mondays.

This week has actually not been the best of weeks for me. Not only did I catch a bad cold, which of course made me feel miserable, but I spilled coffee on my computer, which led me to spend $1200 today on a new one. Fortunately for me (and this is where I toot my horn, sort of), my computer genius of a boyfriend was able to take the hard drive from my old computer and put it into my new computer. It's as if nothing happened. He's really amazing at these kind of things. Granted, sometimes (ok, often), it's hard to get him out the door and he always has to be right, but he makes up for it when he does things like this.

Not only did he do that, but he also went with me yesterday (when the incident happened) and today to the computer store, helped me figure out which computer I wanted and researched them with me, and let me use his awesome discount on the computer.

OK, so that was more of me tooting his horn. But now I will toot mine: Do I not have great taste in boyfriends or what? I sure know how to pick 'em! ;)

Wasn't Me!

Yep, it's that time again. Time for Not Me! Monday! Oh, boy do I have some good ones for you. For others, go to MckMama's blog and check out everyone else's Not Me! Mondays. As for me, well, here I go.

I did not spill coffee on my computer this morning.

It did not get inside my screen and keyboard.

I did not take my computer and tip it upside down, letting all the coffee drip out of the keyboard. I did not then think that my computer was fine.

I did not then proceed to go about using my computer for another fifteen minutes, thinking that the wet spot that was spreading on the inside of my screen would dry and everything would go back to normal.

I did not then IM my boyfriend, a computer genius, and ask him about spilled coffee and computer screens.

At 12:30PM I did not make an appointment at the Apple Store for 4:20PM, then go anyway, hoping they could squeeze me in.

I did not spend the next 3 hours at a movie right by the store waiting for my turn at the Genius Bar because I had nothing better to do.

My boyfriend did not accompany me throughout this whole thing.

I was not told that in order for Apple to fix my computer, I would have to pay them $755, plus whatever tax applies. I am not seriously considering getting a new computer instead, for an extra $200.

I am not thinking that my compensation for this is a free 2G iPhone. Yes, you heard. FREE. At least I did not spend $400 on that. :)

You're next! What did you not do?

Happy Mother's Day!

New Blog Look

I have changed the look of my blog (just for those who have not noticed :-P). It was a tough call between Annalyse 2 and Meema, but in the end, you can see Meema won out. I've obviously tweaked it here and there, making it to my preference and what I like, but I want to hear from you as well. Let me know what you think! If you think something is too big, too small, wrong color, hard to read, etc., tell me. I really want to know. In the meantime, look it over and happy reading!

P.S. If you want your own blog template, either click on the LeeLou button on the sidebar or here.

My Belly Button

Last Tuesday night I did something I have been wanting to do since I was about sixteen years old. I got my belly button pierced! No, that is not a picture of my belly button piercing, but, funnily enough, that is the exact same piece of jewelry I have on mine. EXACTLY. Except mine does not look as pretty because it is currently infected. I know, bummer. But belly button piercings are notorious for this, so I am not surprised. I am taking care of it, and it is getting better. I have a call in to my doctor for some medicine anyway, just to be sure that I get rid of the infection. Can't hurt, right?

I'm so excited about this. Seriously. As I said, I have wanted one since I was sixteen, but never got one. I don't know what made me decide to do this finally. I did it on impulse. I just decided to screw it and do what I wanted, not what I should do, or what I am supposed to do. I am doing something strictly for me. And I love it! It's so...liberating. Actually doing something because you want to, not because you have to or should. I suggest that everyone do this every once in awhile. It makes life a little more fun and interesting.

Blog Labels

I recently decided to "label" all my blog posts, so I sat here for a half hour doing just that. Well, I quit. My most recent posts are labeled, along with most of my old ones from before my BTO (Blog Time Off). So just a warning to my readers: Not all my posts have labels, so if you are looking for specific post and use the "labels" to find it, it might not show up that way. As I said, this especially applies to my older posts.

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

Last night I was having a conversation with a friend who is in a relationship with a girl, but they each know that it is short term. They know that it will eventually come to an end, and not in a year or so, but rather in a matter of months. I asked, bluntly, "If you know this is going to end soon, then why are you putting yourselves through this?"

As the words came out of my mouth, I realized that I sounded like a hypocrite. A big one. How can I ask him that question when I am doing the same thing with my boyfriend? He's leaving for Israel in July, at which time we will probably break up. Yet, here I am, knowing the end is drawing near, knowing that when this does happen that I am going to heartbroken, and I am still with him.

Many people have asked me over the last three or four months why I have not broken up with him already, knowing that he is leaving. The only answer I have for them is that I cannot. I cannot let go yet; I am not ready to let go. But I do know the longer I am with him, the more attached and involved I am getting, and because of that, it will only hurt me more in the end.

So as I asked my friend why they were doing to themselves and to each other, I knew why, and I felt like a hypocrite for even asking. They care about each other, and have fun together, and are obviously not ready to let go yet. And that I can totally understand.

Not Me! Monday

We're back! Not Me! Monday has officially resumed! Due to health issues, MckMama and her Not Me! Mondays have been on hiatus. Head on over to her blog to see what she and others have not been doing in the past seven weeks.

I did not lose my job last week and I am not extremely happy about it.

On the "exit interview," I did not let HR, the executive director, have it as far my opinions as to the firm, its policies, and everything else I disliked about it. I did not feel awesome afterward.

I did not leave work on April 23rd to sit in on the trial for the case I had been working on. I did not stay watching the trial for three hours and it was not the highlight of my working there for eight months, and possibly, one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. Nope. My life is much more fulfilling and exciting than that.

I did not go tattle on a coworker and get her in major trouble (she really deserved it). I did not feel awesome about that as well.

I am not sitting at home now, trying to think of ways to get out of vacuuming. I am not seriously thinking of using the sweeper instead and trying to pass it off as vacuuming.

Two weeks ago, I did not throw a huge fit because there was a centipede in my room and I had to kill it.

I did not kill it by dropping my mom's shoe on it and then running away.

I did not make my mom clean it up.

I did not use my mom's shoe because the thought of using mine and then wearing it was just too gross and disgusting.

What's on your list?

Neighbors

I've lived in four different houses/apartments in my twenty-three years, each on a street full of kids. In fact, in the last apartment I lived in, it was next door to a very religious family who owned the apartment building and had at least twenty children of their own, plus their tenants had at least another ten children between them. For those that cannot do the math, that is thirty kids, living next door, to me.

Despite the amount of kids there, though, they were (fairly) quiet. My neighbors now, however, are the noisiest people I've ever had the misfortune of living next to. Let me just give you a few examples:

1. Their entrance, like ours, is on the side of the house. Luckily for me, my bedroom and their entrance face each other, so I have the pleasure of hearing them buzz someone in all the time whenever I am home and in my room (which is very often) and leave.

2. On that same track, their kids (about six or so, I can't keep track and I'm not sure which are their kids or the kids' friends) apparently do not how to ring the doorbell, or maybe what it is even for. Instead of ringing the bell, they stand outside the front door, and my window, and yell at the top of their lungs, "OPEN THE DOOR!" or "LET ME IN!" This is extremely annoying. Especially on Shabbos. Especially on a Shabbos when I am reading or trying to nap.

3. None of the kids go to camp in the summer. None. So they are outside, all the time. Every. Single. Day. This is not so much a problem during the day as I am (or was) at work. But they are also playing outside when I come home. In fact, they play outside until about 8PM, when I am assuming it is their bedtime.

4. They bounce the basketball. A lot. And loudly. And right outside my window. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. You get the picture.

I guess I should be thankful, though. They don't play loud music or have parties. And they do go to school for ten months out of the year, so they're not home most of the day (but neither am I). But still, they're loud. And annoying. And until we move, I guess I have to live with it.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go,
I'm standing here,
Outside your door,
I hate to wake you up to say Good Bye.
But the dawn is breakin', It's early morn`,
The taxi's waiting, blowin' his horn.
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.

So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you wait for me,
Hold me, like you never let me go.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh Babe, I hate to go.

My boyfriend of almost a year and a half is leaving in two months for Israel. But he's not just leaving. He is moving. He is making Aliyah to Israel and joining the Israeli army. I am happy for him. I really am. I'm happy he has found a direction, a passion (other than computers, that is). I am happy that he has found something that he wants to do, and I support him in every possible way that I can. But inside, this is killing me.

I try not to think about it, at all, but that is becoming increasingly difficult as the hour of his departure comes closer. And the more I try not to think about it, the more I end up doing just that. I am not sure how many people out there can understand, or comprehend, what this is doing to me, but I am sure there are many out there who can.

It is tearing me up inside. The thought of him leaving is just...incomprehensible. I cannot imagine my life without him in it on a daily basis. I cannot imagine him not being a ten minute drive away. I cannot imagine him not being here to call me a "dork" or tell me that I'm weird. Who am I going to call when I'm bored to tears and tell me to come over, just so that I will have something to do?

How can you imagine your life without someone who has been such an integral part of it for over a year? I can't imagine my life without him, but I have to. He's in New York right now, and while it's not Israel, and still in the general time zone (as opposed to Israel which is eight hours ahead), I still miss him, and I cannot help but think that if this is how I feel when he is 3,000 miles away, how am I going to feel when he is half way around the world? I do not want to even think about it. But as I said, the closer it gets, the more I cannot help but think about it. I know I will have to deal with it at some point, but right now, I'm just not ready to, and honestly, I do not know if I can.