Melissa's Soapbox
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Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in the "BelCanto142" journal:[<< Previous 10 entries]
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08:21 pm
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surreal visit to TCNJ (alum weekend)
So Stephen and I headed back to campus this afternoon for the TCNJ music alum concert in honor of Dr. Michael ("Doc") Mendoza, the chorale director - we got to Princeton Market Fair a little earlier so we could have a yummy lunch at PF Changs first - couldn't miss that while we were in the area- and then drove over to campus. Can't believe all the building going on next to the student center! We walked through the sc and I showed Stephen our DZ banner hanging up on the wall, and the old bench - he had been to TCNJ with me maybe twice before but showing him around never gets old - seems like there's always something going on there and it's usually new construction ;)
Then we got to the concert - I sat next to Gemma (don't remember her last name) who had been in chorale too and we caught up for a little while. I recognized a few faces in the group. As I read the program and the choir started to sing - they sounded beautiful - I was wondering why there was a young conductor from the class of 2007 doing most of the work and then the emotional part happened, seeing Doc (who had always had a spring in his step) walk slowly out to the podium and raise his slightly shaking hands - a very weird experience seeing a beloved professor forced to retire after 2 strokes - last one being in 2007 as I found out later from Gemma. I remembered crying in Doc's office once after an audition which turned out to have been better than I thought, and him being encouraging and saying that I should keep singing always because I had a gift. And he said the same thing today, that these people (the alum who had returned to perform) had a gift and they should continually be using it. I was so glad I went.
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09:05 am
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last day of my 20s...
So, I knew the day would come...I've been excited about 30 (and still am) but last night one of my best friends from college sent me a message to enjoy the last day of my 20s and I started bawling!! mostly from college-based nostalgia.
Anyway- 30 here i come.
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06:53 pm
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voting for Obama or not, this is classic...
I do respect the man. Check it out if you haven't seen:
http://television.aol.com/tvtop5/baracks-bad-boogie-ellen-degeneres/2293206
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02:41 pm
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meeting more relatives
My aunt Lina is back in the states and staying till September this time!! This is starting to become an annual occurrence! LOL. God bless the euro.
So I tell Stephen that we are going to my parents' for a barbecue this weekend and he is all excited- he loves aunt Lina, wants to learn Italian, etc. (I get the dubious job of teaching him.) Then my mom says that my dad's other cousins, Pino Maldari (my grandmother's side), his wife and another cousin is coming who is a priest! I know I told Stephen, but he says he has no recollection of those visitors...hopefully the topic of church won't come up at all, so that we don't have to explain that we aren't catholic, but became non-denominational evangelicals, lol.
Poor Stephen... family is always interesting...
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10:56 am
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Memorial Day
Hi everyone,
After many attempts to come down to Florida (last thanksgiving, then Feb, but never could make it due to the chicken store), Stephen and I finally managed to get down here. We arrived last Thursday afternoon and are leaving early tomorrow morning - staying at the inlaws' house while they are back in England. Good deal. It's been great just to chill hard at the country club, at the pool, on the golf course, etc. We have also gotten to recoup from the last several rough months and had a long, deep talk last night which I feel has started to recharge our marriage. We needed it.
We also started to talk more about kids - after the dust settles for a while, we want to start seriously trying to get pregnant, because as tomorrow is Stephen's 38th birthday and this year is my 30th, neither one of us is getting any younger! And it could take a while. To chime in on the # of kids question, we have decided that the ideal for us would definitely be 2- 1:1 ratio child to parent, plus there would be a sibling dynamic as opposed to having just 1. But as always, we will take what we are blessed with - or not.
Point being, we are starting to work together, get perspective on our situation and feel confident that life after the chicken place will be ok.
On a different note, this coming Saturday I will have my bridesmaid dress fitting for my friend Jessica's wedding in August so now I have an excuse to shed the 20-25 (!!) lbs that I have gained since being married. I saw some of the pictures that my inlaws have around here, and can't believe how chunky I am starting to look in pics. So after this week of nothing but eating, I need to get on it. Bleh.
Hope all are enjoying a safe and fun weekend :)
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03:48 pm
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new babies (for Jenn ;)
Our marketing manager at work just found out she is going to be an aunt for the first time, to a new baby girl! Her name?
Lily Marie!
So sweet - just had to share. :)
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06:09 pm
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the cluck stops here
(I know, cheesy subject line but I couldn't resist!! LOL)
well the location move promised to take 3-5 mos, and the bills weren't getting paid, so Everything Chicken is officially closing for business this weekend, as there is no more money to pour down the drain - as we speak stephen is cleaning out the store. Thanks to everyone for putting up with my rants. I am normally not this depressed of a person, at least I don't think so. :) It's going to take a miracle for us to come out the other side, but we don't give up hope of one actually happening- after all, unexpected things happen every day. Thank God we still all have our health and jobs to go to.
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04:25 pm
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a little bit of relief...
Well, Stephen just called to tell me that he got his old job back at Magellan, with a significant salary increase- he starts again on Monday. So we'll have a second income coming back in at last...
as for the business, no one will buy it currently with only 6 mos in operation, so he put new staff schedules in place and it will be running itself for the time being while he is at work. Nights and weekends (when he is not at work) stephen will work on marketing and the location move that is being negotiated now, which is its last saving grace. If that doesn't work, we close.
Amy, I agree that this is truly a test of our ability to rely on God and each other!
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02:31 pm
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little ones got spayed today
Just heard back from the vet and they are doing fine. We will be bringing them home at 4:45. I miss my sweeties!! :)
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07:17 pm
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dying for Thai food
I think I'm just going to have to find one or two people who love it as much as I do, so that I can have THAI food whenever I feel like it. I have been craving it for weeks...agh!! ;)
Lauren, Margie, Hope, Marina: Happy Hanukkah! :)
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