I'm awake. I slept 10 hours. The only time I rolled over was when my hip hurt from being smushed (sp?) into the floor for hours on end. I don't even mind waking up at 7:30am so long as I'm rested and everyone else is still sleeping. I needed this.
Many of you have asked how you can continue to support me and I have a tangible idea of what you can do. I should say up front, this is for me. There's no money involved, I'm not asking for donations of relief goods. This is a straight-up make-Amya-happy thing.
I need information on anything unrelated to what I'm doing here. More specifically, if you could just write a response to this (and future) posts telling me what you and your family, neighbors, co-workers did today, this would be pure perfection.
I received two such e-mails within the past 24 hours. My cousin wrote telling me about her daughters. Another friend broke down her day, told me the story about how she ended up with a donated and incredibly uncomfortable bed in her sublet, then told me a conversation she had with a total stranger in Trader Joe's.
This is what I need. I don't want to talk about life here for awhile. I will do that here in this blog of course, and I will continue to blog but I'm realizing I have nothing to balance it out with. When I talk with friends from home and my husband, I ask them to talk about anything other than what I'm doing. I need news from home on anything and everything so long as I can just listen and let it wash over me. You don't have to make it interesting. It doesn't have to be amazing. Write about your cat. Write about something you read. Write about the dilemma you had in choosing between Granny Smith apples and Galas.
I need this. My life here has been so overwhelmingly one-sided with grief and destruction that I feel off-kilter. Add to this the fact I haven't really been able to let anything out, I'm officially lop-sided.
You've been incredibly generous with your words of support. I appreciate it. I really do. I will continue to graciously accept this but I'll also accept your stories. I need to know there's some semblance of non-tragic life out there.
Okay. you want it? You've got it.
ReplyDeleteRachel passed her driving test today and is now a licensed driver one week to the day after her 16th birthday! I had one of those pivotal life moments when I turned over my keys and my car and watched her drive off down the street all by herself. She went to the mall to get a cover for her cell phone and some "mom jeans" at Savers to cut off to make high waisted shorts for the summer. She plans to rock an 80s look this summer with high waisted shorts and cut off shirts. Wow.
Then tonight I went to "audition" (I guess?) with an all-female rock band. I found them on Craigslist when I decided to check out the Musicians section after looking at cars. We exchanged emails and mp3s and tonight was the first time I went to play with them. It went great and now I am in the band, playing bass. The drummer, CJ, even pulled out a bottle of champagne at the end of our practice to toast and celebrate the band becoming complete. I guess I was the missing piece.
So, even though I am missing Rick because he is away in Poland doing consulting work, I am faring well. It's been a spectacular day. :)
Amy,
ReplyDeleteHellooooo my dear ;)
Tess & I have had a few days to ourselves, Barret's in Seattle.
We're having a girls BFF weekend...
I have been invited by Tess many times to "sleepover" in her room. I have always said "not tonight sweetie". She has a twin mattress &, well, no.
But, we just got her this cool loft bed & this time I said yes! What the heck!
Well my little girly girl got very busy. She propped up about 11 pillows for each of us. She then asked me to bring my favorite stuffed animal w/ me, (Tiger of course!). We giggled SO much.
Then I said "Tessie, let's listen to tonight's story". What that means is that we close our eyes & don't make a sound so that we can hear anything & everything going on around us.
That night there was a brilliant rain storm, accompanied by beautiful thunder & lightning. We live on the 18th floor & had this night time show all to ourselves.
We both fell asleep, it was perfect.
In the early morning when we woke up, I was immediately asked if we could order in Chinese food or pizza for breakfast! Uh, no I said to my sweet pea. But I loved that she asked :)
Lots of Love :)
xxox
Amya,
ReplyDeleteI've thought of you often, and am just now getting a chance to read your bog. A good night of sleep can make a world of difference.
Here is some Boston Trivia:
On April 19, 1897, John J. McDermott of New York won the first Boston Marathon with a time of 2:55:10.
The Boston Marathon was the brainchild of Boston Athletic Association member and inaugural U.S. Olympic team manager John Graham, who was inspired by the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. With the assistance of Boston businessman Herbert H. Holton, various routes were considered, before a measured distance of 24.5 miles from the Irvington Oval in Boston to Metcalf's Mill in Ashland was eventually selected.
Fifteen runners started the race but only 10 made it to the finish line. John J. McDermott, representing the Pastime Athletic Club of New York City, took the lead from Harvard athlete Dick Grant over the hills in Newton. Although he walked several times during the final miles, McDermott still won by a comfortable six-minute, fifty-two-seconds. McDermott had won the only other marathon on U.S. soil the previous October in New York.
The marathon's distance was changed in 1908 in accordance with Olympic standards to its current length of 26 miles 385 yards.
The Boston Marathon was originally held on Patriot's Day, April 19, a regional holiday that commemorates the beginning of the Revolutionary War. In years when the 19th fell on a Sunday, the race was held the following Monday. In 1969, Patriots Day was officially moved to the third Monday in April and the race has been held on that Monday ever since.
Women were not allowed to enter the Boston race officially until 1972, but Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb couldn't wait: In 1966, she became the first woman to run the entire Boston Marathon, but had to hide in the bushes near the start until the race began. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer, who had registered as "K. V. Switzer", was the first woman to run with a race number. Switzer finished even though officials tried to physically remove her from the race after she was identified as a woman.
In the fall of 1971, the Amateur Athletics Union permitted its sanctioned marathons (including Boston) to allow female entry. Nina Kuscsik became the first official female participant to win the Boston Marathon in 1972. Seven other women started and finished that race.
In 1975, the Boston Marathon became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division competition. Bob Hall won it in two hours, 58 minutes.