the beauty of different: is everyone REALLY beautiful?

The Beauty of Different

The Beauty of Different by Karen Walrond

Monday is almost over and it’s been one of those days! I feel like I’ve been running. I know that I got a lot done (I have evidence!), but I also still feel way behind.

Starr has been so busy with her job as recruitment chair for her sorority that she hasn’t had time to pack and get ready to move. I’m not worried, it will happen, whether we are prepared or not!

My favorite song this week–thought I would share it here too:

mp3: “Write it All Down For You” – Elliott Brood
Buy: Mountain Meadows from the band
Elliott Brood Website
Elliott Brood-MySpace

And this article made my day:

JetBlue attendant slides down emergency chute after fight with passenger

Police arrested a JetBlue flight attendant today at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after he got into a verbal altercation with a passenger and then fled the scene by sliding down the plane’s emergency evacuation chute.

It all happened as the plane pulled into the gate at JFK after what had been a routine flight from Pittsburgh. But shortly after landing, a passenger stood up as the plane was taxiing to the gate and began removing his bags from the overhead bin. According to the Wall Street Journal’s Sean Gardiner, the flight attendant, identified as Steven Slater, asked the passenger to return to his seat.

A “heated” exchange ensued, which culminated in Slater walking to the rear of the plane, where he grabbed the intercom. “To the passenger who called me a motherf***er, f*** you!” Slater yelled, passengers tell the New York Daily News. “I’ve been in the business 28 years. I’ve had it. That’s it.” He activated the emergency chute and slid away.

Slater then walked along the jetway into the terminal, where he took a shuttle to the employee parking lot. Observers watched as he ripped off his JetBlue tie and threw it to the ground. Slater got into his vehicle and drove to his home in Queens. According to the New York Times’ Ray Rivera, he was arrested shortly afterward and faces charges of criminal mischief and trespassing.

A source tells WNBC that Slater was “having a bad day.”

I would like to buy that guy a drink!!

And now it actually IS Tuesday, so I’m going to press “publish” and call it a post!

Starr bought a beta fish last night for her room at the sorority house. Charlie is cute and Starr has “blinged” out his bowl. He will be staying here until she moves out later this week.

Until then, Sammy is VERY curious!!

Apologies for the blurry cell phone pictures, but you get the idea!!

Starr and Sunny, Spring Break 2007

I was reading Little Bee last night when, in the story, Sarah asks Little Bee to delete her recently deceased husband’s number from her cell phone for her because she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

I still have Sunny’s phone number in my contacts. It has been over three years. I don’t know why it’s still there. Why have I resisted deleting it? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the letting go that I am not ready to do. It stabs me in the heart just a bit every time I scroll by it. I miss her. I know that deleting the number will not diminish her memory. I will still think of her and her family a hundred times a day…yet.

I fell asleep with the resolve that I was going to delete the number when I woke up. I was going to take that step. At midnight I felt ready.

In the light of day, I still can’t do it.

Jack and Betty

I found this video on Neatorama over the weekend:

Jack and Betty were high school sweethearts who went their separate ways 62 years ago. He ended up in California; she lived in Virginia. They reconnected by internet, and Jack traveled to meet Betty again. You’re going to love this.

Happy Monday!!

Starr and I went back-to-school shopping last night. I know that she asks me to join her, just so that she isn’t bored by her self. I know my place! : -) I also know that it’s part of the routine…”mom and I do our back-to-school shopping together!” I like that.

There is always an feeling of excitement in the air when you shop for back-to-school supplies. The new folders, notebooks, paper and pencils represent change, hope and new experiences.

I realized that this might just be my last school shopping trip with her as she is preparing to enter her fourth year of college. I also realized that we have gone through this routine so many times!! I will miss it!

Shopping for college and sorority activities is a little different than when she was younger, there will be no new backpack or lunch box, but we still had fun cruising the office supplies. For some reason, we both have a little love thing for office/school supplies…we can’t explain it!!

The fact that some things are so darn cute doesn’t help!

Starr and I watched this documentary last night. Wow. I’m still emotional this morning.

Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father

I recommend it.

All of a sudden my house is a disaster. And it’s stressing me out.

Starr and I moved the last of her furniture home from her apartment yesterday. She hasn’t lived there since last December, but left the living room furniture so that her roommate and the girl who sub-let Starr’s bedroom would have a place to sit. We had to hire a mover because…stairs…lifting…truck…more stairs. Spending way more than the furniture is worth, but knowing that replacing these items wouldn’t be cheap either. What to do? Anyway, it’s done.

I found out this morning that our hair stylist/colorist is moving to California. Sarah has been our stylist for six years, Starr was her very first official client and she has always done a wonderful job with Starr’s difficult and unique hair. Over the years we tried so many stylists who just didn’t get it, we felt so blessed to have found Sarah. I knew deep down that we couldn’t keep Sarah forever, but I’d hoped. I am seriously bummed!!!

Starr, Sookie and friends are headed to Estes Park for the weekend. They are planning to have tons of fun! Knowing them, I am sure that they will do just that! Sookie’s family owns a cabin in the area, so the kids have gone up for a weekend in the summer for a few years now. This year one of their plans is to go on the ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel. Fun!

My plan is to clean and pick up the house so that it is no longer stressing me out and enjoy the peace and quiet relaxing here at home. A good book. A glass of wine or two. Maybe a home pedicure? In order to achieve my goal of a relaxing weekend, I need to get busy!!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

In addition to the Vera Bradley Wristlet that Starr wanted for her birthday, I decided that I wanted to make her a Zentangle of her name, similar to the one I made for her sister, my mom and my nephew. I kind of enjoy making them, though if I continue to make them, I will need to get new glasses so that I can really see what I am doing!! Blurry vision just wont cut it!

It’s 6 or 7 weeks past her birthday, but I finally finished it. At least it wasn’t a year like another project I made for her!! Oops, I don’t see a post of that finished project. I will have to remedy that!

…that there always seem to be more dishes that need to be washed than I remember using? This goes for laundry too!

…that honesty is so difficult for some people?

…that I tend to trust even when I know (from personal experience) that I’m dealing with a liar?

…that I am still craving cheeseburgers?

…that things keep breaking and I seem to be always trying to catch up? The latest: stupid refrigerator!!

…that this video makes me smile and very nearly erases all of my previous whines? I did love Star Trek as a kid!

Star Trek: Tik Tok