Meditations from Thich...

"In a time of anger or despair, even if we feel overwhelmed, our love is still there. Our capacity to communicate, to forgive, to be compassionate is still there. You have to believe this. We are more than our anger, we are more than our suffering. We must recognize that we do have within us the capacity to love, to understand, to be compassionate, always."

Foot-y pajamas and the greatest friends in the world...

The three day a week work schedule is exhausting but very sutiable for a spontaneous life style.

Thursday night after work... and after our community time... we rode our bikes up to a hotel downtown for our own version of a hotel party. Greg's job had a conference there and although he lives here... they gave him a room anyway. Luckily my friends love to share so we all got to enjoy a fancy hotel overlooking beautiful Columbus with three vacant full size beds and a fridge of beer (provided by us).

We took a mini vacation on Thursday, and like any good vacation in a hotel, we went exploring. Not only did we go exploring... but we went in our socks... just like we all did as kids. We hit every floor and even found some secret passage ways, other peoples half eaten room service, and the ice machine (a personal favorite).

We got to jump on the beds, have a dance party, fight each other with pillows, and rock out with Greg's co worker and his guitar, all lay in one bed to talk laugh and snuggle, and eat free cookies. It was the best vacation i'd ever been on.

Kelly and I closed up shop the next morning and rode back in the rain. She treated me to some breakfast at Tim's and we sat inside talking of sisterhood (real and adopted sisters) and the freedom and acceptance of that kind of relationship. We talked of the value of our friendships with our moms... which can be deeper than any other human relationship... it left me feeling like we have so little time to enjoy the family we have.

Only your sisters can see you drunk, dancing in your underwear and a t shirt in a foreign country to the sound of your own awful voice to an equally awful song and not change the way they look or feel about you. THAT is sisterhood.

Friday was pretty productive... and we had a special treat for dinner with Kelly's family and pizza! I love spending time with other families especially when they remind me of my own. We then met up with the boys and headed to the monster house for Blake's show, met some new friends, saw some old and wonderful friends (kyle and paul!)

Now it is saturday night and i am laying on the couch watching center stage alone in my foot-y one piece pajamas that kelly and i picked up today. I am starting to wonder if i am becoming an old lady because I don't feel like doing anything on Saturday nights... but I am in footy pj's so probably not.

We are the insurgents...

"We are building up a new world
Do not sit idly by
Do not remain neutral
Do not rely on this broadcast alone
We are only as strong as our signal
There is a war going on for your mind
If you are thinking you are winning
Resistance is victory
Defeat is impossible
Your weapons are already in hand
Reach within you and find the means by which to gain your freedom
Fight with tools
Your fate and that of everyone you know depends on it"

Goblins, gremlins, and cows on bikes...

Halloween was... in one word... fun!

I picked Jy up from work and we went searching for a costume for him... and of course had success at VOA.

We went back to the boys place to find Greg getting into costume as an old man... and that he was. We cooked up some lovely spinach, tomato, and feta pasta, passed out candy to all the little Franklinton trick or treaters, and watched the Halloween episode of The Simpsons.

Jy went off to party and Greg and I headed to Clintonville to make some pumpkin cookies and get 80's Emily ready for fun. (Pictures coming soon...)
So 80's Emily, Old man Greg, and Ashley Cow jumped on our bikes and headed for the short north. We got lots of MOO's on the way and saw all the awesome costumes in the short north. We hit up a bar and then went to Greg's co workers house to hang out.

Shortly after emily and I decided to hit up another friends party... and what a party it was. I am not sure there has ever been a greater or longer dance party than last nights. Dancing with Pologamist wife Melissa, grandma Brad, ghetto bumble bee JPo, and all the other random people was pretty incredible. The "dance table" and the back porch ledges/benches served as great stages for our moves.

Pictures are to come... I can't stop laughing.

Emily and I had a chilly and unsable bike ride home from 12th... baked some more pumpkin cookies... made some necessary 2am phone calls to our lovely roommate in Chicago... and maybe a lot of other people. Emily and I went to bed in my bed as we are still uneasy about sleeping alone... and luckily Carl came over and fell asleep in our bathroom. haha.

o what a night...

in other news, Aubi is coming today to visit Steph and I!!!!!!