Awesome Howard County

Last week, I had a few opportunities to learn more about Howard County's charitable side. It's not completely surprising as I've been lightly involved in the local scene for a couple of years.

I volunteer at our top-notch Howard County Library periodically & Luke & I joined the Friends of HCL. I try to help at Lil's school. Lil's work with Ballet Mobile affords me the opportunity to help the sick/injured/elderly communities around central Maryland. But I've decided to explore more in the recent year.

I attended the annual Women's Giving Circle wine tasting & learned about their Response Network, which connects people in need to the right community service for their particular need & assists with monetary aid as well.  They're focused on programs that benefit girls & women in Howard County.

On Friday, Jessie, part of the team of HoCoBlogs, invited me to attend the Association of Community Services Annual Audrey S. Robbins Awards courtesy of Coshi Productions. Speaking of Coshi, they produced lovely video packages of friends & beneficiaries who have worked with the winners of this year's awards. The videos provided a glimpse into the people who work so hard for our community as well as an introduction to the group. Combined with Dick Story's professional emcee voice, this was a well-done event.

NeighborRide is a service for seniors unable to drive. Howard County is such a car-dependent area so this matches up drivers to take people to doctor appointments, the grocery store, etc. That car dependence was on display as I arrived at Ten Oaks on this rainy day, I parked in the middle of the parking lanes.  I'm thinking about doing NeighborRide myself - it would also be good for my car cleaning habits! But I've had many foot surgeries on my right food & been unable to drive.

One can say many things about the potential self-congratulatory aspect of charity awards. But to me, it was two hours on 1 day out of 365 days to celebrate the contributions of our community members & give them a pat on the back.

I learned about how giving Howard County is. How many people serve our community for free or at reduced salaries to help the less fortunate around us. There were a LOT of people in that room. A lot of people who care.

The Atholton High School coordinator of the Head Start assistance program brought 7 or 8 of her high school volunteers. She had each of them hold up a card with a number as she announced their names. The first student had 300, the next 600 & so on to around 2,000. Those 8 students represented more than 2,000 of their Atholton classmates for the past 10 years. 

Just like she couldn't bring all of her students, this room couldn't begin to hold the true amount of people who volunteer in Howard County.

#HoCoBlogs

The ring is found!

When my husband arrived home last night, my daughter asked him if he was mad at me. He reassured her that no, he was sure he'd find it.

Sure enough, he did. He was about to go through my car, which he refers to as the Bookmobile due to Lil's & my addiction to library books.

Is this my car?

He saw it hidden in a little cranny of the stairs. I have no idea how it got there. Beckham, our rotten 7 year old kitten, is usually involved in ponytail elastic thievery. He's a multiple offender, especially given his shared residence with a ballerina. If I can't find a ponytail holder on Lil's dresser, I just need to look down at the carpet & there's bound to be one. Derby, our lovebug, has multiple assault arrests from constantly headbutting us for attention & unlawful restraint as demonstrated below. (She's a minor, so I don't think she can consent?)

Jewelry heists are not as common from my boys. Beckham has been known to test gravity, but only in the kitchen from the breakfast bar to the floor. And again, that's commonly ponytail holders. Poor Beckham, remedial physics FTW.

When Luke found it, he proposed again. I said yes, in tears of happiness. My friends on Facebook have been VERY funny. A bridesmaid not sure about wearing the dress again, will I change my FB status from Married to Engaged, etc.

Since I'm now engaged, I'm thinking destination wedding...or on a cruise!! Quantum of the Seas is launching in November, so that would be lovely! Who's coming with us???

The engagement

So I may have lost my engagement ring...

So if I get another, I want the proposal to happen again.

Luke & I decided we'd get married in December 2000. So the question was the engagement. Where, what, etc? We looked at rings, I had some ideas, he had some. I knew it would happen, but when? Where? How?

We headed to the Outer Banks for our first vacation together in June 1999. Luke & I had been dating for about 9 months. We didn't have enough money to rent a gorgeous oceanside home, so we were practical and headed to the Holiday Inn.

Luke had never been to the Outer Banks. I'd been a few times before so he asked my thoughts on a "nice" restaurant. I rolled my eyes and said, C'mon, it's the beach. Everything's pretty casual. But he persisted so we searched the Internet for well-rated wine places.

The first slot was 1587. I'd never actually gone to Manteo so it seemed like a cool spot. And it was lovely. It was mid-June and there was a little shower so we watched the rain hitting the boats in the marina. We arrived early & Luke asked for a scotch or whisky, only to learn that the island is dry. So we were a little nervous things might go a-rye (sorry for the whisky pun).

I ordered a chicken tortilla soup that arrived beautifully - lovely decorated bowl and awesome to partake. Luke had a risotto that has been our benchmark ever since.

Time out- We've finished dinner & I excuse myself to use the loo. When I return, I stop by the Tranquil House's desk & inquire about rates for an overnight stay. It's a bit more than the Holiday Inn, but we might be able to splurge. So when I return to the table, I mention it to Luke. He's interested, but kinda blah about it.

And then I do the Kirsten thing. I promised myself in the loo that I was NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING. DON'T BRING IT UP. Queen of no will power. So I say, "I kinda thought you were going to propose tonight." Luke looks totally taken aback & apologizes. "Oh, I'm sorry you thought that." I get redder than my hair. I look out toward the marina where it's gently raining & I want to run out there. Anywhere but here...

Luke says "How long should I let you stew?"

Pretty much the most romantic words ever...and he said "Will you marry me?"

And I got the engagement ring that had been traveling around in my car's spare tire area for a month. Staying at the Tranquil House Inn - umm, yeah! Of course, because that's where we're getting engaged.

A guy who put one over on me, called me on my arrogance...my answer was obviously yes.

So that's what my ring means to me. Chicken tortilla soup, rain at the marina, a guy who calls my bluff. My engagement ring means more to me than my wedding band. Because that's when we really made the commitment.

Fitness Failures

I didn't make it to Body Pump or Body Vive class yesterday. Maybe it was the time change, but I decided to rest a little bit and just do the elliptical. I have a book that I can't renew again (Who Killed Kit Marlowe? by M. J. Trow) so I used that excuse.

Group fitness exercises have made the difference in my workout, and hence, my body. I've just started doing spinning - which powers the gym - and I'm "powering" through that. So I feel guilty when I can't or don't go to a class. My personal mantra is "I have to shower at the gym."

That sounds CRAZY, doesn't it? And so odd for me - who eschewed diets & exercise for years.

As a kid, I ran around, climbed trees & tried to get my older brothers to play with me. I rode bikes with my best friend Beth (now Liz!) and we'd daringly cross the railroad tracks DURING rush hour. We played on the bars at Washington Grove Elementary and even climbed onto the school roof periodically.


Then came 1987 - the year we moved. We moved a mile away to a townhouse development. I stayed at St. Martin's, we still shopped at the same grocery stores and my walk home from school was still a mile. (Except when I took the shortcut once I discovered it.) Beth & I were still besties, but the bike rides disappeared. My neighborhood was not ideal for riding given the number of cars in a congested area and I lost my main physical activity.

So I stopped exercising a lot before I even became a teenager. I had tried team sports, I wasn't very helpful on a team...For one thing, my brothers had taught me to throw overhand, which didn't make any sense in softball. Umm, only girls throw underhand...As my dad often recalls, I was the antithesis of grace, so dance & gymnastics didn't work very well. I dreaded physical education classes.

When I went to Holy Cross in Kensington, there became less time for exercise. Morning rush hour generally meant at least half an hour to school. My mom generally drove me and then I walked down the hill and up the hill to Grosvenor Metro station. Sometimes, I'd beg a driving friend for a ride to the metro.

But I was a singer, a drama club girl and an awkward nerd. I'd rather bury my nose in a book than put on sneakers. I believe I may have gone years without buying sneakers after the PE requirement was fulfilled in sophomore year.

In college, I tried to use the gym equipment, but never developed a lasting habit. Then in Fall 1996, I was sitting in the Delta Sigma Pi weekly fraternity meeting. I was wearing forest green suede Birkenstocks and they were irritating me when I was sitting? That's weird. I fiddled with the buckle, but no, something still felt wrong. So I grabbed my foot and felt a bump on the top of my foot. Hmm, that's odd. My mom had Morton's Neuromas on her left foot from years of wearing high heels. But those are on the BOTTOM of the foot. Who gets a bump on the top of their foot?

Apparently, I do.

So off to the podiatrist I went and he diagnosed a bone spur. Which anyone who has seen me walk would understand. I walk FAST and I POUND the pavement. I attribute this to years of walking in high heels as well...I think the constant jamming caused it. Christmas Break 1996-97 - I spent in that lovely knee-high black boot and couldn't drive. I finished my senior year with a handicapped pass and my friends enjoyed my parking privileges.

And that is how I became a victim of my foot. Granted, I've had four surgeries since that initial one, most recently 2010. Luke & I used to joke that he'd have to wheel me down the aisle at our wedding. My papa says if my mom & I were horses, we'd have been disposed of LONG ago given our many ailments.

All those years of wallowing in pain, aging, sitting behind a desk, having a baby and not changing my diet meant I am a lot heavier than I'd like to be. Last winter, I had bronchitis for about 5 months, followed by sinus surgery in May. I started working out in June, but wasn't 100% til autumn. I haven't been on steroids since September. My cheekbones are actually visible now! I still need to lose more if just to avoid the judginess of my pulmonologist's tech who scolded me like a 5 year old about my weight's effect on my asthma.

But I've been scared for the past 10 days. The psoriatic arthritis flared up. I would reach for my keys in my purse and yelp in pain. The topical pain reliever didn't help. Anti-inflammatories weren't helping. I'm trying to train my left arm & hand to squeeze the shampoo bottle or spread the peanut butter. I made Lily fill out her summer camp forms so that I can just sign them. (Even if I had Luke do them, it's questionable which would look more childlike.)

Today, I felt much more energetic. So I tried out a class at CA - Zumba Circuit, which combines TRX and weights with Zumba. I had forgotten about the TRX and I got worried that I wouldn't be able to hold on. The arthritis flare seems to have receded.

And my feet do hurt. There might be another neuroma or cyst or spur on top of my foot, but I'm not giving into my stupid foot anymore. I'll never be a runner - I think that would be asking for trouble - but I can exercise in a healthy way. My inertia was hard to break through, but I did.

What is your inertia?

Stand by, we'll be back with you in 14 hours...

The snow seemed neverending yesterday—big fluffy flakes. The plow truck got rid of the snow on our roads for a few minutes. But then it was covered again.

HCPSS Facebook post last night: Right now, we’re delaying schools by 2 hours. BUT we are waiting until 7:30 AM to tell you what we’ve REALLY decided.

Working mom & dad conversation on Monday night: What meetings do you have tomorrow? Can you cancel one? Uh, no, this is a really important meeting? Can you call in? Well, why can’t you call into yours? What if it’s a delay? Well, I can take her to before-care if it’s 1 hour late. Well, if it’s 2 hours, that’s going to be really tight to get to my client. Well, I guess your job is so much more important. But I don't have any vacation time left because this has been such a snowy winter. On-and-on, you can imagine it. I've worked for many bosses who didn't care about me having a kid. I'm lucky I don't have a boss anymore, but the stress still gets to me.

And then knowing it was going to be canceled, why not just say so?

While I was complaining at HCPSS’ lengthy delay to announce the closing, someone said they’re worried about making a mistake. I get that. We are out of snow days. But it was patently obvious from our drive around the Mall area last night that roads would not be ideal for walkers, buses, cars, tricycles, horse & buggy, etc. Maybe for skiers and Siberian husky driven sleds. When I drove on Twin Rivers Rd. at 11:15 AM to go to the Athletic Club on Harper’s Farm, it was in bad shape. Especially on bends in the road. It was slushy. When I returned home around 1 PM, it was much better. But that road provides access to a high school and a middle school. Not good, people.

The Board of Education needs to start planning for makeup days. In Virginia Beach, they decided to have a Saturday make-up day. Although people complained, 78% of kids showed up. I don't want the county to apply for a waiver from the 180 day requirement. That's cheating the kids and saying rules don't matter if you ask nicely. I want my daughter in school. And I want that school time to be productive, not half days where they sit down, get organized, get 20 minutes of instruction and then the bell rings to move to the next class. Learning takes time and a lot of kids don't reset as quickly as others. 

This is an election year for some of the Board members. There has been a lot of focus on them recently, in regard to teacher pay increases (lack thereof, actually) and potential changes to the instrumental music program. They need to have creative options for dealing with our missed days and furthermore, they must elicit community feedback. We're watching.
#HoCoblogs

Spoiler alerts with Olympic Proportions

Ah, the thrill of having the Olympics in a foreign, exotic locale - a new take on the Opening Ceremonies, seeing the country's dictator for life, I mean, um, president, creepily kiss a 15 year old girl,

wondering how many skiers are going to break their necks on melting snow (prompting Sally Jenkins to suggest the logo should be a stretcher)...Ah, Olympics held in different places from America are awesome...

Except for the time delay. Which is the most common complaint about the Olympics. Because it leads to people finding out results before THEY wanted to find out results. Witness Ms. Moyer's comment in the following: "Thanks to The Post for ruining my evening ritual."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/symbols-from-russias-past/2014/02/14/c25ea6da-9371-11e3-9e13-770265cf4962_story.html

Cry me a river lady. Go to another website for your weather. Bookmark WaPo's weather site. Go to the VDOT site for traffic or download Waze for your phone.

News is by its very definition "new." In French, it is "les nouvelles." It does not mean 12 hours old because you've DVR'ed it and you don't want to know because it will ruin your enjoyment of the sport. Would you like them to stop publishing pictures of dying children in Syria as well because it bothers you while eating breakfast? (Actually, they probably don't publish enough of those.)

In case you've missed the last 20 years since the Internet changed the news industry, newspaper websites need to be up to date otherwise people won't go there! It's called business.

On Saturday morning, my Facebook feed was full of friends talking about the US/Russian hockey results. I couldn't avoid it, but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy watching some of the game later. If you don't want to know Olympic results, DON'T GO ON THE INTERNET. But if the Washington Post ruined your night because you found out about the halfpipe results too early, then your life is way TOO easy.

It's a Snow Day But Claire Gave Me Homework

Given this LOVELY snow day, Claire at www.ukdesperatehousewifeusa.com has tasked 11 of her fellow blogging friends with 11 questions. I would grumble but this is kinda fun & a good way to get to know each other. And let's face it, Iron Bridge is closed. :( Bloggers often stick to their comfort zones in their subject matters, so this is a little injection of variety!

1. What advice would you give your brand new blogging self now?


This one is EASY. I said it to my husband recently. Not every post has to be long & in depth. Keep it simple, stupid! The KISS methodology of life!

2. What four words would you say to your 18 year old self?
I have 2 - Ask people about themselves & Choose your words carefully.

3. What three things do you think define you as either a Brit or American?
1- As an American, I am a cultural mutt & my family doesn't really have any traditions. Like at Christmas, we get a tree & put presents under it. But it's pretty plain vanilla.
2- I am loud. I am definitely that girl at the bar whose laugh rings out.
3- I used to think this country was the greatest - our freedoms are so great. But lately, I don't believe that anymore and I hate the arrogance of Americans.

4. Which TV show character are you and why?


Bernadette from the Big Bang Theory

Luke picked her. According to him, she's smart, she says what she believes, she's chesty and she's a good yeller. 

5. Apocalypse Now or Mary Poppins?
BOTH! Really! Here's why: On our first date, Luke & I discovered that BOTH of us had written papers on Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.


The story is that Francis Ford Coppola did not credit Joseph Conrad's book about the Congo for the inspiration for Apocalypse Now. The journey of Martin Sheen is so lifted from Conrad's story and the original didn't give any homage to the book. What were the chances of Luke & me writing about this? Spooky coincidence.

But totally Mary Poppins too! Julie Andrews was my idol as a child with her reddish hair and her singing chops. I had dreams of being her when I grew up! And Mary Poppins was the FIRST musical I saw on Broadway. The Little Mermaid was supposed to be the first, but as we were on the train to New York Penn, I called my parents. They said, Aren't you going to be late for the show? I said, No, the show's tonight. They went back & looked at their email - I had bought matinee tickets! CRISIS!

Did you know that kids under 5 years old cannot go to Broadway shows with a few exceptions? Luckily, Mary Poppins had recently opened and being a Disney show, Lil was able to attend. Wow, that was a nerve-wracking phone call from a train!

6. Are white lies okay to tell? Please elaborate!
I have to admit, yessss sometimes. Telling a person they look OK when they don't...like when you know they're having a bad day. Or when someone asks you if you think they're fat...the answer is ALWAYS NO!

7. Whether you are a parent or not, what are the three most important things about raising a child?
1- Encourage children to take risks by giving them tools to assess the level of risk.
2- Knowing their "tell" - like when they're lying to you.
3- Being open & honest with them. I don't hide news from my daughter. I showed her the 9/11 videos of the planes in the WTC when she was 7 although I did tell her not to talk about it with her friends. She asked some questions and the only way to answer was to show her. I don't turn off the news when she comes in, except in abjectly horrible cases of sexual violence. When the shooting at the mall happened, we told her the truth. (Also, the nonstop hovering of helicopters & police presence around our house required it.) We don't dwell on it, but we don't hide it.

8. Favourite swear word and why?

I say s*it a lot. The F-word gets dropped a lot too. I swear a lot actually. But the F word is more crass IMHO so I try to limit that one. Oddly enough, the kiddo actually thinks "jerk" and "stupid" are bad words, so I'm obviously not influencing her that way.

9. If you could have one super power what would it be?



I'm torn. Matching socks would be awesome. But flying would be great so that I don't get jet lag when I travel across the pond.

10. Worst holiday experience ever.


I can't be completely honest about this...so I'll pick something else. Luke promised me snow at his childhood home in Hallstead, Pennsylvania for Christmas in 1998. Turned out that it was snowing here. And Christmas Eve is really important to me...I have a huge family so we've always celebrated both Xmas Eve & Day. Luke's family is tiny & they don't really do anything on Xmas Eve. I was really sad. Obviously, that was the LAST Christmas we ever traveled to Hallstead. We do sometimes go to Pennsylvania to my cousin's house on the Gettysburg Battlefield.






See the white house in the back? And that's my cousin's husband second from the right. They live there on Seminary Ridge. When it's snowy, it is quite haunting to behold the desolate battlefield where so many lost their lives. One can't help but feeling the presence of ghosts.

11. Elevator pitch to the Huffington Post, no more than 30 words, for your blog….. 

Well, I'd start with my title! Kirstycat's Meow and sometimes Growl! Insights into the quirks of life in the richest county in the US, helping to build the Howard County blogging community and spreading the word about local happenings with an eye to the greater Mid-Atlantic area.

Now for my 11 questions & my 11 blogs:

1. What famous person would you be thrilled to find out reads your blog?
2. What famous person would you be flabbergasted/furious to find out reads your blog?
3. What scares you the most about getting old?
4. What physical infirmity or deformity makes you most uncomfortable and why? (I think mine is the smoker in the anti-smoking commercial I just saw.)
5. What lie from your childhood that your parents told you is the most memorable and/or scarring?
6. If you could make one law for your state/city/country, what would it be and why?
7. What was your best job ever?
8. Who is your longest friend? What has kept you together?
9. What relative that died before you got to know them would you most want to know?
10. What is your guilty pleasure? (Please keep it G-rated!)
11. If money were no object, where would you travel?

http://selfishmom.com/

http://53beersontap.typepad.com/53beers/

http://lisabmrss.blogspot.com/

http://www.growingupdisney.com/

http://mickeygomez.com/

http://househoney.blogspot.com/

http://evinok.net/

http://fromhiptohousewife.com/

http://www.busylibrarian.com/

http://columbiacompass.weebly.com/

http://www.erikarobuck.com/