Okay, the whining post has been up long enough...here's a new one.

So, how do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day if you're not Irish and you're in Boston, Massachusetts? A city known for its Irish roots? Well, if you can't beat 'em, join them! So that's exactly what I did:

South Boston St. Patrick's Day 5K:






The last picture was taken at a Mid-St. Patrick's Day Party, where I was transported back in time to frat parties of my distant past, that in actuality I never attended. and my pupils are really huge for no reason.

St. Patrick's Day is crazy in south Boston! I highly recommend the 5K, but the after-festivities were a little much...

Merry CHRISTmas part duex

Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale... slowly, ever so slowly Em, whatever you do, don't wake her up.

"Aunt Emmy?"

*double cringe*

"Paige Ansley, it is Christmas Eve and you have to go to sleep before Santa comes!"

What's the benefit of coming home for Christmas with my WHOLE entire family there? I get to share a bed with my niece, and yes, she does fart in her sleep.

Let me just say right now that watching my sisters "help" Santa, is hil-arious. Mainly because they aren't very coordinated or quiet and then watching Graham test out all the kids' Santa gifts, including R.K.'s new Huffy pink "Fashion Craze" bike. when I was her age, I rode a hand-me-down Yellow banana bike. It had handlebars and a seat and that was considered "accessorized".

Right now across the Mantle the stocking holders spell out "Peac Joy", yesterday it read "Cape Joy" ... I kind of liked Cape Joy better myself. It's kind of ghetto, i know, but my sisters left one of the stocking holders at home, so we were forced to Yahtzee it.

Well, so far this year, there have been no Mustard-colored-gift threats, or turtleneck threats, but I can already predict that there will be laughter and definitely be some tears. I'll give you the highlights later.

Last year it was Colton's first Christmas and now this year we have another addition to the family: Ben, Allison's new husband. Maybe next year we'll keep the tradition up and have another new family member.

Gotta go peak at my stocking that I just saw "Santa" put up--Peace,
em

The Worst Christmas Party Ever, and helpful advice on what to wear to a Christmas party when its 19 degrees outside and you're too cheap to take a cab

I actually wanted to add more to that title, but apparently I have a limited number of characters.

I'm going to try and keep this story concise and to the point, but it may require multiple posts if I really get going.

Tonight was our Christmas party for the community group that I attend. (Community groups are like our church's version of a "Bible study" but instead of being grouped together because of age or subject, we're grouped more based on location) Currently in Boston it's pretty cold, and due to our recent snowstorm (10 inches) and an impending storm of snow/rain tonight, I didn't want to shovel my car out or potentially lose the parking spot. So I looked up the directions from my house to the host's house in nearby Brookline, via the subway. MBTA said it was a 7-minute walk from the nearest T-stop to the party location. "not too bad" I thought to myself.

Fast forward to 6:30pm, I'm now 30 minutes late to the party due to problems with our heater, and due to my lateness, I didn't have time to print off, or write down the directions. So I call the ONE person who's a part of my CG whose number I have. She's just now arriving and she tells me how to get there via walking from the T. They say a picture says a thousand words, so instead of telling you how I got lost and ended up WALKING IN THE 20-DEGREE COLD IN A SKIRT AND BOOTS WITH A HAT THAT DOESN'T COVER MY EARS, I'll show you exhibits A and B.

This is the route I should have gone to get to the party to keep my legs and ears from freezing off.

This is the actual route I took because I was lost and almost froze to death

It's my own fault really, but it still sucks!!

So, I finally get to the party, not surprisingly to those who know me well, on the verge of tears. But I pull it together because I'm glad to be socializing with friends. So, I'm thawing and having a good time with the people there. Then, it's time for the "yankee swap" Note: I had never heard of a "yankee swap" before. Someone told me it was similar to "White Elephant" (which I always played where you bring a gag gift or a used gift from home). So I asked several people in my CG what were the terms of the aforementioned "Yankee Swap" I was informed that you bring a gift that is $10 to $20 in value. Cool, I thought.... I'll get a good gift in return. So, being the giving person I am (insert eye roll here if you choose) I went to Best Buy and bought a $15 gift card. We begin the gift swap, I'm right in the middle (#14). I open a gift: it's a $5 gift card to STarbucks and a candy bar. So I swap my gift with one that had already been opened: A 5-disc Sufjans Stevens Christmas Album. Sufjans is not my favorite artist ever, but I was definitely excited about getting his album. I had the album in my hand for a total of 2 minutes before it was stolen from me and I was left with my gift that I would ultimately take home as my "Yankee Swap" gift: 5 toothbrushes of various brands and a sample size of Crest pro-health toothpaste. (Long pause as I continue to dwell on the suckiness of it all). Call me Bitter and Ungrateful (which I can be), BUT I BOUGHT A 15 DOLLAR GIFT CARD TO BEST BUY AND ALL I CAME HOME WITH WAS 1-FREAKIN' TOOTHBRUSH AND A SAMPLE SIZE OF TOOTHPASTE!!! (i gave the other 4 brushes away since, currently, i only have 1 set of teeth)

What a bum deal. That's all i have to say about that.

I miss Chivalry. I miss polite cowboys. I never thought I'd say that.

That's it.

I'm off to brush my teeth,
E

Easter 2007

I am exhausted... Working in a neuro setting is way tough, not just physically demanding, but mentally as well. And I worked this weekend which meant just 1 day to recoup. Wednesday was an especially tough day, mainly because I am a freakin' girl who can't seem to control her emotions at times. Someone where I work was telling everyone during lunch that he didn't need to worry about him and his girlfriend having kids, because he could just "hit the A-button". I asked him what the "A-button" was, having never heard that phrase before and he replied "Abortion". In an instant I lost my appetite and it was as if someone had slapped me in the face. I felt so much hurt, it wasn't because he said the word abortion, it was the casual manner in which he spoke. Tears came to my eyes and I didn't know whether to punch the guy or burst into tears. I really wanted to do both. So I quietly slipped off to the bathroom and cried there. I felt it personally, having two beautiful nieces that weren't wanted by their dads.

I tried to pull myself together, but I was so upset I was shaking. Why did this have such an effect on me? I still can't figure that part out. Maybe it was because I am friends with this guy, and I feel hurt for him and for his girlfriend. And I feel hurt for the human life that is taken. I returned to the table, trying to act casual, but my stupid face always turns red and stays red when I cry. So this other PT student at the table asked me, in front of everyone, "are you okay?" Nice girl, just doesn't always think first before she speaks. (uh, i sure don't know ANYONE else like that!) So I said I was fine, and I think it was at this moment that the guy saw my face and perhaps realized I was upset about something, because he proceeded to ask me how my morning had gone. Later, when it was just he and I, I told him his comment was very upsetting and I told him why and I apologized for getting upset. And he said he was sorry for saying it and realizes he needs a filter on his mouth. But it took a couple hours before I calmed down all the way. All I wanted to do was go home and cry in bed. But I had to be professional, so I prayed a lot all afternoon. And God, in his goodness, got me through.

I know God made me very empathetic for a reason, but some days I wish I could turn all those feelings off!

In other news, today was Easter and I got up and went to the 6:30AM SONRISE SERVICE. Yep, I sure did say 6:30am. It was pretty good, but I was more out of it than anything. Here's a picture of Lily, the granddaughter of the sweet people I'm staying with. She has latched on to me pretty well since my first day here. Sunday afternoons I have to sneak off without her seeing so that I can get some stuff done and she can take a nap! We are BFF.

A Christmas Post

When I was younger, and by younger I mean in high school, I used to get sad thinking about the day when "Santa" wouldn't come anymore, and I wouldn't get a stocking. How earthly I was! I've discovered that giving great gifts, and helping out with the niece's "Santa" gifts are sooo much more fun than I ever could have imagined.
Now, before you think I'm getting all "holier than thou" on you, keep in mind that I still get caught checking out the presents under the tree, just to make sure there is at least one with my name on it, but it's really not that big of a deal anymore. And it makes me glad, knowing I've reached the point where I'm finally starting to realize how much I have and how little I need.
Tonight, as I was actually COOKING, my niece Ryleigh told me a not-so-well-known Christmas story that her mom told her. Now, Ryleigh's version of the story was this: "Last year Santa didn't come because he was driving home drunk people" I love it when my niece tells me stories involving drunk people, or better yet, when we're playing pretend and she pretends to stop at the "smoke shop". yep. she's five, and she knows about that stuff. Anyways, the real story happened like this: my sister, many many years ago, had to give rides home to her boyfriend's family who enjoyed the Christmas Eve festivities a little too much and it was very late by the time she got home. When she walked up to our front door she found a note on it "I've already come and gone, sorry you missed me. Love, Santa" Moral of the story: Sometimes doing a good deed will make you miss the Jolly Good Fellow.
I asked Santa for two things this year, neither of which I expect to receive because one of them Santa can't afford and the other is because Santa can't make people fall in love. Alas, I will be happy with my traditional orange that is always left for us and some mustard-colored item that my mom already let slip that she got me. I have no idea what posessed my mom to buy me something mustard-colored considering there are only two people on the face of this earth that look good in mustard-colored-clothing and I am not one of them...
Every Christmas, while opening presents someone in our family cries. No joke. It's actually kind of a funny Holiday tradition around our household. Most times, it begins with the person disguising their crying with laughing, but then you realize that person must be crying, because you would too if you received: *fill in the blank* I'll admit, one year I cried because I got contacts for Christmas and I was so happy! When you're a pudgy ninth-grader who's been wearing glasses for the last 5 years, it's worth crying about. Two years ago both me and my sister cried at the same time. We both received these fleece coats from our mom. Same style, hers had pine trees on it and mine had bears. They were so random and not us at all, we laughed so hard and then we were crying before we knew it! That's the way we do Christmas, Brown-style.
This year we have a new family member: Colton. Next year, we may have another new family member and that's always exciting to think about.

May this Christmas you find yourself surrounded by family, mustard-colored shirts and crying because you're so deliriously happy.

Merry Christmas, Peace to You, and a Happy New Year.

eb

"For unto us, a Child is born...And His name shall called Wondeful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6

Merry CHRISTmas

Whomever said the Brown family isn't stylin' apparently didn't know us in Christmas of '88. Because if they did, they would have noticed us sporting the oh-so-festive Christmas sweatshirts (not sweaters, we keep it cas' around here). They would have also noticed that we were going to therapy for lack of photogenic-ness. Sara had already graduated from the program, I was nearly done, but I'm afraid Ally and Graham got a late start. Don't worry, after years of intensive therapy they are now beautifully and handsomely photogenic.

You know how Oprah does her "Favorite Things" show every year? Well, I thought I'd do a little list of my own. I have no free cashmere jumpsuits to hand out, but really, who wants a cashmere jumpsuit? I sure don't, especially if it has spider webs on them. sick.

So, here's short list of some of my favorite things:

Jeans: Citizen of Humanity
Christmas Candy: Brachs Christmas Peppermint Nougats
Running Shoe Brand: Brooks
"Old" Book: Pride and Prejudice
"New" book: Life of Pi
Cartoon: Get Fuzzy
Socks: Argyle Cashmere
Hobby: Knitting
Car Brand: Volvo
Store: Target
Candle: Cricklewood Candles "Coffee House Blend" votive
Makeup: Macs
Cereal: Kashi "GoLean" Crunch
Sports Drink: Blue PowerAde or Watered-down Lemon Lime Gatorade (uh, don't knock it until you've run 5 miles and tried it)

So remember this Christmas season, the things people need the most are the intagibles: peace, love, joy and you definitely can't buy those at the store.

Happy Thanksgiving day?

A bird just suddenly flew into the window in our living room and it scared me to death! I screamed. I know, that makes me a girl, but it scared me.

What would a holiday be around the Brown house without some good 'ole fashioned family drama? Not a normal one, that's for sure. You know your Thanksgiving is going to be a memorable one when it starts out with your grandmother calling to say she's decided that she's going to fix her own Thanksgiving dinner with your aunt and uncle minus YOUR FAMILY. uh, yeah, always a good idea. And then, we switched food. that's right, my uncle drove in and brought us dessert and we sent him back to my grandmother's house with sweet potatoes, squash casserole, and dinner rolls. Awkward? weird? That's the holidays around our house. Now, some people would find a Thanksgiving dinner of this caliber stressful and disheartening. But we're experts at these kind of Holidays. Last Christmas, we had to practically bribe my grandmother into coming to our house to open presents on Christmas day. You know, that magical day on December 25 when families gather together in peace and harmony to celebrate our Savior's birth? yeah, that day was all about bribery for our family last year. So, I had no worries that our family's emotional stability would be reeked with havoc upon the announcement that the other half of our family would not be joining us on the oh-so-thankful-day.

To top it all off, my mom made a whimsical purchase of a ping pong table. Which I'm actually kind of excited about. Ping Pong is like riding a bike...except without the wheels. You never forget how to play and it sure is fun. And, not to toot my own horn, but *toot toot* I rule at ping pong. Rule.