I'm baaaaack....

Hello blog world, it has been a while.

I have received word from LA that I haven't written in well....

a really, really long time.

I'm sorry. I don't know why so many of us feel the need to apologize for not writing, but I promise, I'm coming back.

Quick recap of the past month (ish) of my life:

Spent a week at home with the family. Laying in the pool, eating Rochester food, and loving Wegmans. It was great, relaxing, and full of sun, which for Rochester, is a tad bit of a miracle.

And then I came back to Albany, enjoyed days of sleeping in, adjusting to my life as a newly full time unemployed person, and worked at a restaurant around the corner from the Saratoga Race Track.

I met girls that are fantastic. Actually, the sentence that came out of my mouth day 2 of working there was "You know, I have never met girls quite like you all before, especially being the new girl in a restaurant. This is fantastic."

It's great. And it's a 35 minute drive from home, which means I have time to think, and just be ME in my car. I love it.

I would have won $5,000 on the Travers Stakes...

had I actually placed my bet.

Gah.

My birthday was last week. The big 24. So I guess I need to do some re-editing of this site, as well... perfectly imperfect at 23 doesn't work when you're 24. Eh. Whatevs. Keep reading k?

My boyfriend, the lovely JM, "proposed" using ringpops for my birthday. Yes, he is still alive, and no, there was no other ring to back them up. It's fine, these things happen. He thought it was funny, and our friends, well.... they're impressed he's breathing still. It's ok, I still love him :)

We joined the JCC, aka Jewish Community Center. We aren't Jewish. It's great. There is a pool where I can swim laps. Yay. Hopefully my hair doesn't turn green, but hey, if it does, it'll just be a great new look.

School has restarted, and after a LOVELY 2 days of "field orientation" or as I am lovingly referring to it as, the worst way to spend 12 hours which I will never get back ever, ever again, I am getting back into school mode. This year, I am promising that I am going to actually do the readings. JM is very supportive, and so, this has become my new life:

I have become best friends with my coffee maker again. Be impressed, I promise, I'm back :)

Dear Gram,

Dear Gram,

Today, it's been 3 years.

3 years since you were here.

3 years since Courtney, Stacy and I went to get you ice-cream.

3 years since the infamous July where we spent a month in the hospital, all together, taking over conference rooms for weeks at a time.

Getting calls in the middle of the night hearing you weren't going to make it through the night. Or through the day.

To rush to the hospital. To have to leave work. To have your last rites read to you.

And then, in true you fashion, to have you be sitting up in bed 8 hours later ordering your lunch for the next day.

That month brought our family together in a way that we hadn't been before. It brought the cousins together. It created a bond that cannot and will not be broken.

It's been 3 years and one week since you held my hand and asked me "Is it ok if I don't die this week?" as if it was going to mess up my plans.

It was the last thing you said to me before you were moved to hospice.

And one week later, you were gone. Almost to the minute.

It's been three years, and so much has changed. You have more great-grand-children. You are gaining another grandson through marriage with Courtney. Your grandkids are continuing and furthering their families, and their educations. We are growing and changing; but we are maintaining and taking care of each other in ways you would love.

You never got to meet JM. Grandpa seems to be impressed, but I wish you could have met him still. You would have loved him. (He's warm, too!) And he's smart. And he takes good care of me. He's respectful, and loves spending time with Grandpa when he's back in Rochester with me. He's a good fit with the family.

I know that no matter what, you are looking out for all of us, in each of our paths.

But it doesn't make me miss you any less every day.

I miss you, and I love you.

-Whitney

A taste of Rochester: The Trash Plate Edition

This is Jake. He is my Cousin Once Removed aka Snugs aka Veagabomb. (No joke, that's what some of his friends call him. Awesome nickname? I think YES) And he is sitting with a trash/garbage plate.

And it is glorious.

Now, for all those readers who aren't from upstate/western NY and don't know what a trash plate is, here's the breakdown:

1: Styrofoam plate
1/2 home fries (or french fries depending on where you are)
1/2 macaroni salad
2 cheeseburger patties
Mustard
Chopped Onions
andddd the Secret HotSauce
As much ketchup as you would like. I tend to use.... a lot. As can be seen by the "1/2 plate" aka less one burger patty that Jake "Veagabomb" and I split while I was at home.

And then... enjoy.

Now, because this is considered the "drunk" food of Rochester, because well, there aren't many people who willingly put this into their bodies while they are sober, you have to understand.

It's also not something you eat every day. Because seriously....
Do a google search. You'll see why. It's the amount of calories for almost 2 full days. And we'll just leave it at that.

Upon ingesting the garbage/trash plate in a state that is reached after alcohol consumption...

I
Guarantee
You
Will
Not
Be
Hungover
The
Next
Day.

There. I said it. It is the cure-all for hangovers/enough calories and grease to put in you after a night out on the town.

And it is the one thing that those people who move away from Rochester, go back to have. Even if it is fabulously unhealthy. What's the treadmill for, people!?

Well.... that and Abbott's ice cream. But that post, my friends, is for another day. One in which I will tell you all things that are delicious about Chocolate. Almond. Soft Serve.

PS. trying to be a pescatarian at my brother's graduation party? Yea, it didn't work. I'm back on the bandwagon, but still, there was too much chicken being served for every meal. And the deal is that while changing your personal diet choices, you don't become a burden to those around you. Or make them feel guilty.

So I ate chicken.

And.... some pulled pork. Because my mom makes the most bomb pulled pork ever. Well, I guess I do, because I sat pulling it for an hour pre-party ;) oh well, whatever, it was delicious!

Pour Your Heart Out: Get up and Live

Every time I go to write a Pour Your Heart Out post with Shell I go from thinking I should write about my family, or my job, or what's going on in my life. Something interesting, something that people will like to hear or read about. And then I start writing, and sometimes it meshes, and sometimes it doesn't. This is kind of rambly. Bare with me.

or don't, but hey, your choice! :)

Over the past couple of days, I have, as I wrote last week, spent a lot of time in Rochester. I have tan lines because I sat at the pool (!!!!!) and it's great. But I also came to the realization.

As I get older I have come to realize how much my family can mean to me. Whether it's hearing the same stories from Grandpa "Crunchy" and trying to correct his political incorrectness (which I have given up on, unless it's really bothersome, because seriously, at 80 I am just not going to be able to influence him at this point) or going to pick up Gramps and visiting all of my now "Over 90 club" favorites at his retirement facility, 2 of which were in his wedding party almost 70 years ago, or meeting my cousin's son for the first time (even though he's 18 months old), or giving up the fight while getting thrown in the pool, it was a great way to spend 5 days. It was a much needed reminder of how much going back and seeing my family can do for me mentally and physically. I am refreshed (post pool toss of course) and I'm ready to go.

Especially because I found out that one of my aunt's actually reads my blog! And thinks I'm good at this whole "writing" thing. It was nice to hear, and it was kind of surprising to find out that she reads this, but hey, I'm all about people reading and following and commenting, so what the heck, I'll take it :)

So thanks, to my family, to my friends, to my blogging friends for making the past 6.5 months something fun, and opening up a creative and fun aspect of my life. This isn't like my other PYHO posts, but I thought I needed it today.

Time to go and apply some more after sun lotion to keep this tan a bit longer.... ahhh, summer.

PS. I started training for my 5K in September. Couch to 5K program. I am seriously out of shape, but if I can't devote 25 minutes 3 times a week to this, I have massive problems.

Cuz seriously, I just spent 25 minutes writing and editing this. While sitting. And thinking about how it's been 6 months in this year and this is the first time I actually took a step towards accomplishing one of my new years resolutions. It's no half marathon, but a 5k is still a good step.

Sheeshka.

Oh, and ps go check out Tessica, who has this AWESOME feature on her blog called 26 before 26 because seriously, it's great, and well... almost like a bucket list of things to do before a certain point in your life... In her case, before the age of 26. Who doesn't like a fun "Life List"?! It reminds you to get up and LIVE. Which is the most important anyways.

Over the river and through...

well, you know the rest.

I am going back to Rochester tomorrow for a WHOPPING 5 whole days!! I am so excited to be back there, have more than 27 hours off, and to celebrate a whole lot of things.

On the agenda for celebrations:
My (baby) brother's high school graduation (GAH!!!! I feel SO old, this is not ok.) When I graduated from high school, and realized that he wouldn't graduate until 2010, I said, "Wow, self, that is super far away." And now it's here. And while there were times that he didn't think he would make it through (thank you, high school bullsh*t, you truly are over-rated) he did it, and I am so excited to witness the next part of his journey. With a soccer ball at his feet of course! (And his birthday, but seriously, there is a lot of celebrating going on at a graduation party. Don't worry Andrew, there are presents for both, I promise! :))

My Grandpa "Crunchy"s 80th birthday. Sure to be a great time surrounded by the entire Clark side of the family, this part of the weekend will be fun, celebratory and a time to catch up and relax around eachother.

My Mom's big FIVE-OH birthday. Love you, Mom! Sorry I couldn't be there on Sunday, but I promise, there will be great hugs, smiles, pictures and happiness. I am so lucky to have such a great mother who is such a great example as to what love and strength are.

My sister's birthdays (because I didn't make it home for those either, yikes, I am sucking as a big sis) Because even though turning 22 is totally lame, everyone needs to celebrate the one-year-anniversary-of-turning-21. And what better way to do it than with a lovely raspberry martini by the pool? And a pedicure and manicure too if we can squeeze it in!

Father's Day with my Dad, Gramps, and Grandpa. All. In. The. Same. Place. Totally crazy, but I am so happy to be home for a Father's Day where everyone is together. Yay!

And, with any trip back to Rochester, it will be full of trips to Wegmans, hopefully a trash plate (pictures to come, I promise. Seriously. So. Good. And soooo fabulously unhealthy!) lots of pictures, changing weather every 3 minutes, getting thrown into a pool once, twice, and let's be serious, probably 5 times, bon-fires, laughing, crying and lots of time together with those I love.


And by the time Monday comes around, may be a little tired of.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

You can expect some blog picture updates. I don't promise an update til I get back, but hey, you never know. ;)

And, while you're here, be sure to check out my fun friends that are new to the bloggy world, K and B. Show them some comment love, and be sure to drop me one too!

PS. New favorite flavor of coffee from DD: Toasted Almond. Seriously, do it. This is not something you regret.