100 Word Challenge: Portrait

Here's my response to the 100 Word Challenge this week. The prompt is portrait.

Endings and Beginnings

Today was the day his exile and misery would end. For months he had been stumbling through life. Every day he pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion, then pushed himself further so his sleep would be dreamless. But more and more frequently he dreamed anyway. He dreamt about his life before, about what he had lost because of mistakes and stupid pride. His lover's face was prevalent in those dreams. With its portrait-like clarity it would beckon to him with promises of forgiveness, understanding, acceptance, strength, and love. God, he missed that face. It was time to go home.

New Favorite: Torchwood

Vacation Crash and Burn

Vacation plans for April have been canceled for me. S is probably still going to go as the first leg of the trip was a jaunt to visit his website designer. The second bit of the trip was to visit friends who live along the route home.

While it is my job that is keeping me home, I'm not nearly as disappointed as I thought I'd be at canceling my vacation. I had requested, and was granted, two weekends in a row off from my part-time job. Maybe I'll finally have some time to get work done around my house.

I am...

...listening to this station at work. Sure makes the day go faster than the classical station did.

...bummed that my vacation plans will have to be canceled if I can't find alternate dates.

...watching surprisingly little TV. Even my beloved PBS has taken a backseat to life.

...reading surprisingly little. I finished a book last night but it was apparently utterly forgettable as I can't remember the title of it to save my life.

...surprisingly busy. Doing what, I have no idea. I do know that very little is getting done around my house. I've got a yard of leaves to clean up from last fall that must be attended to soon. I'm hoping Saturday.

...glad I went here recently. Saw this, too.

...not commenting on blogs lately. But I'm reading 'em like crazy. My comment mojo has left the building. Sorry folks.

...loving the spring sunshine.

...taking suggestions for inexpensive sunglasses suitable for softball. I don't want to spend $180 on Oakleys. There has got to be an alternative out there.

Origins

In an effort to determine if I should be celebrating St Patty's day in the American way by hitting pubs and drinking as much green beer as I can, or if I should be celebrating it in the Irish way and taking myself to church, I called my mom for some help with family names. This is what I came up with when I did my 2½ minute surname origin search:

• my last name is English (which I knew)
• Mom's maiden name is Irish or Scottish (which I knew but I don't know which country her people are from)
  
• My paternal grandmother's maiden name is English
  
• My maternal grandmother's maiden name is English
• my mom's grandmother's maiden name is English (on her mother's side)
• my mom's grandmother's maiden name is German or Irish (on her father's side -- again, I don't know which country her people are from)

That, my friends, is a lot of English.

I think I'm going to celebrate in the American, non-Irish way! Except I refuse to drink green beer. Maybe I'll just pick up a bottle of Jameson's and drink it with pals. And S.

Dad doesn't know his grandmother's maiden name but he thinks his sister is working on their family tree. Maybe I'll know soon and maybe his side of my family tree is LOADED with Irish folk.

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On another note: skiing was great, I didn't break any bones and I can't wait to go out West and ski the big mountains. Boyne Highlands has an vertical drop of 552 feet. So it's not really a mountain, but it's plenty intimidating for beginners.

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GUINNESS CUPCAKES - my new favorite. Recipe here.