This past Friday my mom and I went to the ballet, it was The Boston Ballet's Night of the Stars (A Gala Benefit Performance). This is the 2nd year that the Boston Ballet has put on this gala and this year was to celebrate the life of Cathryn S. Keith a woman who was a leader in assisting others, she was well known throughout Boston for her tireless dedication as a volunteer for the Boston Ballet and other institutions. The ballet showcased 14 different ballets from around the world and time. Everything from your traditional ballets all the way to what is now considered modern ballet (personally I like the traditional better then modern). I never realized how big the Boston Ballet and school were, at the end of the show they had all the dancers from the company and school on stage, from the child ballet dancers all the way up to the principle dancers, it was an astonishing sight to see.
*I will list the ballets they showcased below.
My appreciate and love for the theater started at a very young age when my mom took me to see Annie and Peter Pan when I was around 5-6 years old, both in Boston at the Wang Center (it was called something else back then). I remember watching as Annie tried to hide from Mrs Hannigan and Peter Pan flying through the air and up to where we were sitting, (Sandy Duncan played Peter Pan at that performance). My mom has always loved the theater and am so grateful that she introduced me to all that was magical at such a young age. Throughout the years mom and I have seen many performances, even while we lived in Arizona we tried to get to the theater (now that is an experience seeing people in jeans, cowboy hats and boots going to see Le Miserable is definitely different). I have been fortunate enough to see many plays, musicals and ballets, I have yet to see an Opera though a couple are coming here one being Madame Butterfly, one that I have always wanted to see, hopefully I'll be able to.
I think the best ballet I have ever saw was The Taming of the Shrew, it was beautiful, moving and hysterical, the way that Kate would walk around and sulk and resist Petrucchio was funny and what was amazing is to follow the story and watch it being performed with dance and expression and no dialogue is true talent. The audience was roaring and luckily for us they showcased this ballet as well on Friday night.
My favorite musical I would have to say was probably The Who's Tommy, what an awesome show that was, the music, the performers, the scenes, the songs, I remember going with this guy Dave to see it, and sitting on the edge of our seats the whole time. I wish that they would reprise this musical again, I'd see it in a heartbeat.
My favorite play would be The Graduate with Jason Biggs, Kathleen Turner and Alicia Silverstone, I saw this a few years ago with my mom and we had great seats, Kathleen Turner played Mrs Robinson and she was outstanding, the woman actually did a FULL FRONTAL in the scene where she tries to seduce Benjamin, in the movie Anne Bancroft is in a slip, I didn't expect to see ALL of Kathleen Turner but I did, and she is still just as beautiful as ever. I never realized how funny this play was, and to see it with such famous people was just a bonus.
I'm hoping this season that I can make a trip to New York City and see a show on Broadway, for all my years of going to different performances I have never seen one on Broadway. I'm hoping finally this spring to be able to do just that, I love New York in the spring and what a great trip that would be. I have a good friend that lives in New York so maybe I'll be able to see him as well.
Here is the list and description of all the ballets that were showcased on Friday night.
A Midsummer Nights Dream
World Premiere January 17, 1962, New York City BalletA Midsummer Night's Dream ballet compresses virtually all of Shakespeare's story into Act I; Act II celebrates the wedding of the lovers with a grand divertissement that is reminiscent of the great 19th-century classics.
Found
World Premiere: April 12, 2007, Boston BalletBoston Ballet company member Heather Myers choreographed Found for the young artists of Boston Ballet II for Dance on the Top Floor. Heather’s first commission for the Company will receive its premiere as part of the March 6-9, 2008 repertory program, Next Generation.
The Fairy Doll
World Premiere: 1903, St. PetersburgDancing dolls were a popular 19th-century ballet conceit—think of the mechanical dolls in Act I of The Nutcracker and, of course, Coppélia. In this pantomime-divertissement, originally called Die Puppenfee, dolls spring to life and dance the night away in a toy shop, all under the supervision of the Fairy Doll. The libretto was adapted by various choreographers, including this one by Legat, as well as by Massine, whose La Boutique Fantasque dramatized the same story.
Etesian (excerpt)
World Premiere: March 16, 2006, Boston BalletThe title of Helen Pickett’s first work for Boston Ballet refers to annually recurring phenomena, e.g., etesian winds are those that blow across the Mediterranean Sea each summer. This versatile artist trained at San Francisco Ballet and performed for over a decade with William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt. A teacher and choreographer who employs Forsythe technique and improvisation, Helen is also an actress who appeared with New York’s cutting-edge Wooster Group for seven years. Her next commission for the Company will be part of the March 6-9, 2008 repertory program, Next Generation.
The Taming of the Shrew
World Premiere: March 16, 1969, Stuttgart BalletIn bringing Shakespeare’s Kate and Petrucchio to the stage, Cranko displayed his signature ability to convert complex narrative to physical expression. He also demonstrated a rare gift for comedy in dance, as seen in this excerpt.
The Four Temperaments
World Premiere: November 20, 1946, Ballet SocietyThe music for this seminal work of modernism was commissioned from Hindemith by Balanchine. In the complete work, a formal theme is followed by four movements. Each section bears the title of one of the four natural characteristics or “humors” that, according to ancient theory, governed the human body.
La Sylphide
World Premiere: November 28, 1836, CopenhagenAugust Bournonville’s choreography and distinctive style, born of his Royal Danish Ballet training and his exposure to the Romantic traditions of the Paris Opera Ballet, have endured for more than 150 years. In La Sylphide, a young Scotsman pursues an enchanting woodland sylph, eventually destroying her as well as his own chances for worldly happiness. The ballet epitomizes the Romantic fascination with supernatural tales and the foreign locales that are suggested by costume, décor, and folk-influenced character dances like the Act I Reel.
Flower Festival in Genzano
World Premiere: December 19, 1858, CopenhagenIn August of 2007, Boston Ballet II member Jeffrey Cirio and Boston Ballet School trainee Sylvia Deaton spent three weeks in Copenhagen, training with the Royal Danish Ballet School and Company as part of an exchange program with Boston Ballet. During their visit, these young artists were coached on this famous gala piece and other works by many of the finest interpreters of the Bournonville technique and style.
Crane
World Premiere: April 22, 2007Boyko Dossev, from Sofia, Bulgaria, is a member of Boston Ballet’s corps. His inspiration for this piece, created for Dance on the Top Floor, was Company Soloist Misa Kuranaga. “The male represents her life, emotions, hopes, fears, all she wants to achieve, but he is not physically real,” says Dossev. “He exists because of her.”
Brake the Eyes(excerpt)
World Premiere: March 1, 2007, Boston BalletResident choreographer Jorma Elo has received acclaim for his work in New York, Chicago and Europe in recent years, as well as here at Boston Ballet. In this most recent creation for the Company, he adds a sonic dimension to the sculptural style of movement that has become his trademark.
Le Cygne Noir (Black Swan)
World Premiere: 1986, MarseillesLe Cygne Noir is a male solo from the full length ballet Ma Pavlova, created for Ballet Nationale de Marseilles-Roland Petit and dedicated to the principal dancer Dominique Khalfouni.
The Flames of Paris
World Premiere: Kirov Ballet (State Academic Theatre for Opera and Ballet), Leningrad, November 7, 1932Very much a work of the Soviet era, The Flames of Paris is a full-length ballet depicting the proletarian struggles of the French Revolution. This selection from Act IV, a tour de force of technique, virtuosity, and bravura style, is frequently seen today as a gala performance piece. Herman Cornejo is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
Polyphonia
World Premiere: January 4, 2001, New York City BalletPolyphonia, to date one of Christopher Wheeldon’s most frequently performed ballets, is considered a turning point in his career as a choreographer. This music-driven work, set to the rhythmically intricate and arresting piano works of Ligeti, is a clear tribute to Balanchinian neo-classicism.
Grand Pas Classique
World Premiere: November 12, 1949, Grand pas, as a generic term, refers to a formally structured number that usually consists of entrances for the soloists and ensemble, followed by the couple’s adagio, individual solo variations, and a coda that includes the return of the corps de ballet.
DéfiléBoston Ballet concludes this gala evening with a grand défilé or procession. In the tradition of the Paris Opera Ballet, the défilé is a hierarchical parade of dancers, from students through the each level of the company ranks and finally to the principals.
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Night at the Theater
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I'm BAAAAAAAACK!!
Hey Blogging world I'm finally back to updating this ol blog of mine. I just needed to step back for a little bit to find my mojo again. Things have been like a rollercoaster lately, with some UPS and some DOWNS. It's a good thing that I love the rollercoaster otherwise I might be puking in the garbage by the hotdog stand at the amusement park. But I digress, let's play some catch up shall we, oh where to begin?
Let's start with family... Mom is back from Finland it was a rough trip for her, she too had some UPS and some DOWNS, my grandmother is doing well, my mom has made arrangments to make sure my grandmother is checked on daily and that she gets the help that she needs, this wasn't an easy task, my grandmother was VERY against the whole idea (at first), but my mom stayed strong and basically gave her two options, either you let someone come and help or you go into a nursing home, your choice. I'm proud of my mother, this was not easy for her, my grandmother, well she can be down right MEAN to my mom, she has always been very kind and loving to me, but not my mom. Grandma can be tough to deal with but man oh man she has all of her facilities still and at 90 years old that is pretty awesome, she is still sharp as a tool and knows more about what is going on in the world then my mom & I put together (which really isn't saying much since I know nothing HAHA). Here is a picture of my grandmother at her 90th birthday party while my mom was in Finland.
She also is not on any medication either well they just recently put her on 1 pill a day to help her from getting UTIs, but otherwise she is healthy as a horse, but stubborn as a mule. (Gee I'm so witty today, I feel like me again). Anyway, so mom is back and it is good to have her home (except for the smoking), we went up to Portsmouth, NH this past Sunday her friend Julie and my friend Gosia came along as well, it was a perfect day, until the restaurant I hostess at called and asked if I would come in to work, I felt bad for Pierce he really sounded strapped and I said sure but I won't be there until later we are just leaving NH. Remind me to tell you about the CRAZY lady who came in.
So the rest of the family is doing well also, dad and I are getting along pretty well lately, last Wednesday I went over for family dinner all the kids were there even Christos the adoptive brother (he's not really adopted he's just someone my father has sort of taken under his wing), my father also had this Greek guy over that he knows from the flower shop (he's a customer) his name is Stamatis he was a nice guy, I think Katerina was trying to fix me up with him, I'm like um no that's okay I don't date Greek guys, but I did invite him to come with us for Friday night sushi, he lives near where we go and everyone is invited. Anyway, so Wednesday night dinner was good, the kids are doing so well, and check out the picture my brother Vasilis took, he is a freshman in highschool and taking a photography class, this kid has an eye, he is such an artist by nature, you cannot believe some of the drawing, paintings and computer art that he has already done. 
Now that you are caught up with the family lets talk about my trip to Portsmouth, NH, last Sunday my mom, Julie, Gosia & myself went up to Portsmouth for the day we left around 9:30am and went to the Sheraton for a nice brunch, from there we took a walk all around Portsmouth, I never realized how pretty it is up there. There were a lot of sights to see and we took some beautiful pictures. Here are a few but the rest you can find here
The weather started out a bit cloudy and chilly but as the day wore on it turned to blue skies and good temperatures. All in all it was a great day, my mom said that Portsmouth during Christmas time is absolutely breath taking, so if we have the time we might drive up one night to check it out. I like these little day trips we have been taking I am learning so much about New England and love to learn the history of these little towns. It still amazes me that we can live in a city like Boston yet drive an hour out and be in a town that is still small, you can't get much better then that.
The next place that I think some of us are going is Salem for Halloween, Gosia being from Poland has never really experienced Halloween so I say the best place for it, is Salem, MA, there is so much to do this month there and I'm trying to figure out which event will be the best one. So things are finally getting to be a bit normal again, I'm still working on some issues but overall I think I'll be okay I tell you it has something to do with autumn I always get down this time of year because I know the darkness and winter are coming, I'm not good during the cold months. But this year I'm going to try to not let it get me down. Wish me luck, and it feels good to be back.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Thursday Thirteen: 12 Pictures and a Video from my cousins wedding
I haven't been able to really write much this past week, and there is so much to tell. Being that it is already Thursday (this week is flying by) I thought I would post 12 pictures and a video from my cousin Michael's wedding over the weekend. He married a lovely girl named Karen and I wanted to share with all of you this special day. Unfortunately I don't have any picture of the ceremony only from the reception.
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
A day with Mom
Rockport, is this quaint little town on the Northern Coast of MA on the Cape Ann peninsula. It was a perfect day too, not too hot no too cool, we get there late morning and walk around and check out all the stores. We buy some Pulla which is a wonderful yummy bread that comes from Finland. I usually make the rolls myself but haven't done so in a while, I think it might be time. We buy some elephant ears, (no not real elephant just a fried dough that is very delicious). There is this one gallery in Rockport that has some of the best landscape pictures I've ever seen, unfortunately I can't think of its name. The one thing I love about Rockport is it feels like a small Scandinavian village. The houses are small, and very close together.
I took a picture of a street that I just thought was so beautiful the way the houses lined up.
A fisherman's shack on Bradley Wharf in the harbor of Rockport has been duplicated in photos and art so many times that it is considered the most recognizable picture in the world.
This is a photo of it (I took this off the web because we didn't take a picture of it I know what was I thinking).
After touring and walking around Rockport we head over to the Halibut Point State Park, this is where my mom used to go when I was sick. She said that sometimes she just needed to be by herself, she found this place to come, to sit, to think and just be alone. I know my mom went through so much while I was going through treatment, it was not easy for her to watch her only child fight for her life. So I was very grateful and appreciative when she said she wanted to show me her favorite place.
The park was formerly the Babson Farm granite quarry, beginning in the 1840s, granite was quarried from this area, first on a small scale and primarily along the coast, and then on a much larger scale when the Rockport Granite Company acquired the Babson Farm quarry and expanded its operation. Shortly after the Cape Ann granite industry collapsed in 1929, 17 acres on the eastern side of the quarry were purchased and given to the Trustees of Reservations. The remainder of the area sat unused until late in World War II when a fire control tower (now the park's Visitors Center) was constructed to provide aiming information for the massive coastal defense guns that guarded Boston and Portsmouth Harbors.
This is of the quarry
This is the fire control tower
After walking around the quarry, we headed down the trail to the beach.
Mom turn around and say CHEESE!!
When we got down the trail we have to hike on all these rocks to get to where my mom would sit and think. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
Me in deep thoughts. (I'm shocked that I just hiked on all these rocks!)
These rocks are very high up from the beach, actually there isn't really a beach, its just rocks and ocean. In the picture you can't tell but they were at least 40 feet up. When we were sitting I was about to take a picture and dropped my mom's filter cap on her camera and it dropped WAAAYYYY down between the rocks. Again sorry about that mom.
Here are a couple more pictures of the surf and some fisherman.
Once we left the park we headed to Gloucester to go for lunch the food was great, the drinks were better but what was the best was us watching these two people try to dance to a Brazilian band, it was hysterical (I took a video of them, but I can't post it, cuz I'm just not that mean). After lunch we get into the car and head home we took a detour by the beach to check out if the festival was still going on. While we were driving on the road by the beach, this seagull decides that he wants to walk across the street. So he does, he actually is in the cross walk and all the cars stop to let him cross, he waddles across with this look of arrogance as if to say, "that's right I'm in the cross walk so you all have to stop." (If my camera hadn't been in the back I would have tried to get its picture). My mom and I just lost it, we laughed the rest of the way home. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Oreos
My father has the cutest cocker spaniel and his name is Oreos prounced Oh ray os in Greek which means handsome, we also call him Oreo (like the cookie) because he has black fur with a white stripe down the middle. So he looks like an Oreo cookie too, see it works both ways.
He has such a personality that you can't help but fall in love with him. He wags his tale every time I come to see him and he gets so excited when you play with him. My father takes him to work each day so luckily Oreos never has to stay home alone. He is pretty much the South End Flowers mascot and all the ladies from around the area just love him, which I'm POSITIVE my father doesn't mind one bit.
Here are some pictures of Oreos I thought I'd share with you. I'm hoping to be able to get my own dog too, but in the mean time I can play with Oreos., I don't actually go to my father's to see him, I go there to see Oreos (just kidding dad, but you have to admit he's got charisma).
Friday, July 20, 2007
Sand Castles & BBQ
On Sunday my mom and I went to Revere Beach to look at the annual Sand Castle competition they have, we tried to get there as early as possible and it was a good thing, because the beach was already packed.
The detail that go into the sand castles just astonishes me, it is true art and quite beautiful.
Here are few pictures but if you want to see all of them go here.
After checking out all the amazing sand castles we head home and I relax for a bit and then go to my father's house for a BBQ to celebrate Katerina's birthday. My dad had a seafood medley of tuna steak, crab legs, scallops wrapped in bacon, sushi, roasted veggies, there was so much food and lots of people. It was a great time. I got to see a few people I haven't seen in YEARS!! Like John Manjoe, what a great guy he is. My family has known him for at least 20 years, and I probably haven't seen him in at least 10. He is a flower designer that has worked for and with my father (and ex stepmother Jayne) on and off for the last 2 decades. Well he is back helping out my father a couple of days a week, and he is really trying to help to expand my fathers shop. There has been talk about renting the space next door and making that part into a gift shop, that sells high end gifts, from cigars, wine and if I can my friend Jennifer's baby cakes.
Jennifer has this great little business she is starting called Hit of the Party Gifts and she makes these amazing baby cakes and wreathes and other products so you are the hit of the party. Most of her products are catered to babies, pregnant women and new moms. But she can also make any gift basket that you want. Here is her website and here are some pictures of her products. I will be writing a full post about her and profiling her business, but I figured I'd slip this in so you can check her out.
Back to John and the BBQ, so John and his partner Joseph (whom I had never met before but absolutely adore now) came to the BBQ and we just talked and talked, it was so nice to see him and to catch up on all that is going on. They live in Hull and invited me to come down one weekend, and you know I think I will take them up on that when I get back from Chicago.
It was a great day, with great food and great company, I'm so glad that my father and I are really getting along and that so far everything has been going well (Knock on Wood!!!). He and I are trying to communicate better, I'm trying not to be so sensitive and he's trying not to be insensitive. It's a good combination.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
What a weekend
So much is going on right now and I'm really excited about it all. Let's see where should we start, hmmmm???? I guess I'll start with the weekend, on Friday I met up with Aislynn and we went and played mini golf which I haven't played in years. This course that we did was a small course but still a lot of fun. There were hills and crazy curves, and there were water falls around the course that were nice. I remember playing mini golf in Arizona at a place called Castles-n-Coasters with friends and having a great time. I don't think I've played mini golf since I lived in AZ, wow it has been a long time.
Of course Aislynn beat my ass but only by 3 points, so a re-match is set. Then we went and got something to eat, at this little diner up the street and I ordered a chicken burrito and OMG it was the BIGGEST burrito I've ever seen. The waitstaff all laughed when I said, "holy crap that's huge". They call it a 3-mealer cuz you get 3 meals out of it, and they were right. They also said they have an award or something if you finish the whole thing, it reminded me of the huge steak that John Candy had to eat in the movie The Great Outdoors. After my huge meal (no I did not eat it all) we went for a walk to walk off the meal and since Aislynn is a big basketball fan and player (she teaches at a basketball camp during the summers) she said she would give me a lesson on spinning a basketball on my finger. So a little background on me, I am so NOT NOT NOT sporty in any shape or form. I do not watch sports and I do not play sports but I really wanted to learn to do this. Well it's not easy but it's not as hard as I thought either. I got a few rotations on my finger by the end of the night and she gave me a bball to practice on. Watch out Harlem Globetrotters here comes MELINA!!! No it was funny, the ball was going everywhere but I am determined to get it down, for the sheer fact to say ha check this out. Pretend I'm all sporty without actually having to play any sports.
Then on Saturday I took my two brothers, Yianni & Vasilis to Six Flags (yup I went again and I'll be going at least 2-3 more times before the season ends). I got up early and picked them up and we got there by 10:30am we brought our bathing suits so we could also do the water park. We get there and luckily for me it only cost me $14.95 for each of them because I had a season pass and discount passes they give you for being a season pass holder, but that was about the only thing that was cheap, my god you forget how much it is for everything else.
We finally get into the park after waiting forever to just go through the metal detectors (I remember when it wasn't necessary to go through metal detectors to go to an amusement park such a sad thing really). So we get in and the first roller coaster that Yianni wants to do is Superman, (BEST RIDE EVER) but my brother Vasilis said he didn't want to go on that ride and that he was afraid of heights and didn't really like roller coasters. I'm all, "wait why didn't you tell me before we could've gone to a different place for us to spend time together. I feel really bad."
He said it was okay that he'd try a smaller one first and see how we felt, plus he wanted to go to the water park and would do the water slides. So we decided to go on the smaller wooden roller coaster first. Here are two photos of them waiting in line, Vasilis is on the left and Yianni on the right.
Vasilis did really well actually but we knew he wasn't going to make it on Superman, so Yianni and I say we'll go on it now because the lines were not that bad yet and I gave Vasilis money to play in the arcade and we'd meet him in about an hour. Well my brother has this bright idea that he's going to film the ride (while riding it) with his camera phone and I said to him I did not think it was a good idea. He said, "no no it'll be fine, I'll hold onto it really tight."
"Yianni, we are going 77mph if you drop it you could really hurt someone not to mention you'll break your new phone."
You know I should've just put my foot down but I didn't and we get on the ride and he's trying to hide the phone so the operators don't see it. We start to rise up the coaster towards the first dip and SCREEECH, they stop the coaster that we were in about quarter of the way up the tracks. I just about died, completely convinced it was because of the stupid phone. We wait, and wait, and people are starting to wonder what's going on, I look behind and see this girl putting on an orange hazard vest and harnessing herself onto the railing, OMG she's coming up the steps, now we are about 75 feet up in the air, (between the ground and where we were) on my side is straight down, on Yianni's side are steps (for emergencies) and I'm thinking OH CRAP!!! "Yianni put that damn phone away, put it in your back pocket and if she asks say you were moving it from the front pocket to the back because it was crushing you and the ride started."
She walks up the stairs and stops right at our seats and says, in a tone like I can't believe I have to do this, "Can I please have the phone?" I just about pee'd my pants I'm completely mortified. I say, "I'm sorry he was moving it from the front pocket to the back, it was crushing him when the bars came down." She just rolls her eyes, Yianni hands her the phone and she walks back down. They start up the ride we finish it, and it was still an awesome ride but now I have the feeling of dread. We exit the ride and there is this security guard standing there with Yianni's phone. He is a typical security guard at an amusement park or at the mall, skinny, short, goofy, but he had a job to do and I respected that. I tell Yianni before we get up there to keep his mouth shut!!!
The SG asks, "so what happened?"
I explain, "When the bars came down the phone was crushing into his hip you know the front of his waist and he was trying to put it in the back pocket when the ride started. We apologize we weren't thinking we should've said wait, please take this."
He looks at us and says, "The policy is to escort you out of the park and trespass you for a year."
I say, "I understand you have to do what you have to do, we will take responsibility and take whatever consequences there are, but please know that we were not trying to hurt anyone or be malicious in anyway." while I'm thinking God I hate being the adult, and do I really have to suck up to this guy and I'm going to kill Yianni.
So he says he just needs to call his supervisor to see what he should do, he calls and says that we can stay in the park and lectures us about safety (which I totally understand and I do feel bad because if Yianni had dropped it or it flung from his hand he could've really hurt someone I understand that, and did take full responsibility like I said I should've put my foot down in the beginning and say NO put the phone away, and I am sorry for that.) So we say thank you to the SG and I slap Yianni in the arm and say, "I TOLD YOU THAT WASN"T A GOOD IDEA" we meet up with Vasilis and tell him what happened (cuz it was longer then an hour now), and he just says, "Smart one Yianni" while laughing at his brother.
The rest of the day went without a hitch, we went to the water park after that, and had a blast on the water slides and cooled off cuz it was a hot and humid day. We left around 6pm and drove home the boys fell asleep in the car and it made me feel good that they had a great time, even with the drama in the beginning.
I'll write about Sunday later, in another post and the other things that are coming up, but right now I have to get some stuff done. Writers block I think has finally passed. WOO HOO!!!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Friends, Family, and Fireworks
I don't know why but the last few days I just haven't felt like writing, I haven't felt inspired for some reason, and I don't feel like I have anything very amusing to talk about. So I took a break for a few days. Hope no one missed me. LOL.
But I'm back now, at least somewhat, unfortunately I just couldn't get a Thursday 13 done in time to post today, I promise to get a good one for next week, (any ideas, topics anyone anyone).
So today I think I'll write about my 4th of July it couldn't have been better. Melissa and I got to spend it together and I can't remember when the last time we spent it together, me being gone for the last 6 4th of July's and right before I left she was newely married so they spent the time together and the year before I was in the hospital. We had a great time, we met at her house after Ali and Maman left for Montreal we made some brownies to bring to my dad's house for the BBQ. We lounged around a bit and watched Eddie Izzard on BBC America while the brownies were baking. We decided that Friday I would come over we'd watch a whole bunch of movies and I'd spend the night, since Ali and Maman will be gone. Slumber party like when we were teenagers, though Margaritas will be involved this time.
Brownies are done, we stop by my house to get my mom's FAMOUS potato salad, it really is the best potato salad I have ever tasted. We head over to my dad's and we pull up and can already smell all the wonderful food. One thing is for sure about a BBQ at my dad's there is always good food, good drink and lots of Greek music. We eat, we drink, we laugh, we chat, we take a nap. My father had gone up to NH and bought a crap load of fireworks for the 4th and Oh my GAWD did he have a ton, I kept saying oh we are so going to have the cops here. Melissa the pyrotechnic tied all these firecrackers together and set them off, it was awesome. I'm sure the neighbors loved us yesterday. My father and uncle acted like they were 14 year old boys, hell my 14 year old brother was more calm then they were. It was great, he had all sorts of fireworks, big, small, loud, bright you name it he had them. I said to Melissa we are so going to be a darwin award.
My siblings were there, a few of my brothers friends were there. My brother Yianni left for a BBQ at his friends house so Melissa and I were in his room (he had more fireworks up there) and he had this horrible music playing on his computer so Melissa gets on to turn it off and starts going through his history on the computer, you know seeing what websites he was on. Well needless to say they were mostly typical 16 year old boy websites, if you get what I mean. It was funny, my other brother Vasilis was telling us that it was not right that we were "snooping" our reply, "hey if he doesn't want us to see he should delete his history."
My friend Gosia came by around 7 or so, to meet us so the 3 of us could go into town to see the city fireworks. We left my father's house and as we were driving away we saw the big fireworks that my father bought going off above in the sky. It was a perfect way to end our time there. We head into the city and meet Melissa's co-worker Tara who runs a building not far from where the festivities were being held and since none of us like crowds Melissa came up with the idea that the best place to watch the fireworks was on the roof of this building and she was correct. We had the best view (though I'm sure any view was spectacular) of the fireworks. It was an amazing show of lights and designs and color. Melissa and I were saying how far they have come since we were kids. I don't remember such a beautiful display of fireworks ever.
Well that's about it, not the best writing I've done but you get the idea, we had a great 4th and I hope everyone also had a safe, fun and relaxing time like we did.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Father's Day
As I have said before my father and I have an up, down relationship. We are trying to really work on keeping our relationship on the up side right now. So much has happened that we realize it is important to be united rather than apart.
My father went to Greece for a couple of weeks and while he was there he was in a pretty severe car accident, luckily he is okay the car and his pride are damaged but he is safe and unharmed. As we were sitting for lunch yesterday to celebrate Father's Day he is telling us kids what happened with the car accident. In our family we never seem to get any details when things happen, usually I am the last to know about anything that happens good or bad.
As he is telling us this story everyone talks and jokes and it was sort of bugging me because I'm trying to really listen and understand what happened. As he tells us what happened, I realized how close we came to losing him. He was on a mountain/hill road that had a cliff on one side and if my father had not been as good of a driver and quick thinking as he is he might not have rolled and landed in that ditch but rolled and fell off that cliff.
Sometimes it takes something like this (or the death of my grandfather) to really understand that we do not have that much time in this life and that the small petty stuff needs to be forgiven. I am really trying to understand who my father is and I think (I hope) he is trying to understand me. I love my father very much and don't like it when we don't talk for long periods of time. We are a very emotional family, whether that be in love, in anger, in sadness or in happiness we express it. So when we fight we FIGHT!! We are also STUBBORN, oh you can't imagine how stubborn our family is. But one thing that we do, is tell each other I LOVE YOU every time we talk, I think it is an important statement to tell each other. When I get off the phone with my mother, father, sister or brothers and friends I tell them, I love you or I miss you or how much they mean to me because that might be the last time you speak to that person.
Now for a little less serious topic, the rest of the lunch and Father's Day was good. We went to Bertucci's for lunch and as the waitress came up to take our drink order I whispered to her, "I'm sorry." She asks, "why???" I said, "You'll see."
Though we are polite and I think we tip well, we can also be loud and a pain in the butt. When you get 7 Greeks in one table watch out, it can be dangerous.
We talked, we laughed, we ate, we drank, the food was excellent the company was entertaining and overall it was a good meal.
We went back to my father's house and relaxed, Zoe had to go to work and the boys went upstairs to play on the computer or to talk to friends. My father and I talked, and there is an opportunity that my father might have that I might be very very interested in. I don't want to talk about it just yet (oh and it is killing me not to tell you all what it is) but I want to see what comes out of this before I start mentioning it. But I will tell you this, if this opportunity is real and serious I am definitely onboard.
I hope all the fathers out there had a wonderful day. You deserve it!
Happy Father's Day
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I feel like a famous person now because I have a therapist.
Okay that title isn't completely true I don't feel famous, but isn't that the trendy thing to do now is see a therapist. Well I'm not seeing a therapist because I want to be trendy nor do I feel depressed, I am seeing one because my father and I have a very up and down relationship, and we have just started talking after about 8 months of no communication.
My father and I don't communicate very well and the last time that we stopped talking I made a decision that if we were to have a normal father/daughter relationship then I wanted us to go into family counseling. And to my surprise my father not only agreed but thought it was a good idea. He too wants us to communicate and relate to each other better and so we went last night to meet with Steve our psychologist. Steve is someone that my father and step mother saw when their marriage was ending and they were trying to work things out, so he already knows my father which is a good thing, because he already knows what to expect from my dad.
Yesterday we talked briefly why we were there and how we want to have a better relationship and that we go through times where we don't talk for months and how we want that to stop and I want him to realize sometimes words hurt and I want to learn how to not take everything he says so personally and not be intimated by him. I've always wanted to please my father but never feel like I can.
So we'll see how things go, Steve just talked with me first so he could get to know me better since he's never met me and I will go back a few more times alone to talk with him. Then we'll go together to see him, to build a better foundation for our relationship, I am very hopeful and very happy that my father and I are doing this. I won't get into the details of our specific issues, partly because I don't want to talk about that on the Internet but I wanted to share that we are moving in the right direction and that I hope and pray that this works.
I respect my father so much, he is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. He came to this country when he was just 18 years old after working as a merchant marine and he jumped ship literally when the boat docked in NC. He came into this country with the clothes on his back and nothing else. He learned English, he taught himself the culture and he opened his own business. He absorbs everything he sees and reads, he has a photographic memory which really sucks when you play cards with him, because he'll memorize the cards that were played and know exactly what card you need so he'll put that card on his forehead face out and say, "Ha you need this one, see if you can go out now." But he's also a stubborn SOB and so am I (both of us are Capricorns). We butt heads, we are a lot alike in some senses, but I'm hoping that we learn a better way to deal with each other then to just cut off ties. I love my father and I want him to be a part of my life and I know he wants to be there. Wish us luck because I'm sure we'll need it.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Mother Daughter Trip
When I was younger my mother and I would go on little mini-vacations, day or weekend trips. I remember one time when I was a teenager probably around 15 or so, my mom surprised me with a trip to Knotts Berry Farm in California. She tricked me into going to the airport really early in the morning one Saturday.
She told me that she had to go pick something up from the airport, that a friend was bringing it back from wherever they were coming from. So she tells me that we have to go to the airport at like 6 am on a Saturday, and I say to her, "Why do I have to go?"
"Please come with me, I don't want to go by myself."
"Fine I'll go, since it looks like I don't really have a choice."
I get dressed, in nothing I would normally be caught dead in, I figured what's the point I'm not impressing anyone. I didn't even brush my hair, I just put on a scarf on my head. My mother sees what I'm wearing and says, "Why don't you put something a little nicer?"
"Why its not like I'm going to see anyone, come on its early."
"Here why don't you put this on, and why not put on some jeans and wear your sneakers."
By now you would think I would've had some clue, but nope I'm 15 and it's early and I'm cranky.
"Fine, whatever." I reply, grabbing the sweater from her and putting on jeans.
I remember getting into the car, and having a serious attitude, huffing and puffing, rolling my eyes, and trying to sleep. We get to the airport, my mom parks the car and we go to the gate to wait for this person. Remember this is when you could still go to the gate even if you didn't have a ticket. So we're sitting there for about 15 minutes and then I realize, wait, we are waiting to board aren't we, we're not waiting for someone to get a package. So I look at my mom, trying to still be all teenage angst, "Are we going somewhere?" I ask trying to not smile.
My mom smiles at me, and says, "I was wondering when you'd figure it out, yes we are going on a day trip to somewhere fun."
Now I'm all excited, "Where are we going?", I see that the plane is going to Los Angeles and say, "Are we going to Disneyland?"
My mother just looks at me and says, "You'll see, now are you in a better mood."
The frown is now turned into, curiosity and wonder. Where is this woman taking me, I try to get her to tell me, but she doesn't budge. Nope she doesn't tell me, and just about this time I realized I'm not exactly dressed to be out in public, where there could be cute guys or people that might see me. (I know I was at the airport but who cares about them, we're going to California who knows who might see me there). I go to the bathroom and try to fix myself up somewhat, not exactly what I would've worn if I knew but that's okay. I was never one to be a fashion queen, still not.
We board the plane and the flight from Phoenix to LA is about an hour or so, it is a quick flight. We get off, get the car and off we go. We drive and I start to see the signs that say Knotts Berry Farm, turn here, turn there... I think to myself, "we're going to a farm, ehhhh boring." What I didn't realize though was this was an amusement park. Yeah there was a "farm" there but there was so much more to do then that. Like this
and this
We arrive and I realize that this is going to be a fun trip and it was. My mom and I used to do these Mother Daughter trips every so often, just the two of us. Well most of the time it was just the two of us, she was a single mother who tried her best to make some great memories and special times. (I am the only on my mother's side and the oldest on my father's.) I love those times we spent together and I love that now that I'm older we are more then just mother and daughter we are friends. We are going to Mystic, CT this weekend for a special Mother's Day trip and we cannot wait. We both need a little mini-vacation. We are going to go to the original Mystic Pizza and trying a "Slice of Heaven" 
I can't wait, we are going to check out the Sea Aquarium they are famous for, and we might just ride over to Essex, CT to check out the steam train and riverboat. But we are also just going to relax too, take a book and sit on the pier and read. I promise to take lots of pictures and write about our trip.
Happy Early Mother's Day, Mom! Thanks for always being there for me and thanks for letting me be me. I love you.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
This was then and this in now
Wow, how they grow and change. This picture was taken in the summer of 1993. I was 18 and had just graduated high school. The family went to Greece for the summer and the kids were, (from top to bottom) Yianni age 2 1/2, Zoe age 5 1/2, Vasilis age 9-10 months. I love this picture, look at the curls on Yianni, poor kid was always mistaken for a girl when he was younger, but his mother just couldn't bare to let him cut those curls out, and he was so blond. Zoe, that look with the crinkled eyebrows, she was famous for doing that, that was her thing. Oh Vasilis he looks just like our grandmother, no teeth and all.
That was a good trip once we got there, but oh getting there was fun (insert lots of sarcasm). First Jayne my step mother did not fly over with us, so it was us kids and my father, she fortunately did come over about a week or so later. Let's just say I watched those kids more on the flight over and when we landed then he did. I remember having a kids leashes on them so I wouldn't lose them at the Greek airport, because that airport back then was a mad house. Hell I remember when I was young, you would go to through the airport and they didn't have metal detectors or security like they do now. You went into a little curtained off section (kind of like when you are in the ER and they have those curtains to section off from each bed), women on one side, men on the other and the armed security guards would pat you down and look through your stuff it's no wonder back in the 80s all the plane hijackings started in Greece.
Anyway, it was a rough trip but a great vacation. Good memories and great fun. The kids probably don't remember that trip like I do, and that's okay, Yianni and Vasilis would spend all day trying to catch locus bugs and then hold them so they could buzz in their hands, (it tickled). Zoe would just love the water and was always trying to swim and sometimes would forget she didn't know how to all that great, so we were constantly trying to make sure the kid didn't drown. I had so much fun, not just with the family but with all the people there, Greece is a great country where the people are so nice and the guys aren't too bad looking either.
But how they grow.
This picture was taken in the summer of 2006 at Zoe's high school graduation. (from left to right) Yianni age 15, Zoe age 18 & Vasilis age 13. No more curls and no more locus bugs, but they sure bring me lots of smiles and new memories. The memories I have now are of Zoe getting into college, and Yianni getting his permit, and Vasilis being an amazing artist. Next it will be Zoe's 21st birthday (Vegas baby) and Yianni's graduation from high school and Vasilis getting his permit/license. Oh how they grow up so fast, I don't know how you parents do it, these are my siblings and I get all sappy I can't imagine what it is like to watch your kids grow into young adults who don't need you anymore. They don't need you to wipe their noses or kiss their boo boos, but my sister and brothers know that I will always be there for them, that no matter what they do or where they go I am a constant, even if they don't want me to be... I love you guys and am very proud of all of you.
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Memorial
Yesterday was my Papou's memorial. In the Greek culture you do 40 days of mourning and then you have a memorial. It was held at the Greek Orthodox church near my fathers house. It was a beautiful day yesterday, high 70s, close to 80 even. I was so happy we had it this past weekend instead of the weekend before when we had the Spring Nor'easter.
It just felt right, yesterday, I don't know, maybe it was just that I had longed for the sun for so long that I felt its beauty yesterday, or maybe it was just that I felt that my yaya and papou were watching us yesterday, together looking down and smiling on us.
Melissa came with me, which was really nice. We dressed in our Sunday best I actually wore a skirt and I have to say I bought the skirt last summer and it was a little big (woo hoo). Anyway, we get to my fathers house around 10:30 am, my siblings are already there, and my (ex) step mother is there (outside). My father and his girlfriend Katarina came out and we all walked to the church. We get to the church and it is the final part of the Sunday service. We go inside (when they tell us it is okay to go)and we sit in our pews (well actually we stand, Greek Orthodox stand for EVERYTHING and for long periods of time).
Melissa and I sit/stand and listen to the service, half of it is in Greek and half in English, the Greek Papa (priest) was talking about how our country is in such a rough place right now and how we need to remember to love one another during these hard times. It was a nice service I haven't been to church in years and usually its for a wedding if I go. We are listening to the service and I lean over to Melissa and say "is it sacrilegious to think the Papa is kind of cute?" Melissa looks at me, and goes, "you are so going to Hell". Well he was.
The Greek Papa's can marry as long as they do it before they are ordained, so they are NOT celibate, it's actually funny the last year of the seminary, they are out looking for wives. Of course, Melissa and I were trying to behave, but I think we are both going to hell after yesterday, we were right next to the windows and we were just waiting for the bolt of lightening to come right through. It was all in fun and we were respectful. They finish the service and begin the memorial, it wasn't just for us, there were a few other people that were being remembered, this part was pretty much in Greek, I lean again to Melissa and ask "is this the memorial?" She looks at me like I have 2 heads, "um, hello in Greek I don't know." "Oh yeah, sorry wrong person to ask Dee dee dee."
They finish the memorial and it was a beautiful prayer and service. we all leave and go back to my fathers house, my (ex) step mother doesn't go to the house, we were laughing because my mother would've come as well, but she had to work. So I said to my father, wow you would've had all your ladies with you. When introducing them he would've said, "This is my first ex-wife, this is my second ex-wife and this is my future ex-wife" We laughed and I would've paid money to see him with all three (what a picture that would've been).
All in all I have to say it was a perfect day. I hope my Papou, and my Yaya are at peace and happy wherever they are. I know they are watching us and making sure that we are okay. I miss you Yaya & Papou, I want you to know that I am doing really well and I am really happy. Thank you for all you have given me throughout my life. I will hold those memories and knowledge with me for a life time. If I ever have children (or when I become an aunt) I will teach them what you taught me. Thank you for coming from Greece when I was sick and helping to take care of me. I wish I could've done more when you were sick. I love you so much.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
My Papou
Sorry I haven't written in awhile, it has been a rough couple of days. You see I received some bad news on Saturday night from my father whom I haven't spoken to in 8 months. I was at work (the restuarant) and missed a call from him, and the minute I saw that missed call I knew, I knew why he was calling. My Papou (grandfather) had passed away.
I had spoken to my papou just two weeks before and actually on Saturday morning I had woken up and said, "Oh I need to call him it's been a couple of weeks, I'll call him tomorrow." Because I normally call him on Sundays, and I knew I had to get ready for work I didn't call him right then and there, and now I regret that. But I can't let that eat me away, because I had been calling him a lot more often. Trying to be a better granddaughter and letting him know how much I loved and missed him.
When I had talked to him a couple of weeks ago, I knew he wasn't doing so well, he told me that he was tired, and pretty much couldn't get out of bed. I told him he had to try to get out of bed, even if it was only to go into the kitchen to eat. He wanted to see me and I wanted to see him, but he lives in Greece and I just didn't know when I was going to be able to go see him, and now I feel like I could've found a way. Would've Should've Could've, I feel sad, guilty and lost. He and I had a special bond, as did my Yaya (grandmother) and I, she passed away 2 years ago from Uteran Cancer. We always joked that the reason my Papou lasted as long as he did was because my Yaya was keeping him alive so she could have some peace and quiet in heaven to enjoy her afterlife. I guess she finally said, okay I've had enough fun, you can come be with me now. Though he had a big heart and lots of love, he was also a stubborn, know it all Greek man. But you had to love him for his convictions even if they were WAY off.
The weird part of all this is that we've had a woman who lived with my Papou to help take care of him for quite awhile now. I guess on Saturday night when she went to sleep she had a dream that my Papou blew her a kiss goodbye and left. She woke from the dream went to check on him and he was gone. Talk about do do dee dee (insert Twilight Zone music). I'm glad though that someone was there, so he wasn't alone, one thing about the Greeks you are never alone. Not only does the family rally around you, but the neighbors as well. He had a long life and was loved. I will miss you greatly Papou. But I know that you, Yaya and my Vaari (grandfather in Finnish) are watching over me and making sure that I am okay.
Note to reader: I will be posting a memorial for the three grandparents that I have lost and would like to share this with you. Please come back to see what I've written and some pictures I will post of them.
