So Faaaar Away

My brother is in Italy and today my parents flew to Italy as well. They will spend two days in Venice before joining Troy in Florence.

While I stay here. Watching the dogs.

I had so better get some awesome souvenirs.

Florence from America

Hey!

I have not abandoned my blog. I am just . . . busy. Apparently college professors like to give homework. Who knew?

I'm also quite swamped with preparing for my computer classes, grading papers, figuring out how to assign a 5 page APA style research paper for my 7th/8th graders, and updating the school's website, using Dreamweaver, a program I am learning on the fly.

In between I attempt to spend some time with mi novio fabuloso, and sometimes even have a bit of a social life. Not as much as I'd like, but some! ^_^

In between that in between, I spend time with my parents and my nanny and my cats!

Oh, and I'm trying to exercise. And lose weight. Speaking, I should go make myself some dinner. I'm debating salad or soba noodles, or just throwing them both together for a soba salad. Hmm.

The actual important thing here is:

MY LITTLE BROTHER IS IN FLORENCE. IN FREAKING ITALY.

WITHOUT MEEEEEE.

He will be gone for the whole semester. He is taking classes Monday-Thursday and then exploring Italy with his friends. After the semester he and his buddy are traveling around Europe, staying in hostels for another month or so.

I miss him.

So I started a blog.

Florence from America

The name stems from the fact that I am, quite literally, writing about Florence from my cushy seat in California. I take the Skype chats, the emails, the facebook posts, the pictures, and toss them together on the blog. You can also find it on my blogroll to the right.

I update it pretty much everyday.

So yes. Check it out!

And perhaps call me and make me exercise. I find that being yelled at helps with the motivation.

Ciao!

Halloween

Happy Birthday to the best Mommy in the world! 

Today was kind of busy; we drove to my parents house, drove our last foster kitten down to be adopted (like he is every weekend), went to the grocery store for mom's birthday dinner, drove to Nick's parents house and visited, drove to town again to pick up the kitten, saw a lady looking at him, chatted a minute, she decided she wanted to adopt him, stayed late to adopt my last sweet baby out, drove home, was sad a little bit about adopting him out with mom and dad and Troy, made dinner for mom (white wine sauce linguine with seared scallops, cheese roasted veggies, homemade french bread, and carrot cake), then drove past Nick's parents house to go to Troy's friend's free haunted house, screamed a lot, drove home, and sat down, whereupon I just realized I forgot to steal toilet paper from mom's house like I meant to. 

That was the longest run-on sentence ever! Go me! 

Nick was "Captain One-Eyed Willy" and I was his pirate wench. I'll post photos later. 

Camping at Wright Beach

I spent the weekend with my parents and brother at Wright Beach, outside of Bodega Bay.

Legend has it that more than 80 years ago the largest rock was connected to land, and a family was walking out on it with their son, who sadly slipped off and drowned. In his anger and wanting to prevent another tragedy like theirs ever recurring the father blew up the connecting rocks.


Despite this beach being so deadly that you can't go in the water (and even going near it is discouraged due to sleeper waves) we had a great time! Here mom in her pj's holds Kali and Troy holds Sage (who is in her fashionable doggy sweater) while they play and tangle themselves up.


Hiking up the path to walk back to our campground, viewing the beautiful huge waves through the fog.


Daddy!


Happy weekend! And a welcome respite from the heat in Sacramento (over a hundred!) while we enjoyed high fifties, s'mores, and dad's homemade chili. Yummy!

Growing Up is Hard to Do

Yesterday I was sucker punched with the realization that holy cow, my baby brother is a whole grown up. Even if I knew in my head that he's eighteen, and in college, and working--it hit me in the gut when I was watching him drumming up on stage at the concert at his college that my tall blond brother is an adult. BAM.

Ow.

Troy and Quentin: Graduation 2010

My baby brothers graduated high school and are officially unleashed upon the world in all their green and white glory.


It was a wonderful ceremony and they said very sweet and funny things about them. Also; it was HOT. It's very hard to concentrate on ceremonies when the sun is beating down on your back and the rays are reflecting off the bleachers.

Happy

. . . because Mom and Dad called us from Alaska! For two and a half weeks all we had for communication was a few emails so it was exciting to hear their voices again. They are having a wonderful time on their 26 day trip from Beijing to Alaska.

We're doing well here too, bar a few arguments and if you ignore the mess. ^_- And the mess even isn't that bad--it's not any worse than it ever gets with Mom and Dad here, and we all recognize that we will spend a while cleaning before they arrive this Saturday night. It's been nice being in charge but I miss my padres.

Prom 2010

My brothers just had their senior prom. I feel too young to have them almost graduated from high school! Next thing you know I'll be fretting about wrinkles and age spots.

Here's Quentin with his buddies David and Tony, all looking very handsome in their tuxedos. We won't go into how long it took Quentin and I to stand in line to pick up his tux; suffice it to say that I nearly went bald from pulling out my hair in frustration. (We were late for dinner for the foreign exchange program.)


Quentin went with a girl we didn't know from another high school, Sarah. Aren't they cute?!


Troy. Ah, Troy. When he went out to rent a tux (for free, his friend works there) he called me and asked, "What do you think about a tuxedo with a tailcoat and top hat?"

I must say, he pulls it off. Here he is with his date, Anna.


I think that they are quite adorable. Also? I want a top hat.


Three of their friends (including Troy) wore the tailcoats in black, and three wore them in white. They pretended to be mortal enemies; the VonMonocles and the VonPocketwatches.


Both boys had lots of fun and had funny stories to tell. (Apparently someone brought a blow up doll dressed up and it was tossed around the dance floor!) They danced and talked and ate chocolate strawberries. (I'm sure there was more food, but that's the important one right there.)

I'm kind of nostalgic for my proms now! Off to search out my old prom dress. ^_^

Yeah, this is directed at YOU, Males of this Household

Just once, just once I would like to have some walnuts available when I have a recipe that calls for them. The men in this family snack on walnuts like no other. They don't last more than a week. Blondies are not the same without walnuts.

Why I Spent Thursday Night at a Disney Concert . . .

. . . because my brother rocked it! His high school (he's in band) puts on multiple concerts every year and this one had a Disney theme--they played music from Tarzan, and the Incredibles, and more in the band section, then had some seriously amazing vocal performances. My favorite was the Aladdin song "I can show you the world" duet--the guy singer was a-MAZ-ing, and I was squeezing Nick's arm the entire time. After they finished and applauded I punched him in the arm and demanded, "Why don't you ever sing me a song?!" to which he replied that since I made him go to Disney concerts I didn't deserve any serenading. (Yeah. Just see if you get that back rub now, Nick. Mwahahahaha!)

Seriously though, my brother did awesome and looked so handsome! He wore black slacks and a black shirt and a gray tie with paint splatters, and his shaggy blond hair with scruffy face, and he played on a snare drum, the vibes, and the bells. Good job buddy!

Guilt

A few days ago, our baby dog Sage came back from an escape run with a lovely two inch deep cut in her front leg and a few other scratches. I wasn't home, so Troy went to my boss's house and then both went in to the clinic on a Sunday to knock her out and sew her up. She was sent home with an e-collar to prevent her tearing off the bandage.

Well, she never actually bothered the bandage. We had her under 24 hour surveillance and Dad even took her to work with him but she didn't care about it. Until today, when it was actually supposed to come off. So I took it off and she promptly tried to gnaw off the sutures.

So I put the e-collar on her, and oh, man, the guilt. She is just standing in one spot and trying to press against my legs. She has hang-dog eyes. If it weren't for the fact that if I took it off I would have to explain to my boss why she ripped out her sutures . . .

Poor Sage.

Happy Birthday Troy!!!

My baby brother turned 18. (AGHOMGHOLYCRAPONTOASTJESUSHROOSEVELTCHRIST).  

Look! He used to be a baby! Isn't he cute? Adorable little drooling toddling boy. 

 

Now he's all grown up! An adult. A six foot one-ish adult. (GAH). We had steak with a butter herb sauce and mashed potatos and asparagus and garlic bread. I made a chocolate torte for dessert and we sang happy birthday. Quentin gave Troy a TaeKwonDo/karate shirt, I gave him a nice black shirt, Mom and Dad bought him a cell phone and he'll go shopping for an outfit from them too. 
 

Happy Birthday buddy!!!

I'm an Adult, I Swear!

This morning my mom left for work with the parting words of "Clean the house!"

Troy and Quentin and I promptly . . . did not.

This evening I received a call from our general contractor who told me that he would be running a little late for his meeting at our house with my mom tonight. I had no idea he was coming over but told him okie-dokie. Then I called mom to tell her, she said great, and then she said that she would talk to me soon because she was about 15 minutes from home.

Enter Panic Mode.

I bolted down the stairs, screaming "TROY!" in a way that suggested two burglars had just jumped through my window with knives, rather than to tell him that mom was on her way. (You'll understand in a minute).

He jumps off the couch from watching "How I Met Your Mother" and demands to know what has me so upset.

"Mom has a meeting with Mr. Contractor tonight and she'll be home in fifteen minutes!"

Our eyes met with clear, frantic understanding. Troy sums it up perfectly.

"Oh, shit!"

We both bolt in opposite directions and start grabbing things that need to be put away and tripping over the dogs and cats who had come running at my shrieks. The next fifteen minutes were both amusing and full of panic, as anyone who has met my mother would understand. If you haven't met my mother, just let me tell you that if she told you to clean the house and gave you a whole day during which you had nothing going on, yet still didn't clean the house? You are a dead man. (Or you would wish to be a dead man after the yelling petered out).

Luckily, Troy and I both are masters in the art of "Hide-Crap-So-Nobody-Sees-What-Slobs-We-Really-Are-And-So-We-Don't-Get-In-Trouble" school of baloney-noodles.

The house was passably clean by the time Mom came home. I even decorated some more for Christmas.

(Yes. True Story. I am nearly 21 years old, yet I am scared of my mom coming home to a dirty house. At least my nearly-18 year-old brother joins me in that fear!)

I Like This Photo

Giant snowman + freezing cold + soaked + fun = happy!

 

Biggest Snowman in the World

Here's our house, covered in snow, with two big ol' snowmen in front. We all took advantage of the snow (the most we have ever seen here in the 15 years since we moved from Maine) and played outside for hours. 

Here is our French snowman with our French boy.  
 

Here is the American snowman with Mom, Dad, and Troy. 
 

The Biggest Snowman EVER! with Quentin, Troy, and Katie. 
 

Amazing!

I have just discovered something so absolutely on the edge-of-your-seat thrilling that I had to share right away. 

Ready?

My front door key . . . also unlocks the back door!!! 

AAIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!

Okay, wait, don't run away! I have a point! Our front door sticks sometimes--since Troy and I were in middle school/high school we would walk home and sometimes have to break in through a window to get inside because our key wouldn't turn enough in the lock. I just came home from work to discover that my key was again being temperamental. I called Troy, and he told me Dad just told him that we can unlock the back door. 

So! 

I ran to the back door (it's very hot out) and the key worked! Then I groaned. "Troy, it's not gonna work!" 

"Why?" My poor brother was baffled. 

"The filing cabinet door is out, there is a painting leaning on the door, and the treadmill is in the way!"

"Well . . . figure something out!"

So I did. My hand barely fit through the door so I could inch by inch scoot the filing cabinet closed. I pushed the painting over and the treadmill was juuust far enough away that I slowly squeeze (look for BBC update soon) myself through . 

"I DID IT! I DID IT! TROY! IT WORKED!!! Woo-hoo!!!" 

And now you all understand why this bit of news is so amazing. IT GOT ME INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING. ^_-

Mad Ninja Skills

Between my new PC (which I am still figuring out, and which apparently does not like the wireless connection in MY house, but NICK'S house if just fine, whatever Toshiba, you are just high-maintenance), and buying more mulch for our garden from a really rude business (probably will not be going back), and stressing over the kittens not yet being adopted and the fact that I really need to get my rear in gear and find an internship/job in nursing, and losing and then finding my cell phone, I have a lot to write about but nothing comes to mind.

Therefore!

Have some kittens. (No, seriously. Adopt one! Or two!)

How CAN you resist? These kittens are soooo freaking adorable I can hardly stand it! Cordy, Riley, and Oz all snuggle together, kicking the poor dogs off of the dog bed. 


Oz and Cordy looking sweet as . . . um . . .kittens. 


Cordelia embodies the "curiosity" part of the kitten personality. This girl will NOT stay out of places like garages, sinks, fridges . . . and also ROOFS. 

Two nights ago I went up to bed and realized that my cat Io had pushed open my parents screen balcony door to go out on the roof. He likes to explore at night. Well. The kittens FOLLOWED HIM OUT. 

Freaking out only a little bit, thinking of owls and falling off the roof, I start calling the kittens. My two orange babies ran back within a few minutes and I gave them (threw them) at my dad before shutting the door and going out on the roof myself, as Oz was MIA. 

He materialized, saw me, and then started running on the roof to the far side, waaay away from me! I spent about five minutes trying to entice that darn kitten to come to me, and finally, he ran from me over to the screen door. I opened it and he BOLTED inside, before disappearing under my bed so I couldn't put him in the kitten's room. *sigh*

I took the two orange tabbies downstairs before returning for Oz, calling for my brother Troy to come and help. Oz sprinted past both of us, down the stairs, and into the living room before disappearing again. We were searching the house (even upstairs, this kitten is FAST), when we saw him bolting past us towards the office. He was practically a blur as he sped by. He then disappeared again! 

Troy finally found him hiding behind the dryer. It took us another few minutes to get him out of there (first tried enticing toys, but then gave in and poked his butt with a cat toy until he came out) and he was all bummed that we were making him go to bed and stop playing. 

Troy pretty much summed that kitten up by what he said that night. 

"He has mad ninja skills!" 

Troy's Junior Prom 2009

This is my baby brother, Troy.


Okay, I know he's not a baby anymore. I can't even say my "little" brother anymore, as he's quite a bit taller than I am. I can say "younger" though. I'll always be able to say that! Or I could say he's my age minus 2 years and 364 days.


Ahem. So, my baby little younger brother just had his Junior Prom. He had a lot of fun. He went with his girlfriend of about six months, Margie.

Belated Post: Snow 2007

Snow is pretty rare at our house, so when it does come here we usually have a lot of fun in it! I was looking through my pictures and found these!

Troy and I in a fierce snowball fight.  (I won, of course). 


I can't imagine why I've kept these pictures private, can you? I would love for everyone to comment on my fashion sense. (The beanie is from my uncle Scott from our cruise to Alaska, the gloves are from a garage sale, and I have no memories of that sweatshirt). (No, really, absolutely no idea where that sweatshirt came from. We collect random sweatshirts at the Symington household). 


This is our fabulous snowwoman. Snow-woman? Snow-she? Princess Snow? The next morning she was Princess Puddle. 

Sniff and Awww

I am way too emotional right now methinks: 

First, Kyla is getting married!!! I am so excited for her, and glad that it has finally happened! I can't wait to see her this summer! 

Second, Troy just asked me (he needed a "girly opinion") whether or not for prom if he should get Margie (his girlfriend of 6 months) a corsage or a single rose. We both lean towards the rose because 1) I think corsages are lame, they get squished and distract from your dress, and this is just A Thing that I have, corsages just equal annoying, and 2) we agree that a single rose is very romantic. Aaaaaaghhhh why is my baby brother growing up? 

Sniff. Sniff. Waaahhh!!!