christmas day 2011, a set on Flickr.
12.31.2011
12.27.2011
12.26.2011
12.25.2011
nomadic
MARZISM OF THE DAY:
"mom, we move so many times i can't remember what our house looks like very well."
"mom, we move so many times i can't remember what our house looks like very well."
12.11.2011
as i should be leaving the house for church, i'm sure blogging isn't the best thing to be doing. and all the chaos in my head doesn't seem to be spitting out in the form of words. so i'm not quite sure while i'm sitting in front of the screen typing.
christmas approaches fast. there will be no tree, no decorations, no presents... well, at least in the abode where we are crashing at the moment. but we'll have christmas. just someplace else. we'll visit the strip on christmas eve as we did a few years ago. we'll be together. and i'm trying to remind myself that is what's important. although, i think i approach a nervous breakdown every other day.
soon we will have a place to call our own. not a house i mean. just a place. a place that means something to us and a place that is special to the 7 of us.
i did have a great birthday celebration with some absolutely fabulous friends. some that i hold very dear. and even though i wasn't crazy about getting older, my doc is still crazy about me and i'm grateful.
howz that for some random spew on a sunday morning....
christmas approaches fast. there will be no tree, no decorations, no presents... well, at least in the abode where we are crashing at the moment. but we'll have christmas. just someplace else. we'll visit the strip on christmas eve as we did a few years ago. we'll be together. and i'm trying to remind myself that is what's important. although, i think i approach a nervous breakdown every other day.
soon we will have a place to call our own. not a house i mean. just a place. a place that means something to us and a place that is special to the 7 of us.
i did have a great birthday celebration with some absolutely fabulous friends. some that i hold very dear. and even though i wasn't crazy about getting older, my doc is still crazy about me and i'm grateful.
howz that for some random spew on a sunday morning....
11.26.2011
do over
i guess i don't hate christmas in and of itself. i should restate. i hate christmas shopping, christmas lists, christmas presents, christmas in stores before halloween, christmas traditions that have no purpose, christmas candy, christmas stress...
thanksgiving came and went in the blink of an eye as it always seems to do. but this year i didn't bake a bird. i didn't spend hours running around the kitchen trying to make sure there was something to eat when people arrived. it was pretty sad. it was mucho fun to see so much family that we hadn't seen in such a long time. but i sure missed having the party at my house. it has become our tradition.
last night we met up with friends to tour the holiday lights at temple square. and man was it COLD!! (not according to everyone, just me, of course) i can't remember the last time i braved the cold for something. there's something different about christmas this year for me. as i walked through temple square looking at all the different nativities, hearing the music, seeing the lights...i wasn't dreading dec 25 as i usually do. it was definitely a comforting feeling.
thanksgiving came and went in the blink of an eye as it always seems to do. but this year i didn't bake a bird. i didn't spend hours running around the kitchen trying to make sure there was something to eat when people arrived. it was pretty sad. it was mucho fun to see so much family that we hadn't seen in such a long time. but i sure missed having the party at my house. it has become our tradition.
last night we met up with friends to tour the holiday lights at temple square. and man was it COLD!! (not according to everyone, just me, of course) i can't remember the last time i braved the cold for something. there's something different about christmas this year for me. as i walked through temple square looking at all the different nativities, hearing the music, seeing the lights...i wasn't dreading dec 25 as i usually do. it was definitely a comforting feeling.
11.24.2011
11.16.2011
home sweet home
every day i drove to or from the boys' school in montgomery, i would pass this:
when i first saw this place i thought it was just something someone had abandoned. but then every once in a while i would see a truck parked on the side of it and there is a barking dog that can be seen on the north side of the structure. so we started assuming someone lived there.
i've been so frustrated with our temporary situation. it really stinks to throw clothes into drawers or hang them up in a closet, not knowing when they'll have to just be put back in a bag again. and it's such a bummer not know where we'll be in a month. but then i pulled these pics off my memory card and had to remind myself that at least we have a warm place to sleep each night. we have a front door that locks and no barking dog outside. we have grocery stores and gas stations nearby. so i suppose wherever you hang your clothes, you can make a home.
i've been so frustrated with our temporary situation. it really stinks to throw clothes into drawers or hang them up in a closet, not knowing when they'll have to just be put back in a bag again. and it's such a bummer not know where we'll be in a month. but then i pulled these pics off my memory card and had to remind myself that at least we have a warm place to sleep each night. we have a front door that locks and no barking dog outside. we have grocery stores and gas stations nearby. so i suppose wherever you hang your clothes, you can make a home.
11.10.2011
montgomery for good
i'm horrible at goodbyes. i do have to say that it's much easier to be the one leaving than to be the one being left behind. even with that said, the past 2 days have been tough. leaving montgomery was a breeze. leaving the people we met...not so much. i completely embarrassed the yahoos at our last crossfit class by acting like a big gigantic cry baby in front of the trainers. it's not just leaving my crossfit family. but it's knowing that there will be no new crossfit family for awhile. not that i can't crossfit. just that everything will be so temporary for the next few months or more. no real home. no real ward. no real crossfit gym. no real school. no real desire to meet or talk to or interact with people.
anyway, many apologies if you didn't get a goodbye, or if i was grumpy when you came to help, or if i ignored your phone calls, or if i didn't act like i would miss you. no worries. i cried while you weren't looking. and because i lack the communication skills to tell you how i feel, i have this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU
anyway, many apologies if you didn't get a goodbye, or if i was grumpy when you came to help, or if i ignored your phone calls, or if i didn't act like i would miss you. no worries. i cried while you weren't looking. and because i lack the communication skills to tell you how i feel, i have this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU
11.06.2011
three blues in a crowd
about a week after we returned from kauai/dallas, we took off again to chicago for a medical conference. i had all this shopping planned, but i was too cold to leave the warm kimpton room. we did venture out to dinner at whole foods with some half-off blue man tickets. i've seen it twice before, but still love it.
11.04.2011
if you give a marz a parrot...
marz: if i had a bird i wouldn't cut its wings off. that's mean.
me: well, they don't cut the wings off. they just cut them shorter so they can't fly away.
marz: yeah that's mean. just put it in a cage.
me: but what if you take it out of the cage to pet it and it flies away.
marz: well then i'd just let it go. it would come back when it wants.
me: what if it doesn't?
marz: that's ok. [pause] i want a bird that talks.
me: you mean margalo? [they had just watched stuart little 2]
marz: no. like a real bird that can talk.
me: oh. a parrot?
marz: yeah, a parrot.
me: well, they don't cut the wings off. they just cut them shorter so they can't fly away.
marz: yeah that's mean. just put it in a cage.
me: but what if you take it out of the cage to pet it and it flies away.
marz: well then i'd just let it go. it would come back when it wants.
me: what if it doesn't?
marz: that's ok. [pause] i want a bird that talks.
me: you mean margalo? [they had just watched stuart little 2]
marz: no. like a real bird that can talk.
me: oh. a parrot?
marz: yeah, a parrot.
10.29.2011
customer service
this is sprint calling to follow up on a customer service call made on october 28th. for english press 1, for spanish press 2.
overall, were you happy with the service that was provided? please rate service on a scale of 1 -5, with 5 being extremely satisfied and 1 being extremely dissatisfied. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 -5 with 5 being extremely satisfied and 1 being extremely dissatisfied. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
please rate the listening skills of the last representative you spoke to on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
please rate how knowledgeable the last representative you spoke to was on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being very knowledgeable and 1 being not knowledgeable at all. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
this continued on for 3 more questions. i was too tired to listen to them all. i'm even more too tired to type them all. this, boys and girls, is how good customer service is determined in our world today. such efficiency.
overall, were you happy with the service that was provided? please rate service on a scale of 1 -5, with 5 being extremely satisfied and 1 being extremely dissatisfied. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 -5 with 5 being extremely satisfied and 1 being extremely dissatisfied. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
please rate the listening skills of the last representative you spoke to on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
please rate how knowledgeable the last representative you spoke to was on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being very knowledgeable and 1 being not knowledgeable at all. [BEEP] you chose 3 on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being highly skilled and 1 being not skilled at all. if this is correct, please press 1. if not, press 2.
this continued on for 3 more questions. i was too tired to listen to them all. i'm even more too tired to type them all. this, boys and girls, is how good customer service is determined in our world today. such efficiency.
10.27.2011
mayhem smoothly
i know mayhem is chaotic and bumpy and whirlwindish and all the other synonyms that go along with. but us mannings also know from experience that it can be all of that in a very smooth manner.
i'm really sick of getting quotes for packers, movers, autoshippers, storage, flights, rental cars, hotels, and more flights. i'm tired of boxes, packing tape, sharpies, sorting, organizing, unpacking, labeling, storing, decorating, rearranging. i'm sick of talking to recruiters that don't listen and explaining to potential employers what went wrong with montgomery. i'm tired of tracking down transcripts, diplomas, certifications, identification documents, reference letters, verification forms, postage rates, signatures, test scores, and addresses to schools from 10 years ago. i'm sick of looking at maps to find driving distances for restaurants, stores, groceries, churches, schools, hospitals, houses, airports, and county lines.
sometimes i'd love for it all to end. but having an ending isn't really the goal, is it? our perspective is supposed to be eternal. our attitude should be focused on progress and learning. there are a million things i could list that i don't know. there are a gazillion questions that everyone is asking right now that i can't answer. but what i do know is that our time in montgomery has not been a waste. we have few regrets. i know that something can make you happy for a time and it might not make you happy forever. i know that God can change emotions and feelings in an instant when he wants to and sometimes it's to make things easier on us.
this family knows how to adapt and change when necessary. i have faith that the sharp edges of these up and coming chaotic changes will be smoothed out by God and we will come out of it stronger and wiser and ready for the next adventure thereafter.
i'm really sick of getting quotes for packers, movers, autoshippers, storage, flights, rental cars, hotels, and more flights. i'm tired of boxes, packing tape, sharpies, sorting, organizing, unpacking, labeling, storing, decorating, rearranging. i'm sick of talking to recruiters that don't listen and explaining to potential employers what went wrong with montgomery. i'm tired of tracking down transcripts, diplomas, certifications, identification documents, reference letters, verification forms, postage rates, signatures, test scores, and addresses to schools from 10 years ago. i'm sick of looking at maps to find driving distances for restaurants, stores, groceries, churches, schools, hospitals, houses, airports, and county lines.
sometimes i'd love for it all to end. but having an ending isn't really the goal, is it? our perspective is supposed to be eternal. our attitude should be focused on progress and learning. there are a million things i could list that i don't know. there are a gazillion questions that everyone is asking right now that i can't answer. but what i do know is that our time in montgomery has not been a waste. we have few regrets. i know that something can make you happy for a time and it might not make you happy forever. i know that God can change emotions and feelings in an instant when he wants to and sometimes it's to make things easier on us.
this family knows how to adapt and change when necessary. i have faith that the sharp edges of these up and coming chaotic changes will be smoothed out by God and we will come out of it stronger and wiser and ready for the next adventure thereafter.
10.21.2011
to terminate, perchance to be free
freedom is all relative i suppose. and free from what? i'm not quite sure. but it sounded nifty, nonetheless.
since it's no secret anymore, i thought i'd finally tell everyone. alabama is counting down the days until we leave it. there's no set date. there's no place to say we're going to. but the decision to leave has finally been made final. am i talking in circles? sure feels like it. it was made final a couple months ago, but we tried to keep it internal until the practice knew. doc macgyver let them know that he didn't intend on staying permanently and their response was to give him his 90 day notice. oh well. life never turns out how we expect, does it? the job wasn't what was touted. neither were the schools. kids aren't happy. doc's not happy. time to move on. i thought it was our duty to provide our kids with a stable, permanent place to be. perhaps it's just not in the cards for us. my perspective isn't really reliable. God knows best.
i can't say i'll miss much of anything about 'bama except for the people i met. oh wait. and the weather. the weather has been wonderful.
and i can't really say that i'm excited to be doing this whole job search/moving/packing/househunting/schoolhunting/wardhunting thing again. at all. i must really be getting old. i thought i had a deep love of nomadic life. wow. such laziness has overtaken me i guess.
the lean is towards TX or CA. but we'll have to see. when we find yet another new place to call home, i'll let all 3 of you who read this blog know.
i do have sugarplum dreams of one day being in a house that i own and having a smashing, fabulous, haunted, wretched halloween party full of fancy costumes and food and decorations and scariness!!! i thought it would be oct 31, 2011. but looks like not. oh well. someday. will someone please petition to calendar companies to put someday on the calendar??
since it's no secret anymore, i thought i'd finally tell everyone. alabama is counting down the days until we leave it. there's no set date. there's no place to say we're going to. but the decision to leave has finally been made final. am i talking in circles? sure feels like it. it was made final a couple months ago, but we tried to keep it internal until the practice knew. doc macgyver let them know that he didn't intend on staying permanently and their response was to give him his 90 day notice. oh well. life never turns out how we expect, does it? the job wasn't what was touted. neither were the schools. kids aren't happy. doc's not happy. time to move on. i thought it was our duty to provide our kids with a stable, permanent place to be. perhaps it's just not in the cards for us. my perspective isn't really reliable. God knows best.
i can't say i'll miss much of anything about 'bama except for the people i met. oh wait. and the weather. the weather has been wonderful.
and i can't really say that i'm excited to be doing this whole job search/moving/packing/househunting/schoolhunting/wardhunting thing again. at all. i must really be getting old. i thought i had a deep love of nomadic life. wow. such laziness has overtaken me i guess.
the lean is towards TX or CA. but we'll have to see. when we find yet another new place to call home, i'll let all 3 of you who read this blog know.
i do have sugarplum dreams of one day being in a house that i own and having a smashing, fabulous, haunted, wretched halloween party full of fancy costumes and food and decorations and scariness!!! i thought it would be oct 31, 2011. but looks like not. oh well. someday. will someone please petition to calendar companies to put someday on the calendar??
10.18.2011
shedding
few days after i started looking like the thanksgiving turkey, of course i started losing layers of skin. and i mean layers - plural. peel, then still red underneath, then peel again. yuck. i can't remember the last time i had such an awful, long-lasting, itchy, painful sunburn. we managed surfing and a hike. but outside of that, our return trip to kauai was not that eventful or adventurous. we did attempt snorkeling our last day, but we rented the gear and got to the beach and read the sign that said "no snorkeling due to strong currents". lovely. by the time we reached dallas, my face had already lost one layer, and here's what came off the top half of my back. YUCK.
10.15.2011
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