365 Days to 30/365 People Who Were Along for the Ride

Day #334 - Annie H.

Annie is a new friend (I have added people to the list as the year has gone on). And you can’t beat this “small world” story.

A few months ago, my mom called me to tell me that her friend Irene had a friend whose daughter was delivering at the same hospital as me and was due two day after baby boy (did you follow that?) So I told my mom to get her info and I would send her an e-mail.

My mom called Irene and asked her for more info about this girl named Annie. Irene said, “She is married to a boy named Brock H. and lives in Baltimore.” Well, I know Brock H. Remember this?

So Annie and I quickly became e-mail friends. And oh how we laughed (and still do) at the circumstances that have brought us together. I hope it’s the beginning of a great friendship. Who would have thought?

Day #333 - Laura H.

Laura is one of the great graphic designers that I am fortunate enough to work with these days. I say fortunate enough because we pay her and she makes me (and in turn, us) look good.

She is also a work from home mom, so I have been grilling her these last few months on how she makes it all tick, and she has been nothing but a wonderful resource.

Day #332 - Elisa S.

Elisa was my neighbor and friend growing up on Shadow Lane and is the twin sister to Kate. Kate was an athletic blonde and Elisa was the dancer brunette. From a young age, it became apparent that Elisa was going to be a really, really talented dancer. She was (and still is) very elegant and beautiful. And I always admired her perfect hairbuns. Ha. She is on the far right of this photo (I am in front of her).

Many mornings were spent at the Soulier house before school. Many afternoons were spent exploring the woods around our houses with the Soulier girls. I don’t think I’ve seen Elisa since my wedding day more than eight years ago. I can’t believe it.

Day #331 - Rich S.

Rich is the assistant headmaster at St. Paul’s. And a really, really awesome guy. He was one of my favorite people to interview with because I thought he asked me real questions. And I learned during that interview that he had once been a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. How awesome is that?

Rich is a great, passionate teacher. He is hysterical and a pleasure to work with, but gets his work done and done really well. I only wish that someday our kids would have one teacher like Rich. This is his last year at St. Paul’s and I am really, really going to miss him.

Day #330 - Kristin C.

Kristin was a skating buddy of mine from back in the day. She was a fun girl and a bit crazy. Always fun to be around. We lost touch over the years and I’m sorry to say that her father (who I always remember as a very happy man) passed away during those years. Kristin and I have since reconnected on Facebook (of course), and it looks like life is treating her well. She is newly-married (was a beautiful bride) and seems very happy. (Kristin is on the left of this picture).

Day #329 - Gen S.

When we moved close to Annapolis, we decided that we would sponsor midshipmen from the Naval Academy. We started out saying we would sponsor two. And then they called and said they were in desperate need of sponsors and could we take three? Sure, we said. Then we get to the night where we go and meet the mids we’ll sponsor and they are still short. Can we take four? Why not. Just call me octomom.

The activity of meeting your mids was very much like the Price is Right. You walked over to their company, which were seated in stadium-like seats, and they called your midshipman down. Well, we went over to Gen’s company and here she comes – on crutches. Ken yells up, “Send her back, we don’t want a broken one.”

Gen quickly became a part of our little family, spending her Saturdays eating our food, studying, sleeping, and scratching Charmer constantly. She was a joy to have around – easy and polite. Gen was never a burden.

She was a huge success at the Academy. Huge. And she is now in graduate school, with plans to go to flight school with the Marines.

Day #328 - Teri S.

Teri was my other freshman year RA. She lived immediately next to Sharon and I in a (what I remember) ginormous room. In the grand scheme of things, I imagine an RA at Lehigh could have much worse next door neighbors than quiet Sharon and I.

She had a very blunt perspective on life and I really liked it. I have one vague memory of us contemplating getting a tattoo one night in Teri’s room and we decided to try out the sharpies on our backs to see what we would look like with tats.

I stayed in touch with Teri throughout my years at Lehigh and she came to our wedding. I still get a Christmas card from her, but would love to take her out to dinner and really catch up!

Day #327 - Grandpa A.

Grandpa Alexy is Ken’s maternal grandfather. He is jolly and fun and sweet. He is kind and smart. He is good with his hands – he has a woodshop that even I envy (I secretly loved shop class as a little girl). I’m pretty sure Ken grew up thinking his grandfather could build anything. Because he could.

It is always nice to spend time with Grandpa Alexy. He is genuinely interested in what’s going on in our lives and we are lucky to have him. Here he is with all the other boys.

Day #137 - Camp Counselor

**In catching up on this blog, I realized that I skipped Day #137, so I’m inserting it here!**

When I was little, I went to a camp called Camp Arrowhead for several summers. I never really liked sleepaway camp – I was always desperately homesick (I wonder if my mom has any of the letters I wrote home begging her to come pick me up?)

When I was nine, I think, I was at Camp Arrowhead for a few weeks. One night my cabin went out into the woods to cookout. I don’t remember how it happened, or why, or if it was my fault or the counselors, but somehow, the camp counselor dropped a pot of boiling water right on my foot.

It hurt a lot. That I remember. I got a piggy-back ride all the way back to camp, that I remember too. I remember spending the night in the infirmary and coming back to my cabin the next day on crutches.

And I remember how furious my mom was that the camp never called her.

But I hope the camp counselor has forgiven herself. I know it’s something that would haunt me, but really, I was never going to be a foot model anyway (toes are entirely too long), so the scar gives me a little bit of character. Really.

Day #326 - Sarah W.

Sarah is my general physician, and one of the most wonderful doctors I have ever had. She was recommended to me by a former coworker and is just kind and thoughtful and sincere.

Earlier this year, I was having issues with my thyroid and we thought it might have something to do with why I wasn’t getting pregnant. I had a very doom and gloom fertility doctor start talking to me about egg donation, etc. I went to see Sarah to get the medication to regulate my thyroid, and she talked me down from the edge I’d been teetering on. She told me that the thyroid would definitely hurt my chances of getting pregnant and started me on the right medicine.

And wouldn’t you know – a week and a half later I was calling Sarah to tell her I was pregnant. Yes, you read that right – a week and a half later.