Tiny World

Ben and I spent a bit of time in Penn State this past weekend. The Pennharmonics had their Shamrockapella concert and Beer Pong Tournament (Ben and Pete lost).
Also, I had invited Jamie and Ricky along because a fav band of theirs was playing at Zeno's and they wanted to meet up with old friends from when they worked at Penn State.

We dropped Jamie and Ricky off a their friends for dinner and the rest of us headed to the concert.

I wasn't much in the mood for hanging out with the undergrads at the Beer Pong tournament, plus I had promised Melissa that I would take her out once she turned 21. We headed to Zeno's to catch The Blue Method perform. I called Jamie and they said they'd be running late. So I downed a couple of G&T's and taught Melissa's friends how to pour/try GOOD beers while waiting for both the band to perform and J&R to show up.

After about an hour, I look up and see Andy Pierce walking towards me. Yes, I just wrote Andy Pierce. Holy crap! We greeted with hugs galore and chatted a bit. I see Jamie and Ricky coming in and I point to them as I'm telling Andy who I was waiting for. Turns out, he CAME with Jamie and Ricky. Holy FREAKIN' crap! Andy Pierce is friends with Jamie and Ricky. (BTW, for those of you who haven't spoken with Mr. Pierce within the last 4 years, he now goes by Andrew.) Anyway, this was just blowing my mind. And apparently his too because he would look at Jamie and myself interacting, while standing in complete disbelief.

This is a teenie tiny world we're living in.

To summarize:
Shamrockapella was entertaining
PAO lost to the currents
The Blue Method pretty much rocks
Ricky and Jamie are friends with Andy Pierce

Pet Peeve?

You know those little plastic baggies that reside in the fruit/veggie section of grocery stores? You can tie them in a knot or use the twisty-ties?

Well, I find these baggies completely unnecessary when purchasing fruits/veggies (for the most part - we'll get to that in a minute).

Reasons for not needing them:
Fruits/Veggies contain their own protective layer
You're just going to (hopefully) wash them anyway
The little sticker on the item is easier for the cashier to read, unless they have them all memorized
It's wasteful - the life of a baggie consists of a loop around the grocery store, into yet ANOTHER bag and then thrown out (not recyclable) as soon as you get home.

Even with all those reasons, Ben still insists on using them. I just don't get it and it drives me insane with every single trip to the grocery store.

I do have 2 reasons for possibly accepting the usage:
You have multiple little items that you MUST keep together
The skin on the fruit/veggie can easily be punctured and ruined - but even those flimsy bags can only withstand so much pressure

If this is your case, then I suggest using a canvas bag that can be used and re-used for all your grocery shopping needs.

Now I lambie down to sleep...

For the longest time I truly thought there was a prayer about my beloved Lambie. And yes, I still have Lambie - newly repaired thanks to Mama Clarke for her creative-surgery and cloak.

But with all seriousness I would like to ask you for your prayers. My nephew, Niall, has been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. For those of you who don't know what CF is, I enclosed a copy of WebMD's definition.

"Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes mucas in the body to become thick and sticky. This glue-like mucus builds up and causes problems in many of the body's organs, especially the lungs and pancreas. People who have cystic fibrosis can have serious breathing problems and lung disease. They can also have problems with nutrition, digestion, growth, and development. There is no cure for cystic fibrosis and the disease generally gets worse over time.

The life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis has been steadily increasing over the past 40 years. On average, people who have cystic fibrosis live into their mid-to-late 30s, although new treatments are making it possible for some people to live into their 40s and longer."

Knowing those statistics, it's very hard on my family right now. Brian and Loni are doing the best they can and being proactive. Even though signs won't appear within the first couple of years, they are already starting Niall on a vitamin and researching CF centers to find the best care.

Niall is currently with Loni in California, visiting her parents. It was extremely difficult to get him out for fresh air in bitterly cold Idaho. Plus they were finding it hard to get the right vitamin for Niall in/around Sandpoint.

Right now Brian is struggling with this news all alone (the dogs are in CA, too). Luckily he has the restaurant and his band recordings to keep him busy. He'll be flying to CA next week so he can be with Loni and Niall for Easter and then they'll all return to Idaho the following week.

There is a bit of good news with this terrible disease. The doctors say that Niall will be able to attend a typical school and be active in sports. There is no reason why he should not be able to live a fulfilling life. He has wonderful parents and a huge loving family. We have been receiving a bunch of support and hearing success stories from friends who have encountered CF within their own families.

Plus, what better father than a percussionist to do all the chest percussion?

May God bless you, little one.