I wrote about Elaine on the anniversary of her disappearance. Based on
her past, it was assumed that she had committed suicide.
Roughly a month ago, her remains were found along with evidence that it
was not suicide. Other than an amendment to my original post, I chose not to
mention it directly other than to a few select friends.
This past Friday, a man was arrested and charged with her murder.
It is a surreal feeling to read a newspaper article about something so
grisly and know the person in the story. While I am both elated that there is a strong chance of
justice in a situation where we thought there was little, I am angry that one
person could have altered so many lives with the senseless taking of Elaine's life.
No amount of justice will bring her back.
So, in memory of Elaine, please hug your loved ones and tell them you
love them. Do it now and do it often.
The sign above pretty much sums up my view of life. It is rarely the events of a day that determine if it is bad or good, but my attitude towards them. Obviously, some bad days are just bad days regardless of your attitude - my cousin's death is a bad day no matter how bloody cheerful I was prior to getting the news - but someone else's attitude in a meeting? That will only ruin my day if I let it.
I am, generally, a very positive person. I find that it makes life more enjoyable.
It also means that when life starts coming up roses, and you're already a happy person, it's really hard not to walk around doing this all day long:
Oh dancing Nathan Fillion, how I love thee!
What has been so fantastic? Just every day life, to be honest.
I know I said I wouldn't talk much about work on here, but work has been great. I grow to love my job a little bit more every day.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that this happened last Friday:
If you don't know who Eddie Izzard is (what's wrong with you?) then you need to watch this:
Oh, November 29th! You can't come fast enough.
I joined my brother's Yahoo Fantasy Premier League this year. I did it for various reasons but I honestly expected to spend my time at the bottom of the pool (I even named myself GunningforLast FC), stumbling through my picks and hoping that I (re)learn something about a league I love but haven't actively followed in about 10 years. It's early weeks yet, but I've done better than I expected.
That, my friends, is me sitting in 5th place. And that little asterisk in Week 7? That's indicating I was the points leader for the week. Week 6? I was 1 point behind the point leader. I'm feeling pretty darn pleased with myself right now.
Hopefully, I'm still sitting so pretty after this weekend.
On the flip side of feeling 'woo-hoo', Ireland is officially out of World Cup 2014 in Brazil and I can't even blame this guy:
Thierry Henry's handball, seen by everyone in the world except the ref, allowed
France to win against Ireland and knock us out of a spot in South Africa 2010.
Still bitter.
While I'm disappointed about Ireland, both Germany and Switzerland have qualified which means I still have teams to cheer for and will not have to wear a France jersey (because sometimes I have issues keeping my mouth shut) so...
Despite messing up my left tricep and bicep three weeks ago, I continue to love kickboxing and bootcamp. I was seriously bummed when I couldn't make class due to a cold-flu-breathing-issue last week. Unfortunately, I was so excited about getting back at it this week and kicking butt in kickboxing, that I left the gym after class in a haze of euphoria and failed to see the Pothole of Doom so I'm out until next week or whenever my knee scab heals and I can bend my leg again.
*sigh*
The Pothole was totally that goalie.
Finding a gym that has a built in support system (the other girls) and a trainer that holds you accountable has made all the difference in keeping me going back.
That and finding an activity that taps into my hidden desire to kick people's asses.
I guess that's what it really comes down to: I'm happy because I get to punch and kick things and no one gets mad at me.
There was supposed to be a full post going up today except the internet connection has been pants and now I have to run to catch the bus to concert band practice. Yes, a grown adult just typed that sentence.
I did want to say that life lately has been pretty...
Also, the Walking Dead starts on Sunday, so after the turkey dinner...
I disappeared from the blog this week for personal reasons. For those friends reading this who let me babble on about random things this week while I processed what happened, thank you.
In happier news, tomorrow is the All-Ireland Football Final (that would be Gaelic Football, by the way) at Croke Park in Dublin. What a treat to see my cousin on a Sunday Game TV spot:
Good on ya, Patrick!
What is the Sunday Game? It's the GAA version of "After Hours" for you hockey fans. As much as it pains me to say this: Up Dublin! Kick some Mayo arse!
As for the things that kept me going in amongst the random babbling? Well, one was that we had a successful launch of a new series at work. Sound oddly vague? Yes, but that's all you get. All you really need to know is that we knocked it out of the park.
Knocked it out. Just like Luther.
The other is that I joined a kickboxing gym... and I love it! I honestly did not expect that. At least, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did.
I got a two week free trial pass to Chakara Kickboxing and Total Fitness from my friend, Katie, who has been trying for a while to get me to come with her. K attends a combination of kickboxing and bootcamp classes four nights a week and was determined that I should attend all of them with her. ALL OF THEM! Sorry, Katie, but you be crazy! There was no way I was going to do all four days and not die.
Well, I did four days. I didn't lay down and die. In fact, I've signed up for more. I think I owe Katie an apology.
.
.
.
But she's not going to get it.
(I spent this week watching season 3 of Luther, hence the Luther gifs.)
Well, it only took 10 years of not being in some sort of schooling for me to finally stop thinking of September as a new year. Now it's just September, killer of summer dreams and bringer of longer nights. Thanks a lot, September.
September is pretty much Omar in month form.
Many years, September is just a continuation of August weather-wise, but this year it is definitely the beginning of Autumn. While the days are still warm, nights are downright cold here at the moment. We also had some crazy freak rain storms over the last two weeks which left me with two very cuddly cats because, dude, thunder!
This year seemed to be the summer of out-of-town visitors which was a good thing.
It was also the summer of macarons which was a good thing for everything except my waistline.
It was the summer of a missed DietBet because it takes forever to set up PayPal. Lesson learned.
And it was the summer of setting up a bedtime schedule due to sleeping issues. For the first time in years, I turned down social evenings specifically because I wouldn't be home in time for bed.
Yup.
But summer is actually my least favourite season - go ahead, mock me all you want for that fact - so I'm not too sad to see it go. Autumn is my second favourite season and the rest of September is shaping up to be an awesome month. The only thing I'm not looking forward to? All the bloody pumpkin love on the blogs I read.
The only thing I like about pumpkins is carving them and roasting the seeds. I don't care for the Pumpkin Spiced Lattes at Starbucks, I actively avoid pumpkin pie as an option for dessert, and I will roast every other type of cucurbita there is but pumpkin. Every recipe posted on a blog between now and American Thanksgiving is going to have pumpkin in it. To be honest, it makes me a little stabby.
Sorry, pumpkin. It's not me, it's you.
It was also, in case it's not already abundantly clear from the gif choices, the summer that I bought and (re)watched all five seasons of The Wire because it is arguably the best show to have even been broadcast. It is the show that ruined all other cop shows for me because it is so good and it is rooted in reality in a way that no other cop drama is. Fair warning: there is strong language, violence and nudity - hey, it's HBO! - but if you want to know why the war on drugs will never be won then this is the show to watch.
Plus, it has Idris Elba in it; do you really need another reason to watch?
