What A Weekend

Friday evening, my sisters and I took Seattle by storm...well, not so much, but we'd like to think otherwise. Yes, Friday night was the Bon Jovi concert we'd spent months (actually years) anticipating. For my sister, Kristin and I, it was our second Bon Jovi concert. For Erin and Hannah, it was their first. Obviously, the band didn't disappoint. They are amazing performers and still my favorite rock band and the only that would leave me feeling letdown after it was all over. Not because they weren't what I'd expected, but rather, because they were better. I feel sad because it's over, in the same way my children feel after Santa comes and they realize it's going to be another long year before he returns.

Sunday night, I finish reading Jane Austen's, Mansfield Park. My New Year's resolution this year was to read all of Jane Austen's novels, in order of publication. Therefore, I began with Sense and Sensibility, followed by Pride and Prejudice, and lastly, Mansfield Park. Initially, the writing confused me; for example, I'm accustomed to characters being referred to by their first names, rather than Mr. or Mrs. I really get tripped up when a couple of characters are being called Mrs. Rushworth. These novels have taken me longer to read than others written in the 21st century, but they are quite entertaining and I'd recommend anyone looking to read well written literature to give Jane Austen a try. I will definitely be writing more on Jane Austen as I complete my resolution.

This morning, as I was thinking about my weekend, I reflected on these different forms of entertainment...how they've both peaked my interest. How do you compare Bon Jovi to Jane Austen? Yes, I grew up when Bon Jovi was at their peak, and have followed them as a fan for over twenty years; yet, Jane Austen's characters appeal to me so much that I can envision them- truly caring for some and despising others.

*Bon Jovi was an average rock band before 1985...before the album, Slippery When Wet, was released. Before you could purchase a pair of stone washed jeans and feather your bangs, they went from semi-famous, to one of the hottest bands around. Jane Austen, on the other hand, published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, under the name, A Lady.

*Bon Jovi can entertain a crowd for two hours straight and then leave them screaming for an encore. Jane Austen wrote her first books, to entertain her family. It wasn't until her family received them so well, that she pursued publication. In fact, several years passed between when Sense and Sensibility was written and published, and the name was originally titled, Elinor and Marianne, and was written as a series of letters.

*Mansfield Park studies the theater and it's negative effects. It also talks about classicism and how people who are born, or raised, in privilege are more well bred then those with less education and training. Bon Jovi doesn't take any chances on stage. They rock hard and they entertain. Fans range from the wealthy to the lower middle class, and they sit in the arena alongside one another. One of the songs from their recent album, The Circle, is titled "Working Man." It was written after the election of President Obama and for all those who work hard for a living; whether in a factory or a steel mill.

*Bon Jovi will travel all over the world during this two year tour. Traveling during Jane Austen's time, the eighteenth century, was not easy. People took horse drawn carriages, or traveled by post (with the mail.) They stayed long periods of time in the places they were visiting because travel was infrequent and difficult.

*Jane Austen is a beloved author of six completed novels. She died at a young age and before she could complete what would have been her seventh novel, Sandition. Her final published novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published following her death, by her brother. Multiple film adaptations and literary works have been made from her novels. Bon Jovi has sold over 120 million albums worldwide. They have performed for over twenty six years and still have an amazing fan base and following. With any luck, they will keep rocking for many years to come.

Perhaps, I'm the only person in history to compare Bon Jovi to Jane Austen. As a true 80's girl, all I can say is that they are both...totally awesome.

Fan Club President

As I ran onto the basketball court before my first Varsity game, I felt a bundle of nerves, mixed with adrenaline, well up inside of my chest. I’d worked hard, for many years, to finally be able to wear the signature warm-ups of the Varsity team. Memories swirled through my head, in tempo with the rhythm of the pep band—late afternoon free-throw shooting at the neighborhood park, morning runs to build my endurance, and pick-up basketball games around a metal hoop with my dad and younger brother.

My brother had no finesse on the basketball court, and his primary accomplishment was perhaps the number of jammed fingers he’d given me over the years. My dad was a direct descendant of the coaching-school-of-tough-love, truly believing that no foul was ever committed unless blood was drawn. Yet, as I ran onto that basketball court, with my ponytailed hair and number fourteen jersey, I knew undoubtedly that my dad would be in the bleachers cheering for me. I did not anticipate, however, that he would be cheering during the warm-ups. As my team circled the court and began doing lay-up drills, I had to motion to my dad to come to the edge of the court, at which point I shouted over the music, “Dad, you’re not supposed to cheer during warm-ups, okay? Can you please wait for the game to start?”

My dad was twenty-one-years old when I was born, after marrying my mom directly out of high school, and entering the work force, as a baker. I’ve heard some speak of their fathers as though they are enigmas they barely knew—men, who worked all day to provide for their families, yet didn’t speak a lot about themselves, while their children respected them from a distance. Yes, my dad was like a lot of fathers who retired in front of the television each night after a long day of work, and whose primary goal in life was to provide for his family. Aside from that, my dad was the exact opposite of reserved. There was not one shy bone in his body, not one ounce of ability to keep his feelings hidden from his kids. He was part historian, part philosopher, part outgoing salesman—trapped inside the body of a baker.

My dad had multiple ideas and theories, along with a mountain of historical facts which consumed his thoughts on both long road trips and short jaunts across town. As my brother, sisters, and I zoned out on his reenactment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition toward the Pacific Ocean, our dad continued teaching us, in his animated way. It didn’t register that we were barely interested, or that our eyes had begun to float toward the back of our heads—he knew that either osmosis or some other life form was helping us to absorb what he lectured. My dad could’ve written a textbook on how to handle sullen teenagers. At a stage of development where a lot of parents began to obsess over receiving silent and stoic behavior, he ignored it and continued to educate us in the only way he knew how—by persistence.

Of all of the things I learned from my dad, a handful stand out. His most common phrase when I was an adolescent was, “boys will ruin your legs.” To this day, I’m not really sure what he meant by that. Perhaps it was to instill fear in me that by becoming involved with a member of the opposite sex, I would in fact, forfeit muscle tone. Further, he was adamantly opposed to me dating upperclassmen. He gravely told me that older boys only wanted one thing, and it wasn’t help with homework. What that translated to was that if I brought one of these scary older guys to our house, they would certainly get a personal tour of his gun collection. Shopping for dresses was always a fun experience with my dad. Anytime he pointed out a dress to me I would make a mental note that it wasn’t the right one. His saying, “this would look great on you,” actually meant, “not one ounce of your flesh will be seen through this dress which is the fabric equivalent of a couch cover.”

My dad knew we were lying by looking at the bottom of our tongues for the presence of blue lines. We’d no idea that those were actually veins which were always present—in our minds, he was a genius capable of espionage. Whenever he suggested going out for a family adventure, we knew we’d be taking a load of garbage, to the dump. If Dad talked about driving to the perfect picnic location, we could pretty much count on the fact that we would spend three hours in the car looking for this magical place before he settled on a different one. For my dad, it was never about the destination—he enjoyed the journey, because that meant time together in the car.

Dad was the master of home projects, and would rather spend every available moment he had working around the house, rather than hiring contractors, to do it. In his pursuit of home makeovers, he was an equal opportunity employer, which meant he hired—free of charge—his children. There was no such thing as “man’s work” or “woman’s work”—we were all created equal and capable of helping out with painting projects, laying out shingles as he roofed the house, and holding of the flashlight, while at the same time, staying out of his light.

Yes, I knew my dad would be out there cheering for my first Varsity basketball game, as he had been for every other game I’d played in. Although I hadn’t anticipated him to be cheering so loudly during our organized warm-up routine, I wasn’t surprised to see it. Dad was my ever present fan club president; the man who wore my picture button proudly on his winter coat, who still carried my tattered first grade photo in his wallet to show co-workers, and who never forgot to say I love you, before leaving for work in the morning. He was the dad who followed our winning basketball season all the way to the State Championship, and who was there with tears in his eyes, following the game. Although I wasn’t the star of the team, he was proud of me; and if I would have challenged his pride, I wouldn’t have seen any blue lines beneath his tongue, because it was the truth. As the basketball nets were being cut down by our team captains and the championship trophy carried by our coach, I ran to the edge of the bleachers and hugged my dad—who was, of course—still cheering.

Dad's Medical Update- February 12- 4:00 p.m.

I just received good news from Billings. My Dad's heart is able to be treated with medication, therefore surgery is not necessary, at this time. This is such a relief as one of Dad's greatest fears is to undergo open heart surgery again. He will probably be in the hospital until Sunday, so if anything changes, I'll keep you posted.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It's amazing how much easier life is when you have a strong support system. I appreciate each of you and am hoping for a speedy recovery for Dad.

Dad's Medical Update- February 12- 10:00 a.m.

In order to keep family and friends informed about my Dad's health, I thought if would be beneficial to post updates to my blog. I want to start off by saying that I really appreciate all of your prayers and thoughts, they seem to be working. Yesterday, when Dad was admitted to the hospital, I spoke with him and he was really out of it. He was on a nitroglycerin patch, which gives him a terrible headache. To combat the headache, they gave him narcotics, which make him nauseous. When we spoke in the morning, he was drugged, sore, and emotional. By 7:00 p.m., he was more alert and no longer on the nitro or narcotics. This morning, he was talkative and watching the History Channel and reading the newspaper. A good sign...

I'll start by telling you some of my dad's history. In 1993, my dad had open heart surgery, at the age of 41. He had several blockages, one of which was at 90%. He was in the hospital for four nights, following his surgery, and then went home to recuperate. Since his surgery, he's been hospitalized several times for "maintenance." There is one artery in particular that I'm aware of, which keeps collapsing. He's had multiple stents inserted to keep it open.

On Wednesday night Dad began having chest pains, so his girlfriend, Julie, took him to the emergency room. I've been told he didn't do well on a stress test, but his blood work came out okay. He is scheduled for tests today so that they can see exactly what is going on. The cardiologist needs to see what the extent of damage is to that one artery in particular. With a build-up of scar tissue and multiple stents, it might be necessary to perform another open heart surgery to repair the damage.

So that's where we are this morning. We are essentially waiting for word. I spoke with Dad and Julie, just an hour ago, and have been assured I will hear from them as soon as his test. In the event that Dad has to have open heart surgery again, I will be flying out to Billings. I'll keep you all updated...

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

Yesterday, Chris and I attended the Memorial Service of a woman we didn't personally know, but who touched the lives of many. Her name was Deana Weitzel, and she was a wife, mom, sister, daughter, co-worker, and friend. Her husband, Mike, was deployed with Chris to Iraq, just last year, and he came home at the same time as Chris, in early August. After his return, Mike and Deana went on a vacation to Paris. When they returned she went to her doctor because she wasn't feeling well and was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. She endured chemotherapy and tried some experimental treatments, and from what I've heard, she was responding to these treatments well. Just a few months after her diagnosis, she passed away, leaving her husband and two children, a daughter and son.

Yesterday, I was reminded of how fragile life is and how quickly the people we dearly love can be taken from us. This was the third funeral I've attended in the past six months, and the second for a 44-year-old who died of cancer, the first being, my Uncle Pat. As I sat in the Church listening to loved ones and friends reminisce about this wonderful woman, Deana, I found myself deeply touched. I thought about my own children and how hard it would be for me to leave them. I remembered how much I yearned for my husband to return from deployment and contemplated how challenging it would be to face a diagnosis, such as cancer, just when I was rejoicing his homecoming.

Last night I fell asleep knowing that I need to make more of an effort to tell my loved ones how much I truly love them, to call my friends more often to let them know that I'm thinking of them, to pray for those who are suffering and continue to pray for them when they are well, to enjoy the moments in life when I am able to spend time with my husband and children.

I pray for the entire Weitzel family. It is my hope that one day, when I leave this world, I will have left an imprint on the lives of others, as Deana obviously did. She was a shining star, who lit up many lives, and who will continue to do so from Heaven.

My Week In Review

I haven't blogged much lately, basically because I've started writing a second novel and when I'm concentrating on a new project, it consumes me. I have a goal to write for a solid 2-3 hours a day, some days I actually reach it. What I do know is that when writing, I am a happier person. I will continue to work on selling my first novel, a process which can take years. I will also continue to research literary agents and follow their blogs. I have learned so much in this business, more than I knew even a few short months ago, yet I realize there is still much to learn. I will continue to blog, perhaps not as frequently. Therefore, here is a recap of the last week of my life.

*Allison turned three. What a wonderful child she is and I am so truly blessed. Granted, she still refuses to go the the YMCA nursery, but she is a champ at home when I'm working out. She has a difficult time falling asleep at night, and although I never quite know what to expect at bedtime, I always get to wake up to lots of hugs and kisses. She is finally potty trained during the day. We celebrated her birthday with a Dora the Explorer party which several of Chris' family members were able to attend. Oh, and she loves to color...all day long.

*Our furnace broke. Obviously this happened the morning of Allison's birthday party because whenever you've invited people over for dinner, a crisis is bound to occur. We lucked out though, with warmer than average January temperatures, so by using our gas fireplace, it didn't get too unbearably cold in the house. After receiving two estimates, we chose a new furnace and had it installed yesterday. Yes, we are a bit poorer, but at least we're warm.

*Chris and I watched the premiere of Lost last night. I wish I could give you some insight as to what questions were answered, but I'm still trying to figure that out myself. I will say that Terry O'Quinn is an amazing actor, and his portrayal of dual roles is quite impressive.

*Madison officially dropped out of Choir because she just feels too overwhelmed. The plus side- that frees up one hour of our week. The downside- I really enjoyed watching her sing in Choir.

*Peyton received his First Reconciliation and participated in his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. I was enormously proud of him for both. What was really special was being able to watch him and Chris build the Derby car together.

*Chris has been working many many hours. He is home for dinner each night, but typically is on the computer working until going to bed. I do love having him home though, I still find it hard to believe that at this time last year, he was in Iraq.

*I joined my Church's Relay For Life team in what will be my third year participating. After losing my uncle to cancer this past summer this Relay is more poignant for me. Chris and I will also be attending the funeral of a lady this Saturday, who died of leukemia last week, just five months after her diagnosis and six months after her husband returned from Iraq. I will continue to raise money in an effort to wipe out this insidious disease.

*I was contacted by Chicken Soup for the Soul for a story I wrote a couple of months ago. They want to publish it in Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul. I am honored and excited, and since I've been running my entire life, it's even more special. I think it will be released in July, so stay tuned...

Anyway, that's my week in a nutshell. Until next time...