It caught on in a flash

From the mission. Tocando puertas gives you time to plan alot of things..creative picture taking being one.

I've been trying all week to write a poem about fall.

It's been a travesty. Muddled verses about falling leaves and chilly breezes.

I can't find the words to encapsulate the pure heavenly joy that is; for me, everything fall.

Today was a perfect fall day -beautiful, clear, and crisp.

My parents and brother came to visit and we had cheese steaks and went to the Christmas Tree Shoppe.

(which was un-freaking-believable..rivals IKEA for my favorite store ever status!)

And now tonight-

My jack o lantern is on its last legs, but I've got it burning for one last night. My little ceramic haunted house too.

The only thing missing from my being perfectly content with all the world and life is missing seeing one little bat, one giraffe, one dinosaur, and one handsome Harry Potter:)

Lori Ann

All Hallows Eve

At my house on All Hallows Eve we (well..just me) are all about watching "Disney's Halloween Treat" on Youtube.

And eating our fancy fall meal.

 Yes, I know it's just chicken and potatoes.

 But its on a fancy plate and there's sparkly cranberry juice!

And now..on to the third element of my annual Halloween ritual..watching Matt Damon movies!!

Lori Ann

Random Thoughts: Saturday evening edition

It's snowing!

 My mom said the last time she remembers it snowing in October was the year I was born.

It's weird to see the juxtaposition of the fall leaves and the snow.

It creates some serious cognitive dissonance for me.

The view from my window at home is AMAZING.

 I tried to get pictures, but they turned out really badly.

 I feel like I am in a really cool snow globe up here on the 4th floor!

I am watching scary movies tonight.

 YAY!

 I love to scare myself a little.

Yesterday I had to do 6 diagnostic assessments.

4 of which were in Spanish.

 Every once in a while I have a moment where I am really kinda impressed with myself.

 I can listen to someone talk in Spanish, all the while writing the assessment in English, speaking back to them in Spanish, etc.

Maybe it's not that impressive to anyone else, but it's one thing I'm proud of.

Anyway, I am rambling now...I'm off to take a bubble bath, make some hot chocolate, light up my jack o lantern, and then scary movie night can begin!!

Lori Ann

And it made me complete

My FALL FESTIVE night.

 It all started with..

Chinese Food and Pumpkin Carving!!

(Thanks again, Eri!)

Project Runway...oh Joshua..I love you and I hate you at the same time.

My finished pumpkin! It's supposed to be the night sky.

The moon isn't carved all the way through..it has a muted glow compared to the stars, which is really cool in person..doesn't translate as well by picture:/

Lastly, this week's picture of me.

I will start putting ones of me doing things, instead of these strange head shots.

 But seriously, work is failing to entertain me.

So I needed to spend 20 minutes taking random pictures of myself.

 I needed to do it.

Buenas noches amigitas!

Lori Ann

I take my feet off the ground

It's fall, it's fall, it's fall!!!

Fall is the upswing part of my Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I love everything about it.

I have really strong childhood memories attached to fall.

Apple cider, trick or treating, staying up late watching the Muppets.

Sitting around the kerosene heater, raking leaves, playing outside with cold hands and red cheeks.

Magic.

Anyway,

Since this is my year of uncomfortableness, here is my agenda for the week leading up to Halloween:

1. Write a poem that expresses my love for Autumn
(I usually find poetry to be smug and self indulgent..but I am going to get uncomfortable and write a poem!)

2. Attend some kind of Halloween event.

Even if it's just a random community thing. I don't do enough stuff like that.

3. Lay in a pile of leaves

4. Make myself a magical fall meal.

That last one doesn't really count.

I just put it on the list to make sure it gets done.

Brace yourself for the uncomfortable poetry laden, pile of leaves picture, magical fall meal blog posts to come!!

Lori Ann

In that bright October sun

I was so glad to see this baby yesterday.

 Maybe it's because he's been ours the longest, but I miss him the most when I don't see the kids that often.

Did I mention that I live about a mile from Delaware?

 And while there are many thrilling perks to living next to the First State, I love their lack of sales tax the most!!

I have so much I want to say about last night when Danielle and the kids slept over for the first time.

Its a story worth about 10 blog posts.

 But all you really need to know is the following:

1. We all now have some Communist enemies. For reals.

2. There may or may not be Russians rummaging through my stuff.

3. Erin called my apartment manager pretending to be me.

4. If they didn't know how before, all the kids can walk like ballerinas now.

My parents came to see my apartment today.

Well, my dad saw it when he moved me in.

 All by himself.

Yes, my dad is a superhero, thanks for asking:)

 Anyway, they got me that cute wreath for my door and a pumpkin candle and my dad made my favorite dinner for me, which we all ate sitting in the sun room.

I know they hate it when I say this
 (because we have a dysfunctional pattern of communication in our family of not talking about feelings)

 but I really do love my family so much.

Thank you for supporting me in everything I do.

Thank you for knowing how magical I would find it to see a fall wreath on my door.

Thank you for carting four crazy babies over a hundred miles round trip and sleeping on the floor, just to see my new place.

Thank you for defending me, listening to me, threatening to drop people over their own balconies for me, and making me laugh when I want to cry.

What I really want to say is this...

Ваши дети слишком громко.

Lori Ann

It went by like dusk to dawn

*be warned: this post takes a rambling stream of consciousness format*

I have a tendency to view things from a negative perspective at first.

I'm more of a glass half empty type, I guess.

However, some days it's hard not to be happy and a little optimistic.

I was watching the leaves falling in the rain from my office window today.

It was magical.

It's magical to have a job, an office, a sense of purpose.

Some days I can't believe I get paid to listen to people and help them with their problems.

I keep waiting for my boss to say

 "Ok, enough with this pretend work..get out there and rake some leaves"

I love my apartment.

It's a disaster, I don't have anywhere for things to go right now.

I keep trying to brainwash my parents into buying me home accessories from IKEA.

 But I'm happy because I have a comfortable bed and an amazing bathtub and I can wait for everything else.

I'm hosting a Festivus party.

Me.

I've never ever hosted anything.

It makes me excited for the future.

I think I'm slowly getting a handle on this 'being an adult' thing.

Lori Ann

Every day is an endless dream

You guys, I've moved!

If you are friends with me on facebook you are most likely well aware of this as I am unable to stop plastering images of my apartment on my wall.

It's nice.

Like, REALLY nice.

I feel very out of place.

For the last 3 years I have lived here:

It was nice.

Ok, it was shady. It was icy in winter, covered in wood paneling, people in the parking lot at all hours, and I believe most of my neighbors were unemployed.
(not by misfortune...by choice)

Now I live here:

I live on the fourth floor.

 It's so quiet.

 I have vaulted ceilings

. I have the world's biggest bathtub.

 I can't spend money anymore.

 I got myself some ramon for the next week because holy hannah this place is expensive!!

BUT...

It's only a ten month lease.

Which gives me 10 months to do the following:

1. Write my book

2. Start preparing to buy something

3. Decide if I want to stay with this company long term

4. Take a bubble bath EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Speaking of which..

This tub is calling my name!!

Lori Ann

Random Happenings: The First Edition

Picture 1: My birthday was last Friday.

 At some point before I woke up at 7 am, my parents filled my car with balloons!

Picture 2: Erin; who is out visiting from Utah, took me on my first trip to PF Changs.

 It was a combination birthday slash I found an apartment celebration lunch!

Picture 3: This picture is completely fuzzy and so does not do justice to the AMAZING birthday party Danielle threw for me and Jack-Jack.

There was a chocolate fondue pot, people! In the shape of a Hershey kiss.

 Jack made Carmel filled chocolate cupcakes with individual pumpkin faces, and there...in the middle of the table, was my lovely store bought cake.

Thanks Monroes!
 (especially for your sweet, perfect, and meaningful gifts. I will ALWAYS cherish them)

Picture 4: My crazy Elly is a daisy now.

 Look out girl scouts!

 You don't know who you just admitted into your ranks!

Picture 5: Another blurry classic.

 If you look closely you'll see it's my sister Erin again...not 2 minutes in the door from the airport, crawling around with the cats.

 Some things never change:)

My entire next post will be dedicated to the kick ass apartment I found.

 It's right on the Pennsylvania/ Delaware border.

 Which means I will be doing all my TAX FREE shopping right over the state line.

It also has a ginormous bathtub, people.

It's a little teeny tiny more than I wanted to pay
(it is literally 3 times the cost of my last apartment)

but it is going to be worth it... wait until you see the pictures!!

Lori Ann

While you're far away and dreaming

Yeah..so, I stole this picture directly from Danielle's blog.

It's Jack-Jack's 9th birthday today.

I love the 9 year old Jack so much.

But I miss the little Jack of 5-6.

The Jack Jack Attack of 2-3

and especially the

Baby Jack

of just a few months.

October 8th, 2002 will always be a very important day for me to remember.

It was the day I took on the most important role of my life so far.

The role of Aunt.

It's like Mom, but without the discipline and eating your veggies crap:)

Don't ever change from the sweet, sensitive, artistic, enthusiastic, brilliant person that you are Jack Jack.

 I love you.

Love,

Aunt Lori

Uncomfortable

Usually on my birthday, I post my list of goals for the year.

I am lucky if I accomplish even 2 of them.

This year I wanted something different.

I don't want to make a lot of empty resolutions that fade from my mind a day or two after I post them.

This year I am making only one resolution.

To be uncomfortable.

As a therapist I challenge my clients on a daily basis to try something new, to change old habits, to be uncomfortable.

I promise them that positive change can and will come from it and their lives will be better for it.

But I don't take my own advice for the most part.

Entonces

(the only word that comes to my mind first in Spanish..it means "therefore")

All hail the year of UNCOMFORTABLENESS.

On that note, one thing that makes me uncomfortable is putting my own picture on this blog.

 I am never happy with how I look.

 So, in tribute to my resolution to be uncomfortable, I will start appearing at least once a week in my blog pictures..starting today:)

I like this one. I look like a prison warden.

 But why the hell are my glasses always kinda bent?

Lori Ann

The Last 31

I'll only be 31 for another 14 minutes.

It's been an epic year.

I got my clinical licensure.

The culmination of 8 years of study and practice.

I moved back home to PA.

I got basically my dream job in my dream location.

Paid off my car.

Got into two accidents.

Diagnosed literally hundreds of people with mental health disorders.

Fell in love and got my heart broken all in the same day.
(Oh, Henry. I still miss you.)

Got my first real Christmas tree.

Got an iPhone.

(Thanks for making it possible for me to watch Youtube while stuck in traffic, Steve Jobs. RIP)

I got a Coach bag.

I chopped off my hair.

I bought a cricut and it changed the way I craft.

I (kinda) learned how to sew.

I (kinda) learned how to bake bread.

I gave Peachy away.

I made and lost anonymous internet friends.

I officially defriended over 200 people.

I saw the last Harry Potter movie and cried on the way home from the theater.

It's exactly midnight.

 Happy Birthday to me.

Lori Ann