Sherri Ross

I have decided what my favorite sound is. It has taken me 32 years and I wasn’t privy to it for most of those years, but now that I’ve heard it I love it. I giggle every time I hear it…and it’s not a song! (surprise, surprise)

If you get prescriptions from CVS and have refilled them over the phone via their automated system then you’ve heard my favorite sound. Once you punch in your RX number the automated attendant (male in this case..a nice change) tells you to hold on while they find that prescription. Then you hear the cutest sound ever. It’s hard to describe, but here’s an idea: a small suction cup that is being constantly pulled off of something. It’s just a cute “boing, boing boing, boing” but the sort of noise I imagine blowfish making.

So that’s my sound. If you haven’t heard it, transfer a med over to CVS or refill one on the telephone sometime and pay close attention. It’ll make you smile.

It doesn’t take much to entertain me. Or make me happy (in this case).

Name that movie!

Hello to everyone out there in Bloggerville! How the heck ARE you? Me, I’m still alive (as you can tell). I know some of you were wondering and I apologize for the wait. I’m finally back – in a new house, a new state, and a new state of mind.

I moved to Virginia at the beginning of June. The move was a bit stressful, but went pretty smoothly nonetheless. On top of all that, we got a new addition to the family the night before I left. Lucy, a lab mix, needed a new home and we took her. Here’s a pic of our cute new daughter. She’s a little younger than Millie (my 3 year-old Chihuahua) and a lot bigger (Millie is 7 lbs., Lucy is about 25). They adjusted nicely to each other and Millie loves having a sister to play with now. I think they both like their new home. Mark and Sarah – thank you. She misses you all.

So, what have I been doing since here? Exploring. Getting familiar with my surroundings. Trying to find the grocery store, CVS, Home Depot, Lowe’s, post office, library, DMV…you know, all the essential stuff. You have to do A LOT to get your driver’s license here and to register and title your car. You also have to register your dogs (????). I have yet to do that one. We live about 20 minutes from D.C. in a beautiful 3-level townhouse that Ashley bought. We’re still unpacking and getting stuff set up. Our stuff came a week after we did and I’ve spent the last week in Wisconsin, so it’s been slow going in getting everything unpacked. But it’s getting there.

I’ve done some cool things since being here (totally touristy, but who cares? lol). We went on an Odyssey dinner cruise and saw the sights of D.C. aboard a beautiful boat with GREAT food, went to Adams Morgan (think New Orleans but cleaner and safer) and Madams Organ one weekend, headed to Baltimore one weekend and ended up going to an Orioles game on the fly (too much fun!), went to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, but got pulled toward the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Reflecting Pool and the White House. I couldn’t stop gawking. The Monument is amazing…especially for just being a tall, ordinary structure. It’s breathtaking to stare straight up at it with the sun behind it. Trust me…try it. While I was wandering around the Mall that day I saw a guy with a “Free Hugs” sign – part of the Free Hugs Campaign. I believe my friend Jen C. was the first place I saw the video and I believe I have it on my MySpace. Here is the link again if you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

You know I went up and got a free hug! It was so inspiring. I am seriously thinking of doing the same one weekend at the Mall. It’s just a wonderful idea and campaign.

Now that I’m back from WI and settling in again, it’s time to find a job. If you want to keep an eye/ear out for me for jobs in D.C., VA, MD, I would appreciate it so much. And if you feel like throwing any names/companies my way, I’ll be glad to take them.

I’m heading back to AL next month to visit with friends, family and go on the girls’ beach trip. I can’t wait! It will be so nice to see the old gang again. I miss you all so much, but am enjoying this part of the country. Being here just makes you want to get active in something/for something – I’ve seen quite a few rallies and protests at the Capitol already. Amazing.

I should be on here more often now that I’m back and online at home. Once I find that elusive job I may not be on as much, but you know I’ll be back. Thank you for all the support, the calls, the e-mails and the inquiries as to my whereabouts. lol.

Until next time….

Are you seeing a theme here? Me too.

I have so much to do. I had the yard sale this past weekend. It was decent. By some freak of nature, there was like NO ONE on Saturday and lots of people on Friday. Go figure. Anyway, I had tons of stuff left over and took it to the Salvation Army. It’s very surreal to see your memeories/life being donated and driving away from it.

I am nothing but a tower of emotions these days. I’m not good with change. I don’t adapt easily. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be, I’ll tell ya that. Just the thought of saying goodbye to anyone is killing me. Like even the guy at the grocery store. Every time I do something these days I’m constantly wondering if that’s the last time I’m going to do that here. How dramatic!

I still have to find a mover, finish packing, take pictures and sell some things on Craig’s List and GET AN ADDRESS! I’m hoping we have a place pinned down this week.

I’m selling a kitchen table & 2 chairs (sort of a kitchen table), this computer desk, a loveseat, a ficus tree and some other things. If anyone is interested or knows someone who is send them my way. PLEASE! lol. I should have pictures soon.

I bought ABBA’s Greatest Hits last night. I’ve seen Mamma Mia twice and am in love with it. I really can’t say why I didn’t have any ABBA prior to this. I have liked them for years. I also got the soundtrack to The Last Kiss (w/ Zach Braff). After my friend Lee turned me onto the soundtrack for Garden State (also handpicked by Zach), I knew I had to get this one too without even hearing anything on it. I was right – another winner. You go, Zach! (cuz he reads my blog, ya know)

I stared at the bathroom wall for an hour last night. I just thought you might like to know that. I find myself constantly drifting these days…staring, thinking, hoping, wondering, dreading, rationalizing. All of my friends have been super supportive and positive – thank you. I’m printing all of those little encouraging notes out to take with me when I’m missing everyone and wondering “What did I do?” as we all tend to do after life-changing decisions. I’m so contemplative these days…almost every minute of every day now. I’m quiet, thinking, retreating into myself – almost brooding. That can’t be good, but I’m sure it’s normal for a change like this. And I’m sure some of you are thinking, “What is the big deal? So you’re moving. People do it everyday.” And you’re right..people do it every day – just not this person. I know a lot of you know what I mean – Alabamians tend to stay in Alabama a lot of the time. And there’s nothing wrong with that..nothing at all. Just a huge change for me. But that’s what builds character and memories.

Here’s to character and memories. If you’re in Montgomery on the 19th, come say goodbye and make some memories with me. And please pray for me (those of you who pray). I am needing some major juju as I go through some tough stuff on top of the move. Thank you in advance.

Dear Reader,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you well. Things here are very busy, craziness inside and outside of my head. Thoughts rushing by me like gales, moment upon moment creating memories that I will take with me.

If I have not yet told you – I am moving. To Washington, D.C. In a month. JUSTLIKETHAT it all changes. For the better. I hope. There are days that I feel I can take on the world and I relish the thought of being in a brand new city, a new world to me. Then there are those days that I fold into a ball on my bed, crying and wonder how I’m going to say goodbye to the people that I love. It’s not like it’s forever and it’s not like it’s another country, but it’s still a very strange feeling for me and I’m having a hard time with it. Because this is my comfort zone. Alabama is my security blanket. I never knew it until I decided to leave. It’s high past time I tried on a new jacket, but the old one fits so well, ya know?

Bear with me. I’m going to have good days…and bad ones. Days that I’ll gush about the exciting opportunities that await me in D.C., of all the cities that are just a few hours away – none of which I’ve been to. And days that I break down and pray for the strength to do this. Because I’m a chicken.

And I hate goodbyes.

Do you remember that game/exercise called Free Association? One person would say something and the other person would say the first thing that popped into their head after hearing it? The mind amazes me. I think about “thought association” all the time, how random thoughts make their way into our everyday lives, the path they traveled to get there.

I have lots of random moments, but if I carefully trace the steps backwards I can always figure out how I got there and it never ceases to amaze me how our minds work. I love to tell people about it too (for some unknown reason). If I ask a friend a sort of random question then I explain to them why I asked it – how my thought process got RIGHT THERE at that moment in time. It’s really whacky if you start thinking about it the next time some strange idea/thought pops into your head. You can go from koala bears to Diet Pepsi in a millisecond.

A few random notes for my loyal readers (all 2 of you – thank you!):

I dreamt last night, among other things, that I owned a pet bat. I don’t know if it was because of the weather or being hyper all night, but they were strange. I vaguely remember bits and pieces of them– living in my old house with my dad, but my mother was there too (which never actually happened in real life), and I got in trouble for some reason and was grounded, but had friends over anyway, raiding the fridge and stuff after the parents went to sleep. But back to the bat – somewhere in this dream I owned this cute, tiny little grayish/brownish/blackish bat. I don’t know if he had a name. Actually, I don’t know if it was a “he.” But “he” was there – up in the rafters of the ceiling (huh??), on the table, on my bed – sleeping. If I held my finger out, he would come fly down and get on it. And he tinkled on my hand once when he got scared. (oh boy, I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I did just remember that). So, every time people were around him from then on I would ask them not to move too suddenly and startle him because he would pee on my finger. Ok, enough of that. But I had a bat.

I was also listening to music this morning on the drive in. I usually love how music can transport you back to a certain stage/memory in your life that it’s associated with. But for the first time, I think I realized that it can also bring you down or evoke certain feelings that you’d rather not be reliving. I was listening to an artist this morning that just brought back memories of turmoil, confusion, anxiety and angst. I love the music and love the artist, but listened to it over and over when I was terribly confused about some stuff a few years ago. Now when I hear it, those old feelings come back a little. I really need to associate a positive experience with it to change that feeling. I really like the music! Lol.

I guess that’s about it for now. There is some major stuff going on in my life (all good), but I will save that news for a little later – when I get all my ducks in a row. Until then, wish me luck getting ready for a yard sale (hopefully). I’m going to talk to my landlord tomorrow about it. It’ll probably be May 4th and 5th (same weekend as the Crawfish Boil and Elton John here in B’ham) so any of you Montgomery peeps that might be coming up or wanting to stop by, please do! I can always use some more hands. j/k

I will leave you with a great, new song that I have fallen in love with – it’s a great pick me up. It’s Rocco Deluca’s “Colourful” and you can hear it play while surfing his site at: http://www.roccodeluca.co.uk/