roll the credits*

instead of talking about the absolute disaster/embarrassment that constituted saturday's football game (the worst game i have attended in the last 12 years with one possible exception) - i've decided to do something new and different on this blog - talk about something besides myself/my job. i know. crazy. i just realized that those of you who read my blog that have never met me probably don't know much about the major players in my life. so i thought i'd introduce them and talk about them for a change.

the husband: i met my husband when i was 14 and he was 17. he went to the same high school and church. i had a huge crush on him, but he graduated and went off to college. he was everything in high school that i was not - well-liked, involved (he wrestled, ran cross country, and track), and cute. (ok, i was cute in high school). at any rate, i continued along the high school path, not seeing him again until i was a senior in high school (and he was 20). we hit it off and started dating shortly thereafter. we married when i was 20. he's as close to perfect as someone can be. currently, he's working on his phd dissertation in abstract mathematics. we've been married 9 years - together for 12. every day, i'm reminded of how lucky i am to have him.

the brothers: i have 4 brothers, ranging in ages from 28 to 21. they are employed in various fields and one is a father to my beautiful niece. the other 3 are not married and live too far away! i don't get to see them enough. they kind of "swim against the current" as it were. the twins are both tattoo happy and of the skater punk variety. they're also both very hard workers. the oldest of the 4 (1 year younger than me) is in college and supporting his daughter and fiancee (my future sister-in-law). the baby of the family is living in our hometown and "finding himself" - as the young are prone to doing. he's definitely the sweetest natured of all of us.

the parents: my parents have been married for 30 years this november. they married young -despite their age difference (my dad is 22 years older than my mom). growing up - i butted heads with my father frequently - likely due to our similar natures. i've been accused of being just like him. my mother and i got along better - although i was still a pain in both of their asses as a teenager. i was not well-behaved or interested in being a model high school student. later on, i shaped up - i have to say. so my parents did something right. my father started out life up north, enlisted in the army at age 18, and fought in vietnam and korea, for which he was decorated with 2 purple hearts - among other citations. he was a green beret - back when being a green beret was something exceptional. after retiring, he did many different managing jobs but found his true calling after obtaining his master's in teaching and becoming a high school teacher (my chemistry teacher). he was chosen teacher of the year in his last year of teaching. he's retired now and spends most of his time involved in the gideon order (yes - the people who leave the bibles in hotel rooms). my mom was a stay at home mom for many years but finished a bachelor's degree when i was around 14. she works in the performing arts theater in our hometown. she's much nicer than i am.

the grandparents: my father's parents died before i was born, so i never knew them. my mother's parents have been an incredibly formative part of my life. they live in florida, but i get to see them rather frequently - as they travel here on a semi-regular basis. we also go down to see them when we can. they've been married for...a long time. they had their 50th wedding anniversary some 5 years ago. my grandmother was an english teacher, and i credit her with my exceptional vocabulary and oratory skills. my grandfather was a college math professor - and very good at what he did. this comes from his students of many years - not just me - although he tutored me in calculus (and i got an A). when i was young, my grandparents used to tease me and ask me if i'd still want to come and visit them when i grew up. i said yes then and nothing has changed. their home in florida is the only place that NEVER changed as i grew up. we moved a lot when i was young - and i still move fairly frequently now - but that house is always the same - a beacon of safety and familiarity. it's still one of my favorite places to be.

the best friend: i met my best friend when i was 14 - a freshman in high school. i still remember exactly when. it was at a class "party" for a holiday (don't remember which one). i had baked a cake which turned out to be a disaster. i was in the bathroom, scrubbing the burned cake out of the pan when i introduced myself to her. we had some fallings out in high school - mostly over boys and my propensity for skipping school and indulging in extra-curricular activities of which she did not approve. in the end though, i introduced her to my husband's brother, and lo and behold - several years later - they married. she's an incredibly talented graphic designer and lives about 2 hours away from me (which makes me sad).

the husband's siblings: my husband has 4 siblings, as well - ranging in age from 22-35. they're great friends who have freely welcomed me into their lives without reservation. i'm lucky to have not one but two families that love and support me.

my vet school best friend: in vet school, i was lucky to meet a rare, generous soul whom i love as a sister. in those 4 years, she became one of my closest friends. i hate that she is now 12 hours away from me - and we're both so busy - we only get to talk on the phone about once a week - if we're lucky. it's only for a year, i keep telling myself. she's doing an internship, as well - in new york city. she's extremely kind, forgives everything, and is generous almost to a fault.

the florida friends: when i was freshman in undergrad, i met an interesting person in college (i went to fresh/soph year of undergrad in florida - at the school where my grandfather taught). she wasn't a crowd follower, and we hit it off. i took a year off from undergrad to spend in my hometown. when i went back to college the following year - we reconnected and became good friends. her boyfriend at the time met my husband and it was like gangbusters - one big fun foursome. we all got along great. they broke up and then got back together, and we've spent as much time with them as we can. they've come to see us up here twice, and we see them whenever we're in florida. we were in their wedding about 5 years ago. they're expecting their first child any day - and i love them both dearly. though we don't get to talk on the phone much and only see each other every 3-5 months, it's as if no time has passed at all. it's just that kind of friendship.

there are more - but these are the major people in my life. i am ridiculously lucky in the fact that all around me are people who love me and who pick me up when i fall. whenever life gets rough and i start to get down on myself about my job or my personality or whether people like me or not - i just stop and think about this list. i have so much. why would i need any more??

*this post brought to you by pre-menstrual syndrome.