Carl Lane Metzler

My cousin would have been 29 years old today… and on this Thanksgiving, I’m most thankful for him. As tradition goes, we watched the ‘video montage’ my Aunt made of Carl… 40 minutes of heartache and laughs all in one. There are about 10 songs in this video… 3 of them make me cry the whole way through, but only 1 of them stops my breath- Flogging Molly’s “If I Ever Leave This World Alive.” I don’t think it’s a popular song, but yet, somehow it always seems to find its way into my life time and time again when I don’t expect it. I absolutely LOVE this song. Couple other things I love because of Carl- Guinness, Livestrong, and Boondock Saints. One thing I don’t- Goldschläger.

I am amazed at one thing in particular that has been different with Carl than other people I’ve lost in life… his memory is still so strong. It has been over 6 years and I can still clearly recall the conversations, see his face in detail from the last time I hugged him goodbye, and hear his laugh and his slight little lisp. His personality was so strong and I’ve been able to find him so often in my daily life because of it. Happy Birthday Carlos.

“I held him close for only a short time, but after he was gone, I'd see his smile on the face of a perfect stranger & I knew he would be there with me all the rest of my days.”

Text Messaging

Specifically how all my friends know I’m much better at text than I am at returning an actual phone call. I love that my Mom sends text photos upside down and double spaces all of her words. That I get updated photos of my niece and nephew this way. I love that my friends are able to talk their husbands into letting them have text service back on their phone plan, and then upgraded to unlimited accessibility. I pretend to get mad and then laugh to tears at the inappropriateness of my high school friends 3am updates. Adore the ones that simply say good morning. I love the panther kitten calls that my Auntie sends over before a football game. Or the classic ‘O-H’ each Fall Saturday from diehard fans. I see my dog in 99% percent of what Dad sends my way… the other 1% is always some natural phenomenon he has stumbled across. I love the videos that come through of friend’s babies growing up that I watch each week as if not to miss a single moment of their development. I love the forwards that never need an explanation of who it’s from. And I love forwarding the ‘I don’t give a…’ to my girlfriends who share in my idea of an idiotic greeting card line. Storing good texts are so much simpler than saving voicemails. I only wish we could do without the confusion of tone and how our wording comes across sometimes… it’s one thing a human voice will always be best at. I admit that I hide behind texts occasionally, like writing and emailing instead of having an actual conversation… I’m sorry about that. But not really… texting makes me happy.

Someone Else’s Blog

Specifically ‘1,000 Awesome Things’ by Neil Pasricha

Working his way through 1,000 awesome things in life, one weekday at a time. I think what I love most about his picks are that they are so often forgotten…

Such as: picking up a ‘q’ and ‘u’ at the same time during a Scrabble game, pants straight out of the dryer on a cold day, the parking lot pull through, when you get the milk/cereal ratio just right, when your microwave pops your popcorn perfectly, waking up before your alarm and realizing you have hours left to sleep, being at home when the storm starts, when batteries are included, finding something you lost a long time ago, the little hole at the top of the sink that prevents the water from overflowing, pulling out a weed… roots attached.

But my absolute favorites (so far): when the guy in front of you at a red light nudges up a bit so that you are able to make that right hand turn, living with someone who doesn’t mind killing spiders, using rock paper scissors to settle an argument, perfect parallel parking on the first try, bakery air, snow falling on Christmas Eve, absolute perfect silence, squeezing through a door as it’s shutting without having to touch it, listening to your new favorite song over and over and over again, when it seems like the lyrics to a song were written just for you, when you find out your new place has a really good shower, fully justifying whatever terrible thing you’re eating, figuring out ‘how did we get on this topic', correctly guessing if the door is push or pull, when someone pronounces your name right on the first try.

Especially that last one...

Excellent Customer Service

Boring post but worth mentioning...

It has always been a mission of mine (and a hard one at that) to be a little kinder than necessary. I don’t expect it from others of course because I’d be disappointed, often. But it’s always a nice surprise when it does happen. USAA… great customer service. I think if I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day I would even consider calling USAA just to have a good friend to talk to. I’m also going to throw Chipotle, Target cashiers, Barnes and Noble, Vanguard Group, and United Colors of Benetton in there. Now you pretty much know which businesses I cling to, and for good reason.

My Girlfriends

The girls I’ve been close to since high school, the ones I spend my weeknights with in Charlotte, and the wondrous friends I’ve met in between. The roommates, the classmates, the relatives, the coworkers. Here’s to the road trips down 35, star gazing on Sullivan’s, wine tasting in Napa. For traveling the world with me, taking me in as family when I moved away from my own, for giving me the job. For cursing the bad guys, telling others how to correctly pronounce my name, and always cooking me dinner. Thank you for letting me stand in as your children’s Auntie Anna, be beside you on your wedding day, and with you when no one else is allowed in. I secretly enjoy the inappropriate text pictures I yell at you for, and know I am a better person for the fears you’ve made me confront. I miss the old school Wednesdays at Qdoba, and love the current Wednesday date nights. Thank you for taking me on family beach vacations, houseboat trips to the lake, and putting me up in your Chateau when I’m in Charleston. Cheers to curling up on the couch with a beer, wine tasting on our IKEA beds, and Bloody Marys… any day, any time, any place. Thank you for getting me through my work day though we’re 3 hours apart, for having me over for Thanksgiving when I can’t go home, and spoiling me when I’m sick. I am better because of you, I am stronger because of you, and I am most definitely less sensible at times because of you: )

“We are friends and I would miss you, do miss you, and think of you often.”
~Jeanette Winterson~

The Little Things This Fall

Grilling out. A new sundress. Skylines. Freshly washed sheets. A fair mechanic. The cool side of the pillow. An umbrella that matches my outfit. Trying out local Charlotte bars, one bloody mary at a time. Wednesday night date night. Sushi. A good run. How beautiful the trees are in our neck of the woods. Picture texts of my friend’s babies. A perfect avocado. Having time for an afternoon nap. White roses. Rooftops. Trader Joes. Ochocinco on a Sunday. Watching the clouds go by with someone. Paper Skyscraper. Haribo gummy bears. A simple ‘good morning’ text. Road trips. A new restaurant. Post Its. FNL. The occasional can of pop. Quiet weekends. Gel pens. Being on the water, specifically Lake Cumberland. Homemade pizza. Finally figuring out the correct lyrics. Browsing through greeting cards. Getting a package slip. Watching a best friend fall in love. Mixed CDs. Warm toes. A visit to see my parents. Fresh haircuts. Easy breezy fall days. Taking a stroll. Strike City OSU fans. Festivals. Early outs. Cornhole. Everyone’s ‘first day of school’ photos. Windows down. Sitting outside to eat. Switching from the typical white mocha to the chai or pumpkin spice. Him. Having a list of favorites that are pretty specific to my favorite season of the year.

Charleston, South Carolina

Sweet, sweet Charleston. The history, the art, the water. Just the smell of Charleston is poignant in a beautiful way (unless you’re headed over the Don Holt Bridge). My favorite streets: King, Rifle Range, Middle, Pitt, East Bay. My favorite restaurants: Sermet’s Corner, Monza, Village Street Bakery, La Pizzeria, Samos, Poe’s. My favorite spots: Pitt Street Pier, top of the Ravenel Bridge, Station 16, the Battery. My favorite events: Spoleto, fireworks at the Yorktown, Marion Square Farmer’s Market, Blessing of the Vine. I’m missing A LOT, I know. But everyone has their favorites, and those will forever be mine.

There’s a comfort that comes over me each time I drive into Charleston, a ‘peaceful, easy, feeling.’

Here’s my favorite picture that I took while strolling the streets with Ashley May one Saturday.