Rest in peace

I was reminded today of how incredibly delicate truly really is. A dear friend, Ian Lauder, has passed away. To be honest, I don't know what to say because I don't know what to think. I guess I'm numb. Ian was what you could call a risk taker. He was happiest with his family, friends and on his motorcycle... the latter of which is where he took his last breath. Ian was an eternal optimist. His smile, loud laugh and even louder presence were enough to light up the rocky beaches of Georgian Bay in the deepest of night after you've spent the last six hours downing his "special" drinks and singing karaoke at the top of your lunges. Ian had a way of making a night in, a night to remember... or not remember, depending on how many of those drinks he passed your way. Ian always greeted friends with open arms and a tight squeeze... probably to show off his bulging biceps, but comforting none the less.

Years ago my then boyfriend, now husband, and I were in a pretty serious boat crash. To make a long and dramatic story short, my sister Alley and Ian Lauder were with us during the crash. Alley was sitting in a direct line to the motor which post-accident, was still running while the boat was launched 90 degrees in the air on a large rock. Had Ian not been sitting next to Alley and had reflexes like a cat (seriously!), she would have flown right in to that motor. I don't even want to think about the damage it could have done to her. To this day, Alley swears that Ian is her "hero". I pray he's now her guardian angle.

Rest in peace my friend. You will forever remain in our hearts. The cottage will never be the same.

<3

Ian Lauder

5.27.82 -7.29.09

Hip hip horray, MMEW has completed the bar!

I'd like to make a little shout out to my dearest darlingest friend Mary Molly Eileen Wilson as she completed the Massachusetts Bar exam today! Congrats lady! You rock my world!

Self Profiling Assignment

I guess it really says something about how ginormous the internet is when the only hits I get against all combinations of my formal name, maiden name, nick name, middle name and last name are my facebook profile, outdated linked-in profile and old high school swim meet results. There were gobs of way more interesting people popping up such as doctors (both my maiden and married names!), none of which had a negative stigma attached to them. I find my lack of presence online amazing seeing as I spend 95% of my workday and potentially another 20% of my personal time in front of a computer. I'm obviously not making a huge impression on the www community which makes sense since this is the very first blog I've ever written. That's right, I'm a blogging virgin!
I must admit that it took me quite a few attempts before I was able to actually get this blog up and running. The initial setup was a piece of cake! The content on the other hand proved to be more challenging. I didn't want to just throw a blog out there about nothing. The internet has enough junk out there, I don't need to add to it. I wanted to create something that could be an ongoing personal project, an outlet of sorts, where I could blog about issues that are important to me, hobbies I don't have time for since I'm going to night school four days a week for my mba all the while working in a competitive corporate environment, my jokester of a husband that I spend far less time with than I'd like, my furry dark haired 85 pound child Coalby, the limbo-land I find myself in during my mid-twenties.... you get the point. Alas, I've found my voice and started blogging. I hope my future readers find my future blogs as entertaining as I know I will. Before you know it I'll have more hits on google than those doctor name stealers!