Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Today is my Mom and Dad’s 43rd Anniversary! Yep, I’m one of those rare children today who actually come from a two-parent household. Now, admittedly, it wasn’t necessarily a Brady Bunch household. We’re more like “The Cosby Show” meets “The Simpsons.” Very close knit, very loving, but also very irreverent and obnoxious. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I don’t talk to my parents everyday. In fact, I’m amazed that most of my friends do talk to their Mom or Dad four, five, even six times daily!! My life is too mundane to bother them with every last detail. In fact, I can hear Rose answering the phone for the 10th time, “What the hell do you want now?? Good Lord daughter I love you, but get a life!!” My parents have become very email savvy…They send me jokes and chain letters and I send them updates on my races and work. I think they’ve even started reading my blog! (Love you, Mom and Dad)

At the end of the day, without a doubt, they are the first people I call when something goes terribly wrong or amazingly well. When I had my heart broken, I called my Mom. When I changed jobs, I made sure they saw the office that I was moving into and met my new bosses. When a previous job was stressing me out, I had my Dad talk some sense into me. When I bought my condo, they visited within weeks to help me paint. When I met Shawn, they came to Austin to meet him and his parents (and we’re still together!!) They’ve come to see multiple races of mine and stayed to the bitter end when I used to finish in last place. They were the first people I called when I finished Boston. Seriously, I was walking away from the finish line and I called them immediately. They already knew my results as they had been following me for over three hours on the computer.

I’ve learned so much from them. In fact, as they celebrate their 43rd year, here is a list of a few things I’ve learned from my Mom and Dad:

1.) I never EVER want a yard to mow. (they mow 6-7 yards a week for their neighbors and stress about it for 8 months a year)

2.) Working is good for the soul, but at a certain point you have to STOP, SLOW DOWN and SMELL THE ROSES.

3.) I will marry a man who can make his own cereal J Seriously Dad, just add milk. That’s it.

4.) Saving your money and keeping a budget is a good thing. They are the masters!

5.) As good as the Applebee’s Veggie Pizza may be, there are other places in Columbus, Ohio to eat.

6.) You never want to play a game called “Ouch.” It usually involves a belt and a misunderstanding with Mom.

7.) Having your parents come pick you up at the Columbus Police station at 2am when you’re 15 makes for a VERY LONG YEAR.

8.) The glass is always half-full. It might be half-full of shit, but it’s half-full.

9.) Your life won’t necessarily end if the Buckeyes lose their Saturday football game. It took my Dad many years to learn that one, but he finally did.

10.) It’s ok to call long distance these days. It doesn’t cost NEARLY as much as it used to.

11.) You can still survive if you have a heart attack, get hit by a train, by a car, fall out of a tree, have a thyroid tumor removed and get in a bike accident. Just ask my Dad. He’s the one with all of the scars.

12.) A full knee replacement and arthroscopic knee scope doesn’t have to slow you down. Just ask my Mom. She’s the one still walking around the neighborhood everyday.

13.) You can still be happily married after having five kids and nine grand kids. I don’t want any of it. I’m just saying that it’s possible.

14.) Italian Food is so much better when my Mom is the one making the ravioli dough.


There’s so much more!! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you!!!