Said Goodbye to Lucky

On the day my dog, Lucky, died. He was being treated for cancer and I guess it was just too hard for him. He died at the one place that he loved the most, home. It was hard to realize that he was never going to greet me at the door when I came home. I felt like I lost a best friend and in a way I did.

Growing up with Lucky, we had a lot of good memories. He was the reason why I love dogs so much now. He was the best, cutest and well behaved dog ever. He only had an accident in the house once and that was his first night at our house.

Lucky was my first dog. He was a black lab mixed with a German Shepard. If you lifted his ears, he would look like a black German Shepard. We got him when he was just six months old from someone I knew from school. I was in second grade when we got him. We decided to not change his name and kept Lucky.

He was such a smart dog. He knew how to do a lot of tricks. At six months old he could sit, lie down and give paw. We later taught him how to beg. He could bounce a ball off his nose and would always guess which hand held a treat with his paw. My sister, brother and me would play hide and seek with him and he would always find us.

Christmas was his favorite holiday. My mom would put a little bell on his collar which let you know where he was at all times. He would get all excited and make a dash to his Christmas stocking. He knew it was filled with all his favorite treats. Pigs ears were his favorite. He also really loved his birthday (July 17). Again because he knew he was getting food.

When it would snow, he would bark to go outside. The snow would be taller then him and all you would see is this little black blob bouncing up and down. He would try to cram as much snow in his mouth as possible and turning the snow yellow was fun too. He would come in the house completely white from the snow with this big doggie grin on his face.

His favorite toys where socks and a little star that played music. He was more of a food dog and loved to eat. He loved cheese. His collar and chock chain were also his favorite things. If you tried to take it off him, he would get all upset and would not calm down until it was back around his neck.

Once, Lucky peed on a hornets nest. Over 50 hornets attached themselves to him and what did he do? He ran in the house. We didn’t realize it until I got stung twice in the neck. My Mom and my boyfriend went around the house to get rid of the hornets. Lucky’s face was so swollen from the attack. Lucky was so scared he was shaking. It was horrible. I had to lock him in the bathroom with me just to stop the hornets from attacking him. I wish I took pictures of that because its so hard to believe what happened.

When he got cancer, we decided to try chemo. He was so brave during the whole ordeal. He would go to the vet with my sister (who works there) everyone loved him. His paw got burnt from the treatments and then got infected. To prevent him from licking we put a long sleeve shirt on him. He LOVED it and looked really cute in it.

My dog, Lucky, will always be my dog, best friend and a part of my family. I will never forget him ever. I could only be so lucky as to have another dog like him in the future. I will never forget him and will always love him.

Goodbye Lucky.

Watched the Red Sox win the World Series

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last 86 years, the Red Sox have had what was known as the "Curse of the Bambino". If you haven't heard of the curse, you can click on the link and read all about it. Boston Red Sox fans took this curse very seriously. Growing up as a fan was always hard. You would get your hopes up and then someone like Bill Buckner would let it slip right between his legs or Pedro Martinez pitching one too many innings.






But 2004 was different. Something just felt special about the Sox that year. We got into the playoffs and I really felt that this was our big chance! I was going to witness the Red Sox win the World Series. All we had to do is beat the Yankees in the playoffs. Sure no problem.

Game 1- Yankees 10 Red Sox 7

Game 2- Yankees 3 Red Sox 1

Game 3- Yankees 19 Red Sox 8 (This game hurt to watch)

Stick a fork in the Sox cause they were done. NO team in history has ever come back from that kind of beat down and with the Sox history we knew it wasn't our year. Or was it....

Game 4- Red Sox 6 Yankees 4

Game 5-Red Sox 5 Yankees 4

Game 6- Red Sox 4 Yankees 2

No one could believe it! We were one game away from beating the Yankees and making it to the World Series. ONE GAME!

Schillings epic bloody sock

Game 7- Red Sox 10 Yankees 3!!

SOX WIN!! SOX WIN!!

It was the biggest comeback anyone has ever seen! Not only did we beat the Yankees, which is sweet enough, but we were going to the World Series!!

I would love to say that there was an epic battle in the world series just like the Yankees, but in truth there wasn't. We swept the Cardinals with no problems. It was a Wednesday so I couldn't even enjoy all the game because it was a work night and the game went on till late in the night.
I was watching it in Johnny's bedroom while he was asleep. I crossed my fingers and then the last out was out. I had just watched history and was too tired to even care.

The curse was finally lifted!! But even though I am a big Boston Red Sox fan I have to tell you, I was slightly disappointed that we broke the curse. Yes, I wanted to witness them winning a world series but the whole "Curse of the Bambino" was a part of being a Red Sox fan. It was a part of us. Now that its gone what else do we have? We will never have a year like this one. Even if we win every year after this, I will ALWAYS remember this season.

I would highly recommend watching the movie "Fever Pitch" it did a great job of documenting this season in a cute little romantic comedy. Except I find some of the Boston accents alittle scary and some of the acting (especially the fans at the game) a little tacky. Adam Sandler would have been a much better choice for the lead role but he is a stinky Yankee fan.

Laurie's got a gun (permit)

I really wanted to be a police officer when I was growing up. I wanted nothing more then to protect the town that I grew up in. After the fiasco of training to be an EMT, I decided that wasn’t the direction I wanted to go in life.

My Dad has several guns and wanted nothing more then to one day pass them down to his kids. In order for this to happen, one of us had to get their gun permit. As you guessed it, that person was moi.

My Dad

I took the safety course that they offer at the gun club my Dad goes to. I found the class easy yet I found myself to be the only female in the glass. It was very uncomfortable for me taking this class but I sucked it up and did it. My aim was not the greatest in the world and one guy in the class made some rude remarks to me.

Hmm I don't look like someone who should be holding a gun...

In the end I was very proud that I passed the test and soon got my actually license. It was nice to share this experience with my Dad and fiancé (who also took the class with me). My Dad takes me to the range once in a while to work on my aim.

My target. Proving I have bad aim.

Even though I do not plan to use this skill ever in my life, I never regret getting a gun permit. It has taught me very important safety tips and has allowed me not to have a fear of guns (when they are used properly). Plus, I never know when this class might save my life one day.

Got engaged!

After dating Johnny for 4 years, he finally popped the question!

It was a complete surprise. When he got down on one knee, I started crying. I couldn’t say ‘Yes’ fast enough! I called our parents and told them the good news (most of them already knew). I was so happy and couldn’t get rid of the big smile on my face.

Afterward, the two of us went out to a romantic dinner. I couldn’t stop staring at my ring. It was beautiful and just what I wanted! I couldn’t wait to show it off.

Now the fun part begins! Wedding planning! Yay!

Saw the Patriots win the Superbowl.

Did you ever watch a movie about a sports team that was so inspiring? A movie that showed a team coming together and prevailing even when it was said it couldn’t be done? I have seen plenty of these movies and they have all made me inspired, happy and teary eyes all at the same time. Some of my favorites that you NEED to see are:

Cool Running
Mighty Ducks
Rudy
Rocky
The Blind Side


Although I have seen the movies, I have never witnessed it with my sports teams that I root for. The Red Sox haven’t won since 1918, Bruins haven’t been able to get a team that can bring home the Stanley cup and the Celtics haven’t great since Larry Bird left. All these teams have at least once won it all and brought home the trophy/cup. The Patriots have NEVER felt victory at the Superbowl. They have come close but had come up short every time.

This season was different.

It was shortly around the 9/11 tragedy when the football season started. I admit that with everything going on I just didn’t feel like watching football. But my Dad had the game on and I sat there and watched. Then something happened that changed everything. Drew Bledsoe got injured.

I believe that it was his thumb was broken and the 2nd string quarterback needed to step in. A tall, lanky stepped up with his big smile and looked barely out of college. This was it for the Patriots, I thought. Without Bledsoe we have no chance anymore. Another year without a win. Sigh.

Then #12 threw the football and threw the football perfectly. WHAT!! This guy knew how to play and what he was doing. A new sports star was born that day and brought some inspiration into a team that lacked it. Tom Brady was exactly what we were waiting for as fans.

Soon Tom Brady became a household name and familiar face in the newspapers and TV. His nervous interviews, friendly smile and reminded everyone that the Patriots were a team were a hit with all New England fans. How could you not love him? The Patriots morphed into a team that everyone started paying attention too. But the Patriots were also the team that people knew wouldn’t make it to the Superbowl.

The Patriots went through obstacles and won game after game. More and more Patriots jerseys were worn by New Englanders that year. They made it to the playoffs where it snowed pretty heavily. Blinding snow could not stop Adam Vinatieri from making the winning field goal kick allowing the Patriots to go to the Superbowl. It was going to be a battle between the Patriots and the St. Louis Rams.

My family stayed home the night of the Superbowl. My boyfriend came over and we had a feast of meatballs, KFC, cold-cuts and football shaped cake. I remember the feeling of pride when the Patriots came out as a team and not just the captains of the team.

The Patriots pushed through and won the Superbowl! I felt that I too was right with them on that field. I was never so happy to see the Patriots win. I get very emotional watching the celebrations and interviews. I felt that an inspiration story such as this was what my family and other families needed during such times.

Please note, that I am NOT a sports expert. I watch the games for fun and entertainment. I don’t always know the proper names or lingo of the sports I watch. I do promise that I don’t parade around in a pink Red Sox hat and quickly got rid of a pink Brady Patriots jersey I bought for a pink themed party I went too. I also do not watch because I find Brady’s tushy cute or because EVERYONE loves Tim Thomas. Please do not critic me for not knowing certain details, events or names. I try to do some research to back up my posts but these are mostly how I see or feel. Please let me know though if I am way off on facts that I post such as dates or names. Thank you!

Got my first Full time Job.

Things don’t always work the way they are supposed to. My big plans to be an EMT didn’t exactly go the way I wanted them to. I never took the final exam and I quit working as a chair car driver at Armstrong Ambulance simply because the job was very stressful. I had a lot of growing up to do.

Being unemployed was very hard. I was living with my parents which helped BIG TIME and my boyfriend, Johnny helped pay for the little things such as going out to dinner. My last paycheck and savings account were quickly reduced and I was left with only $10.00 in my account.

It was not like I was being lazy or anything; I was actively looking for another job. But everything that I really wanted (Nurses assistant, dispatcher, police station secretary) I was under qualified for. I did however get a brief job as a Mall Cop at my local mall. Let’s just say I wasn’t quit into the whole mall security like everyone working there is. So intense!

Finally I had to figure some things out. Since I was turning 19 in December, I needed medical insurance FAST. My parents could only have me on their insurance if I was younger then 19 or a full time student. I needed to find a job fast!

It came down to a job that I really wanted or a job that I knew I would excel at. I went with the devil I do know and started to applying at banks. It was where my skills from Foodmaster would come in handy.

Several banks received my resume but they either were not the right bank for me or never ended up calling me. My boyfriends Mom was a secretary at a bank and told me they were looking for Tellers. This was not the first time she mentioned a job opportunity at her bank. Looking at my empty account I applied as a Teller.

A few days went by and I got a phone call from the bank looking to do an interview with me! Yay!! I dressed as professional as possible with clothes I borrowed from my Mom. Went in the bank and did the best interview I knew possible. A few days later I got a call to say I got the job! I was so relieved and happy!

Working in a bank you need to dress with a sense of professionalism. Hard to do when I only had $10 in your account. With $20 borrowed from my parents, I went to the used clothes store on my lunch hour and bought clothes for work. It was enough to get me through a week even though the clothes fit poorly and the shirt had a small stain.

I spent the first week watching, learning and making ribbon pins for 9-11 to hand to customers. Payday finally came and I was never so happy to see money go into my account. Even though this is not my dream job….its a job with a weekly paycheck and benefits.

Witnessed 9/11 Live on TV

I was 18yrs old, living with my parents and unemployed. It was still hot at my parent’s house so I slept on a mattress on the floor in the living room (the only room with an AC). My Dad was the only one home because my Mom was at work, my sister was living with her ex husband in Cambridge and my brother was at school.

I remember hearing the phone ring and my Dad picked it up. It was my sister. She told my Dad to turn on the news because there was a plane accident in NYC. My Dad turned on the news and Live coverage was showing one of the towers on fire. What a shame I thought. This is why I don’t like to fly.

As we were watching, the TV showed a low flying plane hitting the tower. I thought someone caught the plane accident on camera. What I didn’t realize was that I just witnessed the second plane hitting the second tower live on TV. When I finally did realize what I was watching I sat straight up. What was going on here? Then the news shifted to another plane crash at the Pentagon. When the 4th plane crashed in Pennsylvania, I was terrified.

My eyes were glued to the TV. Panic and fear went through my body thinking that Boston was the next target. Anger also went through me when it was said that it was terrorist attacks against the USA. I watched in horror as helpless people waved out the window of the twins tower and watched the people jump to their deaths. I was confident that the fire would be under control. But then the first tower fell.

My heart broke watching the icon of NYC fall. The first thing I though of when it fell was “I guess we can’t call it the Twin Towers anymore.” Its weird what goes on in your mind. But then the second tower fell to the ground. I swear to you there was 1 minute of pure silence. It seemed like everything stopped except for the falling of the tower.

When the silence ended, chaos began. It looked just like a set for a disaster movie. Everything was covered in ashes and dust. It didn't look real. This whole thing must be some kind of dream or some kind of sick joke. Sadly, it was real. What scared me the most was that those planes came from Logan airport. That's the airport that I would need to go to if I was to travel.

So many people lost their lives that day. Men and Women who were going to work, headed on vacation, pr looking to just go home. Also we lost many brave men and women who went in that building to save other peoples lives. I wanted nothing more then to go down to NYC and help out in any way I could. I kind of wish I did. During this time I felt so privileged and honored to be an America. Everyone seemed to just come together. It was such a bittersweet feeling.

A collection of people who lost their lives in 9/11

Due to everything, there were no planes for the first couple of days after the attack. You may never notice planes overhead but when they are gone you do notice. Its a crazy, haunting silence. I was lying on the couch and it was late at night. Everyone was sleeping except my Mom and myself. It was very quiet and then I heard a the first plane in days overhead. For some reason this really bothered and frightened me. I told my Mom I was scared and she held my hand until I fell asleep. That was also the night I realized that life does go on.

I can’t tell you where the rest of my family was that day or if I ever went to visit my boyfriend that day. I don’t even know if I called Johnny. I can’t remember if I cried or not. Certain pieces of that day tattooed themselves in my brain. I don’t ever want to forget this day. This day I realized that America is a great country and that we can not be taken down. Despite the terrorist attempts, they just made us stronger.