C.J., YOU WILL FOREVER BE MISSED...

Written in Loving Memory of

Christopher John “C.J.” Twomey

on behalf of Hallie, John and Connor Twomey

by Dayna and Kimmy.

Words are at times, inadequate, and often hard to come by. This is the hardest thing we have ever had to write. It is with deep sadness that we tell you that on April 15^th, Christopher John “C.J.” Twomey, the beloved son of Hallie and John, big brother to Connor, passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind his heart-broken family and friends.

Please take a moment to read C.J.'s obituary. In the middle of all their saddness, Hallie and John were able to find the strength to write a beautiful and loving tribute to their amazing son.

Those who loved C.J. are left to miss his infectious smile, to wish to hold him again, to have him saunter into a room and make us all laugh. We wish we could talk to him, to watch him love the way that he did, with his whole heart. In short, those who loved C.J. are longing for the future we were all supposed to have with him. Hallie and John are heart-broken, are struggling to understand the events of the past week and are focusing on making sure their son Connor, who has shown grace and maturity well beyond his 16 years, knows and feels the love of his parents at this very difficult time.

Hallie, John and Connor have received an overwhelming amount of support over the last week from friends nearby who have stood with them through horrific circumstances, to the calls of support and the messages sent through text, email, Facebook and many other mediums. They know that so many of you are hurting as well.

Even in the mist of incomprehensible pain, Hallie and John continue to think of others. Despite their own pain, they remembered the pain of Hallie’s dad as he was waiting for a heart and became a recipient himself. In C.J.'s final hours, Hallie and John made the heroic decision to donate his organs. This week, 56 families felt the joy of hope for their family, even in the darkest moments for C.J.’s family.

Many have asked what they can do for the Twomey family and we have thought of a few suggestions:

1. Pray for comfort. Hallie, John, Connor and their extended family have pain that is indescribable; please offer up prayers that comfort can come to them.

2. Continue to send messages of support. The messages of support they have received mean more than they can express right now. Messages sent through Facebook, her Blog, or for those who have the ability, text messages of support are appreciated. While they are not able to respond, they are reading them, and it does lift them in support when one more step or one more breath seems like it’s just too much to take.

We know that this time, for all of us, is shocking and difficult to comprehend a life cut so short. We hope and pray that you can take a moment to hold those you love tight, tell them you love them and cherish every moment.

Continue to love like C.J. did, with his whole heart, and give to others freely.

May we all find comfort...

Dayna & Kimmy

I'm Back

Guess it's time for me to climb out of the sick cess pool I've been wallowing in and post something on here. Cuz people have started wondering where the hell I've been. Wondering and emailing. Emailing in a "where the hell have you been/are you ok/is there something going on that we need to know" kind of way.

Which is nice. Nice in a "guess if I disappear completely someone MIGHT actually notify John and/or the authorities" kind of way.

So here I am...finally well enough to sit upright long enough to say howdy. Finally able to breath long enough to not suffocate while sitting vertically. Finally able to concentrate on typing and not ONLY on hacking up a lung.

Yep, I'm finally on the mend.

Which surprises me.

Cuz quite frankly, I thought I was dying.

And yes, before you ask, a non-bacterial sinus thingy CAN feel like it's killing you.

And in case you didn't know, a face is NOT supposed to hurt. And when it does, life sucks. Cuz face pain is bad pain. Really bad pain.

And I'm MORE than tickled that it's mostly stopped hurting.

It's still throbbing a bit. And I STILL feel like I have a pulse in my gums and cheekbones. But not in a "I just might die if this doesn't stop" kind of way.

Nope, death no longer seems imminent.

Yeehaw for me.

Cuz being sick since last Tuesday afternoon thereby missing 3 days of work and pretty much ALL of my weekend SUCKED MASSIVE DONKEY BALLS.

Really big massive donkey balls...donkey balls I hope NOT to see again anytime soon.

**Ok,ok...in the interest of total honesty...I DID manage to medicate the HELL out of myself and rally for Laura's party next door Saturday night. And although going to that party and acting the way we ALL did (including Blender Kimmy & Co.), SURELY extended my illness by an extra day or two, I do NOT regret going.

Cuz I have the greatest group of friends known to mankind.

And we had the greatest time known to mankind that night.

And no, I will NOT tell you what went on.

Cuz sometimes?

Well, sometimes...what happens in the hood needs to stay in the hood. ;)

Writer's Workshop - Be Afraid!!!

Saw a writing prompt over at Mama's Losin' It that got my creative juices flowing.

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5.) Where does that fear come from? Write about something that frightens you that other people might find ridiculous. Write about it in a poem, a story, or whatever.

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I chose the whatever...and by whatever I mean, in song. Cuz I'm cool like that.

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Hop on over to my sidebar and turn off my music player or else THAT music will just confuse you.

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Go ahead, I'll wait. Go turn it off.

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Done yet?

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Good.

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Now start this video so you can hear the song....

...then use MY LYRICS to sing along!!

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Sounds fun doesn't it? Well, doesn't it?? :)

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Oh and btw....if you find my fear ridiculous, YOU, my blogging friend, have issues. Cuz my fear is VERY REAL and VERY SCARY.

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And mocking me is just mean.

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I mean it.

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Now sing!

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Her name was Hallie, she had some big fears,
With lots of spiders all around, she was always feeling down,
She could not function, cuz they were lurking,
And she hated them from afar, and wished they all lived in a jar.
Across a quiet space, she could just sense them pace,
They were big and hairy and scary,
She was a basket case!

On this planet (PL), This great big planet,
She really, REALLY, could not stand it (here)
On this planet (PL) This great big planet.
Spiders with pulses will always be tragic
On this planet….I’m really scared.

Spiders have eight legs, which is quite freaky,
They can climb up and hide on walls, which sends my heart into a stall.
They can be furry, Which seems abnormal,
Cuz that fur makes my skin crawl, leading me to really bawl.
And when they eat a fly, it really makes me cry,
What if I’m their very next meal choice,
I’d rather just die!

On this planet (PL), This great big planet,
She really, REALLY, could not stand it (here)
On this planet (PL) This great big planet.
Spiders with pulses will always be tragic
On this planet….I’m really scared.

(Planet…This great big planet)
(This great big planet, ahh ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh ahh ahh Planet. This great big planet)
(Wish the planet would just ban it)
(Spiders with pulses…always repulsing)

Her name is Hallie, she still hates spiders.
She hated them in yesteryear, she still cringes when they’re near.
She’ll always hate them, it’s just a given.
Still have those pulsy gross eight legs, still lays way too many eggs.
Avoids them like the flu, it’s what she has to do.
She can’t like them now, can’t like them later,
Not even in a zoo!

On this planet (PL), This great big planet,
She really, REALLY, could not stand it (here)
On this planet (PL) This great big planet.
Spiders with pulses will always be tragic
On this planet….I’m really scared.

(Planet) Spiders – they suck
This great big planet
This great big planet

Is It Just Me Or...Week 22!!!

Is it just me or...are these cans awesome? I LOVE that Diet Coke is working to support women's heart health programs. Cuz I'm a woman. (Well I AM!) And I have a heart. (Yes I DO!) And if you look at my family history, it's going to need help someday. (Thanks for nothing Dad!) Plus, as you may or may not know, I happen to LOVE DIET COKE IN A MOSTLY UNNATURAL WAY. Which makes supporting a good cause just by drinking it icing on my liquid cake!

Is it just me or...does a certain song zap you back to a specific place and time? In an instant? As if you stepped into a "way back machine" and were reliving THAT moment all over again? Actually, this happens to me with more than one song. More like 10 songs. Or 20. Or 50. And that's not including any/all Air Supply songs. Cuz EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE immediately puts me back into our convertible TR6 with my Dad...cruising to no place in particular on no particular day.

(Some of my most favorite memories btw.) :)

Is it just me or...is it damn near impossible to get comfortable this time of year in Maine? One day it's FREEZING and the next it's BALMY. Can't decide if I need a fleece jacket or my flip flops. Thank God fleece and flops are a readily accepted combo in my community. Cuz once I go flop, I refuse to go back. I just can't. My toes demand freedom!! ;)

Is it just me or...or does everyone have a kiddo leaving next Tuesday to head to the great state of Texas? To start a whole new phase of their military career? To then be sent to Japan in the very near future? What? That's ONLY me? And my kiddo? Really? Next Tuesday isn't the annual, "EVERYONE SENDS THEIR KID TO TEXAS" day? Really? It isn't? Go figure...

Is it just me or...did every one's husband tell them (post Easter feast) that not only did they do a kick ass job preparing the meal but that they looked hella hot doing it??? Yep, that's what John said. To me. When it was all said and done. And then he took this pic of me. Which I embellished and turned into our very own Warholesque photo. Cuz I can.

John is very good for my ego. :)
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Now it's YOUR turn.
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RULES

Throw together a list of all those things you think in your head...all those things that make you wonder "Am I the ONLY one that thinks this???" (Hence the "IS IT JUST ME OR..." title!!) All those things that you just KNOW others wonder about but never say!!!

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Things you need to know to get started:

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*Put together your list. (Can't wait to see what you come up with each week!)

*Mention my blog and link to my current edition of "IS IT JUST ME OR...."
*Hop on back over here and add the link to YOUR entry to the MckLinky list at the bottom of my post.

And while you're here, why not grab my new button and slap it onto your post! That way, if people click on it, they will be transported over here to the Wonderful World of Wieners. And who doesn't want to be transported to a world full of wieners? (The code to the button is at the top of the right hand column.)Have fun and get linking!!! And don't forget to click over and visit those brave bloggers who linked up!! Tell them Hallie sent you!!

Run Like The Wind My Son

Finally got my hands on the track CD full of pics from Connor's first indoor track season. And I'm a happy mom. So many great pics to choose from of my kiddo. (And lots of amazing pics of his teammates too!) I loved them all!

Part of a team scavenger hunt.

Odd to see him with a mohawk!

The whole group. Can you find Connor?

Guess it's silly to ask you to find him again....cuz if you found him up there, you already know where he is!

Yes Connor, that IS the million dollar smile we paid for! :)

Intense facial expression.

Holding the blocks.

Connor in motion.

On your mark...

Hanging out at a meet.

My favorite pic.

Run, Connor, Run!!

Makes my mom heart proud to see these.

Second from the right. Look at his ripped shoulders!

Getting into position.

Connor holding the starting blocks for another Connor. :)

Sitting with his team.

Working out in the school hallway. Edward Little doesn't have an indoor track so a lot of their practices/work outs take place in the school hallways. Connor's in the front looking tall even while flat!

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Sure can't wait for Spring track to start. They are practicing already...first meet is next weekend @ 3:30 here in Auburn.

Come watch if you're in the area! :)

I submit.....

...that the expression, "HUNG LIKE A HORSE" be changed to "HUNG LIKE A WHALE."

Just a thought...

Unbelievable

Finally saw this movie. Only need one word to desribe it.

WOW

Fragging and Fridays - A Perfect Match

Everyone that's anyone frags on Fridays. It's that simple. Just ask Mrs. 4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. She'll tell you it's true. Cuz it is. Mrs. 4444 says so!!

I am CRAZY intrigued and UBERLY impressed with this invention. But perhaps not as impressed as that bird. Of course, not at all sure how this would actually work in my house. Cuz if I had this mounted on my wall at a height that would allow me to actually use it without needing a step ladder, that bird would be at the perfect height to make a tasty appetizer for an unsuspecting wiener. Sadly, I STILL want it.

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It's GIRLS MOVIE NIGHT in da Twomey household tonight! Which means both the pina coladas and the estrogen will be flowing. Which also means (if it's not already obvious) that John is working late. Connor might be around but one can safely assume he will lock himself in his room and avoid us all like the plague. In other words, act like his normal self. Can't wait to hang out with my girlfriends and have tickle fights in our naughty nighties. What? That ISN'T what a group of gals do when they get together? Really?

Then how come men think it is? ;)

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Coming into work at 7am each morning means that I'm often times alone for up to an hour. Me. All alone. Big old extroverted me. Alone. All by my lonesome. For an hour. An hour I have no one to talk to. But myself. Which makes me UBERLY appreciative that I am a KICK ASS conversationalist. You have no idea how funny I can be when I'm talking to myself. Seriously, I need to tape me so I can laugh with me later. Might even be able to sell those tapes for a profit. Cuz me alone? Me alone talking to myself? HYSTERICAL!!!

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Still obsessively checking my chin and chin area for the ever elusive, thick as a jump rope, errant strand of hair - the hair that delurks when you turn 40. Almost freakin' died of a heart attack last week when I **gasp** found one. Turns out it was just an eyelash that had landed on my chin. Thank God. Cuz I was ready to go buy a butt load of paper bags so I could cover my furry, shame inducing chin.

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Diet Coke is on sale, starting today. for $.99 a bottle. DID YOU HEAR ME???? $.99 per 2-liter bottle! Too bad I don't smoke. Cuz simply thinking about it makes me feel like I need an "after the big moment" ciggy.

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TV stuff I feel I need to tell you:

*DWTS is the single worst show on TV. I TRIED to watch it cuz EVERYONE says it's SOOOOOO DAMN AMAZING. But it isn't. It WAS soooooooo damn horrible. Seriously. It was worse than watching Snookie poof her hair on Jersey Shore. Yep, it was that bad.

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*Modern Family was NOT funny this week. Which pissed me off. Royally. Actually, it made me so mad that I am STILL upset 2 days later. Cam and Manny better step up their game next week. Or else.

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*Cougar Town WAS funny however. And managed to make the term "shower babies" my new favorite expression. Didn't see it? HULU!!!!

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*Parenthood is growing on me. Not sure if it's cuz the cast is full of actors I really like (who doesn't like anyone that was on Six Feet Under?) or the quirkiness of the family. (Cuz boy, are they all messed up in one way or another) Whatever it is, I really like it. Which probably means it will be canceled in the very near future. :(

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I think there's an English Angora Rabit in there somewhere.

Maybe.

Writers Workshop - She Asked For Ten But I Could Have Listed More!

Another Thursday in the blogging world which means another Writer's Workshop courtesy of Mama Kat over at Mama's Losin' It. If you don't know the drill, where the hell have you been? Just kidding. But seriously...are you blogging under a rock?

Decided to go with writing prompt number one this week. Cuz it spoke to me. And cuz I sort of had this idea floating around in my head already. Which made picking this prompt easy peasy!

List of 10 things blogging has taught you.

#1 - If you name your blog the Wonderful World of WIENERS, do NOT be surprised at the number of twisted/sick/perverted people that stumble on your blog. Trust me....LOTS of people were HELLA SURPRISED when they found my itty bitty blog when searching for a **ahem** different type of wiener!

#2 - Not every blogger will "get" me or my sense of humor. Just like I won't "get" everyone else's sense of humor. And that's totally ok. Just like chocolate and vanilla satisfy different palates, so do blogs. Some people might not have acquired a taste for wieners. (Does that sound as wrong to you as it does to me?) ;)

#3 - Blogging is freakin' addictive. Like "I won't make it through this week if I don't get a kick ass dose of the blog world mainlined into my body" addictive. Yep, whether you're writing or reading...a day away from the blog world requires one GINORMOUS blogger patch to hold me over.

#4 - Lots of mean people hide beyond a veil of anonymity in the blog world. But lots more AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC, I'D LIKE TO SQUEEZE THEM ALL IN ONE GIANT BLOGGER BEAR HUG, run openly and freely through the blogging universe. And thankfully, I've been privileged to "meet" a whole pant load of them. And they are truly awesome. And ARE my friends....in every sense of the word.

#5 - Blogging helps keep me sane. No ifs, ands or butts about it....blogging is the cheapest form of therapy there is. And I love it. (Just need to figure out how to do it while laying on my back stretched out on a fancy "therapy" like couch!)

#6 - The number of followers you have, the number of comments you get or the number of page hits you accumulate are NOT important when measuring the worth of your blog. Oh, we ALL go through a stage when we think that losing a follower is akin to losing a limb. Or when seeing a specific post ONLY get 2 or 3 comments means that EVERYONE hates you. Or (gulp) watching our stat tracker go DOWN instead of up somehow indicates the end of the world as we know it. But ultimately what matters is how YOU (meaning you the blog author) feels about your blog. Cuz really? Your blog IS for you more than anyone else, right? Well, isn't it??? :)

#7 - There pretty much isn't ONE SINGLE TOPIC that you can't get advice about from the blog world. Seriously. Cuz someone, somewhere lurking out there in bloggyland has at one time or another, experienced it. Or knows someone who did. Which is equal parts awesome and totally disturbing. Cuz sometimes the stories people share are just plain worrisome. (But they usually lead to a great Morbid Monday post. So...win-wWin for all!!)

#8 - Making fun of people or teasing people on your blog is ok....to a point. Which is something I CONSTANTLY keep in the forefront of my brain. Cuz although I LOVE to kid my friends and family and tell a tale or two about their quirks or idiosyncrasies (cuz boy do they have them!), I will NOT make someone feel badly or embarrass them. This is MY blog and the people in my life didn't sign up to be mocked publicly. Of course that DOESN'T mean I can leave them out completely. Why would I? After all, they ARE my everything. They just happen to be my everything that does CRAZY, FUNNY crap once in awhile!

#9 - Not everyone in your everyday life wants to talk about your blog. Or hear about your blog. Or even read your blog. (Asshats...all of them!) :) Just cuz I'M a blogger and love most all things blog related does not mean that everyone else appreciates the blog world. I am, however, on a one blogger woman mission to change this. I plan to convince the entire free world (only concentrating on the free world cuz I figure those NOT living freely can't make up their own mind) to EMBRACE THEIR INNER BLOGGER by 2020. Figure I can do it if I try really hard!!

#10 - Blogging makes me hungry. Really, really hungry. And is ALWAYS better accomplished with a butt load of M&M's nearby. Or a sleeve of Thin Mints. Or at the very least, a 2 pack of squishy fresh Hostess Snoballs. (the pink ones are preferable but the white ones will do in a pinch) Cuz blogging takes energy and brain power. And energy and brain power require fuel. Fuel in the form of chocolaty goodness.

Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.