The Soda Stand

Archive for September, 2011

Well hey there!  I feel like I haven’t blogged here in weeks.  Oh wait.  I haven’t!  I decided to pop on over here and update everyone on my life.  Because I know you’ve been waiting on this.

I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying your life and being happy.  Life is way too short to be anything but happy in my opinion.  We get shit thrown at us from all sides and it’s up to us how we deal with all that.  I slip and fall, but I get right back up and keep plodding forward.  It’s the only thing we can do, right?  I mean, the other option is not acceptable, so I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and remind myself to breathe every now and then.  When I get super stressed or upset, I tend to forget to take a breath and I like to remind myself  to breathe.

Life is quite interesting right now, lots of things going on.  Some good, some bad, and some great.  My shoulder is healing up quite nicely and instead of having the shoulder blade sitting an inch and a half away from my spine in resting position, it is now a quarter of an inch away at resting position.  This is good!  I’m also able to do one arm bent rows with 5 pounds, so it’s a start to get me back to lifting like I want to lift.   I am still working out almost every day Monday through Friday.  I rarely miss a day.  And when I do it’s because of a doctor’s or physical therapy appointment.

Things at work are quite strange now.  One person left and the other is staying due to them creating a position and deleting another position for her.  I can deal with this one so I’m not super upset anymore.  When it first happened, I was upset and then I started looking for the positives and I have found them.  I’m good with this.

Financially, I’m still struggling.  But I’m trying and I’m improving at it.  I’m cutting back some more, not over spending and doing what I need to do to fix all the shit I’ve created.  It’s stressful and overwhelming some days, but I just keep breathing and keep moving forward.  I’ll get there.  I have faith that I will be okay and that my Higher Power will guide me in all of this.

I’m also done with school.  I now am a college graduate.  I won’t be traveling to walk in the ceremony in January but I know have an Associate’s in Applied Science degree in Public Administration.   I’m still debating on whether to go back for my Bachelors or just leave it at the AAS.  I don’t know how I feel about going back into school for another 2 years or however long.

I’m sitting here enjoying my hazelnut coffee and watching the VH-1 top 20 countdown.  I love music videos.  Then again, I just love music.  The guys at work, however, do not like the music I listen to when I’m working out.  They think it’s too angry and mean.  I listen to Godsmack, Disturbed, Eminem, Chevelle and Three Days Grace type music when I work out.  I want something fast and furious to motivate me to move fast to finish those brutal workouts he gives me.  Oh well, can’t please everyone can we?

Take care of you!

Until next time…

Do you remember where you were?  Do you remember what you were doing?  I do.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I remember the shock, the heart shattering pictures that were coming across the TV.  It stays with me.  I think of 9/11 all the time.  I still look at the clock at 9:11 a.m. and p.m. almost everyday.

As I sit here wondering what to post for the 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks against the United States in my life time, I realize I don’t really have many words to say to commemorate it.  But I do have a post from the 5 year anniversary that I did, in honor of one of the many victims who lost their lives.

I’ve been watching specials on MSNBC all night and all I can think of is how amazing it is that as I watch these shows, I feel the same gut wrenching heart break that I felt that morning as I was getting ready for work.  I was slowing getting ready for work, as I tend to wake up early and it was about 6am on the west coast.  I remember seeing it on the TV and running in to wake my mom up to have her watch the news with me.  It was horrifying.

10 years later, I still pray for peace and the grace of God to touch the lives of people directly affected by 9/11.  You’re in my thoughts and prayers.  This day is not about me.  It’s about the people who were lost and those directly affected by that loss.  I’ll never forget their sacrifice.

I wrote this post 5 years ago in a tribute that bloggers across the country (actually the world) took part in.  It was originally posted on 9/11/06.

This post is dedicated to the life of Stephen V. Mulderry who was on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center when it was hit by a plane. All of the information I’ve gained is from obituaries and online websites dedicated to the victims of September 11.

The impression I got from everything I read, was one of happiness, family, love and generosity. It seems he was generous with his time and love and he loved to help people. I can’t say that I knew him. But I can say I’ve known people like him and I wish I had known him. People who take up the whole room when they enter. Their energy and magnetism just light up the room. There’s no mistaking the charismatic look in his eye in the pictures I’ve seen of him.

To the Mulderry family, I am incredibly sorry for your loss. I am also very humbled and grateful that I was able to write this memorial for your son, brother, friend and loved one. May you find joy and happiness as you continue to remember the wonderful person that Stephen was.

When I look at the picture of him, I envision a tall, lanky, happy man who is secure in himself and in the world he has immersed himself in. I see passion and strength. I see happiness and love. I feel a warmth spread from my heart, at the same time as feeling incredible sadness that the world lost someone like him.

Everything I’ve read on the internet has given me the impression that the man never rested. He was always doing something for someone. He was always working at something that he loved, like being a top equity trader and a vice president of the employee-owned investment banking and brokerage firm, Keefe, Bruyette and Woods. Even in high school and college, Stephen did for others. He worked as a counselor and mentor at Project Strive, in Albany, an after school and summer program for grammar school students.

Stephen Vincent William Mulderry was born on May 4, 1968 in Albany, NY. Stephen had seven siblings, Amy, Andrew, Daniel, Peter, Anne Connel, Alexandra Andreani, Bill and Dara. Stephen’s parents were Anne and Bill Mulderry. Stephen attended Bishop Maginn Diocesan High School. After graduation, he attended the University of Albany.

Stephen moved to New York City after graduating from college, to pursue his career. When he first moved to the City, he was delivering chocolate milk to bodegas and he was a bartender. It’s been said that he poured energy into everything he did. Whether it be work, family, or basketball. He loved playing basketball and played it throughout college, where he led the team as point guard for three seasons.

Stephen’s nickname on the basketball court (and probably other places) was Zipper. I’d say this was because of his speed and agility on the basketball court. While playing basketball in the city leagues, he was voted Most Valuable Player during the Lower East Side Hamilton Fish tournament.

Everything I read also told me that he was a gifted musician, singer and dancer. People have said he had a quick and kind wit. He was uninhibited with his appreciation of other people’s talents. In one of the many pages I’ve read, his brother, Andrew, had this to say: “He loved basketball, but he had four passions: friends, family, work and basketball. He was an incredible source of love and support for me. Even in the midst of this horrible circumstance, I feel nothing but blessed for the older brother I have.”

What an incredible source of light and memory we have. Stephen Mulderry, I pray that you are resting in peace. Know that we remember you and what you did while you were with us on earth.

I’m going to be watching a lot of the TV specials tomorrow.  Even though I don’t think I would ever forget, I want to make sure it’s burned into my memory.

Until next time…