The Ice Box

Ruby Tuesday and Other Assorted Nonsense

2009-11-23T17:44:00.005-07:00

The photo above was taken at my kids' school on Friday, November 6th. The gentleman wearing this shirt proudly told me that he was at the school's Veterans Day celebration at the request of his granddaughter. The granddaughter wanted her grandfather to be thanked and recognized for his service in the US Marine Corps.

Semper Fi.

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Speaking of school, I'm wondering why if I haven't been a student now for xx years, why am I stressing over incomplete homework assignments? Yeah, I know, the responsibility should lie with my son, but as bright as that kid is, he sure is obstinate about doing the actual work. Sigh. I just wish all of his assignments and tests could be turned in verbally; he'd be a straight A student!

It's difficult to comprehend how quickly time has been flying. We're facing Thanksgiving in just a few days, and soon thereafter it will be Christmas. When the kids go back to school in January, we're halfway to my daughter completing her final year in grade school. She and I are both having trouble contemplating the thought of high school next year.

A few weeks ago, I was asked specifically by our school principal to proofread and edit some important documents, one that will set the tone for our school's direction for the next few years, and one that is an application for a special recognition for our school. In the midst of all that, I've had friends who have suffered with health ailments, the possible loss of homes, the death of a parent, and other less tragic but still difficult challenges.

I found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed emotionally, but I stiffened my back and weathered on. Then came a comment on a very old post, one that accused me of only wanting people to feel sorry for me and that "sooooooo many people know the real truth about the kind of person you are."

Really?

Do I seem pathetic to some? Do I really appear to want sympathy from all? Hmmm....let's take stock of my life:

I have been happily married for over 18 years to a highly intelligent, loyal, funny, and trustworthy man who is a fabulous father to our kids.
I have two healthy, extremely bright, affectionate, and compassionate children.
I am educated and have ample opportunities for personal growth.
My health is stable.
I live in a very comfortable home in a safe community.
I have fantastic friends who love me, trust me, laugh with me, and give me strength.
I have sisters who drive me nuts but who love me nonetheless and would be by my side if I needed them.
I have an outstanding relationship with my mother-in-law and father-in-law.
I am a perfect creation and daughter of God.

What more could I want?

Never Forget...

2009-11-11T14:43:00.002-07:00

...what they've done for us.

Never forget their sacrifice.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2009-11-05T00:01:00.004-07:00

Peace is...embracing the goodness in oneself...and in each other.

Bear with me for posting this repeat from November 2007; this is for Mimi:

Are You Ready?

2009-11-02T14:38:00.003-07:00

BlogBlast for Peace is coming up on November 5th! Is your peace globe ready to fly?

It's NOT?!?!

Go HERE to get your globe template. Share your message of peace.

And while you're at it, send some peaceful, warm thoughts to Mimi as she continues to grieve on the loss of her beloved daddy.

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Sorry I haven't been around much. I'm having a minor health issue, and it's really kicking my butt. I'm resting up, but I'll be posting on November 5th, and I hope to make blog rounds even sooner.

Virtual Reality

2009-10-27T16:05:00.005-07:00

Their joy is my joy. Their pain is my pain, too.

One has a daughter who continues to fight fever after fever. Another one has a daughter who has migraine after migraine and now fights a kidney infection in a hospital. And yet another friend had to say goodbye to a dearly loved, dying father.

I "stood" by my friend as she sat in her father's hospital bed. I "sit" by my other friend as she sits with her daughter in the hospital, waiting for her pain to go away for good. I laugh with yet another friend as she nurses her daughter through another fever.

How did this happen? How did these people transcend the written words on their blogs to living, breathing friends whose lives are important to me?

It begins simply enough. You find a blog and start reading it. They start reading yours. You comment, they comment. You find common ground in their words. You trade e-mails. You trade stories. Then you trade "real" names.

There. That's it. When you know a person's given name, then the transformation is complete.

I have names, home addresses, e-mails, and phone numbers. I've talked on the phone with them, laughed and cried, been invited to their weddings and to their homes. All of these pieces complete what I know about someone that I first met through the written word.

And it makes the picture three dimensional. The face on the page, the avatar, breathes life.

It has broadened my world and my perspective.

It is my new reality.

Also thinking about and praying for someone with whom I once was close as he fights pneumonia in the hospital. I still care. Of course.

Who is This?

2009-10-21T00:01:00.005-07:00

So last week I posted this photo and asked if anyone could guess who it was. What started this was a simple conversation The Engineer and I were having while watching Sunday Night Football last week. We were talking about different players throughout the years, their strengths, their weaknesses, their college careers, etc. The subject then came back to a player that I had THOUGHT was from my hometown in Florida. Turns out I was incorrect, but the search for details on that person led me to this photo.

This photo was in my high school yearbook. So was this one.

This man was a member of the school's soccer team his freshman year and played in the band. As far as I could tell, I had no activities in common with him, and I certainly never had class with him as I was a senior when he was freshman.

Later I went to the alumni site for my high school and came across this photo. This man was awarded an Alumni Recognition Award in 1997. (Recognize him yet?)

Still don't know who it is? Okay, here's the last clue. This is a fairly recent photo of him.

Figured it out yet? Those of you who are National Football League fans should know who it is by now. It's John Carney, kicker for the New Orleans Saints, graduate of the University of Notre Dame (GO IRISH!), and my high school, Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Newman Crusaders' own claim to fame, and I never even figured it out.

Until now.

Can they take away my fan membership card for this infraction? *hanging head in shame*

Later daze, y'all...

Ruby Tuesday - Pinwheels for Peace

2009-10-20T00:01:00.004-07:00

On September 21st, the kids at our school took part in the International Day of Peace by participating in Pinwheels for Peace.

Kids participating in a peace movement? Why not? And why not you?

Join the BlogBlast for Peace movement on November 5, 2009. As Mimi of Mimi Writes says, "We will speak with one voice. One subject. One day."

Won't you join us?

Go HERE for details on how to get your Peace Globe, and on November 5th, fly your globe. Peace starts with a dream in your heart and spreads from person to person.

Blog Blast for Peace - A Meme

2009-10-19T00:01:00.001-07:00

BlogBlast For Peace Meme ~ Join The Revolution

Here are the rules and the story.

Copy this into a post and tag as many people as you'd like.

The Peace Globe project began in the fall of 2006 with a simple post from one blog, Mimi Writes. The post ignited a flame in the blogosphere. The flame became a passion. The passion became a movement. It amazingly traveled from blog to blog to blog across the globe. Bloggers wrote passionate articles on what peace means to them, along with the promise of three Latin words scribbled on a globe - Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) - branded with the integrity of their names or blog names. It was positively inspiring to watch. And it began to happen all over the world - from Singapore to China to Afghanistan to Brooklyn.

It was simple. And powerful.

We will speak with one voice. One subject. One day.

Won't you join us?

On 5 November 2009, DISPLAY YOUR GLOBE IN A POST. Title your post "Dona Nobis Pacem". This is important. The goal is for all blog post titles to say the same thing on the same day. Write about peace that day or simply fly your globe.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE TAGGED TO PLAY.

Please consider passing this meme through the blogosphere.

This is Mimi Pencil Skirt reporting from the lovely land of the Peace Globes.

Memeing the Movement.

End quote from Mimi Writes...

You're all tagged. Everything you need to know about how to participate can be found in the links at the top of my sidebar. And once you've created your Peace Globe, email it to blogblastforpeace@yahoo.com so it can be included in the Gallery.

This is a worthy thing. It's a community thing. It's a blog thing. It's a human thing.

Do it. Post your globe on 5 November. And visit Mimi on that day. Sign Mr Linky and click on the hundreds of other links to travel through the bloggosphere and see other Globes, and read heart felt words about Peace.

Be a Peace Blogger.

Dona Nobis Pacem.

This and That

2009-10-14T20:47:00.005-07:00

I've been running in all sorts of directions of late (which, as you all know, is nothing new), and for the last two days, I've spent hours in bed, utterly exhausted. So I've got just some bullet items to bring up here:

The Ice Box is officially three years old now. Yeah, I missed my bloggoversary this past Monday, but my friend Bond over at The Couch did a super job highlighting not only my bloggoversary but also a cause near and dear to my heart (and lungs). Check out his post HERE.
My son got another cast put on his arm. When he went for his three week check up last Wednesday, the doctor said the break was healing nicely, but it still needed some more time to finish the process, so off with the red cast and on with the blue one. Oh well, best to play it safe.
My daughter battled a bad cold and sinus infection, which resulted in her getting another ear infection. Ugh. Yes, at near 14 years old, she still gets those dreaded things.
Basketball tryouts for the school team are in two weeks, and the Lass is getting in shape for that. Wish her luck!
Our school was featured in a segment on a local morning show last week. We had a visit from the helicopter, and the kids got lots of on-air time.
BlogBlast for Peace is coming up on November 5th? Are you ready? Have you completed your Peace Globe?
Next Tuesday night, I'll be movin', groovin', and rockin' out with Bono and Da Boyz. Woooooooo! Can NOT wait!!!!

That's all for now. Oh, wait....just for kicks and giggles, can you guess who this is? More on this later in the week.

I Can't Outrun a Tagger

2009-10-09T00:01:00.003-07:00

And no, I don't mean the spray-paint can carrying kind. I'm talking about the illustrious, the luminous, the certified crazy mistress of the stars and dark, Starrlight of Here Comes a Storm fame. She tagged me for this list a while ago, and I'm just now getting to it. So here goes; my answers are bolded:

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? An ice cube

2. Where was your profile picture taken? The parking lot of the martial arts academy where my son trains.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero? Hell no.

4. Name someone who made you laugh today. What was it about? It was...you, darling Starr, and I shall not divulge what the subject content was.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why? Only until 10:00 p.m. because I was freakin' exhausted!

6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why? Coronado, California. It's all about the beach, baby.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? Kissed by what?

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? Laura, about a five minute drive from here. Two, if there are no cops in the neighborhood.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? With benefits? Yes, and yes

10. Do you like Dr. Pepper? Blech

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling? Yesterday, when I heard that my son would have to endure another three weeks with a cast.

12. Who took your profile picture? I did.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? My baby boy

14. Was yesterday better than today? Why? No.

15. Can you live a day without TV? Yes, absolutely. That's why man invented DVRs. *grin*

16. Are you upset about anything now? Nope.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Yup.

18. Are you a bad influence? Depends. Ask my BlogFest friends. *evil grin*

19. Night out or night in? Depends on my mood.

20. What items could you not go without during the day? Blackberry, laptop, wallet, lip balm, iPod, house keys

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Hmmmm...myself? Doesn't count? Well....dunno then.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? "thank you!" (from my daughter, thanking me for buying her ice cream at the store)

23. How do you feel about your life right now? Pretty peaceful

24. Do you hate anyone? Not really. I get pissed at people who hurt my loved ones.

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? Old messages all read.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? Depends on for what they were screening. I take a boatload of medications.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? Yes, but only once. He learned.

28. What song is stuck in your head? The Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated." Thanks a lot, Starr.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be? Santa because he's a wish granter and he's waking me up to tell me that Adrian Paul is waiting in the kitchen with a surprise...

30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50? God, I hope not! That would mean my daughter was a mother by age 16!

31. Tell us your Saturday night. Don't remember it.

32. Do you think too much or too little? Depends on the time of day, what the kids are doing, if I'm in the midst of an invigorating e-mail convo, how I'm feeling.....

33. Do you smile a lot? Yes, I think so.

I Need to Fire my Scheduling Secretary

2009-10-07T12:24:00.001-07:00

Whoever scheduled me to run back to front and back to front starting at 7:30 a.m. today needs to be fired, shot, hanged, and quartered, because I'm the proverbial chicken. Sigh. The good news is that one thing on my calendar which was to have me away from home from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. has been canceled, I musta done something good somewhere. With any good karma that might be leftover, and by the grace of the Big Guy Upstairs, my son will get his cast off today. That is, they ARE removing it to do an x-ray; we're hoping that they won't need to put on another one.

I doubt that anyone who knows me as a parent would accuse me of being indulgent of my kids. In fact, I've been called too strict by others who like to softsoap their progeny. Maybe it's because I'm old-fashioned, but I think kids should have excellent manners, work hard, play harder, and laugh often. Because I'm pretty strict, I felt bad about breaking my daughter's heart a week ago - I had to tell her that her father and I just couldn't afford to send her on her school trip to Washington, DC. Now before you go yelling at me and say that I should get off my lazy ass, get a job, and find a way to finance the trip, might I remind you that a) I'm disabled and not able to get a job at the drop of a hat, and b) (and more importantly) because we live rather far away from the East Coast, a trip of this magnitude involves an amount of money that equals a year at community college. Yeah, see my point? Bus trip = not possible; therefore, must fly on airplane. Sigh. The upside is that now we're planning a trip to DC for the entire family which will cost in the ballpark of what we would have spent for just the girl to go. I know it won't be quite as fun for her, and we won't go to nearly as many places as the tour would have taken her, but since it will be her last summer before she starts high school, I figure it might be our last chance to take an extended vacation as a family unit. Wait...did I just admit to having a daughter who will start high school next year? Oy...

Some where in the midst of planning for next summer (yes, I know the school year is only seven weeks old, but a mom always has to plan ahead), in addition to Washington, DC we are working on plans to visit OH to celebrate the in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary, and I'm trying to work out a trip to Atlanta to meet some friends. All that needs to be squeezed between voice camp, basketball camp, martial arts training, etc., etc., etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And even the best laid plans by a Super Mom wannabe get knocked askew....

The call that every parent doesn't like getting. The one that makes you sigh and think, "Oh, great." Yeah, that one. I had been at the school this morning for my usual stint, which was after arriving an hour early in order to participate in the filming of a segment for a local news morning show, when after only an hour home I got...The Call. The one where the voice says, "Hi, Songbird. It's Tracey. Wanna come back to get your daughter?" Tracey, as in the school nurse. [insert heavy, mournful sigh here] Seems a fever of 101.5 was enough to stop Bonnie Lass dead in her school-spirited tracks, even though she tried to tough it out until noon, which was when school ended for today. The call came at 11:10 a.m., by the way.

I think my cape order has been put on hold.

Later daze...

Happy One Month Anniversary...

2009-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

...to two people who (almost) make me believe in fairy tales.

Now go HERE and wish the two love birds a happy one month.

My Soul Lies in...

2009-09-30T00:01:00.003-07:00

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions.

You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruby Tuesday - At the Wall

2009-09-29T00:01:00.001-07:00

Once a Marine (wife), always a Marine. Semper Fidelis.

Soakin' It All In...and Appreciating

2009-09-28T00:01:00.007-07:00

Some people are experts at letting life happen to them. You know the kind: the ones who always seem to be the victim; the ones for whom nothing seems to go right (when you know they've done nothing to help themselves.) I'm not one of them. Usually, I know when to push the accelerator and when to let up on the gas. I don't give up, and I don't like to give in. Others are experts at allowing Life to happen, not TO them, but AROUND them. They absorb and enjoy the smells, sights, and sounds of events.

A few weeks ago, I decided to play the leaf to Life's riverflow. I cast myself into the current and allowed Life to happen around me. I wanted to see what would happen when I allowed things just to unfold.

Here are some of events that were presented to or around me:

My son broke his arm at martial arts training;
I was a chaperon at the eighth grade field trip to see the replica of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall;
A neighbor mysteriously disappeared and was found several days later in a neighboring county...with a bullet in his head;
A person near and dear to my heart married the love of his life, and now his lady love is special to me for the love she shares with my friend. Sadly, I couldn't be there for the celebration, but I was most definitely there in my heart;
I enjoyed many, many lunches with my friend, Laura;
My daughter revealed to me (and others around her) that I am a trusted adult in her life, someone in whom she can confide and trust. She can be herself with me;
We bought a new piece of furniture because we decided we are WORTH IT;
I shared many humorous, enlightening, and revealing conversations with friends, newly made and long-time ones;
I discovered a new, locally owned Greek restaurant that has baklava I crave and freshly-made pita that "tastes like buttah;" and
I shared lots and lots of laughter, hugs, and kisses with my incredible son and amazing daughter.

I learned that I need to play the leaf a bit more often. It's not always necessary to drive the fastest race; sometimes a trip in the slow lane is just what is desired. And needed.

Peace, joy, and later daze....

Sticking My Head up To Offer Apologies

2009-09-04T18:04:00.001-07:00

Just a brief appearance to apologize if you got an e-mail from me asking you to "view my photos." A friend's e-mail address book got hijacked, I answered the e-mail, and the problem escalated. If you get the message, DO NOT OPEN THE SITE.

My sincerest apologies for this error. Now, back to your regularly scheduled hiatus....

Later daze....

Hiatus

2009-08-25T19:23:00.002-07:00

Thank you to those of you who visited my friend over HERE; I'm sure she welcomed the warm thoughts and good wishes you sent to her. Keep her in your prayers over the next few weeks as she makes a gut-wrenching change in the lives of herself and her kids.

I'm going to take what I hope will be a temporary blogging hiatus. I have too many things that are wreaking havoc in my life right now, and the beginning of the new school year (now in the middle of week 2) is getting intense.

I have been trying to keep up with reading your blogs, but that's been tough, and I haven't commented on some in weeks. I haven't abandoned you; I'm just...not myself lately.

I'll return when I've gotten a grip on things better.

Later daze....

Reach Out and Touch Someone

2009-08-23T22:39:00.003-07:00

This is a shameless plug for you to click HERE and give my friend some hugs, positive vibes, and prayers. She could use some genuine affection right now. Additionally, she has a warning that all of us should heed. Trust me.

Where Was I Again?

2009-08-18T20:03:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah, talking about the beginning of school. Yes, I'm still alive, two days into the new school year. Two days. And I'm already exhausted. I missed an important meeting at church tonight. AGAIN. My brain is not yet functioning properly.

Um....I think I'll go back to bed. I'll return when....well....you know....

Later daze...

Standing in the Middle of Life/ADDED TO EDIT

2009-08-14T18:14:00.005-07:00

So, did I mention that school is starting on Monday? And that I have assumed some "official" PTSA duties? Oh, and now that there are restrictions on just about everything related to photocopying, my volunteer duties at the school office will probably involve doing things like cover phones when staff is at lunch and other such routine office sh...stuff?

Damn. I'd forgotten how FREAKIN' PAINFUL it is to stand on my feet for hours at a time while at school. I didn't sleep well last night, so I was exhausted to start, and then I helped out (as little as I could, since our PTSA president is a dervish) setting up lunch for the teachers as they worked to prepare for a new school year. Then we cleaned up after lunch and had a brief PTSA pow-wow. I came home limping. My back and feet are screaming at me even now. How the hell will I get through until next May?!

Okay, let me clarify a few things here based on comments received thus far: 1) Yes, I can sit while at school, but since we were setting up a luncheon, it's difficult to stand when you have physical "here and there"-ing to do; 2) Once most of the teachers were eating lunch, we took a break to eat lunch, but there was no place to sit since they were all using the break room, so we just stood in the hall with our plates, eating, and waiting to serve them more food and then clean up; 3) When I volunteer at the front office on a normal day, I'm able to sit if I'm doing things like paperwork, but to make copies, it's not all that feasible because it's a lot of getting up and moving around, and 4) Yes, I could take stuff home to do if I am doing something for the teachers or if it's a lot of routine work like cutting, stapling, assembling, etc.; I can also sit in the break room and do it - but answering the phones (while it IS a sitting job) cannot be done at my house, nor can photocopying. Did I clear up any of the confusion?

My body feels so frackin' old. I hate it. It makes feel guilty, which then makes me feel worse that I swallowed the pity pill.

Thank God my mind still works. I think.

(Hey, even though only one of you has mentioned a thing about my music player inclusions, and I was going to omit them, I've putting one here anyway. 'Cause, you know, I feel like it. So there.)

Have a good weekend, and Later daze....

One Week and Counting...

2009-08-10T00:01:00.003-07:00

One week. A week from today. Next Monday, my 13-year-old daughter enters the eighth grade. My son will officially be a fifth grader.

*heavy, mournful sigh*

Some summers, I'm like the Staples commercial parent, celebrating the beginning of the school year.

After my son had the most horrendous third grade year that a child could possibly have, I relished that summer. It was a chance to decompress and gather the shreds of what was left of my sanity. (That was also the year that my husband was working in California, my friend Greg was booted out of school, and we parents led the revolt against our then-principal.)

This summer, however, my feelings are different. Believe it or not, I'm not really excited about my kids going back to school. I actually LOVED hanging out with my kids this summer. We went to the library, we had indoor picnics in the family room, we watched movies while snuggling in my bed. We slept in, we ate ice cream and popsicles, and we just hung out together.

My daughter is still really cool to be around. Now that she's maturing, she and I have more interesting conversations. We share shoes, we laugh at the same things while watching NCIS, and she'll even listen to my music.

My son continues to make me laugh. His imagination is a wonder to behold, and his LEGOS creations are marvels. He giggles at the classic cartoons like Tom and Jerry, and he'll make up silly dances to commercial jingles.

The irony of this summer is that my daughter, who normally is ecstatic about the start of school, is moody and panicky, contemplating her last year at the only grade school she's ever attended. My son, normally the one who bemoans the start of the new school year, is very much looking forward to the start of the new year. Dare I say, he's even....*whispering*...excited! He's heard so many incredible things about his teacher, and he's anxious to start the fun.

As for me, the new school year will bring about another item for my To Do List. Thanks to some sweet talking by my dear friend, Laura (who is the newly elected PTSA treasurer), I am the new chairperson for the PTSA membership committee.

Sigh.

A concerned mom's work is NEVER done.

Take a Walk On the Wild Side

2009-08-05T22:09:00.003-07:00

You wouldn't know it to look at me now. I mean, I'm a respectable suburban mom who drives a minivan, volunteers at her kids' school, and makes dinner (most nights). I sing in my church choir. I wash my family's dirty clothes, I soothe their wounded feelings, and I cheer the loudest at their accomplishments.

I live a very comfortable life.

Long ago, however, I was a good girl with a penchant for the wrong thing. I loved bad boys. I mean, I LOVED bad boys. Not "rob a bank, murder innocent people" bad, but leather wearing, pot smoking, hard drinkin' bad boys. They drove hot cars very fast, lived life on the edge, and listened to music really, REALLY loudly. They had long hair and a disdain for authority. They had friends who were the same. They had friends whose minds were fried from dropping too much acid.

And they loved me. I mean, they LOVED me. For some reason, those bad boys were attracted to me. I think secretly, some of them wanted to tame their wild ways, and dating me was their way of trying to walk the straight and narrow. They never smoked pot around me, they never did drugs around me, and they refused to let me have a drink if they were drinking so that I could stay sober to drive them home and keep them from getting into too much trouble.

Back then, you would usually saw me wearing jeans with chains for a belt, boots that would kick the shit out of you, and very tight concert t-shirts. That is, unless I was at work or church. *grin* I had hair down to my ass, and I ALWAYS wore makeup. Lots and lots of makeup.

One Saturday night, a boyfriend who was a giant teddy bear of a former Marine who lived life hard and fast asked me to go for a drive with him. Surprisingly, he was reasonably sober, and all we did was hang out at a pool party at one of my friend's. As he was driving me back to my apartment, he passed my street, and decided to make a U-turn. The turn was legal, but it was done in front of a bar, and the cop that was staked out on a nearby street thought my boyfriend had just come out of the bar and suspected a DUI. The cop pulled us over. After running the plates on the car and my boyfriend's license, the cop decided he needed backup (did I mention that this boyfriend was a bad boy?). SIX MORE COP CARS pulled up. When the original patrolman decided he had sufficient back up, he came to the car window, he decided to ask my friend if he'd been drinking. After my boyfriend had said no, the cop replied, "Well, if I were you, I'd lie to me, too, given your record. Where you headed?"

I quickly spoke up that we were headed to my apartment where we would BOTH be staying for the remainder of the night. The cop returned my boyfriend's license, and then proceeded to "escort" us back to my apartment. I think a patrol car camped out in my apartment parking lot the rest of the night.

Once we got to my place, my boyfriend admitted to me that he'd been glad we hadn't been pulled out of the car and searched.

Turns out, he had a bag of pot with him.

Sigh.

Years later, I saw my then ex-boyfriend, and he'd straightened out his life. He had a wife and three kids, and he'd given up the pot. He saved his drinking for weekends, and contained it to strictly beer; no more Jack Daniels for him.

I guess we all turn away from the wild side at some point. Still, sometimes I look back on those days and get a sly smile on my face. It's fun to remember.

But I'm sure my daughter would NEVER believe I had it in me. *grin*

There's A Hole in My Heart

2009-08-05T00:01:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not in the market for a new pet. I'm just missing her, that's all.

Your Ideal Pet is a Big Dog

You're both energetic, affectionate, and a bit goofy.

And neither of you seem to mind very slobbery kisses!

What's Your Ideal Pet?

Wishes DO Come True...Sometimes

2009-08-03T14:17:00.002-07:00

September 1988. It's been nearly 21 years since I met my husband; just over 18 years since I married him. I can honestly say that the journey has been challenging, rewarding, compelling, mundane, and numerous other adjectives I don't care to share.

I learn new things about him. Still. I really do. Like it took me until this year to figure out that he doesn't like orange juice. Who knew?

He's now officially the most conservative person I know. I knew he hailed from a conservative father and a liberal mother, making him a moderate, but now he's positively righteous in his right wing attitude. Weird.

He's very intelligent, not exceptionally creative, can't carry a tune in a bucket, extremely opinionated, and softhearted when it comes to his kids. With me? Not so much.

Or so I thought.

Last night, we were watching an interview that I recorded last week. Bono and The Edge (of U2 fame, for those NOT in the know) were guests. They showed a clip from a recent concert in Barcelona, and after the segment was over, sitting there with a very forlorn expression on my face, I sadly and casually mentioned, "I can't believe we're not going to see them this year. They're playing just down the road, and we're not going. I can't believe it."

Knowing each ticket would pay for my daughter's orthodontia for a couple of months, I figured it wasn't worth pursuing.

But something about the interview triggered an impulse in my husband. The fact that CHEAP tickets in the nosebleed sections were being sold since the new stage was designed to enhance viewing as well as audio was enough for my husband to check out the possibility of purchasing said cheap tickets.

And purchase he did. Let me say that again. MY HUSBAND BOUGHT US TICKETS TO THE U2 CONCERT THIS FALL!

I can honestly say, he has surprised me once again. Not as much as he did when he handed me a diamond and emerald ring for Christmas, but surprised me nonetheless. I'm still holding a tiny glimmer of hope that plane tickets to my friend's upcoming wedding might be next.

Hey! A girl can dream, right?

Later daze...

Star Struck and Other Miscellany

2009-07-28T20:37:00.006-07:00

I'm not often caught dumb by celebrity, but tonight I just couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to call in to the blog talk radio show while HE was on the air. I typed my questions into the chat room, and hoped for the best. Who is he, you ask?
Ah.....Adrian Paul. Man of my fantasies. And as Katherine said to me, "not just another pretty face." The man is intelligent and has been busy with producing as well as running a charity that benefits a group of people who are probably the most deserving, children. Check out his charity by clicking on the banner below.
Speaking of stars, you all are that. Why is that you ask? Because of you, I won the "I Love Summer" photography contest over at An Island Life. Wooooooooo! You guys RAWK. Thanks so much for all of your votes - you did it!

Now, to send you on your way, enjoy a little mood music. Later daze...