The irony of a shirt

I had this shirt from my past that I could NEVER get rid of.  I don't know why I continued to hold on to this shirt.  I got it from a guy that I dated in high school  (using the term dated loosely).  We had one great summer and I had very fond memories of that time.  Just loved the way I felt about that summer. So many changes about to happen in my life and that shirt was the only thing that I still had (besides yearbooks and such) from those years in my life.  The shirt made it through thousands of washes, a gazillion moves, failed relationships,  friendships, and all that 20 years can encapsulate. When I would move or clean out closets...I would find that shirt and stare at it for a few minutes.  I could not understand why I would continue to put the shirt in the "keepers" pile when it said "We were Great in '88".  I just could not throw it away.  So, I would always fold the shirt back up and put in the back of the drawer to wait for the next move or cleaning day.  

When we scraped the ceilings, I did a MAJOR clean out and got rid of LOTS of clothes.  I finally threw away the jeans that I could only dream about wearing again, a mini skirt that was missing a button (I threw that away because of the "mini" issue not the button), shirts that I would never wear, you get the point.  I remember coming across the "Great in 88" shirt again and putting it in the keeper pile...or so I thought.  Now, someone from the Goodwill has come and picked up the six giant bags of clothes and hauled them away.  Two days after this happens, I have reconnected with this guy from my past and I begin the search for the shirt that I have held onto all these years.  Only now, I cannot find it.  I believe the shirt has ended up in one of those six bags.  Now, I am searching around for any homeless man or woman that may be wearing a Great in 88 shirt. 

Is this sinking in yet?

I have been thinking about how I dropped the bomb on you about the band practice in my room.  I am so sorry if you have lost as much sleep about this as I have.  I am hearing the clarinets, keyboard, and drums (an entire drum set, I might add) in my sleep.  I am trying to recall what exactly came out of my mouth at that moment.  I think it was something along the lines of  "You are kidding, right?"  "You must be kidding."   I remember thinking in my mind..."He is f*#&@ing kidding"  I KNOW he is f*#&@ing kidding."  I began to think of the 10 and 11 year olds practicing the trumpet, trombone, and drums (did I say it was a whole set?) in my room and I got a headache just thinking about it.  I think I am pretty flexible about my working environment but, COME ON!!! This is just silly.  To top off this great day of learning about band practice...I drove home in that God awful f'in truck and the windshield wipers came on by themselves again with the spraying AND (yes, there is more) the dome light would not go off the entire way home.  It was a GREAT day!!! 

This is just getting ridiculous

You are probably asking yourself...what is she thinking is ridiculous?  Her work?  Her Iphone obsession?  Her super hot hubby?  Her remodel?  Just her?  I could go on and on. This time, I believe I am on candid camera and I am waiting, patiently, for the punch line that never comes.  So, to begin, I want to say that I could not be more serious about what I am about to tell you and I wish I could see your face as your are reading these words.  

My principal came to me on Monday and told me he had bad news for me.  I was thinking what could be worse that what he has already told me?  Could it be I am moving out of my room?  Is one of my 5 roommates moving out?  Am I losing my job? Is he wanting to get a bunch of birds to put in my room?  Does he need my kidney? NO!! He proceeds to tell me that our school will be getting two new classes at our school and I think I  passed out at this point.  My mind is spinning from the thought that I am now going to be sharing my room with 40 five year olds so I am certain I went to my happy place.  When I came back to, he was still talking about how this was going to effect me.  I am listening but, not really...UNTIL I heard the words BAND PRACTICE!!  Yes, that is correct, the elementary school band will be practicing every day in my room during lunch time.  EVERY DAY!!!  I cannot believe that I heard these words come out of his mouth and I cannot believe that I am typing them.  As I said, this is just getting ridiculous!!!  

The Birds

Isn't that the title of an Alfred Hitchcock movie?  The one where all the birds attack?  I am certain that it is and if it is not...It should be!!!  Birds scare me and I clearly have issues with my fine feathered friends.  They are not my friends at all!!  I remember back in high school and all the birds would line up on top of the gym and just wait staring at me.  As soon as the bell would ring, they would circle above me...lurking...waiting until I least expected it.  It was, pretty much, a daily occurrence at school for someone to get pooped on.  For some reason, my head was a target.  It was probably the G-I-ANT hair that I had back in the day.  Who knows but, I have learned to live with it (the disliking of birds...NOT the giant hair).  

Fast forward a few years and I am working as a school counselor.  One of the duties of my job is to do home visits if I am concerned about students and parents.  So, I go to do a home visit for a student that was not coming to school.  I am standing in what appears to be a living room but, functioning as the bedroom with my principal and we are asking his mom all kinds of questions when all of sudden...A GIANT bird flies right at my head!!  It freaked me out and I, literally, screamed.  OK,the bird was like a tiny canary but, you would have screamed too if you saw something flying at your head.  The funniest part of the whole visit was NOT the bird flying at my head or me screaming but, that the boys mom acted as if this was very common.  She told me that the bird just wanted to sit on my shoulder or my head.  WHY??  Why would the bird do that?  I have been back to the same house three times and each and every time that f'in bird flies at my head.  I no longer have G-I-ANT hair so, I have no idea why the birds are against me. 

I can't believe this

I do believe I have found something that I hate more than running.  I am not sure but, it is a close call.  My super hot hubby and I have been trying to get everything in order to begin a big remodel project in the kitchen.  We needed to pick out a new light to go over the dining room table.  I thought this would be simple...it is light for crying out loud, how hard can it be?  Well, it can and it IS very hard.  We went to several places to look for the perfect light.  We found one that we both liked and I turned to him and said "well, should we get it?"  and he quickly responded with "Of course, honey, if you like it then nothing would make me happier and can I just say you look so skinny in those jeans."  Alright, all of that happened in my head and what really happened was we found one that we both liked but, he did not want to get it since he wanted to shop around some more for a light.  WHAT??? If we see something we both like, why not get it???  INSANITY!!!  

We have been eating in the dark, literally we have to light a candle at the dinner table.  We are never sure if we are eating chicken or pasta...we need a light, damn it!!!  So, we go out today to a special light store and find one again that we both like.  This time, the angels are singing and the moons are aligned because we bought it.  We (well, super hot hubby) have spent about 4 hours and several swear words to get the light put in.  I hate to say this but, it looks fabulous and I am so glad that we waited and found this one.   We are early on in this process here folks, I am a little worried about our ability to find a stupid light.  I have visions of pushing my running partner and having her push him into oncoming traffic...that can't be good. 

Big Day in History

I sit here tonight practically moved to tears. Beyond tears, really. I am so proud today to be an American and all that being a citizen here entails. I went to vote today and took my two kids in tow so that they could be a part of history. I really never thought that in my lifetime I would see a minority or a woman in the white house. This election was sure to bring one of those outcomes. I am deeply moved by the acceptance speech of our new president. He has persevered beyond what I can even imagine. He had many barriers to overcome and he did it. Stories like this truly do amaze me. I still cry at the movie Rudy about a young man wanting to play football for Notre Dame even though his body size and abilities told him he could not. He was told he could not play so many times and he NEVER took no for an answer. He continued to get up after being knocked down (literally) over and over again. In the end, his teammates recognize his heart and chant his name from the sidelines until the coach puts him in the game. I, at this point, am CRYING so hard that I cannot take it. I am always amazed at what people can overcome.

This leads me to my second point of Proposition 8 here in California. I am sad that with one step forward we have to take two steps backwards. This prop has passed and basically nullifies all gay marriages. I do not understand why this has passed and how people can consider a marriage between a couple of the same sex can, in any way, influence or come into their own marriage. I feel like although this is not against me personally, I am taking it personally. I was raised to believe that people are all equal and have the same rights and who am I to take those rights away from someone else? It is so clear to me that religious viewpoints have come into play with this proposition and that is just sad. I, in no way, want to discriminate, put down, or judge anyone for their way of thinking. I embrace peoples differences and hope that through these differences, I can learn something about myself.

Moving Forward

We are back in our house after a little "retreat" to the in laws while we were getting rid of the asbestos in the ceiling. Feels so good to be back in the house especially with the smell of freshly painted ceilings. I believe my super hot hubby will be in need of some therapy from writing the check. I believe it is money so well spent he, on the other hand, has difficulty paying an obscene amount of money for something like the ceiling. We all know that I am right but, I humor him anyway.

On Friday, we had our first rain of the season and I love the rain, especially on days when I can sit around the house in my pj's reading a book...wait, that never happens anymore, never mind I hate the rain. In all honesty, I do love the rain but, this rainy day, I was driving that f'in truck to work and it was barely sprinkling. I turned on the windshield wipers to get the excess water off and the stupid piece of crap things wouldn't go off. I tried everything in my power to get them to go off...I turned them all the way on and then off real quick, I gave them the evil eye while screaming obscencities at them, I even pulled over and turned the f'in truck off and when I turned it back on they were going full blast AND spraying water now!!! I believe it is possessed...I really do!!! I hear it at night taunting me in my sleep. I was so pissed at this point. I had to drive to work with the windshield wipers on full blast with water spraying...I must have been quite a sight. If you saw someone screaming at the top of her lungs in an ugly truck in sprinkling rain with the windshield wipers on full blast...I swear I had not been drinking!