My Teen-Aged Self Was Kind Of An Idjit.

A couple of weeks ago, maybe, my friend Andrea over at Maybe It's Just Me...  invited people to participate in her blog hop on March 25th.  The title of the blog hop escapes me...oh yeah, here it is:

http://andrea-maybeitsjustme.blogspot.com/

My So-Called Teenage Life Blog Hop.  Sounds fun, eh? 

I used to keep a journal back then, but I can't even tell you where the heck it went.  It is likely in some box, shut off from the light, being slowly eaten by rogue silverfish.  And the truth is that that journal was full of horribly emotional and dramatic prose, dripping with angst.  I remember that for at least three years I wrote about how I had an enormous crush on a poor boy named Tyler.  I never actually ever spent any time with Tyler, mind you.  He was a nice young man--athletic, blonde, and Nordic, but I had this entire romance created in my head that had absolutely nothing to do with him.  That's what I wrote about in my journal, all about how this imaginary Tyler was going to notice me and sweep me off my feet and it would be, like, the most awesome romance in the history of romances.  I would be cool by default!  What happened after that was a little blurry, of course.  I mooned over him from afar, finally saying something to a friend.  Being a teenager, she promptly told everyone on the planet, and Tyler, who had no interest in me, went a little overboard in announcing his rejection.  I decided that he liked being with the cool kids, and didn't want to lose his standing. Then my journal was full of mournful despair, "woe is me, nobody understands the depth of my heartbreak"  mixed in with hopeful asides, such as "Oh my God!  Tyler asked me for a pencil!!! He really cares!!!"   Yeah, I was emo before anyone else even thought about it.  

I had lots of those sorts of secret crushes, on random boys who knew nothing about me or my adoration.  Boys named Chad and Carl and Neil, worshiped from afar.  I think that was sort of the point--once they knew that I liked them, I seemed to lose interest.  The dream was much more preferable than the reality.  Even then, I wasn't too keen on commitment.  I was also awkward, uncoordinated, and incredibly naive about the world and the people in it.  Most of what I knew about relationships came from books, like the Harlequin romance novels that my mom would get free and bring home, or the Louis L'Amour novels that my dad collected.   Not exactly realistic versions of courtship. My innocence in matters of the heart also meant that I usually had NO idea that a guy liked me at all until they flat out said so.  Then I would be completely flabbergasted at the idea that any boy would look at me and be interested.  What the heck was wrong with them, that they liked me?

Yeah, I was a hot mess.

Yep, I found my yearbook!

If I could talk to my teenage self right now, I would tell her that under no circumstances should she even think about cutting her own hair.  I would say that she should find a girl named Michelle and hug her, because she would be a lifelong friend and a wonderful influence.  I would say that she should tell the boy, whoever he was, how she feels instead of keeping it to herself.  I would advise her to take chances on the boys who worked up the courage to tell her how they felt.  I would tell her to avoid the red hair color and any semblance of a mullet.  I would tell her to hire a math tutor once she got to college, and to minor in business and computer science instead of English. 

Also, teenaged self, stay AWAY from the trash can punch.  Really.  And no more than two tequila shots in an evening, girl!  Stick to beer--you're germanic, you can drink beer like water.

Okay, head over to Andrea's and join her hop!!!  

Feeling So Very Random

We've come into a little extra cash(I'm working extra days this summer).  Remember when we were kids and you could save up your allowance or your earnings from a summer job for something extravagant and frivolous like sea monkeys or x-ray goggles?  I would love to be able to take all of the cash that I'm earning and spend it all on a spa weekend at a resort, or maybe a life-sized replica of Batman.  Except that...we need a new lawn mower, a new fence, new flooring, and a couple of other things around the house fixed.  I hate that I can't take any sort of childish joy in the idea of a new floor, but there it is.  Although a life-sized Batman would look really great on wood laminate.  (Can you imagine someone breaking into a house and seeing the silhouette of Batman standing there in the dark?) 

My son drew this.  I think it looks like a computer monitor and keyboard.  Which is funny, and probably a sign that we spend too much time online.   You never know where a kid's imagination will go.   I love listening to Zane playing with his toys.  He makes them talk to each other, and he has them fight and make up and be friends again.  In his world, the Joker and Superman can hang out and be buds, but only until there's shenanigans. (Note: four year olds don't really know how to say the word "shenanigans", and it's so adorable to listen to them try!)

True Blood started up this week!!!   Squeeee!  (Sorry, I'm told that sound is required.)  The next sentence is a spoiler: I am not sure how I feel about Tara living, let alone her being a vamp.  Okay, that is all of the spoilers for this episode. 

When I signed up to be a soccer mom, I had no idea what a seething cesspool of political machinations the recreational soccer world is.  Nobody talks about that part of the fun.  Is that part of every kid sport--the politics?  I hate having to watch what I say so I don't get my child 'blacklisted', and you know, if it's going to be that ridiculous, there's probably another soccer league out in our area, right?

My cat Zena is a wanderer, and she likes to wander through the tall grass out behind the fence.  Lately when she comes home, she is covered in sticker burrs.  Hundreds of them, all over!  I have to get out the brush and get as many out of her fur as I can, just because they seem so painful, all tangled up in her fur.  Is Zena appreciative of my efforts?  No, she is not.  She tries to nip me every single time.  Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way--maybe sticker burrs have fiber, and Zena was trying to get her daily dose?

What does this sign say?  It says that pets are prohibited in the pool. Check. It says that changing diapers in the pool is prohibited. Ew, and Check.  And it says that the use of the "public interactive water feature or fountain if a person is infected with a contagious disease or condition is prohibited."   My question would be regarding who is checking for contagious diseases before allowing people to enter the pool?  Is there someone in the dressing room asking people to pee in a cup or drawing their blood and checking it under a microscope?  I guess they're doing this one the honor system.  I didn't realize that I needed to make sure that my vaccinations were up to date before I hit the pool. 


I'm visiting Stacy today over at her site, to see what her latest vintage might be. Come over and visit her!






I'm also visiting Seriously Shawn and Impulsive Addict for their Talk to us Tuesday fun.  Join up--no rules!

Blog Hop!!!!

And the really cool thing is that I figured out how to add my blog to the list!!! I swear I get more techie every day!

What is a blog hop?

A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS.
When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the
exact same list appears on each blog.

Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list.
The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides.

Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog
to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!


EDIT: Dang, I did not account for a kitten running across my keyboard. Apparently Zena added a few more characters to my link, so you can't access it. And of course, I have no idea how to fix it. :(

Getting to Know Me and You! And Not in a Stalker-ish Way!

I thought this might be a different way to blog hop? I don't know.

Get to know me! And then answer these questions on your blog and leave me your link so I can read your answers!!!!

Apple Juice or Orange Juice? Neither. I'll take coffee or tea any day.

Are you a morning or night person? I am a night owl. Nobody better expect me to be perky at 6am.

Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods? As my weight will tell you...yes.

Ninjas or pirates? Pirates dress better.

What was your favorite childhood television program? Mash, Blossom, Battlestar Galactica, Electric Company,

Are you a collector of anything? Books.

If you could be any animal, what would you be? Tough one. It's a tie between a cat or an elephant. I like the gracefulness of a cat, but it would be really cool to occasionally rip a tree out of the ground by it's roots and whack somebody with it.

What is usually your first thought when you wake up? What the hell time is it?

What’s your favorite color? Purple, the color of majesty.

What’s your favorite animal? cats

Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)? Sort of got addicted to Lord of The Rings Online for awhile. And Plants vs. Zombies was fun while I played through it.

You’re given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on? Pay off debts, start building a new house. Maybe buy some really nice shoes and have all my clothes tailored. And definitely would have to hire a maid, a gardener, and a cabana boy.

Have any bad habits? Too many to count, but the main one is procrastination, I guess.

List 3 of your best personality traits: Inquisitive, Family-oriented, Loyal. Pretty much a yellow Lab puppy, aren't I?

List 3 of your worst personality traits: Intolerant of stupidity in any form, extreme introvert, stubborn

Have any celebrity crushes? Jon Stewart. If he showed up on my doorstep, I'd have to just go with him.

List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself: I'd have a lot of fat sucked out of me.

Any tattoos or piercings? ears pierced only. I don't want to have anything on my face that can be grabbed and pulled on. I haven't found any tattoo that I would want to have on me when I'm 90.

Are you mostly a clean or messy person? I prefer to call it "lived in".

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Ireland or Scotland or England. Just so I could explore castles.

Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: Cereal tasted much better before I knew it had a kajillion tons of sugar in it.

What’s your favorite song of the moment? Hmmmm...I Don't Wanna Stop by Ozzy? Maybe? I like a lot of different music, but most of it is not new.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? My very favorite thing would be to go out to dinner and then dancing, but I don't think that would make my husband happy, so I would settle for dinner and a comedy show.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? Curl up with a good book.

Have any hidden talents? If I told you, then they wouldn't be hidden, would they?

You’re about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal?
Prime rib with rosemary encrusted new potatoes and green beans and a bottle of a good cabernet sauvignon. Make that TWO bottles.

What would be your dream job? Not sure, but it would be a job with Zero paperwork and it would come with a secretary.

Which would you rather have, 100 million dollars or true love? I'm going to be honest and say that 100 million dollars could buy a whole lotta love, true or not.

If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to? Constance Elizabeth Montgomery. So I could make a living writing romance novels. Or bromance novels.

Special Needs Blog Hop

So I'm trying this out to see if I can do it, techie-wise, even though my blog isn't really about special needs. Well, except for me. But I work with special needs kids, and I think that each and every one of them is wonderful. So here goes!