Underoos

I have been blessed with hanging out with some wonderful people. Recently, I was invited to listen to a friend's singing group perform at Camp Millhouse in South Bend. The camp itself is a wonderful place for kids and adults with special needs. So, to be there to hear a group of adults sing to the campers was great. The campers were mostly kids, but there were staff, parents, and me. What a fun time. I was asked to record the concert...I hope I did a descent job, but mostly I hope they couldn't hear me singing along with some of the songs. If they can, it's their own fault for encouraging us to do so. Who in their right mind encourages me to sing?!

Before the performance, my friend's littlest one was running around and I yelled out to him "Hey, I hear you are wearing big boy pants now!?" Without missing a beat, the lil' guy looks up at me and pulls down his pants to show me his underoos.

Now, people say I am slightly outgoing. And I have had my moments, but this kid knocked the ball out of the park. So innocent, so damned adorable, so inappropriate. Gotta love it. I wanna be 3 again. I relayed the story to his Dad today. His only question was "Spidey or Transformers?"

I wonder if I'd get the same reaction if I pulled my pants down in public? Somehow, I think not.

They Mean It!

So, when the parking garage sign reads "clearance 6'8"," they mean it...

Thankfully, no damage done to the bicycle that was strapped to the roof of the car.

Don't Drink and Ride

2nd time I have partook in the NITE Ride in Indy. What a great time. The 1st time my friends and I did the ride, we spent the earlier part of the day down in Brown County on a pontoon boat having a Tastefully Simple pink grapefruit cream cheese ball handed to us on graham crackers while floating lazily in the lake.

I believe that was also the trip where I, being the delicate flower that I am, ended up having to jump into the murky water to tug the boat back down the channel when we couldn't get it started. Just thinking of that mucky ground makes me shiver. I swore I was going to get bit by a snake or be covered in leeches. Luckily, neither happened.

For that trip, we were 9 strong. 4 friends and 4 relatives of friends (and me...the eternal odd one out). This year, it was just 3 of us: my sister, her husband & me.

We met up with a friend for dinner and imbibed some *ehm* carbs in preparation for the ride. We prepared well. Very well. The picture pretty well represents our mood-blurry and fun!

The ride started at 11 and we pulled into the Velodrome at 10:45. Amazingly, we weren't the last ones to start the ride too! The 1st 9 miles (to the SAG stop) were a HOOT! We were giggling and laughing. Then the buzz started to wear off and we were a little more quiet. Mind you, it was also 12:15 am by the time we were at the stop.

The ride seemed so short. 20 miles is nothing! The trip was so much fun. I am so glad they came all the way from Madison, WI to do the ride with me.

Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute

I was SO busted by a little 4 year old...

While visiting friends this weekend, I was giving a little angel a gift (glow necklace and a glow wand), I dropped a minuscule piece of paper from the packaging. Oh. My. Gosh.

The look on her face was very serious, so it was too funny considering it was on a four year old. She looks up at me and says something to the effect of "um, we aren't people that litter, are you?"

Of course, I apologized, I didn't realize I had dropped it and thanked her for drawing this offense to my attention. Her Mom looked a little embarrassed, but kudos to the litter police. She was respectful and polite in calling me out for the unintentional litterbug I was.

She asked for a hug when she left, so it all ended well.

How Much You Wanna Bet...

That this guy is still single? giggidy-giggidy -goo...

Is this really what they meant by "to serve & protect"?

OK. I hadn't seen this, even though it happened a few weeks ago... I was mortified at the videos. I agree with a good portion of the article written around it, except the last few sentences (especially about the soldier bit...a tad excessive. Nothing like stereotyping.). I am not sure what I think is appropriate punishment for this officer.

I do admire Maurice White for his composure and professionalism throughout the incident. Bully to you! You focused on the real issue, the patient.

http://thevigilantguardian.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/dash-cam-video-reveals-police-tried-to-cover-up-misconduct-in-ok-emt-incident/

How SAD is THAT?

Yesterday was beautiful. Friends called and asked if I wanted to go up to New Buffalo. First stop, Redamak's, then to the beach. We were at the beach maybe 45 minutes and dag nabbit, I ended up with a rash on my knee!

Or so I thought...

uh, duh! How DENSE can I be? How SAD it is that I am outside and it didn't dawn on me that what was on my knee is SUNBURN?! That's what this winter and spring has done to me!

I can't wait to get sunburn again...

eh, same diff...

So, I have this tendency to remember things. Lots of things. I also have a habit of remembering names and titles of things slightly different than the real name. Perfect example: One of my "happy places."

Most people that know me, know that I lived near Sydney, Australia. In-and-of-itself, Australia equals happy place for me. It also equates to one of the most wonderful times in my life.

When we would go into the city, I often found myself heading to Darling Harbour. Yes, it was touristy, but it was so clean and beautiful there. It became the symbol of my "happy place" in the City. If any of you have been in my house, you probably have seen the picture of the fountain that resided between the escalators - the one with the planet Earth with the human and dolphin swimming around it. I hear that the fountain is gone now...replaced it when they renovated for the Olympics.

There is one day in particular down in the harbor that brings such life into me. The day my friends and I went to see Boom Crash Opera play. We were on the harbour side, they were on a float. Tanya actually jumped in and tried to swim out there. Her efforts were thwarted by the harbour police. It was such a BEAUTIFUL day. Ironically, that's awfully close to what I kept calling my happy place: Beautiful Bay. It was often affectionately referred to as Beautiful Bay in my home - once they figured out what the heck I was referring to!

I just did something similar today and every time I do, I think so fondly of one of the best times of my life. Today, it was a song title: Burn Rubber Blues. I called it Rubber Band Blues. I could be embarassed for twisting things around, but I choose not to be. I choose to let the goofiness that is part of me give me the warm memories. And generally, the one that shares the encounter with me embraces my goofiness too.

For the few that couldn't see the joy and fun in it, theytypically don't end up being around all that long. I was happy that the friend I shared the goofiness with today seems to be the kind that enjoyed it too. I am certain they don't know how much that silly little thing made me smile today, but then again, maybe they will.

Only a True Friend...

...can lovingly tell you that you are too hideous to look at when you have an eye injury and make you wear sunglasses so they don't have to see it.

Ooged Out

Sometimes I wonder how things get past the "brainstorming" phase in a marketing campaign. Like the Burger King. Disturbing. What makes someone think "Hey lets put a big plaster head on a guy and have him stand awkwardly in random places that would make someone want to call 911. He disturbs me. More so than the Quaker Oats Guy. He is less encroaching. He just stands there statue-like. I can deal with that. The King, he interacts and that just oogs me out.

I am sitting here in a Quality Inn in Floral Park, NY. It's a smaller room than I am use to and this commercial pops up for the NYS Lottery. Not sure if it's the confined space or my exhaustion, but this freaked me out. While he doesn't have a plaster head, he is disproportionate. Kind of like those greeting cards that have the animals with the googlie eyes that are way disproportionate compared to the rest of their bodies. So, he's got the big head, but he's actually only a little mini man. I just don't get it...but, I guess from a marketing stand point, I am talking about it, so it's at least memorable. I am such a glutton. Advertising Industries dream. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtgYv5Wea_E check it out for yourself. You be the judge.

Familiarity

It always amazes me how quickly things can become routine. And is it just me or are those things typically the ones that are "bad" for us? For example, lets take a look at exercise. Once play became exercise, it became a chore. I admit that for some exercise is an addiction, but come on, wouldn't you really rather have a scoop of ice cream?

People are the same. How quickly we can become use to having people around. I have a couple of people on vacation this week and next that I have "become accustom to." Just seems odd not having them involved in the day-to-day.

The next few months may try my familiarity further with others and challenge me in ways I don't like. I have tried to ignore some of the changes that may be coming in hopes that they won't. I think the time has come where I can't ignore the potential changes and it's making me sad. While these things aren't happening to me, they are happening to those around me and it pains me to know the struggles ahead. I wish I could make everything all right.

"It is now safe to use cellular phones"

I love to travel, always have. Traveling for work is a little different though. I do love the sense of authority and privilege being a "business traveler" brings though. Like this last week when I was bumped to first class on my flight home. And when I get to my hotel and I know that I will have the extra bottle of water waiting for me in my room. It's fun to watch people walk by you while sitting in First Class wondering how I rated. Move on to stowage, peon, move on. Privilege. I like it.

I like knowing that I know the drill and the ins-and-outs of the airports, the rental cars, hotels. I feel important and like an adult.

Then, we land and they make the announcement that it's safe to now use cellular phones. They get to laugh at me because I have no one to call to let them know I landed safely. It's one of the only times I truly feel lonely.

I guess privilege isn't everything...

I missed my meatballs?!

So, I travel for work. I try not to do fast food all the time, but sometimes you have to. I was determined that this trip wouldn't be one of those times.

The first night of the trip, I went to a Wing Street/Pizza Hut. Wings sounded good and not too terribly "fast foody." I went to place my order and I was told that they were out of wings. Huh? Surely she jests...I mean, it's in their name after all? Nope, it was not a joke. There were no hidden cameras punking me. They were out and I was way more sad than I should have been about it. An indication of the degree of my exhaustion and hunger.

I ended up with something substandardly edible. While I waited, an interesting fella decided to inhabit the vestibule with me. His name was Ben. Anyone that knows me, knows that I tend to attract all sorts of interesting interactions. (I think it's because of my eye contact?). Ben was one of those interactions. I feel that I am better for having had this interaction, yet I was a little relieved when it was over as well.

Ben was a self declared "gentleman" and I have to concur he was indeed chivalrous. During our 10 minute encounter, he opened the door for at least 3 groups of Mom's and kids. You could tell they were hesitant to linger near Ben and his disheveled self. The odor was a bit distracting, but he was just so darn endearing. I tried to over look the odor. Sadly, Ben knew he was a little different and I was proud of him for calling it out. He said that people were scared of him sometimes because he was different. People told him that he shouldn't open doors because he made people feel uncomfortable. I found him quite the opposite. He was kind of a soothing presence. In true fashion, I ended up with a lot of history. The next day would mark the 5th anniversary of the death of his fiance; she was killed. His blatant admission of the death was a little unsettling, but further explanation detailed the car accident in which a semi ran a light and she was killed on impact. The story was a little less frightening that I was imagining based on other things he mentioned in our brief encounter. I liked Ben. And now that I think of it. That interaction justified any downside there was to the lack if wings at the wing place. Silver lining found.

The next night, I decided I wanted IKEA meatballs. I knew that I would be passing the IKEA on my way to the next hotel. I reached the IKEA at 7:00 pm and headed in for meatbally goodness. The smell permeated the store. "YUM" was all I could think. I started imagining myself eating the new potatoes and even the red berries whose name escapes me. I was moments from happiness. Mere moments.

I have been to this IKEA before, as I mentioned, I travel for work. I knew where the meatballs were. They were calling to me. I walk up to the counter - there. they. were.

Why isn't anyone looking at me? Can't they see my desperation? "Excuse me," I said politely but with desperation "are you still open?" Of course they were - the meatballs were still there...

Without looking up and with absolutely no indication that the person ever heard the term "customer service," much less practiced it, "NO." And that was that. They closed at 7 and it was now 7:03. The PIT IKEA sucks.

in too deep...

I never really thought much about being married. I guess I just thought it would happen naturally. that I wouldn't have to put too much effort into it. I mean, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, right?

Here I am 36 and single. I am fine with that, really I am. Marriage doesn't equal happiness. However, there are times that it would be helpful to share some of the load with someone other than my friends. I love my friends and I know that they would do anything for me. How do I know that? I would do anything for them. Simple as that. I can't "work" under any other assumption. I digress...(I do that a lot...)

Things this year have been tough. It's my least favorite year in, well, years. Between stupid boy trouble that I let bother me WAY too much and parents that are driving me a little nutty, 2009 hasn't been all too much fun.

It's a little ironic that I am talking about sharing the burden and wishing I had someone (to call "my own") when I am struggling with whether or not love can withstand the test of time. Do I deserve true love when I am not sure it exists? Do I believe in the institution of marriage any longer?

To the last, more and more, I am thinking I don't. At least not in the traditional sense. I joke that the only real reason to get married is for the presents. I wonder how much of that I do believe though. I mean, so many people live together without getting married. Does that mean they love each other less? Are they less committed?

Deep down, I know I believe in it. Deep down. I know that if someone professed their love to me and got down on one knee, I would succumb.

My parents met in 1967. My Dad proposed to my Mom 3 times before she accepted. They married 40 years ago this past February. Chances are, I will never have that. At least not to the extent that they do. Or will I need to say "did"?

Dad just retired and is, well, having a tough time with it. In turn, Mom is acting out. It's a scary feeling when the anchor in which you have had your whole life, the basis for all you believe is crumbling and there is little you can do. I know I am not the only one that has used their relationship as the "guidepost" for their own lives. Many have let my parents know that it's because of their unity that they had the strength to persevere. I have always assumed that theirs is true love and it will last - in spite of Dad being annoying.

So again I ask, can love stand the test of time? In this case, I guess time will tell...

Newest Tenant...

Yes, it's cute and all, but why do they have to be so destructive?!

This cute little bugger let me get very close to it and then I have visions of it pulling a Monty Python-esque "Killer Rabbit" scene. However, it chose to do the running away after I snapped the pic.

I saw (let see, shall we call it "Sam"?) again later the next day. Sam, along with it's Mom were on an outing together. Sam was half way through the fence leading to my front yard when...BUSTED! I caught them making the get-away. Their little jail-break was rather cute, little Sam hanging there on the bottom frame of the fence. Can you believe Momma just left Sam hanging there? I don't think she'll be getting any "Mother Groundhog of the Year" awards any time soon. What a bad mom, just leaving poor Sam on that fence. Unlucky for me, Sam regained composure and managed to move off of the fence just as I tried to capture it on film. Who knew they were so camera shy?

So...here it is, for what it's worth...

I am new to this. It's surprising really...you'd think that I would have been doing the blog "thing" long ago.

There are a few things about me that have been constant: I am a talker; I assume everyone wants to know every detail about my mundane life; and I really suck at managing my money. The 1st 2 sound like a dream for a blogger! Yet, I had no clue until recently what "blogging" even was.

I realized that once I contemplated setting up a blog, I started thinking in short summarizing quips. I also realized that I am nowhere near as eloquent or witty as I would like to be.

So, do with this what you will. I promise nothing, but hope you enjoy.

...and that I don't frighten you off...