Words Spoken

"Learn to write about the ordinary. Give homage to old coffee cups, sparrows, city buses, thin ham sandwiches. Make a list of everything ordinary you can think of. Keep adding to it. Promise yourself, before you leave the earth, to mention everything on your list at least once in a poem, short story, newspaper article."
Nathalie Goldberg

I'm on my way to accomplishing this task. If I can tell a story about...well, let's see....eyebrows, elevators, jeans, online dating, and the list only goes on, then I can write about old coffee cups, sparrows, city buses, and especially thin ham sandwiches (I actually use to love hot ham and cheese sandwiches that I would smash between my hands before eating, delicious!).

One quick story about my ham sandwiches before I go for the night. When I first met my ex-husband's parents and entire family, it was like days before we actually tied the knot. We had dated for about 1 1/2 years before we actually got married, and because we were both away in the military I had never met them. My ex-mother-in-law would make some food that my ex-husband knew that I would be funny about, such as linguine with squid sauce (wouldn't touch it), so he made sure to tell her to have plenty of ham and cheese on hand for my smashed sandwiches. She did! My ex has a pretty cool family, I really like them. Still to this day they are sweet to me when they see me, even though he has remarried. They still treat me like family, more than ten years later.

Me? Extremely annoying? Okay maybe

At times I can be extremely annoying, right now would be one of those annoying times. I am stuck on a Michael Buble' song "Everything." When I get stuck on a certain song and I will play it repeatedly; just like I am doing now. Over and over and over again. It is killing my kids, but you know what the kicker is? My daughter is the one that got me stuck on the song. She created the monster. They probably could have handled the first twenty times that I listened to it in the past two days, but maybe I'm getting a bit ridiculous. Huh, maybe I will stop, then again maybe I won't.

It's still good in 2008

Quote-author unknown

"If you can't handle me at my worst...then you don't deserve me at my best."

Finding our strength

"Might we to say to the confused voices which sometimes arise from the depths of our being: "Ladies, be so kind as to speak only four at a time."--Anne-Sophie Swetchine, The Writings of Madame Swetchine, c. 1869

Ladies, we are not confused, we just can't think straight with all of these damn women trying to control the conversations going on in our brains. Once in a while you just need to tell them to shut the hell up, and listen to them ONE at a time.

"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more."--Madame Swetchine

I've been deceiving myself lately, but I'm finding again, that foundation that supports my strength. How could I have lost it?

Family Tradition-Hank Williams Jr.

Family Tradition" by Hank Williams Jr. I heard this song today at work and whenever I hear it it always brings back memories for me; two in particular.

When I was seventeen years old I had a boyfriend, Willy Riggs. He use to always say to me "Well hello there sunshine" in his deep southern accent. I remember one time we were all down at the quarry hanging out and this song came on, Willy loved to sing along with this song. This particular night was the first time I had heard it and ever since it reminds me of him. Unfortunately about 1 1/2 years later Willy died. Him and another friend had been out late drinking AND driving; he was the passenger. For some reason the driver decided that he was going to try to beat a train, unsuccessfully. Willy died, the driver lived. Right after graduation I had left for the Army, and he died shortly after I finished AIT. I found out about it a week later, and I never had a chance to go to his funeral. It has been some time since I have thought of this. He is missed.

On the up side, my other memory of this song was before I left for the Army I had a stationary bike that I rode ten miles every night. I would put my headset (back then a cassette player) on my head and just go into another world and ride. One of the songs that I always played was Family Tradition. The funny part about this is that I cannot sing at all, and my dog would sit on my bed and watch me ride. Of course she could not hear the music only my off tune voice, so she would start howling like crazy along with me as I sang the song. She was the best dog. She is missed too.

On being a mother...

What follows was taken from an email from an unknown author.

My girlfriend Monique gave this to me to read today at work. I read it and being the sensitive woman that I am I cried like a big baby right on the line. Steve said that he was going to file a greivance because she gave me that cry baby shit to read, and he had to sit there and watch me cry. LOL Steve is a character.

BEING A MOTHER...

After 17 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you"

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been alone for 20 years, but the demands of my work and my two boys had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

"What's wrong, aren't you well" she asked.

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought it would be pleasant to spend some time with you" I responded.

"Just the two of us?" She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last birthday on November 19th.

She smiled from a facas radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into that new white van.

"They can't wait to hear about our date."

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were smll," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor" I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation--nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so mucht hat we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, "Ill go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you," I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home.

"Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined" I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt fromt he same place mother and I had dined. An attached not said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates-one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you son.

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time."

***********

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby...somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct. Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Shomebody said being a mother is boring...somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"...Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother...somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first....somebody doesn't have two children.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor adn delivery...somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married...Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home...somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her...somebody isn't a mother.

In my opinion, the world's most annoying man

Anyone that listens to 95.5 knows who Big Boy is. This guy annoys me to all hell, so much that I actually have to turn the station because I can't even stand to listen to him.

Tonight I was in my car with Rona and she had the station on (I listen to this station but not usually when he is on). He was on, and there was, of course, another one of those senseless teenagers that wants to have his baby. (gross!) The discussion was about young girls that have had babies. She was 17 and said to him, "I want to have your baby." He responded with, "You don't want to have my baby. If you have my baby it will be fat, it will be so fat that it will be born with a yeast infection in its armpits."

FINALLY HE MAKES SENSE!!!

Just Talk

This summer I've decided it's time to get a new car. I have been trying to decide whether I should get a Charger or the Nitro. Maybe my opinion is biased but I believe that Dodge/Chrysler vehicles (and trucks) are the best looking ones on the market. (Just my opinion)

Anyway, this evening as I drove past the gas station and noticed that the prices have now reached $3.65 per gallon here in Michigan. Considering the fact that I drive about 100 miles per day just for work, I may have to reconsider my options. I was thinking maybe a mini cooper or a pedal bike.

Speaking of pedal bikes, I had a conversation the other day with a few of my friends. I have always wanted to get a bike and ride the bike trail at the Metro Park by my house. I have been waiting for someone willing to ride with me, but I've also realized that if I wait for someone else I may never get to do it. Some times you just have to get out there and do your own thing.

Well our conversation went something like this. I told Steve that I was thinking about getting a bike. I was wondering if I should get a mountain bike or a ten-speed. You have to know Steve, but he has three things that he LOVES to do, ride his bike, fish and play with wood. He proceeded to explain how he has a $4,000 PEDAL bike. That was a perfect opportunity for Chris to jump into the conversation and put his two cents in. Chris said, "man, with that I could buy a new bike at Wal-mart for $100 for the next 40 years." You gotta love Chris and his sense of humor. They both make me laugh all day long. You wonder why I enjoy work so much.

Religious folk at the door

Okay I am suppose to be getting ready for class tonight but I just had to write about something real quick before I leave, otherwise I will forget.

Someone knocked at the door, so I told the boys to go get it. I always do that because nobody ever comes to the door for me without me expecting them. Since I wasn't expecting anyone I sent to kids off to answer it. Jason was on the computer so Joey got up to get it. As soon as he opened the door I heard those ever familiar words "if you were to die today, would you go to heaven?" Joey responsed with, "I don't know" through a crack in the door. We have a cat that likes to sneak out so he wasn't trying to be rude, but instead attempting to keep the cat in the house. The girl continued on with her pitch and I couldn't help but laugh. Joey was so polite and listened to everything the girl had to say, he even answered all her questions. It is just so funny because everyone, probably even yourself and I know myself do just about anything we can to avoid these sort of visitors. Myself, I happen to be agnostic, but my kids believe in God, and I have no problem letting them go to church or learn about God. I'm not the sort to keep them from religion. I remember when they were young and I would let them go to Sunday school and I would listen to them talk to each other afterwards. Some days when they would have disagreements among themselves I would hear one say to the other, "God knows you're lying." I thought that was just the cutest thing.

Anyway, back to the vistor today. After they left Joey shut the door and said, "I love God and everything, but I'm not answering the door anymore!"

Have you seen OTIS?

Yesterday I went to the theater and saw the movie "Vantage Point." There was a point in the movie where the President got onto an elevator and after the doors closed the Secret Service man standing at the door spoke into his mic/headset that "Otis is on the move."

My kids didn't get it, but I did, and I had to giggle to myself because it reminded me of something that we use to do years ago. When I was in the Army I was a surgical technician. In the operating room there are surgical instruments called elevators. When a soldier goes through surgical technician training in the military, a good portion of their training is OJT (on job training). You can imagine that this is a perfect opportunity to play tricks on the new guy or gal. Most of us that come through are very young, such as myself, I was only 18 years old when I started as a surgical tech, fresh out of highschool. It was usually the older staff that seemed to have the most fun with it, such as the doctors themselves. Whenever we had new tech come into the department someone would always ask them to run down to Central Material to get an OTIS elevator. Of course they would do as they were told, and when they got to CMS they would find out that the joke was on them. They had actually taken the OTIS elevator to get to the first floor. Little did they know that OTIS elevator is just a brand name for the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation, i.e. elevators and escalators.

I can understand where someone could fall for something such as the OTIS elevator, even so we still found it hilarious when we did get the opportunity to trick someone. Sometimes though they got a bit ridiculous about it and while doing a GYN procedure they would send them out for some "sterile fallopian tubes." Okay sterile fallopian tubes, I don't think so.

Today's Bowl of Stupid

One of my favorite quotes or question is "Did you eat a bowl of stupid for breakfast?" Well every once in a while you have someone do something that just makes you want to look at them and say exactly that.

Today was one of those days.

I just came back from the salon, where I had my eyebrows waxed. I went into the room and the woman proceeded to apply the wax. Afterwards she handed me a mirror so that I could see the results. I looked at both eyebrows, then back and forth to each of them. I said to the woman, "Doesn't one look a little longer than the other?" I was actually being nice, there was a considerable difference between the two. She shook her head in agreement and said, "Yes, one does look longer than the other." I gave her back the mirror and she applied lotion to the area. Then she turned to put away her tools and had the nerve to utter the simple word "ok" which she meant was "ok, I'm done, now you can get off the table so that I can take your money and that of every other person in here that wants to look like an idiot." What the heck was she thinking? Did she seriously think that she was finished? That I was going to get up off of that bed and walk out into the world with one short and one obviously longer eyebrow as if no one would notice? Does she have no pride in her work? Is she crazy? No, did she eat a bowl of stupid for breakfast? Yes, I think she did!!

Believe it or not I was actually polite. She did fix the problem after I insisted. I'm still amazed that I even had to tell her, especially after I pointed it out and she agreed. I told her thank you as I left, but FYI, I won't be returning.

Thought for the day

What sucks about buying a new pair of jeans

What sucks about buying new jeans is when you think to yourself "I really like those jeans, but I know that I am going to lose weight and it only makes sense to buy them in a smaller size so that when I lose weight (which I will) I can fit into them." You don't want your "cool" jeans to be your "fat" jeans.

Well this is exactly what I did last September. I actually went to a store and bought some shirts which I ended up returning. I didn't have the receipt so I got in store credit. I decided that I would buy a pair of jeans that I thought were so cute, but I bought them a size too small. I thought this might be a good motivator for losing weight (I have to admit, my losing weight had nothing to do with those jeans, so no, they were not a good motivator. Instead they sat buried in my closet where I couldn't even see them for 7 months).

Well here I am months later and I can fit into those jeans, but guess what. Now I don't like them anymore. Now that I have them on me, they suck! A perfect example of me putting my money to good use.

A frightful Halloween

This is an old story from last Halloween, and probably another one of those "you had to be there moments," but I'm gonna tell it anyway since I am bored right now.

I usually wake up at 4 am for work. On this particular Halloween morning I woke up as usual and took my shower. After getting out of the shower, I noticed that my cat wasn't around like she usually is in the morning while I am getting ready. It was then that I remembered that she had escaped outside the night before (she is an indoor cat). When this happens she is usually right there by the door in the morning ready to come in, if not then near enough that she can hear the door open and come running.

This morning there was no running involved. The light was out, but with the light shining out from the kitchen I could see the poor little thing sitting there. She just sat there with her legs tucked under her facing the door (screen door was already opened). I stepped aside so that she could run in, and did my usual call to her "come on baby, come on." I did this for what seemed like a few minutes, but was probably more like seconds before my eyes focused and I realized THIS WAS NOT MY CAT AT ALL!! I stood there looking at this long, ugly, bare skinned face staring at me. It was probably thinking the same thing as me "what the hell?" I was trying to let an opossum in the house. Suddenly I screamed at the top of my lungs and slammed the door shut. I woke up all three of my kids, and I'm quite sure some of my neighbors. I do have a pretty healthy set of lungs.

I was terrified to open the door again, but I knew that I had to. When I eventually got the nerve to open it, the opossum had more than likely waddled himself back down the steps and it was my cat that ran into the house like a bat out of hell.

My Happy Halloween!

Love songs

Some people just aren't made to fall in love. Yours truly. But seriously life goes on. What's next on the agenda?

She grew on me.

I can't help but write a post every once in a while about my little feline Chilly. This is her serious look. LOL. This crazy animal is just like one of my kids. She does the craziest stuff, you know just like your kids did when they were little. She follows us from room to room. If I go to my bedroom she is right there behind me, if we are all in the living room she will be right there with us, usually sprawled out on her back in the middle of the floor with her legs spread wide. Strange to find this position so comfortable for her, but she looks completely relaxed when she does it. Thank goodness she got past her stage of ripping toilet paper up like confetti and spreading it all over the house. Now she enjoy going into the bathroom and knocking personal hygiene items into the toilet instead. Like the counter top is her territory and nobody better think about putting anything in her way. As annoying as her little ways are, I, the one that refused to have animals, loves her to death.

Getting reacquainted

Me: April 2008

I've taken a little bit of a detour from blogger with myspace, but I've recently come to realize that I appreciate blogger much more than I do myspace. I still have the myspace account only because the few people that I know NEVER use blogger, so they will find me on myspace when they need to.

I had planned to write more, but it seems as if it is getting late so I will try to reacquaint myself with blogger later this week. Until then have a great week.

Not quite gone for good yet

It's been a while since I have posted anything to this blog. It seems as if I have lost the passion that I once had for it. Of course I lost that passion way before I actually stopped writing in it. I miss the old friends that I once had on here, Robin, Zataod, Donna, Maria and BW.

I never seem to delete it. I guess I figure one day I might actually come back to it and enjoy it again. Who knows.