Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey

Right between the eyes…

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

It used to be something of an expression, right?  Well, it is until you live it.

See, Wednesday was one of THOSE days.  I ended up leaving work later than I expected.  The only redeeming part of the departure was running into the new guy and snagging a kiss.  Score!  Then we had to go our separate ways.  (Have I mentioned how amazing he smells?  I had some of his lingering scent on me as I went to the car and…well, damn!)

I digress.  For a change.

Anyway, we talked the entire time I was running my errands, returning a movie to the Red Box and picking up the three cheese loaf that we’ve grown to love, a bag of Caesar that’s become a staple, and I headed home.  The new guy and I are in a great place with our conversations.  We seem to have achieved a balance of sharing about our day and learning something new about each other at the same time.  So good.

Well, I sat on the couch and finished my conversation with him while the kids pulled out all the ingredients we needed for dinner.  Ahhh.  My five minutes to unwind.  Then we did what we usually do.  Everyone chipped in to help with a part of the meal.

Keenan went to work on making the salad, which was just his speed.  And he still asked some questions.  It was cute.  Rachel went to work on making Kool Aid.  And I was slicing tomatoes and nuking broccoli for the garden couscous.  (Yes, Kimberly, the pasta so good they named it twice.)

Somehow, even though we normally work together pretty well, Rachel was all in the way tonight.  It amazed me because, let’s face it, her contribution to the meal was three ingredients: Kool Aid packet, sugar, and water.  Well, in the process of pouring the sugar, she managed to knock over the couscous.  Little pasta beads were all over the floor.  And I was tired and frustrated.

me: Uh.  Rachel!

Rachel:  Relax.  We have a broom.

me: Yeah, well, I’m not convinced you  know how to use it.

That may have been where I made my mistake.  See, there are so many uses for a broom.  And I should have been way more specific.

She grabbed the broom and began sweeping up the mess.  Part of it she swept ever so neatly onto the dust pan and deposited in the garbage, but some…didn’t quite make it.  I turned in time to see her using big sweeping strokes to brush the offending debris into the carpet.

me: Rachel!  *giggle* This is what I’m talking about!

Rachel covered her face, knowing she’d been caught.

Rachel: I was going to vacuum it up.

me: You broke the vacuum and I haven’t had time to fix it.

Hmmm.  I’m beginning to see a pattern emerging here.

Well, she started to walk away to return the broom to the closet.  She had been texting Justin…the boy she’s been in love with FOREVER, but had set the phone down while her hands were occupied.  It had been virtually forgotten, until she rounded the counter and it chimed.

I can see it now…in slow motion.  I was reaching for the phone, chuckling.  She came tearing around the corner, broom still in hand, determined to get the phone.  I was focused on the message as I raised the phone toward me.  And that’s why I didn’t see it coming.  BAM.  I took a broom right between the eyes.  It made a sound.  Keenan stopped tossing the Caesar and rushed to me, Rachel snatched her phone from my hands, tucked it into her pocket and wrapped herself around me.

There were a lot of ‘I love you, Mommys’ and ‘I’m so sorry, Mommys’ and ‘it was an accident, Mommys.’  There was some finger pointing.  There was also some snorting, which made me doubt her sincerity.

me: I’m swelling.

Rachel: Ummm…no, you’re not.

me: I’m swelling.  I can feel it.

Rachel: Uh, no.  No, you’re not.

And suddenly it was like that scene from Tommy Boy where they are at the diner and he has that huge mark on his face from the 2×4.  You know the scene I’m talking about.  She’s clearly David Spade which makes me *gulp* Chris Farley?  Really?

So, I’m Skyping tonight.  And I can only pray that the poor resolution and even poorer lighting is kind.  Even if it isn’t, I know my friend will be.  Apparently, that’s more than I can say for Rachel.

Quick Karma:

• speak calmly instead of yelling

Posted in Just Sharing | 15 Comments »

Communication…

Monday, February 1st, 2010

It was a day of lack of communication, a breakdown in communication, a negotiation to cease all communication, a miscommunication, a …well, you get the idea.  And it made me think about communication…in general…a lot.

First, we had a lack of communication with the new guy.  He called me first thing in the morning and while I normally answer with a ‘hey,’ Sunday I was feeling particularly bolstered and confident so I answered a little differently.

me: Morning, handsome.  How’d you sleep?

And the line went dead.  Right.  And there went my confidence.  Nah.  Actually, it merely fizzled my balloon.  No big deal.  I waited a few minutes for him to call back.  Only it didn’t happen…for over an hour.  During that time I rushed to shower, in case he was on his way over, and do the ten second tidy, in case he was on his way over.  So, my balloon was very nearly entirely deflated when I realized he was most definitely not on his way over.

Well, when he finally called back, I was back to my standard ‘hey.’  And he explained that his phone died and he had to go look for his old battery and then he had to charge it before he could call.  And then he told me that I was the first person he had called, that I was on his mind from the moment he woke up.  Ahhh.  All better.  And then the phone went dead…again.  It was roughly 10:30am.

By 11am, I had given up and was working on my girl time plans with Kimberly.  I invited Laura.  She was supposed to call back at noon to confirm.  And that call never came.  She did, however text just as we were leaving the movie at nearly 8pm.  Huh.  She wanted to know if my curse was alive and well.  It wasn’t because I brought my movie repellent.  At least, that’s what I’m going to call Kimberly from now on.  She exudes this delightful *I dare you to sit in my vicinity* vibe that just forces people to keep on walking.  I can work with that.  In fact, because of it, I may bring her to all my movies from now on…dates included.  Sorry, new guy, but trust me when I say you’re gonna want that third wheel.

And in yet another breakdown in communication, Kimberly’s husband, David, didn’t quite grasp that our movie was at 3:30pm.  So, when he arrived home at 3:30pm to watch their daughter, that was too late.  Yup.  We had to go to a leter showing.  And since my kids had come home the plans changed again.  So, instead of it being just the two of us, it was Girl Time plus one.  And that one was Rachel.  And normally I love love love having her around.  (Yes, three loves because I enjoy her that much.)  Somehow today…all day…she was completely…for lack of a better word…pissy.  Yes.  Pissy.

She had already, before coming home, managed to call and pick at me.  She was upset that the new guy had come over.  She read it on the blog.  And I was in no mood to discuss it with her…on account of there’s nothing to discuss.  I pay the bills.  Me.  All by myself.  And so I get to say who comes over.  Me.  Only me.  And yes, that means who she has over, too.  Me.  Because, and for the record, we don’t live in a democracy.  Not everyone has an equal say.  We live in a momocracy.  Oh, and I’m the mom.

Before the three of us had even left for the movie, I was already exhausted.  Kimberly and I really wanted to relax and sometimes Rachel can just be draining.  In fact…she was so draining that by dinner at a local Chinese restaurant I looked at her and sighed.

me: I can’t listen any more.  Please.  Stop talking.

She wasn’t thrilled, but she was getting tofu.  Sesame tofu, to be precise.  They arrived in deep fried squares dusted with sesame seeds soaking in a brown thin sauce.  Yum.  (No offense…vegans, vegetarians, and tofu lovers.)

Rachel: Mom, you are going to try this.

And this is what I hate about her being at her father’s house.  I’m not sure what goes on over there, but the first day back, rough.  I can’t stand when she thinks she’s going to tell me what to do.  And I was already tense for sooo many reasons…one of which was that I was missing the new guy.  We’d yet to be out of touch for that length of time and while it wasn’t an issue of doubts, I was missing his constant presence.  And it bothered me to admit it.

So, she plopped half a square on my plate.

me: Can’t eat it.  It’s in my garlic sauce.

And the cajoling began.  Finally, I just negotiated my freedom.

me: Fine.  I’ll eat it, but you have to be quiet for the rest of the night.

Rachel: Nope, for the rest of the night you have to eat a whole one.

me: And what’s it gonna cost me to have a painless morning, too?

Rachel: The whole one plus that section.

Well, I eyed them for a moment.  They didn’t seem that big…until I put them on a fork.  And they had this whole deceptively innocent look about them.  I mean they looked like deep fried hunks of cream cheese.  Do they deep fry hunks of cream cheese?  If they don’t, they should.  Tofu suddenly seemed almost palatable.

me: Okay.  I’ll eat the whole one, and the part, but there will be no more talking.  In fact, there will be no noise of any kind, including grunting, and you’ll be pleasant in the morning.

Kimberly was watching in sick fascination.  Yeah.  That’s how it is around my place.

So, with the agreement all hammered out, I ate the tofu.  I channeled my inner survivor and thought about how it could be worse.  And I tried not to make myself sick while thinking that.

And I thought I would have been happier with the silence.  Instead, Rachel was sad and defeated and lifeless.  Grrr.  I ate tofu for nothing.  Once we were home, I insisted she talk.  I’m just a big ol’ softie.  And I talked to the new guy a couple of times.  He had to buy a new phone and get a new phone number.  And, you guessed it, I was the first person he called.  He was really apologetic.

me: I’m not used to going so long without talking to you.  You’ve spoiled me.

NG: I’m sorry.  I apologize.

me: It’s not your fault the phone died.  I’m sorry you had to deal with all that stress.

So while communication was a bit off, it all came together eventually for all of us.  We kept trying.  We kept reaching out.  And that’s what counts.  The effort paid off.  Don’t give up too easily.  Strive to be heard.

Quick Karma:

• stay in contact with family and friends

Posted in Just Sharing | 17 Comments »

What are you waiting for?

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

I had a post all ready for today.  It was a cute little post about what an idiot I am, since yesterday morning I managed to be so distracted that I went through the Chick-fil-A drive thru and only after rounding the speaker and being hemmed in…realized I had never actually placed an order.  They were really great about it, allowing me to order and pay at the window.  Sure there were three of them there, staring at me, but I deserved it.  And there was more to it…of course, but the reality is that life happened last night and it meant that I couldn’t, in good conscience, post about that this morning.

Last night it snowed some in Charlotte.  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it, much as I was overwhelmed by the lines at the grocery store because of the snow.  (Yes, when there is a threat of inclement weather, the stores are systematically emptied of bread and milk.  I, however, bought breakfast food and everything Chinese…)  And I was further overwhelmed by the new guy’s show of concern.  He was worried about me driving.  I wasn’t.  I grew up in the Adirondacks.  I was simply worried some southerner would hit me.  And then he was further bothered at the thought that I might be alone in this weather.  Ummm.  And it was nice, a very nice change.

Circumstances resulted in me spending time with Jay and Spring and her girls.  We watched Bedtime Stories and talked.  They wanted me to spend the night, but I didn’t.  I wanted to be home…eventually to sleep and write.  And I had big Skyping plans…that meant I talked to Rain for just about five hours.  (For those of you doing the math…I ended up getting off the computer just shy of 4am.  I had to go.  As time wore on, I wasn’t getting any prettier…)

So that conversation, more than anything else that happened previously, changed my life.  To catch some of you up, he recently shared on his blog a story of his friend, Gabe, who was battling cancer and given a matter of weeks to live.  He even shared her last poetry slam (just as I’m about to do) because it is powerful stuff.  And when there is a message that should be spread, I try to do so.  As you may gather, Gabe passed away yesterday.  For those of us who didn’t know her and now will never get the chance, watching this may be the best we can do.

It’s powerful and thought provoking stuff.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to ask of my readers today.  What I knew for certain was that I wanted Gabe to be honored.  How do you honor a woman like that?  Do you light a candle?  Do you have a moment of silence?  What would Gabe like?  Well, I think that’s obvious.  Gabe would like us to live…truly live…and live truly.

All I could think about was how much time I had wasted on worthless pursuits.  I looked back on my night.  It wasn’t a total waste.  I spent time with people I cared about, lots of them.  I talked to the kids on the phone.  And I was proud of that.  Only, it wasn’t enough.  There’s no time like the present to change the course of my life.  And I think I’m on the right track.  I think I’m finally making some strong choices.  I’m listing for life and encouraging the kids to join me.  We have some worthwhile activities ahead of us.  And I don’t want to waste a minute.

Let’s face it.  If I did…Gabe would rail at me.  She’s watching us now.  She has our wings.  She’s all angel.  And I want to make her proud.  I want to live a worthwhile life.  That’s how I’m going to honor her message.  Now you.  What are you waiting for?

Quick Karma:

• live life right now

Posted in Just Sharing | 11 Comments »

She’s here!

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

I know, I try to post EVERY day.  And I want to have a really good quality post every day.  So, my apologies in advance.  See, I’m a little preoccupied.

Jennie is here!  My Jennie is visiting.  And if you think I want to waste precious time on the computer when I can be spending it with her…well, never gonna happen.

Don’t worry.  I’ll tell you all about it.  And about everything else I have going on.  Yes, wait, there’s more!  Good stuff.

But in the meantime, here’s a song that means friendship to me.  It’s a song that Rachel and I sing daily…sometimes more than once.  (Rachel, I’m thinking of you!)  And it’s so true of my friendship with Jennie.  She moved to Cary, NC and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her from my life.   Within six months, I had moved to Charlotte.  We’ve been best friends since we were 11.  We’ve been through it.  And I couldn’t have done it without her.  Like Danny and Makenzie, she’s good for my soul, but in an entirely different respect.

Enjoy my theme song!

Quick Karma:

• be yourself

Posted in Just Sharing | 2 Comments »

It started as a joke…

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Rachel wanted us to have a special night together.  She suggested we do it up, Gilmore style.  We were to have a movie marathon and eat-athon.

So, I stopped at Food Lion on the way home.  (There’s no Teeter in my direct route.)  And I bought all the necessities…serious junk food.  I bought Lays Sour Cream and Cheddar, Pringles Salt and Vinegar, Doritos, a couple of boxes of Orville Redenbacher Simply Salted popcorn, queso, salsa, scoops, Ben and Jerry’s Cake Batter.  I already had a Chocolate Toffee orange in my bag courtesy of a patient.  There were left over Dark Chocolate Kisses from my baking.  Seemed like I had all my bases covered.

I reached the check out, no lines no waiting, and the woman did her job, making polite conversation.

cashier: How are you doing today?

And I glanced at the conveyor belt.

me: Apparently you don’t recognize break up food at its finest.

At the time, I was fine.  Through the course of the day, I had been bolstered in my decision by the comments of my blog family.  I had made the right choice.  I had finally done the right thing.  I was on the right path.

I was heading home for a nice night with Rachel.  We had a plan.  It was a good one.  So, I carried in the junk food.  And Rachel and Keenan applauded my selections.   And they started dinner, two kinds of frozen pizza and Caesar salad so that there was at least the slightest amount of nutritional value to the meal.  And I went into the bedroom to get online really quickly before starting the night’s festivities.

It was a good plan.  And I was feeling so good.  It was when I saw the message that I had missed while I was offline, the one with the angry red check mark that demanded my attention that my night took a turn for the worst.

Sam: Hope you have a wonderful life Nicki.

And I tried to forget it.  I ate pizza…both kinds.  And I ate some Pringles and Doritos before calling for the ice cream and a spoon.  And I don’t know exactly what the trigger was.  But suddenly, I was sobbing…that uncontrollable sobbing that results in blindness and inability to catch a real breath and nose like a fountain…all really attractive stuff.  So, I went in the bedroom to try to write.

I wasn’t in there for more than a few moments before Rachel joined me and knelt beside me.

Rachel: What’s wrong?

me: Why couldn’t he have said nothing?  It would have been so much better than saying he wished me a wonderful life.  If he had to say something why couldn’t he have said he was sorry it was never going to work?  Why couldn’t he have said he was going to miss me?  Anything would have been better than that.  Anything.

She hugged me.  And she looked worried and angry.  And I knew what she was thinking.

me: Just let me get this out.  I’ll be fine.  And the night will go on.

So she left me to it.  She let me write and sob.  And I blew my nose a half dozen times, which has done nothing for my appearance and in fact solidified that I would not be Skyping a new friend.  I’m not photogenic when I’m at my best, so there was no way I was going to let him meet me like this.  (Sorry, blog buddy!)

*exhale*  I think it’s all out now.  I think I’ve purged.  I think there’s also a distinct possibility that I may be dehydrated.  So, I’m spent.  And  glassy eyed.  And Rudolphed.

But judging from the kitten nestled in my lap and the daughter hovering nearby, I’m also loved.  I’m a survivor.  I’m gonna make it.  Time to put on my game face.

Ready?  Recovering with a classic.  Sing it with me ladies!

Quick Karma:

• learn what you can live without

Posted in Just Sharing | 13 Comments »

I’m cursed…

Monday, January 11th, 2010

And because my life has been going so well lately, I had almost forgotten.  Luckily, it only takes one little  experience to remind me…

See, it has been going on for years, for as long as I remember.  I’ve often been told I have this light, that I attract people.  (If I only could attract money as easily…)  There are some situations that this is more pronounced.

For example…you may never want to go to the movies with me.  That is where I seem to be especially…magnetic northy.  Everyone I’ve been to the movies with has been warned and I’m thinking it’s a situation where yesterday, I simply forgot to give my disclaimer…sorry, Kimberly.

So, generally speaking, if you go to a movie with me, expect to be surrounded.  The very first time I noticed it as more than a passing annoyance was when I went to see Two Brothers with Keenan.  We were literally the only two people in the theater, for a couple of minutes.  Then two people came and sat directly in front of us.  We glanced at each other.  The next two people sat directly behind us.  We both turned in surprise.  Okay.  Well, by the time the movie started, the next four people, the only other individuals to watch the movie with us, sat two on either side of us.  And the ones next to Keenan didn’t even give him the one seat courtesy space…until I spoke.

me: Really?  I mean, seriously?!

Then I gestured at the seat and they moved over.  Come on, the place was empty.  I didn’t need strangers sitting on us.

Many friends laughed when I told that story and explained the curse.  Jennie has grown accustomed to it through the years, but poor Lisa!  We went to see…yeah, I don’t remember.  All I remember was that I thought we were so smart because we took up so many seats in the row that I didn’t see how anyone could possibly sit with us.  I was one seat in from the aisle. One.  And Lisa only had two on her end.  So, since everyone knows about the one seat courtesy rule in the theater we figured we had it nailed.  No stranger danger for us.

(Others know about this rule right?  I mean, you know that as long as the theater isn’t sold out you give a one seat safety space, right?  I’m not making this up!  I think Miss Manners wrote about it, or maybe some other etiquette guru.  Regardless, heed the one seat courtesy spot, please!)

Anyway, again, plenty of empty seats in the theater.  And it began with a single person heeding the rule, but hemming Lisa in.  Ooops.  At least she had been warned.  I admit it.  I felt a tad bit vindicated.  (She mocked the curse, accused me of exaggerating.  Mwah ha ha.)  That’s when the woman with a child sat, er stacked, themselves in the seat next to me.  That’s right.  The kid had to be seven and the mom had him on her lap.

I sat in utter shock for a moment.  Until I heard Lisa laugh.  That was it.  It was like my call to action.  So, I went with a classic…

me: Really?!

And then I gestured to the rows, yes ROWS, of empty seats all around her.  Okay.  I did feel bad momentarily when I thought about how I had scared her off.  At the same time…come on.  People don’t go the the movies to have strangers sitting on top of them.  That is the downside.  We go to the movies to sit in a dark theater snuggled up with the ones we love, basking in the beauty of the big screen and the amazing sound system.  I don’t even go for the food, although my favorite theater now serves just about every stadium food to go with the stadium seating…mmm mozarella sticks, big soft pretzels, hot dogs, and nachos.

Well, yesterday was about some quality girl time with Kimberly.  We went to see Leap Year. I liked the premise…romantic comedy.  And I needed some mushy laughs.  I needed distractions.  I needed to not think for a while.  THis movie delivered all that and more.  Sorry, no spoilers.  I want it to have a chance.

Well, apparently Kimberly’s no nonsense aura balanced out my come hither one because with the exception of one tweenage snafu, the curse was under control.  Of course, the snafu did mean that we had to relocate so that Kimberly could put her feet up and relax.  That’s what I’m going with anyway.  She did lean over and suggest I had an ulterior motive.

Kimberly: You just wanted to shut me up, didn’t you?

Ahhh.  Good times.  Good friends.  I like people who not only don’t mind when I sing in public, but often initiate it.  Yeah, not the first time we’ve burst into song in public.  Sometimes, I’m really not fit for public consumption.  At the same time, you won’t be bored.

(I’ve been told that I’m one of a kind, unique, and most definitely not run of the mill.  Yes, he recanted.  So he lives.)

Guess being around me is something of a mixed bag.  There’s my disclaimer.

Quick Karma:

• learn to let go

Posted in Just Sharing | 7 Comments »

A little fluff…

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Okay, so it’s really cold this morning, like I don’t even want to get out of bed cold.  And because of that, we’re going with a quick post.  And I’m going to lounge around and read that Coco Chanel book if it kills me.  It just might.

Yesterday, Giyen posted this great video that made me cry.  I’m sensitive like that.  So, here it is because supposedly sharing is caring and helps the cause.

Posted in Just Sharing | 5 Comments »

There’s no coming back from this…

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Yeah.  I have no idea how to explain this without sounding like THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD.  Make that THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.  So, here goes…

On Monday, I rushed out of work early to take my daughter to the DMV, aka Hell on Earth.  I mean, it has it all, the long lines, the snarky government employees, the red tape, the bureaucracy.  There’s no way to avoid it though, if you want to complete one of those remarkable rights of passage that will grease the way to being a full-fledged adult.  Oh, and Rachel wants to be an adult.  In fact, most of the time, I think she’s rather put out that she has to wait so long.

So, we went through the lines, the interminable wait, the scary employees determined to stamp out any sign of excitement or happiness or joy.  Rachel took the test…and barely failed…or to be more optimalistic…ALMOST passed.  And the thing about North Carolina is this…there is a thirty day window for attaining a Learner’s Permit once the class has been completed.  And we asked her father to take her once we gathered all the necessary documents…a couple of documents from the school, her social security card, her birth certificate, and a copy of our lease…you know, nothing important.

Here’s where it starts to get bad.  I was afraid of having her father take them.  He isn’t always the most responsible individual on the planet…think Pee Wee Herman or Peter Pan.  And so, when he had her for a week before Christmas and didn’t take her and time was running out, I did what needed to be done, same as always.  I took time off from work and brought her.  Only, now we were under a time crunch to go again.

So yesterday I called and told her that I was leaving work early to bring her back to get the permit.  And I asked her to get the paperwork together.  I mean, I had it in this nice neat manilla envelope.  How hard could it be?  Well, soon Rachel called me back in a panic.  She couldn’t find it anywhere.  ANYWHERE.

Annoyed, I did that mother thing, you know, where you teach the kid in question to retrace the steps.  And we went through it together.  And when I pulled in and she still couldn’t find it…I looked under the seats.  I ran into the house…remember: time crunch…and looked all the same places she had.  Except this time…I saw it all unfold in my mind.

We had come home from the DMV disappointment with loads of groceries.  And I set the papers on the counter.  And then I picked up the package that was left by the door from my sister.  It was wrapped in brown paper around a box to protect this really great framed picture of my nieces.  They are so beautiful, so sweet, so happy.  And I was distracted.  I had dinner to make and a daughter to comfort and now a counter to clean up.  Those are the excuses I’m going with anyway…

And I can’t be sure who cleared the counter so absent-mindedly, but I’m thinking it was probably me…the not so perfect me…the me who tries to hold it together despite the roughly fifty million thoughts bouncing around in her head at any given time.  Yup.  All me.  And the result?  Rachel’s documents are all gone.  Yup.  All gone.

She no longer exists.  Forget about getting the permit today.  She has no birth certificate, no social security card, nothing to separate her from the other illegals roaming the streets of Charlotte.

Well, I did what I do.  I tried to make the best of a bad situation.  I took her to go get her contacts…that have been sitting in the vision center for roughly a month waiting our pick up.  And didn’t we run into TJ of Porterfield, her boyfriend, who she is convinced now thinks we’re stalking him.  We tried to laugh about it.

I heard Rachel explaining the situation to him.  And I heard him ask where I was.

Rachel: She’s on the other side of the car feeling really badly right now.

So I moped over and they laughed at me.  Rachel had already reminded me in the vision center that this didn’t bode well for my bid for Mother of the Year.  (And it’s only January, people!)  We joked around for a few minutes.

me: She’s like Santa or the Tooth Fairy.  She doesn’t exist.

TJ: Nice.

me: So, she’s like an imaginary girlfriend.

TJ’s friend: Careful, with no papers they might lock you up like other potential terrorists.

me: Three words: body cavity search.

And we left.  On the ride home, all I could think about was how many times we’d moved and I’d managed to hold onto those important documents.

me: We must have moved at least ten times.

And I started counting them in my head.

Rachel: I think I know that guy.

She was busy staring out the window.

me: Yup, we’ve moved at least ten times in two different states.

Rachel: How do I know him?  This is going to bother me.

And we look at each other and laugh.

me: I’m sorry.  Are you mad?

Rachel: No, it’s rather liberating.  I can do anything.  I don’t exist.

She turned and looked at me.

Rachel: Mommy, I love you.

Well, at least I’ve got that going for me.

Quick! Karma:

• life is positive; only your thinking is negative

Posted in Just Sharing | 8 Comments »

My not so magical moments…

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Okay, let me begin by saying you have NO IDEA how much work blogging is.  And I don’t just mean for me.  I mean for the people who have to work with me, help me, hold my hand, carry me, and fix my never ending mistakes.

Take the most recent post that I wrote for Deep South Moms.  I mean, first we’ve already discussed that I have an editor…nay, a TEAM of editors on that site.  It takes a host of people to proof me and approve me and make me public-friendly.  Yes, more than one.

Now, I have mostly worked with one…and by that I mean virtually, so that she has never seen me in person or heard the melodic sound of my voice.  (Okay, some people think it’s melodic, others complain, and still others have suggested that if my day job doesn’t work out I should get a 1-900 number.  Right.  So, I guess I have that going for me…)

Anyway…on Wednesday I had a few extra minutes and a bit of inspiration that I decided to parlay into my next Deep South Moms post.  I finished writing the piece over here on this site and copied it onto Typepad, their blogging platform.  Seemed simple enough.  Added the picture, previewed it, read it aloud to check for mistakes and readability.  Satisfied with the results, I ended up hitting publish.  See, my only options for the buttons were ‘preview’ (which I had already done) and ‘publish’ (which was something the editors were supposed to do.)  For some reason, the ’save’ option, which would have sent the post in the appropriate line up and put it before the editors, was not an option.  Hmmm.

Well, my mistake was readily and ever so publicly apparent.  As in, it went live on the site.  Oops.  In fact, that was the title of my first email to the woman I am now going to refer to as Poor A.  I explained that somehow I had managed to publish.  Could she pull it?

And then I read over the post.  Hmmm.  It didn’t have the normal indicator in the title that the post hadn’t been approved.  Maybe they magically approved me that quickly?  Maybe I was finally getting it and didn’t need a revision?  Maybe I was…gifted…a little magical…and it had to be seen IMMEDIATELY?

So, I sent ANOTHER email.  A ‘my bad must be it was approved’ email.  Only my email crossed Poor A’s and instead of communicating.  We were suddenly embroiled in a game of catch up culminating in me making more work for her.  (Now do you see why I call her Poor A?)

For me, it’s hard to know how to be helpful sometimes.  I saw that she had left me a message about the picture quality being bad, too blurry.  So I needed to change it.  And I was in the middle of doing that when her next email came through…telling me to leave it alone, since she had solved the problem.

So here’s what I wrote back:

Ummm.  About that.  I made it as far as deleting the photo when the email came through.  I’m just going to let you put that photo back in and back away SLOWLY while being ever so thankful that technology prevents you from reaching through the computer to throttle me.  (Because clearly my reflexes aren’t going to cut it.)

On the bright side…you only have to work with me twice a month and the button has changed to ’save’ instead of ‘publish.’  Told you that you were magic.

Happy holidays.  And my New Year’s resolution will be to not be a pain in your posterior.  Good one, huh?

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