Change in the Seasons

As a child, I couldn't wait for the season to change. I remember hanging out in the backyard while my mom did laundry asking when it would be winter...in the middle of July. I was so excited to move on from my two piece short set pajamas to the footed zipped up ones. I wouldn't always wait for the season to change to do this. Many summer nights I would insist that I was NOT hot when it was a cool 80 outside and 85 inside, and wear my pink, Pebbles (from The Flintstones) sleeper. I wanted it to be cold so bad. Half way through an hour into the night, I would half unzip the one piece and tie the arms around my waist and proceed to sleep, half clothed, with my footie pj's in July.

It has been a long strange summer. Strange. Bees in the attic. Irrigation system quits. Car burglarized. Trip to Ohio (whoa). A/C goes out while the tar melts off the roads due to the craziest heat wave to hit the country. Bill leaves for Japan. Haven't seen who I thought was one of my "best friends" in months. It's just weird. And I'm ready for it to be over.

We're hours away from October 1st. Hallelujia, Praise God! Not only is it my first Cabbage Patch Kid's birthday (Happy 22nd John Christopher!!) but it's fall. I ♥ fall. It is by far the best season where I am. Things start to cool off. The skies are clear. My hair needs less time to straighten and best of all: the tourists are finally gone. One of my indicators that a change in the season was at hand during my childhood was my mom's switch of teas. Yeah, seriously. Summer was near when it was iced and when the kettle was bubbling, I knew fall and winter were here.

I had my first cup of "fall" tea. What else inevitably comes with fall? The changing leaves? Pumpkin patch? Wild brush fires? No, nothing that heartwarming.

The three of us have our first cold. Awww. Memories.

STUPID TOURISTS GETTING ME SICK!!!

::sniff::

Waxing flakiness

Four weeks ago, an event was held at my church just for us ladies. I sat at a table full of women I didn't know. One just looked at me...and then looked again. And we talked, politely, like people who don't know each other do. And the even went on and we learned that we both have husbands in the Marines. I learned that she was much younger than me. I learned that her husband is an Officer. I learned that she swore up and down that she knows me from somewhere and just can't figure it out. She asked all kinds of random questions, trying to figure out how she recognized me. I assumed it was another case of 'you-look-just-like-my-best-friend-from-_____th-grade'. I get that a lot. She listed off all of the things that she's taken a part of since she and her husband were stationed here. No. Nope. Nuh-uh. Sorry. I have no idea how she thinks our paths have crossed because we are in completely different circles.

Her: early 20's
Me: Yeah, just passed that decade

Her: child-free
Me: so obviously not

Her: lives in the northern part of the base, thirty minutes away
Me: lives off base, thirty minutes away...from her

Her: husband is an officer
Me: husband is a TRUE Marine ;)

She said she recognized my name. I don't have a common name. The only people who share my last name are Bill's family and they're all in the mid-west. It's still a relatively new American family. I think she was smoking crack. She and her husband attend the church venue that I produce. I ran into her this morning. We shared our niceties. She introduced me to her husband. I asked her if she ever figured it out.

She asks me, "Did you used to sell candles?"

"Uh...yyyeah. I sorta still do."

"I was supposed to have a party with you and I kept calling."

Oh crap. "OHMYGOSH did you used to have short, blonde hair?" It's now shoulder length and brown.

"Yep."

Ok, so in my defense, yes, we talked and scheduled a show and all of that stuff but the date kept changing because of a family emergency on her part...and then by the time she was ready I had a newborn. Life stops when you have a baby. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I can't believe she remembered that. Two years ago. And I flaked out on her...sorta. I apologized for being a flake and for my own benefit interjected that I had a newborn at that time.

Never do anything you don't want remembered because SOMEone always will.

Say it like Napoleon would: "GOSH!"

When the spouse is away, the children will play, and the momma will temporarily lose her mind. Any help, any at all, is greatly appreciated. Fortunately, this time around, I have help. I have to pay for it, but at least it's there. One day a week, it's just Trey and I. This gives me the chance to run around and get my errands done in a somewhat efficient manner. I have to schedule everything into this day. I had an appointment scheduled for today. One that I've been waiting for, for awhile. I called to make sure the appointment was still good earlier in the week. Everything was ok. In order to get my "work" done that I usually do on Fridays, I paid for an extra day at the sitters on Thursday so Leah could play and have fun while I dragged Trey to the grocery store with me. I'm at work today. I just have that feeling.

I check my messages.

My appointment has been cancelled.

Of course.

Irritated.

Now I've paid an extra day's childcare for no reason. I could have just done it today. Every day is so planned out for me right now. It has to be. There's no fudge factor while working, other commitments and raising two kids without help. I need things to happen when they're supposed to happen. I can't be late, you can't be late, there can not be a change in the schedule or it takes two weeks to a month to get everything right again.

The biggest frustration is that I can't really ever say what's bugging me because too many people who personally know me read this and would know it was them. This is a part of the people pleasing disease I suffer from. Someone should market some antibiotics for that. I'd personally finance their beach house in Oahu.

Hey, it counts as an entry, ok?

You Are 10% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style. You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

I'm thinking I scored the 10% because of the gasoline question. Well hey, I just happen to be so privileged to live in one of the most expensive places to buy gas, y'all.

Kevin Bacon...you know, 6 degrees?

You know those annoying classmates.com ads that are on every webpage? I have two degrees of separation to one of the girls that is frequently showcased on the picture ad. My good friend who is also my hairdresser is friends and went to school with the girl showcased. Weird? I'd say. Dumb to blog about? Most definitely.

One of my best friends' grandpa installs home entertainment systems for the rich and famous (read Babs Streisand and Madonna to name drop a few) and my husband has met and shook hands with more celebrities than I can count on one hand...and he's from OHIO!! He's even had the door held open for him by Clint Eastwood. Yes, seriously. So, my claim to fame is the girl in the classmates ad.

Hot Dog.

Ok, I take some of that back. My step-cousin has been in countless ads and even a tv show. And now that I think about it, her brother was in that movie "Hero". And my best friend from elementary school, grades 2-4 has been in some stuff. Oh yeah, my mom was on Art Linkletter as a kid and has the 45 with the recorded episode on it.

Man, maybe it's just me. I guess I should crawl out of my rock.

Yeah, I know

Strange things abrewin'. I've stepped back into the previous century and I'm currently (ACK!!!) using dial up to get hooked into the world outside of my four walls. Oh yes, I still have cable internet....just not in the same room as the computer. More on that later. (Amanda, if you're trying to call, this is why). It's been a very weird week. I will have to do things the old fashioned way and keep my phone lines clear by writing my saga in Word and then signing on long enough to publish.

Weird. Things. Full. Moon. Five years since that dreaded day. I was incredibly pregnant that day. It was a very scary thing to imagine bringing a new baby into an unsafe world. Now it's a part of life and my husband has been a part of the battle twice and will be apart of it again at least once before his military career ends.

Strange.

More on my movie-like experience...tonight?

As I was saying...

When I scour the homebuying websites, looking at rooms and trying to see past furniture and dishes in the sink (hello people, if you're trying to sell your house, CLEAN IT!!) I often wonder why some pictures are included. Don't take a picture of the living room where all you see is the big screen tv if the tv is not included. Don't take a picture of the patio with its adirondak chairs if they're leaving the premises. And why, why WHY did the realtor deem it appropriate to state, "Pet's Welcome" and then post THIS???























What in the world is this freaky animal?? And why do you think that this is going to help with the sale of your home??? Seriously, does anyone have any idea what this is? I think it escaped from Lord of the Rings. And I'm not joking. This family pet? was listed with the condo pictures.