Might as well enjoy the ride, take the long way home
Rather profound for a white boy rap group, wouldn't you say?
Where is home? Is it where you live? Where you grew up? I am having a hard time coming to terms where home should be.
I spent most of my life in Michigan. I loved growing up here. This is not where I was born, nor where I spent my early years but from 8-16, my formative years, this is where I lived. Since then I have lived in Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio but in the end, Michigan is where we ended up. Again.
I would like to say that my love of Michigan lasted throughout the years and I am so happy to be "home" but I am not. For the last 6 years we have lived here and made the best of things. Don't get me wrong. I have made some great friends in my adult life. I also really enjoyed going to college, even if that degree turned into nothing more than an overpriced hobby. The problem is that I don't feel like this is where we belong.
My husband works for a company that has branches all over the country and really, the world. A bunch of positions opened up and we have been mulling over the idea of getting the hell out of here. Michigan is a beautiful state, but frankly, we live in the butthole. My area is not pretty. The cost of living is fairly high and the wages have done nothing but plummet. It definitely does not have the same appeal to me that it did growing up.
Where does one go when one can go anywhere? I miss North Carolina like you wouldn't believe, but will it have the same appeal to me as a civilian? (Ok, I have always been a civilian but since my husband was in the Marine Corps, I count it) I miss the ocean and the mountains. Then there is Iowa which is where we considered before. Nothing but rolling cornfields and it completely appeals to that side of me. Then there is Colorado. Colorado is stunningly beautiful. There are even positions in Alaska which is yet another absolutely gorgeous place.
Would they feel like home? Is it worth uprooting my kids on an ideal? How do we handle the logistics? There are a bazillion questions and no answers. I just know that Michigan no longer does it for me. It's not right. I just don't know what is.
Ponderings for the day...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
School days, school days
Or at least it's time for the firestorm of paperwork days.
I have two middle schoolers this year. On one hand, this means I am pretty much done with crayons, markers, and all the stuff that goes with elementary. On the other hand, the bigger they get, the more they cost me.
School supplies - Approximately $40, but only because I spent $60 already on mostly stuff they can't use. I was loving the sales and the school of course waits until last minute. I guessed, and guessed wrong. I was spot on with last years backpacks (another year out of them! Awesome! Love buying quality) and only had to replace one lunchbox and 2 water bottles.
Then there is the fundraiser to end all fundraisers. That's right folks, write a check to the school and if they raise the money they should, no fundraisers! No cack to sell. No cookies, wrapping paper, popcorn, etc. If other people ruin this for me, I am going to buy a roll of wrapping paper strictly for beating people.
So $50 there.
Then there is school spirit wear. Required? No. Desired? Yes. I hated not having anything like that when I was in school because as much as I would have liked to pretended not to care, I did. Now my kids are not getting $30 hoodies, but I think we can swing a tshirt a piece.
$20
School sports - $100 participation fee. Not applicable for the younger one, but the older one plans on running track. The good news is I can put this off for a bit and let my wallet rest. The bad news is, it is still $100. Now, I am not going to get into full complaint mode for this, and here is why. The school my girls used to go to cut their elementary art and music programs due to budget cuts across the state. This school cut nothing like it. I don't mind paying for sports if it means they keep the money in the schools.
Then of course there was almost $200 worth of school clothes, which with my luck will be outgrown in a month.
You know, as much as I spent on homeschooling, I think it is way more expensive to send your kids to public school. They enjoy it. There are opportunities in the schools that I can't provide for them as they get older, but damn it makes my bank account sore.
I have two middle schoolers this year. On one hand, this means I am pretty much done with crayons, markers, and all the stuff that goes with elementary. On the other hand, the bigger they get, the more they cost me.
School supplies - Approximately $40, but only because I spent $60 already on mostly stuff they can't use. I was loving the sales and the school of course waits until last minute. I guessed, and guessed wrong. I was spot on with last years backpacks (another year out of them! Awesome! Love buying quality) and only had to replace one lunchbox and 2 water bottles.
Then there is the fundraiser to end all fundraisers. That's right folks, write a check to the school and if they raise the money they should, no fundraisers! No cack to sell. No cookies, wrapping paper, popcorn, etc. If other people ruin this for me, I am going to buy a roll of wrapping paper strictly for beating people.
So $50 there.
Then there is school spirit wear. Required? No. Desired? Yes. I hated not having anything like that when I was in school because as much as I would have liked to pretended not to care, I did. Now my kids are not getting $30 hoodies, but I think we can swing a tshirt a piece.
$20
School sports - $100 participation fee. Not applicable for the younger one, but the older one plans on running track. The good news is I can put this off for a bit and let my wallet rest. The bad news is, it is still $100. Now, I am not going to get into full complaint mode for this, and here is why. The school my girls used to go to cut their elementary art and music programs due to budget cuts across the state. This school cut nothing like it. I don't mind paying for sports if it means they keep the money in the schools.
Then of course there was almost $200 worth of school clothes, which with my luck will be outgrown in a month.
You know, as much as I spent on homeschooling, I think it is way more expensive to send your kids to public school. They enjoy it. There are opportunities in the schools that I can't provide for them as they get older, but damn it makes my bank account sore.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!
And if it isn't obvious yet, a very soft spot in my heart for music :)
Yesterday, my husband encouraged me to go out, have some me time and get my hair cut (I had been complaining about my hair all week). While I was out, I started thinking about the various ways women torment themselves to look good. I had plenty of time to think because my salon was closed, and so was my backup. However, I was not going back home until someone cut the quasi mullet thing that had established itself out of the cute layered cut it once was. A girl can only go with the ponytail for so long before it begins to look sloppy.
As I sat in the new salon, describing what I wanted, I told the woman I wanted low fuss. Now, years ago, low fuss to me meant brush it while wet and go. Now it means hair product to match my mood (Do I want curly or straight?) and hair accessories to go with it. If I am going all out I drag out the hair dryer or the straightener. Then if I add in hair color, hilights, lowlights, and malibus it starts to get a bit more complex. The salon lady asked me when the last time I had color was and was more than happy to point out my damaged hair. I know my hair has roots I have been growing all summer and my grays are popping back out all over the place. I simply can't keep up sometimes!
But hair is only a small portion of the rituals of women.
I have given up shaving. That sounds a lot more hippy than it actually is, since I replaced it with waxing. Eyebrows, legs, bikini line, pits. Have you ever waxed your armpits? The first time in indescribable. There really is nothing to compare it to except the feeling of skin and hair being ripped off one of the more sensitive parts of your body. The good news is that each successive time there is less hair and they come out a bit more easily. I haven't shaved in well over a month. No more shaving bumps and itchy regrowth. Just a little bit of masochism for the purpose of looking good.
On to skin care. I thought when I grew up, acne would be a thing of the past. It's a teenage problem right? I am nearly 30 years old, and I can't keep my face clear for more than a week for anything. It's the most fun around my time of the month...as if bleeding, cramping, bloating, and raging were not enough. Sure. Throw in a few big zits just for the hell of it!
So I have oil free face wash, oil free face scrub, toner, cold cream, moisturizer, eye cream and night cream. Then to cover up the acne that always shows up anyway (and probably contributing to more) I have concealer and foundation and pressed powder. Add in eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and lipgloss and my favorite, the eye torture devise or eyelash curler just to add to the "pretty" factor.
I added in the eye cream and the night cream when the effects of aging began to take their toll. I woke up in the morning and about pissed myself when I saw this pale creature with black circles and dry wrinkled skin lumbering in my bathroom....wait a minute. Hey >:(
So I add the eye cream to get rid of the black circles. It's not like I can fix it through sleep (which is a whole other post). I start developing little white bumps under my eyes. Milia. Go ahead and look it up. I had to. Great. Black circles or tiny little cysts? Hmmmm.
Then there is the night cream. I bought the oil of old lady....errrr....Oil of Olay because the moisurizer works well for me. There was a dramatic difference in the morning. I didn't look quite so haggard. Of course, my acne count about tripled. I just can't win this skin care business. Hand over the paper bag ma.
I am not prepared to get into clothing (and the nightmare that is bra shopping) or shoes (how can something so cute be so painful?) in this post. I am not even going to get into manicures and pedicures and dry elbow skin oh my. And diets? That is a whole weeks worth of posts on their own. It amazes me what we women actually put up with in order to look good.
Yesterday, my husband encouraged me to go out, have some me time and get my hair cut (I had been complaining about my hair all week). While I was out, I started thinking about the various ways women torment themselves to look good. I had plenty of time to think because my salon was closed, and so was my backup. However, I was not going back home until someone cut the quasi mullet thing that had established itself out of the cute layered cut it once was. A girl can only go with the ponytail for so long before it begins to look sloppy.
As I sat in the new salon, describing what I wanted, I told the woman I wanted low fuss. Now, years ago, low fuss to me meant brush it while wet and go. Now it means hair product to match my mood (Do I want curly or straight?) and hair accessories to go with it. If I am going all out I drag out the hair dryer or the straightener. Then if I add in hair color, hilights, lowlights, and malibus it starts to get a bit more complex. The salon lady asked me when the last time I had color was and was more than happy to point out my damaged hair. I know my hair has roots I have been growing all summer and my grays are popping back out all over the place. I simply can't keep up sometimes!
But hair is only a small portion of the rituals of women.
I have given up shaving. That sounds a lot more hippy than it actually is, since I replaced it with waxing. Eyebrows, legs, bikini line, pits. Have you ever waxed your armpits? The first time in indescribable. There really is nothing to compare it to except the feeling of skin and hair being ripped off one of the more sensitive parts of your body. The good news is that each successive time there is less hair and they come out a bit more easily. I haven't shaved in well over a month. No more shaving bumps and itchy regrowth. Just a little bit of masochism for the purpose of looking good.
On to skin care. I thought when I grew up, acne would be a thing of the past. It's a teenage problem right? I am nearly 30 years old, and I can't keep my face clear for more than a week for anything. It's the most fun around my time of the month...as if bleeding, cramping, bloating, and raging were not enough. Sure. Throw in a few big zits just for the hell of it!
So I have oil free face wash, oil free face scrub, toner, cold cream, moisturizer, eye cream and night cream. Then to cover up the acne that always shows up anyway (and probably contributing to more) I have concealer and foundation and pressed powder. Add in eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and lipgloss and my favorite, the eye torture devise or eyelash curler just to add to the "pretty" factor.
I added in the eye cream and the night cream when the effects of aging began to take their toll. I woke up in the morning and about pissed myself when I saw this pale creature with black circles and dry wrinkled skin lumbering in my bathroom....wait a minute. Hey >:(
So I add the eye cream to get rid of the black circles. It's not like I can fix it through sleep (which is a whole other post). I start developing little white bumps under my eyes. Milia. Go ahead and look it up. I had to. Great. Black circles or tiny little cysts? Hmmmm.
Then there is the night cream. I bought the oil of old lady....errrr....Oil of Olay because the moisurizer works well for me. There was a dramatic difference in the morning. I didn't look quite so haggard. Of course, my acne count about tripled. I just can't win this skin care business. Hand over the paper bag ma.
I am not prepared to get into clothing (and the nightmare that is bra shopping) or shoes (how can something so cute be so painful?) in this post. I am not even going to get into manicures and pedicures and dry elbow skin oh my. And diets? That is a whole weeks worth of posts on their own. It amazes me what we women actually put up with in order to look good.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Take me out to the ballgame....
Today I spent a rather lovely evening with my husband, two children and our very good friends and their two children watching a minor league baseball game. I haven't been to a ballgame in almost 20 years and it seemed like a good way to spend a Friday night.
Let me tell you, there is nothing more fascinating than people watching at a sporting event (except, perhaps, people watching at a fair). It is definitely a look into people as a whole. But let's start at the beginning.
First, who on earth picks the team names? Mudhens? Really? That sounds intimidating doesn't it? Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, they have a chicken as a mascot. Oooooh. I am shaking in my boots. Of course, I grew up in a school that has a leaf as a mascot so I guess it does get worse.
Secondly, I am totally convinced at this point that people go to sporting events to eat. They have to. I can honestly say that I missed at least half of the game with people walking by to stuff their faces with deep fried, overpriced crap and crappy, overpriced beer. Now I totally get that beer and ballgames is a total pastime, and who wouldn't mind a ballpark dog with the works? The problem is that it was a steady stream of people. When the beer is gone, they of course go for more beer. Chicken fingers shoved in? Lets go for popcorn. Then ice cream. How about some cotton candy? Seriously people, it is okay to go 2.5 hours without shoving every edible item you see into your gaping piehole. Here is another novel idea, get more than one item at a time! You could even send one designated food person to avoid an entire line of people. OR...OR...there are these nifty vendors that come by hocking the same shit you insist on shoving past me to get yourself that will bring it right to you! Amazing right?
With that said, as the game progressed, the obnoxiousness did begin to slow. At least on a mass scale. Individual annoyance was still in high demand.
Dear woman with the SLR camera you don't know how to use. Your pictures are going to suck. Trust me. Buying a big, fancy camera doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to use it. With that said, get your skinny, bedazzled ass out of the aisle, which happens to be right in my line of sight to the batter. If you can't take pictures from your seat, give it up. Oh, talking on your cell phone while standing in the way is also obnoxious. Take your yuppy, SUV driving tush back to your seat.
Whew. Held that one back the entire game ;)
Another thing I found absolutely fascinating is the volume. During the first three innings, the stands were fairly subdued. There was some clapping, maybe a little stomp stomp clap when the music called, but mostly pretty quiet. You could actually hear the intoxication level of the fans go up. People got louder, happier. There was more participation. My section attempted to start the wave probably about 30 times before it finally caught on enough to make it all the way around. The atmosphere became really fun (but I admit I don't even want to know how half of them got home this evening)
Overall, it was a good time and I can think of worse things to spend money on. Our team lost of course. That is pretty standard that whoever we root for ends up not doing so well, but it was a fairly close game and the fireworks after were some of the best I have seen in years. I could totally do it again.
Oh, and note, no pictures from me. SOMEBODY (me) grabbed the camera and failed to...oh I don't know...put a memory card in it. Strike one for me.
Let me tell you, there is nothing more fascinating than people watching at a sporting event (except, perhaps, people watching at a fair). It is definitely a look into people as a whole. But let's start at the beginning.
First, who on earth picks the team names? Mudhens? Really? That sounds intimidating doesn't it? Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, they have a chicken as a mascot. Oooooh. I am shaking in my boots. Of course, I grew up in a school that has a leaf as a mascot so I guess it does get worse.
Secondly, I am totally convinced at this point that people go to sporting events to eat. They have to. I can honestly say that I missed at least half of the game with people walking by to stuff their faces with deep fried, overpriced crap and crappy, overpriced beer. Now I totally get that beer and ballgames is a total pastime, and who wouldn't mind a ballpark dog with the works? The problem is that it was a steady stream of people. When the beer is gone, they of course go for more beer. Chicken fingers shoved in? Lets go for popcorn. Then ice cream. How about some cotton candy? Seriously people, it is okay to go 2.5 hours without shoving every edible item you see into your gaping piehole. Here is another novel idea, get more than one item at a time! You could even send one designated food person to avoid an entire line of people. OR...OR...there are these nifty vendors that come by hocking the same shit you insist on shoving past me to get yourself that will bring it right to you! Amazing right?
With that said, as the game progressed, the obnoxiousness did begin to slow. At least on a mass scale. Individual annoyance was still in high demand.
Dear woman with the SLR camera you don't know how to use. Your pictures are going to suck. Trust me. Buying a big, fancy camera doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to use it. With that said, get your skinny, bedazzled ass out of the aisle, which happens to be right in my line of sight to the batter. If you can't take pictures from your seat, give it up. Oh, talking on your cell phone while standing in the way is also obnoxious. Take your yuppy, SUV driving tush back to your seat.
Whew. Held that one back the entire game ;)
Another thing I found absolutely fascinating is the volume. During the first three innings, the stands were fairly subdued. There was some clapping, maybe a little stomp stomp clap when the music called, but mostly pretty quiet. You could actually hear the intoxication level of the fans go up. People got louder, happier. There was more participation. My section attempted to start the wave probably about 30 times before it finally caught on enough to make it all the way around. The atmosphere became really fun (but I admit I don't even want to know how half of them got home this evening)
Overall, it was a good time and I can think of worse things to spend money on. Our team lost of course. That is pretty standard that whoever we root for ends up not doing so well, but it was a fairly close game and the fireworks after were some of the best I have seen in years. I could totally do it again.
Oh, and note, no pictures from me. SOMEBODY (me) grabbed the camera and failed to...oh I don't know...put a memory card in it. Strike one for me.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Mean Girls
So when your child and her so called friends are the bullies, the mean girls, then what? I was bullied most of my life. I had a whole plan of action in how to teach my child sarcastic comebacks and the art of the "don't give a shit, why are you still here?" look. I was not prepared to tackle the other side.
So when my child and two of her friends took it upon themselves to decorate the toys of my other child, something had to be done. You see, the bullied child has Asperger's syndrome, and the decorated toys are her current obsession. Twenty-five littlest pet shop pets done up in red and black sharpie. Some were colored completely. Some with artistic swirls, hearts and stripes. A few were not so much colored as fingerprinted permanently.
Toys, I know can be replaced, although some are no longer made or sold in stores, making things a bit more difficult. However, the sheer meanness of the act is astounding.
I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I know sometimes things get ruined but this was ridiculous. To add some sting, to it, the oldest girl involved was thought to be the victim's friend. Who needs enemies right? Knowing how important these little pieces of plastic are, and knowing who they belonged to, they proceeded to decorate every single one. Funny how not one animal from my other kid's collection was touched.
So my daughter will not be playing with these other children for the rest of the summer at least. We haven't dictated yet how the pets will be replaced but first and formost I will not have a mean girl in my house, which means that the friends are no longer. Do I think this will last long term? Well no. I can't dictate who she talks to at school and I can't control her friendships forever. What I can do is control them for now until I drive into her the way we treat people.
It's an interesting ride, this parenting thing. They like to put a spin on it.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Guess who's back, back again
So this is not my first (or second, or third) blog. I did have one before I posted on fairly regularly, however I am in the middle of a legal dispute and since the other party decided to verbally vomit all over my comments, and try to twist my words around, I took it down. Well I miss it. I was going to say screw it and put my old blog back up, but I have no idea how I took it down in the first place so here I go again.
In either case, my lifestyle has changed fairly dramatically in the 6 months I have been MIA. It works well to put up a new blog, as my old one just doesn't really fit me anymore.
I don't know where this blog is going to go. I am not going to bother giving it a theme because really, I just need a therapist, and since I don't really have time for that at the moment, the WWW can be my fill in.
Grab a cup of coffee and get cozy. You were just introduced to a woman who is a little bit coo-coo.
In either case, my lifestyle has changed fairly dramatically in the 6 months I have been MIA. It works well to put up a new blog, as my old one just doesn't really fit me anymore.
I don't know where this blog is going to go. I am not going to bother giving it a theme because really, I just need a therapist, and since I don't really have time for that at the moment, the WWW can be my fill in.
Grab a cup of coffee and get cozy. You were just introduced to a woman who is a little bit coo-coo.
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