Nia’s school had its mock election on Monday and I was able to document Nia’s recap. I apologize for the quality of the video though – I was in a hurry.
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My Knight in Starched Khakis
21 OctShe is just a little more than five miles away from her sister’s house when the beyond-bald tires on her beat up, old mini-van decide they couldn’t carry her family anymore. The tires, like her, are worn out. Sharing the load of moving from Michigan to Georgia – they both have been pushed to their limits.
“Now this? Now this is going to happen?” she thinks as she looks for a safe place to pull over. The tire blew out a few seconds ago but she tries to keep pressing on – like she’s been doing since they first started struggling.
Her four young children are both frightened and interested in what’s happening. Two started to cry. The other two ask non-stop questions. She feels the same way – plus – helpless. She doesn’t know how to change a tire – she can’t afford a tow truck – isn’t a member of AAA.
Then, she hears a voice, offering to help.
Within minutes, he has her van up on the jack and the tire off but he can’t get the spare out of the trunk. He thinks about giving her his but it doesn’t fit. Instead, he calls AAA and explains the situation.
The children would have to wait almost an hour. When he offers to drive her and the children to her sister’s house so they don’t have to be the situation any longer, she was a little nervous to accept but he didn’t give her any reason to doubt his kindness, plus, he had two child car seats in the back – he must be ok.
She’s so overcome with gratitude and emotion that she can’t believe that she told him, “Of course you’re married! All the good ones are taken!”
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He thinks he’s just stuck behind yet another driver going way below the speed limit on the two lane road to his work. He feels bad when he sees the old mini-van cautiously pull over to the side.
He knows he has to be at work, but something in him compels him to make sure people are ok.
Little does he know, this is going to be so much more than a tire change. When he sees the four children, he immediately thinks of his own wife and kids and – what if. What if they were stranded on the side of a busy road with no one to call for help? He has to do what he can to get them out of this situation.
He doesn’t think it’s going to be hard to do. He just has to change a tire -something he’s done more times than he can remember. But this time is a little different. The van’s emergency brake doesn’t work and (for mechanical reasons the writer doesn’t grasp) the mom has to stay in the van with her foot on the brake. He finally gets the van on the jack but then he can’t free the spare from its compartment.
Knowing he can’t leave them like that, he calls AAA for a tow truck. They tell him he will have to be there when the driver arrives in order for her to get the tow without a charge. He knows it will take about an hour for the tow truck driver to show up so he offers to drive the family where they are headed. He worries about how the four children will safely fit in his small backseat but rationalizes it would be more dangerous for them to be where they are now.
In the end, the family safely reaches their destination and the Knight in Starched (and now slightly dirty) Khakis makes it to work. He knows the family still has to figure out how they will pay for the van’s repairs, but he hopes that he helped take a little of the burden off their shoulders – at least for one morning.
Poor Pooch
14 OctThey really shaved him
Poor Joe-Boy. He went through the shaving, the surgery and now we wait for the healing, hoping it makes him feel all better.
As for the surgery, he now has a metal plate and several screws in his left knee – a fix that many retriever and sporting dogs undergo. His rehab consists of being confined to the downstairs bathroom which, luckily, is one of his favorite places to lounge in the house. He has pills he needs to take pain and inflammation and we have to walk him on a leash for his potty time because he’s not supposed to run or overuse his leg yet. This will last for the next eight weeks.
Our neighbor says it looks like he's mooning
We are just really hoping that he won’t have to have surgery on his other leg. The vets say that it usually happens that way. Dogs will have one leg’s ligament repaired and then a few months later, the other one tears. We would just feel so awful for our buddy. He’s such a good dog and we hate to see him hurting or not himself. All he wants to do is run and play. Our 8-year-old puppy.
(To spare some of you from the more graphic scar picture, I didn’t post it on the this blog. If, however, you want to see his boo-boo, click here.)
Nia: The Headliner
7 OctWe just taught Nia the joke that goes, “Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9!”
She then came up with, “Why did 9 cross the road? To run away from 7!”
She even acted it out like she was running across the road.
Such a great memory.
If Life was a High School Football Game…
4 OctI guess I would be in the second quarter of my years. Happiness would be winning over anything else I’ve experienced in life and I would have a penalty for that one time I jumped out of a moving car. Right now though, I’m calling a time out to review some years gone by.
The last time I spent a Friday night at a high school football stadium, I was in high school. That’s why I was excited to go catch our local teams compete last night.
I loved the atmosphere, the game, the bands, the people watching and the smell of all of that football stadium food. I really had a blast and the kids loved it too. It brought back so many memories and feelings, but also added a new feeling – my youth is gone. I got that feeling when I saw all those teeny-boppers in their cutesy little outfits – their only care being who they’re going to hook up with that night or did they see/talk to so and so.
They are just so young.
What really put it in perspective for me is when I saw a woman, probably in her mid-30’s, surrounded by a bunch of teen girls. The woman was attractive and, I thought, stylish but she seemed to be intimidated and was definitely uncomfortable suddenly face to face with all that youth. I wondered what she was thinking. She tried to keep a look of confidence on her face but I could see the thoughts going through her mind. “Girls, you don’t have anything on me. Been there, done that – way before you.” It made me realize how precious our time is. Before they know it, those girls will soon become us. After all, many of us were once them.
It’s not that I’m jealous of them or want to go back to that time, it just made me nostalgic and well, basically, feel old. I know I’m still “young” by many standards but I’m certainly not young enough to:
- Paint all of the skin visible outside my skimpy shorts and tank top, (That’s another “I’m old” indicator – when I was their age, I would never have considered them “skimpy” shorts.)
- Act crazy even when I’m just standing in a group of people. (Well, I guess I still do this.)
- Walk around with my chest out, trying to portray all the confidence in the world. (My posture is getting worse and worse, Osteoporosis? I drink my milk!)
- Chill in the Student Section of the stadium. (Man, were we like that?)
- Not care where I sit, stand, stop, walk. Being oblivious seems a lot less stressful.
The other feeling I had that made me aware of my age – the fact that I was worried that the players would get hurt. I’m such a mom! This one play had five guys tackle one guy and I said, “Oh my! Did they really need to be that rough?” Andrew’s response? “It’s tackle football!” Man, I hate to see what I’m going to be like if Nate plays! I’ll be an even older mom then!
Running on E
30 SepRunning on Exhausted
It’s not the bad kind of exhausted where you walk around and feel exhausted. It’s more the kind where as soon as you sit down, you’re ready for sleep. I don’t even allow myself to get comfortable until at least 8:30 pm because I know I’ll be asleep in about 30 minutes. The big complaint I have with this early-to-bed routine is that I’m usually not in bed when my eyes close. I end up in a deep sleep on the love seat with Andrew snoring away on the other couch. I love how even when we don’t sleep together, we still sleep together.
Running on Excitement
I still really like my job. It’s been almost a month and I can honestly say I am having a great time doing my work. I enjoy being there, my coworkers and boss are super nice and fun and I am excited about what the future holds. So far, I’ve been working on the main website, www.choa.org, by helping the other content editor maintain it.
Most of my excitement surrounds my main job – the wellness website. This site does not exist yet. I was hired to help create, implement and maintain it – with the goal of making it a success. The site is planned to be launched by January/February of next year but we’re still in meeting mode. Enter my excitement.
I’m giddy about getting started but also nervous because I’ve never created a reputable website! It’s just so hard to grasp how all of it is going to come together. We’re working with three different companies and I can’t even wrap my brain around how they all will mesh together on one site. I have confidence that I can do this, but I would just feel more comfortable if I had a little more of an idea of what to expect.
Running on Empty
Yeah, this is where I put the gas subject in here. I’m not mad. I’m not disgusted. I’m curious. I want to know how much gas the drivers who are fighting in lines, sucking the pumps dry, have in their tanks when they pull up. I want a reporter to be there waiting to document where the gas gauge is pointing or how much gas went into their tank. Do they really need it or are they just freaking out at 3/4 of a tank thus taking it from those who really do need it because they are on empty or close to it? I also want to know what it’s like to be a gas station worker/owner right now. Even the tanker truck drivers probably have crazy stories to share. I’ve heard from the panicked pumpers who’ve been stalking the stations and I’m starting to feel less and less sympathy for my fellow gas guzzler.
A positive I see in all of this is that a lot of companies are letting employees work from home to help conserve. As a matter of fact, my work from home day is set for Friday. If I could walk to work I would. God knows I need the exercise. Since I can’t, I will do my best to not freak out and swerve toward the first sign I see with numbers on it. (Although I’m tempted to drive circles around the others who did screaming “Got gas?!” over and over again. Of course, not with the kids in the car. Besides, that would waste gas! Sha!)
Running on Enamors
As much as I like work, the best part of my day is picking up my little loves. Nate gets a huge smile and screams, “My mommy’s here! My mommy’s here!” He will even tell people as we walk by them, “My mommy’s here Miss Kristi!” Nia always has a drawing for me or a note of some sort. She’s been trying to spell words all by herself by sounding them out. The other day she even wrote a letter to a friend she met.
Some other high/lowlights are:
- Nia really didn’t like the Beef and Broccoli I made for dinner a few days ago. I thought she liked it. She had been eating it and was almost finished, then she said “I’m going to throw up Mommy.” And what do you know? Just like that. Blah. Right on her Ariel plate. I felt HORRIBLE. I told her I was sorry that she got sick and she told me, “People are just different Mommy. Not everyone likes the same things.” She taught me a valuable lesson that day. I now let them sample any different food before I sit down to eat dinner and tell them, “Try one bite and if you really don’t like it I will make you something else.” Sure, Super Nanny might say I’m spoiling them or whatever, but I’d rather make their stomachs happy than sad.
- Nia and Nate had picture day at their schools and Nate’s are hysterically adorable. I can’t wait to show you! For Nia’s, Andrew fixed her hair and I let out a squeal of happiness when I picked her up that day. Two perfectly parted ponytails. He does such a great job! (He even tried practicing braids!)
- Yesterday, Nate actually ran to the potty, opened the lid and started pulling down his pants! We were praising him so much for his big boy act that Joey was going nutso downstairs.
As for Joey – he has to have surgery on his leg because he pulled a ligament. The vet says it just happens when a dog is over a certain weight and age. Poor buddy. He’s been limping around and confined to downstairs. His surgery isn’t until October 7. I just hate to see him this way. He wants to run and play but can’t. We hope the surgery will have him back to his crazy self in no time. (Please!)
Donkeys or Elephants – It Doesn’t Matter
14 SepIt’s no secret, I’ve always been a very wishy-washy person when it comes to politics or controversial issues. It drives Andrew crazy because he wishes I would just take a stand on something. Well, it seems I finally have formed an opinion and I’m actually going to put it out there for all to read and judge.
It all involves the coverage concerning the election. People rooting for Obama are pleased as punch when journalists “tough” question the McCain/Palin camp. “Yeah! Go get ’em Campbell Brown! Woo hoo Barbara! That’s the way to put them in their place!” Those for McCain get disgusted and cry out that “It’s not fair! They didn’t question Obama that way! Wah! Don’t be mean to Sarah! What did she ever do to you?”
Well, it’s all crap. It’s one thing for these “journalists” to want answers so they can better inform the public, it just doesn’t seem like that’s what they are really doing to me. In almost every Big Media-McCain/Palin interview I’ve witnessed, the reporter/anchor was rude, argumentative, confrontational and almost certainly showed which candidate they really want to win. (Which I was taught was a no-no for journalists but maybe they are teaching something else these days.) To me, it feels like these particular journalists are acting like the fans of a winning team that’s letting the lead slip through the cracks.
Does that mean I think McCain is going to win? I have no idea. Does it really matter? Are you serious? Haven’t we learned anything from history? It doesn’t matter who has the title of President before his (or for some of you *gasp* her) name, it will always be the fault of the person who previously bared that title and for those who supported that person, it will be their gain when the current titleholder earns praise.
None of these candidates are perfect. None of them are the answer to all that ails our country. Do people really believe that any of these people are going to make it all better? Or that they will make it any worse? It is my genuine feeling that it does not matter who is elected. We will still have problems. We will still have positives. We will still have struggles. We will still have laughter. We will still have debates. We will still have agreements. We will still be going through the motions. We will still adjust to change. No. Matter. Who. Is. President.
What I’ve Learned So Far
10 SepWednesday marks my first full week back on the job and so far I’ve noticed a few things:
- No matter how early I wake up, I still can’t leave on time.
- Radio personalities and their opinions/statements/conversations annoy the hell out of me.
- I really, really like coffee.
- I’m so lucky to have Andrew as my “baby daddy.” Because I have to leave before the kids wake up, he takes care of everything each morning. Not only does he get himself ready, but then he wakes them up, makes their breakfasts, gets them ready, makes Nia’s lunch, fixes Nia’s hair in the cutest (and tightest) little pony tail, scoots her out the door while loading Nate in his car seat, watches her board the bus, takes Nate to school and then has to deal with Nate being kind of sad to see him go. He also makes it all seem like no big deal. He’s my favorite.
- I must find a shoes that don’t murder my feet (but still look cute).
- Nate has already learned so much, including using the potty more and more.
- I am loving to use my brain again, both socially and creatively.
- I am quickly running out of outfits.
- I still need my mommy. After 15 minutes, I still couldn’t safety pin my low cut shirt without having the pin slightly visible.
- I have to invest in stronger deodorant until I learn to be less nervous. It’s not that I schtank or anything, it’s that I have a giant problem with giant pit marks. Not fun to try and hide all day long.
- Antibacterial cleaning wipes are your friend. (My computer really needs a wipe down.)
- Eating out is lots of fun and tasty but I miss being able to save that money and calories!
- It doesn’t matter what time I leave from home or work, I’m still going to hit multiple rows of bumper to bumper traffic on Interstate 85.
- Now that I am falling asleep earlier and earlier, I need to become more picky in our television show selection.
- Andrew has shown me yet another way he’s a keeper. He irons all my work clothes! (I feel so spoiled!)
- I’m having a blast!
My First Paid Publish
5 SepIt’s official. I’m a Web Content Editor. I made my first update to www.choa.org today! It was a small publish but it sure meant a big deal to me. I basically attached a picture to one of our physician’s bios but I was very proud of myself! I’m sure I’m probably jinxing myself, but I can’t wait to take on more and more.
So far, the past two days have been filled with meeting different people in different sub-departments and everyone has been so welcoming. It’s a little overwhelming though because there are so many things happening under our main department and it all amazingly flows together. I just can’t wait to catch on to it all!
I know one thing that’s awkward for me to catch on to – being able to leave at 4 pm! After all of those years of not being able to leave until after the newscast, it’s odd to leave so early. That’s not to say that I don’t love it, it just feels like I’m going to get in trouble for leaving!
Who would have thought it? A job that rewards you in both compensation and team support and that has great hours? I really didn’t think it was possible!
wow
4 SepI would love to tell you all about my first day of work right now. I would love to tell you how it was really great. That the only “bad” things that happened were that my shoes made my feet bleed and that my boss above my boss had to inform me I was violating the dress code with my very cute capris. I would love to tell you how they decorated my desk with streamers, yellow paper plates cut into suns and Starburst candy. I know you’d like to know how I walked everywhere and everyone I met seemed really happy that I was there. I wish I could tell you how they all made me feel so welcome and how I think I’m really going to like my job and co-workers.
It would be so great to tell you all of that but I’m super exhausted and must get to sleep to start it all over again.
Before I go though, there is one thing I have the energy to share – I’m really looking forward to another day there and hope the kids keep having great days too.
Are You Zhazha? 
Say what?