For many people, especially in Texas, today is Back to School day. Stay at home moms across the state are groaning to the sound of the alarm. Children are decked in their new threads. Some children can't wait to see old friends while other children (such as my son) are going into a new place and will be making new friends. College students are learning to responsible for themselves and are having to answer their own alarm clocks. They are not only having to locate classrooms but buildings as well on a new campus. They are now mixed in with people from different areas of the world as well as U.S., different ethnic groups and social classes. For many the little bubble of their world has been popped and they are now among those who are out on their own for the first time.
There are a slight few who are like myself. We are the grown college students. We have children to send off to school, bills to pay, books and tution to pay for--for ourselves. We are not only getting a young one or two up for school but ourselves as well. We are used to socializing with different people from different walks of life, but we are on new ground when going back to school.
Here is what I learned today from my first day back to school...at a new campus/college I might add, so Jacob wasn't the only one who was new.
I learned: I need to get up at least 15min earlier than I did today. The school is 40min away, not 20 like Mapquest said it was. (thankfully I actually learned this last week) Traffic was crazy for west Texas.
I have learned four hours of sleep is not enough and Mr. Looks Good in Wranglers may have to get himself ready for the week instead of my helping in the middle of the night. (who am I kidding--I am going to get my kiss before he leaves!)
I have learned the buildings are actually further than they looked on their little map.
I have learned wearing new shoes when discovering I have to walk further than expected is NOT good. Even though I have had the shoes for months, but just never wore them!
I have learned I am still probably the oldest in my class.
I have learned to take a snack with me because I am freaking hungry on Mondays and Wednesdays when I get out at 12:30, even if I eat half a bowl of grape nuts before I leave the house. (Why do they call them Grape Nuts anyway??)
I have learned trying to use a round ceramic brush to blow dry my hair needs practice and should not be done on the first day, especially when the brush gets stuck in my hair and it takes five minutes to get out.
I have learned my pants' zipper slides down, most likely as I step out of class and my shirt is all bunched up. So I have to walk juggling a fancy notebook and a book bag trying to be discrete in zipping up my pants.
I have learned I probably shouldn't drink anything in the mornings because after hiking across campus all while trying to break in new shoes and zip up my pants and FIND the class room will not yield enough time for a bathroom break.
I have learned the fancy notebook I spent good money on, is totally useless and will not be going back to school with me.
And lastly I have discovered the weight of college level texts books greatly increase the further you must carry them.
I have learned a lot today, but the biggest thing I have learned? Forty year old Freshmen need a nap on their first day of school.
Before I begin with what I know, let me tell you a bit about my day. Currently I am leaning back in the recliner, knees bent and feet tucked snuggly into the spot between the chair and the foot rest. Do you know what spot I am talking about? I like to dig my heels in there with my toes up in the air. My house is a bit cool, but it gets stuffy if I turn off the fan so I have my grey throw covering me and I am in my granny gown. It is a very ugly, unattractive, the wrong color for me, horribly stained gown. But---it covers me up and its comfy. It's a gown so not like I am going to go in public with it, so ugly works for me. When Mr. Looks Good in Wranglers is home, I dress nice for him all day long, then about dark-thirty I look at him and say, "I look sexy right? I looked sexy all day?" He nods his head yes or grabs me for a kiss (I swoon when he does this!) Then I say (after the blood rushes back to all the right places and I am not light headed any more over the swooning), "okay going to put on my granny gown. Just remember how hot I looked before" He chuckles and says he will and I get comfy. I say all of that to say....I deserve my moment this morning in my granny gown after my day yesterday. But through my day yesterday I discovered "this is what I know"
I was up early for a phone interview. I was awesome. They offered me a job. Robert told me to say no. I sent her an email. The hours and the pay were horrible. The day before I had gotten so frustrated with job hunting, I drove to Midland, got my college transcript and drove home. Was in Midland for 7 minutes. Midland is 2hrs away. I decided I was NOT taking off a year and just going back to school. I am going crazy here at the house and need out! Plus I have dreams and goals and going to school is part of those.
Back to yesterday. Up early, phone interview at 9a, then shower. Suddenlink guy was due between 10-12. After shower and getting dressed, Suddenlink guy showed up and changed out our modem. He hung around an extra 20min listening to Lyns and J and I all talk and watch me tag J in the back with a shoe...his shoe. (no I am not abusive. The child is 6ft 2 and weighs 280lbs and is ONLY 14yrs old, besides we were playing around.) So he leaves and we get Drake so we can take Drake to work. Alex, Jacob and Lyns all ride as well. So off we go. We take Drake to work. "Bye, Drake! Love you" Drake mumbles and all is well in the world. I needed gas so I filled up and then bought drinks. I'm awesome like that. We took off.
I needed to go and take the transcript to my new college. Mapquest said it was about 20min away and down this road. We take off. We laugh, we talk, we actually find the place, after driving around for a bit. I go in. Lines are short. I like short lines. I give the nice little guy my transcript. He puts it in the system. We discover we need to go to Levelland (small town another 20min from where I was) So off we go.
By this time J is snoring. I tell Alex to hit him. I meant as in slightly nudge. Alex hits him...what's a brother for? And J sleeps through it. Snoring...L.o.u.d.l.y. We follow the directions and discover a new town in Texas, that is after driving through Opdyke West, Tx. Population 114. I have no clue the history of that town, but I assure I shall google.
We get to the school. Get pointed in the right direction and then find the line. We get in THE LINE. It was not short by any means. Not short at all! By this time it is 1:15p. Lyns and J stayed in the suburban (windows down because I am nice that way!) Alex and I wait. And wait. And wait. Finally get inside the building and that is when the fun began.
We are shuffled to a room, where we wait. I tell them my major, I meet one of my Profs. We begin to register me for classes. Awesome. Well until I have a block. So out we go and into another line. We wait. Yep, my stuff is there, not sure why you are blocked. Go see that guy. Another line. Yep, my stuff is there, not sure why you are blocked. Go see the registar. Registar is the college god and fixes my stuff. Back to classroom to finish adding classes. Drop a class to add correct class (same class just different day and time) but hey, guess what, I am blocked again. So...you got it, back in line for the registar (at least I could skip the middle man this time) He fixes it. All is well. Schedule is printed (by the way it is now 3pm) We head to financial aid. I have what I need, so off I go. Find book store. Get my books for 4, count them, one, two, three, four classes (not five or six, but only four) and spend $664 on books. And a pair of goggles. I know I will look hot in those. Then we go and get my ID. and my parking pass. By this time it is 3:45 and I am bit overwhelmed and tired.
Just in case you are wondering my four classes: Pre-Algerbra (I suck at math) History of Geology (awesome!!!) History from 1877 to now. (yawn) and Chemistry. Not intro to Chemistry but the freaking class itself. Shall I panic?? OH probably!! LOL So basically 2 history classes and 2 math classes. My brain already hurts. Bad!
After a quick slide through Taco Bell we headed back to Lubbock and stopped at the library and now:
This is what I know
I know I can breathe easier in a library. I know I love wondering up and down every aisle looking at books. I know seeing a book called, "Animal names" written by a person named "Boone" cracks me up because my dog's name is Boone. I know children running amuck through a library bugs me. Bugs me bad. I know I never check out political books. Not even the ones on Kennedy, Reagan or another president we have ever had. I know I randomly choose books, based on their cover. I know I enjoy wandering up and down aisles with Alex. He chats, I spy books, he carries them. I know I love reading both adult and children's books. I know some times I need a simple answer and children's books have them. I know my Scotty Dog did not read the book on Scotty Dogs and now that I have checked out one, she must have read a different dog book. I know she is not what that book said she would be. I know when I read the book to Mia, the Scotty, I left out some info or changed the bad info to be good info....I didn't want Mia to know exactly what was in the book. I know I always check out one finacial book, usually never actually read but just skimmed through. Yesterday's choice, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" I am neither rich, nor poor, nor a dad, but I did have a dream last night I had 38 million in my bank account. That's pretty awesome. I know screaming kids make me want to find a wooden spoon while in the library. I know I should never have any more children as I am no longer patient with small ones. I know I will check out books on money, Scotty dogs, self help, some humor and a few fiction books. I know if I say we need to leave the library at 4:50 in order to go and pick up Drake from work, we will not leave until 5:05 and I will have a mother panic attack and Drake will look like a little lost soul walking back and forth in front of his place of employment because I am never late. And I know life is good when I bring home a stack of books. I know reading is the one thing that keeps me grounded and sane. Well maybe not totally sane but I know I can always check out a book on mental conditions and self-help myself.
So that's what I know.......
We are the proud of owners of a registered Scottish Terrier. Her name is Mia Bluebird. Which is stupid, but that is her official name. I am not exactly sure what I would have named her but we call her Mia or Me for short. She has been a lovely addition to our home. Well at least I think she has....not exactly sure about the rest of the family but regardless she is here and here is how she came to be:
Most women have the baby bug. You know where you are begging and pleading for another baby. A human one that is. You dream of holding a newborn while looking at baby clothes for a human that doesn't exist yet. You smell other's actual baby humans all the time wishing you had one as well. It doesn't matter if you have twelve at home and holes busted through the walls and four of them on drugs and two pregnant....all you know is you want another sweet little tiny human with no hair who cries often as well as other bodily things.
Um, me? Not so much. Don't get me wrong. If Mr Looks Good in Wranglers and I were blessed with a little pasty white, vein showing, conehead tiny human we would be glad. But we actually enjoy teenagers and have NO desire to start over. (by the way, we would have to invest in self tanner because my children are biracial and have a nice tan. New tiny human would be P.A.L.E. and not match) So instead of the baby bug I get the puppy/kitty/small reptile/rodent/I just need SOMETHING now bug.
It all started at Wal-Mart. My daughter and I pulled up and there was a basket of cute little Scotty puppies. The dad was there and he was lovely. But the puppies were adorable. I did not have permission (yes I actually ask permission before lugging home some other creature who requires food and doctor visits etc...I like my cushy life and do not want to mess it up!!) nor the extra funds to purchase said Scotty puppy. I pouted a little....I mean they were that cute!
I kept an eye on craigslist where I saw Scotty Puppies for sale but when I went to call, the ad was gone. Poor sad me. I looked into getting another dog or puppy. Was even approved for a bloodhound but she was over two hours away and was a bit more puppy than I was wanting.
Then one day while looking through craigslist I spied the ad. It was like a light from heaven shown down and I saw it, "Free Scottish Terrier" Hello?? It is the dog I want and at a price I love---FREE!!
Mr. Looks Good in Wranglers was not thrilled but allowed us to go and "look" at the dog. We piled all the kids (looking like orphans of course) in the suburban and headed over to this lady's home. She had two Scotty puppies, the dad and Mia as well as an English Bulldog. Through conversation we discovered the puppies were in fact the ones we saw at Wal-Mart. The bulldog decided to whoop on Mia and she held her ground. Mr. Looks Good actually looked pretty ticked off the whole time but petted on the dogs as did the rest of us.
The lady's husband had died three weeks earlier. And Mia, loved escaping and then killed a neighbor's chicken. We were told she was not very lady like and an outside dog. Mr. Looks Good just looked at me with THAT look (not sure what the look is exactly, but it's not good)
We agreed to have a family meeting and started walking towards the front door. Mia padded along to the door with us. Several times during our visit the lady would call Mia and Mia would look, but not come. I would call her and she would run right towards me.
I spoke to the lady a bit longer, while holding Mia to allow the family to get out the door without Mia escaping. Then I loaded up and we left. I knew things were good when we left, headed the wrong way from home. We had our family meeting in the suburban all agreeing, Mia belonged with us. Let me add, Mr Looks Good agreed, but it may have been defeat.....he was living with a woman with the puppy bug.........
We called and turned around and picked up Mia. She loved riding in the car. And we have now had her for a few weeks. Here is what we know about her. She walks all cute and girly like, but then I think that is how Scotty's walk. She will have accidents in the house if you don't stay on top of her. We stay on top of her. She will leave the house/yard if allowed. (she has gotten out twice) We know she has to be brushed out often and bathed once a week. She gets dirty easy and tangled quickly. I don't think she cares, but when you have stinky dog in your lap, you do. She knows where the dog treats are kept and will go in the laundry (secret treat harboring room) and then look at you as if by mind control will you to get up and get her one or two or a hundred. She may be short but she is able to get onto the middle of the table in about .05 seconds. Her best time by far. And she has super powers and is able to pick trash out of the trash can without knocking it over. But the biggest thing she LOVES the jeep. She puts her little snout out and lets the wind blow back her giant eyebrows. She loves seeing cars pull up beside her. She is most certainly a Jeep dog. After her first ride we brought her in and throw a tantrum wanting back outside..to the Jeep. For the most part we are quite pleased with our Mia girl. Who doesn't love a cute little Scottish Terrier?
First let me say, I will try to catch my typos and spelling mistakes...may or may not happen! LOL
So I happen to have 700+ friends on Facebook. Yes I know I need a life. But hey, it is what it is. Some friends are fun. They post funny pictures and things in their life. They make me smile. Some friends are upbeat. They offer good days and well wishes. Some friends just post those annoying "click to share" type pictures. I just scroll through. Some friends post well....down in the mouth type things. I have to confess, I generally don't respond to them and most often than not, I will eventually delete them if it becomes a recurring theme for them. Why? Not because I am unfeeling or don't care, but because I choose to surround myself with happiness, upbeatness (see I made up a word) and positiveness (probably another one there too!)
So your life sucks....well this is for you!
You have a choice because here's the deal. You only get this life once (unless you believe in reincarnation but you might come back as a dung beetle) so yeah, I know YOLO (you only live once...in case you haven't heard of the song) But really that is it. You don't get any do overs. No going back to your teen years, or your twenties. No replays of the good times while fast forwarding through the bad. This is it. These days are your days. You get the same seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years I do. But it is up to you how you plan on living them.
So your job sucks? Well go find another. I don't want to hear your excuses. NO, really I don't. You know why? Because YOU can CHANGE it. Get an education, look for another job, transfer....do something about it. Honestly, you can throw excuses at me all day long and I am going to give you a rebuttle to it all. Just because you hate your job doesn't mean it is going to get better. So YOU better figure out a way to do something about it. It's real simple, either change your job or your attitude. Yep...YOUR attitude.
So your love life sucks? Well you have a few choices...If you are dating/married/shacked up with some one who makes your miserable. Leave, get out, move on. Yeah, it will hurt, but let me tell you the person making you miserable is the way they are. Granted a person can change a few things, but overall....they are what they are. I love Mr. Looks Good in Wranglers, but here is a little bit about him. He has never bought me a gift and in four years only two cards. I bet some of you fell out your chair. Yep, no gifts, but let me clarify. I am able to go out and purchase something if I want it. Around Valentine's day he bought me a red VW Bug. I needed a car so it wasn't really a gift but it is as close as I get. For our 4yr anniv. we moved to this awesome house. Granted we were looking to move, but moving cost money...I tell you all of this to say....I could cry and moan over the fact I am not having flowers delivered or gifts to unwrap. I really could. Never a birthday gift..NOTHING. But instead *I* choose to focus on the fact since I have been with him, my life has gotten nothing (gotten nothing...redneck talk for ya!) but better. Mine and my children's lives are amazingly better than they were four years ago. So if your guy or gal is not making you happy this is what you do. Either focus on the positive and forget the negative or....move on..find another guy or gal.
So your money sucks? Well look at the job one. DO SOMETHING to change it! Easy as that!! No really....get off your hinny and change the way things are. Hey but keep it legal. I don't want any one coming back to say "she told me to rob a bank"
I personally believe in positive thoughts, vibration, energy...whatever you want to call it. But there is a little secret (about The secret) you need to know. You have to be willing do something. I could sit here and say "I am going to win the lottery" I can be as positive about it as I want be but if I don't get my keys, get in my suburban, drive down the block to Valero and actually purchase a lottery ticket, I am not going to win.
So send out your positive thoughts but be sure to give them something to bounce back on. For example, you want a new job. So you light candles, do your thing, send out positive thoughts.....also be sending out resumes and filling out apps. Don't get me wrong, I believe you could bump into the right person to get you on your way, but you need to do a little leg work to help get those energies going for you. Your perfect job may not know you exist unless you send them a resume.
So here is the deal. Quite bitching about your life and do something about it. No one wants to hear it. (yeah, pretty cold, but that is human nature) Quit making the world miserable around you and go out and change your circumstances. Choose things that are positive to say. And then SAY them. Even if it is hard for you to believe, they will come true. Also be willing to learn and try new things. You never know where the next bit of awesomeness will come from. And remember life is not easy....no one gets out alive!
This is my letter to all the Christians out there in light of the Chick-fi-la crud.
Dear Christians,
On August 1st I saw you out in droves around the local CFAs, even the one at the mall was packed. I know some of you there were there in support of Free Speech. I get that. However a good portion of you were there to support "biblical marriage." Well let me just say....it is nice of you all to finally stand up for something. Sadly, it was a chicken sandwhich.
I think of all the things Christians could en masse join together for and you chose a chicken sandwhich. Really? That is the best you could come up with?
You couldn't all come together for abortion, poverty, hunger, drugs the list of sins goes on.....And yet you really for the santicy of marriage. Honestly.....you rallied together for court costs and a piece of paper. You couldn't join together to and spend the average $20 (for a family if not more) for stopping abortion or donating to a food bank for some one in need? You couldn't spend that money to help fix a neighbors home or put the homeless off the streets? Instead you gathered up your suburbia family, hoped in the SUV and drove to CFA. You turned your head away from the protesting gays and waited an hour or so for chicken sandwhich. That was your idea of helping your fellow man?
I remember once when I was a kid and a tornado went through our small town and damaged a few homes. It was a Sunday morning. When word got out we were at church. My father (not known to be generous with money) grabbed me out of Sunday school. He and another man were all who were willing to leave church and help out some families whose homes were damaged and needed immediate repair. Out of all the good God fearing Christians...a church full of them infact, 2 men and a 6th grade girl who were all who went to help.
This CFA thing reminds me of that. All the good Christians are glad to help a cause as long as it isn't hard and they benefit. You got a chicken sandwhich and waffle fries out of the deal. You were able to sit in your air conditioned car and listen to music and wait. How hard was that??
WWJD? Do you remember the bracelets and the phrase?? I do, they were everywhere. So let's apply this cute little catch phrase to the whole CFA thing. Umm, well I don't think Jesus would have been waiting in line at CFA. I am just guessing, but based off of scripture, the people he chose to hang out with were not those considered the best in society. Tax collector, prostitute, leper, heck even a dead guy. So I am gonna go out on a limb and guess Jesus would have probably not even been near the CFA and if he was. He would have been out with those feeling hurt....offering compassion instead of $5 for a chicken sandwhich.
So dear Christians....if you want to be a light unto the world. Start shinning. Right now, a few of us don't think you are too bright. Start walking the walk instead of flapping your lips. Go do something Christ like. Start with Love... love your neighbor. By the way, this extends further than the guy next door. This means all your neighbors. Your community. Your world. This means people who are not like you. This means the poor, the black, the Asian, the guy who is from the middle East. Oh which reminds me...you do realize that is the area Jesus was from. He wasn't a white guy. This also means the drunkard, the druggie and yes even the gay.
Sincerely,
A person who is tired of all the CFA crud.
So as we all know by now today is the day to support Chick-fi-la. People have come out in droves to buy a chicken sandwhich. Police have been needed to direct traffic, lines are long and families are all waiting for a sandwhich and waffle fries. In my neck of the woods, there have been protestors holding signs and protesting the establishment.
Here are my thoughts...for better or for worse..for who cares and who doesn't....
First of all is the establishment of marriage and what it means today. Eons ago when people "married" they expressed their intent and followed the customs of their people and culture. Whether they were bringing over some sheep to give the dad for the price of the daughter, having a ceremony with a woman they didn't know and their parents had set up when they were toddlers. Some men simply took the woman they wanted, others asked the father or the tribe elders. Through the years there was not a government establishment of marriage. It was what it was.
Then marriage changed. Government stepped in. You know had to have a piece of paper to say you were married. There is the legalities of name changes and proper ceremonies. And now we have people bickering over whether or not two guys can get married or two gals. Basically they are argueing over some court mandated fees and a piece of paper.
Mr. Looks Good in Wranglers and I are not "legally" married. I refer to him as my husband as it is easier than explaining we are two adults, committed to one another and who live in the same household. For all intents and purposes we are married. I don't need the court, government official or bible thumpers to disagree. They can't change my heart or his. We are both pretty stubborn. ;o)
Next, we have corporations. Most, if not all, major corporations send money to organizations. Some support veterns, others gay rights, some the church, some United Way....the list is long and goes on. It is a tax right off first of all. They give away money or in order to decrease the amount they must pay in. Simple as that. Secondly, they support what they as a board of directors believe in. Just as a family we do. And I am sure your family does as well. You may give to the SPCA, the church, etc... You give where you feel like you think your money will do the most good. It is what you believe in and makes you...well you!
So Chick-fi-la gives millions to support a biblical family. Do I agree with this? Nope...not at all. But you know what---we live in a FREE country. (at least today it is!!) They have that right to support who they want. Just as another company has the right to support who they want. They are not mandated to give to certain organizations..they give to who they want to support. It is no big secret Chick-fi-la is a Christian based business (although I argue the biblical Sabbath is not Sunday, but Friday at sundown....anyway...) The company has proven their business plan works...they make money. Apparently enough money to be closed one day a week when all the others are open.
I am appalled people are surprised to learn they do not support Gay marriage. Shocker!! But again, did I mention the whole "we live in a free country thing?" Feel free to eat a chicken sandwhich somewhere else. You don't have to eat there...again..freedom comes into play here.
So the bottom line for me is this...I don't boycott Chick-fi-la simply because I never eat there anyway. I don't like their food!! I don't care for their sandwhiches and I don't like pickles and when I ask for cut the pickles...the pickle juice is still on the patti and thats just nasty. I do support gay marriage, just as I support straight marriage and interracial marriage. The piece of paper doesn't change the fact people love each other. It doesn't make them any more committed.
So while you wait in line with the gazillions of other American's to get your chicken sandwhich, I will be home, saving myself some money and enjoying a pickle juice free dinner. I may have some gay friends over, well at least a couple of bi women. I will continue to be shacked up with my honey and consider myself his wife. I will continue to teach my children love and not hate, but also this country may have a few quirks but freedom is still the base line of the foundation of this nation. And here is the simplicity of it...if I don't like who or what a business supports...there is another business out there ready to take my money.
