I'm not quite sure what is going on with the weather in southeastern Pennsylvania in August 2011, except to say that it's starting to get a little scary and a lot weird! Usually we're in the "dog days" and I'm completely miserable because it's incredibly hot and humid with NO RAIN RELIEF anywhere in sight. This year is just the opposite. Well, we've had a couple of hot and humid days when I could feel my hair curling up throughout the day to the point where I leave school looking much different than when I walked in. (I'll put it this way, I NEVER purposely sport an afro!) Quite a few of these spontaneously rearranging hair events, however, have been started by rain rather than mere humidity.
Today, however, after many days of rain, a small earthquake and, before an impending Category 2 hurricane strike, a tree in our yard decided to uproot itself and take out wires on it's way to the ground. I heard something strange (to say the least) and looked out to see the ass end of one of our big, old trees, surrounded by sparks. My cellphone had been flashing a red battery icon at me repeatedly, and we had no telephone or electricty, so I went outside, turned on the car, plugged in the phone charger and called the electric company and the phone company to report downed wires. Of course, since it was actually raining (again!) this morning, I wasn't worried about fire. But, sitting in the car, in the rain, with the windows up, and waiting for the repairmen to appear did spark on of those aforementioned spontaneously rearranging hair events.
The "wire guys" appeared fairly quickly, but it took a long time to resolve the issue. The "tree guys" also came by quickly, and their work took even longer. I felt bad for them, working out in the rain in what must have been pretty dangerous conditions. Unfortunately, hysteria was overwhelming me, and my hair was (as mentioned) crazy, so I'm pretty sure that they all were much more afraid of the conditions in my home than those outside. Everytime I tried to ask a question, I dissolved into the giggles and had to make my excuses and walk away.
So...it cleared up later in the day and I decided to take Jojo to her cheer practice and walk the trail. It's been a couple of days and I really needed to get some exercise and to walk off some tension. Everything was going well; it was cool and refreshing (for August) and I wasn't huffing and puffing along like the little, red Engine that Could. So, I'm feeling good...until I trip over a branch that fell across the path.
"Timber!"
Friday, August 26, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Dreams in the Bounce House
It's been the rainiest August that I can remember -- all on the weekends, it seems -- so today I decided to check out the new bounce house play facility with the kids. They each got to bring a friends, so I wasn't too worried about having an appendage dragging me into a bounce house made for people under 100 pounds. (I'm always afraid that I will get into one of those and it will split -- not because of me -- but it will look like it was because I'm so heavy that the bounce house popped!) It was a good tactic, that worked for the whole time we were there.
While the kids were jumping and running like maniacs, I had a lot of time to take some stock of my life this summer. Major bummer that it is, my relationship with my ex-husband has gone from "eh" to "blech!" between Memorial Day weekend and what is now almost Labor Day weekend. He's got problems; they're not new. (There are a lot of reasons that B and I got divorced and, unfortunately, none of them have resolved.) That being said, I have worked very hard to try to have a cordial relationship with Bo and Jojo's father, for their sake and, frankly, to make my own life easier. Unfortunately, he has been completely unreliable, to say the least, as far as his custodial weekends go. A few weeks ago, I determined that we needed to have our custody arrangements put in writing so there are no lingering questions, and I told him about it, which he disputed, but then acquiesced. My attorney filed a petition for a custody conference that, frankly, does read rather harshly, but this is what she told me has to happen in order to get a conference quickly. Remember: he knew it was coming, and the goal is to have our arrangements committed to writing and filed as an agreement in the court.
Well, he went...ballistic, to say the least. I was in the bounce house-a-rama being screamed at by my ex about how he is going to destroy me with witnesses and a dossier that he has amassed on all the ways that I'm a terrible mother, etc. ,etc. While this is happening, I'm hearing "Look here, Mommy!" "Watch this!" and smiling and waving at the two children that have kept me tied to this maniac. So, I tuned his verbal abuse out long enough to dream about how things might have been if a) he was a more reasonable person, or b) I was a more self-assured person who didn't feel that I needed to marry this person to avoid the ridicule of my family over a broken engagement, or c) I would have listened to the minister who pulled out of officiating our wedding because she told me that she could not be a party of a wedding that she knew would never work. He screamed himself raw and hung up on me long before I realized that the cell phone went dead. Then, I heard "Hey, Mom, check it out!" and my son did a half-gainer off an inflatable platform into a ball pit and stood up with a flourish "TA DA!" Reality: I would never have Bo or Jojo if I didn't first have B. And my life dream of being a mom would have not come true when I was 32 and 36...that's the fact. All the bullshit is worth making that dream come true.
While the kids were jumping and running like maniacs, I had a lot of time to take some stock of my life this summer. Major bummer that it is, my relationship with my ex-husband has gone from "eh" to "blech!" between Memorial Day weekend and what is now almost Labor Day weekend. He's got problems; they're not new. (There are a lot of reasons that B and I got divorced and, unfortunately, none of them have resolved.) That being said, I have worked very hard to try to have a cordial relationship with Bo and Jojo's father, for their sake and, frankly, to make my own life easier. Unfortunately, he has been completely unreliable, to say the least, as far as his custodial weekends go. A few weeks ago, I determined that we needed to have our custody arrangements put in writing so there are no lingering questions, and I told him about it, which he disputed, but then acquiesced. My attorney filed a petition for a custody conference that, frankly, does read rather harshly, but this is what she told me has to happen in order to get a conference quickly. Remember: he knew it was coming, and the goal is to have our arrangements committed to writing and filed as an agreement in the court.
Well, he went...ballistic, to say the least. I was in the bounce house-a-rama being screamed at by my ex about how he is going to destroy me with witnesses and a dossier that he has amassed on all the ways that I'm a terrible mother, etc. ,etc. While this is happening, I'm hearing "Look here, Mommy!" "Watch this!" and smiling and waving at the two children that have kept me tied to this maniac. So, I tuned his verbal abuse out long enough to dream about how things might have been if a) he was a more reasonable person, or b) I was a more self-assured person who didn't feel that I needed to marry this person to avoid the ridicule of my family over a broken engagement, or c) I would have listened to the minister who pulled out of officiating our wedding because she told me that she could not be a party of a wedding that she knew would never work. He screamed himself raw and hung up on me long before I realized that the cell phone went dead. Then, I heard "Hey, Mom, check it out!" and my son did a half-gainer off an inflatable platform into a ball pit and stood up with a flourish "TA DA!" Reality: I would never have Bo or Jojo if I didn't first have B. And my life dream of being a mom would have not come true when I was 32 and 36...that's the fact. All the bullshit is worth making that dream come true.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Reconnecting
On a RARE child-free weekend, I spent most of Saturday reconnecting with some of my great girlfriends. There is nothing like spending some hours with folks who really know you -- I mean REALLY know you! It's liberating. No pretense needed. Check the uber-Mom apron, the Teacher-of-the-Year cloak, and the Dolly Dimples Goodneighbor shoes at the door. Some of these ladies knew me as a teenager, one as a college student, some of them knew me in my first disasterous marriage, some have only known me as a mom. But then, I knew them all then, too! The many faces of Tracy, all looking back at me from the same mirror. Interesting, a bit scary, and then fun, fun, fun!
Of course, I did some reconnecting with Chuck, too. Another thing that is necessary but, sadly, oh so rare. How easy it is to get caught up in Mom/Dad world and forget that before we were a family, we were a couple. His work has been booming lately, and my job is smack-dab in the crazy pre-semester period, so between those hats and then kid-obligations, we were truly spending way too many nights sitting next to one another while staring at a laptop screen, working before going to sleep, before getting up to go to work again. No interaction whatsoever! So, on Friday we had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant in Center City and then caught a Phillies game. Sure, the game was terrible -- I am officially the bad luck charm for this particular pitcher -- but I thoroughly enjoyed just being Tracy spending time with my husband, Chuck.
Unfortunately, Sunday was rainy which usually brings on the mega-aches and pains of MS. I swear I can feel every square inch of barometric pressure. Ugh! Then today, not only is it Monday, but it's STILL RAINING. Blah, blah, blah...who the hell likes Mondays anyway?
I'm just gonna close my eyes and think back on my awesome weekend..."Hello! My name is Tracy."
Of course, I did some reconnecting with Chuck, too. Another thing that is necessary but, sadly, oh so rare. How easy it is to get caught up in Mom/Dad world and forget that before we were a family, we were a couple. His work has been booming lately, and my job is smack-dab in the crazy pre-semester period, so between those hats and then kid-obligations, we were truly spending way too many nights sitting next to one another while staring at a laptop screen, working before going to sleep, before getting up to go to work again. No interaction whatsoever! So, on Friday we had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant in Center City and then caught a Phillies game. Sure, the game was terrible -- I am officially the bad luck charm for this particular pitcher -- but I thoroughly enjoyed just being Tracy spending time with my husband, Chuck.
Unfortunately, Sunday was rainy which usually brings on the mega-aches and pains of MS. I swear I can feel every square inch of barometric pressure. Ugh! Then today, not only is it Monday, but it's STILL RAINING. Blah, blah, blah...who the hell likes Mondays anyway?
I'm just gonna close my eyes and think back on my awesome weekend..."Hello! My name is Tracy."
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Too busy for DWA...walking trail!
Jojo's cheerleading season started last week and, in August, it's 4 nights/wk. This is reduced to 3 nights when school starts at the end of the month, but those night include Monday and Wednesday -- DWA nights. Yes, I'll say it: I miss the pool. But Jojo is a flyer, which means she spends the majority of the practices in the air, standing on the hands of other 9 and 10 year old girls, which makes me nervous about leaving the field. Heck, it makes me nervous about blinking my eyes, let alone leaving the field.
It's been one week, and I am feeling very slothful. I even made it to a DWA session last week, and I still feel lazy. It's probably in my head, but I'm also feeling shorter of breath than the week before last and could swear that I've gained a few pounds back. Could all the progress that I made be caput in one week? Is the universe really THAT unfair?
I think I found a solution today, however. While chewing my nails as my little girl flew through the air with the greatest of ease, I noticed that there is a walking trail that circles the park where the practices are being held. I asked one of the other Cheer Moms if she knew if the practice field was visible while walking the trail. She wasn't sure, but suggested that we take a "test run" while the girls were doing calisthenics and drills.
Great news! We were able to see the girls the whole time we walked the trail. It was nice to get to know her better, too, since Jojo is new to this team so I really don't know a lot of the moms. When we got back, one of the other moms said that she used to walk the trail during practices last season and asked if we would like to start doing that with her on Mondays and Wednesdays. I guess these are my designated exercise days! I'm not sure how long the trail is, but if we do a few circuits it's better than nothing.
So, I'm trading bathing suits for sneakers and hitting the trail. It's not mall walking, but the Old Guard in the pool would be proud.
It's been one week, and I am feeling very slothful. I even made it to a DWA session last week, and I still feel lazy. It's probably in my head, but I'm also feeling shorter of breath than the week before last and could swear that I've gained a few pounds back. Could all the progress that I made be caput in one week? Is the universe really THAT unfair?
I think I found a solution today, however. While chewing my nails as my little girl flew through the air with the greatest of ease, I noticed that there is a walking trail that circles the park where the practices are being held. I asked one of the other Cheer Moms if she knew if the practice field was visible while walking the trail. She wasn't sure, but suggested that we take a "test run" while the girls were doing calisthenics and drills.
Great news! We were able to see the girls the whole time we walked the trail. It was nice to get to know her better, too, since Jojo is new to this team so I really don't know a lot of the moms. When we got back, one of the other moms said that she used to walk the trail during practices last season and asked if we would like to start doing that with her on Mondays and Wednesdays. I guess these are my designated exercise days! I'm not sure how long the trail is, but if we do a few circuits it's better than nothing.
So, I'm trading bathing suits for sneakers and hitting the trail. It's not mall walking, but the Old Guard in the pool would be proud.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Lefts and Rights...
Did you ever have one of those days that starts out bad and just gets worse? I woke up with a completely "dead" right arm after sleeping awkwardly -- no pins and needles, there was nothing. Then, when I stepped out of bed to get some aspirin and turn on the shower (with the hand on my functional arm), I stepped on the cat and, to avoid killing her, threw myself backward but missed the bed, and landed on my butt on the floor. Good thing I'm so padded! I get up off the floor and drag myself to the shower. While in the shower, I dropped the razor, and when I bent down to pick it up, banged my head on the handle. OMG!
After all of the various self-inflicted wounds, I told my daughter to get dressed so we could go out school clothes shopping. She was thrilled, and that made my bruises not so sore, so I thought the day was on the upswing. We spent a long time picking out several cute outfits at that store with the talking manequins and I was excited to check out with my bonus savings as a card holder. Not so fast! As I was trying to use the charge card and bonus savings certificate, the check-out girl told me that the card was denied. What? I have made a habit of using this card and paying it off by electronic bank payment so often that, several time, they have sent me back a check because I had paid more than was due. Figuring that the card was demagnetized or something, I put the bonus savings certi back in my purse to use with one of the other kids and decided to call Customer Service on the way home. In the car = mistake!
Well, the customer service department has been outsourced to a call center in India and I had a terrible time trying to understand the poor guy on the other end of a shakey cellphone connection. When I called back after I got home, the news just got worse. Apparently the electronic payment that my bank sends out monthly did not go out in July! So I'm now a month behind and had to bring the account current using my debit card. Yike! Obviously, my next call was to my bank. Apparently there was a change in their authomatic payment procedure and a letter went out with instructions for setting up the new electronic payments going forward. Did I get the letter? To be honest, I probably did. Did I read the letter? Come on! Do I have to answer this question? Luckily, the rest of the payments went out before the change in procedure, so I didn't miss ALL of my July payments.
Feeling like a heel, it's time to take Jojo to a taekwon do party with the other girls at the dojang. Well, that's gotta be fun, right? Cellphone bomb from the ex puts a hold on my entering the dojang as I send Jojo in ahead of me in order to shield her from the salvo I'm preparing to launch. After Round Seven -Kajillion in the never-ending battle for timely child support payments, I enter the dojang to find a note on Jojo's attendance card stating that tuition is due. I couldn't help it. I began to laugh hysterically and had to walk back out and gather my wits just prior to having a total meltdown right in front of my mortified daughter and all of her TKD friends.
I had to drive her home, so I couldn't "head for the mountains," but I've always been told that exercise helps one clear one's head, so I headed for the walking trail closeby the dojang, rather than the corner bar. Hey, sweating to the Selena Gomez tunes that were on Lilo's MP3 player in the backseat, worked! I felt much calmer (and closer to sane) when I went back to pick Jojo up. Judging by the looks that I got from several of the other moms, dads, and dojang denizens, however, the power-walk with Selena didn't do much for my outward appearance. "I'm no beauty queen, I'm just beautiful me...." LOL!
After all of the various self-inflicted wounds, I told my daughter to get dressed so we could go out school clothes shopping. She was thrilled, and that made my bruises not so sore, so I thought the day was on the upswing. We spent a long time picking out several cute outfits at that store with the talking manequins and I was excited to check out with my bonus savings as a card holder. Not so fast! As I was trying to use the charge card and bonus savings certificate, the check-out girl told me that the card was denied. What? I have made a habit of using this card and paying it off by electronic bank payment so often that, several time, they have sent me back a check because I had paid more than was due. Figuring that the card was demagnetized or something, I put the bonus savings certi back in my purse to use with one of the other kids and decided to call Customer Service on the way home. In the car = mistake!
Well, the customer service department has been outsourced to a call center in India and I had a terrible time trying to understand the poor guy on the other end of a shakey cellphone connection. When I called back after I got home, the news just got worse. Apparently the electronic payment that my bank sends out monthly did not go out in July! So I'm now a month behind and had to bring the account current using my debit card. Yike! Obviously, my next call was to my bank. Apparently there was a change in their authomatic payment procedure and a letter went out with instructions for setting up the new electronic payments going forward. Did I get the letter? To be honest, I probably did. Did I read the letter? Come on! Do I have to answer this question? Luckily, the rest of the payments went out before the change in procedure, so I didn't miss ALL of my July payments.
Feeling like a heel, it's time to take Jojo to a taekwon do party with the other girls at the dojang. Well, that's gotta be fun, right? Cellphone bomb from the ex puts a hold on my entering the dojang as I send Jojo in ahead of me in order to shield her from the salvo I'm preparing to launch. After Round Seven -Kajillion in the never-ending battle for timely child support payments, I enter the dojang to find a note on Jojo's attendance card stating that tuition is due. I couldn't help it. I began to laugh hysterically and had to walk back out and gather my wits just prior to having a total meltdown right in front of my mortified daughter and all of her TKD friends.
I had to drive her home, so I couldn't "head for the mountains," but I've always been told that exercise helps one clear one's head, so I headed for the walking trail closeby the dojang, rather than the corner bar. Hey, sweating to the Selena Gomez tunes that were on Lilo's MP3 player in the backseat, worked! I felt much calmer (and closer to sane) when I went back to pick Jojo up. Judging by the looks that I got from several of the other moms, dads, and dojang denizens, however, the power-walk with Selena didn't do much for my outward appearance. "I'm no beauty queen, I'm just beautiful me...." LOL!
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