You've got a friend in me

Good morning...it's a slow one and I still have my coffee in my hand as last night was a late one.

We attended a fund raiser for adults living with autism and partied with over 500 people. While dancing, and yes, I had a few vodka cranberries, Sparky in all of her loveliness videotaped it and sent it to the big kid in the mountains.

He immediately called his dad to report my inability to groove and wanted to forward the video to him. If I see it on anyone's Facebook, I will deny everything.





By the way, Tink was my designated driver and she did a terrific job.

Actually, we all needed to cut loose a bit with the stress in our lives and did it in a pseudo-healthy way....after all, I did have cranberry juice with my vodka. No boxed wine tonight, I think that my liver is tired.

As we settled into the party and danced the night away while losing every silent auction and Chinese auction that we entered, I began to loosely reflect on why we attend this fundraiser each year. It was started by my brother and sister in law after their son and my nephew was diagnosed with autism.




As he turns 21 this year, he looses all of his funding and services, and has no where to go. As a result, my brother has started this foundation to assist adults with autism as they search for ways where they can live with esteem, value, and independence. The night was a great success but the best part of all was when my nephew stood before the audience and sang "You've got a friend in me" from Toy Story. He is a great Disney fan and calls people by his selected Disney name. BP Grandmom and Grandpop are Mr. and Mrs. Banks from Mary Poppins, Lil A is Lilo and I am Mary Poppins. Big Sis was Ursula but has been changed to another name. His dad is Jafar and brother is Woody. Guess what, in an odd way, we resemble these characters. And so, in January when he turns 21, they are going to have a birthday party and we are to show up as our Disney characters. 

Nothing else is really going on...although in a future post, I would love to have a dialog about the Miami Dolphins and the bullying incidents. I do have a perspective that will have to wait until the caffeine kicks in.


Have a great day!

Enjoying the moment

Good morning! Special thanks to Wildcat from sending me a virtual note about my faux pas in class on Tuesday and made me laugh until I snorted. Yep, a snort is a deep, hearty laugh from a person who can only breathe out of one side of her nose. I actually can not help it and only surgery, which I am not going to have, will fix the deviated septum.

Am I scared of surgery? Hmmm.... yeah!

OK, what else is new? Well, I'll tell ya....you see, every time I teach my classes, my kids decide that it is time to call me. I have the phone muted but it vibrates and makes noise. When I check, it's one of them. Honestly, I am teaching three classes per week. Why can't they remember this?

Their memory seems to be flawless about other things like what they got in their Christmas stockings at the age of four, when I accidentally put Tink on the bus when she did not have school in the 5th grade and lost her for about an hour, and how Santa did not bring 'peace on earth' like Tink asked for every year on the top of her list. She also know that Santa never gave her that Dell laptop that was second on her list after peace on earth. And therefore, I know that the brain cells are firing in their heads. It is just selective when it comes to remembering that BP ma has a life outside of fulfilling their culinary and banking needs.

I had a nice conversation with the big kid on the way home from class last night around 10:30p. He has a big...and I mean BIG Spanish test tonight at 8pm. That's right...8 pm....this is preventing him from coming home this weekend. Further, the guys have left town for their homes or Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh? Yeah, apparently, there is a casino there and they are spending the weekend gambling and hanging out with their friends who attend schools there. I actually liked Pittsburgh when I visited it a few years back, although the region was dirty from the steel factories. With that said, he will be alone this weekend as the football team is also out of town. Whaddya know....no complaints about anything will be forthcoming. Although, you never know, he could find something to be unhappy about.... After all, life is so unfair as he unwrapped the keys to a car last Christmas and giddily drove it until it could no longer drive. Then took over his sister's car and has been a happy independent college senior since....Yes, it is all so unfair.

Hey, on another note, Tink's first day in the supermarket was a great success. Yes, she was doing the 'paper or plastic' thing, then handing the bags to the 'guests' and thanking them for stopping by. As BP grandmom and grandpop and I snuck into the store to see some of the specials, we met a 'phan phave'...the Philly Phanatic AND had our photo taken with him. He's a big green thing who makes fun of just about everyone and everything and he talks! Yes, I thought that he was a silent mascot, but no....he actually speaks to people as he said hello to BP grandmom and grandpop. The Phanatic predicted that the Phightin' Phils would be a better team next year. Hmmm....is he a prophet? Who knows.

Anyway, there was a small area in the store where people could buy a sandwich and have lunch. And so, we bought a hoagie, chips, and a drink and split them three ways. The entire meal cost $5.00. Before we entered the store, our Tink gave to me a $5.00 coupon. Therefore, our lunch was free! Yep! Nice! As we sat and chatted about the store, Tink, global warming, and the next presidential election (yeah, right), guess who went though the lunch area to the bathroom? If you guessed the Phanatic, you win a $5.00 lunch. Yes, apparently, the Phanatic needed to use the phacilities. We continued to eat and not really care about the Phanatic when someone other than the big green monster emerged from the rest room. Yes, there was someone in the Phanatic costume and he was not green. He is actually a guy in his 50's who was wet from perspiration and carried a very large tote bag which is probably where he stuffed his monster costume.

This was all to much to take in.....my world was off its axis....Tink has a job that she loves, Buddy is not complaining about fatigue and wants to come home to see his ma and dog, and the Phanatic is really a 50 year old man. What's next? Will I win the lottery? Nah, let's not go that far. Let's enjoy the moment knowing that something special happened this week as pieces of the BP family began to fall into place.

With that said, Diva is in need of a walk, and I am still in my fuzzy pajamas. What a sight for the neighbors....enjoy the day!

Digging for change

Good morning. Tink has been bouncing around today and chattering since it is her first day in the new grocery store. Last night, management held a party for the workers and she brought me as her date (so nice). As we walked into the new store, we were greeted by a woman who gave us name tags and mints. Then we turned right and were given veggie chips which were not bad. Walking down the produce aisle, we realized that there was a food station at the end of each aisle giving samples of food to the partiers. That's when the fun started....freshly cooked roasted turkey sandwich sliced by the butcher, drinks by the soda aisle, cake near the bakery, hot dogs, soup, salads, wings, meatballs and ice cream! It was like we were at a party at a supermarket! Oh, that's right....we were....Dang, we ate so well and hobbled home. It was a neat way to open the store and meat (I mean 'meet') Tink's manager and co workers. Today BP Grandmom and pop are going to meet me there and will have our photos taken with the Philly Phanatic....yep, that's basically my life in a nutshell...eating, shopping at the food store, and hanging out with a local team's mascot.

On another note, I lost my cool in class yesterday. I never did this before but I was pushed by a group of manner-less people. Here's the story....last week during our weekly college bowl game, I had the teams compete for points on their final grades. As teams, they had 5 seconds to answer some tough questions about content that they either read or had in class. One student froze and blurted out the wrong answer for his team knowing that it was wrong. He stressed out. It happens to all of us which is why I play this game in class...to get the students to think quickly under pressure. As he blurted out the wrong answer, one of his team mates screamed at him "you idiot!" Yes, it was malicious and unwarranted. I stopped the game and asked the teams to respect one another....OK, so yesterday....

The students had a big exam yesterday morning and were still wired. That's their issue, not mine. Anyway, a few of them never settled into class and were disruptive as I showed videos, slides, and lectured. At one point, there were several classmates who were talking and laughing across aisles. I tried to ignore it, then I fumbled, and had to stop. I then went into reaction mode....in other words, I went 'postal'...."Excuse me. I cannot continue since I am very distracted." The class stopped and looked at me.

"I can't do this. Please take 5 minutes, leave the classroom and come back when you are ready. I can't teach under these conditions."

No one got up until I said it again...."Please get up and go outside. Get whatever it is that you need to say to each other said and then come back." Shocked, about ten students got up and walked out, probably to discuss how they were going to put a net over my head and have me committed.

I was so angry that I put my head down and wrote a fast email to dad: "I just stopped class....laughing...and disrespect...ridiculous.." I hit click....then I looked at the front of the room and my email was there. The left over students could see everything that I wrote. OYE! That's right. In my attempt to decompress, they read my email as I wrote it. Guess what? I spelled 'ridiculous' wrong too.

It was not a good moment, day, year, month, or millennium for ole BP mom. Now I know that I have not only lost muscle tone in my right arm through lack of use, but also my mind from overuse. It is time for happy hour. As Lt Colonel Henry Blake said to his assistant Radar O'Reilly in MASH: "Where is the key to the liquor cabinet?" When the students returned, I had a "come to Jesus" talk and even pointed my finger as to the lack of respect. I also told them that I would no longer tolerate it and if they needed to, they were permanently dismissed from class. Yep, I gave it to them. One note, I really felt bad for the people who did nothing, but let me tell you, they were just as distracted by the laughter and chatter as I was.

With that said, after class was finally over....one student...just one....came to me to apologize. That's it...out of 10 or so, 1 had the decency and guts to walk to the front and say that she was sorry. After, I offer her my admiration, and am miffed at the people who gathered their bags and left in a huff. These are the individuals who had better NOT ask me for a reference when they graduate, because their true selves were exposed in class. They are going to have to rebuild their relationship with their professor before the end of the semester. Just sayin'




All right, enough pontificating and focus on my woes and constant faux pas. Is there a way to take a vacation from life for a while? Does Apple Vacations have a package plan that can offer a trip to nowhere that is relaxing and can take your mind off your troubles? I wonder...do they call this a day at the spa?



I actually went to Sh'Bam after class thinking that a work out would be beneficial but as my mind wandered back to school, I started making goofy mistakes and could not keep up in class and looked like a doofus. I was making myself more stressed with my remedy for stress. Did that one make sense?

And so, it is only Wednesday morning and I need the weekend to come....pronto.....I wonder if George Washington ever felt this way? Abe Lincoln? Mary Lincoln? Richard Nixon? Richard Simmons? Retail therapy would help if dad had not told me just yesterday not to spend money. Now what? I have a verbal freeze on the credit card. Does he have any idea how stressful that is? Now I will have to dig under the chair cushions, through my coat and blazer pockets, and in my pocketbooks in the closet for some quarters and dimes to go to the new grocery store....maybe I will find a 5 dollar bill.....breathe in and out.....out and in.....namaste......



Later!

Marshmallow Challenge

Good morning! Or is it? I had an early morning PT session with Tank and when I arrived at 7:20 (am....), the receptionist told me that I did not have an appointment and he was not in. Hmmm.....Did I screw up? Did she? Does it matter? Uh, yeah....
A. I got up early
B. It was really cold out
C. I did not accomplish my goal
D. I was humbled....

What was "D"? Well, as a little treat to myself for getting up early and making it to PT on time, I stopped at the local Starbucks on the way home to pick up a grande Pike. Generally, this is no big deal, since I have access to an abundance of coins in the change jar in dad's office, but today was different.....



Let's go back a bit to the tennis days....(fade to history). Not so long ago, dad and I joined a club to play tennis and golf. The golf club was joined as a business thing but I had the pleasure of playing tennis on real courts whenever I wanted to. In the old days, I would wait with Fred until the people playing on the public courts were finished. It could be a few minutes or a few hours. It taught me patience and gave me a longing for when I did not have to wait in line. Anyway, now that we belong to this club, all I have to do is log in to the website and reserve a court. Now, that is a sweet deal. Oh, by the way, there is water on the court, cups, and shade. When I am finished, I can go to the tennis shack and buy a gator ade or if I am bold, I can pick up a beer (which I never do since beer is gross).

With this information as the background, whenever I would play at the club, I would meet new people or see some of the old ones. I never really stayed to chat after a game since I always worked. However, there are other women whose husbands or families enabled them to either work part time or not at all. Some would say that these women had it all....although....

As I stopped to grab my Pike, I saw at the cash register, one of the women who is/was a club member who always stayed afterwards to chat and relax....now she worked at Starbucks working the register. She looked at me and seemed to be mortified, although I am not sure why because my dream has always been to be a barrista at the coffee shop making cappuccinos and pouring coffee.... Kind of like Sam Malone in Cheers except there is no booze, just caffeine. However, the look in her eye was alarming, so I had a choice....do I make conversation or do I pretend not to know her? I had 5 people in front of me to figure it out and with her finesse at the cash register, the line went quickly.

So, I was at a crossroads....the look in her eye was 'ignore me', yet in my heart, I wanted to say hello. And so, I made the decision. When I got to the front of the line, I looked her in the eye as if I did not know her, gave her my order, thanked her profusely with a smile, and left a big tip. Did I do the right thing?




Actually, I think that I did because she smiled back but did not acknowledge that we knew each other. As odd as this encounter was, I could see that she had sunk to a place where she did not want to go and she was not wearing a wedding ring which also told me that this job was not to play barrista but to pay the bills. As such, I took my coffee home and considered all of my blessings including the big guy who works 7 days a week, leaves the house before 7 am, and comes home between 7 and 8 at night. He does all of this to take care of his family and despite his grumpiness on multiple occasions, he is taking care of his family the best way that he can.

With that said, I drank my coffee and considered going back to this Starbucks for two reasons. She works a great register and the line is the fastest in the region....and to see the barrista with the coolest eyes I have ever seen. Honestly, I have no idea what this guy looks like because all I see are his eyes which are a combination of blue and green. They look like the ocean....not the one in Jersey but in the south where you can see to the bottom.....I have never seen eyes like this before and they look right through a person. Don't get any weird ideas...this is a college kid....but he has the most amazing eyes I have ever seen. I doubt if an artist could duplicate this unique color. And, the answer to the next question is 'no, they are not bloodshot like mine.'

Ok, and so I have a class this afternoon with a group of students who are traditional college age. At yesterday's department meeting, we had a conversation about the millenial generation and how they seem to not care or tune into class. Although I thought that it was only my class, the other faculty members concurred that they are not connected to the group. I have a student who sleeps in class. This does nothing for my self esteem. I also have students who cut class and do not seem to be able to focus on what I am saying.



I attribute this to being digital natives in which they are not connected to anyone except through texting and social media. It's funny, because I will call the kids and they will not answer the phone, yet I will text them and get an immediate response. Call me crazy, but I do worry about the lack of communication skills in this group and the inability to work as a member of a team. Therefore, today, we are going to take the 'marshmallow challenge". The class will be divided into 4 teams and given 24 pieces of spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. They have 20 minutes to build the tallest tower using all of the tools. They must work together to achieve their goals which may prove to be difficult with this group. Hopefully, once the challenge is over, they will see how effective working in teams can be or what they have to work on to be successful in the workplace.



OK, I gotta get to the food store to pick up my marshmallows. Have a great day!

More sleep

Good morning! A blue sky with the gorgeous leaves on the trees and I had an extra hour sleep...nice...



It is a good Sunday morning as our bodies are out of kilter with the change of the clocks. This is the only time that I enjoy it although one of my students e-mailed me this morning and has to work a 13-hour night shift. Now that stinks! Actually, I do remember being on the night shift when the clocks were moved back and I think that I am still trying to work it out of my system.

I have absolutely no clue as to how the big kid is doing this weekend. Whereas it is true that he desperately wanted to come home this weekend and could not because of the lateness of Friday afternoon's baseball meeting....he has not called me to tell me that he is feeling fine or sick or tired or sad or sore or overwhelmed or anything....which leads me to believe that he is not that sad about missing out on homemade ziti and baked french toast. In fact, with the football team playing at home yesterday, he probably hit every tailgate party between his apartment and the stadium. By the way, he no longer has tickets for the game. He is content with either watching it on television or listening to the crowd from the back of someone's tailgate party.



Next week his posse from high school is traveling to one of the games and he could not be happier. I wonder if he is going to dust and vacuum the apartment and stock the fridge with gator ade and Budweisers? He is on strict orders not to do a pub crawl and drive. They can walk or crawl from place to place. I am not worried about him. He is too cheap to spend his money on getting drunk with the boys.

 


Yep, if it was my money, then he would have no problems enjoying a drink or two, but he is so tight with the money that he squeaks. Anyway, he has big plans as he shows the gang around campus. In his four years there, no one from high school has visited him...except for one big guy whom the team threw out of a party....more about that one at another date....





Anyway, I hope that he is enjoying his extra hour of sleep too as he finishes this semester. Oh golly, he is almost finished the fall semester, then he has one more and will graduate. Is it possible? I am going to have a college graduate in the house? Actually, he won't be in the house next year since he is headed to Illinois to play baseball as a turtle or some animal with a shell on it...And so, equipped with his degree and knowledge, he will be able to hang out in the bullpen with the boys and spit seeds, tell crazy stories, solve the world's problems, and watch the grass grow.

Will I be there? I am not sure. After all, he is now 21 years old (gulp) and I believe that he is ready to live on his own. So, I will visit on occasion and take a few PA or West Virginia games in and continue to write about our journey to the MLB.....



have a wonderful day!

Paper or plastic?

Good morning! I am going to rush this post since the world has stopped and is now revolving the opposite way. Why? Well, our Tink woke earlier than I did and was on time for work. Usually, I have to pull her out of bed. But today...nope.... can anyone say "paper or plastic?"





Yep, she is now bagging, collecting carts, and stocking the shelves in the supermarket while she waits for the spring semester at school to begin. By the way, she says that I absolutely may NOT get into her check out line at work. She could be fired. OK, 'nuff said, I will use the self check out line and never ask her to bag my groceries ever! But at home, I will ask her to take the groceries out and put them in their proper place.



On a not so happy note, the big kid could not make it home because of the 4 p meeting that was pushed back to 5 pm for a guest speaker who never played college ball to address them on the mental aspects of the game. Now, let's see...he never played college ball...he is a business man with a dubious past....on the Board of Trustees....addressing the baseball team on mental toughness...gotcha...and so, he stays on campus until Thanksgiving pining away for some home made baked ziti and a vanilla vanilla cake from the bakery. Should I drive to campus to see him? Uh, no, not today.....

How is Big M? Well, he is home but had a set back last weekend as he had a minor stroke. Yeah, a stroke....it affected his speech a bit and he will go to rehab to work on regaining his recall. It was a tiny stroke, but a stroke is a stroke. Today, his best friend is hosting a healing mass at his home. Tink and I will be there as we continue to pray for a miracle.



I am sorry that I have not written in the past few days but with work (on Thursdays, I work from 6 am to 10 pm....) and helping Big M and Big Sis, there is little time to write, although I am thinking about it each day...except for Thursday when my brain shuts off and I go into "survivor mode." With that said, I am off to the Y to catch up on exercise...dang....work gets in the way of just about everything, doesn't it?

Have a good day!