Good Morning! I am sorry that I did not post yesterday, but with the classes, Cookie- Fest III, and holidays, my mind is mush and I could not write a cogent paragraph. But I am going to try to break out of the holiday fuzziness and update readers on life, baseball, and cookies.
Yesterday, I did not have even ten minutes to myself until my 8 pm Happy Hour in my family room. As I sat down with a fire lit in the fireplace and Christmas tree lights on, I reflected on the hectic day and decided that I did accomplish some personal and professional goals. it was not all about running around and grading papers....I had some family time, shopping, and planning sessions with Tink.
After a crazy morning and early afternoon, Tink and I returned the favor to Grandmom and Grandpop and stopped by their home to help with cookies and decorating the tree. After all, they were the only people to help me in 20 years to decorate the Christmas tree. Sure, I know that it is usually a family event but dad is usually M.I.A., Buddy is indifferent, and Tink will place two ornaments on the tree and disappear. Once it is done, they look at it and say: "nice job." Nice job indeed...it was more than a job....decorating a 9 foot tree is a career or a profession. Come on guys...nice job?
OK, so after helping Grandmom and Buttercup bake some great cookies and sampling them for quality purposes (naturally), Tink and I helped Grandpop and his tree. It is nice seeing a man taking such tender care of the ornaments and caring about the tree. How refreshing! As we were sampling and admiring our work, Buddy called and said: "Hi mom, how are you?"
"How are you?" Really? How are you? You mean mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and perhaps financially? How am I? "Yes, how are you?" Wow, "I am fine...and you?" "I am great...."
Here is goes....he finished classes yesterday and if all goes as planned by next Friday he will be an official second semester sophomore and eligible to play spring baseball. Nice...he had a baseball party to attend last night and bought a $1.00 Santa hat. Did I know that some stores sell them for $20.00? Dude, I have been shopping for years, of course I knew...by the way, do not get caught in the rain with your dollar hat because the ink will run and you will have a red head....just a F.Y.I....
After saying good bye and have fun, Tink and I fueled on sugar, butter, and pretty green and red sprinkles headed for the mall. She has a Christmas party to attend on Sunday with her friend and needed an outfit. It seems all of clothes are laying on the floor of her closet are not in any condition to attend Home Depot's Christmas party. Once we finished there, we headed to the food store for Cookie-fest III ingredients. Grabbing the shopping cart, we received a call from dad...."I just moved $100.00 to Buddy's account for food. Don't spend more than $20.00 until I can transfer money into the account." Ahhh...now it makes sense as Mr. Trump is sitting pretty in a Santa hat at a baseball party with my Cookie-fest money in his pocket. No wonder he asked how I was....if I needed money, he would have peeled $20.00 bucks from the wad of cash in his pocket and tell me to go buy something pretty.....It all makes sense...or does it?
As far as I am concerned with a fuzzy Christmas brain and papers to grade, I am not going to work on figuring it out. I am going to accept things as they are....buy generic butter and not Land-O-Lakes, rummage for change at the bottom of my purse and on the floor of the car...then have a quiet Happy hour at home...it's time...
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Employment Opportunities
Good Morning! Tink just left the house for school on time...not Tink-time but really on time. Hmmmmm. I wonder what's up here. I happen to know that she did not go to bed until 2 am. So, not only is she on time but she got out of bed on her own. What's going on? Am I dying and do not know it? Does she want to make my last days happy knowing that she can leave the house responsibly for school and work?
With that said, I have way too much to do before my last breath....Papers to grade...classes to teach...prepare for Christmas.....stand in line at the mall...wrap the few pitiful gifts that I already bought.....make cookies for Cookie-fest III.....
What is Cookie-fest III? Well, Cookie-fest I and II were great hits so I decided to keep up the tradition and every year, we have a cookie exchange at the house. The purpose is to decrease the amount of time family members have to spend in the kitchen. A person bakes several batches of cookies and brings them to the house. We place the cookies in a pile on the kitchen table, arrange them in individual tins, eat, drink, and be merry....What I did not mention was to add one more adjective to cookie fest....eat, drink, be merry and add a few pounds to the waistline. It's OK...it's Christmas and I expect a miracle of not gaining cookie weight this year. It's all I want under the tree on the 25th.
Last year Santa gave me a Zumba DVD and a basket full of wine. What does that tell my family and friends? Perhaps it says that I am a 'fat lush'.....Not sure, but does Santa know me or what?
On to my favorite leftie who is preparing for his final exams. Last night he called asking the usual question: "Where is dad?" Dude! I exclaimed....do you ever listen to anyone else besides yourself? Your dad left yesterday to take care of his parents in the south as Pop has thoracic surgery. "Oh yeah.....I remember...ooops...."
Yeah, ooops is right....."Sorry...I will call him to find out how Pop is." That's more like it. Keep in mind, that you are not an island. Life goes on while you and Angel attend school and crack each other up as you look under piles of clothes and trash for your text books and find the one piece of paper with your semester's notes on it. It also continues as you relax playing play video games and place Christmas lights on Irene. And so, on occasion it would be nice to hear: "How is it going? how is Pop? Did you decorate the tree? Is there anything that I can bring home from school besides my laundry?"
I guess that I was venting a bit. Perhaps I expect too much from a 19 year old kid who is away at college. He is not around to be reminded of the family's daily activities, so why would I expect him to remember with all of the pressures that he has at school? His shoulder continues to nag him and that worries me a bit. When he comes home, I will send him for another opinion and a massage from my favorite masseuse. I have not gone to her for over a year, but she did wonders with my elbow tendonitis. Hopefully, she can work her magic on Buddy's sore shoulder. As long as there is not a tear, he probably needs to rest it until full time training begins in January.
With that said, I have to grade these papers. Students get a bit salty if they do not have feedback in record, speed of light time. Actually, I could use an elf with a doctorate to help me out. I will look on Craig's List for out of work elves...perhaps the economy has affected North Pole employment opportunities.
Have a great day!
With that said, I have way too much to do before my last breath....Papers to grade...classes to teach...prepare for Christmas.....stand in line at the mall...wrap the few pitiful gifts that I already bought.....make cookies for Cookie-fest III.....
What is Cookie-fest III? Well, Cookie-fest I and II were great hits so I decided to keep up the tradition and every year, we have a cookie exchange at the house. The purpose is to decrease the amount of time family members have to spend in the kitchen. A person bakes several batches of cookies and brings them to the house. We place the cookies in a pile on the kitchen table, arrange them in individual tins, eat, drink, and be merry....What I did not mention was to add one more adjective to cookie fest....eat, drink, be merry and add a few pounds to the waistline. It's OK...it's Christmas and I expect a miracle of not gaining cookie weight this year. It's all I want under the tree on the 25th.
Last year Santa gave me a Zumba DVD and a basket full of wine. What does that tell my family and friends? Perhaps it says that I am a 'fat lush'.....Not sure, but does Santa know me or what?
On to my favorite leftie who is preparing for his final exams. Last night he called asking the usual question: "Where is dad?" Dude! I exclaimed....do you ever listen to anyone else besides yourself? Your dad left yesterday to take care of his parents in the south as Pop has thoracic surgery. "Oh yeah.....I remember...ooops...."
Yeah, ooops is right....."Sorry...I will call him to find out how Pop is." That's more like it. Keep in mind, that you are not an island. Life goes on while you and Angel attend school and crack each other up as you look under piles of clothes and trash for your text books and find the one piece of paper with your semester's notes on it. It also continues as you relax playing play video games and place Christmas lights on Irene. And so, on occasion it would be nice to hear: "How is it going? how is Pop? Did you decorate the tree? Is there anything that I can bring home from school besides my laundry?"
I guess that I was venting a bit. Perhaps I expect too much from a 19 year old kid who is away at college. He is not around to be reminded of the family's daily activities, so why would I expect him to remember with all of the pressures that he has at school? His shoulder continues to nag him and that worries me a bit. When he comes home, I will send him for another opinion and a massage from my favorite masseuse. I have not gone to her for over a year, but she did wonders with my elbow tendonitis. Hopefully, she can work her magic on Buddy's sore shoulder. As long as there is not a tear, he probably needs to rest it until full time training begins in January.
With that said, I have to grade these papers. Students get a bit salty if they do not have feedback in record, speed of light time. Actually, I could use an elf with a doctorate to help me out. I will look on Craig's List for out of work elves...perhaps the economy has affected North Pole employment opportunities.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Up and Out
Good morning...although I feel like it is the middle of the night. I drove dad to the airport this morning (or middle of the night) at 4:00ish. It is shocking to see how many people are on the road at that hour. Once he was safe in the airport, I drove to the nearest open convenience store for some freshly brewed coffee. As I paid, I noticed the look on the clerk's face as he took my card. It was a look of shock and wonder. Hmmm...what's his problem....then I looked in the rear view mirror in the car. It was not a pretty sight....it was more of a "who let me out of the house looking like this?" sight. Hair matted against my right ear and sticking up in the back. If I had looked at myself as an outsider, I would have put 2 quarters in the coffee cup, 'cause I looked like I slept on the street rather than on my tempur-pedic mattress. I guess that I cannot go back to this store for a while. Oh well....off to home and perhaps a relaxing cup of coffee at 5 am.
As I sipped the morning brew, I played with the TV remote. Guess what? Nothing on television and I needed some companionship, so I landed on QVC. That's right....QVC..24 hour shopping..impulse buying....it looks better on TV than in person (I know this from first-hand experience...don't judge). The woman was selling Christmas trees that were plastic but looked real. They were also hand-painted green which is a nice feature, don't you think? The assembly was quite simple with only three parts to the tree and a large bag for storage. Quick....get my Visa card....oh wait....it will be denied....never mind. Back to reality.
And so, what is going on in the life our our favorite left hander? Not much, he called me twice yesterday to only ask for three things. I have until Friday to send them to him. Thanks for the advanced notice. I suppose there will be a point where he no longer needs maternal help, because he will have an administrative assistant or wife to do these things. He'll place me on the shelf in his bedroom with the other things that he loved and out grew, such as his shredded blankie, Beanie Baby Bongo the monkey, and Curious George (a manly monkey). I'll be a fond and distant memory as the new woman in his life takes care of the details such as unclogging the tub and toilet and editing his papers. No worries as of now, I think that I have job security.
Enough said, it's a raining and a good day to catch up on my work.
Enjoy!
As I sipped the morning brew, I played with the TV remote. Guess what? Nothing on television and I needed some companionship, so I landed on QVC. That's right....QVC..24 hour shopping..impulse buying....it looks better on TV than in person (I know this from first-hand experience...don't judge). The woman was selling Christmas trees that were plastic but looked real. They were also hand-painted green which is a nice feature, don't you think? The assembly was quite simple with only three parts to the tree and a large bag for storage. Quick....get my Visa card....oh wait....it will be denied....never mind. Back to reality.
And so, what is going on in the life our our favorite left hander? Not much, he called me twice yesterday to only ask for three things. I have until Friday to send them to him. Thanks for the advanced notice. I suppose there will be a point where he no longer needs maternal help, because he will have an administrative assistant or wife to do these things. He'll place me on the shelf in his bedroom with the other things that he loved and out grew, such as his shredded blankie, Beanie Baby Bongo the monkey, and Curious George (a manly monkey). I'll be a fond and distant memory as the new woman in his life takes care of the details such as unclogging the tub and toilet and editing his papers. No worries as of now, I think that I have job security.
Enough said, it's a raining and a good day to catch up on my work.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Catching up and falling behind
Good morning! It's a yukky day in the northeast as Tink leaves for school late....yes late....late is the new early for her. She operates on "Tink-time." Tink time is 15-20 minutes late on my watch. I have tried working with her and motivating her in any way that I can, but I have failed miserably. I have given her multiple watches and alarm clocks (she has three). I have let her be late thinking that her professor would deduct points or embarrass her. But Tink is a strong one....she will do what she wants to do when she wants to do it...get it?
Speaking of late, I finally have the tree and lights up with Grandmom and Grandpop's help. They were instrumental in helping Tink and me to decorate a very large tree. I must say that Grandmom's eyesight is still pretty good, as I stood on a chair trying to fix the star so that it was not lopsided. There was a point where I finally did not care and if the star was upside down, I was not going to lose any sleep on it. But Grandmom would not let me down from the chair until the star was perfect. Even though I was ready to jump, she kept me up there..."a little to the left...a little to the right...move it lateral.. ..no, no, to the right....too much...left, left, left....." ahhhhhh! And now, the star is perfect, don't touch it or face the wrath of Grandmom!
As I caught up on holiday preparations, I fell behind in my work. And so, today is catch up day. Does this happen to anyone else? As a task is completed, another one comes along and instead of being ahead of the game and sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labor, you have to jump into another project.... then another....then another...then another....What's the deal? Who designed this life? Don't answer that....as the pressure builds, my mind and body turn to mush. So, it is important for me to keep lists and notes and refer to them on a regular basis to keep me on track.
My students discovered this lack of concentration and ability to stay on track in me last week as they kept changing the subject so that I could not meet the goals of the class. As I was on target, they would ask a huge question like: "Why did God make me?" or "Why aren't there enough minorities represented in health care?" Oy! These are big, philosophical questions that pull me away from the lesson at hand which was scholarly writing! Did I allow myself to move away from topic to reflect on the answers? Sure! They had questions and part of learning is following the flow of thought to develop a philosophy on the subject. I always add time in class for these side discussions which are generally the ones that the students remember. I doubt if they can recall the goals of last week's class versus the results of our discussions based on questions. I guess this is the way that I 'roll' as a teacher....which is a curvy and crooked road to achieving the course's objectives.
I do remember as a kid in Catholic school asking the teacher in second grade two very important questions. Question 1: "If the priest dies during mass, can we leave?" Question 2: "If we hold our hands down instead of up to heaven, will God get our prayer?" She looked at me baffled and sort-of answered the 8 year old question with a "Seriously? are you kidding me kind of look..." And so, I now have the answers to these questions and think that I am much smarter than I was in second grade.
Moving on to college and Mr. Buddy, I heard from him twice yesterday. Both times were to talk to me about a clogged bath tub. Why didn't he ask his dad? I will let you answer that puzzler....anyway, when he got home, he put me on speaker phone to talk him and Angel through the process of de-clogging the tub (by the way, I am awesome at de-clogging the toilet too). Here is how it went:
"The water has not gone down in two days and it is pretty gross...."
"Eww...OK, can you see the drain?"...."No"
"OK, you have to find a bucket or large beer mug and begin to bail the tub out. Make sure you throw the dirty water into either the bathroom sink or outside...When you finish, call me back and we will talk about taking the drain off and using a wire hanger to pull the hair and gunk out..."
They never called me back which tells me that the drain is unclogged and the water flows freely. Problem solved...time for a shower in a very dirty, cruddy, bacteria laden tub...unless, yes, unless, they had the forethought to clean the tub before they used it. What does BP mom think the answer to that is? What do you think....ewww...
Have a great day!
Speaking of late, I finally have the tree and lights up with Grandmom and Grandpop's help. They were instrumental in helping Tink and me to decorate a very large tree. I must say that Grandmom's eyesight is still pretty good, as I stood on a chair trying to fix the star so that it was not lopsided. There was a point where I finally did not care and if the star was upside down, I was not going to lose any sleep on it. But Grandmom would not let me down from the chair until the star was perfect. Even though I was ready to jump, she kept me up there..."a little to the left...a little to the right...move it lateral.. ..no, no, to the right....too much...left, left, left....." ahhhhhh! And now, the star is perfect, don't touch it or face the wrath of Grandmom!
As I caught up on holiday preparations, I fell behind in my work. And so, today is catch up day. Does this happen to anyone else? As a task is completed, another one comes along and instead of being ahead of the game and sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labor, you have to jump into another project.... then another....then another...then another....What's the deal? Who designed this life? Don't answer that....as the pressure builds, my mind and body turn to mush. So, it is important for me to keep lists and notes and refer to them on a regular basis to keep me on track.
My students discovered this lack of concentration and ability to stay on track in me last week as they kept changing the subject so that I could not meet the goals of the class. As I was on target, they would ask a huge question like: "Why did God make me?" or "Why aren't there enough minorities represented in health care?" Oy! These are big, philosophical questions that pull me away from the lesson at hand which was scholarly writing! Did I allow myself to move away from topic to reflect on the answers? Sure! They had questions and part of learning is following the flow of thought to develop a philosophy on the subject. I always add time in class for these side discussions which are generally the ones that the students remember. I doubt if they can recall the goals of last week's class versus the results of our discussions based on questions. I guess this is the way that I 'roll' as a teacher....which is a curvy and crooked road to achieving the course's objectives.
I do remember as a kid in Catholic school asking the teacher in second grade two very important questions. Question 1: "If the priest dies during mass, can we leave?" Question 2: "If we hold our hands down instead of up to heaven, will God get our prayer?" She looked at me baffled and sort-of answered the 8 year old question with a "Seriously? are you kidding me kind of look..." And so, I now have the answers to these questions and think that I am much smarter than I was in second grade.
Moving on to college and Mr. Buddy, I heard from him twice yesterday. Both times were to talk to me about a clogged bath tub. Why didn't he ask his dad? I will let you answer that puzzler....anyway, when he got home, he put me on speaker phone to talk him and Angel through the process of de-clogging the tub (by the way, I am awesome at de-clogging the toilet too). Here is how it went:
"The water has not gone down in two days and it is pretty gross...."
"Eww...OK, can you see the drain?"...."No"
"OK, you have to find a bucket or large beer mug and begin to bail the tub out. Make sure you throw the dirty water into either the bathroom sink or outside...When you finish, call me back and we will talk about taking the drain off and using a wire hanger to pull the hair and gunk out..."
They never called me back which tells me that the drain is unclogged and the water flows freely. Problem solved...time for a shower in a very dirty, cruddy, bacteria laden tub...unless, yes, unless, they had the forethought to clean the tub before they used it. What does BP mom think the answer to that is? What do you think....ewww...
Have a great day!
Monday, December 5, 2011
New Insights
Good Morning. It's pretty foggy in the northeast. I am very happy that I am not flying today, 'cause I doubt if we would leave the ground in this mess. Actually, there are no worries about that since I am not leaving town until President's weekend for the big Tampa tournament. I had the best time last year since I have forgotten about the stomach virus, getting lost, and Buddy throwing 5 pitches in his debut as a college pitcher, then being yanked out for another pitcher against a big name school. Yep, lots of fun....I did get a tan on the right side of my face as I turned on my left side during the games to vomit. Lots of memories!
On to the big kid.....yesterday he called in a 'blue mood'. A blue mood has nothing to do with being in a salty or foul mood and definitely not to be confused with happiness and joy. He was forlorn about something. After further probing, he was just 'sad'. That's when a button was pushed in my doughy head and exclaimed: "What!!! Depressed? You? Get over it!" How's that for a therapeutic interaction?
My take on it is that he is tired and has lots of school work to do and very little time for video games. Exams are creeping up and he has to study. That's right...study...open a book, take notes, memorize or ponder the content. He knows that he has to do it and does not want to...hence the "blue-ness" of his spirit.
As far as the rest of our discussion is concerned, it went like this after my 'get over it' pep talk....."You are so blessed...you are living your dream...the dream that you have had since you were a toddler hitting off the plastic tee in the backyard. Guys wish they were you. Girls wish they were with you. You have great hair, a killer grin, height, and are extraordinarily handsome. Furthermore, you are pretty smart...time to put things into perspective, dude. You have it all....except...money....
That's right. The kid is anxious because he is down to a few bucks and needs a job in a hurry while he is home. Perhaps he should contact the President. From recent reports, the economy is on the rebound. Yep, tell that statistic to the people who are unemployed, like my son.
And so, we have narrowed the blue frame of mind to lack of money which can be corrected with a job. So, family and friends of BP mom....if you have anything that needs to be done by a tall kid, he's available....Think of the possibilities. He can put the star on your tree....string lights around the garage and house, move bulky items out of your garage and take them to the dump. He is also qualified to shred paper and take out the trash. his qualifications are endless. He will even travel and does not require batteries.
On to the big kid.....yesterday he called in a 'blue mood'. A blue mood has nothing to do with being in a salty or foul mood and definitely not to be confused with happiness and joy. He was forlorn about something. After further probing, he was just 'sad'. That's when a button was pushed in my doughy head and exclaimed: "What!!! Depressed? You? Get over it!" How's that for a therapeutic interaction?
My take on it is that he is tired and has lots of school work to do and very little time for video games. Exams are creeping up and he has to study. That's right...study...open a book, take notes, memorize or ponder the content. He knows that he has to do it and does not want to...hence the "blue-ness" of his spirit.
As far as the rest of our discussion is concerned, it went like this after my 'get over it' pep talk....."You are so blessed...you are living your dream...the dream that you have had since you were a toddler hitting off the plastic tee in the backyard. Guys wish they were you. Girls wish they were with you. You have great hair, a killer grin, height, and are extraordinarily handsome. Furthermore, you are pretty smart...time to put things into perspective, dude. You have it all....except...money....
That's right. The kid is anxious because he is down to a few bucks and needs a job in a hurry while he is home. Perhaps he should contact the President. From recent reports, the economy is on the rebound. Yep, tell that statistic to the people who are unemployed, like my son.
And so, we have narrowed the blue frame of mind to lack of money which can be corrected with a job. So, family and friends of BP mom....if you have anything that needs to be done by a tall kid, he's available....Think of the possibilities. He can put the star on your tree....string lights around the garage and house, move bulky items out of your garage and take them to the dump. He is also qualified to shred paper and take out the trash. his qualifications are endless. He will even travel and does not require batteries.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Violation
Good Morning! The neighbors' (all of them) lights are up and look really pretty. My house, on the other hand, looks lonely. If I don't string a few lights today, Santa will not be able to find my home. Tink and Buddy would never forgive this elf for a major violation in the Christmas code. I could be given a written citation for the infraction.
Speaking of violation, my favorite left hander is not speaking to me right now. He called on Friday night and reported that two seniors from the team invited him and Angel to a private party to watch basketball and hang out together. This was a huge invitation. It's like the President or Pope had sent an engraved invitation for a meeting with a reception afterwards. Or it was like winning the lottery...the big one...$240 million after paying taxes. This invitation meant that they were in "da club" and one of the big boys. They had made it....they were 'dope'.....there was one catch.....they were told...do NOT bring LW. He is not invited....do not bring him. It is a private party by invitation only.
And so, our hero called home to report the invitation and the lack of invitation for the LW. He was going to lie and sneak out with Angel. Great plan, genius....My response was "don't lie...tell him that you and Angel have been invited to a private party and leave...." "No, he'll kill himself and I can't have that on my conscience..."
Sigh....OK....he'll kill himself...are you kidding? He has you two knuckleheads wrapped around his finger. he has you where he wants you at his beckon call....this to me does not indicate someone who is depressed and ready for the party in the sky. Nope, this is a person who is manipulative and will say anything to be accepted including the phony suicide attempt.
Let's back up a bit. As a health care provider, I understand that when people say that they are going to kill themselves, they are desperately seeking attention. However, is this a 19 year old's issue or the parents and mental health professionals? Why are they letting him get away with this? If he needs help, he has to get it, but his teenage room mates should not be held responsible for watching him night and day.
Also, as a person of faith, let's say that we are all God's children and have to care for each other. Yet, these kids do not have the tools and should not be twisted into pretzels because the LW is not invited to a party.
Back to Friday night....I got the report on Saturday morning that LW followed them out the door and to the party and the hosts were not pleased especially when they deliberately told him not to bring LW. However, LW follows them out every Friday night and insists that they leave with him after the party so that he has someone to walk home with so that he does not look like a loser....OK? How is that for twisting these kids around the index finger. LW says: "jump!" and they reply: "How high?" The good news is: Buddy and Angel are good guys with soft hearts. The bad news is: with these traits, they care a great deal for other people. I cannot fault them for that since these are wonderful traits.
Yet, as he called home yesterday, I told him that he committed a major violation by letting LW tag along to the party. Angel tried to explain it to the host, but they did not buy it. Needless to say, the trio left early and went on to another party hosted by the field hockey team. One of Buddy's friends, who happens to be a girl, clearly told him not to bring LW because he is "creepy and texts and IMs her room mates like a stalker" would. So, as I spoke to the kid about the violation, he got upset that I called him out on it. I am sure that he wanted me to say: "What a shame....too bad for you..." I did not give him what he wanted. I told him that he and Angel need backbones and to start working on it. They are not to lie to LW, just be assertive and move on.
Am I peeved? Yeah, a bit. I'll tell you why since Buddy does not listen to me. He is allowing LW to lead him around by the nose. He is not standing up for himself and rather than face conflict, he is showing passivity that I have not witnessed before. The kid is a ferocious pitcher and he cannot tell LW that he cannot accompany them to a party? Are we kidding here? What is wrong with this picture? He dominates on the baseball diamond but is a mouse in the apartment. Wow! What to do? He has got to figure this one out in a hurry or he and Angel will be sitting in the apartment every Friday and Saturday night playing Parcheesi with the LW.
Speaking of violation, my favorite left hander is not speaking to me right now. He called on Friday night and reported that two seniors from the team invited him and Angel to a private party to watch basketball and hang out together. This was a huge invitation. It's like the President or Pope had sent an engraved invitation for a meeting with a reception afterwards. Or it was like winning the lottery...the big one...$240 million after paying taxes. This invitation meant that they were in "da club" and one of the big boys. They had made it....they were 'dope'.....there was one catch.....they were told...do NOT bring LW. He is not invited....do not bring him. It is a private party by invitation only.
And so, our hero called home to report the invitation and the lack of invitation for the LW. He was going to lie and sneak out with Angel. Great plan, genius....My response was "don't lie...tell him that you and Angel have been invited to a private party and leave...." "No, he'll kill himself and I can't have that on my conscience..."
Sigh....OK....he'll kill himself...are you kidding? He has you two knuckleheads wrapped around his finger. he has you where he wants you at his beckon call....this to me does not indicate someone who is depressed and ready for the party in the sky. Nope, this is a person who is manipulative and will say anything to be accepted including the phony suicide attempt.
Let's back up a bit. As a health care provider, I understand that when people say that they are going to kill themselves, they are desperately seeking attention. However, is this a 19 year old's issue or the parents and mental health professionals? Why are they letting him get away with this? If he needs help, he has to get it, but his teenage room mates should not be held responsible for watching him night and day.
Also, as a person of faith, let's say that we are all God's children and have to care for each other. Yet, these kids do not have the tools and should not be twisted into pretzels because the LW is not invited to a party.
Back to Friday night....I got the report on Saturday morning that LW followed them out the door and to the party and the hosts were not pleased especially when they deliberately told him not to bring LW. However, LW follows them out every Friday night and insists that they leave with him after the party so that he has someone to walk home with so that he does not look like a loser....OK? How is that for twisting these kids around the index finger. LW says: "jump!" and they reply: "How high?" The good news is: Buddy and Angel are good guys with soft hearts. The bad news is: with these traits, they care a great deal for other people. I cannot fault them for that since these are wonderful traits.
Yet, as he called home yesterday, I told him that he committed a major violation by letting LW tag along to the party. Angel tried to explain it to the host, but they did not buy it. Needless to say, the trio left early and went on to another party hosted by the field hockey team. One of Buddy's friends, who happens to be a girl, clearly told him not to bring LW because he is "creepy and texts and IMs her room mates like a stalker" would. So, as I spoke to the kid about the violation, he got upset that I called him out on it. I am sure that he wanted me to say: "What a shame....too bad for you..." I did not give him what he wanted. I told him that he and Angel need backbones and to start working on it. They are not to lie to LW, just be assertive and move on.
Am I peeved? Yeah, a bit. I'll tell you why since Buddy does not listen to me. He is allowing LW to lead him around by the nose. He is not standing up for himself and rather than face conflict, he is showing passivity that I have not witnessed before. The kid is a ferocious pitcher and he cannot tell LW that he cannot accompany them to a party? Are we kidding here? What is wrong with this picture? He dominates on the baseball diamond but is a mouse in the apartment. Wow! What to do? He has got to figure this one out in a hurry or he and Angel will be sitting in the apartment every Friday and Saturday night playing Parcheesi with the LW.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Decorating
Good Morning! It's the day after my long day and I am almost ashamed to say it, but I am currently fueled on coffee and an authentic Italian cannoli. It's disgustingly true. I could not wait until later today after I would have done some running, crunching, and fasting...nope, I dug right in to the crunchy shell and ricotta and chocolate chip center and you know what? I don't regret it for one minute. It was amazing...so good...a great way to start the day. Why were the cannolis in the refrigerator? Well, dad was in Little Italy yesterday after a meeting and knew that they were my absolute 'would dive off a cliff to get one' favorite food in the world. True, there is not much nutritional value and this could set my waistline into a post-Christmas look, but it was sooo worth it.
And so, there is not much going on in the world of college baseball. The big Kid registered for his classes (late) and is not happy with his three day a week 8 am and 9 am classes. Shall I say: "boohoo?" Nope....he's a sophomore and should have known better. Let's look ahead to late February when the team will arrive back on campus at 3 am in a snow storm and he will have about 3.5 hours of sleep, get up in the dark, and walk one mile to class in the snow and sleet in a very grumpy mood. Again, does this bother me? The answer is yes and no. No, because he procrastinated. Yes, because he is going to call me every other day and complain vociferously that life is unfair as I listen on the other end of the phone. Then I will say: "get over it." And he will hang up the phone and call someone else who will be more sympathetic. Can I see into the future or what?
Speaking of what I can see....my office is by the window in the front of the house. I can see the entire neighborhood if I am interested. Well, I am interested...for the last three days, the neighbors down the street have had professional decorators stringing Christmas lights around the house and trees. Three days!! Can you imagine the wattage that will be used on this display? I can't wait to see it. I know that it will be beautiful because she has amazing taste and polish in everything that she does. However, I am going to panic with my dinky little lit trees and wreaths. My house is going to look like the old lady's house on the block...you know the one...she only puts up a wreath and as people drive or walk by they think..."an old lady must live there..." I have to do something to correct it. Knowing that I will not have any help from Buddy or dad, I have to strategize how to string lights around the house by myself. I have done it before, but they have laughed at my lopsided attempt for Christmas displays. I have lots of ideas but no one to help implement them....unless...yes, I have the answer...."GRANDMOM!!!!! Can you help? Please?" She can climb the ladder as I hand her the string of lights. Unless she strings them perfectly, I won't let her down from the roof. Come on..it makes perfect sense...she has been decorating for years. Her new challenge will be to place a plastic Santa with 8 reindeer along with a Nativity scene, wise men, and a few angels on the roof. She will have to figure out a way to make them stick in the rain, snow and wind. I don't want to find my Santa in my neighbor's back yard during the next storm. Then Grandmom will have to climb the ladder again. Don't worry, I will hold it and lay out some soft grass and leaves in case she falls.
So much to do...got to call Grandmom AND have to meet Ice in an hour. It's a Starbucks, non alcoholic Happy Hour. We have to work on the issues of the world, make some plans, and submit them to the President by noon.
Have a great day!
And so, there is not much going on in the world of college baseball. The big Kid registered for his classes (late) and is not happy with his three day a week 8 am and 9 am classes. Shall I say: "boohoo?" Nope....he's a sophomore and should have known better. Let's look ahead to late February when the team will arrive back on campus at 3 am in a snow storm and he will have about 3.5 hours of sleep, get up in the dark, and walk one mile to class in the snow and sleet in a very grumpy mood. Again, does this bother me? The answer is yes and no. No, because he procrastinated. Yes, because he is going to call me every other day and complain vociferously that life is unfair as I listen on the other end of the phone. Then I will say: "get over it." And he will hang up the phone and call someone else who will be more sympathetic. Can I see into the future or what?
Speaking of what I can see....my office is by the window in the front of the house. I can see the entire neighborhood if I am interested. Well, I am interested...for the last three days, the neighbors down the street have had professional decorators stringing Christmas lights around the house and trees. Three days!! Can you imagine the wattage that will be used on this display? I can't wait to see it. I know that it will be beautiful because she has amazing taste and polish in everything that she does. However, I am going to panic with my dinky little lit trees and wreaths. My house is going to look like the old lady's house on the block...you know the one...she only puts up a wreath and as people drive or walk by they think..."an old lady must live there..." I have to do something to correct it. Knowing that I will not have any help from Buddy or dad, I have to strategize how to string lights around the house by myself. I have done it before, but they have laughed at my lopsided attempt for Christmas displays. I have lots of ideas but no one to help implement them....unless...yes, I have the answer...."GRANDMOM!!!!! Can you help? Please?" She can climb the ladder as I hand her the string of lights. Unless she strings them perfectly, I won't let her down from the roof. Come on..it makes perfect sense...she has been decorating for years. Her new challenge will be to place a plastic Santa with 8 reindeer along with a Nativity scene, wise men, and a few angels on the roof. She will have to figure out a way to make them stick in the rain, snow and wind. I don't want to find my Santa in my neighbor's back yard during the next storm. Then Grandmom will have to climb the ladder again. Don't worry, I will hold it and lay out some soft grass and leaves in case she falls.
So much to do...got to call Grandmom AND have to meet Ice in an hour. It's a Starbucks, non alcoholic Happy Hour. We have to work on the issues of the world, make some plans, and submit them to the President by noon.
Have a great day!
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