Morning Radio
One of the things I really enjoy during my morning commute is a few local (Chattanooga & Knoxville) DJ's. I especially like the little 'contests' they have with call-in participants. But it's becoming increasingly clear to me that the people that sit around waiting for the opportunity to be the 9th caller are probably former contestants on Street Smarts. You've seen that show, right? The one where moderately intelligent people predict which street dullard will answer the question correctly.
This morning one of the local stations were taking callers to win a couple of concert tickets. I don't remember for whom, but it was something free. Well they wanted a male and a female. I can't remember the callers names but it had been predetermined that the girl would go first. The gist of the game was one of the DJ's would give the contestant clues to seven similar things. It turns out the girls category was 'amusement parks'...she didn't know this beforehand. The first clue was: "a theme park located in Orlando Florida where you would most likely see "Mickey & Minnie Mouse"? This is how the dialog went:
Contestant: "Ummmm Disney?"
DJ: "Hmmm you gotta be more specific."
Contestant: "Ohhhhhhhh Disneyland"
DJ: "No, no the other one!!"
Contestant: "Ohhhhh Walt Disney?"
DJ: "Skip it, let's go to the next one"
This girl was 23 years old and doesn't know that DISNEY WORLD is in Orlando? lol And may I say this isn't an isolated incident, I hear people like this all the time on the radio. Luckily the second question was a little easier for her (ironically it was the only one out of the 7 she got correct)-- "This theme park was founded by a country singer who was literally busting at the seams?" Yes, it was Dollywood...the contestant lived in Sevierville, TN--home to Dolly Parton's playground :)
Is It Just Me...
...or has anyone else noticed the Featured Blogs on the home page? What strikes me as odd lately is the fact that 85% of the time I log in the 3 blogs featured are of very attractive 20-somethings, some scantily clad. And let me interject that if you're scantily clad you're making up about 13% of the 'over 20-something' ones featured. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a beautiful man or woman. I just think it's an unfair representation of the people using tblog. Granted, there are fewer of us over 35 still around, but you'd think the administration of tblog would recognize that and try to include some of the best blogs on the whole network. I've just noticed this recently, I didn't notice it immediately after the much-welcomed changes were made. It seems as if they're really trying to compete with My Space.com. I'd like to see a few more of my regular 'reads' featured along with people I have things in common with. No offense, but I've long outgrown drunken party days and puppy love.
I really hope this doesn't come across bitchy, because that's not the way it's intended. I guess deep down inside I'm missing a lot of the old faces. If anyone knows the proper way to reach Rocky, please share. Is e-mail the only way? I see the msg. board is no longer available.
Ok, rant's over! lol Hope you're all having a spectacular week :)
Son Shine
Well it's that time of year again...another soccer season. I'm sure my loyal readers get so sick of listening to my 'tales' of children they could scream. But, the fact is, they have been the source of my very existence for many years--or perhaps the 'bane of my existence' would be a more accurate term. At any rate these two people have occupied my every thought for nearly 20 years...bear with me, it's hard not to talk about them!
My son...ah my son. He is so much more special than he'll ever know. In more ways than I can skillfully describe here. Watching my daughter grow up was difficult, but she was a female. I have taught her to be strong and independent. I don't worry so much about her. And in reality she's been independent since she left the womb. She never would sleep with me, she had her own agenda from the very start. And there's a part of me that's very proud of that. But it did limit the close bond. My son...he's different. He loved me so completely from the very beginning. He wanted to be where ever I was. Yes, he's outgrown that now, but he still kisses me every morning before leaving for school. He'll never really know how much that means to me.
Last Saturday was our first soccer game in what will be his last 'non-competitive' season. He's been playing AYSO soccer for nearly 10 years now. I've been sitting at soccer games for so long. I remember his very first game like it was yesterday. I thought about that day last Saturday...he wasn't quite 5 and the whole team ran in a pack--i.e. where ever the ball was. In those days we called it 'herd ball' because they all just followed the ball. I looked at his long, lanky body Saturday and it was hard to imagine it had been so long since he was little, short, stubby and just running from one end of the field to the other. I watched him carefully, I saw he studied where the ball was and what exactly he needed to do to get possesion. I was proud of the fact that he actually knew what to do!
The couple sitting next to me were parents of a child on the opposing team. I heard them comment during the first quarter about "#24" and the fact that he was doing a good job. When the quarter ended and "#24" bee-lined it to me... they smiled. As the second quarter started my son took his position in the goalie net. He blocked several score attempts from their son. They were good sports, everytime he blocked a shot they'd cheer, "good save goalie" eventhough their son had been denied. That made me smile. It's a pity the entire quarter couldn't go that way, but the opponents were just having an 'on' day. We shut-out this team twice during the Fall season but it wasn't to be Saturday.
My little boy is very slowly becoming a man. I see girls stare at him when we walk through the mall. I see him giggle and that makes me smile.
I have hopes that he'll be playing for the local High School team next year. The coach has been coming to their practices and has specifically asked about him. I was never an athlete and I suppose it could be said that I'm 'living vicariously through my child.' Perhaps I am, but if you can't live vicariously through your children who can you?
Out Of Con'text'
Text messages. Those insane little bits of data that seem to have reached epidemic proportions among the young and young at heart lately. My sister recently enquired about my cellphone-family plan because her daughter wanted to change to a company that offered more/better text messaging options.
My children routinely text/talk all the time. They'll be in the middle of a conversation, get a notification, tell the person on the phone to hold on, then read the text msg. What am I missing here? I mean is there dire news that needs to be shared with another 14 yr. old so urgently that you'll recieve and answer a text message during a phone call? And I'm not talking about a 'once in awhile' type situation I mean an every hour occurence. My kids can 'text' at lightning speed. Their fingers flying across the keypad, much like mine do on a keyboard. I've tried to mimick them, and as agile as I consider myself-both physically and mentally--I can't touch 'em!
Granted I like the ability to contact my daughter at say, her job, when it wouldn't be condusive for her to take a phone call. You know a, 'did you feed the dog' type message that doesn't have to be answered immediately. My kids aren't having those kind of casual exchanges. No, these are full blown conversations...with several people at the same time. Maybe it's our 'online' mentality? I remember when my daughter would sit online and msg. people for hours that lived less than 5 miles away. Of course that was before the cable, after that she could just talk AND type!
Could it be that I am just too old to understand? I remember my parents shaking their heads at some of the things I did as a teenager, so I guess it's just a rite of passage.
Do you ever...
...just feel totally empty, inside? I feel that way lately. Pissed off a lot too. The house full of testosterone I think is truly afraid of me for the first time in 4 years. I am just doing things so completely out of character for me, for example, the man and I had a fight last Thurs. night, a pretty serious one(I'll spare you the gory details) and I went to dinner with girlfriends. Yes that was the evening in the post below. I told him I was only going to dinner and would be home around 10 p.m., knowing full well I wasn't coming home then. I left knowing I'd lied to him and it didn't bother me a bit...that's not me, not me at all. I didn't call and I turned my cell phone off. It was ugly. I was super pissed off at him to begin with, but I was more mad at myself for letting things get so out of control. It sucked.
Random Thoughts:
I'm way more into this season of American Idol than I want to be. I fear it may be time for a good 12-step program.
We have bought a new house--the house I plan to die in as I will NEVER move again. It's much smaller and 'quaint'. I have to admit I have done some kick ass decorating. I knew all those hours watching Trading Spaces would pay off! I do not have a digital camera as I am old and my kids are nearly grown--if I had little ones I'd have a really snazzy one. As for now all I have is my picture cell, and well let's just the quality is just this side of 'poor'.
I watched Crash this weekend...I'll have to say the movie is amazing. The subject matter of the film however is frightening. I've heard movie critics term a film as 'raw', not knowing exactly how to describe 'raw'--now I do. I haven't seen Brokeback Mountain, or any of the others, but they'd have to be pretty amazing to beat Crash. The ensemble cast was phenomonal.
Boogie Nights
Last night was 'Girls Night Out', I haven't been participating with the girls much as of late. Actually it's been ages. Several of my girlfriends are single and the GNO dinner usually turns into a late night at a bar--I'm really just not into that scene anymore. In truth I never was, I went to the bars for something to do--and yes to meet people--OK to meet men. Yesterday I had an altercation with the man of the house, I had really planned on skipping the GNO festivities but after our little tift I decided I would be attending. Yes, partly for spite. We had a fun dinner full of laughter and lewd language--things girls do so well when together--then proceeded to a local dive for Karaoke night. Karaoke is about the only reason I'll do the bar thing these days, I do sing but honestly have more fun playing American Idolesque judges with my friends.
The place was pretty full and the country music was a blarrin'(reason enough for me to turn-tail and go home, but noooooo...) and everybody seemed to be having a great time. I felt so out of place and a little uncomfortable. We took a table down front where we had a birds-eye view of the dance floor and almost guaranteed hearing loss from the mammoth speaker beside our chairs. The night proved very, very entertaining...until she showed up...
...'she' would be a taunt 20-something dressed in a strapless blouse and trousers that looked like they'd been spray-painted on *I honest to God had a Dwight Yoakam' moment there. Now I have no trouble admitting there's a hot girl in my midst...and this girl was cute. She seemed a little 'flaky' and 'hyper' as she grazed in between tables. It wasn't until one of Nelly's greatest hits came blasting over the sound system that we saw the 'true' hot girl.
I've never seen such dancing and gyrations in my life. What this girl was doing would have been risque' in a strip joint! No lie. I'll admit it was a bit arousing to a few of us girls--no we're not lesbians--but this chick had some serious hip action going on. Her dance partners could barely bob from side to side with a shit-eating grin plastered all over their faces. The men in the audience couldn't take their eyes off of her. She could dance, no doubt about that. But...
After about an hour and a half of non-stop gyrating, grinding, smirking and just generally flashing all her cookies for the whole world to see, it got a little stale. No, it got a lot stale. Her immaturity was painfully evident by this point. Even a gentleman sitting next to us leaned over to our table and said, "you know she's hot and all, and she can dance, but this is just overkill...it makes her look like a whore after awhile." And he was right. I was a little more than disgusted by this point. This hot chick will grow up and mature, in a few years she'll be a much more confident woman that can walk into a bar (or anywhere else) turn heads and not need to grind on every man in the place. As I drove home I thought of my daughter and the hot chick, certain they were very close in age. I wanted to pick up the phone right then and call my daughter and explain to her the value of a little dignity and restraint. The hot chick could have entered that bar last night, made her way to the dance floor and strutted her stuff a couple of times and walked off leaving the rest of us aroused, jealous and envious. I do believe had she done that she would have sparked much more curiosity than she did. But this will come with age. Too bad we can't still have those bodies when we finally figure stuff like this out, huh?
All in all it was a good evening, and a good lesson learned...there are situations when you shouldn't 'boogie, oogie, oogie, 'til you just can't boogie no more.'
If I Were...
Rich...I'd never shave my legs again. I'm not sure if I'd have them waxed--that looks really painful--or electrolysis, but I'd do something. If I were really rich I'd hire someone to shave them for me!
Taller...I'd be almost 100% happy with my appearance.
Blonde...I'd be the smartest one EVER, or atleast pretend to be.
25 again...I'd plan more for the future.
30 again...I'd love every minute of it!
Male...I'd NEVER pee in the floor, or on the shower, or all over the toilet...
Famous...I'd wear designer clothes all the time...even to the market.
A Telemarketer...I would suck at my job. I used to be nice and let them finish their little speech, now, I just hang up as soon as I know it's solicitation.
Realist...I'd refrain from using my work time to blog and avoid that end of the week rush to get things done, heh!
Yesterday morning I was listening to my fav DJ's on the way to work here http://www.965themountain.com/default2.asp" title="http://www.965themountain.com/default2.asp" target="_blank"http://www.965themountain.com.... One of the dj's absolutely despises NASCAR (much like I do) and was cracking on the 'sport'--a local had called in with a few ideas of how NASCAR would be more appealing. Here's what I can remember of the list:
- Every 100 miles each driver must stop, turn around and drive in the opposite direction.
- Stoplights
- Instead of having pit stops, when you blow a tire you must stop exactly where you are and change the tire, much like you'd have to do in the real world.
- Every 15th lap a new competitor joins the race, the new entrant would be an 83 year old man driving a Buick LeSabre.
- Instead of the very modified versions of race cars that are used today, each driver would have to drive a Ford or Chevy right off the lot!
Sleeping Single In A King Sized Bed
Moving day is fast approaching! We hope to be relocated in about two weeks. This past weekend was horrific...every task we had planned to complete ended up taking about 3 times longer than anticipated. Par for the course I think. But my little home is getting rave reviews from friends and family alike. I'm quite proud of the color choices we made, just wish all the work was done.
The husband has done the bulk of the work to the little house and has spent a few nights in the new house on the sleeper sofa. Each time he does I have to listen to the horror stories of how uncomfortable the bed is. Each time he commences with his diatribe I remind him the sofa is new, it's a name brand and if he'll sleep diagonally it will be a little more comfortable. All of this falls on deaf ears, to admit that it's not so bad would diminish the sacrifices he's making. He's such a funny guy but so full of shit!
While the hubby may not sleep well on the sofa, I sleep wonderfully! I harken back to my days as a single gal--sleeping as fitfully as I wish without giving a second thought to disturbing someone else. I do love my husband but he's not the ideal bed-buddy. He snores--actually I think he wheezes and whistles right past snoring on to woodchipper impersonations. Never in my life have I heard such noises from another human being. And he is very territorial--territorial as in the whole bed is 'his' bed. I love him dearly but his sleeping habits leave a little to be desired. My best friend, who is sleeping single, says she misses the snuggling most of all. I don't snuggle much, and I don't want to. She says that I'm cold because of that. I don't think I'm cold, I just want to sleep when I go to bed. Sure there are exceptions and we do our fair share of snuggling prior to sleeping but once the REM cycle is underway I want to flatten out without an arm and a leg around me. Is that so crazy?
The Brush Off
I have 4 teenagers living in my home, yes I have a husband that lives there too. Just existing with that many raging hormones on a daily basis is trying enough, but when you factor in the dumb-assed things the teenagers do with that it's almost unbearable at times.
I particularly despise the 'stop, drop and walk off like you've never ever been in that spot let alone dropped something that you were too damn lazy to bend over and pick up' syndrome. This malady is at a nearly out of control level in my house. I've been walking over one of the boys belt's, dropped in the family room, for over a month now. I refuse to pick it up or even tell the owner to pick it up. I don't care. Everytime I step over that belt I think about those parents in Florida, or somewhere, that went on strike and resorted to living in their front yards. Remember them?
But this morning I encountered something I loathe even more. When I was ready to brush my teeth and my hair--something I usually try to do simultaneously--there was no hairbrush in my bathroom. I was pissed and stomped off to the children's bathroom--I don't know why I was stomping, there was no one else at home--but there was no hairbrush there either. Now, if you are (a). single with no children, (b). a man of any age, or (c) a bald person I may just lose you right here; but I have an enorumous amount of hair. My son and my youngest step-son are skateboarders, football and soccer players with the most ungodly amount of long curly hair you've ever seen. My daughter is extremely anal about her hygeine, especially her hair. All 4 of us must have a hairbrush each day. My hubby and other step son have extremely short hair, hell I don't know if they ever comb theirs? I have repeatedly told all of the 3 children who must use a hairbrush to leave mine alone, period, end of story. Do they do that? Of course not, but what adds insult to injury is they carry off the ones I buy for them...so I end up at work looking the way I do today.
I was out of my mind pissed off this morning, more than I should have been but atleast it was brief. On the drive in to work I started thinking about how many hairbrushes I had bought in my adult life. I seriously bet it's over 200. And you know that's a lot of hairbrushes. It was horrible when my daughter was in her early teens, I know I bought no less than 2 or 3 a month. Thankfully now she has a job and will occasionally buy one herself. Helps with the cost, ya know?
I'll have horrible 'Empty Nest Syndrome' I'm sure, but there are some things I'm not going to miss at all. Having to go to work without brushing this mop of hair will be at the top of the short list!
