Friday Free For All

The hotness. We have had record breaking weather here in the Pacific Northwest this week. 102? I don't remember moving to Phoenix. And apparently 60% of households here do not have air conditioning. Including mine. Fans normally do the job, but not this week. It felt as if I were dripping, melting, leaving me nothing but a puddle of flesh on the kitchen floor.

Of course, my kids had a blast. I blew up a rubber raft we have, filled it with water, and put it beneath their slide. They loved it. They didn't even want to go to Grandma and Grandpa's air conditioned house and swim in their nice cold indoor pool. I am always amazed at the simplicity of children's enjoyment.

Me however, trying to catch up on messages, and revisions, and writing, and reading, and cleaning stayed in the sweat box that was my house toiling away. Of course, I did get my bathing suit on and dunk myself in the raft every so often for a break.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I would never do that based on how much I hate to be cold. I definitely prefer the heat. But come on! 102! I think I now know what hell feels like.

Cd of the week, AC/DC Highway to Hell

Show of the week, Rescue Me (I've actually never watched it, but it seemed fitting)

Movie of the week, Backdraft

Book of the Week, Days of Little Texas by R.A. Nelson. Just finished it. Hellfire and damnation. (you can catch my review of it on The Angsty Writer Book Review blog: http://angstywriter.blogspot.com/ )




Kisses
:*
Megan

Top four worst experiences in school: # 1 Death

Two kids at my high school died in the three years I was there. The first was the son of some family friends. It was devastating. He was so sick, and I think I deluded myself into thinking he would be okay. I never went to visit him at the hospital, a decision I regret to this day. That was my sophomore year.

The seniors at my high school, go on this thing we call the Pilgrimage. It's really just an all day hike, and camping trip. Part of the way through the hike one of the guys ran past us, back toward the trail head. We asked what was wrong, and he said someone had collapsed. I thought nothing of it. It was a hard trail with hills and switchbacks. It was warm out, and we had already been hiking a couple of hours. Later, when we were at our campsite gathered around the fire, the teachers informed us that the girl who had collapsed died. We were all in shock.

There were two more deaths right after I left high school. One girl committed suicide, a boy got hit by a train.

It seemed like so much death to me during those few years. It doesn't seem normal, to know that many teens that have died in such a short amount of time.

Top four worst experiences in school: # 2 False Accusations and Strangulation

I think this took place in 4th grade, if I remember right. There was this weird boy, I'll go with the initials again, DD. He had a dirty mouth and was and egotistical bully. Well, one day, I'm walking down the halls at school with a friend, can't remember who now. We saw DD's leather jacket lying in the middle of the floor. Looking back, I'm sure it wasn't real leather, I'm sure it was fake leather. My friend suggested we toss the jacket in the girls bathroom. I would never have done this on my own, being a shy, timid girl who didn't like to get into trouble (stop laughing, it's true). However, the girl in my company was brazenly daring, so I went along with her. She picked up the jacket, shoved the bathroom door open, and threw it inside. Technically, I had no hand in this at all except for the fact that I happened to be there.

DD's jacket somehow ended up in one of the toilets (he apparently had many fans). Then came Toiletgate. A bunch of us were brought into the principal's office, there were about six of us. I have no idea how the others were involved outside me and the girl who threw it in the bathroom in the first place. We were asked a series of questions to determine our guilt or innocense. I must have passed, because I did not get in trouble for this, at least from the principal.

The day after, our class was in PE, and the teacher left the room for few minutes. DD starts yelling at me, saying how he knows I threw his jacket in the toilet. I told him I didn't, but that didn't satisfy. He grabbed me tightly by my hood (back then we all wore hoodies wth our last names on the back, of course, we didn't call them hoodies, we just called them sweatshirts), and shook me back and forth while screaming at me. My air flow was cut off by my sweatshirt. I couldn't breathe. Everyone just stood and watched, I'm assuming because, although he was a skinny kid, he towered about a foot above the rest of the 4th graders. Luckily, the PE teacher came back, putting an end to my premature death.

Not a good experience.

Thanks for reading.

Kisses :*

Megan

Top four worst experiences in school: # 3 MB

MB is a set of initials for the grossest, meanest, filthiest child in all of Skyline Elementary School. A freckle faced kid, with flaming red hair, this boy tortured me from kindergarten until he left the school, I think in 4th grade. And I was lucky enough to have him in my class just about every year.

He made me cry so hard in kindergarten that I passed out.

He knew things no elementary school child should know, and was determined to share his knowledge with me. (I shudder thinking back, and wonder what the hell went on in his house).

He spit on his desk and licked it up.

He invited me to a birthday party once, and I was distraught over it. I needed an excuse. Luckily, I remembered I had Bluebirds that day. I even squeezed into my too small Bluebirds dress to prove I had something else to do. Toward the end of the day, a message came over the loud speaker. "Bluebird troop (pick a number, I don't remember) has been cancelled for this afternoon."

He walked by me and said, "I guess you can come to my party now." I cried all the way home, and probably passed out because I do not recall attending his party.

A year after he left our school, he happened to be in the neighborhood playing with the neighbor boys, who were also friends with my brother. So, unfortunately, they ended up at our house in the backyard. My mom told me, "Why don't you go outside and play with them?" Yeah mom, great idea!

Although I didn't want to, I did anyway. First thing that kid says to me is, "God, you got ugly." Ran back in the house crying. Yep. I'm sure I have other fond memories of MB that I have repressed for obvious reasons.

I hated him. I'm sure he turned out to be a nice guy. On second thought, maybe not.

Top four worst experiences in school: # 4 Public to Private school transition

Now, I'm not saying I hated high school, far from it, but after being in the public school system my whole life, I was terrified of being forced into a private Jesuit high school. Bellarmine Preparatory School. A school where I barely knew a soul. A school where friendships and cliques had been formed years before. I didn't know what to expect. And I was so painfully shy.

I did know a couple people. A few of my parent's friend's kids went there. And I was introduced to another girl by a friend. This girl is the one that saved me. She took me in, introduced me around, invited me to go to football games and parties. Now, she may not have been the best influence :) but she was the main reason I made it that first year. We are still friends to this day, though our journeys have taken us different directions. I still love her.

There you have it. Catch you tomorrow.

Kisses :*

Megan

Friday Free For All

My oldest daughter Mary turns 13 today. A teenager. How did this happen? I was going through pictures of her, and she just seemed so little for so long until one day she just grew up. Now she's this beautiful, charming, completely hilarious adult-like person.

Going through the pictures, you forget how small and fragile they start out. And she was such a sweet little girl, with big cheeks, and cute dimples, always and still so polite. I get comments from parents all the time telling me what a well mannered child she is. Child. No longer. Teenager. Sigh.

I feel good about the way she's been brought up. We've played with the kids, sat down at a dinner table and ate with our kids, been on field trips and volunteered at school for our kids, and tried to stay fit and healthy with our kids.

The time, it just seems to go so fast. In a flash they go from 1 to 13. Soon she'll be 16, then 21, then married with children of her own before I realize it. And that will make me...well...a little closer to death I suppose.

So, I'm just here to wish my wonderful, beautiful, hilarious kid a happy birthday. She is one of my lights, even on dark days, and I know someday she will leave her mark here in this crazy world. And it doesn't matter how she does it, or how little or big that mark is, I'll be proud of her no matter what.

Top 4 Fears: # 1 Something Happening to My Children

Yes, this is more than likely the number one fear of any parent. I cannot stand the thought of my children hurt. I've already lived it a little with illness, falling down stairs, smacking heads, almost being hit by a car. But for something really big, and really bad to happen? That would kill me.

I was probably a little too overprotective when they were young, especially with the first, but to me, other parents didn't seem protective enough.

I've loosened up a little, but I cringe when they go to sleepovers, ride their bikes, or just walk down to the corner. I find myself praying (and I'm not really the praying type) to let them come home unscathed.

They always do of course. But still I worry.

Top 4 Fears: # 2 Spiders

Do NOT tell me they are more afraid of me than I am of them. They are disgusting, gross, they scurry and jump and bite. They make my skin crawl and I break out in goosebumps when I see them. The big ones make me immobile, unable to think, or breathe. I cannot get within at least ten feet of the huge ones. I cannot even get close enough to suck them up in a shop vac. I make my eleven year old do it.



Yes, I'm talking about spiders, black, furry, creepy spiders.



Yes, I know they do the earth a lot of good, but not when they're inside my kitchen, or my bedroom. Not when they're crawling across my floor, or my computer keyboard. If they set foot inside my house and I see them, they will die.

Top 4 Fears: # 3 Heights

Yep, don't like flying, especially in a 24 seater in a lightning storm (been there done that).

When my husband wanted me to go on the giant slide at the fair last year I simply said no. What I should have said was, "When I get that high up, I start to get dizzy to where I feel I will plummet to my death." Yet, I didn't, so up I went. I did not plummet to my death, but I did not enjoy it all the same.

I do not like to look over ledges of tall decks, towers, etc.

I do not like to look out the window of skyscrapers for fear the glass will break and I will, yep you guessed it, plummet to my death.

Maybe I'm actually afraid of plummeting to my death than anything else. ;)

This weeks top four.

My God things have been just crazy around here. Hmmmm. What to write about? A new top four...hmmm...let's go with, top four fears.

#4 Drowning

This is kind of an irrational fear for me. I have been swimming practically since I was able to walk. I know this doesn't mean I'll never drown, but it gives me a leg up on some people.

There was a period of time when I had this reoccurring nightmare about plunging off a bridge or road and into water. Scariest damn dreams. Always someone in the car with me, usually someone else was driving.

I hate watching movies in which people drown.

And when I found out I was going on a cruise last year, I freaked out.

I really don't know why I fear it so much. Maybe it's just the idea of not being able to control your circumstance, being helpless.

Apologies

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus, but sometimes life gets in the way of your plans, and it's easier to put things on the back burner than make yourself crazy trying to do it all.



We now bring you back to your regularly scheduled blog.



No, seriously, here is the condensed version of the previous top four, which was cut short at two.



Colors that affect my moods:



#3 Blue. Blue to me brings peace and happiness. It always gives me this serene feeling as if everything is good in the world.



#4 Black. I know black has negative connotations to some, but it's quite the opposite for me. Black is my favorite color. It's my creativity, my life, my love, my clarity. Not to mention it's slimming effect ;)



So, as you can see I've been busy. My husband and I hosted a wedding for his sister. It turned out very nice. I will never host a wedding again. ;)



Then we took a much needed vacation to the ocean, but for some reason, I still feel like I need a vacation. That week we celebrated our 15th anniversary, our country's freedom, and just played and bbq'd, soaked in some rays, and had a good time.



Last weekend some friends came into town and we got together for a day in Seattle and bbq. A writer I had met through the ABNA contest and his family. I was happy to meet them, but it saddened me in a way, knowing that many of these friendships I've made will be nothing more than virtual, although I long for them to be more. More tangible, more three dimensional. For me it's a bit heartbreaking, yet it's worth it, these friendships, they hold great meaning for me.



Okay, that's it. I'll probably just rant and rave for the rest of the week, and get back to the top four next week.



Kisses



:*



Megan