March 14, 2015

The morning wasn’t loud – there was no noise from a computer game, nor was there thumping bass, yet still,  the boys were awake, quietly doing something.  As I awoke and carefully opened the door to grab my robe, Ethan was getting out of the shower.  I sipped my coffee, enjoying the richer flavor which Saturday mornings seem to grant to the morning beverage. I notice Maggie had also texted me, letting me know she would be going to her friend’s house at 9. I told her I’d pick up around 10:30/11.  For whatever reason, around leaving –time, I was off and something wasn’t right.  We got to the girls, picked them up and headed to Subway (much to my chagrin) and…I’d left my wallet at home.  Rats, rats, rats.  This is not good.  Ethan said he had $140’s (birthday money), but I said, no I needed to get my wallet and so after we got sandwiches (I had a little cash), we went home.  Boy , oh boy, Ethan did not like that.  Mind you, I wasn’t crazy about it, either, but Life happens.  Maggie had a headache, so I gave her a headache tablet and off we we went.

Heading to the Airsoft/Paintball park with a wallet and 4 kids, 3 of them playing variations of Dubstep on their smart phones just about drove me over the edge.  I KNEWKNEWKNEW when I was an adolescent listening to hairbands and heavy metal that I would have a child that listened to music I wasn’t nuts about and BOOM!  There is Ethan.  Still, I try to appreciate it for what I can, but I can only take it in small bits.  The drive was beautiful.  As much as I want Winter, these countryside is so beautiful with its Spring-green rolling hills, speckled with cows and old homesteads.  Old hundred year stone walls built long ago by farmers and ranchers still exist.  Maggie had let me know she was feeling nauseous, so I pulled over so she could trade places and sit next to the window.  After about 20 minutes she let me know she was going to be sick, so I pulled over and she got out.  Now, I will emphatically state that I DO NOT watch people when they are sick – it makes me feel nauseous and who wants that?  Yet Maggie was a train wreck I couldn’t stop watching.  Her vomiting was like the Peterhof Fountain in St. Petersburg, with liquid shooting out of her mouth.  I couldn’t look away and neither could anyone else – she was a spectacular show for many minutes.   After she was finished, I brought her water so she could rinse out her mouth and her friend gave her a mint.  It’s good to be prepared. 

The park was an outside area with a few tables and the business conducted from three converted cargo crates.  I paid for the boys – Maggie was lying in the car and her friend was hesitant to play.  I sat under a shade umbrella and worked on my homework as the girls relaxed - initially they wanted to go home, but I couldn’t drive and I figured they would be ok.  They had been so excited about coming, but it seemed they would just have to enjoy the lovely countryside and the sound of airsoft/paintball guns.  It is mid-March and naturally it was the first day to hit the 80s.  I was hoping for snow in March, I wasn’t thinking about sunburns, but I ended up getting one.  The student from long ago that I had seen at Pizza Bene last week who didn't recognize me?  He was there and appraoced me.  He did remember me.   The boys played several rounds, each time coming back with red, sweaty faces.  At least they were getting a good work-out.  Within an hour or so, Maggie was fine and the girls just sat and talked.  Ethan’s friend wanted him to join him at 6 Flags tomorrow and Maggie and her friend were going to see Cinderella tonight, so after I dropped everyone off, I had a night to myself. The first plan was to get homework down, but I had already written most of next week’s work, so I took the dogs on a long walk.  We traveled to parts I’d never walked before and on two separate occasions, I smelled a meth lab.  I hate that. I preferred it when I’d smell pot from growers. 

Once we got home, I was too invigorated from the walk and decided to go purchase an agenda calendar (the first one in my life I think I will successfully use).  Things which have never worked in my life before are beginning to happen.  The only example I can think of right now is my nails and chewing the cuticles – for the first time ever I have stopped and my hands are looking decent.  I’m hoping for the same luck with my calendar.  I ended up going to Big Lots and looked for sheets – no Egyptian cotton, so I looked for Hipnic stuff.  I found solar dragonfly lights, a mushroom (CRB) and a solar flower, but I put them back when I couldn’t find an agenda calendar.  Headed to Walmart and got my agenda calendar, plus some fabric to make a pennant flag.  I also got a portable gas grill and looked for a carpet(which I didn’t get).  I was feeling vibrant.  All my w3alking and yoga (thanks, FitBit) has results in good things and two men at Walmart (customers – not employees) asked if they could get me a cart.  I smiled.  “No, thanks!  It isn’t heavy at all, but thank you for asking.” 

At home, I put on some coffee and prepared to CRAFT.  I really don’t do this kind of stuff, but I’ve wanted a pennant banner for Hipnic and now that I have Lizzie Mae, I can decorate her with them.  I put Spotify’s version of Hair Nation on and was singing along, reminiscing as I cut out triangles and threw the ball for Mabes. Those memories of high school are so damn good to me…ok, yes, parts were difficult as HELL.  I had my guy, then I had my car accident, then I went downhill with alcohol, but that music was always there for me – those lyrics meant so much.  Music is still so important to me.  It is my escape (Hipnic, High Sierra), it is my sanity.  Music is something I can use with younger clients to create a bond (as I did with a student last week) or to help them find identifiers.  Ok, so maybe I never became one of Motley Crue’s “Nasty Habits” or a rock star like Lita Ford, but I can still use music in my career.  

Pictures:  Ethan decked out...somewhat (some of these people...wow); The lovely countryside; Placerville; Pre-pennant banner.