A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

The Youngest has always been...easily distracted.

We were going to Spokane yesterday to take my mother out for dinner. Before we left I grabbed the camera and  asked The Youngest to get some extra batteries. Just in case.    (They are kept in the freezer - supposed to make them last longer...)

He disappears around the corner into the kitchen.

I hear him stop, then he continues walking and comes out of the doorway on the other side.

He looks at me. He appears puzzled.

"What was I doing?"

"C'mon bud, stay on task. Batteries."

"Oh yeah. Batteries."

Sigh.

Around he goes again.

This time he stops in front of the frig. I hear him open the freezer door and without missing a beat ...

"Oooh, shiney."

...

He's funny. Sometimes, he really is quite funny.
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News Flash

Approximately 1/2 of the population of the world is female. Of those, the majority at one time or another will be mothers.

A day has been set aside to "honor" women for their love, caring and diligence. In true American fashion we have hurried to turn it into a sucessful commercial venture. I was somewhat amused to view the advertisements for flowers, candy and any other number of foofraws designed to delight mother and convey how much she means to you. All the models in the ads were young 30 somethings. They were slim and athletic, with beautiful, bright, smiling faces, and well coiffed hair. Pink & pretty in their stylish pastel outfits.

It was kinda like looking at the manly Marlboro Man commercials. The reality of his cancer ridden corpse was not something the cigarette companies wanted us to focus on.

So my perverted sense of humor is stirred by the contrast between the perceived "model moms" and the real woman who has gained some weight with each pregnancy. Who is dressed in holey yoga pants so the children can have a stylin' wardrobe to show off at school. Whose hair needs to be cut (and probably dyed) but which isn't happening because that money went to another kid related effort, and whose face shows a little wear and tear after years of taking care of and serving her family.

Laughing at the newspaper in my hands I looked at The Youngest and commented, "Poor kid, stuck with me as a mother."

Silly me, I think I was fishing for something along the lines of... 'don't worry mom, I love you just the way you are...'

So I know this came at him as a really random comment. Especially as he wasn't looking at the ads and didn't know what I was thinking. But still, that 15 year old brain, has a really humbling, rapid fire delivery system.

His reply?

"Well, it's not like you're some horrible monster or something."

I'm sure my eyes gogged. I know my jaw dropped.

We had another one of those moments of...dead silence.


And I'm left to ponder the truth that sometimes we are defined not so much by what we are...

as by what we are not.
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Bumper Snicker

If it has tires or testicles, it's gonna give you problems.
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Dead Dog Boring

I asked someone if she'd read one of my entries.

There was a blank look.

"You know." I prompted. "On my blog?"

"Oh. Uhhh," she says. "I don't spend that much time reading that. It's not, ummm...all that interesting".

Don't want to give that kid a bunch of ballons and a stick pin, eh?

But I'll just brush myself off and refluff my ego. I'm good like that. And say! Being the entrepreneurial type, I figure I may be on to something -  if I can bottle this blog, I might be able to market it as a cure for insomnia!!!!

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The Sound of Silence

#1 Daughter has been back from college for the last week and a half. It's been nice to have her around. Expensive. But mostly nice. Had to be outfitted for her summer internship to Uganda. Kinda turned the old pockets inside out.

You need what?

Huh?

What?

And then there was the packing. Instructions on why one shouldn't wad their clothes up fell on deaf ears.

I also got the old "eye roll"  when I found myself explaining that t-shirts could actually stay white if one used a little bleach in the wash...

This last week has just reinforced that fact that I obviously like talking to myself.

A lot.

And when I did make enuf noise that she couldn't ignore me it was...

"I know, motherrr..." 

"Yes, motherrr..."

"Motherrr..."

Sigh.

So the Farm Boy & I went to put her on the plane this afternoon. (Right after feeding her the nice, foot long, Meatball Subway Sandwich that she wanted.) He anxiously asked, "Do you have Dramamine with you?"

Oh no, she assured him, she didn't need that. She doesn't get airsick.

It was The Youngest who got the call later.

Denver. Made it to the 1st stop. Lots of turbulence coming into the Mile High City.

Just thought she'd share...apparently meatball subs taste pretty much the same going down as they do coming back up.

You'll notice motherrr didn't get that call.
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Cat Butts Round 2

Speaking of cat butts... (we were, you say?)

How's this for a t-shirt?? With boots even!

No birthday is complete without one I hear.

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Cat Butts

Dropped The Youngest at school this morning. Then decided to wander around this "boutique" garden center before I went home.

WOW!

Awesome greenhouse, sweet gift shop, cool water fountains, fabulous statuary - cute, cute stuff, but total and complete sticker shock! 4" geranium?  $12.99.

Hello?

Lawrence, Kansas? Is anybody out there?

Seriously. I know they're in RICHland but who can/will pay these prices? Repeat after me....Recession....

And I was so sad because there, right as I turned to leave, was a display of little ceramic cat butts. Fuffly ones, black ones, yellow ones, ones with kinked tails, ones with curved tails. How perfect. There is an apartment that deserves to have the whole collection prominently displayed on it's walls. One of those running jokes that we just can't let die.

But...

$9.99 for one little 2" high cat butt.

Sigh.

Not today.

I showed them tho. I got in my rig, trotted myself right down to the Farmer's Exchange and blew $75 on lots and lots of flowers.

And by the way, snotty boutique...their beautiful, 4" geranium's were only $2.99.

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