Moving Miscellania

Well, Dear Reader, Yours Truely is spending her free time packing away.... when procrastination techniques run dry at least.  One mustn't rush into these things after all.... Weekend mornings are best savored slowly over a cup (or three) of coffee allowing one to dread contemplate the task ahead at one's leisure.  With gentle prodding from my friends as to the progress of my endevour and encouragement from My Darlin'... boxes are slowly stacking up with the assorted flotsam of my life.

Which leaves me to ponder upon one of life's true mysteries... Just how does one accumulate all this... stuff?!?  Does it multiply when we're not looking?  Does it sneak into the junk drawers/corners/rooms while we're asleep?  Sorting through the odds and ends has lead to several discoveries of things forgotten though... from a T-square... to a picture taken when The Boy was just days old... to a Tickle Me Elmo... How have these things escaped notice in this small apartment?  Truely amazing what emerges from the back of that closet when you dig far enough! 

The task has also lead Yours Truely to wonder... if my domicile is taking this long to sort through, how in the world will we ever cope if something happens to G-Ma?  She is the true Collector Queen in our fractured family.  Spread through her home are collections reflecting her many interests over the years... ranging from ceramics... to reams of information on the family tree... to woven baskets.  She borders on hoarding... filling any space to an overflowing, precariously balanced pile with ease.  At some point, the treasure trove of her life will become my overwhelming task.  Wonder what skeletons memories we'll find in there?

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

The Boy trys to block my view... focus my attention elsewhere... physically steer me away, but I'm drawn to that huge bin of low priced videos at the store.  Yep... That's me pawing through multiple copies of "Twins", flipping past the "George of the Jungle", frantic to see what's under that copy of "Speed" always searching for that one gem that always hidden somewhere in there.  I know it's there... I have faith it's there.

For years now, Yours Truly has been on a video treasure hunt.  It all started back when I realized how many wonderful movies that The Boy would miss out on if I didn't take matters into hand and expand his viewing horizon.  He wasn't very appreciative at first... You should have heard the whinning..."It's black and white!  I can't believe you're making me watch this old thing!"  I finally got him to agree to watch the first 10 minutes of Jimmy Stewart in "Harvey"... and he was hooked.  Of course, who wouldn't fall for an invisible, 6 foot tall rabbit hanging out with a family almost as odd as our own.

Slowly we've crossed movies off the master list...  from the oldies to more modern fare.  We've run the gamut in a noble quest... for I truely believe that our youth should be exposed to more then just the latest fad.  Call it my version of a classic education, be it movies, books, or music.

I'll never forget dragging The Boy to see "Lord of the Rings" when it first came out.  "Just consider it my Mother's Day present... dinner and a movie."  The Boy watched wide-eyed as the tale unfolded... leaping onto his knees in the seat to loom over me when the credits began rolling... "It can't end there!!  What happens next!!"  That evening we dug out my old, dog-earred copy of the second book in the trilogy, "The Two Towers" and he took up the quest anew... struggling a bit over the vocabulary, but enjoying the tale all the more for the effort. 

To that end, I'd like to share a list of my top ten, must-see movies.  Yours Truly and The Boy agonized over which of our favorites to include.  I was shot down on "Breakfest at Tiffany's" and used my veto power for his suggestion of the movie version of "Rent".  Let us know how the following matches up to your top ten.

Movies: 

"To Kill a Mockingbird" 

"Cool Hand Luke"   

"The Godfather"                                               

"Arscenic and Old Lace"  

"Star Wars" (Originals only, please!)                    

"2001 - A Space Odessey"

"Schindler's List"

"What Dreams May Come"

"Lord of the Rings"

"It's a Wonderful Life"

DC in the Springtime

Even though we've been back home from vacation for over a week, I can still close my eyes and smell cherry blossoms!  The Boy and The GF were anxious to see the National Zoo, so I ventured out solo for a contemplative stroll amongest the trees along the tidal basin.  It was still early in the day and, while many were out, most were observing this Springtime rite with a kind of quiet reverence and consideration for others, as evidenced by those that paused to allow photographers to complete their shots before passing.

A group of monks clad in brilliant orange were capturing closeups of blossoms and a few shots of each other against the soft pink of the blooms to show those back home.  Further along, an artist has set up her easel to capture Jefferson's profile with a floral foreground.  Several people stop to watch her deftly stroke the painting to life.  One young man rotates through three different cameras trying to capture the view from a precarious slope for everyone in his group.  A young couple capture an angelic photo of their baby girl against a cloud of petals.  Ducks and paddleboats float lazily through it all. 

After strolling around all morning, stretching out on the grass in the shadow cast by the Washington Memorial for a few minutes was heavenly.  A few kids were flying colorfull kites nearby providing some entertainment while I caught my breath before visiting the Reflecting Pool and the War Memorials. 

I've always found the Vietnam Memorial a very powerful, emotional tribute... but I was impressed by my first visit to the Korean War Memorial this trip as well.  Statues of a patrolling troop make their way through the grass reflecting against a dark wall etched with images of their breathern.  The artist captures the determination and fear on the faces of the soldiers in a way that will move you.

Yours Truely has always been a sucker for photography... and I happily snapped pic after pic from all angles searching to capture that perfect iconic image.  I was able to cull it down to slightly over 200 of the best pics to share with you.  You'll find images from the Smithsonian's exhibits, Memorials, Monuments.... and Cherry Blossoms galore!  Just wish I'd snapped a pic of the fellow practicing Tai Chi on the moving Metro car while holding a couple of donut boxes... Definately a novel exercise program, but I don't think it will catch on.  Enjoy the show and let me know what you think!

DC 2010

Bad Hair Days

What's the worst haircut or style that you've ever been subjected to?  Did it really seem like a good idea at the time?  Yours Truly has had her share, believe me!  G-Ma loves to pull out a few old pics of me just for a laugh that display some regrettable choices over the years.  I'll admit a 'fro was not the best look for a geeky, teenaged white gal.  Not all of the bad styles were of my choosing though.

I was always a wee too butch for G-Ma's liking. She spent the better part of my early childhood trying to force this tomboy into her feminine ideal of a daughter.  For example, for my first grade photo she insisted on teasing my hair up into an authentic 50's beehive hairdo complete with a little bow.  Remember that style?  If you can tear your eyes away from that billowing mass of hair to look at my face, you can easily tell how thrilled I was.  Jeez!  It was a pink bow too!  The Boy finds this photo particularly hilarious.

A few years later, G-Ma owned a hair salon and wig shop located in an A-framed building that she named "The Wig-Wam".  It was about this time that she decided, after having watched the stylists that worked for her, that it couldn't be that hard.  Why not save some money and cut our hair herself.  I was the lucky guinea pig for this little experiment. 

She happily clipped away, but then noticed that one side was a wee bit shorter then the other.  Oh well, just shorten the other side to match.  Hummm... now that side is too short.  Let's just shorten it up a bit more.... Get the picture?  She finally admitted defeat and called one of the stylists out of desperation.  By that time, my hair was fairly chopped up.  I ended up with the first pixie hairstyle ever seen in that neck of the woods.  Think that Twiggy made the style popular in the sixties.  Now the style is fairly popular with everyone from Ellen to Pink sporting it.  At that time, not so much.  G-Ma has a pic of Yours Truly in full Brownie uniform with that pixie cut barely poking out from under the beanie.  I loved it myself and was sporting a silly grin in the photo.  G-Ma was, of course, suitably embarrassed for us both.

I've been sporting a short, almost pixish style for most of my adult life as well.  Often it's hiden under ballcap.  A great strategy for bad hair days.  The Boy, of course, gets suitably embarrassed for us both when anyone addresses me as "Sir".  Doesn't usually bother me though... unless it's followed by "That's the Women's restroom!"

Atta Boy!

Though Yours Truly is pet-less at this time due to the rules of my current abode, I've owned both dogs and cats over the years, usually raising them together.  Today I thought I'd share with you some tales of my favorite furry friends from years past...

Once while G-Ma was cat-sitting for Yours Truly, she was startled awake during the middle of the night by the sound of her doorbell. Peeking out the small window in the door, as well as through the front curtains, she didn’t see a soul. G-Ma figured that some teenagers were having fun at her expense and went back to bed. About 10 minutes later, the doorbell rang again. This time G-Ma thought she could catch them if she was quick about it, so she rushed to the door and flung it open. Imagine her surprise when there sat my cat on the ledge beside the door. She said that the cat “jumped down to the stoop, and, when I opened the screen door, gave me a piece of his mind as he walked past me…. fussing at me for not letting him in the first time he rang! I didn’t even know the cat was outside!”

G-Ma used to freak out when Midnight and King would start play fighting.  She never got used to watching the huge dog take the entire cat's head in his mouth, shake him around and then toss him aside.  Of course, Midnight loved it!  He'd roll to a stop and be ready to pounce back in a heartbeat.  G-Ma was just sure his neck was going to get broken eventually.  I think it was all part of their plan to entice G-Ma to once again fly out of the house with a broom to stop the fight.  They'd dodge around her with huge grins everytime.

I heard a bunch of dogs barking and growling in the backyard one day.  Reaching the back of the house, I opened the door to find myself face to face with my cat, clinging to the screen door with all his might.  Just behind him on the back porch paced my dog, ferociously daring a large pack of neighborhood canines to step any closer.  It's always good to know that family has your back!

King was a very patient fellow.  He was a mix with the coloration of his German Shepard side and the long-haired size of the Sheepdog side, which gave him the look of a Collie.  G-Ma used to lay a large quilt in the backyard for the Brothers to crawl around on while she was doing yardwork.  She'd lay the twins in the middle of the quilt and call King over.  "Watch the babies", she'd instruct him and off she'd go.  King took this task very seriously.  He'd lay down on the quilt with them, allowing them to crawl over and around him while he watched.... Eventually one of the twins would start crawling toward the edge of the quilt.  King would gently grab hold of the adventurer's diaper and slowly pull him back to the center of the quilt.  The twins loved this and would giggle their delight each time. 

I'd had Cuddles for a few years when The Boy was born.  Needless to say, it took awhile for Cuddles to come to gripes with this annoying, little being I'd brought home.  Cuddles would loudly meow his displeasure at first, but slowly began to be won over.  Cuddle always slept burrowed under the covers with his head resting right beneath my chin.  One night, The Boy was restless and I laid him in bed beside me.  As I lay there on my side with a hand resting over the baby, Cuddles jumped up to lay down.  He promptly burrowed in between us to his usual spot without disturbing The Boy, then gently rested his paw on the baby's side as well.  Being a single parent can have its drawbacks.  I really wish someone else had been present with a camera to capture the serenity of that moment.

Roll'n Down the Highway!

Would you want a speed demon with a history of traffic tickets to teach your child to drive? Of course not! It’s not that I’m a bad driver, but I’ll be the first to say it… I’m not the best example for The Boy behind the wheel.

I’m actually quite proud that I’ve gone two years now without a ticket, which means I’m overdue. I’ll admit the last one was my own fault as I was running through a piece of code in my mind and not paying attention. I did notice the cruiser before I passed it, but by then he’d seen me as well. Didn’t help that he was also speeding.

Friends still tease me about blowing the head gasket on my ’86 Mercury Capri many moons ago. No small feat that! Based on the time and distance covered, I was averaging 160 at the time. It’s hard to tell really considering the speedometer only went to 120. Let’s just say I was running late for work when I left the house and subsequently arrived early enough to fully appreciate the steam rolling out from under my hood in the parking garage. I’ll never forget the sight of that Officer’s head whipping around as he watched me fly past his speed trap. He never even bothered pulling into traffic. (Thankfully!)  I still miss that car.

I did think Karma had finally caught up with me the other day though. I glimpsed a cruiser behind me as I drove down the entrance ramp to the bypass around town. As I started to merge into traffic, I glanced into my side mirror and saw him, lights blazing, whip out from behind me to block both lanes of traffic. I didn’t know what to think, but a look in my rearview sent me into a panic! There behind me were 20 cruisers, lights blinding me… as I began to slowly pull to the side of the road in a panic. I don’t know about you, but flashing red and blue lights make me take inventory…. Speeding? Nope…. Tags? Ok.

As I pulled onto the shoulder, I had the experience of being addressed over a PA system. “Please proceed into the flow of traffic… Proceed into the flow of traffic.” Ok, maybe it wasn’t me they were after… Whew!

Let me tell you, it’s nerve-wracking leading a procession of cruisers! I felt like O.J. on the slow bus creeping along in front of them. Once they had all entered the bypass, the first cruiser joined the end of the line and they passed me by. I found out later that they were on their way to the airport to escort some important person or other. Guess they didn’t want to get separated and were playing “Follow the Leader”. Lucky me!

Maybe I’ll see if that driving school has a spot open for The Boy. Keep your fingers crossed that he hasn’t inherited my right foot!

Buzzed!

Unfortunately, I had to be stuck babysitting when Brother2 decided to get buzzed for the first time. I heard a strange "ffzzzzztttttt" sound and suddenly a smoky, hair-raising, ozone smell filled the air. Running into the dining room, I discovered Brother2 frozen in place in the middle of a slowly dying ring of fire still clutching the now deformed butter knife with which he'd decided to play electrician. Fire was also sputtering along the length of the clock plugged into the wall outlet. I frantically snatched him up, stomped out the remaining cinders in the carpet and ran for the phone.

Coming of Age

January 8th... It's the anniversary of Elvis's birthday.  On this day in 1992, while every television channel replayed George Bush (the first one) becoming violently ill in Japan... fainting into the Prime Minister's lap over and over, The Boy descended upon the world and life was never the same again in my household.

Today The Boy is 18 and I'm feeling like reminiscing a bit.  Come along with me as I share just a few of my favorite stories on The Boy in honor of his special day...

3 yrs old - An ex of mine was trying to get The Boy's attention... and trying... and trying.  The Boy finally looks up and says "Shhhhhh!  I'm contemplating!"  After picking up our jaws, we died laughing!

4 yrs old - First day of preschool and what parent wouldn't be proud as The Boy proclaims that he can pee the furthest of all the boys in his class.  I still feel I should have tipped the school janitor as I'm sure he probably earned it that day!

5 yrs old - Still in preschool, The Boy announces on the way home that he and a girl in his class played in the "Tunnel of Love" during recess.  While asking what the "Tunnel of Love" was I found out that they were kissing in the little tunnel under the playground slide... and there was tongue involved.  The school said they never thought they'd have to monitor the preschoolers for public displays of affection!

9 yrs old - The Boy and my roommate decided after watching a magic show on TV to play "Escape Artist".  Just a word to the wise... There's a reason for the "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME" warnings!  I get a call at work from The Boy who trys to stammer through his version of "Houston, We have a problem." while my roommate is frantically yelling in the background... "Hold the phone over here!  Don't hang up!  Honey, can you here me?  Help!".  Seems she, in a moment of absolute brilliance, decided to let him tie her up and show him how to do a proper escape.  Unfortunately for her, he's good with knots.  So good, he couldn't get it untied either after she'd pulled the knots tighter trying to wiggle out.  The definition of embarrassment... Having to explain to your boss that you need to leave early because your roommate is tied up at home and you have to go cut her loose.

I'm almost through embarrassing him for the day, but I just have to jump to high school and share a couple from marching band....

During band practice, you'll often find the director perched high up in the band tower scrutinizing the drill with an eagle eye.  (I've actually heard him on many occasion ask a student to move "an inch" in one direction or another!)  One day The Boy was obviously not marching well for I kept hearing his name called out over the speaker.  Finally in exasperation, the director yells "Boy!... Why are you always either a step too close or a step too far away from James?!?".  The Boy immediately yelled back to the heights.... "We have an on-again, off-again relationship, Sir!"  Amidst muffled snickers on the field, a click could be heard as the director turned off his microphone for a personal moment of silence.

Amazingly, The Boy is part rubber-band, springing right back into his original form, as we learned during a band contest his Sophomore year.  During the band's show, what should happen to catch my eye but a sousaphone (marching tuba) biting the dust.  "Tuba down!" I gasped in a whisper to G-Ma. "Where?", she asked.  Amazingly, no one else actually saw the incident!  The Boy had bounced back up, literally, while wearing a 70 lb instrument.  Several people did see the infamous "Shoe Dance" that followed however, and it is captured for eternity in video as a colorguard gracefully sweeps the offending footwear off the astroturf... passing it from hand to hand as though she had practiced the routine many times with this prop... to finally place it on the sidelines as she spun by.  A few days later, a friend sent me the following photo that she just happened to snap at the exact moment he fell.  She calls it "Face Plant at the 43".  I've blown up the point of interest for you as it's hard to locate otherwise.  FYI.. They won the contest hands-down... trippin' tuba and all.

     (Click on photo to enlarge)
 Happy Birthday, Boy!  Even though we butt heads occasionally, I can't imagine my life without you in it.  Wouldn't have traded the past 18 years for anything in the world.  Love you... proud of you...

Next Post: Work Habits