In the Hood

I was at the corner convenience store yesterday, getting my daily Diet Coke.  In front of me at the register was a man buying not one but TWO forty-ounce Fosters Lagers and a large bottle of Pepto-Bismol.

As I went out to the car, I noticed that he was wearing a t-shirt that said "Innovative Business Solutions."  Indeed.

You can't make that shit up.

Happy

I am not someone who always recognizes happy when she sees it.  As a Type A perfectionist, there's always something that could have been better or faster or more efficient.  But today, right now, I feel happy.  My husband is kind and funny.  My kids are well-adjusted and successful.  And not here.  Even better.  But I'll be so, so happy to hear about the tennis tournament when they get back.

Today was one of those days when I got a lot done.  Nothing major, just the 35 little piddly things that have been hovering over my to-do list for ages.  Things like putting recipes torn from newspaper and already-covered-in-soy-sauce-and-what-looks-like-bread-dough into binders, finishing up some leftover laundry, dishes done, homemade bread made, east side flower bed tilled, weeded, and mulched.  I feel great.  It may look on the outside like a manic-depressive on a tear, but I know you're not a licensed psychologist.

And it's early fall in Texas.  There's nothing else like it anywhere.  One beer, seven neighbors.  As I walked back home for dinner, I realized how blessed my life is. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy it.

Happy Fall!

Silver Linings

Now, I'm going to be honest.  You know those people who try to find something positive in every situation, who are upbeat and can always find something to smile about, who are always looking for the silver lining to a huge thunderstorm of crap?  Yeah, well, I usually want to punch them in the face.


But after the absolute and utter misery of missing my flight to Spring Break and having a forced 48-hour layover at my own home, I came to the unlikely realization that things had indeed happened for a reason.  First of all, NOTHING had gone my way all day Friday - prescriptions not ready, car not ready, kids not ready, mama not ready, mid-40s, raining, South by South-who-the-fuck-are-all-these-people, no cabs available, nothing.  Everything took 10 times longer than expected.  I seriously wonder if we were not supposed to get on that plane.   And here's why:


Upside #1 - Growing up - both girls were forced to decide how to handle a really disappointing situation.  Not only did they hold my ponytail while I metaphorically barfed my tears all over the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, they handled it beautifully.  And once I put on my positive about everything demeanor, they followed along.  Really, it was remarkable -- they didn't reset to their default fighting mode until we landed in Phoenix yesterday.


Upside #2 - Sleep - all of us had been completely done in by a week's worth of TAKS, track meets, lessons, extra work, and the exhaustion that is only duplicated by the week before Christmas break.  We called it a night Friday night at about 10:30.  S woke up twelve hours later, and G slept until 11:30 the next day.  I'm just saying, Arizona would have been a much grumpier place if we'd left on Friday.


Upside #3 - LO - My very best friend in the world went back to work right when I left.  She lives way northwest.  I live way south.  We don't get to see near enough of each other.  I had updated her by text on my ill-fated first attempt to leave town, but when I called to give her the full rundown, turned out she was in the car on the way to Beaumont.  Yes, on purpose.  It was the longest uninterrupted visit we've had in ages.  We got some very exciting plans made.  And I'd have missed it if my vacation had actually started when it was supposed to.


Upside #4 - Game Night - sweet K, who had to drive us to the airport Friday night at breakneck speed, in the rain, and the traffic because I couldn't find a cab, called Saturday morning and said "what you need is a game night."  S, K, and L joined me and the girls for snacks and what has to be the most hilarious, last-minute, sorely-needed girls night ever.   We laughed until we cried.


Upside #5 - This!

Sunday!

And then suddenly, it was time to start over.  Bags were packed.  Boarding passes printed.  Blessings abound.  

And P.S. -- A shout-out to my sweet and precious husband who was the only one with no upside when we missed our flight.  He was stuck out-of-town without his family for twice as long as he planned and with no hotel reservation.  Luckily, he was able to check out and then back in again, but his weekend pretty much sucked.  At least the girls and I had each other and were home.  He's a trooper.  And a fox, too.

Arizona, here we come!

Free Cat

Driving out of my neighborhood Tuesday of last week, the girls and I were saddened to see a beautiful gray cat, dead by the side of the road.  That happens a lot out where we live -- it's dark, it's in the country, cars vs. small animals, there are coyotes . . .feel free to start humming Circle of Life at any point.  Anyway, being animal lovers, we commented on how sad it was that this kitty was dead and we said a little prayer, in kitty, for our dear, departed friend.  And then we went on our way.

Now, I'm embarrassed to even tell you how long it took me to get it, but by Wednesday at midday, someone had posted a large cardboard sign on that very corner that said, simply and elegantly, FREE CAT.

Wait for it.

For two days, I drove by that sign and wondered who was moving and giving their cat away.  I wondered why they didn't give an address or phone number for the FREE CAT.  Until it hit me.  I laughed until I cried.  Then, I called both of my parents, my husband, my best friend, and then ran down the street to tell the neighbors who laughed until they cried.  I felt so grateful, so honored to live in a neighborhood surrounded by such inspired, if sadistic, genius.  Until one of my neighbors said, "Hey, someone sent me this picture like five years ago."  Yup.  Dead cat with sign.  From the Internet.  I thought about that for about ten seconds and decided I didn't even care that it was stolen inspired, if sadistic, genius.

Now, don't get me wrong.  We have two dogs, two cats, and two of our former dogs still reside in their sterile boxes of final rest.  We love animals.  But when the Great Beggin' Strip in the Sky calls your number, it's time to go.  

Might as well get some joy out of it.

P.S. (One week later) We had a humongous, insane rainstorm here about two days ago.  And I mean five inches in one night kind of storm.  One like we haven't seen in Central Texas for a loooooong time.  So, of course, the kids first thought was "hey, what do you think happened to the cat?"  In a gullywasher like that, that cat should have floated all the way down to our house, turned right and ended up in my neighbor S's backyard.  

But as soon as I began my CSI detective work, the mystery was solved.  By my chihuahua.  Who found it.  On the road.  In a form not even remotely resembling catlike.  The circle of liiiiiife.