I Could Have Done It Myself!

$70!

That's what I paid to feel good about myself! When I look down and see that I haven't lost a single pound, in spite of all of the biking, working in the garden, walking, and such, I usually find myself doing something to my hair.

Usually, it involves getting a cut at a cheap hair salon, like Perfect Look, and coloring the be-jeezus out of it, using Loreal's Feria. I do a pretty good job, actually!

However, out of feeling down about my weight and such, I decided, "What the heck? I'll have it done by a professional."

What a waste!

The appointment took 1 hour and 45 minutes! She mixed all of these custom colors together, trimmed my hair, colored only parts of it, waited awhile, and then added some platinum bonde highlights.

Tah-dah!

It looks EXACTLY the same! No joke! I gave herthe money, including a tip, and walked out the door wondering WTF just happened!!!

That's a lot of perinneals on that there head of mine!

Poison Oak is Inevitable While Caching!

Remember yesterday's blog about dirty feet?Well, the toes on my left foot drove me INSANE last night as I was trying to sleep.

I finally got up and discovered they are covered with poison oak blisters!

That is why one should not geocache in sandals in Oregon!

Dirty Feet Syndrome

Is it just me, or are your feet crackly, crunchy, and filthy all summer? I went to buy new walking shoes today (aka "tennies") and was so shocked as I removed my Teva sandals! My heels and the balls of my feet were black! I immediately went over to the sock section of Big5 and took a pack of clean footies off the rack.

As I was putting on the socks, I noticed some other interesting details:

1. my toenails, which I painted back in early April, need painting. They were hideous!

2. I have several chipped and chopped nails! I wear sandals a lot while working in the garden.

3. the tops of my feet have odd tanning. I wear both Birkenstocks (Florida) and Tevas, which accounts for the striping.

4. the little toe is useless

5. my feet stink! Sandals made of that black rubber stuff do NOT help!

I know women who have absolutely BEAUTIFUL feet! It wouldn't even matter if their toenails were painted---their feet are awesome! I'll never be one of those women...

Geocaching is Baaaddd...

So, here's one of my latest hides. Check it out! http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=7a61c345-05cf-48fc-a318-3b1f23584b50

I had a long list of things to do today, including clearing off a table that has become a mountain near the entry to our home. But, dang it! I started messing around on geocaching.com and got all wrapped up in moving my newest cache, creating 2 new caches to place today, and uploading coordinates for some near-future adventures with Carnivorous Hippy.

I ended up loading up the 2 big dogs, Jim Dandy and Dood, and convincing Handsome Husband to meet me at Crystal Lake Park after work so we could go and find 2 caches I didn't find yesterday. The dogs LOVED the water and ran like wild pigs through the grassy fields. It was hot and it was fun. We logged 2 finds and headed back home.

As we were getting into our cars, I said, "Hey, how about it I head over to the grocery store and get some good salad veggies?" HH replied, "That'd be good. You haven't been to the store in awhile." ZING! That's when it hit me! I haven't gone shopping for food since Albin arrived from Sweden on June 6! That's a long-frickin'-time-ago! Of course, we've got a huge pantry, 2 fridges, and a big freezer, so we're always well-stocked with rations.

Geocaching is bad. I don't smoke. I don't drink often enough. I have accepted that my vice is heading out the door with a GPS, water bottle, pen, and notepad. The rest of life goes on hold.

Geocaching Addicts

Wow. I left my house at 10:20 a.m. and returned at 7:20 p.m. I'd been on my bike, hunting down caches, for a very long time. Of course, being with my buddy, Carnivorous Hippy, made the day just fly by! We're "hard core," but we also know when to stop and enjoy a bit of local faire, such as Dutch Bros. and American Dream. Oh, yeah, we started the day at Noah's, feasting on bagels and coffee for energy!It's a long, lonely trip...
This is a really good way to trash a really nice bike! Thunk-a-think-a-thunk-a...

Oooo, this threat really kept me from even THINKING of taking it! Quick rehydration made the day better!
End of a loooooooonnnngggg day! Headed over to American Dream for cold drinks and good pizza!

Ummm...it was good...
Our hubbies even joined us at this point, making the day even better! We love them a lot!

Passionate Geocaching

During the school year, it's not an option. Working full-time, being a mom, owning 3 big dogs---and crappy weather keep me from feeling the urge to geocache.

Then, school lets out, the sun begins shining, and Carnivorous Hippy calls and says, "Hey, wanna go caching today?"

Then, I go online and check out all of the new caches in our area. I start reading other cachers' logs. I start entering coordinates into my GPSs. I update some files. I check the goody bags. I head out for one hunt.

BAM! It's back! CH and I rode our bikes to a cache the other day that really had us stumped. We looked like complete fools, up to no good, as we crawled, pondered, lifted, snooped at the little weird triangle park across from the North Co-op Store. We may have given up the hunt, had it not been the phone coversation with another fellow cacher who'd found this one! He gave just the right clues and within 30 minutes, we found it! Granted, that was 30 minutes after already searching for, oh, 30 minutes.

Yesterday, I put out 2 new caches. They have great names! One's called "Bend Over, Baby." The other is a tribute to one of my favorite childhood song memories. It's called, "Ode to Billy Preston." Google his name if you'd like more info.

Today, I'm heading out to meet the Carnivorous Hippy again. We plan to hit the newest caches in Willamette Park. I sat up loading coordinates into my more-expensive Magellan and discovered options it had that will make it possible for me to go completely paperless as we head onto the trails. It's good for the environment, you know, and saves our household a lot of ink!

Yea for summer!

Garden Tour on Sunday??? Who'd-a-Thought?

I think she's lost it...

completely.

I drove up to McMinnville last night to spend the night at my mother's house. She'd invited me up to attend a Summer Garden Tour with her today. The drive up was awful. I was playing some Led Zepplin while cruising the back-roads towards Independence when I came across a long, long line of stopped cars. Freakin' road work. I turned off the engine, rolled down the windows and continued listening to my tunes.

31 minutes later-yes, 31 minutes-the pilot car arrived to lead our caravan through 11 miles of road work. That's right, folks, 11 miles!

As I finally cruised into McMinnville, I saw a few signs advertising the Garden Tour. I noted that the date was different than what Mommy Dearest had said.

When I arrived at her home, I said, "Hey, the signs I saw on the way in said the tour is on June 22."

"Yeah, that's right," she replied.

Well, since today's the 2oth, doesn't that mean the tour isn't until Sunday?"

So, I took her out for dinner to my NEW favorite restaurant. It's called Thai Kitchen, right in downtown Mac. We gorged ourselves on several amazing dishes then headed back to sit in her amazing garden. She sipped a beer while I loaded some coordinates into my GPS for some happy hunting over the weekend. At midnight, I decided to head home. I didn't really want to spend the night, anyway.

at 1:00, I rolled into the driveway, half-expecting I'd see Beautiful Daughter's car there and find her inside with a houseful of friends, hitting our martini bar area.

Nah, only the dogs greeted me. Thank goodness!

I Used to Think They Were the Most Amazing Kids in the World!

Now?

Not so much.

I had always believed that I'd be a very lucky mom, whose children behaved and followed all of the rules, up until they, themselves, became parents.

NOT!

Cool Son got his driver's license yesterday. We drove out to the DMV, he took the driving portion of the test, I paid the mega-bucks to get him the little card, and off we went.

When we got home, it was so funny to hear him say, "Hey, Mom, we're out of chocolate soy milk. I think I better head over to Safeway to get some more." Of course I let him go.

Beautiful Daughter and I began laughing after he left. I said, "Hey. Wanna bet he gets in a wreck in the Safeway parking lot?"

Got you! He came home safe and sound, with no dents or dings to be found.

Then, he said, "Hey, Mom, can I drive into town to show my friends that I now have my license?" Of course I let him go.

Corvallis isn't a mega-city. It's "large," but not large enough to mask our stupid children from many-a-witness. In Cool Son's case, he was seen by the ultimate witness---my husband.

Handsome husban called me around 4:30. He said, "Hey, I was driving down 10th Street when I say your minivan cruising along. There were 2 little heads in the front seats. I stopped as it pulled up to a stop sign and said, 'Hey, there, ___________.' Obviously ________ looked a bit nervous, as I followed up with, ' Aren't you supposed to wait 6 months to drive with friends in the car?'"

Now, let's back up a little...the law CLEARLY states that one must wait 6 full months after receiving a driver's license before driving with non-family members as passengers in a vehicle. Cool Son knew this. We'd discussed it a couple of years ago when Beautiful Daughter got her license...and, well, honestly, I remember saying to him, "Sure, you can drive into town. Don't pic up any friends, though."

Cool Son was napping on the couch. I calmly walked in and tapped his forehead. I said, "I thought you were different." He opened one eye, barely, and said, "What are you talking about?" I said, "I thought you'd be the kid in this family who followed simple rules."The look on his face was PRICELESS!!! I honestly wish I'd had a camera! It's one of those moments you think about when you hear Styx singing, "The jig is up, the news is out, they've finally found me. The renegade who had it made..."

I then walked over to the family calendar in the kitchen and wrote, in all caps with a Sharpie, "_____-NO CAR" and drew an arrow from Wednesday to Wednesday.I used to get so stressed out about laying down the law with my kids. Now, I actually feel some pleasure when saying something that goes like this: "I hate to be the one to burst your pride bubble, but you won't be driving for 1 full week. Oh, and you've only had your license for 5 hours!"Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha!

Ch-ch-changes!

Rough, rough night. Teenagers invaded the house. I used to LOVE when our home was full of kids and antics, but now, eh---not so much. It's very different when your daughter is almost 18 and comes home with "kids" you've never met, just to hang out. They are really big and they take up a lot of space. They also eat food, clearing out all leftovers in a fridge in a manner of minutes. They don't relate to us "older Americans" well, since we are obviously dumb and just don't get it.

At one point, right around midnight, I decided to put away the book I was reading and go and check in on the roomful of teens. See, Beautiful Daughter had brought home her good girlfriend and 2 other large boys I'd never met. Silly Son had his buddy over (who is a giant) and had been messing around on the computer. When I walked into the zone of our home where the teens had previously been hanging, no one was there. Cars were in the driveway, but no teens. Then...I heard it...a giggle through the closed office/guest room door. Oh shit! I hate dealing with this stuff! What to do? What to do?

Finally, I said, "Hey, _____ (insert daughter's name into blank)! Where are you?"

The door opened and Beautiful Daughter came out with her beaming smile and little sweet, high-pitched voice. "We're just hanging out in Albin's room." See, earlier this evening, during dinner, she was sooooooooooo nasty toward me. She's that way when she's not in complete control. However, when she needs/wants something, she reverts back to being a nice person.

I explained that it wasn't a good idea for them to be in "Albin's Room," (office/guest room) since it's the place with the big futon. I said, "Why are you in there?"

OMG! Her response is something I'll always remember: "We just wanted to be somewhere where it was quiet."

Up until 2 days ago, Beautiful Daughter was scheduled to leave for Colorado College in mid-August. My sadness about her leaving had completely dissipated. It truly is a pain living with her right now...which is a bilogical survival stage. Then...BAM! An e-mail arrived explaining that she'd been denied additional financial aid, meaning we would have less than 2 months to come up with at least $40,000. Not happening...no-how, no-way.

So, the alternatives began swirling. In spite of the fact that I think she treats my handsome husband poorly, he began doing some research. As an OSU employee, he has access to stuff, you know. He discovered through his boss that Beautiful Daughter could enroll at OSU or UofO immediately, beginning this coming Fall Semester, even though the deadlines had long-passed. My heart was happy. It would only cost us about $7000/year for her to attend a state college in Oregon.

Let the rumbling begin. Beautiful Daughter began arguing with us, as we laid out ideas for her to consider. Accusations, dirty looks, angry words...ahhhh, the life of a mother of a teenager played out in perfect synchronicity. My only fear? That she'll still be here in September. I cannot believe I just wrote that, but it's true...

A Secret Message to CK

I think I figured out who you are! (wink, wink!)
It was fun visiting the other night.
I think I'm up "shit creek" without a paddle.
Oops...
I'll just remain focused on being honest and doing my best...

Just 15 Minutes...

Next year, I have a goal to open a modified NAACP program in the school in which I teach. The reasons are obvious---clearly obvious--when you walk through the doors of this school. However, in reality, it's true for each of the schools.

Check out this video. I was just in the midst of cleaning house, doing some laundry, and listening to "This American Life" on NPR when I just Googled "make a difference." Look what I found...

http://www.transformationteam.net/video/challenge_day.php

A Whole Day with Nothing on the Calendar...

This is the first day in 7 months that I don't have something scheduled on a Saturday! School is out, my kids are busy, my husband is home, and the weather is great! I tried to "sleep-in," but the cat woke me up at 6:45. The advantage is that I am now coffeed up, have watered all of my potted plants, checked on all new transplants, and am ready to shower and have a relaxing day! Who cares if there is 3 weeks worth of laundry to wash? I don't have to do anything today!

Hush, Hoggies, Hush

My, Oh, My.
After the argument I had with my now-graduated daughter in the yard this evening, I sure do wish I had me some of these well-behaved hogs around the place. Yes-sir-ree, I could tell em what to do and expect it'd be done...

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The plot thickens...and Lorazepam really helps!

Made it through a rough day.

My work day ended with me in my doctor's office, asking to be seen.

Dr. D let me in, heard me out, and let me leave with the controversial prescription.

I feel goooooooooodddddd tonight. I was playing beach-ball Kill-Ball with the kids in the driveway. Malory, Collin, and Albin are much younger and quicker than me. I quit. Then, we talked about weekend plans. Woo-hoo...I'm trying to convince my friends, MCS and CH to go with us to the Crystal Ballroom to participate in a wild night of 70's music with DJ Victoryfoxx and a big screen of videos! Life is good, as long as I have some chemical interventions in place.

Just Keep Diggin' Those Holes...

Oy.

It's never right.

In my career as a public educator, I look back and fondly remember my best days of teaching. There was a 2-year span where I teamed with a very lovely person, teaching a dual-language, Spanish-English Immersion classroom. We had 61 students, split into 2 groups. I was the English immersion instructor while my partner did, obviously, the Spanish. We used precise, research-based strategies to create a group of bilingual/biliterate children. We laughed sometimes too much. We definitely went on field trips (I think we did 14 in the 2 years we were together), and we cried when anyone in our clan was hurting, including their family members. We dealt with current events, specifically focusing on immigration laws, "having papers," and American politics.

Those days are gone. Today, I'm a 1/2-time Instructional Coach and 1/2-time ELD teacher in a school that makes me nuts! My job is simple enough, but the challenge of current, relevent issues is gone. My schedule is simple enough, but I feel sad about the amount of time I COULD be working to make a difference, but am, instead, battling reluctant and closed-minded staff.

So, I've put in a request to move my Coaching position to a different school with a much-needier clientele. I like them little guys who come to school to learn to function in society, as well as to read, write, and do a little math. I LOVE those Title I schools, with their focus on taking something that's a little "sorry" and spinning it into gold...every-single-day!

Here's the catch: I think I'll get the new position. I've just complicated my life, because I'll also be working at the previous school as an ELD teacher (English Language Development) and supervising at another school! That means...from 1 school that is less intense to 3 intense positions...and they are all miles apart!

I just keep diggin' those holes a bit deeper...