Going Cafe to Cabaret

So, Coadster has been in Europe for a little over a week now. She seems to really love London. She told me that if I ever got out of the US, she thinks I would really love visiting Cambridge.

The Guy joked that when Coadster went to France, she'd fit right in with her surly attitude, but judging from the pic she had taken of herself in front of the Louvre, she might just be a little too dorky for Parisians.

"To the Carnival", Is What She Said.

The cool cats are having a birthday tomorrow.

Soooo, this week everyone in my house but me and Archie are celebrating birthdays. Tomorrow both The Guy and his cat, Heidi will acquire another year. The Guy will officially be a year older than me for another 9 months.

I'm taking tomorrow off work and so is The Guy. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do, but I have a feeling it will involve a bike ride, a good meal and a drink. For Heidi, I'm going to check out a cat toy one of my co-workers told me about that is a fake bird that chirps when a cat attacks it. Don't worry, I'll get one for Archie too - so that Heidi won't have to worry about him stealing hers.

Have a Drink, Have a Drive. Go Out and See What You Can Find.

So, I turn 46 on Saturday. As I've said many times before - I'm not one of those people who freaks out on my birthday or gets depressed about getting older....Yet.

I'm off work tomorrow and Monday. Tomorrow morning, The Guy and Coadster are all going out to breakfast together. Then they will both go to work and I will play and play. Well, I'll at least run and bike and probably mow the lawn and pack.

That's right. The Guy is taking me to Galena for the weekend. We're going to stay in the Irish hotel there and ride our bikes to a vineyard/winery and maybe kayak too. Yea! I'm so excited. I hope you all have a lovely weekend too.

Just Want to Spend Eternity Right Where I Am. On the Sunny Side of the Street

Here is a picture of a picture.

So, kids. K'.s dad is doing better and we get to go see the Pogues after all. Yea! i'm so excited. It will be a short and cheap trip. We're taking the Megabus there tomorrow morning, getting into Chicago in the afternoon. We'll have about 5 hours before doors open. I will see my friend Catherine because she's going to the show with us and hopefully my friend Poptart. But that's really the only people I'll have time to hang with.

The doors open at 7 and the show will probably end pretty early as far as concerts are concerned. We'll go for a quick drink, then back to K.'s boyfriend's apartment where I will sleep on the floor. But it will be free and that's a HUGE bonus. Our Megabus leaves pretty early the next morning and then we'll be back in Iowa City in the afternoon.

I plan on running, and getting a few things done when I get back. Then on Friday evening, Stinky asked if The Guy and I would go to dinner at Mickey's with her. I thought that was pretty damn sweet. What teenager actually asks their mom and her boyfriend to hang out with her on a Friday evening. Sure, it's early...And Stinky loves to join forces with The Guy to give me a hard time, but I'm still happy about it all.

So, now I must sleep, so I can get up early and get a swim in with The Guy before I leave for the big city.

Birds Are Leaving Over Autumn's Ending

Here is some spray paint art.

Oh, kids. I had a wonderful night with the guy. He came over and for the first time since the accident, things almost felt kind of normal. I made tempeh reubens for dinner. He's not supposed to sit for very long. He has to either stand or lie down. Weird, huh?

Since it was such a blustery evening, I wasn't complaining one bit that we got to lie around and talk about every little thing that came into our heads, while we listened to the wind howl around the sanctuary of my little cottage.

I'm Gonna Be Forgiven If I Wanna Spend My Livin'

Here is the back of an SUV.

Tonight I went to the hospital after work again. I had a great talk with the guy, first about hospital stuff and then about books and movies and food and sustainable agriculture. Even though he's still on pain meds, he's still too smart for his own good. I went home and picked Stinky up from work and we watched some stupid TV together. We were both pretty fried.

Tomorrow I get off work early to help the guy go home from the hospital. Yea! He will be so much happier there. I have no idea what to expect after that. I'm sure we'll all just have to see how it goes. I told him I'm available however he needs me, but he might just want some time alone finally too. I know I would after being poked and prodded and hovered over for a week.

I'm not sure what's on tap for this weekend. I want to run for sure. Coadster is coming back and then on Sunday, Stinky and I will drive her to Ames and attend her first choir concert as a college student. I'm going to try my hardest to be back in Iowa City before it gets too dark. It will be so weird, but nice not to be hanging at the hospital all weekend. I hope things just keep getting better and better.

And She Speaks Inside a Cloud

Here is some drunk boy I don't know dancing.

Oh, kids. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it was to see the guy smiling and laughing and sitting up and even standing today. It felt like it had been forever since all of our conversations haven't centered around bodily functions, pain control or what he needed help with, and I appreciated the hell out of it.

I called him over my lunch break and he sounded a million times better. He said they got him up and walking and he could sit up and he felt a ton better.

After work, I rode my bike to the hospital and he was having his first "meal" since the surgery. He said it was the best veggie broth and lemonade he'd ever tasted. The guy's mom and our friend Pat were there and a few minutes later, the guy's aunt, uncle and cousin showed up. It's been great being able to meet so many of his family members...Even if it is for such a stressful reason.

I think you'll all appreciate this: Another great tale that highlights just exactly HOW socially challenged I am. When I introduced myself to the guy's uncle, he stuck out his cheek and for some reason, I thought he wanted me to kiss it. So, I did and that's when I finally realized he was really just hard of hearing and he was trying to catch my name. Derrrr. Sometimes it's hard to be me. Hey, nothing like making an impression, right?

God Bid Yesterday Goodbye

Me and the girls after Coadster's graduation.

So, first please allow me to have a little vent. I just found out that it's going to cost me $450 to get the brakes fixed on my car.

Dear Universe,

Could you please let me get through a month without a costly mini-disaster? I realize these could all be real disasters and much, much worse, but I would still really love to have at least one month off without termite invasions, car problems or pipes freezing. Thank you.

Love, Churlita.

Okay, on to Saturday...It all started out well. I ran, took the girls a few places, came home and finished mowing the lawn and cleaning and then got ready for the graduation before I picked Stinky up from work. While at the store, I got the rest of the shopping done. When we got home, my aunt, my sister, my niece and one of Stinky's best friends were all waiting for us. We quickly changed and jumped into the car and headed to Carver Hawkeye Arena.

The throwing of the hats.

The arena smelled like livestock, and we later found out there was some kind of wrestling gig there, and apparently wrestlers smell like stinky horses now. Who knew?

The ceremony was nice and emotional and the principal gave a very pointed speech about the kids sticking to their guns when they know what they're doing is right and not caving to pressure...Even if it means losing your job, like he did. Wow. He got a standing ovation from the audience. The school board members on the stage, including the superintendent, remained seated.

Anyway, we were all so proud of our girl and I only teared up a tiny little bit when I saw her walk across the stage so tall and poised and I could still remember her little girl voice in my head telling me she couldn't wait to be a big, high school girl. Awwwww.

Originally, I figured my sister and aunt would want to leave right away after the ceremony, so I didn't even make plans for dinner afterward, but they said they wanted to take us out. Since any of the bigger restaurants were probably booked a long time ago, we just headed to Village Inn and were all very happy to eat there. It was a really lovely evening.

Three generations of quirky fun girls in one family. Woo Hoo!

Earlier in the day, I found out that my friend's fiance died after about a 7 month bout with cancer. It was heartbreaking. They were one of those couples you hang out with and think, "Hmmm. So that's what a healthy relationship looks like..." I'd never seen two people so happy together. I told everyone to let me know what I could do. Right before the graduation started, I got a call from G. telling me that our friend didn't want to be alone, and so all of our friends dropped what we were doing and went over to her house. I was planning on cleaning and getting ready for the party on Saturday night, but that really didn't seem all that important anymore.

We all sat outside on a beautiful night and cried and laughed and talked and drank (except me, because I had so much to do) with her until she felt okay to finally pass-out and go to sleep. It was an amazing, emotional and intense night and I was so glad I got to be there for her and felt lucky to have such an incredible group of friends.

A Trail of Ruby Red and Diamond White Hits Her Like a Sunrise

Here is a pic of the girls when they were younger hanging out by the fire escape at Pagliais Pizza.

Well, Coadster had her first free day after high school. She spent it registering to vote and getting a consult from my friend Kris for her first tattoo. Yup, it sounds like typical 18 year old behavior to me.

Sooooo, this is THE weekend. It's a long one, thank god and I plan on packing it full of crap. Tomorrow I get off at noon again. I'll run and take all my recycling in and start cleaning the hell out of my house.

Saturday will be more cleaning and shopping and finishing most of the things up, before we go to the actual graduation at 6.

Sunday I'm sure will find me breathing into a bag until the party starts at 3. I have no idea what to expect. I know a ton of my exe's family is planning on coming. Of course, my ex isn't helping in any way, shape or form, but he's always good about showing up, eating and ACTING like he did the whole thing. I suppose it's his last stand, so I just have to suck it up and deal with it. The girls and I were just talking about the food and how much we should get. Coadster seems to think that not many people will eat, and no matter what we get, we'll have a lot of leftovers. We also all agreed that we weren't letting people linger after 5. We all have things to do afterward, and so I might think about getting a cattle prod, just in case. My, but we're a hospitable lot, aren't we?

On Monday, I'll FINALLY be able to relax. I figure I'll run, and then some friends of mine and I are tentatively planning a longer bike ride to some small town and back.

Now it's your turn, how will you spend your long weekend? Will you be getting ready for a big shin dig, or scheming as to how you can get rid of your guests in a timely fashion?

And Life is Like a Song

Daisies!

I know I probably say this almost every day, but this could very well be the lamest blog post I've ever written. I only have a few days before the grad open house and I've been scrambling. The good news is that I don't have any more school functions to attend (aside from the actual graduation) and I only work a half day again on Friday. It will all get done and then it will finally be over. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about Coadster's graduation, but I've been putting so many things on hold until it happens.

So, as soon as it's over, I am ready to get some play time in. I'm going on long bike rides with friends, I'm learning how to kayak and I'm going to spend some time on my back porch reading a book and drinking a beer. I'll still get work done around my house, I'll just balance it better with fun things. I am soooo ready for Summer now.

Happiness, Is So Hard to Find

Here is a pic leftover from prom. Coadster's group decided to have a potluck and the family fixed their dining room all up for it, including rose petals all over the floor. Nice.

Today was a good money day. I rarely have those, so it is quite a celebration when get one. I gave plasma. The young boy who checked all my vitals to make sure I could donate, asked me if I worked out a lot. I told him I liked to run. Then when he stopped back to drop my chart off at my donating chair, he saw me reading and said, "Wow! A runner and a reader. That's awesome!" So, maybe there is hope for America's youth after all. As I was leaving, one of the women who worked there told me that they were raising their donating prices again. So, I'll get $50/week starting Monday. Sweet!

Coadster called me while I was donating. I called her back but just got her voice mail. She had her solo festival and she was getting ready for that. She didn't have time to rehearse because of all the time she had been putting into the school play lately. She asked me not to come, because she thought it would make her too nervous and she didn't want me to see her perform badly. I love to see her perform no matter what, but I understood, so I stayed away.

When she finally got back to me, she told me that she got a 4 year full ride scholarship. Even sweeter! I was so worried that she'd have to work full time and take classes full time and still have bad debt like I did when I was in college. Hopefully, now she won't have to work quite as hard and I don't have to breathe into a bag worrying...About that, anyway.

Too Legit to Quit

Here is one of the photos I posted on Craigslist to try and rent my apartment.

Jaysus, Mary and Joseph! It's finally done. That's right, the guy came over tonight and signed the sublease. Sure, I had to eat an extra month of rent to get there, but that's a hell of a lot better than 7 or 8. Now. NOW. I can finally do that thing I've been waiting to do since this whole process started and that is relax and finally enjoy the fruits and trials of homeownership. Ahhhhhhhhhh. In one week from today I will be closing and moving into my home and wearing out a path between my home and Menards. I can't wait....I think.

So, this will be my crazy, busy last push to clean and pack. At least I can see the end of it now.

And, oh yeah. It's the weekend. I almost forgot. I'm sure you won't have to wonder what I'll be doing this weekend. If you need to, see the preceding paragraph. Some of the Dublin girls planned an after work drinks and dinner thing for Friday night, but it starts at 5 and in my world, that's pretty impossible. Instead, I'll hopefully get a run in and then come home and dismantle and pack-up my kitchen.

Saturday there will be some running of errands, and more of that packing stuff. A friend of mine is celebrating her 50th birhtday at the Hilltop tavern and I might try to make it to that for some cheese fries...And to wish her a happy milestone, of course. Then I'm sure I'll meet a friend or two at the Dublin and make an early night of it and clean and pack some more.

Sunday will be more repetitiveness. I will also try to blow off some steam by running as much as I can too.

Soooo, how about you all? Will you be packing, cleaning and sorting? Or will you be packing, cleaning and sorting?

You May Tell Yourself, This Is Not My Beautiful House

My soon to be new home. I stole this off the realty site. I'll be sure to post the "after" shots as I get things fixed-up.

Guess what, kids? I got a call from the realtor this morning telling me that the loan went through and I got the house. Now I can get excited for real. YYYYEEEEAAAA! I'm so happy. I have a ton of work to do before November 19th, which is my closing date. Mainly, I have to sublet my apartment. I have no idea how tough that will be in the middle of the academic year in a college town, but I plan to be very diligent about that too. I already found someone on Facebook who wants to look at it. Keep your fingers crossed.

Here is part of the living room. I'm planning on painting it a camel color. I'd love to get the floors done, but that will have to wait until I somehow magically get more money.

I'm also spending as many hours as possible cleaning, packing and getting rid of crap. I have a very high-tech system of piles: one for garbage, one for Goodwill and one for saving and packing. I'm in that bad place right now where a lot of things are ripped apart, and not many things are organized and packed. I hope to be in a much better place with it by the weekend.

Here is my soon to be kitchen. I'm going to replace the ugly faux wood counters with black lamanite and sand and paint the cupboards white. I think i'll go with a periwinkle for the wall paint.

I'm at that happy, newly homeownered stage, but quickly moving into the "holy shit, yo! I have so much crap to do, I can't even think about it" stage. Like I always say, I'm a slow and steady girl. I just have to keep trudging along and somehow it will all get done, right?

This the dormer or teen room that Stinky has had her eye on since I started looking at houses.

This was the first house I liked when I looked on-line and the first house I physically looked at when I went out with the realtors. I guess it was meant to be. It has two bedrooms downstairs in addition to the huge dormer room upstairs. (which I will turn into my painting studio once Stinky finally goes off to college) It only has one bathroom, and no basement, but it does have a crawl space. I really just need to know there is someplace safe to hide if there's a tornado. We'll have a big laundry room and an attached garage. I've never had a garage before. There's also a small screened-in porch in the backyard that I'm already calling my drankin' porch. Oh, and of course, there are a couple of garden plots. It's almost everything I asked for and only three blocks off of my running route. So, once again, YYYYYEEEEEAAAA!

First, When There's Nothing but a Slow Glowing Dream

Here are some photos I took last year at the Halloween barn, on Scott Blvd.

Okay...I finally got news on the FHA appraisal and inspection. The lender was great and emailed me a copy of the report and called me right away to tell me over the phone. The house appraised at about $4,000 more than I'm paying for it and it passed the inspection with flying colors. Yea! I talked to the lender about what I should be fretting over next (you know there's got to be something). He said right now, the underwriter is going to look at it. They could see something we didn't catch, but the chances are pretty slim. He said for the most part, the only thing that could trip us up now is if the seller has any serious liens against the house. About a month ago, I Googled the address and saw that the city council just dropped a lien against the house in August. Hopefully, that's the only one. Anyway, according to my lender, I should feel free to get excited and there is really only a 1 % chance that I won't get my house. So, here's me getting excited: YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAW!...And here's me calming down a little, because there is still a 1% chance that something will fall through. He said I might know for sure, for sure by Monday.

The lender guy did say to me that he wished all his clients were as well-prepared and diligent as I was, and that really cracked me up.

Here is a shot of most of the front of the barn.

So, yeah. It's the weekend coming up here. I'm not sure what I'm doing on Friday. There's a big RAWK! show at Kandyland. The bar is closing and this is their last live gig. I probably should go to that, because a lot of my friends will be performing and I haven't gone out to support them in forever. The only thing is that Coadster has All State auditions on Saturday. I have to have her at the high school at 6 am. I just don't know if I can fit it all in, and my girls always come first.

I should be very ready to go out and celebrate and have a beer on Saturday night. It's one of the first weekends in forever when I don't have friends coming in from out of town. I'm hoping for a nice mellow evening at the bar with a few close friends, but who knows how things will actually go down...Oh, and I'll spend my days cleaning and packing and organizing and running as much as possible too.

What about you all? Will you be celebrating some aweome news, or will you be rising at an ungodly hour to make sure your kids get where they need to be?

You've Got to Want to Succeed

Here is a group shot, so you can see tons of scary 80's wear.

Man, I wish I had an extra day for this weekend too. It's been great, I just always try to pack so much into it. I'd love an extra day to get it all done.

So, Friday? Well, at first both the girls were going to drive to the town a half hour from us to watch the football game, then neither of them were going. It finally went down that Stinky went to sleepover at a friend's house and Coadster stayed home with me. We got a pizza delivered and watched a movie. She had to take the ACT test in the morning, so she wanted to just shut her brain off before she had to crank it up in the morning. Of course, that means I didn't get to read as much of my book as a I wanted, but I try to take full advantage of any time I can get with my girls. I'll for sure finish it this week, though.

As you all know, you need a seriously ozone depleting amount of Aquanette to host a successful 80's party.

Saturday was crazy busy and that was mostly my fault. Lately, I've been feeling great and in good shape and it affects everything else with me, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I REALLY don't want to lose that over the Winter. So, I thought a good way to keep me on a roll, was to decide to do a triathlon next year. I hate to be bad at stuff, so I'm thinking if I commit to a triathlon, I'll keep up with training work-outs all Winter long and I'll stay in shape, which will keep me happy and well-adjusted (well, as I can be, anyway). I guess we'll see how that goes when the snow and ice starts flying.

Anyway, I added biking and swimming to my running and it cut into my time to do other things, but by Saturday afternoon, I was flying high on endorphins - my drug of choice.

Here was my 80's party attire.

On Saturday night I went to the 80's party and it was all different kinds of fun. Everybody made white trash casseroles, and there wasn't just Mad Dog 20/20, there were Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers too. Yeah, they covered all the bases.

Many of my favorite people were there. I had my few beers, did some Molly Ringwald from The Breakfast Club dancing and had great conversations. I spent a lot of time talking to a woman who I've known for a while, but not very well. She and her husband buy and flip houses and she was telling me she thought I should buy my own home. It's something I've been kicking around for a while and this wasn't the first time anyone's ever told me that. Since she's in the business, she had a lot of great knowledge and advice about which banks to go to and how much a mortgage payment might be, depending on what I borrow. In other words, she was awesome. Of course, I have almost a whole year left on my lease, but I might start getting a little more serious about persuing it.

Here are my pink and black Vans - the best part of my outfit.

By midnight, the keg was dry and half the party was heading to the Dublin and the other half was staying and sitting in front of the fire. I decided it was a perfect time for me to head home. So, I said my totally tubular goodbyes and walked to my abode.

And We Can Dress Real Neat From Our Hats to Our Feet

Here's me at the ass-end of the 80's. Good lord! Check out my hair.

So, tonight was a really odd running experience. I think I've told you about 8,421 times before that I've been running the same route for over twenty years, right? So, a lot of people who live along it, think they know me, even though we've never spoken before. It's great for safety reasons. As I was running today, a woman stopped me to tell me she thought I looked incredible. Normally, I don't like to stop at all during my run, but if I had to, I suppose there are worse reasons. Then a bunch of people I don't know waved or "Woo-Hoo'ed" me. By the time I hit Summit Street, I saw a guy riding a bike with his kid in a trailer. He waved, and I waved back with no recognition. He looked at me more closely and I figured out that not only did I know him, he was dating my friend Marla and was there when Coadster and I had the horse and buggy accident. I hadn't seen him since the John Irving reading almost two years ago. Talk about synchronicity. Weird.

Hey, is it the weekend already? Sweet! It snuck up on me, so I haven't really thought about what I'll do tomorrow night. I'm sure it will be something crazy and exciting like staying home and reading and listening to music. I still haven't finished Razor's Edge yet, but I'm at a really good place in the book, so I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.

Saturday my friends are having an 80's party where that decade dress is required. Which could really mean anything. I went through so many different phases back then. I can promise you, I won't be caught dead in a sweater vest and there's no way in hell I'm cutting my bangs again just for the occasion. I might just wear straight leg jeans, a Clash t-shirt, a pair of Chuck Taylor's and tons of black eyeliner, because that's what I wore for much of the mid-eighties anyway. My friend K. is talking about back combing her bangs and making her hair huge, and I can't wait to see that.

My girl crush is coming into town for it too. So, it should be a lot fun girls and silliness - my favorite combination. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a little crazy and bring my camera to document it all

Now it's your turn. What do you have going on this weekend? Will you be running around your town seeing ghosts from your past, or will you be reliving your glory days?

It's Lonely at the Bottom, Man, It's Dizzy at the Top

My favorite bartender S. thought it was funny to take this Miss Lonelyhearts photo of me sitting alone at a table.

Finalmente! On Friday I was finally given my perfect nerd girl evening. It was exactly what I needed. My girls were safe and happy at a high school football game and I got my alone time. It was one of those moments I try to recognize for how wonderful they are when they're happening. You know? It's so easy to remember the really horrible times or the dramatically great times, but I'm almost happier with the quieter, less landmark times that aren't quite as exciting, but every single part of it is exactly what I want to happen. That was Friday night for me. Everything transpired even better than I could have hoped.

My favorite bartender S. humoring me by taking his turn posing for a Mr. Drunken Loser pic.

Saturday was pretty damn good too. I can only do so much socializing before I shut-down, but my friend G. can keep going and going and going...So, she calls or emails or makes me go out one night per week and relates all of her incredibly dramatic experiences to me and I can still stay home and read books every other night. It's perfect. And that was pretty much my Saturday night. We went out and I had my couple of beers, and a fun talk with G. and when I started getting tired, G. had found some other friends to play with, so I was able to take a ride home with my friend Rachie who was in town for the weekend.

Today I got to spend some time with the girls. I still can't believe how wonderful the weather has been all week. When the girls were younger, we would have gone hiking or bike riding, but now that they're in high school, it's a lot harder to schedule those things. I did grill burgers and I still tried to keep my Sunday dinner tradition up. During the week, it's hard to schedule dinner all together because of practice schedules and team dinners for whatever sports they're in, but I make sure we get our Sunday dinner together. I know that makes me corny and dorky, but my girls seem to appreciate it too.

The best thing about this weekend, is that we still have another day of it. I'm not sure how we'll fill the time yet, but I totally intend to make the most of it.

She Comes and Goes and Comes and Goes Like No One Can

My friend J. kissing her brand new husband.

So, now we're on to Saturday. The girls wanted to go to the mall and you all know how much it pains me to step foot into that den of inequity. I agreed anyway, because I know how happy it makes them when I do. It's weird. You'd think they'd want to go without me so they could flirt with boys and spend some time there, without me telling them they have five minutes until my head explodes and they have to start scraping the pieces of my brain off the floor and walls. I guess all I can do is keep saying my new mantra - "Teenagers are weird. Teenagers are weird. Teenagers are weird..." and enjoy the fact that they still want to hang out with me.

My camera was all wonky for some reason and made us all look like George Hamilton in this pic.

Around 8:30, I picked up G. and we headed to the wedding festivities. My girl crush was in town for it, and that made it just that much MORE fun. We all had a great time. The bride was beautiful and happy and we had one hell of a dance party.

The girl crush getting woman-handled by D., while everyone else was trying to keep the peace/piece.

At one point, we were all dorking-out, doing our old-skool dance maneuvers. I was doing my silly Russian Kossak dance that I find so entertaining. I didn't count on how slippery the dance floor was, and my feet ended up flying out from under me and I landed flat on my ass. One of my ex-boyfriends was there with his current girlfriend. The minute my friend G. walked in from having a ciggie, he had to tell her of my dance mishap. She just laughed and said, "When isn't Churlita falling on her ass?"

Back at the old Dublin Underground.

The reception ended pretty early. Since I wasn't really drinking, (Yeah, I fall on my ass when I'm completely sober) I drove everyone back into town. G.'s ex was having his bachelor party at the Dublin. Gawd, this town is tiny! I stayed for about a half hour of that, but then I was ready to go. I drove my friends with the new baby home, and then stayed up way too late lying in my bed with Stinky, watching a cheesy movie. I really just needed to be home with my girly.

I Saw You Just The Other Day, My, How You Have Grown

I had to wait to get on the computer, because the girls were doing their homework after all of their other things. So, I won't have the time to do this justice, but I'll still give it the old college try. It's Coadster's 17th birthday, so here's my letter to her:

Dear Coadster the Roadster, Mijita, Changita,

As you begin your final year as a minor, there are so many things I want to tell you. I wish you could learn from all of my mistakes, but I know that's not how it works. You have to make your own and get hurt and be sad, no matter how much it kills me to see it. I'm worried that I haven't prepared you for forging your way into your journey as an adult. But I also know that you've had more common sense than I have since you were born. A wonderful side effect of your control issues, is that you have to thoroughly research any new situation or experience before you begin it. I've learned so much from you because of that.

I know we've talked about this several times throughout your life, but you don't have to be super woman. It isn't your job to fix the world by yourself. Most of the problems were here before you were born and they'll most likely be here after we're all gone. It's okay to leave some of the work for someone else now and again. Sure, they probably won't do it right, as far as you're concerned, but it will be just fine.


You've been so lucky to find most of your passions at such an early age. You were singing before you could talk, and as far as I remember, you were crazy about politics and sports since you were in 2nd grade or so. Your stubbornness and love of the underdog, makes you the perfect Cubs fan. I hope you figure out a way to make your living teaching music and coaching soccer. If anyone can, you will.

Remember to take the time to rest and relax. When you were little and you got too overwhelmed, we would work on your breathing, and as you got into junior high, you learned to give yourself a time-out and listen to music to calm down. Don't forget that little trick. If I know you, it's something that will come in handy when you're in college and after.

You've always been a "grass is greener" girl. Wherever you were, somewhere else looked better. In grade school, you wanted to be in high school and all throughout high school, you've been dreaming of going away (as far as you can get) to college. If there is one thing you really need to work on, I'd say it was to learn to be happy where you are. You'll miss some of the best parts of your experiences, by looking over them to the next one.

This last year with you, I promise to appreciate the hell out of you and work on making you an independent woman. All those years of going through stages, butting heads, struggling with all the practical matters of parenting and laughing at and loving all of the wonderfully quirky parts of you, have led us to this point. The point where I finally look at you as not just my daughter, but as an amazing person completely separate from me. I feel like the luckiest mom in the world to get to go through all of this with you.

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Churlita

See These Eyes So Green, I Can Stare for a Thousand Years

Here is a photo of a guy walking in front of me collecting cans.

Sooooo, I guess all the build-up this week only means one thing. Coadster is going to prom this Saturday night. I hope she has fun. She is going with a boy who lives one block over from us and who is in show choir with her. He is a really good guy and I think they'll have a great time with the 7 other couples they're doing things with. She asked me if I'd go with her to her friend's house to take photos. Duh. Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Here is a flower.

Tomorrow night Coadster will babysit for my friend K.'s boyfriend's son, so they can go to a show at the Mill. Stinky will have a trackmeet until 10'ish, so I might even have an hour in there somewhere to myself.

Coadster was at a soccer game in a town about an hour and a half away. Their game went into double overtime and so she should be home pretty close to midnight tonight and she still has to finish her math homework. So, I'm trying to blog quickly and finishing paying my bills on-line to leave the computer open when she gets home. This one computer and one bathroom for three girls can be kind of tricky sometimes.

David Bowie's "Cat People" just came on my iTunes. I love that song so much, but when Stinky heard it, she said, "So, you like this song?" and made that face. You know the one. It's the same one I make when some of her favorite songs come on. I guess we're even then.

Okay, that's all I have time for. Let me know what you're up to and if I don't get on here this weekend, Happy Mother's Day! to all you muthah's...You know who you are.