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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Staycation, Day 3

Working away at the list J and I made, when I stayed home 2 weeks to chauffeur her back and forth between b-ball practices and games. The practices have since been canceled, but the staycation is on.

We plan to:
Eat at greasy spoons.
Run in the am (prob. after the greasy spoons)
Have a root beer float, with real ice cream
Walk the dog to starbucks
Watch GWTW and West Side Story each, at least once.
Watch ER reruns, the ones that still had that edge
Paint
Go to the perfect tree in auburn
see a flick gary wont' go to
Fly a kite
Bake brownies

Monday, June 29, 2009

You so owe me

That was in the glare as Jennifer and I are standing in the lobby at St. Joe's today.

I can't stop snickering. I'm holding a bag that contains a plastic bedpan, a jar with a hazardous waste symbol on it, and blue liquid, and a little scoop for poo. J's in this case. This is what she needs to conduct a fecal matter sample to confirm whether she has pin worms or not. Now she self-diagnosed on WebMD and the doc just gave her the pills (2) to clear out her system. So the sample the nurse said to take in on her own (sitting in a Target bag at her feet) was not needed after all.

But then her doc filled out a lab sheet and said, might as well walk 'em over and have them test it. When I handed the target bag to the clinic manager, she looked askance and asked me how fresh it was. At this time, I notice my daughter is edging farther and farther away from em. Thanks, leave me with your s*(&^&.

When I told her Jennifer had collected the sample last night, the techs said nope, has to be in their container, fresh, - as in same day - and collected their way.

It was at this point I started to giggle. There was NO WAY J was doing this again. So we collected the pills, and dumped the bag on the way out.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Mourning the loss of icons, who died again?

That was sort of the conversation Jennifer and I had yesterday as I arrived home to learn that - no her b-ball game started at 6 pm, not 5 pm, so there was no need to scream up the freeway like I did and that Michael J. had died.

Now, she knew who Michael Jackson was, and only the weird MJ we've all had to suffer watching the last 15 years or so, as his face and antics have gotten stranger and stranger. We listened to his music and even she was surprised at how talented he was. And how many of the artists she listened to on 106.1 had copied his style and antics on stage.

Farrah, well, she new about her too. And laughed when I told her about how I cut off my locks at 12 to look like her (and could never get my hair to look like those famous curls).

Ed McMahon, she had no idea.

But she did know about Walter Cronkite, who is very ill right now.

I feel like I'm watching all the icons of my childhood, or about J's age 30 years ago, die around me.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

That's a washing machine in front of you

And you need to set the water to cold.

No that's the left-hand knob as you're looking at it.

Then you need to set the middle knob to cold and cold.

OK, finally, you see the knob on the far right? Set that to six minutes.

Will wonders never cease. My daughter called me up at work today to ask HOW TO DO THE WASH. Specifically, the whites she needed for her basketball game tonight. I'd like to think she'd gotten the urge to pitch in, just because it's the right thing to do. But I"ll take any motivation I can get.

I then went off to heat up my lunch, and came back to find my cell phone on my keyboard. It had obviously buzzed itself there, so I looked and sure 'nough...jennifer.

So I called back.

"No, never mind, I figured it out."

Okay. I'm not going to ask.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Shine to s*&) in ten minutes

I had a bouncy daughter appear from her last day at school, carrying her b-friends lit book, to return for him so he could catch his bus (I frown at this), but her choice.

Then 10 minutes later, she returns sans book and without her happy glow. Apparently in this time, her b-friend has somehow dissed her and she's seen 3 of her closest friends, with sleeping bags getting into a car to go to an overnighter at a lakehouse. J. was not invited.

I didn't have much to say about that, and warned her father to STAY OUT OF IT.

"Look Gary, what exactly our are options here. We ask her about it, she won't want to talk. We can't ask the friends about why they excluded her obviously, and I WON'T ask the mom's which is just as bad. And NO she wont' be going to practice today because the house she was going to go home to after practice is the abode of one of the girls. Socially, it just won't work."

The look he give me tells me he doesn't get it. But he knows by now to follow my lead.

This morning he asked me if we'd had any update on the overnight not invited event. I told him no, and we'll probably never know. Girls just are like that.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Two hours of school

Dropped J. off at just before 8 am today, and I"m about ready to leave to pick her up at 10:05 am. 2 hours of school, mostly signing yearbooks and cleaning out lockers. yeah, quality ed. No idea why they had school today (most of the teachers told the kids, don't bother), exp. for the 180 day rule.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

One more follow up

I think she's really understood what I said about the last post (at this point, still too grumpy to admit it). Next year will tell. At this point, either the ethics or honorable conduct you've tried to drill in for the last 16 years will stick...or not.

I replayed in my mind the times, if any, I've cheated- or it could be construed as such in her mind. It was one of the things she threw at me during our fight. "YOU can't tell me you never did or planned to do anything."

Well, true, it has crossed my mind to plant weeds in the picky, nasty neighbors lawn. Or when my dog bit another, to give another phone # beside my real one. J. knows this. BUT I didn't actually do it.

Still replaying the tapes.

Cheating

On the way home the other day, Jennifer's b-friend started going through her text faves, and reading off names, esp. of the boys, and asking about them.

Friendly back-and-forth for a bit, then suddenly..."uh oh, I think someone was thinking about cheating."

Apparently she had started to text in an q/a to a anat-phys question. Or at least enough for L. to figure out what she was thinking about.

From the look on my face, he prob. wished to gawd he'd kept his mouth shut. I lit into J. in a way...well, prob. not in a way she could remember.

She swore she didn't do it (and I believe her) and that the teacher made them keep their cell phones in their backpacks anyway (can see why) and watched them like a hawk (ditto). And finally, she knew the answer anyway(I believe that too.) She did well on the final, and I believe it was an honest A.

But still, the fact she'd even planned to cheat on a question we'd just drilled the night before had me gnashing my teeth.

She finally started shooting back, "YOU have no idea the pressure I'm under from you and dad to get all a's...YOU have no idea what my life it like....AND YOU'RE all hypocrites."

Well didn't really track the last accusation. I figure that was thrown in for good measure.

But after more stony silence on the way home, with l. hoping J. was still his g-friend the next day, we took up the conversation again.

I told her I'd rather her bring home a C by honest work than an A through this. And I realized that I"d probably never know if she decided to do it from now on, but wished if she felt stressed or needed to study more TELL ME.

More silence. I think she got the point. Only time will tell.

Buddy Holly and a generation gap

Just back from watchigng the play "Buddy Holly Story" at the Tacoma Little Theater. Actually a pretty good production, and the lead looked and sang like Buddy.

But at the end, I think I embarassed my daughter.

Gary and I both got up and started singing along with the songs, and then Gary looked over and nudged me. Both J. and b-friend were sitting down. I think J was glaring at us when we weren't looking.

Oh well, I have to listen to 106.1 every day on the way into school. She can humor me.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

And speaking of last-minute requests

Make this last-minute study habits.

We'll be studying for 3 finals out at the kitchen table, away from the TV tonight.

Last night, she didn't have any finals, or homework, so I let her go to a ballgame to boy watch (when I picked her up, she didn't know the score, or even the inning)

But this morning, she was lamenting all the finals she had to study for for Friday.

So, add that to the list of things that will fall under the text ban next year.

Last minute requests

As of now, I've decided they are going to cost my darling daughter.

First it was, at 7:10 am in the morning yesterday "in health class, they want us to bring a snack in for extra credit, and I need the extra credit....could we stop by the store."

I couldn't believe it. She couldn't have mentioned this when I dropped her off at b-ball practice or her father picked her up and they were within spitting distance of a top food.

I told her no. She grumped and went back into the bathroom to continue to primp.

As I get to work, I look down and see a text.

7:58 am. Moommmmy! I don't have any lunch $$. Could you please bring some up.

I called the hubby and vented. He told me to calm down and tried to broach the subject of picking up said healthy snack while I was at it.

I told him no. Hung up.

So for an hour, I ran up the freeway and back down. Time I had planned to write. But even tho i was tempted, I couldn't let the little darl'n starve.

But next time this last minute stuff occurs, I explained to her after I calmed down, it will cost you this.

Your texting privileges are revoked for the following evening. Not even for homework. You'll have to use the landline. And don't even try to tell me you have to talk to your boyfriend for an hour about homework.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I don't want to be seen in middle school

That was the protest after I dragged J. to her old middle school last week, where I was covering a story for PLU. Lots of lutes at that school, and I decided it would make a perfect scene (alum mag) centerpiece.

But the thought of seeing middle schoolers, or the horror, being thought of as a middle schooler was almost too much. Scheduling didn't allow for it tho, and I wasn't going to drop her off at HS at 6:30 am. So she comes with me.

I think she did like seeing her old teachers again tho-even though I think she pretented not to care.

OK mom's a news junkie

And as it's turning out, a twitter junkie-following the iran election and the resulting protests afterward.

Time and time again, I kept turning to Jennifer, saying -come look at this, come read this - as brave protesters stood their ground in the face of police with clubs, rubber bullets and sometimes real ones. And fists. Even Jennifer winced as a woman was beaten by police. Apparently one of the main sources of the protesters to the outside world (since the journos have been kicked out) is cell phones, YouTube and twitter. Even the state department is asking twitter to not shut down for maintenance later today.

Then, my daughter, somewhat annoyed I've dragged her away from texting with her b-friend, wandered into the back room-probably for privacy. Probably so it would be more difficult for mom to come and grab her "come look at this."

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Trust

"I really don't very many people," my daughter pronounced as I was driving her to school.

At first, I took this personally. What had I done to raise such a skeptic?

But then I thought, I'm the same way. I trust friends at various levels. And I trust my husband of 23 years more than I trust any man. But total complete trust?

Oddly enough, my daughter is on that short list, and so is my mom. That doesn't mean I tell them EVERYTHING. But it does mean that at their core, they will have my back, no matter who it pisses off.

As we discussed this, Jennifer turned to me and said "I guess I trust you...but I really can't think of anyone else."

I'll have to remember this next time she snarls at me for being the worst mother ever.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Delay, obfuscate, melee

One, by one through 150 words, we worked our way through Jennifer's vocab list. Final is on Friday.

About word #70, I finally took her buzzing cell phone away and tucked it in my pocket.

"mommy!"

"You'll get it back when we're done. We can't go through these words and text at the same time, unless you plan to have your friends text you the words and drill you."

"No? Fine, then it's staying in my pocket."

I could feel it buzzing at about 5 min. intervals throughout the mock quiz.

She got about 2/3 right, so we'll go through the rest tomorrow. At least once.

And a facade of interest, or obfuscation, won't cut it.

Friday, June 5, 2009

I'm not sure I want to know the answer to this

But do old people still make out, my daughter asks.

Define old.

I see her giving me the hairy eyeball. OK, old means, me.

After a few more heartbeats, she decides it's time to clarify.

"After all, I just can't see 80 year olds giving each other tongue. They should stick to pecks on the cheek"

"Please don't ask your grandmother about this, I'd like to her see at least 81," I said.

"And yes, old people, if that includes your dad and I, still make out"

Eeeeeew. Gross!

Well, you asked.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

In case you were wondering

Her dad said "no" even faster than I did. She since moved on to something else to be annoyed at us about.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Mommy?

I always tense up when I hear that.

This time it was please, please, please, could she go up with Ashley and her family to Whistler.

Now I should have just said, no, you don't have a passport, so no go, you'd be stuck at the border.

But instead I told her the real reason. My bad.

"I haven't even met Ashley's parents."

"Yes, you have."

"Doing sign language with her grandmother, who only speaks Filipino does not count. I have yet to meet her mom or dad, who somehow mysteriously pay the bills and make sure dinner's on the table, but I've yet to actually meet them in person."

"Dad has"

"Yeah, try again. He thought he was waving at Ashley's parents, and found out later it was another friend's parental units."

"What do you think is going to happen to me? Moooom!!"

"Jennifer, I'm not sending you 7 hours north, into another country (yeah, I know it's Canada, the other white meat), with people who don't even bother, rich tho they may be, to check out the parents dropping off or picking up their kid! Or for that matter even call to check us out."

Privately, I could just see phantom mom looking at two nice young men the girls just met, with Helter Skelter tattoed on their butts, and saying "oh, have a nice time." I didn't share this.

"I hate you." Pause. Wheels turning.

"I'm going to ask dad."

"Good luck with that."