The '80s are Back

Or at least that is what it felt like this weekend. How many days do you get to hear "Lean on Me" and "Brass Monkey" in the same hour unless you're listening to oldies radio?

Things I learned:

1) Some of us aged better than others.

2) Guys held up better on average than expected, but there were some women who had to have made a deal with the devil to look that good.

3) Ben still makes me nervous (see picture).

4) All my parts still move on the dance floor. Sometimes the way they're supposed to.

5) I can still hold my liquor.

6) I still don't know what a hangover feels like.

7) Cleavage is in.

8) My memory for names is improving. There is hope for me yet.

9) Some people really turned out nice. And said some lovely things about me.

10) It's one thing to put your J-High dance picture with Former Love of Your Life on a Yahoo Group where a few people will snigger at it in good fun. It is quite another to see it up on a screen eleventy feet tall in a room of two hundred other people.

11) '80s hair was big. Shockingly so. I blame the lack of CHI iron technology.

12) Acne comes back. Even in your '30s.

13) The bad boys are, for the most part, still bad. Just bad with credit cards attached.

14) Never count out the class clown; he will end up being a lawyer and running for judge. His charm will get him there.

15) Hug even those you barely knew. It makes them feel good (usually) and their spouses will put up with it for one night.

16) White boys can dance. But they have to be drinking.

17) Getting all mooshy and sentimental about the class song is okay. Everyone else feels as dumb, and it makes good pictures.

18) Dancing = barely walking the next day = feeling old.

A day in the life

Pictures, I have pictures...

Waking up I stumble to the patio and survey the backyard. The grass is looking nicely mowed. Not that I had anything to do with it.

Next, it's time to wake up the Little Critter. Increasingly difficult these days without using the word "computer!"

Then it's time for the to-do list.

Capture dogs.

Feed dogs.

Clean out office area for coupons and PTA stuff.

Straighten pantry.

Clean out entry hall.

Stack blocks.

Make truffles for $16 order from JJ's work.

Package chocolatey goodness.

Do dishes.

And somewhere in there, try to pack for the weekend.

And it isn't even 4 p.m. yet.

Six down, six to go

Summer weeks, that is.

Let's see where we are...

Number of hours training for new job: 0
Number of hours anticipated in training (soon please!): eleventy six
Number of Anne Perry WWI novels read: 5 (Reavleys ROCK the early 20th century)
Number of other books read: 31+
Number of edifying, character-building non-fiction books read: 1/2
(Number of trivial-minded lazy arses writing this entry: 1)

Number of hours the Little Critter has read this summer for the summer reading program: 28:20
Number of hours left to go until she earns the top prize: 21:40
Number of times Fish swore she would do something educational with the LC for summer: 4
Number of successes prior to this: 0

Number of days the LC went to Vacation Bible School this week: 3
Number of days the LC threw up in the morning: 2
Number of times the LC tried diving this week: 84
Number of times the LC dove after teaching herself how: 14
Number of sunburns acquired by Fish: 1

Number of times the Bigun called since she left for training: 14
Number of times the Bigun had a specific request to send/fix/solve something: 2
Number of hours needed to clean Bigun's room once vacated: 2
Number of items of clothing hung, folded, straightened etc.: 72

Number of toothpaste tubes purchased this summer: 13
Number of dollars spent on said toothpaste: 1
Number of coupon inserts left by Roger the Coupon Fairy: 219
Number of dollars tipped to Roger: 30
Number of dollars 219 papers would cost: 378.80

Number of weekends until Summer PTA Seminar: 1
Number of items on to-do list: 44
Number of items accomplished: 2
Number of weekends until 20th reunion: 2
Number of items on to-do list: 25
Number of items accomplished: 4

Number of pounds lost: 6
Number of pounds gained: 9
Number of times felt like Bridget Jones except with husband and children: 45

Number of pregnancies: 0
Number of likely pregnancies, since "quality of ovulation is that of a post menopausal woman": 0
Number of sons: 0
Number of "false alarms": 2

Number of days without rain: 13
Number of days at poolside: 20
Number of stupid Fish getting wet out of the water: 1

Number of tomatoes grown: 2
Number of tomatoes eaten by critters: 2
Number of times Lowes' nursery has been cursed: 4,000
Number of years Fish has tried to grow vegetables: 5
Number of failed years: 5

Number of movies seen in a theatre: 0
Number of vacations: 0
Number of Astros' games in ballpark: 1
Number of road trips for fun: 1
Number of road trips upcoming: 3
Number that involve airplanes: 1
Number of dollars for said jaunts: 0

Number of times felt completely happy with life: 78,951





Number of blog role models who generously nominated Fishie as a Rockin' Girl Blogger: 1


Contrary definitely deserved her nomination, which is why she's one of my "Loverly People." I'm going to get out my gold stars and make my list in a little bit.

Little Lies

I get this phone call while I'm in line at the post office. The LC has spent the night with her BFF and as soon as I'm through I'm off to pick her up. I ignore the call, figuring 5 minutes more won't make a difference in calling the mom back. It rings again. "Let me call you right back." I say and hang up. They frown on chatting on the cell phone while you're in line.



When I'm free, I call back and get this story.


Both girls are in trouble. Someone went into the mom's bathroom and spilled her (only) bottle of perfume. Neither girl will fess up and they're both in hot water. Apparently someone thought it would be fun to pour perfume into a spray bottle and spray stuffed animals with it.

Now, my first reaction is to think the other kid did it, because mine knows a world of trouble falls on her if she messes with stuff like that. Basically it isn't in her character. However, the friend has been in trouble before for lying, more than once over pretty serious stuff. But the mom says they've both lied to her, and she's fed up.

OK, I'll play.

I walk in and say "This is the last opportunity to tell the truth." Mine says she didn't do it. The other one says her sister was there, the perfume was already open, and she was trying to clean it up. The sister is dragged in, and the sister says the friend did it, and talked about doing it the day before. But, of course, she didn't see it. The LC agrees, the friend says her sister was there. It's all one big mess.

The friend is grounded for a month from the phone and can't have her tv or other stuff. I tell the LC the same will happen to her, but this is just for show in front of her friend. I have my suspicions that she didn't take part. Then I get her in the car.

On the way home, while she's crying, I ask "Do you know I love you? Do you think even after all this, I would stop loving you? Do you think anything could make me stop?" We've had this talk before; she wants to be good, and when she makes a mistake, she feels as though she won't be loved. So any time there's an issue, I remind her nothing she does makes me stop loving her.

That said, we talk about what happened. She maintains she didn't do anything. I say "You know in your heart whether you did it or not. If you didn't, and your friend is blaming you, what does that say about your friend?"

I think she's getting it.

I tell her just to have a quiet day, with no TV and with a little cleaning, and not to worry about punishment. So a few hours later I get a call. The mom and the friend are on the way over. The friend confesses, and apologizes. I'm a fair sport about it, but inside I'm seething.

The LC is getting a good hard look at what it means to be dishonest, and how it affects other people. Hopefully she'll take it as an object lesson. For the record, the LC isn't in trouble at all. But mom will definitely be watching this friend.