We returned from Atlanta on Sunday the 27th with five bags and left with four. Standing in front of baggage claim in my post-flight haze I forgot that there was another bag. My child has three pair of shoes that fit her right now and that bag has two of them. Sigh– going to Delta airlines at LAX after work this evening to see if I can find it sans baggage ticket.
Fortunately, I do have a backup pair of glasses… that is unless I lose them.
For those of us prone to apoplectic goal-setting benders, New Year’s is like a latte. We know we can do without it but we’re sucked in by the taste and caffeine kick.
Once again I’m laying out the red carpet ressies to my hubbie. It is hard to limit myself to three:
Mark was surprised about the 5K as — typical Leo — I’ve only run a mile on the TREADMILL twice and I’m picturing myself going over the finish line seeing supportive family on sidelines with “Go Katie” poster. My daughter hugging my neck and Mark giving me congratulatory kiss.
But, although I’ve run a 5K a loooonnnnnng time ago, I want to do it again. But, running outside means subjecting myself to sweat, sunscreen burning my eyes and the fear of wearing shorts in public.
Technically, it’s not 2008 yet so I still have about 24 hours to lighten up on the juice. For example, why not simply pledge to:
This means I’m taking on six (6) resolutions. If I can only stick to these and NOT add more.
Gimme another latte and I’ll think about it.
One minute I’m groggy and filling out medical forms with my insurance card secured to clip board, the next I can’t find the damn card. I know I put it in my wallet in the catch-all zipped section that’s getting hard to zip.
I’ve been looking through my wallet and purse for three days now. I blame the waiting room trolls who prey on spacey working parents. Turn your head for a minute and they snatch all the vitals– lipstick, tampons, pens, PDA’s and assorted prescriptions.
Look for a follow-up comment to find out if I recover my card and how to ween a troll off of Vicadin.
Signing up my child for her school’s hot lunch program saved time and sanity. No more late night creative throwing together a lunch that she never eats or morning arguments about what goes into that lunch. Plus, since she goes to a Title I school, breakfast is also provided — bonus on mornings when we’re out of frozen pancakes, her fave.
I don’t get it. Conservatives are afraid of Hillary Clinton yet so are left-leaning liberals.
I remember my uncle, an elite attorney in D.C., telling me that when he walked down the halls of his government office that people feared him. He was proud of that. If people fear you, isn’t that power? It’s much better than being laughed at.
Recently Christian members of my family forwarded an inspirational “joke” email to me with scenes of serene waterfalls, statements about how beautiful life is and how holding Hillary’s head under the water would complete a perfect picture. Harsh. And, my left-leaning friends think she’s practically a Bush-Lite.
I’m undecided as a voter but absolutely fascinated by the Hillary hate spin. Most lefties and righties probably don’t know the following about Hill:
I like anyone who’s going to challenge the establishment and bring in new ideas. She seems like someone who could unite both sides. I’m still blown away that she had to forgive infidelity on the most public stage in the world and I guess forgiveness is threatening. Almost makes me want to– hold her head under the water???
In August, I’d read about the lunar eclipse and thought- what the hell. We need to break up the routine and this could even quality as an ADVENTURE. Usually our idea of an adventure is feeding more than 300 tickets into the Chuck E Cheese ticket muncher then standing in line for 30 minutes watching children choose between a rubber ball or a spider ring. Woo-hoo!
As a pilot’s daughter, I’ve always romanticized the sky. I remember getting up in the middle of the night with my Dad to see Hayley’s comet in 1976 . I can still see a splash of chalky milk against a dark Sacramento, Calif. night. I felt both in awe of the universe and also very safe under his arm. He bought a telescope and always knew the right time to see a constellation or even Jupiter.
In my adventure with the stars, there was little planning, no telescope – not even binoculars. It was a clear night and the alarm worked so at 3:30 a.m. kiddo and I backed out of the garage and into our adventure. We drove up and down streets looking like we’re trying to find a lost dog. I think my child even called out, “moon, where are you, moon?” I started to worry after 15 minutes or so and anti-climatic thoughts started to crash the moon party. Then, we caught it.
I pulled over on the 91 freeway and she crawled over the console and sat in my lap. The shadowed moon was the color of Alabama clay–appropriately enough, sitting in the Southern sky. We identified cloud shapes- I saw an animal and she saw a butt and we laughed a lot.
Tucking her in, I was so proud of myself. Now, Claire and I had our moment under the sky.
Pulled up in front of school yard last Friday. Running late and guilt meter already high as I had:
Last Friday was really only my second time even taking her to this school and I’m looking through the fence at a sea of people in red shirts. Adults and kids all lining up on the playground all in red school colors. “Oh man,” I tell D. Claire, who knew today was national red day?”
As I walk kiddo to the playground and see her in her denim shorts and jacket, I tear-up. My kid appears to be the only one not wearing red. How could I have missed this?
Later as I’m telling this story it’s really funny and her Dad gets a laugh. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I’ll tell her that it’s important to stand out as an individual, you know, something like that. I’ll talk to her about it.”
I feel better.
The ego gets outed. Great timing for all working parents. Just as we’re feeling like shit because even summer school is closed for the summer and we’ve put our kids in some random camp run by Teenagers so that we can continue to work, here comes toe-tapping Larry Craig hitting on a cop in a restroom.
Handing out his senatorial business card upon arrest at the Minn. St. Paul Airport, Larry “What do you think of that” Craig might be singing “Bend Over Sweet Chariot” in his now defunct Barbershop Senator Choir with Trent Lott and John Ashcroft he takes in the ass for this stupid stunt.
Second day on the job– a developer and I have to deliver some difficult news.
We get them on the phone:
Me: “Hi– I’m afraid that I’ve got an issue to report and some ways that we want to address it.”
Client: OK (gulp!)
Me: Unfortunately while reviewing your HTML, we discovered some inconsistencies…– uh— uh, (at this moment I see a 3 inch cockroach crawling up my leg. I jump up, I do NOT scream and I swipe at the f*cker.)
Me: There’s literally a huge bug crawling up my leg and I’m trying to get it off. Uh, hold that thought. <My colleague and I yelp> (I try two and three times to get this thing off of my leg. Finally, fourth swipe and it gets on the floor.)
My colleague: (smacks with her notebook- several times, which does nothing to the roach)
Me: (take off shoe- smackdown with heel- dead. Finally. IT guy comes in room after hearing screams. He (thank God) removes the body and our call resumes with client feeling really sorry for me at this point.
HR follows up on any residual trauma and pest control comes the end of the week.
I’m digging the gig but there were definitely some bugs at first. Crazy!
© 2012 Frankle Productions. All Rights Reserved. 
