Politically Correct

Needed to get renter's insurance... and when I was talking to the agent, he asked who, 18+, will be living with me.  Instinctively, I said, "Me, my spouse, and my two children."  (Spouse?! Why didn't I say wife?)

He replied back... "Ok... I have you... your (pause) spouse... and two minors."  

I guess... in the real world... my spouse isn't necessarily my wife.  My spouse, even if I have a man's voice... could be my husband.  Go figure.

Cyber Stalking

Once in a blue moon... I'll dream of "the kids" from SSPP.  The Altar Boys that grew up with me that endured my "leadership" and my "wrath." They're all grown up now... married... have a family...have a career.  

I woke up from the dream and suddenly had the urge to google my SSPP classmates to see where they are now.  Are THEY married? Do THEY have kids? Where are THEY with their careers.  I limited the search to a handful.  Some, I don't really care for. But some... I secretly have a competition going to see who's more successful.  Define success.  

The Essentials

Was talking to some co-workers who live in Santa Cruz... recalling the fires where they had to evacuate.  It really boils down to what are the most important things you want to bring with you when your house is on the verge of burning down.

Likewise... with this move... I'm down to my essentials.  I've packed the entire kitchen - almost.  But I have to save a few things.  The essentials.  

• frying pan... the deep kind, that can double as a boiling pot for pasta.
• paper plates
• flatware that I'm going to throw away anyways
• wooden chopsticks that are eat and toss
• oil
• coffee grinder, water pot and french press
• instead of mugs... I have travel tumblers
• as for spices... it really comes down to one thing - "salt."  Not pepper.  Not sugar.  Not soy sauce.  
• And of course...the trusty rice cooker.  

Aside from that... do you need anything else??  I guess I can have bowls for the instant noodles.

"You Will Be Found"

While driving NN to school..she picked "You Will Be Found" from DEH..... so I asked, "Have you encountered such issues? (Teenage suicide)."  The conversation that followed.... man... every family expects it.  But no one expects it to be them... right?

Sexuality

NN's class studied the chapter in Genesis on Lot.... and engaged in deep conversations on sexuality.  There was a 2 page list of questions on sexuality that I started going through with NN.  Part of that was.. is it a sin to be friends with someone that's LGBTQ+?  And how does a man have sex with a man?

I went through every question with NN... one by one.  Staying impartial...but at the same time asking, "What does the bible say?" Not sure if that's the right way of doing it. 

The other night... while talking to a dad, I asked how they handled it.  He immediately said, "The mom took care of it."  And when she asked "Do you know where babies come from?" The daughter said... "I don't wanna talk about it."  Heh.... 

Irony

For all the hate I give GE’s…. Even at the middle school level… here’s one of the ironies of life. Donated all the books in pic 1. Kept the ones in pic 2.

Too soon...? Or... as forecasted.

At some point in time, I knew things would collide between me and NN.  And boy has it ever.

On Saturday... we got the cast list for her Fall Musical and unexpectedly... she was NOT casted, not even for a minor role.  She is stuck as an ensemble.  With all the high hopes going in... with how she claimed the "destroyed the audition", with how she's never....ever... failed in anything in school... the world came crashing down.

The first night... when she did NOT get a call back... everything started crumbling.  More for me than her... or at least I wore it on my sleeve.  I quickly hugged her and said, "I'm sorry."  To which she completely side stepped me and rejected my sign of empathy.  "Stop assuming what I want or don't want."

Then when she did not get casted... and I walked in right when she read the email... she smiled.  I gave her another hug and said "I'm sorry." To which she snapped at me... in tears.... "I'm soooo SICK of you always assuming what I want."  She repeated that like three times.

I could've stayed silent and nodded.  But I knew she was hurt.  I knew she was disappointed.  I was seething.  And I reminded her, "You told me... you wanted a medium part.  You didn't want a lead because you said you have too much homework." She aptly denied ever saying that.

Since then... we haven't talked to each other.  Silent treatment going both ways. It got so icy cold in the house... Joyce finally pulled me aside, "You better start talking to her." And I said, "She needs to apologize first."  2nd night in a row of not talking.  

This morning... I walked out and said "Good morning."  To which she paused and said, "Good morning" in return.  That's it.  Nothing else. I don't need this.  I don't deserve to treated like this.  Back and forth, in my mind.  She needs to learn her place.  But I'm the adult, I shalln't act like a teenager.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.

Finally... when she got home after rehearsals... I went into her room and gently asked, "When are you going to start talking to me?" She coldly responded, "I don't know." 

That's it.  I extended the olive branch and she ripped it, smashed it and burned it.  I'm done with this crap.  You take your teenage bratty self and go rinse it in the Pacific Ocean 7 times and you come back and talk to me.  I ain't dealing with this.

With what's in my genes.... with the way I grew up... with the way Joyce treats her dad... with the way I treat mom... this was inevitable.  I guess.  I knew for the longest time... this was going to happen one day.  She's not even an official teen yet.... is it too soon?  

Oops!

For the first time in who knows how long...  I clogged one of the toilets at work.  Heh... and I thought my house has too much sh*t.  I guess the house takes on the owner,.  Oops! 

A year in lessons learned

NN auditioned today for her Junior High musical The Ugly Duckling.  Unlike last year... she actually listed to mommy and picked the song that was right for her.  She had a year of theater class and a few weeks of dance class.  She was ready... confident... prepared.  

When putting her down to bed... she was ecstatic of how she killed her audition.  Especially when the casting director complimented her when they were leaving the school parking lot.  And now... we wait for call backs. 

Boxing Day

Starting to prep for our move across town... and boy do we have a lot of sh*t.  So much stuff that just the bathroom itself has used up all our plastic totes.  I went back to work the other day to scour all the leftover cardboard boxes I can find.  Then I started calling furniture stores to look for their leftover boxes.  Would love to have a couple of giant Lazy Boy or Coffee Table boxes.  In the afternoon... I went driving around town to pick stuff up... and even jumped into a garbage bin to grab a couple of nice coffin like boxes.  Inherited a bunch of boxes from Big Bro that they so shrewdly saved over the years in preparation for their next move. Earlier this evening... got a DM from a NextDoor neighbor who just moved here from Anaheim.  She was trying to get rid of her boxes she used to move up here. Professional mover boxes.  

And even then.. .I don't think I have enough. Simply... too... much... sh*********************t. 

"Wanna get away?"

18 months later...  Without fail... I'm the stuck in the slow line that has one TSA checker that bottlenecks into one x-ray machine.  The adjacent line has two checkers and x-ray machines. Double the throughput.  I'm standing there helplessly seeing folks arrive waaay after me... getting through waaay before me.  The Laker Shirt dude.  The lady with the white hat.  The old man with the cane. They were probably looking at me... laughing inside, "HAHA!!! See you on the other side sucka!!!!"

  When I get up to the lady... I sheepishly ask her, "Why can' t you open another lane??" To which her answer was....