Friday Leftovers (June 25)

Mandatory Friday post. Enjoy.

Word Association

Play here.

1. Executive :: Producer
2. Director :: Movie
3. Dress :: Rehearsal
4. Studio :: Apartment
5. Accountant :: Tax
6. Unit :: Digit
7. Engaged :: Married
8. Safety :: Patrol
9. Post :: Note
10. Dialogue :: Conversation

Pretty straightforward, nothing too crazy this week.

End of an Era

Today is Yvie's last day of school. It's also the last day where it's just me and Kennedy.

I know it seems like I'm ready to kick her out of the car and to kindergarten already but I have enjoyed this time with Kennedy immensely. Before Yvie went to school, it was the three of us together most every day. We had a lot of fun then, going to Disneyland whenever the hell we wanted, going to library storytime every Wednesday, having the freedom to do those kinds of things. Then Yvie went to school and things changed. I was able to spend a whole helluva lot more time with Kennedy than before.

It's not that I'm not attached to Yvie - of course I am - but I've gotten quite attached to Kennedy. It's fun just the two of us... most of the time. Sometimes she pushes my buttons for the sake of pushing my buttons, but usually it's nothing bad.

And she'll say the craziest things sometimes. Like yesterday she said, out of the blue: "Alyssa (her imaginary friend) got mad at me so I punched her in the face. She needed band-aids. Then she punched me in the face but it didn't hurt."

Anyway, there won't be times like this anymore... well, I guess there will be. Kennedy will get out of school at 11:10 and Yvie gets out at about 2:30 so I'll have that time with her. But it will be different. I know it will be different. Might be better, might not be, but different.

Just something for me to ponder as I get through my morning and afternoon today.

Five Question Friday

Here's the latest edition of Five Question Friday.

I look forward to posting this every week so thanks to Mama M. for offering this chance to be interactive. I'd recommend doing this as well. Lots of fun.

1. Do you know how to play a musical instrument?

Sadly, no. I've taken guitar lessons with no success. We have a piano at home but I'm useless on it. When I was in fifth grade I took music class and was learning to play the saxophone. I wish I would have stuck with it. I've always thought it would be great to play an instrument and respect those who can.

2. What is your pet peeve while driving?

Um... if my daughters ever say any bad words, it will be because of my potty mouth while driving. Nothing infuriates me more than inconsiderate drivers. It doesn't take much of an effort to be considerate, really. You know, don't stop over the words KEEP CLEAR, use your blinker, yield the right of way when necessary, don't pull out in front of someone, don't cut someone off, slow down when appropriate... little things, really.

I try to not let it affect me but nothing can get me from having a happy day to spewing smoke out of my ears faster than some moronic driver. Grr...

3. Would you rather have a housekeeper or unlimited spa services?

I run a lot, obviously. I ran my first marathon in February of this year and I'm running marathon no. 2 in July in San Francisco. So I would love to have the spa services because it would really help with the muscles and recovery. However, I would choose the housekeeper. I really don't like doing housework. I'd rather run 10 miles than unload and load the dishwasher and vacuum and all that.

Now I know why my mom was grumpy all the time, because she spent all her dang time cleaning...

4. Is there a song that you hear that will take you back to the moment, like a junior high or high school dance?

I have what I like to refer to as "morning songs." Back in 1988, I used to get a ride to the most horrible school I ever attended, McFadden Intermediate in Santa Ana. That was a miserable year for me, probably the worst year of school for me. I dreaded going there because we had just moved from a small town (small as in 13,000) to a city of... who knows, a city has more than 13,000 people. So I was just not comfortable to all the kids at school. I went from literally knowing everyone in my grade to feeling like a moron and feeling way out of place.

So, when I would get dropped off at this dreadful torture chamber, I would always hear some of the same songs over and over again, and they stuck as "morning songs."

One of them is Erasure's Chains of Love. Have a listen - it's actually a pretty cool song.

Another is You Dropped a Bomb on Me by The Gap Band. Not sure why I heard it so much but I remember clearly sitting at a light on my way to eighth grade and this song playing on the radio.

Still another is this horrendous song by New Kids. It's just bad. I think remember it because it was so bad.

There are lots of other songs that take me back to middle/high school but those are three of the ones that just by hearing part of the song put me smack in the middle of some crummy morning as I made my way to some crummy school.

5. What song best represents your life right now?

It's so tough to narrow down my life and all that encompasses it into one song. I mean, where do you start? I have so many things going on in my life that it's tough to pick a song that is the essence of LB.

But I guess what my life all boils down to is my family, my girls. I lost weight because of my girls. I'd drop everything for my girls. I get up in the morning for my girls.

So of course it has to be Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.

Because when I bottom-line my life, nothing else really matters but my girls and my family.