Rollercoaster

The past ten days have been a major rollercoaster ride of emotion. It was as though I climbed on rollercoaster, closed my eyes, threw my hands up in the air, and waited, each day, to see where I was on this ride....the top or the bottom.

Climbing to the top. A very special young man in our lives has been so excited about heading off to college. Many of his closest friends from high school will be there with him, even living in the same dorm. This summer has been spent preparing for this moment.

Zooming to the bottom. The Friday night before he left, I lost it. Totally fell apart. This bright spot in my life was leaving. There would be a void. No back to scratch during church. No one to turn around in the communion line and ask if I would hold out my hand (so he could put his gum in it).

Back to the top. We went to say goodbye Saturday morning and his parents asked if I wanted to come to help move him in. To my house in back in five minutes with my bags packed! His room is great. His roommate is a close friend. We saw so many guys and girls he knew. Knowing how happy he was made the leaving a little easier.

Easing to the middle. The ride home was very quiet with a few tears. I tried not to babble my head off like I usually do when I'm uncomfortable with silence. I was eagerly anticipating the next day when several of us would take his mom to lunch to keep her busy.

Down again. Monday morning I checked on a good friend who has pneuomonia only to find out that another good friend's father had passed away the night before.

Up. We attended the sports kick-off at our godson's school. We are so proud of him and determined to be there for him since it was his brother that just went to college, and he is now the only one at home out of four children. I have to say I love the back-to-school excitement and energy.

Swoosh to the bottom again. Girls Rush. So exciting and so devastating all in one. Why can't everyone just pledge what they want to? (It ended up being great for everyone we were pulling for but I didn't know it at the time on Tuesday.) My daughter's sorority really let her down and she called me off and on all week, in tears, mad and hurt. It's so hard going through Rush but it's even harder sometimes on the other side.

Zip to the top again. Thursday, we found out that another very special young man in our lives (the older brother of the one who went to college) got in a local social organization that is terribly difficult to get into. Whew! Finally, a very bright spot in the week.

Cruising at the top. We found out the sorority rush results. Everyone seems to have found a place that is just right for them. Personally, I am SO glad that's over.

Oh gosh, what was I thinking? Now, we have Boy's Rush!

This week's ride? I'm hoping for something simple like a merry-go-round. Level, peaceful and leaving a happy tickle in your tummy!

I hope you'll leave me a comment and share your experiences! Blessings!

The BEST Gift for a College Bound Student

It's that time of year again. School. It brings a smile to the face of many a parent, and a tear to those getting ready to send their child off to college. There are so many changes, challenges, and concerns to face when leaving home, with one of the biggest being, how can I do my business without being embarrassed? Whether your child will be using a community bathroom down the hall or sharing one with a roommate, you need to LOOK NO FURTHER!

Here's the perfect gift to send with your college bound child. It's called Poo-Pourri. OK, the name of this product may have you laughing, but try it before you mock it. Poo-Pourri is a liquid spray about four times directly onto the surface of the water in your toilet bowl. The oil formula creates a film on the surface of the water, trapping any embarrassing odors. Once the business is done, flushing releases the odor-neutralizing scent into the air, leaving the bathroom nice and fresh. The motto says: "Spritz the bowl before you go, and no one else will ever know!"

Poo-Pourri comes in several scents: Original, No. 2, Heavenscent, and Royal Flush. Read below to learn a little bit about each sent.....

"Original":

Spritz the Bowl Before you Go and No One Else Will Ever Know. This blend of 9 Natural Essential Oils such as Bergamot, Lemongrass and Grapefruit creates a protective film on the surface of the water; effectively eliminating any odor before it even begins!

"No. 2":

Spray the Loo Before No. 2 and No One Will Ever Have a Clue! A sweet bouquet of Mandarin, Bergamot and Orange enhanced by hints of Peach and Berries!

"HeavenScent":

Celestial Freshness that's Fit for Kings - With Every Flush an Angel Gets It's Wings! A divine blend of White Jasmine florals and Natural Essential Oils. ~ You Can Truly "Expect Miracles" in your Bathroom!

"Royal Flush":

Great Washroom Scents for all Distinguished Gents! The fresh essence of eucalyptus works in synergy with spearmint.

Call Memory Lane to order: (210) 828-4800

Men in the Grocery Store

I just told someone yesterday that I have a love/hate relationship with going to the grocery store with my husband. He's like a kid in a candy store and I have to say that I love that part; it's really cute. The hate part comes in when I get frustrated with how slow he's moving (because he's checking out all the things he wants to get) and I leave him with the cart and my purse. I zip around to about seven aisles while he is cruising around the deli. The problem is, my hands are overloaded and I wander back to where I left him. Well, OF COURSE, he has moved on. He's nowhere to be found and he has my cell phone. Every single time, I walk the full length of the store (usually twice) before finding him. I DUMP all of my items in the cart and then it totally irritates me when he rearranges the cart. I mean, seriously, who cares? There are no cart police. WE are going to put the items on a conveyor belt when we check out, anyway.

Check out what comedian, Jeanne Robertson says in "Don't Send Your Husband to the Grocery Store": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs

At Least It's Not Runny!

I HAD to share this! Look closely at the mango salad I was asked to make for today's birthday celebration. We decided that one end was for those on a diet and everyone else could eat off the other end.

Two of my friends at lunch today were at our Supper Club, about 16 years ago, when I was asked to make a cranberry congealed salad that never congealed. When I discovered it, it was too late to do anything about it. I took it to the hosts' house and as a joke, replaced the salad plates with bowls and placed a straw at each place setting. They have never forgotten that. When I displayed my mango salad today, they both started laughing. I seriously don't think I've been asked to make a congealed salad since that night and look at how this one turned out. (Today's hostess quickly tried to help by adding a dollop of mayonnaise and a raspberry on each slice.)

The mango salad DID taste good, though, so for the recipe, please go to my other blog: http://www.supperclublunchbunch.blogspot.com/.

You've Still Got It!

If you have ever been to Port Aransas, Texas then undoubtedly you've been to, or at least heard of, Sharkey's. Sharkey's, on the highway into town, holds quite a surprise for its guests. From the road, it looks like a shack-like hamburger joint. In reality, after you go down some stairs, there is a huge room with a large dance floor and several bar areas. A DJ plays the latest hip-hop.

July 4th weekend, a group of us ventured out to Sharkey's. This was the first time we had been in a bar in years. We had so much fun dancing. I am a huge hip-hop fan so I was in my element. We left the dance floor when our friend's phone rang and he stepped outside to talk to his son. As he left, my husband saw a man out of the corner of his eye, approaching our friend's wife. My husband stepped back toward her to offer some protection. The man walked up and said, "Your woman wants to dance. She's moving to the music." At this point my husband wickedly decided to have a little fun with this situation and said, "Oh, that's not my woman, this one is. She's yours!" (pointing to my friend) The man proceeds to tell her that he is from Oklahoma, that he's put two sons through Texas A & M, and that one son is working for a construction company in San Antonio. Ironically, the guy has the same last name I do! He assures me that we are no relation. It's obvious that our friend is very uncomfortable. As she is trying to STOMP on my husband's foot for not bailing her out, the guy leans closer to her and says, "You smell sooo good. I'm ready to sew some wild oats tonight!"

With that, she tells the guy that I will dance with him. I decided it was time to go find her husband.

I walked outside and he was casually sitting, chit-chatting with his son and I said, "You'd better come back inside. Your wife is getting picked up by some guy!"

Our friend told his son, "I need to go, Mom is getting picked up by some guy." His son was rolling with laughter. When he and I walked down the stairs, the guy looked like a deer in headlights and hauled it to the other side of the room.

All I can say is..........YOU'VE STILL GOT IT, MY FRIEND!!!!

Better Manners

Girl night tonight! There is nothing more fun than sitting around with fun friends sharing funny stories. One of my favorites was from two years ago, when my husband and I went to a very large and very formal party. At around 3:00 a.m. we left the dance floor to sit down for a few minutes. My feet were KILLING me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man circle around our table to ask my husband a question. He looked to be in his sixties or seventies and I had watched him dance the entire evening with girls that were in their twenties. EWW! Suddenly, I heard my husband say, "Well you sure can!" The next thing I know this man has me by the hand and we are headed to the dance floor. As we passed tables, people said things like, "Oh, look who he's got now!" and "Oh, you're in for a treat!"

We were halfway through a dance when he said, "You are a really good dancer. I wish I had found you years ago. You know, I don't usually ask heavy women to dance because I can't turn them, but I'm having no trouble turning YOU at all." (Read that last sentence slowly.)

It's not that what he said wasn't true but seriously, most people just don't say it!

The same friend who had us over tonight often says, "I believe that almost every conflict could be resolved with better manners." How true!

What in the World?

What in the world are these jumping bugs? They can jump across a hallway!

Do you know what they are?

Twitter. Tweet. Squawk!

Twitter. I have tried it now for about two months. I have to admit that I just don't get it.

Anyone who uses Twitter is supposed to answer the question, "What are you doing now?" Lately, I have received tweets on my phone that read, "packing for the big apple--can someone show me how i fit 30 outfits into 1 suitcase?" and "Jake Ryan is fabu-loso" or "gluttonous dinner about to ensue....look out paesano's" and "last night out in SA as a geology undergrad"...and one of my favorites, "Robby from the Bachelorette made me 2 weak vodka sodas last night. jealous?" Oh to be in my twenties again!

Compare those to the tweets of friends who are closer to my age, "What a great day!" and "Trying to stay cool" or "Great! Yet another way to humiliate our kids." We sound like we're grateful that we got up this morning!

Just today I received a request to follow me on Twitter from my daughter's friend. Oh, how thrilling for you, Kaki! I know you'll be so excited to know when I am loading the dishwasher, folding laundry, or brushing my teeth because I will never tweet you when I am dancing at a bar, or watching some guy try to pick up my friend Margaret, at Sharkey's, or singing karaoke or any of the other things you all think we moms shouldn't be doing. After all, I have a reputation to uphold!

I think there should be a special Twitter for those of us over 40. They could call it "SQUAWK!"


Check out Kaki's website: http://web.mac.com/kakidesigns/KAKIdesigns_/JEWELRY_COLLECTION.html