Most Quotable Friday

Friday's most tweetable... strait up, and collected from, my twitter timeline.

1. May the itch of a thousand crabs affect the one who ruins your day and may their arms be too short to scratch it.

2. Survive now, cry later.

3. I'd like mornings a little better if they started a little later.

4. If you're too afraid to letting go, it means you are not ready for something new.

5. The road to success has many tempting parking places.

6. Sometimes we have to let go of the life we have planned, to have the life that is waiting for us.

7. Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you’ve been and remember the person you were meant to be.

8. Once you lose yourself, you have two choices. Find the person you used to be or lose that person completely.

9. The brain is the most outstanding organ. It works for 24 hours, 365 days, right from your birth until you fall in love.

10. Don't judge me unless you've experienced what I have. Until then back off, because you have no idea.

11. I'm so busy, if something bad happens today, I won't have a chance to worry about it for two weeks.

Thursday Blurbs

1. Let's start off this week's Blurbing with a riddle. What is light green, has a stick-like body, legs like a mosquito and flies? You don't know right? Neither do I! But? I did spot something with this exact description on the corner wall of my bedroom a few nights ago. My husband came home late (he tends bar as a second job) and I was already asleep. I rolled over when he turned on the light and that's when I saw it. "WHAT THE "F" IS THAT?" I said sitting up in bed and pointing. My husband went to get the spray (normally used for hornets, but poison is poison, right?) while I stared at it, willing it not to move. As soon as he came back in the room, the thing swooped down and made a beeline for my closet where it disappeared amongst my clothes. "OMG, it flies!" My husband, being the heroic man that he is, ruffled the clothes until the thing came loose and he sprayed the little sucker until it, well, died. Right there on the floor of my closet.

2. Sometimes I think I don't give my husband enough credit for all the things he does to make my life safe and more efficient. Not only did he save me from that exotic flying bug that wanted to kill me, but he also took apart my broken down dryer that would no longer heat up and well, dry... and fixed it! All this in the same week. I am a lucky, lucky girl. Also, a tip for my fellow laundresses out there. Please clean, not only your lint trap (which should be obvious) but also down, under, beyond where the other lint (that doesn't get trapped) goes and builds into a full grocery bag size clump and may or may not cause the heating coil to, er, burnout and snap.

3. We all know how Mondays, for the most part, suck. It has been well documented and scientifically proven. As if we needed more proof, here is how my Monday morning went. Keep in mind this was before I even set foot inside my office. I woke up at six and started a load of laundry. We missed getting Alex to the bus stop on time (because, ahem, he wasn't ready at 6:31, the time I have deemed as the time we need to leave) so I started driving him to school. We caught up with the bus at another stop and I told him to get out and run before the driver pulled out. He got out and sauntered (which isn't running)... and the bus took off without him. I took him all the way to school and came back home, only to be 10 minutes behind schedule. Woke up Jacob, and got into the shower. Got out of the shower, got dressed (make up, hair...etc.) only to find Jacob sprawled on his bed, not dressed. Apparently all of his pants (he only has four pairs because of all the growing and skateboarding which makes holes and he is not wearing jeans to school with ripped knees) were in the the washer. He had a complete triple "M" (Monday Morning Meltdown).

4. This was followed by Tuesday, which went a little something like this:  I had to make arrangements to leave work early so that I could meet with Jacob's Language Arts teacher at 2:10. I head out at 1:45 and get a text saying that the meeting is just supposed to be between him and his teacher and that parent/teacher conferences are next month. Apparently the paper I signed was allowing him to stay after school... Whatever. I had already taken the rest of the day off so I headed home anyway... only to be stopped in the middle of the street by a motorcycle cop who waived me over to the curb of shame. Groan. A speed trap. That I KNEW WAS THERE.  I see them there all the time. Especially in the morning on my way to work. Every time I see them I think to myself  "one of these days they are going to get you." Well, Tuesday was that day. And? Apparently traffic school is now available online. "Thank you officer."

 5. The last two times I have taken Jacob to hockey evaluations at Sharks Ice I have seen Patrick Marleau there. His oldest (of three) son is starting mini-mites and is there for his evaluations as well. It is so weird to see NHL players and coaches there, just hanging out with the other parents. Last season one of Jacob's teammates was Coach Todd McClellan's youngest son. When ever he was in town he would be at the games or practice and would often go into the locker room and chat with the kids.

6. Alright, one more blurb should be enough to fill out this post. How about a sports wrap? Let's see. The Sharks are 4-0 in preseason. Which means... absolutely nothing. Except, the regular season is now only 10 days away! Bay Area baseball has come to an end as, sadly, the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs a few days ago and the A's a couple of weeks (months?) ago.  Bay Area football, however, seems to be on the upswing. Both the Raiders and the Niners are 2-1! Amazing. Of course, the Raiders look 10 times better than the Niners. Also, the Raiders opposition has been much tougher and the Niners just don't look comfortable out there, on offense anyway. It is enough, however, to keep me interested through the 4th week of the season as opposed to last year when both were 0-3 at this point (The Raiders may have been 1-2).

Adios... Until next week!

What I Have Learned Wednesday

1.  I have learned that In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.

2.  I have learned that the microwave oven was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

3.  I have learned that “stewardesses” is the longest English word that is typed with only the left hand.

4.  And? I have also learned that “skepticisms” is the longest word that alternates hands when typing.

5.  I have learned that only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older. I can’t even win the lottery… I don’t think I’m going to live to be 116 either.

6.  I have learned that the word irrefragable means “impossible to refute” (I am so whipping this one out at the dinner table tonight).

7.  I have learned that the first letters of the months July through to November spell JASON.

8.  I have learned that Forbes magazine has named San Jose as the “Geekiest” city in the US.

9.  I have learned that Sharks Ice of San Jose (and Fremont) has the biggest Adult Hockey Program in the US with over 4,500 players ( including my step-son, Sergio).

Worst Road Trip Ever - Writer's Workshop

(note: this post is part of Mama Kat's writing workshop)

Prompt: Yuck. Food poisoning

To be fair, this story isn't exactly about food poisoning, but it's close. One might say it is in the same genre. You'll see what I mean and hopefully you don't hold it against me. Also? I'm really reaching into the dark caverns of my memory bank for this one and, as anyone over 40 can attest to, can get tricky.

When I was twelve we took a MAJOR family road-trip/vacation. Now, when I say road trip I mean the four (mom, dad, brother and I) of us in my dad's 1976 Cadillac DeVille. The trip my parents planned was to go from our home in Santa Cruz, CA to Salt Lake City, Utah, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park and then on to the Oregon Coast where we were going to rent a condo and get together with our extended family. Now that I think about it, this was a truly ambitious feat back in the days before minivans, SUVs and all mobile technology and media. Yes, back in the dark ages. To pass the time my brother and I did things like argue, play the license plate game, argue about playing the license plate game, sleep, eat, punch each other and argue about sleeping, eating and punching each other.

My father's pride and joy

View Larger Map

Here are the highlights from that trip as my memory allows: I don't remember anything prior to arriving in Salt Lake City. Probably because we left at some ridiculous hour in the morning to "miss traffic." How did we even get there without GPS or Google Maps? I remember seeing the actual Salt Lake, and I remember visiting the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square (home of the Tabernacle Choir). I also remember my poor mom coming down with some kind of stomach virus. She was vomiting and not having a good time. Fortunately, by the next day she was feeling better. It was at this point during our illustrious vacation that I, after being provoked into chasing my 10 year-old around our motel hallway, I twisted my ankle. Badly. I remember going to the emergency room, the swelling, the pain and the nurse handing me a set of crutches. I could not put any weight on it... at all. That night (in the middle of the night) I came down with the same stomach virus that my mom had. Only worse... much, much worse.

So, to recap: Strange motel room, bad ankle that I can't walk on, and the sudden, incessant urge to puke my brains out. I was so screwed. I remember crawling to the bathroom and holding onto the toilet like it was a life preserver. I spent the rest of the night in there. I remember the cool tile of the bathroom floor against my cheek was the only means of temporary comfort. The next day we left Salt Lake City and headed  for Jackson Hole. I was given a bowl, some 7-up and a towel for the ride (thanks mom and dad!). I don't remember much about our visit to Jackson Hole, other than what I missed. I missed going on the rafting trip down the Snake river (I stayed in the back of the car with my "throw up supplies."). I missed the Wild West show where bad guys and the good guys shot each other up in the middle of the street. And? I apparently missed some good food. They couldn't stop talking about the western buffet they had gone to. Without me. While I continued to involuntarily purge myself in a second strange motel bathroom.

Old Faithful

When we made it to Yellowstone I was almost feeling better, but was still weak from, you know, throwing up for 3 days.  While there I remember being amazed at the geysers and was positive that when we went to see "Old Faithful" that would be the day when it stopped erupting. Don't ask me why. It didn't. Stop erupting, that is. At some point during the Yellowstone visit it was my dad's turn to get sick. He was out for a day-and-a-half. When it was time to hit the road for Oregon, my brother got sick. He apparently got the "weaker string" of whatever Salt Lake-Bird-Flu-H1N1-Swine-Disease that the rest of us had, because his lasted only a couple of hours. Literally. I don't even think he was really sick. If anything he was sick from watching (hearing, smelling) the rest of us be sick.

When we got to Oregon we were all pretty much recovered and I remember having a great time with my cousins and grandparents. So? The trip, for me anyway, ended on a happy note. While we were there, however, My uncle (my uncle's brother who had tagged along) got sick and stayed in his room for most of the time we were there. We would find out later (after we had left and made it back to California) that one by one all of my family members got sick. Both my grandparents, my aunt, my uncle and my three cousins. Who knows where it spread after that...

My apologies to all of the greater Pacific Northwest Region for the "disease that went viral" during the summer of 1978.

Thanks For Letting Me Know

Most Quotable Friday

From my Twitter Time Line...

1. Some things just take a little longer to come into your life than others. Don't lose your faith.

2. Have Faith that things are turning out the way they should. It's just a matter of time.

3. When you've been living in your comfort zone, don't ever forget about how hard it is to get it in the beginning.

4. Every purpose has a reasoning, every action has a reaction, and there's always a blessing in disguise.

5. The strongest actions for a woman is to love herself, be herself, and shine amongst those who never believed she could.

6. Triumph is just 'try' with an 'umph.'

7. Always have a unique character like salt. Its presence is not felt but its absence make all the things tasteless.

8. Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so we can see life with a clearer view again.

9. I tell people to have a great weekend at noon on Mondays hoping they won’t talk to me for the rest of the week.

10. More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.

"Oops"

Walking by the sixteen year-old's room and for the third day in a row it was a) a mess b) the bed wasn't made and c) there was no sheet on the bed (gross).

"Alex," I said "your room is still a mess and you haven't fixed your bed."

"Oops," I heard him say in  a dazed, disinterested, teenage type voice from the living room couch.

"Did you just say 'oops?' " I asked as I walked into the living room to confront the lethargic body snatcher that had invaded my precious baby boy years ago.

"Did I?" he said, glancing over at his brother for confirmation.

"Don't ask him," I said.  "you know what you said."

*crickets*

"Just so we're clear," I said in by best superior, you-are-about-to-get-a-vocabulary-lesson-so-you-better-pay-attention voice, "Oops, is for when you spill something, run into somebody on accident or drop something. It is NOT for when you have been told for the last three days to clean your room, you still haven't done it, your mom walks by, notices and calls you out on it. When this happens you cannot say 'oops,'  like it was an accident or a mere oversight on your part. An appropriate response, the only acceptable response, would and should be 'I'll go and do that right away, I am so sorry I have neglected my responsibility so horribly.'

"Am. I. Clear?"

"Um, yeah."

"Do you understand that this is not an 'oops' moment?"

"Yes," he said as he reached over for his soda and knocked it over...

"Oops."

*sigh*

Thursday Blurbs

1. I have a lot of blurbs I need to get to.. so let's get to it. First up? The Sharks will win the Stanley Cup this year. You probably want to know how I know this and I don't blame you. I know this because there is no way I just happen to run in to half the team and the coaching staff on the opening day of training camp... and not have that be the most amazing sign, ever, that this would be the year. I mean come on. I'm just sitting there waiting for my bagel to be toasted, and they just walk by? In full practice gear? They are going to win and they are going to win it all. You heard it here first.

2. So, apparently I inadvertently discovered how to get my boys up on a Sunday morning before 10am. Would you like to know how?  On second thought I don't think I should divulge that information. Not for free anyway. If you have teenagers and would like a foolproof way to get them up on a weekend, then send me $20 via Paypal and I will email you this important (did I mention foolproof?) information. We are all soldiers in this war with teenagers... but intel is intel and it must be protected.

3. Also, before you spend your money, a word of caution. Grumpy teenagers awake and out of their caves on a peaceful Sunday morning might not be the best thing for your mental tranquility. Also? I think I may have already told the internet how I did it at the end of yesterday's post.

4. My latest battle with the teenagers (that have invaded the bodies of my sweet boys) involves headphones. Why, no How, do they go through headphones faster then they go through socks? They lose them, they break them, they steal them from each other, they leave them at their friend's house, they leave them in their pockets and they get washed in the laundry... it never ends. Then, when they are desperate guess what they do? They want to borrow MY headphones. And that, is not going to happen.

5. Not after the last time, anyway. My last pair of headphones got sucked into the abyss of all the other lost, and mistreated headphones and I found myself without any way to temporarily escape the noise of the teenage body invaders. If I let them borrow my headphones I guarantee I will never see them again.  Just because I could probably afford to go buy another pair of them doesn't mean that I want to nor should I have to... why? Because they can't take care of the ones they had? They can consider this Battle, picked.

6. On Sunday we celebrated Jakey's 13th birthday with an Enchilada extravaganza... or, what we do every year... LOL! This year I did things a little different. I made the leftovers before I made the ones we were going to eat for dinner. Can I get a nice little pat on the back for that? That way, I could actually sit down and eat with everyone else instead of continue to slave over the hot stove while everyone was sitting around the table gorging themselves.

7. I am thankful for today's hot weather because my dryer isn't working and I have a back log of laundry to do... so this morning I did three loads and hung them all up around the garage and boom boom room (where there is no a/c) and they should be nice and toasty for me to put away when I get home. I have never missed an appliance so badly. Come back to me sweet dryer and I promise I will treat you better. *sigh*

8. I found an online writer's workshop that I am contributing to. Every week the Mama Kat (Mama's Losin' It) blog posts writing prompts and writers (bloggers) can choose one (or as many as we want) and write a post on our blog using the prompt. On Thursdays we can link the post to her site and then check out the other contributions as they are linked. It should help me to venture back out there into the blogosphere after being absent and having my posts go unread for so long. Although it has been kind of fun and comforting to be writing to my self and for my own amusement... It will be good for me to get back out there again.

What I Have Learned Wednesday

1. I have learned that Ephebiphobia is the term that refers to the "fear of teenagers." What is the phobia that refers to the fear of “phone calls from schools’ of teenagers?” That, is what I suffer from. Daily. 

2. I learned that the last name in the Toronto phone book is Zzyzzer.

3. I learned that there are more plastic flamingos in the U.S. than real ones.

4. I learned that there are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

5. I learned that peanuts are one of the ingredients used in dynamite.

6. I learned that the word fey means possessing or displaying a strange and otherworldly aspect or quality.

7. I learned that all the clocks in the movie “Pulp Fiction” are stuck on 4:20.

8. I learned that Twitter was originally named “Twttr”, inspired by Flickr.

9. I have learned that the possibility someone else is going to eat all the leftover pizza will get teenagers out of bed before noon on a Sunday.

10. I have learned that it is not always fun to have teenagers up and about on a peaceful Sunday morning.

Concerns?

This post is part of Mama Kat's writing workshop.

Prompt:  A time you felt wronged by a teacher

When my youngest son was in Kindergarten my husband and I were so excited to see him finally begin his educational journey.  He was our last and final child to start school. And? He was brilliant! I mean our other kids, of course, were smart and bright (weren't yours?). But this one? This one was going to take the school like a storm. They would never know what hit them. He even chose to wear a tie on his first day of school. Yes. A tie. Because, as he used to say, he wanted to look “sharp.”

In his early years he wasn’t the most agile child. In fact, some (not me, his adoring mother) might even say he was a bit awkward. He was a little bit slow when he ran (he sort of lumbered like he was carrying twice his body weight) and he didn’t seem to have the natural athleticism that his older siblings had. It’s not that he was actually uncoordinated, he just approached things differently and had a different learning curve for things like riding a bike, rollerblading or anything, really, that required balance.  He did everything in his own time and in his own way. But not every child is supposed to come out of the womb as an athlete, right? That didn’t worry me...

Until his first Parent / Teacher conference.

It started out as I expected. You, know, with her telling me how brilliant my child was (Ha! confirmed by someone that didn't give birth to him!). How she was so impressed that he could recite the alphabet, knew all his colors, could identify animals by name and could count up to 20. Twenty, people! Sign him up for the gifted program, he was on the fast track to being a Rhode Scholar. Oh, and he was patient! He was helpful and polite with other children! He was social! The great news just kept coming and I ate it up. My mind was reeling, I had to process it while it was fresh so that I could repeat everything verbatim to my husband later that night as we toasted champagne to our genius, prodigy son. As this little fantasy was playing out in my head, I heard her say something about “concerns.” What did she say? I was confused. Concerns? She had concerns… about my son? I shook out of my revelry and tried to hone in on her words. “I’m sorry?” I said. “What was that?” 

“Er, um,” she looked like she was choosing her words carefully, “I was saying that he doesn’t know how to skip." Wait, what? He doesn’t know how to skip? Is skipping a requirement in Kindergarten? Were they going to hold him back? For not being able to skip? "And," she said (there was more?) "as you can see from some of his drawings that he doesn’t color in the lines. (to be honest, his drawings and coloring were a bit crude compared to the other students. Scribbles really.) I’ve also noticed that he doesn’t know how to grip a pencil. I’ve tried to show him how to do it correctly, and he tries, but as soon as I walk away he slips back into the incorrect way. And as you can see, it really affects how he is learning to write.”

Well I was in shock. Outraged even. The coloring thing was not so troublesome. He did not,after all, come from a family of artists. He was never really interested in coloring anyway. It would entertain him for a second, then he’d be done and want to move on to something else. The gripping the pencil thing? Well, I guess I just assumed he would figure it out. He was barely 5, this couldn’t be the end of the world, could it? I mean he would, eventually get it.. wouldn't he? She said that she was concerned (there was that word again) about the development of his fine motor skills and wanted us to meet with the school’s occupational therapist. The school had an occupational therapist? 

We met with the therapist, who agreed with the teacher, that our son’s fine motor skills were underdeveloped and gave us some activities for him to do at home to help improve them. We took their advice and had Jacob do some of the activities. I don’t know. Honestly? We didn’t really follow up with the activities or with the therapist. My husband and I agreed that our child was fine and just, as I previously mentioned, did things his own way and on his own time. 

Looking back I’m not really sure that there was an issue with his fine motor skills other than he just didn’t know how to access them yet. I think they were there, but just lying dormant, waiting to be discovered. Years later, now that he is 13, his fine motor skills are no longer dormant, nor are they an issue.  In fact, that slow, awkward kid has turned into quite the athlete. He does tricks on his skateboard that make my ankles hurt just watching. He plays ice hockey (where he knocks other kids down and scores goals) and runs a 6 minute mile (I can’t even run a 6 minute lap). He isn't quite the Rhode Scholar we envisioned but he does okay for himself, has friends and is happy.

And? I'm pretty sure I saw him skipping the other day. 

You've Come A Long Way Baby

Happy 13th Birthday to my Baby Boy!

Dear Jacob -


13? There is no way you are 13. Look at this roly poly baby in the cute little beach hat.  Is that really you? I guess it must be. I look at that picture and I know that's my son, however, I I look at you now and there is no more baby fat, in fact, there are no more baby teeth either. Your voice has changed (when you called me the other day I thought you were Alex), you have body hair growing out of your arm pits and you are taller than me. When did all this happen?  One day you were running around the house in Spider Man undies and now suddenly I’m washing boxer briefs.  At some point you traded your sharp clothes, teddy bear and Star Wars light saber in for skinny jeans, a skateboard and a hockey stick. When did you start preferring YouTube and Facebook over Barney and Blues Clues? I mean, I know it happened and I know I must have been there when it did… I’m just having a difficult time pinpointing the precise moment. It all seams like a blur, or maybe it was some of that body odor that warped my brain (going without clean oxygen for prolonged periods of time has to take its toll).

Whatever it was, you are here now. A full fledged teenager. Life with you has been an adventure. You continue to crack me up every day with your wit, charm and sense of humor. You come up with the most random things. You told me last week, for example, that "in 4 days it will be exactly 1/8th of the way through the school year." Who knows stuff like that? Well, obviously you do!


You don't know this but I really look forward to talking to you after school every day. Do you know why? Because you always say something that makes me smile. I am looking forward to all that is in store for you in the future and I plan to be right there cheering you on. You are an amazing, intelligent and thoughtful kid and I am so proud to be your mom. Happy Birthday Jacob!

Love, Mom

You Don't Need A Special Card For This Prescription

Locked Out... Again?

Or, the one where I learn a valuable lesson about having a second set of keys, my kid might have psychic tendencies and getting locked out/losing keys runs in the family...

Who doesn't have a second set of car keys? A show of hands please? *crickets* Of course you have a second set of keys.! Of course you do. My husband has a second set. My neighbor has a second set. I used to have a second set (for my old car). But, for whatever reason (that I agreed to) when I bought my (used) new car... it didn't come with a second set. I knew I was in trouble the moment I handed over the cashiers check. The possibilities (probabilities, eventualities) flashed through my mind. But, my new car! I was so happy to have a car again, that I just ignored the warning bells.

The transition from eventualities into realities went a little something like this...

A couple of months ago I had my annual check up with my lady doctor. I was a little bit early so I sat in the parking garage listening to the radio and reading my book. When it was time to go, I grabbed my purse, put my phone inside it, got out and started walking to the medical building. Without my keys. Which? I had left inside the car. Still in the ignition. Now, granted, a second set of keys would not have helped me in this situation. If I had a second set they wouldn't be with me or in my purse. They would be at home. So? When the appointment was over I called AAA to come break in open my car for me.

And then a few weeks after that...  I was in Target with my two lovely, teenage boys. The older one had just gotten his driver's permit and was chauffeuring us around that day, so in addition to his chauffeuring duties he was also the keeper of the keys. Inside the store the boys had gone off by themselves to browse the men's section while I did my shopping. When I caught up with them the older one was trying on some shirts in the changing room.  I told the younger one for them both to meet me up front at the checkout line because I was ready to go. I finished purchasing my items just as they walked up to find me. "Where are the keys?" Said older brother to younger brother. "I don't know," said younger brother. I, my heart sinking, exclaimed a resounding, record scratching "Whaaaaat?"  Apparently, older brother had given younger brother the keys to hold while he went in to the changing room and younger brother hung them up on one of the clothing racks. Just so we're clear. My 12 (almost 13) year-old child hung my keys (my only set of car keys) up on a clothing display rack, in the middle of Target. Even worse, the 16 year-old gave them to him to hold in the first place. Let that resonate for a minute. After about 20 minutes of not being able to find the rack where he hung the keys and me on the verge a melt-down as I imagnined the phone call I was going to have to make to my husband, I heard the sheepish words, "I found them."

Fast forward to last Saturday... My youngest son and I were hanging out before it was time to go to his roller hockey playoffs. "I had a dream last night," he said. "Oh yeah?" His dreams, or rather the re-telling of his dreams were always entertaining. "Yeah. I dreamed that we were late to my first game and you were just telling me that it was okay and that we would just go to my second game, " he recalled. "What? I would never do that... you must be anxious about the games. We'll leave as soon as I take a shower, so get your stuff ready."
A little while later I was ready to go. I grabbed my purse, phone and sunglasses out of my room and locked the door behind me... yes, with the car keys (and the key to the door) still sitting on the dresser. Where my husband had left them. "Oh my God, " I said as I walked down the hallway. "What?" Jacob asked. "I just locked the keys in my room," I said not quite believing the words as they came out of my mouth. We would have to call my husband and wait for him and our older son to return from a soccer game. "Er," I said. "you might be late to your first game."

Then? Yesterday, barely 5 days after I locked my keys inside my room,  I got home from work, parked the car right outside the house, bent down to put my shoes on (that I had taken off on the drive home), locked the door and got out of the car... Yes, with my keys still in the ignition... again. I called AAA before I even reached the front door. AAA is always so nice and empathetic when you call. "Oh, I am so sorry that happened to you Ms. Babaloo. Are you in a safe location?" I felt ashamed, slightly guilty and? A little embarrassed. "Yes, I am in my living room, couldn't be safer. 45 minutes? No problem, I'll just do a load of laundry and get dinner started."

I posted about the latest fiasco (and how I am losing my friggin' mind) on Facebook. The next day my cousin commented that she remembered an incident back when she was younger and while at her brother's graduation, my mother locked her mother's keys in the trunk.

So? Great news! I am losing my mind AND APPARENTLY it runs in the family.

This post is part of Writer's Workshop

Top Ten Deadliest Words From a Woman

New Post at Random Top Ten

Most Quotable Friday

More From Twitter...

1. Don’t let anyone hold any part of your life hostage. Your life is YOUR destiny  and no one has the power to judge.

2. Sometimes the strongest people in the morning, are the ones that cry themselves to sleep at night.

3. Sometimes, tears are a  sign of unspoken happiness and a smile is sign of silent pain.

4. I won’t let myself end where I started and I won’t let myself finish where I began. 

5. Sometimes it's easier to say that you don't care, than to explain all the reasons why you do.

6. I want to LIVE. I want to be remembered as the one who never let anything get in his/her way.

7. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and have nothing to live up to. I want to wake up early to start chasing my dreams.

8. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” ~ Plato

9. Life can give you a hundred reasons to cry, but you can give life a thousand reasons to smile.

10. “A desire presupposes the possibility of action to achieve it; action presupposes a goal which is worth achieving.” ~ Ayn Rand