Eau de Dr. Scholls

Random Family Conversation #38

Critter and I went to the mall last night to get a few things. I hadn't been in awhile and found that the mall parking lot is quite torn up and our usual parking area inaccessible. We parked near Macy's and trekked past the men's clothing and pungent perfume counters to get inside. Still recovering from my cold, my throat closed up immediately and I coughed for ten minutes afterwards. The next two hours were spent circling the mall shops, eating pretzels, and discussing who was Hot (The Fall Out Boys and someone named Sage). We marched our way back to Macy's and the car.

"Let's go down the other aisle this time. Maybe it won't be so stinky," I told Critter. We stepped into the department store and strolled past the junior clothes, gasping slightly at the perfume counters on our left. A haze of lavender / cherry blossom / vanilla / orchid / musk / cologne / perfume enveloped us. I gagged. "No such luck. It's still stinky."

"It's your shoes," Critter answered.

"What?!" I squeaked, completely shocked.

She nodded, unphased. "Well, it's just as slippery in this aisle as it was on the other side. So it must be that you have sticky shoes."

"STINKY! Not sticky! I was talking about the perfume!"

Critter laughed. "Oh...."

Traffic is thicker than a cloud of meteors today

Random Family Conversation #36

JewelGeek: I took the videos back to the store this morning on my way to work.

CrafterKat: You mean the DVDs?

JewelGeek: Yes, the DVDs. We'll have flying cars someday and I'll still call them videos.

CrafterKat: And you'll still say LPs for music.

JewelGeek: Or records. I'll say I just downloaded that new record today... It'll totally embarrass Critter.

CrafterKat (sighing, like Critter): Mom, that's so nineteenth century!

Critter: No! I'll be like, "That's so twenty-first century!"

CrafterKat: Honey, you won't live that long.

Critter: I'm totally going to live until we have flying cars!

A Long February Evening

Last night was one of the longest evenings of the New Year. I’m sure it was partly due to CrafterKat and I having colds (I’m coming out of mine, she’s just starting up) but it was also the fact that we had to attend a mandatory school meeting which was really just an excuse for us to come and sign up for another 20-minute meeting with the school district later in the month.

You see, Critter starts high school this fall.

We arrived early and wandered the halls, searching for the auditorium. Past glass cases of trophies and plaques, sign-up sheets for Spring events, photos from the DC trip, posters for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance, senior pics of each Valedictorian, and reminders on gym use.

The Auditorium was full of a dozen theater kids and we watched them strip the stage and set up a podium and mike for the Principal, completely indifferent to the swarms of younger kids and their anxious/confused/annoyed parents who joined them.

Then it was time for introductions and speeches. Counseling is important. Sports are important. Attendance is important. College credit can be had. Be nice. Be responsible. Stick with the Friendlies and avoid the Uglies.

We let our breath out slowly.

Of course it’s important. We know the value of education, the costs of college, the passing of the bond measure. But our minds drifted during the repetitive speeches and unnecessary introductions:

To graduate in 1987, we didn’t have to take a computer class.

Didn’t we have to take three years of math, too?

The stage reminds us of Miracle Worker and the 12 hours and 19 minutes of Markworth’s Oklahoma.

And then we’d glance at Critter, sitting there a bit bored and bit miffed that we wouldn’t let her chat with her unchaperoned friends in the front row.

Will she try out for drama?

When will she read Romeo and Juliet?

How many football games will she attend?

What will her first history report cover?

Will she remain friends with her locker partner?

Will she ride her bike to school?

Will she run for Class Treasurer?

Who will be her prom date?

Will she wave at us when she takes her diploma?

As I said, it was a long evening.

monkey wrench

We had BIG plans for last weekend. Critter was going to SocietyButterfly's place and JewelGeek and I were headed to the beach. Well, we made it to our separate destinations, but merriment did not ensue...

JewelGeek got hit with a monster cold/flu-thingy. She spent the weekend sleeping in the hotel room, sipping 7-up, and watching Oscar-nominated movies on TCM. I waited on her as best I could, called my folks to come up and play on Saturday, and sat through a 2-hour, early morning fire alarm at the hotel that had us all standing around the parking lot in our jammies. [Ok, we went for the TinkTank and slept off and on during the whole ordeal. But still...]

At home on Sunday, I was finally able to relax and take a nap. The beach was fun - but that nap was the best. What a weird weekend.