Fabulous Day

I know, right?  You haven't heard that sentiment out of me since, well... I don't know.  I can't remember either.

The hubby is out of town, coaching at "State" (NY state regatta).  So I'm home alone.  Showers forecasted for the weekend.

Great.  My favorite.  I figured I'd be in a seriously bummed mood since the funk I've been in for the past, oh, EIGHT months has been seriously affected by the weather.  But strangely enough the weather has contributed to my good mood!!

First of all, last night I ran to Wegman's and bought me a microwave steamable dinner and an orange, pomegranate martini mix. (don't you judge me!!)  and proceeded to have a just fine TV night all by myself.  Then this morning I was up and at 'em and at Target purchasing necessities by 9am.  The day was overcast and threatening to rain at any moment.  But it's in the 60's!!!  So I grabbed a bunch of gardening stuff and headed to the front yard and started weeding, pruning.... you name it.  If it started to sprinkle I just headed inside.  Big deal.  I don't melt!  My goal was to get the front yard ready for mulch by the end of the weekend.  I had half of my goal done by noon today!! 

Whoo hoo!!!

I finished the rest after lunch.  I practiced a little piano while a little rain moved through and headed out to finish.  As usual, I can only imagine what my neighbors think of me. It did not escape my notice that I was the only person on the street out working in their yard today.  And if anyone caught me working in said yard they certainly got an eyeful.  No - no flashing this time around.  I was in capris and a long sleeve T, not a faulty bikini top.  Have you ever seen those wood cut outs that are supposed to look like the fat hind-end of a granny in a moo moo bent over tending her garden?  Yeah, that was me. 

But I was also pruning a sand cherry (ornamental tree) right out front and would pull a branch down to trim it and on more than one occasion would accidentally let it go and it would slap me in the face or head, sending water and little white flower blossoms spraying everywhere.  Really what are you going to do?  Laugh.  That's what I did.  'Cuz I'm sure it was good entertainment for anyone watching.  Especially since I did it more than once.... (followed by me having a complete conversation with myself to remind self to not do that again... even though I did.)

Once all that yard work was done I figured I deserved a Corona while I waxed and did the hair color.  But I have a bit-o-waxin' wisdom to share.

All these years I've told you that I do my own waxing. I do.  I didn't lie.  I prefer the microwave wax that requires no strips.  You apply it, it hardens on it's own but stays flexible enough that you peel rip it off without the need to apply a fabric strip.  I've been using this method for years.  Today, at Target I bought a brand I've never tried before (because I usually buy my brand at Wally World, but they're going through a remodel and I didn't want to deal with that additional craziness....)  When I got home I realized the new brand is the type that comes with fabric strips. 

CRAP!!  I don't want this kind!!  But I'd figure since I had might as well give it a try. 

I LOVE IT!!  It works soooo much better than the other kind!!!!  It gets everything on the first pass!!  Who knew??

WARNING - you must be an experienced waxer.  The wax is thin and will get everywhere!  I have been doing this for years and managed to still get wax all over my hands.  and myself...  Oh well.  I'll take it for the better results. 

BTW - in case you were wondering, I waxed first then applied my hair color and then kicked back with a Corona.... didn't want anyone thinking the Corona impaired my waxing acumen.  But note to self - never try to wax and color at the same time.  That could produce disastrous results....

Now to paint toe nails.  Probably with another Corona.  Or since I've deemed it a girlie "ZooKeeper" weekend, perhaps an orange pomegranate martini.  Was going to go with a dark red but on second thought, with alcohol involved perhaps I'll choose a lighter color.  Easier to hide when you color outside the lines...  Just sayin'

Now what to do tomorrow with definite rain and thunderstorms?? 
MOVIE DAY!!!!  yeah!!! 
Any suggestions??

So gladd (and I love Lady Gaga)

We live right by a high school.  A large one (to me) with well over 500 or 600 students per grade.  When the hubby is out of town I have to go home and let the dogs out and apparently I go home late enough that the school is out for the day because I see many students out walking around the school.  Me not being a parent myself, I can't confirm exactly what all the kids are doing, but I'm assuming it's not a massive walkout happening on a regular basis.  (I hope....)  I know the school day starts really early there (around 7am!!) so I'm assuming school is done for the day.

Today as I was driving through the school zone I saw three high school-aged guys walking together, two of them openly holding hands.  And it gave me pause.  In a good way.  And I'll tell you why.

We all remember what it was like in high school.  The pressure to fit it.  Some people rebelled  on purpose.  Defied "the man".  I understand why.  But I think they missed the point.  They weren't being themselves.  They were trying to make a point.  Then there were others that did their best to just blend in with the crowd.  Tried to fit in as much as possible.  They might have tried to call attention to themselves to try to be popular or something like that.  But in all other respects it was "try to be as normal as possible".  And then there was always that small group that just did their own thing for the sake of being true to themselves.  I don't know why.  Maybe they were oblivious to everyone else and the pressures of fitting in.  Maybe they didn't care about fitting in.  Maybe they were 200% more mature than the rest of us and the joke was on us.  For whatever the reason they figured out how to be true to themselves waaay before anyone else did (or has)...  I respect that.

I was one that tried to fit in.  I always did was I was told.  To a fault.  So much so I know it has severely affected my adulthood.  I'm not blaming anyone - just stating a fact.  It's taken me so long to realize that I've been doing other people's bidding for so long that I never figured out who I "AM" until so late in life that my adult self has suffered.  Don't worry - I'm not setting myself up for doom and gloom - I'm just saying that it's really hard to stop the momentum of the moving ship this late in life and change course.  Possible!!  Just much, much harder.

So back to these boys holding hands.  High school is soooo hard.  I often reflect on how much harder it probably is today for teenagers who are struggling with their sexuality and trying to decide whether to publicize it or not.  Kids are cruel.  Face it - people are cruel.  Adolescence is a hard time to figure out who you are in general.  Then to figure out you are someone that some of society has defined as deviant??  Just for being you???  How bizarre and unfair is that???   And then top that off with the pressure to "fit in" with everyone else??  Wow!

My heart aches for anyone who is demonized, ostracized or otherwise treated as an outcast for just being who they are.  This is why I love Lady Gaga.  She uses her stardom to be outrageous, call attention to herself and otherwise get people to notice her. Once she has your attention she has a message.  Don't hate people for just being how they were born.

I'm glad to see progress being made.  I'd love to think those to guys walking down the street are as openly accepted at school as any "Jennifer and Tom".  But I doubt it.  But I at least hope they have enough support through their friends - and more importantly, other adults in their lives - that keep helping them just be themselves and not hide behind the mask of what others "expect them to be".

I'm glad those guys are strong enough and comfortable enough to come out in high school and be themselves.  I was respect that decision.  This post isn't just about respecting a high schooler's decision to be true to themselves about their sexuality.  This post is about anyone being true to their real selves.   Be it a man who can truly open up to their real feelings and not feel they always have to be strong.  It's a woman who can be true to herself and admit that she isn't superwoman and find ways to better juggle her responsibilities.  This list goes on and on. 

Don't mistake it - this post is about being true to yourself.  But in order to do so you have to be introspective to know what's in your heart.  This is the hardest part.  Carrying it out is actually easier.  The question is - do you have the discipline and the courage to be introspective and face what you find there?

When 35 is old

I thought playing on this co-ed softball team might make feel feel young again.  Remind me of the days when I was 12 playing for the Chemlawn Cuties.  Running the bases, swingin' the bat...

Nope. 

It's making me feel old as dirt.

Last night was our second game.  We still lost, but not as bad as last week.  A mere 6 - 4.  All of our runs were scored in the last inning.  Apparently it takes us 6 innings to get warmed up.

When I arrived I grabbed a ball and started tossing it with another gal in what the other players lovingly call "warming up".  Whatever.  This is not warming up.  This is just "throwing".  I couldn't figure out the semantic difference until I looked more closely at the players on my team and realized I'm probably one of two of the oldest players on the team.  I'm guessing by a LOT.  So yeah, to them tossing a ball around is "warming up".  When you're twenty-two...

However, when you're 35 "warming up" for anything physical should always include:

• stretching all appropriate muscle groups for the activity
• stretching groups you don't think you're going to use, because face it - you're not 20 anymore so you're likely to use non-appropriate muscle groups even if you don't mean to
• increasing your heart rate in some form - jogging a bit, perhaps
• ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT if said activity will require you to raise your heart rate during said activity...
• popping preemptive ibruprofen

After you have done all of the above you can continue on with any additional "warm ups" suggested by teammates.

NOTE - following outlined "35 YO Warm Up Plan" does not exclude you from injury. 

Case in point:  I hurt myself during our game last night.  During said "ball tossing" with fellow "Ball Breaker" (read that how you will) I twinged my right upper quad.  Face it - I'm just not used to standing still and quickly lunging out to field a grounder or sprinting out to first base.  I thought to myself "Self, be careful!  You're not 20 anymore!!  Don't let that twinge turn into a tear!"

Guess what?  I tore that bitch.

Actually I kept on tearing it and tearing it.  'Cuz I'm a glutton for punishment like that.  And I tweaked my left quad too.  But I kept reminding myself there is NO crying in baseball!!  (or softball, or in front of cute boys) 

But I did consult dad on the way home for proper post injury treatment.  When I got home I iced those thighs like Thanksgiving leftovers and popped Advil.  And today?  More icing and more Advil.  I feel like a new girl!!

Take aways:

1. Don't try to act younger than you are because you just end up looking stupid
2. If you decide to disreagrd rule #1 at least go through the proper warm up techniques at least twice (preferably in private so the younguns don't see you and how old you really are....
3. Don't ever discount the healing properties of ice (or dad's advice....)

Chemlawn Cutie

Back in the day I was a "Chemlawn Cutie".  Although today I believe Chemlawn is trying to shake that name and is going with "TruGreen"....

But I felt compelled to follow up my previous softball report.  If you played ball with me back in the 80's, particularly that fateful T-ball year, I'm happy to report I did not do cartwheels out in left field this past Monday.

However I feel the need to defend my cartwheels during T-ball.  I know the ball is stationary, on a tee.  But do you know how boring the game is???  Do you know how many people cannot hit the dang thing??? (it's a wonder any of the participants ever gradutate to hitting a moving ball...) There is hardly any action!!  Especially in the outfield!  C'mon!  Six year old girls rarely hit a softball off a tee let alone into the outfield.  Therefore I had every right to practice my cartwheels.  I had gymnastics the next day!!

Who agreed to this???

KVeg asked me to play on her Bfriend's coed softball team.  Sure I would!!  Then I found out she wasn't playing.  Something about her lack of hand/ eye coordination...  Well this ought to be a blast...

I don't own a glove.  I haven't really played softball since I was 12!!!  C'mon people.  Give me a break!  I haven't been able to make practice.  I'd have to say, all around this was turning out to be a bad idea.  To make matters worse our game was last night..  Let me tell you - I was doing a rain dance in the office like I was a pure blooded Hopi.  Yeah, well, it worked all right.  It was raining.  But apparently they only cancel for lightening, thunder or pouring rain.  I could only muster a drizzle.

I got to the field to warm up.  I was playing left field.  The outfield was a sloppy, wet, spongy mess.  And over the course of the game - which we lost 8 to 1 - I jotted some mental notes for myself for next time.

• Don't wear a thong while playing softball when you're 35.  Especially when you're playing left field and will probably be running lots.
• Don't talk or mumble to yourself in the outfield.  Even though you're used to talking to yourself on a regular basis these people on your team are "new to you" and don't know your habits and probably find this habit odd, if not disturbing.
• Take the constructive criticism from KVeg's BF and a few of the others on the team with graciousness because they are awesome, very polite and mean well.  But that "one guy", not sure about him.  He's coming across as a jerk.  But still smile and nod to him because you haven't figured out where he fits in the scheme of things yet. 
• Be more aware of what you're doing.  You caught that fly ball.  Yeah for you!! But you also apparently celebrated that you caught it before you threw it back in the field and you didn't even realize it!!  Pay attention!!  (although I think you had every right to immediately celebrate because that's the first fly ball you've caught "in action" since you were 12... that was over HALF a lifetime ago....  and did you see that haus that hit it right at me!!)
• Even though you are totally impressed with Jason's skillz you probably ought stop complimenting him on them lest someone think you have a crush on him.  Really I don't.  I truly am impressed with, not his skillz, per se, but his style.  Guy makes it look good!  I give credit where credit is due.  That's all.
• Don't wear the team t-shirt out in public.  Team name is Ball Breakers. Logo is phallic.  On purpose. 

I told KVBF that my feelings wouldn't be hurt if he decided to move me positions.  Do you know how hard it is to run around after balls in a sloppy, soggy wet outfield??  Impossible!  The balls would hit the grass and not bounce, roll, nuthin!  They literally would leave divots in the grass.  I'm not even kidding.  Not much fun sloshing away to a dead-on-the-ground ball....

We'll see how this turns out.  I did have fun so long as no one is competitive enough that they were disappointed in my performance.  I'm positive I'd have more fun if we didn't have to play on a soggy field in the rain.  So for the next few months think of me trying not to get my teeth knocked out from a fly ball on Monday nights after work!!