Rollerskating Diva

I had to take my kids to a birthday party recently. Their friend Amanda was turning seven years old and she was having her birthday at a roller rink. "How cute," I thought to myself, "my seventh birthday was at a "Skate Plaza"".

We walked in the door and were greeted by the familiar disco lights flashing across the rink, the sound of "Hey-Mickie-your-so-fine-your-so-fine-you-blow-my-mind - Hey Mickie", and the smell of sweaty feet. The rink employee slapped a wristband onto my arm and something in me snapped, causing me to revert back to my seven year old self. I rushed to the skate rental counter and shoved a couple pairs of skates at my kids, laced up my gross, tan rentals and took off!

Around the rink I went, gaining balance and forgotten skill with each lap. I swerved around other skaters, tapping my own kids on the head saying "look at mama" as they struggled to stay upright and laughing at my husband who was wearing his tennis shoes. I felt as free as a bird until I felt my foot start to cramp up. I managed to skate to the seating area and frantically untied the skates from my throbbing feet. As I did so the seven year old receded and was instantly replaced by my 35 year old self.

However, before it did, Amanda walked by and seven year old Heather shouted "Cool birthday, Amanda!"

My legs feel like Jello and it will take days before my hips feel normal again but I can't wait to use up those free skate passes they handed out at the end of the birthday party!

American Idol?

In the spirit of creating your own adventures in life I cannot stand American Idol.

The attitudes on this show make it seem like after they're dropped during the latest cut their careers and lives are over. The dependency these kids place on these judges to determine their futures seems a little sick to me. No one should be begging for these opportunities.

The stupid show ended with a boy sobbing in a bathroom stall. How demeaning and pathetic.

Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout

I have a new respect for women after working in the environment I find myself in everyday. There are many women in this call center that struggle alone to care and feed their families on $10 per hour. This job, for me, is for extra money for our household, allowing us to get needed repairs done on cars, putting a bit by for college tuition, and to provide happier birthdays and Christmases. Many of the women I work with take the same amount of money and feed and clothe several children with men only a transient aspect of their lives. Several were even supporting the men in their lives, living with and loving unemployed alcoholics or giving a deadbeat boyfriend or husband yet another opportunity to "get his shit together".

To be absolutely clear, I do not encourage living these lifestyles just to prove you can, but I am amazed that my gender can absorb hardship and disparity that can cause a man to flee. Because of our roles as mothers and caregivers, our societies health and wellbeing depends on the education, employment and the lifting up of the women who work hard to be all things for their families.

From the woman earning her master's degree while hauling elementary kids to school to the woman who has to tax every fiber of her being to put food on the table and keep a roof over her children's heads, my fellow members of the "weaker sex" are truly amazing creatures. Let us remember that sisterhood, that connection that each of us are amazing in our own right and strong pillars of our society.

Respecting Authority

Just recently I started a new job. Not a great new job. Just a job. I'm doing a huge amount of training on Apple computers. Eight hours a day for three weeks I'll be training on operating systems, user interfaces, etc, etc, etc... In the course of all this training, I find that I have a problem with authority. I am dangerously comfortable with talking back to whomever is giving me directions - especially at five am. I don't really have that natural sensor that tells most people to quit talking or to stop shoving the foot in the mouth. I just blabber on, and on, and on... until I find myself inadvertently insulting my boss.
So, until I am a great author with millions of loyal fans, please feel free to remind me to editorialize myself. It would be a kindness and for my own protection. Really!

Considerate and Caring - My husband is one in a million

I feel so sick right now. The sinus pressure in my brain feels like it's splitting my head in two with a blunt axe.

Almost magicly, orange juice, a egg sandwitch, tea, medicine, water, and tissues have all materialized just when I needed them - even though I'm so hoarse I can barely say thank you.

Kris is also an Adult Girl Scout. He registered so he can help with the troop on occasion.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so considerate and caring!

Urban Farmer Association - update

I liked this idea so much I gave it a blog of its own.

http://urbanfarmerassoc.blogspot.com/

Make the World a Better Place - Urban Farmer Association Idea

It's mid October and the leaves are falling off the trees throughout Central Oregon. The only problem is that leaves are not the only thing toppling from the tree tops. Everywhere I go I see wasted fruit laying in people's yards, in the gutters, on the sidewalks. It's a little nagging issue that bothered me last year but I didn't really fully process why.

Kris (my husband) and I were talking about the fruit that is wasted around the United States recently due to my latest plum windfall. It is a shame that people go hungry in our community and yet this waste occurs. He had the idea of starting an Urban Farmer Association.

People could participate in three different ways:

1. Donating Food to Preserve - Homeowners who have a tree loaded with fruit every year but don't want to mess with the process of preserving it can donate the fruit to the association and receive a gift of canned fruit.
2. Donating Harvest Labor - A group of people willing to pick and sort fruit from said trees around town on "harvest dates". They can take home half of everything they pick.
3. Canning and Preserving Team - This group washes and preserves the food picked. They put together "gift baskets" for the homeowners and then divide up the rest of the food amongst themselves to take home.

People from all walks of society would be encouraged to participate. Those who have an interest in reviving the lost heritage of preserving their own food will be able to learn about a variety of preserving methods in just a few days. Those who are looking for a free food source will be able to work towards taking home extra food. We can even give fliers to the food bank to hand out. Those who are simply interested in getting rid of some of that fruit that falls around their house each year will be able to do so. Those who wish could do all three.

If we can create a working model in Bend, perhaps it could be duplicated in communities throughout the country. It seems like a great way to share a heritage, be environmentally responsible, and distribute a wealth of otherwise wasted food to those who will use it!
If you live in Central Oregon and would be interested in joining this emerging group, send me your email address and we'll get organized!