First, Give Up That Daily Latte

Mr. Universe was given lots of great Christmas gifts from his students this year. He got cool Christmas ornaments, a homemade heating pad (you know, the kind you stick in the microwave? The mom even made a seperate, washable cover. Ches loves it!), gift cards to Barnes and Nobles, cookies and candy, hot chocolate, and a bajillion gift cards to Starbucks. The Starbuck cards are worth (all together, of course) more than $50.

Now, you all know we don't drink coffee. Not only is it against our religion, but neither Ches nor I even like the smell of the stuff. (It used to crack me up going to college in a largely LDS town and seeing all these Mormon kids standing in the coffee aisle of the supermarket just to smell the coffee. Funny kids.) I'm sure the gift cards for coffee would be great for most people, but not so much for Mr. Universe!

Thank goodness for hot chocolate. Starbucks has very yummy hot chocolate. And lots of yummy foods. VERY yummy. You can't go wrong getting some crumb cake or a cinnamon roll or a granola bar. It's almost like heaven!!

I also think it's nice that Mr. Universe has these cards because I know there is at least one Starbucks close to where he works, and if he needs a little snack or something before or after that long commute, he can use a card and get something.

Starbucks, however, is extremely overpriced! Oh. My. Gosh. No wonder whenever you are watching some Dr. Phil or Oprah like talk show and there is this nice couple that is trying their darndest to get out of debt, the first thing they are told is "make your coffee at home. Give up that daily latte." You see, let's say this is something we actually did. Let's say Ches stopped at Starbucks every morning on his way to school and bought himself a $3 drink. He would be spending around $90 a month... just for a quick pick-me-up!!! What if he decided on something else? Say a yummy and satisfying $5 hot drink. We're talking $150 that month!! OH MY HECK!! Now, of course not everyone works 7 days a week, so maybe we're aiming a little high, but how many people stop at just a drink? Not when it smells sooooo good and the breakfast sweets are looking sooooo bright and big and you find a little spot of drool on your collar... every now and then you are going to "splurge" and get yourself a piece of blueberry coffee cake for $3.50, right? Heck yes you are! And it tastes so good, why regret it, right?

Because $150 a month can pay off credit cards a lot faster than $45 or $80 a month. I always hated hearing the whole "Give up your daily latte" spiel because we don't buy a latte every day and I could never figure out what little thing like that we should give up that would add up. Because we DON'T go out and get a coffee every day. Or pizza and ice cream every week. Or see a movie in the theatre. Or even rent movies. Those activities have become such a rarity I don't think I can even count it as once a month!! Okay, maybe once a month or for special occasions (like the kids being sick the whole week before Christmas. So I rented a ton of movies just so we wouldn't be watching the same Wiggles DVD for 6 hours straight while they lay on the couch like their dying and whine about their noses and tummies hurting).

I'm still trying to figure out what my daily latte sacrifice is, but until then, Mr. Universe and I are going to enjoy using his gift cards for some really yummy hot chocolate.

Let's Talk About Sex

Don't worry, everyone. I'm not going to talk about anything graphic. I just have some things I've been thinking about that I would like some opnions on because I'm curious about what others think.

How many of you watch "Desperate Housewives"? I don't think most of you do. I love the show. It cracks me up most of the time. Anyway, there is a little story line going on right now about the daughter of one of the "housewives". The daughter, Julie, has started dating the resident Bad Boy (I'll call him BB because I can't remember the character's actual name). Being teenagers, they are "in love" and making out a lot, and of course he is pressuring her to have sex. In the last episode, she was saying "No, I don't think I'm ready yet" and he was saying to her "That's fine, but you can't blame me for trying" and stuff like that.

Julie then goes to her friend (can't remember her name, either, so we'll call her Neighbor Girl, or NG) and is talking about this dilemna. Neighbor Girl says if you aren't ready, don't do it (and she says she should know because basically she is a slut and she knows that, too). Julie is a little worried about the pressure, and Neighbor Girl's brother walks in and interjects with the whole idea that if Bad Boy isn't getting sex from Julie, he's getting it from somewhere else. Julie insists that BB is a "gentleman", and NG insists that not all guys are that bad, but the brother insists that it's just the way guys are.

Julie worries some more and decides to have sex with Bad Boy. The end of the episode shows us that BB is indeed sleeping with someone else... you see him in bed with a girl (can't see her face yet) and he says, "I don't think we should be doing this anymore." Of course, who sits up? Neighbor Girl. She replies, "Just because Julie slept with you doesn't mean we can't keep having fun."

Yes, we all know NG is a slut. That isn't the point of all this.

In tonight's episode, there is a whole ordeal with Julie and Bad Boy about birth control and how they are "in love" and want to be responsible. Julie's mom (Susan) finds Julie's pack of birth control pills, freaks out, finds out that Bad Boy's aunt (Edie) is the one who helped Julie get them, and confronts Edie. As Susan and Edie are arguing and walk into Edie's house, who do they find going at it on the couch? Bad Boy and Neighbor Girl. At the end of the episode Susan breaks the news to Julie, who is of course heartbroken. It's her first love, you know. Who can blame her?

Anyway... this is what I'm wondering about:

Are guys (especially sexually active guys) really that shallow? Or is it just a few of them? I know that most of us are married to guys that were either not sexually active until we married them, or I don't think they were that kind of scum to sleep with two girls at the same time. But I wonder about a lot of these guys.

I wonder because I remember being in high school, dating a guy who did not share the same set of standards that I did. I really liked this guy a LOT (okay, I admit it... it was my first love, but I was 17. What did I know about love back then??). Yes, the guy was Jerk Faced Liar. Jerk Faced Liar had been sexually active before we dated, and I knew that. I made it clear that I was not willing to have sex until I married. In the time that we dated, the pressure to have sex grew and grew.

(Side note to Mom... if you are reading this, and I'm sure you are... I know that you know that pressure was there, so you don't have to talk about it, okay? I also know you were scared to death for what I may or may not have been doing because I remember the night I came in after a date and woke you up. I was sobbing and couldn't talk and you were trying to comfort me and saying things like "It's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay." and it dawned on me "Oh my gosh, my mom thinks I'm pregnant!" and when I told you why I was crying, I could see the complete relief on your face!!)

I sometimes wondered this when I was dating Jerk Faced Liar, but I was blinded by how much I cared for him and didn't think it would be possible. Every now and then the thought came into my head that after another date and another time of no sex, did he go to someone else after taking me home? Was he getting sex from someone else? It was never more than a fleeting thought at the time, and was NEVER anything to make me think I had to sleep with him to keep him, but the thought did cross my mind a few times.

In the years after we broke up, Jerk Faced Liar admitted lying to me about several things while we were dating... the two biggest things being that he never believed in my church and only joined to make me happy (you wouldn't believe the discussions we had about how important it was to both of us to not change religion for someone else, but for our individual self only) and that he had never actually quit smoking when we had this big bet going on about it and I "lost" the bet when he didn't smoke (turns out he smoked whenever I wasn't around and would try to cover it up... all our friends knew but me. Boy, do I still feel like such an idiot for trusting him!!).

After Jerk Faced Liar admitted these things to me, I started to wonder again whether or not he "cheated" while we were dating, but I never asked. I'm not in contact with him now, and I'm not about to get in contact with him (yes, I do know how to find him if I need to) just to have this question answered.

Do I really want to know the answer? If the answer is yes, he did cheat, then what does that accomplish? More hurt and pain for me. I would feel stupid all over again for trusting someone like that. I would hate myself all over again for even dating someone that I KNEW didn't share my beliefs and values, no matter how many interests we shared. If the answer is no, will that change my opinion on Jerk Faced Liar and how he treated me? Not hardly. He still lied about so many other things and treated me horribly after we broke up (he kissed a so-called friend the DAY AFTER we broke up! And we only broke up to make it "official" or something because I was leaving to go to college 2000 miles away 2 weeks later!! He was still kissing me! Anyway...)

I talked about it a little with Mr. Universe. I asked his opinion: Are guys really like that? He said he doesn't think so, but then again maybe there are a bunch out there that do think that way because the "world" says casual sex is okay. To us, sex is sacred and special, and I don't want to have sex with anyone else... ever. Just him. I don't want him to have sex with anyone else but me. I can't even THINK about if one of us has shared that experience with someone other than each other because it is such a special thing, and I don't like that so many people treat sex as such a casual thing. It should be special! Not just something fun to do. Not just something that feels good at the time. Casual sex just cheapens what I have with my husband.

My opinion, of course. (And it's what I tell my "girls" when they start talking about sex and want my opinion about stuff. Heh)

So basically, I want to know your opinion... other than those "straight-arrow" kind of guys (you know, the LDS returned missionaries and such, for the most part), are guys just really that needy for sex that they would jeopardize a great relationship with one girl that he shares interests and love but not sex just to satisfy his so-called needs with another girl (friend or otherwise)?

Like I said, it's not something that I HAVE to know about in my own past, but I am curious as to what is really out there. Am I in such a bubble or that naive to think that most guys really are going to be "gentlemen" and listen when their girlfriend says "No, I'm not ready for that kind of a relationship"???

You Say Toe-may-toe, I Say Toe-mah-toe

I've been thinking about how differently we all pronounce certain words. (I don't know why. Just roll with me here) I often wonder why it is, really, that we DO pronounce them differently. Why is it that here in the US, when we want to apologize, we say "saw-ree" and you up in the north say "sore-ee"? We aren't all that different, are we?

Then you get people in the same country... take a certain kind of pie that (most) people seem to like. I pronounce it "pe-CAHN", whereas my friends down south pronounce it "PEE-can". Then there is the word pie: I say "pyee", and Southerners say "paaah".

Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter where you are from, you just pronounce it however your family does. Take the word creek. I am usually adament that it is pronounced "creek", not "crick" as many people will. However, when I am talking about a certain small community in southeastern Idaho, it is most definitely Mink Crick. Even if it is spelled Mink Creek.

The town I used to live in during my high school years has a nice name: El Dorado. A beautiful, Spanish sounding name, right? WRONG!!! In that town, it is not pronounced "Elle Doe-RAH-doe", as it is anywhere else in the world. Here it is "Elle Duh-RAY-doe".

When I lived in Maine, you knew who the tourists were because they would call our little city "Bang-urr". It is spelled Bangor, and it is pronounced "Bang-GORE". Or, if you had a really thick, Down East accent, it is "Bang-ah". Here in Arizona, the out-of-towners (or out-of-staters, really), pronounce Prescott wrong by saying "Press-SCOTT". When you come visit, you will sound knowledgeable because I am telling you it's actually pronounced "PRESS-kit".

In Nevada, we say "Ne-VEH-duh", NOT "Ne-VAH-duh". Just to make that clear. When we moved East, we had to constantly remind people it is "Ore-e-GUN", not "Ore-e-GONE", and I don't know why so many people can't understand that the "s" is silent in Illinois.

So, pretty much, I'm thinking of place names more than other words. Hmm. What common mispronounciations do you hear where you are? Or what major differences have you heard (with neither actually being "correct", just different) in your many travels?

Time Waster

If I'm not doing what I should be doing, it's because I went and got myself addicted to this. Pretty simple, but I keep playing anyway. What do you do when you are wasting time on one thing instead of doing what you should be doing?

Millions of Fingers! Millions of Thumbs!

This month is Drum Month. I don't know why, or who says, except that on my newsletter from Cool Mom Picks it said November is Drum Month. So...

Dust off your Remo heads, my friends, and beat the heck out of something! When changing the tire on your vehicle, compare tightening the lugnuts to tightening the screws on a drum rather than the other way around. Dig out the cool black t-shirt that says Zildjian on it. Talk about the advances in musicianship that Ringo Starr brought to the Beatles through his visionary rhythms. Have a debate on whether there is a difference in sound quality when using traditional grip or match grip. Carry a stick bag on your shoulder, or just have a couple of sticks in the back pocket of your jeans. Find your felt and yarn and have a mallet wrapping party. There are so many things you can do during drum month.

Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum.

Gettin' My Vote On

I voted on Tuesday. I'm quite proud of myself, but it was really stressful. I mean, how hard is it to make a few small decisions, right? Ha.

First of all, I have now voted in states and in three different ways. In Idaho I filled in a little circle (like a standardized test or something) with a pencil. In Nevada I pressed what looked like a button on an electronic screen, then reviewed all my choices before saving it, then got a little print-out verifying my votes. Here in Arizona I was given very large pieces of paper, given a "special" pen (seemed like a nice felt pen was all), and was told to connect the back line to the front arrow so it looked like one long arrow. I guess if I made a mistake, well, tough luck. No one ever told me what to do about that.

Second of all, I took all three kids with me to vote. I had meticulously gone through the sample ballot sent to me in the mail so I would know what proposition was what and I would be prepared. I had talked to Aiden about how blessed we are to live in a country that allows us, the people, to pick our own leaders, and this is how we get to pick them: we go vote for who we think is best and good and true and hope that everyone else feels the same way. I made sure I had my ID ready to show at the polls. I piled the kids in the van, and we were off. We made up a silly little song to sing about voting: "I get to vo-o-o-o-ote today! We're going to vo-o-o-o-ote today! Oh it's so fun to vo-o-o-o-ote!" Aiden and Parker were perfect during the voting. Well, Parker slept, so he really wasn't a problem. Dallin --my beautiful, innocent-looking devil child-- decided that this was the perfect place to run around, screaming and laughing very loudly. It took me forever to get the voting done because I had to keep chasing after Dallin! It was so embarrassing. I hope I voted for who and what I wanted. You never can tell when you have to leave the table 40twelve times to chase after the little monster.

Third of all, I really and truely tried to research the issues and the candidates, but it was really hard! There should really be a link on your sample ballot to a nonpartisan, completely objective and neutral website that says, "So and So is running for Blah Blah office. He believes this and this. Such and Such is the also running for Blah Blah office. She believes that and that. Proposition 10hundred is really saying la-dee-da and is supported by these High-falutin' groups." Wouldn't that make life just perfect? Which is why, of course, there is no such website. Maybe I could start working on one for the next presidential election. Uuuuhhhhh, NO!! Am I nuts?? (Don't actually answer that, please).

Fourth of all (good thing I wasn't counting on my hands, huh? 'cuz then I'd be a four-handed freak), I just plain stress out at the idea of voting for something and maybe I don't actually know who or what it stands for and I just helped vote in something I am completely against. And what about these measures that are like they are about one thing, but they have a million other hidden agendas in them?? That scares the heck outta me. I don't know if I just voted to raise the minimum wage or if I really voted to let someone come into my workplace and steal my identity!! (I don't know how those are connected, but there was some commercial about it).

Here are the good things about my voting:
1) I did my Civic Duty and now feel like an Upstanding Citizen
2) I am now allowed to complain about the state of affairs in this country because I voted. I just won't let you know if I voted for something that actually made it worse and I am now complaining about it
3) I got a cool sticker (they even gave me one each for Aiden and Dallin!) which I proudly wore the rest of the day

And now I'm ending with a gratuitous sentence so... well, Karen sounded better when she said it. Never mind.

Here We go Again

Okay innernets... do you like this one better than the face with no nose? I do. Although I really liked the eyes on the last one. Anyrate...

Trying this out for size. I don't actually meditate or do yoga like the cool girl here does (I'm pretending she's me), but I should. I'm holding a contest, too. What do you think is going on in her (my) head? Come up with a good sentence or two, and it could be my next tagline!! :)

And Then The One Penguin Yelled To The Other... "Hot Chocolate!"

I love hot chocolate. It's my favorite drink, I believe. Between my sister, Lura, and me, we keep the hot chocolate business from ever going under. Seriously. I mean, here I am, drinking a nice big mug of hot chocolate, and it's freakin' 90 degrees outside!! However, the last time I looked at a calendar, it said November on top. November means cool weather, warm sweaters, pretty red leaves falling from trees, and a very yummy mug of hot chocolate.

You got a problem with that? Doesn't matter. I'm the one overheating myself to enjoy the silky delight being poured down my throat. You can go drink your ice cold Coke or something. I'm keeping my hot chocolate.

Testing 1-2-3

Well, I'm going for a new look. And figuring out how to personalize stuff, too. We'll see how it goes. So far, it's very slow-going, especially since I can only work on it for a couple of minutes before the kids go nuts... which they are right now.

So... what do you think? Is it me, or should I keep looking? I'm debating in my head.

Here's Lookin' At You, Kid

I had promised Erica to write a post just for her, because I was "messing up" her "blog checking schedule." I'm supposed to write about her "awesomeness". Okay. Here goes.

Why My Little Sister, Erica, Is Awesome

1. She lives in Boston.
2. She now uses the word wicked, as in "Erica is wicked awesome."
3. She has naturally curly hair, which is something that those of us with board straight hair that barely holds a curl always wish we had.
4. She is a hockey goalie.
5. She can cook.
6. She sends cool stuff to her nephews.
7. She knows all sorts of wierd, random facts.
8. She has pretty good taste in music.
9. She plays (played??) the trombone.
10. She is an amazing writer.
11. While it drives me absolutely insane and I just want to kick her in the head, Erica is opinionated and sticks to her guns.
12. She is interested in all sorts of cool things.
13. She likes the color orange.
14. She has a cat named Fleury, who is apparantly a really great cat (I wouldn't know as I have never met Fleury, or his brother Todd. They live in Ohio with my parents and brother).

Erica, who's favorite number is 41 but her back up is 14, I bow down to you and your awesomeness!

How Beauty is Made

Wow. Check this out and let me know if you can think of anything to say besides "wow". (Guess I'm not the intelligent one in the group if that's all I can think of!! heh.)

I Have Work Enough To Do

If you didn't do the job you have now, what would you do instead? Or what are things you have seriously considered for jobs? Or maybe not seriously considered, but thought for a fleeting moment that it'd be cool? Here are some of my "dream jobs", or just "heh, that'd be fun" jobs:

1. English literature teacher in honors classes in high school
2. Sign language interpreter
3. Flight attendant
4. Undercover cop in a high school
5. Waitress at the Hard Rock Cafe
6. Famous columnist
7. A writer for the evening news
8. Studio musician for Disney
9. Broadway musical pit orchestra member
10. Conductor of the Boston Pops
11. Novelist
12. Extra on a movie set
13. Cake decorator
14. Wedding planner
15. Choreographer and instructor for a drum corps' color guard
16. Professional dancer
17. Model
18. Artist
19. Graphic design artist
20. Bass player in a really cool band

**Edit** Here are a few more that I forgot to put on here. Don't ask me why I forgot. I guess I needed a little memory jog and I got that from talking to some of you or reading your blogs and comments.

21. Studio photographer
22. Professional student
23. Something in a bookstore
24. Interior designer
25. Photo journalist

The Hardest Job I've Ever Had

Right after I turned 17 I decided that babysitting wasn't going to be a good enough income for my needs. I decided to get a job. My friend Ashley, who drove me home from school everyday, took me to the local Shoney's restaurant, and I filled out an application. The manager talked to me right then, and I was essentially hired on the spot.

The next week I started orientation. It seemed so silly, learning how to cut lemons and how to hold a tray, but I guess it was important to the company that their servers knew how to do these things. I was given my uniform, but since I was so small, they had to order a skirt for me. I would have to make do with what they had. I pinned about two inches on either side of my waist in and I never did get that smaller skirt. I looked like a little girl playing dress up.

I learned to have a great, fake smile, to flirt with people, and to act as if the customer was always right... all for a tip. I had to work weekend nights and several weekday nights. I didn't mind too much. It was my junior year of high school, and I felt abandoned by my friends who had graduated the year before. The only time it was really bad to work was the night of the Valentine's dance at school. A large group of students (who weren't really my friends because they were the popular kids, but I had classes with all of them) came in and guess who got to be their server? I had to endure watching everyone having fun with their dates and answer questions about why I didn't go to the dance and then get a lousy tip from them in the end.

As soon as I found another part-time job, I quit. I hated being a server. However, I can still hold a very full tray of food with the best of them.

*****

I have worked for two movie theatres. One was a small, family-owned theatre in our town. The owner's daughter and I had a mutual best friend, and the daughter and I became really close from that job. Of course, it helped that she was also in band, so we got to see each other a lot. I really liked working at that theatre. Everyone was friendly and like a family in many ways. We had a lot of fun at work, too. When Arkansas won the NCAA basketball tournament in 1994, we also happened to be showing the Flinstone's movie. We listened to the game on the radio, and when Arkansas won, we (like the rest of the state) were ecstatic! We talked to our boss, and someone ran to Wal-mart, bringing back red Arkansas Champions t-shirts with Fred Flinstone playing basketball on the front. We got to wear those to work for a while. Later, we talked the boss into letting us order polo shirts with the name of the movie theatre and our names embroidered on them. We had them dyed the same green as the new carpet. We all liked wearing those shirts rather than a white button-down shirt with a vest and bow-tie. I still have my shirt.

The second movie theatre I workd for was part of a very large chain. There were a lot more people that worked there, and we even had several managers. It was a bit different from the first theatre, but I still enjoyed it. I made friends quickly, and had lots of people to hang out with. It was the summer after my sophomore year at Ricks College... the summer I was living with my aunt... the summer where I was dating my future husband, but he was living in a completely different state and working, so I didn't see him for almost four months... the summer I took to really think about how I am and what I wanted. At the end of the summer, Mr. Universe came out to visit me. I still had to work for a few days, and I didn't want him to be totally bored. He got to come to the movie theatre and watch movie after movie... all for free. Usually I could only get people in for free movies if they were accompanying me. However, the managers had become good friends of mine, and after we were married and came back for visits, these guys still offered free movies to us. It was fun working there.

*****

I worked as an early-morning janitor my first fall semester at Ricks. I was assigned to the Hart Building, which was the physical education building. I could often be found sweeping the floors of the racketball courts, the dance studio, and the main gym. I worked from 4 am to 7 am, and my first class was at 8. I hated that job. I had blisters on my hands from the push brooms, which made my flute playing harder and learning the piano almost impossible. I was exhausted and falling asleep in my 10 am algebra class. After a few weeks of total misery, my mom and stepdad said I could quit my job and focus on my studies. My new job was simply to get good grades.

*****

After Mr. Universe and I had been married about 2 years, we spent a summer in Utah to find jobs. He had one from before we were married, and I found a job working for a telemarketing company. I was "Corporate Quality Assurance", which basically meant I listened to the recordings of the calls the telemarketers made and had to make sure they followed their script word for word. I had to write a report on every single call (actually, it was more of filling out a form), and we were expected to do a certain number of calls in an hour. We listened to the calls on fast speed. Let me tell you, even on this so-called "fast speed", some of the telemarketers would read sooooooooo slowly, it would take them forever to get through one simple sentence! I hated it! One day, as I was clearly frustrated and leaving after a day of listening to a bunch of idiots try and sell stuff to people who could care less, a manager asked me, "What do you think would make this job better?" I quickly answered, "Give reading tests to the telemarketers before they are hired!"

"Ummm, we already do that," the manager said quietly.

"Well, does it count for anything??" I quite that job and worked for a few weeks at a temp agency instead. I ended up working at a factory that makes bows and arrows. It was noisy, but satisfying. I liked that job so much better.

*****

After I graduated from university, we moved here to Arizona so Ches could do his student teaching. I was to find work. I ended up subbing for the Mesa School District, and I mostly loved it! I was a little scared to sub because it really hadn't been all that long since I was a student who would do things to subs. Okay, I didn't do things, but I didn't stop them, either. Anyway...

Shortly after I started working, I had a miscarriage. It was a really rough time for me, and a really rough time for our marriage as we dealt with our grief in totally different ways. One day I got the call to sub at a special school. This school is for pregnant and ntewly delivered teen mothers. I would be teaching English literature and history. I loved the subjects, but since I was still grieving I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing all these pregnant girls. I felt it so unfair that I was doing what I deemed "right", and yet I had lost a much wanted baby, and these stupid, irresponsible teenagers were not only able to get pregnant, but they were all keeping their babies. I was bitter at the situation. I was unsure about taking this job, but I needed to work. So I accepted and went to sub the next morning.

I loved it. These girls found out about the miscarriage and they were so kind. They were not stupid and irresponsible. They were smart girls who had made a "mistake", but were continuing to get their education and do the best they could for their new situation. I left a message at the front desk saying I would sub for this school anytime.

*****

I currently don't get paid for the job I have. I don't get vacations. I don't even get a lunch break. I am always on duty. I have to learn and do things I never thought I would do (mainly cooking!!), and I have to answer questions that I would never have thought of asking in the first place. I am exhausted constantly, and I have to take medication for depression. I'm constantly on the go. I don't have family near by to help out in a pinch. I am a mother, and parenting is the hardest job I've ever had. Facing hungry, angry customers is much easier than facing a 3-year-old pitching a huge fit in the middle of Target. Listening to a 20-year-old who can't read attempt to sell Disney books to a 75-year-old widower is much easier than watching the same Blue's Clues DVD 4 times in a row... everyday! Facing teen moms and trying not to take out my bitterness and grief on them is much easier than facing a two year old who has just colored all over your bedspread with permanent markers and then NOT beating them to a pulp.

Yes, all of my previous jobs had some really hard days, but you know what? I wouldn't trade my job right now for anything in the world. Parenting is hard, but there is nothing like raising these three boys and wondering what kind of men they will turn out to be. I love it.

Baby You Can Drive My Car

I got my Arizona driver's license yesterday. The wait time actually wasn't that long, and I didn't have to take a test or anything. Just fill out a form, pay my $25, and turn in my Nevada license. I had fixed up my hair all special, but it was doing all sorts of strange flippy things... so it just looks ridiculous. I had put on my makeup and think I looked really nice, but those cameras aren't always the best, and my face looks a lot pinker than my neck. I had to change my shirt at the last minute before we left because I'm a klutz and I spilled pizza sauce on my shirt, so I ended up wearing a white t-shirt and white tends to make me look washed out (except that I have a pink face) and freaky. I made a face at my picture as soon as I saw it, and Mr. Universe just kind of laughed. He said, "Driver's license pictures are never supposed to look good." He's right, I know, but I tried anyway.

While filling out the form, it asked for my weight. HA! I just had a baby 11 days earlier! What is my weight? How should I know? I hope to get a lot smaller than this, but I put down 145.

*****

I got my first license at the age of 15. In Arkansas, at the time I don't know how it is now, of course), you had to take a written test before you could get a permit. Then you had to wait a certain period of time before you could take the driving test. I had to take the written test twice. That was pretty common. After three times of failing the written, you weren't allowed to take it again for another set period of time. Oh, and once you failed the first time, you had to wait I think a week before you caould take the test again.

Once I had my permit, I got to practice driving a lot. My mom taught me, mostly. At that time, in Arkansas, you weren't required to take driver's ed, and our particular insurance wasn't going to give any discounts or anything for it, so I didn't take it. I didn't have the time or the money anyway.

Anyway, after I passed my driving test (which the tester said I was an excellent driver, by the way), and my best friend, Susan, passed hers, my Mom took us over to the DMV to get our new licenses. I had a bad perm that was growing out, so my hair was kind of long, frizzy, and pretty much parted in the middle. I was wearing a long-sleaved denim shirt, and a cool necklace with turquoise beads on it. I wore my round framed glasses (very John Lennon, but bigger frames). I stood exactly where I was supposed to, and the woman said in a very bored voice, "Okay, on the count of three... One... Two... *click*!" The camera flashed and I was dumbfounded.

"What happened to three??" I looked around, but no one would answer my question. It was like a cruel joke. I wasn't smiling yet because I was waiting for three so I wouldn't look too forced!!

After about 10 minutes, I was handed my brand new, very first driver's license. I looked first at the picture. I looked like a hippy... a very unhappy hippy with crooked glasses. Not my best moment.

*****

I have held driver's licenses in several states since then... California, Idaho, Nevada... but nothing is as memorable as your first.

My new license is pretty cool. My picture does look a little freaky, but what can you expect? It has all the vital information on it. I am an organ donar. I am registered to vote (and I had a hard time deciding what to put down for a particular party! I finally wrote down Republican, but I don't know if I really consider myself that. I don't consider myself a Democrat, either, so I guess maybe I should have written "Independent". Ches left his blank because he can never remember which party is which). Oh, and you want to know the expiration date on my license?

12/24/2041