Three Friends, Three Different Schools, All Graduates of the Class of 2008

The last high school graduation celebration gave me a moment to capture this photo.

The next time we snap a photo like this of the three girls the caps will not be green, purple and maroon but all be black.

Summer 2008 Road Trip Packing List

1. Rush's Greatest Hits
2. Led Zeppelin's Greatest Hits
3. Five Camelbak back packs
4. Five pairs hiking shoes
5. Granola Bars
6. few pairs of shorts, few t-shirts, lots of socks
7. ball caps

We contemplated the oil companies' desire to rape all of us Americans at the pump of our hard earned green; then we threw caution to the wind and decided, what-the-hell, let's go for it. So off we are hiking the Great Smokey Mountains. Going all primitive: no showers (but we'll take whore baths; boil pots of water and washing with soap down to our possibles and up to our possibles), no A/C, no electricity, no blogging. Instead: lots of family bonding, singing classic rock tunes by the campfire, JiffyPop, roasting marshmallows, playing games with the moon as our lantern, reading a book as we rest by a waterfall, and avoiding black bears.

I love the simple life, embraced with nature.

Volunteer Insanity

That glass of wine the band's president bought me tonight after the board meeting is feeling...well, well deserved.

Last I night I shuffled papers, emailed...till 1am. Tonight I am shuffling papers and emailing potential volunteers again. Still. To add to my insanity I am placing orders for supplemental guard uniform pieces (duffel bags and fleece jackets, gloves and tights). I want to shuffle papers in the peace and quiet of my home but for some reason unknown to me my daughters think summer break means an all night television fest. Silence is my favorite sound. You know when you can hear the hum and a buzz in your ear. It ain't happening.

So as time slips into the wee hours of the morning I have an idea. Will someone come over here knock me out, throw me in the car and send me to the mountains? If not I suppose I shall continue to shuffle this never-ending stack of forms.

An Ode to Alee from Aunt Kimy

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog

A little something to get in the mood for A Tribute to Led Zeppelin concert I have tickets for. Because I like my daughters to be fully rounded in there passion for all great music they are coming along.

Horoscope

Here's my horoscope for today: It's a great night for a date -- even with your mate of several years or decades! Your romantic energy is strong and you should be able to kindle or rekindle something sweet with the right person.

King Ralph just asked me if I wanted to join him for an evening of motorcycle club. Cause nothing says romance like a ride on the back of a motorcycle. Then drinking beer with a bunch of burly men.

I think either my horoscope is screwed up or the King's perception of a romantic date is amiss.

A Man and his White Shirt

What a Monday! Worked all day preparing 850 report cards for mailing. I helped rearrange the filing cabinets to match the new class lists...finally ate my first bite of food for the day at 530pm before I had to fly out the door for the promotion ceremony.

I present to you the king in his white shirt--simply renamed L-T.

The Par-tay

There were so many options for Saturday fun; the Strawberry Festival or even the Horseradish Festival, but they all chose our house-- to celebrate Princess A being a graduate of the Class of 2008. We did it, we hosted a graduation party sans rain with a touch of St. Louis humidity . And, in this town that is an incredible weather feat! The no rain not the humidity-- that's a given in this town.

It was a great day, lots of family and friends.

We feasted, feasted and feasted some more. From the feast came orders from Brian for my guacamole for his graduation party and my tortellini pasta salad for Katie's graduation party.

We sweated a little; some more than others...especially King Ralph as he stood over the BBQ pit grilling oriental marinated chicken. There is not a single slice of cake or even a single chocolate covered strawberry left to tempt our sweet tooth. There is however some my fabulous homemade sangria left--so you are all invited over Tuesday for beverage-- no joke! I would invite you all tomorrow but we continue on the graduation party circuit and, then we are taking the left over chicken and sides to my sister-in-law's for an evening dip in her pool (God knows we all could use a pool day to cool off. What the fun happened to spring?)

Oh ya, Elvis did leave the building. I found a note on the framed sign I left in his place and it read "Bull Caa-Caa He's gotta come back some time!" Sounds like the kidnappers where a little disappointed I out witted.

Did every one have a great time? In the words of my mother-in-law's newly acquired lingo--"fo' shizzle!" There is nothing more hilarious than the girls teaching grandma hip lingo or, in this case my sister who wanted her to impress Princess A and her friends. The words took a few trials to evolve-- fo' shizzle started out as fo' shingle. When she did master the lingo she got a huge roar of laughter from the gathered grads as she told Princess A good-bye using fo' shizzle in her sign off.

I am running out of steam on this hamster wheel of life. So I will bid farewell.

Pack Your Own Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

I have been in frenzy mode--cleaning, shopping...Princess A's graduation party is Saturday.

Flashback to Christmas when Aunt Linda and I fought over who should attain ownership of Elvis--the things a white elephant game will bring out of you; or in this case me. (Funny how no one fought "Funkle" Dan for his Jason-Friday the 13th mask)

Present time: King Ralph informed me there is a planned hit on Elvis. Which bums me because he was all dressed up for the party, standing all proud in his LHS tasseled graduation cap.

So I have sprung into safe house mode. Elvis' place of honor, on the piano, will be replaced by a framed sign "Elvis has left the buidling" and the above photo. The King of Rock and Roll is going into hiding Saturday.

Don't think for a minute I am stupid enough to let someone, anyone threaten my piano tchotchke. Game on!

H-a-double-l -e-l-u-j-a-h, Hallelujah!

Cold sweats. Shakes. Uncontrollable finger twitches. Heart beating practically out of the chest wall. I was just about to resort to rehab and a 12-Step program-- we have been without satellite TV for nearly a month. You have no idea the anxiety disorders that come with television withdrawal. No idea! I have beaten down doors of friend’s homes to see their recorded episode of the finale of American Idol. No Paula Deen guiding me how to add high doses of fat to my diet. No Discovery Channel and Ben Bailey challenging my memory of trivia knowledge from his yellow cab. No Tela Tequila on MTV...well actually that was an easy cold turkey (giving up a tranny mess is easier than you think). You can only imagine that is what Amy Whinehouse must feel like as she tries to kick her cocaine addiction. Thankfully Farmer Wants a Wife is accessible by computer-- which is probably how Amy Whinehouse must feel when she finds a joint roach in an ashtray--just enough of a fix to take the edge off. It is borderline absurd how much this family loves the mindless-life-sucking-brain-death-box-of-entertainment. But we do. More so than we ever realized.

It is rather joyous to see that since the mindless-life-sucking-brain-death-box-of-entertainment went black that the girls are reading--novels. Princess A who finds pleasure reading arduous actually, by her own fruition, went into a book store, purchased with her own money the novel Into the Wilds...and is reading it. Reading not because she has to or for a grade rather because reading is fun, and pleasurable. I even heard her say the "book is really good". M asked me to purchase Atonement...and is reading. D who has always been a ferocious reader has picked up pace and nearly completed a novel in a day. The King on the other hand has not embraced the bookstore but instead developed a relationship with The Red Box. I have taken up reading deeper into my presidential candidate options--still remaining disenchanted by all.

D has taken to inviting friends over after school (which thankfully, finally ended today) to stand around the piano while she plays Sara Bareilles' Love Song and they all sing. Some may be flat and pitchy but it's so cute, so middle school.

Bedrooms are being kept clean; sheer boredom can drive you to...well, to the things that should be all the time.

All this cleaning, piano playing, singing and reading; this body and mind enhancing entertainment is coming to an end soon. The protection plan I ordered up is finally kicked into effect...Mr. DirecTV is coming tomorrow (between the hours of 8am-12pm, which means more like 2pm). He is coming with a new dish, a new remote and anything else he may have in his trusty little life-saving vehicle I think he should throw in--a gesture of apology for failing equipment--to bring this family back to life. Hallelujah! When he leaves and the TV starts to surf through its 800 plus channels; the people of this house will say, AMEN!

So excuse me if I do not blog for a while...I will be catching up and TIVOing like a mad woman anything and everything that the airwaves can throw in the direction of my dish. The possibility of me losing a few of those recently gained pounds could be shed as I run from room to room absorbing all the satellite waves our three TVs can kick out.