I'm definitely not one of those people that gets all excited about the first day of a season. I mean really, compared to the weather its so arbitrary. You just cannot tell a Texan that summer doesn't begin until the end of June...it's been well over 90 for at least 5 weeks at that point. And you can't tell a New Englander that fall doesn't begin around Labor Day or that winter doesn't begin until nearly Christmas. What-evah.
But today is the first day of fall and coincidentally, it's the first day that actually feels fall-ish here in Austin. Of course by that I mean it's definitely below 95 and maybe even below 90. After dinner I took Lexi to the mailbox and it was just beautiful outside! The kind of weather that makes you really think about how in the world you are going to go to the gym after being in your office for 8 or 9 hours. How could you possibly spend more time inside??
(I did. An hour pilates class. And I'm feeling it in my infrequently-worked-out abs.)
Fall in Texas is quite simply the best thing ever. No, it doesn't have the changing leaves of New England but having never really experienced them...remember I lived in the city when I was up there, not tons of trees on Comm Ave, I don't crave them.
What I do crave though is football in the air. High school stadiums lit up on Thursday and especially Friday nights. College games on Saturday evening and the Texans beating the snot out of everyone on Sunday. BBQ scenting the air all weekend long. Kids on bikes all over the neighborhood. Over-the-top seasonal decorations adorning every house in the neighborhood. The unnecessarily long countdown to Christmas which begins roughly in October. The perfect evenings that just demand porch sitting. Pumpkin bread baking in the kitchen. Seriously considering taking off random days from work just to be outside in the amazing weather. Windows open at night, cool breeze blowing in. And one of the things I'm looking forward to as a home-owner, sipping a glass of wine on the front porch while passing out snack-sized Snickers and Milky Ways to hundreds of dressed up little people on Halloween. Oh and more pumpkin bread.
If you've not been to Texas in the fall, I highly recommend you get right on that. Do not delay. Book a flight to Austin in October and make a reservation at the Black Inn in Pflugerville.
In the meantime, I'll be revisiting my gym-four-times-per-week workout commitment so that it can include more outside exercising. I just can't be inside a second longer!
(On a side note - this has been a busy week! First, it is a full five-day work week for me. Let me tell you, lame. Five day work weeks are for the birds. I am so over it. And two evening commitments. I think this is the first night Ross and I are both at home relaxing together. Nice change of pace.)
Sep 23, 2010
Sep 21, 2010
Kids Today!
I grew up in an idyllic little bubble. Married parents, two kids and a puppy. I'm not being snobby here, just telling you how it was. I knew kids whose parents were rocket scientists...literally. I never saw a pregnant girl at my school. When we weren't with Mom and Dad we were with Grandma, our best friends' parents or the day care run from the local Methodist Church. Mom and Dad weren't perfect but really darn close.
I had my first "what? this isn't the whole world?" moment my senior year of high school when a group in my English class reported on a research project stating that in our area, there was an incredibly high number of college educated people: 25% of adults had at least an associates. I was shocked! I couldn't believe that only 25% of Clear Lake adults had college degrees! Of the people I knew, maybe a quarter of the parents' didn't have degrees. Talk about a wake up call.
I had another wake up call in college when I heard religious jokes for the first time. I never knew that people made fun of other religions. Naive, sure, but I genuinely had never heard a religious stereotype before. I suppose not terribly surprising given that just in my Texas family we have Catholic, Methodist and Jewish. And my Boston family is even more diverse religiously. But still...in retrospect I'm surprised I never even heard classmates make tasteless religious jokes. I was shocked at how many strong stereotypes there were.
(I'll just call myself on another one: I didn't know how common it was to need more than four years to get a bachelors degree. But I chalk this up to being at a $40k a year university where you didn't dare take more than four years since even your loans from four years had you and your parents eating Raman noodles for a decade. And I swear, I'm not being a snob. I just didn't hardly know anyone in this boat.)
At Girl Scouts, I've had lots of wake up calls. In fact, you could call it an awakening there have been so many. High schools with day care centers for the students' children. (That any school had so many pregnant teens they need a day care center is still possibly one of the most frightening things I've ever heard.) Schools with 90+% of students on free or reduced lunch. Volunteer groups trying to help feed kids during the summer when that free or reduced school lunch isn't available because families can't afford three meals per day for their kids. Parents unable to sign permission slips because they are only fluent in Spanish. I realize somewhat how naive it is...but I just had such a happy, sheltered childhood.
What made all this come to mind was my walk with Lexi today. We're going along the sidewalk, happy as can be, and I see this sweet little boy with his equally sweet little puppy. I assess how we are going to keep the puppies from interacting, easy since I'm on the sidewalk and he's in the park. And then I realize THERE IS NO ADULT with this child. He was being watched by elementary students. If this little boy was older than four, then I'll be a monkey's uncle. Four! Four years old, outside without adults and being watched by kids who haven't even reached double digits! Kids who are letting him run into the street!
I'm not saying this sweet little boy's parents are bad people. I'm sure they love this little boy more than life itself. They probably have him properly cared for by adults most days. Maybe today someone was stuck in traffic. Maybe the sitter called in sick. I'm not passing judgment on these parents at all.
What I am saying though is: Wow. This is how kids get stolen. This is how kids discover {enter troubling item like cigarettes or guns or heck, I dunno, rusty nails}. It gives me, who thought myself to be a cool latchkey kid at 10 when I stayed home for two hours in the afternoon with the neighbor-lady checking the house and several phone calls to my mother, a whole new definition of "latchkey kid."
Four year olds playing unsupervised, day cares in high schools and so many similar things make me realize just how passionately I feel about how my own kids are raised. (Specifically, by me, Ross and adult family members.) And goodness, I just sorta figured these wonderful childhoods like I had happened. I mean I knew parents had to actually parent but I never realized how common it was for parenting to be absent or somewhat failing (again, despite best efforts).
I'll probably shelter my kids way more than many think is advisable. I'll run the risk of being called "over-protective," "helicopter mom" and maybe even "close-minded." As of now, I'm totally OK with that. I suppose I don't have any profound statements to end with. But I am curious, as you've become a grown up, are there things like this that just blow you away? Things you had no idea were so prevalent with kids today?
I had my first "what? this isn't the whole world?" moment my senior year of high school when a group in my English class reported on a research project stating that in our area, there was an incredibly high number of college educated people: 25% of adults had at least an associates. I was shocked! I couldn't believe that only 25% of Clear Lake adults had college degrees! Of the people I knew, maybe a quarter of the parents' didn't have degrees. Talk about a wake up call.
I had another wake up call in college when I heard religious jokes for the first time. I never knew that people made fun of other religions. Naive, sure, but I genuinely had never heard a religious stereotype before. I suppose not terribly surprising given that just in my Texas family we have Catholic, Methodist and Jewish. And my Boston family is even more diverse religiously. But still...in retrospect I'm surprised I never even heard classmates make tasteless religious jokes. I was shocked at how many strong stereotypes there were.
(I'll just call myself on another one: I didn't know how common it was to need more than four years to get a bachelors degree. But I chalk this up to being at a $40k a year university where you didn't dare take more than four years since even your loans from four years had you and your parents eating Raman noodles for a decade. And I swear, I'm not being a snob. I just didn't hardly know anyone in this boat.)
At Girl Scouts, I've had lots of wake up calls. In fact, you could call it an awakening there have been so many. High schools with day care centers for the students' children. (That any school had so many pregnant teens they need a day care center is still possibly one of the most frightening things I've ever heard.) Schools with 90+% of students on free or reduced lunch. Volunteer groups trying to help feed kids during the summer when that free or reduced school lunch isn't available because families can't afford three meals per day for their kids. Parents unable to sign permission slips because they are only fluent in Spanish. I realize somewhat how naive it is...but I just had such a happy, sheltered childhood.
What made all this come to mind was my walk with Lexi today. We're going along the sidewalk, happy as can be, and I see this sweet little boy with his equally sweet little puppy. I assess how we are going to keep the puppies from interacting, easy since I'm on the sidewalk and he's in the park. And then I realize THERE IS NO ADULT with this child. He was being watched by elementary students. If this little boy was older than four, then I'll be a monkey's uncle. Four! Four years old, outside without adults and being watched by kids who haven't even reached double digits! Kids who are letting him run into the street!
I'm not saying this sweet little boy's parents are bad people. I'm sure they love this little boy more than life itself. They probably have him properly cared for by adults most days. Maybe today someone was stuck in traffic. Maybe the sitter called in sick. I'm not passing judgment on these parents at all.
What I am saying though is: Wow. This is how kids get stolen. This is how kids discover {enter troubling item like cigarettes or guns or heck, I dunno, rusty nails}. It gives me, who thought myself to be a cool latchkey kid at 10 when I stayed home for two hours in the afternoon with the neighbor-lady checking the house and several phone calls to my mother, a whole new definition of "latchkey kid."
Four year olds playing unsupervised, day cares in high schools and so many similar things make me realize just how passionately I feel about how my own kids are raised. (Specifically, by me, Ross and adult family members.) And goodness, I just sorta figured these wonderful childhoods like I had happened. I mean I knew parents had to actually parent but I never realized how common it was for parenting to be absent or somewhat failing (again, despite best efforts).
I'll probably shelter my kids way more than many think is advisable. I'll run the risk of being called "over-protective," "helicopter mom" and maybe even "close-minded." As of now, I'm totally OK with that. I suppose I don't have any profound statements to end with. But I am curious, as you've become a grown up, are there things like this that just blow you away? Things you had no idea were so prevalent with kids today?
Sep 19, 2010
Gooooooo Texans!
Ross: Honey, you sure are vocal during your games.
Me: Yup. See you should watch more Texans games with me. I'm fun.
Ross: Yeah you are. You don't always know what's happening but you're yellin'.
Later in game
Me: Schaub! Getting sacked does not win us games!
Ross: Time to give it up babe. Turn it off and spare yourself.
Me: Never! The second I turn it off they'll have the comeback of century! No way!
Go Texans! 2-0!
Me: Yup. See you should watch more Texans games with me. I'm fun.
Ross: Yeah you are. You don't always know what's happening but you're yellin'.
Later in game
Me: Schaub! Getting sacked does not win us games!
Ross: Time to give it up babe. Turn it off and spare yourself.
Me: Never! The second I turn it off they'll have the comeback of century! No way!
Go Texans! 2-0!
Sep 18, 2010
Best Bridal Registry Advice
I got my best piece of bridal registry advice from Susannah...which is kinda funny because I think her mom and sister actually did her registry for her. But either way, she gave me the best advice:
Register for two sets of all your stemware.
Last night when I wanted a glass of wine after dinner, I really just wanted my favorite glass. (My wine glasses aren't all matchy-matchy. It's a set of four that each have a different etched in design. So my favorite one is the one with horizontal stripes really close together because it doesn't show finger or lip prints. LOVE IT. Also oddly enough Sus and I have the same stemware collection but I think she has different types than I do.)
I was so glad Sus recommended registering for two sets because I just went right up into the closet, got out the other "favorite" wine glass and enjoyed my glass of wine.
Brides - register for two sets! You will be so thankful when you inevitably break one but your set isn't ruined.
PS The other best piece of wedding-related advice I received was to take a day off between the wedding and the honeymoon. I'm so glad we did because otherwise I think we would that slept through the first day of our honeymoon.
Register for two sets of all your stemware.
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| Mikasa Cheers collection |
I did and wound up with two sets of my wine glasses. One set has been sitting in my closet. Until now. A couple weeks ago I went to do dishes and in the sink was my favorite wine glass but now it was broken. I have no idea how it happened but it was very sad.
I was so glad Sus recommended registering for two sets because I just went right up into the closet, got out the other "favorite" wine glass and enjoyed my glass of wine.
Brides - register for two sets! You will be so thankful when you inevitably break one but your set isn't ruined.
PS The other best piece of wedding-related advice I received was to take a day off between the wedding and the honeymoon. I'm so glad we did because otherwise I think we would that slept through the first day of our honeymoon.
Sep 17, 2010
Friday5
Jane did this a week or so ago and I thought it was neat so here I am, doing the Friday5. Except I didn't like this week's theme - nagging. How...irritating right? So I'm doing last week's.
- What is the field nearest your home like?
Rifled with punk teenagers, probably including the ones who broke into our house. Watch out punks, we're on to you. - How did you get into the professional field you’re in? If you’re not working, what field are you most likely to find yourself in some day?
If "Girl Scouting" is a field then it goes way back to Brownie Troopo 1048 and winds up with me sitting on I-35 looking at the Girl Scout building thinking "if I worked there I'd be to the office already and not in traffic." If fundraising, which is definitely a field, is what we want to address, well, I'm chipper and people seem to like that so I suppose that's how. - What’s the most interesting sight within your current field of vision?
Gold sequin shoes on my shoe calendar, gift of Nancy. - Where were you the last time you fielded questions from several people in turn?
Every minute in the office. - How are you feeling right now?
Like this question is totally not about fields. But also jazzed that I finally unearthed a clean sports bra and can go to the gym...that is AFTER I have a margarita with Nichole since she just called suggesting such. Yes, the gym can wait until after that.
Sep 16, 2010
Dear Hubby
Dear Hubby,Thank you for dealing with the home owner's insurance claim. (Thank you also for CCing me on the email.) When I said "I think I'll take $250 of our claim check to buy new jewlery," thank you for saying "you should take more than that." Seriously, thank you big time for that one.
Thank you for working a couple extra days this month to replenish our bank account after Shitstorm 2010.
Thank you for commiting ant-rocide throughout our home and yard. The bites I suffered today on my foot suck but I know you're on the case. Those suckers are going to pay!
Thank you for "fixing" the living room lamp...or ya know, turning the bulb a quarter turn and making it magically turn on again. Wish I had thought of that.
Thank you for helping Jon and Erin move tomorrow. We owed them and now our debt will be paid.
Thank you for telling me I looked so hot in my new dress today (and I have to admit, I did), that I should go buy another one, same cut, new color. On your dime. I will take you up on that offer Saturday.
And last but not least, thank you for the thing I thank the gods for every day, for being my amazingly hot, funny, loving, puppy-kissing, sexy firefighting, really good-looking hubby.
XOXO,
C
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