Tuesday Text: Parentexting™

Slow news week here chez Mental P:

Poopy has become my new word...

I had to buy a new laptop yesterday. Poopy.

In other news:

I bought Augie a remote control cooler.

For his Gatorade and water bottles....

Only a dorm full of college boys would think a remote control cooler

that doesn't even have batteries yet is funny.

Poop.

Bingo

Aquarius - Aug. 30, 2010

If you aren't getting on a plane today, Aquarius, expect to in the near future. Your wanderlust is back and you're bound for the wild blue yonder yet again, most likely to someplace exotic. Enjoy the time away, but do come back. It seems that sometimes your spirit of adventure dampens your enjoyment of the more mundane but more real daily life.

Wow. This is just 3 sleeps away from being true. And I'll be back. Sigh.

By the way, that last sentence sums me up a bit too much....

Is yours this good?

Winner!

Just as I predicted...

I was the big winner at jihad bridge last night.

What to do with my loot....

This-n-That Thursday

Stuff:

• Why did we have to learn how to use a slide rule? Have you ever used one in the real world?
• Dora and I had a beautiful walk this morning. There is a hint of Fall in the air.
• I love the change of seasons. I think it must be because of my short attention span.
• I was really sad for college departures this year. But I have recovered.
• I got an international driver's license yesterday. I feel so grown up.
• I am so ready for football to start.
• We have our jihad bridge group tonight. I feel lucky;)
• Remember those fat pencils and crayons that were flat on one side? Do they still make those?
• And that jar of paste that had the hole in the middle where the little brush would fit? I loved that. I may or may not have even snacked on it from time to time.
• And what about logarithms? I can tell you that not only do I not know how to do them, I have never had to think about it since my SAT.
• Speaking of SATs...shudder.
• I am going on an adventure in one week. I cannot wait.
• I am currently reading Italian Phrases for Dummies. It is awesome.
• Does anyone know how I can lose 20 pounds in one week?

Bed Bugs

I have actually lost sleep lately over these stories. And as a matter of fact, any time I hear the words, I itch all over. The worst infested cities in the US are:

#1. Cincinnati, Ohio

#2. Columbus, Ohio

#3. Chicago, Illinois

#4. Denver, Colorado

#5. Detroit, Michigan

#6. Washington, D.C.

#7. New York, New York

#8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#9. Dayton, Ohio

#10. Baltimore, Maryland

Make your travel plans accordingly....And, you're welcome.

Source

Tuesday Text: Parentexting™

As a mother of twins, I was often asked "Which one was the good one?" That always shocked me because, well, I was above those kinds of judgments. Now? Notsomuch.

Meet the good one:

Aaaaand the bad one:
I leave her alone at school for 24 hours, and this is what she does?

Looking Forward to Tomorrow....

Monday, Aug 23, 2010
This is a calm, balanced, rather quiet time. You keep to yourself pretty much and can get some practical chores accomplished.


Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010
Giving and receiving appreciation, love, and happiness come into your life now. You are moved to express your affections more openly than usual. You also want to be surrounded with beauty and harmonious people, and your artistic efforts flourish.


Wednesday, Aug 25, 2010
You may find something you believed to be lost or irretrievable. Things that have been forgotten or hidden come to the surface. Old issues in your personal relationships arise once again also.


Thursday, Aug 26, 2010
You are in an independent or defiant mood, and you chafe at routine and formalities. However, if you have a great deal of freedom and flexibility in your life at present, you will be in a wild mood and might decide to change your plans for the day quite suddenly and spontaneously. This may upset people who were counting on you more than it bothers you at the moment.


Friday, Aug 27, 2010
This is a time for getting a little loose and wild with friends, going dancing, or doing something out of the ordinary that is stimulating and fun. You meet interesting new people and are more open to people who are quite different from yourself. An opportunity for a romance may arise which is likely to be exciting, though short-lived.

My empty nest needs some shaking up....and some of these days might just be the medicine...oh, and you may want to avoid me on Thursday. Apparently I just don't care. What does your week look like?

Bird's Nest

It's not so bad the second year...

Here is The Bird's new room.

This is her stuff.

Her roommate wasn't due for another 4 hours.

It is a cute on-campus apartment.

And on a fourth-floor walk-up.

As in, we walked all this stuff up. Four flights.

I was sweaty.

And right here?

Some of The Bird's footwear.

Those pretty blue cowboy boots used to be mine.

I don't recall how they became hers.

But, here they are.

In Virginia.

I decided to let it go.

Life's too short to obsess over lost cowboy boots.

Even cute blue ones.

So we busied ourselves making her bed.

And after placing her "You Are My Sunshine" pillow

and her NY GIANTS teddy bear,

I got in my car.

And I left her there.

The Elusive Baby Bird:

I may have cried a little.

This-n-That Thursday

À Bientôt to my amazing children. Part deux....

• The second year of college is dawning for the Mental P Twins.
• I already miss them more than my taut waist.
• I don't know how I managed this...
• But my two children are in the top tier of humans I have ever known.
• The top five.
• No. The top two.
• And I have to give props to their Dad, an amazing person.
• Even though we didn't work out, we managed to keep the needs of our children above our own nonsense. And nonsense it was. Especially on my part. I can own it now. I'm 50.
• And if it weren't for all their products in the bathroom, I would not have noticed they were here.
• The Bird hosted some smashing dinner parties. And worked hard all summer.
• Augie worked his you-know-what off at two jobs. And enjoyed his sister's social gatherings.
• Not that he needs her for his social endeavors....
• They often served as a driver for their mom....
• Even reminding me to save my money; I think I taught them a little too well.
• The laundry was often a pleasure for me. I think I may need help....
• Their ability to assess character is astounding.
• The Bird is the most diligent homekeeper there is. I seriously don't know where it came from.
• I am still ending sentences in a preposition.
• But I'm a little bereft. I'm excused.

Right?

The Accident

A Martini+A MacBook=Mayhem

It was not pretty.

But not to worry.

We are all back up and running here in Mental Patient Land.

Getting the Mental P Rugrats ready to go back to school.

We just finished our well baby checkups

That just cracks me up to say that.

Maybe because the boy-child has grown another inch and is almost 6'4".

So, um, yeah...well-baby check is funny.

To me.

Me Likey...

Aquarius - Aug. 16, 2010

Projects involving a group, perhaps your entire community, could take up a lot of your time, Aquarius. Interesting news and stimulating conversations could come your way. Expect a lot of activity around you. You could be running around in the car, seeing a lot of people, getting errands taken care of. You could also find yourself changed somewhat - for the better, of course.

...for the better, of course!

How about you?

Down Bavon

This shot does not do this painting justice.

I bought it when I was at Virginia Blogfest way back in July.

It was hanging on the wall opposite me while we lunched

at The White Dog Inn.

That place (the inn) deserves a full post,

but today, we are going to focus on this paradise:

"Bavon's Special Light."

Bavon is where she lives.

Home of the best deviled eggs, succotash and hush puppies

on the planet.

I may or may not have eaten all these in one sitting....

Anyway, if you have never been there,

go to the Chesapeake Bay.

And just take it all in.

It is a magical place...

"the earth is not forever
islands of the Chesapeake
slip into to memory"

~M. Kei

Hall Pass

I received a wonderful gift in the mail recently...

I love Mary's fun charms.

And after ordering some of her trinkets for my good friends, she sent me my own.

I wear it a lot.

I wore it to a party last weekend.

It was a really, really fun party.

And at one point, as I was explaining the name to an acquaintance,

her husband chimed in and said he thought it said Mental Patient.

~~~

In his defense, it was dark....

Maybe he thought I had a pass for the night.

But then I started thinking.

What if there were medic-alert bracelets for this kind of stuff?

So that, along with your regular penicillin and bee sting bracelet,

you could also have them for things like "Low Estrogen" or

"Does Not Suffer Fools Gladly."

Ahhhh. The possibilities.

I think Mary and I need to have a chat.

I smell a business opportunity.

What would you like an alert bracelet to say?

This-n-That Thursday

Drivel. Plain and simple...

• I bought a new memory card last week. Took pictures for 4 days with it. And? Nada.
• I totally understand that Jet Blue Flight Attendant. Where has common courtesy gone?
• And sweat bees. Where have they gone? Anybody seen a sweat bee lately?
• Dora's BFF in the park is a little frog. Not. Kidding.
• I am on a huge Fage yogurt kick. Cannot get enough of the stuff.
• By next weekend, both of my babies will have yet again flown the coop.
• And it's okay... because I have something to look forward to....
• And I can stop being on a first-name basis with all the kind folks at the grocery store.
• I wish I could wiggle my nose and have my whole office area cleaned up and ready to go.
• There is a new store in New York...and it's full of Pop Tarts. Heaven.
• Just noticing some very poorly constructed sentences above...kinda like this one.
• Like those that end in prepositions?
• And those that aren't even sentences at all?
• I wonder what my old grammar teacher Mrs. Waterfield would say?
• I wonder where she's at...

Happy Thursday. Got any drivel?

I Love Irony....

These three shots downloaded together from my iPhone recently:

You just can't make this stuff up.....

Tuesday Text: Parentexting™

Flight feathers are coming in fast:

Where did my baby boy go?

I had the nerve to ask when "we" needed to leave for school...

Complicated?

Seriously?

~~~

At least I still have this one:

But for how long....?

Who wants to bet I'm alone in the hotel?

I need to find a job/life/purpose. Stat.

Bring It....

Aquarius - Aug. 9, 2010

Things seem to be going quite well for you in many respects, Aquarius. Your thinking is clear, your emotions are under control, and the puzzle pieces are fitting into place. This is your time to take advantage of these pockets of good fortune and turn them into something huge. You have the power to make anything happen - especially now.

How can you top this? I mean, really. Guess I'd better get dressed....I love being an Aquarius.

Is yours this good?

Life is short, and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be swift to love, and make haste to be kind.

Molly the Owl, Part Deux

We have a new owlet this morning. Meet Ashley. Suddenly, the dog days of summer don't loom so long....Now if only we can get a puppycam up when winter hits, life will be really good.

Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

Girlfriends and Blisters: Nature's Prozac

A thought to share....

She wrote............ I just finished taking an evening class at Stanford. The last lecture was on the mind-body connection--the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.

At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin--a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel. Women do it all the time. We share from our souls with our sisters, and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged--not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health!

We are indeed very very lucky.

So let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

Thank you Noe Noe, and, Happy Friday, y'all!

This-n-That Thursday

More drivel, but it's wise, humanity sorta stuff. I am allowed....

Hey, I'm older than the President:

• Love is not a feeling, it is a behavior.
• You don't really have to have 8 glasses of water every day.
• "Parent" is actually a verb.
• Don't "say," just "do."
• How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. ~ Wayne Dyer
• That clean underwear thing you've always heard? It's true.
• Love is when two people know everything about each other, and it's okay.
• True friends stab you in the front. ~ Oscar Wilde
• A dirty diaper always needs to be changed as soon as possible.
• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. ~ George Washington
• The only way to have a friend is to be one. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~ Abraham Lincoln

And, yes, I know this is quote-heavy, but they are brilliant, right? And, wise? Don't worry...all my good friends are still there. I've just been thinking....

What do you have to add?

On Being Older than the POTUS...

I don't like it.

At. all.

Meaningful Ripple Effects?

Aquarius - Aug. 3, 2010

This is a day of untold opportunity, Aquarius. If you've been concerned that you haven't been using your full creative potential, you can put that concern to rest today. Your creativity is boundless and you'll finally realize it. Be on the lookout for any unusual opportunities. Someone or something you encounter could have meaningful ripple effects on you.

I woke up this morning to reports that 16-year-old Justin Bieber has his memoir coming out in October. I didn't know who Justin Bieber was until March, when he caused a stampede of screaming 'tweens at a mall on Long Island. Apparently he is some hot singer. So today? I may have a chance to have untold opportunity? Um, okay. Maybe I can be like good ol' Justin. gah

Get yours here

Are you gonna give Justin a run for his money, too?

Be the Pink Flower

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence,

but it comes from within.

It is there all the time. - Anna Freud