Crazy, Kind of Munchkin Love

 

 

Love happens; even behind bars. 

 

One of the clients here got married in the courtroom, just after he got sentenced to three years state prison.  Before they hauled the guy away, he serenaded the love of his life with his own rendition of “Endless Love” (who could forget that beautiful song sung by Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie?).  Afterwards, the newlyweds kissed…and kissed.  They had a full bloom "make out" session in a crowded courtroom.  Apparently tongues were involved, and it made the audience in attendance cringe.  Nothing like a kiss from a toothless meth user, hey? 

 

Oh well, love does happen…it’s everywhere-isn’t that the sweetest news you have ever heard today?  I hope you hear better—I really do. 

 

I learned something last night.  I learned to never drop off Avon brochures after night fall.  Those sensor patio and deck lights scare the hell out of me!  Here I am, enjoying a night walk in the early evening, dropping off these extra Avon brochures I need to give out, and as I meekly approach each door, as quietly as possible, in order not to draw attention to my presence, bam-there goes the lights!  Suddenly I feel like a thief in the night!  Surprised by the light, I throw the brochure at the door matt, and run off.  Anyone hearing or seeing this would presume I’m some sort of thief!  I was just so ready for someone to run out of the door or yell out of their window,  “Who goes there?!”  And there I would be, holding up a brochure explaining to them that I’m just a harmless Avon lady trying to make an extra buck or two..  It didn’t happen, but I don’t think I’m going to do that anymore. 

 

I can just see the headline:  Woman wanted for questioning.  Last seen throwing bags of brochures at people's doors after hours.  Last seen wearing grey sweats and bunny slippers...  

 

Today I was early to pick up my son from school, so I left some more brochures in the neighborhood again.  All this walking is good—I’m seeing some benefits to it.  Nicholas goes to school on a hill, and the parking lot is only for teachers, and drop off.  He is too young to be dropped off, so I have to park my car across the street in a residential area, and we have to walk to school, up the hill to the playground where his classroom is.  I’m noticing my pants are getting loose!   This is good.  With Halloween coming, and all those “fun size” temptations of candy circulating around all the grocery store markets, I will need the exercise. 

 

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything.  I still share my office with Lolly.  Woe is me.  I havepromised to be a character witness for a woman who has him as a supervisor.  If she should succumb to her evil plan to do away with the little munchkin, I’ll give her a good word in court.  That’s if I don’t beat her to the evil deed.  I’ve been reassured that he will be gone soon, but it won’t be soon enough.  I cannot believe this guy is a newlywed.  How in the hell did he trick someone into marrying him is almost frightening to comprehend.  Did he drug her or what?  Oh well, love is blind.  Curious...and more curious indeed! 

Thinking back...

Sharing a surreal moment…

 

Every morning, I walk my youngest to his kindergarten class, at the same elementary school that I attended years ago.  My two other children attended kindergarten at different schools closer to my home, but this one is going to the school within my mother’s district.  For the first time, in many, many years, I am walking on the asphalt, and walking up and down the stairs of my old elementary school.  It’s kind of surreal, especially when I realize how very small the once HUGE playground I used to play in really is.  The stairs are not nearly as many as I remember.  It’s surreal to walk down to my car and notice an old classmate that I knew from my own kindergarten class who just dropped off her kids.  We share some small talk, we had spoken last at the high school reunion we went to.  It gets even weirder when I am crossing the street with this classmate, when our former 2nd grade teacher pulls up to the crosswalk.  “Hello, Mrs. Crews!”  It was an Alice and Wonderland moment-all that was missing was the White Rabbit creeping out of the old turtle bar structure that is still sitting in the kindergarten playground.  Oh, and I did mention that my old kindergarten teacher of 37 years ago is STILL there?

 

Suddenly I’m taken back in time, and I’m wearing my red corduroy jumper, and white tights that cling to my very chubby legs.  I’m sitting on the bench watching the other girls play hopscotch, staring at my shoelaces that are left untied.  Should I attempt to tie them again, or should I hide my feet so no one will notice?  Too bad they didn’t invent Velcro yet.  Not to worry, here comes my old friend, Linda Van Loon to the rescue!  She’ll tie my shoes and ask me to play jump rope.  I used to hate that skinny, blonde girl so much.  She would stick her tongue at me on the school bus, until one day her mom called my mom to arrange a play date together.  Who would have known we would be best friends? I was amazed by her huge sand box full of her mom’s old pots and pans in her backyard, andhow her mom let her draw and write all over her bedroom walls-something my mom would NEVER let me do in a million years.  I used to share my Ding Dongs and Hostess Cup Cakes with her at lunch.  Yes, my mom liked me fat and happy for some reason, and Linda was as skinny as a stick.  She was like a bone with some short blonde hair sticking out of the top, so naturally, I would give her my Ding Dongs out of pity.  My mom would have Moon Pies and milk waiting for me when I got home, so I wasn’t worried. 

 

 

 

To this day, I refuse to buy Ding Dongs and Hostess Cupcakes and put them in my kid’s lunch.   It’s NEVER going to happen, although I did catch a glimpse of those Moon Pies at the market the other day, and I won’t lie to you when I say I was very tempted to buy a box. 

 

Nicholas' Graduation Slideshow

I've posted this entry before, but Smilebox did some really funky things to the set up of my journal... 

Let's try this again.. 

What a busy weekend!  We had a beach barbecue birthday party for Lizzy yesterday, and today was pretty much a day to just get some rest. 

I had some crazy dreams last night.  In one dream my home was being burglarized!  A guy was coming out of one of the upstairs bathrooms with a VCR under his arm!  No, I don't have any electronics in any of my bathrooms.  It was very strange and weird-and it made me laugh out loud.  I lived in a bigger house, on a big hill, but the insides of my house all looked the same.  I was yelling desperately out of the front door that I was being robbed to passerbys in the neighborhood, but they just all smiled, and waved towards me.

  Hmm..  Kind of reminds me of the time when my condo was full of smoke from burning, melting, baby bottle nipples!  Although there were 3 fire engines on their way to my condo duplex, not one neighbor bothered to knock on my door to see whether I or my two young children were still alive.  Lovely, huh?  Yeah, the Jehovah Witness people who lived upstairs, were okay sending their friends over from downstairs to my home to convert me, but not willing to come and see if we were breathing.  That always kind of disturbed me.  They did live above me---didn't they kind of worry if they were in danger?  Oh well, that is in the past..  I do wish I had a picture of the fireman's face when I showed him the melted baby bottle nipples.. 

Okay, I'm thinking that it is getting too late...  I'm talking in tangents about unrelated things.  I hope you all have a great new week ahead!

Leaving Las Vegas...

Here is the slideshow I was working on the weekend.  If I wasn't for my sister-inlaw Becky, there wouldn't have been ANY pictures of me in this.  I was taking a lot of pictures you see. 

Vegas was fun, but the little getaway had a very S L O W start.  You see, due to weather conditions, (lightning storm) our little commuter plane (the smallest plane I've ever been on--you could actually see the pilot from your seat) had to make a stop in Fresno, California.  So, what should have been only a 1 hour and 15 minute flight, ended up being a 5 hour flight--not fun. 

But we got there anyway, and we did have a very nice time.  My husband got to see his brother for the first time in many years, and I even got to meet him for the first time.  It was a nice visit, but too short of a vacation; but alas-aren't they all?! 

Wherever we went, we saw advertisements for Donny & Marie...  Their toothy smile is plastered all over the Flamingo.  I was very impressed by the Flamingo--nice pool, and the best margaritas on Earth--of course they were a bit pricey.  $10 each, but, man...so yummy!!  Elton John is still preforming there, and hopefully will still be there next year.  (I'm making plans for my daughter's 21st birthday.)  Cher and Bette Milder is also there right now as well.  Didn't see any shows--no time to, but may be next time! 

 

20 years ago...

Twenty years ago, life was different. 

I was 22, and ready to give birth to a little baby girl.  

No matter how many times you hear the phrase:  "Once you have a baby, your whole life changes." You don't really comprehend it until you experience it first hand.  It's an unexplainable fact, that no one, but you can understand.  Your first instinct is to protect your child from all the ugliness in the world.  Unfortunately, you can't protect them from all of it, but you do your best.  Having a baby will not save a marriage.  You make the best of things, you shield them as much as you can.  You hope they don't sense that something is wrong at home, but they know. 

 I will never forget the 8 year old girl holding her suitcase of belongings at the doorway.  Never again. 

Seems like yesterday when I was in the car with my parents on the way to JCPenney in search of a basinet.  I was due to give birth in 2 days, and there I was wearing my acid wash, oversized denim jumper, and size 10 slip on espadrilles.  Yes, I was so huge, my feet were so swollen they were actually coming out of my shoes!  It was that day I decided on the full name of my daughter:  Elizabeth Rose   I didn't realize it was Queen Elizabeth's name--it just worked out that way.  My grandmother's name was Rose, and I liked the sound of it.  It was either Elizabeth or Jennifer (after my beloved pet chicken), so I picked Elizabeth.  Her father liked it too, so that was that. 

So with the help of Erik Estrada (yes, can't forget him), 20 years ago, on her due date, I gave birth to a beautiful, curly haired, brown eyed little girl named Elizabeth Rose.  God had answered my prayers when I saw the dark spirals of hair growing on her scalp.  As soon as she was given to me for the first time, wrapped in the hospital blanket, I noticed how she began to survey her surroundings.  She was wide awake, and she looked right at me.  It was as though we had met again for the first time after years and years of knowing eachother before.  Her eyes went about the room, curiously looking around, expecting life around her to finally happen.

That baby has not changed much since then.  She is a bag of energy, a pillar of strength, courageous and determined, self-confident and beautiful.  People stop and listen when she speaks--she makes things happen-never made to be a victim-never.  She is everything I wish I was more of... 

Happy Birthday Elizabeth---I'm so glad you were born.  I've been very blessed to be in your company.

ABC's Of Me

ABC's of Moi

 

A is for age:  42

B is for beer of choice:  Corona Light  (I hardly EVER drink beer.)

C is for career right now:  Records/Secretary-County Office/Avon Rep:  (put in shameless Avon plug here:)  Visit my website at:  http://julielangley.avonrepresentative.com/

D is for your dog's name:  I don't have a dog.  :(  If I did, his name would be Elvis. 

E is for essential item you use every day: my car

F is for favorite TV show at the moment:  Amazing Race starts next month!  YAY!

G is for favorite game:  Candyland...what else?

H is for hometown: Santa Cruz

I is for instruments you play: Clarinet..but I haven't played in years.

J is for favorite juice:  Grape.

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:  Lolly's.

L is for last restaurant you ate at:  Oh...some place in a Vegas casino--don't recall the name.

M is for marriage:  Did better the second time around.. 

N is for Number of Piercing's:  2 

O is for overnight hospital stay: I've only spent 3 nights in a hospital-one night for the birth of my 3 children.  I hate hospitals.

P is for people you were with today: My kids, my mom, and about a half a dozen co-workers...

Q is for what you do with your quiet time:  I do this, or I watch T.V., or I take a walk.

R is for biggest regret:  leaving an unhealthy relationship sooner than when I did.

S is for status:  Happily married to my prince in shining armor. 

T is for time you woke up today: 5:45 a.m.

U is for what makes you unique:  Um...gee...  I'm crazy.

V is for vegetable you love:  potatoes

W is for worst habit: Taking on too much without thinking in through first. I'm a little compulsive.

X is for x-rays you've had: For my teeth & sonograms for my belly.  

Y is for yummy food you ate today:  Veggie Delite Sandwich at Subway. 

Z is for zodiac sign: Aries. 

 

I'm finally caught up with work...just needed a break from it all at my desk.  Thanks Missie!!  (I got this from Missie..)  Will write more later... 

 

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It's Small World....

 

I'm back...

I'm tired though...no time to blog..  Will write more tomorrow... 

Vegas was hot and fun, but much too short of a visit.....  It was great to finally meet my husband's brother, Sam and his girlfriend.  Again, too short of a visit.  Will write about it more later..with pictures...

Right now I have a splitting headache, and I'm VERY tired. 

First day of kindergarten for Nicholas--no tears!  Just a huge smile, and a hug and kiss goodbye. 

First day back to work after vacation...urg..  Piles of boxes to sift through, and a 2 hour wait just to get my computer running.  Lolly luring about, and annoying as ever...  My new office is nicer, but hot!  No air circulation.  I got a fan-and I felt better, but head started to hurt-not even Advil or chocolate could cure it.

I got home..tired.  It's so hot over here--Northern California is experiencing a little heat wave at the moment.  It's too hot to cook, and luckily, mom fed the kids, and the older ones made their own. 

Relaxed in front of the T.V. and watched Big Brother.  Poor Michelle (my Portuguese player) got kicked out..oh well. 

Guess who else is Portuguese, from the Azores?  Meredith Vieira.  I knew she was, but on Monday I saw the today show and saw the following: 

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/shenews/2008/08/meredith-vieira.html

Although her family is not from the same island, it is amazing how so many people come out of  these small 9 islands in the Atlantic--spread across the world.  Very sweet, and surreal. 

Okay.. I'm beat. 

Goodnight good people of Jland.  

 

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