Worm Boy

The year was 2001, I had ventured into the world of online dating with little to no success. A man started e-mailing me through the dating site. He lived in Colorado and claimed to be a ski instructor. I was slightly interested. There wasn’t a picture with his profile on the dating site. I didn’t think it would matter, after all the possibility of meeting this man in real life was slim to none.

In the real world, my friend Shae and I decided on a whim to drive from Utah to Dallas, Texas to visit a friend. Our drive would take us through Colorado Springs. She had met someone on the dating site who lived in there and wanted to meet him. I decided to take the opportunity to meet my ski instructor friend.

Shae’s date showed up first. He was a nice looking man. Friendly. Polite. They seemed to hit it off well. Then my date showed up. He drove a beat up Suzuki something or other. He was quite a few inches shorter than I and his jeans were quite a few inches shorter than his legs. His large rimmed glasses rested on his apple like cheeks. To this day he is known as”the guy that looked like the worm coming out of the apple”. Shae, bless her heart, tried to hide her laughter, and was shaking her head “No”. I was mortified.

We walked into Applebee’s - a fitting place for dinner with worm boy – and sat down for dinner. Around this point, I was rudely abandoned by Shae and her date. Left to deal with the dating disaster on my own, I somehow made it through a dinner of less than appetizing conversation with a less than pleasing view across the table.

I tried to be polite. It worked too well. He wanted to spend more time with me before I left in the morning. I lied. I told him I needed to meet Shae. That she would be worried about me. He left. I never spoke to him again. I don’t remember his name. He is “worm boy” or “the guy that looked like the worm coming out of the apple”. The only good thing to come out of the meeting was the laughter Shae and I still share when we remember that meeting.

Thankfully the rest of the Texas trip turned out much better than my meeting with “worm boy”. I stayed out of the online dating pool for awhile afterwards. Occasionally, I will dip my toes back into the water. In the pool, I have met “GPS man” and “boat boy”. They were both terrible dates that I may share at another time.

I am dipping my toes back into that pool again with a lot of reservations and doubt. IF I meet someone, I hope it is not another Worm Boy, GPS Man, or Boat Boy. I will let you know.

I tripped...

When Scott Pelley on the CBS Evening news said the captain of the sinking cruise ship used the excuse of "I tripped and fell into a lifeboat" or something like, I had to laugh.  As excuses go that one has got to be the lamest.  Couple the lame excuse with the conversation he had with the coast guard and I just nod my head.  Some people.  From now on when I do something really stupid I think I should use the excuse "I tripped and fell into a lifeboat." 

I spent some time with my Grandma yesterday.  Hit the Wal-mart, picked up some lunch, and helped her with a few things.  I kind of miss being with Grandma and unfortunately I don't get up to see her as often as I should.  I think the assisted living facility has been good for her.  She seems to move around a little easier.  Walks a little better.  I am sure it is because she has to be more mobile.  At meal times she has to walk down the hall, up the elevator, then down another hall.  It is the same for most of the activities as well.  I hate to say that when I was living with her, she spent way too much time in her chair.  She seems happy and well for which I am very grateful.

I never thought I would say this but my foot has become accustomed to long ice water soaks. I barely flinch when my foot hits the water.  Since I have been to the doctor, I no longer walk around like a crippled old woman.  I am enjoying pain free feet for the first time in almost a year.

Have you ever read a book that is so poorly written that you question why the heck it was published?  I am slogging through a book that has so many inconsistencies and character head hopping that I find myself going back to see if I missed something.  For example:  a conversation starts in the house, the dialogue, and character thoughts are continuous, then all of a sudden they are in the car.  When did they leave the house and get into the car?  Why didn't the conversation ever stop while they were getting settled into the car?  Seriously, I re-read the page 3 times to find out what I missed.  I didn't miss anything.  I don't know while I am still reading the book.  I suppose I am hoping the author will redeem herself.  I am losing hope.

I suppose I should do something productive...Pinterest here I come.

Monday Mutterings

I didn't ice my feet today.  Bad girl. Warm feet.

I visited the website of one of the schools my son thinks he wants to attend.  I was fine until I looked at the student housing section.  I started to panic and logged off.  I need more time.  He in only a junior.  I don't need to stress too much right now.  Do not tell me otherwise. Please.

I am annoyed that news outlets and some stores are calling Martin Luther King Day MLK DAY.  What is the reason?  Is it easier to tweet, text, facebook MLK instead of Martin Luther King?  Whatever it is, I think it is a little disrespectful.  I wouldn't like people calling my birthday AHP day.

I am happy that is snowed today.  We have a few inches and I love it.  I'm sorry for you that don't enjoy the white stuff.  It won't last long.

Since I work at home and it gets awfully quiet, I turn on the History Channel and listen.  This morning they did a show about the Tuskegee Airmen.  I am ashamed at how these men were treated after coming home from the war.  They were hero's just the same as other pilots yet German prisoners of war were treated with more dignity and respect. 

I bought a Shake Weight.  It makes my body jiggle and my arms hurt.  Maybe it will work.  Right now my son is playing with it and looks a little like an uncoordinated chicken.  I guess you have to be here for that to make sense - or just use your imagination.

I finished Janet Evanovich's "Wicked Appetite" today.  It is a fun read.  Not too serious. Her books are a great way to escape from reality and laugh a little. That is about as much as a review as I can give right now.  My thoughts are a little random.  Can you tell?

Will head off to bed now and read myself to sleep with a new book.

That's cold....

As I write this, my foot is soaking in a bowl of ice water.



My foot.  Aren't those toenails cute?

On Friday, I finally went to the foot doctor for my heel pain.  Diagnosis: Plantar Fasciitis - Heelspur Syndrome. 



The treatment: a cortisone shot that nearly sent me jumping out of the chair, soaking my foot in ice water for 20 minutes twice a day, massage, stretching, medication,  and arch supports ($60 not cover by insurance by the way). 

I've known about the Plantar Fasciitis for a long time but the Heelspur is new.  Hopefully the treatment will work and I can walk without almost constant pain.  

The rest of the weekend was pretty good.  Dinner at Sizzler.  I love their salad bar.  A movie at home.  Reading. Laundry. Cleaning the car. Relaxing.  A little productivity and a little down time - all in good balance.



It's coming...

My son is a junior in high school and before I know it he will - hopefully - be heading off to college.  Mama is not financially prepared.  The Dad probably thinks Mama should pay for everything not covered by financial aid or scholarships.  Mama is still paying her own student loans and will be until she dies.

I am getting myself worked up and I know it isn't helpful but we just spent an hour online looking at scholarships and nothing stood out as something my son would apply for.  We will keep looking and working on that angle.  And I will try not to get too stressed out about it now.  Luckily, the schools my son is interested in attending are some of the least expensive in the state but he would have to live away from home.  Unless Mama become a helicopter and moves to wherever he goes to school.  Mama is not doing that.  Mama does know how to let go. Mama is not insane.  Mama needs to stop referring to herself as Mama.

The point is, that it is coming.  College is coming up fast.  And while trying to get my son through school with decent grades, I also have to work on getting him prepared for what happens after high school.  Parenting is exhausting. 

Possibilities - Past and Future

Every year I update my Possibilities List. It is a list of goals, dreams, places to visit, and things to do.  Nothing has a concrete deadline, it is just my way of keeping track so they don't get completely lost in the day to day minutia of life. 

As I was creating the 2012 version, there were a few items from the previous list that I realized were no longer relevant and some things that I was able to check off.  A couple seem pretty significant, some not so much. 

~ Getting a new car.  It wasn't brand new but it was new to me.  Checked off.

~Do something meaningful.  Spending five months living with my Grandma was meaningful to me.  I hope it was meaningful to Austin and my Grandma as well.

~Make a difference.  Again this was accomplished at Grandma's.  I hope that somehow I was able to make a difference in her life.  I hope it was for the better. 

~ New living room furniture.  I did get a new sofa, but have added a TV and entertainment center to the updated list.

The 2012 version is a shorter list, not for what was crossed of but because of what I decided I no longer wanted. I really don't want to go to Mexico.  The 2012 version carries a lot of the old, has some new,  a few items will remain on the list forever as a reminder of what it important, and a few items may never get crossed off but there is always a possibility.