7 Quick Takes (Volume 116)

1) It's been c-c-c-c-OLD! in my parts this week (I mean, my surroundings, not my actual parts!)

2) House purging update in my quest to never be an episode of Hoarders:

(I realize you probably couldn't give a flip about the state of my closets, cabinets and drawers, but if I trick my mind into being accountable to you, I'm more likely to get my house in order.)

This week I cleaned out a horribly messy cabinet in the office, the main floor bathroom vanity and the master bathroom vanity. Progress!

I also managed to get rid of all the leftover chocolate and candy from Christmas. No, I didn't ingest it (at least not all of it), but put it out when Drama Queen had friends over last weekend. I even got rid of the white chocolate melting-gone-bad stuff. BONUS! I didn't think anything of it as I kept finding things to set out. I was only being a good hostess, right?

Me: Oh hey, here's a few peanut clusters and I'd love it if you guys would eat all those mints and here's some white chocolate I totally forgot about.

I guess I went overboard when I heard one of her friends talk about putting chemicals in their hot tub and I remembered the leftover stuff we had stored from a few years ago when we had a pool and asked her if she wanted it.

Drama Queen: Mom, you are NOT a HOARDER!

Nope, babe. And I'm not gonna be!

3) Having Drummer Boy home for a week or so around Christmas made me aware of the true state of his college poverty. The poor kid hardly has any pants to wear. I was going to take him shopping, but he hasn't been around much since New Years. So I picked up a pair of jeans and while in purge mode found a perfectly nice sweater in the mother of all closets (yet another BONUS) and left them for him before we took off for our little night away. Several hours later I get a text from him.

Drummer Boy: Jeans and sweata be makin' me look fly! Thanks Ma!

Me: Is fly good?

Drummer Boy: Of course. Get wit it!

Being a mother is a constant education. Who needs that book learnin'?

4) Kevin and I had a fantastic time on our way too short getaway. For those of you who live in our area, we went to the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City. Truly it's one of my favorite places on earth. If you've never been there, I highly recommend it. So beautiful. So peaceful. It's especially lovely in the winter with their fireplaces stoked and snow lightly falling in the orchard surrounding it. Aaah. I miss it already. Wish we could have stayed another night.

On our way home Saturday, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch and I ordered hot tea. I love tea. It gives you the caffeine jolt you need, but has such a soothing quality to it too. As I explained this to my husband, he gave me a whatever-floats-your-boat-I-love-you-anyway kind of look.

Me: I'm such a nerd. I love tea and books and computers.

Kevin: But you don't like NPR.

(For those of you with no nerd gene whatsoever, NPR stands for National Public Radio. It's the station that plays classical music and has shows where the hosts drip condescension and make you feel like a total idiot.)

Me: You're right. I can't be that much of a nerd then.

Kevin: I like NPR. What does that make me?

Me (Whoops, now I'm in trouble. Time for some quick thinking.): A Renaissance Man.

Kevin: What is a Renaissance Man?

Me: A guy who is well rounded, well-informed, sensitive to the needs of women.

Kevin: Where'd you get that definition?

Me: Me. I made it up. I can do that.

Kevin: Why does liking NPR make me a Renaissance Man, but you a nerd?

Me (realizing it's time to cut my losses and get out of this mess as quickly as possible): I really don't know. I can't answer that question.

Lucky for me he laughed and let it go.

5) Drama Queen's been teasing her father about his wardrobe being metrosexual, so when he mentioned he liked Chai lattes, she laughed.

Kevin: What?

Drama Queen: Chai lattes are totally metrosexual. You'd make a good homosexual if you weren't married.

Me: I guess I set him straight (wink, wink).

Miss Innocent One: Ew. TMI!

6) While cleaning out a cabinet in the office, I found a spool? a bunch? a hunk? of yarn (Ok, Jen, knitting queen of the world, you'll have to help me out here. What's a hunk of yarn called?) Miss Innocent One saw it and I told her she could have it. She sat on the couch next to her dad just staring at it, pondering what treasures she could make.

Kevin: I could show you how to do macrame knots.

Me: See? You are a Renaissance Man.

He smiled and much to Miss Innocent One's delight, started showing her the intricacies of macrame. All was well in the world, until Drama Queen and Ladies Man caught sight.

Drama Queen: DAD! What are you doing?!

Kevin: Showing Miss Innocent One how to do macrame.

Laughter exploded from the peanut gallery.

Drama Queen: Metrosexual!

Kevin: What?! It takes a secure man to teach his daughter macrame.

Ladies Man: Dad, really, are you hearing yourself?

Poor Kevin. His teenagers may have mocked him, but his youngest thought he was awesome as she ended the day with a cool new skill. Way to man up and be a great dad, honey!

7) I'm taking a deep breath today. Show choir season starts tomorrow and drum line season is right on its tails. The next few months at our house will be busy. A Saturday at home will be a luxury. The bank account will surely take a hit traveling to competitions and dropping small inheritances at the admissions. But seeing our Drama Queen strut her stuff? Priceless. We're proud of you babe.

That's a wrap for me this Friday, friends. Enjoy your weekend and take in more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.