Friday, August 30, 2013

7 Quick Takes (Volume 249)



Many thanks to Ladies Man and Princess Dawdle for taking on the Quick Take duties last week. I was out of town visiting a friend and was so happy they offered. It was nice to just copy and paste their email into my blogger account. Done in about 10 minutes. Thanks guys!

They're pretty good kids, but I think there might be something wrong with them. They were getting ready to leave for school the other day when he asked her a strange question.

Ladies Man: Princess Dawdle, do you want some applesauce for the road?

Princess Dawdle: Yeah, sure. Thanks.

Applesauce for the road? He got two plastic cups and filled them with applesauce, but grabbed no spoons. I'll have you know I actually fed them breakfast this day too. I thought I should be slightly offended.

Me: You're drinking applesauce on the way to school?

Ladies Man (as if I just crawled out from under a rock): Yeah.

Princess Dawdle: We've done it before.

Something's just wrong about that, don't you think? I was very glad I didn't have to be in the car listening to them slurping that all the way to school. Ick!


We had a fantastic time attending the University of Nebraska Marching Band Exhibition last weekend. Drummer Boy has retired, but Drama Queen made it on the line again. This time she's the only girl snare drum player.




When the two guys standing on either side of her met Kevin they told him, "Yeah, we've been keeping her in line all week."

Kevin didn't buy it.

Kevin: Hey, I've lived with her all her life. I know what's really going on. You aren't the one keeping her in line.

No truer words were ever uttered.



Even though my birthday isn't until January, I'm already getting depressed about it. I turn the big 5-0 and am not too excited. Maybe that's why an encounter I had at the gym this week has been so uplifting.

I was doing my normal stuff. I assure you it was nothing out of the ordinary or at all impressive. While I was lifting a few weights I saw a guy lifting who I hadn't noticed before. This does not mean he'd never been there before. It's quite likely I was just not awake enough to remember seeing him. Anyway, he was one of these super buff kinda guys who looks like he lives in a gym. We're talking solid rock muscle, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I wasn't really paying attention to him until I went to pick up my NOOK on a bench near a weight machine he was using and Arnold struck up a conversation.

Arnold: Good Morning!

He acted as if I should know him from somewhere. I confess there are often people in church I don't get around to talking to. Many people know me because I'm married to Kevin, but I don't know them. So when he started the conversation I assumed I should know him from church.

Arnold: I've been wanting to ask you . . .

I expected a church related question.

Arnold: What is your age, if you don't mind me asking?

Me (totally taken off guard): Uh . . . I'm 49.

Arnold: Wow, that's amazing . . . wow . . . you're doing really good. Wow. Nice job.

And just like that, 50 didn't seem like such a bad number. So thank you, Arnold Schwarzenegger man! You set the tone for my whole week. On a Monday even. Super. I may be able to handle my next birthday now.


Ladies Man had a first this week one no one wants to have. He got into his first car wreck. (Wait, what am I saying?! His first? As if there will be others? Let's hope not! Ladies Man, are you reading this? BE VEWY VEWY CAWEFUL!)

I want it noted that I handled it all extremely well. You see, I have experience with these sorts of things. I've had tons of accidents, many of which were my fault. So I know how rotten an accident will make you feel, how you beat yourself up for it, how you're sick to your stomach over it. I was not about to chastise him.

When I was his age I had two accidents within 8 hours. One was my fault. One wasn't. When I tried to call my dad about the second one (in the days before call waiting), I couldn't get through because he was talking on the phone to the dad of the girl whose car I had hit the night before! I'll never forget the long wait for him to get to the accident scene, worried about what he might say.

He walked up to the car, leaned into my window and said, "Hasn't been your week, has it?"

And I breathed again.

So the night of Ladies Man's accident I remembered that. There were no stern words, no threats, no lectures. Instead he got his beloved sloppy joes for supper and a big hug.

I love you, Ladies Man. Glad you weren't hurt.


Our leopard gecko is ten years old! The life span of a gecko can be 25 years and I am gunning to get our little Elmo there. It is a miracle he is still alive as years ago our vet told us he was the kind of animal that would have been dead long ago if he lived in the wild. One year we spent months feeding him crushed worms with an eye dropper. He's had numerous infections and health issues, but he's still with us.

I saved his life again last week. Yes, I take full credit. Ladies Man doesn't do such a hot job of looking after the critter. If it weren't for me, he would be worm food. When I noticed Elmo was continually shedding, I knew he had some shed lodged in his body somewhere and I went to work. That guy was squirming around something awful when I found the spot. I managed to squeeze his body slightly so enough of it popped out for me to grab with the tweezer and then pulled the biggest hunk of stuff out! I couldn't believe it! I thought it was cool, but I think Princess Dawdle threw up in her mouth a little bit. Immediately Elmo stopped squirming and his body relaxed as if he took a deep sigh. Then he laid in my hand so sweetly as I cleaned the rest of the shed off him.

I used to think he didn't like me because I'm the only one who subjects him to such treatments, but this time I believe he realized I am his deliverer. I think I became his favorite human.

He couldn't have passed out from the pain, right?


We celebrated Princess Dawdle's 15th birthday this week. My BABY is 15?! Really?! I am old. Wait. Refer to Quick Take #3. Anyway, I loved the pictures we got at our celebration dinner. I do believe this is my favorite pic ever of Kevin and our girls.


The boys even took a decent shot. And that is an accomplishment!


Happy Birthday, Princess Dawdle! We're proud of you!


We've got a fun weekend planned. My friend, Kelly, who I went to Africa with, is coming for a visit. I can't wait! I think even Elmo is smiling. Woo hoo!


And that'll do it for this Friday, folks. Have a terrific weekend and visit Conversion Diary! for more Quick Takes.

1 comment:

jen said...

#4: On our way to school, my brother rear-ended someone and after exchanging information and everything, we had to call my dad... who has a serious temper. We were totally convinced that he was going to scream at us but instead he bear-hugged us and told us how happy he was that we were OK. Total relief.

I found out later from my mom that he was going around ranting angrily all day but he didn't show that side to us.