Cravings

You know how when you are on a diet, or "watching what you eat", when you suddenly want something you aren't supposed to have?

That extra piece of watermelon.  A cookie.  A glass of wine.  Chips and salsa.

Pick your vice.

So, what do you do instead of just eating that cookie?

You eat everything else around it.

The handful of carrots.

The yogurt with the fruit in it.

The non-alcoholic beer.

The kale chips.

Or pickles - as they are salty and crunchy, just no calories.

Then, you feel sick as you didn't just eat one of the things - you ate them all.

AND, what's worse?  You are still craving what you were craving in the first place.

I think you are better off, just giving in to your cravings.  You don't have to eat a bunch - or exactly what you wanted (maybe you have a sugar cookie versus a chocolate chip), but you need to come pretty darn close.

There is no sense and pretending it's not what you really want.

Thanks for dinner

Yesterday was my youngest son's birthday.

We had a great day.

We spent the morning at the DMV.  Then we went to Kona Grill for lunch.  I guess, if we can't be in Kona, well, then this is pretty close.

We had our Poke.  We had our fish tacos.  Their blender was broken, so he didn't get his Virgin Pina Colada.

Thinking about our summers in Kona.  A waitress delivered me a drink.  I hadn't ordered a drink, so when I refused, she said, well, I think it's from the woman over there?  No, I think that is her margarita.  And, in fact, it was.

Last year it was blind date, this year, it was just a wrong delivery of drinks!

We came home.  He went to be with his friends.

I finally text him around 5.  Dinner?

"Going to Paxti's"  (A pizza place around the corner where he and his friends go quite often).

At the last minute, I drive up there and pick up the check "for the boys on the patio".  They were just about to pay.  The waitress told them, "Some random stranger picked up your check, they said you had to leave the tip and pay it forward".

She said, they were all like "no way!"  "what!"  "Are you serious?".

I snuck out of the restaurtant, but I think I was spotted.  Not by him, but his friends.

I left the hostess my phone number, in case they didn't leave a tip.  I said I would come back and leave a tip.  She said, " those boys have been coming here since we opened two years ago, they always leave a tip."

I was dying to hear what they were saying.  I was hoping they hadn't seen me.  But I figured someone had given me away.

A couple of hours later, I sent a text asking where they were.

"We are at the school.  BTW, thanks for dinner". ;-)

I replied "Come get these cupcakes"  "BTW, I have no idea what you are talking about.  ;-) "

Just pay it forward......

BINGO

Today, my youngest son received his learners permit.

He's 15.  Today.

We were at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) by 9:15am.  On his 15th birthday.  He now has his permit.

We had to wait about an hour.

Two weeks ago, I was with his brother the day AFTER he turned 16 and a half (the brother that is) to get his drivers license.  (In Colorado, you must hold your permit for a year, before you can get your drivers licence).

Not comparing here. Comparing things is stupid.  And, I don't think I've ever said anything is stupid.  But comparing, well that's stupid. We are all different.  But, can we tell the different personality types of these two boys?

Meanwhile, at the DMV - they call people based upon the service they need.  P719 was our number today.  I'm guessing the P has something to do with the permit.  Two weeks ago our number was B222.  Then there is T217 or X314 or B141.

I couldn't help it.  I quietly just said "BINGO".  My oldest son glared at me like it was the worst possible thing I could have said out loud.

Today, before we left for the DMV, I told my youngest son, "We get to go play BINGO at the DMV".  "What, really?"  He actually sounded excited! He had never been to the DMV, he had no idea.

We are sitting there.  They call "P719".  He looks at me and says "BINGO"

I guess he won.  I think he gets it.



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Fran, that's not what I meant

Recently I went to Houston, Texas to visit.

I hadn't been in a while.  In fact, it had been over a year.  Carolyn had been to visit.  I went last February/March to say good-bye to a very special lady.

While I didn't get to go to the services to celebrate her life, I was able to go say good-bye in person.  Yet, part of me still didn't feel complete in wrapping everything up.

This time, I went for fun.  To see my God-daughter, to see her family.  To see everyone.  To also go see the memorial.

A funny thing happened, my dad's wife recognized a friend of my friend Carolyn - she called saying "Will you ask Carolyn if so and so used to live in Phoenix?".  Long story short - the couple whom lives across the street from my best friend, met my dad and his wife on a golfing trip 15 years ago in North Carolina.  (We will call them "the neighbors")

In fact, I had remembered meeting the wife of "the neighbors" before.  It's a really small world we live in.

Now stay with me - this story is going to get complicated, but it's really not a complicated story.

THEN, Carolyn has a friend whom is trying to figure out where she is in life.  She's married and has three kids, a great job and not very happy in her life.  Gee, I remember that feeling.  We will call her Betsy.

We made plans to go out on Friday night, to meet "the neighbors" and Betsy.  While trying to plan this evening, when someone asked me where I wanted to go, I replied "A place where there are rich single men". Carolyn got it arranged.  We are meeting everyone at 4:30.  (Don't ask me where I was - I was in a big city!)

In Houston, I decided it would be best if I met a new client.  I brought Carolyn with me.  I warned my clients I was bringing a friend

We go meet my client.  Then it's time to go see Mom (Fran).

We went to the memorial.  We called Dad and he came to meet us.

We ended up going back to Carolyn's childhood home.  We get out munchies.  We get out wine.  We are still getting our lectures, 20 years later from Dad.

Dad keeps talking.  Carolyn looks at me and says - with all the munchies and drinks before us - "Maybe we should have had everyone come over here."

Dad keeps talking

I do reply, "Well, I did say I wanted to go to a place with a single rich man.".  Then we laughed until we were crying.  Dad kept talking. Not caring we were laughing.  It made us laugh even harder.  Smile even more.  Cry a few more tears.

I looked up  "God, this isn't what I meant!"

Carolyn looked at me and said, "This one's from Fran".

Touche' Fran, Touche.

A happy medium

I might have found a happy medium.

I've been battling this "should I have a career again" versus "I really do love recruiting, only the up & down with the income is starting to take it's toll".  

The truth is, I don't really want a career.  I'm quite okay with out having a fancy title or all that responsibility either.  So then it comes down to me liking recruiting.

Recruiting is a love/hate relationship.  I'm good at it.  People are psycho.  Companies change their minds. People do too.

When it comes down to it, (at least for a bit), I need to recruit and I need steady income.

Short of marrying some guy so I don't have to work, I need to figure this out.

And, I may have found it.

There is a Denver based recruiting company and all their recruiters work at home.  They can't offer me the money I would need to do this full time with them, but we might be able to work together part-time.  There are monthly meetings.  A 20 person company.  Unlimited vacation.

I could keep recruiting on my own.  I could have a steady income working from home for them on a part-time basis.

Two offer letters went out to candidates today - for other clients.  I then spent 3 hours training with this new company.  I swam laps at the club pool for thirty minutes.  I made breakfast for my sons and their friends before they went to a day hockey camp.  I rode my bike.

I'm cooking dinner.  

There is a guy down the street whom owns a bike and likes to take me to dinner.

Maybe there is a happy medium.  At least for a moment.........

Blame the cat

We have a great, huge cat.  He's about 11 years old now.  He could be 12.  He found us at the shelter 10 years ago.

He thinks he's a dog.

He goes to the door when the doorbell rings.  You wake up in the morning to find him on his back, waiting for his belly to be rubbed.  He doesn't jump on the counters.  He only eats when we are all in the kitchen.

If you whistle, he will come.

But his one annoyance?  He likes to "circulate" his water.

Meaning, he puts his paw in the water, and moves the bowl.  Then of course, the next day, the water bowl is dirty as he has put his foot in the bowl.

He also let's our ghost in and out of the house.  He will push on the door to the garage until the point it sounds like he's "knocking" - we just say he lets the ghost in and out.

But, really, he gets blamed around here.

His food and water are right next to the refrigerator.  It's one of those fancy refrigerators with the freezer on the bottom.

I love this fridge.  Only, you have to REALLY make sure, you shut the bottom.

Today, it snowed in our freezer.  Then the freezer peed on the floor.

We thought the cat was trying to circulate his water, only he made a mess.  Turns out, I have teenagers in the house.  The door wasn't all the way shut.

I think it was the cats fault.

Granite & Golf Clubs

My kitchen has granite counter tops. There are golf clubs in my garage.

I love the granite counters.  The golf clubs I haven't touched in years.  Both of the boys caddy at the country club not far from us.  One plays golf and really loves the caddy experience.  One, well, he caddys', because the job isn't too bad.

My oldest son has a friend whom is adopted.  They have been friends since third grade.  Or really, I've known her mom since our kids were in third grade.  I think they are friends by association.

The mom never married.  She adopted her child when the mom was in her 40's.  They are beautiful wonderful people.

She fell in love once.  And then it didn't work out.

She went on with her life.  The mom has lived all over the world.  Experiences beyond belief.

One of the first stories she ever told me about her life was about falling in love.  She knew, that she had experienced love and the way she thought love was supposed to feel.

When she went on with her life - well, she kept going.  She hiked mountains - she sailed seas.  She a great career.  She adopted a daughter.

People ask her, still, all the time.  You didn't marry?  "No", she replies. " I knew what real love felt like. I wanted that feeling again".

"I wasn't going to settle for less"

"There were many times I could have been the woman with the great house, the country club membership and the fancy cars."  "I wanted more than that".

She adopted her daughter.  The man came back into her life.

This was years later - long after they had their love.

Then, a short time later - he had a heart attack and died.  He was married with a son living in China.

She lost the love of her life and no one knew it.  Whom could she tell?  The wife actually called her to tell her he had died.  She knew.  They both knew.

"I may have had him, but YOU, always had him".  Said the wife to my friend.

I'm not sure whom I'd rather be.

You know?  Those on/off again relationships?  The ones people tell you to run from?

Sometimes you know.  Sometimes you know a moment is worth more than day in and day out.  Worth more than tomorrow.  That some moment's are worth more than granite and golf clubs.