Today when I stopped into my usual gas station to get my morning fountain soda (not a coffee person so gotta get my caffeine somehow) a school-aged boy caught my eye.

It is not in a neighborhood, so you would have to drive to get there so they would have to be with a parent or something.  And it seems to me that most people running in and out of the gas station at this time are on their way to work or just getting off work.   So seeing a boy, probably about 3rd grade or so, caught me off guard and peaked my interest so I decided to just watch their interaction.  It looked like he was with his dad.

The dad already had a Gatorade in his hand and the boy was looking at the chips.

Boy: “I want to get these.” handing them to his dad

Dad: “Ok sounds good,” leading him now to the small prepackaged cookie and snack bar aisle, “Pick something for dessert.”

After checking his options, chose a pack of Oreos, handed it to dad, who grabbed a cheese stick while the boy was selecting and headed to the line.

Dad: “This will be enough right?”

Boy: “Yep!”

It looks like Dad, for whatever reason, was picking up lunch for his son at the gas station on the way to school. A lunch made up of Gatorade, BBQ chips, Oreos and a cheese stick!

I had 2 immediate thoughts on this…

Neither of which was judgment because..

We have all been there..  I know I have..  Sending my daughter to school with the last-minute-I-forgot-to-go-to-the-grocery-store unhealthy or strangely filled with whatever-I-could-find-that-she-would-like lunch.  I totally get it..

My 2 thoughts were…

1. Wow that kid is going to have the best lunch at the lunch table!  He will be the envy of his friends.
2. I wish that was my lunch today.

 

It finally happened!

The first weekend of March Madness is over.

48 games- I believe- have been played.

Several upsets and lots of broken brackets.

AND sadly one of mine is broken- both teams I had in the Finals are out!  BUT One is still alive!

After over 10 years and several “tries” per year, I have finally achieved the next step in my March goal.  I have surpassed my previous best by quite a lot.  I have made it to the Sweet Sixteen!

It is a Personal Best for me!

This has never happened to me before.  I have never made it past the first weekend- usually I don’t make it past the Saturday games!  I don’t even know what the payouts are or how many people get paid out..  It has never been a concern of mine because I have never made it this far!  I still will not even inquire because one loss could be a bracket buster and there are still so many games to go.  And right now I don’t want to jinx anything.  I just want to live in the glory of my Personal Best March Madness Bracket Record as long as I can..  It will be at least until this Thursday when anything can happen.

 

 

 

I just got home from running a few Sunday errands..  As I was heading to my last stop I looked down and noticed that I was close to the gas light turning on.  I checked the miles to zero..  60.  I could definitely make it to work and back tomorrow but by Tuesday morning I would probably have to stop.

So the logical smart person wouldn’t think another thought and would head to the gas station after this last stop and be done with it.

But NOT me..  I hate getting gas..  I have no reason why.  It is a simple process.  It does not take very long.  There are many gas stations around my house. I know gas is expensive but it is not that- it is what it is..  gotta get it, gotta pay.

I should also note that I have ran out of gas twice in my life so that is another reason why this should be a non-issue for me.  Both times it was because I was lazy and/or rolling the dice and even though I was not married or even with my husband at the time he knows how I am with this and has told me that if I run out of gas again that I am NOT allowed to call him.  So yet another reason to just go NOW..

So as I am working my way through the grocery store I am trying to make my big decision..

If I DO go now then it is a done deal.  I have nothing else to do today so I definitely have the time.. but I hate getting gas..

If I DON’T go today I could go in the morning but I know how that goes..  I will forget or will not have time or not feel like going.. or sometimes the gas station that I stop at is a zoo on Monday mornings so that could cause trouble.

If I DON’T go today I could go after work tomorrow on my way home.  But we have a meeting from 3-4 after school and after a long Monday and after an after school meeting I just want to get home so I know I will not want to go after school.

BUT even if I DON’T  go today and DON’T go tomorrow morning and DON’T go tomorrow after school I can still go Tuesday morning..

BUT Tuesday morning it will be a do or die situation and if I am running late and the gas station is a zoo then that could be a rough start to my Tuesday..

BUT will I really even get to the Tuesday morning situation..?  Surely I will end up stopping for gas on Monday..

“Big Life Decisions” are being processed down the aisles of the Jewel…  Why can’t I just be a normal person and do it now??

So I got into my car and pulled out of the parking spot and I had the final choice.. turn left to get gas and end this dumb dilemma I am creating or turn right and roll the dice that I will get it done before Tuesday Morning…

 

On our way to a 3 year old birthday party we stopped at the gas station to get gas and of course my favorite- a fountain pop!
I saw the lottery scratch off machine and decided to get a few my friend, the birthday boy’s mom since her birthday was yesterday. Just a little something for her since we’d see her. My go-to birthday treat sometimes.
That’s when I saw it. A $5 scratch off ticket just sitting there un scratched.   It seemed like someone forgot it. No one else was in store. Guess it’s my lucky day!! Free chance to win!!

Nope. Once I looked closer the card was scratched. Scratched at the bottom only. The part where the barcode is that you have to scan to redeem a winner.

Someone bought the $5 ticket and was too lazy or didn’t care about taking the one minute to play the game and scratched the barcode area and scanned it, found out it was a loser (cuz I did check it of course to be sure 😊) and just left it there.

My thought was, what’s the point?  I know the ticket is already a winner or loser when you buy it but I like that one minute of suspense while I scratch off each spot to see if it is the lucky number I need OR even more exciting is scratching off the prize after you scratched the winning number!  Ok maybe not SO exciting but it’s fun to play the mini game so that’s why once in awhile I’ll buy one to try my luck.

Guess this gambler wasn’t interested  in the mini game.  To each his own. But again to me what’s the point? I guess it’s to try and win money!  Hope my friend is lucky today. And I hope she scratched more than the barcode!

Today one of my students noticed the homemade bracelet that I wear and asked what it said on the letters.

Me: It says Rooster

Kiddo:  What?  Why does it say that?

Me: That’s my daughters name, well her nickname.  She made it for me so I wear it every day.

Kiddo: What’s a nickname?

So we had an impromptu chat about what a nickname is as some kiddos were not sure.  AS well as including that we only call people by nicknames that they  are okay with

BUT if you are in my family or a close friend oyou not only know what a nickname is you probably have one.  We are a nickname family and friend group for sure.  Most of the names have come from my older sister Lisa.  Some have a reason behind them and some are just cuz..

My daughter is Rooster thanks to her dad.  He would call her Reesie-Roo when she was just born.  Then it turned into The Roo-Ster (like you would say the Jake-ster or something) not realizing that it was an actual word.  So it stuck and Rooster was born and she likes it so that’s her nickname.

Lots of people I know call me Luu.  That is thanks to my friend Shelley.  She used to call me Lori-Luu and then just dropped the Lori part (now she thinks she is funny and calls me Luu-ser and that’s how I am listed in her phone contacts.  Most people outside of work call me Luu and for some people they didn’t realize for years that my name was Lori because that is how/what they knew me by.

We call Shelley’s husband Dig because his name is Doug..

My friend Robyn still calls me L-Bay (from when J-Lo started that trend) from back before I was ever married.  I call her Ro..

My brother in law is Brian but we call him Brain because his wife (my other sister) when she was younger always spelled Brian wrong and spelled it brain instead.

My other brother in law is Peter/Pete.  My sister calls him Pee-Wee or Petter.

My aunt is Mary but we call her Edna because she used to join our family vacations so we named her Edna affectionately after the character in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

My husband is John but my sister calls him Juan..  Sometimes Reese and I call him Jhon because Reese used to spell his name wrong when she was little

Our dad’s name is Gary.  My sister started calling him Gerald.  My grandma never liked that.  She said if she wanted to call him Gerald she would have named him Gerald.. 🙂

My best friend is Shelley.  My sister calls her smelly

Another close friend is Karen.  My sister and now most of us call her Claire (which used to be Clarence but I don’t remember why)

My niece is Mia but we call her Lolly.  My sister, her mom started to call her that becasue when she was little she would call her music lala’s..

Lolly still calls her sister Hissy still from back when she couldn’t say her S’s and say sissy.  They are 18 and 20 years old.

My twin nieces are Audrey and Zoey but we call them Audi and Zo-bo or just A and Z.

I call my sister Lisa- Liza..  just cuz

I could go on but you get it.. we do nicknames in my world..

So newcomers to my family and friends are usually confused of who we are talking about until they get the rundown of the names and if they are lucky and we like them, they will most likely eventually end up with a nickname too..

 

 

Heard that song just the other day!

Dirty Dancing!

A decent movie.

Not my favorite.  Wouldn’t even make top 25 of all time faves.

Not one I would seek out or choose to watch on movie night.

BUT if I do see it is on as I am searching the channel guide AND it is toward the end I will turn it on!

I will turn it on for the ending- The BIG DANCE SCENE-  I don’t know why.  I was never a dancer so it is not like I am appreciating the moves and choreography, although they do a good job dancing.  The song is not my favorite, it is not on my playlist.  I really only like it because of the part of this part of the movie.  And unless I am listening to it while watching the movie I would probably turn the channel.  BUT it is just something that draws me in.  It also, unbeknownst to any of us at the time, draws my friends in and has become a funny story between four of us ever since.

Many many years back, 3 of my closest friends and I decided to spend the weekend in Chicago so we got a hotel room so we could hit some bars and neighborhood festivals and enjoy the city for a few days.  On Saturday morning we were all getting ready to venture out for the day so we turned on the tv.  Dirty Dancing was on and that was an easy choice for background noise.

We were all at different stages of getting ready when the BIG DANCE SCENE came on.  I, of course, stopped fixing my hair and walked over to watch it, brush still in hand.  By the time it was over all 4 of us, without any prompting from each other, were standing, staring at the tv watching Johnny lift Baby over his head as they finally nailed the big lift!  I with my brush still in hand.  Another friend mid tooth brushing.  Another holding an iron in her hand and the last with dripping wet hair right out of the shower.  No one talked or acknowledged each other until it was over!  It was like we were all drawn in and HAD to watch!

When we all “came to” it was a funny sight to see.  We all realized that day that we had yet another common bond- our love for the BIG DANCE SCENE in dirty dancing.

Every time I hear that song my mind goes right to the three of them and I smile and laugh inside thinking of that day, that moment.  AND if any of us ever find it on tv at that spot, you bet there will be a screen shot or short video of it sent on a group text between the 4 of us.

 

Today was a great day for a walk with the dog!  As my husband and I were walking her we talked about how different she acts when we are on a walk.  She turns into a princess..

When she is at home she barks at everything.

She barks if someone walks by; luckily the windows in the front of our house are not part of the main living area so she is limited to the small windows in our front door.

She barks the vacuum, the blender or any loud tool my husband might be using in the house or the garage.

She barks at the tv; whenever there is a real dog or animal, or a cartoon or something she feels like barking at.

If she is not getting enough attention she might bark.

When I take her in the car with me she barks at any dog she sees out the window

BUT when we are on our walk she walk like a princess.  One time I was walking her and some ladies talking in their driveway mentioned how she didn’t walk she pranced.

She never barks at dogs that are being walked near us.

She never barks at dogs barking at her through their fenced yards or on a leash in their yard.

She never barks at cars or people or birds or squirrels or anything.

When she is in on her leash, on her walk she is a princess.

 

My daughter is at that age.. 6th grade.. a few weeks from turning 12..

The age where coats are no longer cool and one would rather freeze than dare to put on AND be seen in a jacket or hat or gloves!

When the weather started to get colder last Fall I would tell her in the morning that it is pretty cold and that she might want to wear something more than a hoodie.  She is not outside a lot- just at the bus stop for about 3-5 minutes and for a quick recess if it is warmer than 25 degrees outside- but still mornings can be chilly.  She would say “I’m FINE!  I know how I feel when it is cold outside.”

Slowly as the days went on I decided that I was not going to fight the battle.  I decided she is old enough to be dumb.  If she is cold she is cold, that is her choice.  She is old enough to know.  She is not going to get frostbite, she will just be uncomfortable.

I know she is NOT the only one her age that is like this (and I know I was this way too and even today I HATE wearing coats- but I am smart and I do)  I see kids waiting at bus stops as I leave for work.  I see her friends come over with just hoodies on.  I see the 4th, 5th and 6th graders out at recess with just their hoodies on in the cold.  My kinders don’t want jackets either these days because it is  “SO HOT” – although in the Fall when it was 35 degrees is was “SO COLD- how can we possibly have outdoor recess.!”

Unfortunately it is not a choice for them.  They are NOT old enough to be dumb!

 

Yes it does happen.  But usually it is not “really” swearing.  When one of my kiddos tell me that someone swore or said a bad word it is usually one of these situations.

1.  It is not a true swear word but a “not nice word”.  These are your stupids, shut ups, hate etc.. So we talk about how they are not “bad” words just unkind words and we do not use them at school.
2. Potty words.  These are your poop and pee and butt and booty words.  So we talk about how we do not use “potty” words at school AND we are much too old to use those words.
3. Crap- If this word comes out I usually get a debate between kids about whether or not it is a swear word as some families allow it and some don’t.  So we talk about how some words may be ok at home but not at school.
4.  They thought they heard a swear word but when I ask them what letter it starts with there is a problem.   They might tell you they don’t know or give you a letter name.  If it is “s” it is almost 100% not the “sh” swear word.  It is probably shut up, stupid or suck.  Sometimes I have no clue as once I was told it started with a “Y”.  Now I cannot even think of any words that are swear words OR that fit the criteria of the words above that starts with Y. I even thought of words that start with “W” as a common error made when learning letter sounds is to think the “y” says /w/ but no luck.  So we just talk about how swear words, unkind words and potty words are not welcome in our classroom.
5. However sometimes the real thing comes out and when it does you are usually sure because one or two students shout out “so-and-so said “F***!” and they usually repeat it several times to make sure that I hear it! And of course to make sure all the kids in the class got a chance to hear it!

This year I had a boy who would say “What the f***!” but he would say it when he was surprised and not in a mean way.  We still had to talk about how that was not appropriate and there were lots of other phrases we can say when we are surprised!  He also tried to be sneaky and started to swear in Spanish while waiting for his bus.  Poor kiddo didn’t realize that we have many other students who speak Spanish, therefore his Spanish swearing was shut down as well.

Never a dull moment in Kindergarten..

And BTW if anyone knows what swear word starts with Y I would love to know!!  Been working on that one for a year! (hahaha)

 

This past Christmas I decided to ask my husband to buy me a weighted blanket.  I hadn’t really used one before or had much exposure to one but the one time I did try out my nieces for a short time I thought it was nice and  though I’d probably like it.

Christmas morning I got my blanket and it turns out that it wasn’t nice and I didn’t like it..  It was WONDERFUL and I LOVED it!

I thought maybe I’d use it on the couch when I’m reading or watching tv..  but instead I use it every night to sleep with.  My husband now has the regular old boring comforter all to himself and I have my so nice weighted blanket.

If we watch tv or a movie or whatever I’m dragging my blanket out to the couch each time.  This morning when I woke up I was ready to get out of bed but not quite ready to start my day so I dragged my blanket out to the couch.  My husband laughs at me but is happy I like my Christmas gift.

It is very warm so I am not sure what I am going to do when the weather starts getting warmer because I won’t be able to enjoy it.  And keeping the air conditioning super low so I can still enjoy was not an option according to my husband..

If you haven’t tried using one..  you should..  It is so nice..