Tuesday, December 30, 2008

And suddenly I'm transported back to junior high ...

Don't ask me why ... I find myself thinking, "Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats ... HO!" Psst... was that simply Lion-O letting Cheetara know what he really thought about her?



I used to watch Thundercats every day after school, along with Linda Carter's Wonder Woman, the Beverly Hillbillies, Scooby Doo, and the occasional Little Rascals. Oh, the wonder of growing up with four channels plus PBS! I'd come home, turn on the TV, and settle down to do homework. I had two blissful hours with the house to myself (provided my little sister Jenny would stay next door with my aunt). I'd eat, study, and watch the normal after school programs. I was temporarily queen of the tattered golden throne (old gold couch).

I would find it funny the next day when I would not only know the answer to Mr. Dodson's question in history but also remember what Wonder Woman was doing at the time that I had read the answer while studying. Nice study tool, yet a tad distracting. Mr. Dodson was quite the character. Mr. Dodson and his yellow hands. Short, round Mr. Dodson in sharp contrast to that tall, thin English teacher ... Keester? [help me out classmates]. Mr. Dodson was to Mr. Keester what the Penguin was to the Joker. Mr. Dodson and his precious pointer that he used to love to smash down onto a student's desk who wasn't really paying attention as required. Mr. Dodson and my vague memory of a story about a Christmas tree and a little girl's underpants [really ... please help me classmates ... cause that one sounds a bit .... wrong].

Isn't it odd how just over a minute of cartoon can completely transport you back to a different time?

God, life was so much simpler then. Of course, I'm sure I didn't think that at the time. Junior high was a highly stressful mishmash of kids from different schools and the necessary shifting of tween power amongst cliques as everyone fought to find their place. Friends became enemies, couples broke up, you had to switch classes EVERY hour and remember a complicated set of numbers and movements to get into your locker. Ooh, and you had just become overly concerned with your looks at the same time that Mrs. Matthews deemed 10 minutes enough time for a girl to shower and dress amongst peers.

......

Nevermind. I take it back. Not simpler.


Monday, December 29, 2008

I Don't Wanna Come Back!!!!

I just spent two glorious, sunny, warm weeks in Florida with family.

Dad made us breakfast every day, my stepmom cooked all our favorites at other meals, I watched the first four seasons of The Office and, so, can nearly join the rest of the civilized world in tuning in every Thursday night, we went to a couple movies (including my little sister's 12th viewing of Twilight!), visited the Disney Marketplace (where I would live if given the opportunity), and lounged in the sun. The warm wonderful sun. Ooh, we also won the Christmas lights contest in Dad's subdivision (again) ... 'cause we're awesome. That's right ... we kicked some blue-haired, retiree boot-aye!

It was two lazy, sunny, wonderful Florida weeks.

Now I'm back.

I arrived finally this afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

First stop - the post office to pick up my mail from the last two weeks. I love how you can indicate via a click as to whether you want to pick up your mail or have them deliver it on a specified date. I chose to pick up my mail. Yep, that's the box I clicked. That's what the confirmation sheet said ... as well as the sheet bound around my mail once I surgically removed it from my wee 5X5 inch mailbox. Apparently the post office is unable to follow their own directions. Nothing like waiting in a long post office line only to be told that your mail "isn't back there" and to "let them know" if my carrier doesn't deliver it. Why? 'Cause if she doesn't then you'll look harder and find it????

Second stop - my blessed apartment. I smartly turned down my thermostat before I left for vacation so I wouldn't needlessly heat the apartment while away. So, I expected it to be cool and it wasn't until I also noticed my fridge light was out ... oh and the kitchen light ... and the TV .... that I realized that not only was I not in sunny Florida anymore ... I returned just in time to take part in a high wind power outage.

Wonderful.

My last shower had been Saturday night. I spent 16 hours in the car with my older sister Linda driving from Dad's to Dayton yesterday. 16 hours. And at times 5 hours without exiting (as the PO-lice like to say) the vehicle. I slept, woke, and hopped back into the car for another 5 1/2 hour drive this morning. Do not tell me that I can't take a shower!!!

I ended up visiting my gym solely for its hot water this afternoon.

About an hour ago, right after I gave up and buried myself beneath enough blankets to make it difficult to move my legs, a light flickered ... popped (not sure how I feel about that sound) and finally remained on ... the heat turned on ... and I climbed out of my cocoon to, well, bitch about not wanting to come back.

Ah ... normalcy at last.

[I still don't wanna come back though!]