A story of vacation in images...

Well, not our whole vacation because in the middle of it we gave up on Virgin Mobile and switched phones and providers. My new, awesome, excellent reception phone lets me upload pictures in two seconds instead of the five minute wait and 18 step process of my last phone.  So of course I had to document random things from that point forward because that's what you do when your phone is actually smart instead of just claiming to be.

Holy crap! Robert is smiling for real. For a picture. This is HUGE! 

Sara and I are working on our selfie skills. 

Chillin' at G-Bob and G-Sandy's house

Sara has a selfie habit already..and she doesn't have a phone yet. She's also got long legs. #lucky

This is usually what you get when you try to take a picture of Robert. He. Could. Not. Care. Less. 

This kid cracks me up. I have about 50 selfie shots of her on my phone. This is one of my favorites because when she wakes you up in the morning, this is the face she makes. 

In the car on the way home. Apparently, this is what children dying of boredom look like. 

Well, hello Missouri. I'd say hello to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Oklahoma with pictures too, but I can't figure out how to put my old SD card in my new phone. #firstworldproblems

That's better. At least I got Sara's attention!

Rest stop! I always think of the movie Cars when I see signs for Route 66.

Robert didn't want to stop at the Candy Shack. :(

Sara did want to stop. 

When bored on a long drive, you can always do the wave. Except Robert. He wanted to be all responsible and stuff. 

Tucker's comment...you know, if they'd make a second arch, I bet McDonald's would open up right in front.

The joy of traffic. Someone should make that into a coffee table book. 

The mighty Mississippi seems to have a bit of a debris issue. 

Selfies

I recently upgraded my phone to something from this decade. I have to admit, it's pretty cool and I love playing with it. I don't think I love it as much as the kids do..and here are some of the pictures I found on my phone this morning.

the 'hand photo bomb' pic for those days when you want to be in the picture, but you don't...

the 'how long can I make my face look' pic

The 'I'm giving in but I'm not happy about it' pic

I have no words. None. 

The 'this is what my hair looks like with the sunroof open' pic...also  known as the 'it's going to be a bitch to comb this out' pic

Stick a fork in it

Yesterday, Sara had gymnastics. We needed to drop off one of our cars to be checked out so the plan was that Robert would meet us at gymnastics, follow me to the car place, I'd drop off the car,  and then we would ride home with him. This was way more preferable to me than getting all of us up for a 7:30 drop off this morning. Way, way more preferable.

As we are waiting for Sara to finish her class, Robert says, "What do you want to do for dinner?" I shrugged because once again, I have forgotten to take out anything from the freezer. Le sigh. If I were graded on my performance at home, I'm afraid that I would be lucky to end up with a C for planning and follow through most days.

The kids voted for our favorite mexican place in Black Mountain, but that was on the other side of town and by the time we dropped off the car, it would be at least 6:30, which is getting kind of late for us to have dinner anyway. Robert suggested Firehouse Subs which I was heartily in favor of because their food is terrific and I love their salads. Sara was not thrilled about this because 1) they don't have any type of mac and cheese 2) they don't have Mexican food, and 3) it wasn't her preference. But once we explained the plan was Firehouse or go hungry, she came right around. ::snort::

Selfie by Sara

So we go in and order and I was impressed by Sara's ability to adapt without being a poor sport...something she has been doing a lot lately. I'm awfully proud of her (and relieved, because it was kinda dicey there for a bit). We are sitting at the table and she's glum. Robert asks her what's wrong and she says she was supposed to get a fireman hat and a krispy treat with her meal and she didn't get one. Robert suggests that she go and ask for it, but she wants us to do it. We are trying to gently encourage her to ask for what she wants versus demanding it (with us) or pouting and hoping someone notices she's unhappy (with others). Sara, who by all admissions, had been pretty awesome so far, decided she didn't want to go ask herself, so she sat unhappily with us at the table.

We carried on with our meal, and Sara got increasingly frustrated with us. I mean, sure. How dare we be so happy and carefree when the world owed her a hat and krispy treat? (Actually, I really do get that...) She tried the 'But I'm still hunnnngggrrrryyyyyy' bit so I offered her a bite of my delicious (no that's actually not sarcasm) grilled chicken salad. She was not interested. So I choo-choo train-ed a bite towards her mouth. She was fighting not to laugh but also embarrassed at that, so she turned to face the wall. I poked her (very gently) with my fork and then ate the bite of salad.

S: "HEY! What did you do that for?!?"
Me: ::chewing thoughtfully:: Hmm...that bite was a little sour. Sour and a touch bitter...
S: Don't poke me with your fork. Poke yourself!

I just hope I'm not scarring her for life.

Me: ::pokes my own arm with my fork and puts the fork in my mouth:: Yummmm! That's much better. It's really sweet! Want to try?!
Robert and Tucker burst out laughing and Sara claps her hand over her mouth so we can't see that she's laughing too.
S: Yuck. No, I don't want to try it.
Me: You don't know what you're missing! S: Whatever!


Good times, people. Good times.

Five things you hope you don't see at the community pool..(yes, more pictures)

1. Speedos on anyone but an Olympic swim team member (thanks for reminding me of this one, Jenn)

photo from honeybeelane.blogspot.com

2.  Food in the water...either before, after, or during the process of digestion

photo from creativedevoloution.com

.

3. These guys:

photo from rachelgoede.com

4. The chain smoker:

photo from 50ish.com

5. The water-is-freezing-so-I'm-going-to-splash-everyone-not-in-the-pool joker:

photo from visualphotos.com

Five things you'll always see at a community pool; a blog post of (mostly) pictures...

1. Sunburn. OUCH!



2. the under five 'streaker'


3. Teenagers in looooooove


4. All the good chairs...claimed


5. An end of summer tan at the beginning of summer

Manners, ladies. Manners.

Last week in Zumba there were three girls watching the class through the door window to the gym. Eventually they came in and were dancing right behind me. I heard the sound of their voices and their laughing, even though I couldn't tell what they were saying. I didn't give it much thought until I saw one of them with her cell phone. Held up. While dancing. Right behind me.

I moved over, she moved over. So then I went to get water and stood behind them when I returned. And they stopped dancing and sat down against the wall behind me. So I slowly kept working my way over to the other side of the room.

While I don't mind dancing like no one is watching (when people are watching) and I am actually there for my health, I don't particularly enjoy being made fun of. Believe me, I completely understand I've got this whole thing going on:

 

Any of us that have extra jiggle in our wiggle...WE KNOW. Chances are that extra jiggle is exactly why we are in that class/program/activity.  And, depending on the type of class and the people that attend, some are a lot easier to walk into than others. Some of them take a lot of courage. Some of them take borrowed strength from a higher power.

I don't know if she was taking pictures or recording a video. I have no proof that she was doing either. But if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck? It's probably a duck.

I love that the Zumba instructor made them leave when she noticed they stopped dancing. And while I'm pretty secure with myself, it doesn't mean I want to watch myself from behind in a Zumba class. I wouldn't want to even if I looked like this:

photo credit personaltrainermornington.com.au

 Fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. Were I standing in class sucking down a milkshake and mainlining chocolate while half-assing the workout, then sure. Comment. Take a picture. Make a video.

It took me a year to work up the courage to start going to classes where I live now, because the disdain for overweight people is palpable. And it seems to be assumed that if you are heavy, there's no way you could be living a healthy lifestyle. Or a good person. And I notice the looks and hear the commentary and the laughter. And yes, it hurts my feelings. I've battled a weight problem all my life and I'll probably battle it until I die. Some days are better than others. But when someone is obviously trying (and the sweat pouring off me was obvious proof), how about just leaving them alone to do their thing?

Manners. It's what's for dinner.

Good night, sweet friend

May 4, I woke up and did the normal things - went to the bathroom, washed my hands and face, brushed my teeth, drank some water, kissed my husband and kids good morning and wandered into the living room to see what was new on Facebook and in my email.

I had gotten a message from my friend Brian at 4:41 am that stated simply, "Dawyn has left us."

Oooooohhhhhhhhh. ::big, slow exhale::

I knew it was coming. Dawyn had been diagnosed with IBC (Inflammatory breast cancer), had beaten it into remission, but it came back pissed off and super aggressive. She had slowly been fading away from her Facebook and blog updates (Living with IBC ). She had seemingly offhandedly mentioned on Facebook that her diagnosis was terminal months and  months ago.

If you knew her, you were devastated. It's hard to describe Dawyn in a phrase or a paragraph. She had a love of life and people that was bigger than racial issues, economic status, cultural differences, religious intolerance...any of the petty things that often bog us down in day to day life. She is, I mean was, probably the most naturally happy person I've ever met.

Her Facebook page is filled - FILLED - with people saying good bye to her. She has left an emotionally bereft crater at least twice the size of the Grand Canyon in the hearts of those that know and love her.

About a week later, I met up with three friends of mine from high school when we went to her memorial service. I met her wife, Michele, and I could feel her grief from across the room. Or it could have been our grief radiating out too. So many people love her. So many people admire her. So many people had stories to tell of meeting Dawyn or of an adventure (or seven) they had with her. It was hard to be sad among so many happy memories. We were prompted to relate a memory of Dawyn when we signed the guest book. And all of us looked at each other and wondered how? How to choose one thing? I'm sure we all wrote something down, I couldn't tell you what I wrote because there were so many things I wanted to say but I couldn't find the words.

The memorial service was beautiful - an opera singer sang Amazing Grace and I had to concentrate really hard on my shoes not to bawl like a baby. In the middle of the service, a thunderstorm erupted right on cue and while the wind whipped around and the rain poured, there was enough room in the gazebo for all of us and no one got soaked. The people that spoke at the service told stories of the Dawyn they knew who really just seemed like an wiser, kinder, more experienced version of the girl we all knew.

After it was over and we were talking to Michele, she told us she wanted to get to know the Dawyn we knew. I didn't trust myself to say too much at the time. Truth be told, I wasn't super close with Dawyn like Lori, Brian, or Donovan. But Dawyn was one of those people that you always saw around, that always spoke to you, would laugh at your stupid jokes, would give you a hug if she thought you needed it. In high school, I think it's common to think you know someone yet not know them at all. From what people were saying about her that day, nothing much had changed.  She faced her fate with dignity and grace. She seemed so grateful for the blessings in her life and damn if she didn't consider just about everything a blessing. It was not possible to know her even an little and not love her. It just wasn't.

I'm so sad my friend has gone. I'm sad that she won't be able to give her and Michele's coat and boots to any more homeless people she meets on the street. I'm sad that the world didn't have more time with her. Dawyn, you were one in a million and so many will miss you but so few will forget.