Appreciating the older folks

As I drove by the elementary school, I knew something was up.

The parking lot was FULL. And it was only 7:40am. That school doesn't start until 9am. Something unusual was going on that's for sure.

When I drove home, the parking lot was overflowing. There were vehicles parked in the dirt lot next to the school. Not a handful either. About 30 or so!

I found out that the school was recognizing the older generation. They were having their 2nd annual Grandparents Breakfast. Fantastic, eh?

All the students were able to invite their grandparents. Then they all had breakfast together at the school. Turns out it was a very nice breakfast. Compared to last year.

What happened last year? It was the FIRST Grandparents' Breakfast celebration. The school even put a reminder on the marquee outside the school. Grandparents Day Breakfast Sept xx, 2004.

Wouldn't you know that they ran out of food? Some people had to wait until 9am before they could eat? Why? Why? Why the shortage of food? Because random old folks showed up. They were someone's grandparent. Not a grandparent to a child attending that school. Yes. People from the senior citizen's community about 3 miles up the road showed up to eat. There was even a BUSLOAD of seniors that came from an old folks home nearby.

So this year, the students gave THEIR grandparents tickets to the event. There was no announcement up on the marquee. But they had enough food. And everyone got to eat before school started at 9am.

Read a little closer

[ring-ring-ring]

Receptionist: "Hello, XXX Corporation."

Me: "Good morning. I'd like to speak with Eric So-n-So. I received an email yesterday stating I should call as soon as possible."

Receptionist: "Would you please hold?"

Me: "Sure. No problem."

La-le-la-la. La-le-la. La-le-la-la-a-a-a-a.

Receptionist: "Erin So-n-So will be out of town for the next few days. Would you like her partner's voicemail?"

Me: "That would be great."

Did you catch that?

I read the email this morning. I wrote down the person's name. Company name. Location. And TWO telephone numbers.

And I still got the name WRONG.

It was ERIN that emailed me. I read and wrote down ERIC.

I hope the receptionist didn't catch my slip up. I did say her first and last name. So I hope she just caught the last name. I hope. I hope. I hope!

What's a matta' you?

In what WORLD is it okay to...

1. ...come home in a pissed off mood
2. ...not talk to anyone to let them know why you're upset
3. ...yell at one of the kids when they fall and start to cry
4. ...not eat dinner with your family
5. ...continue to be mute AND look all pissy the rest of the night?

Welcome to my evening. No. I'm not the one who is pissed off. I'm just sad that the kids have to see such behavior.

ARGH!

After a disaster...what about education?

I don't normally listen to the radio, but I happened to catch NPR the other morning on the drive home from the Princess' school.

What are the New Orleans schools doing to reopen? I went to one website that said they're planning on a November start date. But they are relying on families to contact the school district to ensure that the schools are ramped up correctly.

It was an interesting discussion about how the school district is getting ready to re-open after Katrina.

They mentioned that the largest (or was it best?) school district had over 50,000 kids in it last year. This school year they anticipate only 10,000 kids to return. I mean, that district had to evacuate so I'm surprised that the district is anticipated so many to come back.

To get the kids back in school would mean that the families would have homes to live in. That the parents would have jobs to go back to. Right? But is the part of New Orleans that was devastated by Katrina in ANY condition to support families? I don't think so.

Housing needs to get in order before anyone can move back. I know that when Florida has been hit, it was up to the residents to get their insurance companies to evaluate their situation and then get repairs done. It has been the people's responsibility to get their homes back up and into livable conditions. Are the folks from New Orleans in any position to rebuild their homes?

Jobs need to get stabilized before families would commit to coming back. They need something to come back to. Are the businesses in that area going to rebuild? Are half of them going to rebuild? 25% rebuild? I think that the number of kids that return to school depends on the number of stable jobs that are established in the area.

I hate to say it but it's a big mess. Clean-up needs to take place. Homes need to be made livable. Jobs need to be established.

What I found the most interesting was the talk about how the school district was so bad before the hurricane. How some have advised the district that it should now take the time to revamp itself. That with so few kids returning for this school year that they should focus on BUILDING the district from scratch. To redistribute resources. To focus on restructuring in a more streamlined and more efficient manner. To not waste the money they had -- to use it wisely.

I think that given the condition of the district (which they eluded to) that a restructuring and reorganization of assets and personnel would be best. They really need to focus on the FUTURE of the kids in that district. Not many districts or cities are given the opportunity to see 'best practices' out there and able to initiate them within their schools because of old structures. Now that there is no structure? Take advantage. Look at things with new eyes. If you can't? Then get people who can make the schools the best they can be.

Like many of us know....kids are our future. Give them a place to learn and flourish.

Shuffle here and there

The ILs have found a resolution with their problem kitchen. You know. The one my MIL has been contemplating on renovating for 2 years?

The solution? They're selling their house and buying another one. The other house? My BILs house.

You get the title of this entry now?

So...my BIL and his fiancee are selling their house. They are buying one in the city where my BIL will be starting his new (which starts November 1st). My ILs will be buying my BIL & his fiancee's house.

The only problem I see with this? My BILs house is 10 miles further out than my ILs current home. This means a longer commute for them both. And my MIL? She doesn't like to drive at night. AND she doesn't drive on freeways. So any time savings she'd get by driving on the freeway will be spend on regular streets.

But my BILs house? It's really nice. The kitchen/family room area is spacious. The living is huge. The dining room area is cute. And they've got a pool out back. I do hope they'll be happy there.

They still shock me

I've known my husband for 12 years now.

What amazes me is that learning stuff about his family still shocks and/or surprises me.

************************

I guess about half of my MILs siblings have used/abused drugs and/or alcohol.

There's this one crazy married in aunt (CMIA) that is very loud. She is the one who introduced my MILs younger sister (MILYS) to the guy she ended up living with for 20 years. She also ended up having a son with him. The guy? He was the family drug supplier.

Way back in the day, my FIL was a cop (along with 3 of his brothers). So did he & his brothers ignore the drug use in my MILs family?

************************

My Hubs godmother (HG) doesn't like CMIA. HG thinks CMIA is a rude & loud person. HG also thinks that CMIA stalks her. I guess CMIA has called a couple times & talked about stuff she'd only know if she'd driven by HG's house (which is a couple miles away from CMIAs house).

A couple weeks ago HG got into a fender bender. She took her car to the shop to get fixed. She got a rental. Later that day she got a call from CMIA.

CMIA: "Hey, it's CMIA!"

HG: "Oh...hi!"

CMIA: "What's that car doing in your driveway?"

HG: "What?"

CMIA: "There's some strange car in your driveway. I know that's not your car."

HG: "It's a rental."

CMIA: "Oh. Okay."

************************

One of the Hubs cousins got married this weekend. At the rehearsal at the church his Grandma had one of her rude moments. She and my SIL were sitting at the back of the church. A 50-ish year old woman walked in.

Grandma: "Who is that?" [to my SIL]

SIL: "I don't know Grandma." [my SIL flew in for the wedding so she doesn't know who everyone is]

Grandma: "Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" [She's yelling over to the woman]

The 50-ish year old woman (50W) walks over to Grandma and extends her hand.

50W: "Hi there!" [Speaking in a very pleasant, cordial voice]

Grandma: "Hi." [Sounding suspicious]

50W: "I'm Mrs. So-n-so, the mother of the groom. We've met before at this-that-n-the-ther function. It's nice to see you again."

She smiles and then walks towards the front of the church.

The Hubs' Grandma? She didn't apologize for her behavior. I guess that's where my MIL gets it from!

************************

There's not only friction between the older generation. There's friction amongst the cousins too.

At the wedding rehearsal on Friday night, one of the female cousins (FC#1) was overheard saying "I bet Grandpa paid for most of this" in a nasty tone.

FC#1 got married a couple years ago. I guess she had informed the family that she only wanted people 18 years and older at the reception. Somehow, the one uncle from out of town ahdn't heard this information. He flew into town with his 16-year-old daughter. He ended up having to make arrangements for her while he attended the reception. I guess the Grandpa wasn't happy with FC#1's rule of 18+. The Grandpa ended up not making the 'welcome' speech he's made at all of his grandkids' wedding receptions.

So the female cousin (FC#2) that was getting married this weekend told her Grandpa that he could do whatever at her wedding. Therefore, that's why FC#1 reacted the way she did. FC#1 got no monetary help from the Grandpa. I guess she was a little miffed at the treatment she received a couple years before.

Now I'm married into this family. And even I know that FC#2 is very close with her Grandpa. I mean, she was the only grandkid who was constantly at the hospital when the Grandpa was admitted last winter. She was the one who called us all up with the news and with updates. So I would not be surprised that the Grandpa paid for stuff at FC#2's wedding.

************************

And the friction doesn't stop at friction. There are actual fights!

Turns out the last time my BIL was visiting, he got into a fistfight with his uncle. I guess they were both drunk. The uncle and my BIL were arguing about some topic. The uncle takes the first swing and all heck breaks loose. I guess the uncle is a "surly drunk" and it doesn't take much to get him started.

MIL: "I hope your brother stays away from boy cousin #1 (BC#1)."

Hubs: "What're you talking about?"

MIL: "I heard that BC#1 is a surly drunk too. With what happened last time...."

Hubs: "If your son stays sober, then there shouldn't be a problem."

Can you believe they actually have fights? Between the older and younger generation? And what is with getting drunk at gatherings? Is that a must? Oh gosh!

************************

There was this conversation this past weekend. Talk about no tact!

Uncle: "What's going on with your father?"

Boy Cousin#2: "I don't know." [BC#2 starts to tear up]

Uncle: "Well, what's he going to do?"

BC#2: "All I know is that he and my Mom are going to lose the house November 1st." [BC#2 walks away]

BC#2's Dad hasn't been able to hold a job for a few years now. Because of his lack of income, the bank will be foreclosing on the house November 1st. This is what confuses me. If I couldn't hold a job and I knew I couldn't sustain a home, I would sell it. That way I could still make a profit on it. Now that they're at the bottom of the pit? BC#2's Dad will be moving in with Grandpa and Grandma. BC#2's Mom will be moving in with her sister.

BC#2? He's getting married next year. This should be a happy time for him. Getting ready for the wedding and stuff. Instead? It's a sad time.

************************

Hubs' Grandma & Grandpa's house? There are going to be a few of their kids residing there. The one aunt has never moved out. She's a really nice lady. Very generous and kind. BC#2's Dad will be moving in November 1st. And my MILs youngest brother (MILYB) will be moving back any time now. MILYB just lost his government job. We don't know why he lost it but he did. MILYB has a history of alcoholism. That's one of the contributing factors that led to his divorce 5 years ago. MILYB's oldest daughter was the flower girl at the Hubs' and my wedding. Since YS lost his job, he will not be able to afford his apartment. So he will be moving back to his parents' home any time now.

Now how sad is that? Hubs' grandparents will have 3 of their 8 children back in their house. All of the kids are over 50 years old too. By the time most people are in their 50's they're thinking about their retirement, right? Thinking about what they'll do with their lives when they no longer need to work. That's not the case here.

************************

It saddens me. It's amazing really. All this...STUFF. I should be grateful that the Hubs turned out so normal, eh?

Now does your family or your husband's family have crazy stuff like this happening????

What the tastebuds will accept

The most fun show caught my attention this afternoon.

It about the 25th anniversary Spamarama festival in Austin, TX. **

That's right folks. It was a food festival all centering around Spam. It was fabulous!

They had a sports event! Teams of two would toss a full-size piece of spam at a specified distance. Teams who successfully tossed & caught the spam would continue to the next round.

Then there was the cook-off. The THINGS they came up with were amazing.

There was one dish that had Spam mixed with lobster (some sort of parfait). It seriously looked like a French dish with all the layers and the pretty presentation. There was the Spam sausage. It was 40% spam & 60% pork butt with herbs, onions, and other seasons mixed in. There was Spam on a stick. It was sliced long and thin. Dipped in jalapeno pancake batter. Deep fried. Toped with some sauce.

It was great when they rolled clips of people recalling Spam in their lives.

"Oh yeah. My Mom used to make it 2 to 3 times a week. We'd have it with potato flakes. Spam & mashed potatoes!"

"My grandpa used to fry it up on Sunday mornings. Us grandkids would eat it up."

"My Mom used to fry it up and also do up some eggs. Spam and eggs. Ummm..."

What I found interesting is how Spam made its way into homes across America. Did you know that World War II soldiers had canned Spam as a part of their rations? Yes. Turns out that Spam was the only meat that a lot of soldiers were able to eat on a regular basis. So after the soldiers came home? They incorporated Spam into their civilian lives. Through these soldiers, Spam received national acceptance.

I grew up with the stuff. Oh yeah. On weekend mornings, my Mom would cut it up into square shaped the pieces and fry them up in a pan. Then she'd scramble some eggs. Then she'd throw some cooked white rice in. Yes, Spam fried rice! We'd even have Spam for dinner sometimes too. We'd have it cut into rectangles and fried it up in a pan. We had it with white rice and diced tomatoes. Yummy!

The Hubs? He can't seem to wrap his head around Spam. Meat in a can. Can't seem to get over that concept. But doesn't tuna come in a can? He has no problems eating that. Yes. I am aware that Spam is processed WAY more than tuna, but it's still in a can the same way.

Maybe it's because he didn't grow up eating Spam. That's my only conclusion. His Mom never made it for them as kids. So none of them have an appreciation or desire to eat Spam. I don't even bring it up. I know I'll hear sounds of disgust at the thought of eating this American icon. To me, eating Spam is like eating food from McDonald's. It's a classic.

Now did you grow up with Spam?

** They actually had the 27th festival in April 2005

Isn't it pretty

I totally forgot to show you guys my sister's wedding dress. I can safely post it here since my family doesn't know I have a blog. Ha-ha!

What do you think? To tell you the truth I'm surprised she selected this dress. It's not something I would picture her in. Especially for her wedding.

As you can see it's a strapless piece with a snug bodice. Then it has a flowing skirt section with a train. A train that'll need to be bustled after the wedding ceremony. Now WHO will get underneath the back there and do it for her is a guess. I certainly will be busy with my two kidlings (who are both in the wedding). I'm already going to be sweating trying to keep the Bear settled and happy. LilSis is going to have to recruit one of her maids of honor -- since she has three of them. Can you just hear the sarcasm?

From the close-up, you can see that the bodice has lots of detailing on it. The bottom front of the skirt has the same beading/sequins along with the back part of the veil that'll skim the train. It's pretty detailed. I have no idea how much the dress costs either. I didn't want to ask. I didn't want to throw up. It's beautiful. But I'm sure it's pricey.

I'm glad I was able to see it early on. At the store, the saleslady was anticipating me crying. I guess most ladies do cry when they see their daughters, sisters, friends in their wedding gowns.

"I'm not a crier. I don't need any kleenex."

True to my word. I didn't. I just looked at it and took photos. I was so detached. It was weird. But truthfully? Even my Mom didn't cry when she saw it the week before. She just looked at LilSis and nodded. No a glimmer of a tear in her eyes. Now...how I'll be at the wedding? I don't know. I don't anticipate shedding any tears. But who knows?