Why Do I Know How To Do These Things?

I haven’t had the chance to play over at Mama Kat’s in the last few months so I thought I would join in the fun since I need a little lightness and air today. I chose:

5. List 10 random things you know how to do.

1.    I can bounce on a Pogo Stick like nobody’s business. If I was challenged right this very minute, I could probably do at least 50 if not 100 bounces. When my kids were little, I bought them one. Mr. Cautious (aka my husband) said, “Are you kidding? Someone will break their neck!” Well, no one broke his or her neck pogo sticking...

2.    I can turn my tongue upside down. You know, flip it over. It’s not useful but I know for a fact not everyone can do that. And not everyone can tie a cherry stem with his or her tongue either, but I can. Don’t know why I know party tricks but I do.

3.    Recite the Greek alphabet three times before a lit match burns my fingers. Again, I learned a lot in college just not always the “right” stuff.

4.    I can memorize just about anything within minutes. If you tell me your birthday (two times) or phone number (three times), I will be able to repeat it back for you the next time you see me. You should watch me Internet shop alternating credit cards (to dodge detection) from memory.

5.    I can wriggle my right ear, and only the right one, without moving any other part of my face/head.

6.    I can make homemade pasta or pizza dough within minutes.

7.    I can maintain silence for hours and hours on end. I actually think I could do a ten-day “vow of silence” meditation retreat. Now wanting to actually do it is an entirely different story.

8.    I can stand for a very, very, very long time in tree pose and do it on top of things. Like a tree stump or a rock.

9.    Not to brag but I can pick up anything with my toes, even something extremely small. It’s akin to my talent with chopsticks where I can pick up one teensy grain of white rice. Oh, and watch out, I can pinch too (with both toes and sticks).

10.    I can actually grow and maintain some decent dreadlocks…with  the right hair products, of course. Gross (?) but true. I kind of like that look sometimes (while on a beachy vacation not in regular life). 

Dear Man of My Dreams

So these are the prompts this week at Mama’s Losing It. The Prompts:

1.) What are you reading?
 The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes. It just came in the mail today and it’s like having something shiny and new to play with.

2.) Dear Men, (an open letter…offer a word of advice, an issue you’d like to address, or a solution to a problem for the opposite sex).


3.) Show us your kitchen!
 I love my kitchen but, right now, it is not picture worthy. Too much crap lying around and I don’t feel like cleaning up at the moment.

4.) Tell us about a time you were grounded…what did you do? I got grounded pretty often for a while. And when I got grounded, I used to do things like pierce another ear hole or something similar which became the cause for a subsequent grounding.

5.) What made you laugh this week? I didn’t have a funny week. At. All.

Now come on. With this opportunity, what would you choose? I mean really. It’s like an open invitation to get a little somethin’, somethin’ off our chests.

Well, I’m in. You don’t have to ask twice. It’s a general letter of course and not directly pertaining to anyone I know in my actual and very real life.

Dear Man of My Dreams (hereafter known as MMD),

I’ve been a life partner with a member of the opposite sex for almost half my total years on this planet. That’s a darn long time. And I truly believe we are both highly trained professionals when it comes to this marriage thingy. And we both make mistakes. And both aren’t perfect. And we both try hard to be kind. You’d agree, wouldn’t you? Okay, no need to answer.

 So I’ll say something to you, MMD, like this:

“I need to talk to you about something. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. I just need you to hear me. Understand or at least try to understand. I’m not asking you to agree with me but if you did, that would be awesome. You don’t need to fix this or provide excuses or reasons for the target of my venting.

Can I have a full on rant? I desperately need one to get this completely out of my system so I can move on. Would you be willing to do that?”

And then you, MMD, say something like this:

“Honey, of course. I'm all ears. Rant away.”

I promise it will be short-ish and not directed at you. I’m sure it will include maybe an explicative or five ;-).

And then it would be great if you, MMD, then said,

“Feel better, honey? Here, let me give you a hug.”

And that would be it! Easy schmeasy!!!

That wasn't so bad, was it?

Signed,

Your Ever Loving Wife

The Trend That Drives Me Insanely Bonkers

Mama Kat's Prompt 

1. A trend that you can't stand right now.

There is a trend, right now, that drives me nuts. Completely insane. Insanely bonkers.

It's not a fashion or decorating thing.

I’ve ranted about it before and I will again, no doubt AND I’m guilty at times myself for a portion of it.

I have a smart phone. I like it. It does a lot of things that help with the coordination and organization of my daily life. However, I don’t even know half of what it does because, frankly, I don’t care.

I want to text, take photos, retrieve email, and call my family or a friend.

I want to look up directions in a pinch even though I’ll never admit to being directionally challenged because I’m not so I rarely do. I want to check a movie time or the weather someplace where I’m shortly to depart.

Things of this nature.

So what is the trend I can’t stand?

The constant need for people to continually and obsessively play with their smart phones especially in the presence of other people. And double especially if they are with their friends or families.

Every single thing that comes out of someone’s mouth, they’ll say, “Oh, I’ll Wiki that.”

However, I have several friends who will pull out their phones at dinner or a party or even while sharing a cup of coffee at the local joint for no other reason than to mindlessly use it. That bothers me. It makes me feel as if what we’re doing or saying is not as important as what they’re doing or saying to someone else.

And their phones are constantly beeping, ringing, tweeting, etc.

If I’m going to leave my home to share time with someone, and they’re going to take time out of their busy day for me, I’d like to think we’d focus our attentions on each other and not someone who is not even present.

There are times when it can’t be helped and I am all over it if my kids are calling or texting from school, or someone else’s children, family, or friends are in need of them. We need to be available for important stuff, be reliable to those we care about. I get it.

I don’t bring my phone out with me at night. I have a husband for that ;-). If we are together, which is more often than not, there’s one for emergencies between the two of us.

But when I see people looking at their phones constantly, absorbed,

Tap, tap, tapping on the keys,

Totally distracted from those in their immediate presence, I kind of (no really) have a problem.

Let’s look each other in the eye and speak.

Otherwise, we might as well stay home and text each other instead.

Then we’d probably be in our sweats, on the couch, with a glass of wine and book open in our lap.

Freaking Lights and Why I Hate Hobby Lobby

Prompt courtesy of Mama Kat’s Losing It":

 3.) What was the last thing you bought?

I stand corrected from previously posted opinions. 

There is a place I despise more than Costco. And the only reasons I hate Costco have more to do with the environment (parking lot, crowds, negative energy of patrons, etc.) than what it offers. I DO spend money at Costco. And lots of it. That part is easy and, mostly, I enjoy what I buy especially the books, wines and meats!

I CANNOT STAND HOBBY LOBBY.

It used to be I went there several times a week for the "this and that" needs of my kids. It was the only place carrying stuff for projects and they loved going there.

As they got older, I finally got smart. Letting them off at the door, I'd give them a 45 minute shopping window and I parked the car to read. This worked well, I thought.

Yesterday, I found myself in need of things only one place offers. Cheap ass Christmas stuff!

Has anyone ever noticed that most of their stuff is cracked, broken or chipped?

I really needed extra outdoor lights for the backyard like this (the front yard is white):

And Hobby Lobby is the closest place. It’s right up the street.

I brought home four strands, strung them on the magnolia tree with the others already hanging there and pushed in the plug. Ta Da!!!

The freaking lights didn’t work. I tested them individually inside and they lit up fine. Just fine.

I packed them up, drove back, got four more strands and headed home.

I'm not dumb. So I tested them, together this time, in the kitchen before heading out. These freaking lights didn’t work at all! "Cheap ass Hobby Lobby stuff! Screw the freaking lights!”, I said to my husband. Actually, I may or may not have used stronger language.

I packed them up and drove back.

Yet there is a pleasant ending to this dreadful Hobby Lobby debacle. I picked up some mistletoe. And I hung it in the busiest thoroughfare in our home, the path from the stairs to the mudroom.

It didn’t take my husband very long at all to notice it. As a matter of fact, it was just about the first thing he saw when he came home from work. Maybe I planned this ;-).

There’s nothing like taking time to test mistletoe and I'm happy to report ours is in full working order. Hopefully our family will stop for a few moments in these next few nutty weeks and kiss the person standing under it. It will probably be me! 

Addy and I were the first true testers. Shush, don't tell!

I’m pretty happy with the very last thing I bought. Hobby Lobby was good for something.

What did you last buy?

The Time I Googled Indecent Exposure

Courtesy of Mama Kat’s Prompts this week, here is the one I chose.

4.) Tell us about the last thing you Google searched…what did you learn?

Please don’t judge me based on what I’m going to tell you. I had reasons.

I was writing a piece of fiction yesterday (not my forte) set in the mid-80’s, a time I happen to know quite well. I was living the Yuppie (Young Urban Professional) lifestyle in the City (Chicago, not New York) and the livin’ was “easy” if you know what I mean. The 80’s were all about MTV, rock music, smashing Disco records and carefree lifestyles, among other things.

But I needed some additional facts to support my plotline.

My question was…

If someone were caught in a park in various stages of undress, doing something that should probably (should be) done in a place of privacy, what, most likely, might the legal ramifications for them be?

Of course, I turned to Google and typed in:

“Is having sex in a park illegal”

The answer is YES. It is called “indecent exposure”.

Then, I wanted to find out what it meant exactly and legally.

So I Googled:

“indecent exposure”

I discovered it’s a Class A Misdemeanor and would require a court appearance more than likely. I also found out if you get caught three times indecently exposed, it becomes a Class A Felony. Apparently, some people don’t learn their lesson the 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd times. Otherwise, why would there be a law for it?

Having the facts, I began writing.

Only later did it occur to me that “Big Brother” tracks these kinds of searches, doesn’t he? Someone might think I’m contemplating doing the nasty in a park somewhere. Or worse that I did do something extremely inappropriate (which I never do by the way) and had reason for concern. 

There are some alternative, and scary, definitions for the term which have nothing to do with what I was doing. Was I going to get spammed by raunchy stuff like the time years ago when I, seemingly forever, got "enlarge your penis" emails? 

It boiled down to me beginning to worry about my search history. It’s not like I was surfing for porn but it kind of felt that way and it reminded me of the time about 6 years ago when I saw “naked boobs” in Google history. Hubby was not the culprit; he doesn’t have to Google them. My recently turned teen turned out to be the mortified yet naive criminal that time.

I was worried something similar would happen to me.

So I erased all search history from yesterday. It is a good thing because my husband sat down at the computer last night to do some Internet shopping.

I was NOT in the mood to explain anything. 

Comfy Like My Favorite Sweats

List 5 things that bring you comfort courtesy of Mama Kat's Writing Challenge. I am presenting these comfy things to you in reverse order but they all do the trick.

5.  Believe it or not (but do), I find comfort in traveling. I settle into an environment extremely well. I eat at local spots all but shunning the “must dine” 5-star restaurants or “you just have to” places. That’s not me. I like to talk to the people who live where I’m visiting and ask them what I should do. So often my husband or friends have had to drag me on to the plane, out of a country or off an island as I tearfully say, “But I could live here!” They're used to it. My husband thinks I could live anywhere and I probably could. Home is inside of ME.

4.  So I may be one of the only ones who feels this way but I find comfort in exercise. Or maybe it’s discomfort. I don’t know. I get confused sometimes. And it has more to do with how exercise makes me feel more than anything. It makes me feel fantastic, more relaxed, mellowed out, fatigued, happy (though not always while doing so), and peaceful for the rest of my day. I find comfort in that feeling so I apply liberally.

3.  Reading a good book while sitting on my couch in my favorite fleece pants and sweater sipping tea on a snowy afternoon or a glass of wine on a peaceful evening with logs on the fire equals comfort to me. Actually, just being on couch or a chair anywhere reading is a comfort to me. Blissful.

2.  What I lack in quantity, I make up for in quality as far as friends. A call, letter or visit from one of my friends always warms my heart. It means they were thinking of me. I love a chat because I can hear their voice and picture them speaking their words to me. I love a letter because I can envision their hands moving over the paper with a pen and I can re-read it as many times as I want, which I do. I love a visit because I can hold their hand, touch their arm, and see their lips moving and face smiling.

1.  I tend to be a homebody. That’s not to say I don’t like going out, doing things, being around people. I do. I’d just rather have people over to my house for pizza, cook for them, or stay home with a fire and roast marshmallows and be with my family. To me, it’s the most comfortable place in the world but it’s not really about the four beautiful walls. It’s the feelings of safety, warmth, love and all things cozy that home gives me (And sweatpants always help perpetuate those feeling).

To top it off...the kids come home tomorrow for nine days. Woo Hoo! Can't wait!

Elevator Etiquette: What Do You Do?

1.) Write a post in just 12 lines...

Is the first prompt in over at Mama Kat's Writing Challenge. It's my first choice.

One of my favorite quotes is the inspiration for my 12 lines.

“The cure for boredom is curiosity.
There is no cure for curiosity.”
― Dorothy Parker

 **********************************

I was curious about this very thing this morning as I rode the elevator to my room from the fitness center. For three days, I’ve been staying at a hotel connected to Indiana’s Student Union while visiting my kids.

I’ve had plenty of opportunities to ride the elevator with all kinds of people: kids, parents, professors, housekeepers, or whoever. I also took some extra trips while not noticing which way the arrow was pointed.

What do you do when you encounter someone in an elevator? Do you say “hi”, begin a conversation, just smile or have no reaction at all paying them not one lick of attention? Does it make a difference if you are already there and someone hops on or if you are the enterer?

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

P. S. I know how to count to 12. Oops!

10 Someday I'll Do's

5.)    Someday I am going to _______. (Inspired by Marcy Writes)

Man, there are a hundred things I “think” I’m going to do someday. Hundreds!!!

The list has resided solely in my head, pretty much, until last weekend when it came up in conversation with my best friend. Of course, she’s heard or knows most of these things yet a few were new to even her and a few she just said “Why?!?” Because I have to, which may not be a very good reason at all?

Something’s have been on “the list” for a very long time (most) and a few things are new-ish. But I’m constantly thinking about it.  Some of these things are wishes blurred with someday things but they’re kind of the same, aren’t they? And I’ll just add as an aside, I’m not getting any younger so I should probably hustle on a few (no comments from the peanut gallery, please and you know who you are!)

So….Someday I’m going to _____________________.

1.     Become fluent in another language other than American and British English. My best chance is Spanish for which I have an entire Rosetta Stone program, unopened from almost 5 Christmases past. It was an expensive program and my family is still upset with me that I haven’t taken off the cellophane yet. I currently speak outstanding Spanglish for which I’m fairly proud, a teensy bit of French and a wee bit of Italian.

2.     Rent an apartment in Rome and live for a year.

3.     Get a rescue Lab to fill this house back up with some puppy action. Addison is too lonely without her sister!

4.     Rent a 58’ boat and sail throughout the Caribbean Sea for an entire winter.

5.     Become a yoga teacher and perfect that calm, soothing voice all great yoga teachers have helping their student to meditate peacefully and effectively.

6.     Take creative (fiction) writing classes at the local college.

7.     Live in the city again. I mean Chicago.

8.     Send in our application for the Amazing Race (mine and Susie’s) soon because it is due November 1^st.  The video submission is being edited right now. Our premise is that people often think we’re sisters and sometimes twins. We are quite funny together and, as a twosome, can charm just about anyone. She’s committed to doing all the gross eating challenges and I will hang out of all the helicopters. We don’t fight and we’re not catty but we make a joke out of just about everything but mostly ourselves. Wish us luck!

9.     Complete the 500 mile La Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage in Spain (The French Way (or route)). Actually, I’m leaving on June 3^rd, 2013. It will take 30 days.

10.                       Publish something some place other than on my blog. Taking that several steps further, I aspire to be a travel writer providing the 411 on exciting destinations, off the beaten path things to do, yummy food to eat and great places to stay.  And then get picked up by The Travel Channel and have a show that would be a combination Samantha Brown meets Anthony Bourdain (she’s too goody goody and he’s a bit brash) type vibe.

I don’t think any of these “some days” are too much to ask, do you? A girl’s got to dream!

No! You Tell Dad!

Don’t be thinking toddlers are the only children/people who throw tantrums. I think it’s a personality type, personally speaking.

So I’m biting on Mama Kat’s prompt below and I’m hoping to properly convey a conversation I had with a high maintenance child because I have one (a boy, a college sophomore (who’s getting easier and more grownup by the way, thank God), who copes with lifelong dyslexia and other attention type issues)). Thank goodness my girl is wholly independent and very, very low maintenance (just like her mommy?). Don't get me wrong...I love them both equally just differently!

2.) What was the last thing your child threw a temper tantrum over? Write a blog post from his/her point of view.

Well, Matt and I had more of a whiny conversation last week, as opposed to a full blown tantrum which he used to be famous for, which went something like this…

“Mom. So the good news is that my mid-terms are going pretty well.”

“Matt, that’s awesome. But when you say good news, that means there’s bad news, too.”

“I hate my ‘Study of Eastern Chinese Religions’ class.”

“Why?”

“I don’t understand one thing about it. When they say one thing, it means another. When I read the book and think I understand, I don’t. The teacher mixes me up and confuses me.”

“That’s called metaphor, honey.”

“MOM! I don’t care what it’s called. My brain doesn’t work that way. You know that.”

“Did I mention before I didn’t think that this class was up your alley?”

“Yes but…”

“Okay, so instead of complaining about it, what are you going to do?”

“I want to drop it but Dad won’t like that.”

“I think Dad would rather you get a good grade in a class related to your Infomatics major than a bad grade in Study of Chinese Religion.”

“It’s Eastern Chinese not just Chinese.”

“Okaaaay! Drop it. Pick up a new class. Figure it out. Whatever you have to do.”

“Are you going to tell Dad?”

“No. Call him and give him the whole “good news, I’ve got great grades on mid-term in all my other classes” speech than casually mention the dropped class. It should go over.”

“Will you tell him for me?”

“Hell no!”

“So he’s going to be mad at me saying I don’t take school seriously.  He’ll say he took Astronomy and that wasn’t what he thought it’d be but he studied. Besides, he won’t get mad at you!”

“Listen, pal. I got a big door ding on my new car so I have my own fish to fry with Dad. You’ve got to cover your own butt while I figure out how to cover mine.”

“Did you park too close to someone again? Dad says you always do.”

“Be quiet, Matt. Don’t you dare mention it to Dad!”

Do You Still Like Me?

1.)  Six Word Memoir: Write about a significant time in your life in just six words.

So here are my six words: 

They’re Gone…

Still like me?
Phew!!!

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

I woke up this morning thinking I was going to be a lazy blogger and “phone in” a post. So for Mama Kat’s Writing Challenge, I picked the shortest prompt, definitely, but also the one I believed to be the easiest…at the time.

You know what?

I’ve spent way too much time deciding and choosing which six words define my life right now. 

So a month ago, we began our second year as empty nesters!

Believe me. You will all get there sooner rather than later and at times you’ll wish that your house was full again but not with toddlers or little people under the age of, oh I don’t know, say 12.

The first year of empty nesting is so very exciting. It’s full of possibilities and wonderment and the world is your oyster syndrome (if there is such a thing) and TIME!

 (Courtesy of DAMNYOUAUTOCORRECT.com)

For once, you have space and breathing room and less stress (except when you think about multiple college tuitions…word of advice, tune that out!).

YOU get to choose what it is you’d like to do. Sounds ideal, yes?

Well it is and it’s not.

Because the second year rolls around…

And the newness, as with most things in life, has worn off…

And you still have someone important to think about; someone else's happiness to factor into your equation of fun…that wonderful partner you chose 23.5 years ago. When you actually write the number, it sounds really long! I was in my 20’s when I enthusiastically said "I do!" for Pete’s sake!

You hope 25 years down the line, you still enjoy doing the same things and, more importantly, you still like each other.

We still do.

PHEW!

Not that I was worried or anything…

Where Babies Come From...

Being a mom for a while now, almost 22 years, I have more than a few instances where my child and I both lost something youthful and childlike. Me...just from a different angle. I know you'll get this…

So two definite standouts stories are when the wheels fell off the whole Santa, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy gigs all at the same time, in one fell swoop. Boy, did I feel rotten that day.

The other is the day I was forced to explain how babies were made to my oldest, who was/is a very sharp cookie.

I think I'll tell you "the birds and the bees" one. I’m not so sure I did a very good job so please don’t judge me. I was caught off guard with very little time to formulate a plan.

ADVICE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN’T GONE DOWN THIS PATH YET…HAVE A PLAN FORMULATED WAY AHEAD OF TIME!!!

Just saying it helps. And it goes for Daddies, too, because you get to do it with your boys (at least that’s how it worked in this household).

Each year, the kids in our schools spend some time at the Robert Crown Center, which is nationally recognized for teaching kids K – 8^th grade about healthy eating, puberty, human reproduction, tobacco, and alcohol and drug abuse prevention through science-based programs.

They do a fine job explaining things over there and we, parents, are quite happy for their support with all those tricked up things I mentioned above especially, you guessed it, human reproduction!

So in fifth grade, all the boys and girls go with a parent to an after school program to begin touching upon the topic of reproduction (in fourth grade, they learned a little about puberty and this was the add on piece to that).

The first half went swimmingly with both the boys and girls together. They each learned a bit of anatomy related to themselves and the opposite gender. Very nicely and scientifically presented, I thought.

Then the genders split up for the “big” stuff.

It was right about this time that my daughter began complaining of a headache. Go figure.

“Sweetheart, hang in there. It’s almost finished then we can go.”

“Mom, I DON’T FEEL GOOD!” she whispered loudly. I’m diagnosing it as sensory overload but I'm not a doctor.

“Okay, then. Let’s go.” And I motioned to my friend, Susie, with my hand waving perpendicularly to my throat, mouthing “We’re outta here.”

Amanda was sleeping on the couch practically before the car was in park. She'd have just enough time to nap it off before her evening gymnastics.

That’s when I got the call from Susie who said, 

“Just so you know, Natasha asked to know exactly how the egg reaches the sperm for fertilization. The instructor felt as if she had to answer the question. So all the girls in the fifth grade, except Amanda, know exactly how a female egg is fertilized. Catch my drift?”

I might have said, “Oh, F-bomb. Figures Natasha!” I can’t remember.

So I will net out the conversation that took place in the car to gymnastics between my daughter and me. She was in the back seat and I was conversing with her through the rearview mirror.

Me: “Sweetheart, I understand at Robert Crown that Natasha asked a question and the answer was provided to the group and I feel you should have the answer, too. It’s pretty grown up information but I know you can handle it.”

Her: “Okkkkk?”

Me: “Well, you know that boys have a penis, right? And girls have the area where their periods come from (I just couldn’t say the “V” word). Men provide the sperm and women provide the egg in order for a baby to begin inside a woman. You with me.”

Her: “Yeeeeees?”

Me, blurting out rather quickly: “Well, when two married people like your daddy and mommy love each other so much and want to have a baby, they share a special hug where the man’s penis and the woman’s period area connect on the inside......of the woman. That’s how the sperm reaches the egg!”

Thinking I’d done a pretty good job with little collateral damage, I glanced in the mirror. I could actually see her thinking for a minute.

But then her face began to change, and kind of screw up. I got nervous.

She sort of shivered, winced and shouted:

"YOU. HAVE. GOT. TO. BE. KIDDING. ME!!!”

Me: “Sweetheart, it’s really no big deal. Thought you should know. Do you have any questions?”

Her: “ABSOLUTELY, NOT!”

She ran out of the car to gymnastics and never brought it up again… Thankfully. Until we had to go to Robert Crown... the next time.

Things changed a little for us going forward.

But I think I did pretty well on the fly. Don’t you?

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

4.) Describe a moment where you or your child lost a part of childhood (realizing Santa isn’t real, etc.)

Wanderlust and When I Was Younger...

When I was younger, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey played non-stop. It was on the radio and played at every party on every weekend when I was a 19 year old sophomore in college. I’d loved Journey since high school and this new song was just made for slow dancing. Or so it was to us!

Hearing this song now, reminds me of a dream I had all those years ago. And I’m not talking about a sleeping dream. It was an actual dream, much more than a daydream even. At 19, I was a spirited kid with a severe case of wanderlust. 

I wanted to travel.

I grew up in a family where education was a primary focus and money, at times, was an issue. My parents, two generations removed from the whole immigration thing, wanted to give my brother and I opportunities they never had. Like travel possibly?

Of course there was no doubt in my mind that they'd indulge my true desires and already made plans for the summer between my junior and senior year in college (well before the age of required internships and resume building).

So after careful thought and planning with two of my college girlfriends, we put together a rough itinerary for a two and a half month backpacking trip through Europe. The finances and costs were laid out (guesstimated of course). My friends already got their "Go!". I was the last one to approach “the parents” because, in reality, I knew what their answer would be.

“No.” It wasn’t even a wiggly "no". It was flat out "NO". Exclamation point added for emphasis!

As I’d had a history of doing, I pressed for solid reasons. I could debate even back then 'cause I thought I was soooo smart. Excessive pressing never worked or helped my causes. "No" always meant "no".

“It’s too dangerous for girls. We don’t know anyone who’s done that before. We don’t care if Cindy and Angela’s parents said ‘yes’. You don’t have money for that (but yes, I did). You’re not going.”

“But, but…..”  I stammered. And I had a long list of but this's and but that's!

My dream was squashed within moments.

The two of them, went on without me.

Fast forward 30 years…….

“Honey, you know my answer and I think you’ve laid out your facts well.  I can tell you girls have spent a lot of time getting your ducks in a row. And having the rough costs and itinerary mapped out is important. You know what you have to do now. And, no, I won’t ask for you.”

Even though it was an uphill push in this household for a short period of time ("I never did that when I was her age!" he said), I was even more excited when her dad called to tell her, “Yes. You can go.”

I’m thrilled my daughter will see her dream come to fruition and live my dream from 30 years ago. Backpacking in Europe for two month. Take lots of photos, girls!!!

While my wanderlust, especially for travel, still remains as intense and seductive as ever, I have new dreams. Wishes I’m trying to make happen right at this very minute.

I’m still spirited; just not a kid anymore if we are speaking in terms of chronological age, that is. And "No" is still a tough word for me to swallow.

I’m okay, now, with the answer I got so many years ago.

I'd have loved to go with three cool chicks “when I was younger…”

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2.) Write something that begins and ends with the words “When I was younger”. (inspired by writingfix.com)