Jun. 24, 2008 at 10:47pm

Dealing with the summer grumpies

(or something.)

note: I'm nervous about posting.  I fear someone might insinuate, on the one hand, that I'm vacuous and jobless, and therefore not worthy of life; the next person (or people) might insinuate that my silly post and blatant consumerism reek of vapid dilettante wealth.

To which I spout, forkety-fork.  Job issues are plaguing me, finance issues are plaguing me.  And --despite its lack of interesting-ness, I have a hall light still demon-possessed, a garbage disposal that seemed to suffer from some random appliance amoebic dysentery, and a lawn that's either growing entirely too quickly for me to keep up with, or dead.  No apparent in-between.

Add to that, mental and physical health turning toward the grey skies of winter when they should be waking up and shouting "Huzzah!  Huzzah!!  The long days, sunlight and warmth have come!!"

Oh yeah, and a kid who's off from school and has taken a turn for "emo.  yeah, me."  --Fortunately, she loves the several-days-a-week social-life fun and games that I call "time for mom to do work" and she calls "aaaah."   --Arcadia rocks my world.  ---And also fortunately, I have found some mom friends with kids of similar tempers. It seems to be workable.

And yet, I find I have the windows open-- yay, happy fresh air! --and I find, nimrods with loud Harleys, louder after-market race-cars, and even louder bass-boomers go by, a block away, and disrupt my peace.  Bad enough, to be behind the individual most-likely-to-sue-for-wrongful-deafness-in-ten-years-because-car-stereos-were-made-too-loud,-and-bass-too-boom-ey  ---when that individual is driving down the street? Near my house?  Fuhgeddaboutit.  I can't sleep, dogs freak out, kid twitches in her sleep.   (It's wore if we try to switch rooms to the other side of the house.)

Then, I find days like today.  Days that should be all sorts of Om and good.  

Took kid and her friend to the Zoo.  (renewed the PDZA membership: well worth it.  SO, yeah, that expenditure is contributing to the financial woes.)  -- we wandered around, often split up by the group in the neon green shirts "sponsored by Jesus."  (shirts?  kids?? group???)    --Adults seemed not to note that their sweet cherubs cut in line, took time from my pair, and took paper toweling right from under my pee-dripping-hands (not really-- they'd been washed, but were very wet.)    

Even as I looked for parking, before the zoo expedition even began, the angry hater vibes were implanted.  Parking lot.  Me, small Volvo, listening to classical music.  Om.  Happy.  Joy.  Mellowness and light.  Happy sunny Summer Day.

Parking spot number one, in between mini-van and SUV.  Both vehicles are ON the white lines that mark my right and left.  Next spot:  SUV, I dunno, Tahoe?  OVER the white line.  Me and my wee car can't get through.  SUV has blatant ads for Passion Parties --go ahead, throw one, they're discreet! --Jessica's magnetized card is ON her car, for Pete's sake (I consider taking one, and leaving a nasty voice mail about how she should learn to park, that might be better advertising)   --then, the next SUV/mini-van combo, hogging the lines-- there's the W sticker, and I'm thinking about the irony--"this, kids, is how not to represent your parties --whether sex toy-oriented or political"

Well, hell.  We have to find redemption, eventually, right?  For me, it was the run. 5.6 miles, roughly, per Google.  Through the Proctor District, through the sweet smells, through the nasty uphills, through the roofers who don't, apparently, understand "coming through, pardon me, excuse me..."   --Sweat, air, more sweat, muscle fatigue, and endorphins.

can you ask for more??