...The Time of Your Life

"Yes. I would like some cheese with my whine. Now be a doll, pour me a glass and cut me a slice of sharp cheddar." 

Last weekend, my youngest, darling daughter graduated high school. (Insert cheers and clapping here!)
After 13 years of schooling, she's emancipated from the world of high school and all that entails. I'm proud of her, the young woman she's become, and can't wait to see what's in store for her future.  (Oddly enough Greenday's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" is on right now.)

J graduated Friday night and then we had a graduation party Saturday night and an "impromptu" family reunion Sunday night.  Both parties at my little house. I went to work Monday morning thankful I didn't have to have yet another party. I was "partied out." I think I'm getting old.

With J's graduation came "The Scrapbook." OMG... It's STILL. NOT. DONE.

It was SUPPOSED to be done by last Sunday. It's not. Saturday (at party #1) I received more items people wanted in the scrapbook. I asked some of these folks for the items in the first part of May. (A month ago.)  I told them I needed them by like May 20th or so. I got them June 8th. I love my family.  But it's not their fault it's not done. That's on me.

I don't always procrastinate. I honestly thought "I had more time." You see, I swore I wasn't going to do this year what I did last year working on K's book - a last minute decision with something I had ZERO experience doing. (J and I spent a total of 160 hours in two weeks to get it done.)  I promised myself I would start early. I did. I started in early May. So why it's not done on time... I didn't work as hard or as fast as I should have... I simply ran out of time / out of money? Heck. I'm not sure. It's very close. I'm lacking (by my best calculations) 12 pages.

This weekend, I'm going to be finishing up "The Scrapbook," a summation of J's first 17 years of life and as she's my youngest, my last... it's hard to do. Maybe that's the reality of why it's not done. I'm just not ready for my baby to be "grown up."

(Cue Music...)

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life. 

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life. 

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

~Green Day~

Scrapbooking and Other Adventures

"Scrapbooking fills my days - not to mention my living room, bedroom and closets!"

 ~Author Unknown~

I have decided that scrapbooking is quite the adventure. I had never done one in my entire life and I decided to make one for my eldest daughter's graduation present a couple of weeks ago. If I knew how much work (and expense) was involved, I would have not procrastinated and started on it a few months earlier. However, my youngest was a lifesaver and the two of us both put in about 62 hours each over the course of a week and a half and got it done on time. Wow.


Since the day we gave Eldest her scrapbook, it has sat all by its lonesome and I have wondered really what the purpose was of doing such a hefty endeavor. I mean, I'm positive she appreciated it. But other than sentimentality, is there really a purpose of such a gift. I wonder if the time and energy might not have been better spent than on a gift that spent laying about a month on darling hubby's desk and then left laying under a plastic bag with an old banana peel on top of her dresser. 


With that said, I wouldn't trade the TIME spent with youngest working on the book for anything. And to think I'm contemplating doing another one for youngest in just a few short months. Oy! 

Pre-Graduation Panic & Mayhem

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson - 

Yesterday, I thought the collective minds of my oldest daughter and myself were going to implode or explode - your choice. She had been working on a video presentation for the senior celebration at AACAL and the day of the celebration, it crashed. Then, to add insult to injury, 6 hours before the event, it decided to not only crash, but completely evaporate into the outer stratosphere. The whole thing - gone. Woosh! 

It was a lucky thing I had planned on coming home a little early to help with the crash. I ended up coming home a couple of hours earlier than that and started slamming together a PowerPoint presentation in an attempt to salvage what I could. For about 4 hours, I typed seniors' achievements, schools and all of that jazz. When Eldest got home from school - she started throwing in the pictures parents had provided. 

I apologize to the seniors who were inadvertently missed or forgotten. There was some information that had been e-mailed or texted late to Eldest and I wasn't privy to that information. I am very sorry if you were missed. It wasn't my intention, nor was it hers. I do hope that you understand that bad things happen to good computers. 

Today, Eldest is going through a similar-feeling situation with trying to get stuff together for another, bigger banquet. She had a few things thrown at her toward the last minute, though I think a little of this is procrastination combined with a HEAVY workload. I will just be happy if she gets it done and wears clothing to the festivities tonight.  

But all in all, I think Emerson's quote is rather fitting for the events of the past couple of days and in future days to come. It's those moments of panic when we have to dig deep and find out what we are truly made of. Some people cave under the pressure while others come out okay. I'm hoping Eldest is the later. After the celebration presentation last night, I told her, "It's over. There's nothing more you can do now. Just breathe and move on to the next thing." 

Isn't that what we all have to do?

The Best Days of Our Lives

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go 

So make the best of this test, and don't ask why

It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time..."

- Green Day-

Eldest graduates high school in three weeks. Its seems like it has been a lifetime and I suppose it has - hers. But the lifetime I'm actually referring to is mine. As as today is Mother's Day, I'm a little more introspective than usual. 

It's been 24 years since my high school graduation and when Youngest graduates next year, it will be 25. A quarter of a century. For the life of me, I have no idea where most of it went.  

Prom

My eldest and I had a short discussion last night as she was upset because she didn't go to her senior prom. She worked at a job she hates and she closed - which meant she didn't get off work and home til after midnight. She mentioned to me who was crowned "Prom King." I suppose when I was 18 that meant something to someone, but in the overall scheme of things, I'm sure my 18 year old self didn't really give a shit. My 42 year old self feels the same. Prom King and Queen is nothing more than a popularity contest and the real world doesn't really operate that way. My darlings will find that out soon enough. 

A few other thoughts on prom: For the love of God, it's expensive. Prom dresses run hundreds to thousands of dollars. Tuxedo rentals are freakishly expensive too. It's a racket. When I was a kid, I fell in love with this pretty, BIG poofy white prom dress. It was a size 16 and I had it cut down to between an 8 and a 10. I always figured I would wear it again as a wedding dress, but by the time I got married, that really didn't happen. The dress was expensive back in the 80's and I have to wonder if I should have just saved some money and wore jeans and a t-shirt and been more comfortable all night.  At least my red Converse tennis shoes saved my feet the burden of wearing heels all night. Best shoe decision ever made. 

Some of the songs played at my prom:

INXS - Need You Tonight

Poison - Every Rose Has It's Thorn

Breathe - Hands to Heaven

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me

Terrence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well

Patrick Swayze - She's Like the Wind

Information Society - What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)

Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel

Whitney Houston - So Emotional

Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

Friends

I do remember many of the popular girls and guys in high school; however, and there are a few of them I still think kindly on to this day because they were naturally charismatic and never looked down their noses at others because they weren't just like them. I think it's only appropriate that I tell them now I appreciate them. I'm also glad I learned the lesson young to take care to look past appearances and get to know the meat of a person before judging them. 

My bestie and I became friends in high school. In looking back, I still think it's funny that a tall, leggy blonde would be friends with a tomboy like me. But then again, there's that appearance thing I was talking about earlier. Obviously she didn't care either. We just hit it off and we've been friends for almost 30 years now. I can't imagine a day when I couldn't pick up the phone and say, "Dude... you would not believe...." 

In high school, we made a pact to never fight over boys All girlfriends should have that agreement. It would save a lot of problems down the road.  I had a crush on Shaun. She ended up married to him. Today... that's probably the best thing that could have happened to either of us. (God bless ya buddy.) 

My other friends in high school, I still keep in touch with now after losing touch for so many years. Facebook is a wonderful thing sometimes. (Now sounding like I'm 95 years old....) Back in the day.... when we all went off to college or whatever, we didn't have cell phones, we had to write letters to keep up with folks and because life is what it is, we got busy and it all fell by the wayside. I know Facebook and Twitter and whatever other media isn't the greatest for heart to hearts, but it is a good way to say, "Hey, I'm thinking about you." I kinda dig that. 

The Future

I still have the same argument I had in high school with my math teachers. I'm never going to need advanced math, why do I need to know it? It took me 20+ years to get my associates degree because of college algebra, which I had to take something like 5 different times - go back and take all the remedial math classes first etc. Without YouTube videos with many different instructors explaining the concepts, I never would have passed. And why? Why do I need a 2 year degree? A bachelors? A Masters? Doctorate? I'm still trying to figure that out.

We push our children toward a higher education (which has an ever growing cost) to have a plan for their lives? Is this correct? Or is it a fall back plan? Or what is it? I'm sure at one time I was certain, but I can honestly say that I'm really not. What does the piece of paper gain you unless you want to BE something SPECIFIC such as a veterinarian, a lawyer, a doctor, etc...? For all the kids who don't know, I say take the basics so you don't have to remember them 20 years later when you might need a piece of paper with your name on it and let the rest falls where it falls.  

We always ask our children what they want to be when they grow up. I'm 42 and I can't answer that question. Sure,  I have always wanted to be two things: a cop and a writer. I have done many different things along the way on my path of growing up, but at the heart of things, I have successfully attempted both and learned that I'm much more suited to one than the other, but never for heart and lack of trying. I just should have done one of them much, much sooner. (Something I hope my girls never do: delay the inevitable.)

Advice

Jobs: There is going to come a point with my children that I have to give them some advice as to their future and I can only tell them to try and figure out what they have passion for. Then to go for what they want with all of their heart and determination. IF they can do that, they will succeed; because even if they fail by mortal men's standards, there is still success in the fact they gave it their all.

Marriage: Marriage is a give and take. Marry your best friend. If your best friend EVER becomes violent or hits you, get the "F" out and never look back. You are too precious to be someone's whipping post. 

Cooking: Learn to cook a few meals - even if they are very simple. 

Cleaning: Borax and Baking Soda are wonders. Do NOT mix bleach and ammonia. If for some reason you do... RUN... do not walk to the nearest exit - poisonous gasses are created when you do that. 

Call 911 for emergency help. If you really don't think it's that bad, then at least call Poison Control for advice on handling the after-effects of exposure and cleaning up the chemicals. The number for Poison Control is:1-800-222-1222

Vehicles: When buying a new vehicle - remember, the value of the vehicle drops BIGTIME as soon as you drive it off the lot. If possible. buy a really nice used vehicle - have it checked out by a good mechanic before you buy it and pay cash if possible.

Credit Cards: There is no reason to ever have one. This is the single biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. Getting a credit card - especially before the age of 21 is EXTREMELY STUPID AND UNWISE. There is never a reason to have one if you 1) have a debit card and 2) pay cash for what you need. "Lines of Credit" are a myth perpetuated by the finance community so they will make money off of loaning you money. Avoid it if possible. 

Debt: DO NOT GO INTO DEBT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot stress this enough.

Ok.... I think this is about it for now. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest and I feel a bit better now. Hopefully at some point in time, this will make much more sense to my two darling daughters. 

Ciao for now...

Celeste