Sabbath Synopsis

Sunday. A day of rest. Finally. This week just blew by us...The beginning of school.  Hubby's colonoscopy. My referral appointment (for colonoscopy, as well). Drive to son to karate class. Hot date night with hubby. Birthday party invite for daughter. Study catechism with daughter. Whew!  I was ready to relax today!

After a late start from oversleeping, I spent an uplifting morning at adult Sunday School and church. I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful Pastor leading our flock. With Pastor B leading, I always look forward to a rousing and informative discussion in Bible Class, and I almost always find something in the church  sermon to which I can relate.

So.. hubby's colonoscopy. The outcome was not quite what I expected. "Mr. Healthy", who never eats anything unhealthy, always watches his weight, etc. blah, blah, blah.  Yeah? Well, he ended up having a couple of polyps!  Awaiting the results sometime in the next few weeks. Now I am absolutely terrified about what results I will end up with when I do this, considering I am the polar opposite of perfect "Mr. Healthy"!  I *really* don't want to do this next month - ignorance is bliss, ya know? Plus, that darned day of no real food beforehand is going to kill me - I don't do well without solid sustenance! Oh well, thankfully it's good to know these things in advance, when something can still be done about it!

Ok - I'm off to try hubby's attempt at meatloaf. The sweet man decided to take charge and make dinner tonight. I am thankful -but wary. The kids, who like meatloaf, are not eating their serving, only nibbling on the sides and amazingly seem more interested in the mixed vegetable accompanyment. Wish me luck!

Of AWOL school buses, husbands and colonoscopies...

My day did not start out auspiciously. Once AGAIN it began by waiting for a bus that never came and having to drive daughter to school at the last minute, then spending a good amount of time on the phone with the bus transportation company's version of Larry, Curley & Moe, trying to figure out why they can't seem to accomplish the simple task of picking my daughter up.  Eventually I found out that, yes, the bus did come down our road - at 6:14am. However WE were out there at the time they told us to be - 6:30am! (actually 10 minutes earlier than that - just to be on the safe  side - ha!). HOPEFULLY all is rectified and daughter will finally be making her first school bus ride tomorrow. Based on our recent experiences, however, I'm not holding out much hope....

On the plus side - hubby is finally back home from his 4 day trip, which of course, conveniently occurred just when I could've used his help this first hectic week of back to school. Oh well.... C'est la vie. I know the guy works hard to give us a good life... constantly sacrificing for our needs, etc. blah, blah, blah... Or, at least that's what I tried to tell myself when he called me from his Las Vegas layover, with the sound of slot machines ringing in the background, to tell me he'd just won a whopping 5 dollars - woohoo! Anyway, now HE gets to be the one to get our darling daughter & son off to school tomorrow morning (and deal with any further ensuing school bus debacles!) while I try to sleep in. I figure I've earned it. At least for one day, anyhow.

It's not like I get to be "Queen for a Day" however. Tomorrow is the day I have to go in for my initial consult for my first ever colonoscopy. Fun. Fun. Joy, Joy.  Yes, this is what we, who have passed the ripe old age of 50, get to look forward to. A necessary evil, I guess.  Hubby had his consult two weeks ago and goes on the liquid diet thing tomorrow in preparation for the actual procedure the day afterward. First time for him, as well. At least I don't have to go first - I prefer seeing how he handles it rather than myself being the guinea pig first!

Speaking of colonoscopies... darling daughter asked me today what kind of doctor does the procedure. Hmmm... Seriously? I have NO idea. A proctologist maybe? All I know is that we have to be referred from a gastrointerologist type. Why? No idea. But that got me wondering - why on God's Green Earth, with ALL of the medical specialties out there, would someone actually WANT to be a "Proctologist" anyway? Is that something people actually dream of becoming? Or something they just happened to fall into? Were they the highest or lowest scoring students in Medical School? Is it considered an elite specialty? Because... really... I just can't imagine proudly telling someone I am "proctologist"! I mean, I'm glad we have them and all, I really am... it's just... I can't imagine the mind set of someone who actually wanted to be one!  Gynocologist? Yes. Surgeon? Sure.  ENT, Family Practice, Obstetrician?... All of them I can understand somewhat (Especially the Gynos, if you're a straight guy, that is!) - but the idea of poking around in people's backsides all day long just does not seem appealing to me at all. But then, I guess someone has to do it! Just Thank God it's not ME!

Back to School angst... lost in my temporary Empty Nest

Letting go of control is not as easy for me as it once was. Seems the older I get, the more I find that I LIKE to be somewhat in control of my surroundings... helps me to better focus and accomplish tasks. You know - simple, obvious things like forks go in the "fork" slot of the dishwasher - spoons, likewise - makes unloading the dishwasher quicker and easier, don'tcha think?

So... today hasn't been an easy one for me. First day back at school for the kids. Nervewracking on so many levels, but especially for me as this is the first time my beautiful, one-handed daughter is riding the middle school bus. Prior to this I have always driven her to school. So letting go now isn't natural to me. She, of course, is all excited about it. Me? Not so much. All I can think of is the endless number of idiots and moronic behaviors I was exposed to throughout all those years of school bus riding back in my own youth. The obscene graffiti on the back of the bus seats. The waste-oid kids smoking cigarette & dope in the back of the bus. The screaming and yelling. The noxious fumes and occasional scent of vomit. Uggh! Bus riding was definitely not something I enjoyed as a kid. But since we only had one car - and dad used it for work - it was a necessary evil.  However, I digress...

So, we were told by the transportation powers-that-be to be out there at the bus stop waiting, bright and early. Which (due only, I'm sure, to first day excitement jitters, we were.). Needlessly. Despite my having called and confirmed times and pick up info. several days prior, no bus ever showed up!  I ended up taking her the short distance myself. No biggie - I actually enjoy doing it, but wanted her to have the option of bus riding available for those days when my busy schedule doesn't make it a viable option. So, I called the transportation people once again and ripped into them. I've been told that the bus WILL be there tomorrow morning. We shall see.....

As far as my son goes, other than a brief stint in 6th grade at public school, he has been homeschooled most of his life. Not because he couldn't cut it in the public schools - but because he is more mature and intelligent than most of his peers, with an insatiable curiosity about life and learning - one of those rare creatures who actually loves to learn (He's currently reading Dante's "Inferno" - of his own volition, for pleasure!).  We didn't want to tamper that enthusiasm of his by forcing him into a "cookie-cutter" one-size-fits-all education at an early age. Plus, I liked taking various educational trips to Europe with him throughout the school year. The kid loves his museums! For homeschooling we used various curriculums at home, with the past 2 years having him do a virtual school program online, which still gave us a lot of schedule flexibility. He's the self-directed sort of kid who does well with that kind of stuff. Anyway, it worked out well for us - he's a straight "A" kid. But for this year, his freshman high school year, he wanted to try a brick and mortar school again - just to see what, if anything, he's missing out on.  So, of course, we let him.  The distance and location of the school necessitated his also riding the school bus. A minimum 50 minute ride! At least the high school bus comes at a much more reasonable hour than the middle school one, although that means it will probably be dropping him off when it's almost dark during the winter months. Can't win, I guess.

So here I sit now - with no one but the dog for company (stupid cat hates me and would never dream of coming within a mile of my vicinity - unless she's hungry, of course).  It's a strange feeling - no kids around. No t.v. droning in the background. No stupid video game sounds. No BICKERING! Whatever shall I do with myself these few short hours before daughter arrives home from middle school? Not enough time to really go into town and do much before needing to get back here to meet her bus. I *could* clean - and Lord knows this place needs it. Nah..! I think today I am just going to sit here, stare out the window, putz around on the computer or read a book and marvel at the unaccustomed sound of silence.  The new diet/exercise plan can start next week!

"You might ask yourself: 'Well, How Did I Get Here?"

At the age of 51 I find myself rudderless, but not directionless. I know where I want to go, I'm just not sure exactly how I'm going to get there.  Not a new feeling for me, actually - I've never really had a specific direction for my life. I've always just taken whatever route appealed to me at the time and then just went with the flow from there. Usually, however, those routes have not been exactly what one would consider "typical". 

Career:

While most of my friends were getting married or involved in serious relationships right out of college, I was out there flitting from one job opportunity to the next, sampling the smorgasbord of life. Nothing totally *fit* me though - advertising sales jobs, military marketing, hospitality industry sales, public relations, modeling...I liked different aspects of each one, but never found one that seemed to be completely ME. Then, thanks to an attempt to force a relationship that was going nowhere, I came across an ad for becoming a flight attendant with a major airline. Hmmm.... now THIS might be worth a look-see! Let's just see how quickly the boyfriend "gets off the pot" and gets serious when he thinks I might actually be moving away to a big city with a glamorous career. So I applied, interviewed and to my utter shock and amazement was actually offered a flight attendant training slot.  WHOA people - I wasn't really serious here... or was I??! The news that I was offered the job didn't seem to even jolt the boyfriend one iota - so obviously that was a go-nowhere situation. And with the advent of a new and curmudgeonly boss, the current job I was in was rapidly losing it's appeal. Could I... should I...?? Do I seriously uproot myself and put myself into a career that doesn't even require the college diploma I'd worked so hard to earn? A quick phone call to my ever-wise mom, a woman who had definitely lived her own life by taking chances,  only served to encourage me further. "You can always go back to the career you were doing, but you may never get THIS opportunity ever again. Now, while you are single and unattached, is the perfect time for you to try things like this!" And so.... with those words of wisdom ringing in my ears, I picked up the phone once again and called the airline training center, setting up an official training date.

Suffice it to say that I surprised myself by totally loving that job. The flight attendant career ended up being a perfect fit for me at that time of my life. I was based in New York City, got an apartment with another flight attendant and spent both my free and working time jetting all over the world visiting a variety of places and friends and just plain having fun. The lifestyle allowed me the opportunity to meet and date a variety of different men, as well....

Social Life:

After years of flitting around here and there and a number of short, non-serious relationships, I was starting to get bored. I wanted something more substantial.... a guy I could actually share a life and start a family with. Easier said than done at my age, though. I was now 29 and most of the appealing guys my age had already settled down... or weren't looking for anything serious. I began to resign myself to the fact that I just might end up as that old flight attendant cliche' - the single "Seniorita" living in a condo with nothing but cats for company..   Then, I met my future husband..!

I was on temporary furlough with my job at the moment, so with nothing better to do, offered to help my dear friend drive her car from Florida back to her hometown in Kingsville, Texas, where she was starting a new job.  For those of you who've never been there, let me explain. Kingsville is a small town.. very small. At the time I don't think it even had a mall or it's own newspaper. But it did have one thing. A navy pilot training base!  Woo Hoo!  Young, hot, single guys everywhere. Apparently single, attractive women were at a premium in that town, so upon arrival my friend and I were in hog heaven! We were soon invited to a squadron picnic on the base and out of boredom, fortuitously decided to attend. Upon our arrival we soon learned we were the only single females at the event. Oh yeah! After awhile, however, I realized that most of these wanna-be pilot types were all quite a bit younger than me. They had joined the military and started flight school right after college. They were still fun, but didn't have a lot in common with me. I eventually excused myself to go to the restroom in the officer's club. Upon my exit, I decided to stop and get myself a cocktail at the bar. There was only one other person at the bar that day - everyone else was still at the picnic. I wondered what this tall, dark haired guy wearing a red football jersey, jeans and snakeskin cowboy boots bellied up at the bar was doing at this event. Definitely not one of the flight students wearing the pre-requisite plaid shorts, sandals and polo shirt. No... this guy must work at the club or be a grounds keeper, caretaker or something. Feeling bold and friendly, I introduced myself while waiting for my drink. We chatted briefly - just long enough for me to learn that he was a student. But older than the others as he was going through pilot training after already having been a backseater/navigator in a fighter squadron. And just a year older than me. My interest was piqued, to say the least - however despite the lack of a wedding band (which doesn't mean much with pilots - they don't wear them for safety reasons when they fly) the guy just didn't seem that interested in conversing... or in me.  So, after paying for my drink I nonchalantly said my goodbyes and told him I was going to go look for my friend, then returned to the picnic outside. And that was the end of that....

Or so I thought!  A few days later my friend and I decided to ride bikes over to visit some student pilots she knew, only to find upon our arrival that they weren't home. The door at the apartment next to theirs was open, however, with sounds of a football game emanating from it, so my friend decided to poke her head in and ask about the whereabouts of the guys we came to visit. The tenant of the apartment invited us in and to my surprise I recognized the cowboy boot guy from the O-Club bar a few days back! And even more surprising, apparently my friend knew him!  "Hey!! I didn't know you lived here too - we came over looking for Rocky and Scott but they weren't there.  Do you happen to know where they are? And, oh, by the way, this is my friend, Diane."  Tom and I both smiled at each other with a look of recognition in our eyes. "So, I see you found your friend that day."  "Yep". "Well, the guys are flying tonight so won't be home, but you are free to join me if you want - I just ordered some pizza and was going to watch a movie on t.v. after the game."  "Uh... ok."

So that's how it all started. Tom and I ended up hitting it off much better than we had at our initial meeting. Maybe it was the addition of my girlfriend to take the edge off, but whatever it was, I was noticing some definite chemistry. Tom had more in common with me than I realized. He had been an east coast based F-14 Tomcat Rio - just like my previous longterm boyfriend. (they didn't know each other, though).  He had parents who were “older”, too (my mom was 40 when she had me, his was 42 when he was born!), we liked the same music – reggae, Buffett, jazz, country…Anyway, before the night was done, I think my poor friend was feeling a bit like a third thumb as Tom and I definitely were spiking an interest in each other. As the evening wore on and we were discussing astronomy, he asked if I wanted  to see the constellations on a device he had that would project them onto the ceiling.  By this time, my friend was fast asleep on the sofa in the other room. Upon my agreement, Tom set up the “star machine” and we both cuddled in close as he explained about what we were looking at. Then, at one perfectly opportune moment, he simply turned his head and kissed me.  A long, deep, romantic soul-searching kiss that seared me right down to my curled up toes! That was it – from that moment on, I was a goner.  I was completely head over heels about this guy. And despite a crazy on-again, off-again relationship that happily finally culminated in our marriage 7 years later - with me at the ripe old age of 36 - I still am crazy about that man - and he still curls my toes, too!