Whoa, Whoa, Whoa Kemosabe

This time of year is busy on academic campuses everywhere.  Medical education is no exception.  We’ve got new students coming in to begin their medical education, students graduating and looking forward to their residencies, and residents getting ready to go forth and conquer in their chosen field.  Lots of people moving around in preparation for their next stage of life.

One of our graduating residents is relocating to the D.C. area and is having a moving sale this weekend.  I asked her if she had any dressers for sale as I am looking for a “new” one for our guest bedroom.  She said she had two and I told her I’d swing by and take a look later on this week.

My boss overheard her and told her she wanted to look as well, particularly since she has a child heading off to college in the fall of 2012.  She mentioned needing an ironing board, coffee pot, lamps, and towels.  Y’all.  I think before my pretty-much-nonexistent filter kicked in I shouted “towels????” with a look of disgust on my face.  My boss went on to explain that yes, the daughter would need towels, she was sure the resident was clean, and that her towels would be nicer than anything she could afford to buy her daughter.

What.the.hell?

I am not above buying used things – please see my car, house, and possible guest room dresser as evidence.  But towels?  Never that.  I understand being on a budget, but come on now.  It’s not like the girl is starting college in four months – she’s got a whole ‘nother year of high school to complete.  You could buy one “expensive” towel set a month and send her off in style if that’s your desire, but buying used bath towels?  To borrow a phrase from Pserendipity (or is it TIH?), and one from W.hitney Houston “hell to the no ma’am Sam!”

Twenty One Questions

(Wherein I ramble…feel free to answer some/any/all of these questions.  Feel free to think I’m nuts…)

Has anybody ever relocated for a job?  How far did you move?  From one city to another?  Clear across country?

I wonder if I am destined to be underemployed forever?

Should I look for employment opportunities elsewhere?

My brother keeps trying to get me to apply for work with his company.  The money would be nice and I wouldn’t mind relocating to Arkansas, but bringing work home?  I honestly don’t know about that.  I’ve always been a 730-4 type of girl.  Can I change my stripes at this point in the game?

Would moving be worth it?  I’m okay being in Mississippi.  I don’t love it, I don’t hate it.  Is there a richer experience out there for us?

Is fear holding me back?

Am I “allowed” to pray and ask for more?  I always feel guilty when I ask for more.  There are so many people who make do with less.  I also know that I have not because I ask not.  Am I the only one conflicted by this?

Should I get yet another (free) masters degree?

Does anybody know how to get a grant for a PhD?

Why do I still not know what I want to do when I grow up?  Oh wait, I’m grown.  Why don’t I know what I want to do?

Has anyone ever used a headhunter?  How’d that work for you?  How did you find them?

Y’all want to critique my resume?

Can you tell that work is boring me yet again?

Dancing, Dancing, Dancing, Dancing Machiiiiiine

So Friday night Lovegirl and I headed out to my friend T’s surprise birthday party.  I’d been worried about finding a sitter for Lovegirl, but T’s husband assured me that he’d rented two rooms – one for the kiddos and one for the adults – and it would be fine to bring her along.

The kid’s room was decorated with streamers, balloons, plastic tablecloths and there were oodles of games and activities for the kids.  The adult’s room was dimly lit with round tables, floral centerpieces and a DJ.  Loved it!

So after people started showing up – around 9 for a surprise party that was supposed to start at 8 – the adults and children separated.  I went over to the grown folks’ side, sat down, and started popping my fingers.  Pretty soon the DJ decided to get folks on the floor and played the Wobble.  After that, the Cupid Shuffle.  Let me just take a moment to say – I am out of shape!  I don’t know if he had extended remix versions or what, but I was tired after two measly line dance songs.  He then threw on the Zydeco Bounce which I’d never heard before, but now know how to do.  Then.  Oh then.  He put on a song by Little Noo Noo (a local artist) and all of a sudden the room was filled with little kids sliding, dipping, and clapping.  All the little kids except…Lovegirl.  While all the other kids were following Little Noo Noo’s directions to a T, Lovegirl was, well, Lovegirl was floating around the dance floor doing what looked like a mixture of praise dancing and modern dance a la Alvin Ailey.

Everybody at my table was cracking up and talking about “well, you can tell which one doesn’t go to Jackson Public Schools.” I had flashbacks of being the only cousin who didn’t know how to do the Butterfly…

Pretty soon Lovegirl realized that she was jamming a little differently than the other children.  She came over and asked me to teach her the dance.  Child please.  I’ve never even heard this song before – I surely don’t know how to do the dance.  She went back to floating around the floor.  On our way home she asked me to learn the Little Noo Noo so I could teach it to her.  Sigh.

What’s a mama to do?  Pull that son of a gun up on YouTube and get to teaching of course.  So, if you’re wondering what Lovegirl and I will be doing for the next few evenings – after homework and before bath time, we’ll be learning the Little Noo Noo. Well, technically she’ll be learning it, I’ll be directing her moves.

Join us?

*I just discovered the child’s name is Lil Noo Noo. Consider this entry edited :)

Friday Randoms

• While y’all are reading this?  I’m home with Lovegirl celebrating Good Friday and the schools being closed :)
• Every once in a while, I’ll try a food I don’t like to see if I’ve changed my mind.  I still don’t like raw tomatoes, eggs, or rosemary.
• Are y’all reading “Warmth…?” Uh huh.  See how you do?
• We are actually getting tax refunds this year.  Not enough to quit our jobs, but we’re good for at least a few tanks of gas.  I will never understand how some people get thousands upon thousands of dollars back. 
• Went through something this week that re-confirms that I married the right man for me.  That Smoochy is some kind of wonderful!
• I wasted a few precious moments of my life watching the B.raxton reality series.  Those chicks need help. 
• Y’all know I love to read right?  Right.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when movies are made that “mess up” a book I love.  I recently read that Tyler Perry is going to play Alex Cross.  Sigh.
• The other night Lovegirl hopped into bed with me and I told her to get in her own bed.  She told me “according to my schedule, tonight’s a sleep with Mama night.”  Schedule?  Do y’all know that chick really has a schedule for which bed she’ll sleep in on any particular night?  Hers, mine, or in the guest room?!?!
• Going to a surprise party tonight for one of my friends – can’t wait to put on my boogie shoes, wobble with it, and shake my body down to the ground!

My favorite song right now…

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Happy Resurrection Day!

Picture Dump

I needed to free up some space on my iPod and make sure these pictures live on, so I stole this idea from Adrienne  – thanks ma’am!  :)

Sorry for the wonky spacing – I couldn’t figure out how to make it better.

Somebody found my camera and was using it for her own amusement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big fun at the Childrens Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My handsome nephew. Gotta get to TX soon to see him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My girl! My beautiful, brilliant niece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What? Dont tell me Im the only one who sends nail polish pics to their Mom :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing dress up. Again. She wore this (minus the socks) in a wedding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

My nieces - my Mississippi girls!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spin art at the park. No honey, I dont think they sell these in the stores...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me, from Lovegirls vantage point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The birthday cake Lovegirl and I made for Smoochys BDay. All pink and manly :)

Well Dizzamn!

I know, I know, I’m supposed to stop cursing.  But I really think it’s justified…

Remember the little girl who spent the weekend with us?  Of course you do, I just wrote about it on Monday…

Anyhoo, the reason she spent the weekend with us is because her grandmother was going out of town.  For a girls’ trip.  The grandma and the other ladies get to Florida on Friday.  One of the ladies – who just so happens to be pregnant – complains that her stomach hurts.  They tell her to sit down and relax.  She sat down and died.  From preeclampsia.

I am not often shocked into silence, but when she recounted the story, I was rendered speechless.    How absolutely horrifying – for her family, for her girlfriends.  I just cannot imagine.

If You Hit Me Then I’ll Hit You Back

So we all know that bullying has been in the news quite a bit over the last few years.  I know I haven’t been a kid for a loooong time and that times change, but I keep thinking that surely the bullying in 2011 can’t be that much different than the bullying was…well, let’s just say a while ago.  I was a tall, skinny black kid with red glasses living in a very WASPY world – trust me, I was teased.  A few girls tried to punk me on the bullying tip, but I pretty much told them I’d fight them whenever, wherever.  The fact that I’d never had a fight in my life didn’t stop me from talking big noise.  They backed down and left me alone.  I don’t remember anyone that I went to school with committing suicide – or attempting to – because they were being bothered at school.

What do y’all think?  I think it’s a shame that kids can’t fight without being kicked out of school and/or having charges filed against them.  I think it’s a shame that kids don’t fist fight any more – that guns prevail more often than not.  I think not enough parents are telling kids to stand up for themselves.  I think not enough parents are telling their kids to treat others nicely.  I think that today’s kids are kind of soft – not very many of them seem to be able to be teased without snapping off. 

I’m in no way blaming the victims, but I can’t help but wonder what parents tell their school aged children nowadays.  What coping mechanisms, if any, they teach.

What issue(s) do you all think are responsible for what seems to me to be a pretty sudden incerase in bullying cases across the country?  What, if anything, do you say to your children if they’ve been bullied/teased/harassed?