Time Sure Flies.....

It's strange to think that one year ago today I was here:
Meeting one of my favorite authors Janet Evanovich in Chicago. So much has happened in a year's time.

The Soundtrack of My Life

I'm probably like many of you when I say that my life has a soundtrack. Most of the time I have one continuously running in my head to accompany everything I do. There are certain songs that everytime I hear them I'm instantly reminded of certain moments in my life. I don't know why. But they're like home. I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Anything by the Doobie Brothers My mother had a major thing for Michael McDonald and used to tell me he was my real father.

The entire Thriller album When I was little we weren't allowed to touch the record player and I remember laying on the floor of the living room and shouting for my mother to come turn the record over.

Hello by Lional Ritchie It reminds me of staying up late to watch Friday Night Videos (before we got MTV)

Chicago's Will You Still Love Me This is the first song off the radio that I ever learned all the words to. I was SO proud of myself I made my cousin sit and listen to me sing it. The whole song. Looking back she probably thought I was a weirdo.

Rush Rush by Paula Abdul My girlfriend and I were completely obsessed with this song the summer it came out. It helps that Keanu Reeves was in the video.

Close to You by Maxie Priest I used to walk to school with my next door neighbor in Jr High. She was a year older than me and was always running late. I'd sit on the toilet in her bathroom and watch her curl and tease her bangs while she played this song. Every day.

Remember the Time by Michael Jackson In the basement of the before-mentioned girlfriend at my first boy/girl party I got my first kiss while this song played in the background.

Poison by Bel Biv Devo and Anything by Boys II Men Reminds me of every single High School Dance

In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel This song reminds me of the time John Cusack stood outside my room with a boom box over his head...wait, that was a movie...nevermind.

Crash by Dave Matthews Band Makes me think of a certain party and a certain boy from college.

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton When Spiderman and I had been dating for about 2 months we went to a wedding and this song was playing. He said that this would be our wedding song. At the time it kind of freaked me out, but later it WAS our wedding song.

So tell me, what's on your soundtrack?

My Lesson in Humility

This isn't going to be a long post because I'm getting ready to go to Indy for the weekend to visit my friend Angela.
I've known Angie since we were in High School and she would assist me with all my "scathingly brilliant" ideas. And there were many. She was always supportive of whatever odd and slightly crazy thing I felt like doing.
Also, she drove around with me when I had this:

Yep, that was the car I drove in High School. Well, not that one exactly....mine was an awful burgundy color....and someone stole the gas tank door off it....but you get the idea. This was my lesson in humility. I drove this puppy every day. To school. And social events. And generally in PUBLIC. I was very brave. I also drove it like it was the size of an Escort. I'd fly around corners, the metal mini-blinds swinging to and fro banging into the glass of the windows. Oh yes, it had mini-blinds. I was that awesome. And hot. Literally. In case you can't tell from the picture, this van has no front end. So where is the engine you ask? Underneath the front seat. Every time I wanted to check my oil, I had to get out of the car and flip up the front driver's seat. In the winter it was nice and snug with the heat coming off the engine. But in the summer it was sweltering. Especially since I could never get the air conditioning to work right.

But hey, the van was free. A gift from my father whose only request was that he use it when he was in town. Which wasn't often.

And? I could drive around 30 of my closest friends any time I wanted.

I know, you're jealous right?

Tell me, what kind of car did you drive in High School and was it as awesome as mine?

Jonas Brothers Wrapping Paper?!?

I was shopping with my mother yesterday at Target. We were in the Christmas section and looking at wrapping paper. I am banned from buying wrapping paper this year. Every year I keep buying more and forgetting the rolls I had left over from the previous year. Let me just tell you, I have a LOT of paper. Anyway....we were looking at the paper and came across a roll of Jonas Brothers wrapping paper. I made her promise me that none of my presents would be wrapped in this paper. Then I started to wonder. Who were MY Jonas Brothers? Surely I was never a boy-crazy little girl buying teenie bopper magazines and hanging pictures on my wall. Then I remembered.
Exhibit A: Ralph Macchio
I distinctly remember an argument with another little girl in the neighborhood about who was going to marry Ralph that resulted in me taking my stash of My Little Ponies and going home. In case you were wondering, neither of us married him.
Exhibit B: Kirk Cameron
Oh, how I loved Kirk. I used to write Sarah Cameron on all my folders and watched Growing Pains regularly. I cut his pictures out of TeenBop. My mother would not let me thumb tack them to the wall, but we compromised. I was able to get a large bulletin board and hang the pics on that. Sigh. He was dreamy.
Exhibit C and D: The Boys of 90210
When I was in Junior High these boys replaced Kirk on my Wall of Fame. I never could decide who I liked better, but I knew for sure that I hated Shannon Doherty.
Exhibit E: Dean Cain aka Superman

Oh, yeah. I tuned in every week to watch this man in his tights. Come on, who wouldn't? He filled the suit out very nicely.

Maybe I was being too harsh of today's little girls and their Jonas Brother paper. I definitely could have seen myself begging for presents wrapped up in any of these guys way back when.

So tell me, Who were YOUR Jonas Brothers?

Super Sarah--A Guest Post

Hi there bloggers! My name is Jackee, I'm found at www.runswithscissorsjackeeg.blogspot.com and I've been asked to guest post on my daughter Sarah's blog while she's out and about in Indy on a weekend excursion/visit with girlfriends. Now be off with you darling, while I post about you. (well, did you honestly think that I, your mother, could post about a random subject on your blog? No, not me, I have to tell a Sarah story, or brag about my lovely, talented, INSPIRED daughter to all of the internets.) If you are a regular at Spoonful of Sarah, you will know that she mentions her husband, "Spiderman". Oh, it has become an off handed nickname, one that he approves of because of his affinity to anything Spidey related. But did you know that Sarah herself has many aliases?
As a child, she was creative, bright and imaginative. She had a large interest in becoming characters from the movies or cartoons after she watched them on television. At the age of 2 she became Cinderella, at the age of 3 she was Mary Poppins and by the age of 4 and 5 she loved anything SUPER HERO related. She was fascinated by the special powers of the superhero's and really anything magical. Her imagination was intense, and often she tried to engage other kids in her fantasies, some mostly the boys would gladly participate. Given direction, those boys could follow commands, and play a role with her, so basically, they were the actors, she the director and so the story ensued. This was a popular pass time, dressing up, acting out little scenes of her fanciful mind. I had an old bag of odd clothing that we lovingly referred to as the dress up bag. Hats, belts, shawls, old prom dresses, glittery New Year's Eve shirts and accessories of all kinds could become the props and costumes of any given afternoon's play.
Remember the old Wonder Woman series with Linda Carter? Cheesy storyline, poor to midlevel acting, but wondrous lady with nice boobs and perfect teeth who had the magical powers. By day, Ugly Betty, but at the scent of danger, she spun round and round, flinging off her ridged serviceable spectacles and behold *Wonder Woman* in all her WICKED glory. Cute little strapless Red, White and Blue ensemble, with those gold cuff bracelets that bullets could bounce off of. She had a rope (or lasso- geeze, I cannot believe you didn't turn into a porn star-watching that kind of innuendo!) that could lasso you right out of trouble.
Check it out....
Sarah, using her imagination, and so should you, to see that she's just a girl, mild mannered bespectacled young woman in a visor....and as she spins…so off comes the glasses, visor and weird purple vest we found at a garage sale and poof!That’s as far as the costume got….you had to use your imagination to visualize the Wonder Woman get up.
Ah, childhood. Ahhhh Super powers.
Thanks for letting me guest post, babe. Drive Safely, have a good time!
Mom

A Swim In The Gene Pool

I was looking through some old pics of my grandmother. (My mother's mother)
Can I just say?
Is this creepy or what?
Do you guys see a resemblence?
My gene pool is pretty strong. Spiderman thinks our kids are gonna look like him.
I'm not so sure.

Goin' To The Drive-In

Let me start this post by saying that working 5 days a week is for the birds. I am SO freakin' tired! I know my body will get used to this, but until it does....it sucks. Plus I only have tomorrow off and then I work Sun-Thurs. But then.....I get a 3 day weekend!!! I haven't had a three day weekend in FOREVER.
I want to take a nap a little later because Spiderman and I are going to the Drive-In tonight. (If it doesn't rain which looks iffy). We're going to see Get Smart and The Incredible Hulk. I used to love going to the drive-in when I was a kid. We always knew we were going when after dinner my mother would start popping popcorn and putting it in a brown paper bag. We'd get SO excited. Once, I even remember my mother let us wear our PJ's. We'd get there early before the movie started so we could play on the playground and watch the cartoons. A few times we were allowed to sit on the hood of the car. The things that impress little kids amazes me. I never went to the drive-in on a date though for 2 reasons.
1. My mother NEVER would have allowed it. She was strict like that.
2. The drive-in where I grew up closed when I was in High School.

You can imagine my excitement to find that where I live now has a drive-in and it's not that far from my house. I've only been there once, and it was a few years ago.
Maybe Spiderman and I will make out.

Nostalgia Week--Happily Ever After

For my last post of Nostalgia Week, I thought I'd tell the story of how Spiderman and I met. I like to tell people that we were a blind date, or that he was my birthday present, but that's not exactly how it happened. It was a little more complicated than that. I had just ended a 4 1/2 year relationship and was devastated. Earlier that week I had found out that my "best friend" was now dating my ex on the same day that I received her Christmas Card in the mail. Nice. So when I was invited to my friend Rachelle's house for one of her notorious game parties I could use the cheering up. When I got there, her sister gave me a hug and asked did I know her brother-in-law? There stood Spiderman lookin' all cute. He was home from school for Christmas break and had just gotten out of a relationship himself. After looking at the matching grins of Rachelle and Jen I realized right away that this was a set-up. The evening went well and I found that Spiderman was not only a cutie, but extremely smart. (Huge turn-on for me.) Things didn't work out as he currently was away at school 6 hours away, and I just wasn't ready.
After almost two more years of some REALLY horrible blind dates it was my 25th birthday. My parents and several friends and I were all going out to a bar called Mighty Micks to celebrate. I wear what I call my "Birthday Tiara" every year and that was what Spiderman saw first when he came into the bar. He had been brought by Jen for me as a present as he had finally moved back into the area. He said "hey, um...you're wearing a tiara". (I know, you're totally swooning from the romance) Anyway...by the time Spiderman had gotten there I had been "celebrating" for a few hours already on an almost empty stomach. Apparently I'm very charming when I'm intoxicated and wearing a tiara because he agreed to go out on a date a few weeks later. We went to see a movie and hung out after in a nearby BW3's. He's extremely sarcastic with a dry wit and for several hours I couldn't tell if he was a huge asshole or really funny. I decided on the latter. Within two months he had moved in and 3 years later we were married.
Here is the first picture taken of us. It was at a friend of mine's wedding. I love this picture and have a framed copy on my dresser next to our wedding picture.

Nostalgia Week--The High School Years

I spent much of my young adult ( Jr. High/High School) years completely in love with two boys. Sometimes it was one...or the other...or both. They were best friends. They were my best friends. Joe and Dave. It took me a long time to get over them. Dave especially. Not until college. Looking back at these pictures now makes me a little sad because we were so close and now we've lost touch. Both are married...and have children...but this is how I'll always remember them. Dave and I freshman year at Homecoming. My mother LOVED this dress. Me...not so much. I mean look at the puffed sleeves. Almost as big as my head! And speaking of heads...totally diggin' the hair aren't you?
Joe and I freshman year at Turnabout. This dress was dark plum and velvet. And I LOVED the gloves. I thought it was very sophisticated. How funny are these pictures. We thought we were SO old and now looking back we look SO young!
It's amazing how time flies and perspectives change.

Wordless Wednesday---Nostalgia Week

Me and my Posse---my friends have always been boys.

Nostalgia Week- Origins of SuperSarah

When I was a little girl I often wanted to be Wonder Woman/Supergirl/Mary Poppins. I was very into SuperFriends the cartoon. Remember the Wonder Twins? My first little boy friend Matt told me that we were going to get married because we both liked SuperFriends. Apparently that's how you gage compatibility when you're 5.
I would play Wonder Woman ALL. THE. TIME. I would put a blanket around my waist with a belt and wear a vest, visor, and plastic sunglasses with the lenses poked out and I WAS Diana Prince. Then I would spin around in circles and throw everything off. I became Wonder Woman. I even had the underoo's to prove it!
So here's a picture of me in my Turtle pool wearing my SuperSarah bathing suit. Notice my awesome bigwheel in the garage. I rocked!

Nostalgia Week

The other day, I bought a new scrub top. It has Rainbow Brite on it and it totally reminded me of my childhood. My little sister was VERY into Rainbow Brite and even wanted to name one of her children that. (hopefully you've changed your mind Abbie) It inspired several conversations with coworkers also and we got to reminiscing. Do you remember Thundercats, Holly Hobbie, Colorforms, and He-Man/She-Ra?

So where am I going with this? These conversations are my inspiration for this week. I'm calling it Nostalgia Week. Every post this week will be a tale from my past. Some will even have pictures, if I can find them.

The first tale is from when I was in the fourth grade. I used to love climbing trees. My grandmother had a great weeping willow on her property and all the grandchildren loved to spend hours safely covered in its branches. Until one afternoon in October. My brother and cousin and I were playing in the willow and I was the highest. Did you know that the higher you get in a willow tree, the more brittle the branches? I did not. One of them broke and I plummeted to the ground landing on my back (thank God for my puffy fall coat) with my knee ramming up and hitting me in the eye. My cousin ran into the house as fast as his legs could carry him shouting "Sarah fell out of the tree and her brains are everywhere!" The entire family rushed outside and my father scooped me into his arms. I was covering my face with my hands and crying. "She's alright." he told the concerned faces. Until I removed my hands from my face. I was taken to the emergency room where I was separated from my parents while the staff there kept asking me "Who did this to you?" until they were satisfied with my story. I had one hell of a shiner.

The next day I stayed home from school as my eye was almost swollen shut. The day after I wore oversized sunglasses to school and was "famous" for a while as the girl with the wicked black eye.

To this day whenever I get really tired, that eye gets a darker circle under it than the other and you can see shades of what once was.

The Music Man

Growing up we didn't have a lot of money. When my brother and sister and I were little we would play outside all summer long. There was always a certain time of day that my mother would call us in the house though. The time of day when the "music man" made his rounds. You know the truck that drives through neighborhoods on hot, sunny, summer days playing music for the children to enjoy. That's what my mother told us. Never did she mention that the music man also SOLD ICE CREAM. She would call us into the house so that we wouldn't see the other children getting their Dreamsicles and red/white/blue Popsicles. It took us years to figure that out. How stupid were we.

When we moved into this house last July I discovered that the "music man" came to our neighborhood too. I can not tell you how freakin' excited I was. I got a Fudgesicle. It was heaven. I've already heard them once this year, but I couldn't get my change fast enough. I'm making up for lost time.

Also, my pay it forward prize from The Modern Gal came in the mail today.

Look at all my goodies. The book looks like it will be funny. I also especially love the notebook (I'm a list maker) and pencils. I used to LOVE those pencils when I was a kid. It was revolutionary to have a pencil that didn't need sharpening you just pulled out another insert. Very big with the elementary school crowd. And we've already established that I'm an office supply junkie.

A Happy Place

This is what Kitty Heaven looks like.
All Tim needs in this life is a box and he's happy. A haven away from his annoying little brother. A Happy Place.
I wish I had something like that. I say all the time that Target is my Happy Place, but it's not someplace that is financially smart to go every day. Plus, there are other people....and lines. I wish I had someplace quiet to go when I'm feeling melancholy or just want a haven...like a treehouse in the back yard. My very own box. I already feel this way and I know the feeling will only increase as our soon(hopefully) to be conceived children start arriving. I'm left alone in my house a lot, but it's not the same. In the house there is always something to be done. Cleaning, laundry, paying bills, decorating. I want someplace where I can shut the door on everything I SHOULD be doing.
When I was growing up, all my little friends were boys. Actually, this continued all through high school and still today I relate better to men. I don't know why because I'm VERY girly. Maybe it's because I have a brother. Anyway...my mother was always encouraging me to stop playing Superfriends and Legos with my boy friends and go play with the little girls in the neighborhood.
There was one little girl in particular that my mother was always encouraging me to play with. She was my age, had two brothers, and kind of bratty. I honestly didn't really like her, but she had a tree house. With curtains. And walkie talkies that looked like real phones. A haven! I would take all my little girl junk and continuing story books (remember those?) and spend hours in her tree house.
I wonder if Spiderman would build me a tree house?

Sorry about the rambling post. But I DO want to remind you all that you have until tomorrow when I get off work to enter Sarah's Super Pay it Forward Contest. I'll announce the winners then!

The Softer Side of Sears

I love my Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer. It makes baking So much easier. It's hard to believe I almost wasn't able to get it.
I had been wanting a mixer since I first moved out on my own, but have you seen the prices on some of those mixers? I just couldn't justify that....especially living on my own for the first time and figuring how to juggle bills with "fun stuff". My grandmother is a great baker and she had a standing mixer. When I would go sleep over at her house she would always pull that mixer out and we'd make homemade chocolate cake or the "best" sugar cookies that I could eat all myself.
I used to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and just admire the Kitchen Aid's in the rainbow of colors. I totally coveted one.
So when Spiderman and I became engaged I thought "Perfect, we'll register for one!" Along with the tons of other kitchen goodies we did. (Spiderman loves to cook too and Bed Bath and Beyond is our mecca for gadgets)
The shower came and went, with no mixer. We had registered for a Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum (Spiderman has asthma and we have cats...I vacuum almost every day). We got the Hoover, but we also got a Kenmore canister vacuum from his Aunt in Indy. Did we really need two vacuums? No. Unfortunately, his Aunt didn't provide us with a receipt. But I figured Kenmore product....Sears. It's a Sears brand. Chances are VERY good it was purchased at Sears. They also have fabulous red Kitchen Aid Mixers....you following me?
So I send Spiderman to Sears one Saturday while I was at work. They told him no receipt no return. He didn't even ask to see a manager. Men. The next day the both of us went. While Spiderman was waiting in line I was perusing the vacuum aisles until I found it. The exact same vacuum. Same style, same color, same everything. When our turn came I asked for a manager. It took 25 minutes for the manager to come out to tell me that "no receipt, no return". I told her I didn't want a return, I wanted an exchange. The mixer was actually more money and we'd pay the difference. I showed her that they had these vacuums; I even pushed the vacuum next to their display. I told her that we were NOT leaving with the vacuum so they'd better let us exchange it. I wasn't rude about this...I was just firm with my intentions. I wasn't leaving without my mixer.
After about an hour a mortified Spiderman and I left with my shiny new mixer...sans vacuum....and I have been boycotting Sears ever since.
Softer side, my ass!