Where I've Been

A random list of where I have been this past week, in no particular order:

1. Friends' house over in Satan's Buttcrack

2. Grocery Store

3. Bookstore

4. Sleeping

5. Work

6. Kitchen, baking

Now you're caught up.

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Further Proof that Chachi is, indeed, my Perfect Match:

La Casa de Chachi y Renn is chock full of virus-y goodness this weekend. We ALL have swollen glands, sore throats...and are losing our voices. I recommended NyQuil Shooters for all, but Chachi noticed that we were (sadly) out of the Auto-Coma version. As we perused the cabinet offerings for our particular malady, I mentioned that I'd be ingesting some boiling hot coffee prior to medication.

Chachi joked that I was playing Russian Roulette with medication effects. I disagreed, noting that TRUE Russian Roulette would likely involve a combination of NyQuil and Ex Lax. Chachi snickered and said that he had a better idea:

Extra Strength Stool Softener plus Extra Strength Anti-Diarrhea Medication. He 'took the image home' when he gleefully noted, "You'd have turds with a liquid center! Like Freshen Up Gum! Only with a hard chocolate coating on the outside!"

I opted for Day Quil and Sucrets instead. Some games are better left to the imagination.

New Music!

I'll be slam-driving to this for the rest of the week...

Mr. Russell

I just read that my 6th grade LA teacher, Mr. Russell, passed away yesterday. I always imagined him to be invincible, literally incapable of dying. I'm not sure why.

I walked into his classroom a chubby, awkward 11 year old girl. I loved to read, yet struggled with the finer points of technical English. I particularly struggled with prepositional phrases, which I had come to consider the bane of my existence. Sixth Grade Language Arts/EOG mandated that we learn all preposition rules for writing. I, for whatever reason, could not grasp these rules.

Mr. Russell simply smiled and encouraged me to start again. He gave up many 10 minute breaks (which we had in lieu of recess), lunch breaks and free time to help me. I never heard a harsh word from him. In fact, I don't recall him ever raising his voice.

Mr. Russell always dressed 'to the nines', clad in dress jackets, pressed slacks and a bow tie. He was my personal Mr. Belvedere, full of class and substance. Always smiling, he treated everyone with kindness and respect, regardless of who they were, how much money they had or who their parents were. [He found out that one of the students lived in a plumbing-free house in the woods. That boy was provided shampoo, soap, etc - and full access to the boy's locker room so that no one would tease him.]

Mr. Russell retired when I was in high school. He became well known around ColdandSad, Maine for his gift of baking. Many of his former students were surprised when he turned in his bow tie for polo shirts and (gasp!) blue jeans or chinos. His involvement in local causes and organizations was the norm; all will surely feel the loss of his passing.

I haven't seen Mr. Russell for over 20 years. It feels surreal, like I just saw him yesterday. Time is weird like that, I guess.

Mr. Russell leaves a wife of 53 years, two daughters (and spouses), grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, family, former students. He was eighty three years old. Rest well, Mr. R. You deserve it.

As requested in his obituary, I will spend today baking sweets for those I love. If you are so inclined, please feel free to join me.

Jumbled

The following post shall be random and disjointed. You have been warned.

---Work is chaotic, annoying, disturbing and somehow interesting all in one.

---Facebook has nearly jumped the shark for me. Twitter is not far behind.

---I have had a different version of the same frigging headache since last Sunday. Every time I take medication, the ache simply moves to a different part of my head.

---The local school system has decided to get around that pesky "Mandatory 180 Day" rule by making my kid attend a half day, every day, for the last 5 days of school. This means FIVE days of 8:30-12:30 'activities', which include movies, puzzles, ice cream and running around outside. To say that I am annoyed would be an understatement. My kid must attend in order to get her final report card. I'm not sure why; they stopped teaching over a month ago.

---The screenplay, which came to a screeching halt back when Chachi had surgery, has been put back on the front burner. Special thanks to my Writer Nerd friends for breathing new life into this project. I couldn't do it without you!

---This holiday weekend will include, but not be limited to, the following: Full scale barbecue with Crazy Neighbors, Graduation Party for Kid of Friend, Dinner and Brownie Baking for Sick Friend, cook out with other friends, bread baking, key lime pie making from scratch - and possibly bowling. Plus the standard weekend cleaning and such. I will need to return to work in order to get some rest.

Have a safe and happy holiday, y'all!

Starting Over

It's a new week, y'all. The anger and frustration posted over the weekend has begun to melt away. I think everything is going to be okay.

Do I think it will be perfect, all sunshine and rainbows? No - but it never was that kind of life anyway. If it had been, I'd have bailed long ago. I'm just not a "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" kind of person. It's definitely on the mend, though.

Having friends willing to jump into the fray and serve not only as protection - but also as mediation - is a great gift indeed. Even when it would be more convenient to shrug and walk away. Even when lunch is postponed for almost two hours.

All with a smile of determination.

THOSE are my kind of people.

There. That's Better.

Thanks to all of you who commented, called, emailed...etc about the last post. Knowing that I have emotional - and apparently physical - support means more than you know. I love all of you.

I especially adore those who actually thought the post was directed at them. Silly people. I LIKE you. If you'd hurt my feelings (or somehow insulted Chachi or Nooze), I would have handled it a LONG time ago.

I also would have given you the benefit of the doubt going into the situation. Perhaps I should extend the same courtesy to those who enraged me so greatly earlier today. I will proceed with caution, regardless.

If they don't take heed - and cross the line again, well. The gloves will be off.

An Open Letter to...You know who you are

1. To all of the parents of the hippie kids at the Fresh Market in Cary: Breeding doesn't give you superpowers, nor transfer "Fault" to others surrounding you. If your kid kicks me or hits me in the store, I can and WILL scold him/her. If you don't like it, grow a pair, exercise some authority and correct your child. Otherwise, shut up and understand that SOMEONE has to be the adult around your kid. While life should be about peace, love and happiness, it is also about respect for others. It's called REALITY.

2. Hurt my husband or kid again and I WILL BEAT YOU. In any way that I possibly can. I will also bring backup. I somehow doubt that my friends will fit into your neat little package of perfection and propriety; that makes me really happy.

3. To those in certain positions of power and authority: I don't trust you, I don't like you, and others will find you out for what you really are: Abusive, condescending, controlling and WRONG.

4. Again, to those in #s 2 and 3: When it ends, it will end badly - and probably soon. KNOW that.

Much - whatever,

rennratt

Commute Music

If you see a minivan with skull and crossbones bumper stickers swerving down I-40 with a dishwater blond head banging behind the wheel, well...that would be me.

I would likely be hair whipping, throwing horns...and jamming to this song.

Note to Self, Volume IX

Dear Self,

When seeking relief while at the movies, be sure to heed the following:

If you see a toilet paper dispenser door hanging open, LEAVE IT ALONE. If you close said door, you will inevitably have to bend to retrieve an errant piece of paper off the floor. You know, to 'leave the place better than you found it'.

As you bend over to pick up said paper, the toilet paper dispenser door can and, yes, will come crashing back open, landing firmly on the bridge of your nose. You will then be left with a combination dent/bump that may actually be a broken nose. It will sure feel like one.

Ahem.

Random Confession #222

My friend and I once got two Mormon Missionaries kicked off their mission.

I won't go into details, but it involved hardcore sake, Drag Wear...and a Polaroid camera.


Please note: We didn't mean to get them kicked out. We were all 19 years old; we were all drinking the sake. Please remember that most Missionaries from this religion are sent. They are not asked. I can only guess that Mark and Gary had more fun at 'Friday Night Study' in our dorm than any other activity they encountered in the Hollers of WV during their stay.

Believe it or not, I still feel badly about what happened.