#hashtagthis

There's always some cool stuff happening on Twitter if you know where to look.  Two of my favorite things trending right now are #askhermore and #bringbackoursnacks

Awards season is upon is (think recent VMA's, the Emmy's, etc.).  There is a a HUGE difference in the  content of red carpet questions asked of male actors versus female actors, producers, directors, etc.  Entertainment industry males are asked questions about how they prepared for their role, who inspires them, etc.  Female counterparts are asked inane questions about red-carpet beauty tips, which designer they're wearing, etc.  Hence the #AskHerMore movement.  Some are of the opinion that the red carpet IS a fashion show and they don't tune in to hear Julia Robert's political opinions.

 I noticed this disparity one night a couple of weeks ago when Coach and I were watching that American Ninja show.  We wanted to watch because the first female to make it to Mount Whatever was supposed to be on.  They asked all the male contestants about their training and preparation.  However, the only female on the show, the first female EVER to make it to the semi-finals, was asked about fashion.  I was SO aggravated.  #AskHerMore

#BringBackOurSnacks is a play on the infamous photo of Michelle Obama's her holding up a sign for the missing Nigerian school girls.

Michelle Obama has singled-handedly ruined American school lunches and the kids aren't going to take it.  If folks can protest in Ferguson, I think school kids have the right to express their displeasure over the crappy food they are served.  A lot of people think the kids are acting like spoiled brats but it's not really about the snacks.  It's much more than twinkies and ho-ho's.  Many students posts photos of the actual lunch and not only is it horribly unappetizing looking, the portions are minuscule.  For many kids, school lunch is the only meal of the day.  My mother worked in local school district and said it was so sad to see some of the elementary school kids beg for seconds or slip the apple or banana in their backpack to eat later.  What about those kids?  Those are the ones I feel bad for.

Class of 2018

So we've got a Froshie in the house!  Today is day 3 of high school and  so far, KJ has had a GREAT week!!!  Monday I picked her up after school to drive her to her scrimmage over at Sherwood High School and I asked her if she was intimidated by the upper classmen.  Her response?  "Uh, no???"  Classic KJ.  She's got friends in every class and she said they've eaten lunch in the courtyard every day.  She gets an hour for lunch (which I LOVE!) so they can meet with a teacher if they need to, play some pick-up games in the gym, get some homework done, etc.  They get out of school at 2:10 and she goes to the varsity coach's science lab for study hall for 45 minutes.  Practice is from 3 to 5 PM. 

She played AMAZING in Monday's scrimmage!  They played 3 twenty minute games . . . she played all 3 games, she started all 3 games, she played setter all 3 games and she put up 7 or 8 points each game.  Very, very proud of her!!  She's not crazy about playing setter but I told her to stop fighting it.  That's the position for short white girls! 

Yesterday I drove down to Georgetown to spend the afternoon with my Hoover friends Judy and Amanda.  Amanda had jaw surgery so Judy's been up here taking care of her.  I love, love, love spending time in Georgetown and it was SO nice seeing Judy!  Haven't seen her in a year!  The weather was great and we had a nice lunch at Tony & Joe's sitting by the water.

Looking forward to the long weekend . . . KJ has a scrimmage Friday afternoon at home and my folks are coming down for the weekend to chill by the pool.  Depending on the weather, we may meet them in Gettsyburg and spend the day walking around.  If it's too hot, I'd rather be at the pool.  Sunday we'll grill and Al and Z will join us.  So, so nice having family around!

This is Becoming a Habit

Whoa.  Look at me.  Blogging three times this week!  Weather today is very cloudy and overcast.  KJ is supposed to have a team building event at the rope course today after practice but it may get cancelled due to weather. 


We didn't go to the Freshman Picnic last night because a) it was raining and b) KJ had an "awesome" orientation earlier in the day (her words, not mine) and felt the picnic would have been "redundant" (her words, not mine).  She rode to bus to the high school (her stop gets picked up @ 6:28AM), met all her teachers, walked her schedule and found her locker.  She said she knows kids in each of her classes so she's happy.  She said her science teacher looks exactly like Hoover's football coach.  KJ and Cosmo did run up to the high school anyway to purchase some spirit wear from the booster club.  She got two t-shirts and a nice embroidered hoodie. 


We have no major plans this weekend.  I'm sure Cosmo will want to watch the Hoover game.  Last weekend we met our friend Mike and his family for dinner at the Inner Harbor and had a great time.  This weekend KJ mentioned she'd like to have some friends over for a back-to-school pool party so we'll probably do that Saturday or Sunday.  She's got a scrimmage after school on Monday but I have a feeling they may also have a practice thrown at them tomorrow since they've only had a full practice Thursday and today. 

Our Little Froshie

So our sweet girl made the JV volleyball team!  I couldn't be prouder and I taught her everything I know!  (Yeah, this 5 ft. tall mama taught her girl a lot about volleyball!).  But seriously, she did work very hard and I did practice with her a lot. There were over 40 girls trying out for JV and they only took 14.  She had a little bit of a come apart on the last day of try-outs . . . she accidentally left her bag in Cosmo's car.  We didn't realizxe it until a few minutes before try-outs.  Cosmo was waaaaaay down in DC when she hysterically called him.  He drove like a maniac and was able to get her bag to her just a few minutes after try-outs started.  She did have an extra pair of sneakers and an extra set of knee pads at the house but she was VERY, VERY upset that the coaches would think she was irresponsible.  I had to give her a tough pep talk in the car.  Basically I told her to buck up and kick butt!  Try-outs ended at 5:30 and at 6:30 PM they posted the results on the gym door.  KJ and her friend Maddie both made the team so all four of us girls celebrated at Jimmie Cone!  The girls had their first practice Wednesday, Wednesday night we had a parent meeting, they have practice Thursday and Friday, Friday they're going to a rope course for team building and they have a scrimmage on Monday...the first day of school!  Yikes!  KJ's going to be in for a rude awakening next week . . . her bus comes at 6:28 AM and she'll have volleyball practice until 5:30 PM each day. 

Can't wait for her to get home sin a few minutes o I can hear all about today's Freshman Orientation!  Damascus does things a little differently that what we were used to with Hoover.  There is no "registration day" where we have to write a massive check to cover items such as activity cards, yearbooks, agenda, locker fees, mailing costs, PTO, extra curricular fees (T's Buccanette's just about killed us every year!).  At Hoover T's registration usually cost us a couple hundred dollars.  So far, the only bill I've been hit with at Damascus High School has been a $30 extra curricular activity.  I think Cosmo & I are going to join the booster club so we can get into football games, basketball and, of course, KJ's vball games!  

Freshman Orientation sounds pretty cool.  It's only a half day but the kids are encouraged to get on their bus like they will on Monday and today they'll get their lockers, walk their schedule, etc.  And then tonight, we have a Freshman Parent Picnic.  We'll meet the teachers and also attend a meeting with the Athletic Department.  Concussions and cardiac disease are a hot button this year and KJ had to take a baseline concussion test before she could even try-out.  

My Opinion Matters

The title of this post should really be "My Opinion Matters and Passive Aggressive People Suck the Life Out of Me" but it was much too long.

There's a funny quote about opinions I'm sure you've heard at one time or another and it goes a little something like this:  "Opinions are like assholes.  Everyone has one."  Yes, I have opinions and I'm not afraid to voice them.  It's OK.  Everyone has an opinion.  It's what makes the world go 'round.  We all have opinions on the following:  global warming -- does it exist?, Obama -- worst President ever?, the best color in the box of crayons, Coke or Pepsi, which Kardashian sister is the prettiest, Alabama or Auburn, Rangers or Islanders.  You get the idea.

Earlier this week I swore off social media, specifically Facebook, for a few days due to the mess in Ferguson and other reasons.  Sometimes I just get inundated with visuals and information and I can only take so much.   Stimulation overload if you will.  I proclaimed I was going off the grid because I was tired of a certain professional race car driver taking up a lot of my timeline as well as the situation in Missouri.  Let me explain . . .

I meant nor implied anything critical when I claimed that I was tired of Tony Stewart clogging up my timeline.  I do not know Tony Stewart.  I do not care to know Tony Stewart and I do not want to know Tony Stewart.  Mr. Stewart and I do not run in the same social circles and I'm OK with that.  I did not proclaim any guilt or innocence in recent track-related events.  I did not assassinate or question his character, morals or integrity.  I did not infer that he should be criminally charged.  I do not have any opinion on if and when it is appropriate for Mr. Stewart to return to racing. These things are better left to the fine folks at NASCAR, ESPN, FoxSports and, of course, Mr. Stewart himself.  I simply stated I am tired of him clogging up my timeline.

Whelp, apparently that ruffled a few feathers.  Apparently a friend took great offense to my comments.  Although I have not logged on to Facebook as per my self-imposed silence, it has come to my attention that several thinly veiled threats/accusations were made towards me.  Passive Aggressively, of course.  Again, because I haven't been on FB I'm hearing this second hand but "allegedly" I was called a "Mean Girl" and "not a true friend" because I made a comment about Tony Stewart clogging up my timeline.  I cannot re-iterate enough --  I HAVE ZERO OPINION ABOUT MR. TONY STEWART.  It is not my place to judge what happened on that race track nor have I EVER attempted to judge what happened on that race track.  I wasn't there.  And neither were you.

However, I AM entitled to say that I am tired of something.  It's MY OPINION.  Stating my opinion does not make me a Mean Girl.  What it does make me is brutally honest.  I have never nor will I ever stifle my agenda to better fit someone else's.  And I'm not raising my girls to conform to someone else's ideals either.  Stating my opinion about something doesn't make me a bad friend.  In fact, claiming that someone is a bad friend because they have opinion different from yours makes me sad.  I'm sad on several accounts:  #1, I'm sad that this person doesn't recognize the value in other people's opinions and #2, if I offended that person, she should have texted or called me and expressed HER OPINION (to which I would have happily listened).  Not taken it to Facebook.

Pack This, Not That

Due to a recent experience with a well-known airline carrier (yeah, I'm looking at you Southwest) and an unfortunate experience the first time we went to Cabo (yeah, my luggage was lost on that flight, too), I am bound and determined to use only carry-on for our upcoming trip.  

The struggle is real.  I have a tendency to over-pack and I have a tendency to bring lots of shoes.  Lots of shoes.  And I like to be prepared . . . for anything.  Horseback riding on the beach, swimming with dolphins, tequila shots at the infinity pool.  You know.  Whatever comes our way.  

Two Days

Kind of hit the blogging wall for a while there but now I'm back and have blogged Two-Days-In-A-Row!!!  Go Me!


KJ goes back to school in 3 weeks and volleyball try-outs are the week before that.  She's been complaining for a couple of days about an ear ache so yesterday we killed two birds with one stone and had her ear checked out and did her sports physical.  She didn't have an infection, just a little fluid in her ear and she is just shy of 5 ft., 5 inches (a good 5 to 6 inches over me).


We had a nice weekend in PA.  We drove up late Friday afternoon and stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Gettysburg that had a nice patio area since we had the dog with us.  Saturday Coach helped out with Mr. B's lax clinic and my mom picked up C and brought her back to the house.  She brushed mine and KJ's hair, we had lunch on the front porch and KJ drove her around the property on the four-wheeler.  Let's just say that girl is busy, busy, busy!  Later that afternoon several girls from down the road came to the house and took KJ out on some of the back trails.  She got the four-wheeler stuck and had to call Pop to come and get her out of the ditch!  Coach brought Mr. B back to the house and we watched a bunch of videos from when KJ was a baby.  That night we also had s'mores by the camp fire.  Sunday all of us ladies (me, KJ, my mom, my SIL and Aunt Linda) went to Stephanie's shower at the cabin.  Unfortunately it rained the entire time but we still managed to have fun and she received some beautiful gifts! 

Family Time

Had such a wonderful week with T while she was home and I absolutely hated to see her get on that plane back to Memphis.  The weather was AMAZING while she was here and we did some relaxing, some rollercoasters and some sight-seeing, too!




She flew into BWI late Thursday night and we woke up early Friday and headed to Hershey.  It's an easy drive from our house, almost 2 hours exactly from door to door.  The weather was absolutely perfect, low 80's, not a bit of humidity.  The lines were short and we rode all the big rides, had a nice lunch and even took in the sea lion show.  Lots of silly laughs and screams and the big joke of the day was whether or not I was tall enough to ride some of the rides (I am a "twizzler" so yes, I was tall enough!).  T and KJ had figured out where all the cameras were on each ride so they would do funny faces and goofy poses.  http://www.hersheypark.com/




Saturday we spent the day at the pool and grilled.  This was T's first time here in the summer so she had never been in the pool before.  Just a nice, relaxing day.  That night we had Jimmie Cone.  Sunday we went to a Miss Maryland trunk show.  I didn't originally want to go but ended up having a fun time.  T got to meet several contestants and Miss Maryland 2013.  She tried on a few things and bought two cute dresses -- a white one and a red one.  Monday the girls met Cosmo for lunch and did some shopping and then we met him for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. 


Tuesday the girls and I spent the day at Mount Vernon.  The last time T was there she was in the stroller . . . I guess she was around 15 or 16 months old and KJ had never been.  We had a wonderful day walking around the estate and had a nice lunch.  I'm such a history geek and totally love that stuff!  http://www.mountvernon.org