Speaking of Cruise Ships...

Millvina Dean, the last know survivor of the Titanic, died at 97. This obit in the LA Times is a fascinating story.

Her family was moving to America when the ship sank. Her father died that night, and after a few weeks, her mom took the family back to England.

Late in life, she got to see the house she would have lived in, had she become an American. How strange to have a glimpse of an almost-life, a life that was so close to happening.

Did you ever see Sliding Doors?


Gwyneth Paltrow's character's life story hinges on whether or not she caught a morning train.

I am addicted to these stories of a life that was close to life-that-actually-happened.

Do you think we are the same person we always were meant to be? Is there a parallel universe out there, a different life, that you missed by a sinking ship, a sliding door?

Irrational Fears

I am terrified of cruise ships.

Aren't you?

Nobody comes back alive! It's either Norwalk Virus or lost at sea.

Do you WATCH Dateline?

Seriously. It's scary. I am not even going on a cruise anytime soon. I'm just terrified.

That is all.

What are you afraid of?

Musical Soul Mate

This weekend, I watched Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It was a pretty cute movie (young love, New York, indie music... what's not to love?), but not all the point of today's blog.

There was one line that stuck with me. Norah was flipping through his Ipod, and said, "You are literally like my musical soul mate."


Ah, Youth.

I wanted to reach through my TV and shake her. "Don't marry him for his taste in music! It's going to change!"

When I was freshman in college, I was dating this kid who drove this ridiculous red sports car. He was always afraid girls were just dating him for his car. I didn't have the heart to tell him it's one of the reasons I broke up with him. Seriously. It was ridiculous. But that silly car is not the real reason I dumped him. The real reason? Queen.

After swearing I would never again date anybody who drove a red Probe, I also promised myself I would never date anybody who listened to Queen. I mean, Queen is fine for football games. It's funny in Wayne's World.

But to listen to driving around on a Friday night? Thank you, but no.

So. What am I to think when the love of my life, father of my children, comes home with not one, not two, but three Queen CDs? THREE.

And, yesterday, we were at the used CD store (again..we go there all the time), and I got so excited when we reached for the same rack. Could it be? Standing in the "J's",were we once again on the same musical page? Do we again love the same thing? I reached for Joy Division. He reached for Journey.

Are ya'll hearing this? JOURNEY!! "Don't Stop Believing" is going to be everywhere this summer (Because did you watch Glee? Awesomeness.) However, I repeat: driving around on a Friday night? Thank you, but no.

Now, I am not a music snob. Not really. You can listen to whatever you like. But not when I have to listen to it, too! This is a big deal! I mean, you are supposed to marry somebody who loves the same things you do!

What do you do when those things change?

My parents, bless them, gave me many a lecture about love, the nature of love. Love is a choice, and when you choose to love someone, you are choosing to love someone for a lifetime. Choosing to love for a lifetime means they are going to grow and change, and you are promising to love old them and new them.

For richer for poorer, sickness and health, Journey and Joy Division.

I Heart TV

I once asked a friend what she liked to watch. She said, casually, "Oh, I don't really like TV."

WHAT?!?!! I thought she was lying. I thought she was just trying to look like a brainiac. Or super holy. But she was for realz! Ya'll, I am NOT that person.

This season I saw every, EVERY episode of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, The Office, American Idol, Gossip Girl, Diners Drive-ins and Dives, and One Tree Hill.

Do you know how many hours that is? 20,093,388,381,294. Not really. But still.

Now that all that foolishness if over for a few months, I'm trying to decide what to commit to in the fall. And you know what? I feel kinda over it. There are none of those I need to see! All the season finales kinda wrapped everything up. If they left loose strings, it was story lines I never cared about. It's very freeing to have nothing you HAVE to do. This might be a new leaf.

But did you watch Glee Tuesday night?! Oh my.

TV addictions?

Tan Lines, WHERE?!?

Internet, this is so embarrassing.

Today, I woke up with the worst, WORST, tan lines ever.

And by tan lines, of course, I mean a bright red, angry circle... A bright red, angry circle around my waist!

That's right.

Yesterday, I was not sunbathing. I was walking around, fully (using that word loosely) dressed, in clothes that didn't manage to meet in the middle.

That means yesterday, unintentionally, I was walking around all Britney on the town. Trust me. This look is NOT CUTE on a woman of my age. It is not even cute on (pre-bat-crazy) Britney.

Sorry, Mayberry. I apologize.

The Final Countdown

The final countdown for the end of the school year has begun. This year, the big kid and the better half are done on the same day.

That day is FRIDAY!

I am a little beside myself in anticipation.

Summers, for us, are a big deal around here. It's the only time we get to hang out! We get to spend time with his parents (whom I deeply admire.) We get to watch mindless television. We get to go swimming. We get to go on vacation. We get to do non-urgent (read: fun) work stuff. We get to drag the kids on hikes. We get to go camping, (though once a year is enough.) We get to see friends visiting from Spain! We get to do nothing for long stretches of time.

Bliss.

What are you doing this summer?

I Had This Dream...

OK... so...I had this dream a few nights ago? (Don't you love stories that start this way?)

I had this dream, a few nights ago, that I killed people. Not a few people.

It was close to thirty. With a semi-automatic.

Instead of feeling guilty, or sorry, or repentant, I spent most of the dream worried that I was going to get caught! I kept trying to keep people out of the attic, so nobody would find the bodies.

And the next night, I had a dream about a former student. Background: I taught remedial college students for about thirty seconds, and there was this one girl who I failed. Now, most of the time, when a student failed, I could just brush it off and forget about it. But I really feel like I failed this one.

Because I live in Mayberry, I run into her all the time, and she looks at me like I failed her, too.

Anyway, in this dream we have a long talk and a good laugh over how she messed up, and she was all like, "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

And I was all like, "Well, you never asked!" And we both laughed, and hugged, and it no longer hurt to see her face.

What does this all mean?

New Link City and My Favorite Atheist

I've always wondered how ya'll waste time on the interwebs. I know what I always read, but I'm curious about you.

Here's mine.

I adore the journal, Image. This is an article I keep re-reading about Ricky Gervais, My Favorite Atheist.

Speaking of The Office and favorite atheists, one of my new discoveries on Twitter is Rainn Wilson. He's Dwight, the beet farmer, on The (American) Office. He is an atheist, but raises interesting questions about life and God on his site, SoulPancake.

For my serious case of discontentment, I've been mulling over this Relevant article.

And as always, there's Anne and May.

What do you read over and over?

Braces

The big kid, my five-year-old has to go the orthodontist today. HE'S FIVE!! His dentist thinks his teeth are crazycrazy and it's time for professional help.

Surely there is some kind of financial loophole for people like us. Perhaps the, "...Wait...What? We can't afford braces because we thought this only happens to teenagers?!?" loophole?

That's a real thing, right? A rational reason not to pay for braces? Just because we are not ready?

Where Is Everybody?

Did you ever show up, all cutie-fied, on time, ready for action... and nobody else was there?

I went to work yesterday, AND NO ONE WAS THERE!

The building was locked. The parking lot was empty. Where is everybody?

I came home, checked the email in-box, checked the messages on both phones, triple read the calendar, quadruple read the school calendar. Nada.

I can't decide if it was an episode of Candid Camera or The Twilight Zone.

I want to ask somebody if there was a memo I missed. Also, I can't decide who to ask so as not to look like a complete idiot.

The Magazine Flu of 2009

Here's a partial list of the magazines lost to the recession:

O at Home

Domino

Figure

PC Magazine

Brio

Breakaway

Cottage Living

Cosmo Girl

Radar


Mary Englebreit's Home Companion


If you love a magazine, buy it!

Career? What's That?

A few of my friends... OK, anyone who knows me, knows I am slightly desperate to go back to work. I have no idea how or when or where... I just know I really need to get out of the house.

I really want to make money. I really want to wear clothes that don't have words on them. But every day, instead of working, I always end up folding one more load of laundry, reading one more chapter of The Little Prince.

Here's the thing. It's the big kid's last summer before school starts. He goes to school in three months, and THAT'S IT! That's the end of my uninterrupted time to influence, guide, and instruct. Not that we are doing much of that by watching Popeye, but whatevs.

Honestly, I just want to hang out with my kids, and enjoy the fleeting childhood while I have a chance.

IS IT WRONG TO JUST WANT TO HANG OUT? For... three months? What is the difference between making the days count... and just being a lazy, lazy bum?

Wet Race

This weekend, I had another wet race! It was five miles in the pouring down rain.

As soon as I got home, I took a shower, got dry, and went straight to bed for two days with a stomach virus.

Also, I still haven't found my keys.