Month: June 2012

Visiting Dallas

I’m going to attempt to tell y’all about our trip to Dallas to see Jen even though there is no way that words will do it justice. It’s times like this that I wish I had a video that would just hit all the high points even though there would probably be a lot of inside jokes that no one else would understand.

About two months ago Gulley and I began to attempt to figure out a time to visit Jen. And we finally came up with the first week in June. Our original plan was to drive to Dallas but since gas is about $74 a gallon it made more sense to fly after we realized Southwest was running some kind of special fare. So I booked our flights and we counted down the days because when one of your best friends is sick you just want to get there and see them in person and know that they’re okay.

I’d never thought about it much before this trip, but in all the years Gulley and I have been friends we have really never flown many places together. And travel by air is a different animal than a road trip. Normally when I fly I like to bring a book or a bunch of magazines, but I know Gulley well enough to know that she was going to ask me why we were even flying somewhere together if all I was going to do was read a book and so I didn’t even bother to pack one.

Over the last few years I’ve flown quite a bit. I’ve kind of gotten it down to a science. At least as much of a science as you can get when dealing with finicky airplanes and overzealous security and four ounce containers of liquid. At some point I’ve also apparently voiced my objection to having to check a bag instead of carrying one on since Gulley kept apologizing to me for not having a bag that was small enough to carry on. I finally asked, “Why are you so worried about it?” And she replied, “Because you hate traveling with people that check bags. You told me that.”

I have no recollection of this but I know it’s true because I tend to go off on passionate rants about things that I really don’t feel that strongly about in the whole scheme of life. And I guess at some point checked luggage fell into that category. Other favorite rant subjects include Chinese food, pizza with thick crust, the way library books smell, and motorized carts at the grocery store.

So after many conversations assuring Gulley that she could check her bag and that her purse didn’t really count as a carry on item, we finally made it to the airport on Tuesday morning. And it turned out that all that discussion was for naught because her bag was small enough to carry on even though she worried it didn’t fit in the Southwest air carry on “Sample” bin. I’ve always believed that sample bin is just a suggestion and not a rule. How else do you explain some of the monstrosities they allow people to put in an overhead compartment?

We wheeled our bags through the security line, but then Gulley’s bag got flagged for a hand check. They had to confiscate her bottle of Big Sexy Hair Volumnizer. Which meant two things. First, Gulley was going to have flat, unsexy hair in Dallas. Second, she apologized to me again for being a high-maintenance traveler.

(Related note: You would think that security wouldn’t be concerned about a bottle of Big Sexy Hair flying between two Texas cities. It seems a given.)

As we walked to the gate I assured her it was fine. That kind of stuff happens. But then she confessed that she didn’t want to be a pain to travel with because she really wants to go with me on my book tour. And this is why I love her. She believes in me enough to think there’s going to be a book tour. Where I’ll fly to places. In reality I’m pretty sure the closest thing to a book tour I’m going to have is if I pack my own table and drive it to the neighborhood Walmart and put up a poster board that reads “BOOK SIGNING – FREE BOOKS HERE”.

And four or five people will drive over in their motorized carts to check it out.

Anyway, we made it to Dallas. Jen’s friend, Angie, picked us up from the airport and had Jen’s baby, Lincoln, with her. We squeezed his fat little thighs and made him laugh all the way to Chuy’s where Jen met us for lunch after a doctor’s appointment she’d had that morning.

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up while Linc took a nap and then walking to the park where we met some more of Jen’s friends and Gulley and I were reminded of how hard it is to have a group of toddlers. Especially toddlers who thought they were going to get to swim only to discover that the pool was closed and their only option was hot playground equipment. Sad times. But Linc got to crawl around and eat some playground mulch so the adventure wasn’t a total bust.

Later on that evening Gulley and I made a run to the store to stock up on essential snack items for girls’ night. Chocolate chip cookie dough, spinach dip, cheese and crackers, and chips. While we were visiting Jen’s friend, Missy, came to pick up Jen’s wigs to wash and style them.

A sweet woman that had cancer several years ago gave Jen her wigs. The original wig is named Pinky. And then she gave Jen a second wig that isn’t quite as nice and we just referred to her as Pinky’s cheap sister. She told Jen she could cut them or do whatever. Jen’s goal was to have one cut into a simple bob and have the other one long enough to pull into a ponytail or messy bun. It’s always good to have hair options.

Anyway, Missy stopped by to evaluate the wig situation. She explained that she isn’t a licensed hair stylist but has been cutting hair forever and also styles people’s hair for weddings and special events. And so she was so excited to be able to help Jen with Pinky and Pinky’s cheap sister. While we were talking I couldn’t quit looking at Missy’s bangs. They were kind of the bangs of my dreams. I felt like they were the bangs I’ve been looking for.

So I asked her if she thought she could cut my bangs to look like hers. And she said she could but didn’t have her scissors. Then she offered to come back the next morning and cut my bangs for me. It was like a dream come true.

And that’s how I ended up having my hair cut and styled by an unlicensed beautician. I’ve never been so happy about it. Even though I forgot that humidity is not a friend of bangs. I still don’t regret it. That’s what bobby pins are for, to get you through the bad bangs days.

This is Gulley and me holding Linc after Missy cut my bangs and gave me a cute fishtail braid. Please disregard the fact that I have no makeup on and my eyes are droopy and I look like I have antlers growing out of the top of my head. I believe that’s what they call irony.

Since this post is so long I’m going to wrap it up for tonight and tell you more tomorrow. Which I realize is assuming you care to hear the rest. But I’m going to tell it either way. So you can come back tomorrow. Or not.
Fashion Friday: Edition better late than never

This may be a new low for Fashion Friday. Not only did I not get it written in a timely manner, but I didn’t even find ten things. I’m not sure if I was tired of looking or if there just isn’t that much out there to see.

Maybe it’s the time of year.

Anyway, here are a few things I found this week. I’m not even going to give them any commentary because that takes time and words and a thought process. Thank you in advance for understanding.

1. gone with the wind scarf

2. ruffle romper

3. joy joy maxi dress

4. starfish sandal

5. karlie stripe summer layer maxi dress

6. openwork t-shirt

7. rosanna ikat orange and grey handbag

That’s it for this week.

Y’all have a good Friday.
Friends

I know I’ve been a bad blogger this week. But in my defense I’m in Dallas with Gulley and we’ve been visiting our friend Jen and taking care of her sweet baby while she was getting chemo.

And, y’all. We have had the best time. Laughed until we’ve cried. I can’t wait to tell you all about it but right now I have to get back to the conversation.

See y’all tomorrow for Fashion Friday.
A case of mistaken identity

I’m afraid we’ve reached the point in summer where each blog entry may read, “Today we woke up at 7:00 a.m. We went to swim practice. We came home. We watched fourteen episodes of River Monsters on T.V. The end.”

But I’ll try for more.

Yesterday we woke up at 7:00 a.m. We went to swim practice. We came home.

Oh. Wait.

Caroline has decided her new favorite thing after swim practice is to go to Starbucks for hot chocolate and then come home and put on her fleece footy pajamas until she warms up. But she doesn’t complain about being cold while she’s actually at practice so I guess I’ll consider that a victory.

Yesterday morning I think she was still exhausted from all the weekend activity and really didn’t move from the couch except for about an hour that we went to lunch with Mimi and Bops, made a quick trip to HEB and then ran by Gap because shorts are 30% off and she was in desperate need.

And then we watched more episodes of River Monsters and I will forevermore live in fear of encountering a snakehead fish.

(I also saw some type of stingray that was as big as my living room. Needless to say, I’m sticking to chlorinated water this summer.)

P came home around 4:00 and we were sitting in the kitchen catching up on the day when Caroline announced she thought someone had just knocked on the front door. I went to look to see if anyone was there and saw an older lady walking away down our front steps, so I opened the door and she immediately turned and came back up the steps with her arms outstretched as she exclaimed, “TAYLOR!!! THERE YOU ARE!!” and pulled me into a hug.

There were several problems with this scenario.

1. I had no idea who this lady was.
2. She appeared to know exactly who I was which made me wonder if I was supposed to know her.
3. My name isn’t Taylor.
4. I was being embraced by a woman I didn’t know.

And here’s the thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t Taylor. I desperately wanted to be Taylor just to save this woman the embarrassment of realizing I wasn’t Taylor. There was a small co-dependent part of me in the back of my mind that was wondering if I could just fake my way through an entire encounter of being Taylor. Taylor, who this woman felt comfortable enough to hug but yet doesn’t know well enough to know she’s hugging the wrong person.

Then she said, “Is the house ready? The clients are going to be here any minute to look!”

At the moment I realized I had one of two choices. I could hurriedly clean my house and let some total strangers look at it even though it’s not for sale or I could confess that I wasn’t Taylor.

So I said, “Ma’am? I think you have the wrong person.”

And she replied, “Is this not 440? Is your house not for sale?”

“No ma’am. It’s not.”

“Well, I wish it was. It’s just darling. Call me if you ever want to list it.”

In that moment I kind of wanted to let her list my house even though we’ve never talked about moving because she was just so nice and I loved the way she waved goodbye to me as if we were old friends and she’d dropped by on purpose. I appreciated her air of confidence and complete nonchalance in light of the fact she’d just hugged a strange woman, called her Taylor and asked if her house was clean.

That’s the kind of scenario that has the potential to send me to therapy or, at the very least, hours of self-loathing. But she embraced it.

I closed the front door and walked back inside. P asked, “Who was that?”

“I don’t know.”

P said, “You were hugging her.”

“I know. She thought I was Taylor and was trying to sell our house.”

“I’m so confused.”

“Well, not as confused as her.”

And that was pretty much the highlight of our day.
Time in a bottle. Or in a pool. Or in a swamp.

So school was out last Thursday and I feel the need to post the requisite first day of school and last day of school photos for posterity.

First day of third grade:

Last day of third grade:

Not pictured:

Me crying while singing Jim Croce’s Time In A Bottle because time is moving too fast and now I have a fourth grader who is only two years away from junior high.

(Does anyone remember when Mike Horton came back to Salem on Days of Our Lives and fell in love with Robin Jacobs and they got engaged but they broke up because of religious differences? I’m pretty sure that they did one of those heart-tugging montages of their romantic history set to Time In A Bottle and I loved it because even as a fourteen-year-old I preferred 70s soft rock to Prince. But I just spent five minutes googling it and can’t get confirmation.)

(Anyone?)

(I think they were trying to make them the next Bo and Hope because this was during a time when Bo and Hope were off the show. I think we were supposed to believe they had died but it turned out they had just been held hostage on a remote island by Stefano DiMera.)

(This would have been around 1985. Which begs two questions: Why was I so invested in a soap opera in eighth grade? and How bizarre is the human brain that I remember these kind of pointless details?)

Anyway, I believe I mentioned that there was a party at the pool after the last day of school. Gulley ended up meeting me there with her boys and we shut it down. Which makes it sound like we really partied when I’m just trying to say that we literally stayed at the pool until they shut it down and kicked us out.

And normally I would have been excited for the next morning and the first official sleep-in day of the summer, but Caroline had swim team practice at 7:45 a.m. Then we were home by 9:00 with a full day in front of us and no real plan. So we ended up going to eat lunch and then to Target with Gulley and her boys because nothing says BIG SUMMER FUN like a trip to Target.

Later that evening we were supposed to go eat Mexican food with Mimi and Bops and my sister and her family, but Caroline started crying and said she was too tired which made me fear she was coming down with a severe illness because she has been too tired approximately three times ever in her whole life.

So I made sure she was in bed early since she had her first swim meet the next morning and we had to be at the meet at the unholy hour of 7:00 a.m. which meant we’d need to all wake up at the even more unholy hour of 5:30 a.m.

We were a little bleary-eyed the next morning with the exception of P who believes 5 a.m. is a perfectly acceptable time to be awake, but eventually got the car loaded with a pop-up tent, foldable chairs, a cooler full of drinks, sunscreen, and enough snacks to feed a small country because we weren’t sure how long the meet would last since we are swim team novices and equated a morning swim meet being akin to the Joad family packing up and heading west in Grapes of Wrath.

As it turned out, Caroline’s three events were all early in the meet. We were back in the car and headed home by 9:30 and never even had the chance to break out our cooler o’ snacks and drinks, although P and I did buy breakfast tacos at the concession stand. In the concession stand regard, swimming totally trumps soccer. Especially since there is no concession stand at the soccer fields.

Caroline loved the swim meet. She did really well in all three of her events and even came in first in her heat for the backstroke. Later that day she asked me if I knew that feeling when you get butterflies right before you race and I told her I did. Then she said, “And you get that feeling in your mouth like you’re about to throw up?”

I think that makes it official that she is a more intense competitor than her mother ever was. The only time I felt like I was going to throw up at a swim meet was when I ate too much candy between events.

And if all the racing wasn’t enough, there was the novelty that we were actually supposed to write on her leg in Sharpie marker. So for the second time in three days my child was covered in permanent marker.

After we got home from the meet I started feeling bad. I think it was a combination of allergies and getting up at 5:00 in the morning and the only cure was a nap. Caroline got on the couch with me and found some show on National Geographic channel called Python Hunters before moving on to Swamp Hunters which probably explains why I dreamed I was being chased by an alligator.

By 4:30 that afternoon I was showered and in my pajamas. We picked up burgers for dinner and then she and P sat on the couch and watched another show about people who live in a swamp and train alligators or something. I can’t keep track. There’s Swamp Monsters, Swamp People, Swamp Hunters, and Swamp Brothers.

Who knew there was such a huge T.V. market for people who live, hunt, and look for snakes in a swamp?

Not the girl who still has fond memories of Dr. Michael Horton and Dr. Robin Jacobs from 1985.
Fashion Friday: Edition school’s out and all is well

This is the lamest intro to Fashion Friday ever. But I spent my day running eighty-four errands to get ready for our end of the year pool party and then picked up a picture of Caroline’s class to frame for her teacher only to realize the photo-processing people took the liberty of cropping three children completely out of the picture.

And then I got that fixed just in time to pick Caroline up from school and head to the pool where we spent the next five hours. That’s right. Five hours. I’m that kind of tired where I could sit and cry like a little kid.

The good news is we have to be back at the pool for our first morning swim practice in about eight hours. Summer, why you gotta hate already?

Just kidding, summer. I love you. I wouldn’t trade you.

At least not until the middle of July.

Here are a few cute things:

1. sanctuary peace shorts

I’ve mentioned these shorts before because they are my favorites. But I’m mentioning them again because they’re on sale at Nordstrom for $49.90. Which, let’s face it, is really $50 but with fancy marketing strategy thrown in.

2. linen trouser pants

Ann Taylor Loft is having a great sale right now. All sale items are an additional 50%.

There are a bunch of cute things, but I’m really liking these linen pants.

3. essex sugar wash tee

I bought this shirt at Gap the other day and love it. It comes in a bunch of cute colors, it’s a good length and it’s super soft. Plus that sleeve gives it just a little flair.

4. sunset suede/jute wedge

These shoes are super cute and a great color for the summer. And they’re on sale.

5. chevron stripe maxi dress

I tried this on at Gap the other day and really liked it except for the fact that it requires undergarments trickier than just a normal bra. And that’s a deal breaker for me, ladies.

But maybe you don’t care about such things and, thus, I needed you to know about this dress.

6. notch neck tunic

I love Boden tunics. Honestly, I love just about everything at Boden. And right now all their summer stuff is 20% off with free shipping.

7. watercolor sound maxi

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I don’t know what’s wrong with me. This is another maxi that requires a strapless bra, but I love those stripes and the color.

Maybe I could just wear it with a denim jacket over it and die from the heat.

8. hidden gem bib necklace

Love this necklace. Perfect with summer colors.

9. zoom bisou top

I realize I’m slightly obsessed with all things chevron right now. But this top is so cute. I love the navy and white and I love the way it’s cut.

10. all time earrings

These are pretty.

And that’s it for today. Now I’m off to bed because did I mention we have swim team practice at 7:45 in the morning? I’m consoling myself with the fact I don’t have to pack a lunch.

Y’all have a great Friday.