So my roots keep showing up....

..well, yeah - the darkish, grayish hairline thing because I haven't gotten into the hair place..(salon? beauty place? shop? What do you call it? Discuss amongst yourselves...) - well, I haven't had my hairs did (as they say around these parts) for a bit and I'm due.

But that's not my point. Which I'll get to now, because again, it makes it so much more interesting for the reader.

My roots as in, my family! Yes, I had more family to visit last week from the snowy midwest, and more friends/family are coming in next weekend, and then super grandson visits in March and some MORE family from Mr. Lulu's side of the tree come in early April.....shwewwwww.....

So we had a great time, ate too much, no addies but lots of adult bevvies, we laughed and watched the Olympics and I put a song earworm on all of them....the Canadian national anthem has been stuck in my head since the opening ceremonies so I thought I'd better share. I'm bilingual after all - hey I speak Canadia, eh? - and we also have Canadian relatives, so I thought it was the right thing to do.

Ohhhh....CAAAANAdaaahhhh....glooooreeUS and FREEEEEEEE.....

Yeah, I won't quit my day job to hit the Idol circuit just yet.

AND I'm loyal to the U.S. still - I just appreciate the Canadians as well. No other two countries in the world have such a long border while also having such a good relationship. Yeah.

....we stand on GUAAARRRDD for THEEEEEEEE!!!

HEY - yes, I'm yelling, too much oatmeal and coffee, more on that later - did you notice that OTT is back? Over there, under OTT Adventures on the side...yeah, scroll down a bit...yeah, right there. I thought I'd lost him! But he turned up and he's all excited about the US. in the Olympics as well and there he is, standing on guard for MEEEEE....

Also, a new MORE magazine Reinvention topic - these are pieces written by real people. Our own Jo from The Fifty Factor had a piece published here not long ago, so please check it out.

Well, you have your homework, now get to it!

Happy Week!

Lulu

Going back to school.....

I can't believe that it's time for school to start! Of course, we have year-round schools here, so the traditional start of the school year is very complex around my neighborhood. Still, everyone seems to be starting next week - sheesh! When I was growing up, we didn't start until Labor Day and although I complained with the best of them, I was always ready to go back.

New books, new school clothes, new boyfriends, football season, fall colors......what's not to love?

But still....

Memorial Day - and my LuluandmyfriendTeri trip was just yesterday....wasn't it? And what happened to Independence Day? I haven't gotten into bikini shape....ok, two-piece bathing suit sh-....ummmmm.....swimsuit..

Aw hell.

I've got no shape. What happened to all those spring workouts that were going to give me the taut arms? (actually, I know - I stopped at my neighbor's house Sunday and apparently she got all the workouts in - shoot. And I like her, so I can't hate on her because she's got great arms, she's all nice and what have you.....siggghhhh. Where was I? Oh yeah....time getting away from me. HElloo....irony knocking....ANYWAY!)

The real point of my post?

Going back to school time makes me think about all the angsty, greasy, twitchedy, hormoney high school years. I'm feeling your pain, parents of teenagers!!!

But here's my confession. I liked my kids' teenager years. I really enjoy the teenagers in the neighborhood - and NOT in a creepy way, shut up. I like to talk to them and find out what's new in their world, the latest texting stats, who's zooming who, and counting how many times someone can use the word 'like' in one sentence - because it's like, you know, I was really like so, it was like really cool when we talked about music and like I was like you know so like I was all clappy and stuff.

Clappy. I 'best-practiced' that word from Miss Y. Corporate geeks - you know what that means!

So I'm off to the Huge tomorrow - see you Thursday!

Oh and btdubs - although I took the AGT video section away, it doesn't mean that you're absolved from watching the show - there will like, be a quiz, like...sometime. Whatever. Peace out.

Parachutes, Conversation, Life Jackets - and maybe Some Boots

I saw a news clip video on NBC earlier this week, with snippets of various commencement speakers interspersed with comments from graduates, and while I think that it's a great honor when the President, Elie Wiesel, Ellen DeGeneres or Kermit speaks at your college graduation, I believe that an untapped speaker source is being overlooked.  For real words of wisdom - there should be more four-year-old speakers at commencement.

Four-year-old wisdom is the best - it's simple, straightforward, heartfelt and honest. 

Super-grandson always gives it to me straight.  "Stay put, and no touching my hot wheels, and you will be very very good.  And then you can have a mini-drumstick as a good surprise, ok?" "Monster spray to keep out the bad guys does NOT last for six months - you have to use it every night."  "Eat vegetables or your brain will melt."

So his latest nugget is the following:  when in a touchy situation - say, when you're flying around in a gummy jet piece of candy and you find yourself accidentally eaten, (his scenario not mine, but hey, it could happen) there are three things that will help you out-  "Parachutes, conversation and life jackets.  Because the parachute will help you float into the green stuff in the stomach, and then when the parachute gets wet as you sink, you have the life jacket to help you float again.  And sometimes you need boots.  You know - to keep your feet dry and all."  

So - what's the conversation for?

"Oh - oh yeah.  Because you just need to be nice and tell someone how to get around in the stomach.  And they will help you.  Because really you should be nice to everyone no matter if they're different and they'll be nice back."

How great is that advice?  All said so earnestly and sweetly....

And it occurred to me - as I pass my 128th post - that you fives and tens and sometimes twenties! of readers and commenters and deck hip blogsters - you are all my parachutes and my life jackets.  You help me float into the icky green stuff, you act as my life jackets as I bob around in it for a while, and sometimes, you even act as my boots - either to ground me or keep my feet dry, whatever works.

Plus your conversations!  - letting me know how to get around in the big bloggy stomach and being nice to me.  Or giving me crap, which is really being nice to me.  In a way.  

And you're all very different.  Which is the most important point of this post - see!  You knew I'd have a point eventually, so you stuck around!

I started this blog to get some peeps for my etsy store and then I found - and keep finding - so many different writers and actually getting distracted from the store - oooooo shiny blogs......must read....must comment.....what store? 

I digress.

But I like the fact that I don't have a typical blog to follow - you're all very cool with many different points of view and lots of ways to swear.  Some of you post every day and others....not so much.  You write with unique voices, about a thousand topics and every day, you inspire me.

Or you just let me escape from daily life and make me laugh so hard I blow coffee out of my nose.  Whatever.  It works.  Don't laugh at me.

So 128 thanks to all of you!  Thanks to Mom O Matic, and Yo Mama (and her renters) and What Were You Thinking?!!  Just when I'm Cooking Blind, and thinking You've Got to be Kidding Me, I find The Fifty Factors and remember Libby Logic.  Don't forget WendiWinn and Green-Eyed Momster - they bust me constantly.  Susie Scott and Heart of a Cowgirl and Deb Trotter and Sweet Pea help me get artsy, Married Geeks throw some Bananas and Toddlers into the Little House on the Quarry and get me to A Parent's Life to Behold, through the Eyes of Insanity and Bliss.  The Flying Pinto keeps me up in the air, and Kids and Daquiris keeps me laughing.   Angie and Amber - you were two of my originals so I have to send a special thanks, even if life is keeping you too busy to post.

Here's to finding new bloggy friends - cheers!

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!! And FREE WIFI ON SOUTHWEST FLIGHTS!!

AND YES I'M YELLING!!!!!

Because TODAY - is the start of the MyfriendTeri (Thelma) and Lulu (Louise) trip!!!!

I fly out today to hit the road to recreate a very famous movie and road trip. Missives and pictures to come from the road - I promise!

It will be exactly like the movie....

Only - we don't have a convertible - but the windows will be open!

And - neither of us is running away from anyone - but we're getting away!

There will be no assault - we're tough and scrappy!

Or any killings - except for limes for our adult bevvies!

Definitely no driving off the cliff - MyfriendTeri is a goooood driver.

There will be roadtrip snacks and music and magazines and cute shoes and sunglasses and work decompression and FUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!

Stay tuned for detailed descriptions of our reindeer games!!!

UPDATE 3:21 PM ET

WOW - MY FIRST MISSIVE FROM THE ROOOOOOOAAAADDDDDDDD!!!

Yeah, I'm excited - I'm on a Southwest flight - Southwest Airlines rocks, btw, check out this post on theflyingpinto.com - and I hit the blogging jackpot because they're doing a trial run for Wi fi on this flight and it's free! How cool is that? I am sending all y'all my thoughts from the plane, somewhere over the U.S. OH - the captain just said that we're over Mississippi, with two hours to go. Alllrighty!

And all y'all?

Karma. Is a bitch. Remember this post? All about the travel rules? Guess who surrounded me at the gate and in the security line? Guess who jockeyed for position in the A-boarding pass line? Yes! All of my new travel buddies, none of whom have read the rules. Of course they're here - it's a holiday weekend. There is a woman on this flight who has already proudly proclaimed to everyone on the flight, that she hasn't flown in 20 years, where's the meal, where are the blankets, where's the movie?

The worst though? Guess who's sitting across the aisle from me??

Stinky farter guy. And he's in full form.

Dude. We know it's you. All 14 people in this 5-row block around you - did you not see our heads snap up and swivel towards you simultaneously like an inflight synchronized swim team? Oh if only we had their nose plugs about now...please, we beg you - spend some alone time in the restroom.

Gotta run - we have wifi but no power strips.