Archives for January 2006

This post will make no sense at all if you haven’t read this earlier one, so you may want to click on the link or scroll down so that you’re up-to-speed. As if it’s all so linear and beautifully crafted that it actually requires a frame of reference. But anyway.

When I wrote the post earlier this afternoon, I thought it would be a quick little deal because part of the “writing” was copying and pasting from an email. So imagine my surprise when, in the first five minutes after I posted it, I edited it at least 10 times and re-posted the “newer, better” version each time.

I don’t understand what has happened to me. I used to be error-free right out of the gate. Now not only do I make mistakes, I do a really poor job of catching them. That simple little post about Sister’s trip? It’s now in its, I don’t know, 142nd round of revisions, and I still see stuff I want to change. It should be “pulls down books,” not “pulls books down,” but I messed it up in the original email, and with all the James Frey stuff, you just can’t be too careful about changing these
things. :-) So I should probably go ahead and cop to the fact that I deleted the name of one of Alex’s little friends that I originally had in the email because she was very well-behaved at Books-A-Million and didn’t pull down any books at all. Nor did she run furiously. Just covering my bases in case one of y’all runs to The Smoking Gun and says, “She’s a fraud! A FRAUD! She changed the facts to suit her purposes!”

Do you see my problem? (you’re thinking, OH YEAH, MISSY – I COMPLETELY get that there’s a problem). Seriously, I have this odd perfection thing when it comes to writing – pretty ironic when you consider the limited scope of my abilities – and it’s driving me a little cuckoo. It should not take a person over two hours to construct a post on pageant memories, of all things. But for me, it does. It takes me FOREVER. I work and work and edit and edit, and then I post it and see 15 things I want to change, so I change them, and then I see an errant apostrophe or a “know” instead of “no,” and thus starts the vicious cycle of editing and re-publishing and editing and re-publishing, and I finally just have to throw up my hands and say ENOUGH ALREADY, it’s going to have to be what it is…then I walk away, leave it alone, and think about it until I fall asleep.

Oh, it’s good to be me. The OCD wheels, they are a-turnin’.

Did anyone see Rhonda Jones from Greensboro, North Carolina tonight on “American Idol”?

The girl who talked in the squeaky voice and stood outside of her open car door in the parking garage and said, “American Idol, here I come” and slammed the car door REAL hard and then said, “WHOOOO!”?

Because David and I have watched it at least six times and we laugh harder each time and now we’re both sort of wheezing.

I’m crying right now. From sheer joy.

Right after Christmas, my sister and her hubby went on a FAAAABulous ski trip, as they do almost every year. I should explain that they are two of the nicest people alive, so you can’t help but be happy for them as they travel hither, there and yon. They love to travel, they travel often, and they travel well. Very, very well.

Before each trip, Sister always sends us an itinerary with their flight numbers, daily schedule, hotel addresses and phone numbers, etc. I always file them away In Case of Emergency and all that.

This fabulous ski trip itinerary, though, really reminded me of the contrast between our life and their life. They have season passes for professional hockey games, whereas we have a season pass for “Jack’s Big Music Show” on our TiVo. They go to Keystone. We go to Cold Stone Creamery. They are rested, refreshed and ready for whatever life has to offer, like a couple in a Mentos ad or something. David and I, on the other hand, are exhausted and desperate for a getaway (this thing you call “relaxing.” Now, what is that, exactly? It does sound fascinating. We might like to try it).

Opposite ends-o-the-spectrum, we are. :-)

So this was my reply to Sister’s itinerary for her fabu ski trip:

My Itinerary
Thursday 12/29/05

Books-A-Million

Update: David had his consultation with the surgeon today, and the good doctor – wonder of wonders – doesn’t think taking out D’s gallbladder is necessary. I won’t bore you with details, but the surgeon thinks D. had an infection and that the antibiotics knocked it out. He encouraged D. to get back on his normal diet – albeit a low-fat version – and then shout him a holla if the symptoms come up again.

Okay. He didn’t really say to shout him a holla. But it would’ve been funny if he had.

Anyway, we’re both relieved…and hoping that the upper rib fat cancer doesn’t return. :-) Seriously, we’re very grateful for God’s provisions over the last week and a half…and we’ve been reminded yet again of the beauty of comprehensive medical coverage. Have mercy.

Birthday cake for everyone!

BooDaddy’s 36th gave us some sweet little memories. Here’s one of them.

Alex likes this one episode of “Blue’s Clues” where Joe celebrates his birthday. He watches it and screams “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTY” at the television – he loves seeing the presents, the cake, the balloons, the whole shebang. I’ll stop for a moment while you sing the Ricky Martin song that no doubt popped in your head as a result of the last word in the previous sentence.

Give it your best William Hung, my friends.

Anyway, I think today is going to be particularly exciting for Alex, because we have a little celebrating to do at our house. You see, thirty-six years ago today, my babydaddy was born.

This birthday is going to be especially memorable because David is spending the afternoon with his surgeon! For his gallbladder surgery consultation! Oh, the joy he must feel…joy that is doubled by the fact that he can’t eat cake. Or icing. Or those donuts from The Donut Hole in Destin that he’s been talking about for four days straight (no kidding – FOUR DAYS).

I feel very blessed that, 8 1/2 years into our marriage, D. and I still like each other. We’ve worked hard to keep it that way. OH LORD have we worked to keep it that way. :-) It might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but all you married peeps know that the liking is, most of the time, waaaaay more difficult than the loving.

There are some couples who claim that marriage is an effortless, breezy adventure filled with only sunshine and rainbows. We are not one of those couples. But somehow, when problems come along, we hunker down, we argue, we talk it out, and we work through it. Then we laugh. That’s the one constant – the laughing. And God. Sorry, God – you should definitely get credit before laughter. You did invent it, after all.

I’m really proud of David. He will cringe when he reads that – he will beg me to delete it – but it’s staying and he can’t change it because he doesn’t know the BooMama password. :-) There are lots of reasons why I’m so proud, most of them too personal to talk about, especially on a blog called BooMama, because that title just reeks of thoughtful prose, doesn’t it? But one thing I must mention is that David is an unbelievable father…he gives Alex his time and his heart and his wisdom…and they adore each other. Right now Alex doesn’t understand how blessed he is to have the father he has, but one day he will – and he will be beyond grateful to have David in his life.

I know I am.

Happy Birthday, BooDaddy!

We love you.