You may not be comfortable if you're put in a position where you have to defend your position today. You might even try to sidestep an important issue by avoiding a direct confrontation. However, conflict becomes more likely if you don't face the differences head-on. Fortunately, everyone will feel more relieved after everything is out in the open.
This is my horoscope for today.
Funny that I had to confront a very difficult situation today with a friend. It wasn't funny at all. It downright sucked.
We have a great friend who happens to rent from us. We had to ask him to move on tonight. Meaning, find another place to live. The reasons are many but mostly when someone is self destructing and is doing so in a manner that is dangerous and unhealthy it's time to not enable the situation anymore and remove myself and my family from the situation. Which is what we did. Not fun. We've had tremendous support from many of our mutual friends and I couldn't be more thankful.
This was a difficult week for dealing with difficult topics.
Substance abuse is serious folks and if you are in it or are enabling it I feel your pain. I cannot be a part of someone dying a slow death.
Heavy, heavy sigh.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
High School Drama Already
Life with kids doesn't get easier. It just shifts. I have a feeling we are in for a rude awakening this winter with our new activities. However the key word here is activities which has the word active in it.
I officially have a kid in high school now and this is a very interesting time. I remember back when I started high school and it changed my life. I went from a naive, innocent, marching band geek to a, I quit everything, tried many things, and got a bad boy boyfriend girl. Needless to say my parents were not happy with me as I was plowing my way into a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. It was all about how much fun I could have and let me tell you, I had fun. My daughter will have fun too but not in the same way. Over my dead body.
My 15 year old daughter is a lot like me. She likes to do just the littlest amount of work to squeak by. She doesn't want to be involved. At first it sounds great but when it really comes down to it she doesn't want to join. This is where we are right now.
When we registered her for high school she signed up for speech and debate, the swim team and theatre in the spring. Well, she is now in speech and debate and wants to quit, has already told me there is no way in H. E. double hockey sticks she is going to swim and she'll think about auditioning for the play. Well, little does she know that she will not be going through high school like I did. Uninvolved. I'm standing firm and so far so good with speech and debate. She realizes it'll be a lot of work and that is a 4 letter word she hates. There aren't many. But I really thing S&D can change her life and make her a more confident person and once she realizes she's good at it, which I am confident with all of her drama she will be, she will enjoy, no, love it. It is going to take a lot of money and some travel which could pose a problem but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I may add a paypal button to my blog. Kidding. I've seen those though and wonder how on earth.
Swim team she doesn't want to do because of her hair. Her hair is an issue for her as it is with so many high school girls. She has some practices in the morning and other than the fact that we'll have to be over at the pool before school even starts she's concerned about how she's going to get ready for school after practice. I'm concerned with how the heck we'll even get out of bed that early. But, I'm sticking to my guns there too. I've paid the fees and she'll swim and like it. Hopefully.
Theatre isn't for a few months and she will be trying out for the play. It's what she does and that is her passion.
The anxiety attacks are killing me though. How does one deal with this type of anxiety. Let her quit? I don't think so.
She'll thank me in her senior year when she doesn't get voted biggest partier of her class.
I officially have a kid in high school now and this is a very interesting time. I remember back when I started high school and it changed my life. I went from a naive, innocent, marching band geek to a, I quit everything, tried many things, and got a bad boy boyfriend girl. Needless to say my parents were not happy with me as I was plowing my way into a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. It was all about how much fun I could have and let me tell you, I had fun. My daughter will have fun too but not in the same way. Over my dead body.
My 15 year old daughter is a lot like me. She likes to do just the littlest amount of work to squeak by. She doesn't want to be involved. At first it sounds great but when it really comes down to it she doesn't want to join. This is where we are right now.
When we registered her for high school she signed up for speech and debate, the swim team and theatre in the spring. Well, she is now in speech and debate and wants to quit, has already told me there is no way in H. E. double hockey sticks she is going to swim and she'll think about auditioning for the play. Well, little does she know that she will not be going through high school like I did. Uninvolved. I'm standing firm and so far so good with speech and debate. She realizes it'll be a lot of work and that is a 4 letter word she hates. There aren't many. But I really thing S&D can change her life and make her a more confident person and once she realizes she's good at it, which I am confident with all of her drama she will be, she will enjoy, no, love it. It is going to take a lot of money and some travel which could pose a problem but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I may add a paypal button to my blog. Kidding. I've seen those though and wonder how on earth.
Swim team she doesn't want to do because of her hair. Her hair is an issue for her as it is with so many high school girls. She has some practices in the morning and other than the fact that we'll have to be over at the pool before school even starts she's concerned about how she's going to get ready for school after practice. I'm concerned with how the heck we'll even get out of bed that early. But, I'm sticking to my guns there too. I've paid the fees and she'll swim and like it. Hopefully.
Theatre isn't for a few months and she will be trying out for the play. It's what she does and that is her passion.
The anxiety attacks are killing me though. How does one deal with this type of anxiety. Let her quit? I don't think so.
She'll thank me in her senior year when she doesn't get voted biggest partier of her class.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
More John Flanagan
Flanagan never followed the rules, except with me. Why? I'm not sure but I'm glad I could keep him somewhat in line. I'm proud of that.
There is a formal service for him October 1st at, where else? Arapahoe Basin. Which is ironic because he was actually banned from the ski area for breaking the rules one too many times. But, it is truly a spiritual place for many of us and we all started our ski bumming careers up there.
By John abiding by the rules with me this is another story.
I don't don't know if this falls under the rule breaking category but it's a good example of how he respected me. Why? I really don't know.
John, as I've written before, was our best man in our wedding. We were leaving our house for 3 weeks for our honeymoon and asked John if he'd stay at the house. He agreed and we were all happy. Jack and I drove down the driveway and left John in charge. Naturally, he threw a party. All of our friends showed up and partied on the deck. We had just moved into the house so we really didn't have a yard or fire pit or much. But we had a great big deck with views to match. Everyone brought something to grill because that's what you do. Someone asked John to light the grill and John went into serious mode. If you've seen serious mode in John you knew he meant business. He said no one could use the grill because it was brand new and it would be just wrong to use it before Jack and Hef did. I'm sure everyone just looked at him and just busted a gut laughing thinking "what the hell?"
Well, he was serious. He wouldn't let anyone touch the "virgin" grill and I'm not sure how they cooked but that was just John. Go figure.
Sometimes I would see John on the top of Pali and it would be dumping and his mustache was caked with snow and ice. I would get off the chair and he'd give me a big hug and say "c'mon Hef. I'm gonna show you some of the best powder out here." I'd follow and when we'd get to the ski area boundary he'd duck under the rope. I would put on the breaks and say "John, I'm not going to do it." He'd try to coerce me into ducking under that rope to ski the steep gullies and I wouldn't budge. He would come back and we'd ski down, get on the lift and hike up out of the gate. After all, that's the rules. He would always follow the rules with me. I loved him for that and the Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol would not believe their eyes. He was capable.
I loved that for some reason I could get him to follow the rules. He has always been such a gentleman around me which I know some never saw that side of him.
Flanagan was a good person and a true friend. I hope I get a chance to tell some of these stories at his service on October 1st.
There is a formal service for him October 1st at, where else? Arapahoe Basin. Which is ironic because he was actually banned from the ski area for breaking the rules one too many times. But, it is truly a spiritual place for many of us and we all started our ski bumming careers up there.
By John abiding by the rules with me this is another story.
I don't don't know if this falls under the rule breaking category but it's a good example of how he respected me. Why? I really don't know.
John, as I've written before, was our best man in our wedding. We were leaving our house for 3 weeks for our honeymoon and asked John if he'd stay at the house. He agreed and we were all happy. Jack and I drove down the driveway and left John in charge. Naturally, he threw a party. All of our friends showed up and partied on the deck. We had just moved into the house so we really didn't have a yard or fire pit or much. But we had a great big deck with views to match. Everyone brought something to grill because that's what you do. Someone asked John to light the grill and John went into serious mode. If you've seen serious mode in John you knew he meant business. He said no one could use the grill because it was brand new and it would be just wrong to use it before Jack and Hef did. I'm sure everyone just looked at him and just busted a gut laughing thinking "what the hell?"
Well, he was serious. He wouldn't let anyone touch the "virgin" grill and I'm not sure how they cooked but that was just John. Go figure.
Sometimes I would see John on the top of Pali and it would be dumping and his mustache was caked with snow and ice. I would get off the chair and he'd give me a big hug and say "c'mon Hef. I'm gonna show you some of the best powder out here." I'd follow and when we'd get to the ski area boundary he'd duck under the rope. I would put on the breaks and say "John, I'm not going to do it." He'd try to coerce me into ducking under that rope to ski the steep gullies and I wouldn't budge. He would come back and we'd ski down, get on the lift and hike up out of the gate. After all, that's the rules. He would always follow the rules with me. I loved him for that and the Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol would not believe their eyes. He was capable.
I loved that for some reason I could get him to follow the rules. He has always been such a gentleman around me which I know some never saw that side of him.
Flanagan was a good person and a true friend. I hope I get a chance to tell some of these stories at his service on October 1st.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
All in a Month
It's been a month since I've written anything. It's not because I don't have anything to write about, because I do, but just pure laziness. Sorry to say, it's in my blood. I don't like my laziness.
Lot's have taken place in a month. Here's a quick update.
Lot's have taken place in a month. Here's a quick update.
- lots and lots of work
- registered Jordan for high school
- registered Hannah for 7th grade
- got our hair cuts (over $100 worth)
- Jordan started high school and says she loves it
- Hannah started 7th grade and says she loves it
- Jordan joined the speech and debate team
- Hannah is playing volleyball
- Hannah finished up her mountain bike racing, winning the last race and coming in 3rd overall
- rode my bike up Webster Pass, twice
- had a bear on our deck
- saw a bear two weeks later
- first snow on Greys and Torry's (fourteener's close by)
- took a bunch of naps (because of my laziness)
- shed a few tears (because my teenager makes me cry)
- drank some wine (because I need it)
- watched the East coast devastation on the weather channel, and still am
- went for a hike up to the meadow in Deer Creek
- went for a few runs
- juiced
- met with a few of Jordan's high school teachers
- got a crown on a tooth
- sold our camper and shed a tear over seeing it rolling down the road behind a different truck.
- signed Hannah up for violin lessons
- Jack turned 51 (he looks 31, damn him)
- my Mom would have turned 78
- went to Denver and shopped with the girls in the mall and had a blast.
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