Kalmia latifolia/ Mountain Laruel
It was a very long day yesterday. I was fortunate enough to have some passengers. A newly remarried mom who graduated from Washington High in 1982. Her two daughters are my girls ages and attend Holy Cross. Infact Kelsey went to preschool with Lena. Another fine example of another full circle for my girls that only I see.
We talked about our lives growing up as kids. What the hell was wrong with our generation of parents? why is it that you don't hear the 'Leave it to Beaver type families anymore?" They are anomalies. Everyone has a story. I think I had this coversation with Annie the other night. We want to tell our stories. We want to connect, and need to connect.
Ede and I questioned how we could be mothers after all the things we've wittnesed and experienced and how we managed to out survive our siblings. A chance to be loved unconditonally , ego, nature. Maybe just the chance.
We talked the whole way there. She says "what can we have to talk about now? Do you want to know more? I have more."
Don't we all.
One flat tire out of the group of six cars loaded. The threat of air conditoning not working in our van hauling seven people was threating but it ended up working, thank you!
We arrived. And yes, Annie it was a pit of hell. It smelled. It was cheesy, expensive and I couldn't wait to leave. (contemplating seriously not doing Girl Scout next year to avoid all these damn field trips from hell). I know, I did this to myself.
In we go with half the troop running to all the scary rides and the other half running away from them. To these kids and parents, this trip is hell. We are waterpark people not amusement park people. So the water people went off to find water amusement rides for the day.
There were three. we had five and a half hours to burn, literally.
One ride was The Log ride. A lazy river (smelly) ride to a conveyor belt and down a steep hill to a flash of light that takes a picture of your contorted face that you can purchase for a heafty price.
Ride over. Five hours and 15 minutes left.
Water wars was next. We purchased four buckets of water ballons and the girl catapulted them at each other. I was barely able to get two photos before they were done. Walking along the isles of 4-H fair type booths and $2.00 bottles of water Roberta and I decide to do the cheesy thing and do the haunted house ride. Bags and water bottles left behind we climed into the cart made for two adults three small kids. Roberta questioned weather or not we could both fit into the cart. We managed fine. We went inside and started up a hill and the cart stopped! "Please don't tell me it because we are two large women who have no bussiness being in this kiddy cart and now we are stuck on this hill". All this while I am hold an orange plastic gun ready to shoot at anything that jumps out at me. The operator guy comes running into the haunted house runs up the hill and puts some kind of brake on the back of the cart and runs away saying "I'll be right back!" What the hell? we are stuck in a haunted house!? I'm stuck on an upward hill in the middle of a haunted house holding an orange plastic target gun! Two long minutes later the guy comes back and he releases the brake and tells us as he is pushing us up the rest of the hill, that we need to ride separatly next time. Roberta and I just looked at each other and laughed so hard I could have cried. This was a one in a life time expereince. "I love you Roberta".
Thank god for a roller coaster water slide though. Most of the girls time was spent doing that to keep cool while we parents baked and threated going into the airconditioned lounge to drink long island ice teas. The smell of corn dogs was making me ill. The whole week has been a horrid of eating the salties, fattiest, sugariest food I've ever eaten in my life. I feel gross. Yesterday was just a continuation of that. If I don't get something leafy and green I will most certainly die today.
Well, thanks for sticking with me on my "We know Lynne isn't going to enjoy this trip". But, I did make every effort not to say too much about how I felt about this whole day until 5:30p.m. We were to leave as a group by 6:00p.m. and I was so ready by 5:30 as the wild girls wanted to squeeze in just one more this and one more that, not taking in concern for the time it would take to walk to the other end of the park and change clothes and be out the door in less than one half hour. I told one girl that was riding with us that the bus leaves at 6:00. This is where they run to someone else and ask if they can do one more ride, again. Quietly, I start to loose it because I have lost my freedom. I have to wait for other people. I can't just come and go as I please. I've been noticing that latley about myself. I find it difficult to be in someones elses time frame. I tried so hard not to get wrapped up in 'my needs' This whole day is for the kids. but I was done. I was just done. Graciousness be damned, Lynne was done. I managed to make things move eventually and we were out the door and on the road by 6:05. Praying that the airocnditioner will work and it did. we made it home in two hours. One very cold Corona beer with lime and hot sauce and I was ready for a shower and my book "Animal Dreams."
Hello Loyd!
We talked about our lives growing up as kids. What the hell was wrong with our generation of parents? why is it that you don't hear the 'Leave it to Beaver type families anymore?" They are anomalies. Everyone has a story. I think I had this coversation with Annie the other night. We want to tell our stories. We want to connect, and need to connect.
Ede and I questioned how we could be mothers after all the things we've wittnesed and experienced and how we managed to out survive our siblings. A chance to be loved unconditonally , ego, nature. Maybe just the chance.
We talked the whole way there. She says "what can we have to talk about now? Do you want to know more? I have more."
Don't we all.
One flat tire out of the group of six cars loaded. The threat of air conditoning not working in our van hauling seven people was threating but it ended up working, thank you!
We arrived. And yes, Annie it was a pit of hell. It smelled. It was cheesy, expensive and I couldn't wait to leave. (contemplating seriously not doing Girl Scout next year to avoid all these damn field trips from hell). I know, I did this to myself.
In we go with half the troop running to all the scary rides and the other half running away from them. To these kids and parents, this trip is hell. We are waterpark people not amusement park people. So the water people went off to find water amusement rides for the day.
There were three. we had five and a half hours to burn, literally.
One ride was The Log ride. A lazy river (smelly) ride to a conveyor belt and down a steep hill to a flash of light that takes a picture of your contorted face that you can purchase for a heafty price.
Ride over. Five hours and 15 minutes left.
Water wars was next. We purchased four buckets of water ballons and the girl catapulted them at each other. I was barely able to get two photos before they were done. Walking along the isles of 4-H fair type booths and $2.00 bottles of water Roberta and I decide to do the cheesy thing and do the haunted house ride. Bags and water bottles left behind we climed into the cart made for two adults three small kids. Roberta questioned weather or not we could both fit into the cart. We managed fine. We went inside and started up a hill and the cart stopped! "Please don't tell me it because we are two large women who have no bussiness being in this kiddy cart and now we are stuck on this hill". All this while I am hold an orange plastic gun ready to shoot at anything that jumps out at me. The operator guy comes running into the haunted house runs up the hill and puts some kind of brake on the back of the cart and runs away saying "I'll be right back!" What the hell? we are stuck in a haunted house!? I'm stuck on an upward hill in the middle of a haunted house holding an orange plastic target gun! Two long minutes later the guy comes back and he releases the brake and tells us as he is pushing us up the rest of the hill, that we need to ride separatly next time. Roberta and I just looked at each other and laughed so hard I could have cried. This was a one in a life time expereince. "I love you Roberta".
Thank god for a roller coaster water slide though. Most of the girls time was spent doing that to keep cool while we parents baked and threated going into the airconditioned lounge to drink long island ice teas. The smell of corn dogs was making me ill. The whole week has been a horrid of eating the salties, fattiest, sugariest food I've ever eaten in my life. I feel gross. Yesterday was just a continuation of that. If I don't get something leafy and green I will most certainly die today.
Well, thanks for sticking with me on my "We know Lynne isn't going to enjoy this trip". But, I did make every effort not to say too much about how I felt about this whole day until 5:30p.m. We were to leave as a group by 6:00p.m. and I was so ready by 5:30 as the wild girls wanted to squeeze in just one more this and one more that, not taking in concern for the time it would take to walk to the other end of the park and change clothes and be out the door in less than one half hour. I told one girl that was riding with us that the bus leaves at 6:00. This is where they run to someone else and ask if they can do one more ride, again. Quietly, I start to loose it because I have lost my freedom. I have to wait for other people. I can't just come and go as I please. I've been noticing that latley about myself. I find it difficult to be in someones elses time frame. I tried so hard not to get wrapped up in 'my needs' This whole day is for the kids. but I was done. I was just done. Graciousness be damned, Lynne was done. I managed to make things move eventually and we were out the door and on the road by 6:05. Praying that the airocnditioner will work and it did. we made it home in two hours. One very cold Corona beer with lime and hot sauce and I was ready for a shower and my book "Animal Dreams."
Hello Loyd!
posted by Lynne at 6/10/2005 07:51:00 AM
1 Comments:
This entry was a delight. And not in a "I told you so" way. Just to hear about your day and your thoughts and your conversations. Love you.
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