Looking back...high school

My 30 year high school reunion is today. I pre-posted this. The other night I went through my yearbooks reading the signings.

I didn't have many friends in high school. I usually had a key friend or more accurately, acquaintance or two each semester. I wasn't a geek, but I wasn't a freak, a jock, a cheerleader or a popular kid. I was the kid with a cloak of invisibility with a kick ass sense of humor who class clowned with the best of them. (A Home Economics teacher once called me the Queen of Sarcasm. She was the only teacher who ever let me know she noticed me and she didn't mean it as a compliment, she meant it as a warning.) I never once got in trouble for it because no one expected the 'quiet one' to be involved in a classroom disturbance. Funny thing was, I was involved in most of them. The kids who got caught even called me out on it. It didn't matter, I was invisible. I guess there were perks being invisible, but it was definitely at a cost.

I was always the fat kid in grade school. In Junior High my Mom insisted we join Permaslim together. (Kind of a low rent Weight Watchers. Strict diet back then, weekly weigh ins and motivational speeches and sharing. My favorite low cal snack back then? Hamburger Pickle slices with gobs and gobs of mustard. Gee wonder why I don't care for mustard on my burgers anymore?) By 9th grade I lost 70 pounds and it was as if none of my classmates even noticed. Seriously! There was even a signing in my Freshman yearbook where a classmate told me to lose some weight over the summer.

"I hope you have fun this summer! (I'm sure I won't.) I hope you can lose some weight this summer too. (You know you need it more than I do.)" DW

Skinny beyotch! I'm sure she thought she was being helpful.

Anyone ever write anything in your yearbook that today you look at and go, what a beyotch? Or, how ironic?

I'm looking forward to some awesome people watching today.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Family...

Looks like this weekend we will be attending the reunion and hanging out relaxing at the hotel. Not that it's a bad thing, but I had wanted to visit my Aunt J in Milwaukee. In fact, my Aunt L in Texas had encouraged me numerous times in facebook chats to call my Aunt J in Milwaukee to make plans. So I called and what a coincidence, it turns out that my Aunt L and Aunt A from Texas are visiting my Aunt J in Milwaukee this weekend but they have no time for us to visit with them.

Why did Aunt L repeatedly tell me to make plans if they weren't going to be available? Anastasia thinks it's because Aunt L is a gay hater. I didn't think Aunt J was, but the way she so matter of factly said they were busy, I don't know. I am rarely in Milwaukee and they can't make time? And my Aunt L and Aunt A are in town and they can't make time? Seriously? Why did I bother trying to keep in touch with these relatives?

Hello! The family visiting Aunt J are also my Aunts, so it's not like she has people who are strangers to me visiting. But then again, they're all strangers if they can't find time for a niece they only see at funerals.

If you haven't seen family in like 10 years (other than 1 funeral in those 10 years), wouldn't you make an effort to find a way to fit in seeing them? But then again, maybe it's just me, but I certainly would. I mean, my Mom always taught me family is family, even if they are some you don't necessarily care for, you be a polite hostess. I thought my Aunt J was incredibly rude. I just don't get it. Wouldn't you make time for family?

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

50 Questions

I stole this from Stacie @ All Stace, All The Time who stole it from Jen over at My Kids Are My World who titled hers "50 Questions I Stole From From Someone's Blog, Though I Can't Remember Whose".

1. Where were you three hours ago? Watching Eastwick and thinking it was a even lower rent than Dante's Cove.
2. Who are you in love with? My partner, Anastasia.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? No.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yes, the Nerf case for our daughter's Nintendo DS.
5. When was the last time you went to the mall? August. Back to school shopping.
6. Are you wearing socks right now? No.
7. Do you have a car worth over $2000? Yes.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? Tuesday, for an appointment.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? Yes. "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs".
10. Are you hot? My partner thinks so. I'm always hot and I'm still getting hot flashes. How long are they supposed to continue?
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Sprite.
12. What are you wearing right now? Lounge pants and a t-shirt.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I usually let the rain do it. Otherwise, it's the car wash.
14. Last food you ate? Cheese quesadillas and rice and beans.
15. Where were you last week at this time? Same place.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Who me? The person who just closet cleaned and has no clothes? I don't think so. I'm the last person who ever gets any new clothes.
17. When was the last time you ran? I have no idea. Most days I feel lucky I can walk.
18. What was the last sporting event you watched? Cubs Vs. Brewers game.
19. Your favorite animal? Don't have one.
20. Your dream vacation? Anywhere where I don't have to pinch pennies and can enjoy the view and the company.
21. Last person’s house you were in? Anastasia's Mom's house.
22. Worst injury you ever had? 7 years old. Missed the door handle and smashed my hand through a glass door.
23. Have you been in love? Yes, still am!
24. Do you miss anyone right now? My Mom.
25. Last play you saw? Wicked. Last February.
26. What is your secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? Umm, I don't have one. I'm a lesbian!
27. What are your plans for tonight? Finish packing while we watch television.
28. Who is the last person to send you a Myspace message or comment? I don't do MySpace.
29. Next trip you are going to take? Going to my high school reunion.
30. Ever go to camp? Day camp. Not sleep away camp.
31. Were you an honor student in school? Nope.
32. What do you want to know about the future? The winning numbers for MegaMillions for Friday!
33. Are you wearing perfume or cologne? Not now.
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor’s visit? Going next week.
35. Where is your best friend? On her way home.
36. How is your best friend? Probably tired.
37. Do you have a tan? Not me.
38. What are you listening to right now? News.
39. Do you collect anything? No.
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? Someone I used to work with.
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? 2008 coming back from a hospital visit with our daughter.
42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Yes.
43. What does your last text message say? Probably me texting Anastasia to pick up something on the way home.
44. Do you like hot sauce? Yes. On scrambled eggs or Denver omelets.
45. Last time you took a shower? 2 hours ago.
46. Do you need to do laundry? Laundry is a forever job here.
47. What is your heritage? Italian on my Mom's side and Irish on my Dad's side.
48. Are you someone’s best friend? I hope so.
49. Are you rich? Not money wise, but thankfully, I'm rich in other ways.
50. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? Last load of laundry for the night.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Amazing...

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Anastasia and I took our daughter to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (2009) on Saturday afternoon. For a new, very family friendly movie we were surprised to find the theater so empty. Perhaps the good weather was keeping everyone outdoors?

All 3 of us enjoyed the movie, however, there is an after effect that I should warn you of. Be sure not to go on an empty stomach, because all of the food on screen will drive you crazy.

I only really recognized 1 voice in the movie. That of Mr. T, and I kept expecting him to say "I pity the fool". But he didn't, or if he did, I was too busy laughing at something else to hear it. I didn't even recognize Neil Patrick Harris as the voice of Steve the Monkey or James Caan as Tim Lockwood, the father of the main character, Flint, the geeky inventor. Perhaps that's a good thing, because I found Mr. T's voice distracting and I was tiring of hearing him say "I luuuuuv you son".

The story is fairly simple, Flint, the inventor, dreams of inventing something to help everyone's life. Sam Sparks is the weathergirl covering the phenomenon, but hides her intelligence, dumbing herself down for the job. She lets down her guard, showing her true intelligence in bits and pieces and becomes Flint's love interest. It's a wholesome, disney'eque type story and definitely suitable for all ages, even the young ones. They will marvel at the variety of foods dropping from the sky, the ice cream mountains, characters making snow angels in fudge and bubbling nacho pools.

I give it a thumbs up. Don't blame me if you have a sudden taste for hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, donuts or ice cream. You were warned. Lol!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009