Monday, July 27, 2009
9:37 pm Lame.
Today was the first day of my summer babysitting gig, and lemme tell ya... I am not cool. Well, not by 7th and 8th grade standards anyway.
I used to be a cool babysitter. I let all kids stay up late. I let kids with health-obsessed parents eat junk food. I read preschoolers 15 bedtime stories. I even played "Salon" with three little girls I used to babysit for, which involved me sitting still while they covered my face in purple eyeshadow and crushed lipstick into my teeth. I was the coolest babysitter ever. Seriously.
And you want to know why? Because little kids are easy. Sure, you have to deal with the occassional pants-wetting incident and there's a temper tantrum every 30 minutes, but that's nothing. Nothing compared to babysitting middle-schoolers.
Now, I use the term "babysitting" loosely here because I'm really just a personal chauffeur for a 7th grade girl and an 8th grade boy. They're too old to really be babysat, so my job is basically to drive them to their various activities and social engagements. Preferably with my mouth shut it seems, because, based on today's experiences, I have nothing of interest to say to kids that age.
Not convinced? You should have been in the backseat of my car to witness the atrocity that was the forced conversation between a 22-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. It went something like this:
T: So, you play in a band?
Boy: Yeah.
T: That's cool.
(awkward pause)
T: What's your band's name?
Boy: We don't have one yet.
T: Oh, well that's not important.
(awkward pause)
T: So, like, what do you play?
Boy: Guitar.
T: Awesome. (pause) I like guitars.
(T fiddles with the knobs for the radio.)
T: So, do you like, use a pick? Or do you... use your fingers?
Boy: I use a pick.
T: That's good. (pause) Cuz I heard your fingers can like, bleed if you don't use a pick. And that would...suck.
(T and Boy arrive at studio for band practice. Boy gets out to unload his gear.)
Lamest Babysitter Ever: (calling out the window, flashing a "rock on" hand symbol) Okay, have fun! Jam out! Rock on! Haha...
(Boy looks at the LBE blankly and walks away.)
Love,
the LBE
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"Open to Suggestions"
Sunday, July 26, 2009
7:19 pm Alright, already!
Oooh, you can get your panties out of a bunch now. I'm back.
My mother informed me today that in order to be more successful as a blogger, I should update my blog more frequently and discuss topics that are more universally appealing.
I thought long and hard about this for a minute, and then I realized the most universally appealing topic I know is... ME. So, I'm just going to keep blogging about that, and in the mean time I'll occupy my time with one of the other 16 billion projects that have been suggested to me by everyone I know since I've graduated, from distant cousins I didn't know I had to the random strangers I meet in the street. It's like I graduated and some sort of blast email went out to THE WORLD that read: Oh hey, Tara is graduating without a job so feel free to tell her what she should be doing in the mean time. No idea is too crazy! I mean, seriously, what's she doing, anyway?
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING???
...
Okay, well, last week isn't a good example.
I was on vacation.
So, I was doing...
Nothing. But you get my point.
And "vacation" is a universally appealing topic, so I guess I'm allowed to talk about it.
We arose at the crack of 7 am last Saturday, to pile into our two hybrid cars for the trip down to Stone Harbor, NJ. The van's engine light had come on the day before our annual trek, even though I had pampered it all week by changing the oil and recharging the air conditioner (okay, not personally), so we had to take two cars. I kept Dad awake while he drove the Prius by sharing stories about my life, while Stephanie and Kaitlyn kept Mom entertained in the Escape. I had a grand time calling the Escape every so often to check in until Mom told me I wasn't allowed to call anymore.
Once we were settled into our new house (which was right on the bay) we spent our vacation week going to the beach, shopping, floating in the bay, playing Clue, watching 30 Rock, enjoying each others' company, arguing, separating, and then enjoying each others' company again. It was magical.
On Friday, I had to take a test for a certain job I'm applying for at a network that starts with an N and ends with a C (whose middle initial is B), in a city that starts with a New and ends with a York. I was going to be able to take it online and had been told it would be like a personality test with some "What would you do if...?" questions thrown in.
It was not.
It was hard! In fact, during the test I had flashbacks to just about every math test I ever took in high school when I would look down at the paper and realize, with horror, that I didn't know how to answer any of the problems. I had one hour to complete the eight questions, but it felt like a minute. I was literally shaking when I finally submitted my answers with about thirty seconds to spare.
So, now I'm just trying not to think too much about what I "should" have said. In the end, I think I held my own, so I'll have to just wait and see. As for the rest of this week, it's pretty chock full. I've got 18 hours of babysitting, 13 hours at the store, four hours in Westport (plus the three hour commute), job applications, doing make-up at Kaitlyn's play, bingo, and an entire to-do list to attend to.
But, of course, I'm always open to suggestions.
You know where to find me...
Love,
Tara
7:19 pm Alright, already!
Oooh, you can get your panties out of a bunch now. I'm back.
My mother informed me today that in order to be more successful as a blogger, I should update my blog more frequently and discuss topics that are more universally appealing.
I thought long and hard about this for a minute, and then I realized the most universally appealing topic I know is... ME. So, I'm just going to keep blogging about that, and in the mean time I'll occupy my time with one of the other 16 billion projects that have been suggested to me by everyone I know since I've graduated, from distant cousins I didn't know I had to the random strangers I meet in the street. It's like I graduated and some sort of blast email went out to THE WORLD that read: Oh hey, Tara is graduating without a job so feel free to tell her what she should be doing in the mean time. No idea is too crazy! I mean, seriously, what's she doing, anyway?
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING???
...
Okay, well, last week isn't a good example.
I was on vacation.
So, I was doing...
Nothing. But you get my point.
And "vacation" is a universally appealing topic, so I guess I'm allowed to talk about it.
We arose at the crack of 7 am last Saturday, to pile into our two hybrid cars for the trip down to Stone Harbor, NJ. The van's engine light had come on the day before our annual trek, even though I had pampered it all week by changing the oil and recharging the air conditioner (okay, not personally), so we had to take two cars. I kept Dad awake while he drove the Prius by sharing stories about my life, while Stephanie and Kaitlyn kept Mom entertained in the Escape. I had a grand time calling the Escape every so often to check in until Mom told me I wasn't allowed to call anymore.
Once we were settled into our new house (which was right on the bay) we spent our vacation week going to the beach, shopping, floating in the bay, playing Clue, watching 30 Rock, enjoying each others' company, arguing, separating, and then enjoying each others' company again. It was magical.
On Friday, I had to take a test for a certain job I'm applying for at a network that starts with an N and ends with a C (whose middle initial is B), in a city that starts with a New and ends with a York. I was going to be able to take it online and had been told it would be like a personality test with some "What would you do if...?" questions thrown in.
It was not.
It was hard! In fact, during the test I had flashbacks to just about every math test I ever took in high school when I would look down at the paper and realize, with horror, that I didn't know how to answer any of the problems. I had one hour to complete the eight questions, but it felt like a minute. I was literally shaking when I finally submitted my answers with about thirty seconds to spare.
So, now I'm just trying not to think too much about what I "should" have said. In the end, I think I held my own, so I'll have to just wait and see. As for the rest of this week, it's pretty chock full. I've got 18 hours of babysitting, 13 hours at the store, four hours in Westport (plus the three hour commute), job applications, doing make-up at Kaitlyn's play, bingo, and an entire to-do list to attend to.
But, of course, I'm always open to suggestions.
You know where to find me...
Love,
Tara
Sunday, July 12, 2009
"Have A Little Faith In Me"
Sunday, July 12, 2009
4:13 pm Buzzing.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Seriously. Top notch. Well done. We should really have weddings more often (no pressure, Stephanie). That was really just... fantastic.
Last night was Stephen and Rebecca's wedding, and it was just a BALL. I was in a good mood all week because I was SO looking forward to it, and it definitely did not disappoint. I JUST LOVE LOVE!
Wedding prep for me started on Tuesday night, when Stephanie and I drove over to Stephen and Rebecca's condo to help put together the "Out of Town" bags. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's customary to put together little goody bags to leave at the hotels of people who have come in from out of town to attend the wedding. Well, Stephanie and I were at the condo for over three hours, only 20 minutes of which was actually spent putting together the bags. We spent most of the time eating and talking with Stephen and Rebecca, which was really nice. We discussed everything from the meaning of true love to the Deadliest Catch. It was a great way to start off the wedding week.
The next event was the rehearsal dinner on Friday. I love any excuse to dress up, drink, and socialize, so I was in heaven. We all went to First and Last in Avon and had a great time. The food was SO good. I still have leftovers in the fridge.
Then, it was the big day. You would have thought I was the one getting married, I was so excited. I spent the day moisturizing, shaving, plucking, buffing, primping, etc, in preparation. The wedding itself was beautiful, set inside a little chapel at Avon Old Farms that looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. And the weather was perfect! They say, "A wet knot is a tight knot," but no one actually wants pouring rain on their wedding day. For Stephen and Rebecca, the rain held off till the evening when we were all inside partying anyway, so they got the good weather AND the good luck.
I only cried three times the whole night. I started to get choked up when Grandma and Dad were walking down the aisle, because Grandma was already crying, but I didn't actually cry until Rebecca came down the aisle. She just looked so happy and beautiful! The second time I cried was when Dad gave his Best Man's speech. I recorded the whole thing on my camera, so I was struggling to wipe away tears without ruining my make-up and hold my camera up at the same time. I can't show it to you though, because I'm an idiot and accidently deleted it. Fantastic, I know. The third time I cried was watching Grandma and Stephen do their Mother/Son dance. It was just such a special, touching moment.
Now, along with all the crying, there was A LOT of laughter. I knew having my family all together was going to make for some hilarious moments, so I made sure to keep a notepad with me to jot down any memorable quotes. The idea came to me last weekend when Kaitlyn asked me, wide-eyed and in hushed tones, if I would be drinking at the wedding. I said something along the lines of, "Hell yeah!" to which Dad responded, "Tara, don't be 'that' girl at the wedding." I rolled my eyes, but he did, admittedly, have a point. That was the first memorable quote. I've documented the rest below:
9.) "You better come ready to party. I am getting married once and you better enjoy it. End of story." - Stephen via text message, Thursday night.
8.) "I saw Harry Potter naked!" - Grandma, rehearsal dinner.
7.) "I'm driving with just my big toe right now." - Stephanie (i.e. our designated driver), on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
6.) "They wanted to hook me up with a nut-scratcher." - Kaitlyn, on Stephen and Rebecca trying to hook her up with their neighbor, on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
5.) "I'm doing it. I'm hungry!" - Me, on taking communion after Stephanie told me not to, during the wedding ceremony.
4.) "I was just dancing with my bad girl." - Leo, after coming off of the dance floor with Grandma, at the reception.
3.) "He was with his peeps!" - Grandma, after we lost and found Dad, at the reception.
2.) "Have you seen my wife?" - Stephen, at the reception.
And last but not least...
1.) "Soooooooooo sorry about work-boot guy last night." Jill via text message this morning, on her (drunkenly?) trying to fix me up last night.
So when's the next one???
Love,
Tara
4:13 pm Buzzing.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Seriously. Top notch. Well done. We should really have weddings more often (no pressure, Stephanie). That was really just... fantastic.
Last night was Stephen and Rebecca's wedding, and it was just a BALL. I was in a good mood all week because I was SO looking forward to it, and it definitely did not disappoint. I JUST LOVE LOVE!
Wedding prep for me started on Tuesday night, when Stephanie and I drove over to Stephen and Rebecca's condo to help put together the "Out of Town" bags. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's customary to put together little goody bags to leave at the hotels of people who have come in from out of town to attend the wedding. Well, Stephanie and I were at the condo for over three hours, only 20 minutes of which was actually spent putting together the bags. We spent most of the time eating and talking with Stephen and Rebecca, which was really nice. We discussed everything from the meaning of true love to the Deadliest Catch. It was a great way to start off the wedding week.
The next event was the rehearsal dinner on Friday. I love any excuse to dress up, drink, and socialize, so I was in heaven. We all went to First and Last in Avon and had a great time. The food was SO good. I still have leftovers in the fridge.
Then, it was the big day. You would have thought I was the one getting married, I was so excited. I spent the day moisturizing, shaving, plucking, buffing, primping, etc, in preparation. The wedding itself was beautiful, set inside a little chapel at Avon Old Farms that looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. And the weather was perfect! They say, "A wet knot is a tight knot," but no one actually wants pouring rain on their wedding day. For Stephen and Rebecca, the rain held off till the evening when we were all inside partying anyway, so they got the good weather AND the good luck.
I only cried three times the whole night. I started to get choked up when Grandma and Dad were walking down the aisle, because Grandma was already crying, but I didn't actually cry until Rebecca came down the aisle. She just looked so happy and beautiful! The second time I cried was when Dad gave his Best Man's speech. I recorded the whole thing on my camera, so I was struggling to wipe away tears without ruining my make-up and hold my camera up at the same time. I can't show it to you though, because I'm an idiot and accidently deleted it. Fantastic, I know. The third time I cried was watching Grandma and Stephen do their Mother/Son dance. It was just such a special, touching moment.
Now, along with all the crying, there was A LOT of laughter. I knew having my family all together was going to make for some hilarious moments, so I made sure to keep a notepad with me to jot down any memorable quotes. The idea came to me last weekend when Kaitlyn asked me, wide-eyed and in hushed tones, if I would be drinking at the wedding. I said something along the lines of, "Hell yeah!" to which Dad responded, "Tara, don't be 'that' girl at the wedding." I rolled my eyes, but he did, admittedly, have a point. That was the first memorable quote. I've documented the rest below:
9.) "You better come ready to party. I am getting married once and you better enjoy it. End of story." - Stephen via text message, Thursday night.
8.) "I saw Harry Potter naked!" - Grandma, rehearsal dinner.
7.) "I'm driving with just my big toe right now." - Stephanie (i.e. our designated driver), on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
6.) "They wanted to hook me up with a nut-scratcher." - Kaitlyn, on Stephen and Rebecca trying to hook her up with their neighbor, on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
5.) "I'm doing it. I'm hungry!" - Me, on taking communion after Stephanie told me not to, during the wedding ceremony.
4.) "I was just dancing with my bad girl." - Leo, after coming off of the dance floor with Grandma, at the reception.
3.) "He was with his peeps!" - Grandma, after we lost and found Dad, at the reception.
2.) "Have you seen my wife?" - Stephen, at the reception.
And last but not least...
1.) "Soooooooooo sorry about work-boot guy last night." Jill via text message this morning, on her (drunkenly?) trying to fix me up last night.
So when's the next one???
Love,
Tara
Thursday, July 9, 2009
"Cruelty-Free!"
Thursday, July 9, 2009
7:57 pm A little Seinfeld with my salad.
I am taking time out of my SUPER productive day to tell you all about this awesome website I recently learned about, thanks to Green As A Thistle (see my blog roll). Ever wonder about all the ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc? The Environmental Working Group has a website devoted to rating cosmetics and other products based on the safety of their ingredients. You can search by product name or just get a list of a particular type of product and see how they stand up against risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and more. Additionally, the website will tell you whether the company tests on animals or not.
I'm not running out to replace my whole bathroom cabinet (Dad refers to all my products as my "gloops and glops"), but as I run out of things, I've started checking the website before I buy. Just the other day I purchased Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet. It got a #2 rating (low hazard) on the EWG's website, and they do NOT test on animals, which is important to me. It smells yummy, and I actually get excited to use it!
So... PUT YOUR CONSUMER DOLLARS TO WORK! And do something good for yourself.
Visit the website here.
Love,
Tara
7:57 pm A little Seinfeld with my salad.
I am taking time out of my SUPER productive day to tell you all about this awesome website I recently learned about, thanks to Green As A Thistle (see my blog roll). Ever wonder about all the ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc? The Environmental Working Group has a website devoted to rating cosmetics and other products based on the safety of their ingredients. You can search by product name or just get a list of a particular type of product and see how they stand up against risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and more. Additionally, the website will tell you whether the company tests on animals or not.
I'm not running out to replace my whole bathroom cabinet (Dad refers to all my products as my "gloops and glops"), but as I run out of things, I've started checking the website before I buy. Just the other day I purchased Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet. It got a #2 rating (low hazard) on the EWG's website, and they do NOT test on animals, which is important to me. It smells yummy, and I actually get excited to use it!
So... PUT YOUR CONSUMER DOLLARS TO WORK! And do something good for yourself.
Visit the website here.
Love,
Tara
Monday, July 6, 2009
"For Kaitlyn"
Monday, July 6, 2009
9:35 pm Happy Birthday, Kaitlyn!
I wrote this short story a few years ago about my relationship with Kaitlyn, and every once in a while I go back and tweak it. It's not great (yet), but in honor of her 17th birthday, I tweaked (again) and am posting it. Every year she gets older, I find it more and more fitting.
It was a Sunday afternoon at the old yellow lake house – perfect for a family gathering. The adults talked and sipped drinks on the shady deck, pausing only to smile down at the breathless children who interrupted them.
Someone shouted there were dolphins in the water, and everyone stopped laughing and talking to count them. First one leapt from the water, then five, and soon it was a game. Who could count them all? Dozens of dolphins shot into the air with a cackle of delight at the people who were so easily entertained.
The evergreens swiftly faded to palm trees and the rocky shore gave way to a sandy beach. The dark water was suddenly clear. We huddled at the edge of the deck, ooing and aahing and laughing at the wonder of it all.
Then my sister, fully clothed, jumped in to meet the dolphins. The adults shook their heads and returned to their games, and I watched as the girl swam as hard as she could to be with the dolphins that were getting away. As she swam, the water became dark again.
The lake full of dolphins was too deep for the girl. The water was suddenly deeper and darker; the weather turned colder. The girl’s eyes were wide with panic as she looked to the deck at the men whose backs were turned. And the women were not affected by the girl in the water, except to shiver and ask aloud if perhaps it had gotten colder.
But I saw her panic, if the others did not , and no sooner did I wonder if I should dive in to save her and risk drowning us both, than did my feet leave the deck, and I was lifted up, up above the deck, my arms spread wide. It was the most natural thing.
From above, I watched as she mimicked the way I was floating, and I smiled as she moved toward the dock next to the house. I bobbed in the air as she bobbed in the water, and with a final grin she moved out of my sight and behind the house. I found I could not turn around and worried I should follow her, but as I listened to the tinkling of glasses and the laughter that floated up from below, I knew she would reach the dock, so I let her go.
Happy Birthday, Cindy :-P
Love,
Tara
9:35 pm Happy Birthday, Kaitlyn!
I wrote this short story a few years ago about my relationship with Kaitlyn, and every once in a while I go back and tweak it. It's not great (yet), but in honor of her 17th birthday, I tweaked (again) and am posting it. Every year she gets older, I find it more and more fitting.
It was a Sunday afternoon at the old yellow lake house – perfect for a family gathering. The adults talked and sipped drinks on the shady deck, pausing only to smile down at the breathless children who interrupted them.
Someone shouted there were dolphins in the water, and everyone stopped laughing and talking to count them. First one leapt from the water, then five, and soon it was a game. Who could count them all? Dozens of dolphins shot into the air with a cackle of delight at the people who were so easily entertained.
The evergreens swiftly faded to palm trees and the rocky shore gave way to a sandy beach. The dark water was suddenly clear. We huddled at the edge of the deck, ooing and aahing and laughing at the wonder of it all.
Then my sister, fully clothed, jumped in to meet the dolphins. The adults shook their heads and returned to their games, and I watched as the girl swam as hard as she could to be with the dolphins that were getting away. As she swam, the water became dark again.
The lake full of dolphins was too deep for the girl. The water was suddenly deeper and darker; the weather turned colder. The girl’s eyes were wide with panic as she looked to the deck at the men whose backs were turned. And the women were not affected by the girl in the water, except to shiver and ask aloud if perhaps it had gotten colder.
But I saw her panic, if the others did not , and no sooner did I wonder if I should dive in to save her and risk drowning us both, than did my feet leave the deck, and I was lifted up, up above the deck, my arms spread wide. It was the most natural thing.
From above, I watched as she mimicked the way I was floating, and I smiled as she moved toward the dock next to the house. I bobbed in the air as she bobbed in the water, and with a final grin she moved out of my sight and behind the house. I found I could not turn around and worried I should follow her, but as I listened to the tinkling of glasses and the laughter that floated up from below, I knew she would reach the dock, so I let her go.
Happy Birthday, Cindy :-P
Love,
Tara
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