Books and Dating

My question for the night is: What is your most humorous date story?

It wasn't funny at the time. But it sure is now. At least to me.

My friend wanted to date my roommate, but they lived an hour apart from each other. She was reluctant to drive to meet him for a date by herself, because it was in an unfamiliar city and she didn't know my friend very well. So he turned to me and pleaded me to make it a double date. He would find a guy for me. I at first declined the blind date because I wasn't interested in being set up. But my roommate, who had been clued into the plan, pleaded with me.

We were told to dress up. Then my friend told me that he was going to be taking my roommate by themselves for a little bit and my date and I were going to set up a special dinner on an overlook of the river. Okay, fine. The dinner would be all four of us. So, we were told to dress up.

On the day of, as we were driving to the city, he calls my roommate to say that I don't have to dress up. I give her a glower which she decided not to mention. Since we were spending the night at my parents house, which was in the city too, I had some very casual wear. So I ended up in basketball shorts with a nicer top. Not exactly flattering.

When we get there, his friend is barely civil. When my friend and roommate go off we start setting things up. He barely talks to me. Not even the type of talk which you engage when you are being polite or in a common situation because it was very obvious that we had been roped into this by the same person in the same manner. My roommate however was having a magical time on her date.

Which ended at the river overlook where we had everything set up. They sit down with us, we all start eating, I ask questions about what they saw and what my roommate thought about it, mostly so my friend would get immediate feedback. Then his friend starts flirting with my roommate. It wasn't subtle. At this point I'm just pissed at him, so I put on a smile and pretend he doesn't exist. My roommate, who knows me very well, recognized what that smile meant. My friend, who knew me less well, was oblivious.

So, now I get to say that I've been on a blind date who ended up trying to flirt with my friend. Which is a funny story.


On the reading front I just finished two amazing books:

Failure is Not an Option by Gene Kranz

Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Best Friends and Labyrinths

First the question for the day: Who was your first best friend and what brought you together? Do you still keep in touch?

My answer may sound a little cheesy at first but hear me out. My sister is my best friend. We became automatic best friends the moment she was born and we were nearly inseparable until I began kindergarten. This easy friendship lasted until I hit middle school and didn't want to be friends with her anymore. Throughout middle school and high school I didn't see her as anything more than annoying. But once I graduated from high school I realized, our society really only keeps up with our immediate families. And how sad if every holiday I saw my sister and had nothing to talk about. So, since I was attending a community college and still living at home, I began to work at being friends with her. (Yes, work. Real satisfying relationships take work).

It wasn't easy though. She had now entered the teenage stage and didn't want anything to do with me. So I mostly bribed her with books and movie outings to get her to hang out with me. And as we began to do this we created memories together that only we shared. And then we had things to talk about. And then hanging out didn't have to be about bribing her anymore. We enjoyed each other's company once again. Now we live in different places and I'm married. But she's still one of the first ones I want to tell things too. And I still consider her my best friend.



And now onto labyrinths. So, I've been trying to schedule myself time to get out of the house and go see local sights. Yesterday, my stepson and I went to a movie and then I decided to drag him to a local labyrinth. It was simply built. It was a mowed path in the tall grass and you walked the path to the center. The thing that struck me was when you enter the path you can see the center (the grass was only knee height) and you seem so close to it. Then you begin walking and you walk further and further then closer and closer until you have gone all the way around the center a couple of times. Then you are finally there.

I thought how akin to goals this is. Many times I have goals that seem so readily accessible when I set them, then the path to achieving them takes me on a long circuitous route. The path to getting there is really fun and when you get there in the end there is a feeling of satisfaction. It helps me to remember this as I am working on this year's goals.

Personal Moments

A couple of months ago I drew a question to write a blog about, but I didn't write the blog. The question, chosen at random, was for me intensely personal. It even aroused the feelings I had had at the moment fresh in my memory.

Recently, I went to a science fiction and literary convention. It's mostly adults who want to be writers or are writers. (All writers already at heart?) I love it. It was my third year to attend. 

Now, how the two connect together. I've lived many wonderful moments in my so far short life. Some I love sharing with others, and some that I keep close to my heart. I am glad that I am out there living my life and accomplishing the goals I want to do. My life is vastly different from when I started writing this blog. Some things I wish I didn't have to experience, but yet I know that those moments have shaped me into who I am today. And I like who I am today. And I know all my experiences will be able to color and deepen the stories I want to write. 

So, I am glad to be alive and glad for the joy and heartache.





Reading at the moment: No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew

My Mother

My mother is the woman that has had the greatest impact on my life.

I know many people are going, wait, what, where is this coming from?

Last month I mentioned to my mother that I was going to have a girls night. She just happened to have picked up a game that was for women. This "game" consists of cards with conversation points or topics of discussion. I love that idea. Of course only one person showed up, so I didn't get a chance to put the game in action.

As I continued thinking about what could I do with this game since I would probably never play it (my husband and I try to keep the clutter under control), I thought about how I also wanted to write more on my blog, but wasn't sure what to say. Then it hit me, I could use the topic cards for writing prompts. Oh, how fun.

So, back to my original statement.

My mother is the woman that has had the greatest impact on my life. I know this is kind of a duh statement, but it's true. The childhood curse of "you'll grow up to be like your mother" has come true.

I don't like hearing people's excuses. If I ask a yes or no question, all I want it a yes or a no. Don't go out of your way to make us both more uncomfortable by having to have a reason why your answer is yes or no.

I prefer a simple life, doing what I can for myself first, before looking for someone to help me. Of course this is my definition of what I can do and not my husband's or employee's.

I love to read. Both my parents started me young on reading and books with paper pages.

My mother taught me to be who I am and not who the world wants me to become.

And, well, I could go on forever. But I think it's best to stick to the highlights.

What woman in your life has had the greatest impact on you?

Drivers

I have been seriously considering writing to my state representatives about changing the driving laws. I mean, come one, why should I constantly be in fear of getting hit. And it happens more than once a day when I'm driving. And I don't drive very often.

Of course I live in a college town so "people" will always blame the college students. But in all seriousness, it happens more often when the students are gone on their breaks. 

SO here is my proposed plan:

1. Let's raise the driving age. 

2. For every ticket one receives, when they go to renew their license they have to take the written test again.

3. For every accident one has been in, when they go to renew their license they have to retake the driving portion of the test as well as the written. 

----I did think about only making the one at fault do the driving test over, but I think the one who got hit should do it to to practice defensive driving----

4. For everyone at fault in an accident they need to take a defensive driving course at their own expense.

5. Anyone receiving more than one DUI or texting while driving ticket loses their license immediately.  Then they have to go through defensive driving, written test and driving test.

5a. If they continue to screw up, then they lose their licenses permanently. 


Some other thoughts:

All driving instruction courses and driving tests should include highway and city driving situations. 

This is just a start of reform. There is no reason why people should not be using their turn signals and watching the color of lights. A car crash has the potential to disable and kill, so why do we increase the chances of that happening? 

If you get pulled over and don't have insurance you go to jail, so why should unsafe driving be ignored? Why is their a higher action for not having insurance than not using your turn signal, when that action can cause an accident?

Do you see where I'm going with this?