LaurenandLloyd.com
where our wasted time becomes your wasted time
Lauren (making lunch): Up, Up, on your feet!
Lloyd (playing a computer game and not looking up from the screen): What are we doing?
Lauren: Beating the Delta Panthers!
Lloyd (sighing robotically): That’s impossible. The Delta Panthers cannot be beaten.
Lauren: That’s right! (Strikes victory pose) The Delta Panthers cannot be beaten!
(Lunch-making and game-playing resume in silence.)
Mrs. Sommerer (standing in the hallway, the usual bathroom monitoring position): “You doin’ ok, Hunter?”
Hunter (who is 3): “Yeah.”
(Time goes by.)
Mrs. Sommerer: “Still ok?”
Hunter: “I need more paper.”
Mrs. Sommerer: “No problem.”
(Grabs a roll, goes into the stall, is momentarily stunned.)
Mrs. Sommerer (recovered): “Hunter, I’m going to help you up and you need to go to the next stall. Just get up and go over to the other toilet and don’t do anything until I get there, ok?”
Hunter: “Why?”
Mrs. Sommerer: “Trust me.”
Long ago in my other work life, I would often get home before 5 and I would occasionally squeeze in a little nap (20-30 minutes) before dinner. I liked it, but it made it hard to go to bed at night. In a weird way, I’m glad that there’s no temptation like that now.
Except on weekends. Oh…… the weekend nap. How I love and also hate it.
I need a LOT of time to prepare for a weekend nap. If we have something going on at 5:30, I’m stressed out because that is not enough time to have lunch, mess around on the computer, then putz around until I’m sleepy. Sure, I’d be up before 5, but the pressure of finishing the nap is too much.
On to the actual nap. I usually sleep on the regular couch or the fainting couch, and it can be anywhere from 1 – 2 hours. During this nap I have the same stupid dream the whole time, several times. The basic theme is:
I am asleep.
I wake up
I try to get up.
I can’t.
People are in the house.
That’s it. Over and over and over and over. I’m awake, but struggling to get up. My arms barely move or I can only flutter one eye, and I just know that the people in the house are wondering what is wrong with me. Then I realize that I’m still napping and calm down. Then I ‘wake up’ and try to get up, etc. etc. etc.
It’s bothersome, but not enough to make me give up that nap.
Once again, I must berate myself for being one of those people who feels so high-and-mighty when other people feel sick – outwardly saying, “Awwwww, poor you.”, but inwardly thinking, “You have an inefficient immune system. My white cells are so superior to yours!”
And then, immediately when I start feeling a little icky, I’m all, “Wahhhh. Poor me!! I am uncomfortable! I am uncomfortable!” (Which, to me, is worse than dying.)
Thursday I just felt a little off. In the morning my stomach felt a little woozy. Not a lot woozy, but enough to make me a little uncomfortable. (No!!) After lunch, my head started to hurt and my legs felt a little trembly. Again, not enough to warrant any outside sympathy, but enough to make me uncomfortable. (NO!!!) Holy cow – I am such a baby.
I actually came home and took a little nap before our staff meeting, and when fellow staff members asked if I was feeling alright, I didn’t have the courage to say, “Well, I’m a little bit uncomfortable, so no.” These are women who have high tolerances for pain, so I keep my poor-baby-me thoughts to myself.
…er, just city council.
Happy Birthday, Keren!!!!
There’s trouble a-brewin’ near the CDC! The police station is right across the alley from us, and there is talk of adding on to the north side of their building to move Parks and Recreation there. (Not the t.v. show, dang it, just regular people.)
One of the concerned neighbors contacted us asking if we would send a representative to speak at the council meeting. Our director was needed at Family Night, so I got to go! I took Lloyd along in case I passed out from fear, and he had the excellent suggestion of keeping track of how the police parking lot is used. Parking is already tight in our neighborhood, and I can’t imagine that if they take away a whole lane of parking spots, they could ever make it work.
I loved keeping track of the cars! Why can’t this be my job? I typed up my notes all official-like and took in a bunch of copies. Though it was nerve-wracking speaking in front of the council, it was exhilarating sharing the facts! The city administrator only had an ‘average’ count of cars in the lot, taken every couple of afternoons, but I had peaks and lows! Glorious, glorious facts! (It reminded me of our going-to-court days.)
Anyway, the combined effort of the many neighbors did its job. The council is going to look into alternate places to put Parks & Rec – maybe Wednesday nights. Wait, that’s the show again, dang it.
Yes, good has been done here.
So, when I got home today, Lauren called and said that she (and by that she meant we) needed to make a quick trip to Wal*Mart. I knew how long those take, so I grabbed a gift certificate to Dragon Palace (best Chinese food within 25 miles) and met her at the car.
Our trip to Wal*Mart went more-or-less as planned, except that I whipped out my trusty phone in the middle of the produce aisle and phoned in a take-out order. Lauren was driving, and there was no parking so she dropped me off out front and circled the block (here, I’m just guessing).
Walking into Dragon Palace right in front of me was a gang of 3 high school boys. Once they got into the restaurant they met a 4th high school boy who greeted them, one after the other, with a big hug. When he got to the last one, I said, “uhum?”
And I got a big hug too.
Also, the Chinese food was delicious.