Last night I rubbed three noses and tickled three tummies before kissing three cherubic faces. And wondered if they would miss one. They really shouldn’t be so greedy. Come on now, they have two more.

I was watching over 2 nieces and a nephew while my brother and sister-in-law celebrated their anniversary. I was over due for play time and ready for a Pre-Halloween party. Seemed like the thing to do since I am dressing up tonight.

Rummaging through the toy chest the 4 of us found our costumes and soon began the discussion of who would play the fairy princess? As you can imagine, there were three willing and able candidates. A decision had to be made. Rock paper scissors nearly brought tears to M.’s eyes. We soon realized an impartial party must be brought in. I dialed New Jersey and spoke to the Very Holy Mother.

“Ma’ we gotta problem here. We all want to be the fairy princess.”

She snickered through the phone and said, “Oh my. This IS a huge problem. How about you have a big princess, medium princess, and a small princess.”

The medium princess placed her hands on her hips and replied,

“That’s unacceptable. It’s my way or the highway.”

Hanging up the phone and hiding my laughter I turned to her and said, “Excuse me? How old are you missy?”
And smothered her with kisses from head to toe. She giggled and giggled some more.

Their parents came home after the kids were put to bed. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning discussing random items with my brother. As I laid my head down last night I realized, there really might be a fairy god mother out there somewhere who turned a random Friday night into Disneyworld meets Dr. Phil for this gal.

******** ******************

Now, I sit here in my empty apartment and this space I have designed. Created really. It’s quiet.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh

I glance at the costume I will drape across my hips and around my shoulders in a few hours. It’s hung neatly on the laundry room door. I can’t help but think, shouldn’t there be more . . . AHEM.

Material?

Suppose this is the one night a year a gal can get away with such. Hoing out for Halloween that is.

As Ronda says, “Oh wells.”

Game on.

Sunday afternoon I sat dangling my feet 6 inches above the ground while listening to the guys scrap of football, vacations, and various cities. We were eating lunch and wrapping up the weekends details when suddenly I realized heartache was all around me. On either side were men who had just ended relationships. Year long relationships. Another man of the group was carrying on and on about “his woman”. Of course, she doesn’t exist yet, but the way he would pamper her was illustrated during one long tirade. I had enough and finally said, “I’m either going to kiss you or cry.” A moan spread across the table as I had already told them of my wretched morning.

Earlier that morning I lost it. I sat on my couch and released every ounce of emotion my body held. Blowing my nose and wiping my tears as my shoulders shook. I solemnly swore to never watch Love Actually again. EVER. Unless of course it’s pouring rain and am suffering from the flu. That would be cause to unleash the flood gates. But why did I have such emotion on a day when the sun was shining and the weather was next to perfect? I needed backup and called Soleil,

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
She responded in a way only Soleil can. Her remarks are always insightful, genuine, and sarcastic.
“I don’t know Dude, sometimes you just need to cry.”
“Not like this. Wanna come over and hang out and watch t.v.”

Any sane person would not put themselves in the same room with a crying female. She jabbed back right on cue,

“Uh. No. I’m tired. Think I will just stay right here until we go to dinner tonight. Hey Henry! (Her cat) Awe crud. Let me call you back.”

I picked myself up, blew my nose, and wiped the tears. I had enough emotion for the day but still needed the comfort of friends. I was pretty damn needy. I called Manfred and made plans to meet up for what has become a Sunday ritual.

No need to worry, I didn’t cry again. But it did make me think about both relationships, my previous ones, and an issue bigger than my fear of heights. One friend had been dating the same girl for several years, the other for a year. In the last year(s) or so – they have grown apart. How does that happen? How does a couple go from walking into a room, seeing their partner, and getting that ‘I want to jump their bones feeling’ to nothing? Suddenly they become any random person in a bar. The “Yeah they are cute but,” How does that happen? Do people actually grow apart? If one progresses faster than the other does that mean the relationship is doomed? Or is it simply not being on the same track? How easy it is to mistake temporary for permanent.

Upon meeting someone and finding likeness you share interests, middle ground, and ideally your own interests. What happens between the relationship giddiness and the following years? How do you keep that alive?

My parents have been married for 37 years and all my siblings are married. (Happy almost 10 yr. anniversary Nate and Tara) Not to say it’s been peaches and roses during the course of my folk’s marriage, it’s been real love. Yelling, Screaming, rude and inappropriate remarks but at the end of the day they push each other into being a better person and fulfilling the dreams that are mentioned only after the kids are put to bed. My point is, it’s easy to grow apart and lose what you love about that person. I’ve feared this for as long as I can remember which makes relationships some what easy for me. It’s easy to push someone away and harder to work on it. Through my own insecurities I’ve become pretty darn good at it.

But that’s another day and for another post.

I’ve also just booked a plane ticket for someplace that before Sunday I never thought of going to. But when Manfred said why don’t you go with John and I. Well, getting out of town sounds like pretty fabulous idea. So next weekend I’ll board a plane for the second largest metropolitan area in the world.

Mexico city.

I’ve been tagged by Plantation. Oy.

The rules: list five songs that you are currently LOVIN’. it doesn’t matter what genre they’re from, whether they have words, or even if they’re any good, but they must be songs that you’re really enjoying right now. post these instructions, the artists and the songs in your blog, then tag five other blogger friends to see what they’re listening to.

Camera by Spoon – it’s a funky pop beat that’s loads of fun.
Go ahead and down load it.

Lump – Presidents of U.S.A. –An older song but the song still cracks me up. It’s hilarious.

lump sat alone in a boggy marsh
totally motionless except for her heart
mud flowed up into lump’s pyjammas
she totally confused all the passing piranhas
she’s lump she’s lump
she’s in my head
she’s lump she’s lump she’s lump
she might be dead
lump lingered last in line for brains
and the ones she got were sorta rotten and insane
small thing’s so sad that birds could land
is lump fast asleep or rockin’ out with the band

All These Things I’ve Done – The Killers – This one needs no explanation.

If Your Gonna - by Natasha Bedingfield – If your gonna do something, do it well.

If God Made You – by Five for Fighting
It’s a beautiful song. I think about the many wonderful friends I have when I hear this song. I need them like I need a thumb.

(I might not let Ronda leave – life is easier to take when that gal’s around)

I’m lazy and tagging anyone who wants to play along. That’s you.

Mayor Bill White has declared this a no socks weekend.

Anyone else find this absolutely silly?

Oh well - I needed to get a fresh pedicure anyway.

“You know I am closer to you than any other woman.”
“Perhaps, when you sent this. Now, you are sitting six feet away and there is a brunette six inches from you.”

My coworker was deriving his entertainment from throwing popcorn kernels at me pestering like a growth I was trying to ignore. We were stranded at a medical conference working the booth Wednesday. We were bored and trying to ignore talks of insurance adjustments, new starke laws, medical coding, and stipends. I sat in the back of the ball room scrolling through my phone emailing and text messaging my friends begging them to entertain me before I lost all signs of life. I scrolled through the previous days emails ensuring I had answered all questions from the engineers. Those guys, so detailed oriented. It was then I noticed a text message that made my stomach lurch. From Soleil . . .and I stopped right there. HUH.

What did I . . . do?

Now?

Crud.

The text message was from Tuesday afternoon, I missed it entirely. I swept right past it ignoring the significance and never opening the mail symbol.

“After last night, you deserve an academy award.”

Huh?

“Soleil, I just saw this. Oh no! What did I do now?”

What story would be passed around the group of friends? How many times would they ask me, “Do you mind if I tell this story?”

She responded, “You were hilarious. You played drunk girl and fell down to rescue Jackie from someone.”

“Oh. That’s how I got those bruises. After dancing last night I woke up with my back aching. I felt like I was sliding down a pole all night.”

Her response, “That’s hilarious. But, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Suppose it’s nice to know if this day job thing doesn’t work out, a gal has options.

Get ready Chicago -

Amidst the crowd I leaned over and whispered in his ear,

“I’ve learned my lesson with musicians and athletes.”

He knew I was and turned to me responding,

“And doctors and lawyers?”

“Yeah, them too. Don’t count on them. I mean, they build you up and take you to the point of exhaustion all the while toying with your emotions.”

Tuesday evening’s plans were set in stone. It was to be the last time we ventured out to watch a game this week. I was dolled up in new jeans from Sunday’s shopping binge with Kristina and Ronda. And had just stripped in the bathroom. Ripping off a blue shirt replacing it with a shirt Kristina’s date had specially made for her and I. It’s a baby T with an Astro’s star and “H” on the front. The back of the shirt says

2 TICKETS TO THE ASTRO’S GAME: $150.00

2 BEERS AND A HOT DOG : $22.00

A RALLY TOWEL: $10.00

PARKING: $25.00

MAKING IT TO THE WORLD SERIES: PRICELESS

First the Eagles and now the Astro’s?

Gentlemen, I’m waiting.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Speaking of gentlemen. If you are going to apolagize to a girl you’re dating. Don’t do it in a text message. Pick up the phone.

This one, I’ll tell you. But not now. It will have to be later. Tomorrow’s shirt isn’t going to iron itself.

Sorry about that. The man who made me cry apolagized and I am feeling much better now.