Wednesdays Child is Full of Woe

I have spent the past several days realizing that I have a birthday that will arrive shortly and there is nothing I can do about it.

This birthday is distressing me. This one is painful.  I want all the things that come with the aging process.  I need to become wiser and to shed the last remnants of insecurities.  I want all this to happen while I remain youthful and healthy!

I do not want to be surprised by the reflection of a middle aged woman who slightly resembles me as I pass by windows in the Mall......realizing its ME.

Thus far I have survived drugs, alcohol, a horrific car accident, single parenthood,  early menopause, completing a mini-marathon, loosing friends, tumultuous relationships, and having my only child leave the nest and the tree!

And I have so much to look forward to.  Ireland and Italy.  Grand children.  As they say, having a birthday is better than the alternative.

Ash Wednesday

This has been the greatest week.  I received Trish's CD and have been listening to it all the time.  She is so very talented.

I found the first flowers of spring, some blue crocus.

Work is picking up dramatically and I seem to be poised to make my bonus for the quarter and have some sensational events lined up with Rupp Arena this summer. That was unexpected.

Saw Lost in Translation and it was great.

Joe and I went to the Mardi Gras parade last night and it was so colorful and so much fun.  Tried to take pictures with the digital camera, but it was too dark.

Joe surprised me with a gift!  Totally unexpected.  Blew me away.

My immediate boss was promoted to Department Head.  Harmony has been restored in my department.

Visited a museum that highlights the Lexington area.  Brought back many memories of the way things use to be. 

Been running outdoors getting ready for the first race of the Derby Triple Crown, the 5K.

Today I go to an Ash Wednesday service...and while I was thinking about which church to go to.....I realized it had to be Christ the King!  Because about 20 years ago while I attended the service, we were all in line to receive the ashes and as I turned and headed back to my seat I go past none other than Bruce Springsteen!   He was in town for a concert and like all good Catholic's, he was getting his ashes.

Who could I run into today....?

 

Dark Angel

Sometime in the mid-nineties I stumbled across the new county park located about 1 mile outside of town.  I was going to start running again after several years of retirement.  I could not believe my luck.  It was at one time a large farm, and now it was about 50 acres fenced off for our use.  There are rolling hills, a stream that passes through, a barn, beautiful fields that are filled with queen annes lace and honeysuckle, goldenrod and purple flowers in springtime.

I love it and have been running cross country there for years.  It was my secluded private joy.  Then the people began coming.  I had to learn to share. 

About four years ago I began to notice a black jeep that would pull up along side the service road, under the trees and just sit.  It was creepy.  I memorized the license plate just in case something happened.  The whole thing made me nervous.

After a while, he began to emerge from the jeep and do a series of jumping jacks,push-ups, and some fancy kung-fu moves. Finally he would run.

I began to expect him, and look for him.  I felt him a benevolent presence at the park, as if he were watching over things, keeping us safe.  I began to think of him as "The Dark Angel" because of his black sweat pants, black t-shirt, black jeep.

He stopped coming last year.  The park is totally over run now with dog walkers, nature strollers, and the whole highschool and middle school male and female cross country teams.  It has become crowded. 

He was there last night.  I smiled at him, I know his name is Glenn.  I felt safe again now that Dark Angel had returned.

How I became AlphaWoman

This is a great idea! 

A long long time ago, when I first met Joe we were watching Discovery channel together and it was an episode about queen bees or spiders or some such creepy animal.

The female kills the male after mating.  They were referring to the female as the alpha-female. Joe began calling me AlphaFemale.

Several months later, I quit my too pressure filled job and find another with the company I am with now.  For some reason I have a knack coming up with nicknames for people.  The person I replaced I began to call St. Serino (because all the customers were telling me what a wonderful guy he was, how he could move mountains etc.)  I was nick naming everyone (most the time behind their back, I was new you know). They decided I needed a nickname.

My immediate boss knows Joe, and we were together and Joe referred to me as Alphafemale....my boss got it wrong, and began referring to me as Alphawoman, and my other coworker woman, Alphawoman #2.  He calls us 1 and 2, "Where is Number 1?" or "Where are my Alpha's?"

Anyway, its funny and I like it.  So I choose it for one of my various screen names.

 

Where the Buffalo Roam

Had a quiet weekend.  Nice Valentines not doing much.  Watched UK get beat.  Took my Mom Valentine candy and flowers, my Aunt in Lexington the same thing.  Joe gave me the sweetest card and a set of weights......?  And I gave him the nicest card with the Winnie the Pooh quote (which I read in AOL-J land, but could not remember who later!) that goes, "If you live to be 100, I want to live to be 100 minus one day...." 

Then we went to Louisville to see Bridget, who had food poisoning late Saturday night!  Scott ended up having to call an ambulance to take her to the ER.  Poor baby.  She was recovered by Sunday, when we saw her. 

On the way to Louisville we went to Buffalo Crossing.  This is a relatively new place that is located in Shelby County way out in the country.  It is a cross between Cracker Barrel and Huber Farm. (those of you who live in Southern Indiana will know about Huber Farm).  It was so bitterly cold that we could not explore the outside exhibits.  On a warmer occasion we will take a trolley around the area and pet a buffalo! There is a huge outdoor fort for children to play in addition to a playground that is colossal!  A string of small log cabins surround the main building which appear to house arts and crafts plus souvenirs for sale.  We bypassed it all and headed into the main building for a late lunch.

The inside was set up like a Cracker Barrell....desgined and decorated by a taxidermist.  It was as repulsive as it was fascinating.  A bear and a cougar perched on a platform watching us eat.  On the opposite wall was a majestic twelve point buck.  The head and neck the size of half a large man!  Every part of the buffalo was sold, a skin for $1500, horns for $25, take home buffalo steak....$10.50.   

 The poor buffalo were even stuffed.  Good Lord.

The First Date

When I met Joe I was making a sales call on an account.  I was looking for someone else, but there he was.  Being the good sales person I am, I sat down to figure out if he was a "decision" maker.  Ended up finding out that we both had grown up in the same small town and the biggest shocker ever....we lived on the same street growing up!  Only he lived at the top of the hill, and I at the bottom!  He moved when he was 11.

 He called me the next day and asked me out.  I said "yes." We were to meet for lunch at a place called Shooters. At 1pm. I got there a little before 1pm.  I looked the place over, and no Joe.  I sat at the bar and waited...and waited...and waited.....?  How long do you give someone?  I really liked him, I liked the fact we had a very similar history, that we knew all the same people, that we were the same age....I like his voice, I thought he was nice....so I waited about 45 minutes.  I was crushed, so I left. I went back to work. 

When I got home there was a message on the machine. It was Joe.  It went something like this...."I am at the restaurant and you are not here.  I couldn't take it if you stood me up....."  When I called him back and explained how I waited for 45 minutes at 1pm...(maybe I had the wrong restaurant....I even went out in desperation and looked at the sign!)....Oh my gosh, the date was for 2pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I have never lived it down, and ever since I have to listen very very carefully. I'm certain it was 1pm.  Why?  Because if it was for 2pm I would have thought I would die waiting till 2 to eat.

 After that it was love...... 

Brazen Hussies.... Best Girl-pal Date

Every girl has been there.  You want to go out on the town but no man is readily available. So you get your friend to go with you.  Nine times out of ten, a girl friend. 

I have know Gayle since childhood.  She is my long time best buddy. We have a long history of going out and having fun together. She is my best Girl Pal Date.

One evening we went to the Terrace Lounge which was attached to the Eastland Bowling Alley.  Anyone living in the South will tell you, some of the best local music can be heard at the Bowling Alley.  And Lexington is no exception.  The band was "Breeding's Bunch".  They were a cross between Charlie Daniels and Lynard Skynard.  That band rocked the roof every night, except Monday and Sunday.  You had to get there early well before the set starts or you could not get a seat. If you waited much longer, and you could not get in.  It was not unusual to see a long line formed outside the entrance waiting.Our Studio 54. That was the scenario that fateful night when Gayle and I arrived.  " It will take us forever to get in!"  But we are quick thinkers and made our way to the front of the line."We have people in there holding a table! They are waiting for us."  Now the door man has heard this at least a million times, and then some.  Skeptical was his first name.  Yet, we were two pretty young things, so he warned us, "I'm letting you in, but I'm watching you!". 

So we rushed in and quickly scouted out a table with two guys sitting at it, apparently alone, or so we hoped. I made a beeline for them.  "May we share this table with you?".  They were totally taken by surprise, the last thing they expected to happen but what they hoped for!  They let us join them. 

Their names were Rudy (another Rudy) and Steve.  Why do I remember these names 25 years later...because Gayle and Steve were married six months later and will be celebrating their silver anniversary this August.

 That story is still alive and well.  I hear it every time we get together.  I think Steve is very grateful that he ran into two very brazen hussies that night so many years ago.