O-L-D or is it Adjusting to 40?

Getting older, on the vanity side, sucks. Getting older on my narcasisstic side, sucks. In two and a half years the change in aging has been remarkable and I feel that it needs acceptance and change in management. Getting older (aka hitting 40) for me means you have great fun, a great family, great ability to give a shit about what you think matters, and to have the lucky fortune to indulge most whims without financial worry. I thank the heavens and the Buddah for that. But with the passing of my younger days, I miss the ability to have supple skin, thin arms, nap time, and the lacking responsibility which allowed for trips to the NYC at 2:00 after a round of tennis and a spinny disposition on a fine June afternoon. I miss this and love the new version of living but do miss the younger days. Its a strange hypocracy. I love the new 40 situation and I miss the pre-40 situations. Here is what 40 is bringing for the rest of the month of June and I love it. Sleeping Bear Family Picnic with Denise and Tom Art Fairs Sleeping Bear Camping, hiking, and exploring. Bring it.

Summertime.

Summertime brings out a different neurosis in me... go figure. I stress quite happily about "how to fit it all in". I mean, shoot, this weekend has a 5K, a visit from family, and an Old Town Arts Fair. How do we make it all happen and make it to the Daley Plaza farmers market, make my pants fit again, see the lake and enjoy the first day of Blues Fest! Holy moly, the sky's the limit. More like naptime is the limit. I can take that. I think that the summer day of June tomorrow looks a whole lot like this and I couldn't be more pleased: A ride to the Plaza A farmer's Market A Blues song and home. Friday will be the 5K Saturday will be the trip down to the Arts Fair, no matter what. Mark and Jen and Jupiter and Asa can get up and join us stat. We'll hopefully be there when the gates open and home in time for nap. You see, its been a few years and I am dying to make it this year. Dying, I tell ya, dying. Other reasons I love summertime is the afternoon nap, bedtime yoga, the night out with my sister on a work day, bloggoing at 9:36, ranting and raving about how to fit it all in, thikning of pools, swimming, lakes and warm hot humid weather. Bring it but bring it slowly! By summer's end here is what I would love to have experienced: Vacation to great places Morning bike rides to the gym Slow walks with Bup Cubs game Festivals- Old Town Arts, Old Town School of Music, Fat Tire Early afternoon grant park concerts Camping Nature, nature, nature Gallery walks BBQs with good folks and friends Dance classes 15 pounds removed Farmers Markets Mosaics and gardening

Hilarious Statements Made Everyday.

There are many a good line. I love when a good line becomes part of everyday vernacular. You know, when you use the line seriously, and don't realize what you said until it flies out of your mouth, sits in the air for a millisecond and then you start cracking up. You laugh because you've used a line as a statement of normalcy. This evening, trying to load my PM yoga CD it continues to spin, spin, whir, whir. There is no PM yoga disk this evening as it cannot be read. I eject the disc, blow on it, and announce, "Well I guess I better put this in the toliet." You see, about ten lovely years ago, Otis of Mr. Phipps' class explained that CD's can be made to run like new again if you just set them in the toliet down in the bottom round part, press flush, let the water swirl, and dry. Presto- your disc will work! I think I am going to go try it right now.

Lost Man.

I sleep somewhat occasionally. By this I mean, it is rare that I sleep at any substantial length. It's even rarer that I fall deep asleep. This has been a two year recent development. So when I do fall asleep deep and at a great length, it really is remarkable. Last night was one of those nights. Dreaming deep into slumber my mind took me to the bluest of skies and the whitest of cottony clouds. The view was tremendous and had snow capped mountian peaks. It was one of my favorite places on Earth- Lost Main Trail outside of Aspen. I love this hike. I love the views. I love its beauty. While dreaming of such heaven, the clock hits about 3 am and suddenly my dremy hike is interrupted by the most vicious Charlie horse ever known to man! Oh my god, I yelled in my dream. Turns out I yelled it out loud 'cause next thing I knew Noah was sitting up rubbing my calf as I kept yelping- Charlie Horse, Charlie Horse. Hmm... wonder how hiking will turn out this year. Now, can't wait to go to sleep and find myself this time at Oh Be Joyful and waking up to a fine a Charlie Horse in the other calf. Going to the Motherland, as I call the great state of Colorado, is worth any cramped up leg either real or imagined. Bring it! 53 Days and Counting.

Cubs in the Rain.

Lists are fun. I make one here. Why I love Wrigley Field: 1. Only in America, can people wear a $15 garbage bag imprinted with a CUBS logo as a rain gear fashion statement. 2. The guy sitting next to the hipsters spits tobacco while wearing a deer hunting jackets as the other free hand is holding both a hotdog and a beer. 3. The fact that the local news anchor led the seventh inning stretch. 4. Onions rolling out of a crank handle dispenser. 5. The green green green field 6. Lastly, the delicious smell of Lake Michigan mixed with sauerkraut hotdogs and diesel fuel from the streets below. Love it.

Omas

Today and last night, Oma was here. For those of you not on the German language proficiency chart, stage 2- Oma stands for Grandmas. Grandmas are special folks, Grandpas, too. But this post is about Omas. Omas do funny things. Somehow they are totally awesome just because they sit in a chair with a beautiful mountain view behind them and draw and play rounds and rounds of Snecke (that's snail for those of you on stage 2) and moan, "Oh veh" when they get up. They are also so totally awesome because they make chocolate chip cookies out of margarine and take you to Sears for dresses. As mothertimes are on me and us, I realize that Oma's are more of that. They are the weird connection to Mommy. What Mommy is in many ways is what Oma is too, in her wiser ways. I suppose it is like aged cheese, wine, or whiskey in a barrel. It is great if its Kraft from the plastic bag, great if it comes from TJ's and costs five bucks, and its still great if it is Wild Turkey. However, it gets more smooth and calming if its Swiss from the German Alps, aged wine that Uncle Tom picked out, and a much more smooth version of the Turkey- Knob Creek. I guess what I am saying is that I wonder if little people sense that the Oma is so many of the things you love about Mommy just without the management. You know- the redirection part. Natalia's Oma is awesome on so many levels but she is awesome from this visit because she leaves secret surprises for us to find upstairs, she teaches words like entschuldigung, and brings a whole lotta love and caring to any dance session. That's what I am thinking about this evening and also a great kid quote. I wonder if Oma's all across the land feel the same way? One student today said that she did not want to find the answers on the world wide web, aka the internet, because she wanted to do the assignment on her own. Her exact comment was, "No, I don't really like it. I like to think for myself!" Amen, sister.

The theme is: TIRES

It seems car themes put me on the world wide web, at third place. Google- raccoon tails and Little Brick-e here is third in the running. So to keep my newest fans in the loop, I will address tires this evening. When you think of changing things, we often think of things like paint colors, location, occupations.. aging. With two months into this new decade I realize tires are a topic on my mind. I thank my honest good friend today to honestly tell me that there is a sort of band aka Tire hiding in my tank top just above my rocking hippie jeans. Maybe at 40, they aren't that rocking anymore. Hmm. I felt something there, but thought... nah, can't be. But it is.. a tire. Oddly enough, on the way home from the gym this evening the sensor light goes to flickering on my dashboard. It's this funny little picture of a car, glowing with a tire shining brightly. Page 57 in the Owner's Manual said that this little icon tells the driver that they must attend to their tires. I guess its true what the Honda Dealer said when I bought the car, "Look I wouldn't lie to ya!". So there you go. I give it all a big thumbs up as Natalia did for the first time this morning. Big thumbs up for tires and day two of no sugar!