Recent History

I am not sure why writing has all of a sudden become so difficult. Perhaps I am doing too many things simultaneously to focus on anything at all. Perhaps I am having G.I. Josh withdrawals. Damn, it’s weird how you can get accustomed to having someone be far away and then they’re here and you get really attached all over.


Of course you probably know that my 19-year old son, Josh, flew in last week, stayed 8 days and now he’s gone again – up north to hang with his other family. This coming Sunday (10/22) he will depart for Germany, land there 10 hours later, and then live and work there for the next two years (provided he doesn’t have a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, *knock on wood*).

We had an awesome time while he was here. Just hanging out on the couch was cool. We did go out on Thursday night to Knott’s Scary Farm and I am not exaggerating when I say it scared the bejeebus out of me. But in a good way. I haven’t screamed that loudly or that much in years. It was very cathartic! I realized that it is usually inappropriate to scream at the top of our lungs. Maybe we’d all feel better if we just had a good scream occasionally. Maybe that’s what concerts and sports games are for. I usually reserve most of my screaming for when George Dubya is on the tele. But that isn’t the same thing, exactly.

Back to Knott’s. Remember when I talked about my car mysteriously speeding up/slowing down several weeks ago? It was a throttle problem. How do I know? On the way home from Knott’s Scary Farm, at 2:30 a.m. to be precise, my car’s check engine light and the traction control system light went on. I mean they lit up on my dashboard. Since it was 2:30 a.m. and it was just me and a sleeping Josh in the car, I didn’t think it wise to stop on the side of the freeway to check it out. So, I just kept driving. I decided that I was only going to stop if the car made me stop. I drove the final 20 miles home while saying a very sincere and earnest prayer that my car not stall until I got home.

It worked. I mean the car stalled when I came to a stop at my exit but I was able to restart it and I drove the rest of the way home without stopping. When I pulled into a parking spot at home, the engine died. After I woke up the next morning, I called roadside assistance, had the car towed to the dealership and six hours later picked up my shiny, clean, and now-running car. The throttle body had gone bad. That sounds like a show on Fox. When throttle bodies go bad! My car has a kick-ass warranty, thankfully, so I got my car back and my checking account is still intact.

Anyway. We generally just spent time together. I watched Josh multitask. A lot.

TV on? Check.
My Space on? Check.
Sony Play Station Portable (PSP), email and stereo all on?
Check. Check. and Check!

Either he as ADD or he is so freaking brilliant that he can simultaneously do five things at once. Or six, if he’s eating while all that other stuff is going on!

It’s amazing how much he’s grown up though. I am prouder than proud right now.

Of course, we dropped him off at the airport early on Sunday morning and I cried. And then later in the day, I cried some more. I know he'll be fine, but he's just so cute and sweet and fun to be around. We grew up together in a way so it's hard to watch him go so far away. I don't know when I'll get to see him again. Maybe I should start a fundraiser so I can fly to Germany for Christmas! Sounds like a plan! I only need 2000 people to chip in a dollar each. That should be easy, eh?