Do the Right Thing

I've always been a law abiding citizen. Well, mostly. I do follow my own set of rules from time to time but for the most part I adhere to the mores set forth by society. I have good judgement and know when it's OK to bend a rule here or there. I also know there are certain things you just don't do, especially if you can easily be caught. Take shoplifting for example. Years ago I may have thought nothing of sliding a Slim Jim up the sleeve of my shirt at 2am in a 7-11 but I'd never do such a thing now. I'm certainly more mature, have money to pay for munchies and wouldn't dream of eating a Slim Jim anyway, but mostly because the stakes are higher. I am a mother. I could never look my kids in the eye again. Then there's the humiliation in front of my peers, my friends, my family. What would my mother-in-law say?

Then there's technology to consider. Cameras are everywhere now. So much more so than in those old days when all you had to do was have a friend distract the cashier for a moment. Now there are cameras in the stores, parking lots and in every cell phone of every customer. Getting caught red-handed, I mean, in the act is so much more of a possibility. It would be on You Tube in minutes. Within five minutes there would be a Facebook page about it. Global humiliation. Not to mention the arrest.

That's why I was shocked, stunned really, Friday to watch a well dressed woman bolt out of the liquor store with a bottle in her Louis Vuitton purse. Before I even knew what I was doing I pointed at her and yelled to the cashier, "She's got a bottle in her purse. She just stole it!!!!!" I felt kind of like that smarmy kid in class who wrote your name on the board for talking when the teacher was out of the room. But I was so aghast I couldn't control myself. I followed the action into the parking lot. The clerk caught up with her at her car and took the wine from her and told her never to come back. I quickly flashed to a scene in a dusty town with the Sheriff running off the outlaw with a,"Don't come back, ya here?"

I asked what she said in response and the clerk told me she just started crying. "Poor thing," I thought. I really did feel badly for her. My friend Parker was with me and as we loaded my purchased booze into the car we pondered why she did it. Was she poor? Didn't seem to be. Well groomed, nice purse, drove a Highlander. Maybe she's an alcoholic and has no cash and can't charge it because her family will see it. Parker wished we could follow her to see what she would do next. I figured she would be long gone and was a little sorry for it. As I pulled to a stoplight Parker mentioned once more that he wished to follow her and lo and behold there was a Highlander pulling into a convenient getaway spot in the CVS parking lot! We had her.

Unfortunately the light was red. I was really wishing I had a siren and one of those Starsky and Hutch police lights I could throw on the roof to cruise through and nab the perp. However, I waited until it turned green and drove the posted speed limit, used my turn signal, and parked in a marked parking space. Parker wanted me to park her in but that would have blocked the drive-thru lane and I couldn't do such a thing even in the name of justice. I had no authorization.

We ran into the store and quickly made our way from aisle to aisle searching for the woman in the black and white top. And there she was in the pain relief aisle. Parker went to scout out what she was up to as I informed the store personnel. As the clerk called the manager who announced for security to scan all aisles Parker followed the lady around the store. She was carrying 8 bottles of Motrin PM and two boxes of Crest White Strips. I guess if you drink enough Motrin PM it could wreak havoc on your smile. Parker continued to follow her periodically updating us as to her behavior: walking erratically, putting the items in her purse, running out the door. The crack CVS staff did nothing to stop her. It seemed as though they really didn't care. But not to worry. Parker and Bebe were on the case. We ran out after her as she was pulling out of the parking lot. I think she's a pro. She knew just what she was doing. The look of surprise on her face as Parker ran after her was priceless. I don't think she thought we'd follow. Parker got the license number from her car and we went back inside.

Now, I didn't expect to be greeted as heros but when we told them we got her license number and the make of the car they didn't seem to care. The clerk reluctantly wrote down the information and shrugged mumbling something about maybe filing a police report.

For the second time in 15 minutes I was stunned. Really? You're doing nothing? I was so disappointed. I felt we had really done a good job tracking her and telling on her. But no one cared. We considered calling the police ourselves but chose not to. I'm not sure why and in hindsight it may have been a really good idea to call. This woman is obviously suffering in some way. Why else would she steal a magnum of Yellowtail Chardonnay one minute and Ibuprofin and teeth bleach the next? Then I started to feel guilty. Not for telling on her and following her but for not approaching her and calling her out and then asking if she needed help. Maybe she wanted to get caught. Maybe she needs attention because her kids are grown and her husband left her and she feels lonely. Maybe she's off her medication. Maybe she has some serious debt and is really desperate.

I'm a little disappointed in myself for realizing too late I may have been able to do something to help her. I was way too caught up in the chase living out a real life cops and robbers game from my youth. But maybe that's just it. The thrill was what it was all about for her. It certainly was for Parker and me. I can imagine the story she's telling her cronies or those at her shoplifter's support group, "... and then he came out of the store to get my license number! I almost hit another car trying to get away from him!" And as she finishes the story she chuckles and basks in the memory of it and how it made her feel.

So the next time I have a glass of Chardonnay I'll be sure to think about her and wonder what she's up to. I wonder if the next time she's in a store contemplating taking something without paying if she'll think about me.

The Ugly Side of Spring

I am sick of Winter. I am tired of wind. I am tired of rain. I want it to be warm. I long for flip flop weather. As the days have been warming ever so slightly I've walked a little more slowly to the car, dawdled while getting the mail or taking out the trash. I've noticed some things I wouldn't take the time to see if it were cold. The hyacinths are poking their way through the mulch. Snowdrops have bloomed in the back yard. The spring birds have joined the winter birds and are singing louder.

While walking down the driveway to the mailbox today I noticed a naked snail slowly making its way. No. It was not a slug. It was a light brown snail, no shell. I do not usually fear bugs and creepy crawly things and I took the sighting as a positive move in the warm direction. It was pretty too though now that I really think about it. It was a very light brown and speckled with white with delicate antennae searching to and fro. I wondered where it was going and how it knew where to go. It made me happy to see yet another sign of the return of life that comes this time of year.

I didn't give it too much more thought as I headed to the street careful not to step in the bit of mud in front of the mailbox. Mud. There's a part of spring I could do without. I know, I know "April showers,...." blah, blah, blah. Of course I know rain is a good thing (country songs tell me that) but if only we could have less at once. Whenever there's a deluge a large mass of silt and mud is deposited at the bottom of the driveway. This debris settles into the treads of the kids' bike tires and shoes and inevitably shows up on the living room floor.

And then there's the walk to school. The path we take is through a yard, over a foot bridge and through a grassy plot. The path is muddy on a good day. After a rain it's down right Woodstock material. Slippery slopes and squishy puddles make a mess of shoes and hems along the way. You'd think the remaining walk along the street would work the mud out of the shoe treads but that doesn't happen. And again, more mud makes it's way inside no matter how many times I say, "Wipe your feet. Take off your shoes."

They do take off their shoes after wiping their feet but there's still mud there. Mud that will dry overnight. Mud that becomes a fine dirt that will fall from the shoe the next morning as the final step of the morning rush commences: putting on the shoes. For some reason it seems that it rains most when the house has just been cleaned and the shoes are hardest to put on the day after a muddy walk. Feet must be pounded into the shoes to get them on just right shaking that now dried mud into a pile on the freshly mopped floor.

The cats play a part in the ugliness of spring too. Monday was a mild day. The cats who usually spend their winter days curled up somewhere warm inside were itching to get outside. I saw Tiger doing what I thought was frolicking on the deck. Later as I opened the back door to check the temperature I was greeted by a sight I haven't seen since fall. Feathers. Lots of them sprinkled here and there and all over the welcome mat. Not so welcoming if you ask me. I realized now the frolicking I'd seen earlier wasn't a cat's dance to welcome the return of spring. Instead it was pouncing and chasing. Poor bird.

Not to be outdone was Jerry on the front porch. I found him later that afternoon licking his chops, a stray gray feather on his head. And more feathers by the door, under the chair and table. And right by the welcome mat a bird wing and a blood stain sat as a warning to other birds who might come calling. I reached for the broom cursing under my breath as tiny feathers escaped my sweeping and drifted under the storm door, into the house, onto the freshly mopped floor. Ugh. Gross.

Like all things in life, good comes with bad. So I guess if I have to suffer through mud and dead bird clean-up to get to wear my flip flops that is just the way it will have to be. Maybe I should instead embrace the ugliness. Rejoice that this is all I have to worry about today. My house is still standing. My family is safe. I'm not picking through rubble in search of survivors. I haven't lost everything I own. I'm not worried about radiation levels. Next time it rains I think we'll all put on our rain boots and go puddle jumping. Splash right in the biggest mud puddle we can find. Feel blessed that Mother Nature has chosen to be kind to us with a rain storm that will renew life rather than a calamity to rob us of everything. Marvel at the wonder of trees turning green. Listen to the sound of a giggle in the rain. Smell the freshness of the air after a storm. Remember all that we have and how precious it all is. Thankful for the ugliness of Spring.

Treme: Homefront Log; The Early Days, Day 8

This morning Colson was already finished eating breakfast and on his way to brush teeth before I could even get downstairs. He had also already read 15 minutes before he woke up. The kid is truly a morning person. Bella on the other hand, slept until a very reasonable 7:30 again. She had a much better day today. I think she is finally caught up on her sleep.

We had a full car on the way to school this morning. I drove the girls so Siri wouldn't have to leave with sick Bitty. She looks much better. Her strep test was positive. She should be able to go back to school tomorrow though since she's been on the meds since last night. Fortunately no one else has gotten it. Brigid was home sick yesterday but she is better today - hers was not flu or strep - something she ate she thinks. Yikes.

I took down the Halloween decorations after my run this morning. Then I blew the leaves almost into a pile. There are so many! Dave did the way back today with the rider. Thank goodness I don't have to do that. I think I'll save the raking for Saturday after soccer and try to get the kids to join in - they dried and put away dinner dishes tonight, so I should probably cajole them into raking.

I took Dan, Krista and Ben out to lunch at Dukem today. It was so good. I was thoroughly stuffed too. They all had never had Ethiopian before and the all liked it. It's so close to Ben's apartment - only a 3 block walk. He's glad to have a good restaurant so close. Krista is very lovely. Her Aussie accent is slight but still sounds cool. Dan seems quite smitten. They may come with us to DC on Friday if we decide to go. Gran is planning a crab feast for Sunday for Dan. Krista has never had steamed crabs before so it should be interesting for her.

After school the kids did their homework and opted for a little Paul Blart, so I made dinner and we ate in front of the TV. Then it was time for a rousing game of Sorry. Bella won by getting a "1" card and said "Booya" as she moved her last piece into the home spot. She cracks me up.

Colson lost interest in the World Series since the Yankees were winning so he went up to read. I went up at 10 and he was still awake. Hopefully he'll sleep in a little tomorrow. We'll see.

Bella's got some news for you in the morning. See you then. I love you.

Treme: Homefront Log; The Early Days, Day 7

This morning I was awakened at 6:30 by the sound of a metal spoon scraping the last bits of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios from the bowl Colson was having for breakfast. Daylight savings time has made this kids quite the early riser. I decided to join him downstairs, leaving Bella snuggled in our bed (when she came in during the night I have no idea). The beauty of getting up so early is that there's so much more time and the morning is that much more relaxed. I was finished making lunches by 7:00 am. Bella eventually woke up and joined us. I wanted her to sleep in though. She's been up late a few nights and been so weepy. Hopefully a few good nights' rest will help. I intended to begin a new work out routine after dropping the kids at school but I really wanted to get the kids' rooms cleaned first. Bella's was actually the easier of the two this time. I had a light lunch then headed to Baltimore Research for a market research panel about LEGO board games. They are actually pretty cool. Unfortunately they are not yet available here. I think Colson would really enjoy some of them. They seem to be a little more boy oriented. There's one game where you have to build items and the other players must guess what you are attempting to build; kind of like Pictionary with LEGOs.

I grabbed some soup at Atwaters and vegged on the computer while eating it. I then tackled changing Colson's sheets. It took me 10 minutes to put new sheets on that bed. Boy, if we had the room I'd get rid of the loft bed just so I wouldn't have to climb up to change the sheets.

It was a really beautiful day today. Sorry to have spent so much of it indoors but I did get through all of the laundry.

When the kids got home from school they did homework and watched a little TV. I had a Corned beef in the crock pot all day so dinner was ready early and we were able to eat before Guitar lessons. Parker and Chris stopped by on their way home from a hike at Oregon Ridge. They had a little dinner with us and took a look at the lodge. They were impressed. I hope to have them over one evening to sit and enjoy it a little.

During guitar lessons Bella and I shopped around in the store. She played the pianos and sat and played drums on the kid-size drum set. She wants those drums so badly. I guess it's good we don't have the room for a drum set.

When we got home Bella had a little melt down over nothing and we talked about how to handle feeling sad that you are away. I hope it helps. I need to come up with some solutions for her to express how she is feeling rather than just skipping right to sobbing. After she calmed down we played a math game together. We chatted with Nana for a bit too. Bella went to bed and Colson and I played a game of Sorry before he went up to read. We've got to bring back pizza and game night - although perhaps we'll do sushi and game night since I can't eat pizza.

We'll, there's a load of dry laundry begging to be folded and a tub that wants me to soak for a while so I'll bid you goodnight. I love you and miss you. Have a great day tomorrow.

Treme: Homefront Log; The Early Days, Day 6

Colson popped out of bed and into the shower at 6:30 this morning. That kid just doesn't know the meaning of the words "sleep in". Bella wasn't too far behind. The morning was uneventful and according to plan. Bella did a nice job with her piano lessons and Colson built a hive dive for his mansion that touches the ceiling in the basement. We walked to school and it was pretty chilly. Bella thinks she's going to start wearing a hat and mittens. Perhaps if she wore a coat rather than a sweat shirt she may be a little warmer. I went for a 6 mile run after dropping them off. It felt great but I am beat. I am going to try a new routine tomorrow if I'm not in too much pain. I'll let you know how that goes.

I cleaned again (I seem to be doing that every day). The floors were trashed from Saturdays party since the rain made the leaves stick to everyone's shoes when they came in for the bathroom. So, I ran through with a mop and a vacuum. I still haven't gotten the bedrooms done but I hope that can be accomplished tomorrow. Bitty had a fever today so I went and sat with her while Siri took Liv to the doctor for her 2 month check up. She was up to 103 last time I saw her. I hope she's doing better. Siri's really nervous that she's getting the flu.

The girls walked home with us today since Bitty was sick. I think Bella liked that a lot. She wanted to play with them after homework but we needed to boogie to the airport to welcome Dan and Krista home. We picked Jimmy up at the house where he's been working and headed on down. We hit a little tunnel traffic so we didn't get to see them come through the gate. We met them at baggage claim. It was cool - we had quite a crowd. Merey, Richard, Sophie, Sue, Walter, Ben, Mitch, Mom, Shane, Finn, Ian, Me and Bella and Colson. Bella's favorite part was when Ben was swinging them around and spinning them on the floor. In fact, Bella said she was glad she didn't stay to play with the girls because she had so much fun with Ben.

We all went to dinner at a really bad restaurant in Catonsville. Well, the Barden's didn't join us, but every one else went. It was nice company, but the food was not so good. There weren't too many choices there for me either. Sue picked up the check which was very generous of her. All the kids sat at a table by themselves. It looked so strange to see a table of 5 kids and no adults. They behaved fairly well though. As we pulled into the driveway, Colson saw the Volvo and I think he thought you were home for a minute. He said he wished you were here. I agreed. They are going to be so psyched when you come home on the 13th.

Bella was so tired when we got home. She was asleep in no time. Colson watched a little of the World Series but decided to go read instead. He was happy that the Phillies were winning though. And I am now quite sleepy myself so I shall go to bed. I love you. Hope you had fun at the Saints' game.

Treme: Homefront Log; The Early Days, Day 5

I thought Colson might sleep in this morning but he woke up at the usual hour. It was nice though because instead of going down and getting his breakfast started, he snuggled in bed with me and we talked for about a half hour. It was such a treat to have him all to myself. We talked about trick or treating a little and we talked about school and friends. I will treasure that time.

We had some breakfast and I was putting off going outside to cleanup the aftermath. Joe said he'd come help after Church and Jen Stoner called to say she would come help soon. I went out and did trash patrol - 4 bags! Lots of stiemies. All in all though it wasn't too messy. I washed the dishes and Jen and Cindy showed up to take what they could. We loaded everything into the Lidard's wagon and they set off to deliver everything to the rightful owners.

The kids and I headed to Target to get a gift for Bella's friend Eva whose party was this afternoon. I guess the Mom's not much of a Raven's fan considering she scheduled the party for 1:00pm. I left Colson in the car so he could listen tot he game while I dropped Bella. He gave a pretty good summary of what had missed. We grabbed beverages at the Starbucks drive through and then hit SuperFresh to pick up some snack I could eat. Finally we got to the Sabo's. Jen, Glinda, Kerry and Cindy were there. Drew, Brigid and Emma showed up later. Bloodies were flowing but I held off until after I picked Bella up at 3:00. It's funny that when we pulled up to the house at the end of the first quarter they scored a field goal and when I pulled up to the house at the end of the third quarter, they scored another field goal. I was still a little nervous at that point about the game and said I'd like them to score another touchdown. And they did two plays later. That was nice of them to listen to me. The Sabo's TV is wounded and you can't see the top of the screen - so the score and timer were obscured. Colson and Matthew were TV snobs and decided to go to the Jahries house to finish watching the game. Colson got his arm stuck in the recliner while I was picking up Bella. They said he cried a bit about it but was OK. It must have been fine as he never mentioned it to me.

After the delicious win, we hit the hot tub in Glinda's yard. It was lovely. Brigid, Jen, Glinda, Cindy and I all soaked while Kerry watched. She didn't feel like walking all the way home to get her suit on! Typical Kerry.

After I dried off and Bella made arrangements with Kerry to party on a Saturday morning, we grabbed Colson and Matthew and headed to Gran's. Bella really liked Jane's dog. I was surprised though when she didn't bug me about getting one. I thought for sure that's all she would talk about. But she didn't say one word about it.

Sue brought some poster board and markers so we could all make signs for Dan's homecoming tomorrow. I translated Welcome home Dan and Krista into Korean and put that on my sign. Bella made one that said "Welcome home Dan. I Love you." Finn's said, "I thought you were never coming gome." The plan is to get as many of the family as possible to go to the airport tomorrow to hold the signs to welcome them. I think it will be Sue, Lilly, Walter, Ben, Mom, Merey, Sophie, Mitch and the kids and us. I think he'll like that very much. Can't wait to meet Krista. Sue thinks it's pretty serious with them. They are already planning on staying another year in Korea. They are both currently looking for jobs for when they get back.

OK, that's all. Gotta go soak. I love you and miss you more than Dairy and Eggs.

Treme: Homefront Log; The Early Days, Day 4

Halloween was a blast. The kids really had a great day. Bella crawled into bed with me and the first thing she said was, "Happy Halloween, Mommy!" She was very excited. Soccer was cancelled due to extremely muddy field conditions so it was nice to just laze around a little. We eventually got going and hit the grocery store. You'd think having two helpers would have made the trip a little easier, yet it seemed to take longer than usual. Could have been the constant Bella nagging but I can't say for sure. We saw Mrs. Corbo on the way into the store and saw Mrs. Dyer and baby in the store. The kids were thrilled. It was like rock star sighting.

We unloaded the groceries and the kids were a big help putting things away. I didn't even have to ask Colson to help. Wow! Bella helped but was more interested in putting the Halloween candy into the bowl.

I was hungry and in no mood to make lunch so we headed to Nordstrom Cafe. We had a great lunch and they were both so well behaved. They sat still and ate and colored their place mats. I almost hated to leave they were getting along so well. We rounded off our Hampton sightings on the way out when we saw Mrs. Kaiser lunching with her mom. We chatted for a minute with them, then were off. They told the story of seeing three teachers last night and today as well. They really got a kick out of it.

Next we headed to Lorenzo's and Alicia's house. Jr. Boom is getting quite large. He's very cute too. He showed his crawling skills a little but mostly played with toys. He was dressed as Yoda - very cute. They had cupcakes and cookies for the kids to decorate with icing and sprinkles. They loved that. Colson had about a pound of icing on his. We stayed for about an hour and had to get going as there was much to do to prepare for the evening.

We were going to get more pumpkins for carving but we all agreed time was running short and we probably would not have enough time to properly carve them. Oddly enough, I was not that disappointed about not carving a pumpkin. It typically is my favorite thing, but I just wasn't that into it. It's interesting to note that as we discussed not carving this year - we were not the only ones. A lot of folks said they just didn't feel like it. Strange.

Once we were home, the phone call flurry began. Suggestions were made and opinions were gathered as to where to hold the party. It was decided that the Lodge would be the safest bet as it had the best rain protection. So, I set into partial party mode. You should have seen me in my orange pashmina handling the leaf blower in style. Joe set up the pop up and Kerry arranged the furniture and we were all set. I had quite a few kids in the makeup chair this year. Bella wanted a horse shoe and USA on her cheek, Annaliese got spooky vampire makeup, I made up Emma Carter's face for her Hannah Montanna transformation, Bitty got whiskers and a pink nose. The party was in full swing by the time I got outside. The pork was delicious. That and the carrots were the only things I could eat but everything else looked great. The Lodge was full but not crowded and the couch can hold a good amount of people.

We headed out to trick or treat around 6:30. The kids were so excited. We got to Tenbury and the big kids broke off to go further while I stayed with the smaller ones. It began to ran soon after we turned around so we tried to pickup the pace a little. We got to Jack's house and everyone had some delicious cider. Jim took the hearse for a spin. We finished up at the Lopolito's house and decided to go see Gran who was hanging in the back yard. She of course had candy for all the kids. We realized that we missed the court so we took the kids over once the big kids got back. Bella was done at that point so i took her home while the older kids continued to the street with no name. They had a blast. The first thing Colson and Ben did when they got back was to weight their candy. Emma Carter had the most with 7 lbs.

The kids changed into PJ's and watched Paul Blart, Mall Cop. We were trying to arrange sleepovers but no one wanted to stay. Bella, Emma, Emma and Annaliese headed to the Carter's and didn't get to sleep until almost midnight. Colson was so jealous when he heard that.

Jim, Siri, Jen and I hung out for a while longer until there was no fire wood left. It was a realy fun night. We missed you.