I've been lucky enough to move around some and do some traveling. I grew up in Maine, lived in Washington, D.C. for the better part of my 20s and moved to California, where I have lived ever since, on a whim when I was 27. There were things I loved about each of these places and things I never got used to. I think my time in these places and the people I knew when I lived in them have, in part, defined who I am now. I am grateful for my experiences. In the next series of blogs, I'm going to tell you a little about each of these places from my perspective. It might give some of you a better understanding of who I am. It might just be an interesting read and a look into a place you've never been. And so it begins...
I remember growing up in a time less complicated. We were safe. We played outside until the street lights came on. Atari was a luxury and we were allowed less than hour a day to play it (and not every day - that stuff will rot your brain for goodness sake!). We never played it during the day. We were busy!! We ate breakfast and then were off to knock on doors and collect our friends. When our parents needed us, they stood on the porch and hollered our names (and we came running). My childhood consisted of sledding on the hill in our backyard, picking berries and rhubarb and eating them before they were washed, playing games of football and kickball in the street in front of our house with the other neighbor kids. We never worried about cars. They worried about us. People were kind and we lived slowly. We rode our bikes and swam in the Saco River (pronounced RIVAH) all summer long. We spent time "upta" camp! Swimming in the lake and enjoying times with our parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles.
As we got older, our interests changed. We played sports to keep us busy and active after school, were in the drama club to inspire our imaginations, attended football games EVERY Friday (rain or shine, ice or snow). We hung out with our friends in places we shouldn't have been and our parents would have lost their damn minds "if they only knew." We had JOBS! If you wanted to drive a car or have your own, you had to earn money to pay for gas. It taught us the value of a dollar. It taught us that we had to WORK for the things we wanted. The world did not owe us anything.
I loved the seasons in Maine. Yes, even winter! I loved watching snow fall and praying for snow days. I loved sledding and skiing and skating. I loved hot chocolate and the smell of the fireplace...or a wood stove...a big old cast iron wood stove!
Summers were hot and spring brought allergies, but FALL, OH BEAUTIFUL fall. We lived for fall. There is not a sight more beautiful than fall in New England. The gorgeous golds and reds. The brisk but not cold weather. Sweatahhhh weather! The leaves falling. Jumping in piles of leaves we spent hours raking. Happy, gorgeous fall.
New Englanders are abrasive at times. We call 'em how we see 'em. We are honest. If you want to know the truth...ask us. If you want someone to blow smoke up your ass...ask someone else. It's cold in Maine 50% of the year. We're grumpy. We don't have time to coddle you!!! Our friends are our family. Don't mess with them or you'll deal with ALL of us. We are fiercely loyal. Loyal like puppies. We won't lie to you and we won't let anyone hurt you if we can help it. My girlfriends from Maine are my sisters. I am still friends with the same people I was friends with in second grade. Distance doesn't change that. We don't need to speak every day to know we love each other. If we don't speak for months, we pick up right where we left off. I am connected to these people. Our hearts and mouths speak the same language.
New Englanders LOVE their sports teams! We are Red Sox Nation! The Patriots, the Celtics and the Bruins...GOOOOOOO TEAM!!! Not all of my friends from New England are Pats or Red Sox fans (they lost their way but I forgive them)...but whoever they root for...they root hard!! We defend our sports teams... sometimes with ridiculous arguments...but our teams are WICKED good and our loyalty kicks in when we feel they need defending! I have the MLB, NBA and NFL packages at my house. I see as many Red Sox, Celtics and Pats games as I can. I may not live in New England anymore...but these teams NEED my support!!!
We love our parents and our siblings. We value these connections. I haven't lived in Maine in almost 20 years and I still talk to my Mum daily and usually more than once. You don't? This makes no sense to me. I'm not judging you for it. I just don't understand it.
I grew up in Maine. Maine is where my family is. It is where many of my closest friends still reside. These are the people who "get" me in a way that others do not. I miss Maine and if I thought I could make a good living there, and could convince my husband that winter doesn't actually equal DEATH, I would move back in a heartbeat. I cherish the memories of my childhood and revisit them often. Ahhhh, Maine...the way life should be. I love Maine and the people from Maine. Part of my heart will always live there.
FOR THOUGHT: Where does your heart live? Who are the people that understand things about you that others can't? Do you cherish the memories of your childhood or did you always pray you'd some day escape them?
About Me
- CaliMishell
- San Diego, CA, United States
- Wanna be nerdy writer girl calling it how I see it.
January 30, 2011
January 25, 2011
Random Stupid
The following is a description of my last few attempts at blogging:
Think, think, think. Think some more. Write a few sentences. Delete same. Rethink, rethink, rethink. Write a few more sentences. Agonize over said sentences. Delete said sentences. Begin process again.
I may bore all of you to tears with the next few blogs because I have determined I just need to write instead of worrying about whether what I'm writing has any entertainment value. My hope is that the entertainment value will be there if I just get a few paragraphs out. I hope you won't all flee and "unsubscribe", but I would completely understand if you did.
Tonight I've decided to write about an example of the "random stupid" I deal with every day. I've gotta tell ya, most days this list is long. VERY long. Some days, I'm convinced that the problem must be me. Am I extremely judgmental? Do I think I'm smarter than other people? I don't THINK that I think I'm smarter, but there has to be an explanation for why I'm surrounded by so much stupid. This can't be normal.
A prime example: Today I received an invoice from one of my vendors. A uniform vendor that shall remain nameless. For the purposes of this blog, and in keeping with my theme, we'll refer to this company as Deficient Unintelligent Morons Bestowing Astonishingly Shitty Service, Inc., or "DUMBASS".
Let me provide you with a little background about the relationship between DUMBASS and me. I spent the better part of last year negotiating a new contract with DUMBASS. The goal: To put some of the staff in new, safer uniforms and to lower the price of the contract. Promises were made. Promises were broken. On several occasions, the insanity of it all almost made my head explode. I mean we are talking about a contract for which we pay less than $50 a week. They could get the shirt I wanted for the staff, and then they couldn't. Well they could but only in long sleeve and not in 100% cotton. Over and over I asked, who CAN get me the one I want? Ultimately, and after more aggravation than I could ever express here, DUMBASS managed to get me what I was looking for and saved me a little money in the process. It then took DUMBASS three friggin' months (in addition to the six months of negotiation) to get the uniforms to me in a condition I could sign off on!!
It was hard, but I promised myself I would give DUMBASS the benefit of the doubt in 2011. After all, this is a new and better year, they have a new District Manager and changes are abound! Sadly, I discovered today that DUMBASS is still DUMBASS.
Upon receipt of this week's invoice, I discovered that I was being charged an extra $46 this week. No explanation. Just a bunch of codes that mean absolutely nothing since the key to decipher these codes is not present on the invoice. After two emails and two phone calls, I finally got to speak to a customer service (I use this term VERY loosely) agent. Agent Nitwit (ok, she may have said Nicole, I honestly can't recall) proceeded to tell me that the charges represented the replacement of a pair of pants that were either damaged or lost and two jackets, size medium. I asked Agent Nitwit if she could tell me which staff member received these new garments and she gave me the name of a person who is not on our staff. She obviously had us confused with another account. Problem solved. Wrong answer! Agent Nitwit, on behalf of DUMBASS, proceeded to try to convince me that this person was on my staff and I must be mistaken. FACT: There are three people in my building that wear this particular uniform, all men, and I assure you that none of them are named Tammy. After 13 minutes of this ridiculous conversation, I asked her to transfer me to her boss, who was gone for the day (at 1:30pm).
I'm not convinced you can fix stupid, but tomorrow, I'm sure gonna try!
Think, think, think. Think some more. Write a few sentences. Delete same. Rethink, rethink, rethink. Write a few more sentences. Agonize over said sentences. Delete said sentences. Begin process again.
I may bore all of you to tears with the next few blogs because I have determined I just need to write instead of worrying about whether what I'm writing has any entertainment value. My hope is that the entertainment value will be there if I just get a few paragraphs out. I hope you won't all flee and "unsubscribe", but I would completely understand if you did.
Tonight I've decided to write about an example of the "random stupid" I deal with every day. I've gotta tell ya, most days this list is long. VERY long. Some days, I'm convinced that the problem must be me. Am I extremely judgmental? Do I think I'm smarter than other people? I don't THINK that I think I'm smarter, but there has to be an explanation for why I'm surrounded by so much stupid. This can't be normal.
A prime example: Today I received an invoice from one of my vendors. A uniform vendor that shall remain nameless. For the purposes of this blog, and in keeping with my theme, we'll refer to this company as Deficient Unintelligent Morons Bestowing Astonishingly Shitty Service, Inc., or "DUMBASS".
Let me provide you with a little background about the relationship between DUMBASS and me. I spent the better part of last year negotiating a new contract with DUMBASS. The goal: To put some of the staff in new, safer uniforms and to lower the price of the contract. Promises were made. Promises were broken. On several occasions, the insanity of it all almost made my head explode. I mean we are talking about a contract for which we pay less than $50 a week. They could get the shirt I wanted for the staff, and then they couldn't. Well they could but only in long sleeve and not in 100% cotton. Over and over I asked, who CAN get me the one I want? Ultimately, and after more aggravation than I could ever express here, DUMBASS managed to get me what I was looking for and saved me a little money in the process. It then took DUMBASS three friggin' months (in addition to the six months of negotiation) to get the uniforms to me in a condition I could sign off on!!
It was hard, but I promised myself I would give DUMBASS the benefit of the doubt in 2011. After all, this is a new and better year, they have a new District Manager and changes are abound! Sadly, I discovered today that DUMBASS is still DUMBASS.
Upon receipt of this week's invoice, I discovered that I was being charged an extra $46 this week. No explanation. Just a bunch of codes that mean absolutely nothing since the key to decipher these codes is not present on the invoice. After two emails and two phone calls, I finally got to speak to a customer service (I use this term VERY loosely) agent. Agent Nitwit (ok, she may have said Nicole, I honestly can't recall) proceeded to tell me that the charges represented the replacement of a pair of pants that were either damaged or lost and two jackets, size medium. I asked Agent Nitwit if she could tell me which staff member received these new garments and she gave me the name of a person who is not on our staff. She obviously had us confused with another account. Problem solved. Wrong answer! Agent Nitwit, on behalf of DUMBASS, proceeded to try to convince me that this person was on my staff and I must be mistaken. FACT: There are three people in my building that wear this particular uniform, all men, and I assure you that none of them are named Tammy. After 13 minutes of this ridiculous conversation, I asked her to transfer me to her boss, who was gone for the day (at 1:30pm).
I'm not convinced you can fix stupid, but tomorrow, I'm sure gonna try!
January 21, 2011
Chaaaa chaaa chaaa CHANGES!
My son is driving. I don’t know how it happened. I just woke up one day and there he stood, permit in hand, extra big cheesy grin, asking if there was “anywhere he could drive me.” Don’t get me wrong, I know we signed him up for driver’s education. I know he attended the classes. I even know my husband drove him to the DMV to take the test for his driver’s permit (Did I really agree to that?). I’m convinced I was in a fog when all of this happened.
When did he become a man who shaves, has an adult sense of humor and drives? My sweet boy, more sensitive than most, has become one of the guys. AUGH!
I overhear him and his friends talking. They are slightly vulgar yet still afraid to step too far over the line (at least when they are in each other’s homes and within ear shot of “the ‘rents”). The jokes about anatomy fly freely. The language is questionable but not outrageous. Hugs are rationed these days and, in his opinion, not required on a daily basis.
My son is a sophomore in high school this year and thinking about all of the “big stuff” he has to look forward to over the next few years overwhelms me. There will be girlfriends, unsupervised social functions, driving without a parent in the car, prom, graduation…THE NAVY, which he has determined is his best shot at his “lifelong dream” of living in Japan!! Japan? What? Does he know how far away that is?? Of course he does! Somebody pass the straight razor.
I know I’m lucky. He’s a good person who cares about other people and their feelings. He gets good grades. He stays out of trouble and makes me PROUD every day. My job here is done, right?! What if I don't want to quit this job? What if this is the job I want forever?? The job I never want to retire from.
I know we will always be his parents but he won’t always NEED us. Sadly, he won’t live at home forever. He won’t rely on us for shelter, sustenance and the almighty dollar. He will go away and make his own life, which he’ll include us in, but it won’t be the same. This is hard pill to swallow.
I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating this lately and it dawned on me that as he grows and changes, so does my life. We now go out with friends but don’t have to search for a babysitter, watch rated R movies when he’s in the room and we no longer feel the need to filter our language in front of the K. I. D.
Our future life will include, among other things, travel, more “adult” restaurants and quite possibly some dancing naked in the living room! That isn’t so bad, is it? I’m … kind of … dare I say …. hesitantly …. looking forward to it!
How do you get through times of change? Do you put the brakes on and try to wait it out? Do you roll with the punches? Keep your head up and move forward?
When did he become a man who shaves, has an adult sense of humor and drives? My sweet boy, more sensitive than most, has become one of the guys. AUGH!
I overhear him and his friends talking. They are slightly vulgar yet still afraid to step too far over the line (at least when they are in each other’s homes and within ear shot of “the ‘rents”). The jokes about anatomy fly freely. The language is questionable but not outrageous. Hugs are rationed these days and, in his opinion, not required on a daily basis.
My son is a sophomore in high school this year and thinking about all of the “big stuff” he has to look forward to over the next few years overwhelms me. There will be girlfriends, unsupervised social functions, driving without a parent in the car, prom, graduation…THE NAVY, which he has determined is his best shot at his “lifelong dream” of living in Japan!! Japan? What? Does he know how far away that is?? Of course he does! Somebody pass the straight razor.
I know I’m lucky. He’s a good person who cares about other people and their feelings. He gets good grades. He stays out of trouble and makes me PROUD every day. My job here is done, right?! What if I don't want to quit this job? What if this is the job I want forever?? The job I never want to retire from.
I know we will always be his parents but he won’t always NEED us. Sadly, he won’t live at home forever. He won’t rely on us for shelter, sustenance and the almighty dollar. He will go away and make his own life, which he’ll include us in, but it won’t be the same. This is hard pill to swallow.
I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating this lately and it dawned on me that as he grows and changes, so does my life. We now go out with friends but don’t have to search for a babysitter, watch rated R movies when he’s in the room and we no longer feel the need to filter our language in front of the K. I. D.
Our future life will include, among other things, travel, more “adult” restaurants and quite possibly some dancing naked in the living room! That isn’t so bad, is it? I’m … kind of … dare I say …. hesitantly …. looking forward to it!
How do you get through times of change? Do you put the brakes on and try to wait it out? Do you roll with the punches? Keep your head up and move forward?
January 19, 2011
5 THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE
There are many things I believe and many things I am almost certain of. Those things aside, these are the five things I know are true in my life:
1. The older I get, the smarter my parents are. Being a parent is hard. Knowing that everything you do and everything you say contributes to shaping the ideas and beliefs of another person is a responsibility nobody is EVER ready for. So we wing it. We make mistakes. We hope that when our kids are adults, they'll realize what we did when we had kids of our own: Our parents aren't nearly as dumb as we thought they were.
2. Marriage is hard work. It's rewarding in so many ways, but requires work on a daily basis. The fairy tale is just that: FICTIONAL. I love my husband and he is an exceptional man. The reality though is that we don't always speak the same language when we open our mouths. The good news is that our hearts always do.
3. There is nothing like a great girlfriend! I am one lucky chicklette. I have somehow managed to surround myself by THE MOST INCREDIBLE women. Women from all over the world. Women who have my back, are fiercely loyal, honest (brutally when necessary) and crazy as hell! God bless 'em. These women have set me straight, lifted me up and shared their experiences and failures. They have made me laugh and made me cry and made me laugh until I cried! They are my sisters and I would be lost without them. Girlfriends matter.
4. The Boston Red Sox are the greatest team in the history of baseball. Just trust me on this one, they are.
5. I tinkered with making this number 1: There should be law against men wearing skinny jeans. I shouldn't have to explain this, but I'm here, so I will: Skinny jeans are for girls. Small girls. Size 6 and below. If you are a man and you own a pair, get rid of them or prepare to be mocked. You look silly. No exceptions.
Care to add to the list? Tell me something you KNOW to be true.
1. The older I get, the smarter my parents are. Being a parent is hard. Knowing that everything you do and everything you say contributes to shaping the ideas and beliefs of another person is a responsibility nobody is EVER ready for. So we wing it. We make mistakes. We hope that when our kids are adults, they'll realize what we did when we had kids of our own: Our parents aren't nearly as dumb as we thought they were.
2. Marriage is hard work. It's rewarding in so many ways, but requires work on a daily basis. The fairy tale is just that: FICTIONAL. I love my husband and he is an exceptional man. The reality though is that we don't always speak the same language when we open our mouths. The good news is that our hearts always do.
3. There is nothing like a great girlfriend! I am one lucky chicklette. I have somehow managed to surround myself by THE MOST INCREDIBLE women. Women from all over the world. Women who have my back, are fiercely loyal, honest (brutally when necessary) and crazy as hell! God bless 'em. These women have set me straight, lifted me up and shared their experiences and failures. They have made me laugh and made me cry and made me laugh until I cried! They are my sisters and I would be lost without them. Girlfriends matter.
4. The Boston Red Sox are the greatest team in the history of baseball. Just trust me on this one, they are.
5. I tinkered with making this number 1: There should be law against men wearing skinny jeans. I shouldn't have to explain this, but I'm here, so I will: Skinny jeans are for girls. Small girls. Size 6 and below. If you are a man and you own a pair, get rid of them or prepare to be mocked. You look silly. No exceptions.
Care to add to the list? Tell me something you KNOW to be true.
January 18, 2011
Clearly, I know NOTHING
My friend Donna is witty and a writer. A real writer. My friend Amanda is witty and a blogger. My friend Rachel, an amazing blogger. I always wanted to be a writer but it just doesn't come naturally. I consider myself a witty individual. I make people laugh. I'm sarcastic. People are generally amused by my banter and I'm regarded as a good storyteller.
Which brings me to the point. Recently, Donna started blogging again and said something that made a lot of sense to me. She said (and this is my interpretation) "write about what you know." I thought, how hard can that be, right? I know some things. I read those words at least two weeks ago and haven't been able to think of a single thing to write. I used to think I knew some things. What is wrong with me? Seriously? I know nothing? This isn't possible. Alas, here I sit, writing about not having anything to write about!
I've decided that each week (at least once a week) I'm going to write about something. Anything. Today, I'm writing about not knowing what to write, but, maybe next week, the topic will be more interesting and someone might actually want to READ my blog!!!
2011 is the year of good health. 2011 is the year of fitness. 2011 is the year I become all of the things I dreamed of being (well, maybe not ALL...but some!). 2011 is the year I become the writer who lives deep inside of me. The one who wants to come out and play. The one who wants to entertain the masses...I'll start small. Maybe this week, I'll actually invite a few people to "view" my blog!
Which brings me to the point. Recently, Donna started blogging again and said something that made a lot of sense to me. She said (and this is my interpretation) "write about what you know." I thought, how hard can that be, right? I know some things. I read those words at least two weeks ago and haven't been able to think of a single thing to write. I used to think I knew some things. What is wrong with me? Seriously? I know nothing? This isn't possible. Alas, here I sit, writing about not having anything to write about!
I've decided that each week (at least once a week) I'm going to write about something. Anything. Today, I'm writing about not knowing what to write, but, maybe next week, the topic will be more interesting and someone might actually want to READ my blog!!!
2011 is the year of good health. 2011 is the year of fitness. 2011 is the year I become all of the things I dreamed of being (well, maybe not ALL...but some!). 2011 is the year I become the writer who lives deep inside of me. The one who wants to come out and play. The one who wants to entertain the masses...I'll start small. Maybe this week, I'll actually invite a few people to "view" my blog!
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