It's Sunday and it's a beautiful day, so I think I'm going to take the dog for a walk. I should be doing other, inside stuff. We're having the 8th grade parents over tonight from 5-7, so I really should be getting ready for that, but the sky is such a beautiful shade of blue without a cloud to be seen, so I think I'm heading outside. I wish I could go for a run. This is the kind of weather that I just love to run in, but there's something weird going on with my hip. I can bike for hours, but if I try to run for a few easy miles it really hurts. Don't know what that's all about, maybe bursitis? Yikes. That sounds like a really old person's problem.

Maybe I can run a couple of miles to see how it feels. I haven't run in a week.

I can't believe it's already Wednesday, and I haven't done any of the long list of things I needed to do this week. Well, I take that back, I did get three bat mitzvah gifts yesterday. I think that makes about 32 bat/bar mitzvah gifts that we have bought over the last year. We're at the end of the "season", since H is now in 8th grade, and most of her classmates are turning 14 now.
Since she's only "half" Jewish, we didn't do the bat mitzvah thing and I have to admit I am so relieved. Since she goes to a school that has a larger than normal percentage of Jewish kids, there are a LOT of b'nai mitzvah. (I'm not sure I'm using that correctly, I think it is the plural form of bar mitzvah). Don't get me wrong, I love the symbolism of it, and the kids work very hard and it is really touching to see them read hebrew and give their speeches, but after seeing them over and over again they start to all blend together. I do get teary eyed sometimes at the whole thing, but when I try to remember whose touched me the most, it's hard to remember. I loved the movie, "Keeping up with the Steins". It was a very cute movie about a kid having a bar mitzvah, and after the whole movie showed his parents trying to outdo the Steins' bar mitzvah, the kid cancelled it all (renting out Dodger Stadium, etc.) and had a cookout in the backyard with all his family, because that is what it should be all about...

TITANS WIN!!!

They looked really great tonight! Keith Bullock had 3 interceptions, and a smile as wide as his shoulders. It was a fantastic game. I love when the odds are against us...that's when they seem to really do their best. Vince Young had an awesome debut on MNF. I know it's early in the season, but I think having such a solid game on Monday night will make others take notice...

What a great weekend. It is a long drive, but it's worth it. The view from the balcony is really breathtaking. We face the west so the sunset behind the mountains and the lake right below is so beautiful. When I got there with the girls, J had the wine open, potatoes in the oven, salad made, and steak ready for the grill. We had a really nice dinner and then sat outside on the balcony to listen to the birds and tree frogs. Rosie was a little skittish...not sure where we were. Saturday we did a long hike around Lake Cardinal and up to the halfway point at Toxaway River Falls. Rosie had a blast running down into the water and swimming around. There's a little waterfall at the halfway point and to get up to it you have to climb up a rock that has water flowing over it. Rosie had a hard time holding on, and slid into the water a couple of times. It was pretty funny. After that she started to feel at home. She just loves taking walks when there's water around, and there is definitely a lot of water up there.

Saturday afternoon we rented a boat and waterskiied on Lake Toxaway for the first time. The water was a little chilly but not too bad. It was really great. Then we had another great dinner at The Brown Trout. The only thing wrong with this trip was it was too short. We got internet and satellite and security alarm hooked up, and our lists of things to bring up is getting smaller, so that's a good thing. Next trip is for fall break, so we'll have a longer time to enjoy it. Can't wait!

J left this morning with every single square inch of space in the SUV packed. Thank goodness H and I are going up later in a separate car. There are things stacked, packed, stuffed, and squeezed in so many places that if he opens any door other than the driver's door, things will explode. We bought the mountain house FURNISHED, for God's sake! I think we are just taking everything we have here that we think we need there. It's not a big house, by the way. We want to have everything we need because the nearest shopping is 30 minutes away and we want to just get there and relax. After about 3 or 4 more trips like this we might be able to finally relax. Or else we'll have to have a garage sale to get rid of all the junk we keep taking up there!

Typical day around here. H was up at 6:30, to school until 3:15, then home. After playing with the dog for about 10 minutes, she started working on homework. Fed the dog, ate dinner, watched a repeat of "Friends" (which takes about 22 minutes, since we fast forward the tivo through the commercials), then back up to do homework until 9:30. And today was a light day...only one quiz tomorrow! God forbid she had something to do after school. This year she is not doing soccer, and basketball doesn't start until the end of October. When did homework start to be so time-consuming? I don't know if she's slower than she should be, or if she's just slammed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by the time basketball starts she will be working faster...maybe getting the hang of everything by then. She is making great grades so far, and I'm not having to get involved like I have in years past, so that's good, I guess.

Now we just have to carve out some time on weekends so she can just be a teenager. Between 4-5 a.m. on Saturday, maybe?

I LOVE this weather! It's finally cooling off. Makes such a huge difference in everything we do. I can go for a run at 10 a.m. without worrying about heatstroke, we sat outside at H's soccer game on Saturday and it's just glorious. Saturday night we had a few friends over for dinner and sat out by the pool for drinks before dinner and it was just perfect. Sunday for tailgating at the Titan's game...awesome. We came home and sat outside for over an hour while H worked on her free throws/jump shots. I know it won't last, but I just love this time of year. We're going to the mountains this weekend. I'm hoping that the dry summer doesn't totally ruin the fall colors. I think they'll come early this year. Maybe this weekend they'll be starting to turn. We go back in late October and by then it might be over.

I've got to talk about Britney Spears. In a way, I should thank her. Her behavior has been a wonderful lesson for H about how poor decisions can be quite destructive. Hannah was 7-8 when we first started listening and watching Britney. "Hit me baby", and "oops, I did it again" were catchy and cute and Britney had throngs of little girls who worshipped the ground she walked on. Even though her weak little voice was obviously dubbed and edited and boosted in a sound booth, she was a good dancer and the girls loved her. The problem was, she was growing up in the public eye, without much guidance it seemed. Her music began it's evolution to more sexual connotations, she started wearing fewer clothes, and in her attempts to "grow up", she grew away from the huge fan base she had established. H and her friends just stopped listening. They felt more comfortable with singers like Hilary Duff and Christina Aguilera, and actresses like Dakota Fanning...girls who acted their age.

I've been intrigued with the stories about Britney, with kind of a train-wreck fixation. I do feel bad for this girl. She has a life that to some would seem full of opportunity. She has enough money not to have to worry about financial matters, but who does she have in her life that is there because they really care about her? She's pushed her parents away, and the hangers-on who are at her side are paid to be there. When her advisors give her advice that she doesn't like, she fires them. She is a lost soul, a little girl who skipped a vital part of growing up, when she could have learned lessons and grown to be an adult who can make solid decisions.

Maybe someone, somewhere will be able to break through her stubbornness, and let her see what her destructive behavior is doing to her, both personally and professionally. Her independent nature and energy can perhaps be channelled and she can find herself.

Saturday I rode my first 100 mile bike ride. It was a fund raiser for breast cancer research. I liked the timing of it...not in the middle of the summer, which is just TOO hot here. It gave me the whole summer to train for it, so it worked out well. In the past this ride was entirely on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is beautiful and has very little traffic, so it's pretty safe, but 100 miles of it would be quite boring after awhile. This year they re-did the course, and took the 62 and 100 milers out on some really pretty country roads. I drove the course the day before, because after looking at the map I was worried about all the turns and unmarked roads and things. It still didn't help...I took two wrong turns, one of which took me on a monster of a hill right after it started pouring down rain! The rain did cool things off a bit, but it was scary for a beginning rider like me. It was absolutely pouring buckets for awhile.

I also had a flat about 6 miles in. I was very frustrated, because I had just taken my bike in for a tune-up, and they had replaced the tube and supposedly checked the tire, but when the SAG helper changed my tire for me, he found a piece of glass inside. Luckily the SAG vehicle was well equipped and very helpful and I only lost about 30-40 minutes. If I had had to change it myself I probably still would be out there!

I was supposed to meet my friend at the 4th rest stop (mile 67), and since cell service was spotty and my phone stopped working after it got rained on, I couldn't call her to tell her how late I was. She had to wait almost 2 hours for me. I felt really bad, but I was glad she waited because she helped me to finish the thing. The actual course was only 95 miles and since I couldn't tell people I'd done 100 miles unless I actually DID 100 miles, we added on at the end. Then, after we finished and I got off the bike, someone informed me that I had a flat! The OTHER tire was flat. Thank God it was after I finished.

Being new to this "bike" thing, I'm learning a lot every day. For one thing, even though I think I'm in pretty good shape, I'm at the lower end of the curve...there are lots of bikers who average 18-20 mph and just fly by me putting along at 15-16. But there are groups of all levels so you can always find people to ride with. And people are always offering to hook up to ride together. I still feel more comfortable riding by myself. I just get very nervous when someone is riding right behind me or next to me. I'm afraid I'm going to swerve and knock someone over. People tell me that if you ride with a group you can "draft" and go much faster, but so far that doesn't appeal to me. I'm not racing. For me it's about the distance. I don't want to be out there all day long, but a few minutes more doesn't really make that big a difference to me. Yet.

Well, gotta go get a new tire to replace the one that has a cut in it from Saturday.

8th grade crush

H has a crush on another 8th grader. I think when I look back this may be the turning point for when my little girl changed into a teenager. When she was little, we never had a really bad "terrible 2" stage, and other than her anxiety over grades in middle school, the transition was really smooth. She always told me everything about her day, asked about mine, and took my advice on just about everything, from school work to personal habits, and even every once in awhile, she listened to my input about boys. Not anymore.

Now, I get the ipod in the ears, the "mmm-hmmm", or "not much", "fine", and "nothing" one syllable answers when I ask her questions. I'm trying not to get too upset. I know it's part of her growing up, becoming more independent, and thinking for herself. It's hard to admit to myself that J and I are not the only influences on her life anymore. I can still steer her, gently protect her to a certain degree, and hopefully give her opportunities to make her own decisions and along with that, her own mistakes. With luck she'll learn from those mistakes, and try to make more good choices than bad.

Right now, the "crush" is very exciting. I do remember those feelings. I also remember the heartbreak that came after the initial exhilaration. I wish I could protect her from that, but I think she has to go through all of it, the good and the bad. I can't wait until she comes out on the other side, to my open arms!

labor day weekend

Took H and two friends to Florida for the weekend. She'll be 14 in a week. It was a really great weekend for the girls...they're old enough and well behaved enough to have some freedom...riding on the golf cart, going to the beach club, shopping at the mall, and they had a blast. At this point in time, we are so thrilled with her choice of friends. They seem to be good influences, well behaved, good students, and they all have so much fun together. It was fun to just sit back and observe.

I just got an email reminding me that it's the 20th anniversary of a really fun beach party I used to go to. A friend's parents had a beach house, and what started as a small gathering grew every year to this huge crazy party. It was called the "SOB"...no one really knew what it stood for, although every year we'd try to decide, but it had one rule..."Bring no ties". You weren't supposed to bring anyone you'd seen socially more than once. Mass quantities of beer, smurf punch, jug wine, and shots were consumed. We had so much fun (at least, I think we did), but now I have to worry about H going to the beach without us! I'd like to think that she is so much smarter than I was.