04 June 2010

Friday Wrap-Up


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My co-worker Norm (think Milton from Office Space only without the red stapler) is participating in The American Cancer Society Relay For Life. I do my best to support my co-workers (and their kids ... and their grand kids ... and ...) when they participate in fundraising for anything outside of school fundraising (don't judge me - I pay taxes). But Norm? Well, Norm decided to hold a BAKE SALE at work.

Actually, his "team" held a bake sale at a local grocery store on Sunday to raise funds. Tuesday he brought the leftovers to work. Picture 20 or so ZipLoc bags with food items inside and white stickers on the outside listing suggested donation amounts. Well, no one bought any, so what does Norm do? He brings everything back on Wednesday.

... and I thought my social skills were bad ...

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, this would be the same co-worker who said to me - quite sarcastically - "You are just a frail flower of femininity, aren't you?" Grrrr ...

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On Wednesday's post I mentioned my daily activity of checking airline fares on SkyScanner. Well! A Twit, Tweeterer, someone on Twitter alerted me to MegaBus. Now, I'm not exactly a fan of buses. My experience - limited to Greyhound - is that what should be a 2-hour bus ride turns into a 6-hour small town travel fest. Not only does the trip take FOREVER, but it's still a little pricey. For example, Chicago to ... say Columbus OH is a 9+ hour trip on Greyhound, costing $102 each way. The same trip on MegaBus is $15 each way and less than a 7 hour trip. Hello?? No brainer!

The only down side is that MegaBus has a limited service area, but with Chicago centrally located, MegaBus travels about as far as I would want to travel on a bus!


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It's official! Cam and Rhonda have broken up! I had to wait it out 6 months, but the cougar-in-training is gone! Now, in addition to the things I mentioned in THIS POST, there was one thing Rhonda did that really, REALLY bothered me ... she called me "Mom."

Now, maybe I should be flattered that she felt that comfortable with me, but instead it felt creepy - like she honestly believed I was going to be her mother-in-law some day. Hello?? Cam is 14!!

Rhonda's last Facebook update?

its been hard dealin.. hope he comes around sometime.. i still love him.. although he hurt me bad
Well, let me just say that his momma isn't bringing him anywhere near your neck of the woods ... EVER!

Rhonda
really is a nice girl ... for a 17 or 18-year old young man. She just had no business with a 14-year old!

Did I mention she texted me, wanting to talk about the break-up?? I know her mom is her friend, but I am a mom, and have no business (IMHO) getting involved in this one! Besides, she wouldn't want to hear what I had to say ...

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I am having a heck of a time keeping up with my Project 365 blog. The problem isn't in taking the pictures - I am quite diligent with that part - it's getting them downloaded and posted that seems to be the challenge. What's odd is I have the time, just not the desire. UGH! I need to work on that attitude.

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A sad thing happened last night. It was Cam's middle school promotion ceremony (they can't call it a "graduation") and Cam didn't want to go. As a mom, I wanted the opportunity to take pictures, to enjoy the moment of (relative) success, but Cam had no interest.

I think that speaks volumes to where he is with school right now ...

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12 comments:

Schmoop said...

I dig Norm more and more. He makes me look like less of an asshole. How's the head? CHEERS DANA!!

Deech said...

Good re-cap. I am glad that you found relief for one head-ache...aka Rhonda.

Gina said...

You think the techniques you use with Cam might work with Norm? Or maybe you could sneak him some social language therapy? Poor guy...

Jeff B said...

"You are just a frail flower of femininity, aren't you?"

Seriously?

And you let him live after that statement?

The pastor you spoke of yesterday could have learned something from this action. "Love thy neighbor." even when you want to lay them out on a cold hard slab.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't into attending my graduation either, he's not the only one. They're just booooring. Glad the cougar-in-training is out of the picture. Hopefully he'll find a nice girl his own age, or closer to anyway.

Karen said...

Glad the cougar is out of the picture. Good decision on Cam's part.

So y'all didn't go to the graduation (or whatever they call it)? Just because Cam didn't want to go? I didn't have that kind of control when I was a kid. I cannot tell you how much stuff I did, even though I didn't want to, because my said "you are going". Polish school. Confirmation Classes. SAT tutoring. Social events. I did what I was told.

No judgment. You know that I am not saying that you are wrong for allowing Cam to make his own decisions, but it is just different from how I was raised and it surprises me. Or maybe you were kind of frustrated with the middle school too and just as happy to avoid the ceremony??

Another Suburban Mom said...

I am glad that Rhonda seems to be gone, for your peace of mind if nothing else.

As for stale pastry boy, yeah someone needs to explain some things to him.

Also, I am surprised HR did not put the kibosh on that. We have policies where I work about people soliciting for charities.

Dana said...

Matt-Man, Norm makes you look like an angel!

Joker_SATX, my greatest hope is that this won't be an on-again, off-again thing. So far, so good!

Gina, I am fairly certain Norm is a text book Aspie. I seem to have the most tolerance for him - which is both good and bad. Good because I "get" his social challenges - bad because since I "get" his social challenges, and most of my co-workers don't - he tends to feel quite comfortable with me and bombards me with his social challenges!

Dana said...

Jeff B, I did let Norm know that his comment was inappropriate ... in a direct but gentle way. Poor Norm - he really thought it was a funny thing to say.

Mrs. D, Cam has been spending a lot of time with a very nice, LOCAL, 13 year old "farm girl" these days. My guess is she was a big part of the break up!

Dana said...

Karen, I know that often my parenting looks very different than what most would say are traditional, good parenting practices. Cam's neurological issues bring on MANY parenting challenges. Although some things remain the same (consequences for actions, accountability, etc.) often the way those are carried looks different. Giving Cam choices - choices that are acceptable to ME - is one of the things I have to approach a bit differently.

Another Suburban Mom, you would LOSE.YOUR.MIND at my workplace. This is somewhere that is an HR nightmare. Let's just say the family owners are lucky no one has filed a lawsuit against them.

Vixen said...

There was this funny radio debate the other day about whether you should call your significant others parents 'mom and dad' (obviously they weren't talking about teens...but couples in general).

I was AMAZED at how many people thought it was perfectly acceptable. I'm with you...it would make me uncomfortable. Most esp for your 14yro son's gf to be doing it!

Lu' said...

Damn that bus doesn't come to Harrisburg, but you should anyway :)