Everybody cut footloose

HAPPY SATURDAY!!! Saturday is my very favorite day of the week. Specifically, Saturday morning when there is no movement in the house but the dog pacing the floor. This is his way of reminding me he hasn't had enough to eat. What he doesn't understand but I know full well is that there is NEVER enough for him, he would eat until he puked, making me a very unhappy mama dog.

Anyway, Saturday mornings are not for dog puke...They are for saying what's on my mind in a some what cohesive manner. Which is sometimes difficult depending on the week leading to my favorite day. This last week was a good learning/thinking week for me about friendship, love, hope, faith, family, death and embracing reality. Also lia, um I mean politicians.

Last weekend, I had what my beautifully funny friend Alias Liz calls a mini vaca. They are wonderful little things. Saturday afternoon I drove to Gil's house, Gil is hot teacher, but I don't really feel right calling him that now. Ok, that's a lie because he really is a hot teacher. But now, he's so much more than that. Anyway, I just wanted you to know his name. Gil or Gilbert depending on what I'm conveying to him. Gilbert Grape is one of my very favorite movies...and sometimes being with my Gilbert is like being in that movie with out the enormous mama. and no one has yet to climb anything that I'm aware of. I say this because there were several hours of my mini vaca that are quite fuzzy but I'll get to that later.

Saturday night we just really drove around, just he and I in his little truck (I'm still pondering why in the world a man that has to haul 3 kids around, one still in a car seat mind you, has such a tiny truck, in all fairness he has a huge truck also but it's not made for 3 kids either) Anyway, just he and I driving in the truck. Just he and I alone. We just talked and talked about important stuff, cut to the chase stuff, stuff about each other. I've noticed Gil and I talk with each other best when on or in some sort of vehicle, but put us face to face and we just stare at each other and smile. I know, gag, sorry. So anyway that was Saturday night, a good talk including the word forever without either of us jumping from a moving vehicle. We went to bed and slept, a nice, warm, safe sleep.

Now the funnest part and yeah I know it's not a real word, but if ain't can be a real word then so can funnest. The 4 wheelers, dirt bikes and MUD!!! I haven't played in mud since I was a very small child. I think 5 was when I decided it would be a good idea to eat one of the numerous mud cakes I made (it was not a good idea and created a life long aversion to mud) . My granny would save the little bama pie tins and encourage me to play in the mud. I will be a much better grandmother than mother as I learned from the best. So back to the topic at hand....I jumped on the back of the 4 wheeler with my man and off we went, he drove me around and around and suddenly stopped. He got off and told me to go, he's crazy. I'd never even been on a 4 wheeler, much less driven one. He knew this. But hey, if he's crazy enough to let me, I'm crazy enough to try. He explained the clutch, which I only heard 1/2 of and off I went. I did pretty good at first, except the clutch thing. I drove down the road and pretty soon, Gil's twin brother was behind me, he was checking on me. And that was good because I didn't know how I was going to turn around. I need a big stretch for that maneuver. So, I got turned around and magically I remembered the clutch!!! Faster and faster I went flying by Gil. I went on like I knew what I was doing, until I realized I was going to have to turn around again. This was a very narrow trail and the only way to turn around was to get off the beaten path, I also realized I didn't know how to down shift. Oops. But being that I was trained to be an army of one, or that I'm crazy, I swung off on to that 1/2 beaten path. I made it out alive. So alive. I didn't even down shift. So, I'm back on the right path, Gil comes flying past me this time and I flash him. Life is good.

Somewhere, sometime I end up on the back of the 4 wheeler with Gil again, now Gil has not taken me in the mud up to this point. He has carefully avoided it and I know it's been a struggle for him. However, Thomas has already taken me through the mud on the dirt bike. I am obviously muddy, in fact I'm so muddy, I have taken off my tank top and am walking around in my bikini top and my jeans. I am 41 years old, I should maybe not be doing this. Somehow I am not caring at this point and I still don't. I also have my cowboy boots on, I feel like Lori Singer in Footloose. If you don't remember this movie, get the hell off my lawn, just kidding. Go youtube it or something.

So here we are on the 4 wheeler, I say, "let's get muddy baby". We do, I'm hiding my face and giggling like a little girl, so let's do it again. My memories are fuzzy, but something weird happened, and I was falling backwards (look ma, there's an airplane up in the sky) Gil and 4 wheeler are coming down on me fast. It was alright for Gil to come down, but I wanted no part of that 4 wheeler. The next thing I remember Twin brother is there, catching the thing, I have the most awesome souvenir of the day, and Gil is mortified. I don't know why he's morified, I'm not hurt except for a scratch on my back and if I hadn't been living in Footloose fantasy land, I wouldn't have my awesome souvenir. Anyway, we got back on, had an adventure and he dropped me off. For some reason at this point, I steal a 3/4 bottle of rum and proceed to drink it straight. I have not done this since High School and not without disastrous results. I swore I would never again. So much for never. The rest of the day is really very fuzzy, except for Gil treating me like I was 6 again in the sweetest way, losing him somewhere on the lake for an hour, the boat filling with water, finally seeing Gil again, and fishing for what seemed hours...oh and Mexican music. What vacation is complete with out it?

Then it was over and it was time to drag myself back home. I'd had such a good time hanging out with Gil and his family. I didn't really want to leave, but at the same time, I missed my home and family, I also missed my toothbrush that I had forgotten to bring. Yes, it was 2 days without a toothbrush, I was Lori Singer with yellow teeth and bad breath and no shower. I came home and washed it all off, became cow punk again, and hung out with my own family. It was a lovely day.

Wednesday brought a death to my life. Someone my daughter loved very much. I never met him, but I call him my friend, as he was so very good to my child. I cried for him and his family when I got the news. It was a very cleansing cry. I am grateful he passed through our lives.

Amid all this chaos, friendships were blooming and renewing, and I am very thankful for it. I have missed my friends dearly and needed my angels.

Faith, love and hope and good old reality are knocking at my door, I'm finally going to invite them in.

I was going to rant about politic and politicians but right now they don't seem so very important in the grand scheme of things. Of course they are, but this year more than ever, I feel like I'm watching the Presidential version of American Idol. It saddens me that this is what it has become. I want to blame Bush, but really he's just a product of us Amuricans. I'm only going to say this and then I'll take off my tin foil hat. Please, please, take a good hard look at Sarah Palin. She is not what she appears to be. She is not about you, she is all about herself. I'm backing off my soap box now and removing my hat.

I need to clean my kitchen, funky smells are arising. Hug your family, relish your time and call your friends....life is very short and changes in the blink of an eye.

Love,
Cow Punk