So many things I would like to blog about — such as…

* the PTA mom who said, “Good, do!” in our meeting today when I said, “one-more-thing-and-I’ll-shut-up-I-promise.” Nice! Way to open up the lines of communication. No wonder no one wants to work with you, honey. Damn. Speaking of work — THE PAID KIND…

* Work: Why It Just Might Be the Answer I’ve Been Looking For (lunches out with other adults! No one criticizing my food! People complimenting my shoes! The list goes on and on…)

* the coolness of our new couch. We bought this awesome squooshy couch a few months ago — moss green fabric, with a chaise lounge at one end. Very comfortable. Then it started falling apart! Maybe it was the kids using it as a trampoline. Maybe it was just poorly sewn, who the heck knows. Maybe the lice ate it. But we called the store and swapped it for a niiiiiiiiiiiiiice brown leather couch. So nice. Sexy nice. It makes me feel like a grown-up this couch. But, in the real world that is not my home we have…

* the shootings and distress in our neighborhood, and how sad and desperate it’s making me feel. I had dinner with my mom and sister last week, at a place by Jefferson High School, our chaotic, messy, sometimes dangerous neighborhood high school. My mom wanted to take my sister’s dog for a walk, after dinner. I started to say, don’t get shot. Then stopped myself. (Cynical bitch. Don’t think that way.) They decided against a walk. Less than 3 hours later there was a shooting about two blocks from where I had parked. There had been another homicide down the street, a day or two before. Not this shooting (no deaths with that one), it was another one.

* why, because of the violence and for other reasons, I am, as always, desperate to move out of state. (We’re still job-hunting. Wish us luck.)

* why it bummed me out at the same meeting with the same PTA moms when everyone dismissed the violence in the neighborhood. And (also bumming me out) the parents and staff don’t have a problem with the little-little kids — pre-k, first and second — using public transportation for field trips. (District is too cheap/broke to “let us” take school buses.) The world is not as dangerous as some people would have you believe, was the consensus. With pointed looks at me. Yeah, fuck all of y’all — you’re right. It’s not that dangerous. It’s even more dangerous than that. Does the district think we’re idiots? They send the older kids on buses. (Not always, but often.)

The little ones? You don’t have to pay bus/train fare in Portland if you’re younger than 7. Thus the district skates away by only having to pay for bus/train tickets for the adults in the group. Way to save a buck, jerks. It really bummed me out, this meeting. I rarely go to school/PTA meetings and this is why. I liked it when we were home, and not at school. My family’s motto (mom’s side of family): Don’t let school get in the way of your education.

* Let’s talk about hockey, instead, shall we? My husband’s team played tonight — late game. My sister came over and stayed with the kids so I could go. Awfully fun. They won. They usually win. They’re kind of thugs is why.

Highlights? When a player from the opposing team smacked a puck into my husband’s leg (he plays defense) and then fell down. No reason, really. He fell down just from the sheer force of my husband’s awesome block. Ha. Another highlight? One of the players from the opposing team — a woman (there are lots in the league, it’s righteous) — anyway, this one is such a beauty queen she could break your heart. Honestly, you would never ever look at her and think, “yeah, I bet she plays hockey like a sumbitch!” Well, surprise. She plays great. She landed in the penalty box and was grousing, “I don’t see why — he didn’t fall down.” Shortly after she’s out of the box she scores a goal. Yeah, sisters playing hockey!

Hockey is way funner to talk about than PTA, I must be honest. I took a big cup of coffee and a couple of blankets with me. I was warm as toasty-toast.

* please send good thoughts to my friends Wacky Mommy T, Wacky Friend S and Wacky Mommy L, who are having no fun with hospitals. Much love to them.

* p.s. — even though the PTA moms don’t care for me much, and tell me to shut up and give me dirty looks? And never take, or even consider, any of my suggestions? (Oh, and they’re wild, my suggestions. They include: Write some grants and you will get more money for the school. I could give a workshop and teach you how to write them, if you’d like. No? OK, then. And… how about we have the kids wash hands before they go in for lunch? Along with this doozy — When there is a lice outbreak, how about we check heads and notify parents?) Yeah. They hate me because I am so radical and unreasonable. Bitch.

When my family leaves this school? They will cry and miss me. Nyah-nyah.

xxox

wm