Running Away From Home Part I: The Drive

Road Trip Diet Rules:
She who eats bean burritos & Sour Patch Kids on the way to her destination,
must eat grapefuit and string cheese on the way home. 

Have you ever been alone...in a car...for almost 8 hours? 

Two weeks ago my answer would have been a resounding NO. Probably followed by something that sounded a lot like laughing. Or was it crying? 

Yes. Probably both. 

When I was living in California about 12 years ago I met up with a couple of friends from Utah for a birthday trip in Vegas. I think that is the last time I have gone anywhere alone. Besides work. [And, I was 6 months pregnant at the time. So technically still not really alone.] 

A couple weeks ago I decided to run away from home to visit my sister and her family in Phoenix. The stars tried to align against me to make the trip impossible, but I stuck it out. I muddled through schedules, and babysitting, and dislocated patellas, and copious amounts of mom-guilt and, like Nike says, just did it.  

I won't get into all of the facets of the trip, just yet. But I will tell you what it is like to be in a car...alone...for almost 8 hours. 

In a word? Bliss.

Some things my drive DID consist of:

• Spending a mere $3.81 at the Taco Bell in Kingman.
• Stopping two times. ONLY TWO TIMES!!!! [And not having to try to find anyone's shoes when I did.]
• Listening to a customized playlist 3 weeks in the making including sing-along favorites from artists such as Aerosmith, The Jackson 5, Metallica, The Fugees, Social Distortion, Jewel and Goldfinger to name a few. [I know just what you're thinking: That Cyndie. She must have been one EPIC mixed-tape creator back in the day. And you would be correct. Oh, that's not what you were thinking. Whatever.]
• Peace
• Quiet

Some things my drive DID NOT consist of:

• Spending $30+ on fast food
• Sharing my snacks. Only to reach for some later and find the bag empty
• Whining
• Yelling
• Arguing
• Taylor Swift CDs
• Endless questions
• Hearing, "I have to go to the bathroom" right after passing through the last vestiges of civilization for 120 miles.

And that's just on trips with my husband. 

I haven't even mentioned what happens on trips with my kids.

(Ha ha! Just kidding, babe. Please don't move away again.)

I did miss my littles while I was there. Just enough to make me want to come back home. 

But not enough to make me want to take road trips with them anytime soon.

In Case You Were Wondering: The Notes Version

The first in my series of Posts to Make You Feel Better About Yourself.
(What can I say? I'm a giver.)

I make a lot of notes. In notebooks. On envelopes. On Post-Its. Sometimes even on a gum wrapper if it's handy. I also use the Notes app on my phone fairly frequently.

Every now and then I come across one of these old notes. They are typically pretty easy to decipher. Grocery list. To-Dos. Things to look up later. Appointments. Birthday and Christmas lists. Funny quotes from movies or TV shows. Homework assignments. 

Sometimes they even serve as a kind of time-capsule: Remember that time I was out of mascara? Or that day that I thought I could plant ground cover AND paint a bedroom? Or that one time on NYPD Blue when that suspect said, "Shut your pretty girl hole up?" Ah, good times. Good times.

But every now and then I come across a note that makes no sense at all. None. 

Like this:

What the what?!?

I don't know. But if you figure it out, give me a call.

In Case You Were Wondering

I am thinking of starting a new series of posts designed to make everyone else feel just a little bit better about themselves.

Some short but sweet posts that let you inside the crazy confines of my brain (even more than usual.) Some confessions about how I clean these days (not well) things I actually say out loud to my children (you will be horrified) and other such deep, dark secrets.

The purpose is two-fold:

First, I get little satisfaction from being slightly and legitimately insane (some, but little.) BUT, if I can use that madness to both entertain and comfort you (at least I'm not as crazy she is!) Well, then my life of lunacy will be a life well lived. 

Second, short but sweet. Emphasis on the short. I tend to write kind of a lot on my posts. Blogging is super cathatric for me and makes me feel a little less alone in the world. HOWEVER, when I write a lot...I get less homework done. It is difficult to put into words how completely time and energy and life consuming finishing my degree has been for me. This past year of school has felt like less like an adventure and more like a horrific ordeal. I used to think I was excited to learn new things. I was wrong.

I would like to compare it to being buried under 700 tons of ice cream:

Ice cream? Gooooood! 
Being entombed in ice cream? Cold. And sticky. And asphyxiating.

Stay tuned.

Sometimes: The Marriage and Texting Version

Sometimes your husband goes to live far away for 3-6 months.

Sometimes that 3-6 months turns into 6-9 months.

Sometimes that 6-9 months turns into almost a year.

Sometimes you are drowning in life, kids, school, work and you don't have a lot of time to talk.

Sometimes texting is nice.

Sometimes you can send quick messages back & forth when you don't have time for phone calls.

Sometimes you want him to hurry home for a weekend visit. (And you want cookies):

Sometimes he lets you know he's made it back safe:

Sometimes your university is playing his university and you pretend like you are remotely interested in the outcome of the game:

Sometimes you just send a quick message of affection:

And sometimes he watches too much YouTube while he's away. And you have to change your wireless plan: