Day 9 – May 15
Listening to: Rocket Man
Thought for the day: From bowties to a man named Brickhead, duct tape is a miracle of life.

Oddly enough, back on day 300 when I was chaperoning at band camp I wrote about the uses of duct tape as it applied to marching band. Is it duct or duck? I even included a link to a list of conventional and unorthodox uses for duct tape. I don’t think the duct-tape bowtie was among the uses. Last night a bunch of the McGavock Band guys showed up at the band banquet sporting a bouquet of neon bowties. Could this be bowtie couture? Their creativity blew me away.

I’m a bit surprised on day 300 that I failed to mention that a coworker of mine a long time ago busted his head open and used duct tape to seal his wound. He earned the name Brickhead for his bravery.

Day 10 – May 14
Listening to: You’ve Got a Friend
Thought for the day: This one time…………….at the band banquet…….

Photo: Senior McGavock High School band members being honored.

Christian’s senior year is coming to a close. Tonight, Christian, John (her father), and I attended the McGavock High School Band Banquet to celebrate the band's accomplishments. On the way home, the conversation went like this:

Me: I can’t believe your four years are over.
Christian: Me either.
Me: It’s gone by so fast.
Christian and Me simultaneously: It’s so surreal.
Christian: You must feel old.

Truth is, I’m not sure how I feel. I feel pride, joy, hopefulness, relief, freedom, sadness, fear, and a wistful longing to go back to a world where my children are toddlers. It’s a feeling buffet!!!! If I add a few more emotions in the mixture along with a dash of salt, we’d have a feeling casserole and it’d probably taste like chicken.

Day 11 – May 13
Listening to: Time
Thought for the day: HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE EVE BEVERLY!!!

I attended Bevapaloosa tonight, a party to celebrate the birthday of my dear friend Beverly. It’s not a party until someone breaks out the reading glasses……………or not. Actually, I think the saying goes “it’s not a party until someone spills a drink, loses an eye, shoots bottle rockets out of their pants, eats a cicada, or the coleslaw arrives.” Take your pick. Reading glasses are good party conversation though…………. among the elderly………. like my coworker/friend, Russ, featured in today’s photo with yours truly. Another coworker/friend Donnie, aka KOOLAID, offered me $2 to eat a cicada at the party. Reading glasses and cicada noshing..............I'm a party animal.

Day 12 – May 12
Listening to: Go Rest High
Thought for the day: We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up. ~Christopher Morley

I realized today that from here on out I probably will only see both of my children simultaneously on holidays and at funerals/weddings. Just smack me in the face with empty nest syndrome and call it a day! It was the funeral of their Grandpa Howard that brought the three of us together today.

I found out that I have something in common with Howard. During the eulogy, the preacher kept saying “Harold” instead of “Howard.” If you remember, I wrote back December that forgetful peeps ALWAYS call me “Kim.” When the service was over, Wes said, “When you die, your preacher won’t mess your name up.” He failed to realize that I go to a United Methodist Church and the UMC changes preachers like underwear. I am fairly certain I will be called Kim in my eulogy. This is a good reason to name your child something like BonQuisha.

Day 13 – May 11
Listening to: Reeling in the Years
Thought for the day: The Fab Lab is eagerly awaiting her first cicada snack. It's like Cicada Eve at our house.

Wednesday Dinner Group – Hermitage Steak House

If Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar and Hermitage Steak House’s salad bar had salad bar sex and created a salad bar baby, it would be THE consummate salad bar. It’s actually rather simple. Ruby’s has the croutons and HSH has the smoked oysters. If I was reincarnated as an oyster, I’d want to be smoked and put on HSH’s salad bar. It’d be an honor. I am sure their oysters are fresh out of can chock full of linseed oil. I eat smoked oysters out of the can all of the time, but they’re just different at HSH. It’s like eating a PBJ I made vs. eating one my Mom lovingly assembled. Regardless, I wanted to scoot my chair up to the salad bar in front of the oysters and feast.

Oh yeah………. There ate some steak at this place too and it was good.

Day 14 – May 10
Listening to: Dreamweaver
Thought for the day: People living deeply have no fear of death. ~Anaiïs Nin, Diary, 1967

Photo: Wes, Christian, and Howard Brummett

Howard Brummett, my children’s grandfather passed away today. His kindness toward me never faltered. I hurt for my children. I hurt for the Brummetts. Howard turned 80-years-old in January. He said that if he’d known he was going to live so long he would have taken better care of himself. That’s the thing. Howard lived and he lived fully. He wasn’t afraid to die.

Typically, my employer provides time off for employees to attend family funerals. I asked if I could have time off to attend Howard's funeral and was told "no" because he is an “ex” family member. Howard was not “ex” to me. I still considered him family and I will be at his funeral regardless of a stupid corporate policy.

I’m so grateful my children grew up with a grandfather like Howard. They will carry him in their hearts forever.

Day 15 – May 9
Listening to: We Are Family
Thought for the day: Happy Birthday Mom!!! I Love You!

Yesterday was Mother’s day and today is my mom’s birthday. It’s a double dose of a Momelebration! I’m posting a picture of some roses in her honor. Is the fact that someone else plucked these roses for me a form of re-gifting? Regardless, my mom is a rose among roses and she is thorn-less! She put up with enough crap from me growing up that she deserves a Texas-sized bucket of roses.

These roses come from an ancestral line of almost 90 years. One of my coworkers picked them for me and probably didn’t realize the history behind them. At one time, DuPont employed someone specifically to take care of the roses. The roses use to be abundant, but after years of reorganization, annihilation, and increased security via new state-of-the art fences only a few of the bushes remain. To read more about one of the employees who was recognized for his rose care at DuPont see http://oldhickoryrecord.com/rayonjob.htm