Really...?? Part 2

I am faced with asking another question in the “really?” category.

Since when is it ok to wear curlers in public? That’s right folks, I said curlers.

Once again while driving in my car I witnessed a sight that made me say out loud “what kind of hat is that?” As I got closer, I realized it wasn’t a hat at all, but a woman retrieving her mail with a head full of blue and pink curlers. Her car was in her driveway, driver side door open as she flipped through her pile of letters. My guess is she was just returning or she was on her way out somewhere. Either way, she was in public with these things in her hair for all to see!

I can remember when I was a kid, my mother would “set” my very long hair in the Pepto-Bismol pink foam curlers. She would roll my hair, then fold over the fastener and clip into the end of the curler and then send me to bed. It was so uncomfortable to sleep all night with plastic things assaulting my scalp! The next morning, the pain would begin when she would start to pull the curlers out of my hair. Some would be hanging a little because of the tossing and turning from the night before and would come right out. But others would have my hair entwined in the end of the curler- like a string stuck in a vacuum roller- and would hurt like the dickens to untangle and pull it from my head!

I always thought my mom was braver than me, because she would sleep in the small hard black rollers that were held in with a plastic “pin”. I would play with them and can remember how spiky they were and when I would close my hand around them and squeeze a little, it would hurt! I could never imagine sleeping in those!

Back then, all ladies would wear their curlers or “rollers” in public and cover them with a scarf. But as time has passed, I saw less and less of this practice and honestly have not seen that sight in a good 15+ years.

The past shot back in the few seconds it took for me to drive by. I cannot believe in this day and age of curling irons, flat irons and the other myriad of hair “utensils” that someone would resort to curlers, let alone wearing them out and about!

Hence my question: Would you ever wear curlers in public?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I love sports. I love to play them and I love to watch them. Football and baseball are close in the favorite to watch category but in two entirely different scenarios. I love to watch football on TV. I have lost my voice many a Sunday screaming at the screen. I think I would make any coach on the sidelines proud. I do not enjoy watching it live at all.

My first football game was Steelers vs. Browns at the old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The tailgating was insane and I thought I was in for a real treat. I couldn't’t wait to get inside and to our seats. It was the first time I experienced what happens during commercial breaks. At home I can run to get a beer, a snack or you know, whatever. I was sitting watching the play and heard the ref’s whistle and watched the players just standing around. I asked my husband “What ARE they DOING? Why are they just standing there? The time-out is way too long”. He calmly told me “oh, it’s a commercial break”. Huh? That killed it. From that moment on, I watched the TV’s that were above my head. I could see the plays better and actually preferred to watch the commercials than the standing around.

Baseball on the other hand is totally different. I find it tediously boring to watch in my living room. I can sort of watch if it’s a play-off or series game. But get me in a stadium and I am in heaven. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, maybe it’s the snack person yelling “Rotten Candy, get yer rotten candy- sugah in a bag!” Could be that it’s the sound of the bat connecting with the ball that gets lost in TV land. When you are sitting there and you hear the sweet sound of the crack, it doesn’t matter if it is a wooden “whack” or a metal “ping”, the feeling is the same - you know that the sweet spot has just been coaxed to send a ball sailing somewhere in the outfield. It’s a unified feeling across the board from major leagues right down to the little leagues- will it go or get caught?

I have been enjoying little league games the past three weeks. Our team is fourth in the play-off series and will surely be a nail biter! Our bat will retire soon from the “official” field, but I can’t wait to go and relax with the family playing a pick-up game in the back yard where we can all spend a lazy, hazy summer evening together.

Patience

The school year is divided into 3 hectic blocks. The beginning, holiday time and end of the year. Each have their own stress levels, but I think end of the year is the highest on the stress list. Exams, yearbook signings, proms and the count down to summer vacation that cannot come fast enough!

This year we get to add a 24-hr flu bug to the mix.

When I called to let the attendance office know that my child would be home sick, I had to leave a voice mail. About two hours later, the clerk called and asked if my child was home sick and I asked if they had received my message. "Oh, I see my light blinking, but I have not had a chance to listen to my messages yet! It has been crazy in here today!" she answered. Poor lady. Apparently, a good portion of the school was having the same kind of day.

So,to all who encounter the sick kid, parent that has stayed home all day nursing the patient, the attendance lady that has fielded 100 phone calls or the teacher that has had to restructure their lesson plans for the day, be patient. End of the year stress can get ugly but if you give it a week, everyone will be in a much happier place.

Tour de Cure 2009

Riding to cure diabetes is something I have been doing for 5 years now.

It started with a conversation I was having over breakfast with my own version of "The Breakfast Club". "TBC" would meet at a local joint (since burned down)after a morning speedskating training workout. We had the core three or four that would go each week; my coach, my dear friend, me and another skater (or two). It was something I always looked forward to. We shared many things: vacations, family, cancer diagnosis, building a dream house and of course speedskating.

The speedskating competitive season takes place September/October thru March. Unless it is an Olympic year, then it usually begins in August/September and runs through March/April. The training goes year-round really. We take a rest period at the end of the season and start up the summer program with skate-specific exercises called "dryland", cycling and inline skating.

At one of our "TBC" mornings, we were talking about bike routes and long rides that my coach used to do with skaters in the past. My dear friend had mentioned a ride that he had been doing for a while. He said how fun it was and what great folks there were that joined together to help support the cure for diabetes: The Tour de Cure.

We decided it was a great idea and cause to add to our training program and I have been participating ever since. I've pulled in different riders with me, including my husband, but I was thrilled this year when our daughter joined the masses and took on her first organized ride. My husband and I log in 100's of miles each summer, but I have to say this was the best 10 miles I have ever pedaled.

The little fella above was having the best time! There were so many riders at this year's event that each distance (100, 62, 50, 25 or 10 miles) had 3 separate waves of starts. Each time riders would come to the start line the announcer would count down from 5 to 1 and yell "Go!". This guy would take off from one end of the sidewalk to the other and wait to hear go again.

It felt like a full-circle kind of moment. We all start with the training wheels and we all take them off eventually. It's the roads we choose that make life interesting. I'm glad I chose to try speedskating, for had I not, I would not have made the lovely friends I have, I would not have been part of this event for so many years and I would have missed out on the best 10 miles spent on a Sunday afternoon.

Summertime and Livin' is Easy

What a perfect day. It's been a long time coming in my neck of the woods. Not a cloud in the sky, the perfect breeze that kisses your face every now and again, Louis Armstrong crooning "I Get a Kick Out of You" on Pandora and the smell of sunscreen wafting on that same little breeze.

This post will be short and sweet. If you are experiencing the same stellar day that I am, I hope you take advantage of sipping some lemonade, taking a walk, washing your car or whatever makes you enjoy a lazy summer day.

I close listening to Etta James belting out "At Last".

Could the day get any better?

Really??

Since when is it OK to wear a bathrobe in public?

I was driving home the other day and did my own little version of rubber-necking. I could not believe what I was seeing. Now mind you, this all happened in a mere 30 seconds as I drove by and craned to see the aftermath in my little side-view mirror.

Out of my passenger side window, I witnessed a person trudging slowly down the sidewalk. The street is located in a small city which has a rich history. Many old row houses and brownstones line either side of the two lane road with trees perfectly spaced and mom & pop stores seem to make up the cornerstones of each block. It’s not the best area in town, but I would feel safe to walk down the street….during the day.

As I pass by, my immediate thought was “what kind of sweater is that?” until the brain registered that it was a baby blue terry cloth robe that fit over this woman’s thick body, reaching her calves. My eyes quickly surveyed the site- slippers, pajama pant bottoms, bed-head hair. As I passed, I see a cigarette barely balanced between her lips and she was scratching a lottery ticket! It’s 5:30 in the afternoon! At the next corner 3 boys turned onto the sidewalk, two walkers and one on his bike. They looked maybe 10 or 11, I’m sure on their way to the same corner store that bathrobe maven had just come from . What kind of example is that setting for those three kids?

Had I been walking on the street with my own kids, what would I say to the question I know I would most definitely have heard, “why is that lady wearing a bathrobe?” I’d have to give an honest answer- I have no idea.

When did it became fashionable to wear pajamas in public? I see it all the time. I see pajama pants everywhere: kids sports practice, highway rest areas, even supermarkets.

I ask you- when is it ever OK to wear your pajamas in public? My answer- When you are on your way down to the end of the driveway to pick up your morning paper. The end.

Leap of Faith

I recently had a Q & A with my brother about starting your own business. He has never been one to shy away from his entrepreneurial calling and has had a few very successful business ventures. As we spoke, he was explaining his new idea to me and at which stage of the process he was getting it off the ground. It’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?!” ideas and once again he has been blessed with impeccable timing. When he is up and running I will follow up with a link to his new adventure located in Virginia Beach, Va. My brother’s insight and advice was perfect timing for me personally and he made my decision so much less scary! Thanks, bro. Love ya.

So here I am, jumping in with both feet and making a go of my new life adventure: writing.

When I was 21, I moved out of the house to live on my own. I quickly learned money was a necessity to live and eat, so I went into the corporate world of insurance and stayed there for 8 years. Around that 8 year mark, my husband and I found out that we were about to start a family. I went on maternity leave and we decided it was time for me to change careers and be a full time mom. 13 years and 2 kids later, it was the best decision my husband and I ever made.

The past few years, I have eased myself back to the workplace and I have to be honest, I've enjoyed being back in the mix of things and contributing to the success of the company, but I struggle with the thought that I still want more. So, adding an outlet to write and share my thoughts seemed to be the next phase to move into.

So, I start my adventure in this new field and invite you to come along with me in my leap of faith; I do not know everything, but I am willing to learn and even impart my wisdom and experience on some matters.

And to my dear brother, if this is as successful as we dreamed, beer is on me!

About Me

I am a happily married (to the GREATEST husband in the world!) wife, a (sometimes, heck , most of the time, frazzled) mother of two teenagers, who has a passion for speedskating (yes, I compete and yes I have the muscle to prove it), cycling (I am an animal on the bike- reason #1 why I DON'T compete in cycling), running (for pure fun), Starbucks coffee (the stronger the better!), good food, beer and wine (need I say more?).

When I turned 40, I was consumed with a new obsession for O.P.I. nail polish. Not sure why, since I never painted my nails before then. However, it has created an unbreakable common bond between mom and daughter, so I will keep it.

I worked in the corporate insurance world for longer than I care to admit then moved into the non-profit association world, where I became a meetings & conference event planner. A job I found to be both extremely challenging and rewarding.

After being laid off in 2009, I decided to take a break and figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote a children's book that I will have published, someday. I also started Mom Got Blog to share stories on life as I see it. Being a huge sports enthusiast a lot of what I write has to do with what I like to play and my experiences with those that share the same passion. I also share the quirky ins-and-outs of daily life and being a parent of two active kids that have brought more joy to my life than I could ever express in words. So far, the journey has been pretty sweet! I have met some really great folks and I am honored to have been named 1 of 5 semi-finalists in a nationwide Microsoft Office Olympic Blogging Contest.

I have also branched out to a food blog The Cook & The Baker, where I share favorite family recipes.  The site was created for my kids so they would have the stories and the recipes they love written down. Somewhere along the way, more than family started following and I find that facinating.

Both blogs are a constant work in progress as I am learning as I go; kind of like parenting and cooking!

So, Welcome! I am glad that you stopped by. Stay as long as you like and please, don't be shy! Let me know what you like or don't like (in a respectful way) in the comment section.

Have questions? Feel free to contact me at puglianok [at] gmail [dot] com.