It's alright not to share with your teenager list:

My friend Darci posted on her blog her top ten list of stuff that is alright not to share with her kids. I’m inspired to do my version of it because her kids are still little and mine is a teenager.

So, here is my list of things that are just fine not to share with your teenager:

1. Your grades when you were in school
2. The rental car
3. Your hairspray, hairbrush, or deodorant
4. Your income and debt
5. Your credit card
6. Your social status in high school
7. The name of your first (or any) crush
8. Your Creamy Chicken Alfredo
9. If you like or dislike her friends
10. Your Shoes!!
11. That we love it when she gets invited to a sleepover
12. Things we do on date night
13. That I really don’t want to hear what so and so said or did
14. Your Frosty and Fries
15. Your curfew when you were her age

My Stint in Radio

…and the time of most of my embarrassing moments, life changing events and serious learning experiences!

My “dream job” interview was located in downtown Salt Lake City on South Temple in the afternoon on a beautiful, warm weekday. I was a bundle of nerves, parking was interesting and it seemed like I was going to be late if I waited any longer for the elevator. The seventh floor didn’t seem like that long of a trek up the stairs, but I soon realized that there were two flights of thirteen for each floor.

I was out of breath, gasping for air as I pounded on the locked seventh floor door at the back of some office filled with cubicles. A nice lady opened the door, and I croaked out, “I. (exaggerated inhale) Have. (inhale) An. (inhale) Interview. (exaggerated inhale).”

She showed me the way to the lobby, where I sat trying to catch my breath and gazed as the elevator opened up to fresh smiling faces sizing up my near faint, exhausted display. I just knew that this was the worst interview impression ever in recorded history!

A few days later, knowing that I embarrassingly bombed the interview, I sent a Thank You Letter and swallowed my lump of hopefulness.

To my amazement, I got the job!

Later my boss told me that it was the Thank You Letter that won her over. Wow. Who would have known?

From the day of my very awkward interview to the last day that I spent with Simmons Radio Group, strange, but unique to say the least, events took place.

On a sunny Thursday in April 1999, a gunman walked into the Family History Library kiddie-corner from our office building and started shooting people. The buildings within two city blocks were in lock-down mode. So, we all plastered ourselves in the windows of our high rise office building and watched as the armed SWAT Team crept along the rooftops in black ant formation. We heard of a suspicious truck parked down the street that was being investigated for a having bomb inside. We watched as the wounded were loaded into awaiting ambulances and later as a field trip of elementary school aged children (my niece being among them) were escorted out of the building to an awaiting school bus. Not much work was accomplished that day.

Four days later (which happened to be my boss’s birthday), we listened to CNN’s account of the horrible Columbine High School Shootings. Our emotions were still raw from our own too close for comfort shootings across the street. Again, it wasn’t a real productive workday.

For several years there was construction along South Temple for TRAX, a new commuter train to prepare for the extra visitors coming for the 2002 Winter Olympics. In 1999, construction was complete and TRAX was up and running. Since I had to park at a hotel down the block, I had to across the street at the corner of West Temple and South Temple. On a summer afternoon, my ankle twisted out from under me and I went down…face first…right in the middle of that intersection! In pain and embarrassed as the cars stopped at the red light had front row seats to my graceful performance. An elderly lady helped me up and cursed the construction as I hobbled to the sidewalk. When I looked around it donned on me that the construction was over! There wasn’t any in sight! It was like cursing the ice in the summer time!

We dubbed Monday as “Bride Day”. Temple Square was right across the street from our office building and as we walked along the street, we ogled in awe of all the beautiful brides on Monday mornings about to take the plunge into eternity.

Working with Nevah, my boss, was an experience that I can only explain by saying that I was spoiled rotten! She made work fun and I learned more about myself than I ever had before. Of course, the radio environment was exciting and I’m sure deep in my heart that I was meant to work there. Learning the radio lingo was a delight and each day was a new challenge, so it was never boring! I met some interesting people and some semi-famous people too. It was a job that will forever be marked in my memory as the one that I wish I had forever!

One rule that Nevah had was never to talk to her while she was on the phone. I usually respected this rule, except for one day in August 1999! A management meeting was going on in the northwest corner office on our floor and I was filling in for the receptionist as she took her lunch break. All of a sudden, a man burst out of the meeting, running up and down the hall, screaming for everyone to get away from the windows!

“Tornado, everyone get away from the windows!”

I left the receptionist desk to warn my boss who was on the phone. “Nevah, we need to get out of here, there’s a tornado coming!” I whispered to her. She only glanced at me so I said it again.

She replied in a hushed voice, “Kate, I’m on the phone!!”

I could already see the debris circling around in the sky and I was so scared that I just said, “I’ll be in the stairwell if you need me.”

Once there, I started thinking about how I needed to get to the bottom floor. I started running down the stairs, pulling each door shut that was open. When I arrived on the main floor, I heard the storm approaching and I stayed where I was until I heard it pass. Then I watched as it seemed to bounce over the Temple.

In disbelief and a mess of nerves, I rode the elevator back to my office. Nevah was sitting at her desk quietly working and I was afraid to ask her if she stayed there during the storm. So, I just sat down and tried to concentrate on some paperwork. Soon she looked over at me and said, “I can’t believe that I didn’t take that tornado more seriously!”

I was speechless.

A couple of years later our offices moved to Trolley Corners. The commute was just a little different with the freeway construction over and the 2002 Winter Olympics coming up within a year. We missed the Monday Brides, but welcomed better eating establishments at Trolley Square and the much needed parking in the back of the building! All the entertainment of the down town shady characters were replaced with the busy 700 East and BMWs. Nevah was in her element! She was so chic and comfortable in new posh surroundings.

Most everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001. The two hour time difference promised that we were all at home when we first learned that something had happened. Nevah is from the DC area so that was her “home” and she took the news hard!

At work, we sat in the downstairs lobby most of the day, glued to the television set and learned together that this had been on purpose. In the following days, Simmons Radio Group held a radio-a-thon and listened to others pour their hearts out on air. It seemed like everyone in the country needed a grief counselor. My most profound memory of that week was that the cast and crew of 'Touched by an Angel' brought in their payroll checks and handed them right over to support our country!

I was in awe of the down right 'good' in people those few days and weeks after 9/11. It made me so grateful to be there to witness it.

I never would have thought that the event would have an intense impact on me personally, but I was laid off due to the budge cuts and economic pressures that it placed on our business. Nevah was expecting her third child and she was quitting anyway. I was so sad to say goodbye! I’ve always felt I happened onto that job too early in my life. How was I supposed to get a different one after already having had my dream job?

No one in the Salt Lake Valley was hiring after September 11^th! I tried and tried to find a job. Just months before being laid off, I had gotten divorced and moved back in with my parents. I thought that I could save some money to get my own place to live, but those plans changed.

I ended up working at a bakery in Reams Grocery Store. I went from a wearing a suit and pumps to work everyday to jeans, ratty old t-shirts and black comfort fit shoes….but that’s an other story for another post!

Ready?

I’m just not yet ready for my princess to be “Sweet Sixteen”.

I’m not ready for the state issued curfew of 12:30 am which she fully expects will be bestowed upon her. I’m not ready for those nights when I tell her to be home at 11:00.

I’m not ready to allow “driving around” just so she can feel the breeze in her hair or to listen to music as loud as possible. I am surely not ready for a car load of teenagers listening a thumping bass rap mix and texting while screeching down the street!

I’m not ready for boys to pick her up for dates or the inevitable conversations about why he should come to the door, introduce himself to me and my Hero or why I would prefer him to walk her to the door after the date is over. Heaven help me when she gets a steady boyfriend!! I’m so not ready for that yet!!

I’m just not ready for her to get a job where she will be under some boss’s rules about what time the shift will end or trying to explain the privileges and responsibilities of having her own money. I’m not ready to see what purchases will be made with her own money.

She’s growing up so fast. I only have two precious years to instill all the things I want for her before she’s an adult. Before she leaves this nest for college or wherever life takes her.

Spell Check

Spell Check usually saves us from looking stupid when sending emails to important business associates….and then there are the times when Spell Check is the reason why we look like morons.

Case in point, my business email signature BEFORE Spell Check :

Kate Mc2
A/R * Credit * Collections
KHBS-KHOG TV & The Arkansas CW+
Fort Smith – Rogers
Arkansas

And my business email signature AFTER Spell Check:

Kate Mc2
A/R * Credit * Collections
CHUBS – HOG TV & The Arkansas COW+
Fort Smith – Rogers
Arkansas


I know ya'll in LA are wonder'n about us down home country fried folks fix'n to go to Wal-mart!
And I fit right in! Ha Ha Ha!

River Festival

First of all, I have to say that I am in love with Little Rock! It is such a charming city! And it’s been too long since my Hero, the Princess and I have gotten to really enjoy time away from the house, work and school. Memorial Day weekend is the kick off to summer vacation for most school going Arkansans and what a better way to celebrate than a festival along the river front!

I had plans to allow the Princess to go with her BFF and another gal on Friday to her BFF’s mother’s house in Little Rock and join up with her on Saturday. Plans changed on Friday at work while I was chatting with a friend about the fact that I was going to miss Willie Nelson because my reservations were on Saturday. My friend asked why I had made those plans instead of the ones that I really wanted. I explained that Friday night I wanted to clean the house and do some grocery shopping etc…. “Ok. Let me say this out loud for you: You are missing Willie Nelson to clean your house!” she said.

I changed the reservations, called my Hero who said that he would run home and throw in some laundry (sigh, he’s so cute) and called my Princess’ BFF’s mom who we were hanging out with to tell her that I get to see Willie Nelson!!! Yay!

When we were on our way, I mentioned to my Hero that I would love to stop in Ozark at my favorite restaurant for a pulled pork sandwich. He informed me that we were pressed for time if we were going get there in time see Willie take the stage at 9:00. So, we called in and ordered out (ahhhhh yummm).

Along the river front there were three different stages filled with big named acts. I passed up the B52s to see Willie Nelson, a speck up on the stage, in between us a sea of people. The Princess trio went to see Gavin Rossdale (who?). I enjoyed Willie alright, even with the sea of ten gallon hats on the tallest men I’ve tried to see over or through.

Saturday was so laid back with the Princess trio at the pool, my Hero at his laptop and me and Ellie cracking up on the deck. The girls later designed their own River Fest 2009 shirts…that they decided to omit the letters so they can wear them again another time.

That night the concerts were Heart, Hinder and Jason Aldean. All of us went our different ways. My Hero understands and shares my love for Heart. As I started rocking out with them the heavens opened up raining on a slant just so that it was hitting the band right in the face! I felt bad for them. A few songs in Ann Wilson said that they were still gonna rock it! The crowd went nuts! They are so incredibly talented and I’m so glad that I got to see them!

Since I was still on cloud nine and not ready to go back to the hotel and to sleep, my Hero and I went out for some late night IHOP. The place was packed even though the streets were virtually empty! Most of the crowd was high school kids that graduated from area high schools that night. Three sitting across from us as we all waited to be seated were telling another friend the colleges each were accepted to. One sang out Tulane, another said University of Kentucky and the third and only boy said in a quiet voice Princeton. The girls rolled their eyes and said we can’t take you anywhere, just Princeton, I hate you! I wanted so bad to tell him congratulations, but I thought it might freak them out since it was so late in a crowded IHOP not to mention that I was eavesdropping.

Sunday we hung out for a little while as the sky poured and poured. The Princess trio decided to get dolled up and go out to eat. Their later concert events were canceled and my Hero and I said our good byes and drove home.

Monday I woke up sick most likely from standing in the rain and screaming my head off for Heart. I never think of the consequences! Ha Ha Ha!

It was worth it though! One of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time!

Momma's Day

Mother’s Day hasn’t always been my favorite holiday. While the Princess was little it was fun and cute. She would insist on breakfast in bed and flowers. Sometimes, a home drawn, darling card would be included. She would lay in my bed as I ate the breakfast that my Hero helped her cook and beg for some too…I never understood why they just didn’t make it family breakfast in our bed…oh well.

I lost my mom when I was twenty one, when I was still in the selfish, independent, not wanting to believe that 'momma knows best' stage. I lost her before I could really honor her at Mother’s Day. Not the breakfast in bed with flowers way, but the “thank you for all that you have done for me, & put up with from me, & sacrificed for me” way… I have always felt guilty for that, thus one of the reasons for my dislike of the holiday.

This year, my Hero asked me what was on the agenda for Saturday. I told him that I was having my hair done at noon with Whitney (my hair chick). I saw a fleeting deer in the head light look, but it was so quick that I thought I must have been mistaken. That night while at dinner, he said that he had to tell me something and he was happy that we were in public so that I wouldn’t yell at him (I had no idea that I have a habit of yelling at him, but that’s his story). He slowly said, “I made you a hair appointment with Whitney at one. It’s our Mother’s Day present for you.” I laughed! Oh, he’s so sweet to me! And soooo the reason why he is my Hero!

Teacher Appreciation

Let’s just face it, I’m a rebel.

I have rebelled against the whole schooling institution from preschool to graduation. The Princess however, is a really big butt kisser! When everyone else in the class prays for the teacher to get distracted, the Princess is annoyed by it. I know…FREAK!

I keep to myself that I’m not as respectful toward teachers as I should be because I would hate for her to be disappointed.

When she was in the fifth grade, I was asked to join the PTA Board. Me?!? To me, it was like joining the military! Signing over my life! The other board ladies didn’t grow up with me and my lack of educational interest. They can’t be blamed for the poor decision to beg for my involvement. The stint only lasted a few weeks, maybe a month at most. With all my flakiness, I walked in, told the ladies to give my VP Pin to the President because I wasn’t going to do this anymore. As I left, I heard one say to another, “I think she just quit!”

Well, no kidding?! Do ya think?

After that experience, I’ve avoided all PTA crap on purpose! Sure, I’ll send in my three bucks because after that they usually just go away. Until two weeks ago when KARMA sent the following email:

“The PTA Board quit in the middle of the year and is out of money. Can you please bring a gallon of orange juice and a 5lb bag of oranges for The Teacher Appreciation Breakfast?”

Teacher Appreciation!

Maybe someone is trying to tell me something….?

My Princess is everything in school that I wasn’t. She’s involved. She’s driven. She “appreciates”. And because I’m the adult with the job and consequently the money to buy the orange overload, I’m forced to appreciate too! For her sake. Because she makes me a better person. She helps me have appreciation.