Summer Jobs



spongebob.wikia.com



"Summer is for FREEDOM," my son Fuzzy informed me at the start of summer vacation.

I agree.

Wholeheartedly.



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This is more my dad's generation,
but you get the idea.



For a lot of kids though, summer is all about the extra cash and where to spend it.

Once I got past the occasional babysitting jobs, which were infrequent and not very well-paid, I stepped into newspaper delivery.  That was back in the day when you delivered newspapers to porches, had customers call out, 'GET OFF THE GRASS,' and got nipped at by the occasional dog or two.

It was easy work for the money, really, and fine for a kid who didn't have a drivers license. It was also a year 'round job, not just for summer time.



lolpix.com
Maybe the car wash would
be a better place to wash
this one?



Big Sister is earning some spending money this summer, and gaining some work experience.  Her Auntie grooms dogs (and cats) and has asked her to come help one day a week.  Big Sister might help wash dogs, or wash windows, depending on how many furry, four-footed customers they have that day.  It's hard work, I suspect, but Big Sister not only enjoys getting out of the house for a change of scenery, but I'd bet she really enjoys having some of her own spending money.  She doesn't have any big plans for her cash just yet, except to save.  That's a good enough plan, in my view.

How many of you had summer jobs? Which was your best one? Your worst one?  How old were you when you got your first summer job?

Worst Dates

What do you recall about your worst dates? 

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/staticslideshowmc.
aspx?cp-documentid=23293949&GT1=32023
Schmirtzendoof in the making 



There are two that stand out in my mind.

  

My First Worst Date was with this guy I'll call  Schmirtzendoof.  Schmirtzendoof was a few years older than I was, and when you're both still in high school, that can sometimes be a big age difference. I only saw him briefly during end of the school year activities, and it was one of those big crushes you develop on people you see from afar.  He was cute in a sort of geeky way, drove a hot car, and - well. Some of you know how this works.  You watch that person, you have mental drool, and your girlfriends all giggle and nudge you whenever he walks by and says "hi" to you just for the sake of politeness.  One day, one of my bolder girlfriends did one of those "do you like her circle yes or no" kind of things and asked Schmirtzendoof if he wanted to go out on a date with me.  He said ok, and that weekend, off we went.  Me and Schmirtzendoof, the couple of the hour.  Which is probably about as long as the date lasted.

Thankfully. 

I'm sure he felt the same way. 

See, when you have this big, bad crush on somebody from afar, nine times out of ten it's better if it stays that way.  Afar. Afar, afar, and very afar away.  Because the reality is far different.  For one thing,  I was totally clueless what to talk to this guy about.  He didn't seem to have much of an idea about conversation, either, so pretty much we just drove around in his car, drove through the various places around town that teens go to hang out (which were deemed too crowded, so we didn't stop), and after increasingly exasperated queries of, "Well, what would you like to do," with me being unable to form a coherent thought, we cut things short and called it a night.

That was the end.  Worst date ever, likely for both of us.  I'm sure he thought I was a complete, bubble-headed moron, and that wouldn't have been too far from the truth at that moment.


usuarios.multimania.es
Potsy Webber
(Anson Williams)

The next Worst Date wasn't nearly as bad as the first Worst Date.  Fast-forward a couple years. Potsy Webber was all right.  He was a guy I had a couple of classes with, and we actually could talk to each other.  My sister persuaded me to go out with him.

It's probably not a good sign when you have to be persuaded to go out with someone.  It's not that I disliked Potsy - but I didn't want him to think that I liked him "that way." 

We did the standard teenage movie thing at that time.  A movie - I can't even remember what we went to see - and out for the burger & fries afterward.  It was a "worst date" in that something happened that was very like something that probably happened in an episode of "Happy Days." You young'uns can probably catch that retro show on cable somewhere.

We're in the movies.  It's dark, of course.  Potsy decides it's time to make his move, and does one of those exaggerated but trying to be normal arm stretches, and then suddenly . . . that arm is around the back of my seat, hovering gently just above my shoulders. 

I'm sure Potsy thought that was a pretty slick move.

I was mysteriously busy whenever Potsy called that summer, but we still remained friendly - though not in "that way."

Be sure to click on the links to read about other people's worst dates.  Better yet, share some of yours in the comments.

 

The Kid's Latest Obsession



Twilight cast
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 My teenaged daughter is so over "Twilight." Personally, I think Jacob (left, Taylor Lautner) is much better looking than Edward (right, Robert Pattinson).  Edward looks like he's always in pain, and rather stoned from it all.  I still think the actress who plays Bella (center, Kristina Stewart) has the emotional range of a corn cob.  Big Sister's Twilight posters have recently been relegated to the basement along with other "outgrowns" such as baby dolls and doll houses.

Her latest obsession is a series called "Full Metal Alchemist."  This is the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse, who are unique individuals, to say the least.



Alphonse Elric
fullmeta-lalchemist.com



Edward Elric
pureanimegallery.com



Edward becomes a state alchemist at the tender age of twelve, in order to help restore Alphonse to his original body.  Long story, there. Suffice it to say that Alphonse's soul resides in a huge suit of armor due to an alchemical experiment gone wrong (human transmutation) - and Edward has an arm and leg that are made of "automail." think of automail as a metallic, bionic version of limb replacement.  Their only hope of full - body restoration is in finding a Philosopher's Stone.

 



Gluttony
cosplayresearch.com



Yes, obviously this is a fantastical tale. It is set in Europe, post-industrial revolution times, with many fictional elements. 

 There is the requisite good and evil, large doses of humor to balance out the violence, and enough plot twists to keep even the most avid fans of mystery/suspense reading - or watching.  Manga is in printed form, anime is animated - as I was informed one day by Big Sister, finally annoyed over my inability to keep it all straight. 



Greed
clubados.fre



There are even a few biblical references.  If you've ever wondered what Greed, Gluttony, and Lust would look like in animated form, they, and many others, are in this series. 



Lust
freewebs.com



Sloth and Pride also make appearances, as do the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins, though they aren't named as such in this series. 

 Hiromu Arakawa, the author and illustrator, is definitely talented.  Big Sister got hooked partly because of the illustrations.  Each one manages to convey the emotion intended by the author - intense, action-packed, scenic, and also comic.  Arakawa can do a lot with just white and shades of black and gray.

Big Sister and her friend are full-fledged Full Metal fans.  There are fan-fic sites (that's 'fan fiction' for those not in the know) and also a Deviant Art fan art site that's fun to check out, too. 

I don't mind this latest obsession.  When Big Sister and her friend are asked if they're "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" , they tend to respond rather disdainfully.  "We're TEAM ELRIC," they respond, often to blank looks, to which they reply with giggles.

sodahead.com

". . . but our awesome, butt-kicking, short-ranting Ed was around long before Mr. Sparklepants was even a speck of glitter in Stephanie Meyer's eye"  , writes one fan of the Full Metal saga.   Full Metal fans seem to agree.

 

"Vote for Elric . . . Because men don't need to sparkle to be sexy."
This message Edward Elric approved
emotastic-chic1deviantart.com



As for me, I don't mind either debate.  They're all fictional characters, and I could think of much worse things for Big Sister to be obsessing over.  Fictional boys are far better for obsessions than the real, live ones, in my humble opinion.  Plus - I can sometimes tag along with this obsession.  Watching the shows and reading the graphic novels are kind of fun. 

Though I still think that Jacob is better-looking than Edward Cullen.

What were your biggest obsessions when you were a kid? What are your kids obsessed with that drives you crazy (or, that you enjoy)?

Today's writing from Mama Kat's prompt,

"Your child's latest obession: Do you love it

or hate it?"

Parent Peeves



Peeves the Poltergeist
Harry Potter novels and films
totalfilm.com

 What is a 'Peeve,' anway? 

Sometimes a "peeve" seems like that obnoxious poltergeist from the Harry Potter novels.  Othertimes, we consider it "just an annoyance."

Mama Kat is tapping into her follower's peevedom by asking what the top parenting peeve is.

Is it. . . screaming children? tarted-up children? parents who do everything for their child?

If you're not sure, but wonder if you made the list, here are some bloggers to check out:

• Mom*Vana  -"I saw a woman with a little army of 6 children all trailing behind her with GIANT cups of soda from 7-11. I wanted to slap her. I am sorry but that is ridiculous. On a hot day, give your kid water." 
• Parenting by Dummies  - “I’m going to count to 5…”  And then what?  And why not 3?  Personally, by the time you get to 3, I’ve had it with you, your kid, and your useless counting, so why bother going all the way to 5? "
• My Perfect Little World - "How about once they're in college, you let them pick their OWN classes?"
• My Memory Art - "I also stopped telling pee, poo, food, sleeping, sickness, behavior, and embarrassing narratives about my kids while they were anywhere within hearing distance at a very young age. "
• The Raven's Spell - '“Shhhhhh” is far louder, disruptive, and just plain annoying than a kid getting excited to see hyenas appear on screen. If you plan to take your child to a movie, guess what, they are going to have a few things to say.'
• Footprints in the Sand - "I remember seeing a five year old boy at the grocery store last year, submissively following behind his father when he accidentally bumped into the aisle causing a jar of pickles to drop on the floor.  It was an accident.  In less than five seconds the father turned around and yelled at his son in such a way that I started crying. "
• What the Grimgirl looks forward to-" When I was a child, it seemed as though my sister and I were the only kids on the block who wore shoes in the summer. It wasn’t that the other kids didn’t have shoes; it was that my mother would not let us out the door without them."
• 

  

  homeimprovementforparents.com
  Hey - let's cut those strings,
  shall we?
  

  
  Because my life is fascinating - I" don't care if this goes into a "college fund." By the time she's of age for college she's going to be such a bimbo that she'll be beyond repair. And don't tell me you're trying to boost her confidence. Getting judged for how she looks in a bathing suit at age 10 is NOT going to encourage ANY confidence."
• Shit in the bathtub: Adventures in crap-tastic mommy moments - "But when I look over while driving and see a car full of children and the parents in the front driving and smoking (windows cracked or open) – let me tell you – I not only judge you, I consider that child abuse and neglect."
• So this is the good life - "I know a lot of parents who keep their child up late at night (11:00, midnight, sometimes even later) so that they will sleep in the next morning so the parent can sleep in too."
• Mommy's Lounge - ". . . there are lots of baby-talking-mommies out there! (Can you say, “annoying to the nth degree?”) I feel so bad for the kid who misses the opportunity to develop vocabulary, proper inflection, syntax and all that good stuff."

My own commentary on parental pet peeves is here, and based on what I've read from the funny ladies who post at the blogs above, there are a lot of people out there who are on the same page.

So - what's your biggest parental pet peeve?