Askin' Ain't Gettin'

2 items to discuss today.

1st of all, due to the voice of the people, (I should run for politics) I decided to change Jack's name (hopefully, you all did realize that when I chose the name Jack because it went so well with Alberqundo, I wasn't serious--ha) I just couldn't think of a name to top Alberquando. Well, the votes are in and I took Jack down to the government center yesterday and had his name officially changed to Guacamole. So say a prayer for Jack as he is no longer with us. And Ladies and Gentlemen (if there are any gentlemen reading this) if not, then Ladies...I present to you my 17 year old son's new name...Guacamole! Now you must realize how long it took me to remember how to spell Alberquando. Here we go again. (btw, I looked up Alberquando on google and there were NO hits!...what a surprise!) I must admit that Guacamole has a nice ring to it and at least I don't get the little red line that Alberquando always gives me when I type it in. Also, if the 2 of them ever read my blogs, Jack AKA Guacamole, may have felt slighted since his brother had such a cool name. Now they both do, and as CK informed me Guacamole goes very well with Alberquando....as well as with chips and dip! Now don't any of you go changing your kids names to mine. You had your chances and you passed.

2nd item to discuss. I re-read my blog from Yesterday. What a sweet idea that was.....then they came home from school, My angels. First thing that happens is Guacamole (I need to get used to writing that) locked little Alberquando out. Alberquando bangs on the back window and yells to be let in. "ALBERQUANDO! Don't you know you never bang on glass!" "Your hand could go thru the glass, it could cut thru a main artery! You could bleed out in a matter a moments!" (that's the EMT in me talking). and "GUACAMOLE! Must you always torture your brother!" This is within the first 5 seconds they are home together. Responses from my angels "Well, he's fat" "Well, he's gay" (I hate those words, any of you with teenagers would know that gay is the insult of the season, and saying you're fat is the close runner up.) Neither is fat and neither is gay (not that there's anything wrong with that..) Then they race thru the house, eat everything in sight, one needs a check for his school lunch account, one needs money for an overdue book at the school library (he reads?), "Don't change the TV, I was watching that!", "Please sign this form", "I don't understand my homework", "Why doesn't he have homework!?!", and then the 3 most dreaded words to my ears....."What's for dinner?" One day I am going to blog about what those 3 words do to me. The sheer panic it sends thru my bones. Cooking is DEFINITELY not one of my gifts. I'm not good at it, I still haven't ever come up with a dinner that everyone likes, I was raised on Hardees, McDonalds, soup and mac and cheese. My dad used to say if your hungry you'll eat what we have....as he would be eating a COLD hotdog and saltines. UGH! "What's for dinner...."sigh, I've tried planning ahead, I 've tried making up a weekly menu, but there is only so much you can do with 3-4 main dinners. I've tried new things and new recipes but my cookbooks MUST be written incorrectly...they were awful! And I really can't blame them for not liking what I cook....you would understand if you ever tasted it...ouch!. (thank goodness Papa Johns delivers).

OK, I am getting WAY off track (how very unlike me). The place I was going with this was, yes, I am going to try to enjoy and make the best of this summer but Guacamole has put me in a tailspin. At his school, if you pass your SOLs and are doing well, you are exempted from final exams. THAT, my friends, means that those 4 early release days that I still had left of school next week just changed drastically. He passed all of his SOLS. Now I am grateful that he did, please believe that, BUT that leaves only 2 classes with exams (these classes don't have SOL's). One of those classes is letting them take their exam this week so they don't have to come in for it next week (that class, btw, is Psychology.,...I wonder if they have studied me yet....that is scary!). THEREFORE, he only has one exam next week (Music Theory....he's the one going to Europe to play music next year). Within a matter of 2 minutes, my 4 free half days for next week just turned into 1 quarter day. (They usually take 2 exams per day). He'll be at school on Tuesday from 10:15-12:30. And that is all, That's it, no more, kaput, school's out. Bottom line (see, there really is ALWAYS a bottom line (almost). This Friday is my last day. SO, I am going to go back and read yesterday's blog again. I just need to refresh that nice sweet attitude I had yesterday, " I am looking forward to summer, I am looking forward to summer, I am looking forward to summer, I am.,......"My final words for the day (hhmm, shouldn't that have been the bottom line....not with me..) My final words are from the movie Gone With the Wind. That used to be my favorite movie. I know most of the words verbatim (yes, I got the little red line on verbatim but I fixed it). In the movie, Scarlet is talking to Pork (an ex-slave). She says she is going to ask Mr. Ashley for money to pay the taxes. Pork reminds her that Mr. Ashley doesn't have that kind of money. "Well, I can ask can't I?" It's what Pork says after she walks away that worries me...."Askin' Ain't Gettin" .....I am looking forward to summer, I am looking forward to summer, I am looking forward to summer, I am.................