So my “baby” girl graduated from high school two weeks ago. Cue the nostalgic mood music. It was just yesterday that she let me do her hair, pick out her clothes, and buckle her into a car seat. Stop the music. Today she does her own hair, picks out her clothes, and (hopefully) buckles up before peeling out. How did this happen overnight? After all, I just graduated…25 years ago.
High school graduation is an important milestone, whether it feels like that or not. It means you are educated, whether it feels like that or not. It means you met standards, whether it feels like it or not. It means you worked hard, whether it feels like that or not. It means you are ready for adulthood, whether it feels like that or not.
Graduation prompts an interesting behavior I call grudge evaporation. Grudge evaporation happens when all of your classmates are your friends because you’ll probably never see some of them again. Gone as if by magic are those petty leftover grudges from grades gone by. She didn’t share? Oh well. He didn’t call? Too bad. He spit in your hair in the 6th grade? So what. She told her other best friend who told her cousin who told her other best friend who told her mom who told your mom? Who cares. Bygones are bygones. Say goodbye and move on.
High school can be an all-consuming never-ending cycle of friends, homework, and activities. Graduation puts a screeching halt to the old familiar routines and flings wide open the door to the future. Yes, Virginia, there is life after high school. A lot of it. For me, at least 25 years’ worth so far. Colleges, careers, vacations, lazy days, new houses, new friends, new spouses, kids, pets, cars – the list of life goes on and on. And the best part of post-grad life? Who you have been is not necessarily who you become.
So to my own graduate and by extension to recent graduates everywhere, enjoy becoming you. To us older and wiser graduates, let’s just keep on becoming ourselves – we’re not done yet!
A birthday is like a personal mugger that’s hiding right around the corner just for you. It waits patiently, approaches carefully and attacks gleefully! Quick as a wink you’re older.
When I was younger, I wanted to be older. Now that I’m older, I want to be younger. My friend and I were discussing this odd age-reversal birthday wishes phenomenon and she asked me if I’d do my teenage years over again. Heck yes, but only if I could take my middle-aged brain with me. Knowledge wrapped up in perspective is the best birthday gift of all.
What if I had my middle-aged brain with me in junior high? Oh man! In math, I would rock on those rotten story problems. If a train was traveling at 70 mph how long would it take to churn 9 quarts of cream into butter? In P.E., I would fearlessly give the stink-eye to the evil coach who had a fondness for tight short-shorts and tall socks. Hey buddy, can you rethink the wardrobe and lay off the butter? In Home Ec, I would confidently use a big knife and chiffonade faster than a culinary-trained swashbuckler. Sauté that in melted butter!
Fast forward back to high school – just imagine a middle-aged brain roaming the hallways with a middle-aged outlook. Prom is not life or death. Boyfriends are temporary. Friends are transitory. Gossip is bad. Studying is important. Mom is right. Be good. Drive carefully. Make plans. Have goals. Move away. Work hard. Save money. Spend frugally. Grow up.
So let my middle-aged birthday mugging commence! Bring on the cake and fire up the candles! Oh my, is that butter-cream frosting?
Haven’t you always heard that the shortest distance between Point A and Point B is a straight line? From ancient seafarers to westward pioneers, this was commonsense knowledge. Modern-day airline pilots and my teenaged kids know this. On-line direction providers claim to know this – but I believe my experience is proof to the contrary.
This last Saturday, the Lady Lions varsity volleyball team was scheduled to play at a tournament in Dallas, a town that I had not yet had the pleasure of visiting. Before I go any further, let me just say it – I always get lost. I have directional disability. Maps for me are worse than story problems what with all their little hieroglyphics and folding origami-ness. So in the interests of self-preservation and timeliness, I placed all my straight line trust in an on-line direction provider, which I will call M.Q. I entered Point A, St. Helens, and Point B, Dallas, and waited with baited breath for my easy-to-follow step-by-step driving directions to spit out of the printer.
So once the car was loaded with snacks, the dog, and the directions, it was down (or up?) the highway and over Cornelius Pass – gotcha. Take a left onto the Tualatin Valley highway – fine. Then turn right onto a 2-lane country road – unexpected but okay… And then the adventure began. Over the river, through the woods, past the orchards, and around the cyclists we went. We drove past vineyards, fields, and farmers markets. We drove up some small town main streets and down others. 11 left turns, 13 right turns, 4 straight aheads, and 2 ½ hours later, Dallas appeared on the horizon.
Never once did I deviate from the route suggested and no matter how rural or gravelly the road, the M.Q. directions were spot on. All of those twists and turns though… What happened to the straight line approach? Coming back, following other volleyball families, it was a quick trip back along I-5 to Highway 30 to home. Yep, we came straight home.
The first laptop
New Acer Aspire 5315. Comes with Laptop case.
Windows Vista® Home Basic
Intel® Celeron® Processor 550 (1MB L2 cache, 2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB)
1GB (1/0) DDR2 667 SDRAM
160GB hard drive
Integrated Super-Multi drive (DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM)
15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) TFT display
Acer® CrystalBrite Technology
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN, V.92 modem, integrated webcam
Acer Software.
Acer Arcade
Acer Signal
Acer Video Conference.
$400.00 Firm.
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Second Laptop
Compaq Presario C700 Notebook PC.
Processor Intel Pentium Dual CPU 1.87 GHz
Memory (RAM) 2.00GB
Hard Drive 120 GB
Modem High speed 56K modem
Network interface Ethernet 10/100BT integrated network interface
Wireless technologies 802.11b/g WLAN
External I/O ports 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA port, 1 RJ11 modem connector,
1 RJ45 ethernet connector, S-video TV out, 1 headphones-out, 1 mic-in
Display size 15.4” WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen
Display resolution 1280 x 800
Video adapter Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Webcam with integrated microphone
Internal audio 3D Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound 16 bit integrated
Speakers and microphone Altec Lansing® speakers
Keyboard 101 key compatible keyboard
Pointing device Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down pad, volume control, mute button
Power supply type 65 W AC Power Adapter
1 year, pick-up and return, parts and labor, Just Register the laptop with HP to activate the warranty.
$450.00
Call 503-543-3259 day time please.
Thanks
Tom
At CRhighway, we believe that high school sports are the gr8 sports. And with 5 high schools in Columbia County and approximately 100 teams across the school year, it takes a village to cover high school sports effectively. Or something like that.
We are looking for reporters, photographers, videographers. Students, team parents, fans, coaches... everyone who loves these sports and kids can be part of the CRhighway sports coverage team.
If you have photos, join CRhighway's 1on1 community, join all the groups that interest you and post them yourself. If you have video and can edit it yourself, you can post them direct as well. If you have video and need some help editing, just let us know. We'll be glad to help edit or train, whichever is desired.
After two weeks of couch-potato Olympic coverage, I can definitely say I’m not moving swifter, higher or stronger. But I am in awe of the athletes who can! It’s amazing what the human body can be trained and prepared to do.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not much of an athlete and have never been good at sports. Kickball was the bane of my elementary existence. Dressing down was the misery of my high school life. I’ve tried Jazzercise and believe you me, jumping around in front of a mirror while wearing a leotard is not a jazzy thing. Treadmills are ok, but I don’t like that distinct hamster-on-a-wheel feeling and I have a terrible time sticking the dismount. Oh sure, the dog and I go for walks, but they are more of the sniff-and-stroll variety. So in the meantime, I’m trying to crochet my way to fitness. Aerobically, it leaves something to be desired, but the doilies are great!
Maybe I can petition the International Olympic Committee to add crochet as a sanctioned event. Just imagine the commentary: “Simple, elegant, neat and tidy. That’s the best triple crochet stitch I’ve seen in the competition so far. If she manages to stick the tie-off, she’ll be in contention for a medal…”
So to athletes, non-athletes, and crocheters everywhere, best of luck in your efforts to be citius, altius, and fortius!