"Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Writing Well"
Okay question, WHY does my hair look so RED?!? I think it’s the red room and the sun shining in … I mean, seriously, it’s RED!
Wow.
Yuck.
(Note to self: Pick a darker hair dye next time).
You can read the stories I’m writing for this challenge at Fiction Fix.
Excerpt:
My dad always had big dreams. He wanted to invent something that would not only be useful to others, but help mankind and of course, reap big rewards.
As in millions of dollars in rewards.
He was an inventor, of sorts. I remember he would spend entire weekends, for months on end, making plans, finding materials and then experimenting with various contraptions. All of them failed, but he never gave up.
I never understood that drive, that passion. To me, it seemed like so much work. Why not take the easy road and leave time for more fun things?
Like dating, or hanging with friends, or baseball.
I pretty much live for baseball.
I was never a good student. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Holly Lawson, I wouldn’t even have graduated from high school
I used her. I’ll admit it. I’m not proud of this fact, but there you have it. I knew she had a crush on me and I shamefully used that fact to manipulate her into doing what I wanted her to do.
That’s my gift, manipulating people. I’m quite good at it. I have a knack for honing in on people’s weaknesses and twisting them into something that I can use to benefit me.
At first, this bothered me. I wasn’t particularly proud of using people but it came so easy and people never had a problem trusting everything that I told them that I just sort of fell into the pattern – it was harder not to.
For the most part, I got over the guilt of using people. I mean, people come and go in our lives, in our relationships, they’re just blips on our life’s radar – meaningless really. Why waste time on them when there was so much fun to be had.
I’m not quite sure why I’m like this, maybe it has something to do with my mom, who worked two jobs to give my dad the freedom to do his experiments (that never paid off, by the way, I mentioned that part, right?) and worked herself to death.
Literally.
Her heart simply gave out when she reached 48.
I was a Sophomore in high school when my mom passed away and it was from that point on that I knew what I wanted, which was to be nothing like my mom. I didn’t want to work my entire life away; life was simply too short.
And yet, I wasn’t willing to do what my dad did either. I can’t tell you the number of times I witnessed his disappointment, his dejection, his rejection all because he had the balls to stick his neck out there and try something different.
No. I was all about taking the easy road.
And of course, taking the easy route can not only be hard, but dangerous, too.
After I graduated from high school, I wasn’t sure what to do with my life. I mean, I could work, but I kept picturing my mother, worn down and bone tired from her two jobs and I didn’t want that for my life. So I decided to put my life on hold for a bit and go to college.
College wasn’t really work, it was more of a structured party with virtually no rules.
Save for the rules I made up along the way.
I quickly discovered that I simply wasn’t smart enough to be a college student. I had relied on Holly’s help, and I use that term loosely, throughout high school so much that in essence, I didn’t learn a freaking thing.
I had cheated my way through high school, so it seemed only natural that I’d cheat my way through college.
The challenge was finding the person who would make that happen.
It started out innocently enough. About halfway through my first semester I knew I needed help. I had failed nearly everything I had tried at that point and that wasn’t much, quite frankly. I was taking a full load, about 15 hours, and every single class was kicking my butt.
But I didn’t give up. I didn’t get discouraged. I got busy working out a four-year plan on how I was going to survive my college years with the least amount of effort on my part as possible.
I knew it could be done, I just wasn’t sure how it would shake out. I needed someone vulnerable, someone who craved attention and perhaps didn’t get it very often, who was sort of a social outcast. I needed someone smart and generous. I needed someone I could string along and manipulate into doing what I needed them to do without questioning my motives or seeing through my deception.
And that person came in the form of my college advisor, Lauren McCormick.
(Click on graphic to read story – WARNING: Rated PG-13 for brief language.
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(Click on graphic to read story – WARNING: Rated PG-13 for brief language. Hey, this is MILD compared to the last story).
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We lost Dude this weekend.
Well, briefly.
Saturday, we went driving. He’s really been wracking up the practice and he’s really turning into a good driver. He still has problems checking his mirrors and looking for traffic, but we’re working on it.
If he can handle a stranger being in his car, then he should pass the driver’s test. We’ll see. I thought about taking him up to retake his test this coming Friday (the kids are out of school) but I’m not sure he’s quite ready, to be honest. I think he needs just a bit more practice.
Shortly after we got home, some friends of Dude’s stopped by. I’ve known one of the boys for a few years now, so I felt fairly comfortable with him.
They wanted to take Dude to the mall and hang out for a bit.
“Sure! Have a good time!” I said as I gave him some money and watched him take off with his two buds.
A few hours went by and I called him.
“Hey Dude, your dad and I want to go out for BBQ, do you want to come along or do you want to eat dinner with your friends?”
He said he would call me back.
Forty-five minutes later (Grr), I called him to ask him what the dealio was with dinner.
His buddy asked him to spend the night (which I knew would happen) and I said, “Sure! Why not.”
So, the guys dropped him back off at our house and he got his stuff ready while they ran to buy some energy drinks at Wal-Mart.
In the meantime, Kevin and I are starving, so we told Dude to lock up when his friends came back and picked him up and we’d see him in the morning.
And we took off.
We had a scrumptious dinner (we’re so going back there for my birthday dinner) and when we came home, we noticed that every shade in the house was open, the house was in view of God and the world because it was dusk and every light in the house was on, and the front door was standing wide open.
WTH?!
So yeah, Dude left the house wide open – little stinker. But quite honestly folks, I was so tickled that a few of his buddies wanted him to hang out, without parental supervision and to do something normal, like hang out at the mall, that I was willing to overlook the house situation. After all, this was Dude’s first time doing something like this and I knew he was excited about going out that well … he’s a teenage boy, what can I say.
Sunday morning, he calls about 8:00 ready to come home. The conversation went a little something like this:
“Hey mom. I’m ready to come home. D’s dad is going to bring me home, but I need directions to our house.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah. You don’t know where I am and …”
“Wait, what?”
“What do I tell him?”
The kid threw me for a loop. I thought he was going to D’s house, and he had, only he had gone to D’s DAD’S house, not his MOM’S (I didn’t even know they were divorced) and I had no idea where that was.
Swell.
I’ll be honest. I was thrown for a loop or I might have insisted on getting the man’s address and getting him myself, but instead, I said,
“Just tell him our address. Or better yet, tell him we live a few blocks from the firehouse on such-and-such street.”
“Okay. I’ll be home about nine.”
“Okay.”
And I freaking hang up!
I’m such a dork.
After the shock of him not being where I thought he was all night long, I tried to call Dude back to get more information, only when I tried to call Dude, all I got was the following message:
“I’m sorry. That number is temporarily unavailable.”
Okay, now my imagination takes off at warp speed. I don’t know where the kid is, I can’t reach him on his cell phone, which means, he must be out of the area in the BOONIES somewhere with D’s dad, whom I don’t know!
PANIC!!
I’m trying hard not to freak out and I try Dude’s cell phone several more times. Same message.
So, I sit and think about why his cell phone is giving me that message. If he was out of the area, wouldn’t it just go straight to voice mail? Something was fishy.
So, I signed onto his account online only to see, he had run out of time and his balance was $0.10. I thought I had set up the automatic top-up feature but apparently?
No.
Parenting FAIL!
So, I quickly put more money on it (setting up the auto top-up feature, too), and Kevin called him.
He picked up.
Kevin got the guy’s address, we Map Quest it (he wasn’t that far, NOT in the boonies like I had envisioned) and he went to pick him up.
It all ended well, but we all learned a lesson – we need to ask more questions before saying yes next time. Dude needs to tell us if he ends up somewhere different than where we thought he was going and to make sure the house is locked up if he’s the last to leave.
I’m very proud of myself. I did not lose my temper, I did not freak out and it was mainly because I didn’t want to spook Dude from doing something like this again. This was the first time he took the initiative and wanted to do something with his friends and I was thrilled. I don’t want to stunt his independence because I freaked out over something that I should have straightened out to begin with.
At any rate, I’m pretty sure I lost a year of my life this past weekend by not knowing where he was at or how to get a hold of him.
Lesson learned.
Jazz’s band had their last marching competition of the season Saturday.
We dropped Jazz off at the school at 9:00 and they took off for Columbia at 9:30.
They performed at Mizzou’s Champion of Champions competition and I’m proud to report that they came in SECOND!! Jazz said that that was by far the best they’ve ever performed.
I can’t believe the phenomenal season the kids have had. I’m REALLY looking forward to another season next year and I can’t wait to see what kind of program the band director comes up with!
I’m not sure what happens in band now that marching is over. I’ve heard the kids go on to concert and if that’s the case, Jazz will switch out his gold sax for his black sax – and he’s really looking forward to using it again.
Next semester, he’ll be in Jazz band, so I’m sure there will be performances for that, too.
Thanks for sticking it out with me as I chronicle our experiences. It’s been amazing and I know it’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience for Jazz, who can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
(Click on graphic to read first story – WARNING: Rated PG for content, language, and some sexuality).
DOG DIARY
8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm – Lunch! My favorite thi ng!
1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’ I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the Guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now. …
Write From Karen 