The none-too-deep thoughts of a Perceived Beotch.

I was riding in my boyfriend's red firebird my jr year when he looked over at me and said that I needed to smile...I must have shown confusion, because he tried to explain: that if I didn't have a smile, I looked like 'a bitch'. He wasn't being mean or anything...but I do remember being caught off guard and wanting further explanation; he proceeded to tell me that, in fact, lots of people that didn't even KNOW me thought I was a bitch if I didn't have the smile! I think I told him it wasn't physically possible to maintain that position 24/7 or something about frozen muscles, but I plastered a fake smile on my face (actually real—for some reason the whole afternoon became funny!) and then every time he looked over, I'd grin in a big cheezy manner! It became a joke, but I never forgot that statement...

Then about 10 yrs ago, a classmate (RC) told me that a work buddy of his (Dave) thought I was a real bitch. I was totally flabbergasted because I had no idea who Dave was. I must get to the bottom of this! RC was to find out why. And it all boiled down to the simple fact that Dave had waved at me and I didn't wave back. I still thought this was bizarre and it turned out that Dave's daughter was in my class, etc. I still couldn't picture Dave in my mind, nor do I hardly ever see anyone wave when I'm on the road. I just don't pay attention, the way I don't pay attention to what type of vehicle people drive. (Stop Meandering!)

BUT! I keep score at wrestling/basketball games and I had the perfect opportunity to discover just who Dave was since his daughter was on the team. There he was with his wife (whom I DID recognize) on the front row across the gym floor from me. There are only 2 of us at the scorers table....when Dave glanced our way, I grinned broadly and waved the BIGGEST WAVE EVER! I have never seen a person turn so ungodly red. (Nor a wife give a husband such a dirty look!) But it set a tone—and we've all been on friendly terms ever since.

I am so lucky that my town is the friendliest ever, having experienced younger days in a neighboring town known as “Gossip City USA”. Here, nearly everyone speaks, (and not for entertainment/backstabbing pleasure). You can't go for a walk without running into runners, walkers, strollers—everyone has to nod, talk, smile, or offer a sentence fragment or two... When I first moved here, I walked about 2 blocks and met such nice people—it has left a lasting impression. My daughter noticed immediately when she moved from KSU to KU—she suffered loneliness; everyone there was so unfriendly/untalkative. She hated the Lawrence community and their snootish atmosphere.

But back to 'smiles'...Just the act of nodding or smiling has promoted too many strange situations for me during the last couple years. I think I even told my cop friend that maybe I SHOULD pretend to be a real bitch. But I was raised to be polite and sometimes it's just second nature to nod or smile, but for Heaven's sake I really need to learn how to judge strangers first...
s'nuther blog topic....

Frown. Where's my truck?

Rats. I could not find a pic of my '64 Chevy. I wanted to look at it without going out in the dark to the garage--is that lazy or what!? And I couldn't find Bailey and Nate's antique red Scout either. I guess with the weather slowly getting warmer, I feel nostalgic about the klunker vehicles and am in the mood to drive--if it's not raining. But here is my '68 Jeepster--it's brown; the aqua is 'ShopChopped. I think I will transfer the battery this weekend and pour a little gas in the carburator--brrrmm brrrrmmm. (Please let it start!) I did find the kids' other vehicle-- the spruce-tip blue 'limousine'--what a ride!
Yeah. Found the truck pic which I will never forget: took 1 photo of Brigg for Christmas and he threw up--migraine.
Oh, I must add more thoughts...that little chicken lived with the kids their first summer in Hawaii. They traveled from beach to beach living in the station wagon--with the pet chicken, which was quite attached and had it's own basket to ride in. A couple months later, they were awakened on the beach by police--They had smelled an odd smell all night. It turned out that someone had been burning a body. They decided it was now time to get an apartment!, whereupon the chicken's new roosting spot became a blender on the kitchen counter.
That sounds pretty disjointed--Bailey, you tell it!

Regional T-Shirt

Gaaaw! Got a call yesterday to create a new t-shirt design quick, so I came up with this last night...so far the kids like it--don't know about the high schoolers. Thought I'd go grungy-retro this year...? I see I must make changes now that it's posted smaller...always amazing how things look from different perspectives.
Oh. That's a footprint, not a grenade!

Fairy Girl or Pretty in Pink

Added some transparent moth wings, colorized, etc...

Brigham...ssshh. Listen...

What do get when you put a Bee in front of an owl?
A BOWL. ha.

Click. Old computer collage of Bailey & Nate.