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Skinny jeans don't actually come with the skinny in them. Weird, right? In reality, they come with a sort of sausage shape with stuff squished and poking out on the top. Or at least they did in the ones I tried on. I'm really shocked the style is so popular. Do you think it was the brand? Anyone know where all the thin under-thirty-year-olds are getting theirs?
For those of you uneducated in the technique of “air hugging”, I’ve included step-by-step instructions.
*** This writer holds no responsibility if you hurt yourself or anyone around you while trying this.
The world would be a better place if we all did this more often. No mess, no bodily contact, just good lovin’. What’s not to like here?
It was as dark and stormy of a night that is possible at one o'clock in the afternoon in South Florida. The rain pelted my windshield in huge drops. The wipers, not being able to move at light-speed, were useless. I drove slowly. As slowly as a senior citizen on the freeway.
In the moments I could see, immediately after the wipers had bravely done their duty, before the downpour made everything disappear, I saw a woman next to the bus stop twenty feet from my car. She stood with her back to the wind and was holding . . . have to wait for the wipers . . . something white in her arms, covering it with as much of herself as she could. . . Wait for wipers. . . Oh my god, she's rocking it! Her gentle bounce and loving gaze were only interrupted by a . . . wipers . . . make that two quick glances up–probably searching for any sign of an approaching bus.
I had just enough time in between wiper swipes to check the backseat. Yep. I think my daughter's currently vacant carseat was the kind that could hold a child between 5-65 lbs. I would save them! If only the cars ahead of me would move a little faster, I could get this poor mother and child before they melted. . . Come on . . . Come on . . . A little closer now . . . Come on. A little closer.
I swung the car into the bus lane, slammed on the brakes, and threw on my hazard lights, hoping that the senior citizen behind me wouldn't get too confused, panic and plow into the rear end of my car. I slammed my finger onto the automatic window control (what did we do before those?) and the passenger-side window lowered, allowing the rain to drench my car's interior.
“Get in!” I shouted to the woman with the baby.
“Oh my God, thank you!” she shouted back, pulling the door open.
“There's a carseat in the back for the baby!”
“Oh, thank you. Thank you.” She slid into the seat. Adjusting herself into the seat, she cooed, “See honey, we're all dry now.” The woman held her baby away from her body and unwrapped the soaking blanket.
The baby's fur was all matted and stuck out in brown and black spikes all over its head. The fierce pride that had swollen my chest turned into a sneeze. The woman looked over at me.
“I'm allergic,” I mumbled.
“What?” Her attention had already returned to her mangy-looking beast.
“Nothing. Cute dog.”
“Thanks. She's my little baby.” Then she started the baby-talk. “Awen't you, my pwetty ba-by?”
I pointed to the backseat. “You'd better strap her in.”
“Oh, no. She can stay up here with us.”
“Great.”
Lauren, the hero. Saving the day and then rushing to Walgreens for some Benadryl.
My life is blessed. I have a wonderful family, amazing kids, a rewarding job, a warm home, and great friends.
While I don't want to seem ungrateful, lots of people have all of those things. That is why I am so excited about the other ways I'm incredibly lucky. It may be necessary for you to sit down, if you aren't already … wait for it … patience … Okay, I can't wait any longer! Here's the good news!
Recently, I found out that an old friend might be searching for me and I can get “better” breasts online! I'm not sure how they knew that my breasts could be “better”, but they did! Not only that, but I have two new messages on a singles website that I've never even visited! And, if I had a penis, a company selling a totally natural, herbal supplement could make it larger! And lastly, but please don't spread this around because I don't want everyone knowing, it seems like there's a windfall coming to me, all the way from Nigeria. I'm not going to mention a number, but I will say that with it I could probably buy a better family to go with my breasts!
I ask you: Does life get any better than this?
I close my mouth and yell into the phone, “You want how much? For a bounce house? For two hours?”
As an ex-boyfriend of mine used to say at a restaurant, looking at the bill: “I just wanted to eat, I didn't want to buy the place!”
At our house, along with spring comes birthday parties. One at the end of March and the other just a week and a half later. It was bad planning on my part – I should have told their dad I had a headache. I mean, my son was only a year and 9 months old! What was I thinking? Saying “I'm not in the mood” for another 3 or 4 months then would have saved me a lot of frustration now.
So, now that the kids and I live on one income (that doesn't quite pay the bills), birthday parties have become a big issue. Throwing two parties in three weeks makes it that much harder. But, where there is a will, there is a way. The kids have the will, so I have to find a way. Cheaply.
Trick #1: Think of free games
Cost: Whatever paper, a bit of computer ink, and creativity are going for nowadays
“We are going to play games at your parties!” I tell them with as much excitement as I can muster.
My son looks up. “Oh, cool.”
Normally “oh cool” would be a nice reaction, but I know my child too well – he misunderstood me.
“Not video games. Regular games.”
Blank faces.
“Like pin the tail on the donkey!”
“Pin the what on the what?” they say, more or less in unison.
“Pin the tail on the donkey.”
“Hey, Zoe. Did you know another word for donkey is -”
“Okay!” I shout. “No time for vocabulary lessons. We need to plan.”
Trick #2: Activities
Cost: By using items you already have, activities can be free.
I hope all the little girls want to have their faces painted like Spiderman. Red is the only color lipstick I have left. I think I have an old black eyeliner around here somewhere too.
We made a pinata using an unused balloon found in the corner of my son's room, a newspaper stolen from a neighbor's recycling bin and old, green house paint. We call the creation: A Springtime Egg Pinata. I thought that was clever. As long as it's filled with leftover goodies from the other birthday parties we've attended, the kids won't care how it looks.
Trick #3: Decorations & Food
Cost: Time, some gas, and a few “thank you”s
We'll be visiting every Publix Supermarket from here to Orlando the day before the party. Did you know they give out balloons AND cookies to the kids? I'm figuring one cookie per kid, so we really only need to hit the closest 10 stores. That's not bad.
I found out last year that, for the life of me, I cannot decorate a cake. What started out as a ambitious design of Dora's head turned into a lopsided, black-and-pink-smeared pile of yuck. Not even the kids ate it. So, this year I'm making the kids do the hard part – they'll each get a cupcake to decorate however they see fit. I provide the frosting and sprinkles, they provide the artistic talent.
Trick #4: Goodie bags
Cost: If you do it my way, it's free!
Just don't do it. They got the random crap from the pinata, what else do they want?! Those goodie bags can be expensive! Cute little plastic bags and matching useless toys that will be their parent's worst nightmare 10 minutes after they get home are not necessities. Plus, all that plastic is terrible for the environment. So, in effect, by not giving them anything, I am really saving their lives.
Trick #5: Happy kids
Cost: Priceless
They are kids – put them together, give them something to do, and they are happy. Their parties are about them, not the stuff we surround them with. They will have a wonderful day and remember it for approximately one week – the same amount of time they would recall the expensive bounce house, visit to Chuck E. Cheese, or the guy dressed up like a Power Ranger making balloon animals. By the way, you can buy a “make your own balloon animal kit” at the Dollar Store for, you guessed it, a dollar. It even comes with directions. So what if all the kids get swords – you've just created another game!
The kids are happy and Mom is happy. Primarily because she didn't go into debt over a five-year-old's birthday party. She can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the debt won't come for 15 more years. My next article will be “How To Throw A Wedding For Less Than $500”.