Just an average day of crushing dreams

Once upon a time, like on Sunday, I covered the fire district memorial ceremony for the newspaper. I always feel bad when I'm sent out on these kinds of missions because I'm a writer, not a photographer (we have a great photographer, so I really suffer by comparison), and also because I only partially know what I'm doing a great deal of the time.

Eh, what could happen? Besides getting fired for being a sham, I mean.

Simulated fire truck.

I was only slightly late, and anyway it didn't matter because the ceremony hadn't started yet. I set up next to some friendly faces and started to shoot. I walked around like I knew what I was doing (when in doubt, just fake it, you guys. Totally works), trying not to block anyone because I'm more a door than a window. (Well, you would be too if you were 6-feet tall. Even if you're shrinking.)

Here's what I learned: It is HARD taking photos and notes at the same time. I'm usually interviewing at my desk via the phone. Less chance of tripping, that's why.

Part way through I see two boys standing at attention by the fire trucks, mimicking the stance of the large group of assembled firefighters there for the memorial. So I snap some pictures and quietly ask their names, and then go about my business.

When the ceremony was over, one of the boys came up to me and started telling me all kinds of great stuff--how he's 11, and he wants to be a firefighter as soon as he's old enough, and how he actually goes on calls now with his dad, who's an EMT, but he has to stay in the car.

"Although one time, I did help a lady because she fell down and there wasn't anyone around to pick her up," he said earnestly. "But then I went right back to the car."

So much awesome.

Anyway, so as we're talking and I'm taking notes, he asks if I'm with the news. When I told him I was, he immediately yelled to his buddy, WE'RE GONNA BE ON TV!

Seriously, I loved this kid. But I didn't love telling that adorable face that we're talking print, not television.

Ah, well. I'd say it's not every day I get to crush dreams, but it kind of is. (That's called "parenthood.") And P.S., there wasn't even room to print the picture. Anyone else have a dream they'd like crushed? I'm on a roll over here.

School supplies, or alternatively: I feel a rant coming on

So you guys, I really hate shopping for school supplies. I hate the whole ordeal. It's one big gimmick, and it's stupid and wasteful and dumb. We get a new list every single year and you're expected to buy it all new. Even if your kid comes home with a backpack AND grocery sack filled with leftover supplies at the end of the previous year, most of which is still perfectly usable.

It just drives me nuts.

Well, I was going to step off that train THIS year, thank you very much, so at the end of last school year, I had the girls put every single reusable thing into a box. The Box of Awesome. I figured it was just a matter of organization, really--if you have a stash, that should logically cut down on the shopping and waste, right? I even included the fourth grade list Johanna brought home (although I failed to actually read it because hello, summer vacation. I don't like to think about that kind of thing until the very last possible second. True story). Then I put the top on and let everything stew for roughly three months.

Since school starts next Tuesday (for Johanna, at least; I just learned Abby doesn't start until Thursday. High school is awesome), Johanna has been very anxious to get her supplies nailed down. She cares not one iota for new clothing, but wow, all she could talk about is the calculator she needs.

It was time to open the box is what I'm saying.

Why does Jo look like she's expecting something to jump out at her?

Hey, there's that aforementioned school list right on top! Um, what does it say again?

English and Spanish 'cause that's how our school rolls.

One glance through and it suddenly occurred to me that all the folders and markers and paper in my Box of Awesome are not even listed. 

Well, damn.

Johanna was more than happy to reuse her scissors from last year, and her pencil box was in surprisingly good shape. She had two used pink pearl erasers in various degrees of disrepair that she claimed, even though the list called for white polymer (we're rebelling). The earbuds threw me, but Johanna ran to her room to get an extra pair Abby had given her earlier this summer. 

So four things crossed off a list of 14. Let's compare piles:

Reusable.

Purchased. 

P.S. The top photo does not include her old lunch bag; the bottom does not include her new backpack. Oh, or the bottle of hand sanitizer she wanted because, and I quote, "What if there's a booger emergency?" It's hard to argue with that logic.

I'm trying to be grateful for the fact that Johanna is able to reuse things at all, but it's hard not to get too bogged down in the utter failure that was my brilliant Box of Awesome idea. I really thought I'd be able to write an amazing post about how great we did on the zero waste school supply front this year, but instead, the box is still full and is taunting me. I guess Abby might end up using some of it, but for now, she's thinking as long as she has a pencil, earbuds and a pack of gum, she's all set for the first day of her sophomore year. Sounds legit.

So I failed is what I'm saying. Ah, well.

Packing light

I haven't bored anyone with my Project 333 rambles in a while, so hey, it's your lucky day! Because I'm endlessly fascinated by this whole ordeal, I like to see just how far I can go on as few clothing pieces as possible. Our mini-vacation was the perfect opportunity to pack light and see what happened.

Our trip was three days, two nights. In the mountains, kind of, with temperatures ranging from low 50ºs to upper 80ºs. And a nighttime performance of The Sound of Music on the docket.

What I wore:
Repurposed multi-colored t-shirt skirt*
Black tank
Black cardigan
Black shoes

What I packed:
Beige capris
Jeans
Black t-shirt
Black long-sleeve t-shirt
Blue multi scarf
Swimming suit
Black thrashed sandals (that I refuse to replace because... I don't want to)
Black coat, gloves, and a hat
PJs

On Day 2, I wore my t-shirt, cardigan, capris and shoes in the morning and afternoon (it was rainy but not as cold as I expected); that night, I put on the long-sleeve t-shirt, cardigan, scarf and jeans... and my coat/gloves/hat combo, which I was grateful to have. And on Day 3, I recycled my capris, tank and cardigan. I can't say if anyone noticed, but I can tell you that no one cared. ;)

The only things I didn't end up needing were my swimming suit and sandals; I chose to read instead of sit in the hot tub on Day 1, mostly because my hair starts puffing out when it gets wet and I was trying to avoid it. But that was stupid because then it rained and was humid and poof! My hair just got bigger and bigger. So the moral of this paragraph is that I should have just soaked in the hot tub.

Big hair aside, I'm calling this a win.

*My birthday present from Eric. I love this thing. Observe:

Cool use for old t-shirts. Mara, we could totally make these, couldn't we?
That's a question 'cause I'd need your mad sewing skillz...