Responsible Things

Responsibility. Stability. I have mixed feelings. I e-filed my taxes online the other day. I came to the realization that I made a whopping$16,000 less than last year. Now, I can't really complain, because I still have everything I need and most of the things I want. I'm well taken care of with not only a strong roof over my head, but quite the extensive purse and shoe collection. But $16,000 is no small chunk of change! And let's remember a few things. I was only a travel nurse for HALF the year last year. Imagine if I had been travelling ALL year. Also, since I was not travelling, I actually had to pay rent and bills with that money! So sad! I mean is responsible stability really worth it? Was my life really that "stable" last year? I mean sure, I had job I was locked into for more than 13 weeks at a time, and yeah, I have an actual local mailing address and bank account ...but is it really that worth it? I don't know that I'm ready to start travelling again ...especially with school on the horizon ...but it makes you wonder!

On the other hand, I have quite enjoyed playing the responsible grown up this week. See, I've been staying at a friend's house while she is on a work-related vacation. She has three boys and a husband that goes to work before they need to get on the bus and doesn't get home until after they need to be picked up. Enter me. I love my friend. Bunches and bunches, and I love her boys and would do anything for them, but let me tell ya, the responsible adult in charge of small people is tough! And tiring! I worked Sunday through Wednesday nights until 0330. So I went home to her house when I got off and read a book for an hour or so until the boys got up. Once I got them on the bus, I'd come back and sleep until it was time to get them off the bus. Let me tell ya, getting other people's children on and off the school bus is STRESSFUL!!!!! I mean, what if I get them lost? What if they don't get off the bus? What if we're late and they miss the bus? I mean I'm pretty good with a gps ...but still!

Also, I learned so much! Boys are so different from girls. I learned all sorts of playful new insults that only teenage boys can come up with for their brothers. And cartoons? My gosh they're annoying these days!!! It's no wonder America's children are over-diagnosed adhd medication. Have you seen these things? They are the most mindless, obnoxious, mind-numbing, stupid things ever. Like literally stupid. As in not smart. There is not one ounce of Intelligence in these things. Remember Scooby Doo? The Smurfs? Strawberry Shortcake? Rainbow Bright? My Little Pony? The Care Bears? I could go on. They are no more. And the animation is terrible!! Don't even get me started on the commercials. Have you heard of Zhu Zhu pets? I don't even want to go into it for fear of getting the obnoxious song stuck in my head. Perhaps I'm just getting too old. The generational gap is officially beginning. Have you heard of silly bands? They're these little rubber bracelet things that when you take them off your wrist take the shape of various other things. They're all the rage among the young 'uns these days and I just don't get it. You can't just have one or two like the slap bracelets from back in my day. You need like hundreds. Not exaggerating.

That being said ...this week was amazing!! These boys are so amazing!!!! I mean, the kind of amazing that restores my faith in humanity. Granted, as I knew previously it's all about how people parent. And my amazing friend and her wonderful husband are clearly great parents. These boys are just so great! They're smart, and they have tons of friends, they're athletic, and they love each other and take care of each other. I mean, they're still boys, so they wrestle and call each other names and all that 'boys will be boys' stuff, but they're just great kids. And it was great to be responsible for them for a week. It was actually really nice to have something that I HAD to do besides getting up and going to work.

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On an unrelated note (just something I've been thinking about a lot lately): Ya know how there are some songs that you just identify with? Usually with the overall message or feeling of the song. Like 'Chicken Fried' of 'Toes' by the Zac Brown Band, or 'What I Love About the South' by Rodney Atkins, they just make me feel at home, and I totally identify with them. Then there are songs that fit your life almost completely but there's a verse or a single part or two that are missing. Then there are songs that you could have written. Every word. Then it just becomes almost eerie. For me this song is ShadowBoxer by Fiona Apple. That's all. Happy weekend everyone :)