Yup, Jacob graduated. I swelled with pride when at his apartment, he yelled, "Mom, sing the graduation music!" I began humming, "Duuuun, dun-dun-duun-duun duun duun dun-dun-dun duuun, etc. as he walked out of his bedroom into the living room with a big smile on his face all decked out in his graduation regalia. He looked fabulas. I'm so proud of him. The ceremony was not too long and it was pleasant enough. I sat inbetween Barry and Rachel and Rick sat on the end. Carma and Floyd sat behind us. We all yelled when the announcer announced his name. Jacob had invited family and friends over after the ceremony, but neglected to provide any refreshments, so.... Rick left early and bought a cake and balloons, and Floyd left early and bought some beer and pizza. He and Rick watched the ending of the ceremony on a local tv station. Barry and I asked Jacob who the commencment speaker was, and he said, "Some Mexican dude." We found out later it was Juan Williams, national polictical correspondent and author. Barry and I couldn't stop laughing when we opened our programs and saw Juan's picture and write-up. We kept hearing Jacob say, "some Mexican dude." We were able to hear his speech at Jake's apartment on the same channel Rick and Floyd watched the ceremony on. The speech took place 2 hours after the ceremony. Weird huh?
Later on after everyone left, Jacob drove us to Dallas to show us his new apartment and work place. It is beautiful, overlooking duck ponds and wheeping willow trees inside a large walking track. We shopped at the near-by Country Market in search of coffee. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked into another culture. A live band was playing overhead as shoppers sampled everything you can think of, cheese, coffee, wine, bread, italian ice cream etc. Jacob was on cloud nine. He is so proud of his neighborhood of business professionals.
He starts his new job January 15. He moves next wednesday. I wish him luck. I'm sure amend the new surroundings, he will experience college withdrawal.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Thursday, December 16, 2004
It's Going to Happen
Yeah! Jacob is going to graduate! He passed! Barry and I are so excited. We were sweating it out. We got the good news today around 11:00 a.m. Jacob is excited too, of course. This means he gets to go to work for Sears and move into his new apartment in Dallas instead of living on the street or in prison after killing his teacher if he had failed.
In anticipation of our trip tomorrow to the graduation, we took our dogs out on the dike for a quick run on the beach. Stupid Sam jumped in the water at the boat dock. Luckily I saw him jump and disappear into the water. I ran a good 50 yards to his rescue. I was wearing my new pants, and I had to get down on my knees and even lay down to reach him. He was franticly dog-paddling while looking at me with scared eyes. I grabbed his collar and was pulling him up when he slipped out of my hands. He went under the water, but came up again. This time I managed to pull him on out of the water. Poor thang. He was coughing up water and was freezing cold, and I was covered in mud. We put him in the truck and called Rue, who was running up and down the beach, oblivious to the fact that her brother almost drown. She jumped in the back of the truck and we headed home. I gave Sammy a warm bath and dryed him with a big towel. He loved it. He later jumped in my lap and snored himself to sleep.
I start a new job on Monday at Nasa. For 2.5 months, I'll be working at the occupational control center. This is where Aerosmith, Tom Cruise, the King of Sweden, and many more famous people have toured. Hopefully I'll get to see someone important while I'm there. It's the building where the space vehicle mock-ups are. Yesterday I got to crawl in and out of all of them. I'm sore today.
My boss brought us Shipley do-nuts this morning. We all sat around the conference table and talked about the past. Big afros, platform shoes, The Mod Squad, Starsky and Hutch, etc. When it came time for me to leave, RS was sad, and RW gave me a handshake and hug and wished me luck. I wonder if I will come back? Hopefully, someone will steal me away and pay me more money. I am absolutely sure that I will be the lowest paid employee at Nasa. But I'm getting my foot in the door....
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
In anticipation of our trip tomorrow to the graduation, we took our dogs out on the dike for a quick run on the beach. Stupid Sam jumped in the water at the boat dock. Luckily I saw him jump and disappear into the water. I ran a good 50 yards to his rescue. I was wearing my new pants, and I had to get down on my knees and even lay down to reach him. He was franticly dog-paddling while looking at me with scared eyes. I grabbed his collar and was pulling him up when he slipped out of my hands. He went under the water, but came up again. This time I managed to pull him on out of the water. Poor thang. He was coughing up water and was freezing cold, and I was covered in mud. We put him in the truck and called Rue, who was running up and down the beach, oblivious to the fact that her brother almost drown. She jumped in the back of the truck and we headed home. I gave Sammy a warm bath and dryed him with a big towel. He loved it. He later jumped in my lap and snored himself to sleep.
I start a new job on Monday at Nasa. For 2.5 months, I'll be working at the occupational control center. This is where Aerosmith, Tom Cruise, the King of Sweden, and many more famous people have toured. Hopefully I'll get to see someone important while I'm there. It's the building where the space vehicle mock-ups are. Yesterday I got to crawl in and out of all of them. I'm sore today.
My boss brought us Shipley do-nuts this morning. We all sat around the conference table and talked about the past. Big afros, platform shoes, The Mod Squad, Starsky and Hutch, etc. When it came time for me to leave, RS was sad, and RW gave me a handshake and hug and wished me luck. I wonder if I will come back? Hopefully, someone will steal me away and pay me more money. I am absolutely sure that I will be the lowest paid employee at Nasa. But I'm getting my foot in the door....
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Peer Pressure
Earlier tonight around 11:00 p.m. he said he didn't succumb to peer pressure when I pressed him to come for Christmas. After a wonderful long conversation regarding his interview in Chicago, his offer from Sears, his future living arrangments, his graduation ceremony and party, etc., I told him I was going to Cleveland tomorrow to pick up the dinning room table and the big tv in preparation for Christmas. I told him I hoped he was coming. Silence. Hello? "I haven't thought about it." What's to think about? "I have to check my schedule." Whatever. "I don't succumb to peer pressure." I felt an empty feeling inside my chest. I dismissed it and went to bed. I was beginning to fall asleep when I heard a cat fight outside my window. I went downstairs to check on my cat; I saw him curled up in the rocking chair in the kitchen. I went back up stairs and tried to go back to sleep. Every noise became pronounced. I tossed and turned. "I don't succumb to peer pressure." Doom and gloom. All of a sudden everything on my schedule seemed as though it should be canceled. The trip to Cleveland (the table and the tv are way too heavy, and Little Ronnie is probably too sick to really help us); and my dentist appointment (I hate him). I don't feel right about Christmas dinner. I feel it is a gathering of people that really don't want to be gathered together at all. And what to get for each of them??? "I don't succumb to peer pressure." I miss mom. I feel like the whole world is on my shoulders. Ronnie came over today acting crazy about little Ronnie's vanity. Kicking a dead horse. The new driveway has imperfections. The cat prints added some character, but the hills and valleys are just results of plain stupidity. Why is it the contractors don't see what I see? Are profectionists really profectionists, or are they just observant. The chemical plants or something out there is making a strange noise. It is coming from the opposite way of the plants. Good grief. I am going to be a very lonely old woman.
