Ramblings

by Joyce

Since Paula is sick today, I thought I'd fill in.

Since our very loose theme for the month is new beginnings, I'll tell you about some of mine. One that happened this year is hubby and I are real empty-nesters now. Number two son moved into his own apartment in June. It's only fifteen minutes away in Bloomfield. He works at the University of Pittsburgh in a brain research lab, so now he has a ten to fifteen minute walk to work instead of riding two buses to get to Oakland (a two hour daily commute). Pittsburgh has a very antiquated bus system where all buses go downtown and you have to transfer to another one to get anywhere else. Pitt students and employees can ride the bus for free, mainly because there's a shortage of parking in Oakland. And there's a five year waiting list for a parking permit.

I thought I'd have a hard time adjusting because this son was the one who was permanently attached to my leg when he was younger. Seriously. When I took him to preschool the teachers would literally have to peel him off my leg. The adjustment has been relatively pain free, though. The first week was weird, because his room was completely empty. (Number one son, who went away for college and grad school and now lives in Virginia, still has stuff in his room, which if I have to tell him again to get rid of it, is going to have a surprise next time he comes home. Ahem.)

Number two son's room is very small. It's a typical 1960s ranch, third bedroom size of 9 x 9. I decided to turn it into a sitting room. I bought an oak futon for it (so if No. 2 graces us with his presence, he has a place to sleep) and hubby is going to make me a table that I can also use as a desk for my laptop. Nice little place to write.

Number one son's room is our actual guest room. There's still a twin bed, a dresser, a chest and a night table. And a closet full of history books, which should fit nicely in the big-ass bookcase hubby just built for No. 1's apartment. This is going to be my 1940s room. When someone steps into the room, I want it to look like they stepped back in time. I got the idea from a bed and breakfast that has the same theme. This B & B even has 1940s clothing, so guests can dress the part. I don't know if I'll go that far, but I really liked the idea. So, right now I'm looking for anything 40s related to decorate the room. There's a store in Gettysburg called The Home Front that I'll be checking out when hubby and I are there for our 30th anniversary. If anyone has suggestions of where else to look, let me know.

I like the idea of theme rooms, don't you? (When the time comes to do our gameroom over, I'm thinking Irish Pub.) If you wanted to decorate your rooms in different themes, what would they be?

Our New Beginning

by Laurissa

Last Friday Jennie/Bente suggested that the Working Stiffs’ theme for the month of August be “new beginnings.” So in keeping with our theme, today I’m attending my daughter’s White Coat Ceremony. She’s beginning her first year of medical school and is receiving her first “white coat.” This is most certainly a new beginning for her that is also turning out to be a new beginning of sorts for me. A beginning for me, of what, I’m not quite sure.

For anyone who knows me, you already know this, so I apologize for sounding like a broken record. By the way, does anyone still use that expression or am I dating myself?

My daughter graduated from college this spring. While in college she stayed in the dorms; however, she was actually only a little under an hour’s drive away from home and we were able to frequently visit. In hindsight, it was a nice transition for us both. Okay, okay, maybe I needed the transitional period more than she. Since my daughter was a little over a year old, our immediate family has consisted of just her and me. So I’ve definitely had to do some adjusting to my empty nest.

In July I helped her move to medical school -- a MapQuest estimated nine hour drive south from our home in northeast Ohio. Considering the amount of coffee I drink and my frequent desire to eat, I have to face it; I’ll never make that drive in nine hours. Ten hours at a very minimum is more than likely my reality. College was an adjustment and now the geographical distance between us while she attends medical school is an even bigger adjustment for me.

I’ve become very reflective since her college graduation and recall that when I was also twenty-two years old and also a new college graduate that summer many years ago I, too, drove south for my “new beginning” (my drive was a bit further though as it took about fifteen hours). I was attending law enforcement training as I had just been hired as a criminal investigator. So there I was at the age of twenty-two adjusting to the same heat and humidity of the south during the month of August that today my daughter is also adjusting to (during the hottest summer on record, unfortunately for her).

When I began my career in the early eighties (I retired in early 2009), females were in the distinct minority in my profession. Several instances stand out in my mind to this day; but I’ll just tell you about one of them. On the range I was singled out by the range instructor over the bullhorn to “quit standing like a model!” Mind you, I didn’t have any idea how a model might stand nor was I standing any differently than any of the males as we all stood waiting for the instructor to give the next command to “Fire!”

With my easy to freckle and redden face, now beet red, I observed that day on the range that none of the guys were singled out and similarly told to not stand “like a model.” Anyhow, you get the picture-- it wasn’t always a bed of roses being a new young female investigator in the early eighties, even if my face was often a similar shade of red.

All of this brings me back to my daughter, whose medical school class has more females than males for the first time in its history. Here’s what I have to say about that.

“You Go, Girl!” I’m very proud of you, honey.