The Perfect Weekend...

No, I didn't jet off to a sunny beach for the weekend and I didn't win the lottery. But I did have a fun-filled, action-packed weekend, overflowing with fabulous things and people. Here's a quick glance at some of the things that make me happy: My brother and his family (this includes the world's cutest nephew) came to town so we could all go to the Rangers-Rays play-off game. It was a bit toasty, but we had an awesome time at The Ballpark, despite a 6-3 loss. Baseball is something all four of us love and it's a great way to spend time together. It was also the monthly meeting of the Burger Babes. What's more fabulous than spending time with some totally spectacular women while enjoying a great burger? This month we ended up at Club Schmitz, an out-of-the way joint that's been around for over 60 years. There's nothing fancy about Club Schmitz, but when you need a good, solid burger, it's the place to go. And the company? Man, I know some pretty amazing women - there is never a lull in our conversations and laughter is never lacking! The big event of this perfect weekend was my 20th high school reunion. I'm sure additional reflecting on this event will solicit future blogs, but right now all I can say is that it was a blast. It is so much fun to hang out with people who influenced you (in both good and and not so good ways) as adults. And whatever differences we had in high school have disappeared. At this point in our lives, we are all just trying to make a good life for ourselves and our families. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I ended up at a pumpkin patch with one of my most favorite families and definitely my most favorite toddler, Lily Pie. My heart got that warm fuzzy feeling when she saw me and came running toward me yelling, "Tia, tia!" Now that's how to enjoy life!

The Grass Is Always Greener

It was probably about 12 years ago that I got the bright idea that I wanted to be a homeowner. Like many other people, I didn't want to throw away my income on rent and have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. So what if I was a single woman in the field of public education? Surely I could handle it, right??? Fast forward to January 2003 - I am now the proud(?) owner of a typical suburban home built in 1963. I loved the character of the house and all of the trees. I worked on painting and decorating; weekly trips to Home Depot and Bed, Bath, and Beyond filled my time. Skip ahead a few months and I have my first (of many) appointments with Rescue Rooter. Those fabulous trees I loved so much? Well, the roots had pretty much destroyed the original clay pipes. Eventually I was lucky enough to have my entire backyard dug up for some of those newfangled modern pipes. (Note the sarcasm, please.) Woo hoo! And of course, when you own a 40+ year old home, it's always something. In the past 2 years, I have become less enchanted with the idea of homeowning. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I'm stuck. Especially since this recession hit. What I have learned is that while homeowning can be rewarding, when you're a single girl, it can also be overwhelming. Do I do yardwork today, or do I clean the house? Or on a beautiful day like today, do I shun all responsibility and hang at the dog park with a good friend? There are many days when I would love to pack it all up and find a nice rental, or a townhome with less yard. Maybe in the near future . . .