Friday, October 27, 2006

My mother was a fanatic about public bathrooms. When I was a little girl, she'd take me into the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat.

Finally, she'd instruct, "Never, NEVER sit on a public toilet seat. Then she'd demonstrate "The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat.

By this time, I'd have wet down my leg and we'd have to go home to change my clothes. hat was a long time ago.Even now, in my more "mature years, The Stance" is excruciatingly difficult to maintain, especially when one's bladder is full.

When you have to "go" in a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women that makes you think there's a half-price sale on Nelly's underwear in there. So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies, who are also crossing their legs and smiling politely. You get closer and check for feet under the stall doors. Every one is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch It doesn't matter.

The dispenser for the new fangled "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully but quickly hang it around your neck (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume "The Stance."

Ahhhh, relief. More relief. But then your thighs begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance" as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale.

To take your mind off of your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you would have tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose. That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet.

"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle, and sliding down, directly onto the insidious toilet seat.

You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because you're certain that her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain that suddenly sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged off to China. At that point, you give up.

You're soaked by the splashing water. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and, at this point, no longer able to smile politely.

One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! ( Where was it when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has since entered, used and exited the men's restroom and read a copy of War  and Peace while waiting for you. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public restroom (rest??? you've got to be kidding!!) It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked question about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the door, hold your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door
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Dear Friends and Family

I have some very sad news. Our little chihuahua Roxy passed away suddenly last evening. She was not sick and did not suffer. She was running and playing and the next minute she was gone. She was a very little pup and it is well known that the small ones don't always have long lives and Rox always needed special attention health wise….but Roxy had an awesome life. She got to meet a lot of really great people and she touched the hearts of everyone that met her. She was very special! She was loved very much! If this was all the time she had to offer I am glad she got to spend it with us, with a family who loved her with all their hearts. Please send any regards via email or myspace as we will not be answering phone calls while Mike and I work through this. Please keep us in your prayers.
-Mike, Sarah, and Fenway
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Monday, October 16, 2006

I am running (hopefully...I'm still training) in MADD's Strides For Change 5K Walk/Run. I need your support via donations so go to the link on my main page called "Sarah's Got MADD Strides Donation Page" and drop me some love. Dude, I know...you're broke...even $5 would totally Rock and you've got unitl March to come up with it! Don' let me down ya'll! :)'

My Inspiration Story:
As you may or may not know, my mother Vicki had her life turned upside down by a near fatal car accident caused by a driver under the influence. She found herself left to cope with the resulting impairments and no justice from our legal system. Being the strong woman she is she has made remarkable strides in her recovery and now I am going to make some strides of my own to honor her and raise awarness.

MADD has supported my mother during these trying times through legal advice and most importantly a shoulder to lean on. MADD isn't just for the families of those lost! It is for survivors and their families, families of the drivers, and anyone who wants to make a difference.

Unlike most others, our cause doesn't need a cure; it already exists-it's you and me, our friends, our neighbors. It's all of us choosing to drive sober or designating a driver if we drink alcohol.
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Sunday, October 08, 2006

Goal: Learn to skate and get a rock hard ass while doing it! LOL

Laura and I are tired of being wall huggers and fighting the 4yr. olds for wall space so......we got serious, got hockey skates, and we are teaching ourselves to skate the old fashion way....falling. :) Our men are like pros, so we thought the least we could do is work on not embarassing them. So far I can skate around the rink three times before snagging a wall. I'll keep you posted on our progress.
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Friday, October 06, 2006

that's right kids! it's hockey season again! stay tuned for updates on Sarah's Canes and her fave player, #22, Mr. Mike Commodore! there's just something Hott about big bad defensive hockey players named Mike! :) heh, heh Gets me every time!
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