Red Robin...

Having not much to do other than worry the past week, I decided to price and look for a used car to replace the one totalled. I found a cute 2010 red Toyota Corolla at a local dealership and we went over the weekend to take a look see. The scary part besides the fact that we were not planning on buying a car is that it was really easy to do and we have Alexa driving it to look forward to.

Lex turns 16 in about two weeks. She is looking forward to driving. Now this is a child that can't drive a bumper car, has no idea how to get to anywhere, and her idea of prime selling points when looking for a car is what color it is and how many cup holders it has.

Norm did the test drive with me as co-pilot and Lex in the back. When we pulled back into the dealership Alexa got behind the wheel to "see how it felt". She is so tiny the seat had to moved way forward and up! Then she looked down at the pedals and said, "Which one makes it go?" I swear, I'm not getting into a car with her until she's 35!

We ended up buying the car and will pick it up once I can see again, read - get my new glasses, about 10 days. I've never had a car of my own and Norm and I have never been a two car family so this will be a really new experience for all of us.The car will be used by me, Joyce and eventually (at 35 I'm hoping) Alexa, but I'm sure it will be referred to as "Mom's" car. Me, I think it will be my little Red Robin.



A Perfect Example...

My Blog title - What Was I Thinking...Life Happens while we are making other plans. That is a perfect example of my week. I am currently sitting in the recliner in the family room, uncomforatably as I write this. It was to be a no biggie week.Working at the store, ferrying Alexa around,in short, being at her beck and call and looking forward to Sharon's postings from CHA. I was planning on taking down the tree and other holiday decorations and cleaning up my room which has become loaded with stuff since the holidays. In short, same old same old, until Monday night.

The Other Plans: My mother-in-law hadn't had time to run her errands and hadn't been out of the house a lot so we planned that I would take her to her stores and we'd go out to dinner together. We were leaving Tops and heading home. As I pulled out of the parking lot on to Maple I was hit broadside by another car. I never saw it coming. I looked and never saw it coming. I thought I saw cars only in the distance and had plenty of time and I never saw it coming. Gruesome part short, pinned in car, couldn't move, had to be cut out of car and taken to ECMC. Good news - MIL only had facial contusions (where we think  my elbow connected with her face) and was able to walk away. Me, not so lucky. I spent three days in the hospital while they decided whether I needed any kind of surgery. NONE - YAY!!! and sent me home with a walker and a Physical Therapy appointment. My bottom line, health wise, is that I have some small breaks in the bones at the edges of my spine, nothing that needs treatment for and will heal on it's own, and a small tear/break of tendon and muscle with bone attached in my upper femur. Again, painful but nothing that needs treatment for except to heal on it/s own.

I can walk with a little assistance from the walker - just a little shaky when I first stand up, but sitting is a b*tch! Laying down is a b*tch! I have a black and blue bruise the size of Manhattan island on my left hip and butt. Thankfully and I say that with all sincerity and greatfullness; that is the worst. My only other complaint is that my glasses flew off during the crash and we couldn't find them. We think they landed on the ground when the firemen finally got me out of the car. Oh, and the car, totalled...

So I may be writing a bit more as my movements are a little restricted, although what I'm going to write about eludes me at the moment.  Just remember - Life happens when we're making other plans. This week, I'm thankfully, a living example.

2013...

Another year over another begun. I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve celebrations. My mother-in-law calls me an old fuddy duddy, but I've never really gotten the point. I'm lousy with resolutions. I have the stick-to-it-ness of a knockoff post-it note. It's only taken me a half hour to write these first two sentences! So 2013, where to begin.

I'm not looking forward to more gray hair. I have a daughter who is turning 16 this year, in a little over a month to be exact. She is planning her 16th birthday party. She'd like us to rent a large suite in a downtown hotel (with an indoor pool, of course) so she can have a sleep over with 14 friends, at last count. Her father and I are not looking forward to this idea. Luckily, she is also considering dinner at Bravo with the same group of 14 girls. We are allowed to come, but we won't be allowed in the room. We have to eat in the main dining area. I'm not looking forward to the gray hair a 16 year old will bring.

Alexa is looking forward to her first smartphone - an iPhone to be exact. She is "the only one of my friends without a smartphone!" I'm looking forward to an increased cell phone bill. Alexa is also looking forward to getting her learner's permit and gasp, driving. I'm looking forward to cringing as she learns how to drive, uping my anxiety medication and my hair turning grayer than it already is. Lex will also be completing her sophomore year in high school, beginning her junior year and starting the search for colleges. I'm looking to sleepless nights, wondering how we're going to pay for college and more gray hair.

My husband is looking forward to the beginning of the baseball season as illustrated by his nightly watching of  the MLB network and our Christmas day Ken Burns Baseball marathon - all 10 innings plus updated extra innings, a good 10 + hours of baseball. By the way, pitchers and catchers report on February 14. I bet they don't have gray hair...

I have more things I'm not looking forward to - versus what I am looking forward to. I'm not looking forward to my hair getting grayer. I'm not looking forward to turning 60. It is a very sobering number. It is an old number. It's a number that fits the year 2013 very well. I'm superstitious about numbers. I'm not comfortable with odd numbers to begin with, but 2013 is just tempting fate as far as I'm concerned. 60 means I may have to break down and finally join AARP. They've been sending me membership info for over five years now and I think I'm going to have to finally succumb.

Lastly, I'm not looking forward to more senior moments. I'm having way too many already. I can't remember anything. I'll think of something then say it again two minutes later.  I'm also not looking forward to my hair getting grayer...