October Twenty-Six, A Day in the Life

Sounds around Missoula...

At the outdoor store, buying Jim his bithday present:

Late 20-something cute outdoor store, wishing he was telemarking with a hot chick with dreadlocks instead of selling me a over-priced fleece something-or-other, guy: Can I see your ID?

Me: Sure.

Guy: Oh! That's my mom's name.

Me: You mean Mignon? Wow, that's the closest I've ever come to a Mignon - this is, what, 2 degrees of separation?

Guy: Uh...

Me: Did she go by Mignon?

Guy: No, we call her Na-Ni.

Me: Oh. Wait - you call your mom Na-Ni?

Guy: No, no. I had a cousin by the same name, so the family calls my mom Na-Ni. You know, it can be confusing.

Me: Na-Ni. Huh - I guess that's kinda like Mignon.

Guy: Yeah, but, you know, I call her Mommy.

Me (and the other cute worker guy behind the counter): *blink*

Me: You, uh, well. Thank you very much.

---Later, Jim and I come home from some beers and dinner.

Quinn (as we walk in the door, running toward us sideways, butt out): Look at me! I'm Super Bum!

---Later, Jim, Babysitter/Nice Friend Girl, and I sharing a beer

Babysitter (as Jim hurriedly poors my beer into a glass): Ah man. Now she's gotta suck the head off.

Another thing to fret about.

It's everywhere, and it's not fair. Personally? I don't know whether sports make it better or worse. I'm surprised I think this way, because I'm like some kind of sports automaton. Must play sport. Must play sport. Sport good. Must run jump hit kick throw MUST MUST MUST..... But girls in sports have to get naked in front of other girls. They wear small-ish outfits in front of stands of people. They compulsively monitor their weight and fitness level.

As soccer players, we used to mock the OCD girl who used to sit in a pool for hours and hours just kicking her legs while she held onto the wall. But we were just variations on her theme. We ate as OCD as she did. We thought as OCD as she did. We even dressed as OCD as she did, hiding our big legs and strong asses. We just pretended we were better because we were all so much bigger. She could afford to tread water for three hours and eat lettuce and low-fat Wheat Thin sandwiches. We couldn't. We had to run jump hit kick throw, etc etc. So we would HA HA THAT GIRL IS SO CRAZY!!! at her. And be secretly envious.

Whatever it takes, I will make my daughter know that she's all that, because we all are.



(from Jaye)