Molding

As I searched for dreamland last night, I started thinking about how I sometimes summarize different people in my life by the things they taught me. You know what they say, that we don't remember days, we remember moments. That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. You can spend years on end with someone, but sometimes just a few moments define the person or the relationship. Of course, on deeper reflection there is always more to the story, but those defining moments are usually the first that come to mind.

So, I decided to write down some of the things I've learned from different people in my life...things that have altered me, or molded me, if you will.

Dad: Buy the best clothes you can afford, because if you look good, you'll feel more confident.

Mom: Know a little bit about a lot of things. It makes you a better conversationalist.

Mom's friends: Coffee is addictive.

Aunt Jean: Why wouldn't you trust?

Grandma Norinne: Whistle while you work.

Katy: Classic dress is minimalistic and modest.

James: Never check your baggage.

Miss Manners: Ankles together.

Buzz: One must embellish in order to tell a good story.

Mr. Costello: Walk into a competition as if you are the best.

Dr. Scharnberg: Practice the basics twice as much as you practice the concerto.

Paul Whitmire: You aren't here to socialize. You're here to bring people into the presence of God.

Alice: Sarcasm creates a wall.

Sam: Never put anything in writing that you wouldn't want published in Times Square.

The Doors: People are strange.

Mr. Hyte: For good service, always defer to others and never interrupt. Anticipate needs.

Miss Adams: If you'll be gone, finish your work before you go.

Narnia vs. Star Wars
by Spencer

James: "Boys, who is the best soccer player in the world?"
Spencer: "Kaka?"
James: "Yes, that's right!"
Spencer: "But, why is he the best, daddy?"
James: "Well, he dribbles well and he is the fastest runner."
Spencer: "Faster than Colin?"

James: "Well, probably not faster than Colin."
________________________________________

Spencer: "Colin, do you know how late you stayed up last night?"
Colin: "No."
Spencer: "You stayed up really late - like 10:62!! Is that good?"

High School Meme
from Big Mama

1. Who was your best friend?
Jeanne, mostly. We were equally nice, intelligent and uncool. And we went to the same church. A fine basis for a solid friendship. We also took a 2-year advanced mathematics class together. We tried to do our homework and then we would call each other and cry about it because it was so hard and then we would try to figure it out together and then we would go to school early the next morning to see if any of our brainiac friends would meet us in the library and help us understand. Strange as it sounds, those brainiacs were the popular kids, too! And they helped us. But it didn't make us any smarter nor any more popular.

2. Did you play any sports?
Nope.

3. What kind of car did you drive?
I started out my driving career with an orange-red Volkswagen Superbeetle. I often had to jump start the car by running along side it and jumping in when I got a good roll. As soon as I jumped in, I would turn the key while simultaneously pumping the gas and releasing the clutch. Nevertheless, I liked the car. By the time I got around to my senior year, however, I had to drive my dad's car to school. It was a big ol' land yacht baby blue Cadilac. Not so easy to park, but it always started.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you?
Friday nights during the fall were easy - I was at the highschool football game playing in the band. The rest of the year was just embarrassing. (I know, I know...some of you think playin in the band is embarrassing.) Jeanne and I often tried to find fun, but I don't think we EVER did.

5. Were you a party animal?
Ha! (See number 4).

6. Were you considered a flirt?
Quiet the opposite.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir?
Oh, yes. I was the first ever female band president at my school! And I was also in the orchestra and in the nearby university's orchestra. I was pretty much all about music. I traveled to lots of solo competitions, went to music camps, took music theory, taught horn lessons, took horn lessons and then I'd go home and listen to my classical music albums on my turntable in my bedroom.

That's me with the French Horn (click for larger view). The idea was for us to look like we were
floating on a cloud, but look at that tiny cloud! Ha! Too bad we didn't have Adobe Photoshop back then!)

8. Were you a nerd?
(see No. 7 above)
I wasn't firmly entrenched in nerdville, but let's just say I was comfortable there. I think I was somewhere in the middle between cool and nerd - just a "nice girl."

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
Never. I did get a zero on a test once because Ricky was cheating off me and the teacher felt certain I knew about it. (She was right).

10. Can you sing the fight song?
Not only can I sing it, I can "sing" the drum part and the mellophone part! And, as an added bonus, I can march at the same time!

11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. Costello, I suppose. He was really good to me and helped me to chill out a bit.

12. What was your school mascot?
The Plainsman Indian

13. Did you go to the Prom?
Well, yes, because my friends were all concerned that I didn't have a date and made sure to arrange one for me. He was just the nicest boy at our school, and cute, too...and if I could have acted somewhat like my normal self we probably would have become great friends or even more. However, I tried to be cool or something and blew it. We also had a May Fete dance, and I had a nice date to that. Platonic date, though. I never had a romantic prom.

14. If you could go back, would you?
NO!

I mean, NO WAY!

15. What do you remember most about graduation?
I remember looking around at everyone and thinking I wouldn't see most of them ever again. I thought it was a little bit sad, but not overwhelmingly so. My grandpa came from Indiana to see me graduate and I remember thinking that was really nice because, frankly, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I love that he came - it made it more special.

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
A group of us nice kids went to Tulsa for indoor ice skating. We also had crepes for lunch. You know, the typical skip-day activities.

17. Did you have a job your senior year?
I cleaned a local realty office at night and sometimes I played my horn for money, but I didn't work much my senior year. I travelled to OKC on the weekends for French horn lessons, so my weekends were not free, which is the best time for seniors to work.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
We had an open campus and we went to several different places, but mostly Wendy's, Pizza Inn or Taco Bell. We only had 25 minutes for lunch and a good 15 of it was spent driving, so lunch was FAST!

19. Have you gained weight since then?
Um.

Well,

yeah.

I thought it was required.

20. What did you do after graduation?
Went to Angi's house for a party, of course.

Oh, and then I went to college at OU on a music scholarship. I studied French horn performance because, well, someone had to do it!

21. What year did you graduate?
1982 a.d.

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date?
Brent

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion?
I did. That's where I started dating James! So...it was good.
We also went to our 20-year reunion, which I mostly hated (in large part for the same reason the prom didn't go well).