Petunia Town Girl

I have been a fool for lesser things

May 19th 2010

By: acoffey

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Are we taking a trip down memory lane? Are we visiting our musical past? Do you remember when you were a child (or a teenager) and Mr. Roboto was the greatest song ever?

I watch Dulcie play with the neighborhood kids and remember how fun it was to pretend. To be a princess or a fairy or a warrior. Why doesn’t that seem fun anymore? When is the age when you go from wanting to be something else (in other worlds) to wanting to be grown-up? It’s going to be sad when Dulcie gets there.

Right now she is all about dragons–thanks to Hiccup and Toothless. I think it is kind of cool that my girl wants nothing to do with Barbies and everything to do with pocket monsters and flying fire breathing creatures. Remember how much you ached for it all to be true? For there really to be fairies and dragons and witches and knights? To discover trolls and elves? Childhood is kind of amazing. And heartbreaking.
They know not if it’s dark outside or light

May 17th 2010

By: acoffey

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Monday night headache. I’m just going to go ahead and blame that flipping oil spill in the gulf. Well, BP, I guess. And Halliburton. And Republicans.

Dulcie had a doc appointment today and she told the doc all about my headaches. And since her doctor is my doctor I said “she already knows”. Here is my mom, she gets a lot of headaches.

The most exciting thing about Dulcie’s doc appointment was that she got to look at a special poop chart (featuring pictures of poop) and point out what her’s looked like. I didn’t get to do that when I was a kid! Or now, even.

We move in three weeks. I’m kinda itchy with stress. I’m trying not to eat too many donuts and chocolate chip cookies. I should also blast the Arcade Fire and walk up and down hills.

Our sublease is awesome. Two months in a tiny cottage in an awesome neighborhood. We won’t have a washing machine, but I can deal for two months (as long as Mark goes to the laundry mat).

Summer is coming!
I don’t find this stuff amusing anymore

May 4th 2010

By: acoffey

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I love google. I looked up any more vs. anymore and found that it is technically ok to use “anymore” when you mean any longer. Some people call it lazy American, but I am a lazy American. Also, I worry a lot about grammar these days.

These days while I stress about the oil spill down south and how absolutely terrible it is in so many ways and how absolutely terrible we humans are to continue doing awful, awful things instead of the right thing.

I also stress about finding somewhere to live for June and July because we were given a good amount of money to get out of our place early so people could buy it and move in sooner than August. I just hope it isn’t some terrible, dumpy student apartment serving our needs for most of the summer.

It almost is summer. We have to find a place!

I am feeling a strong desire and need to spend some time by the ocean. The ocean is very far away. Maybe if we can take a trip to Madison and hang out by the GIANT LAKE I will get my fill of large bodies of water.

Also on my list of worries: having too much stomach fat, eating too much sugar, Dulcie being too skinny and not eating enough (or any) vegetables, animals being skinned alive in China (I get terrible, terrible sounding PETA news alerts), turning 36.

Good things: a lovely 80 degree day, Dulcie’s neighborhood buddies, summer plans, a birthday.
Goodbye weekend

Apr 18th 2010

By: acoffey

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We are back from a very short (but special) trip to Madison, WI. We went for the film festival, but since we are on a budget we only saw two films (at the fest) and only stayed one night. Plus we tried to not eat too expensively. Splurges: a Wisconsin Film Fest t-shirt, honey ginger cheesecake, a very on sale dish (for my collection) from Anthropologie (honestly, it was the cheapest thing I could get there) and some fun toys and trinkets for the DKP. We had to reward her for surviving in our absence. You know, because of the anxiety thing. She wasn’t happy with us leaving her had some moments of hysterics, we heard, but overall she did it. Poor kid. Tomorrow we shall start our deep breathing and relaxation exercises practice regime.

Madison was awesome, as usual. Lots of people wearing red (go Badgers) and musicians on the street and a crazy amount of ethnic food and a population that loves its film festival, for sure. Mark insisted–sort of–that I accompany him to a showcase of experimental films derived from the Grand Theft Auto oeuvre. Sounds more interesting than it was. Not that it was bad, just not as awesome as I felt it could have been (that is, if I made the films–ha!).

Luckily, today, we saw a very awesome film called Everyone Else. It is a German film about people and relationships (I love those kind of movies!) made my a woman who also made a film I loved called Forrest for the Trees. Yay women filmmakers!

I hope Dulcie will be willing to go to school tomorrow without complaint. I wish I had the day off to clean the house. Life is busy. But good busy.
Trips I’d Like to Take with Dulcie Someday

Apr 4th 2010

By: acoffey

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An Anne of Green Gables themed trip to Prince Edward Island

A sweets tour of New York City

Visiting the best forests in Oregon

Volcano exploring in Hawaii

Revisiting Adelaide, South Australia

The cheesiest things we can find in Las Vegas

A Disney Cruise

An Alaskan Cruise

Gettysburg

Doing fancy Southern things in Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA

The ocean. Somewhere.
What was it that I came here to do?

Apr 4th 2010

By: acoffey

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I hate it when one second I’ve got big plans for the next moment, and then that moment comes and I forget what my big plans are. This happens all the time. I should probably do some brain exercises like crossword puzzles or soduko. Except I hate both those things. I also hate Scrabble. I really really ahte Scrabble. And Monopoly. I plan to never play Monopoly or Scrabble again.

My daughter is crazy. And not the good kind. As fun and pretty and special and cool and magical as she is, she’s also bonkers. For the past couple of months she has been terrified to go anywhere without us because she is afraid she will vomit and she’s terrified of vomiting but if she does vomit she’d rather we be with her. She won’t go to her best friend’s house. She won’t go to ice skating lessons (even though we are sitting rinkside). The night before school she cries and whines and sometimes screams about how afraid she is to go to school. She used to love her Before and After School Program but now she views it as the worst place in the world imaginable because once or twice she felt sick there (she had a cold and fever) and they weren’t able to reach us right away so now she is certain that she’ll be trapped there without mom or dad and she’ll VOMIT. She does get stomach pains (which are most certainly anxiety related but everyone else still wonders is she should see some kind of specialist to make sure nothing it wrong with her, but of course if we see a specialist and they do any kind of invasive testing she’ll be totally traumatized. Also, she’s fine at home).

It has been really hard to deal with this. Sigh sigh triple sigh. She’s now going to therapy. Yes, my six year old is seeing a therapist. I can’t believe it. But I also can’t believe this is all happening. But I also realize that there are much worse things that could be happening and life is sometimes freaky and icky and sticky and troublesome and being a parent causes a fair share of tension.

I just wish I knew how to make it better. So that she can have her life back.

Easter Sunday. I thought we’d for sure go to a park and search for eggs. Instead–because you know why–Dulcie had an indoor Easter egg hunt. We ate lots of candy. Mark made dal. I’m procrastinating on a school presentation (on Stress!). It’s dark and thunderstorming. I want to be in St. Croix sipping something fancy with alcohol and feeling the ocean on my feet.

NO I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ST. CROIX. but I saw it on HGTV and it looks mighty nice.
the sneezies

Apr 3rd 2010

By: acoffey

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Spring is here which means my sinuses have become a snot factory. I didn’t prepare and so I don’t have my Allegra and Flonase until the doc calls in a prescription which could take days. DAYS. I borrowed some Zyrtec from the neighbor and fell asleep on the couch during Dulcie’s 2nd viewing of Ponyo this weekend (though she woke me every so often with demands. “I’m hungry!” “I’m thirsty!” “I’m still hungry!”). I think it’s time to train her to pull a chair into the kitchen so she can reach her own fruity snacks. Although I wonder why she doesn’t think of this herself.

Anyway, same old story year after year. Allergies are miserable. Spring can be a real bitch slap.
This weekend I….

Mar 14th 2010

By: acoffey

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- Threw stuff out. Crap in those desk drawers. I’m getting tougher on crap.

- Watched Humpday, which I enjoyed. I have to say that I’m fond of the mumblecore movement in film.

- Tried to cure my daughter of her anxiety of going anywhere for a period of time without us. I wasn’t able to do it. I’m thinking she suffers from Emetophobia–fear of vomiting. Sigh. She didn’t escape the mental health problems, I guess. Poor kid. She’s hung up on being somewhere and having to eat lunch and then possible having her stomach upset which may lead to vomiting. Her stomach gets upset because she’s constantly afraid of being sick. Does she ever vomit? No. I wish this was over.

- Read. I’m reading too many books at once. And finishing none.

- Ate delicious cold peanut butter M&Ms. Drank coke. Then felt guilty about it.

- Took a walk. The sun was shining. It was over 50 degrees. Spring is coming!

- Tried to cope with Spring ahead. Curse you daylight savings!
to the left, to the left

Mar 4th 2010

By: acoffey

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Beyonce is a genius. Or at least her people are. Her songwriters, her producers. Genius. That Halo song! I love that song!

Other things I’m doing: eating a Smart One’s Mac and Cheese and a cinnamon raisin bagel. A full carbs dinner.

Burning a nice smelling candle.

Being frustrated by my messy, unorganized desk.

Sneezing.

Desiring a nap. A 7pm nap.

Counting down to Project Runway.

Wasting time.

Spanning time.
good intentions

Feb 10th 2010

By: acoffey

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I was hungry and I was tired. I had it in my mind that I’d go out and get a bagel and some coffee. Not the greatest thing to go get for an afternoon snack (well, I mean it is the greatest, but not so great in the healthy, low calorie eating department if you are trying to spend a lot of time in that department), but better than a donut! Right?

So I’m on my way to the bagel place when I realize I need gas. So I say to myself, I’ll just go get gas and then I’ll go to Starbucks cause it is right next door and then I’ll get a bagel. Only while I’m at the gas station I’m thinking what’s the point of making a bunch of little trips when I could get a snack in the gas station? So I go in the gas station and there is the big donut display case with, duh, donuts. And no matter how much I try to avoid it there I go to get myself a couple of chocolate cake end of the day not so great to begin with donuts instead of the probably just as bad but healthier sounding and more filling everything bagel with cream cheese.

goddamnit!
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