Seven Snippets: Child Brides, Soon-to-be-famous Dancers, and My History of Foolish Background Antics

— 1 —

On Monday, Mr. Andi and I celebrated our 18th anniversary. By “celebrated” I mean he brought me tulips as he has done every single year (I told my mom and the florist that I didn’t care what our wedding flowers looked like as long as there were tulips) and I sniffled and coughed and went to bed early with what was as-of-that-time-undiagnosed bronchitis.

But, hey – the flowers were pretty.

— 2 —

When asked if she knew how long we’ve been married, Sarah Kate guessed 32 years. Either she is not nearly as good at math as I have always believed, or she’s going to expect to get married in another year or so. Or maybe she believes the whole child bride thing died out in the 1990s, along with The Rembrandts and Rachel and Monica’s hairstyles.

— 3 —

I got a postcard in the mail on Thursday letting me know that my driver’s license expired. I was incensed! That could not be right! I very distinctly remember when I last renewed my license, because I was unhappy that I was going to be stuck with a photo with a very fat-looking face for four years.

And then I remembered that I was fat-faced because I pregnant. So…yeah. I’ll be at the DMV first thing this morning.

— 4 —

We have a travel date for Minneapolis. The gait study will be on March 17 and the orthopedist appointment on March 18; after those we’ll have a recommendation for Sarah Kate’s surgery this spring. We won’t all be going to Minnesota – airfare is much too expensive – so one parent will stay here with Nathan while the other travels with Sarah Kate. We’re going to let her decide who does what. Who will it be? Place your bets now!

— 5 —

During the early out-and-back of the New Orleans Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a lady out in front of the leaders with a police escort, walking, not running with what looked from a distance like tall canes or walking sticks. As I studied her, I noticed the distinct gait of someone with a neurological impairment of some sort. I wished I knew more about her.

As it turned out, I eventually caught up with her around the ten-mile point of the race, so I stopped and talked to her for a couple of minutes. She had a spinal cord injury and was allowed to start the half marathon two hours early. I told her a little bit about Sarah Kate and then wished her well.

— 6 —

While we were in New Orleans for the race, they were having auditions for So You Think You Can Dance (no, I did not try out). While we were hanging out in the common area, a camera crew came by with a guy who had a colored card in his hand – they were preparing to film him receiving his “golden ticket” or whatever they call it for being chosen to compete. We cheered and waved in the background (through two takes) and got our picture with him before he left. He might be famous one day!

Sadly, I asked him what his name was and we all promptly forgot it. But if you watch the show and see this guy I knew him when! If you look closely, you may also get to see me acting like a fool in the background of his “excited I made it” clip.

— 7—

I have acted like a fool in the background before. Several years ago I ran the ING Georgia Half Marathon and the lead marathoner came up behind me in the latter part of my race. There was a camera crew on a vehicle clearing a path for him, and I dutifully moved over like everyone else. Because I am a doofus, as soon as he went by me I jumped back over and waved furiously at the camera with a goofy grin on my face. I figured I might get two seconds on the Atlanta evening news.

Wrong. A photo of the leader – with me in the background acting like a fool – appeared in the ad for the ING Georgia Marathon in Runner’s World magazine (and maybe other places, I’m not sure) for the next twelve months. My friend Katie was a print subscriber back then and she got to laugh at my idiocy Every Month for a Year.

Have a great weekend!

This post was inspired by and is linked to Conversion Diary‘s 7 Quick Takes.