Cougar Town OR Things I've Heard on the Job: #8

During one of my travels, I meandered into a cute little gift shop/boutique that had SO MANY signs with really clever/inspirational/delightful/relateable sayings on them.  I found numerous that tickled my fancy - that described me - and that I wanted to buy for myself.  Except I didn't, because then it would overpower everything else in my home.

One of my favorites was this one:

Because as you know (or don't know?) I am older than my husband!

By how much?  Well, that's debatable.

He says 8 months.

I say 9 months.

You decide.  

I was born Sept. 14th of one year, and he was born June 8th of the following year.

9 MONTHS.  No?

ANYWAY.  Our kids have a hay day with it....whenever we do things in "age order" there is always a big "discussion" whether Matt or I should go first.  The kids want to be all technical about it, Matt just thinks he should go first because.....he's the dad!  :)

But, the whole thing that got me thinking of "Cougars" again was a call I had recently while "On the phones @ jetBlue."

I was assisting an older couple (I know because they have to give my their DOB) from Southern California who were both on the phone with me while booking their flight reservations.  I'm not sure if they were married or not because they had different last names, but they were traveling together.  (If not, Friends?  Lovers?  Brother/Sister?)

She was a 76 yr. old woman named, Helga.

Me:  "Where on the plane would you like to sit?"

Helga:  "Make sure to seat me by a nice, YOUNG man.  And seat a good-looking one in front of me...and behind me, too.  A YOUNG one.  Ya got that?"

Me:  [giggle]

Him:  "You gotta watch out for these "Newport Cougars!"

Me:  [chuckle]

Helga:  "Hey, I'm a German Cougar!"

Me:  "Let's hope for the best."  ;)

(If she IS his wife/girlfriend, he was pretty liberal, accepting her extra-curricular relationship explorations, and all!)  ;)

Excuse Me While I Have a Little Freak Out

Guess where I went last night?

I still can't believe it myself.

I went to the Utah State University open house with my oldest to get some famous Aggie Ice Cream find out all about them, enter to win prizes..... 

AND TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE!

(But I DID enjoy me some Aggie ice cream, too.  

Sadly, the Aggie Blue Mint was all gone by the time we got there, though!)

AM I OLD ENOUGH to be sending my own offspring away to college?!?

Wasn't I just there myself?

 Along with my husband, too?

Didn't I just give birth to him?

 

Weren't we just spending our days on the couch in our apartment doing this?

 

Wait a minute!  He just started Kindergarten, didn't he?

And his Baptism was just the other day.

Didn't he just barely become a teenager?

Well, the fact that he went to the Homecoming Dance last Saturday,

most likely makes the answers to all those questions - a "NO!!"

But, I STILL can't believe it!  Only OLD people have college students, don't they?  I am a tad bit freaked out by this thought!!  It's already time to start making plans for his bedroom?  Hmmmm......A ladies workout room?  A music room?  A napping room?  A library?

There was one thing, a rude awakening,  that has really let us know that the years really HAVE  past by and things have changed.......back in my husband's day, he got the Presidential Scholarship (4 years tuition & fees all paid) at USU.  TODAY, with his same scores (GPA and ACT), he wouldn't even qualify!!  In fact, he would only be awarded the very lowest level of scholarship they give out for academics.  One that wouldn't even cover one semester!  You practically have to be perfect for the big scholarships these days.  

Otherwise, kids, get ready to pay out the BIG BUCKS!

Now Ryan's wishing he fought off his "brain-dead-teenage-boy-season-of-life" with MORE of a vengeance. 

All is not lost.  There are other scholarships he can go for - totally depending on how much work HE is willing to put in to applying/making a portfolio, etc.

He's still hangin' in there in his attempt to get the Regents Scholarship by taking AP Statistics, AP US Government, Biology, and Spanish 2 his Senior year (which aren't even required to graduate, but are required for this scholarship) instead of underwater basket weaving (or any frivolous classes) that his peers, who aren't trying for scholarships, get to take.

But, fortunately for him, because his AWESOME PARENTS are Utah State University ALUMNI, he can qualify for a small scholarship to attend there.

AND, there is even another [small] scholarship for VHS students who are children of Viewmont H.S. alumni!

Who knew there was actually a PRO to having a child of mine go to "Pee-yew"mont?!?  ;)

(my High School rival)

Having Fun Isn't Hard....When You've Got a Library Card

 {Name that PBS TV show}

(Arthur)

(So. Good.)

But, I digress.

But, I am pretty well-known at the library - like they see me walk in and they turn and get my books off the "holds" shelf before I even arrive at the check out counter, without me even giving them my library card!

But, back to what I've REALLY been thinking about......

WHY IS IT that I read three (3) - YES THREE - books on my week long vacation last month.........

..........and I haven't even been able to finish a single one during the several weeks since I've been home?

This is the book I've been on the whole time.  It's not even a difficult, frustrating, deep book.  

(I prefer the "easy reads")

It's a story about a girl who goes on a trip to England to explore the areas

where her recently deceased mom's favorite authors lived.

Like Jane Austen and the author of Frankenstein.

(Turns out, the girl's named after these female authors)

I haven't ever read any of those authors' works.

Who has?

{Wait...everyone BUT me?!?  Haha.}

See, what I mean - I don't want to THINK too hard when I read, just be entertained.

It's not even that thick - LOOK!

But, I've only gotten as far as pg. 119.

119 pages in 24 days.

Wow.  Impressive. (not!)  That's like 5 pgs. a day!

Do I need a new book?

A new life...that let's me read?

A hard, straight chair that won't let me fall asleep while reading?

FYI:

The Three books I read on vacation were:

Not My Type

Twitterpated

Montana Summer

{See, pretty much no brainer, "fluff", escape books}