I am my father's daughter...

Throughout my life I think people have thought I was a lot like my mom.. and I would agree with that... but I am also a lot like my dad... perhaps in quieter ways.. but I recognize them...and yes, appreciate that... he's a pretty amazing person..... emulating both of my parents is a pretty good habit.. at least I think so... I am lucky like that... 

After work today we had a staff party, off campus.. which is teacher code for a party where alcohol will be served.  Last night we had our staff party at school... also fun, but less... 'spirited!' Anyway... One of the women I work with struck up a conversation with me... I think it stems from some recent conversations at lunch... remembering past Christmases... where I have mentioned Mom... so tonight at the staff party, kind of out of the blue, she asked me if Mom had really been gone for over two years... she said it was hard for her to believe that two years had passed... I told her it will be three years in April... (kind of funny how people say that about the age of their children and the amount of elapsed time since someone has died... he will be four in April.. or is will be three years in April since she passed....)  She asked me if the holidays were extra hard... Of course they are.  Why wouldn't they be? And why would she ask a question like that.  We got into an interesting conversation... as it turns out she is beginning to face the reality that her 80 something year old parents are mortal... she got emotional talking about how they have failed.. how her dad now walks like an old man... she said it is really hard watching them deteriorate like that... and I think it was her way of telling me that she kind of understood some of what I had gone through with Mom... I appreciate that... and having a chance to talk about my mom, her gifts, her love for her family... was nice.  This woman asked me if Mom had been a teacher... and I smiled... not professionally, I said.  She was an amazing teacher... of many subjects.  She told me that she thinks that Mom would be proud of me, that knowing all I do there is no doubt Mom would be proud.  I appreciate that.  She then told me that she feels like I have made a huge difference in our school.  I was taken aback a bit... she went into detail and I was very humbled... she told me that I am a leader... that I do things in a way that people respect... that I confront things that need confronting, but do it in a way that is not intimidating, or critical of people.. she said I am critical of how people behave or what people do, but never in a way that puts people down or makes them feel unvalued. Wow.  She told me that she attributes the positive changes that have happened in our building in recent years to me.  I was very humbled... and she again told me that Mom would be proud... very sweet... 

Then.. in talking to some other people at the party, I got a terrible idea... Portland had a special night tonight... stores were staying open late and serving wine to people who had purchased a $5 glass at a local hotel... A few people at work were getting friends together to go down for the evening.  I thought about the Old Port (what we call the downtown area of Portland)  and thought of a little store there that usually has really cute earrings... and I had been thinking that getting some earrings for Jacey would be a good Christmas present... so.. in my infinite stupidity, decided to drive into Portland and find some earrings... The streets were decorated with many lights and people were wandering around, wine glasses in hand... I didn't think it would be that hard to find the store, find the earrings, and leave.  Well.. I circled the Old Port for about 30 minutes (I would have parked in a parking garage, but the rack I have on my truck to transport the kayaks has a couple of things on it that make my truck a little too tall to access all of the parking garages.. and I did not want to deal with taking them off... so I circled... and circled... and circled...and circled... ) before deciding to illegally park in a bank parking lot that is reserved for customers only... but it was sooo close to the store I wanted to go to I couldn't refuse the opportunity.  In my head I said, easy in , easy out.  Not so much.  I walked into the store and to my surprise there were two of the store.. yes.. two.. across the street from one another.  From the street they appeared to have similar items.. so I went into one and looked around.. it was crowded... people in there shopping were not actually shopping, but standing around talking sipping their wine... 'excuse me... pardon me... excuse me... '  ugh... after not finding any earrings that matched what I had in mind for Jacey I asked what the other store had that this one didn't and was told there was more jewelry.. perfect.  So I crossed the street... and entered the store again...well.. the other half of the same store..... and there were a lot more earrings... but... also more people... and I suddenly felt like the room was getting smaller and the people were getting drunker and wider, harder to maneuver around... and decided that the earrings were just not going to get purchased...and left... practically running... (okay not running, but I am pretty sure my expression was one in which my eyebrows were raised and eyes wide appearing as if I was moving quite fast... )  I was happy to get back in my truck, relieved... and decided that I would have to figure out another option.  I know of a second location of this store that would be easier to access I suspect... maybe this weekend...  My dad (and his dad) hates crowds, hates shopping, ... and is not a fan of the city... I like the city... I just like it when I am not there trying to buy earrings from a store that has too many people present... Dad says, when he comes to visit... that there's not enough... air... in the city... that he can't get out and walk around and get some air like he can at home... well... tonight, in Portland, I realized pretty quickly that I was, in that moment, my father's daughter... without a doubt.  I could not get out of there fast enough!  

So on my way home, as if I had not had enough shopping... decided to stop at a store (where the parking lot was fairly empty) to see if they had any sweaters.  I need some sweaters for the winter.  (I assume I will need them, anyway.. though these mild temperatures are making me wonder!) I was happy to hit a sale.. buy one item and get the second 60% off... in the entire store.  I found two long sleeve shirts that I will wear under sweaters, two sweaters, and a bath robe which was half off its original price... and by the time I got to the counter in my head I knew about what I should be paying.  So... the girl enters things into the computer... and the total comes up... about $50 OVER what I expected.  I told her that was not correct and she asked if I wanted her to ring things up again.  Well, Einstein, what do you think? I just told you that was about $50 bucks more than I expected to pay.  YES, I want you to re-enter them.  This time.. the total was about $35 more than I expected.  And I said.. I still don't think that is right.  I asked for a paper and pencil.  (Luckily it was not a busy store and I was not annoying other customers with my stubborn streak.)  I wrote out the original cost of each item, then showed what the prices would be with the discounts...and added them up.  the woman furrowed her brow and said... hmmm.. and she got out a calculator... and agreed with me, that I was correct... and somehow I ended up paying what I had expected to pay, plus sales tax.  It made me wonder how many people, especially in the holiday chaos, just swipe a card and pay whatever the total amounts to... without knowing if they are paying too much.  I was not one of those people.. at least not today!  

Oh... and I bought some materials to make an ugly sweater... Next Thursday we are having an Ugly Sweater Day at school... and since I am a fashionista (HA!) don't have any ugly clothing in my possession... so.. I bought supplies to make one... from the dollar store!  Yes... this should be good!  

Stay tuned!