Family

~ Varmint and Critter and The Bee ~

Posted on April 25, 2012 by mamaboe

What a weird evening.  I spent it at a spelling bee.

Both of my children entered the Monocacy Elementary School Spelling Bee.  Both of them made it to Finals.  Both of them made it to the winner’s circle.  Varmint got 3rd, and Critter got 2nd.

Understand something….let me be VERY CLEAR:   If it were not for Spellcheck, you would not be able to discern half of the words I write on Mama Boe.

Clearly they got their orthographizing talents from their father.

I was not looking for an entertaining evening.  I mean, let’s face it, I’ve gone from exciting nights out on the town in my 20’s to an evening at the elementary school spelling bee in my 40’s. I really did not have high expectations for the evening.

But talk about excitement! Holy. Stinkin. Moly! It was more stressful than going to the racetracks.  I mean, I was on the edge of my friggin’ seat.  And to have BOTH of my kids going head to head on the stage…there isn’t enough Xanax in the world for that kind of pressure.

Varmint got taken out by the word ‘Cemetery’.  Critter got taken out by the word ‘Stomach’.  Neither one of them will ever ever ever spell those words incorrectly again, that I can promise you.

And then at the end of the evening, the school had a raffle.  One of the prizes was “Vice Principal for the day.”  Critter won it, and was overjoyed.

Before we left, I asked Varmint how she felt.  She was pleased that she had given it a try, and pleased that she had gotten to the winner’s circle.  I could tell that she was a little disappointed, though.  I had watched her study the word lists, and watched her nerves and hopes throughout the process.  She was a real trooper and doing her best to be mature about not winning first place.

Then I asked Critter how he felt. He said it was good that he got Second place, because red is his favorite color and that was the color of the medal around his neck, but what he was REALLY psyched about was winning Vice-Principal for the day.

So, let me get this straight:  He survived longer than all but one of the many contestants on the stage after several gruelling rounds of spelling bee, but what he was most proud of for the evening was winning a raffle? Winning a game of chance?

I thought Varmint was going to punch him for sure.

It’s a good thing he’s fast.

Categories: Family | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

~ O Captain, My Captain: A Picture Story ~

Posted on January 19, 2012 by mamaboe

See this guy?

He one of the seasoned Captains within Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. He is also a seasoned rescue technician with Maryland Task Force 1’s Urban Search & Rescue Team. With the rest of the hardened, heroic MD-TF1 team, he searched and worked the rubble pile at the Oklahoma City Bombing. The Pentagon on 9/11. Hurricane Katrina. And many others. He’s a Paramedic. He’s a Station Commander. He’s a teacher, a leader, a husband, and a father, but first and foremost, a Firefighter.  Meet Captain/Firefighter/Paramedic Troy Lipp.

See this guy?

This is the same Captain, in the great wilds of Glacier, Montana.  Here he is using one of his newest tools: an ultraviolet light water purifier.  He’s always happy when he has a new gadget.  Rescue Techs are like that.

See this guy?

It’s the same guy, same place, but with neato-cool focus on the glacial melt water of McDonald Creek. He’s humored at the photographer’s artsy-fartsiness.

See this guy?

Here is the Captain on the top of Mount Apgar trying to catch a view of a hawk or pterodactyl or something.  I was too distracted by his muscular back and arms to notice.  It was a very steep, gruelling hike up a jagged mountain.  I think I threw up halfway up.  He carried me the rest of the way, jogging.

See this guy?

This is the same Captain, about to get on a horse named “Shrek”.  I found that hiLARious. He found my hilarity hilarious.

Same Captain, with favorite beverage in hand after breaking the wild and tempestuous Shrek.  It was touch and go for a while.

See this guy?

This is the Captain quietly and patiently waiting for his bride to meet him on the mountain to say vows of love.  True story: just before the vows were exchanged he whipped out his Pocket Knife and picked a piece of parsley out of her teeth with it.  Rescue techs are like that.

See this guy?

This is what he looks like happy and loved.

See this?
mooses1
This is a Moose.

Post Script Note:   This post will most likely be used to tease, cajole, harass, embarrass, and most likely torque the Captain by his Shift.  Life is hard sometimes, you have to be tough.

Categories: Family, Fire and Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue | Tags: , , , , | 9 Comments

~ My Side of the Bed: A Tale of Woe ~

Posted on January 14, 2012 by mamaboe

Lets make one thing perfectly clear.  My husband is a Captain, Station Commander, Firefighter, Task Force Team Member on the Maryland Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Team, and Paramedic.  This means he is gone at least one night out of three, and often two nights out of three (because he has to work overtime to support his wife’s Dollar Store Habit…its very sad).  It makes sense, then, that HIS side of the bed gets less use.  Add to that, before we were married, My side of the bed got use from yours truly for… the better part of a decade. In short, my side of the bed has been USED.  His side of the bed is only slightly used.

Why is it, then, that the fact that MY side of the bed being sunken, soften, lumpy,  SMOOSHED and creaky makes me feel rather, um, LARGE.  Why is it that his side of the bed being firm and straight and downright comfortable makes me feel chagrin?  I mean, heck, look at the first paragraph!  The disparate usage alone would create the glaring differences in the conditions of our individual sides.   Common sense demands that it would have to be a very special mattress that did NOT show a difference in the usage wear and tear.

And yet, I can’t help but draw a similarity to the condition of my side of the bed, and my used, lumpy, soft, smooshed and creaky body, and his side of the bed with his firm, straight and comfortable body.

Its just not good for my self-esteem.   Something must be done.  The way I see it, we can either buy a new mattress and use it until I crush it, too, or he can be a good sport and gain some gosh darn weight. He’s in his mid forties, for pity’s sake.  He can let it go a little bit.  Soften around the middle.  Maybe love me enough to actually sport a muffin top or something to prove to the world that his wife can actually cook.

Its more likely that we’ll get a new mattress.

*** Sigh ***

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