Midlife MAZ

changing it all up for 2013

getting rid of the 39 year life obsession collection


making every minute count


taking more pictures

yes, dad, I know it is not centered

We purchased our 2nd TV in our 49 years of marriage.  

We have always had "hand-me-downs" (for which we are grateful) but one year when I was teaching, we bought a BIG TV, during the holiday sales.

It was sleeting outside and when we tried to put it in our tiny Saturn sedan,

 NOPE.

We stood in the freezing rain and took it out of the box, wedged the TV in the back seat and I rode with my face plastered to the windshield.

We were very proud of our large TUBE BOXY ridiculous TV.

About a year later, we were watching the TV and ..........*bloop*......the screen darkened like a black hole and no more TV. 

 We went back to using the "hand-me-down" "never gonna die" TV.

SOOOOO

This holiday season, we are trying it again!

We bought our 2nd TV.  Flat screen, 47 inch...because even though our living room is 3ft by 5ft....you can't get a TV that is TOO BIG.

It didn't fit into our castle sized cabinet, so we had to rearrange and let it have a wall to itself.  

HOWEVER, some bald guy cut out a square of the wall for wires (behind the giant cabinet).

What to do, what to do?

I KNOW!

I commissioned Max to paint me 3 paintings to hang above the TV, over the hole, and not be too bright or busy.  If you haven't witnessed our house, the "decorating" is..........fun......wild........artsy......hmmm.....

WELL, since he was getting paid....he went right to work!

 I LOVE IT, MAX!!

A mother's nightmare...a Halloween story

Public schools...............

believe what you want.

but the truth is more disturbing than anything you will ever hear!

I abandon my children every day just so I can have some ME time 40 hours a week.

In the evening, I prepare myself to hear about each one's day....
will this be the story littered with public school horrors that makes me go back to home schooling?
will this be the story with evidence of dangers that force me to stay home?


My son walks home from school through the city streets where dangers, only YOU can imagine, lurk at every turn.
Earlier this week:
"mom, guess what I found on the ground when I was walking home from school today!"

I held my breath.....don't say it...don't say it....

He said it.......

A BOOK OF STAMPS

OH   NOOOOOOO....not stamps!  And with only one missing.....what is this world coming to???

That is it!  I am done with this city!

 

Max Ziegenhorn earns Valedictorian!!

My oldest recently informed me that his "homeschool" friends were just not enough!

Jack, unlike me, loves to be with people!  He asked us if he could go back school.

We can not afford his school of choice, 

So we said he could go back to public school.

I have experience teaching in Memphis City high schools. 

 I had plenty of advice to give him but I know teens don't want to hear advice, so I gave him two important areas to avoid!

1. Don't go to the bathroom.  Don't go during class time.  If you must go, get out quick.  Freaky stuff goes on in high school bathrooms.  You never know what you may find!

2.  Don't linger in secluded places and never pause near a dumpster. It is a whole different world behind the school!

Jack will return to being a White Station Spartan on Monday!

other graduate

MAZ famous from birth!

It is no wonder why I like to be famous in the social network.  I was pushed into fame at birth.

My birth was highly publicized in a famous world wide read publication!!

39 years ago, on October 13, 1973, I blessed the world with my presence.

classicMAA,  was larger than life......10lbs 5oz

Classic MAZ plays a game on the beach

Everybody seemed to have something to do this morning, so I spent several hours by myself on the beach.  IT WAS HEAVENLY!

I observed quite a few oddities in people (my favorite thing to do) and then I laid back, closed my eyes, soaked up the sun and listened to the surf.

I heard some commotion, raised my head and tried to focus on what was coming toward me.  I sat up straighter and sucked in my belly as I saw about 8 Magnum P.I. look alikes walking toward me.  They had on tight scuba clothes and sunglasses.

They walked right up to me.

"Hey beautiful, you are rocking this beach in your swim skirt, big floppy hat and glowing red, sun baked skin.  Do you want to come with us on our luxury boat to a paradise island?"

"Well, it is nice to receive compliments from men other than my husband, but I am in love with Jeff and choose to stay here in Alabama."

blurry, blurry, dreamy harp music....

Reality conversation

"Ma'am, Ma'am? Hey, sorry to disturb you, can we use you as a marker on the beach?  We are doing contract work for BP and need to stay directly in front of you.  If you are not getting up, we could use you and your big hat to keep us in line as we swim further out."

"sigh....yea, I guess"

I waited for the guys to swim out and watched as they kept checking their "huge mark" on the beach.  They stayed in line with me and dove under to retrieve sand samples.  By the third dive, I thought I would have some fun.  I moved my chair a couple of feet, sat back down and pretended to be relaxing. They popped up, found their "mark", swam over a couple of feet and dove back down.  I moved my chair a couple of more feet, sat back down and relaxed.  They popped up, looked at me, looked at the tent I was moving toward and then seemed to lose interest in their "mark".

Jeff would have found my antics funny!  The Magnum P.I.s......not so much.

"yep...the red lady in the swim skirt and floppy hat thinks she is funny.....she isn't"

lean in!

It would be really nice if all of you would just revolve around me!
sigh

I just don't have that IT quality that seduces everyone to think about me 24/7.....

This is a problem because when I am out of town, I can only post my thrillingness on my personal facebook page.  When I am home, I am able to blog....which posts on my ClassicMAZ page.

I don't know who is missing out on my awesomeness, and I don't want to blog the same stuff that I have posted on my FB page....

What a complicated life!

I thought about doing this post about my Utah trip, but I am afraid most of you heard enough from my postings those 4 days.

I wanted to share the beautiful Salt Lake City life with you all...

(don't forget you must always click on my pics to "get it")

I wanted to tell you that Jeff is so romantic.  The first place he took me was

a wood store....yAyee

I wanted to tell you about Olympic Park and the secret to skiing....

you land in a pool that is just out of the camera shot!

 I wanted to tell you about our awesome hotel

 and how we channeled The Shining

Jeff was scarier than those twin girls

 (go watch The Shining if you don't know what I am talking about. It is the perfect girly, feel good movie. I promise!)

I wanted to tell you about me actually letting Jeff take my picture (I hate pics of me)....

but I always look like a softball player (not that there is anything wrong with that) or my shirt was too low, or .......well.....my face

But instead of talking about the Utah trip,

I am going to tell a story on my weird sons!

Tonight at the dinner table, I thought I would take a picture of the empty chair, post it on facebook, and then say "Monday night, our family will be complete"

because Jeff will be back home

so I started to take the pic and realized the boys weren't in the picture

I said "guys, lean in"

at the same time they

WHAT IN THE WORLD......