Three strikes and I’m still in


Three years ago on October 9, 2006, I hit publish and started this blog. Thanks to all of you who have come along for the ride!

Here is the post that started it all:

Pleased to meet you. I’m Practical.

Way back in college (we’re talking late 80’s. . .a l-o-n-g time ago), I was called ‘practical’. I must admit, it hurt. I wanted to be known as fun, flirty, whimsical; someone who let things roll off her back. No baggage here! But no. . . .practical. As in, flat dress shoes, one-pot meals, stain-resistant pants and savings plans.

It happened one night at a bar (you’ll see that many of my posts will begin like this). I had just finished my third Woo Woo of the night. I was bouncing merrily off the crowd when a guy friend came to me, draped his drunken arm around my shoulders and purred into me ear, “Someday, after I’ve found the girl I’m going to marry, I’m going to make sure she meets you. You are so practical, you can teach her to be too”. (ok, I’m sure the wording was a bit different, but give my tired brain a break; I’m lucky I can remember much from my 20’s).

I looked at him with wide, terrified eyes and backed away until I had bumped off enough people to land in my roommate’s lap. I then cried, “PRACTICAL?!?!? I’m doomed! I’ll never get married! Guys don’t want PRACTICAL! They want cute and sexy and fun!” She probably suggested we get another Woo Woo (God Bless You, Sharon).

Of course, deep down, I knew it was true. I always went to the library before hitting the bars. I wrote my research paper notes on index cards so that everything was organized. Our off-campus apartment was spotless. I was dependable; I was a Friar.

Shoot forward many years and, yes, I did find a nice, fun, adorable man who thought, “cute, sexy, fun AND practical!” And then we got married and now have three cute, fun and practical kids (no sexy, never sexy). I kind of like ‘practical’ now. It sounds so safe and comforting. And, while it still reminds me of flat dress shoes, one-pot meals, stain-resistant pants and savings plans, those things now hold a special place in my loud, frazzled, messy life.

Comments

  1. Happy blogiversary, I'm glad you're here :).

    I had to do a doubletake at your post since in Hebrew slang a "friar" means a sucker, someone who's easily taken advantage of.

  2. Happy blogiversary, I'm glad you're here :).

    I had to do a doubletake at your post since in Hebrew slang a "friar" means a sucker, someone who's easily taken advantage of.

  3. Happy Anniversary! I totally relate to the "practical" aspect too. When my sisters decided we were the PowerPuff Girls (please don't ask our age) they made me Blossom (the oldest, responsible, level-headed one) when I fought hard to be Bubbles (the tough one with an attitude). Then I heard a fake cartoon interview with Blossom where they called her responsible and she was upset because "Responsible means boring, and I'm NOT boring…" and then I had to sit down. I was Blossom. (And I wasn't in college, I was in…damn, who am I kidding, that was in my dorm.) It's amazing how time flies. Please keep the blog rolling because it sure is refreshing to hear smart, articulate people share their stories.

  4. Happy Anniversary! I totally relate to the "practical" aspect too. When my sisters decided we were the PowerPuff Girls (please don't ask our age) they made me Blossom (the oldest, responsible, level-headed one) when I fought hard to be Bubbles (the tough one with an attitude). Then I heard a fake cartoon interview with Blossom where they called her responsible and she was upset because "Responsible means boring, and I'm NOT boring…" and then I had to sit down. I was Blossom. (And I wasn't in college, I was in…damn, who am I kidding, that was in my dorm.) It's amazing how time flies. Please keep the blog rolling because it sure is refreshing to hear smart, articulate people share their stories.

  5. Subspace Beacon says

    "flat dress shoes, one-pot meals, stain-resistant pants and savings plans."

    Check. Check. Check. Check. Well, only if cords and denim that usually hide stains are considered stain-resistant.

    Blog on, babe.

  6. Subspace Beacon says

    "flat dress shoes, one-pot meals, stain-resistant pants and savings plans."

    Check. Check. Check. Check. Well, only if cords and denim that usually hide stains are considered stain-resistant.

    Blog on, babe.

  7. Renegade Scholar says

    Happy Blogiversary!!!

    Ingrid

  8. Renegade Scholar says

    Happy Blogiversary!!!

    Ingrid

  9. I love reading your blog!

  10. I love reading your blog!

  11. Jill (@alexcaseybaby) says

    Hilarious. I was once was "unconventional" as the only adjective this person could find to describe me. To this day, I still wonder what she meant.

  12. Jill (@alexcaseybaby) says

    Hilarious. I was once was "unconventional" as the only adjective this person could find to describe me. To this day, I still wonder what she meant.

  13. Here's to practical!!

  14. Here's to practical!!

  15. I like practical, too. I need to go look in my archives. I think I started on October 9 or 10, too. Thank God one of us is practical.

    Happy anniversary!

  16. I like practical, too. I need to go look in my archives. I think I started on October 9 or 10, too. Thank God one of us is practical.

    Happy anniversary!

  17. If I didn't have such a practical roommate for 4 years, I never would have achieved such a stellar gpa of 2.80.

  18. If I didn't have such a practical roommate for 4 years, I never would have achieved such a stellar gpa of 2.80.

  19. Happy blogaversary! Or blogiversary. Or however it's spelled! And there is nothing wrong with being practical, not at all! 🙂

  20. Happy blogaversary! Or blogiversary. Or however it's spelled! And there is nothing wrong with being practical, not at all! 🙂

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