Christopher and I have a new motto for 2006: Lowering the Bar. Our four kids and our four jobs and school and schedules have literally made us sick (which isn't so convenient on our awesome health plan). Writing this, I'm realizing I'm breaking one of my cardinal pet peeves which is complaining about how busy you are, but I don't care. We've decided to lower our standards so why shouldn't I start here? Anyway, who checks the closets to make sure the sheets are nicely folded, or cares is the toy-boxes are categorized by color or subject, or checks your grades from your Doctorate classes? Other than Robert Valentine, no one will know.
There's a great scene in the movie Love Actually where a stay-at-home mum, (played by Emma Thompson), whose brother is Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant) laments that although she's incredibly satisfied with her chosen life, having such a famous and powerful brother puts her life into stark reality. Have I already written about this? She says something like "Today my brother ruled a country and I made a paper mache lobster head." That's kind of how I feel about having a famous brother, successful in the entertainment industry. A couple of days ago, I think to myself, James won his second Grammy, performed in front of millions, and I was feeling preeety good about getting the car vacuumed. But I stand by that clean car and all that goes with it. I've been riding on that for days (no pun intended, but I'll leave it, thank you)!
Don't I come from Generation X, anyway? I think that somewhere down the line I forgot my roots, where I came from. In the early 90's we didn't care about what those dumb Yuppies did. We had our music and our Doc Martins and our chokers (Melrose Place IS a really good show). We were flyin' the flannel and bein' awesome. Remember bein' awesome? These Gen Y-ers, or whatever these kids today are calling themselves (am I suddenly 70?), are all overachievers and they're boring! Christopher always complains about how grade greedy and uninteresting his students are at a certain university. They're so FO-cused that they're. . . FUN-less (that was bad, but I'll work on it later: I'm too busy BEING AWESOME!)
Join me in turning up FROM OHIO or Fishbone, dusting off those green Doc's and worn out flannel shirt, pulling out your Real Raisin, putting down that Jane Austen, picking up some Vonnegut or Kerouac, and lowering that bar. Seriously you guys, I'm not even going to fold the laundry when it's hot out of the dryer--I'm just going to let it sit there for a while: CRAZY!!!
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I join you in your quest to accept mediocrity. Right now I'm doing pretty well, as evidenced by the fact that its 8:30 am and I'm lying here in bed reading blogs. I can hear the kids rummaging in the kitchen for their own breakfast. It's character building--they're learning life skills, right? Hot laundry? Eeeaaah, what's a few wrinkles anyway?
If it makes you feel any better, I have a pile of laundry that has been waiting to be folded for, uhm, nigh on two weeks. That is how awesome I am.
I think I'm going to go find some opaque tights and a thermal henley (I wonder which flannel will look the best tied around my waist today.) Where did my So I Married An Axe Murderer soundtrack go?
Lisa,
I have my Doc Mary Janes still in my closet from my college days (and my wicked tall boots). I haven't worn them in YEARS but they are my ode to Gen X.
Where have I heard Lobster Reality Bites? Did you make a movie about that?
Now we just need to translate you having a famous brother into cash money!!! Tell him to start snapping cell phone pictures of Jessica Simpson and lets sell them to Star Magazine? What do you think?
Why YES, Bek, I'm glad you remembered the timeless movie: Lobster Reality Bites, starring Me, Christopher, Jay Calder, and my cousin Kristen. You win the prize!
Hey Lisa, I'm right there with ya on the road to mediocrity! Hey what's even better than leaving the clothes in the dryer? How about forgetting they're in the washer and having to redo the washing phase a few times!! By the way, I'm still running on the high of having a clean house (it was on Wednesday, and now it's a mess again, but who cares, it was clean on Wednesday! WooHoo!)
p.s. didn't lobster reality bites feature a scene of lonesome Chris standing outside a bowling alley as "Desperado" played? Why do I remember that?
Amen sistah. Amen. For all those starving Nicole Richie Gen Y-ers.... I'll have some In and Out burger and say I'm referencing Drew Barrymore.
Oh Wendy, you're confusing LRBites with "Bowling for Love," another classic! The third in a trilogy, ending with, of course, "Our Lamanite Friend."
Panda, you talk big, but I know for a fact that right now you are holding a can of Lysol and disinfecting something. . . am I right?
Hello Miss Amanda.....long time no blogging, eh?
OUR LAMINITE FRIEND!!!!!!!! I totally forgot about that!! Those were the days. Can I just say a few things?
Rob (what was his last name? who cares, he loved you).
Training Table and the metabolism of a 20 yr old
Crazy, crazy Lauren and Karen..roommates or stalkers?
THE UNDERGROUND, KEITH, MARSHA and Turkey Blue Cheese Sandwiches...
Why didn't I know that those would be the carefree days of my life? Huh?
R
What a coincidence - I just recently rediscovered the joys of Real Raisin! And I've been looking for an excuse to break out the flannel.
Lisa, no matter how low your bar gets, you'll always be my hero!
As someone on the verge of a real awesome nervous breakdown, I support your decision to lower the bar -- at least some of us stand a chance at looking like mediocre wives and moms if you do that! However, I refuse to re-support the fashion of our gen-xer days. Don't I feel fat and schlumpy enough?
Seriously? Right out of the dryer? I don't feel the need unless there's a genuine mountain of laundry and I need to get a snack and a movie to make it through. This is why I'm continually in awe. . .full makeup (or at least lipstick!), gorgeous hair. . .AND your laundry's folded. It's 11:30 AM and one of my two kids is dressed. Does that count?
ah shucks! Petie, seriously-a nice worn-in flannel, big chunky shoes you can wear big soft socks with, none of this appeals to you?
Just in case you were really wondering, the generation after the GenXers is called the Millenials. (I only know this because I work in retail and they always want to talk about how Baby Boomer spending is up and The Greatest Generation is spending less or whatever.) Millenials are anyone born between 1977 and 2000. So basically my spending power and clout in society is lumped in the same category as Miles'.
I did have some real awesome Timberland boots once and some big, baggy shirts from Down East Outfitters, but it was never my generation....Seriously though, that was some BAD fashion.
PS. Congrats on lowering the bar. Who ever looks in the linen closen anyway?
linen closet? whats that?
According to your standards I am the most awesome of all. :) My life isn't even that busy right now and I feel stressed. My sister told me today on the phone: It's not that my 3 kids stress me out... it's the rest of my life that's doing it.
For the record, "Bowling for Love" was the best film in the trilogy. Well acted, tightly shot, and seamlessly edited, it really outshone the other two films. RLB was just an excuse to drive around and film nerdy Cougars, and "Our Lamanite Friend" was a great idea that starts funny and then becomes increasingly bizarre.
"Comes and goes....that's just how those Lamanites are. Well, anyone for Parcheesi?"
lisa,
i love your blogs.
thanks for letting chris and i make-out! i had no idea!!!
ashley
You washed your car??!!??
No bar lowering there.
I still can't get over the fact that you wear "Mystic Mauve!"
Maybe I'll lower the bar,and just never have kids!!
Damn, my palm says I'll have three.
Thanks a lot CHRIS!
Hey there-
I was sent to your blog by Rebecca. She said you might be able to help me a bit. Our family lives in Seattle, and we might be moving to London for two years. I've never even been there to visit, so I know NOTHING about the area or how to get prepared for a move like this! Do you have any advice?
heh, gen t here. thanks for the references. your intents live on. peace.
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