Trophy Day...

Please... no heart attacks...

Yes... this is a denim skirt...

Yes... that is essentially a t-shirt and a pair of low cut boots...

Yes... this is the outfit that I wore today...

-- LET ME EXPLAIN --

Today was Trophy Day at the soccer complex.

Trophy Day is a mixture of excitement, chaos and quasi organization combined with far too little manpower.  You see... no one EVER wants to volunteer for these types of chores.

Enter my Big Sis... the queen of volunteer...

Hee Hee

This time she roped me in although I didn't know it until I was already committed.  She is a sly one that older sister... 007 would be proud.

FIRST...

She sends in the niece & nephew early in the week with an invitation to watch their respective soccer games on Saturday.  Smart.  Hit me before I can commit to anything else for the day.

How can I refuse?

NEXT...

About midweek she informs me that this weekend's games are spread out with several hours in between so I should just plan the whole day with them.

Not a big deal...  I love spending time with the only family that I have here in town.

THEN...

Saturday morning... early... The phone rings.

On the other end of the line... one of the few people that know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will be up at this early hour... my Big Sis...

"Jordan, I need a favor today."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Today is Trophy Day and we could use some help distributing them.  Could you lend a hand?"

"I suppose so, what will I need to do?"

"It's simple really, open boxes, hand out trophies to coaches... that sort of thing."

"Okay, happy to help."

"Great!  Can you meet us at the soccer complex in an hour?"

"Uh... sure."

007... I think M would be proud of how coyly she roped me in.

Sooo... Let the outfit scramble begin...

Hee Hee

I suppose high heels are out?  My leather pants?  Probably not.  Perhaps a cashmere sweater?  I imagine that wouldn't be wise either.

As I dig and dig in a harried and panicked state what appears?  This little denim skirt that probably hasn't seen the sun in years.  I don't own a pair of jeans so this seems like the logical solution.

Cute, too.  Huh?

It happens to also be from Harold's.  Ahh... Harold's.

Mix in a simple t-shirt (albeit a quite soft t-shirt) in a shade that will hopefully repel its share of dirt and grime...

... Throw in a pair of boots that at least have a chunky enough heel to keep me from getting stuck in the mud...

... And an outfit is born...

Okay, so they are not Doc Martins.

Hey... I'm an "inside girl" at heart.

Hee Hee

Now...

Trophy Day...

For those that do not know...

On Trophy Day, teams of children approach what passes for a makeshift stage in what can only be described as a chaotic manner.  Try as they might, the coaches and parents are virtually helpless to provide any sort of organization to this all out attempt to gain access to their prize.  The kids are relentless.

Hee Hee

Some teams are better than others but all are less than organized.  I am being polite.

Hee Hee

Sis is in charge.  I have been given "box duty" since I'm merely a rookie.  Box duty entails finding (always an adventure) and opening said box to reveal the shiny awards.  This is a labor intensive position that only the naive would accept.  Enter the "green horn" named Jordan.

Hee Hee

I am not complaining, although I know it seems that way, I am simply stating the obvious.

How many teams are in this league, you ask?  My guess... 4 million.

Hee Hee

They just kept coming... and coming... a steady stream.

Our only breaks came when it was time for Sis's kids to play.  I even worked through lunch.  I am whipped!!!

Sis... you owe me BIG TIME for today... BIG TIME!!!

I'm thinking that she is getting about 75% of the wheel time when we drive back east for Thanksgiving.

Hee Hee

Enough complaining.  Tomorrow is another day.  Off to bed.

Hope Your Weekend Is As Wonderful & Blessed As Mine Has Already Been!!!

-- Jordan --

My News... The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...

Ahh... I have neglected my little corner of the Internet for so long that I seriously struggled for a moment to get logged back in.  Sad, but true.  Oh well, I have good reason for my neglect.

My last "real" post came on Valentine's Day.  A wonderful day for love... unless... you are my older sister.

As I have mentioned before (at least, I think?), I have two sisters.  One is a couple of years older and the other is a few years younger.  We are all college graduates and settled into our chosen "life's pursuits".  For my older sister that "pursuit" is wife & mother.  She reunited with & married her high school sweetheart after spending much of their college years dating other people.  They have been married now for several years.  She has given birth to a beautiful girl and a very handsome boy.  Once the kids were born she left the paid workforce to raise her family.  A noble pursuit.

Life in her household has been a "Hallmark Card"... a "Norman Rockwell Painting"... for many years.  It seemed as if she had won "life's lottery".  Handsome husband.  Beautiful children.  House in the suburbs.  Minivan.  PTA.  Soccer games.  They had it all... until Valentine's Day 2012.  My brother-in-law is an old-fashioned %$&*^%#!  I am trying to be nice... remember my Christian upbringing.  Hee Hee

You see, 2-3 days after Valentine's Day my sister called.  Not unusual.  Unfortunately this time was different.  She was asking if I would consider welcoming her and the kids to the Dallas area with me?  Apparently my brother-in-law was caught cheating on her... red handed... at their home... on Valentine's Day.  You can't make this stuff up.  She had spent a couple of days at mom's but decided a change of scenery would be good for she and the kids as they sort through what to do next.

I try not to judge (accept with regard to the betrayal of said liar, of course) or offer advice.  What do I know anyway?  I have never been married, not really ever even that close.  I am not a mother.  I am the one... the one that just doesn't place priority on those aspects of my life.

Anyway... my sister will talk with her husband, the father of their children.  She will counsel with our parents and others as she seeks what is best for her and her family but for now she feels these things are best done in different time zones.

So... on the next plane I went... packed up the U-Haul and drove back to Dallas with my new roommates.  Aunt Jordan now has her niece and nephew under the same roof several nights a week.  Currently I am maintaining my apartment and staying their a couple of times a week but I also spend time at the home my sister is renting.  I have yet to "permanently" move in and may not ever?  My sister needs some space.  I like my life as I have established it.  We don't know just how "permanent" this move really is at the moment.  Too many uncertainties so for now I have two addresses, my apartment in Dallas and my sister's suburban home.

Yes, I am in the suburbs.  Stop laughing.  I am also a "parent" several days a week.  I am fully engaged.  Family game night.  Family movie night.  Homework.  School functions.  Soccer games. 

Yes, soccer games.  Stop laughing.  I have figured out that the soccer field is no place for a skirt or for heels.  The first day of games was funny... don't mind saying.  My sister tried to warn me when I appeared "ready for work" in my typical attire.  What do I know?  May have been the first time that I was actually a little uncomfortable in my chosen ensemble.  Stop laughing.  I told a couple of people that I was going directly to the office from the game... even BEFORE they asked why I was clearly not "dressed for soccer"... Hee Hee.  Just a little white lie.  Actually I now have a cute little denim skirt and a casual khaki skirt that I bought specifically to attend these games.  I am not wearing jeans or sweat pants out in public.

I digress.  Hee Hee

Well, if you made it this far with me... thank you.  Your support is so appreciated.  As you can probably guess, balancing work, an extended daily commute, and "parenting" has cut into blogging.  I am not shutting down the blog but my post will be even less consistent than they were before.  I hope that you will stick with me for the next few months?  I also hope that you will offer a prayer for all of the families that are struggling with betrayal.  Sometimes these sorts of things strengthen relationships.  I hope this is one such time.

-- The Leather Skirt --