The pressure's on...

Soccer has started. Kind of. We were supposed to have practice last Saturday, but Program Coordinator Dave cancelled practice 10 minutes before it was scheduled to start... after most of the parents and kids were there... because there was rain coming... which never came...

Anywhoo...

We had a little time to meet the coaches and all that kind of thing. So far, they seem okay. They did, however, pass out the dreaded snack schedule. Each family is responsible for bringing a snack and drinks for all of the kids on our team (10 total) once during the 10-game season.

Did any of you watch 'Everybody Loves Raymond'? Remember the episode where it was Debra & Ray's turn to provide the snack for their sons' t-ball team, and Debra brought pretzels but pretzels weren't on the 'approved' snack list, which caused BIG PROBLEMS? My mind, as did my husband's, IMMEDIATELY went to this when we were handed the snack schedule. The pressure on us, though, is especially great, as WE are responsible for the snack for the FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON. Do you realize how huge this is? WE are setting the precedent for the snacks for the rest of the season. This is big stuff. Those of you that know me really, really well will instantly know that this is a big thing for me. I agonized for several days over what we would take.

Little bags of chips? But who knows what each kid might like. The little individual bags of apples that you can buy in the produce section now? Or would that come across as too snobbish somehow? It has to be just right... because when it comes down to it, people have to like me, and bringing just the right snack will make them like me.

I was at the grocery last night, and bought a box of individually-wrapped (because, when I asked if there was a list of 'approved' snacks (and YES, I DID ask!) the coach only said that they had to be in individual packages, one for each kid) Rice Krispy treats and Minute Maid fruit punch juice pouches.

Wish me luck.

Pass the Rocky Road

Well...

I have completed the first step on the bariatric surgery journey, which is attending the informational seminar given by the doctors. Talk about a fat fest!! And hey, I'm fat, so I can say all this.

After sitting in a room with these people for 2 1/2 hours, and I'm talking about fat people here, I feel pretty good about myself. I walked from the parking garage to the conference room with a lady that probably weighed 500 pounds. She asked me if I ever got out of breath, and I actually felt bad telling her no (which is the truth...).

We learned all about the different surgeries available. In fact, I would be a candidate for the LapBand surgery, which made me feel better. People asked endless inane questions, including the woman sitting just a few seats to my left, who asked if you can have the LapBand if you've already had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass... and she asked this WHILE SHE WAS EATING A BAG OF POTATO CHIPS!! No joke.

I have a one-on-one appointment with the surgeon at the end of this month, which is my chance to really drill him with the questions I have. I also, to meet my insurance company requirements, have to have a psychological evaluation (yeah, I'm screwed there) and be on a physician-supervised diet for 6 months... in other words, this won't be happening anytime soon.

On an odd note, my mother-in-law is VERY excited that I'm pursuing this, so much so that she wanted to just hug me with joy when we dropped the boy off over there yesterday. One of her comments was, "You'll be fighting off the guys with a stick once you lose all this weight!!" Irritating enough because, let me reiterate, I'M NOT DOING THIS TO LOOK BETTER, but she's apparently forgotten the fact that I'm married to her husband's younger son.

Weird.

What a crap-ass day.

It's gray and rainy here, and will be until probably sometime in May. Welcome to Spring in Ohio. Winter is bad enough with the cold and the snow, but I think Spring can be even worse at times.

My aunt (my late-mom's older sister) called last night, and in the message she left on the answering machine let me know that my uncle (late-mom's younger half-brother) died yesterday morning. I want to say he was around 8 years younger than my mom, which would put him in his late 60's now, if I'm doing the math correctly. We weren't close. The last time I saw or spoke to him was just a few months after my dad died back in 2005, and before that the last time I'd seen or spoken to him was at my mom's funeral in 1998.

But still.

My aunt is now the only surviving member of my mom's side of the family, which has to be a horrible feeling for her. My dad was the last one in his family to go. I'm not really any closer to my aunt than I was to my uncle, and not for any particular reason... we just kind of lost touch after my mom died, and you know after a certain amount of time passes, thing just feel... awkward, you know?

Of course, this for me dredges up the multitude of unresolved feelings surrounding my brother and the fact that I, for all intents and purposes, don't really seem to exist for him any longer. Shouldn't siblings cling to each other once both the parents are gone? Or is that just the fantasy that I've made up in my head?

Maybe tomorrow there'll be sunshine.