Top Ten Tuesday: A week in the life

Last week I had one of the best weeks I've had in a really long time and it all began on Wednesday. Here are the top ten photos, fun moments, or funny things said over the past week:

10. On Wednesday I donated blood. That always feels so good!

9. Thursday night I took 6 of my clients to see the musical Rent at the Palace Theatre. Three of the kids loved it, they clapped and screamed for the cast members-- it was absolutely adorable. The other three liked it but had a hard time understanding it (people either "get" musicals or they struggle with them.) It was a ton of work to coordinate bringing 6 boys to a musical; a lot of details went into the planning and I was stressing, big time. In the end, when they were so appreciative of the experience I provided them with, it was well worth the stress.

People often "pooh-pooh" my career and ask if I'm scared of the clients I serve (12-22 year-old addicts.) The answer is No, Never! I love and adore my clients. They are kids who are sick; addiction is a small piece of their life, it does not define them. They are sweet, helpful, and appreciative; they genuinely want me to be proud of them. I love these kids.

During the musical I watched them more than the play. For a brief moment in time I got to see their innocence restored. They left their struggles at the door and watched a musical, enjoying for 2.5 hours the childhood they left behind. How lucky am I?

8. In 7th grade I met a girl named Kristy. She and I quickly became inseparable for a few years but over the later years of high school, college, and into our adulthood we lost touch. Recently, however, we hooked up through-- you guessed it, Facebook (I guess it is good for something.) On Friday we met for lunch (for 4 hours) and we had an amazing time. Thanks, Kris! I missed you! (JPDAA.)

7. At lunch Kristy and I went over every detail of the past 15 or so years recalling every memory or laugh we shared. She told me a funny story about something I once said in Math class (which I don't remember saying --I've probably blocked it out) but even back then I was quick on my feet. This is the story she told:

Remember in Math class you hated the teacher and one day you called her a "F*cking B*tch" under your breath? Remember how she heard you and she said "What did you say?!?" and you said, "I said 5 over 6!"

I actually don't remember that but Kristy has the memory of an elephant so it must be true. LMFAO, that was a nice save- I'm pretty proud of myself for that one.

6. On Saturday Aaron and I went for the first kayak of the season. We explored a lake that is less than 5 miles from our house and we even pulled up on shore to hike around a small area that once housed a grand hotel (but it burned to the ground.) As we were getting back in our kayaks and I started to head away from land, I heard what sounded like a little girl screaming. I turned around to see my husband had overturned his kayak and was neck deep in our city's water supply (it's an enormous lake that supplies the city with water- you are not allowed to swim or wade in the water. If caught you incur unbelievable fines.)

J: (laughing hysterically) What the hell happened?
A: I slipped on the Lichen and I think I broke my finger!

For the entire 2-hour paddle back to our car I kept mimicking his scream and then yelling "I slipped on the lichen!"

Reading that back, I guess you would really have to be there, but it was so funny. I loved that he could laugh at himself.

"I slipped on the lichen"

This was about a minute after he got himself back in the boat. A day later it was almost completely purple and swollen.

5. On Saturday, after kayaking, we came home and did yard work for the rest of the afternoon. It was a gorgeous day and we love to spend time together in our yard. My fair-skinned-Irish-husband got sunburned, of course (it was about 80 degrees!) Later that night this conversation ensued:

A: Will you put aloe on my back? I got sunburned. My skin hurts.
J: Did you put sunscreen on?
A: Yes, but you know I burn.
J: (Examining my neck and chest in the mirror) Huh, look, I did a little bit too!
A: (Looking at me, disgusted at my mentioning a faint redness [I never really burn]) You look like you're wearing a sunburn dickey!!! I look like cooked shellfish!

Okay, you win.

4. On the way home from church on Easter Sunday the following conversation went down in the backseat of the Molloy family vehicle (Aaron's parents were driving- we went to 7:15 AM mass together.)

A: I really enjoyed church today.
J: Yeah? (Hopeful that he'll want to start going regularly. "The family that prays together stays together" or so they say.)
A: Yeah! I didn't even look at my watch once!
J: (as the wind gushes out of my sails) Are you even wearing one?

3. We had Easter dinner at Aaron's parents house. The food was amazing! We had dinner out on the porch and the weather was gorgeous. Aaron's mother made the most amazing dessert and it's our favorite. We call it "the disgusting cake" because you want to eat so much of it that you feel disgusting afterward. His parents even got me an Easter basket. I haven't had an Easter basket in years :)

Hershey: Jim and Linda's "baby" (he received an Easter gift too!)

2. Aaron and I went to Coldstone Creamery for the first ice-cream of the season; we just talked and talked. It was great.

1. Late Sunday night, after a weekend of yard work and two days worth of finger swelling and discoloration Aaron, the trooper, said:

A: Geez, it sure is a good thing I wasn't born with lobster claws.

J: (in the bathroom brushing my teeth- I poked my head out of the door to determine if I really heard what I just heard) Huh?

A: (Holding up his hands) Or lived on the Enterprise, you know, Star-trek? My fingers are too swollen to do that thing- you know, let the force be with you?

J: "Let the force be with you" is Star Wars, babe. You mean the Vulcan Salute?

A: Yeah. Or I could have just had a lobster claw at birth.

J: (completely lost and almost certain my husband has gone delirious--must be sun poisoning) Well, you're red like a lobster.