Monday, June 18, 2012

The Dress, the Shoes, the Test, the Drama...

We had a very interesting weekend a week or so ago. Alexa was approached along with about 300 other girls by a Barbizon rep. This led to her going to 'modeling' classes one weekend a month for 6 months with the culmination a competition in Boston in front of about 20 representatives from various modeling and talent agencies. One of the requirements for this event was that Alexa needed a dress/outfit in either white, khaki or teal...really, seriously?? We scoured the mall(s) for a dress and finally found one - on a poster, yeah, I know, not real wearable. We ended up ordering the dress in the only size available - a size one up from what Alexa wears (it doesn't help that she wears a size 0 or XXS). The dress had to be altered in 48 hours time and it wasn't ready until the morning we had to leave.

Next came shoes. Would the black or nude heels she already had do, noooooo. New shoes were required. Where were the cute white platform sandals? Where were cute white summer shoes? NO WHERE!! We finally found a pair of open toed white pumps...


And we're off - for a 7 hour drive from Buffalo to Boston (Framingham to be exact). On the way there we noticed Alexa is very quiet, not her norm. After her two hour nap, we look back and she's reading her history text book. We had planned to stay until Monday because the event wouldn't be over until about 5 in the evening and a seven hour drive home seemed a bit much. We also wanted to take Lex into Boston and show her around and check out the first home Norm and I had after we married. Every time we mentioned going into the city we were met with, "I have to study!" which meant she had to read the entire textbook and take notes!



We got to the hotel around 8:30 p.m. had a bite to eat and retired to our room so Alex could study. She was up early the next morning. Norm had breakfast and drop-off duty and rather than sit around all day we decided to drive to Marblehead. We drove up, had a clam roll on the water, drove back...to the DRAMA!

When we suggested we drive into the city Alexa had a meltdown. She had only read 5 chapters! she had to study!  She didn't want to eat, she felt guilty we weren't going into the city. Her friend, who was also in the competition wasn't concerned at all about studying, did we want her to fail?!? We calmed her down, decided to leave her alone, told her to order from room service if she got hungry. We beat a hasty retreat to the Natick Mall and wandered around for two hours. I texted her and asked if she had eaten, "no" did she want to go out with us for something to eat,"yes"...

We picked her up, and ended up at Friday's for dinner with a textbook appetizer and no desert :(
Back to room where Norm and I were not willing to give up the Celtic-Heat final, or the Yankee game so Alexa could have SILENCE! I took the comforter off the bed along with a few pillows and set Alexa up in the bathroom tub!

The next morning she had to be down in the ballroom area at 6:45! I got wake up duty and helped her get all her stuff together for the runway and commercial competition. We had to pack up our room and check out before 10:00 which was when we were allowed into the ballroom for the competition.

Here is her runway walk.




She had two call backs, we left Boston at 5:30. Alexa studied all the way home, with a book light when it got dark and we got home at 12:30 Monday morning. Alexa was up early, studying and was at school at 11:00 a.m. for her exam. One of the agencies that gave her a call back wants to see her this week so we'll see how it goes.

Oh, and she got a 97 on her history test :) Do we love this girl, you betcha!


Thursday, June 7, 2012

My New Anthem...

I've had a few anthems or words to live by in my time. My original was "Life's a Bitch and Then You Die". Then there was the ever popular "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong". I mellowed out a bit with "It's Always Something" (thank you Gilda Radner), but I've got a new favorite which is even more zen-like.

"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger"



Kelly Clarkson was kind enough to perform a song in honor of it! Kelly is talking about romance and those self-centered scummy guys out there, my events are little more elaborate than a two-timing boyfriend. I won't go into details but to give you an example right before we moved to Buffalo, in a six-month period my Dad died, my dog died and my mother-in-law moved in...sounds like a bad country song, I know.

I'm what you'd call an optimistic pessimist. The glass may be half full, but watch out what's in it - you never know,...I like to think the best will happen, but I expect the worst. Times are much better now and I usually find myself shaking my head and muttering this phrase under my breath when dealing with Alexa (or the mother-in-law) but I love this song and find myself bopping in the car when it comes on the radio. 

So if you see me driving around Amherst bobbing up and down and doing the Cabbage Patch at stop signs and traffic lights, you know what's on the radio.