Scared and Prepared.

It was the perfect fall-like morning to go running.  Except it's only mid-August.  The confused trees are dropping yellowed leaves onto the ground way too early.  It has me wondering if winter will come in September this year.  It feels so strange to shiver after the steaming summer we've endured. 

I made the mistake of telling Kenny that I am fearful of being stalked by a mountain lion when I run.  Not that I've heard or seen anything suspicious, but I run through the woods right by a creek, so it could happen.  This confession immediately launched him into an hour-long tutorial on survivalism.  This was, of course, followed by several role-playing scenarios, in which Kenny was the fierce mountain lion and I was me.  In one such act, he had my left arm in his mouth and was growling.  I did nothing.  He released my arm from his mouth and asked, "Aren't you gonna fight back?"  I told him I was using my 'playing dead' tactic.  He said, "I'm trying to KILL you!  You're gonna have to fight!  Now use your good arm to punch me in the throat!"  How come nobody shows up unexpectedly when stuff like this is happening?  At least then I would have somebody to laugh with because Kenny doesn't see the humor in this at all.  He takes life very seriously.  I suppose I wouldn't laugh if it was truly a mountain lion attacking me.  Or maybe I would now because maybe I would picture it being Kenny.  And then maybe the mountain lion would be like, "What are you laughing at?" and then I'd tell him and we'd be friends.  Yeah, probably that's what would happen.

I can't believe school starts tomorrow.  I feel so unprepared.  I haven't even picked out my first-day-of-school outfit.  Tonite is Open House and I'll have to go it alone since Kenny will be at work.  Ever since he got stuck on this crappy shift, strangers find it safe to assume that I am a single mom.  I even had one mom tell me, "Hey, we should go out some night.  Single moms like us gotta live it up, you know."  I told her I'm not a single mom (not that there's anything wrong with that) and she then questioned me on my husband and how long we've been married and where does he work and why has she never seen him?  She seriously seemed to not believe me.  Do people really think I'm making him up?  Like when you're on a bad date and you have your friend call you with "an emergency" to get you out of it?  Do people think I have "a husband" as an excuse to not go out?  Gosh, before you know it, I'll also be saying I have "kids" and a "house."  Pffft.

Mae is counting down the days to her birthday and making sure that I am well aware of it at least three times per day.  She wants cupcakes for her classmates and roller skating with her friends and a sleepover that night and she knows she'll get it all because it's her day.  Except it used to be our day.  She asked me about a week ago, "Mom, WHY did you get married on my birthday?"  I asked her back, "I didn't, but WHY were you born on our anniversary?"  She said, "Oh yeah..." and then thought of more stuff she wants for her birthday.  So we will be reminiscing over the past ten years of our lives amid screaming, hyper girls on roller skates.  Sounds romantic.  Here's to ten more!  (Years, not kids.)