Please Don't

I tend to be a fairly laid-back kinda gal and not let too much get under my skin. There are however, a few things that just irritate me to death. Pet Peeves if you will, things that just make me go...uggg.



One shoe on the side of the road: I don't understand this phenomenon. To see one shoe or two in a lifetime along side the highway, maybe; but I've had to have seen hundreds at this point. How on this earth have that many individuals lost a shoe while driving down an interstate and why have I never met anyone who has said, "you're never going to believe what happened to my shoe on the way here"? I simply don't believe there are that many hillbillies out there riding with one foot out the window, and what about the ones you see during winter? Are there that many angry people out there that get mad and throw a shoe? Wouldn't you think there would be easier access to something other than a shoe if that were the case? The majority of the shoes I've seen, I believe to be men's shoes...but how many men with one shoe do you ever really see?
I once saw a baby shoe...you know it wasn't just hanging out the window and happen to come off.
I'm at the point now that I try to determine if it is a left shoe or a right shoe. Left shoes make even less sense. Why, oh why are they there?
So this bothers me, and if anyone out there can give me some good explanation for the thousands of littered shoes across the country I would sure appreciate hearing from you.

BlueTooth: I have personally responded to five people who didn't even know they were speaking to me! Yes, having someone constantly plugged into your ear could be convenient, and hands free shopping while you are conducting serious business I guess could be a good thing. Seems most of the people I've seen use this most are in line at Wal-Mart and not dressed like serious business people to begin with. When they can invent a device that shuts people up...that's when I will be impressed.

Emergency Protocol: "Your seat bottom may be used as a flotation device" is my least favorite thing to hear on an airplane. Not because it scares me, but listen, I'm flying over Arizona...there are no large bodies of water to float in, why do I need this information? And couldn't airlines somehow build a plane that IS a flotation device so that once I recover from the shock of crashing I don't have to be cognisant enough to detach my seat bottom to float around until help arrives? Has one life been saved in say Ohio, when a plane crashed and the one person who actually listened to the safety features of a 747, got his seat bottom to work properly?

Holiday Haters: People who declare "I hate the holidays", or "I hate Christmas" are low on my list. How can anyone hate a day set aside for celebration!? This time of year is the most wonderful of all. We get to eat great food, shop til we drop, and get together with friends and family...I don't see what is in there to hate. If it's because your life doens't look like a Norman Rockwell painting, welcome to reality! But just watch the giddy kids at the mall, and the cars with a tree tied on top, the beautiful lights and store window displays. If nothing else, enjoy that! You can enjoy the smell of a pie baking in the oven, the blanket of snow on the ground, the Vince Guaraldi Trio and embrace the nostalgia of the season. This is a good thing!

Face Tattoos: Do you remember the first comforter you ever bought for your bedroom? Mine was mint green with soft pink roses. I loved that comforter, but it isn't what I want on my bed now. Now I couldn't live without a white down comforter with about five pillows. Maybe in my 50's I'll go with a quilt. Point is this...taste change. The things we think are so cool at 20 are different from what we find appealing at 25, 30, 40, etc. One day a little baby is going to look up at his Grandfather who has GOON tattooed across his neck. Can you imagine dear old Mom at high school graduation, beaming with pride while the fairy flying out of her ear onto her face contorts with her tears of pride? Or maybe Dad has tears tattooed on already. This bothers me beyond belief...an entire society that are now forever branded losers!

Animal Haters: There is no need to be cruel and abusive. If you don't like pets, don't have one. (it should go without saying but the same rule applies to children!)

The Marching Band refused to yield....

Lawrence Central took 3rd place in the 2008 Grand National Championship!

This was a near flawless year with a group of kids who truly learned to work together. These are just a couple of the key lessons Band is teaching these young adults...strive for excellence and lift each other up. This is the exact finish LC achieved last night. Randy Greenwell, Matt James, Greg Hagen, Tod Hinton....you are my heroes!

Congratulations to the Avon Marching Black and Gold for taking first place. They worked long and hard for their moment last night. It was a phenomenal show.

Aunt Brenda seemed to enjoy the evening, but I ended up keeping her out until after 3am! May we both recover quickly. It was wonderful to have her here to share this fun time with us.

Now we look forward to Winter Guard and the Phoenix trip. Never a dull moment!

THE Weekend I wait all year for!

Bands of America (BOA to those of us in the know) Grand Nationals is tomorrow. This competition brings the end of our marching season, and the end to a GREAT year for the Spirit of Central! With the highest honors at State and our Regionals, tomorrow the kids will compete with bands from Texas, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida (you get the picture).

The contest has a preliminary (we performed Thursday night) with Semi Finals in the morning and afternoon (Saturday) and Finals start at 7pm. OOOoooo, we just got news of our report time: 5:00am (being a chaperon is SUCH fun). Just to give you an idea of what these kids go thru: report at 5 am means getting out of bed at 4am, getting to school for practice...we are expecting snow and rain...practice, get every kid in uniform and guard girls in make-up and hair, leave for Lucas Oil around 7:30, transit, warm up and perform at 10am. Return to school, practice, eat lunch and wait for the 5PM announcement of what bands advance to finals. If they are the first band on we could return to the Stadium as early as 6. Awards happen about 11 or 11:30 pm. The kids break ranks and get a chance to visit with all the bands. The winner then plays a "stand still" then it's finally back to the school. There we have cake and watch the performance video. The kids are then released (no earlier than) about 2am. whew!

Anyway, if anyone reads the Figley Family Blog between now and tomorrow night, wish us luck for a good run. Miss Emily just loves this show, and I am sure will be somewhat sad once it is over.

Oh, and the most exciting news...Aunt Brenda will be on her way in the morning!

If you are interested in seeing picutres from last weekend here's a link
http://www.jolesch.com/csEventPhotoBrowse.aspx?EventID=2066&Group=19258&Cat=10651&PartID=0

There are several of Em, 2066-361-064 thru 066 and 2066-361-076 thru 077.
You'll just have to recognize her to see the rest cause I can't post all these numbers. I mean, yea, I'm a proud mom, but not THAT obsessed;)

Have a great weekend everyone...I sure will!