Thursday, October 25, 2007

Bit O' Nostalgia and A Band

But first, the funny stuff. Tomorrow is a big day for our family, more so because of what you’ll read later down the page, but it’s also a big day because Mr. Manic and I have a date.

A nine-thirty a.m. date. At my health club.

I am taking him to his first-ever yoga class! Can you believe it? I decided this today because he’s not going to work tomorrow, and I thought it would be a fun thing for the two of us to do. I cannot wait to see him on that mat, doing some moodras and some warrior poses. It’s going to crack me up. He agreed whole-heartedly when I told him I planned on taking him. I think he’s looking forward to it. To the stretching. To the inner-introspection (ha, that’s funny, inner-introspection!). To the hot moms doing the downward dog. Oh geeze, I just thought he maybe should wear his I HEART HOT MOMS T-shirt to the class.

Another Mr. Manic tidbit. He was on a flight tonight…

(Yes, of course, I DID NOT TELL YOU Mr. Manic was out of town. Because we all know I would have had pool boys and suitors of all sorts knocking down the door. I have to be discreet about this stuff you know!)…

Back to the flight. This part is kind of going to be backward, but when he got home, he and I were discussing the fact that he sat next to a pretty sorta famous person on the flight. He heard the guy talking on his cell phone before take-off and it appeared he was talking about a gig he was flying into Chicago for that he had to play. Here’s how Mr. Manic relayed the conversation, after he did some serious eavesdropping, but how can you not when you’re sitting next to the dude about to take off on a four-hour flight?

Mr. Manic: You in a band?

Dude: Yeah.

Mr. Manic: Anyone I might have heard of?

Dude: Maybe. You know the Gin Blossoms?

Mr. Manic sings this next line:

JEALOUSY!... Hey Jealousy! (Listen to this while you continue reading.)



Mr. Manic actually STARTS SINGING (thanks to some lunch-and-then-more-pre-boarding-the-plane cocktails) to the dude who is in the band, and it’s like the only song Mr. Manic knows from the band, even though they are a really cool band. It’s just that Mr. and Mrs. Manic are not that hip to the cool tunes lately (unless of course, it has to do with Cranking That or Smacking This).

Anyway, so, this is where the story goes backward a bit. While Mr. Manic is on the plane, before they take off, he sends me this email:

Flight on time. Sitting next to the drummer of the gin blossoms!!!!!!

(Yes, with that many exclamation points; he musta been excited.)

So I quick-send him this email back:

DUDE!! … Tell him I LOVE that one song they sing that I know! Get his autograph... I will auction it off on Manic Mommy! Tell him that! Is he hot? Does he have a big package?!?!?!? Bigger than yours?!?!?!?

Sadly though, Mr. Manic did not share the email with the Gin Blossom dude, and, I guess I’ll have to do a quick Google search to find out how hot he really is, cuz Mr. Manic said he was pretty hot. In a non-gay way, of course.


Yep. That'd do! How YOU doin?!

So, didn’t get an autograph, but here’s something. Any reader out there who lives in or near Chicago – the Gin Blossoms are playing at Medusa’s tonight (well, it’ll officially be tonight by the time this gets posted – Friday, October 26)… apparently, Mr. Gin Blossom Dude got Mr. Manic’s business card and said he’d put him on the VIP list for the concert. If there’s any reader out there who wants to try to see them and lives in the area, email me at manicmommy@comcast.net and if you wanna try to get in, I’ll get ya the info. Seriously. I think that’d be cool.

Oh, sidenote though: If Swishy wants to drive out here, since she is my BBFF I think I’ll have to get her in first and foremost. (I just tried to IM Swish, but knowing her, she’s maybe outside trying to kill a snake (read all about that fun Swishy Snake Stuff here! or maybe she’s watching a Grey’s Anatomy rerun or something so she’s not responding to my IM.

ANYWAY, am totally serious about if there’s any hardcore Gin Blossoms + Manic Mommy reader fans out there who want to go to that concert! Email me! I’d LOVE for someone to be able to go!

* * *
OK, so, let’s pretend this next part is a completely separate post, because it really is kinda, and I actually wrote the following BEFORE I wrote the Gin Blossoms part, and this part is the nostalgia-I’m-sad stuff, but in a happy way, if you get it, and no, I have NOT BEEN DRINKING, much to my mother’s dismay, who’s in town, with my dad, for the reason below…

In 36 minutes, I will have been a parent for a DECADE! My baby, AJers is turning 10! I cannot believe it. When they say it goes by so fast, they don’t lie, those jerks! Way, way, way too fast. I miss those days where he’d fall asleep on my chest as a newborn and I’d get so sweaty from the heat of his little teeny body, and I’d doze off, and I would be too scared to move for fear of waking him or making him uncomfortable. Just can’t believe it. My baby. Ten. I only get eight more years with him at home. He will now officially need me less than what I’ve already had him for. This breaks my heart. I’m crying right now, hadn’t intended to, but wow. It is unbelievable this parenting thing. I don’t have the words. I ALWAYS have the words. But not right this minute. I wish I could sit and watch a movie of the past 10 years, to remember every little moment, every last detail, like how he was so scared the Halloween he turned two, and ran from the door, screaming when he’d see a masked face. Or the time he was also two, and he got his finger stuck in a bike chain at Target, and Diva was six months old, strapped into the cart, and I screamed for help in the Target, because I thought my little boy would lose his finger, right then and there, and I remember thinking, “OK, if this happens, it’s just a finger.” And then some nice man came and helped him free. Or the time we were at the mall and there was this elevator, a glass one, like the one in Willy Wonka, ‘cept it didn’t smash through the ceiling… well, this elevator was ALWAYS full. There were always people, and moms and kids and grandmas and the occasional dad getting on it. Well this one time when he was NOT even two yet, we were waiting to get on and he jumped in, and I had Diva who was about four months old… he got in and the doors slammed shut with my baby AJers stuck inside, all by himself! How could he have gotten into that elevator with no one else!? I seriously threw Diva at some nice little looking granny lady, and thankfully, there were stairs on either side of the glass elevator and I ran up to the top, all the while seeing his poor little face through the glass of the elevator, him scared to death, and I got to the top and got my baby out. He didn’t ride an elevator for months and months after that.

And now, he’s ten, and he just played his last football game of the season, and he’s a big boy. But he’s still my baby. He begs me to cuddle still, and I have to remember, CUDDLE WITH HIM WHEN HE ASKS! There IS enough time. Other stuff, mindless stupid crap, can wait. He needs me now. He wants me now. I have to be there for him, my baby, who will someday look at me like he wants nothing to do with me. I need to be there when he wants me. He hugs me and he’s practically as tall as I am, and I’m 5’9”. I look into his hazel eyes and wonder what he’s thinking, what he’s going to be like at 14, at 17, at 25. He is a kind and sweet boy, my absolute joy.

Happy birthday AJers. Thank you for making me a mommy ten years ago. I love you.

* * *

33 comments:

xxxx said...

I cannot believe you asked Mr. Manic about the drummer's package!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Actually, yes, I can and that is why I love you!

And Ajers is so sweet. Do you remember when we were walking along one time, both bitching about our hair, like, oh, your hair is so much better than mine, mine's horrible, and he just patted us both on the back and said, "You BOTH have nice hair." I LOVED THAT! I was like, oh, he is such a good, kind boy. It was so cute.

mamashine said...

Love the Gin Blossoms. Alison Road is a great song.

Happy birthday Ajers!!

Jenster said...

I WANNA GO!!!! I'm a huge Gin Blossoms fan!!! If I leave right now I can maybe meet you at the place. How long is it to Shy Town from here, I wonder...

I say definitely Mr. Manic should wear his t-shirt. I think it's awesome that he's going to go with you!

As for your baby - well...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AJERS!!!!

Now for you. I feel your pain. Seriously. Been there, done that, continue to do so. My baby just turned 13 Wednesday. I now have two teenagers. No "un"teenagers anymore. *sigh*

It does go so fast, doesn't it? I can work myself into a lather just thinking that my son is in 10th grade and in three years he'll be off to college or my daughter - my precious baby girl - is no longer a little girl. Sheesh. I could go on and on, but I won't.

I do have one more comment, though.

I have to be there for him, my baby, who will someday look at me like he wants nothing to do with me.

Don't be so sure. My Taylor is closer to 16 than 15 and he still hugs on me and sits by me on the couch and snuggles with me - sort of. lol He's about 5 inches taller than me and he's still pretty affectionate. Todd calls hims Bobby Boucher (from Water Boy) because he "loves his mama very much". And he's not all sissified or anything. He's got a GORGEOUS girlfriend! :o)

Okay. I'm going now. Really!

Suburban Correspondent said...

Oh, now I'm going to cry. And I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only mother who gets separated from small children on elevators. Once, I got off an elevator with my 5 kids (I thought), and then, as the door closed, I heard, "Mommy! Mommy!" and realized that my 3-year-old was missing. We managed to call the elevator back, and as the doors opened to reveal his traumatized face, we all burst out laughing because he looked so cute. Poor kid!

I am Heather...creator of all things crafty! said...

I know what you mean about the cuddling up with your baby. Luke still let's me, but he's only 3. I hate that time flies so fast. I used to think that was just a cliche' before I had kids but it's true....they grow up too fast.

Anonymous said...

OK, so I got some sand in my eyes! Not because of Mr. Manic meeting the drummer of the Gin Blossoms, but because my little AJers is 10! My first nephew. I wasn't there for his birth because I was living in Florida at the time, but I was on a plane within a few days to meet my new little guy! Happy Birthday AJers! I love you!
your aunty!

Kirsten said...

damn you for making me cry! My baby is 4 and I'm dreading him growing up and not being my baby anymore!

Melisa Wells said...

Great post!
Happy birthday to Ajers!

We always used to tease the kids on their birthday, saying, "Happy Birthday...you know you only have X years left in our house!" And the kids would often tell people, "Yeah, I have ten (or however many) years left before I have to move out..."

But now that my older one is 15, we say, "Well, you can live here until you're 20 or so as long as you're in school..." I just can't IMAGINE the day when the first one leaves! Yikes!

Okay...gotta go get some Kleenex. :)

Melisa
rememberruby.blogspot.com

Michelle said...

That is awesome!! I <3 the Gin Blossoms!!!! And I can't believe you asked about his package. I'd do that too. LOL

And Mr. Manic should totally wear his I <3 Hot Moms shirt to yoga. Can't wait to hear all about it!

Eileen said...

Here's the thing- the way things go now you'll have WAY more than 8 years with Ajers at home. He'll be like 30 still eating cheetos on your couch and you'll be all "so when are you moving out there?" so your dad and I can have wild child free sex around here?

He sounds like a cutie- wish him happy birthday

Stephanie J. Blake said...

OMG. The Gin Blossoms! And Happy Birthday Ajers!

And you know what else is so freaking weird? My youngest turns 3 today (Oct 26th) at 9:43 a.m. Thank god too, because I am so over the terrible two's.

Cracking up at the comments because my teen has the biggest, stinkiest feet and he still wants me to tuck him in even though he's almost 16.

AutoSysGene said...

I'm in the Chicagoland area, and I wish I didn't have plans because I would love to take you up on your offer.

Isn't it amazing how quickly the time flies now that your a mommy? I remember before I had my daughter a year took forever to get through. Now my baby is 5 and in kindergarten and I think where in the heck did the time go.

Monnik said...

Dammit, Manic. I did not need to get all teary eyed sitting here at my desk. Happy Birthday Ajers!!! Being a mommy is the best.

Cool Gin Blossoms story! Now I have Hey Jealousy stuck in my head.

kay said...

love the gin blossoms story

ahh the love of a mom for her first boy. (as i only have boys i can say that. nothing against girls) my baby is going to turn 12 in january and just reading your post made me cry. thanks goodness my guy still loves to snuggle with me. and i need to be reminded to do that NOW! and every time he asks because it won't be long before he won't ever want to again.

(now i'm really sobbing)

happy birthday ajers!!

March2theSea said...

happy b'day to Ajers! Have fun at the concert/date @ yoga..man so much blog fodder coming your way! You'll be writing for days.

Rick said...

I never get to sit by anyone famous on a flight and I always get the huge hairy guy that smells like sausage.

http://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Hey, wouldn't it be wild if there were an equally cool other band called the Gin Blossoms? Or maybe just Gin Blossom, singular, which would make them each totally unique but no less cool!

Belated Happy Birthday to 10 year old AJers! The one that made me a mommy turns five next month and I'm SHOCKED to be the mom of a five-year-old.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes to AJers. Hubby and I made the yoga class. I'm proud of him. And it made me love him a little bit more for trying something I care about!

Sorry I made some of you cry about Ajers. We just took him lunch at school--he wanted a Jimmy John's Pepe!

Rick said this:
I never get to sit by anyone famous on a flight and I always get the huge hairy guy that smells like sausage.

I say this: Yeah, Rick, that's the guy the drummer from the band had to sit next to... my HUSBAND! ahahahah...

And to the other cool Manic Mommy--you had me laughing at your comment--I can tell you're cool. We manic ones gotta stick together! Thanks for stopping by!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Oh, and read this beautiful poem Jenn's mom wrote:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
For babies grow up I've learned to my sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs
And dust go to sleep
I'm Rocking my baby
And babies don't keep


Thanks Jenn--that is so beautiful! Tearing up over here!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Oops, Jenn's mom did not write it, but taught it to Jenn when she had her baby!

Sorry about that.

Also, that guy I put on the blog is NOT the guy Mr. Manic met. It's some other hot dude in the band. I was trying to find the hot dude he sat next to but couldn't yet.

Anonymous said...

I was just singing "Hey Jealousy" in my office yesterday. Also, I'm glad Mr. Manic was willing to try yoga. I'm trying to get my boyfriend to take a yoga class with me. He's a little nervous...

stephhale said...

You totally made me cry.

Cecily R said...

Awwwww, Manic, what a great mom you are! I adore how squishy you are about your kids. :)

secretmom said...

oh, you're making me cry too.
Wish I lived closer to Chicago. I loved, loved the Gin Blossoms.

And I really hope he wore the shirt!

cubmommy said...

Happy Birthday Ajers!!

Hey the Gin Blossoms played at Heritage Fest this summer.

Anonymous said...

Have never heard of the Gin BLossoms.

Happy birthday Ajers, make sure your mum spoils you rotten and remebers the birthday octave....

B. said...

Hey, we wear the same bra size AND we're the same height!

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

My oldest is 13 and well, I'm not the snuggly kind of mom after they turn abt 3, they just make me crazy! Out 13 yr old is the huggy lovey kind and I think he always will be... my baby brother was sitting on my mom's lap when he was 16! sayin "I love my Mommy!" He's 28 and still that way only now he a daddy of 2 girls. Some don't change, maybe your AJers will be one.

KATE said...

I heart Mr. Manics I heart Hot Moms shirt. I think I've seen it before, oh yeah about 10 minutes ago, I threw it in the washer. ha ha ha
I so wanna go!! I love the clip btw, one of my FAVORITE songs from "High" School. ha ha

YOu just made me so sad! I just wanna hug all my stinky kids right now! Too sweet!! You're a cute mom!

onthegomom said...

Very cool about the Gin Blossoms! Loved the story!

Happy Birthday to your son. Brought tears to my eyes! My youngest and my only girl will be 10 in a few months and right after that my oldest turns 18...two hard birthdays 11 days apart. I am in denial at the moment so all is good, in about 3 months I will be all weepy and out of sorts!

http://momoftheyear-not.blogspot.com/

Jennifer said...

I came across your blog via another blog, (the more the messier) and I just wanted to say
Happy Birthday Ajers!!!!!

Sally T said...

You are right, they do grow up too fast. I don't have any myself but my sisters do and each time I see them they have changes so much. when I was a kid it seems to last centuries but as an adult time flies because it's more precious.
As for the drummer, he is rather nice :-) and the song's great too. I think I would have died if Paul had sat next to one of my pop idols and attempted to sing him one of his songs! Mind you, I'd have probably killed him for not getting an autograph :-)

Andie said...

gin blossoms remind me so much of my college years.