Monday, June 18, 2007

Happy Monday!

The man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after. ~ Newton D. Baker

It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days. ~ Isabel Waxman


The weekend is over. Finally.

I know, I know... most folks love the weekends. I do not. Weekends mean there are people everywhere, stores are busier, the streets are busier, my neighbors are home being obnoxious.

Speaking of which: think back to when you graduated from high school -- how did you celebrate? Consider that my question today, because I'm really curious if I'm that different (yes, I know, we've already decided that I AM different then the rest of the known earth, due to my peeking issues... still, bear with me).

On Friday, a local high school had their graduation. On Saturday apparently 80% of the former seniors (now responsible adults) attended a graduation party two houses down. Keep in mine that all of the homes on my cul-de-sac are on decent chunks of property, so two houses down is about an eighth of a mile away.

Anyway...

This party involved a live band cranking out music for three hours (loud enough that I could hear it from every point in my house, including the basement, even with the windows closed), games of all sorts (including a basketball game in the middle of the street -- nevermind they're practically on the corner of a VERY busy road), screaming (why, WHY do teenaged girls shriek at everything??? I never did that, and I don't understand. It's NOT cute. Ugh).

The party started at four and ended long after dark, though the band stopped at seven, thank goodness.

Mind boggling. For my high school graduation, my family and I went to Denny's for dinner -- a big deal for us because we NEVER ate out. I remember my big splurge was getting a virgin strawberry daiquiri. My graduation gift was a set of luggage (I asked my mom yesterday if that was a hint....LOL). The thing is, none of my friends had huge celebration bashes. Some folks probably went to a place a little ritzier than Denny's but there were no live bands or parties with two hundred people.

Am I weird thinking that's a little excessive?

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In writing news.... I have nothing new to share. I queried agents (gulp), but that takes time to hear back. I haven't had the energy to write anything new, and the thought of editing another novel makes me want to cry. I still have two stories in edits at TWRP -- I'm hoping one of them will be ready to release soon. I have three queries sitting there as well: one short, one novella length and my novel. So it's not like I've been slacking. Well, until lately! LOL...

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Lastly, we are desperately looking for a few good readers. I know I've asked this before but...

We've been inundated with review requests at LASR and are in need of folks who love to read as much as we do! Have you read a good romance or women's fiction book or story lately? Do you want to? We have many great short stories in e-format just waiting for a pair of eyes.

We're looking for both guest reviewers and team members at LASR. If you're interested in either position, please email me and let me know. Remember... it means free reading material!

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

13 comments:

MJFredrick said...

My brother just graduated and went to a big party. I remember there were parties when I graduated, but my over-protective mom wouldn't let me go. I tried to sneak out and was busted.

Ceri Hebert said...

I can't really remember that long ago. I think my bff had a party, but it wasn't a big thing, just a few friends and family members. I wasn't the big party type of girl and I don't think I ever shrieked. (which reminds me-I went to my daughters sports banquet and I remember now why I didn't like the jock girls. They haven't changed. Confident to the point of being obnoxious).

I'm just writing writing writing. I got lots done in a notebook, but not much done on the puter. I don't get much done on weekends either.

TGIM not. Have a 5th grade graduation to go to tonite. Erg.

anno said...

Likewise, I just had a party with family & family friends party with a grill and some cake. What I see with graduation, prom, and weddings is an escalation of celebration that corresponds to our ever-increasing portion sizes (and sense of entitlement). Grrr!

Guess you punched one of my buttons this morning, huh?

Dru said...

We just had a family over when I graduated from high school. I don't think any of my friends had any parties. We were just so happy to be out of high school.

Have a good Monday.

Melissa McClone said...

We went out to a nice restaurant after graduation, then a few friends and I stayed in a motel room and had a small party and watched movies all night. I know there were big keg-type parties, but we didn't attend them.

Anonymous said...

All I ever got out of graduating from anything, including college, was dinner out, a check, and a few days at the beach and then a summer job, LOL.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, high school graduation I think we celebrated by getting a pizza with a couple of friends. College...had lunch with my parents and future in-laws then went back to the dorm to finish my senior paper. ;o)

As for the shrieking girls, well, I wanted to smack 'em. Still do. And it's been more than 20 years since high school. :D

Gay said...

My daughter graduated from high school last Friday. She's gone to some party or other every night for a week. Last week they were all school-sponsored, and on the night of graduation, the SCHOOL (PTA/MADD/School combined) held an all-nighter for the kids... you checked your kid in at 10 pm and picked them up at 4 am. Bull-riding, hairdressers that gave them wacky hairdo's, a climbing wall, bands, dress-up costumes and a photographer, and I don't know what else. She had a blast. Plus local restaurants catered.

The other parties have been at friends. She gets bored and comes home, but a lot last late. Thankfully, my neighborhood has been quiet this year but not every year.

When I graduated in '79, I went to 3 or 4 parties, all with gangs of kids spilling onto the lawns of neighboring homes. It was not a happy memory. I'd just split from my boyfriend, and all I remember is guys hitting on me and trying to get me drunk. Not the way I wanted to leave high school. Thank goodness the boys didn't have anything but alcohol to use back then... so if I stayed away from the punch, I was pretty OK.

I don't think I'd want to be a teenager again. College was great, but high school pretty much sucked.

Anonymous said...

Gee, we had a little gathering at our house. Me, my parents, my paternal grandparents, and a handful of my friends.

Michele said...

I'm in league with Dru and Tori.
Only family came to celebrate.

As for weekends, I'm not overly fond of them. Yes, I get to sleep later than 6:30AM, but I guess I enjoy the routines of M-F. Keeps me balanced. Weekends are crazy and disorganized. Drives me barmy.
But, that's just me. *grin*

Good luck with the agent queries!!

Anonymous said...

I didn't have much of a celebration after I had high school graduation. I remember having cake with my family. After college, we went to a nice restaurant.

I did have graduation parties for my kids but kept it simple and probably had 30-40 family and friends. But everything is too elaborate these days. Look at some of the birthday parties parents give their kids now.

Weekends are nice to sleep a bit later. During the week I get up at 5:30.

Unknown said...

My son recently graduated and will have some friends over this weekend to celebrate the event. Rather low-key by today's standards.

I celebrated my graduation with some friends eating cake, drinking coffee, and hanging out in my parent's living room. I was feted with gifts, a little money, and camaraderie.

Alice said...

I never shriek too when I was a teenager. I don't know how to, actually. I was calm and cool as a cat. Minus the curious bit. Anyway...

Just to let you know, I've sent you an email about LASR. :)