When It Rains It Drains

DH (thats Darling Husband for you newbies) borrowed my car today. He had to haul some junk, and that's when he wants to drive my car. The lesser car, in his mind. (It's an Infiniti, but that's no Mercedes).

Anyway, before dinner - and after he borrwed my car - DH does the cowboy saunter over to me, puffing up his chest in a manly 'I-know-about-cars-and-you-don't' way and says, with a challenge in his voice:

"When was the last time you had your Radiator drained?"

Now I know the damn thing needs the oil changed, it needs new spark plugs now and then and I have to check the pressure in the tires. But Radiator drained? This seriously was a new one to me, but I guess it sounds like something 'they' do.

"I dunno," I say, thinking hard about whether my mechanic has ever mentioned my radiator.

"Well how long have you owned it?" now he sounds condescending.

"Four years," I say, still wondering why I need the radiaotor drained. I"m waiting for him to tell me something like 'didn't you see that widget light come on??? That means your radiator is about to explode!!'.

But no. He looks down and shakes his head, as if exasperated by my ignorance as to radiator draining.

"Well," he starts, and I can tell this means I'm gonna be spending some $$$ on my radiator instead of the Lilly sale. "You're gonna need your radiator drained." Tell me more, my expression says to him.

"Two reasons, " he continues. "First, because you've had the car for so long I"m sure it needs to be drained." He pauses. I"m still not convinced. "And second," he looks down and his voice lets go of that condescending tone, "when I went to put windshield washing fluid in your car I accidentally poured it into the radiator. It needs to be drained."

(insert sounds of Homer Simpson here)

My BIG Date

I'm going to see the Sex In The City movie tonight with about 12 other firends. We're meeting for cosmo's first, at a bar across the parking lot from the Cinema Plex. The bar is certain to be full of thirty and forty something women wearing their highest (and most uncomfortable) heals and most outrageous designer duds in an ode to Carrie Bradshaw. I'm sure that the bar will also be full of men prowling the Sex In The city crowd. (kinda smart of these fellas, don't ya think?)

Anyway, as excited as I am about seeing my 4 fictitious friends again, I'm a bit concerned about their/my life now that we're in our forties. You see, when the show was still on the air (new episodes, not the watered down re-runs), I - like Carrie and the girls - was a thirty something, single gal living in the city. Okay, not THE city, but A city. At about the same time that Charlotte, Miranda and even Samantha began to 'settle down' with a real life (and in Miranda's case move to Brooklyn), I too was moving out of the city to a stylish suburb, moving in with my boyfriend and then getting married.

Can you immagine my dilemma? If 'the girls' aren't happy in their new lives, does that bode well for me?? I was able to judge my success and justify my selfish and singleness by the gals on SITC. If they're not happy, am I? Oh I hope they are all happy and wonderful and touting the cynical yet snappy joys of settled bliss. Cause I AM happy and I really want to see that I'm still following along w/the gals.

I also want to see that they no longer wear Jimmy Choos and Minolo's. Those shoes are expensive, uncomfortable and not appropriate for work or any of the social events I attend. I want to see them wearing Coach and Stuart Weitzman. Whats more, I really want to see them getting into Lilly!! And not just Charlotte. I'm sure that Charlotte can be counted on for her share of Lilly. But I want to see Carrie embrace the pink & green. And how 'bout at least one of them sporting a Lil' 1154 bag. Or garden clogs! I'd accept them wearing Sevens jeans paired w/some Tiffany bangle bracelets. Charlotte cannot continue to be the only J. Crew gal. I like my new wardrobe and I want to see if justified on the big screen.

Other than that, I am anxious to see if the writers ever changed Miranda's babies name. Otherwise, now that she is married to the father, Steve Brady, the little boys name is Brady Brady. Not too smart for a stuffy lawyer like Miranda.

SORORITIES

I've been thinking about sororities a lot lately. I was a Tri Delt in college. Then for many years I didn't think about my sorority affiliation at all. Well, maybe once or twice. I met a wild party gal at a big event many years ago; she seemed to be the center of all things social in our city. We were at the same table (a large one with a lot of people) and exchanged the usual polite small talk: 'do you live in town? where do you work? where did you go to school?' and somewhere in the mix one of us mentioned our Tri Delta affiliation and we then bonded immediately over our shared sisterhood. She became a close friend. She's settled w/kids now and living in the mid west and I wonder if she has done the same thing that I've done: Joined the sorority alumnae club.

Let me start by saying that I have been enjoying my sorority alumnae club immensely. I am so inspired talking with the alum's who, in their 80's now, were the women that paved the way for my generation to be more than 50% of college students. And I love that they are active and having fun. I am energized by the younger women, just a few years out of school and already so accomplished. Hanging out with them makes me feel younger, while hanging out with the older alums gives me a great sense of pride and tradition. And, I've become friends with a really nice woman around my own age who has a young daughter, about the same age as the baby girl that my husband and I are trying to adopt. She has been such a great support and so fun to spend time with.

But, I have to confess that I had a selfish reason for reconnecting with my sisterhood. RUSH! Not mine, but my daughter-to-be's. (not to mention my cherished niece who will be entering college in less than 4 years in the SOUTH where sorority recruitment is absolutely BRUTAL!) I have to protect these girls, my niece and my daughter-to-be. I have to do everything that I can to make sure they don't get their hearts broken if they don't receive a bid to 'the best' house on campus. Now I know this is a lot of ego and pride talking, but Tri Delt does appear to be one of the stronger chapters at most of the campuses where there is a chapter. As silly as it may seem now, I do remember sorority rush and how all important it was, how my entire college life would - it seemed to me at the time - just be over if I didn't 'get into' either Tri Delt or Kappa. In retrospect, I think I would have been every bit as happy in any of the sororities on my campus. I became good friends with girls in many different sororities and they were all really nice. And, I would have had a great college life if I had not pledged a sorority at all. But those are things I know now. Then, it was all important. It just may be all important in 4 years for my niece, and in a bit more time than that for my daughter. I really want them to have the opportunity to choose.

My newly Midwestern friend has a daughter now and I just wonder if she's reached out to her alumnae chapter in order to preserve something special to pass on to her daughter. I know this woman would be a great addition to her local alumnae chapter - she'd be organizing all of the fun events and making friends with a lot of really nice women.

I don't know if the women in my local alumnae chapter were 'nice' when they were collegiates. Maybe they were bitchy or snobby. I don't know. I do know that they are really nice women now that I am glad to have as friends. I also know that in trying to reclaim some sort of a 'right' for my offspring, I have reclaimed a part of my own past that I am terribly proud of and glad to still have. Yeah, yeah this is a bit sappy. Believe me, I am not about to break into a sorority chant (just yet).

But btw: I love the show ‘Greek’ on ABC Family.