The Squeeze

I have never been one that can appreciate the pomp and circumstance of routine and attention. I dreaded my graduation from high school, didn't attend my graduation from college, anxiously awaited my wedding showers and feel no differently now that I am in the midst of baby showers.
I have had two thus far. One hosted by my "city girlfriends", the next by my "co-workers"... which doesn't sound fair because they are also my friends, and then next weekend, last but certainly not least, the "family" shower.
And while I feel like an elephant in a China shop at such events, particularly when I am the guest of honor, I have been doing my best to initiate, salivate, and gratiate all over the place so that everyone feels welcome, appreciated and thanked. And the fact of the matter is that I am very thankful.
When I initially created a baby registry, I nearly had a panic attack and had 911 dialed in on my cellular. Luckily, hearty Italian fair and a good dose of cheesecake alleviated the necissity for me to actually have to place that call... but it did result in some heartburn as well as a dose of insomnia. I had no idea I would need so much... STUFF. Not only was I concerned about where I would PUT the STUFF, I also didn't know how I was going to PAY for the STUFF. I had thoughts like.. ... Well, we could always spend five hundred dollars on the stroller we HAVE TO HAVE and I can lock it up with a bike chain to our grill. Or we could live without a crib, right? The kid can sleep in a nicely padded cardboard box? I know our child may actually not survive unless we buy him the "techno-euro-space-saver 5000" car seat, but will a used one from our friends be good enough?

Eventually, the insomnia led to some plotting, and the plotting led to some discussion, and the discussion led to some fighting with the husband which eventually turned into mature adult discusion and then ultimately to a "grand master plan". Which basically meant throw out everything you own and love and currently use, like the dining room table, and make room for baby. End of story. It has been working for us.

And so as the stuff rolls in, which again, I am very thankful for, I am realizing not so quickly that the "grand master plan" was not GOOD enough. Because the truth is our place isn't BIG enough. But we will make it work. Too bad someone I know isn't into Longaberger basket sales or they would make a killing off of me. Which has turned into my go to for "extra-storage solutions". Not Longabergers, per say... but BASKETS. I currently know a heck of a lot about what baskets are out there.
At any rate. The showers have been fabulous and my friends generous. More than I feel we deserve but we do appreciate it( really, I had to say that yet again). With most of the major items off of our registry purchased we have some financial breathing room. So really, I have no right to make any complaints. It's just if you come over and I ask you to sit in the crib for dinner, please understand we are just a tad bit tight on space.

What Exactly Does Struggle Mean?

We watched the debates. Kind of. I feel asleep halfway through and my husband was antsing around like a four year old on crack. I think because he knew Ultimate Fighter was on. But since I am usually not interested in what is blaring out of our TV set, it was hard for him to deny me this one request.

And at one point I heard one of the two yahoos mention "struggling"... financially. After it sank in a bit my husband said, "Are we struggling?"... I answered with a resounding, "NO!".

It's true- we need to be careful with our money, or lack of it. We would never make it if someone around here lost thier job. We DO live paycheck to paycheck. We owe more on our condo than it is actually worth. We don't eat out and we "go camping" for vacation because we refuse to go places where we wish we could partake in the "cool" stuff. It's not really a vacation if all you can afford is the hotel, and you sit around and watch other excited folks go on helicopter rides, eat fat steaks and watch broadway shows. While we hone in on our vending machine chips and the TV.

But we can buy clothes we need, I mean want, I mean need, ( gotta be careful with the verbiage on that one ). We have enough money to buy the food we want, and then cook it at home. We have money for gas and to pay all of our bills. We have cable and internet and gym memberships. We have two cars and allow ourselves entertainment, ( like Netflix and US Weekly ) with restraint.

To me that is not struggling. That catapults us into the "making it" category.

I hate election year. It's like when someone else shows up with a fresh manicure and you look down at your own chipped, bitten and cuticle garbled nails, that were okay by you ten minutes ago, and decide right then and there that you ALSO need a manicure...and STAT!

I don't think the new president is going to change all that much for me. I will still be middle class and making it regardless of what the puppet heads say up there.