So many changes.... Again.

I don't even know where to begin.   Everything, literally EVERYTHING is changing.  She graduated.  High School.  She's leaving for college.  In another state.  Like gone. Away from me. I'm alone again.  I'm back to when I left my house when I was 17 years old, leaving my parents home for the first time, and I'm freaking out.  WHY am I freaking out??  Sure she is, as she should be, she's going to miss her friends, not me, her friends, as it should be of course, but why I am I freaking out?  Yes, I'll miss her. It's been the two of us for the last 15 years, I think growing up together, but this time it's different.  I left home with the world waiting for me. Ready to do some damage or so I thought. Here. I. Come. I was ready.  I've spent the last 18 years pretending to raise a child, and now she's going off to college, and I'm leaving Ca to move to another state because WHY do I need to stay here, there is no one here for me, she's gone, but I'm leaving, to start my life.  My. Life.  And I'm scared. To death.  What the entire hell is wrong with me? I am a grown ass woman for fks sake! I own GUNS, I can take care of myself and yet, I am scared?  Fearful?  Yes. I am. And I think it's normal and maybe even ok.  I've been alone raising her so it has to be normal for me to feel like this, some part of that "empty nest" bullshit or whatever.  Don't get me wrong, I am SO HAPPY for her, she NEEDS this to live her life, and I am happy to finally start my life again.  I already have a house, a job lined up making more money etc.. so it's all good, but living alone.  Again.  That has me a little spooked.  I have my trusty .9mm gun to keep in my room but I think once I move, I might need to pick up a couple more to keep in other places in the house to get a little more access to, "if" the need arises..  you never know living alone, you need to "feel safe"  ;)
I'm glad to finally be able to leave Ca and get out of this tax rich hell hole once and for all, and start a new life.. meet new people (somehow) and force myself to get out and do things.  That one will be tough for me to do, but I need to find a way to do it.  I really want to take a pottery class and a cooking class.. My kid seems to think I am going to die once she's gone since she likes to feed me, and I won't be able to fend for myself.. um hello??  Ever heard of Top Ramen??   HAHA kidding, that shit is nasty.  My mom used to make the best cheese on toast in the broiler, and that was just delish..  
Anyway, I can't wait to move, 2 more weeks.. I have a pool, so I am VERY happy, that'll help with my back, and my dog.. I can't wait to take her to the shelter to meet a new friend to bring home so she has a buddy.. THAT will be a feat in itself.  She hates the world accept me and "sissy" so we'll see how that goes. 
Having my current job (that I will temporarily retire from this week) actually "let me go" along with the entire California plant is such a blessing.  We get so stagnant in our lives, and I am THE WORST with change.  I'd be so content staying right where I am and not leave or move on for years.  But the takeover has forced me to do the opposite.  I HAVE TO LEAVE, along with everyone else. It's sad, bittersweet and a challenge and cleansing to say the least and it couldn't have come at a better time with her going off to college. It's funny how you think "Oh no, NOW what am I going to do, how am I going to get by" etc.. all these thoughts..  I couldn't sit around and do that. I am ONE income.  I had to just DO something, so I literally picked a state, I made plans, but, those plans changed, I picked another state, found a house, put down my deposit, set up all the utilities to be turned on, and started the ball rolling.  Sent out my resume, and within a week, was offered a job. After a couple weeks, that job fell thru, they needed someone sooner.  So I paid to have my resume professionally redone (waste of money, turns out) only to have the original job call me back to offer me the job AGAIN and send me a contract which is now signed, and ready for me to start work.  I know that everything works out somehow, I ALWAYS tell her that, which she doesn't believe until she sees it happen.  I don't always believe it either, I usually have to see it too, to reinforce that I believe it myself.  But I do know, it happens for a reason, even if it's not a good reason.   This time, it just worked out and I couldn't be happier. Even losing my job, I couldn't be happier because it forced me to go move on to something different.  15 years at one place, with no moving up ...  it's time to move "on".  
She's staying in a dorm for the first year, and deathly afraid she won't make friends, which is just ludicrous. She's crazy. Her dorm mates will be her first mates the minute she gets there!!  I know she won't have any problems, but she won't listen to me, then says "I already have my friends here!, I don't need any more friends"..  I tried to explain that you make friends ALL THRU LIFE! Work friends, high school friends, college friends, ALL sorts of friends, but you only KEEP a handful of REAL friends that you'll carry with you for life.  Those ones are the ones you keep with you always.  HOW do you get it thru her head that she DOESN'T know better and that I KNOW EVERYTHING? (no, I really do). If ANYONE has any ideas that I can TELL her to help with this, I'm ALL ears.  Sidenote:  I've already told her *most* college freshmen are just as afraid as she is and just as worried about making friends and this big scary world etc, besides the crazy ones that are all excited to get out of the house and think they are ready for it. Any input is welcomed.
So, time for both of us to move on for our reasons, whatever they may be, to better ourselves even tho I will miss her every single minute of every single day and night until I see her again.  I hope she doesn't delete the Skype app after a week. 

"Everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I wish I knew what that reason was"   ~Unknown

Just stuff..

So Dano was supposed to go with the donor to "the river" this past weekend. Long story short, she decided she did not want to go, rather get the rest of her "school stuff" together and relax before school starts this Wednesday.  Many of you know, they don't really get along.  Not surprising, I mean, I DIVORCED him for a reasons..  He was VERY upset with her, and threatened to tell her "friends" (his friends kids that he states she has already pushed away) to NOT invite her anywhere because she didn't go with him.   VERY adult of him no?  He also told her he is "SELLING HER STUFF".. no more bedroom for her to have.  She hasn't stayed over night for over a year, but this makes me think he has no plans to change that now.  :(  Had to rush around Friday and left work early to take her to the Dr to get a TB test so she CAN start school this week.. (Crazy day).. so He has to run her by the dr today before 5pm to get the result and papers to give to school.  WHAT a mess.. talk about pissy.. "Why do I have to do this on MY day!?  Why can't YOU do it!!?"  Um, hi, you are her DAD, it's part of YOUR job as a parent!  Ugh..  Back to my point.  
She stayed home with me.  (I was happy haha)  We spent saturday relaxing, for reals, and smoked porky pigs butt again.. OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS!!  Dano had the brilliant idea to use some of the roasted salsa I made last weekend on her bbq pulled pork samiches... WOW.. amazing flavors..  Then I took one of mine, and added .... Dill relish.  HOLY BAT CRAP it was amazing too! LOL  (I get the little dinner rolls and make small samiches with that... more fun and messy!)  Kira (next door neighbor BFF) and Dano and now the gal that JUST moved into the culdesac as well, Lauren were all running amock Saturday night..  You KNOW you are old when you HAVE to stay up late on a weekend night just to not worry about your kids... ;)  LOL  They had a great time..  VERY relaxing for her.  
Sunday am, we went to Wallyworld to get groceries.. and school supplies.. OH MY GAWD was that a hoot!  There was a poor dad there ALONE shopping based off of his 4th grade daughters hand writing... I could stop here.. but, no.. Dano walked with him helping him shop while I got her stuff..  School (7th grade) did not provide ANY type of list for supplies, so I just googled 7th grade supplies, and went off that.. Hopefully we are close. ;)   The guy was very grateful to Dano, and kinda hung with us in the supplies area still shopping, and I believe listening to Dano and myself..  I will embarrass her ANY chance I get, and she knows it..  She wanted something, and I grabbed the ELMO pencil box and Spiderman notebook and said if you use these, and NOT HIDE them, then you can have that.. they guy was cracking up.. He said to her, "You have a very cool Mom, be proud of her"..  um, ok.. thank you. HAHA   Then I was explaining to Dano about "Back in my day, things were different".. Dano tried to argue with me, and a teenage girl (closer to 20) said to Dano "Never question your Mom, she is ALWAYS right no matter what you think.. TRUST ME".  HA!  See!?!? Random strangers know I am right!  hahhahhahahaha  That cracked me up..  
So we go to leave, and the gal at the door checking receipts is looking at mine, and I glanced at her name tag.....   ~DANO~ is what it said!  I showed Dano, and the two were chatting as I went to load the car.. her name is Danielle too, and has ALWAYS gone by Dano..  Now, MY Dano has decided, "I am going to just stay Dano, Mom.. not Dani, and NOT Danielle.. It'll be cool, and different"..   that's my girl. 
After we got home from there, did some more gardening, and then I took all three girls to 'the river'.  Figured I'd look it up, it's just the Santa Ana River that flows down from Big Bear..  it's not deep right now, but man, when it floods..  The girls had more fun than anything I've seen in a long time..  we saw a FOX crossing the river.. really pretty animal.  Not afraid or anything, just played in the water and left.  The girls caught "guppies" and in their attempt to put them into water bottles to bring back to MY house (because their folks would flush them), they jumped OUT of their hands into their bathingsuit tops etc..  LOTS of screaming.. and laughing on my part.. haha  They had Mud throwing fights, wrestling matches, and chased each other up / down the river.   That spot is my new heaven.  The breeze is beautiful, it's like 15 degrees cooler than home (which is 5 minutes away) and just peaceful.   Asshole people left dirty diapers and trash, so I told the girls we are bringing a big trashbag next trip to clean it up since it's like "our spot" now..  They are happy to do it.   Oh, and the "next trip" is Wednesday.. after the first day of school.. They figure they will be so stressed they need to "unwind" for a couple hours..  Guess we'll be going back very soon.  THIS, is MY river... :) 

After the river, we had a nerf gun war... Of course I lost.. ;)  Anyway, we had a FABULOUS relaxing weekend.. She's less stressed out about school, she's ready to go for that..  Now if she would just relax seeing "him" today.  I feel bad for her... Why are people the way they are...