For my food followers it was Panini night!
Unless you have gone through a messy blindsided divorce there are somethings you will never understand unless you are part of the club. It’s not a secret handshake and password kind of society. It’s more like a Mensa convention for the chumps that got cheated on. Once you get through the initial pain and suffering it is the most liberating feeling in the world. I and many others couldn’t write 30,000 word essays on re-discovering yourself and loving to live again. I was there long before I met Miss Madison personally, but amazingly the bitterness of others kept ratcheting up. I only bring this up because one the charter club members of my little divorce group brought the biggest smile to my face recently.
The prophet who coined the phrase “Karma is a bitch” should be canonized and have a monument in his/her name on the lawn of the White House. Welcome to Miss Athena world (it’s a pseudonym and for the right dollar amount I will tell you her real name) she got her Karma this past week and in a huge way! After reading what was going on in her life I literally was going all Lionel Ritchie and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” Athena is one of my absolute closest buddies I’ve met in blogger world and we both kind of “grew up” together in the divorce process. Check Athena’s wonderful little blog out, and tell her I said “Hi.”
Miss Madison and I have an open invitation to visit her and “The Captain” anytime we head to Miami. The same offer was extended to her if she wants to come to Indiana but she declined, just kidding Athena! Again she lives in Miami…we live in southern Indiana. I don’t think the United States Tourism board is including my part of the country on any promotional literature unless it involves hydroplane racing or the artillery units placed strategically along the Ohio River facing Kentucky.
Riding my own little Karma high today, it was an early day at the office and then yet another mission behind enemy lines to extract Sloane from the evil empire . First stop was a trip to her school as my little adolescent warrior was being honored with 18 of her peers as “Citizens of the Month.” She’s been at that school for three months and is already kicking ass and taking names! Area business leaders and even the mayor (who if re-elected all I can say is WOW, he makes Bernie Sanders look like a teenager) all show up to greet the children with little gift bags and awards. It was a 90 minute drive for a 15 minute ceremony but I wouldn’t have it any other way watching her excel in a situation she hates and doesn’t comprehend. To say I’m proud of her would be a bit of an understatement.
I tried to negotiate the key to the city for her, but they were having none of it.
Even better Miss Madison called in a couple of favors and threatened to teach the local eighth graders that the south won the Civil War if she wasn’t allowed to accompany me. Her administration relented thankfully and I had a partner in crime for the trip to Lawrenceburg, KY. She immediately was regretting that decision when I reminded her repeatedly that “She used to call me on my cell phone” and whatever else my maniacal mind could come with depending on what song was playing on the radio. For the record Miss Madison never answers her cell phone because of some secret teachers code that a cell phone must stay on vibrate 24/7 or she’s just ducking me! For my readers I am on that Hotline Bling if curios by the way.
Two Hoosiers in Bluegrass land.
Walking into and I quote Genesis (the band not the bible Brits) “The Land of Confusion” with Miss Madison was one of my proudest post-divorce moments. I walked into that school like I was boss and with my super bitchin’ girlfriend by my side I couldn’t have been prouder. The look on Sloane’s face that she showed up with me to recognize her achievement was beyond awesome. Miss Madison has accepted Sloane since the first time they met, but her showing up with me at a school event only cemented their own bond they have. In an unrelated note they picked on me the whole way home. It’s a hard knock life as a guy against two girls is all I can say!
Sloane and the gang thought bowling was a fitting reward!
About it for tonight, the Madison Auto War is at sort of an impasse at the moment, although a major ally might call a cease fire to this war before it begins. Time will tell on that, but Sloane is going to be the winner this weekend as she gets to do some more Girl Scout related activities and kick it with her pops in our quest to keep continuing to rewrite the rules of fun! Plus I need to see how many more artists I can quote in a blog post!
It’s election season can you spare a vote for me! (Limit one per day)
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She is going to be a forced to be reckoned with
She’s keeps on keeping in on the face of adversity!
Congratulations Sloane, that is amazing news
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Hopefully it’s a temporary stop over for her so I can get her back home!
HEY! I know Genesis fella! Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel are well loved across the pond! 😛
Its great to see Sloane is kicking ass at her new school! She’ll take over the place soon enough!
Athena and I connected from day one :), we were both new in the online dating pool and helped each other out. Hell yes I’m on that Hotline bling with Miss Madison I think if I tell her one more time you are going to see selfies of me with my eye various shades of purple!
LOl. Yep, I follow Divorce with Me and agree that she is awesome. Congrats to your daughter and you’re on that Hotline Bling with Miss Madison? You are killing me.
Grrrrr! What if I was on fire and needed you to bring me water while you were at the supermarket!
I always have my phone on vibrate too…
❤️
That got me all warm and fuzzy :).
You most definitely are a brother from another mother! 🙂 Couldn’t get through a lot of this crap without you. You took me under your wing, shook sense into me when I needed it and always cheered me on. This shout out was very special to me and I appreciate the support. More than you know. Makes me proud to call you my friend.
And congrats to that amazing lil gal… Sloane is such a smart and resilient girl. I’m glad your two main gals get along so well. I, too, am so happy for you. I love hearing how happy and wonderful all is going for you.
Lisa I’m beyond lucky! Sloane is smarter than than 70% of the population there and I would take the Pepsi taste test challenge on that so they should give her the key to the city!
Athena’s blog is awesome, she and I connected on so many levels. I stumbled (no pun intended) on her site not to long after I was officially divorced and she and I became blogging buddies and now “real” friends. She resonated with me in so many ways when I read her early stuff, we kind of took on a brother/sister relationship. I was so happy to read that post of hers, getting your heart ripped out and then overcoming it is so liberating! I hear you on overweight :), #Sweet!
Your daughter looks so cute with those big Uggs! Congrats to her for her accomplishments! You are so right about karma. Life after my divorce (20 yrs ago) got so much better. My ex is still a loser. And he is ridiculously overweight…there! I said it. I’m off to check out Athena’s blog 🙂
I would give Sloane the Key to the City! Great kid. Glad that you and Miss Madison are doing so well together. You are a lucky guy!
Thank you for the kind words :), and thanks for the stumble hopefully we can crack this tough nut!
Shibber me timbers pirate patty! Thanks for the compliment “I try” is about all I can say about it.
I may be a Katie Perry homer, but I’ve got plenty of other musical interests!
Her smile lit up the whole gym 🙂
I was so happy for her when I read that, and how about my little 3rd grade ninja!
That’s my girl!
I love this post, it makes me smile. Well one, Sloane, and well done Gary for having such a brilliant kid. Oh yes…stumbled.
Thanks Deb, that was a fun one to write!
Y’all crack me up! Great Dad!
Great job quoting one of my favorite bands “Genesis”. Phil Collins by himself is always welcome in our house, since both me and my husband like his writings (music)!
I love this post. Sloane must have been so happy to see you both walk in to honor her.
Karma is pretty awesome, and so is that award Sloane received!
Congratulations Sloane - job well done!
This is a great story, coupled with your writing style, put a smile on my face. Happy for you and your family. Karma!