Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tuesday's Trophy

Me & my cutie-pie, a few years back,
doing one thing I like to do.

(I'm going to tell you some things about myself in this post. But first, a bit about trophies.)

Wouldn't that be something to get a trophy every Tuesday? Oh, you made dinner last night?! Here's your trophy.  Look, you showed up for work! Here's your trophy. You didn't run out of gas yesterday?! That's right... here's your trophy.

I'd get a lot of trophies if this were true. Especially for the gas matter. However, I'm not normally the recipient of shiny metal objects perched on wood slabs. (Unless it's a butcher knife jammed in the cutting board.) I don't get trophies like my kids get trophies. I think the fanfare's a bit overdone, especially as it relates to sports. My kids aren't yet in high school and they barely have enough shelf space for all their trophies, medals, and ribbons. A few are hard earned, but somemostare simply for participating. Interestingly, my kids are as confused as I am about this.

You participated in the pinochle tournament! Here's your trophy.

Huh? But I didn't win. I didn't even place.

Don't sweat the details, kid, just take the trophy.

I never got trophies like that when I was a kid. I know, oh woe is me.

But this isn't Tuesday's Tantrum, this is Tuesday's Trophy. My trophy! And I'm not sweating the small stuff.

Last week, I received my very own special Blogger trophy (prettier than metal and wood)an award from the very kindhearted Barbara over at Notes from the Second Half.  Yes—thank you, Barbara!


Barbara has some very interesting stories, and she's the champion of introducing and welcoming new bloggers to the blogosphere, so make sure you pay her a visit.

Accepting the award means rule compliance, a show-and-tell-and-pass-along-thing, but you know I've a  little rebel in me, so those bloggers who receive this award from me are welcome to show-and-tell-and-pass-along as they please.

Thing 1)   I'm a middle child. Third in line in a family of six children. Middle sister. There you have it. That should explain a lot of things.

Thing 2)   I'm having an affair. (Don't tell my husband.) With Chekhov. You'll understand when you hear why: Not only is he a brilliant doctor and writer, but he is sexy and hunky. (Look at him!)

Do you detect a hint of Eric Clapton here?
I go to bed with him every night, absorb his every breath, caress each rune of his words, rest my head among his platitudes. He's gifted.  He's sweet, witty, soft-spoken and sensuous. Wields exquisite instruments of expression. And demands very little of me. What can I say? I'm mortal. I'm weak... darling Anton.

Thing 3)  But, I'm also fickle. So when I've turned his last leaf, crinkled every corner, see that the end is indisputably THE END, you know I'll be moving on... darling Anton.

Thing 4)  Many years ago, when I waited tables at a swanky Italian restaurant in New York's South Street Seaport, along lower Manhattan's waterfront, a very kind waiter and actor (they were all actors, except for me) gave me a set of six miniature Mexican warrior dolls, nestled in a woven, oval box. I think he felt sorry for me. I was/am a klutz. I couldn't open a bottle of wine, I fumbled over every plate, couldn't memorize orders, and certainly didn't earn my share of the tips we had to split equally. The worry dolls were good for me. They didn't magically make me a savvy waitress, but they made me feel special. I still have them. I think I lied a wee bit to get the job. Maybe that's why I was so worried.

Thing 5)   My hair was kinky back then. In New York. Very kinky.

Thing 6)   I listened to a lot of Grace Jones. In New York. She's kinky.

Thing 7)   I was engaged back then. In New York. To a man I never married. He was kinky. Too kinky for me.

Thing 8)   This is how I have fun with myself. Outside of New York. Just a little kinky.

And who would want an award from klutzy, kinky me?

Friends, I present you with the following "must sees":

Nessa Roo from Words from the Wench. Nessa's confused. And somewhat ordinaryso she claims. However, she's anything but. She's sharp and talented, and cranks out some engaging fiction.

Bth from A Little Light in London. Bth is a young London dreamer, whose visions are dusted with elegance and luminosity.

Billy Pilgrim, child of the universe, from Enjoy the Moment. Because he always makes me laugh. And anyone who goes by the name of Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five protagonist (loosely based on Vonnegut himself) deserves an award. Now, I wonder if Billy is as tall and magnanimous as Slaughterhouse-Five's main soldier?

To whomthe aboveI happily bestow The Versatile Blogger Award. Best to all of you. Bravo!
(Do tell us about your trophies!)

25 comments:

  1. I've never won any trophies and I've never been to New York either, it sounds far too kinky for me!
    Congratulations on your well deserved trophy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I completely get the affair with Chekov. I had one myself. I might possibly have one again. That man gets around.

    Congratulations on the trophy--definitely hard earned and deserved!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, you have given away sooo much here (oh and btw, look at you, all awardy n stuff. Seriously, congratulations, this should have been awarded to you a long time ago).But that is sweet and pure of you.
    Six kids...bet you were a catholic.
    Chekhov? Damn he is a man-whore...he pledged his love to me and I don't even play for that team. But I love him. In a manly, pat on the back way.
    Waiting? Yeah I kinda did that and was bad...so much so one of the patrons waited for me after I finished my shift and threatened to Fuck.Me.Up. Lucky my legs were swifter than his.
    Kinky? Well nobody needs to know my aberrant ways.
    Again congrats on the award...twas a long time coming ;

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congrats on the trophy.

    From Chekhov to unfamiliar blogs to check out, contentment.:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow!!! Congratulations on receiving your award! I completely agree with Gigi and Paul and Dan and anybody else who tells you, you deserve it.
    And thank you for passing it along. I will try to be humble in accepting it, though I suspect I'll be smiling all day!
    I'll have to think about who gets it next...)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations to you. I enjoyed getting to know a few things about you. Thanks so much for your comment on my guest blog post, it meant a lot to me. x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats on your award-you do have a really cool blog going here. Love the list, and I totally agree with you about the trophies.

    ReplyDelete
  8. goodbye blue monday, hello trophy tuesday!

    thanks for the swell award. i'll put in next to my volunteer firemans cap.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations. This is no mere "hey, you showed up" sort of thing...blogging is not for the faint-hearted. Chekov...after your description, I would be a fool to resist. A well-earned prize and now new blogs to discover.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats on your trophy. I got kinda distracted by the sparkliness of it all.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What's wrong with awarding kids with trophies for participation? faced with the current epidemic of the obese, x-boxed gang of younglings out there now I for one am glad that my kids participate in active sports that award trophies. Even with no "Championship" won they still practice 3 times a week and attend games on Saturday, at the end of the season they are awarded with a very small trophy. If you don't want the kids to receive trophies for not winning then don't sign them up for sports that participate in this practice.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Paul- Thank you. Yeah, it's kinky, but fun!

    Gigi- He's now seeped into my dreams. And yes, he's quite the charmer. I may need to switch gears here!

    Dan- Mighty Catholics, alright. Guilt enough to share! Yes, Chekhov - I know he's a bad boy. Restless. I don't mind sharing him, though.
    And it ooks like we've all had to do our time at the tables. Builds character, eh? Thanks for your good wishes. ;)

    Antares- Thanks so much, and welcome! Glad to have you join us. :)

    Nessa- Glad your smiling. Now submit that stuff!

    Happy Frog- Glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for following along, happy to have you here. :)

    Tim- It's just a bit overdone. Adds to the team fees, too! Thanks for your kind comments. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am so opposed to the awarding of trophies every time a kid turns around. Mine knew they didn't do anything to deserve recognition.
    Love your kinky past:)

    ReplyDelete
  14. BP- Oh, you've got a whole case of trophies. ;)

    Marylinn- *smiles* He is adorable, now isn't he? Thanks much!

    Michelle- I love sparkly things. ;)

    Sausage- I don't have anything against trophies when deserved. But it seems like a rather empty award at times (and its costly-adds to team fees), and tends to create a certain expectation that one should always be awarded for simply showing up. I think kids are too coddled, when what they need is to learn coping skills. Life isn't fair. Life is difficult. There is disappointment. Work hard, kid. That's the stuff that builds character. Not trophies. Not style over substance. (Maybe just a little ribbon for participating - but I think the team picture is enough) ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Debbie- It's crazy! Think about how many sports teams our kids play on- town, club, school. There's a cost associated with all of it. Just the pictures alone, t-shirts or uniforms, etc. cost a fortune. We don't need meaningless scrap to add to that number. Oh I could go on - like the snack thing, too! Remember that? Cookies, crackers, juice boxes at every little game. Like Pavlov's dog. Here kid, kick the ball and get some candy. So glad my kids are beyond that now. Only oranges to suck on at lacrosse. That, I'll happily do. Ok, I'll stop there. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have only ever won one trophy and that was for designing a poster to 'capture' Winter for a tourism ad. And that was in Junior High! To me it was like getting a Super Bowl ring! I won a medal for a Voice of Democracy speech I wrote in High School. They are the touchstones I turn to when self-doubt creeps into my creativity warehouse. You can be assured, Jayne, that your trophy is for a job well done and NOT an empty accolade!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congrats on the award! Chekov can have my babies any day of the week.

    Your bit on trophies reminded me of a great Demetri Martin quote.

    "I used to try hard at sports. But then I learned you can just *buy* trophies. Now I'm good at everything."

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds to me like you earned this trophy fair and square... and kinky.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lord W- Such kindness. Thank you. I'd love to see that Jr. High poster! And the speech. Perhaps they are both tucked away in a warehouse trunk, and you might dig them out and post them? ;)

    Beer- Lots of man crushes going on around here. I'd best be careful what I post. Love that quote. :)

    Hilary- "Fair and square... and kinky." Hmmm, one of those things is not like the other. Maybe kinky is the new square. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I got a trophy for a marketing club in hs with a person carrying a briefcase. Lame city.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jayne! I have just seen your post! :) This post did make me laugh. Thank you so much - I feel very honoured to be chosen by you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations on your trophy, Jayne! Love the picture of you and your cutie-pie. And then, love the picture of Anton, too, of course. Sigh. I also was a klutzy waitress in college. I think people left tips out of sheer pity.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Chris- C'mon now, I'll bet that's a highly coveted trophy. ;)

    Bth- You are most welcome. It's much deserved, too. I'm enjoying following your gallivants through Europe. :)

    Seré- Aren't they all such cutie-pies at that age?! Actually, that was a special moment, as the girl rarely sits for any stretch of time.
    It's a good thing to have experienced waiting tables - makes one appreciate the good waiters, and empathize w/those who drop all the plates and glasses. ;)
    Now when am I going to see an update from you?!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I got 3 medals from karate tournaments when I was little and those were pretty cool. One gold, two bronze. One of the bronze I only got because there were only two others in my category. I really liked the other two though, because I did earn them.

    Congrats on the award.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Christopher- I'm sure you did earn them! I can see you chopping boards in half, kicking and punching the air. That kind of skill can come in handy in the city. ;)

    ReplyDelete