much too young to feel this dang old

Well, I'm not that young. But I'm feeling really old right now. I actually smell like my great uncle Alvin, who used to spread the Bengay on thick when his brother-in-law Cink was on his way over. Cink hated the smell of the stuff so he wouldn't stay longer than it took him to ask Alvin to borrow the tractor.

I've been helping Kristin with VBS this week. We have pre-K . . . 11 of them . . . so I feel like I've been trying to wrangle cats. Actually, I think I'd rather try wrangling cats. At least they're quieter than a 4-year-old. We've got two who make half the class act like sociopaths. Today, while I was trying to pick up the lightest of the non-sociopaths, I pulled something in my lower back. So I've slathered on the Icy Hot . . . the icy part has worked, but so far the hot has failed to relax the pain away . . . and I'm almost to my limit on the ibuprofen.

It's not a very convenient time for me to throw my back out. Laura has a baby on the way and I've still got two days left of VBS and tomorrow we're supposed to play the faculty/staff vs. student softball game. And I haven't quite finished the artwork that will hopefully soon make me quasi-famous. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

Last week, I was at Leading Edge, a conference for collegiate women in Alabama that teaches them about themselves, the state, and how they can make a difference in the state. This was my fourth time as an advisor, and I love it more each year. We learn what a crappy government we have and then they train the students how to best plan a coup. Speaking of which, for those of you who follow Perry County politics, Jr. won, but all of his cronies didn't. The Justice Department showed up for the circus and we made the news. Albert Turner, Jr. is the "politician" JD poll watchers saw in the building all day. If you've ever voted here, you've seen him too. He's the one "helping" the elderly with their votes and pointing out who to vote for on everyone else's ballot. The morning news out of Montgomery said that "someone" paid a voter $40 for their vote. My guess is that's him, too. If you've ever been harassed while voting in Perry County, we'd like to know. They're actually trying to do something about it now.

Before that, I was in Chattanooga for my friend Ashley's wedding. Thanks to Michelle for letting me crash in her Southern Living-worthy home! We had lunch with Abby, Bart, and Cecilia and I got to see Steph and Elizabeth at the wedding.

So, between all the cratchety complaining about politics and this cursed heat, the wafting aroma of menthol, and the fact that I haven't had a good night's sleep in about 2 weeks, I'm feeling old. There was a guy in China who used to tell me I was "fully wigger" . . . full off vigor. I'm longing for those days. Maybe by my next post I'll be young again.