the SmockLady

Stress. How do you handle it? Do you curl up in fetal position in a far corner of your room behind the closed door rocking and humming while sucking your thumb just wishing it would all go away? Or do you just run right over it with the largest bulldozer you can find making it clear to all those around you that nothing can get your way? Or are you like me and start to lose sleep, or at the least, have restless sleep because your mind just can’t shut down long enough to really rest like the body needs to do? Like me, do you start to break out in a thousand zits of cystic acne, pizza faced proportions of your suffered teen years you thought were behind you? No? Good, because I wouldn’t want anyone around you to lose their appetite because of that particular level of stress you exude. Too harsh? Sorry, but I’ve experienced that. First hand. The pain and suffering of terrible acne that no medication can help. The pain and suffering of having to say no when after being out of school for a week and the acne was so bad upon return the question was asked by a teacher if a case of Chicken Pox had just been battled. The pain and suffering of being forced to listen to others talking about the ugliness and their loss of appetite because you are sitting at the table and he has to look at you. Even if it was my father. The pain and suffering of conversations about me as if I was no where near all the while I was right there trying to get away from it.

Now at thirty-nine I have done it again; I have no less than seventeen, you read that right, 17 disgusting marks on my face right now. Some of them are just beginning to appear. I can even feel the pressure of about four more threatening to evade my face. In another day my eyebrow will no longer be able to hide the volcano that is building under there.

I am sure there is something hormonal going on right now that has added to this, but it is rather simple really, stress. Decisions. Neighbors. Business. School. The special needs of my daughter. The lack of therapy she is getting, but needs. For now I’ll stick with stresser #1.

We want desperately to go with SmockDaddy to Dallas this June for GA, but are not yet sure if we can afford it. Seriously, these host committees are always part of the largest churches in our denomination and so they are also usually churches that have plenty of money. Usually the most affluent of members make these plans and they just don’t think about the majority of pastors and their income. If I want to participate in just one day of the Women’s activities, then I also need to sign the children up for the children’s activities (which they really want to do):
Wednesday:

• Women’s Luncheon: $25.00
• Art Walk: $22.00
• Nursery for 2: $30.00
• Rising 1st -5th Grades for 3: $69.00
• Rising 6th -12th Grades for 1: $30.00

That’s a total of $176.00 for just one day. I can’t do that if I were staying free, ’cause then there’s the hotel for a bit over $110.00 a night. So that’s really $286.00 for one day.

Here’s what I need from my lovely readers, I want links and fun stuff to do in Dallas that is FREE or nearly free. I know there is Google and I am making my list and checking it twice, but I want suggestions of things that you, My faithfuls have done, or have wanted to do. I don’t want your own Google lists. Have yo ever been to Dallas? What did you do while you were there? Have you ever wanted to go to Dallas to do something specific? Do you live in Dallas? Do you have friends in Dallas? Come on. Throw me some bones.

I know no vacation is free. We’ll have the cost of staying there and the cost of food, but Dallas is huge so I know it has to have some things that are not all touristy and high cost fun stuff.

One thing I do know for sure is that if we do get to go we will definitely be enjoying a meal at Uncle Julio’s. A little over eight year ago SmockDaddy got a Call (job offer) to work at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, he turned it down; we just didn’t believe that is where God wanted us at that time. It was very hard to say no, but we learned later that we had made the right decision; I love it when God affirms our prayerful decisions like He did that one. That is for another day, another post. My point of all that is Uncle Julio’s. One of the night’s they were wining and dining us to convince us to move there, we ate at Uncle Julio’s; I fell in love. I love Mexican food, especially authentic Mexican food. Internet, they make the tortillas right in front of you, fresh, hot, and delicious! I would move to Dallas just for Uncle Julio’s. Not really. Well, maybe. Yeah, I might.

I know there are a few bloggers in the Dallas area, I read a few of you and i know a few of you read me, but are there any of you who have not exposed outed made public where you live. If you want to try to meet up, but don’t want to make that public here, just use the contact form to let me know.

Next up: Neighbor rant (with pictures)!

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