Yes, I should have my head examined...

While I have explained I have been out of the blogging sphere loop due to kids' sports, neurotic dogs, heck, the fog, whatever, I did leave out a very important little tid bit, I guess.  Now, as someone who grew up around politics, who works in politics, who married (and then divorced) a politician, one would think I would know better...but, obviously I'm not nearly as smart as I claim to be because I, too, have now entered the world of candidacy and hopefully elected office.

No, don't start picturing Sarah Palin as I'm much more Harper Valley, PTA, but yes, I am hoping to enter the ranks of female elected officials all over the place as a member of the local school board.  However, the whole process of getting elected has turned out to be quite the undertaking.  It isn't as if I didn't know what I was getting into, but really, anything that starts with having my mother, my stepfather, my father and my former (but still current) in-laws in my house for hours on a Sunday afternoon, should truly come with a warning label, a lobotomy and a flask. 

I knew it was going to be interesting when I started carting in platter after platter of catered dishes and my mother commented "Well, I told you I'd make something...why all the food?".  She doesn't understand overdoing it...which is a staple in my dad's side of the family...where our motto is "Go big or stay home".  She just pursed her lips, mumbling about what it was like as a single mom having to walk both ways up hill to the grocery store with bags on her head (or something like that).  Considering I had to make remarks about being a good advocate for children and what not, I was avoiding alcohol until it was over, so I just had to make do with counting to 10 when I saw my dad pull in.  Oh joy...let the games begin.

Considering my dad makes small talk for a living, I knew he'd be overly polite but avoid my mom as much as possible.  She, of course, can't handle that and made a beeline for him the moment he walked in.  Fortunately my mother-in-law has played this game with us before so she ran interference, practically tripping my mom with her cane to keep her away from him.  Well, maybe it wasn't that violent, but she did play her part well until more people arrived to provide buffers. And, for someone who isn't big on worlds colliding, I had them all going on...parents, in laws, former husbands...had you thrown in a few old boyfriends (who actually RSVP'd but couldn't make it) we could have had our own Jerry Springer show.

But, we all survived and I will be eating leftover food for the next 10 days...but that is okay because I went big!