Peaks and Valleys

Although I'm not usually one to get flustered about my age too much, (it still surprises me sometimes that I'm a 30 year old that's been married for close to 10 and 1/2 years with a 2 year old daughter that I adore) I do have moments about my age that I cannot believe actually happened. These 2 experiences are like bookends for my week.

Last Friday morning as my friends and I gathered for our regular Friday morning breakfast at the most friendly restaurant in our small town, one of the employees started a conversation with me about how cute Lauren was. Not unusual, because these employees are the nicest people in town, and they're pretty familiar with our faces, since we're there every Friday, and because the whole concept of chicken for breakfast apparently hasn't quite caught on here yet, we're usually about the only ones in the restaurat. Anyway, I had on a t-shirt from Harding, and the girl taking my order said she visited there in 2003 or 2004 to try to see if that's where she wanted to go to college. She ended up not going there, and I made some comment about graduating in 1999, to which this sweet girl acted totally flabbergasted that I was there that long ago. She went on and on about how there was no way that I was even close to 30 (I told her I had a birthday pretty soon) and then as I was walking off even went so far as to say whatever I was doing, she wanted to know because she only hoped to look as good as me when she was 30. Needless to say, I left Friday on cloud nine, content in the knowledge that I didn't look a day over 24 (at least to this sweet girl).

Fast forward to right after lunch today. Lauren and I are finishing up some grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, and an employee restocking the shelves is getting a kick out of the conversation we're having. Mainly, Lauren is wanting to smell every single shampoo and conditioner on the aisle. This employee looks at me and says the following, " She's cute...is she your granddaughter?" I kid you not!!! I actually asked her to repeat the question because I honestly thought I heard her wrong. (Hearing is the first to go, right?) And, although, it could be feasible in some really sad world that I had a daughter at 14 and then she found herself in the same situation at 14, I cannot imagine someone actually being bold enough to ask the question. Even as I type this, I am still in shock that this woman was completely serious. Ahh, how the mighty have fallen. Guess I better go make my appointment for botox and microdermabrasion soon. Anybody know a good plastic surgeon?