Soon we will be bombarded with the first day of school photos. Other Mom's will post them with excitement, because FINALLY school is in session again, and we can get our lives back. I will post with an array of emotions, ranging from deeply depressed to entirely elated.

On the one hand, they are kind of driving me insane. Living in the desert means our summers are not spent out of doors. We are inside hiding from the triple digit tempatures outside. We all have cabin fever, we are all annoyed by one another, we all need a break from one another. But, on the other hand, them going back to school just means they're getting older. Getting older means fewer snuggles, less belief that Mommy is magical. They'll need me less, they'll want me less and as a stay at home Mom of 10 years, that's terrifying.

It isn't that I have lost who I am to motherhood, it's that I let motherhood become who I was (by choice). I didn't fall into some sort of Mommy trap, I freely dove into parenting. Sure, I had no clue wtf I was doing but it didn't mean I didn't want to give it my all. I had no real childhood so I've spent the last 10 years making sure my kids did have one. So, for 10 years I have gone to the park, fixed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, kissed boo boos, read books, attempted every science experiment we could find on Pinterest. Hundreds of forts have been built and destroyed in my living room. Countless zoo trips, Happy Meal runs, movie marathons, finger painting, salt painting, we've done all those things that seemed like something we should be doing since I was a SAHM. Now what? Do I do them all alone (I don't mind building a fort alone and hiding inside with my crayons and paper)?

I know they need school for the socialization, and that it is good for them, and I want them to grow up (albeit, a little slower than they are currently growing). But, what do I do now? Now that my last baby is grown and off to school, where does that leave me? I've been looking for a job all summer, but no one seems to want someone whose only work in 10 years was an assistant to her husband (who runs a business no secular human seems to understand),  and with no job what do I do with my day from 7-4?

So, this week as other mothers on the west coast are excitedly rushing their kids off to the first day of school. I will be the Mom hiding puffy eyes behind sunglasses and wandering aimlessly around town waiting for school to get out. 

Midnight, Texas Television Series on NBC Mondays @ 10/9C

  I am a TV junkie and avid reader of fantasy and horror, so I was excited when I saw a teaser trailer for Midnight, Texas months ago.  Midnight, Texas is based on the Midnight, Texas novel series by Charlaine Harris. If that name sounds familiar to you, it may because of the popularity of the Sookie Stackhouse novel, that  HBO turned into the True Blood series. I loved both, loved the TV series a bit more than the books though.  I did try to read the Midnight, Texas novels, but I don't think I was in the mind set for them,  since I was stuck in the in Tudor time, having just finished reading The White Princess by Phillipa McGregor, and then binge watching the Starz original based on the book (both worth a look, so good).

I got so excited Monday thinking I would get to see Midnight, Texas, then I realized I don't have cable, and can't get NBC in on my antenna, so I had to wait until Tuesday to see it when it became available on Hulu.

I waited for the kids to get engrossed in a game and started watching. I've now watched it 3 times, yes three times! I didn't realize how much my life was lacking a good supernatural escape. If NBC cancels this I will cry, but they shouldn't because it's great so far. I usually really dislike pilot shows, but always forgive them and keep watching because the first show is always the hardest. This pilot needed no forgiving, it just needs to release more episodes, like yesterday!

Midnight, Texas is about a small Texas town called Midnight (shocker). Things aren't exactly normal in Midnight, the residents are a little freaky, and gorgeous! The main character is Manfred he sees dead people. Manfred rents a home from BoBo who runs the local pawn shop, I'm not sure what his specialty is yet, I think he may be just a human. Fiji who is the kindest witch I've ever seen and seems to have a huge thing for BoBo. Olivia is the town assassin and packs quite the punch. Lemuel is a vampire, but a huge departure from Harris's previous vampires. Joe the local tattoo artist is also an Angel, not just a super nice guy, he actually has wings and flies. He runs his tattoo shop with his Angel husband Chuy who does nails. There is the mysterious Rev. who likes to bury animals, and makes references to the full moon, and how he won't be available for a few days because of it, werewolf? Another human in town, a sweet human is Creek who lives in Midnight with her brother an overbearing father, she is a waitress at the local restaurant where passer-bys stop to eat, and locals have a special section.

I don't want to give too much of it away because I hate spoilers and I want you to see it for yourself. I will tell you there is a murder, a whole "who done it?" The law from the neighboring town comes to investigate. Sheriff Livingstone (played by Sean Bridgers of Rectify and Deadwood) seems a pretty by the book law man. His deputy whose name I can not remember is a lady who seems to maybe have a little thing for our main man Manfred.

The acting is great, the sets are awesome, and the writing wasn't corny, not even a tiny bit. It took itself seriously but not too seriously. It was scary enough to me that I had to watch it in the daytime, with all the lights on ( I can't even watch Unsolved Mysteries reruns at night).

 Also, there is a talking cat! He's sarcastic, and I love him.

As the show ended I found myself sad it wasn't on Netflix so that I could just keep watching. It could easily be a binge-worthy show.

Midnight, Texas airs Mondays on NBC @ 10/9 Central, or you can watch it like I did on Hulu.

Finally, I have a reason to look forward to Tuesdays.

Why even if you're there for me, you won't recognize me reaching out.

I posted this to my Facebook page but I feel like it needs to be repeated on a more public forum.

With the recent suicide of Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington, I have seen a rash of "I am here for you" Facebook statuses. I get it you all really want to be there for someone in need. But, as a person with chronic depression and PTSD, I can not count how many times "friends" have not been there when I've reached out. In their defense often times when a depressed person reaches out it doesn't really seem like a call for help to the outside world. In our minds, we are screaming out for someone to please just help us. But, in reality, those screams are tiny whispers, easily missed by those around us. So, while it is sweet and kind you want to help, know that it takes more than just saying I am here for you. Because a depressed person's reasoning and way of doing things are far different than the everyday person's. So, what you're looking for isn't what we are going to do.

I am not saying it is your responsibility to be hyper vigilant about those around you. Just if you notice a friend acting even a little different reach out to them, ask them "are you okay?" Even if they say they are okay,  persist a little, tell them "I care about you and I just want to know how you're doing, how you're REALLY doing." Because we are masters of disguise, and we really don't want you to know how badly we are actually doing. We will rationalize ourselves out of help because we don't want to be a burden, or we don't think we are worth it. Depression is a dark and twisted thing, it is not as simple reaching out for help and then everything is fine.

We often cry out in the dark, when we are alone, where we know no one can hear us. Not because we do not want help, but because we simply do not feel worthy. We already feel like a burden. We can appear like functional happy adults on the outside, on the inside we a broken masses of sadness.

And while I'm on this train of openness, for those of you who do not understand why someone with seemingly so much going for them would take their life. Let me tell you what you've probably already read a million times this week. Being so depressed you're willing to take your life isn't about what you have, or the good things in your life. It is about your inner turmoil, what you feel that no one can see. We can't control it, we can't "snap out of it", it is there with us almost constantly. For some of us, it is simply a part of us.

A lot of us have had therapy, take medications, and some of us haven't and do not take medications. Even people in therapy kill themselves, so there is no really clear way for me to explain to you what a person needs not to do the unthinkable. Because, when you're in that dark of a place you will rationalize how being gone would actually be better for those around you. Not in a pity party sort of way. You go imagine the people around you entire futures. Not just the aftermath of your death, but their lives without you in it. Sadly, often times that world will seem better for those around us if we just weren't around anymore. 

I can't tell you how to stop someone from killing themselves. I can tell you that a simple status about how you will be there if they need you isn't going to do it. Because most of us aren't going to conventionally ask for help.

Be kind, be observant. We all tend to be wrapped up in ourselves some days. Sometimes you have to be the one to reach out. Because some of us are too sick to reach out for the help we actually need.

The Big D, and I don't mean Dallas.

Let’s talk about the thing that no one really wants to talk about… Divorce.

We all know someone who has had a divorce, or maybe even someone who is currently going through one. They say it’s like a death; really it is,  no matter how nonchalantly you as an outsider feel the person took their marriage. It was still something that they entered into fully expecting it to last forever; they promised their lives to someone until death, when they said "I do", they fully meant it. I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but for the most part this is how I see marriage/divorce, marriage was the birth, and divorce is the death.

How do you treat a friend who is getting a divorce? The same way you treated them when they were married (duh).

Recently, Ray (names have been changed) asked me if I had spoken to our mutual friend Jim lately. I told Ray that I hadn’t heard from Jim in a while, and that Jim actually wasn’t returning calls. Ray then suggested I ask Betty (Jim’s soon to be ex-wife) what is up with Jim. This caused me to look at Ray as if he had just suggested I stick my hand in a fresh steaming pile of poo. Really? You want me to ask Betty about Jim’s whereabouts when they are going through something so emotional, and no longer living together? That’s crass? Isn’t it? I mean I know there are no hard set rules to things, but when this happened I felt like there should be some. Are people in general really so immune to others feelings that Ray would think this was at all okay?

So, here are a few I thought up off the top of my head.

11.  Do not ask the divorcees about each other, it’s probably on their mind a lot anyway and you need to let them work their new life structure out alone. Don’t pollute it with questions about the ex.

The exception to this rule is: If they bring the ex up in conversation, then it’s okay to go along with it.

22.   If they are venting about their ex “He/she is a giant flaming butthole.”, you should agree with them, if you can’t agree it’s probably best to just do the head nod. Your friend needs to pass the five stages of grieving (denial and isolation, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance).

33.  Because the fifth stage of grieving is acceptance and many people go on to be good friends after a divorce (especially when children are involved), it’s best to only agree, and not join in on the anger stage. Remember, when they’re done sorting out their feelings you can’t take back calling their ex-lover/new friend a slime infested rat trap.

44. This is the most important rule, just be their friend. They’re going to go through a lot of stages, and maybe even seem like a different person, but if you really love them, if you’re really their friend, you will let them do this and love them all the way through it. 

I’m no expert on divorce, or feelings...

This is in no way meant as a hard set way you should do things. It’s all just my opinion, and how I go about things in my life with my friends. This is my disclaimer, if you follow this and things don’t work out for you that’s not my faultJ

It's not really "a thing", but darn it, it's "my thing"!

This is me not managing my time. Does anyone else have this problem? I see a pile of things in front of me, I know full well they need to be done, and soon. But, then I just stare at them, then nerves set in, and then I feel the time crunch, and I FREAK OUT!

School, kids, housework, life in general. Maybe, I should give up my blog, which let's be honest isn't even really a thing. But, even if it's not really "a thing", it's "MY thing". Being the Mom of two young boys, with a busy husband means not much in life is actually “my thing". I have many things I do, but they're not usually "my things". Don't get me wrong I enjoy them, but I think for sanity as mothers we need to find a thing that is just "our thing", and hold on tight and don't let go. Sometimes "my thing" is the only thing keeping me from crossing over to the dark side (I've been there, they do have cookies, but they're not that good). 

I guess what I'm saying is that I know I as a Mom feel judged constantly, it's our society. I think until we as a community of Moms take a step back and stop being so over critical it's always going to feel like we're being judged by our peers. But, even when you're feeling judged, even if someone out right says maybe you shouldn't do "your thing" anymore, this is when we need to stick up for “our thing” and ourselves. Just say NO, Say this is mine! This is the one thing in the world I don't share with anyone, the one thing I get to call my own, the one thing my kids can't poop on, the dog can't pee on, my husband can't accidentally break. This thing that is my own helps me hold on, be it ever so gingerly to the small thread of sanity I have left.  This is mine, and it's staying. 

If your thing is gym time, don't let someone guilt you out of it. Your kids are going to be just as messy, happy, or sad, as they were when you get back from the gym in an hour. If it's crafting, go ahead and cut and glue all that paper together. Go ahead ignore the world for an hour, or two, or three. Who cares if it ends up in the recycle bin when you're done? If you like to run off and take photos alone, do it. Want to lock yourself up in the closet  and apply a full face of makeup, and do your hair and then spend the rest of the day in your pajamas, DO IT! If you must vegetate in front of your television for 3 hours and catch up on Grey's Anatomy, YOU DO IT (but keep your mouth shut because I'm not caught up)!

It's taken nearly six years to learn in order to be the best Mom I can be, I need to keep something that is just for me. It doesn't make me a bad mother or wife; it makes me a better one. The one thing that is "my thing", allows me the sanity to suffer through a 20 minute argument over who the blue Lego belongs to, even though there are clearly 30 other identical blue Legos sitting on the table in plain site. It grants me the ability to not cry my eyes out when I'm at the end of the rope and my husband texts to say they're going into overtime. 

Having something for just me, that is just mine, that is not the clothing I wear, gives me the extra oomph I need to make it through this battle called Parenthood. I'm forever grateful for my children, and I know that one day I will miss these days with a fervent passion, and I will annoy younger mothers by telling them how quickly time flies. But until I miss these days, I'm keeping something just to me...and I'm not going to let anyone make me feel guilty about it. And you shouldn't either. 

So, I tried my hand at Background Acting...

I recently tried to finagle a way to see more of my husband who works in the Entertainment Industry. He was working on a show that was filming an episode near our home, and I felt like I hadn't seen him awake in months. There was an open casting call for background actors for the show and episode he was working on, so I submitted a picture. I really didn't think I’d be called but thought it was worth the shot. They did call back, and asked me to work the day. But, the location had changed to somewhere far away. I still agreed to do it; I mean a 12 hour paid vacation from the kids, YEAH SIGN ME UP! At least, that is what I thought at the time. 

                I went in not telling anyone that I was married to someone in the Art Department. I was under the impression I’d get to do a lot of sitting around, I even brought Dances with Dragons to finish while sitting around for hours. I didn't get to sit around! I was constantly moving and changing clothes and doing something called a WIPE. Not like wipe your baby’s butt, but walking in front of the camera...I think that’s what it meant.

                I got to dress up as a nurse and run a gurney with a camera man and his 300 lb. camera up and down a dirty abandoned hospital hall, OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. All the while trying not to kick the lead actress who was running in front of me and holding a full saline bag straight up in the air. No workout was needed at the end of the day.

                I got to meet some interesting people; some people actually try to make a living at doing background work. I don’t know how, $100 a day isn't very much money and not many things are filmed here in the desert anymore. I also got to put a face to the names I've been hearing the husband talk about for years.

                When they set me free from doing background I put on my regular clothes and finally got to spend some time with my husband. Even though it involved heavy lifting and running around a creepy, dark, abandoned hospital after dark, it was well worth those 4 hours with him.

                Will I ever try to do background acting again? Not unless it’s a favor to someone I really like. It just wasn't my thing, I didn't get to sit around, I never even cracked my book open. It’s a lot of waiting and redoing the same thing over, and over, and over, and over again, and again.  I’m also pretty petrified of being on film; I refused to even be sort of facing the camera the whole day. The thing made me nervous. I was petrified I was going to be that one stupid background person to ruin the whole shot, the whole day. Luckily I didn't. But, it didn't make me stress out about it any less.

                I've been instructed not to disclose the company, show, or location of the shoot.  Until after it airs, so when it actually airs I can say which episode and blah, blah, blah…I’m pretty sure though. That my face is not in any of the shots, my manicure, elbows, arms, and hands more than likely are all that will be seen. It was an experience, but not something I will ever do again.

                If you think background work is something you would like to try you can Google your area for local casting agents. I personally wouldn't pay a company to help you get background work, but if you want to I guess you can. You can also check craigslist for background work. 

Lies I was told in Beauty School.

Some people know, and some people do not. But I once was a practicing Cosmetologist. Having been raised in the beauty industry it just seemed like something I should do, that I HAD to do! I wasn't the best, and I wasn't the worst. Which was a feat considering my education, which was overpriced and underwhelming? I was told a lot of things that made no sense to me in Beauty School (BS) (hahaha), but I figured things held a different meaning for me and I understood parts of the business that even my instructors wouldn't. Why? Because, my Grandmother had her own shop for almost 50 years, everything I know about color I learned from her before I was seven. So, color theory class was BORING. But, to get to the whole point of this post. The biggest lie I was ever told during BS was that you should choose your stylist based on their hair, or their families hair.  For some reason this made sense to me for a little bit. My Grandmother was amazing, and she always looked impeccable(I wouldn't learn until later that to look this way she woke up 2 hours before everyone else and coiffed her hair and beautified her face then dressed to the 9's before cooking breakfast)! She also did my hair and my mother's for years and years and to be honest my hair never looked better than when my Grandma was doing it.

But, the reality of everything hit me after about 9 months of doing hair. I switched shops and worked with a friend from BS. We were both building our clientele then and had PLENTY of time to make ourselves look AMAZEBALLS! Her boys and husband had the nicest hair that side of the Mississippi. Then life got real, we got clients, we switched shops. We had no time! So, what am I saying?

Do not choose your stylist based on his/her hair, unless you're going to base it off how "not perfect" their hair looks. A stylist spends her day on her feet; there is rarely a break between clients. In the off chance she manages to get any free time, she's going to spend it trying to choke down some food, or to have a bio break. Also, it's rare that a stylist cuts and colors her own hair, so you're probably looking at someone else's work.

Do not choose your stylist based on their families hair. Some do like to spend their off time making their people look good. Others don't want to spend their off time doing hair, sure we love it, but you have to take a break sometimes.

Pick your stylist based on their clientele's hair. Its 2013 the majority of stylists have a portfolio; don't be afraid to ask to look at it before you go sitting in someone's chair. Supposedly, your hair is your crowning glory, be careful with it (even if it does grow back), choose wisely. And if you find someone you love who does a good job. TIP THEM!!

A normal tip is about 20% of your service; if there was shampoo girl/boy tip them separately from your stylist.

I even tip on horrible service, but just enough for them to know they need to keep working on their skills usually about 10%.

And above all remember your stylist is:

A Beautician, Not a Magician.

Be reasonable in your expectations.