Humiliating Tales from the PTA

I know October is here not because of the weather (it finally broke this afternoon, but this extended heat has given me a summer rash), but because...

I went to a PTA meeting tonight.

You'd think, given my past experience, I would know better. You'd think given my own mother telling me how insufferable these meetings were for her -- 30 odd years ago -- I would know better.

But no, I went tonight, and get ready...ran for a seat on a board that helps draft policy for the school. That meets monthly. That meets for 2 hours once a month on a night that The Prince traditionally never gets home before 11 pm.

And...I lost. Five people running for 3 seats, and I and the woman known as "the loon" lost. Now that should send me to the Entenmann's box, right? The crazy thing is, I knew I shouldn't have run. I had to drag The Rabbit out of the house, with a piece of chicken still in her tiny hand, race to the meeting in the rain, drop her off with some woman in the lunchroom babysitting a small crew of other kids who also have improperly calibrated parents, and then run up to the PTA room to be voted lammo parent of the night.

I knew I had an interview, two e-mails and an edit to come home to. I knew The Rabbit would be in bed late. I ate strawberry sugarless gum for dinner.

Clearly the universe, yet again, decided I needed a little wacking upside my head. Clearly, I don't know better. But The Rabbit did. Her comment to Mama? "But Mama. That meeting was 2 hundred thousand minutes. That's too long. Right? It sounds boring Mama. I don't think that's a good idea."

Thank you Rabbit for being smarter than your mama.