Friday, October 24, 2008

Crazy Part I: The Beginning [Updated: Now With Baby Pictures]

[Note: Many of you asked that I talk about my family situation, and as I started writing it, I realized just how long the post would get. So, I’m going to split this one up into three parts.]

My mother was a small-town girl from Alabama who, before being blessed with a career as an RN and having two pain-in-the-ass children, actually had a blossoming career as a ballerina. During a rehearsal, however, some idiot dropped her during a lift, shattering her hip and ending her career as a dancer. She went on to nursing school in Atlanta to follow her runner up dream and became a human barometer for the rest of her life. (Side Note: that guy came into the hospital where my mother was working a few years ago for a simple shot. Normally it could have been injected into his arm, but my mother, having probably planned her revenge on this guy for years, prompted him to drop his drawers so that she could make sure he wouldn’t sit comfortably for a few days.)

Across town from the nursing school was a well known engineering school, Georgia Tech, where my father, a small town boy from East Bumblefart, Georgia, went to college and did stupid things with his fellow Lambda Chi fraternity brothers. My parents met at a mixer when my father’s fraternity invited the nursing sorority from across the way. After a short courtship, my parents were engaged.

The Vietnam war went into full swing, and my father’s name was on the top of the draft list. He was practically failing at GT because of all his screwing around, so he was a pretty good candidate to don fatigues. But my father was no ordinary man, this man was going to marry my mother, and her father (a man who had such high security clearance in the Navy that we still don’t know what he did) was not going to have this stupid boy sent off to war while his daughter waited on him at home. My father went to his military physical, and fresh from the line (still wearing just his skivvies), he was called into the commanding officer’s office. The officer asked him, “You’re set to marry Earl’s daughter?” “Yes sir,” he stuttered. “You better get all A’s this next semester at Tech, boy – I don’t want to see you in my office again.” Sure enough, that was a pretty good motivator to get my dad to make good grades. He avoided the war, graduated from college, and married my mother.

Eight years later, and after my parents transplanted themselves on the west coast to get away from overbearing family, my mother gave birth to a premature baby who became my brother - a hard-headed boy whom I love dearly whose nickname is Skip, short for Skippy – yes, as in the peanut butter… because my mom ate TONS of it when she was pregnant with him...

My mother with Skip (check out all that hair my mom has!):

Then two years later, she gave birth to a fat, bald baby who became me. My mother promptly had my ears pierced so that people would stop thinking I was a boy because of my lack of hair (although, I’m not sure why bald = boy). I managed to avoid the crazy nickname, but got the spastic spelling of my real name instead. Don’t know what my name is? Have you checked out the url of my blog before? Yeah, the letters m-a-r-g-e-a-u-x aren’t just crazy, random put together letters. No – that was my parent’s way of making my kindergarten spelling life hell.

My mother with me, post baldness (check out our fugly clothes!):

17 comments:

Maki said...

Aww what a nice love story!!! And that have created two bundle of joy - you and your bro...

I think I want to see your baby photo now.

Wonderful post:D

ps - yes, I've noticed your url..

Rachel said...

is it pronounced Margo? If I am right and I knew about your URL...lol then I think it's elegant and unique...even if we can't spell it in Kindergarten!

colbymarshall said...

Hee,hee, Rachel, yes, It's pronounced "Margo," although I've been calling her Mar-gee-a-u-x for quite some time...I can't even remember when I started doing that. (Side note: I love that I have gotten side ntoes in your head, MJ, lol!)

I Am Woody said...

My cousin made her child's kindergarten spelling life hell, too. Her 1st name has 10 letters, middle name has 9 letters, and last name has 9 letters. We call her Tay-Tay for short.

Anonymous said...

.. great post :)

So, in "real life" do people call you Margeaux or MJ?

Anonymous social worker said...

I want BABY PICTURES!!!! WHERE are the baby pictures?!!

Anonymous said...

I agree, what do people call you in real life???
And when I MIJ, I think Midge, Not M.I.J.

MJ said...

Yep, it's said Mar-go, and that's usually what most people call me (except for those random people, like Colby, that I allow to mispronounce my name without facing an certain death by strangulation). Some people call me Em-jay and my g-ma calls me Maggie.

And by popular demand, I added some baby pictures. These are the only ones I could find on my external hard drive. Enjoy!

Y of F said...

so cute:) some fugly clothing tho

Anonymous said...

I liked the post, and your mom is really pretty. Can't wait to read part two.

colbymarshall said...

I was about to say...were the pics there before or am I having a bad reaction to the leather in this chair...but you clarified, thank goodness :-)

Maki said...

AWWWWW!!! Beautiful photos!!

Look at the cute little pumpkin!! Your mother is absolutely beautiful:D

Anonymous said...

LOL. Sarahm's comment was right on. Cute pics but fugly clothes. I wore 'em too though so I can't laugh too hard. I can't wait to hear more on this story.

Bobbinoggin said...

i LIKE this story. i want to know more. YESTERDAY! ;)

pure evyl said...

You can tell by the smile that you must have been a very happy baby.

MJ said...

PE - I was a super happy baby! I was probably ADD like I am now.. ooo shiny! :)

Anonymous said...

Forgive me if it's already been asked, but is that supposed to be a French spelling? Any French ancestors? Your mom must be a pretty tiny gal like yourself. Either that or you and Skip were giant babies. You two look huge next to her.