A mother's love; Happy 1/2 Birthday, Eric

Eric's birthday is December 22. He never gets to have a big friends party because it's so close to Christmas. So this year we decided to do a half birthday for him. Now, technically, his half birthday would have been last weekend, closer to the 22nd of June. But he was out of town that weekend, so we are doing it today.

His two friends, AJ and John got here about 1, and I loaded them, towels, floaties, a cooler of juice and snacks and my Siddhartha book (still have to have that done by Monday for Ethics) and we headed down to one of the many beaches within a 10 minute drive. I have been to this lake before, and specifically, to this lake access. It's quiet, there's bathrooms, shade trees and a nice sandy area near the boat launching area. It's not a huge area, nice and small. And every other time I've been there (this is the place I usually take Hailey and Comet for their swims) it's been almost deserted.

Not today.

Today it was inhabited by Al the troll. Or, rather, Al the troller. He was trolling for women... no, that's not even right, he was trolling for THIS woman. Me. I would have been flattered, but it was so gross.

Beer gut. I could tell where he got that from, it was 1:30 in the afternoon and he was already slurring. His glass was never empty.
The top row of teeth was crooked and gnarly from the center to as far as the eye could see to the right side of his head. And that was his good side!
He had no top teeth on the left side.

He decided we were friends when we realized that his son, Levi knew my son and AJ and John, too. Well, fine, we can chat for a bit, as I was unpacking my blanket and getting the things set up for the boys. By the time I had that done, I was so grateful for Siddhartha! I thought (wrong) that he would see me with a book and realize that I wanted to be left alone.

He was hitting on me pretty hard at first, and I was willing to cut him some slack on that, since I had taken my rings off and left them home. (I have lost the diamond in my wedding ring before, and I don't care to do it again, so I take it off alot more than I used to)

I figured as soon as I mentioned my husband (which was pretty quick) that he would back off. That's what most men do (not that I get hit on THAT much, but when I do, one mention of JP usually does the trick)

Not this troll.

He had to have been drunk, because in the course of our (4 HOUR LONG) one sided conversation, he mentioned several times his disdain for the military. And yes, this was after I told him that my husband, the SERGEANT, would be home by the end of the next month.
I can only imagine this stems from his inability to be in any kind of military due to either being unwilling to give up alcohol during basic training,

or perhaps he got a dental pardon. EWWW, I mean really, I was so glad I had a hat along. I was able to use the brim to keep from looking him in the face. His mouth was like a bad car accident, you know you shouldn't look, but you can't seem to look away.

So from 1:30 until 5 I was in the company of this creepo. He wanted to take me to lunch some time (No pressure, nothing serious, just lunch...we won't even drink) Um, no that will not happen. (Aw, come on, why not?) First off, I know my husband would not approve (Aw, he won't care) Uh, you don't know him, and you don't know that, I do and he will care. Sorry, not gonna happen.

Sorry JP, I used you as an excuse because I just didn't have the balls to scream "Leave me alone, you creepy fucker!"

Even Levi (the Troll's son) noticed. Eric asked me when we got home "Mom, what's 'hitting on' mean?"
Um... why do you ask?
"Cuz Levi said that his dad was hitting on you...was he?"
Ah, yeah, buddy. That means that he was trying to be my friend, and he wanted me to like him the way I like Dad.
"Didn't work, huh?"
No, buddy, no it did not. Oh, and Eric? Don't do that, ok? When you get old enough to like girls and want them to like you... don't hit on them. It's creepy, ok?
"You got it, Mom. You didn't look happy. I could tell"
Yeah, not happy at all. Happy Half Birthday Buddy.

The sacrifices we make for our children... makes me shudder sometimes how much I love my kids.