Bah

Kittens!

2009-07-03T15:43:00.001-07:00

Well, we have two new arrivals...they are as of this time, still unnamed. After the Tiggeriffic passed on, I still owed the vet some money. There were x-rays, blood work, etc...and I didn't have all the cash at once, so I had to go back and pay it off a few weeks later. While we were at the vet's office, there were two kittens in a very large cage in the lobby and the kids were horsing around with them. A couple walked in and while I was writing out a check, I overheard them talking about taking those kittens back to the shelter and that they'd have to find a home for them somewhere else.

Here's where I err...

me: "Oh, those kittens need a home?"

receptionist (with great enthusiasm): "Oh!! Yes!! Yes, those kittens need a home!!!"

She called the people over to chat with me and the kids of course overheard her say that they needed a home. It didn't take long for the kids to zero in on that, which was shortly followed by my descent into the guilt vortex.

A month later, and we have two new kitties.

They are still a bit skittish and camera shy but they're warming up...

Hmm....

2009-06-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've been gone awhile. Well, I've been busy!! I have class back in session, so my days have been pretty full at work and with baseball season in full swing, the past two weeks have been full after school, too. Baseball is officially over this week, though so things should quiet down a bit. Whew...

So I think I more or less have a color palette picked for the house. We'll see though....I could very well change my mind half a dozen more times before I actually purchase the paint. Photos will follow. I know, I know... I keep saying that and NO PICTURES, but everything is still so stark and with the hectic schedule of the past month, I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not even finished unpacking yet. GAH!!!

One thing fo sho I'm digging about this house is energy efficiency. My electric bill? $46 bucks. I have not had an electric bill under $120 in over three years. Now, granted I'm trying. Everything is on power strips that are turned off when stuff is not in use, I have a clothesline that I use religiously instead of running the dryer and there are other small things here and there that we do to conserve, and clearly it is making a difference. I do not have air conditioning at the moment. I know!!! How uncivilized!! But, I really haven't needed it. The house being all brick stays quite cool, and fans in the windows at night to bring in the cool air do a great job of moving the warmer air out and the cooler air in. No complaints, really.

I have some small repairs to make on the place over the next few months, but nothing major. I still feel like we're getting settled...but it's coming along. :)

This, That and the Other

2009-05-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ok. Well, first things first. I need your help.

My house is pretty much a blank canvas. The majority of the walls are white and there is just about zero artwork up at the moment. I have artwork, but until I paint, there's really no reason to put it up and besides, the walls are all brick so it isn't as simple as pounding in a nail and hanging something up. So for now, I've got naked walls. Here's the dilemma....

I am struggling to choose a palette.

I know, I know. I just LOVE IT ALL.

I love warm colors. They are cozy and well, warm (duh) and I like my house to be calm and relaxing. Plus the wood tones in all the hardwood floors are very warm. And in one half of my heart lurks a traditionalist.

But, on the other hand, I love cool colors. They are full of life and fun and exciting, and when done right look smashing. And I think cool would go really well with the crazy architecture. Part of me wants this house to be surprising and silly and lighthearted. I want this house to be like a carnival. But what I really want is for my kids to look back and laugh when they thing about how cool our house was.

So why not do both? I like to have some cohesiveness to the house, but if push comes to shove, I may have to figure out a way to balance both. Erin's room is already planned and so is the boys, to some degree. And I am leaning towards something trendy for my bedroom, but the rest of the house? Seriously, I've been strugging with this for days, so let me know what you think.

Onto other news...

I'm taking tomorrow off to chaperone a field trip for Joe's class. We're off to DC. Yay!

My bagless vac is increasingly more often becoming a suction tornado tomb for the insects I find INSIDE my house. I don't like ants. I don't like centipedes. I don't like spiders. And, I've found that when I have both tube attachments on the vac hose PLUS the slotted pointy tool on the end, I can maintain a very comfortable distance from said INSECTS and they usually die entombed in the canister therefore eliminating any chance that they might lunge at me when I remove it to be emptied. I am digging that.

Let's see..what else? I love great customer service! Direct TV called to tell me that they were sorry to see me go and could I possibly be woo'd back into having them provide me with television. He started by asking who I had gone with (Comcast), so I told him. And then he told me that DirectTV could offer me twelve months at $34 and some change. I told him that Comcast was doing better than that, and you know what he said?

He said, "That's great, Ma'am. Have a great day and if there's anything we can do for you, give us a call". I stared at the phone in disbelief. But I'll tell you this...it made an impression and should Comcast displease me, you better believe I'll have Direct TV on the phone in a heartbeat.

Now, HSBC? Not so much with the good customer service. In a nutshell, if you can't pronounce my name, which is a relatively common and not-very-difficult name to pronounce, right out of the gate, that irks me. And if you want to sell me something I can live without, ok...that's cool and I understand that you're just doing your job. BUT, if you are going on and on and on and on and I have to interrupt you to mention that we're walking out the door to baseball that we're already running late for, don't tell me that your non-essential information will only take JUST A FEW MORE MOMENTS, MA'AM and then proceed to get snippy with me when I tell you I am not interested. Considering that credit cards are already charging criminal level interest rates, snippiness from a representative is probably not a smart move. Yes, I believe that card is paid off and I also believe it will be promptly canceled. Again, thanks, but no thanks and have a great day.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some flowers to transplant. It is a gorgeous day... :)

More House

2009-05-26T17:13:00.001-07:00

House Stuff

2009-05-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Long awaited pictures ahead. But before that, can I just say that I LOVE that the church bells ring at 7pm every night? I love that! There are three churches within a stone's throw of the house, too. I kind of dig that, as well.

So.

Pics.

The backyaaaaahd. Or part of it anyway.

My quirky front door. Goofy. And very, very heavy.

The front door from all the way in the foyer.

Lookin' up the stairs.

And something I think is WAY COOL....this is written in the concrete in the basement floor. My house is a century old! How cool is that?

The NEWS

2009-05-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing that on Yahoo today, these two stories carried equal weight?

-That whole N. Korea mess with the missle launch, nuclear testing, plans for more missle launches, snubbing the security council, etc...

-The Jon & Kate Plus 8 "affair".

First of all, the N. Korea thing kind of worries me and I'm wondering what exactly is going to be done about it, but it has the potential to be ugly. I would consider that "important" and something I should probably keep on the radar.

In other equally radar-worthy news (according to Yahoo, anyway) Jon evidently has said on camera that he didn't cheat on Kate and he doesn't care who believes him. And then thirty seconds later, says that he is sorry for the mistakes in judgment he's made regarding this situation. So....um..if you didn't do anything WRONG...er...why then...exactly..are you ...a p o l o g i z i n g (???) ? I would consider this "insignificant and stupid" and not worth the two minutes I took to read over this afternoon. Oh, but then again I don't know what it's like to be a reality staaaaar!!!!

Amen to that.

Robbery

2009-05-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the day is cloudy and it's been sprinkling so I decided to take the kids to a matinee movie. Matinee = Cheap, right?

Wrong.

The kids wanted to see Monsters Vs. Aliens in threeeee deeeeeee. So, ok, cool. There's an 1115 hr showing. Matinees are before noon, right?

Wrong again.

It's Memorial Day and I was certain the place would be busy. It's packed on Christmas Day, New Years Day, most likely Easter Sunday, so why not Memorial Day?

Wrong, yet again.

1100 hrs.
Unsuspecting mom of three: "Three children and one adult for the 1115 showing of Monsters Vs. Aliens, please"

Criminal in a Regal Cinemas Vest: "That'll be $44.50, Ma'am"

Me, certain I've heard wrong: "I'm sorry (nervous chuckle), I said three children and one adult. How much did you say that was?"

Vest-boy looking at me like I've grown a third eye: "$44.50"

Me, knowing math has never been my strongest subject, but I can't be THAT off on my in-noggin calculation: "Ok, that seems a bit high to me for four movie tickets to a MATINEE, doesn't it?"

Vest-boy, about to deliver the crushing blow: "Yes, well there's a THREE DOLLAR charge per ticket for the 3-D version"

Crickets chirping...

The tickets alone are expensive, even for a matinee (which the "matinee" goes until 6pm) and then there's a three dollar charge per ticket??? I was stunned into silence. I couldn't NOT pay it. The kids were all big-eyed and dancing with excitement in the lobby, but seriously, I felt like I'd been slapped in the face. I guess movies are no longer a source of family entertainment, at least not at a theatre built after 1995. The "cheap" theatre in Frederick is indeed just that...cheap, and from now on is the only theatre we will be going to.

And for me being concerned that the place would be packed? We were four of about twelve total people in the theatre.

The movie was between ok and good. Not great. Not horrible. And not worth $44.50. I'm glad we made a stop at the 7-11 before we left town and picked up snacks and bottled water. I'm not paying $3.00 per bottle at the theatre when it's $.99 at the 7-11.

This kind of pisses me off, truth be told. I like going to the movies and so do the kids, but Regal Cinemas certainly does make it difficult to go with any sort of regularity. I think we've been to the "new" theatre a total of three times in the past two years, including today. It's just too much of a hit on the pocketbook (even without the $3.00 3-D charge).

Indulge me, here..

When ~I~ was a kid, the Genoa City theatre had a coupon you could cut out of the newspaper. Price of admission with said coupon? $.75.

Creative Marketing

2009-05-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

So, I bought a fan.

And the packaging is funny.

Because the other fans were really loud (Ok, is it 30% or only 25% quieter? And quieter than what??) and the corrugated cardboard boxes THOSE fans were in just were less recyclable.

Completely recyclable box? I can't believe they wasted the ink printing that.

My NOT Favorite Bird

2009-05-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

The starling.

Ok, yes, you make some cool noises and yes, you've got some personality. But!

You are a poo machine. And I'm tired of you nesting wherever you can find the smallest little crack or void on the exterior of my house. There is straw all over the back porch from where you've smashed yourself between the gutter and the structure in the summer kitchen and that gosh darn hole in the soffit is RIGHT. ABOVE. THE. FRONT. DOOR.

Words to the wise?

Don't look up. Oh, and move as fast as you can from the front door to the sidewalk.

SPLAT.

No, I have not been a victim (yet), but I have been out sweeping and heard that familiar poo-hitting-the-sidewalk sound directly behind me followed by what I believe to be starling laughter.

So, tomorrow, consider yourself evicted from the soffit. There better not be babies in that nest. Heh heh heh...who's laughing NOW, starling??? That is all.

In other news, things are going well. I am digging my house more and more every day and can I just say that I have an awesome backyard?? I took some pictures but I seem to have misplaced the cable for my Nikon. As soon as I load them on the laptop, you'll see them. The kids in the neighborhood are coming out of the woodwork and my kids are off playing most afternoons that we're not at baseball. One of Erin's friends from school lives about a block down the road, so she was there for a good chunk of the afternoon. Girls are so funny. She brought all her Webkinz over and when I went to pick her up, the girls were out playing with them on the front lawn. She gathered them all up, put them back in the backpack and promptly gave her friend a hug. I LOVE IT! A hug?? I welled up a bit.

So anyway...busy, busy as usual and now that the important stuff has been unpacked I'm left with boxes of other stuff. Meh...it'll get done. Eventually.

Slow Go and Listening

2009-05-19T19:17:00.001-07:00

I have a clean room! The living room is officially free of moving boxes!! Yay!!

I simply moved them on into the dining room. Really! Why didn't anyone tell me it was THAT simple??? Ok, all kidding aside...There were only two left and I need to sort what is in those boxes. Time is a luxury I've had in short supply as of late. Life has a way of running over whatever productive plans I have. Life and baseball, that is.

It is funny how we're settling in. It has been six years since we moved and I think the last time, I was just so very busy with Erin being an infant, Joe in pre-school and trying to put a good effort into my marriage that I sort of glossed over the whole "this is unfamiliar" part of moving into a new home. It's more "in my face" this time, fo sho. However, slowly...room by room, we're getting there. I think once ALL the boxes are unpacked and gone and we're totally comfortable here, I will finally be able to relax, flop on the couch and exhale. It is finally starting to sink in that this is MY place. A new home for me and the kids that isn't subject to anything that has to do with anyone else, if you catch my drift. Someone pinch me!

Oh, and something I really like about this place? The acoustics. No matter what room I'm in, if I'm singing, I can hear it really well and I sound good! High ceilings, wood floors...it just has a very specific sound.

More pics, soon.... :) We're getting there!

Oooch.

2009-05-16T15:39:00.001-07:00

~THIS~ is what happens when Joe gets beaned in the face with the baseball and the laces are in.

Favor Request...

2009-05-14T17:22:00.001-07:00

One of the firefighters I work with was recently in a BASE jumping accident and is currently laying unconscious in a hospital bed in Idaho.

You can read about his status here...

I love Scott. Not like THAT...he has a wife, who regrettably I have never met but just reading her words over the past few days, I absolutely love her, too and look forward to the opportunity to meet her. They are amazing people...larger than life people and very much in love people. They are the kind of people who work to live, not the other way around. They are the kind of people who have a genuine appreciation for things, not to mention a zest for laughter and fun.

So, Scott is in the woods with this head injury and he needs prayers, good thoughts, karma, whatever you've got to muster. Give it freely, please.

I'd really love to have him stop by my office sooner than later and show me a brand new mohawk, pictures on his iPhone of his wife's artwork and their weinerdogs and chat with me for a few minutes about whatever latest adventure they've been on.

Wake up, Scott....

HOUSE and Grrr...

2009-05-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few photos...

Big built-in bookcase in the living room with STUFF!! The top shelf isn't finished, obviously, but well..I can't reach it without getting a ladder and I didn't feel like hauling the darn thing up/down stairs. So...it's ALMOST done. Yes, that's a Pee Wee Herman doll. The kids love it and no one puts Pee Wee in the corner.

Different angle of the bookcase + the bricked over fireplace. Don't mind the hideous curtains...they will be replaced eventually. For now, they do the job. Also, considering almost ALL of the walls in this house are brick, it makes it a bit difficult to hang pictures, so I've just left these propped for the time being. Poon got me some of those 3M sticky hook things and I've used one so far. It works well and I'll use the rest, I'm sure.

And here are a few old bottles on the window ledge inside my kitchen. The layout is goofy...Once upon a time, there was an existing exterior wall made of brick. They (who THEY are still remains a mystery), decided to either enclose a summer porch or add a bump out, so they built on to the side of the house. So, seeing as how they could not really demolish the existing brick wall without compromising the structural integrity, they left it. So, I have the old six panel wavy glass windows on the INSIDE of my house from room to room both downstairs and up. In the kitchen, the wavy glass windows give me a lovely view of the laundry room, but I don't care. I love the quirk factory with it. It's charming...:)

And in other news...

Happy Mother's Day all you moms out there! Today was a good day. Went to church, then since we're all URBAN now and whatnot, we walked to the hardware store to get some flowers for the flowerpots on the front stoop. Now, this isn't just ANY hardware store; it's Hobb's Hardware. Total Mom & Pop operation run by the family of that name, complete with old military pictures, school pictures and other nostalgia on the walls. I love that store. Not to mention, nothing has a barcode. It is all "priced" as it was once upon a time with a little rectangular label with the dollar amount inked on. They ring up your purchase on an adding machine. The most modern thing in there is the credit card machine, really. I love it. So anyway, we all walked to the hardware store and bought geraniums, vinca, verbena, marigolds and a mishmosh of other flowers. I let each kid pick two plants (at a buck twenty five apiece) and then we hoofed it home, past the ONE traffic light in town (I guess actually there are two, but one isn't IN TOWN) and Erin and I got to work. She is such a sweetheart and she loves to help. We did some other yardwork today and I made some serious headway with the unpacking today, and I moved a bunch of stuff into the attic. I suspect the attic will become my "out of sight, out of mind" place, but whatever. I've already forgotten it all. Ha!

And as much as the kids were not so keen on moving here because there are not as many kids, we had a yardful today. Plus, it won't be long before the kids from the old neighborhood are riding bikes to our new house, I'm sure. It's not that far, and they're not exactly toddlers anymore. So, the new kids....girls and boys (Erin finally gets to play with other girls, yay!!!), and two of the girls brought over Stephanie today. I had to get a few pics of that bird with the odd name!! It was a good day for the kids.

Grr....because the road I live on is busy. It's IN town. For whatever reason, there have been fleets of dump trucks rolling past since about 5pm. It is now 10:20. Enough already. They're so loud they rattle the windows...grrr. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep through it.

Watts Noo

2009-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

So what's new with the house??

Hmm...

It's feeling less strange. Does that make sense? It's becoming more familiar? Maybe that is a better way to put it.

I'm learning which floorboards creak. I'm starting to remember which walls the lightswitches are on, and while that probably sounds weird, this whole house is weird. I have managed to get ALL the windows opened, only to realize most of them do not have screens (with a little rearranging, we'll be good to go). I no longer hear the traffic on the road. The clothes dryer doesn't shut off by itself and I found that out by putting clothes in there before bed only to find it still running when I got up for work the next day. The built-in bookcase in the living room looks kick-ass with stuff in it. I don't like the way I have the living room set up, but I can't think of a better way at the moment. I LOVE my backyard. I can't wait to start researching this house. I want to know who built it and who's lived here.

Slowly, the boxes are getting unpacked. It's a bit overwhelming and I find myself moving from room to room, unable to decide where exactly to start. I know I should just dive in and start wherever, but I like to have a game plan and game plans are evidently in short supply at the moment. It's tough, too with working all day, baseball practices and other kid stuff. Then when I get home, there's dinner, laundry, baths, bedtimes, etc...and by the time it seems I actually have a few minutes to dedicate to cleaning and organizing I've completely lost my motivation. Like now, for example. Ha!

I promise to take pictures this weekend, and I will try to catch "Blue" hanging out in the nook on the side of the house. He's a handsome pigeon...

FIRE!!

2009-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, no. My house isn't on fire. But...I now live a stone's throw from the firehouse and tonight is the first night the house siren has gone off since we moved in.

We are so close I can hear the hum of the thing winding up and down. It may be a bit LOUD.

wooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Heh heh heh...and it looks like Co 10 didn't get enough volunteer personnel to make it out the door because the siren is going off....again.

Co. 10 realert.....

Oddly enough, all three kids are still sacked out in their beds. I would have thought the siren would wake them up fo sho.

Hmm

2009-05-05T15:43:00.001-07:00

I should take some pictures of the house, shouldn't I?

Soon. I promise.

Moving

2009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Moving sucks.

That being said, thank you Poon for all the help. I think next time, saving money or not, I will hire professional movers. Holy crap my body hurts and there is stuff EVERYWHERE.

Nevertheless...things I have found in my new home:

1. I will hit my head no less than 8 times on the rafter in the attic before I remember that I have to crouch a bit.

2. Erin's closet smells like dope. I don't know if the people who lived there previously had kids who thought they were being sneaky by locking themselves in the closet and getting high or what, but when I opened the doors the other day, it hit me in the face pretty hard. Phew. Three fresh boxes of baking soda have been placed inside. Hopefully that will rectify the problem.

3. The traffic on my street is REALLY LOUD at night.

4. The lighting in my bathroom is quite a bit different than the lighting in my old bathroom. The new lighting shows me every line making up the smile lines and crow's feet on my face, along with every blemish, every scar, every imperfection and it's not pretty. My mother has told me that buying lower wattage bulbs will rectify this problem. I'm not sure when exactly I move into total darkness, but I'm sure the day will come.

5. The people who owned this house prior must have hired a plumber who did not know that "H" stands for HOT and "C" stands for COLD. Lines are switched on both the washing machine and the shower. Good grief.

6. Radiators give off the best heat! It's a warm, cozy heat and I have two that don't work. I'll be calling a plumber in late summer to come check it out. I suspect in both it is either a valve that is stuck shut or some sort of sludge blocking the water from getting into the radiator itself because the elbow joints leading to the actual units are warm. Meh...who knows.

7. I'm not 25 anymore. (see #4 and first line of this post). My knees hurt. My elbows hurt and I'm covered head to toe in bruises. Stairs are not my friend.

8. It felt so good to actually MAKE dinner last night and EAT said dinner at the dining room table last night. We've been eating out of McDonald's bags, delivery pizza, Chinese take-out, etc...for over a week. Bleh...enough.

9. I miss the internet and there are no unsecured networks for me to hork into at the new place. The old house had TWO! Gosh darn security enabled wireless...pfft. The cable guy is coming today. I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT FACEBOOK!

10. With all the rain we're getting, I am thinking I should have bought a boat rather than a house. HOLY COW. I don't know how people in the Seattle area deal with this sort of thing. I felt like I was on the verge of homicide after two full days of rain. Sheesh...

11. I have a pigeon. One pigeon. He (she?) hangs out in the nooks of the architecture on my house and I hear him in the morning. I've named him "Blue".

Other than that, we're getting settled and I think I may be unpacking boxes for the rest of my life. I am looking forward to getting everything put away, and I'm not even sure where I'm moving the furniture yet...it's kind of hard to find a place for everything when it is such a mess. We'll get there, I'm sure.

Urp...

2009-04-30T02:48:00.000-07:00

I was hoping I'd be able to escape, but maybe I was just fooling myself.

It IS kind of hard to escape the odds when they're stacked against you.

And while I'm not 100% SURE, it is looking like....

I have the stomach flu the kids had last week.

Ugh. My belly hurts.

The Other White Meat Flu

2009-04-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

In the news today....

"Pork producers are trying to get people to stop calling the disease swine flu, and Obama notably referred to it Wednesday only by its scientific name, H1N1. U.N. animal health expert Juan Lubroth noted some scientists say “Mexican flu” would be more accurate..."

So, the WHO upgrades this panemic to a level 5 today. People are sick, sick, sick and lots of important medical-type people are concerned. And in the middle of this article of doom and gloom and predictions of bazillions of people succumbing to the equivalent of BLACK DEATH, they insert this silly bit about what they're calling it into the article.

In other news, but we can't have any you know...DEATH or anything soiling the good reputation or name of a really yummy loin roast or boneless chop. I think the new marketing campaign for the pork industry should involve a cartoon pig wearing a surgical mask and a BBQ apron. And yes, I realize this is a serious issue, but damn it all if this was not the funniest thing I read all day today.

Oh, and on a side note, evidently the Mexicans are all up in arms about the term "Mexican Flu", too. It is even funnier that this was mentioned AFTER the whole pork industry "issue".

Whew...

2009-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Moving with three kids is exhausting, even if it's only a short distance.

And did I mention the house has a cool winding staircase? It does. And I'm so not digging it while I'm hauling box after box after box after box up the thing.

Whew...I'm gettin' a workout.

Rose Colored Glasses...

2009-04-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, the house! Pictures will most definitely follow, but you'll have to be patient with me until I get in there and take some!

So, anyway...my house. I love this house. I've driven past this particular house a billion times or so since I've lived here and I would always look at it. Hmm...I wonder what that house looks like on the inside?? I LOVE THAT HOUSE!! Too bad it's not for sale. I haven't really mentioned it, but I've been looking at houses for the past several months, not just in town, but all over Frederick County. I had made an offer on a foreclosure in Feb, and my offer was rejected. There was another house in town I had looked at twice and and while I liked it and it would have been a good home for us, it just seemed to be missing something. I made an offer on it anyway back in March and wouldn't you know, the very next day...

The house that I LOVED came on the market and for $30k less than the place I had made an offer on.

I wasn't even going to go look at it. I had made an offer on the other place, and while they hadn't accepted, it just seemed kind of like I was backing out of a deal or something. I hemmed and hawed about it the entire afternoon and finally thought, "What the heck? I might as well go look and see what it looks like inside. I've always wondered and now's my chance".

One step into the foyer and I was done. I told my agent to withdraw my original offer on the other place and we wrote an offer on MY house. Seriously, I was practically in tears I loved it so much. I knew from the get-go that if this fell through, I was going to be crushed. I was emotionally involved from the start, which I know is never a good thing. Long story short, everything went uncommonly well and now....I'm a homeowner!

But, it's funny.

When I first walked into that house, I had the rose colored glasses on. I saw tons and tons of potential, I saw OUR stuff in that house, I saw Christmas and thought how absolutely breathtaking it will be with lights. I saw a home. The next time I was in there with the inspector, who was awesome (!!!), I saw some issues, but nothing major thank God. All the systems are two years old, the kitchen has been redone and is new and there are mostly new windows. But, ok, so I need to make a few minor repairs.

So, we did the final walkthrough yesterday before closing and now I'm seeing just how dirty it is. The house had been a rental and it should come as no surprise that rental people don't always leave the place better than they found it because they have no investment in it. The house has been vacant for some time, too...it's filthy. All the baseboards need cleaning, all the chair rails and molding. There's cobwebs everywhere. The kitchen has food stuck to the counter and don't even get me started on the bathrooms.

So, today....day ONE of being a homeowner will be spent with a pair of rubber gloves and a bucket of bleach water scrubbing the house from top to bottom.

But not before Ryan's baseball game and then Joe has practice this afternoon and then we're going to a cookout tonight...sigh.

This is why I'm taking a week to move in. My calendar is pretty busy as of late. Sheesh!!

Erin's Artwork...

2009-04-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

This card was in Erin's backpack the other day. She said it was to Joe from Miss Tiggs...it made me sad, but it also made me smile. My sweet, sweet baby girl.

Hmmm....

2009-04-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what I bought today?

Kid Highlights of the Day

2009-04-19T18:56:00.001-07:00

So, Joe and I are in Quizno's this evening and the song, "Keep on Dancin'" is playing over the speakers and right there while we're waiting in line, he just breaks out and starts to bust a move. He's doing some sort of hybrid Saturday Night Fever thing mixed in with a little of the robot and I mean, he's taking up quite a bit of space in the store and it's not like we were the only people in there. I just busted out laughing and next thing I knew we were both laughing and he's still going. Then the people behind the counter were cracking up...it was pretty funny and I have no idea where that came from, but I hope he does it more often.

On the way home from picking Erin and Bee up from their father's house, we got into a fifteen minute heated discussion about why an earthworm wouldn't make a good Webkinz. "It would just be a stupid tube with no eyes and no face!!" I guess it would be easy to manufacture then, huh?

I found a big piece of bubblewrap today and laid it out on the living room floor. The kids and I took turns doing Riverdance on the thing before bedtime. Poppity pop pop pop POP POPOPOPP....Michael Flatley's got nuthin on us, yo.

Miss Tiggs 1996-2009

2009-04-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

You will be missed, good cat.

A Big Thank You and Meh.

2009-03-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

A super big thank you from Dave (the Lt.) for donating to St. Baldricks this year. He beat his goal of $500 and brought in $720 when it was all said and done, and the venue he participated in rasied over $68k. That rocks!

And here he is with a big smile during the shaving. I think it's because his "barber" is a cute blonde. ;)

In other news, lots of busy stuff going on and hopefully I'll have something blog-worthy soon. It's been same old, same old for the most part, just more of it. My training partner is leaving work, which means I'll move up in seniority in my position. Unfortunately, it doesn't include a raise, however it does have other perks. I get the big desk, yo.

Missed blogging Tim M's birthday on the 7th, so I apologize and wish you a way-cool belated birthday for the CSM!!

Other than that? I got nuthin.

Well, wait...I do have one thing...but it's not ready yet, so you'll have to wait. ;P

Favorite Quote of the Week and Birthday Miscellaneous

2009-03-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

So my favorite quote of the week comes from Erin, who has a loose tooth.

"Mama! My teeth are having a party in my mouth!"

"Huh?"

"My teeth! They're singing happy birthday to the new tooth."

I love it.

And thank you thank you thank you for all the birthday wishes and presents. I do believe this was the best birthday ever and Lord knows I made out like a bandit. ;)

Thank you!!!

You Have GOT to See This.

2009-02-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

Want to Hear Something Funny?

2009-02-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

So, Erin got this purple heart bauble-y locket necklace from school the other day and she wore it to Joe's basketball game today. While we were there, she opens it up to show me a note that she had folded into an itty-bitty little square. She unfolds the note and there is a picture that she's drawn on the notepaper.

Wouldn't you expect it to be a heart maybe? Her brothers? Flowers and butterflies? She is, after all, a girly girl.

Keep in mind that I could not really figure out what it was that she had drawn so...I asked.

"Erin, what is this a picture of?"

"Ribs, Mama. It's me eating BBQ ribs!"

(pause....)

"Ribs? Why??"

"Because I love them so much."

I am still giggling.

What the Heck...

2009-02-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

I think I'd be pretty scared of her.

And I suspect she was ejected from the SUV because her Guinness Book of World Records fingernails prevented her from fastening a seatbelt.

She's lucky she wasn't impaled.

Because I'm Not Participating This Year

2009-02-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

But my friend is...He is a firefighter (Loo ten ant) in IL, and this is his third year as a St. Baldricks shavee (some of you old time bloggers probably remember Pam's mom doing this a few years ago??). Good guy, great cause and really, what's $10 or $25 in the grand scheme of things? Even though you don't know him...he's good people and he's trying to raise at least $500 bucks.

Go give a few pennies..:)

Clickety click click...

WARNING

2009-01-27T14:34:00.001-08:00

How much fun would it be to work for the National Weather Service?

We are currently under a Winter Storm Warning. It reads the usual expected stuff with a WSWg (Ooh...government peeps LOVE their acronyms!), 2-4 more inches of snow followed by 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch of ice after midnight. And that's it.

I think they should dress that up and end it with something ominous like, "YOU'VE BEEN WARNED."

Squint your eyes when you say it.

It just sounds so much cooler. I think tomorrow I'll track a phone number down for the peeps at the NWS and make the suggestion.

A Good Read...

2009-01-26T16:52:00.001-08:00

Thanks, I'm not Benny.

Go read.

Hey! It's Cold!

2009-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

Like, single digit cold, which is uncommon for this neck of the woods. I put out some Cat Chow for the black and white cat (b/w cat is a stray that periodically engages in heated arguments with Miss Tiggs thorough the sliding glass door in my kitchen) along with a box with a big foomfy blanket if he wants to curl up, and a ton of birdseed for the cardinals and finches. I just avoid going out if possible, but the critters don't have much choice but to weather it outside.

I think it's going to be an extra pair of socks kind of weekend. Rah.

Birthday in the House

2009-01-15T02:42:00.001-08:00

Who is five today?

My littlest bit, that's who.

Happy birthday, sweet boy! Mama loves you.

Listiness from IN Benny

2009-01-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Because I'm Not Benny promised me cheesecake of death and he's a good bloggy friend AND because he's feeling listy, we have...

A list.

1. What is your occupation right now?
Training instructor with the MoCo Police Dept. And resident smartass. And knower of all important police people. Police people with high rank even. Police people who know how to get things done. Do you get what I'm sayin' here?

2. What color are your socks right now?
I am sockless at the moment. Naked feet!

3. What are you listening to right now?
Kids playing Wii.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
A piece of the Bee's birfday cake. Mmmm....chocolate and vanilla ice creamy goodness with crunchy choco bits in the middle, yo. It's the devil.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
I can. Can I drive a stick shift well? Not so much. I usually leave rubber on the pavement when taking off from a stop.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Joe's dad. He called to yell obsceneties into the phone when he pulled up to his house and realized that he needs to shovel snow. Again.

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Well, I was tagged, really. And I did get a Christmas present from him this year.....

8. How old are you today?
37. And that's all I have to say about that.

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
I am going to have to say football. Love going to baseball and hockey games, but with football, you definitely have a much better seat in your living room. Unless you happen to have seats on the 50 yd line, and even then...I think it's better at home.

10. What is your favorite drink?
I am going to have to say the Starbucks Grande nonfat Chai Latte. Or Diet Pepsi. But really good ice cold milk rocks, too.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes. It was horrible.

12. Favorite food?
I'm on this crazy goat cheese and fruit kick right now. Red seedless grapes and crisp, juicy apples with a little schmear of goat cheese? Holy, holy...

13. What is the last movie you watched?
Wall-E. You should see it.

14. Favorite day of the year?
The first day of vacation in N. Myrtle Beach with the kids.

15. How do you vent anger?
High profile crime.

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Probably my stuffed animals.

17. What is your favorite season?
Autumn.

18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Not blueberries.

19. Living arrangements?
ME + kid + kid + kid + cat + mouse

20. When was the last time you cried?
The other day.

21. What is on the floor of your closet?
My uniform, my boots, a bunch of shoes, hand weights, a gym bag.

22. What did you do last night?
I went to bed. Reeeeeeally early.

23. What are you most afraid of?
The econonmy is scaring me as of late.

24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Mmmm hmmm...and how!

25. Favorite dog breed?
I think I like mutts. But pretty much any dog that is sweet and trained and that needs a loving home would be my favorite.

26. Favorite day of the week?
I think I like Saturday best, but (and you'll think I'm crazy...) Monday.

27. How many states have you lived in?
3.

28. Diamonds or pearls?
Love me some diamonds.

29. What is your favorite flower?
Purple Iris. And pretty much any springtime first...tulips, crocus, daffodils. Ooh and sunflowers.

Feeling listy? Have at it!

WTF

2009-01-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone else think the Hillshire Farms "Go Meat!" commercials are particularly distrubing???

It's like a trainwreck...I can't look away.

Mouse 3, Laura 0

2009-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

I had read on the evil internet about a homemade have-a-heart kind of trap so I decided to give it a whirl.

The object is to get something the mouse cannot get out of (such as a glass vase with slippery sides or a bucket...), provide him a way to drop into said slippery sided thing, add a treat to tempt him to leap and retrieve one crafty, but humbled mouse. Ah ha!!!!

Yeah, not so much.

He got in, managed to get out and took the wheat thin smeared with peanut butter with him.

Not once but twice.

Oh, it's on all right.

2008 and a Plan

2009-01-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, 2008. You were a year filled with unbelievable highs and soul-crushing lows. Journeys came to an end and new ones began, and I will continue to try to find my way to the best of my ability. I will not be afraid to ask for help.

2009? I will be good. I will forgive and forget. I will be the better person in the face of abject jackassery. I will be kind and patient and understanding. I will be a friend and I will let others be a friend to me. I will be strong and I will not fear weakness. I will hope and I will have faith.

2009 will be a better year. Who knows? Perhaps it will be the best year ever.

"...Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again... So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. In Memphis, talking to you. I have ice in my glass... And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring? "

~Castaway, 2000

Happy New Year, everyone.

Thanks to C5!

2008-12-29T19:02:00.001-08:00

One name.

Brett Dennen.

Google and find and listen. I am so totally digging this guy.

Or, if you're really lazy, you can pop over to Christie's blog and watch the sweet video she made of a year in the life. The second song on the video is Dennen.

Thanks for the introduction to this guy, C5!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, my bloggy friends.

May you find yourselves content in all you have, rich with blessings and grateful for friends and family this Christmas season.

Even Though INB Thinks It is Lame...

2008-12-22T02:40:00.000-08:00

To post Youtube videos...I'm doing it anyway. ;P

Go listen.

Now THAT'S Funny

2008-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

"Today, churches in Lima and Cuzco still display Indian depictions of the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples eating roasted guinea pig."

Do you think I can get a print of that on black velvet?

You can read aaaaaallllll about it here.

the 80's Called...

2008-12-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

They want their laser portraits back.

I am so sending mine in.

My White Whale

2008-12-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

Dear Little Fieldmouse,
Yes, I found ~evidence~ of you again today which totally blew my theory that you had "moved on". I'm sorry to have taken your food cache yet again and that little "home" you'd made out of some quilt batting looked quite cozy for one very sweet and small fieldmouse, but come on....did you think I'd be able to just leave it there? It's one thing if you are squatting in my laundry room undetected, but having found you changes the dynamics of that all together. While I didn't actually see you in there tonight, I felt like you were watching me much like someone watches their house burn down.

That's my stuff! She's taking my stuff!!!

And how pathetic am I for feeling badly about that???

I see you have foiled the traps again, as well. Peanut butter is good, isn't it? And I'll bet you look especially cute licking it off the roof of your mouth. FYI, the hav-a-heart traps are coming out next, but that sort of poses a new problem, doesn't it? What will I do with you if I catch you? It's too cold to just fling you outside, and besides, knowing you, you'll beat me back to the front door anyway. So...what to do?

I'll tell you what I'll do with you. I'll keep you safe and warm in a cage and feed you properly until spring. And then fling you out the door.

Your Days are Numbered (and at the rate I'm going, that number is probably upwards of about 349),
The Management

Mom, I am so blaming you and genetics for this ridiculousness. It's a mouse! But one very clever mouse...

I Love

2008-12-09T19:07:00.001-08:00

I love a happy ending.

And Speaking of Lame Videos of Songs You Might be Ashamed to Admit to Liking...

2008-12-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

Love the hair.

Mmm.

2008-12-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

Dear Cat

2008-12-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Cat,
Please stop ripping around the house chasing things that aren't there. You're starting to freak me out.

Love,
Your Owner

Seven Random

2008-12-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Leesa tagged me. :)

So.
Seven random things? I don't know if I can come up with seven.

1. I'm really restless lately. Not sure what's the reason for that really, but I feel like something's missing. Maybe I'm just wrestling with the big issues. Again. Maybe I'm just bored. Again.

2. I used to be somewhat of a neat freak. Before kids, back in the day when I had my own apartment (I know..I can barely even remember what that was like), I was NOT happy unless I could see lines in the carpet from the vacuum. All the cans had to be facing forward in the cabinet, organized by food type (veggies, broken down into green, yellow and "other"), I did dishes immediately after they were dirty, I made the bed every day, etc...Enter single parenthood with three kids, a full time job and school and yeah. Those lines in the carpet from the vacuum? The least of my concerns now.

3. I'm really homesick. I wanted to go back to IL for Thanksgiving but it wasn't in the cards. I was thinking of going back for Christmas, and while in the divorce agreement I COULD, I won't. Mike's family is coming in (from IL, of all places) and I don't want to screw that up for them or the kids. They are looking forward to seeing their cousins. I already know what you're thinking, and more than one person has voiced it already. Save it.

4. I still haven't caught the mouse. Neither has the cat.

5. I have three art projects on hold. I want to finish at least one before the year is through, but with the holidays, we'll see how the time plays out. Speaking of the year being through, can you believe THAT? I feel like I need to stop and look behind me. Maybe I can still see this past year, but holy cow, it flew.

6. I miss the treadmill. I haven't been on the darn thing in over a month, which is pathetic. I have the "work treadmill" and the "home treadmill". I've had students for the past four weeks, which kind of puts my whole day into crazy-busy mode. I have to keep on top of other things as well as my classroom and it puts the ka-bosh on treadmilling at lunch, which is what I do when I don't have a class in session. I am at the academy all next week, but after that, I will resume my daily run during lunchtime. My home treadmill is on the way out. Something is wearing funny on the underside of the thing and I can hear it when I increase the speed. I moved it the other day and there was a little pile of ground up something underneath..maybe part of the tread? I don't know. It was black and looked like ground up rubber. So. That's only a matter of time before we say goodbye. The treadmill is quite old and I've been looking at Craigslist for a replacement. I can get a better one than what I've got for next to nothing, especially with the economy being in the toilet. People are more than willing to unload stuff for cheap. Still looking at 5ks, but my race buddy has had a hellish few months, including a knee injury so he's out of commision until at least Jan.

7. The aniversary of my father's passing is coming up. Four years. I don't feel like I think about him as often as I should and I feel kind of guilty about that. It's funny....right at this very minute, Ryan is blowing a duck call that belonged to my dad. And instead of thinking about how I miss him, all I can think of is how when we were kids, the duck call was totally off limits. You didn't even bother asking if you could blow it. It's a nice call..out of curiousity, I just googled it and they're fetching between $300 and $500 on eBay, but it's funny how that could have been a treasured memory involving my father, and instead it's not.

There ya go. Seven.

Who's next?

How about...

C5
Tim Austin, Astronaut
Marianna rhymes with banana
and Dave. I'm not linking you since I have no idea why you changed your blog address.

Enjoy!

Ooh.....Pretty!

2008-12-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

We put up the Christmas decorations this afternoon and I must say that I believe this to be the prettiest tree ever. The kids were awesome helpers and they did a fantastic job!!

And...

It's snowing.

HEE HEE!!!!!

ANNND...

Tonight, we're going here to see the lights and tomorrow we're going here, because Boyd's has ~the~ most awesome Santa I've ever seen. And the place is really cool.

Way to Go, Guys....

2008-12-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm proud of you. Excellent work...

Read here...

Oh and FYI

2008-12-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have been pulling addresses off the internet to mail Christmas cards and I wondered what comes up under MSN White Pages for my name.

For some reason, MSN insists I live at the ambulance company. I do not live at 27 N. Church St..

FYI.

It's Time

2008-12-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,
I would like a spiffy new address book for Christmas, preferrably a nice leather-bound book that will last a lifetime. Nothing cutesy or crude, nothing with kittens or cartoon characters because, well, that's just really not my thing. And considering I just went through my old address book to address my Christmas cards and half the people in there are divorced, deceased or have moved, some more than once, I think it's time I get a new address book.

I've been good this year. Really.

Thanks and there will be an extra cookie for you on the coffee table this year.

~Laura Fitzgerald

Impatient

2008-11-30T12:36:00.001-08:00

The older I get, the more impatient I am becoming. Or maybe it's less tolerant I'm becoming. Or maybe it's both.

No, Really?

2008-11-29T15:29:00.003-08:00

Me: Blah, blah, blah, blah...

My BFF: Blah, blah, blah, blah...

Me: I know, but it beats getting trampled to death in a Long Island Wal-Mart.

My BFF (who happens to be from Long Island): I know! Did you hear about that?

Me: No! Hear about what? I didn't hear a thing. I just pulled that out of thin air just then.

My BFF: Shut up. You're a nerd.

I so need to figure out what to get him for Christmas.

Stuffing!

2008-11-28T14:25:00.001-08:00

So, Shaka Khan IM'd me today and told me he might not have gotten enough gravy this Thanksgiving, but that his veins are full of stuffing. So, if I cut you will you bleed stuffing? What if I accidently hit an artery? You did specifically say "veins". Arterial gravy bleed? Because I might want in on that, B.

Now..I made ham. I like ham. But it's not turkey, the epicenter of all things Thanksgiving. BEHOLD THE TURKEY! Did you hear angels just then? You weren't listening closely enough.

Yeah, well, Joe doesn't like turkey.

So, I made traditional ham fixins. In other words, we were without stuffing.

Today? All I could think about was stuffing. People could have been dropping like flies around me and I'd have been oblivious. I'm sorry, did you say, "Stuffing?". No, you said "ebola", your eyes started bleeding and they you were a goner.

Just step over the body and let's get back to the stuffing.

So, Me No Benny, my friend, quit rubbing the stuffing issue in, or I might have to come up there and get all vampire on yo a$$.

And speaking of I'm Not Benny, you really all should go have a read. He's coo, yo. Word.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

Anyone shopping today??

Happy...

2008-11-27T02:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, All!!

This year, it's me, Joe, a really good ham and some odds and ends fixins. And one CHOCOLATE PIE for dessert. Oh yeah...

What are your plans??

Would You?

2008-11-24T14:32:00.001-08:00

Would you spend $19.50 for hot chocolate?

I think I would.

This, That and Some Blah Blah Blah

2008-11-23T16:07:00.001-08:00

I woke up this morning at about a quarter after four with a gushing bloody nose. It was quite a shock really, seeing as how I haven't had one since I was a small child. I woke up to it dripping rapidly out of my nose and I remember thinking, "Was I crying in my sleep? Why are there tears?" which was quickly replaced with, "Holy crap that's blood...direct pressure!!". Needless to say, I didn't have my contacts in, it was dark anyway, I was half asleep and I had moved the folded clothes from the bed last night to the floor which provided a perfect obstacle for me to trip over so by the time I actually made it to the bathroom for some tissue, my bedroom looked like a forensics experiment in spatter patterns and I'm still finding it in places like the lightswitch cover in the bathroom, etc...

Nice.

I have a bad cold. Probably why I couldn't taste the blood this morning. I've got quite the stuffy head and cough to match. I'm looking like a million bucks, I tell you. Sigh.

It's just me and Joe for Thanksgiving and I've been hemming and hawing about what we can do to make our own special Thanksgiving tradition when it's just the two of us. So far I've got....nothing. I might surprise him with a new board game or something that we can do on Thursday, but he's kind of in an early puberty thing I think. I'm like some kind of freak to him as of late, he seems to think I have no brain as just about everything I say to him warrants an eye roll, and who in the heck do I think I am telling him to use better manners on the telephone? He doesn't want to do too much with the mama anymore.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm making a turkey and this year I'm going to brine it first. Anyone done this before? I'd never heard of it before and found it while drooling over the new Williams-Sonoma catalog. I have been googling and evidently it's the thing to do if you want yummy, juicy turkey. I'll keep you all posted.

Work is busy.

Kid stuff keeps me busy outside of work. Joe is in basketball, Erin and Bee are in ice skating and I've been taking a class at church, so it's all hustle and bustle during the week running here and there, but it's good. I'm looking forward to a break though.

Other than that, I got nuthin. :)

The Wish Book

2008-11-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

The kids cracked open the Wish Book last night and were circling their retail goodness hopes and dreams, all of which were holy cow, hooked on consumerism worked for me, cha-ching baby, RIGHT THERE IN LIVING COLOR!!!

I remember paging through the Wish Book for hours on end while laying on the lovely circa 1969 mustard colored carpet at the house on Kingston. I can remember the excitement of Christmas being just weeks, then days away and I still have it to some degree, just on a grown up level now. Anyway, back to the book. Since Erin and Bee aren't so good at writing or spelling yet (although Erin is coming along quite well in kindergarten), I just asked them to go ahead and circle what they thought they might like from Santa.

The entire catalog is a giant ink blot. I can practically wring the thing out.

Ok, it isn't that bad, but Erin has circled some interesting items. An electronic wild west arcade game. It comes with two 14" Western-style pistols (reach for the sky) and a faux "log" with politically correct "beer" bottles to shoot off of it. It could be ours for the low, low price of $32.98 (plus tax, shipping and handling). And right next to it, she has circled the ATM Savings Bank. It comes with an ATM card that you have to swipe in order to get your balance. That could be ours for another $29.98. Moving onto the pink leopard cat bean bag chair...$69.98, matching pink leopard cat jumbo sized towel for $19.98, and so on and so on.

And so on and so on.

And on.

Aaaaand on.

:

Ryan, on the other hand wants everything police, fire, and transportation. He's easy to buy for. And cheap.

I don't remember the things in OUR Wish Book being so expensive, but I suppose it is all relative. Cough, cough...

I better transfer some money.

Busy Day

2008-11-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

Whew...

And...

2008-11-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

For those friends who are feeling Christmasy already, try this.

It's a time-waster, but it does us all good to screw off for a little bit once in awhile. :)

Grrr....

2008-11-11T03:10:00.001-08:00

That is all.

Ha HAAAA! Foiled Again!!

2008-11-09T03:07:00.001-08:00

Ok, and update on the mouse in my laundry room. I finally got around to purchasing mouse traps, and Joe happened to be with me when I purchased them. I'm sure you can imagine what all transpired in the mousetrap aisle in Target...

"What are those for, Mom?"
"There's a mouse in the laundry room and we can't have mice in the house AND the cat isn't pulling her housecat weight any more....soooooo...mousetraps!"
silence
"What????"
Silence and "the look"
"Joe, don't start with me. We CANNOT have mice in the house."

So, long story short, I've procrastinated on the trapping of the mouse because I really don't like the idea of that metal thing whacking down on the unsuspecting neck of one very cute fieldmouse either. AND..I haven't heard/seen evidence in awhile. So yay! Maybe he read that last blog post about himself and it scared him off! Or maybe the cat DID get him and I just never found the body. She's mafia like that.

Well...better safe than sorry. Yesterday, I put out the trap all slathered up with JIF peanut butter AND a small chunk of delicious colby cheese. I went about my business, half expecting to hear a WHACK! while passing by the laundry room. Nothing and before bed, I checked it. Unsprung.

This morning? As it is a bit dark in my laundry room, especially where one might expect to find a mouse, I carefully tiptoed in there and peeked over the box I had placed in front of where I put the trap and squint...squint...I can't see an effing thing. But from where I placed it, I really should have been able to see the end of the thing sticking out..hmm. I was concerned. What if that trap whacked down on a tail? Or a cute little foot? What if that poor mouse has dragged that stupid trap back into a corner where I can't reach him and he's going to die out some horrible and unthinkable SAW-like death??? I went upstairs for a flashlight.

It was gone all right. The entire trap.

But not GONE gone. It had been moved back into the corner, where it remained, unsprung.

And licked completely clean.

You Never Know How Slow the Moments Go...

2008-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Dear SHA

2008-11-07T05:39:00.001-08:00

Dear State Highway Administration,

Or should I make that "Deer" SHA?

Please, please, please pick up all nine dead deer carcasses off of Rt 270 as they are becoming quite the eyesore on my commute to and from work each day. Especially that one with the legs bent at odd angles right before Rt. 124. That really creeps me out. And that one whose legs are further and further up in the air every day due to bloating? Yeah, that one's gotta go, too.

I think it is safe to say that I implore you not only for myself but for the hundred thousand or so other commuters to drive that route daily, as well.

Thanks in advance for your prompt attention to the matter.

Yours truly,
Laura Fitzgerald

Don't Forget...

2008-11-04T06:27:00.001-08:00

And this has nothing to do with the Mo's Bacon Bar...

Make sure you exercise your right to vote today!

You Decide..and No, This has Nothing to Do With the Election.

2008-11-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

Check it out.

In my opinion, reminiscent of this.

But evidently, lots of people are digging the chocolate/bacon combination. I really don't like having bacon stuck in my teeth after I've eaten a chocolate bar, but...meh. What do I know??

Thanks for the treat (BACON! Baconbaconbaconbaconbacon! Laura doesn't know it's not bacon!!!), Poon!!!

Awake

2008-10-26T17:08:00.001-07:00

Service Announcement

2008-10-23T10:32:00.001-07:00

On hiatus unil further notice...

So, What's New?

2008-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see.

Ryan has stitches. I know! Three, top of his hand. He was playing with a metal construction tape measure, and somehow when it was retracting he must have finagled it just right and SLICE. It was a super clean cut and it barely bled at all. He didn't even really cry. I didn't see him cut it but I heard it get quiet, then a gasp from him followed by a "MAAAAAAAHM!!!!". When I saw it, there was one little teeny drop of blood and I thought it was just a scratch until he stretched out his fingers and thumb, and then the cut looked like a little mouth where I could see into the tissue of his hand. Off we went. He was good. Super good, really. Not a peep out of him the entire time at the hospital.

Joe had a birthday yesterday! The big 1-0, if you can believe that, because frankly, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that it's been TEN years since he was a brand new boy. It sure doesn't seem that long ago. Sheesh. Nonetheless, the birthday festivities went well...ice cream cake, Webkinz, Tony Hawk sweatshirt. Joe was happy.

Work is work and I'm swamped right now.

Special thanks to Poon and a good luck to him on the big test he's taking tomorrow. You'll rock, I'm sure.

Kids are good.

Life is good, but I'm still struggling with some "stuff", but it's getting better.

Dreamt about the end of the world the other night. Surreal dream, let me tell you.

Hmm..what else?

Thinking about Christmas already....eeek. And Halloween for that matter...oh and Thanksgiving! Is it just me or did this year totally fly by??

Ok, I think we're all caught up. Other than the aforementioned stuff, I got nuthin.

Because

2008-10-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

I promised to take at least one picture this weekend. My hair needs to be cut again. Sheesh. And I think this will be the kick off of 365 on flickr.

Ooh...

2008-09-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

I'm a tropical storm. With EXTRAtropical characteristics. That's superly awesome tropical in layman's terms.

Ask me about my sustained winds. No, really...go ahead.

Tired, Tired, Tired

2008-09-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it is the change of weather, the change of circumstances or some other funky thing floating in the cosmos, but I am definitely "off" as of late. I'm so effing tired. I am not sleeping well, not eating particularly well and I just feel like I could close my eyes at any given time and not wake up for 10 hours or so. I'm tired of feeling tired!

I've been trying to go through stuff at home, getting rid of things and sorting things for good will. It's a good project and I feel accomplished, but I'm sort of at that stage where now that I've started it? I HAVE to finish it and the motivation is waning. Seriously waning.

There is one of those "life size" barbies on the floor next to me. She's seriously not life size, but sh'es probably 4ft tall-ish. And creepy. She looks like a maniac with a chemically induced smile. HAHAHA LOOK WHO TOOK TOO MANY HAPPY MEDS?? HA HA HA HA HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Right before she sinks the hatchet into your skull. She's going in the garage.

Did I mention that I'm tired? Yeah..tired.

I got a present yesterday though..I'll take a photo and post it. :)

Poo Boots

2008-09-29T15:20:00.001-07:00

I really had no intention of mowing the yard this evening, but upon driving home through the neighborhood, EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING IT, so I succumbed to the peer pressure.

If half the neighborhood jumped off a bridge would you?

Probably.

Anyway, so I was just going to quickly get it done so I left my uniform on and just untucked the shirt...simple enough.

I stepped in some sort of poo (Poo, common. Non-specific.) in the backyard.

So now, my uniform boots have poo on them. I have poo boots.

:(

Poon.

2008-09-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

This Poon.

Poon need blog.

Let's all encourage Poon to start his own blog.

And...

2008-09-28T13:51:00.001-07:00

And while we're on the subject of my little obsessions...

This place has the most awesome fabric.

And so does this place. And they're literally right around the corner.

Buh Buh Buh

2008-09-28T13:11:00.001-07:00

I know I've mentioned my love for architectural salvage in the past, but wow....THIS is just a dream. It would definitely be in my best interest to steer as clear as possible from Cleveland while traveling back to IL next time. I could get lost in here for days.

This place is also cool, but just a smidge less than the other. And it's local. Eeek!

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!!

Bad News

2008-09-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

Bad news on a Sunday morning.

Ron called me this morning with that news, among other not so bad things, but it will definitely cast a shadow on the day.

You can see them here., but I have no idea which pilots/medics were involved.

Angel Food

2008-09-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

My partner at work told me about this thing called Angel Food, so I checked it out and decided to give it a whirl.

It's food...like restaurant grade food, individually sealed meats, veggies, boxed/canned goods, etc... You buy it (it was as easy as using my PayPal account online) and then go pick it up (bring a box) at the designated site. And it's a great deal!! I paid $50 this month, got the September box ($30)(You can see the menu here) and the 6lb assorted meat grill box ($20). Basically, you get a ton of food for next to nothing. We are set for meat for at least the next two weeks, and it's not crap meat either. Angel Food isn't a "charity" so to speak and there were probably 150 people there this morning picking up...but what's really cool? If you don't need this or are looking for the opportunity to make a difference in your community, you can go buy this for next to nothing and donate it all to your local food bank, or give it to someone you know who might be struggling.

Just a thought...

We're leaving shortly to drop off the owl-sickle....

Two Stupid Things

2008-09-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

Two stupid things this past week...

Number one:

Me: "How big is the large pizza?"
Girl: "It's 8 pieces"

Crickets chirping...

I refrained from telling her that you could, theoretically, have a pizza that was two inches in diameter and a second pizza that was fifteen feet in diameter and if you cut them...oh say...like a PIZZA? You'd have eight pieces. One of said hypothetical pizzas would take about five seconds to eat and the other a month and a half. Still, eight pieces.

Me: "Wow! Eight pieces?? It must be huge. I'll take it. Half cheese and half pepperoni."

Number two:

I have to give you some background on this one...we were talking about witnessed abductions where you have a vehicle description...and Lojack and Onstar GPS equipped vehicles. It's common knowledge that Lojack can locate your vehicle if the alarm is activated, and evidently OnStar is catching up.

Class member number one: "Onstar can locate a vehicle, too"
Brainiac class member #2: "Only if the vehicle is equipped with OnStar"

No, really?

Oh, so I can't just call in to OnStar and tell them it was a green Chevy Cavalier and they can't just magically give the location of EVERY green Chevy Cavalier on the face of the earth? OnStar you suck!

And there actually was a third from the class:

More background from the class. Everyone knows what a runaway is, right? Well a "thrown away child" is a child that is missing where the parents/guardian make no attempt to locate them. Like, say a kid with a long history of running away and the parents just quit calling the police when the kid doesn't show up.

Different brainiac class member" "So, could a thrown away child be like a newborn baby that someone dropped off at the hospital and left?"

Ah....no. Because then the child is not MISSING, now is it?

I was in the presence of genius, I tell you.

Week Stuff

2008-09-26T02:50:00.001-07:00

Has this week been exceptionally long for anyone else? Good grief. I really have nothing to report that's interesting or fun. Work has been work, I attended a class at the State Police Academy yesterday that was good. It was about developing best practices for dealing with missing/abducted kids. Scared me a bit, actually. The numbers of children who go missing every year is staggering. But something cool about the academy is that it is the grounds for the Springfield State Hospital, which (I believe) still has active buildings for psychiatric treatment. However, there is a large portion of the hospital that is..

ABANDONED. And you know how much I love that stuff!! I spent my lunch hour wandering around the grounds, wanting desperately to get inside. And can I just say that there were several unsecured windows with which I could have easily gained access? I was good. And I was in uniform. It probably would have been pretty bad to have to call my boss to bail me out when I was supposed to be at a paid police class, huh? I'm going to see if I can get in there legit and take some pics. I took a bunch outside, but so far they're not spectacular and I have to finish looking through them.

I finally finished a table I'd been working on for quite some time. It's in my living room now and is holding up a television...

It turned out cool and I'm quite pleased with it. I ended up covering the entire thing with a coat of epoxy resin, which works like epoxy adhesive. You mix the two things together, pour it over the top, spread it evenly and it hardens into a thick, shiny topcoat. I am digging it.

Other than that, we've been busy with baseball, kids, meetings after work, etc...

Plus I've had a ridiculous amount of heavyness on my mind, which is finally starting to lift a bit.

AAACK!

2008-09-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought it would be so difficult to unload a dead owl??? DNR, declined. Taxidermist in town, declined, however they did refer me to someone who MIGHT want it. That person already has three.

Crickets chirping...

But, he had the name of someone who might want it. I've left a message.

Not to mention that this is highly illegal (I've been reminded by two of the aforementioned people I've spoken to, although they differed on the fine amount). I have a contraband dead owl in my downstairs refrigerator!!!!! I might as well have a meth lab and a couple kilos of cocaine down there...the fine is less.

Update!!!

Yay! We have a taker for the dead owl! County Parks is taking him.

Diabetics, Baseball, Dead Owls and God

2008-09-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

Quite a title, no?

First up, diabetics/baseball. I dropped Joe off at his baseball game on Saturday morning and I had to run into town to return a movie. On the way home, there was an elderly gentleman walking on the sidewalk and at first I thought he was just nuts. He was talking to someone, only there was no one there. So, as I watched him in the rearview mirror, I saw him stumble, regain his balance and then completely fall over into the street. Whipped the truck around and called 911 for the ambulance. He was breathing, not in any pain, yadda yadda...long story short, his blood glucose was 51. Kind of low. Low enough to cause his diaphoresis and disorientation as well as a lack of balance. We boarded him (he DID fall and crack his head, but I don't think he had any back/neck issues) and off they went to the hospital. It was funny...I pulled my truck up into the entrance to the car dealership in town and didn't really give it a second thought. When they were off in the ambulance with the patient, I started walking back to my truck only...my truck was gone. I had left the keys in it and running and I was all set to get reeeeeally angry. SOMEONE STOLE MY TRUCK WHILE I WAS HELPING THE AMBULANCE CREW??? You have GOT to be effing kidding me! Turns out, the car dealership moved it onto their lot. Heh heh heh....whew. Saved me some pissed-offed-ness. I went to the baseball game and watched my son's team lose with a final score of 6-5. Such is life.

When I go to Mike's to pick up the kids on Sunday evening, we drive through the Catoctin National Park, which is cool. The roads are wind-y and curvy and the trees are very tall. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of roadkill...blech. In fact when we drove to get the kids, no dead deer. On the way back, two. And as I was bemoaning the person in front of me who was abiding by the speed limit (good grief, who does THAT anymore??), I saw something come tumbling out from under his car. I knew what it was and it was still flopping around. So, once again, I whipped the truck around and picked it up. It was still breathing/moving when I got it, but it's neck was broken and it died about a minute later. He is an Eastern Screech Owl and he is now chilling in my downstairs fridge where he will remain until I can drop him off with the DNR tomorrow. He's absolutely gorgeous and in perfect condition. They have "stuffed" animals on display for educational purposes at the state park birds of prey aviary , so if someone can benefit from this poor little guy getting run over, then I'm all for that. He really is quite something. You should see his talons. Holy cow. I'd take some pics, but you all probably think I'm nuts for picking up roadkill. Except Leesa, who can relate wholeheartedly. /snicker...
How about this? When he's on "display", I'll pop into the aviary and take a picture or two. Much better....

Now, the big one. God. If you've been reading me long enough, you know that faith has never been something I could wrap my head or my heart around. It isn't that I didn't try to live by Christian standards. In fact, I've tried very hard to be strong in the name of that which is "right" and adhere to solid, Christian principles, but something was always missing. Genuine belief and faith. And, as it turns out, a whole lot of other stuff that I never even knew existed. Not that I didn't want it, because for a very long time, I've desperately wanted it. In a very brief nutshell, I found it. This past two weeks have been completely life-changing. Literally. There's a story. And it's an amazing story of difficulty, turmoil, hope and love, excruciating pain and finally incredible joy. And pain, did I mention the pain??? So I'm writing it.

I'll let you all read it when it's finished. :)

But in the meantime, I've found it quite necessary and emergent to make some changes. Things had to go, including the MySpace. Not that MySpace is a bad thing in itself, but I don't care for the drama that inevitably seems to follow along and I've no time for it. I am aligning myself in the right way, and it is as if I have new eyes and ears and nothing looks the same. You'll read soon enough.

For now, it's Sunday night and I have backpacks to pack, lunches to make and a pillow and blanket with my name on them.

Theft.

2008-09-19T02:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks M!

Start with your name:
Lah-Ooh-Rah

If your ex REALLY needed you at 3 am, would you go to his/her house?
Which ex? I suppose, yes.

When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face?
The last time I wanted to, I did it...closed fist, square in the mouth. And I'll never do it again. But for the record, we still laugh about it.

What are the last three things you spent money on?
Lunch, Superglue, Milk

What was the last thing you cried about?
Faith.

Could you go a day without eating?
Yes. Done it. For much longer, even.

Have you ever kissed anyone whose name started with a J?
Kissed a few "J"s, actually.

Do you smoke weed regularly?
Ah..no. Can't say I want to either.

Drugs are bad?
Not all of them.

Has anyone ever told you they're in love with you?
Yes. I believe he said, "I fucking love you, Laura", which of course elevates that status.

When was the last time you were disappointed?
Really, honestly and truly disappointed? It's been awhile.

Has a girl ever seriously punched you?
Negatron

What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
A toothbrush.

Have you kissed two different people in one night?
Yes, but not for a very, very long time.

Is it easy for others to make you feel awkward?
Oh, hell no.

In the past week have you felt stupid?
Not particularly. A few weeks ago? Different story.

What's the age difference between you and the last person you kissed?
4 years and some change.

Have you ever been outside completely naked?
I have. It isn't a big deal, unless it's cold.

What would happen if you had a baby with the last person you kissed?
Under the right circumstances, it would be heaven.

Who did you text the most yesterday?
Poon! (and P...As you can see, I've recovered from the parasitic leeching of my life's blood. Literally.)

What were you doing at 10pm Friday night?
Probably cleaning.

What are your plans for today?
Work, home, baseball game, home, bed

Could you go the rest of your life without smoking a cigarette?
No prob.

What was the last reason you went to the doctor for?
Er...I'd rather not say. It's nothing bad and some of you already know.

What is the last thing you yelled aloud?
Motrin!

What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Beaches!

Do you have any gay/lesbian friends?
Yes, I do.

Have you ever kissed the last person you texted?
Nope.

What's one action you do when you're really nervous?
I stop talking.

Would you rather give up the computer or the TV?
TV. Gone. Bye. Won't be missed.

Do you find yourself saying mean things to people over the internet that you wouldn't say to their face?
Nope. I tend not to say "mean" things, in general. Harsh, maybe. Tough, perhaps. but downright "MEAN"? Nah...and I've thought them out well in advance of saying them so if you're reading them, you'll probably be hearing them, as well.

One word that explains perfectly how you feel at the moment?
Calm.

What did the last text message you received say?
Does it keep vampires away?

Do you care if people hate you for no reason?
There's always a reason, even if they won't fess up to it. I like to know the reason.

How hard is your life right now?
"Hard" is a relative term. I'm doing well!

Have you ever taken anyone for granted?
First husband and now I'm very conscious of it and VERY appreciative.

Dear...

2008-09-15T14:09:00.001-07:00

Dear Sweet and Cute Little Fieldmouse Living in my Laundry Room,
Ah ha! I've gotten a good look at you now and while yes, you are very sweet, and yes, you are very cute and yes, you are very small, you cannot stay. I know, I know....you don't eat much and you don't take up THAT much space, but if I let you stay, next thing I know, there will be 4000 of your closest family and friends living in my laundry room. And we can't have that.

Now, I do have a question for you. Normally that large black and gray stripey cat is pretty good at staying on top of such "issues", however I've seen her in the not-so-distant past LAYING ON THE FLOOR of the laundry room. So, I'm wondering just what kind of deal you've made with the cat. Hmmm....

Consider this your warning. Yes, I know winter is coming. You need to leave, and soon, unless of course you are willing to fold all of the socks in said laundry room. Yeah..I didn't think so.

You've been put on notice, mouse.

Sincerely,
The Landlord

Wow, I Suck!

2008-09-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

Friends....

2008-09-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

You know what? For as much as I blogged not so very long ago about not having any real-life friends, I have to say that has certainly changed. And maybe I just didn't realize it before, but I should consider myself fortunate.

I had forgotten just how close the police department is, and I also had forgotten how good it feels to have those people in my life. I am grateful.

So thanks, Ron (you totally rock), John (even when you're pissed at me), Rob (suh-mile) , Poon (we're photoing soon...), Nancy (my sarcasm mentor), Jim (always have an ear), Kathy (the biggest heart ever), Rose (we need to find some trouble soon), Charles (lunch Wednesday??), Mike (thanks for having my back), Greg (dude, Singapore Noodle, burn it..Monday!!!) and so on and so on. And even the people I don't know all that well (yet)...You guys make a difference more than you know.

:)

Six!

2008-09-11T02:33:00.001-07:00

SIX!!! Can you believe THAT??

And That is Why...

2008-09-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

There is sort of a side-effect of working in my line of work. You inevitably develop this odd, almost black sense of humor that is pretty close to being downright offensive. But if you're close to anyone in public safety, or happen to partake yourself, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Horrible and unthinkable have to be processed, or you'll lose your mind.

So without any further explanation, this is for one very specific person...

Thanks for the laugh yesterday. You have shown yourself to be just as twisted and macabre as me (not that there was any doubt, really, considering you've told me some horrible stories of your own involving people being sliced to ribbons in rotor accidents. That whole Army aviation thing..I know.) and all I can say is that it is a damn good thing I will not be attending the service because I would likely have to excuse myself if you and I made eye contact. Would it be rude to be laughing during the funeral?? Especially with all things considered!!! I don't think the others would find it quite so funny. But truth be told, I'm still chuckling to myself.

I suck.
But so do you.
We suck.
Bad.

But I can't think of anyone else I'd rather suck with.

And that even sounds wrong, dude.

But that is why...

YOU TOTALLY ROCK.

Goat-licious

2008-09-08T14:50:00.001-07:00

So, today my friend Charles and I went to an Indian restaurant/buffet for lunch. They had typical buffet stuff (ok, not really) and it was all quite good, but they had one thing in particular.

Now before I go into said "particular", I was quite happy with the chicken. Each kind of chicken actually. Tandoori Chicken, something called Butter Chicken and Chili Chicken (? Think General Tsao without the sauce), but then Charles had to give me his snarky, over-the-glasses look followed by, "Oh, not trying the goat??".

I know a challenge when I smell one. And a goat, for that matter.

It was your run of the mill Goat Curry, which was quite good. Chunks of meatiness in a thick curry sauce-spicy, but not offensively so. What threw me was that I could not identify the "part" of the goat because there were some strange looking bones in there and the closest thing I could reason was vertebrae. I'm thinking neck, but who the heck knows.

Either way, for those who have never had it, it's a lot like pot roast. Only it's goat roast. And it's worth a taste.

*On a side note, the people in there were strange and I got a very weird vibe to the point of almost feeling unwelcome. Hmm. Me! Unwelcome!

Laughable.

I'm Just Sayin'

2008-09-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Randomness...

I am in love with iTunes. I realize I'm like ridiculously behind probably ALL OF YOU, but wow, you really should have told me about this sooner. They have every single thing, no matter how obscure I could fathom. Although...I could not find the new ACDC song, which, by the way ROCKS MY FACE OFF. It sounds like ACDC, but I happen to like that sound. Now I need an iPod. Seriously.

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hanna whipped through here in a hurry on Saturday. It canceled Joe's first fall ball game, which is now on schedule for Tuesday, but all in all, we had a bit of wind, a moderate amount of rain and it made for perfect napping weather on Saturday afternoon. Today was absolutely gorgeous....sunny and about 80-ish. Perfect.

Still undecided about the house, but leaning towards "Negatron". Eh..actually just typing that out sealed it for me. "No", it is. Lots of issues and lots of unknowns. To many, fo sho and I can't be having that.

I feel good. Really. I think this is the best I've felt in quite some time. Maybe ever!! Several contributing factors to this, but I'm feeling strong and happy, and we're talking "my cheeks hurt from smiling" happy. Sick, isn't it??

Did I mention iTunes?? I have my running playlist playing right now, which includes a whole lot of Metallica. Eeeek!

It's a good life, people. Don't ever forget that.

Oh, And Did I Mention??

2008-09-04T18:17:00.001-07:00

Our weather forecast...

Tomorrow: Mostly Sunny/86
Saturday: Hurricane Hanna
Sunday: Partly Cloudy/79

I better get to the grocery store before all the Pepsi and Dortios are long gone!

Forever.

2008-09-04T18:07:00.001-07:00

Reminds me of someone....

The Best Thing!!!

2008-09-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Ok. We've definitely got some great inventions...

The telephone!
The automobile!
Sliced bread!
The ATM!
Al Gore's internet!

And now, my bloggy friends....I give you...

The Ped flippin Egg!!! Now I'm not such a proponent of "As Seen on TV", however I've read a number of "reviews" on the Ped flippin Egg and they all touted this thing as the best thing since (see above).

Today at the CVS?? Nine dollah and Ninety-Nine Cents. Oh my goodness, this thing is the bomb diggity. Not to go into all sorts of gory details about my feet, but I've definitely got workin' woman feet. I wear combat boots every day for cry eye. Well!!

NOT. ANY. MORE.

Now I have baby soft, delicate feet of a...well, I don't know who has pampered feet gosh darn it, but they're baby soft.

Two thumbs way up. Got hard feet? Got $9.99? Seek out the Ped Egg and have hard feet no more! I will tell you that the end result that collects in the receptacle is kind of well...icky, but such is the price we must pay to have the delicate feet of a goddess. I just happen to have goddess feet that I still have to cram into combat boots every day. ;P

That is all for the public service message for the day.

Drastic Times = Drastic Measures

2008-09-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

School has definitely started and wow!

And that was not necessarily a good wow.

This past weekend was beyond "trying" for my patience and my nerves. The kids (all three) did little else than pick on each other and bicker and mimic. Not to mention the mouth on Joe is just over the top.

So.

I'm thinking part of this is the lack of sleep. The new routine. The schedule changes. The parting of a carefree summer. But, this isn't exactly "new", either. And there are some other contributing factors and it pains me to say that I've no one to blame but myself. So, in an effort to find some balance and get everyone back on track, we're making some changes.

Let's start with the television. I know I've mentioned more than once that I rarely watch tv. It's junk. Or at least the msjority of it is junk, and this goes for most children's programs, as well. Now, don't get me wrong-there are plenty of great tv shows for kids, but once they learn the alphabet and numbers, etc...the quality of children's programming goes sharply downhill. Have you turned on Cartoon Network? How about Nickelodeon? People/characters are rude, disrespectful and overall gross. And guess who picks up on that and thinks the behavior of said people/characters is not only acceptable, but funny? The kids seem to think that life is an episode of Drake and Josh, which by the way, is on the low end of the offensive spectrum. Drama drama drama. So I blocked all the channels.

They can watch Animal Planet, the Learning Channel, Disney and a few other odds and ends with family programming. I'm so mean, I know! Although despite all the whining and fussing yesterday about how I neeeeevvver let them watch tv (mind you this has been in effect for like a day and a half), they were all completely wrapped up in a show about snakes on Animal Planet yesterday.

Moving on to sugar. I'm going to try very, very hard to limit this in the house. We're not a big sweet-eating family anyway, so this won't be as difficult for someone who gives sweet treats regularly, but no more chips, either. We don't need the salt. I don't give the kids soda, so there's one less thing to cut. And juice will be 100% juice. Thirsty? Here's some water.

We'll see if these things make a difference. I'm just really tired. Pfft.

Consumerism Art

2008-09-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Thought this was interesting.

File This.

2008-09-02T02:45:00.001-07:00

Under the heading, "WTF??"