You know what?

I'm a total moron. I totally spaced and forgot to post that I got my tshirt like three weeks ago. It was super cute!!! I remembered to tell my sender that I got it, but totally forgot to tell you guys.

*yaaawwwwwwwwn*

I have no reason to be tired, and I'm really not. I guess it's more that I just have very little motivation today.

And just so you know, Berry Rain Gatorade is halfway decent. I don't much like Gatorade, but this tastes kinda like flavored water which makes it acceptable.

Well hell.

So the laptop is gone. *pout* I got the green lined screen of death that DH's partner took it to the shop for a few weeks ago and they supposedly fixed. Waaaaaaaaaah! I was really starting to get attached to the little bastard too. Ah well. I'm semi-computer-less at home now. I had given Rotten2 my desktop when I brought the laptop home. And I can't really take it back....but I can borrow it. *grin* Of course, this has been the perfect way to convince DH to let me buy a brand new laptop. And it even came out sounding like it was his idea! Of course, I may have to wait a week or two........maybe.

In other news, the Rottens went back to school yesterday. They are now in separate schools....they won't be in the same building again until junior high - when Rotten1 is in 8th and Rotten2 is in 6th. They love their new teachers, have several friends in their classes....looks like it's starting off wonderfully. Yay!

And .... my tshirt is leaving today via FedEx...it might make it before Labor Day, or right after. It's going that way! *points up*

I ?

am almost the proud new owner of a slightly used, recently (like today it got back) rebuilt (by HP) laptop!!!! I picked it up from DH's partner and am giving it a "test drive" before I tell him for sure that I want it. The price is waaaaaaaay right, it's got everything and then some that I need and it's under warrantly for another 6 months.....

Now I just need to finish cleaning it up so I can get online with it. It's sitting across the living room doing all kinds of scans and updates and shit.

*squealllllllllll*

I'm sorta here...

I think.

Being online just hasn't held much interest for me lately. I've been trying to relax and rest and keep the blood pressure low. And spend time with the kids before they go back to school. In between, I'm feeling kinda meh. Just...blah.

*smooooooooooooch*

Hi.

How are you guys??? I've missed you all.
Augie, Happy belated birthday!!!! I'm sorry I missed it Friday.

The Momma world got kinda lopsided and dizzy last week. In fact, I almost passed out at work on Wednesday. By Friday, I was so sick and tired of feeling dizzy and lopsided, I went to the doctor. Turns out, I have high blood pressure. And have for awhile. In the past, we've attributed the higher than normal, but not by much, blood pressure to being sick, taking meds and being in pain. This time? No excuses. It was 150/92. Then it was 148/90. *siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* I'm on meds. I'm supposed to quit smoking and start excersizing. Genetics are a bitch.

In other news, the Rottens are pretty much ready for school to start and I most definitely am ready for them to go back. DH is working his butt off, as usual. And life goes on.

*smooooooooooooch*

*evil grin* *happy *dance*

So my half assed toilet phone *points down blog* is history. The 9, the 7 and two menu type buttons still don't work. I was severely pissed, as I don't have insurance on my phone. But it did come with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty. I made the call to AT&T on Wednesday afternoon, where I spoke with a customer service guy who was the most helpful individual ever. I told him I thought my phone might have gotten some water damage *snort* but I wasn't sure *snicker* and that now those four buttons on the keypad just don't work. So he asked me to do a few things to the phone. And decided that nope, it wasn't water damage, it was just a defective keypad *shocked look* and the warranty would replace the phone free. *happy dance* Yesterday afternoon, DHL dropped my new phone off at work! Now I just have to get the pictures off my old phone and send it back to AT&T.

In other news, I am an update mod at a big brother site. Eep.

Being Thirty

I feel no older, wiser nor any worse for the wear. *shrug* Not at all what I thought.

Rotten1 has been at Grandma's since Wednesday. He may come home today.

Rotten2 and DH went shopping for my birthday. I got a pair of Happy Bunny jammies, a pair of Betty Boop jammies, a Hello Kitty journal, some smart ass buttons, a small jewelry box, and some Hello Kitty stickers. *grin* Can you guess who did the shopping?

I scrubbed the front deck last night, to prep it for painting today. Now it looks like it's going to rain. It rained yesterday morning too.

And that? is my first exciting weekend at the age of thirty.

Show some love....

to our wonderful, funny, witty, sarcastic, loveable, sometimes mistreated, frustratingly adorable very own.........
.
.
.
.
..
...
Carey!

**#( *$%&@ (#$@)* !!!!!!!!!

I carry my cell phone in my back pocket when I wear jeans. I wear jeans most days. This morning, for the first time in the two or more years I've carried my phone this way, my phone fell out of my pocket. And landed.in.the.toilet.

*#($&(*#$*&#47(**$%!!!!!!!!!

It is now sitting in the warehouse in pieces while I pray that it dries out and comes back to life.

Friday Night Randoms

1. 5 lottery tickets and $10 later, I'm in the hole $8. Now I remember why I never buy scratch off tickets.

2. I'm exhausted, flat worn out. And I couldn't begin to tell you why.

3. Work has picked up, emotions are a bit wild, but all in all, things are good.

4. I'm loving the summer clearance sales for the kids - $3-5 for shirts, polos, capris and shorts at Old Navy, Kohl's and Walmart. Can't beat that!

5. School supplies are on sale! I've yet to pay more than $1 for the basics, with some stuff as cheap as 10cents each. Spirals, folders, notebook paper, markers, crayons, and much more! Yay!

6. I've actually gotten child support, again. I'm in shock.

7. 7 more days. Yikes.

kitty parents, please help

i'm at my wit's end with belle. she's about 15 months old. she's been with us since she was 13 weeks. never before have we had any litter box issues. for the last couple of weeks, we have a new habit that i cannot stand. her litter box lives in the laundry room, where it has been since she moved in with us. same brand of litter, same box. nothing new. at.all. still cleaned at least once a day. yet, belle insists on taking a dump on the floor, right outside the litter box at least once every 2 days. and most of the time, there are only 1-2 things in the litter box.

i've tested her, i've gone over 24 hours without touching the litter box. it was effing full of stuff. and she shit on the floor. i've cleaned it after every pee and poop. and she's shit on the floor. what is going on with her?

oh. and she knows what she's doing, too. she will scoop litter out of the litter box and try to cover up her shit on the floor. and then she will pee in the litter box not long after.

i'm about to boot her shitty ass outside.

Sun and Rain

Another 1.25" of rain yesterday

Today, barely a cloud in sight after 10am

whew. *shakes head*

who knew cancelling internet service could take 11 minutes and 12 seconds? and that was only the time spent actually speaking to someone! i called to cancel our lovely peoplepc - dh found a better deal and i really wasn't thrilled with (okay, i hated) the software you are supposed to use. reminds me too much of the old aol. so i call to cancel. she asks why. i tell her because i want to. she offers me 30 days free. no, thank you. just cancel it. well, blah, blah, blah-bitty-blah...she can give me 60 days free. no, thank you. i appreciate it, but just cancel the account. well, they can host my old/new email addys for half price without any internet access - only $1.49/month. now, why the hell would i do that when i can get a bazillion email addys for free?! no, thanks. just cancel all services. thank you. okay, she's really really sorry to hear that i'm leaving, please hold for the 45 digit cancellation number. okay...so it was only 17 digits long. shit! who the hell gives out 17 digit cancellation numbers??? that ought to tell you something, if they started at 1. or even 1000.

*sigh* why do the simple things in life have to be so difficult? and did i mention i made this phone call with the cat in my lap and the dog on my feet freaking out because it's effing storming complete with cloud to ground lightening strikes within a mile of the house? gah.

hi - updated

i got nuthin'.

********************

updated to say: i got somethin'.

Rain - July 10th - 1 inch in under 45 minutes

Rottens - still at the lake with the ex-in-laws

Child Support -i actually got 2 weeks worth of payments in a row. this is worth noting. i'll probably go into cardiac arrest if we go a full month.

Telephone Service - phone went out yesterday. by the time the verizon man came, it miraculously started working again. went out again tonight during the rain/thunder/lightening storm. miraculously started working when i unplugged the brand new phone line from the back of my computer. hm. is my modem dying a slow painful death? or is it the rain, as previously thought? dh ran all new phone lines in the house this morning.

bb8 - hm. i kinda like it. i kinda don't. it's still early. however, i'm favoring dani and dick. joe is the love to hate. jen is a whiny baby wannabe porn star. the rest? meh. i don't know who they are really. and dammit. i don't get showtime and don't have tivo. and i'm sure not going to buy either for this bunch. and what's up with hamsterwatch and rtvw feed updates? this svcks.

Rain - again. now. and tomorrow. and 30-50% chances from now til sunday. WTF? when did texas move to seattle and the rest of the country move to texas?

okay. so that's all i got at the moment. *waves*

*shakes off water*

July 2 - 3.5 inches
July 4 - 0.25 inches
July 5 - 2.75 inches
July 6 - 0.25 inches
July 10 - 1.25 inches
July 11 - 0.25 inches
July 13 - 1.25 inches
July 28 - 0.5 inches
July 29 - 2 inches

And it's still freaking raining. But there may be an end in sight - Monday and Tuesday show only partly cloudy - no rain! Yay!

I need to learn Spanish again. I now have three fluent Spanish/English speaking employees. And I only know bits and pieces of what they are saying.

Frito Lay Munchies are the perfect breakfast/snack food. Today's bag is cheese flavored with Doritos (no peas), cheetos, sun chips and pretzels. Yum!

The Rottens leave tonight for 8 days and nights at their grandparents'! Yay! A whole week of quiet. I only wish I'd planned a couple vacation days in there.

rain, rain go away

Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day,
If you don't, I will say,
Rain, rain go away.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again some other day,
We want to go outside and play,
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again some other day,
If you don't, I don't care,
I'll pull down your underwear!

In the last month, we've had well over a foot of rain - 14.3 inches according to the flood control district. And it's supposed to continue raining.all.effing.week.

Yay!

Apparently, I'm not the anti-parent that I thought I was. Thank you.

So, does anyone have any extra plywood or 2x4s that are not being used? I think we are going to need to build an ark.

In other news, DH thinks I've lost my mind. The Rottens each had a friend come over Saturday and spend the night. They were all there til afternoon yesterday. They had fun with their sleepover "party" playing Uno, swimming, watching movies and eating cake. To me, this is the stuff of summer. DH thinks I'm nuts for dealing with that many kids for that long. *snort* I just think he doesn't remember what being a kid is like.

Am I the Anti-Parent?

The present suggestion thread on OT got me to thinking again about something that has come up in my world many times before. I'm starting to think I'm the weird anti-parent or something. I seem to be the ONLY parent I know (IRL and online) that buys her own kids markers (washable, of course), acrylic and watercolor paints, glue, stickers, play-doh, googly eyes, construction paper, scissors, beads, legos and the like.

Yeah, it could lead to a disaster. Yeah, I could probably kill myself on beads or legos. Yeah, I might end up with my hall walls painted or something.

But you know what, even though my kids have most of this stuff in their own rooms, I've only had two what-you-could-possibly-call-problems in all these years. Rotten1 made a sticker frame around his tv once and Rotten2 drew on her white wood dresser. The stickers came off with minimal effort, and I even let them stay there for a good while. The dresser is still drawn on a year later, primarily because I haven't redecorated and repainted her room.

So I guess I'm just the bizarro parent for letting my kids have this stuff, buying it myself, and letting them keep most of it in their rooms so it's accessible to them.

*yaaawwwwwwwwn*

I am so.freaking.tired.

Ugh.

Wake me up!

Gmail

Okay, with the sale of our current ISP to People PC, DH and I are on the hunt for new internet. In doing so, I've gone to gmail so hopefully I don't lose anything. Eep. Anyway, if you have my email address, it still works - for now. But you can go ahead and change it in your address books to txmomma26@gmail.com

Ramblings from Grandma's

* Spent the day with my aunt and uncle today going thru what's left of Grandma and Grandpa's stuff. Next weekend is supposed to be the "garage sale" and shelter donations.

* WTF are people supposed to do with 87 bazillion sets of Corning Ware? You know what I'm talking about. White plates, gold leafy type funky pattern around the edges. Everybody's Grandma (and probably many of us) had them at some point. Just when I get rid of all of my paternal Grandma's, someone wants me to take the maternal Grandma's. Ack!

* Does anyone still use a steel colander? What about wool blankets?

* I am now the proud owner of two sets of china and two sets of crystal - my mom's that I got last summer and now my grandparents'. I have no where to put or display these beautiful pieces of dinnerware. I feel totally guilty for stacking the boxes in the laundry room.

* At what point does the couch that's been around for 30+ years finally get disposed of? It's been recovered and re-fluffed at least once that I can remember. And it's still trying to stay in the family. As is the freaking console tv that I watched Captain Kangaroo on as a child.

It's been a long ass day. And maybe, just maybe, now I'm okay with my aunt and uncle buying Grandma's house and making changes. Maybe. I'm glad I went down, feels sort of like I closed another chapter. And I'm glad I decided to go down there alone.

The Rottens

*shakes head*

Today they are spending the day with my ex-sil and 13 mo old niece. They've packed chocolate donuts for breakfast, peaches and jello for snacks, movies, Magnetix and workbooks. Totally normal stuff, for the most part. However, Rotten2 is wearing my black heeled dress shoes. *sigh* Why? Because she didn't want to wear her black flip flops with her black skirt. The shoes are way too big for her. *shrug*

What are you wearing for Hump Day/Pantsless Wednesday/today?

New Day, New Post

I had a "Carey" moment last night. DH *pooted* while playing Playstation with Rotten1 last night. This led to Rotten1 running thru the house complaining about the smell. To which I replied, I'm the one who has to sleep with DH. Rotten1's response? I feel sorry for you. My response - Everyone farts. Rotten1 - You don't. *snort* This led to a 5 minute hilarious conversation involving the entire household about who farts and who doesn't. And according to DH, girls don't fart. They *poot*. Rotten2 says she does fart.

Welcome to my house. Isn't it fun?

Grrrrrrr! It's Monday

And what a Monday it's starting out to be. DH and I are primed for our first very large fight - on our 2nd anniversary, no less. Well, I'm not sure he knows what's coming, honestly. But it won't be pretty. Two of my four employees called in today for bogus reasons. I have a very large list of work related crap to do that will not be worked on at all today due to missing half of my staff. We are under severe storm and flash flooding warnings. Oh, and I have no phone at the house again due to the massive rains this weekend. Which means no internet since Saturday.

How's YOUR Monday?

One Word Answers

One word responses: copied from Bravie

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. You're single/taken?taken
3. Your hair? blond
4. Your mother? Dead
5. Your father? Gone
6. Your favorite thing? Rottens
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Jack
9. Your dream car? Mustang
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your ex? fuckingdumbassmoron
12. Your fear? death
13. Where were you last night? garden
14. What you're not? Awake
15. Muffins? Yes
16. One of your wish list items? Lottery
17. The last thing you did? Blogs
18.What are you wearing? Jeans
19. Your pet or pets? crackheads
20. Your computer? old
21. Your life? crazy
22. Your mood? tired
23. Missing some one? Yes
24. Your car? Shiny!
25. Your work? work
26.Like someone? Yes
27. Your favorite color? pink
28. When is the last time you laughed real hard? Saturday
29. Crush's first name? who?
30. Dream job? counselor

Vacation: The Farm Finale

I'd show you a few pictures of the car show and much of my hard work, but I have yet to figure out how to get pictures off my Razr. So, if you know how, tell me and I'll share. *grin*

Day 8 - The car show went well - DH was the only one out of our three cars to win in his class. Ah well, FIL and I had stiff competition with many other gorgeous Mustangs. And all proceeds went to benefit the community center. Fun, fun day.

Day 9 - We came home Sunday morning. I dropped the Rottens off at their dad's on the way in. Then DH and I spent half the day baling our own hay. Okay, not really, but that's sure as hell what our yard looked like. Ugh.

All in all, even with the pissed off bitch crackhead attack cat, we're glad to be home.

Ow.Ow.Ow.

Day 7 was spent washing and waxing and massively detailing a barn-kept 65 Mustang Coupe that hasn't seen the light of day in over a year, probably closer to two years and finishing the 67 Mustang Fastback. The front pasture of hay was moved back by the corral. My SIL brought my 12 year old niece up for a couple of weeks, a week later than she was supposed to be here. *shakes head* I'm sun burned for the third (or fourth) day in a row. We've also discovered that DH doesn't much need his insulin or pump when he's outside from 9am to 9pm working his ass off. *snort*

Day 8 is the car show and Day 9 we will head home. I'm hoping a praying our cat doesn't totally hate us when we get home. A friend has been checking on her a couple times a day and taking care of her needs, but hasn't actually seen the cat since Sunday. We know she's there and alive - the litter box requires daily cleaning. But....I'm thinking the cat is pissed. Eep.

*piggymoopoot*

Well. Here it is. Day ...... *counts on fingers* Six! Yes, that's it. Thursday = Day 6. Full of hay baling and old car scrubbing. I am sunburned in true farm fashion - tank top, shorts, and flip flop tan lines. I so need a pool and a Nemo.

Miss you guys! *smooch*

Ow. Farm Day 5

I am so freaking sore. Day 5 started off like the rest - up at the ass crack of dawn. *sigh* I don't get up early easily, and neither do the Rottens. But for some sick reason, this week, we've all been up and more or less okay with it by 6:30am. Ugh. I ran to town for some playing cards and crayons in the morning. Then I washed the 66 Fastback and detailed my car. The boys started baling hay. And that? was the entire day.

And Moooooooooooo to You!

You guys are too funny.

Days Three and Four (because they kinda run together) on the farm...*whew* Would someone remind me why I was worried about what to do for 8-9 days? This vacation shit is more work than...well, work! Somehow or another (and I'm blaming DH), I sort of got volunteered to wallpaper the back patio room, which is about 15x8. This has been a unfinished (read: the area was drywalled 5+ years ago) project of the mil's. So, that is what I did last night and this morning. Until I ran out of the three rolls of wallpaper. And did I mention the place she bought this red brick with gray mortar hard as hell to match up wallpaper went out of business 2+ years ago? Eeps. Of course, I have two walls completed. The other two walls will have to wait until the other few rolls we ordered this morning come in next week. When I will not be here. And the curtains? Well...the material is around. Somewhere. *sigh* Yesterday afternoon also was the beginning of hay cutting on the farm. Much of this morning and afternoon are all about mowing with ginourmous tractors. This evening is the county-wide fire department meeting. FIL is Fire Chief for this area, so guess where we're probably going. The upside? Sometimes, fire station food is pretty damn good. The downside? Most of these firemen are not calendar material. Hell, I'm not sure I've seen any that are. Ah well. It's good for a laugh, at the very least.

Farm, Days 1 & 2

Saturday was spent cleaning out the garage and attached storage area. Holy.hell. That was an insane mess! DH was volunteered to clean out the garage and I decided, after walking into the storage area and nearly killing myself on crap, I'd clean that area. That was an all day project for both of us. Saturday night we went out to eat and to the junk auction. Came away with a 25 piece tool set, some ratchet tie down straps for towing and something else for $10. Not bad.

Sunday the kids and in-laws went to church. DH finished cleaning and organizing the garage and started putting a roll on bedliner in his truck. I planted a few things for my mil, but didn't do much else. Had a massive sirloin steak and potato lunch. Yum. Of course, mil had to remind us which cow (Ferdinand) the beef had come from. *snort*

Hope you guys are having fun. *smooch*

So.

Tonight we leave for the farm for 8-9 days. I'm excited, but now I'm stressing....What am I going to do with myself for that long without work?! I have books, and the Mustang to get ready for the car show. But....that's not going to fill every day.

What do you do on vacation? What do you want to do? What do you think I should do?

I've been tagged - 8 Randoms about me

from Kimmah, who was tagged by JenB

1. I have a new favorite carbonated water - Aquafina Alive Peach Mango. Yum!

2. There is a navy blue towel hanging over my bathroom window because I need to replace the curtain in there. DH decided the best way to motivate me, after mentioning it several times, was to hang the towel up. The towel has been there over a month and I have not looked at curtains or material to make one.

3. I sent my old digital camera with Rotten2 today to school to take pictures of her friends. Rotten1 is taking it tomorrow.

4. The blisters on my hands from digging the new flowerbed a few weeks ago have not totally healed yet.

5. I have 3 pairs of Levis for work that are identical size, color, and style. I rotate them regularly. I'm sure co-workers think I wear the same pair of pants a few times a week. Speaking of, Breezy really needs to try this style out!

6. I am in desperate need of a hair cut and highlight. Thank God we are going to the farm next week.

7. Speaking of next week, this will be the first time since the Christmas before my former boss passed away 3 years ago that I have taken more than 2 days off in a row.

8. The cat is the only thing living in the house that has not had a bath recently and I'm not feeling motivated to bathe her. Unfortunately, I'm the only one who bathes the cat. So I need to get off my ass and take care of that.

I'm tagging Swami, Breezy and Bravie.
*smooch*

color me jealous

dh bought a new laptop yesterday. it's an hp/compaq something or other. *pout* i'm uber-jealous. he says after he finishes paying on his laptop, he'll get one for me. i don't know than i can wait that long (a year or so). if i wasn't trying to pay off so much crap, i'd go buy my own. of course, if i wait a year, maybe we'll have high speed and i can set up a wireless network.

on a happy note, we're going to take some of the memory out of his desktop and hop up my computer. and i bought a dvd-cd/rw drive for my machine, too. and i think i'm stealing his old monitor. then we'll give the rottens his old desktop and my old monitor.

Summer Movies

Which are on your Must-See list for the theaters? Which could you care less about?

I took the kids to see Shrek the Third for Rotten2's birthday, but they were sold out. So we ended up seeing Spiderman 3. Meh. I'm not a big Spiderman fan, but the kids really liked the movie. We're going next weekend, I think, to see Shrek the Third. I'll probably end up taking the Rottens to see Surf's Up, too.

Ratatouille looks good for the kids, as does Georgia Rule and Delta Farce (which DH and I may go see this weekend) for me. I will not go see Bug. That just .... *shudders* I won't see the new Pirates movie, as I've not seen the other 2. Pretty much the same with the new Ocean's movie. The Simpsons movie...hmm...I remember the original seasons of the show and loved them. If the movie is like that, great. If it's like recent seasons, meh. Nancy Drew seems intriguing, but I haven't heard much about it. I remember reading a zillion books though.

If you have not a clue what I'm talking about, check out the Summer Movie Guide.

Grrrrrrrr!

So last week, I got this sinus thing from DH. I no longer like my DH. This shit is evil. No, make that EEEEEEEEEvil. Massive amounts of antibiotics, a sick day, and more sleep than I have had in a month and I still have a nasty cough, snot, and drainage. Ugh. However, I'm finally beginning to feel human.

Rotten2 developed a rash Monday night. I noticed it Tuesday morning. Red patches on her thighs. Gave her some Benadryl. Tuesday night, it spread to the back of her legs. Gave her some Benadryl. Wednesday AM, it spread half way up her back. Gave her some Benadryl. This morning, it's on her forearms. Gave her some Benadryl. This afternoon, we have a doctors appointment to see what it is. She has no itching, hasn't complained, no fever...nothing.

Is it summer yet????

*sob*

My baby girl is growing up. She turns 7 today. You'd think she was going on 17 the way she acts sometimes.

We made chocolate fudge cupcakes with chocolate fudge icing and lots of purple,pink, and white sprinkles for school today. She's so very excited. I'm so very bothered by this birthday, for some unknown reason.

Last year's post....here

And here is Rotten2 with her favorite present - her new Heelys. Around her, new clothes, an "emerald" flip flop necklace, a Super Soaker water gun (from Rotten1) and a new Bratz doll.

What is....

....the one word that you think does not describe you, at all?
....the one word that you think does describe you, very well?

Glowbug's Million Questions

1. If you went to dinner with Jesus who would pick up the check? If I'm going to dinner with Jesus, I'd hope like hell no one would even charge us.
2. If you had to eliminate one state from the United States, which one would it be? Well...Cali is supposed to fall off into the ocean, isn't it? *evil grin*
3. If Spiderman and Superman were forced to fight to the death, who would win? Why? Superman. Because he's Superman!
4. Sawyer, Jack or Sayid? Part of me says Sawyer, part of me says Jack. Guess I understand Kate's dilemma, huh?
5. Mohinder, Nathan or Peter? Who?
6. For the next hour you have to listen to one song on repeat. What song is it? Lately, Faith Hill's summer song....I can't think of the name of it though.
7. What is your favorite movie? Why? StepMom...because that's the way it should be
8. Who is your favorite actor/actress? Julia Roberts
9. Avril Lavigne. Yes or no? Sometimes
10. Do you have a job or a career? A job that is morphing into the beginning stages of a career.
11. Would you move out of state for a job? I don't know...today, no. In 12 years, probably.
12. Have any sharks been jumped by American Idol? This is the first season I've really watched, so I'm not in a place to say.
13. Have you ever gone to a concert by yourself? If so, would you do it again? If not, would you? I have been many times in small venues. A large concert in a arena or stadium, maybe. It's always more fun with friends though.
14. Did your mom and/or dad make you do chores? If so, what were they? Do chores? Hell, I was the effing maid!
15. Would you go to a sex toy party with your mom? No.
16. If you were to have a sex toy party, would you invite your boss? No - of course, my boss is an older married man so....blech.
17. How big is too big? When you can't handle it, it's too big.
18. What is your favorite reality show? I really don't have one anymore. Once upon a time, it would have been Survivor, without a doubt. Now, I'm kinda blah about the whole mess of tv.
19. Do you have a favorite reality show contestant? See above
20. Could you whistle that little tune at the beginning of Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks” for me right now? What? Huh?
21. Howard Stern. Yes or no? Sometimes I like his show. Other than that, not much.
22. Do you know any local bands that you would like to pimp? Kurt Dillon has always been my fave local perfomer.
23. Name one state you would like to visit that you have not visited. DH and I decided last night we really want to go to Hawaii.
24. Why would Pink perform on American Idol after adamantly not giving clearance for the contestants perform her songs? I haven't the slightest clue. Maybe she was scared one of them would sing her song better than she does?
25. Multi-grain, wheat or white? Wheat
26. Carrots dipped in peanut butter? Never tried it.
27. Do you add extra butter to your popcorn at the movie theater? No
28. Do you have a favorite pair of underwear? What do they look like? Any pair that fit comfortably are my favorite pair that day. Of course, all I own are either thongs or boy shorts.
29. Name one country song that will help convince non-fans that it isn’t all bad. Well, it sure ain't Tick by Brad Paisley. *grin*
30. What is in the trunk of your car? Pampered Chef stuff I have to deliver.
31. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Marky Mark? And the Funky Bunch.
32. Which character from a movie or television show would you be? ?????
33. Who was the last person you hugged? The Rottens, right before they got on the bus this morning.
34. Have you ever been on a cruise? No
35. Will I be able to sleep in a tiny closet-sized room on a cruise ship with no windows while constantly worrying and missing my kids? Yes

*snort*

Okay, last week I called the child support division of the Attorney General's office to tell them that the ex is working at a real job. We all received the letter yesterday requiring his employer to deduct 'x' from his paycheck every week.

This morning, I get a panicked call from the ex about the letter. I didn't even open mine, I knew what it said. Or so I thought. Turns out, the reduction that we went to court over last month wasn't reflected in the paperwork they sent to his employer. So he's getting slammed for basically $100 more per week than we agreed on for the new amount.

He's freaking out. I'm laughing. If he'd paid his child support all along, this would not even be happening.

Casual Observations

* The Mean Girlz will be performing at the next stick horse rodeo. Get your tickets now. This could be fun(ny).

* Rotten1 got first place for his stick bull. He did not win the bull riding competition though.

* I did not go into the city, as planned. I did go shopping for shorts. Instead, I bought a new black bra and a black tank top. That is all I bought in four hours and 5 stores. *sigh* I just do not like most of the stuff I saw in stores on Saturday.

* I bought myself a new phone yesterday - it's a burgundy Razr phone! I'm pretty excited about it.

* DH has a sinus infection. He got a shot and high powered antibiotics while at work Saturday. Then he came home halfway through his shift. He sounds awful, but feels okay.

* I have three blisters on my hands. One is very painful. Of course, this is what I get for digging a new flower bed yesterday without gloves.

Happy Friday & A List

1. So very glad it's Friday. This week seems as though it has been about 3 weeks long.

2. The Rottens are going to their dad's this weekend. Hopefully. Rotten2 hasn't gone for the weekend in over a month now. She's not mad at him this time, she just doesn't want to go. *shrug* And, as usual, I've pissed of the ex by not forcing her to go.

3. The ex is going to be supremely pissed off when he finds out I reported his new job to the attorney general's office for payroll deduction. Ah well.

4. DH has a cold. Or allergies. Or something. And now I think it's my turn. Dammit.

5. I have got to go to the jeweler this weekend and get my wedding ring fixed. I hate driving over there though. I've gotten to where I avoid the city traffic at almost all costs. Guess I'm becoming a bit too comfortable with my country living.

6. Rotten1 has a stick horse rodeo today at school. We made a bull out of furry black material and horns out of white shiny material. He has to be a stick-bullrider for 15 seconds to advance to the finals. It's too cute.

7. Happy Friday! *smooooooooooch*

Oh and Bravie, enjoy your day! *snort*

Drunk Kids + Angry Giraffe = Trouble

I find this semi-amusing and quite stupid really....

(snip)VILNIUS, Lithuania - Climbing into a giraffe's cage at the local zoo seemed a good idea after a few drinks. But the prank went wrong when the 1.3-ton animal flew into a rage and attacked the three student trespassers at a zoo in Lithuania on Monday night. .....(snip)...... Police have launched an investigation to find out how the intoxicated students entered the zoo at night and climbed the 10 foot high fence surrounding the giraffe cage.

I mean, really...how drunk are you? Why would playing with a giraffe seem like a good idea? And the police launching an investigation to figure out how they climbed the fence? *boggle*

*snort*

The Word of the Day....

Brought to you by Carey and Kim.

It is not cleaver (a heavy, broad-bladed knife or long-bladed hatchet, esp. one used by butchers for cutting meat into joints or pieces). It is, however, FURZE (a synonym for briar, bramble, thistle or shrub).

Spring has Sprung!

I guess I griped enough and my flowers heard me. A few are blooming! First up, my pink roses. Second are one of my white daffodils. Last, my newest addition, an Asiatic Lily.

Interview Me....

Questions courtesy of Kimmah

1. tell me a little bit about the place you've lived the longest in your life--either a specific house or a city or town.
The place I've lived the longest is the house I'm in now. Ex and I bought it a few months before Rotten1 turned a year old. I was never totally in love with the place, nor the location. It's original intention was to be our starter home for a few years. Well, a few years later, the ex and I split up. I left him the house and land, as I knew I couldn't take care of it all by myself with a 1 and 3 year old. Two years later, it was nearing foreclosure, so I took it back and have been in it since. I've come to love that house - more for the memories than anything. It's where the Rottens are growing up, where good and bad have happened, where DH and I got married.

2. sports? love, hate, play?
I love sports - baseball, football, volleyball. However, I generally don't play anymore unless it's a fun game just because. I don't really watch because I don't have time. However, Rotten1 plays baseball and Rotten2 is going to play soccer in the fall.

3. you can only wear one color of clothing for the next year--what would you choose?
I am typically found in blue jeans and a white or blue or brown tshirt, so .... It would have to be either blue or brown.

4. some people call wal mart or microsoft the evil empires--what would YOU choose?
I shop at Walmart. I own computers with XP on them. *shrug* The way I see it, they may be evil empires, but in my world, they are necessary evils.

5. which of ron howard's dramatic endeavors is your favorite--either as an actor or as a director? (blame bravie for this question).
I always loved the campiness of Andy Griffith and Happy Days. *grin* However, as a director, my favorite movie of his has always been Backdraft.

**********************************

The rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

Blogland Trip

Okay...I need a distraction. It's been beautiful out for the last few days. Today, it's rainy and dreary. So tell me, where would you like to go?

In honor of Monday....

I bring you The Bangles.

Six o'clock already I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late 'cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days when you wish your bed was already made.
It's just another manic Monday (oh-woe)
I wish it was Sunday (oh-woe)
'Cause that's my Funday (oh-woe)
My I don't have to runday (oh)
It's just another manic Monday.
Have to catch an early train, got to be to work by nine
And if I had an air-o-plane, I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train but the boss is already there.
It's just another manic Monday (oh-woe)
I wish it was Sunday (oh-woe)
'Cause that's my Funday (oh-woe)
My I don't have to runday (oh)
It's just another manic Monday.
All of my nights why did my lover have to pick last night to get down (last night, last night)
Doesn't it matter that I have to feed the both of us, employment's down
He tells me in his bedroom voice:
"C'mon honey, let's go make some noise" (ba ba ba baaaa)
Time, it goes so fast (when you're having fun).
It's just another manic Monday (oh-woe)
I wish it was Sunday (oh-woe)
'Cause that's my Funday (oh-woe)
My I don't have to runday (woe)
It's just another manic Monday (oh-woe)
I wish it was Sunday (oh-woe)
'Cause that's my funday (oh)
It's just another manic Monday.

Back atcha, Buster!

Earlier this school year, Rotten1 got in trouble a few times at school for "inappropriate comments" made around other classmates. He ended up in In School Suspension twice for it. We've had many, many discussions about what is appropriate school discussion and what is not.

Today, he had a skating field trip to celebrate passing the TAKS test. As we're talking about the fun they had, what he and his buddies did, etc he says "By the way, they played songs that aren't appropriate for school. One of the songs played? My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas. Okay, now....I'm no overprotective mom. This is certainly not the first time my 9 year old has heard this song, nor will it be the last. He knows what the song is about. And that's fine.

BUT

After getting in much trouble, spending almost 5 weeks in ISS, DH my ex and I having a meeting or two with principals and superintendents, and Rotten1 being grounded, we had finally made our point with him. Then this. So I sent the following email to the principal and superintendent:

Today the 3rd grade attended a TAKS skating party. I allowed my son, Rotten1 (Teacher's class) to attend. While telling me about the skating party, his friends, and the fun they had, he mentioned that "they played songs that aren't appropriate for school." Those were his words. After the issues earlier this school year that he was involved in, I am quite concerned about this. So I asked what songs he was talking about...below is one of the song titles and artists, along with lyrics, that he could remember. He also mentioned a Tim McGraw song (Last Dollar Fly Away) and a Five for Fighting song (Superman) - both of which I have no problem with. He also said there were a couple that he didn't know that had cuss words in them. Again, I can only go off of what he is telling me, as I was not able to attend this field trip. *insert My Humps song lyrics here*

How do I explain to my son, who was in ISS twice this year for inappropriate comments and actions that these songs played during a school function are acceptable, yet the comments and actions he displayed at school earlier this year are not? Somehow, I'm thinking we have a problem here and I'd like to know what will be done.

BLAM! Back atcha, school district! That ought to teach 'em to get all pissy with me earlier this year over what basically was nothing out of the ordinary....my son just got caught saying what I've heard him and his friends say many a time. I don't know if I find it all funny or quite aggravating or if it just plain pisses me off.

(almost) Thursday Fun!

A Tarot card reading. Or several.

What does it say for you?

Reality Overdose

Yesterday was a helluva reality check in the momma household.

It began at 6:05am when one of DH's co-workers was killed in a one car accident on the way home from work. It could have been any one of them, really.

At 7pm last night, the neighbor's house caught fire. It started as a grease fire in the kitchen that quickly spread into the attic and other areas. The house is "okay" and has major smoke damage, but it's not totally gone.

Lots of thoughts rolling around in my brain. None of them too very happy, really. *sigh*

Help me take my mind off reality, please.

Ow.

My legs hurt. This painting stuff is a pain in the thighs. Up, down, up, down.

But, the kitchen is completed except for a few touch ups. It looks really good! Yay!

Edited to add pictures for Kim......These pictures were taken about mid-island (you can see a pan handle sticking out of the sink at the bottom of the picture). There's still almost half of the kitchen behind me. And those cabinets go almost all the way down the long wall. I made those curtains a couple of months ago.

Some people....

just.don't.get.it.

Case Study: I have a fairly naive and clueless employee. How she ever lived to be 50-something without a real job, I'll never quite know, but....our previous Director thought she was a great employee with lots of potential, so he hired her. Two years later, I'm still trying to get her to understand the basics of her job. Tuesday AM I held a meeting about how to pay attention and stop making mistakes. One of the things I brought up was cell phone usage. It was to be cut out except in emergencies and on lunch/breaks. Two hours later, she made a fairly large mistake that cost us a couple of hours. *sigh* I didn't want to do it, but I had to write her up for it. I mean, really...how am I going to get my point across if I didn't write her up?

Today she brings in a page of written documentation detailing WHY she was on her cell phone, the call stressed her out and she screwed up.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

MIA

Where did mm's blog go? It says she can't be found.



Now, if you haven't weighed in on my paint choices, please do. My family is of no help whatsoever.

Paint Colors....

So in the midst of my massive cleaning spree this weekend, I decided it was waaaaaaaay past time to paint the kitchen. There was a leaf patterned wallboard thing up that was maroon, blue, green and white. It's not as ugly as it sounds, I promise. So Saturday night, I bought the primer. Yesterday I spent all freaking day putting the primer on. Now, I'm stuck. I can't decide what color I want to paint. The countertops are several shades of green - sage and a bit darker with some beige mixed in. The cabinets are a light wood. The floors are a hardwood looking lineoleum. Here are a couple colors I'm looking at...Well hell. If I can figure out how to get the colors to show up in blogger, I'll edit them in. But basically, one is a coffee/beige color and the other is a light green.

What color would you use?

Edited to add: Okay, here is a funky picture of the kitchen (my lighting was all jacked up and my camera batteries are dead), along with a close up of the counter and some paint samples I got earlier.

Spring Cleaning

It's Friday! Yay! However, I am not totally looking forward to this weekend. I must do a massive cleaning in the house. It's just ookie....of course, my definition of ookie means that tops of cabinets haven't been dusted in a couple months, the carpets need to be cleaned, and walls need to be scrubbed. *sigh* I hate doing it, but I love how fresh the house looks after a weekend of scrubbing corners and floors and cabinets and such. Why do Spring and Fall always put me into this mood? Ah well, the house will smell clean for a few days. *grin*

Think of me while you are off having fun this weekend. I'll be knee deep in dust rags, vacuum attachments and the like.

Copy Cat

My name: Momma
Childhood ambition: To be a teacher. WTF was I thinking?!
Fondest memory: If I could remember the birth of either child, that might be it. But I was seriously drugged. So, I'd have to say it's a toss up between holding my kids for the first time and meeting DH.
Soundtrack: I honestly don't know.
Retreat: The farm, without a doubt. Nature, animals, family, a fridge stocked with drinks....heaven on earth, I tell you.
Wildest dream: Wild lately is driving around with a kid in the front seat of the car going to the corner store.
Proudest moment: Moving out and making it on my own while attending college the summer I turned 18, after being told I'd never make it and be home in 6 months or less.
biggest challenge: Raising happy, healthy, well adjusted kids.
Alarm clock: It's set for 5:30. *sigh* I usually hit snooze once or twice.
Perfect day: Copied for Carey - Good friends, good weather, good music, good food, good drink and adding, well behaved Rottens.
First job: Inhome daycare assistant at 12.
Indulgence: Peace and quiet
Last purchase: Four pencils at the Texas Fishery Foundation.
Favorite movie: Ladder 49, Stepmom, Grease, YaYa Sisters, and Cars.
Inspiration: My kids and my thoughts
My life: is pretty okay, as long as I don't get too lost in my thoughts.
My card: got washed with DH's cell phone yesterday.

For Carey and Monsty

Ack!

My ex-sil just became a Pampered Chef consultant. She wants me to have a party. I have no problem with this, in general, because I love their stuff. My problem is, I want it ALL!

Who wants to come? Who doesn't? Who hates these "Buy stuff" parties?



And if you didn't see the Rottens below, go check them out.

Rotten Bluebonnets

Mid-week Randoms

It just dawned on me, again, that this Sunday is Easter. I have nothing for the kids' Easter baskets, nothing new for them to wear to church, and no plans for Easter. I'm an awful mother, aren't I?

I've spent some time on OT over the last few days. I haven't logged in, read, or posted in a few months. I'm a bit lost with so many new names I just don't recognize. Although, much has stayed the same, even with the influx of newer characters.

Tonight was the Spring Book Fair at the Rottens' school. I have never been to a book fair that did not offer at least something for adults to read. I was slightly disappointed. The Rottens, however, were thrilled as that meant more money for them to spend.

My main front flowerbeds are bothering me this year. They are green. They are supposed to be many different colors. Yet I have no crocuses (croci?) left, no daffodils, no gladiolas, not a bit of color beyond green. What is going on?!

I need new shorts and flip flops. I don't want to go shopping. Blah.

I blame Augie.

She gets a cold, the cold/sinusy/allergy crap makes its way to me.

She has daffodils, I have plants that should have daffodils flowering.

She hates commercials, I don't even know what she's talking about.

She has a gnome, three have made their home in one of my flower beds.

I.don't.wanna.

It's the next to last day of the year at work. Ick. Full inventory tomorrow. Blech. Paperwork is flying everywhere. Double yuck. Year end bonus received today. Decent. Somehow it doesn't outweigh the ookiness of year end.

Cross your fingers that you don't find Momma bits all over blogland before mid-April.

*insert country music here*

Ever seen a 12 lb calf? Amber Dawn was barely 10lb when she was born a week ago Saturday. She's so freaking cute! And TINY!!! OMG....she's no heavier than a 1 month old infant. And barely knee high on my fil. She doesn't even come up to Rotten2's waist. This is her standing next to my 75lb Yellow Lab...

Sooooooooo cute. I wanted to bring her home so badly. However, I cannot bottle feed her every 5 hours like she needs right now. *pout* She'll be in the pen at the farm for at least 6 months.
As promised, pictures. Of course, it's morning, but...better late than never, right? And as an added bonus for waiting oh so patiently....Rotten1 and Trouble on the go kart.

Pooty Cabbage Girl

Bravie has her own website.

Look. It even has a picture of her.

Am I being weird?

Background: When we go to the farm, we typically all load up in one vehicle. Up until recently, that has been my vehicle because it was the most spacious. Now, that DH has the big extended cab truck that will haul the kids' go cart and I have the itsy bitsy little car, we load up his truck and go.

Selfish Momma: I want MY vehicle to drive should I choose to go somewhere without everyone (or with only a person or two).

Sane Momma: There are a grand total of 6 vehicles (cars, trucks, Jeeps, and I'm not counting the two four wheelers, Ranger, or farm truck) to drive at any given moment at the farm. I could drive something different constantly, if I wanted to. I wouldn't really even have to ask "permission" to drive one of them.

So why do I want to spend twice as much as necessary in gas this weeked to take my car, that I may or may not even drive while I'm there? Am I that much of a control freak that I have to have my car or I'll feel "trapped"? Even though, rationally, I know that is so far from the truth it's not funny.

Three Cheers for Spring!

Yay! This weekend made an amazing difference in my overall mood and general crappiness. It wasn't great weather, but it was enough. The yard is green, flowers are on sale at the nurseries, and heavy coats have been put away. Feels like life is coming back to my little corner of the world.

Hung out with a couple of friends after work Friday, which was desperately needed. I just haven't had the .... energy or desire, I guess ... to be a good friend to much of anyone in the last few months. This winter seemed to hit me pretty hard. We had several drinks, some fajitas and just had fun. Saturday and Sunday were consumed by a craptastic garage sale. Didn't make much and didn't get rid of much. :( Oh well. What was left is in storage and I'll probably take it to the flea market in a few weeks.

*smooches* to all my bloggy buddies!

I wanna.....

I wanna go shopping! I don't really need anything, I don't even really want anything. I just wanna go shopping.

I wanna nap! I slept lots the last few nights, but I don't feel rested.

I wanna cook a gourmet meal (or at least a really good meal), but with only DH and I at home and him being in a "simple" mode this week...it's just not worth it.

What about you? What do you wanna do?

*whine*

My back fvcking hurts! Still. If this doesn't start getting better soon, I will have to go to the doctor. Uck. I hate doctors.

In other news, it's Spring Break. The kids are with the ex-in-laws at the lake for the better part of the week, then with their dad for the weekend. I guess it's Spring Break for us, too! Sure doesn't feel like it with the rain, thunder, back issues, and work to deal with though.

Gee. My life is downright exciting, huh?

ETA: I've watched bits and pieces of AI this season, the first I've really paid any attention too. Damn, the boys SUCK. They have all butchered their songs tonight. So did most of the girls tonight. What was up with forgetting the lyrics? Although, I did kinda like Hayley. Melinda is amazing. Wow.

Part Two of AI: Lakeisha was okay, not her best that I've seen. Jordin did pretty well. In fact, it was enough to make me stop what I was doing and turn around. And there was one guy that I forgot his name that did pretty decent. I think Randy liked him, too. Phil was ... okay. That's the best I can do. I have the top 5 figured out, I think.

%#$*#()!*@#

OW! OW! OOOOOOOOOOOW!

Fvcking rain! Fvcking wooden deck steps!

Walking out to the car this morning, on my way to work. I busted my ass on the middle step and went down. Bump, Bump, Slam!

I've got a 1 1/2" x 3" swollen bruise on my back where I hit the steps. I had to change my jeans because my butt was soaked. And I hurt. Very much.

Happy Oreo Day!

On this day in 1912, the first Oreo cookies were sold.

If you took all the Oreos sold in the last 95 years and stacked them on top of each other, you'd be able to make 12 trips to the moon and back.

Oreos and milk for all of blogland today!

*sticks out tongue*

So.There.

I'm in an ornery mood today.

My hand has a blister.

My desk looks like a grocery store. I have Cheez-It White Cheddar snacks, Cape Cod potato chips, French onion dip, and corn and flour tortillas. All brought in by my employees. I think they are trying to bribe me. For what, I don't know.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Jeff Foxworthy's new show on Fox is absolutely hilarious. DH called from work halfway through the show to tell me to turn it on. You have to know the answer, there is no multiple choice. However, you are given two cheats - to peek at the student's paper or to copy a student's answer. Some of the questions included:

*What is the longest bone in the body?

*What element on the periodic table is Na?

*What is the largest species of bear?

*How many states border the Pacific Ocean?

Without googling, do you know the answers?

I wanna be like you.......

Create your own Friend Test here

Fvck!

Friday night I got home, got the kids home. Turned on my computer and checked my email. Left the computer on, as always. Made dinner and decided to go ahead and give the dog her shower early. I'd finished bathing her and was about to turn of the water when it happened. At first, I thought it was the Rottens. Rotten2 had been in the bathroom for just a moment.

Lights on. Lights off. Lights on. Lights off. Lights on. Lights off. For two hours. Apparently our entire grid had a minor meltdown. And so did my computer, which was "protected" by a brand fvcking new surge protector.

So now, I'm on the hunt for a new power supply. And I have no computer of my own at home. DH and Rotten1 have theirs. But it's not the same, dammit.

*waves*

Sorry I've been slightly non-existant lately. Between Rotten1's birthday and being sick with the cold/flu bug, I've been about useless lately.

Happy Birth Day to Miss Kennedy! I'm so very happy for the Monsty family. I wish them all lots of love and joy.

For anyone who's news I've missed, point me in the direction of your blog and I'll get there soon, I promise.

*smoooooooooooch*

Kids are EXPENSIVE!

Rotten1's birthday is Monday. I took Rotten2 shopping last night for her brother's birthday. Total cost: $35.00 and some change.

Rotten1 needed lunch money. So did Rotten2. Of course, this is for two weeks. Total Cost: $50.00

The kids' school is selling tshirts, necklaces, and earrings to raise money for something or other. Today is the last day. Total cost (for now): $14.00

Our company is working with our sister company, Heely's. Two kids, a pair each. Total Cost: $60.00

All in all, in less than 24 hours, my kids cost me over $150. Damn.

Observations of a WalMart shopper

I went to the store tonight, partially for a Valentine's card for DH, partly because I needed a few miscellaneous household items, and partly because I had time to kill. The kids are at their dad's for the night, DH is at work. So I browsed through the store to see if anything caught my eye. And I learned a few things.

One man bought his wife's Valentine's card/gift a week ago. But he forgot his mother-in-law. The selection of mother-in-law Valentine's cards is nil on Valentine's Day.

Two men were shopping together and trying to find the "right" romantic card for their wives while proclaiming how cheesy the cards really are.

One woman and her daughter stood in the same spot, looking at the same card for five full minutes. And discussed what Jason did not do for Valentine's Day. If I am guessing correctly, no one really expected Jason to do anything, so it was not a great shock he did nothing. But they were still disappointed.

Another woman picked up a card, placed it in her basket, rolled off. Came back with Valentine's wrapping paper. Put back the card she originally had and took another. Left. Apparently put up the wrapping paper. Put back the card. Got another. Left. Came back with the paper, stared at the cards again. And left.

A man, staring at the cards for as long as I watched the people from the safety of the men's clothing area, remarked that it was his own fault there were no cards to choose from. If only he'd learned the last 23 years not to put off shopping til the very last minute.

And this? is part of the reason I just don't like Valentine's Day. Entirely too stressful to make sure you get the right card, gift and wrapping paper for everyone so they know they are loved by Hallmark and their family.

Survivor

Besides Boo, who is with me watching this season of Survivor? Seems a bit....interesting, I suppose. I'm tired of the Exile Island gimmick, but, who knows. Maybe it will be okay. *shrug*

I have.......

a new hobby/job! Yay me!

I'm making stethoscope covers! DH started this whole idea when he went into a medical supply/uniform store over in Dallas several months ago. Found one he liked and it cost $7. Okay. Let's dissect this thing - it's a piece of material, folded in half, with velcro at top and bottom. It takes 5 minutes to make. Costs so very, very little to make.

So. I found some kickass firefighter material for him and made one a week or so ago. He loved it. So. I went to Walmart and bought some Valentine's, St Patrick's Day, and just medical type stuff materials. And I'm sewing my little fingers right off. Ebay, here I come! I think I may tack a notice up on the bulletin boards at the hospital, too.

*sigh*

This has not been a good week in the Momma house. Rotten1 has gotten in trouble again at school for saying something he shouldn't. And this time, the punishment at school is much more severe than any of us feel it should be. So, I'm fighting hard for a reduced punishment. So far I've met with a stubborn, disrespectful principal and a professional, semi-open assistant superintendant. We'll see what happens, but .... the fight is no where near over. So if I'm a bit closed off or disappear for a bit, I'm probably too damn stressed to think straight.

Edited to add: Not 30 minutes after posting this, the assistant superintendant called me back. She'd concluded her investigation, spoken to the hard-ass principal and come up with a compromise that, while I'm not thrilled with it, definitely addresses my two main concerns. My son's quality of education will not suffer and he will be removed from the classroom where he is continually causing or getting in trouble with a certain group of children. It's not the best case, but it's workable. Unfortunatly, this is his last chance this school year. If he screws up like this again, there's not much we can do but deal with what the school hands out.

Lunch Dilemmas

Or, why I still haven't eaten my lunch from Monday.

See, I brought my Lean Cuisine chicken/pasta something or other Monday. But then we ate a huge department breakfast and I wasn't hungry, so one of the other girls and I split a roast beef sandwich. Then, yesterday, a girl from another department didn't bring her lunch and didn't have her car. She offered to buy my lunch if I took her to get something. Hmmm...okay. So I ate out. Today, I didn't bring a new lunch because Monday's lunch is still sitting in the freezer. And one of the girls who works for me brought in a huge Italian sausage casserole thing for everyone to share. Looks like Monday's lunch will continue to freeze.

What about you? What are you eating today?

Shame on Momma!

Rotten2 lost her second tooth yesterday at school. At lunch. While eating the ham out of her ham sandwich. She was so proud of that little envelope that the nurse gave her to keep her tooth in. She even drew a picture during free time that said "I'm gunna see the toth farey. Yes! Yes! Yes!" She put the tooth under her pillow. She fell asleep in record time.

And I forgot.

I fucking forgot.

So I made up a story about how busy the tooth fairy must have been, since she had to visit another girl in Rotten2's class last night. And while she was brushing her teeth, the tooth fairy made a quick appearance.

All was well in Rotten2's world and now she has a story to tell her class today. I'm feeling absolutely horrid. The look on her face when she realized the tooth fairy didn't come....OMG. Never again. Never. Ever. Ever!

*frustrated screeeeeaaaaaaaaam*

So. DH calls at 8:30 am. Seems our septic system pump went out at some point recently and the septic is now overflowing into our backyard. All because he needed to do laundry. When I call at lunch, he finally was able to unclog the pump and it's running, for now. Needs to be replaced and there are no guarantees on how long it will last. *sigh*

Then he calls at 2:47. He's doing laundry finally. And heard water rushing. So he spent 30 minutes trying to stop the washing machine from overflowing and mopping up massive quantities of water. *big sigh* He's done laundry bazillions of times. Really. I swear.

Oh......and we have no phone at home. Which means no internet. And would I please call the phone company for the upteenth time to find out when they will be fixing it? *really, really big sigh*

Grouchy Grumpy Funk

Alright. I'll admit it. I'm in a grouchy, grumpy funk. I'm okay when it's just me, more or less. But if I have to be around anyone (kids, DH, work, strangers in the store), I'm in a craptastic mood. I've tried to pull myself out of it. And it works for a little bit. But then a small, teensy little bitty thing will put me in a foul mood and I just don't like anyone or anything. I've been not at all productive around the house, I just want to be lazy and alone. And it doesn't help any that DH is in much the same type of mood, so I think we're just irritating the shit out of each other lately.

So. HELP! Put me in a better mood.

In honor of Carey/Bravie/Whatshername

This is really the answer I got when answering truthfully.....

You Are Jan Brady

Brainy and a little introverted, you tend to think life is a lot worse than it actually is. And while you may think you're a little goofy looking, most people consider you to be a major babe.

What Brady Are You?

How.......

How do you teach a child to like to read? I'm not even going to push the loving to read thing at this point. I'd be happy if reading a book didn't result in all out war around these parts. I read to him all the time as a toddler and preschooler. He loved hearing the stories. He begged me to read to him every night. In kindergarten, reading began to be "un-fun" to him. Now, Rotten1 down right hates reading no matter how you put it to him. It doesn't matter what it is or why he's reading. He hates reading. *sigh*

He's read 5 chapters of a book that's about kids for school. He couldn't tell me the two main characters names 5 minutes after he finished Chapter 5. WTF am I going to do?

Horoscopes

You Are A Cypress Tree

You are strong, adaptable, and striving to be content.You're good at taking what life has to give - even if you don't like it.A passionate lover who can't be satisfied, you are quick tempered at times.You hate loneliness, want love and affection, and need to be needed.A bit of a live wire, you love to gain knowledge any cost... and you can be careless at times.

What's" Your Celtic Horoscope?

Do you think horoscopes have a hint of truth to them? Do you read your daily horoscope? I think the ones based on your star sign/personality traits are generally semi-accurate. The daily ones? Not so much at all. In fact, I haven't read my daily horoscope in years. And unless it's going to tell me that Rotten1 is NOT going to give his stomach bug to me, I don't want to read it.

Ack!

We were supposed to be through with ice. This morning, it's sleeting and snowing!

Kids are out of school, our high for the day has been reached and it's going to snow until 6pm. Lovely. Please explain to me why I'm at work.

For mm and her blistex......

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

I think......

..... I need new glasses.

......I am going to buy Rotten1 a pair of Heelys for his bday next month

......I want to bake cookies tomorrow

......My niece has hit a massive growth spurt in a month. I barely recognized her tonight.

......My ex-inlaws are pretty decent people.

......Jack Frost needs to go back into hiding. I was quite enjoying the 50-60 degree winter days. Below freezing days? Not so much. 27 degrees with an inch of ice on the roads with wind chills making it feel like 5 degrees is NOT humane.

Have you ever......

Have you ever seen someone in a store that looks so very much like someone you once knew that you would swear up and down it was the person you knew, even when deep down, you know it really can't be that person? Even if the resemblances are so strikingly similar that it takes every fiber in your being to resist the urge to go up to that person and ask them if they are the person you know? Have you ever walked up to that person?

Couple of Questions......

1. What snacky type foods do you tend to keep stashed? I've gone through a box of granola bars, half a box of cereal bars and a bag of goldfish at work this week.

2. How often do you sweep your kitchen floor? I usually do once a week, but it is getting to the point that I will have to do a quick sweep at least once during the week in addition to the weekly super sweep.

3. Is it time for the new "seasons" of our favorite shows yet? I'm soooooooo tired of paying for 180+ channels and having nothing to watch.

4. How young is too young to have a boyfriend or girlfriend? And how young is too young to call said boyfriend or girlfriend on the phone just to chat?

5. How can I get pictures on my computer when I have no scanner?

6. Are you tired of my randomly stupid questions yet?

Um. Yeah.

I had a whole new blog entry thought out, ready to type it in. And I've forgotten it. Dammit. And it wasn't even about the Rottens or my smoking.

Saturday Adventures

Slept in this morning. God, that felt GOOD! I haven't had a full 11 hour night of sleep in for.ev.er. Or at least, that is how it has felt lately. The dog woke me up because she needed to go outside. I took her out with a smoke in my hand. I lit it. She did her business. I noticed the neighbor's dog out running loose. Their black Lab never runs loose. So I brought my dog back in and called the neighbor. Sure enough, that was his Lab. So I brought her over to my house until he got down his driveway (about a quarter of a mile long) and across the street. Total number of cigarettes smoked: 3 drags.

Came inside, logged onto my computer, made myself a bowl of baked apple oatmeal and began playing.....and realized something. I'm going to log on and type or browse or read or something every time I want a cigarette today because I have no one here to talk to other than the dog or the cat or the fishies.

Fair Warning: This might get very long and very boring. If you don't read it all, I won't hold any grudges.

10:01 am - Look at me! I got my avatar back! Yay me!
1:51 pm - So I've taken a shower and run three hours worth of errands. In that time, I smoked two. However, I'm kinda proud of myself, as it's nearly 2pm and I've been awake for 6 hours and I've only smoked two. Going for the rest of the day will be a challenge. I can do this!
9:09 pm - Well. This afternoon/evening didn't go so well. I started out deep cleaning my living room and kitchen. And somehow, in the process, I upped my total number of smokes to 7. In fact, I just smoked #7. I'm slightly disappointed in myself, but. It is still progress. Sort of.

Dreary Drizzle

Ick. I hate mornings like this when I have to go to work. I just cannot seem to get motivated. It doesn't help that half of my yard is under water from all the rain we have gotten. Blech.

I did well yesterday - 10 smokes. Today, I will do it again. Tomorrow, when I am home alone, I will begin my attempt to cut that in half. I'm on my way! Yay!

So, help me think of inexpensive projects I can start to do to keep myself occupied. Or recommend something I can do to keep busy. I'm getting bored with my computer games.

What happened here?

My cute little Texas flag and pink cowboy hat avatar disappeared yesterday. It just showed a box with a red x. So I tried to upload it again. And again. And I couldn't make it work. *pout* So now I'm avatar-less.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

In other news, today's goal is the same as yesterday. Keep it under 10 cigarettes. I smoked 11 yesterday :(

Today's Challenge

So, as part of my baby steps to quitting, I signed up for a daily newsletter that is part of a online stop smoking support group thingie. The newsletter usually has a "Quit Tip" that is supposed to encourage the quitting thought process. Many of the ones I've read have been "old news" or very few that have made me just roll my eyes. The thing I like about them is they aren't too hokey. And the celebrate your milestones. Today's email has had me thinking, though. It asked you to make a list of your fears related to quitting smoking (ie. not hanging out with your friends, loss of your "image", etc).

The more I think about it, the more of a list I've actually compiled. At first glance, I was kinda like "Oh what a moronic excersize", but....well.....

5. Not remembering to take the dog outside to do her business
4. Losing 30-45 mins a day at work to bullshit with my smoker friends
3. Nothing to replace the cigarette in my hand
2. Lack of stress relief
1. Boredom/Nothing to do when I need a moment of peace