Randomness...

I have been insanely busy at work this week. For some reason, they seem to think I need to earn my paycheck. *rolls eyes*

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I am ringing the bells for the Salvation Army tomorrow for an hour. I enjoy it, it feels like I'm helping out in a very small way. But, I feel like a total moron standing out in front of the store ringing that bell. Closer to Christmas, I will hate those bell ringers and their annoying jingle jangle bells.

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I have a Saturday to myself this week. I have no idea what to do. Maybe I'll try to finish some of my Christmas shopping. Maybe.

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I found out tonight that my ex's cousin, who lives near me and doesn't speak to my ex, is was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a couple months ago.

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My ex's cousin brought me venison jerky tonight. That was my dinner. Along with a couple of beers. Yum.

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Help. I'm desperate.

I am so tired of my kids. They've been home for just over 24 hours and I can't wait to take them to school in the morning. Between Rotten1 constantly antagonizing his sister, no matter how much trouble it lands him in, and Rotten2 thinking she rules the roost, whining, and thinking what she wants is law, no matter how many times she is sent to her room or has toys taken away - I am going to SCREAM!

Oh. Wait. I did that already. About 85 times in the last 24 hours.

I've tried to remain calm. I've totally lost it. I've screamed. Yelled. Ignored. Every trick in the book. Nothing works anymore. *sigh* What do I do now?

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On a happier note, this is my 100th blog entry.

For Rose

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

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This hymn was sung at my mom's, my aunt's, and my grandpa's funeral. For some reason, it's always brought me a little bit of peace. Maybe it can do the same for you.

*hugs*

*smooch*

I've missed you guys! I took Wed. off of work to stay home with the kids. Ended up taking them down to the lake to their grandparents for the rest of the weekend, instead of spending quality time with them then shipping them off early Thursday. *shrug*

Spent Turkey Day cooking a small (turkey, stuffing, cornbread, french green beans, sweet potatos, and gravy) dinner for DH and me. Did absolutely nothing after that. Took a nap at one point.

Today, I decided I wasn't going to get up at the ass crack of dawn like I have for the past several years to hit the sales. There wasn't much that enticed me, if the truth were to be told. So, I woke up about 8 and took a shower. Got dressed and headed out to Walmart. They didn't have any more of the $6 jeans for Rotten2. However, they did have the $4 jammie pants for her and the $7 jeans for Rotten1. Most importantly? They had Dayquil and Nyquil and Advil and Robitussin. Hit up the dollar store for some gift wrap and headed home. Realized after getting home that I had wanted to go to Target. Decided I'd do that tomorrow. DH took me to lunch. I came home and took a nap. Then I drug out all my Christmas stuff. Our tree is up, stockings are hung, and it looks quite festive around my living room.

Tomorrow will be the 4th full day that DH and I have been home together alone. Thank goodness for monthly visitors and fire calls. He'd probably have driven me insane otherwise.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Mine was complete - I burned my finger and cut another one while dealing with the turkey. *grin*

When did I become one of THEM?!?!!?

So I headed to the mall tonight to get my wedding ring cleaned and inspected. I hate the mall. HATE. Especially this particular mall, which happens to be the nearest mall - as in 45 minutes from my home. Because, you see, I'm a minority at this mall. I? am not a gansta chick. In fact, in my boots and jeans, I tend to stand out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, on my way to the mall, which I detest, I realized something. I have become one of THEM. You know, the idiot in the far right hand lane of the freeway that everyone passes. Who is driving FIVE, yes, I said 5, miles an hour OVER the speed limit.

I? am apparently becoming a senior citizen in a huge tank or some such shit. This sucks.

Definitions

IGNORANT:
Main Entry: ig·no·rant
Pronunciation: 'ig-n(&-)r&nt
Function: adjective
1 a : destitute of knowledge or education ; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence 2 : UNAWARE, UNINFORMED- ig·no·rant·ly adverb- ig·no·rant·ness nounsynonyms IGNORANT, ILLITERATE, UNLETTERED, UNTUTORED, UNLEARNED

DIM:
Main Entry: 1dim
Pronunciation: 'dim
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): dim·mer; dim·mestEtymology: Middle English, from Old English dimm; akin to Old High German timber dark
1 a : emitting a limited or insufficient amount of light b : DULL, LUSTERLESS c : lacking pronounced, clear-cut, or vigorous quality or character
2 a : seen indistinctly or without clear outlines or details b : perceived by the senses or mind indistinctly or weakly : FAINT c : having little prospect of favorable result or outcome d : characterized by an unfavorable, skeptical, or pessimistic attitude -- usually used in the phrase take a dim view of
3 : not perceiving clearly and distinctly
4 : DIM-WITTED- dim·ly adverb- dim·ma·ble /'di-m&-b&l/ adjective- dim·ness noun

ANTEBELLUM:
Main Entry: an·te·bel·lum
Pronunciation: "an-ti-'be-l&m
Function: agitator
1 : to show her own ignorance and dimness when attempting to make an invalid point about varying subjects

All from Merriam-Webster.com

The Elderly Couple

The husband leans over and asks his wife, "Do you remember the first time we had sex together over fifty years ago? We went behind this very tavern where you leaned against the back fence and I made love to you."
"Yes, she says, "I remember it well"
"Ok," he says, "How about taking a stroll around there again and we can do it for old time's sake?"
"Oh Charlie, you old devil, that sounds like a crazy, but very good idea!"
There's a police officer sitting in the next booth listening to all this, and having a chuckle to himself. He thinks, "I've got to see these two old-timers having sex against a fence. I'll just keep an eye on them so there's no trouble." So he follows them.

They walk haltingly along, leaning on each other for support, aided by walking sticks. Finally they get to the back of the tavern and make their way to the fence. The old lady lifts her skirt and the old man drops his trousers. As she leans against the fence, the old man moves in.

Suddenly they erupt into the most furious sex that the watching policeman has ever seen. This goes on for about forty minutes. Finally, they both collapse panting on the ground. The policeman is amazed. He thinks he has learned something about life that he didn't know. After about half an hour of lying on the ground recovering, the old couple struggle to their feet and put their clothes back on.

The Policeman, still watching thinks, this was truly amazing I've got to ask them what their secret is. As the couple passes, he says to them, "Excuse me, but that was something else. You must've had a fantastic sex life together. Is there some sort of secret to this?"

The old man says, "Fifty years ago that wasn't an electric fence."

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Why does this remind me of Carey and Dweeze behind the 7-11, even though they aren't old?

So far this morning, I've cleaned the kitchen, done the dishes, swept and mopped. Apparently my family thinks a magic fairy cleans the front of cabinets and refridgerators. I've vacuumed and dusted the living room. I've finished the last load of laundry. I watched Glowie's wedding, which was amazingly beautiful. She and Shawn are gorgeous. I've bathed the dog. I've showered and dressed - okay, so I'm wearing no makeup and I've put on my baseball cap, so what?

DH is at work 'til 11pm and the kids are with their dad until at least Tuesday. I'm seriously contemplating rearranging the living room. I need to go have my wedding ring cleaned and inspected. I need to go to the grocery store. And hopefully, my bookstore is open today.

It's only 9:24am.

Remember my GRRRR! post?

I did it a few Mondays back about mortgage companies and lawyers and such? Okay, well...fast forward. I talked to the mortgage company a few times. I talked to their lawyer. I talked to my friend who is a lawyer. Their lawyer knew nothing, so it means they were just fvcking with my head about the foreclosure crap. I called back today to make my payment - that they refused to accept a couple weeks ago. And talked to my account rep - who refused my call two weeks ago and said I needed to talk to their lawyer.

Come to find out, the whole reason they were acting all bad ass is because I'm finally almost at a point where I'm caught up from the ex's 2 and a half years of non-payment. I'm $676.00 away from having the past due balance gone + this month's payment and next month's payment. That's it. So guess what? I worked out a deal with him to make a payment today. And a payment in 2 weeks. And he's going to cut my late fees in half. And by the end of the year, I will have it all taken care of. Then we'll be back to normal. No more double payments. No more stressing about whether or not they'll accept my payments or decide to be assholes. Nothing.

I'm excited!!! This is the last of the ex's bills I'm paying off. Except the daycare. But I'm not thinking about that.

Now - go see the Rotten2 picture! *points down*

Rambling...

Today was Rotten2's Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast. So very cute! They all had made headbands like the Native Americans wore and vests with symbols on them, similar to what the Natives might have worn. Did you know you can't call them Indians anymore? It's not proper terminology. Oops. They sang several songs they'd made up and we ate our feast - turkey sammiches, pickles, cheese, fruit snacks, cucumbers, chips and dips, and blueberry muffins.

Rotten2 went back to school today. For a whole hour. While I was entering the kindergarten room, the school nurse came to find me. He'd gone to her because he still didn't feel good. I swear, if his father had half a brain and could see that the child didn't feel good - why the fvck did he send him to school? Ugh. So the nurse let him hang out in her office (since he wasn't running fever and had had 3 doses of amoxil) while I attended the kindergarten program. Then I took him back to work with me, where he somehow managed to con the CEO out of a couple of cough drops, charmed several of the women, and then we left.

Now I'm at home, the kids are down for the night, I'm trying to relax and DH is driving me insane. And now I feel like I'm getting sick.

So what have I missed since I've been otherwise occupied by real life?

Inquiring minds wanna know....

When do you fill up your gas tank? Before it's empty? At a quarter of a tank? Half a tank? Does it ever run on fumes?

Crap! Sick Again.

Rotten1 is at work with me for a bit this morning. I went to pick him up at his grandma's last night after a meeting and he wasn't feeling well. So I asked what was bothering him. His head. His throat. His tummy. Greeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaat.

So we get home and I check his temperature. Nothing above normal. I look at his throat. Uh oh. Not good. So....here we sit until his doctor's office opens.

Joy.

Glowbug......

I see Shawn signed for your (his) packie last night at 6:21 pm.

And? I really really wanna come to the reception. *pout* I hate being broke.

*YAAAAWN*

I am so tired from this weekend. Rotten2 went to her slumber party. She had a great time. Called about 11:15 to tell me good night. And? she was the first one to go to sleep. Rotten1 had a friend spend the night while his sister was gone. It was between midnight and 1am that the two boys went to sleep. Of course, they woke up at 6:59am.

Yesterday afternoon we had our Cub Scout Rocket Launch. That was fun to watch. Afterwards, I came home and made dinner - chicken fried steaks, mac n cheese, rolls and peas. Blech. NOT my fave meal. But it's what DH wanted, so I figured I'd humor him for the evening. At least, in that small way. *grin* The kids had bathed, been fed and vegged out in front of the tv from 6-8 pm. They don't do that often. They were both worn out.

And this morning, I woke up with a sore throat. Lovely. I so hope I'm not getting sick. It's supposed to get cold this week, finally. Our high today and tomorrow is 75. The rest of the week? It's not supposed to get above 55. And it's supposed to be in the 30s at night. Brrrrrr!

*hugs* for Carey

*hugs*

Hope all goes well today with Mayor Daddy Knockers!!

Have a great time in Vegas.

Can I do this?

For the first time in almost 8 years, I'm seriously thinking about returning to college to finish my degree. I am ONE hour shy of my Associates. Why one hour? I got pregnant prior to my last semester in college. And that one hour I needed was a PE credit. Yeah. PE. How pitiful is that?

So, I've been thinking and tossing it around for awhile now. I don't want to continue on the path I had before. I just can't get excited over being an elementary school teacher any more. My second love, and my "minor" had been Sociology. And I'm seriously thinking that Sociology or Social Work is the path I want to take. I've contacted my previous college for a transcript. I've contacted the local extension of a major university for info on their degree program.

And now? Now I'm scared. Can I really go back and do this? I want to finish my degree. I don't want to be stuck in a dead end job forever. I want to make a difference somewhere. I want to show my children how important college is. But for some irrational reason, I'm skeered. Afraid of failure. I never had this problem at 18. Ten years later, I do.

I know lots of people go back to school. I know lots of people still in school. Why do I view myself differently? Mainly because I'm afraid to interrupt my time with my kids. But, I always said that when my youngest started kindergarten, I'd go back. And that is now. What am I waiting for? It's sure not the winning lotto ticket :) Speaking of which, I guess I better start checking into financial aid packages too.

I can do this, right?

Random Crap

I took Larry's fire truck bank to the bank at lunch to cash in his change. He had 1 quarter, a shitload of dimes and pennies and a few nickels. Total? $17.03
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I went to the DMV to renew my drivers license at lunch. It's only been 2 years and 5 months since I moved. And four and a half months since I got married. I was in line behind a man who was renewing his license and a 65+ year old man who couldn't stand up straight taking his CDL test. It still only took 10 minutes.
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Tonight we have to finish Rotten2's Turkey Project. I think all that's left are the feathers and the sand. I hope that's all that's left.
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Rotten2 has been invited to her very first slumber party. She's only spent the night at a friend's house once before. I'm quite nervous about the midnight "I wanna come hoooooooooome" phone call.
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I need to take the Rottens to have Christmas photos taken. Or I need to get off my ass and take them myself. Either way? They have NOTHING Christmas-y to wear. Yikes.

I miss Breezy.....

She's in Vegas playing all day at some silly conference and partying the night away. And she didn't take me. *pout*

SO! I think, in her absence, we should have our very own poker party. Right.Now.

Who has the cards?
*passes out cigars and goofy poker player hats*

Stolen from Snuffleupagus (Arkie)....

Bert You scored 77% Organization, 46% abstract, and 57% extroverted!

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean. Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type. Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself. You are very organized, both concrete and abstract, and both introverted and extroverted. Here is why are you Bert. You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Bert is a big neat freak and gets quite annoyed when Ernie makes a big mess. You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Bert is probably a bit more concrete in his bottlecap collecting addiction and his love of the weather. He does show his abstract side when he sings and performs his "Doin' The Pidgeon" song. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course. You are both somewhat introverted. Bert is probably more introverted, because he spends most of his time either with Ernie or alone. Still he has no problem being around other people in his role as chairman of "The National Association of 'W' Lovers." Like Bert, you probably like to have some time to yourself, but you do appreciate spending time with your friends, and you aren't scared of social situations. The other possible characters are Oscar the Grouch Big Bird Snuffleupagus Ernie Elmo Kermit the Frog Grover Cookie Monster Guy Smiley The Count

So.

It's Wednesday. The middle of the week. And I have nothing to say. Nothing.

Except...who got banned now?