Friday, July 29, 2011

break out of the shell

7-29-11


Date night!

In about 8 I am sure excruciatingly long hours, I am out of here and in route to an awesome evening of BBQ and Olivia Wilde. I am not sure which one is going to be yummier.

Last night was spent rocking Toy Story 3 with the boys. We chilled in bed and they were shockingly excited and engrossed in the movie. It was quite cozy and nice. I even got super involved in the story line, despite having seen it a million times. It was very happy making.

Ken and Daniel went and saw Cowboys and Aliens. Ken managed to win LA Rising tickets while there. Pretty impressive! Too bad we really can’t go. So in a bit I will post on Facebook to see if anyone wants them. I think Ken told me when he got home that the movie was good. I was pretty comatose. I stayed up later than normal, working on my pictures. I had not realized that I had a week’s worth of them on my camera. I was so behind!

I am so desperate for gum this morning I am rockin a blow pop.

I found gum. It has the Xylitol in it. I am not a fan. It is like drinking diet soda.

Rudy the kitten has really upped her affections with me. I think she is trying to get me to keep her. I have to say, it is super tempting because she is the runt of the bunch, and super duper sweet. I think it would piss off Monarch, but I am also thinking she would be a fun companion to Lycos. Lycos LOVES those kittens. And thankfully they don’t mind her nudging and slobber. I figure next weekend (it would have been this one but with the hectic of our schedule it could not be) will be when I get Mama spayed and take the kittens down to the shelter to be adopted out. This means I have a week to either convince Ken to take in a 5th cat, or to come to my senses. LOL!

I think I need to give up coffee. I am actually ok with this. I will change to tea only.

I need to get a bunch of temporary tattoos.

I was on the phone with Ken yesterday and as we were hanging up, I heard one of the boys in the background say, “was that mom?” For some reason, there was a surreal awesomeness that kicked in. I mean, I know I am mom, but sometimes it just hits you in such a way that makes you smile. Yesterday was that day.

I found myself window shopping on the net. It is one of those easy things where you can add stuff to your bag even though you know damn well you will not ever buy the items. Either way, I was sitting there yesterday and I really was wondering how I could get $200 to buy what I had added to my bag. It then occurred to me, I don’t want to buy anything right now. You know why? Because I am about to go on a diet. And it isn’t some fad diet or bullshit that doesn’t work. This is doctor regulated and it is something that may in fact help me kick start loss of this fat shell that surrounds me. I don’t want to waste my money on things that fit me now. I want to wait and waste money on clothing that will fit me in 6 months! I want to wear some of the things I still have in my closet that fit me when I lost weight before. I want to really have something to look forward to. Not just shopping in Old Navy online because it is the only place they have my size. I want to be a new me!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Bananas and Golf

7-28-11


What an eventful afternoon!

I got home from a pretty mellow day at work, waiting for Ken and company to arrive home so we could go to our afternoon outing. I started looking through the kitchen for something to snack on. I noted the bananas on the counter which must have been purchased when Ken went to the store the day before. I have an irrational fear of the yellow devils, but I also knew that I should start trying things again as I am about to start this doctor monitored diet. I was guessing bananas were something that would be included in the “ok to eat” category. Still, I didn’t really want to eat it.

I updated my status on Facebook, indicating my interesting dilemma in my desire to try something I hated. Within minutes, I was amused to see comments from Brandy and Stephanie urging me to do it. Brandy even offered me $50 to eat a whole banana. I was challenged, and it wasn’t just from them. I felt I could do this, even if it made me hurl.

I grabbed the Flip camera, set it up on the tri-pod and prepared myself. I hit record as I choked down the vilest tasting thing I have had in a while. For 5 minutes while on camera, I ate, and gagged, I laughed, I cried, I yelled, and I finally managed to consume the entire thing. I then posted the video to Facebook.

During this time, there was also numerous side conversations about gagging on bananas and jokes were flying. It was awesome to see people from all circles of my life interacting, mind you laughing hysterically at their mutual idiot friend.

The video took some time to upload, and was not done by the time everyone got home and we headed out to Mulligan’s for some miniature golf.

Golf was a lot of fun. The boys are just old enough now to really enjoy the fun and I think the outing was good entertainment for Daniel. I worry we are a boring family since we mostly just chill at home. But thankfully this week Ken was able to take him to see the screening of “The Captains” at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and tonight I secured screening tickets for them to go see Cowboys and Aliens. Yes, Ken and I are seeing it tomorrow, too, but how often do we have our nephew in town?

Bobby managed to get two holes in one in a row. I was so proud! He did quite well. Even Dax did pretty good. I got one hole in one after launching my ball into the castle. We had a lot of fun. It was pretty busy, but thankfully the group behind us was incredibly polite and nice.

Mulligans is looking to be a fun new destination for us. The boys are old enough to do quite a few things there now, so we will have to go back. There is a rock climbing wall and paddle boats, and even the race cars can be something we do. I am excited!

During this time, my video must have uploaded. I got the alerts on my phone that indicated both Brandy and Stephanie had viewed my pain. Only at this point did it occur to me that I just uploaded a video of myself eating a banana on a social networking site. I really hope I don’t get a call from Tosh in a week.

Daniel seems to be warming up to us. He is rather quiet. Thankfully, we seem to have been able to get him to laugh, and he even talked a bit with me last night when he and I went to go get dinner. He is a good kid and I am quite glad he was able to come out.

Tonight, with Ken and Daniel going to the movie, the boys and I have decided to movie in bed! We are going to get in our jammies after an early bath and we are going to then crawl into Ken and my bed and watch Toy Story 3 in there. It was their choice on the movie, and it is cool since our bed is super cozy and we have the nice tv in there. Should be a sweet night!

It sounds like Papa Brenan will also be staying this weekend to help out for prep for the roof. It means I need to make sure that this afternoon when I get home the house is still in decent order.

Tomorrow, the boys are spending the night at my folks’ house, and Daniel and Papa Brenan are going to a movie. It makes me feel much better about date night since I really did not want to reschedule. I think there may be a bit of chaos since it is the last day of camp, so they have to load up. Hopefully they will get most of it done since they have a lot of helpers. Either way, it should be ok since the movie doesn’t start until 7:15 and we have assigned seats. Even if we don’t get to dinner until 5:30, we have time. I think my plan will be to go get the boys when I am done with work so they are out of Ken’s hair. It means tonight I will pack their overnight bags.

As I mentioned before, I am soon to be on a doctor monitored diet. I got the referral information yesterday. I have an orientation I think next week which tells me about this low calorie/fasting diet I will be on. My understanding is that I will have weekly meetings and they will monitor me to make sure I am healthy. It’s like going on one of those expensive diets, but it is insurance covered! Yay! I also have a class I am going to in a couple weeks for cholesterol reducing tips. Should be interesting all around. I am kind of jazzed. I also have to call my doc back to schedule an ultrasound for my liver. It is a month of getting Gena healthy! Yes, I realize that it isn’t just a month, but it is my start to a better life.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

diabetes

7-26-11


Well good morning to you, too, Doctor House. Thank you so very much for paying me a much overdue visit in my dreams. I am happy to see your leg is feeling better. I promise I will catch up on your saga very soon. If this is a new way to advertise your show, I very much so approve. Even though our mutual attraction came together in order for you to get out frustrations towards that other doctor, I am beyond ok with it. It was a fun episode to say the least, and I am glad I got to be a part of it.

I am still recovering from my nighttime romp with Dr. House. I am half asleep. I don’t know that it is the good doctor’s fault. If anything, he only made the bit of sleep I got wonderful. In reality, it was the dose of NyQuil I took last night when I couldn’t stop coughing. I took it close to 8:30, so I think it is still messing with me. I am rocking a cup of green tea hoping to shake me out of it.

The reports I need to be working on are missing data so I have to probably wait until tomorrow to work on them. It makes me wish I was home, sleeping.

I had a hell of a day at the doctor’s office, too. Perhaps that is why one of my favorite fictional ones stopped by in my dreams. I went down to talk to Dr. O’Bryan to discuss my test results from my blood work done on Friday.

Many of my levels were elevated. She said that the one she is most concerned with is the blood sugar. This of course is what would lead to diabetes. She said that at this point, though, we can nip it in the bud. She wants to see me lose some pounds and that should help everything. We have a plan, too.

Currently I have started taking my fiber supplement. It isn’t bad, and I figure if I can do the 3 teaspoons a day, it will help. She was quite pleased with this. She has also put me on some kind of light diabetes medicine. She said this will help stabilize everything, and actually help me lose some weight. I am also to make sure I am taking my fish oil meds. She has also put in for me to meet with a dietician.

She was very impressed with how calm I was about the whole thing. I told her I kind of knew this day was coming. I have been incredibly unhealthy for a while now, and it was just a matter of time before my body started to reject how poorly I have treated it. I had even told the boys on the way to the doc that they would need to help me be healthier. They were quite jazzed.

The only real issue with the appointment was that I had the boys and no Ken. Ken was with Daniel and Aaron at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery seeing a screening of “The Captains”. Of course, it was the one time I could have used a hand.

Thankfully the boys were incredibly well behaved. They had to go play in Dr. O’Bryans’ office while I had an EKG. I assumed they would come back for my blood work, but they ended up staying in there, which worked out better based on how long it took for them to poke me.

I had 3 different nurses, 3 pokes, with two of them including the slide search technique. We finally settled on a vein on my index finger. It wasn’t comfortable. I also had a shot for pneumonia? I think that is what they said. My last test was peeing in a cup, which is always a challenge. I am always so sure I am going to end up spilling it.

It sucks being this beat. I plan on going to bed early even though I should be entertaining.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Daniel is visiting and Lycos can swim again

7-25-11


It has been a busy weekend.

Friday morning was really my time. I went and got my blood work done, which was mostly a lot of sitting around waiting for my turn. Plus, the guy who was supposed to collect my blood was clearly unsure what to do with me, so he got someone else to help, who was awesome.

After I left, I got some food and went to Target. There is something to be said about shopping Target alone when you are accustomed to shopping with kids and husband in tow. I took my time and managed to only forget one thing on my list, which isn’t too bad.

To be honest, though, it was kind of boring. I went home and tried to relax, but was unable to. I tried watching a couple of episodes of Doogie Howser, which were btw, AWESOME, but I just couldn’t sit there. I opted to go down to the school where Ken was.

I ended up helping out down there, which was actually good. I had people to chit chat with and I felt useful. The boys were pretty jazzed, too.

The boys and I left around 3 and went to my folks’ house. We ended up hanging out there until almost 5:30. My parents and I actually hung out more than they did with the boys. Always nice to be able to catch up.

We got to the AdventurePlex around 5:45. I think we were the first ones there for the Facebook Fan appreciation night. There were other kids, a few drop offs for Parents’ Night Out. But even as things got rolling, it wasn’t a crazy crowd. It was actually a good number since the kids had lots of room to play. Dax’s friend Ashley was there, and Stephanie and Dave brought Sabrina. The kids were in heaven!

Saturday was my day of prep. Daniel was coming on Sunday morning, so we needed to have the house ready for a guest for a week and a half. I cleaned the crap out of the playroom, including treating it with flea powder. I did a lot of work on the living room, including getting some stuff up into the attic. In reality, that was all Ken. He also had to clean up a backed up drain that flooded the bathroom. Not fun. Although on the plus side, it needed a good scrub down.

The house was sparkling. We also did some much needed grocery shopping. This is where I freaked out.

My stomach started having similar pains to when I first have the diverticulitis. I found myself holed up in the Ralph’s bathroom on 2 different occasions, constantly feeling icky and faint and sweaty. On top of that, I noted more blood in my stool. I was convinced I would end up having to go back on the damn meds. I picked up some of the fiber powder, hoping that if I started taking this that it would help.

I felt better Saturday night, but I still felt weak and icky. We watched Jumanji with the boys, and all the while, in the back of my head, I was sure I was dying. I had a full dose of fiber in my instant breakfast (I didn’t really want dinner) and it tasted fine, thankfully. I crawled into bed pretty early.

Sunday morning, I felt better. I had some Rice Krispies (holy fuck, yum) and started work on my big task for that morning.

We had gotten some flea stuff for all the critters, but none of it seemed to be working. Ken went out and got a flea dip shampoo and I set in to bathe them all. The dogs were bathed together in the tub. They were the easy ones, even though poor Lycos could not manage to stand in the tub. The flea blood that ran out of the fur into the drain was very sad.

I then set out to dip the cats. Monarch made sounds like, as Bobby put it, “a choking bird”. IO wasn’t much better. It was especially trying since it takes you figure 5 minutes to get them lathered up. But you can’t just rinse them. You have to now wait 8 minutes. Then you can rinse. It is a lengthy process. Especially with 4 kitties.

As if working with the mammals wasn’t enough, we also had to treat Hal again with his mite spray. Thankfully that isn’t as chaotic. But I was pretty done with this whole cleaning animals thing.

Ken went and got Daniel and they brought back lunch. Daniel is quiet, and I feel bad since I really don’t know how to entertain a quiet 20 year old. We ended up all going on a field trip to Culver City to get some gaffers tape for Ken’s class. It allowed us to drive past the beach for him and even by his mom’s old house where she grew up in. Thinking about it now, we should have gone to Westchester, too. Oh well, perhaps later this week.

After this outing, Ken sent me out to go get new bras since I was needing a new one. Bra shopping is a pain in the ass. I am tempted to just order them online next time since the catalog has the bras I like, and the sizes I need. Thankfully I seem to have gotten two ok ones.

We made BQQ hamburgers and rice a roni. Daniel seemed to enjoy it, so yay us! I also made some brownies, which I am sure the boys will be pissed when they find out I brought the remaining couple to work with me. Oh well.

Daniel will go to work with Ken this week. There is lots of Lego sorting to be done. This will be good. Also, McCloud is Daniel’s age, and I think they will hit it off quite well. Hopefully that makes the whole time lots of fun.

Friday night is still Ken and my date night. We have tickets for the 7:15 Cowboys and Aliens show at Archlight. We are also doing dinner with a gift card we have for Lucille’s BBQ. Yum! Papa Brenan may end up staying the weekend, so he and Daniel can hang out Friday night since the boys will be going to my parents’ house for the night. Sunday we are all planning on a Disneyland outing.

I am sleepy, and am considering a cup of coffee this morning, but I am trying to be good and stick to my water. I had another light breakfast and have my snacks all planned out. I am working on being better about my food intake. I hope it gets easier soon.

Ken talked to Dr. Steinam and it turns out there are some supplements that Lycos can take. Plus, he really loved that she likes swimming since he said that will actually help as long as we monitor how long she is in there. He said only do it every other day, and don’t let her swim till she collapses. I know Lycos will be happy with this news.

Ok, time to get some work done.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

An actual blog!

7-21-11


I hung out with the boys as they splashed around in the pool. Bobby popped up from the water, all proud, with a bee on his arm. He declares how he saved him and just needed to get him to safety. I have always been nervous about bees. The two times I was stung were insanely painful and I didn’t want my son to go through the same pain.

I told Bobby to hold still so that I could come and remove it from his arm. I even suggested that he dunk back down so that it would float again and I could scoop it for him. Bobby was annoyed at my suggestion and laughing at my wussiness. This of course was until be burst into tears.

He started shouting that it had stung him. I tried frantically to tell him it had not, hoping that his tears were more out of fear than pain. I got up to him and aimed with my finger and flicked the shit out of that bee across the pool. I investigated Bobby’s arm and didn’t see the stinger anywhere, which once again made me think that he just freaked out. I scooped the bee out of the water with a stick and flung him across the yard where he smacked into the wall, and then oozed down to the ground.

Bobby had calmed down significantly by now, but we were still unsure of what happened. He said it hurt, but since it didn’t anymore, we moved on with our afternoon.

When we were tucking in the boys for bed, I reminded Bobby about it so we could tell Ken. After we described it in detail, we realized that it wasn’t a bee. It was a paper wasp, and when Bobby explained what the sting felt like (it said it felt like a shock), Ken knew it was the wasp sting. It was why I couldn’t find the stinger. In my panic, I didn’t even think about it being a wasp instead of a bee. Bobby was so pleased that he survived, so he announces, “Now I am a real bug guy!” Hee hee!

I picked up the boys early from camp. Really, though, I don’t think they needed to be picked up. Both of them were having a blast. My plan today is to not pick them up. I think I am going to vege out and watch The Lovely Bones since I have to return all my Netflix discs soon since I changed our service to only be streaming.

The boss was riding my last nerve yesterday, and I am concerned he will do the same today. I have a report I am supposed to be working on, but I am delaying it for now.

I also am all kinds of excited about my new parking spot. I know, how juvenile, but it is pretty cool. The front parking lot here has always been only for handicap or visitors. Since the great layoff of 2009, our lobby has been a ghost town since we no longer have visitors enter in this building. Therefore, the parking lot has really only been used by contractors that may come to work on our building. Recently, I noticed a coworker parking there. We have had gobs of parking politics, as I am sure I have mentioned in the past. I was sure this was just her taking advantage of no one enforcing any of the old rules. I took it upon myself to inquire about the rules for this lot. Turns out, it is a first come, first serve situation, which as it turns out, is incredibly convenient for me since as it is, I am the first one here. LOL! Plus, the lot is shaded, and set up nicely for when I go home. It also means I no longer have to wait till a certain time for a gate to open up for me and it allows me to enter the building quickly.

Not that this was my intent, but the coworker that “inspired” me to inquire about parking is kind of cocky with her car. She drives a very nice Corvette that she feels my company needs to protect because it is so nice. However, since the early arrivers have been made privy to the spots, she will probably not be parking there ever again. Oops.

I am really looking forward to getting paid tomorrow. It means I will be able to buy some groceries. We had a poor man’s banquet last night that consisted of hot dogs and top ramen. Not that it was gross, but I did feel like I was not exactly mother of the year.

I have been unable to secure anymore homes for the kittens, which means it is about time to take them down to the shelter where they will have better exposure. They have to be 8 weeks and 2 pounds. When I was playing with them yesterday, I am pretty sure I can say they are at the right timing. I also need to go get Mama spayed so that I can take her to this feral colony.

I also need to figure out a time in which I can go get my blood work done. I have to fast, so I need to determine a time. I am thinking of actually doing it tomorrow. I might just come in at normal time tomorrow. I can manage to not eat. I can then leave here to go down to LabCorp and get it all done. Then I can eat! I can probably take the rest of the day off at that point since who knows how long this will all take. There are errands I can do, also. Shopping for groceries and other necessities will actually be pretty pleasant without kids. Lonely, but easier. I think that will work out well around.

I just noticed that at the bottom of my word document here in Office 2010, there is a word count already in place. That is pretty damn cool. So far, I have to admit, I have not been unhappy with the upgrade.

Ken and the boys have been watching Avatar-The Last Airbender for the last few months. I normally don’t get into these things, but I have been sucked into it. It is really good. Thanks to Netflix, we have been able to just stream the series. I have watched a lot of it out of order, but since they have watched the series about 15 times, I have mostly been able to understand it all, and enjoy the hell out of it. Recently discovered on the Netflix is Inuyasha, another japanamation show that is pretty good. Hopefully the boys enjoy this one, too. It is nice to have strong female characters and these interesting moral dilemmas concerning destiny and right and wrong. Compared to some of the other cartoons out there, I think these are going well with the boys. Me too!

Poor Ken is sore. This camp is really taking its toll on his legs and knee. It is a lot of bending and moving around since most of the time he is there is spent sorting his billions of Lego. The good news is he has really done a crap load this year and I think this will be the first year where he will truly come out of the camp super organized. Yay!

Bobby has expressed interest in going up to the Redwoods. Now I have to figure out a time to do so. I would say we could do it in August, but I just don’t see that being an option this year what with the roof being re-done. I am thinking that perhaps towards Christmas time we can go up to the Compound, and then maybe take a few days to drive there for a bit.

Captain America looks good. I want to still see Green Lantern. And next Friday, that’s right people, Ken and I are all about Cowboys and Aliens. Woo hoo! It’s time to get our geek on.

I have been playing the role of IT here this morning, helping folks set up their new Outlook. Maybe I should consider taking some classes to learn more about IT which might allow me to move into an IT position some day? Especially here, it would be really cool. I like the department, and if AR ever downsizes, maybe I could be an admin there. Something to consider!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

shortie

7-20-11


Nothing will make you feel older than seeing kids that you knew when they were 10 now being grown up boys. A couple of kids from Ken’s old FLL team were at the class yesterday. I knew these boys long ago in a time far far away. Now they are handsome young men. Hell, they are grownups! I don’t like thinking of myself as a grownup, let alone these kids as them.

I am having a hell day at work. My boss is all hopped up on something. Not sure what the deal is there. I am hoping he is spastic because he will be out tomorrow. That tends to be his deal.

No time for a real blog, so perhaps tomorrow.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Pup

7-18-11




She used to be so agile. Toss a Frisbee and she could catch it in the air with ease. She was tireless. When we went to the swimming hole up near the Compound, she swam for 4 hours. This was 4 hours in which her little feet didn’t touch the ground, and I am telling you, she was in heaven.



In the last year or so, we have watched Lycos start to struggle with some mobility. At first it was more like the stiff movements of an old dog that had been lying down too long. Over the past month, it has gotten worse. A couple of bad falls here and there, and you could see the signs of hip dysplasia or arthritis rearing their ugly heads.



Yesterday she seemed particularly stiff, so I thought she might like to go for a swim. Here was a place in which her joints could not hold her back. She was thrilled. She is a happy water dog. Maybe not as spastic in the water as Luna, but definitely at peace as she floats along.



She swam for about 20 minutes, and then decided she was ready to get out. I helped her out of the pool and set her on the ground where she promptly collapsed.



It was heart breaking. She couldn’t move her back legs in any kind of meaningful fashion. She tried, though, not complaining once. She finally was able to walk a bit, and I quickly dried her off so she wouldn’t have to keep trying to shake off the water.



I brought the pups inside with me and tried to get Lycos to lie down so she could rest. My ever faithful companion didn’t want to leave my side. My poor pup. She clearly hurt and yet didn’t care since she just wanted to be by my side.



We gave her some Tylenol after I did some quick net research and I think it seemed to help because she finally settled in a bit.



I hate seeing her like this. Especially since she is still clearly my Lycos. She is still chipper and sweet and affectionate. She is our faithful and loyal dog who would protect us from Stabby Joe if her legs would allow it.



Lycos is 11 years old. Life expectancy of labs is 10 to 13 years. She has some Chow in her, which doesn’t increase her life span as they have about the same expectancy. Hell, I am impressed she is still alive what with her near death experience about 5 years back. I am just hoping to make sure she is comfortable in her senior years and whatever time she has left with us that she is happy.



I am getting worried, too, about IO. He is almost 16 years old. He has slimmed down in the last few years, which I think has helped him, but even so, you can see the years have taken their toll. He has become more affectionate in the last year, which has been really cool since it means we can really enjoy his company. He has been sleeping up on Ken’s shoulder almost every night. He and Monarch curl up together often in between Ken and I, completely content.



IO’s body looks rough, though. I even gave him a bath, hoping to clean him up a bit. He looks better, but you can tell he is showing his age. I worry that I will find his body on our bed, assuming he is asleep, but in reality he will be gone.



When did my animals get so old? One10 is about 14. She is looking ok, but I still worry about her. Ittles is going on 8, with Monarch almost 5. Luna will turn 2 in August, also. It is just crazy how quickly it flies by.



On Saturday, I spent a bit of time with my mom shopping through library books. It was a packed sale, but it didn’t prevent me from some amazing books for the boys and our school. I bought 60 books. My mom picked up about 30. We didn’t really get to browse much of the other sections aside from children’s books. It was that crowded, and honestly, it was hard to maneuver. My mom also was pretty spent. I considered hanging around, but it was hot and I had already spent $30.



I got tons of Clifford books for the Kinder classroom. I also found tons of fun looking stories for the classroom. In addition to younger books, I came across a Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book, Franny and Zooey, The Indian in the Cupboard, 4 Roald Dahl books, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Empire Strikes Back. The last of those, Ken has been reading to the boys now the past two nights and they have been thrilled.



I also found a copy of The Kissing Hand, a book that Bobby was read on his first day of school as a way to make them feel better about missing their parents. He was quite thrilled that I brought that one home. I read that to them last night, and Bobby told me it was a book that made him almost want to cry, but not in a bad way. My sweet sensitive boy cracks me up.



I was very good on Saturday. I prepped myself to know that NB would be over. He and his other friend came over and they all went out to play in Park Brenan. Not only did I hang out with them in the yard, I made everyone sandwiches and Kool-aid. I was pleasant and nice and kept myself from getting annoyed with him.



We did call it a day much earlier than most would expect, but I am glad I made that call. Dax was getting cranky pants, and since we had an excuse on ending play time, it was a good plan.



We piled the boys in the car along with some E-Waste and took it over to the Gaffey collection center. It was something I had been wanting to do for weeks, and in doing so, it cleaned up the entry way. Yay!



After the drop off, we stopped at Target for some items. Poor Dax had fallen asleep in the short trip from our house to Pedro. He was kind of upset when we were going in to Target, but he quickly cheered up when presented with an Icee.



Saturday evening, I polished off a bottle of wine, and enjoyed the happy buzz for the night. It led to a good night of sleep. I am thinking I should have done the same last night. Of course, last night was annoying due to some random dog barking up a storm and other noises that seemed to have no point of origin.



Yesterday was the AYSO parent meeting. I thoroughly enjoyed that. My folks came to the house and watched the boys while Ken and I went. I really like the board of directors for this region, and both Ken and I saw ourselves being a part of this in many ways. I spoke to the woman who does most of the organizing and behind the scenes stuff. She plans on probably leaving in the next 2 years since her kids are grown. I saw many similarities between her and I. She said she noticed me perk up while she was talking and I think there was a kinship realized. I may be able to do my volunteer work with her! Yay!



We also managed to get Dax bumped up to U6 instead of U5. The cutoff is July 31st, which is when the kid has to be 5 in order to be in U6. Dax’s birthday is 8-18. Truly, he would be fine in the U6 instead of U5. We spoke to the commissioner and he was ok with it. This also helps our scheduling since it means the boys will be playing on the same field each week. It sounds like our Saturdays will just be spent at the soccer field from Sept 10th through October 19th.



My follow up doctor appt is this afternoon. I have officially changed doctors to this woman as I truly adore her. I am going to get the scoop on my diverticulitis. I also am going to use the time to ask her about my knee, get a refill on some prescriptions and make sure everything is good. It will be odd going to the doc alone since honestly I tend to take my Brenan entourage, but I also am kind of glad I don’t have to worry about anyone else.



This morning I have started a smidge of a diet. Nothing drastic. I just opted to have an Instant Breakfast instead of something else for my breakfast. I used to have these every morning, especially when I was pregnant. In fact, it was when I was drinking these that I was less heavy. I have a snack of some pretzels that I can eat around 8 this morning, with an appropriate serving size of last night’s dinner for lunch. I am hoping to start some exercise in soon, too. I am finally feeling better from my month of hell, and I think that Luna and I can do a quick jaunt around the neighborhood. We shall see. I always think I can do all of this and I either get lazy or busy.



I am also starting to think I need to take my multivitamin in the mornings. I feel like I am flushing my system too much with all this water.



My parents have offered to keep the boys on the 29th, so this means Ken and I are going out on a date night. We have a gift card for Lucille’s, so that means it will be a cheap date night! Yay!



I am also looking forward to this Friday where the boys can play at Adventure Plex for free for 3 hours. I am thinking we will pick them up some grub and we should be able to eat it there. I don’t know yet since there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of information on outside food. I am sure we can figure it out.



I have also been productive in condescending photos. I went through a box and put them in nice stacks, which then went into zip lock bags. I also went through the school work from the boys and managed to get them in a box nicely. I am hoping to get the other couple of boxes of pictures into just one box, which will keep everything in nice boxes.



I am considering cleaning out closets this week with my free afternoons. Of course, I don’t know if I have them this week since Ken said he is unsure of what the boys have for afternoon classes. If they don’t have a class, I will be retrieving them.



We tried to work on some night time bed wetting issues. On Friday, Bobby slept in his underwear. He managed to stay dry, although it may have only been because Ken got him up several times. That kid just seems to be lazy. He will pee himself when he is awake. It is like he knows he can since the night time underwear will keep him dry. Dax doesn’t seem to be able to stay dry, either. I know they will get it eventually, but I just hope no one has a sleep over in the next year before they have figured this out.



I really don’t want to do work today, but I suppose I should get to it. It may make the day go by quickly.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Diva

7-15-11




I spent the afternoon watching Drop Dead Diva. It has become more and more enjoyable with each episode. It isn’t television that makes you think or anything, but there is a simple pureness that makes me smile. Not to mention the scores of B list celebrity cameos.



Rosie O’Donnell is awesome. She is a judge on several episodes and she is fantastic in the show. I loved her stand up back in the day and was frustrated with her transition to the Queen of Nice. When she left her talk show and went back to classic Rosie, I was thrilled. I find her to be a delight to watch.



And have I mentioned Liza Minnelli is fabulous?



NB was not around yesterday. The boys even went to find him when they got home and apparently he was with his mom for the day. Such a shame since I had found some inner peace for dealing with him.



I need a nap.



Bobby felt picked on by some tween brats yesterday. They apparently said the class they were in was stupid, and then told Bobby he was stupid. Of course, I don’t know the entire scenario, but Ken mentioned that the instructor was concerned with a couple of 10 year olds in her class being too old for it. Bobby was pretty upset, and said one of them pushed him. He did say his friend Max got a teacher for him, though, so that made me feel good. I told Bobby to stick with his friend and know that little girls like that are annoying, but just know they are full of shit.



Dax seems to be doing well, still chilling with his groupies. He mentioned someone pushing him when I asked about why he had a bandaid on his leg. Dax tends to paint a more elaborate picture of things that happen. Either way, I wonder if we are doing our kids a disservice these days with assuming all of this shoving and standard rough housing is bullying.



I really hope my period is over by Monday.



I am looking forward to the book sale tomorrow. Hopefully they have some kids’ books so we can bombard the teachers right away with them. I also want to start buying Target gift cards now so I have a bunch at the ready. I plan on stocking up on supplies at back to school sales, too, so I am ready for 5 years.



If the boys don’t care about getting new clothing for back to school, can I get new clothes instead?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

thoughts while bored

7-14-11




I feel a little out of touch with my kids this week.



I leave the house at 4 am. My kids are still asleep and will be for a couple hours. When I get home, they will not be home for another 3 and half hours. If they are home early enough, they go play until 5:30, at which time we eat dinner.



Don’t get me wrong, I have been able to extract gobs of information about their day from them. They actually enjoy telling me. I just get a little bummed there isn’t more time.



Dax was showing his Brenan yesterday. Bobby was off eating with a classmate, and Dax was at a table with 3 girls. Ken happened by and said hello. Ken said he mentioned something about Dax being charming, and all three girls giggled with their agreement. Awesome!



As you can tell, I am bored here at work. I want to read my book, but I don’t see how I can do it without the fear of getting in trouble.



I need to call the Clinico people to get an appt for Mama cat’s spaying.



It is hot in here again.

wired

7-14-11




Metaphorically speaking, I was questioning my past a lot last night.



Dreams that included going to some high school reunion, which for some reason was being held at Angela’s old house, and containing various characters from John Hughes films, were all pointing to one fact; the past is gone. It was fun, it was interesting, especially from a story telling aspect, but as I pushed my way through crowds of people I should have known, I found myself not knowing anyone. The only thing that kept me sane was that Erasure was there, playing my happy soundtrack, dancing around on stage and not caring that no one was listening. I was listening, though.



Jenni was there at some point. I was mostly frustrated with her since she seemed to have no time for me. It stung.



I think I am actually glad I had a severe leg cramp since it allowed me to get out of this party that seemed to just drag on.



Before my head went a little loopy, I did spend the afternoon with a little me time. Yes, I did work on the laundry pile that was threatening to devour the boys’ room, but in between those cycles, I sat back and watched a few episodes of Drop Dead Diva.



This show may have in fact inspired more of the dreams than anything else. The main character is a model that died and then after hijacking Heaven’s computer system, she gets put back into the body of a plus sized, brilliant lawyer. She spends much of her time trying to be who she was, not embracing this amazing second chance at life. It is growing on me even more and I am finding it to be a cute show.



NB and Anthony knocked on my door at around 2 holding Tailless, our neighbor’s cat. NB says to me, “We found this cat. I know you like cats so maybe you would like to take him to the vet.”



Mind you, nothing wrong with the cat. They assumed it was a stray. I laughed and in my nicest voice ever, explained to them that this kitty actually already had a home. In fact, where they picked him up from was in fact, his house. They were surprised and I sent them on their way, not without of course having to answer again as to when the boys would be home.



My doorbell rang at 5:05, both boys at the door, asking me if they were home yet. I explained that if the van was there, then they would be here. They asked to wait in the back yard. I said no. They asked to wait on the porch. I told them to go play and to check back in 10 minutes to see if the van was there.



3 minutes later, the knock on the door: “Can we have some water?”



Sigh. I explained to them that their houses were only a house away and if they needed water to go to their own houses.



I know, what a bitch I am. I have always wanted my house to be THAT house. The one where my kids’ friends could come and go as they pleased. The house that would take in a stray kid just as easily as a stray cat. I wanted to be the mom they didn’t have at home and felt like they could tell anything to, and respect my advice.



I think this dream was when I still thought I would have a girl.



Little boys don’t want to talk to their friends’ moms. They want to hang with the dad. They want to run. They want to be free. I am never going to be their best friend. I am going to be the one who makes sandwiches for them, and they will stuff their faces, while mumbling a quick thank you as they run out again.



The question is, am I ok with this?



I know I have over thought this. But of course, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t embrace my moniker of Captain Overkill.



I am trying. I was super nice to both the kids, despite my aggravation at their persistence. I know they are not trying to piss me off. They are simply bored kids in the summer, and the house with the pool and playground is closed because the residents are at camp. I need to calm the fuck down.



I read this article in the parenting magazine about these two women who went on a road trip with a kid each, both around the same age. I thought this sounded like fun.



I think next spring break, I really want to take a road trip. I want to go somewhere random, stopping at cool places along the way. I hate that it probably costs a lot.



The boss is out. I just want to sit in my corner and read my new book. I picked it up at the Dollar Tree. It is called Gonville by Peter Birkenhead. I read up on the reviews, and they are quite positive. Nice! Especially since I got it for a buck!



Just discovered that the Torrance library is having a used book sale. Woo hoo! My mom and I are going to go, which will be fun bonding time. I am very excited!!!



I had two cups of coffee, one being called Wake Up Call, and the other just Cappuccino. I am a little wired now.



I have a desire to go to a museum right now.



Ok, in all fairness, I have a desire to be anywhere but here right now. Sure, it is a great day since there is no boss, but I just feel like I need an adventure.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

weeping

7-13-11




I managed to clean the boys’ room yesterday, including and most importantly, I changed their bedding. It was a huge task, but it took much less time than I had expected. I decided to take some time to myself and ended up watching a movie.



I had read the book The Time Traveler’s Wife. I fell deeply in love with it and found it to be an amazing story. When they announced that they would be making a film adaptation, I of course was skeptical, especially when they cast Rachel McAdams. Man, that chick is creepy. I was still intrigued, though, since I couldn’t see how they could possibly make this story into a film.



I was pleasantly surprised, and even impressed. I of course was first frustrated at the way it started, but I forced myself to stop comparing it to the book. Their interpretation was quite good. It took the main themes and emotion and made it tangible. Even Ms. McAdams wasn’t as offense as I expected. Eric Bana was perfect, though.



Being that I let myself get sucked in, I was thankful that I had opted to watch this in my free time as opposed to subjecting Ken to the viewing. Plus, he would not have been watching the movie. He would have been laughing at the massive sobs coming from his wife. Poor Ittles was quite distraught and jumped up on my lap trying to cheer me. She was very sweet, sitting with me for the bulk of the movie, occasionally nudging my cheek.



It was a nice distraction from the cranky that was intensified by NB’s stalking. This little shit was once again, lurking by my house when I arrived home from work. He asked again when they would be home. I explained, again, that they would not be home till close to 5. He questioned my whereabouts extensively and then proceeded to ask if he could play in our backyard until they arrived home. Not a chance in hell, kid.



At 5:00 on the button, my doorbell sounded and there he was, interrogating me as to why the boys were not back yet. I explained to him that it didn’t work that way. I told him that they would not be home at 5 on the button. Some days it might be before 5. Some days it might be after. He said he would wait on our porch for them. I wanted to yell “Get off my lawn!” I instead went back to cleaning the kitchen.



Ken and the boys arrived around 10 after. Ken had to run to the store for me, so he told the kids that they could play for about 20 minutes. They came through the house and I reminded the boys that as soon as their dad got home, play time was over. This little fuck then says to me in the most disrespectful tone, “Well, Ken said we had 20 minutes.” I responded in the most restrained voice ever, “Yes, I know. He will be about 20 minutes. I am just reminding you.”



I hate this boy.



If I didn’t have mount laundry to contend with this afternoon, I would not go home.



I do wonder what my afternoon has in store for me. I am sure there are projects such as scanning photos, but currently that cannot be done until I remove some more from my laptop.



I am seriously considering using a service to scan all my pictures.



It has occurred to me that I also need to start really planning Dax’s birthday party so I can send out invites.



I suppose I should get to work.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Duck

7-12-11




It was a productive afternoon. I managed to get the costume chest out of the garage and into the playroom. I also removed what items had been in there and put all the costumes in. They fit, almost perfectly. The chest even fit exactly where I wanted it to, so all was good when it came to this.



Despite my attempts to be a little lazy, I did manage to also clean up the playroom, clean the living room, and start some laundry. Today it appears to be a change bedding and clean kitchen kind of afternoon.



I am going to be kind of pissed if my entire free time is consumed by housework. On the plus side, the boys and Ken are not home most of the day so messes are kept at a minimum.



Neighbor boy pisses me off. I can’t even put my finger on what is so offensive about him. I just get this overall sense that he doesn’t respect me and for some reason it irks me. It almost wreaks of sexism. It is as though as mom, I have little to no say in what the boys are up to. It probably doesn’t help that I am not as decisive with him as I should be. Mostly this is due to my desire to keep my true feelings in check.



I pulled up to the house at 1:30 and he and Anthony were practically sprinting towards my house. NB yelled out to me, “where are they?” I was already annoyed. The day before, we had told him that the boys had camp and would be leaving the house around 7:30 in the morning, not getting back until after 5. I relayed this to the boys, hoping that it would sink in.



“So they can play when they get home?”



“I don’t think so. They are not getting home until later, and they have chores.”



“So what time can they play?”



“Not tonight. I don’t think they will have time.”



I went inside, and started the projects. About an hour later, there was knocking on my door. I went to find NB at the door. He proceeded to ask me again when they would be home. I told him I didn’t know, which there was in fact a lot of truth to, but that the earliest would not be until 5.



“So can they play for 5 minutes after they get home?”



“Not today. It is the first day of long camp, and we have to figure out their schedule.”



“How long does camp go for?”



“Two weeks”



“So you are telling me they can’t play for two weeks?” His tone made me want to slap him.



“They have weekends, and after tonight, I will know better how long they will have.”



“What kind of camp?”



Seriously, it took all my strength to not kick this kid. I had barking dogs, clearly looked busy with sweat dripping down my face from moving furniture, yet this kid had to ask for the 15th time what kind of camp. I told him quickly, and he finally went on his way.



As I continued cleaning, I watched NB and Anthony pace back and forth in front of my house. It was like circling sharks. I am the kind of person who gets easily freaked out by this. I go all Men at Work and practically close the blinds.



I know, these are just kids who are bored during the summer. I should be all happy that they are that excited to play with my kids. I am, truly. I like that they have made friends. I just don’t like this kid, and maybe it taints a lot of this interaction.



Ken and the boys arrived home around 5, and before I could even tell Ken what had taken place, NB was walking into the house with Ken and the boys. Can’t keep the vampires out if they are invited in!



Ken sent the boys out back for 10 minutes since it got them out without complaint, and dinner wasn’t quite ready. I was ok with this for the most part.



Anthony then let himself in a few minutes later, complete with giant ice pack taped to his arm. I inquired about this and he held back tears and told me that NB had hit him with something. Hatred intensified.



Ken went out back with the 4 kids, and got more information, saying that it sounded like rough housing got out of hand. I still maintain that NB was picking on Anthony, who doesn’t exactly have much of a backbone. Either way, kid has a lot of explaining to do.



I don’t want to hate this kid the same way my mom hated some of my friends. The boys need to make their own decisions on people. In all fairness, this kid could be worse. Even though he is bossy, I have seen both my kids stand up to him and essentially ignore him when they are done with him. It means they should be able to handle it. I maintain that if this kid hurts my boys, I will end him.



If he comes to my house before 5 today, I am telling him that the kids are grounded.



I had random dreams including being in some funky war and swimming laps with Dax’s class. I am sure there was symbolism galore, but for some reason, I am not looking for it this morning. I am too sleepy to worry about it.



There is a lot of rage in me right now. I think it is tired coming through. I am annoyed from NB. For some reason, the fact that there is a person here from one of our sister companies and has been here for 6 months longer than she was supposed to be, I am annoyed. She doesn’t do anything to bother me, but she irks me. Incredibly irrational.



Of course, this could be hormonal based since it is the week of period. What a cop out, though.



One of the wonderful things I found in the costume chest was a crap load of unopened Star Wars action figures from Phantom Menace. These have now been incorporated into the Stone Store, our reward/punishment system. The boys will be able to “buy” these toys with the rocks they earn. It means I have a bunch of awesome toys that I don’t have to go out and get.



We had also told Bobby that if he truly wants to get his own cat, he has to earn 500 stones. I don’t see him doing it anytime soon, but at least he knows it is not out of the question.



Random memory of dream includes high fiving a duck. Odd.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Snipits

7-11-11




Bobby says to me yesterday, “Do I have to move out some day?”



Me: “I am guessing you will want to move out when you get older.”



Bobby: “Why would I want to move out?”



Me: “Trust me, when you get older, you will decide. Until then, you don’t have to worry about it much.”



Bobby: “Good, cause I don’t want to. Why does Matt get to live with your parents?”



Me: “Well, kid, he has autism. It just makes it hard for him to live by himself. But you and Dax don’t have that, so you will probably one day want your own place. Like I said, though, you don’t have to worry too much right now,”



Bobby: “I don’t ever want to leave you, mom.” With that, he curls up in a little ball on my lap.





Random question of the day:



David in my office calls me today to ask me, “So what do you guys do with all that water from your pool when you drain it?”





Kitten dubbed Buddha has still not gone to her new home. The man who wants her has not gotten back to my friend. Hopefully she is still home bound this week.



Thankfully, Luna’s incessant barking at night has ceased. We are guessing it was in fact flea related as we got a full blown invasion this last week. Treatments have been given and I think because of this, there is less angst in critter land.



I have been sent an invite to Google plus by Stephanie. It is interesting, but I am guessing it is more fun the more people you have on there.



Friday evening there is a free play time at Adventure Plex. I am taking the boys. A couple of Dax’s classmates will be there, which is way cool. Either way, I figure it will be a fun evening.



Ken got me not just one of the new Olivia Wilde cups from 7-11, but both! Yay!



It is 80 degrees in my office again. I am so glad I dressed casual.



I am getting really anxious about working on the playroom. These boys are going to have homework done in this room. I want it organized for this. I saw cute individual desks for kids at Office Depot. I don’t think individuality is needed on this, but I love the idea of organizational tools.



Chicken parmesan doesn’t heat up as well the next day.



I just tried to make a follow up appt with my doctor about my diverticulitis. There are no available appts in the next 3 weeks at least. I may need to actually call. I am hoping it is just a glitch with the online stuff. I will try again later. I sent them an email. I am becoming a little concerned as I feel similar cramping to what I had at the beginning of this adventure. Of course, it could be my period coming on, so I don’t want to over react.

Slurpee Day

7-11-11




Happy Slurpee Day!



I feel pretty good today. I went to bed at a reasonable hour last night and despite waking up around 11:30 for a bit, I slept well. Pretty good considering that I had no help from any meds.



Speaking of meds, I need to get some fiber. I also need some of that good bacteria stuff back in my body. I also need some calcium and potassium. I had some leg cramps Sunday morning. I have always gotten those, but they were a little worse than normal. Having not taken any of my potassium pills during the antibiotics 10 day cycle, I may be a little low.



Today starts my first day of free time for Gena. I still get home at 1:30, but since the boys have class until like 4:45. This means Ken and the boys will not get home until close to 5:30. Holy free time, Batman! The first line of business is housework. Today will be that task. I am pretty sure that will take my afternoon. Tomorrow? Hmmm..not sure what the plan is yet. Perhaps a day of picture organizing? Depending on the weather, maybe Luna and I will go on an adventure. I know that I need to groom the dogs, so I may take Luna to do that next week. Don’t know yet. I have two weeks of this ahead of me, so I have my pick of activities.



I will be working on phase two of “make the playroom less of a hole”. I think I will be getting rid of their little table since it is pretty thrashed and they don’t use it now. It just takes up space. Sure, there is always the “but what if I have another kid” argument for keeping some of this stuff. Yes, it is true that since I have an expiration date for this, I could wait another year to do all of this. But I think that it would be better to get rid of stuff that would probably be replaced anyway if I had another child. Besides, if another kid is in the works, that room will have to be redone for their bed/crib.



Sandra asked me to send her any photos I might have of Doug as some of his childhood friends were hoping for some reason pics. I gladly sent them, and even came across some video of him playing with the boys. That is very cool. I wish I had taken more pictures. Yes, I sent her a bunch, but still. It would have been good to have even more.



My head is not in work today. I am anxious to get home and work on some projects.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Woo hoo from start to finish

7-8-11




Woo hoo! One of the kittens got himself a new home! I am so happy. The lady who took him is a friend of my co worker who took one of my last batch of kittens. She told her friend that my kittens are the best. So I brought my babies to the office around 2:30 and she had her pick. She wanted a boy, so there was only one choice. Dot, my personal favorite, was chosen. They both looked happy.



Hopefully I can find homes for my remaining 4 as easily!



I am in a zoned daze this morning. Last night I was tired and rocking a raging headache. I decided to take a full pain med that we had gotten from Aaron (he isn’t using them anymore). It didn’t seem to help and 90 minutes later, I was still in pain. So Ken had me take another. I woke up the alarm this morning in shock since I didn’t remember waking up all night. The only real issue is that I could have slept another 2 hours easy. Oh well.



I appear to be rather alone this morning here at work. My two cube neighbors are out, and the next closest one isn’t in until 9:30. Plus, another co worker is out. This means there is the potential for it being super busy this morning as I cover for people.



Stephanie and I are going to hit up Trader Joe’s tonight in search of fixin’s for a replacement salad dressing since the one I fell in love with has been removed from the shelves of my Ralphs. Hopefully I can find a good solution. We also will check out some of the foods that will give me back some of the good bacteria that these meds have destroyed. I am counting down the hours since this is the last day of meds. Woo hoo!



We were going to watch Into the Woods tonight, too, but being that it is I think like 2 and a half hours, and we are not getting together until 7, I think we might hold off on the viewing.



I got my new shirt that I ordered. I am very happy with it. I have to say, it is even cooler in person than it was on the site, which never seems to be the case. Bobby called me a Rockin Mom.



Boy, I am noticing just how much I have tanned already. Pretty cool!



Thank goodness I just went through my spam folder. There was a notification for the parent meeting for AYSO on the 17th.



I just got word that Brandy and Conner are taking me out on Saturday. Cool! I wonder where we are going? Sounds like I have a busy weekend ahead of me. Woo hoo!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Fame Whore

7-7-11




I got to be on the radio this morning. I don’t know why this is one of those things that makes me giddy. Sure, I have been listening to Kevin and Bean since they first came on the air so many years ago. I have been on the air before, been down to their studio, met the guys and prefer people to not talk to me between the hours of 5:00 AM and 10:00 AM. I am a radio junkie.



There is more to it. I am a fame whore. It’s true. I am just like the statistics that show that teenagers would rather be famous than rich. I help prove the reason for how there are limitless contestants for reality television. I want to be the center of attention, despite how much it terrifies me.



What is that all about?



In my life, I have mostly felt like the sidekick. I know there was a time when I wasn’t, but ultimately I feel like the Robin to Batman, the Jackie to JFK, Donkey to Shrek. I feel as though even though yes, I have redeeming qualities, they will always be over shadowed by someone else.



It is possible this is all in my head. That doesn’t make it any less of an issue.



I get jealous of how many people I know who have gotten to meet celebrities. Hell, Ken has been in so many papers, on the news, etc etc, it gets old. I am happy for him, as he is a perfect person for the limelight, but it doesn’t sting any less.



So my few minutes talking on the radio about random sex dreams with Huey Lewis are happy making.



I have to admit, too, that it is one of the reasons I love me some Facebook. When I post something, it is super intoxicating to have so many people reply. I feel almost famous. I try to make a point to “like” other people’s posts often since I want them to feel the same way. It is silly and sad and lame, but when you are a shy person with a desire for attention, sitting at a computer where no one can see me and be able to read numerous comments to my random posts, it can be addicting.



I am sure I will be mocked for this. But at least I recognize that it is there. I am not alone in these desires. I also have limits. I will not be on any game shows. You will not see me on Wipeout or Survivor. But when I can go on the radio and talk about some random thing, trust me that I will be there.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Caylee

7-6-11




I am saddened that Casey Anthony will probably walk free tomorrow. Based on what I could see, it looked pretty clear that she killed that sweet baby. I do not fault the jury, though. They were dealing with a capital punishment case. Their decision meant life or death for a person, and if they sent an innocent woman to die, that would lie on their conscience forever. A jury’s instructions say you need to look at reasonable doubt. When a case is presented with no cause of death, I would imagine it would warrant that doubt, even if they all believe that she killed her daughter.



I wasn’t in that courtroom. Not many people can truly know what it is like to be part of such a monumental case. There is press, there are horrid images of skeletal remains of a 2 year old little girl, and the gravity of knowing that you hold the power to end a life. It almost should not be a jury trial. This crime has now extended into the lives of 12 other people.



I am outraged, I suppose, but I am trying to be objective. I think it is hard for most people to believe that someone would do that to their own child. It doesn’t matter that case after case has shown moms to have done unspeakable things to their offspring. It is so horrendous that we stick our heads in the sand with our fingers in our ears and sing out “la la la la la la la!”



Motive is what they say also played a big part in this. The prosecution simply tried to explain this as party girl disposing of something holding her back. I would venture a guess that this just sounds implausible on so many levels. She had grandparents who would have loved to watch her and a jury could possibly look at that as a way to turn on blinders. Mind you, they probably had help in the form of a possibly flimsy prosecution along with a defense that placed that seed of doubt.



The searches, the smell in her trunk, and so many other aspects seem slam dunk, but even in all that I read, it sounds like the defense had an answer to all of them.



I actually feel sorry for defense attorneys. I wonder how often they know they are defending a guilty person and have to do this amazing dance to let a killer go.



It makes me sad to look at those pictures of Caylee. She was adorable.



I am guessing that no matter what, Casey will not last long. I could see someone taking her out. There are a lot of angry people out there.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The holiday is over

7-5-11




Bleah



I slept a lot on Thursday and Friday. I also watched a damn lot of television as I sat uncomfortable, with a bit of dizzy and gobs of nausea. Every time I ate, I felt ill, but I knew I had to eat because some of the ick was due to being weak from no food. I can’t eat a lot of things, either, due to the meds so things like a cold glass of milk or even a grilled cheese sandwich were off limits. I was in misery.



I managed to get out of the house Friday afternoon. I went to get the boys from Ken at the school and take them to my folks’ house. It was an interesting outing in the idea that I was in a fog much of it. I did manage to make it home, though, more hungry than I had been in 3 days. Ken got me a burger which was happy making.



Saturday was spent at home. We worked on some house cleaning, and mostly just chilled out. It was nice. I did spend some time in the pool with the boys. I lounged on the float while the boys jumped and splashed around. I also quizzed them during this time. I rattled off math problems and spelling words, having them go over things. They did amazing, and it was fun learning. Of course, you would think at some point that I would learn that water reflections enhance the sun beams, hence the sunburn I sustained.



Saturday was so nice out, I told the boys they could sleep in the tent. They were thrilled. We set it up outside our window and they curled up in sleeping bags like a couple of school girls. They were chatty until almost 9, but it was ok since Ken and I watched The Social Network during this time. I was impressed that they lasted the whole night. In fact, they wanted to do it again.



Sunday had me up early what with Luna wanting out and the boys being up and chatty early. I did spend some time just lounging in the tent with them, but work needed to be done.



Ken and I cleaned house. We scrubbed the kitchen and cat area. We made the house sparkle, really. I also made room for the new toy I decided I needed, which was in the form of a toaster oven. It isn’t fancy, but I am excited. We obtained said oven while out on our errands which mostly consisted of Target since all shopping can practically be done there now. Especially sweet due to the $100 gift card we had.



Our neighbors put up another waterslide bouncer which appears to be something they will be doing every Sunday. Works for me since it means the boys have a blast and I don’t have to entertain them. LOL! They have become bored with Park Brenan. Don’t get me wrong, they still love it, but the excitement of a new water park 100 feet from our house is way more interesting.



Monday, my folks came over and we BBQed burgers and hot dogs. They brought chips and other munchies, all of which I could not consume, including the carrots which apparently are not good while I am on these meds. I was super sad, since that was all I wanted.



One of the things my folks brought over was Doug’s ashes. He now resides in the mausoleum in his own spot along with the bear carved from bone and the bear carved from coal that he cherished.



The other thing brought over was the box of Star Wars toys that came from Doug. My boys (Ken included) were pretty excited about the items, which included a giant Millenium Falcon and a couple of Darth Vader t-shirts that didn’t just look vintage, they were actually vintage.



I liked the stack of Star Wars Dixie cups in there.



After my folks left, the boys played with Star Wars for a couple hours. It was good down time since we still were heading out to the fireworks later.



I ended up chatting with Angela online for about an hour or so, which was nice since I had not caught up with her in some time. I had not known about her mother passing away, and I was glad to be able to provide her with an outlet for a lot of pent up anger she had at her. I am thinking of printing up business cards that indicate my therapist status.



We went down to the same spot for fireworks as we have gone to the last few years. It still was shockingly empty for most of the time, but had we gone later, I know it would have either been full, or there would have been zero parking. On the plus side, this was the first year in which the boys managed to walk back to the car without stops or them needing to be carried. Woo hoo!



Needless to say, I am wiped out this morning. I fell asleep pretty quickly, but 5 and a half hours just don’t cut it. I felt especially nauseous this morning, and was considering skipping breakfast. However, the PB&H was tasty and I am glad I forced myself to eat it since I think I feel better because of it.



My chair is quite uncomfortable this morning. I have back pain still from this illness and I think there is some sciatic acting up in my left leg. I am sure it is just that I have not sat at my desk here at work in 4 days. I think I am allergic to it.



The boys start camp today, which should prove to be rough on all three of the people back at my house. Ken will be tired, therefore cranky. The boys will be tired, therefore cranky. There will be stress with it being not just the first day for Ken there, but the boys as well. Thankfully once they all get to where they need to be, it will go fine. I just hope Bobby holds it together. I can’t see Dax being all that stressed.



This afternoon also marks the start of summer homework. I have their work books ready, and I figure I will have them do two sheets each per day. I also need them both to work on penmanship. Bobby has always struggled with it, and Dax looks to be on the same path, so I think some practice will do them some good. Mine always sucked which is why I am quite glad I learned how to type.



We also implemented the Hogwarts reward system, with each boy earning stones in a jar for good deeds, and losing them when they screw up. We made sure their first cashing in gave them a good prize to “purchase”. Dax now is the proud owner of a Green Lantern ring and action figure, whereas Bobby has himself an action figure of The Flash. Larger prizes will be on display soon, along with the small things so that they learn how to save up and spend wisely.



With their love of super heroes, we may need to venture down to the Comic Bug soon. Graphic novels could be something they would get into.



I expected today to be rougher than it is, with catch up taking up most of my morning. It appears that it wasn’t too bad on Thursday and Friday, therefore I got all my email done in about 45 minutes. I have a few phone calls, but I can manage. Either way, I am counting down the hours till I get to be home again.