On vacation

7-27-12


Holy crap, I am leaving tomorrow.

I have it all packed. I even still have a bit of room to put in the last minute items. I packed the boys. I made them hugs. I turned over the soccer checkbook to the commissioner. I showed the critter sitter everything she needed to know. I guess I am ready.

After running several errands yesterday afternoon we got home and I had originally told the boys to put on jammies. I was shocked to note it was still pretty early. So instead I sent them outside to play. As they did their chore of picking up pup poop, I decided to be silly. I stripped down to my skivvies and ran out in the yard and promptly tossed myself into the pool. It was approved with wild laughter and excitement from my boys.

The boys stripped down and they along with Ken came in the pool with me. I even brought in the dogs. It was awesome Brenan fun! It was exhausting, but so much what I needed what with my attempts to not break down sobbing every few minutes.

I need to still do some laundry tonight and finish the straightening of the house, but this should be good distractions from my sad. We will take the boys to my parents’ house around six, and I know I will be a wreck. Thankfully we have those last minute things to attend to, and of course the opening ceremonies.

Aaron comes to pick us up around 6 tomorrow morning. Then we are off to LAX.

After looking at the maps online, it looks like our hotel is only about 30 minutes away from the airport in Dublin. This is cool, since it means we can get checked in pretty quickly. Our next hotel looks to be 2 hours away. The day after that, we travel at least 4 hours. Of course we will be stopping plenty of places in between hotels, but it is interesting to see the distance we are traveling.

Ok, I just found the itinerary online. I am going to go do some research.

I think it needs to be stated how lucky I am. I have my Ken. I have his family. I have my family. I have my boys. As much as I would like my boys to be with me on this trip, I know they will have fun where they are going and I know how fortunate I am to get to take this trip. I must have done something right in my past life.

2 more days

7-26-12


When did I get so geeky?

We watched X-Men First Class last night. I had heard it was good, and I enjoyed the other X-Men flicks, but I had no idea this one would be so amazing. The interaction between Charles and Eric was fantastic for its complexities and how realistic it truly seemed. They have always been an interesting duo in the idea of being friends close enough to be brothers yet are at odds with each other’s values. I love that, and the two actors in this did a great job bringing that to life. Plus, it was easy to see them both turn into the actors that portray them in the other films.

I have to say, seeing Hugh Jackman as Logan telling them to fuck off was pretty strong. And as a side note to that, is there a hotter super hero out there? Holy fuck, he is numtastic as Logan.

My plans this afternoon include making hugs. I have decided to take a couple of my sweatshirts and I am going to spray them with my perfume. I am going to then present these to the boys tomorrow night as hugs from me. This way if they miss me, they can put them on as a giant hug or even just wrap my ‘arms’ around them as a long distance hug. I don’t care if it is cheesy, they will appreciate it.

Even though I think we are pretty much ready to go with the exception of a few minor things that can’t be packed until Saturday morning, I feel like I am not anywhere close to being done. I have a load of last minute laundry I have to do Friday for a pair of shorts Ken is wearing on the plane. I need to put together the miscellaneous bag for the boys tonight. I suppose I am just not used to this whole idea of being gone for this long this far away from home.

I have some AYSO stuff I need to do before we leave, too. Ken is right in his assessment about this not seeming to be as stressful on me as it was in the beginning. I don’t know if I like it, though. I have certainly organized quite a bit on it and made it more my own, but I don’t have any passion for it. I don’t know how important that is, but it seems to me like I need to more interested in how I am helping. I also am starting to wonder how much I am going to need to step in and help Ken in his U8 coordinator duties. He is going to be gone all Saturdays during the season since he will need to be down at the field the whole time. It means the boys and I will be going to games separate. But it also means he is going to be inundated with phone calls and emails and putting out U8 fires. I may be better suited as his assistant.

When I get home from Ireland, I also need to plan a birthday party! It will be in the afternoon since Ken has some kind of training camp that morning (see, I told you his AYSO duties will be full). That is ok, and I need to check with him to see that the Avengers theme is still his hopes. Then I just have to make it happen.

3 more days

7-25-12


All packed!

Although I am starting to wonder if I need another sweatshirt. I looked at the weather report for the next 10 days in Dublin and it is listed as showers the whole time. Of course, I have also read that in general it does rain off and on, but not enough to stress too much. I am guessing I will love this because it will not be hot at all.

I also started looking up the hotels online to just kind of see what they look like. Holy crap, some of them are nice. I know, I should be more excited about the sights around Ireland, but I can still ooh and ahh at the places I stay, right?

 

I am happy that the boys are going to start activities pretty quick into our absence. My mom said they will do something Saturday, and then on Sunday they are meeting up with Grammie at Don Jose’s for lunch. After lunch they will be heading down to San Diego to go to Sea World and the zoo. They come back sometime Wednesday. Dax especially is thrilled about Sea World because he should be able to see a real orca. I am excited for them. It will be fun, plus it will hopefully keep them from getting upset at our absence.

I am hoping to let the boys play in the pool this afternoon. I do have to go up to the store to make a deposit and get a card, but that little bike ride should be short. I know the boys should play in the pool as much as possible. I told them I would go in with them, too, so this seems like a good day.

You would think the critters realize we are leaving. All of them have been a little more desperate for my attention.

The boss is in a tizzy this week what with it being month end. He only realized yesterday that my vacation starts next week. He wants me to do some reporting before I go, but I don’t see that happening, mostly because I don’t feel like it. He forgets most of what he asks of me, and even more of what I do give him. I told him 3 times yesterday the amount of this one payment that came in along with the day it came in. I didn’t tell him because I was bragging. I had to tell him 3 times because he kept asking me. Sigh. It is like dealing with a child, or more realistically, someone with Alzheimer’s.

I am thinking I will need to try and sit down each night on the trip and at least jot down some of the adventures. Recapping 2 weeks will be significantly harder if I try to remember it all after the fact. I think it will be reasonable while I wind down to make some notes. Hell, knowing me I can type up a couple of pages. Of course, I am also hoping that a good chunk of the nights we will be going out. It would seem a shame to not go to some pubs while in Ireland.

4 more days

7-24-12


The household is back to normal.

Ken took Dan to the airport last night. We spent the last afternoon just hanging out. The boys swam with Anthony, so Dan, Ken and I just chilled. It was nice, and really the best way to spend his last bit of time with us.

I was glad also that he was there simply because from the moment I got in the car to drive home from work until they walked into the house, I was in full on weepy mode. I truly had a hard time with the whole leaving the kids behind thing. I felt like I was just floating around, propelled only by random tears which would kind of wake me up.

Playing hangman with the boys was a great deal of fun. We played on the dry erase board that is hung up. It is a much more challenging game with people who are not as good at the spelling thing. You also have to guess the same letter several times. It was very fun, though. It was nice bonding time.

I managed to get my backpack cleaned out along with my purse so that those carryon items are ready to go. Truly, I have just about everything packed. It means that some housework needs to be done, but other than that, I am ready to go. Well, at least physically speaking.

Today, Ken and Dax have a dental checkup, which is cool since afterward we are going to the newly remodeled McDonald’s play structure after. It is a good reward, and more fun for us before the trip. Plus, Ken is meeting with a soccer guy there to discuss some coaches training, so it will be a good evening all around.

I am still tired. Ken has been up late two nights in a row, and getting up several times in the night for various noises and whatnot. It has kind of kept me up, which in itself is unusual. I don’t tend to be bothered by his insomnia, but I think the same stresses are plaguing us both, so I am more affected right now.

The day we get back will be crazy. Ken has the draft to attend. The boys and I also need to walk up to the school to see what classroom they are in. I am sure it will also be a day of lots of hugs. Poor Ken also has to prep for his training classes he has on Thursday and Friday. It is good I took those days off. It means I can just chill with the boys, which will be very nice.

I had to be the old crotchety neighbor yesterday. NB and his posse were running around the neighborhood and they were running deep into our driveway, behind the cars and into Mike’s garage. I snipped at them through the screen saying it was not a good place to play. I know they hate me, but I will deal with that. I was just happy they didn’t derail the fun the boys and Anthony were having out in the pool.

I suppose at least we can watch the opening ceremonies on Friday night. Ken will be happy about that. It will be a good way to settle in before the trip. A nice distraction from the exhaustive tears I will undoubtedly be shedding. Why must I be such a girl?

words

7-23-12


It is getting real.

Friday night, Ken got to drink the cactus juice. We went to dinner at East Side Marios, which turned out to be a pretty good place for even the kids. Dan enjoyed it, too, and we all had a lot of fun. Not as much fun as Ken, though.

After a long 2 weeks of double classes, he was pretty pooped. Mario’s, despite the menu indicating having Coke Zero, did not actually carry Ken’s drink of choice. So he opted to have a beer. And another. Oh, and 2 more for good measure. It was awesome! He was goofy, and Bobby kept joking with him that he would certainly sleep well that night. I enjoyed myself quite a bit, both parenting the boys and Ken, but being able to bond with Dan.

We went to Target afterwards so I could show Ken a pair of boots I had seen earlier in the day. They went home with me, which has made me quite happy. I also had entertaining conversations with Dan. I feel like a very wrong kind of Aunt, but I also showed him the book Fifty Shades in the store since he said he thought his mom, the most conservative person I know, was reading it. I picked up a copy from the shelf (which I have to say is still strange to see in a Target) and showed him a graphic passage. He said he was surprised at how much more graphic is was than he expected. Is it wrong for me to have shown him this? LOL!

Saturday was a day of shopping. Our household had to do a Costco and grocery store run, which was actually just fun time to hang out with Dan, who said it was a good time to just hang out. Although, I am sure his favorite part of the day was going to the New Flower Studio to get his lip pierced. YAY!

We went down to the studio, which I have to say, if you ever want anything done, even if you just want to get new jewelry, please check them out. The shop is gorgeous. It is clean and inviting and John is the coolest piercer ever. He doesn’t just shove a needle in your body. This man makes sure it is everything you wanted and more.

Dan got two piercings on his lower lip. It is possible his mother will be a level of pissed I have never seen possible in her. This will of course make for an interesting Ireland trip, but I hope she knows it wasn’t us rebelling against her.

I didn’t get anything done. With my nose still on the mend from this cold/allergy invasion, and the fact that I got my boots, I will get my nose done after our return.

That evening we hung out and chatted with Dan till midnight, talking about everything. He understands that there is a special oath as aunt and uncle that everything he tells us is confidential and doesn’t go back to his folks. Sure, perhaps our loyalty is the wrong direction, but I know that when you are a kid, you need those trusted grownups to be able to talk to about anything without fear of judgment. I had that with Robbie and I aim to provide that same report with my nieces and nephews.

Mike’s house was cleaned out over this past month, and thanks to the generosity of his sister, she let us use some of the space in the dumpster she got. This allowed us to clean out quite a bit of trash in the backyard. It made space for the PT which will go back there later this week. The yard is ready for our departure, which is quite happy making.

I also managed to pack both of the boys’ suitcases and most of mine. I still feel the need to find a couple of shirts more to pack. Ken decorated his suitcase last night, too, which will allow both of our bags to be easily identified when they are on the baggage carousel. Mine was done with spray paint, his with duct tape.

I can’t believe I leave in just a few short days. I was a little weepy as I dosed off last night, thinking about how much I am going to miss my boys. I know they (and I) will be ok, but it still doesn’t take away this dull ache I have in my chest. Even thinking about it right now is making my eyes fill, so I think I need to go to a different topic.

I always knew my voice carried, but I had no idea how much. As it became evident with the great wardrobegate at work a month ago, I found that the powers of my words are impressive. I had a conversation with one of the guys from the warehouse last week, discussing the lack of a Keurig machine in our mutual lunchroom. I thought about it a bit, and opted to write an internal blog about the lack of the machine. Aside from one comment from the always judgmental coworker in the other building, I didn’t hear anything. It was written Wednesday.

On Friday, an email went out that said a new Keurig was being installed in our lunchroom today.

When a few coworkers started asking around, it has come to my attention that it was my blog that actually prompted them to make the decision. Yes, my blog actually was read, discussed, and appreciated! Who knew??

I am wondering if perhaps I need to write about needing a raise…

The kittens continue their battle with squirt poop. It is getting messy. We started them on a diet of pumpkin, hoping this will help. I have seen some evidence of good, but last night, Lucy exploded and then managed to paw paint Bobby, his bed and much of the room in one bout of kitten energy.

Dan heads home tonight. I will miss him as he has been fun to have around, but I will admit I am looking forward to a couple of days of just being the 4 of us. Tomorrow evening, we are going with the boys to the newly opened McDonald’s play area. They are excited. I also plan on swimming with the boys on Wednesday so that I can just be with them. I am pleased that I am not behind schedule, and if anything, I am way ahead, which will allow me some quality time with them before we leave.

fuzzy head

7-20-12


I am doped up on a lot of cold meds. Today should be interesting.

As I sunk my teeth into my chicken sandwich, I noted an audible crunch. I assumed it was one of the bones I had missed in the shredded bbq chicken I had made a few nights prior. I swallowed and my tongue did its standard check of the temporary crown that still resided in my mouth. It froze, as did I, when it noticed the chip out of it.

Fuck.

I surveyed the damage blindly, simply running my tongue over the area a few dozen times to look for any source of pain or additional cracks. I found nothing, and sat at my desk dumbfounded, wondering if I could live with this until Monday, when I was supposed to go in to get the brand new crown.

Next thing I know, the entire chunk falls out. Crap. There was no question now; I would need to go into the dentist’s office to get this corrected.

I called them and explained the situation. The receptionist there is fairly new, and seemed in a panic when I told her what had occurred. She started off with telling me I could come in at 4. Then she changed it to 5. Then as she freaked out some more, she finally settled on 2. I didn’t care much. I just knew it was going to be hell.

My throat has continued to deteriorate over this week. My voice, according to Dax, sounds like the robot on the DVD of TMBG ABC’s. I have been coughing up all kinds of ouch, and have been several levels of exhausted. I didn’t think it would be a fun time having to hold my mouth open for any extended period of time with the prospect of a coughing fit looming.

I picked up some cough suppressant on my way to the dentist’s office. I double dosed, hoping it would help me. I was almost there when I noted my phone ringing. It was Ken telling me that they had called him to try to get a hold of me to tell me that in fact they would not be able to see me until closer to 5.

Fuck.

I drove home and proceeded to relax for a bit. I pulled some old animal pictures with the hopes to find baby pictures of Hiro, the recently deceased cat of Brandy and Aaron. He was such a kick ass cat. He was I believe 17 when he passed away this week. I only found one shot of him, along with a few of Velcro, another kitty of theirs. It was a little depressing going through snapshots of so many of my beloved critters past.

It was about 4:15 and I went back down to the dentist’s office. Doctor Weston and I have a good relationship now. We have recently been chatting about the fun that would come from an office in which you could get your teeth cleaned while getting a pedicure and all the while your car was getting its oil changed. Oh, and the dry cleaning would be done there, too. Seriously, we were having way too much fun with this conversation.

I sat down and he tells me good news. My permanent was in! This meant that he didn’t need to put on the temporary. It meant I didn’t have to come back next week, either. He fit it over my tooth stump and it fit perfect. YAY! I was done in 15 minutes. He pointed out that the dentistry gods were smiling on us since it all worked out so well. He was in a hurry since he had an appointment he had to get to, also. Yet, with all of these circumstances, this all worked out quite well.

I got home with enough time to whip up dinner for the family. I also had a drink, which I felt I deserved. Despite the crown replacement taking no time at all, I was sore from all the manipulation. Plus, my body ached from hours of coughing. The Lego gang walked in, looking beat. They were treated to what was probably the best spaghetti sauce I have ever made. I also made the pasta with the tiny shell pasta that Bobby had picked out. It was perfect! Even Bobby enjoyed it!

We decided to treat the boys to ice cream. We drove to Foster’s Freeze and we all had some ice cream yum. We were not the only ones with the idea, but it didn’t matter. It was a good outing all around. We got home and I had to shower the boys, what with all of the sticky that they were now covered in. By 8:30, the boys and I were tucked into bed.

I slept pretty well. It took a bit to get settled, but when I did, I felt good. I know I woke up a handful of times, but I don’t completely know why. Luna I think needed to pee at some point. An alarm went off at some point, too. Who knows.

Tonight, the plan is to go out to dinner with the Lego gang. We have told Dan that he can pick the cuisine, and we would find a place. It sounds like Italian is the choice so far, so I think we will head to Lakewood and eat at East Side Marios. I have eaten there gobs of times, and have been meaning to take Ken there, so this is a good excuse.

After work, though, I am going shopping. I need to get some trip supplies. Ken said he will be hitting up Petco today for some other items we need. I have gobs of time on my side this afternoon since I can’t imagine I will end up meeting up with the family until 6.

Happy making news is that I get to sleep in tomorrow. YAY! Our plans for tomorrow are easy. A possible outing to the piercing place, and other than that, not much of anything. Sunday, we have an AYSO meeting, but other than that, it is free and clear as well. Dan goes home Monday night.

The season finale of Mad Men season 1 was intense. I can see how people keep watching this show. It is quite well done, and the characters are deep. I am impressed, and enjoying season 2 so far. It is a shame that I will have to take a break for a couple weeks on watching it. I won’t have the pleasure of Netflix while in Ireland. Then again, I shouldn’t need it! Hee!

I have had to take the last couple days off from exercise. Even walking to the bathroom has resulted in a coughing fit that makes me want to throw up. I am hoping that with a bit more rest things will get better soon. I wanted to be at my best for the trip. I can’t believe I leave a week from tomorrow.

I was pleasantly surprised when my order from Claire’s showed up yesterday. I got two fuzzy purple purses. The invoice called one causal and one dressy. I am not sure which is which, but I love them both. They will be perfect for outings. I am taking both to Ireland. I figure I am not going to need to carry a whole lot in all of the touring. The color of them both almost makes me want to color my hair purple again.

My hair for now has settled into a cotton candy pink which seems to work with the cut and dark roots. It still looks on purpose, so I am happy. I keep having dreams in which my hair is a rich chocolate brown with this cut. I wish I could do that.

The house next door is officially on the market. We have had people stopping randomly all day yesterday, checking out the place, upsetting the dogs greatly. I don’t look forward to new neighbors, but I also do kind of want someone living there. I saw Margie’s son sitting on the back porch step yesterday, and it made me kind of sad. I wondered how often he had sat there as a boy and I imagined this was all kind of surreal.

I am coasting through the day, feeling slighting drunk on these meds. I hope I make it.

stupid throat

7-19-12


Sick, tired, beat.

Yesterday was crazy. I barely had a chance to go pee. Between other departments being pissy and meetings galore, I was swamped. I half anticipate the same kind of day today. I guess what with me leaving in about a week, things are starting to get real.

I had the van, so I went out to the school when I got home. I was swapping cars, and I ended up taking Bobby with me. He and I did a few chores. He also helped me spray paint the suitcase. I will have to do another coat this afternoon. It should be good in its obnoxious tones. Ken got me bright pink and green.

Ken also yesterday when he was out getting me paint, went to the only local Target over in Hawthorne that had this pair of boots I wanted. I had been looking them up the night before, noting that no one local had them right now. I didn’t think much of it until I got into the car when we were leaving the school and there they were! YAY!

Lucy had to have to baths yesterday. She had explosive squirt poop that required some human assistance in the cleanup process. She was remarkably good for both, which shocked the hell out of me. It was probably good I did it as I was able to see that she still has some flea issues. Time for some Boric acid!

Our router is having issues at home, so I was netless. This meant I couldn’t just zone out and watch Mad Men as I had planned. Instead, I set Bobby up with Wii, and proceeded to scrub the shit out of the bathroom. I also started some laundry and got to work on various projects. I am going to be ready to go to Ireland with a clean home.

This morning has been shit so far. I somehow ripped the sweater I was going to wear. I stepped in Lycos pee. I also look like I just rolled out of bed. Hello bags under the eyes. Sigh.

I may need to just go home after work and sleep.

I took a DayQuil. I have been downing tea hoping to soothe my throat. I have kick ass cough drops, but I am only able to take those every couple hours. Sigh. Dying.

sicky sick sick sucks

7-18-12


Grumble Grumble. Stupid sick.

The sinus issues were apparently not just a result of too must dust and/or pollen. It appears that I have a bit of a cold at this point. Nothing serious, in the grand scheme of things, but it is certainly taking its toll on me. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. My throat has been a scratchy hell which kept me up much of the night. Plus, my nose alternated between brick and flowing faucet all night. Ken went and got me some NyQuil and better cough drops. Sadly, I would have had to keep a cough drop in all night long to really get rest as it seemed to be the only thing helping.

I do not like being groggy and cranky in the morning.

I ended up sitting around much of yesterday afternoon, watching Mad Men. I did manage to pull clothing for the trip and put it in the suitcase to see what kind of room I have left. I still have to get some accessories, but overall, I am doing well on space. This weekend we will go get some spray paint. Time to decorate the suitcase.

The kittens decided to test science yesterday. They enjoyed checking my pain tolerance by tag teaming on my ankles. They also checked out gravity to see what would win, the glass bottle or the sink. This resulted in only a few slices to my hand. They also wanted to see what would happen when they would attack various members of the household. It was interesting to watch them plan out their pounce and then almost look like they were discussing it afterwards.

The boss has been in a strange place these last two days. He is having a department meeting this morning. It is during my normal workout time, which just means I will for sure not be doing my walk today. I suppose it is for the best as a day off will not kill me. He seems to be under some kind of pressure simply because it is a bad collections month. I hate it when higher ups end up frizzing out a manager into micro-managing demon mode.

It means I need to be proactive and do some reports this morning. Sigh.

stressgestion

7-17-12


I kicked some ass yesterday.

Ok, the asses were in the form of clutter and dust, but asses nonetheless. I tackled the living room, entry way and the kitchen with a force. I junked things and organized other items. It looked pretty damn good when I was done. The only real issue with it was that I was too energized to the point that even when everyone got home, I was moving. I couldn’t sit.

I finally just opted to go to bed. I was out pretty damn quick.

Today my cleaning frenzy will tackle the bathroom. It needs a good scrub down. Then I think I will start on outside. I did a little out there last night, and really it isn’t too bad. There is mainly that driveway thing, so it is possible that I will need to wait till the weekend for that.

Holy crap! I leave in like 10 days. Yie!!!!!

We got our itinerary in the mail in these cute little leather bound books. It has a spot for our passport and I would imagine a couple of other items. It also has a list of phone numbers as to where we are staying each night. We have a different hotel every night. I did see we do get to see a castle. Also, we get to kiss the Blarney Stone. On the day we get there, they have a welcome party in a pub. YAY!

I am starting to freak a bit. I feel like there is so much to do with not enough time. On Friday, after I get paid, I need to do a Target run for some basics. We also need to stock up on critter grub and litter.

I am wondering if it would help my nerves if I actually just went ahead and packed today. I mean, I have gobs of clothing that is staying here that I can survive in while I am home. Anything to not freak out, right?

So note to self; do not give the dogs teriyaki sauce on their kibble unless you are prepared to be up all night with them needing to drink water.

I had a dream the other night. It was interesting since I took Ken and the boys to my amusement park. The same one that has been in my dreams since I was about 13. It had a water park added since I started going, but other than that, it was pretty similar. The boys were nervous, especially about a couple of the water slides. I remember saying to Ken that there were some they should enjoy. We then went on them and the boys were not thrilled. They managed on all of them, but ultimately they were a little overwhelmed. I worry that this is some kind of lesson to me to say that the boys are not quite ready for all of my crazy.

I am sleepy. The stupid sinus issues kept me up some of the night. It is my fault as I should have taken something. It sucks being a strange combo of super energized and tired. My mind is racing, but the congestion is taking its toll on my body.