Wardrobe Malfunction

10-31-13

Technical difficulties!!!

Ok, my dress has split on a seam on the side and my glasses are fogged up and hard to see through. FUCK! Oh, and my leggings won’t stay up. Costume appears to be a fail in terms of work. I can deal with the leggings since I am sitting and have mostly corrected the issue with binder clips. I can’t see, though, which is making this typing incredibly interesting. But the dress really freaks me out. It could get worse. If I was wearing my yoga capris under, it would not be a big deal. But if I leave, my ass is not coming back.

Sigh.

Do I suck it up and wait though to see the other costumes? I am tempted to just bail. I honestly am having a hard time. I hate to leave since I love me some Halloween, but I just don’t know what to do.

Halloween 2013

10-31-13

The only issue with this costume is that I am looking through foggy glasses all day.

I am pleased with my costume. I didn’t end up putting on a tail, but the rest rocks. I will need to add something to the leggings to keep them up for future use as I had to remove a stich, but other than that, it is so a costume I will be able to wear to cons, which is fun!

I really kind of wish I could go help out at the school, but I need to go get my damn TB test and really I need to be here for the meeting here at work. Oh well. I am going to be out tomorrow, so it will all be good. I am looking forward to sleeping in a bit.

Foggy glasses make for sleepy eyes. LOL!

Yesterday for me wasn’t particularly productive. I did some laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. I also made a good dinner that apparently while I was asleep (Ken was at his soccer game), Luna pulled down the pan from the stove and ate it all. Yeah, that’s a lot of pasta for one dog to consume. She is about 20 pounds bigger around now. Sigh. Stupid me for leaving it out.

The good news is that these days tend to go pretty quickly once people come into the office. There is a lot of chit chat and looking at costumes. The company meeting/lunch is at 11:30 and will take up the rest of my day, so I will be able to leave right after. I am going to pick up the boys from school instead of letting my mom bring them to Steve since there are parents and teachers who want to see me dressed up.

Even though no one will probably know who I am, at least I can pull off just being a unicorn. I do have Jake and Finn here with me, on loan from the boys, so that is good. They are very excited about dressing up as their Minecraft people. I may need to borrow Bobby’s head or maybe have Dax wear the costume to Bobby’s game this weekend since they are Creepers. That would be fun to have Dax as a mascot for a bit.

I am regrouping

10-29-13

Clearly the reports are not ready yet if I have time for another note.

I know Ken will be disappointed but it is done, and I already feel better. I emailed the PTA president and stepped down from my post as newsletter chick. I just can’t. I see these giant folders on my desk of old newsletters and I am sure I would be amazing at it, but I just don’t have the time. I can’t even find time to start, let alone do the whole thing. I am behind on housework. I am behind on soccer stuff. I am behind on Steve. I am behind on everything I want to be doing.

I know that all of this is due to the house stuff. I knew it would be like this. I got so excited about this school that has a real PTA that I wanted to be a part of it. The problem is, I bit off more than I can chew. I have a mouthful of responsibilities and no water to wash it down. I am gonna choke!

So I resigned. I am glad I did. I felt I owed it to the school to bail out before we got too far into the year. Plus, as my president pointed out, I can still help out on events, which is something I would rather do anyway. I am going to help at the Hoedown night and other things coming up. I feel bad, but I think it is better for everyone in my life if I don’t have another panic attack.

Yeah, I had a pretty bad one a couple days ago. I even took to wearing my Hunger Games necklace that holds my Xanax. I only took one, but I don’t want to have to rely on that. I am a bundle of emotion these days along with sore and tired from all the work. I don’t need to add crazy to the mix.

I should also get out the treasurer game, but for now I will hold on. At the very least, I want to make the transition to online, which will make everything go smoother in the future for anyone in the position. If I can get everything all moved over, I will have handled all of my responsibilities.  

I have three more weeks of soccer games (not counting any post season play) and then the holiday season. I want so badly to be Monica and do my hosting, but I need to be realistic and just get settled. I want to see my friends more often than I have been. I want to have play dates. I want to be able to walk my dog. I see the end, but I must be having one of those high strung days.

I feel good now. I feel positive. I know this is just me regrouping and then I can go strong again. I just needed that minute. 

I need more time!!

10-29-13

Well I guess I have some time this morning.

Of course, the reports didn’t run. It is not too surprising. We were due for a minor fuck up. It means delayed stress, but for now I will take it. It makes me laugh all around.

We cleared out most of the catio. The only thing in there now are the couches, which we will move today. I moved my desk inside and the night stands for the guest room into the guest room. They will have to be moved once we get carpet, but we need the stucco part of the house all clear so Jim can start the repairs.

My folks finished the boys’ room and it looks amazing. It looks like it is straight out of a magazine. I told my mom the boys might not be able to sleep in there until after my house warming party. LOL!

I have to admit, I am dangerously tempted to cancel practice tonight just so we can work through. I would leave work, but these damn reports linger. But if we didn’t have practice, I could essentially go straight to Steve and work. I painted one coat of a door frame, but I need to finish that up. Ken is working on putting in a door today along with the other bathroom. I am sore, I hurt, and even though the end is near, getting to the finish line looks daunting.

As much as I feel like I should be bummed, I am not. It looks as though it will only be us and my folks for Thanksgiving at Steve. This sounds ideal, actually. It means less stress, and more fun. My mom said we could go out, but I actually love the idea of cooking. I may need to find some gluten free goodies for my dad, too. Perhaps friends can come by in the evening or over the weekend for cocktails. That would be nice! It will be a good cozy 4 days. Plus, I can work on Christmas decorations.

With the weekend looking mostly open aside from the two games, it looks to be another busy weekend of moving things into Steve. We will take a brief break to go see Ender’s Game. It is a must! I am looking forward to it. We are in crazy movie time. I have tickets for Catching Fire on the 22^nd, too. I wonder how hard it would be to take a week off like next week to work on Steve. Probably too hard.

I need to spend some time on Eydie. It gets attention once a week. On Wednesdays I tend to do some chores. It is my only day to do so. The rest are spent at Steve or on the field. I realize I need to hit up Costco again. I would like to get something for Bobby’s class for his party. Maybe I can hit it up today? Man, I need more hours in the day.

Now that the boys have dressers in their new room, I can start going through their clothing. They have so dang many shirts, so I should go ahead and remove the ones that are just too small or not worn anymore. Then I can probably have the boys living essentially out of a box for the next couple weeks. That would allow me to get that dresser into the bedroom at Steve. I really don’t know how we are going to do it. You start to realize very quickly how small your hallway is when you are moving furniture.

Crap, I need to paint my shoes, too. LOL! Sheesh! I need more hours!!!!

I may need to suck it up and just stay up late.

Butterfly

10-28-13

How is it already Monday morning?

The alarm went off and I was sure it was some kind of cruel joke. I had a hard time getting comfortable all night. I am sore and tired from a full weekend.

Saturday morning was crazy hectic. Ken had to open two fields which meant he had to leave early to start Levy and then over to Hull where he was frustrated to no end at the crappy condition that supply container is in. That is always hard to deal with Ken when he is grumpy like that. Especially when I am just trying to get the kids excited for soccer and get things done. He becomes all surly and pissy. Luckily he comes out of it, but still, it isn’t fun.

At 9:30, half way through Bobby’s game and an hour before Dax’s, Dax shows me the blow out in his soccer shoe. Yeah, he was rocking a hobo-toe on his shoe. FUCK! I consulted the time and determined if I hurried, I could get over to Sports Authority and back to Levy in time for the game. I had to leave Bobby’s game, and luckily my folks could take Dax over. I managed to not only get a pair of shoes, I didn’t have to pay anything! I had a gift card that still had enough money to get the shoes. I was thrilled!! I even made it to Levy before anyone else on the team. YAY ME!

Dax was on FIRE at his game. Holy crap, it was truly magical to watch. He is such a natural and he almost scored twice. His new position as halfback suits him and it was amazing to watch how determined he is on the field. Then put him in goal and seriously, you would think he was a pro at that, too! I am not just saying these things because he is my kid. I am telling you people on the sideline were impressed to the same level. There is something truly remarkable about how skilled he is becoming. I suppose it helps that he has a soccer practice 3 nights a week, along with doing the clinic on Friday nights now. In any spare time, he is kicking that ball. He has found his sport and he is thrilled.

After the games, the boys and I went out to find me my wig. I was excited to find one in the first place we tried. I also got some face paint. We also decided to go to Joanne’s since I knew they would have the shirt Dax needed for his costume. I also managed to find some ribbon for part of mine. Sadly, I was an idiot in assuming one can just quickly stop in Joanne’s less than a week before Halloween. LOL! Despite the crowd, we had a decent time in the store. We dinked around a bit while we waited for our number in order to measure out the small amount of ribbon I needed. Bobby was all kinds of upset because they had three Carsons there and I told him he couldn’t have any. I tried to explain that Christmas is almost here and truly, I am not getting them things right now. It didn’t improve his mood, but we made do.

Saturday evening was mellow. We took some much needed down time. Ken worked on putting together Bobby’s costume. We painted the primer on it yesterday so now it just needs the actual paint. I need to paint my shoes, too. That may be this evening what with I am sure practice will be canceled on account of rain.

Sunday was the day. The floors at Steve were dry and we headed over to there to work. I painted A LOT. Ken did a ton of cutting and putting in trim and base boards. There was so much to do!! I painted a lot of trim and I painted the front door. My folks worked on a ton of stuff in the boys’ room, too, including putting up the bed. We got to Steve at around 9:30, and were there to about 7. Long day. However, we left with I believe most of the trim and floor boards that we have painted, the master bedroom is trimmed and the bed frame is in there, a ton of the living room trim is up, a lot of the hallway trim is done, Ken started the trench around the house for the stucco repair, and we cemented in a small section that was near the garage. This little square now has handprints of the boys, which really makes this so awesome.

I have to go over to Steve after work and clear out the catio. That section needs stucco repair, too, so we need to bring all that stuff inside or at the very least, away from that area. I think I can get it all done, and then when Ken arrives, he will help me move the couches into the living room. I am kind of hopeful of this rain if only since it means no practice which gives us time, which I like. Sadly, I have a shit ton of trim on my little tables outside that hopefully Ken can bring in before he goes to class today.

Sadly, I have no book to read this morning. Apparently the third book in the series I am reading only just came out on the 22^nd, which means there are no PDF copies out there at this point. As if that isn’t bad enough, our company was hit with a virus so a lot of files on the public drive were messed with, which means I can’t prep for reports tomorrow. So this leaves me with less to do than I would like.

I get to READ!!!!

10-25-13

YAY free PDF!!

I am all kinds of happy giddy this morning. Yesterday I managed to find a copy of Divergent online in a PDF form. I found the second book in the trilogy, too! I was able to sit and read all day yesterday, which was heaven. I had to stop every now and again to handle some work stuff, but overall, it was a glorious day. I finished the book and even started in on book 2, which is what I get to do today. The boss isn’t in until noon which means even less annoying and more awesome! YAY!

Have I mentioned how freaking gorgeous Steve’s floors are now? I got to see them in person yesterday and was flabbergasted at how pretty.

My day looks to be busy, but satisfying. I have reading to do at work (LOL!!!) and then after I go by home to get soccer gear for the kids. We are meeting my mom at Steve after school to see about putting the boys’ new bed somewhere in the garage. After that it is on to the soccer academy. Luckily, that is only an hour, and the boys love it. We will then have to hit up Costco for snack supplies for the game. All of this sounds pretty standard for us.

I have little to write since I am excited to read, so have a good weekend!

Floors

10-24-13

And yet another injury.

I managed to smack my left hand into the cutting board a couple of days ago. It hurt all that night, but got better the next day. I could feel it was bruised, but I apparently did not aggravate it in any of my day to day activities. Yesterday morning, however, I noted it was really sore. As the day progressed, I could feel just how much I had tweaked it. I couldn’t do certain movements with my hand without dropping whatever I was holding and shrieking out in pain. Not pleasant.

Holy crap, Steve’s floors look AMAZING! I saw them pre-gloss, and a picture of them with the goo, and my god, they are just simply stunning now. I can’t wait to see it when it is all done. I am so glad we didn’t carpet the whole house!

We won’t be able to walk on the floors until Monday. I guess they do coats 2 and 3 today, and a final coat on Friday. We didn’t do any stain, so we opted for 4 coats of the polyurethane since as the floor guys pointed out, dog claws will scratch the hell out of floor and the lighter the color, the easier it is to touch up those scratches. Lycos has been dubbed clickity for a reason, so the 4 coats make sense.

It does mean that we won’t be able to do much at Steve over the next few days. Sure, we can paint some trim in the family room, but ultimately not a whole lot of things can be done.

This does mean that perhaps the idea of tearing up the driveway at Eydie this weekend is a good one. I also would like to pack some more and get ready to do the inevitable move. Maybe some more garage work, too.

Tonight takes me to the school for a meeting on some Title 1 stuff. I don’t know what is being covered, so hopefully it isn’t too boring. I really have no patience for boring right now since when I am bored I think about the things I need to be working on.

   

Tied up with a big red bow

10-21-13

Drugs are bad, Mmm K.

Yeah, I am now a parent of kids who are involved with Red Ribbon Week. The problem is, I am torn on its message.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want my kids to get hooked on heroin or crack or some other kind of nasty street drug out there that will dissolve your skin. I am not ok with them doing anything that may shorten their life or leave them in some kind of vegetative state. I am not sure Red Ribbon Week is going to prevent these things.

Bobby asked me on Friday if pot was bad. I honestly could not answer that. I would have been better prepared for the question of baby origins. Sex, no problem, drugs, I am frustrated with the grey area that it has become.

When you are a parent, you do have to make sure your kids are safe, but I feel like some of that safety comes from honesty. I am not a big supporter of some drugs being illegal. I also cannot practice what I preach if I were to tell the kids to not do any kind of recreational drugs. I have done acid, I have tried pot. I have even taken ecstasy, even though it did nothing for me. For Father’s Day I made my dad pot brownies! At what point does it just become do what I say, not what I do? And how can my children respect me if this is my policy?

I realize that Red Ribbon Week isn’t such a deep concept. It is ultimately designed to get children to start thinking about their actions. If you choose to partake in a mind altering substance, there could be consequences. It wouldn’t be particularly responsible to tell them about the good consequences. Trust me when I say that even in my most inappropriate parenting moments I have not told the boys about Daddy and Mom dropping acid to go watch Will Smith movies every 4^th of July. I don’t tell them about the crazy leaf lady we saw or how the pizza guy was creepy or how the pool turned into a sandpit. Ken doesn’t give the boys the full run down of how much different Disneyland is when you are frying.

However, it doesn’t mean I won’t tell them these stories. It means I need to know my audience. For now, I try to make sure they do understand that just because you take drugs doesn’t make you bad. I have to also explain to them that when I say I need to go pick up my drugs from the pharmacy it doesn’t mean Mom is a crack whore. Red Ribbon Week sadly only seems to look at things in the color of Stop, not think.

In the case of Marijuana, I worry that we are doing it an injustice. Pot is about as dangerous as booze, and yet we don’t have a ribbon week dedicated to keeping kids off the bottle. I can assure you Red Ribbon week probably doesn’t  tell you about cancer patients that have benefits from the medicinal uses of cannabis. I am sure it doesn’t give information about people getting hooked on prescription drugs. The message is broad and vague. Hugs not Drugs. Turn your back on drugs. They actually are wearing sunglasses one day for this week so they can show that they are blocking out drugs. Isn’t that making the real dangers trivial and clouding the message?

I agree, kids should be taught about the evils of the world. They need to understand that they will be tempted by various things that will cloud their judgment and has potential to wreck their lives. Wouldn't it be better to not talk down to the kids quite as much as we do? We have them learning algebra at the age of 7 yet we are still talking to them like they are 2 when it comes to other things.

I intend on having a long discussion with my boys about drug use this week. Just as I have spoken to them about alcohol consumption, I will explain that yes, there are some fun things about them. I also will explain the dangers involved and let them make a much more informed decision concerning their future.

Drugs are not all bad. Drug abuse is, and I just hope that the kids this week are actually taught some useful information.  I fear this is just a big box of contradictions tied up with a pretty red bow. 

Steve in the Buff!

10-23-13

Once again, the morning gets away from me.

Steve got sanded yesterday. Who knew the floors were so damn bright and pretty under? They are so light! We are going to keep them closer to their natural color with just a hint of golden honey color in the stain/polyurethane. Today is the first coat, so it will be interesting to see. I am planning on going there right after work since I want to work in the family room and get base boards painted. The floors should hopefully be dry by next week, which means we can put in the base boards and trim and then set up beds. Woo!

My kitchen is DONE! The gas company came out yesterday and approved everything. My stove is pushed back in and it is all ready for me! One small piece of molding needs to be nailed on, but that is minor. I also can now oil my cutting board, but to be honest, I am waiting on that until we are moved in. There is way too much dust still and I want to keep it protected.

I won’t be able to paint the door frames till next week, which sucks, but it is what it is. I would like it if on Sunday Ken can work on the bathroom so that has a good start. Then maybe Tuesday of next week when he works all day he can finish it up or get more done on it and then we can put up the base boards in the bedroom.

I ended up coaching the practice by myself last night. I was so freaked out that the parent were going to be watching me from the sideline thinking I didn’t know what I was doing. The boys were pretty wild, but we managed. I worked on a lot of different things. I did have to get strict with them, and I think a couple of them were a little surprised. That being said, it was nice to know that my boys are just like every other little boy out there. They are all smart asses and wild. LOL!

I think we will do homework at Steve this afternoon. I figure I can work on painting while they sit and work. We don’t have to be anywhere tonight so it is easier to do this. I have a shit ton of regular chores to do when we get back to Eydie, but I think those will go faster than they look.

Once again, I question my staying at work for the day. 

No respect

10-22-13

Fuck you, boss man.

Seriously, I have lost all respect for this man. I do my job, and I do it well. I deny credit for a customer who pays incredibly late and request more financial information from them in order to increase their line for this large order they will undoubtedly pay late. This is all standard. I come in this morning and find that the boss once again buckled to pressure from sales reps. I have another customer who has completely negated his contract and has decided to pay on his own terms despite the very stringent rules of this one deal. We decided they would get no more deals like this. Not 24 hours later my boss oks another deal like it. Are you fucking kidding me? I explained to him that nothing was paid and that the sales reps didn’t know the whole story. I had to FIGHT to get him to look at the account. FUCK!

Look, I know I fuck around at work, but I do take my job seriously enough to know that if they release product to a crappy customer only I am the one who is punished. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t get in trouble, but due to these sort of situations it is harder for me to meet the goals set for me to get bonuses. I mostly take the Cher from Clueless approach with goals. I always talk my way into getting them, but it is annoying that I have to, especially when I tend to be correct about every deal I said no to and was out voted on.

It certainly makes me want to stay in bed more often than not. I actually considered staying home today. I still am considering bailing early. I managed to get all but one door frame started with paint. Our bedroom door frame only needs one more coat of yellow, as do all the other ones I did. After that the others need their other side done. I was hoping to have it done before they sanded the floor. If I were to head over there right now, perhaps I could get it done. Maybe I will duck out later. I doubt it, though.

It was in fact a hectic afternoon. I tried to locate the foul and mysterious odor in my car but seem to have failed. Clearly snacks from after games have managed to roll around under seats and the boys have left quite the grody mess in the back. I thought I had it all but this morning I still smell something that clearly died and is pissed about it.

We finished up homework for the afternoon and Ken and the boys headed out to practice. I instead went over to a communications workshop for the PTA post I opted to handle. It ended up being the director of communications and me hanging out in a room, discussing newsletters. I did get a lot of information that I needed, and guidance in terms of who I need to talk to for permission on certain things published in the newsletter. It sounds like I have a lot of room for modification, and I will try to sit down and talk to Nicole, our president, and see how I can get it all done. I am excited and nervous, but being an editor is kind of cool.

I got home significantly earlier than expected, but still did get stuck by a seemingly forever in length train. I also was treated to the spectacle of a guy with projectile vomit in the car in front of me who chose to do this out the driver’s side door. Bleah.

I am getting quite tired of sleeping on the mattress on the floor. You would think it wouldn’t matter, but it keeps sliding away from the wall, and I end up falling into the gap. This of course then makes me sleep all kinds of wrong. My back is killing me.

My legs however are shockingly much stronger than they used to be. I noted that the squats I have done have truly allowed me some amazing balance when it comes to squatting for paint. I have been able to sit in that position for long periods of time. It is kind of cool, actually!

I am looking forward to my Wednesday. It is a day where the kids get out an hour earlier, which allows for homework to be done more efficiently. On top of that, we have no soccer. This allows for errands to be run, chores to be done, and just all around time to be used in other ways.

Thursday takes me to another PTA event. It isn’t really PTA so much as just the school having some kind of a meeting in regards to it being a Title I school. They have it Thursday night and a make up one on Halloween in the morning, so I figure I might as well take the time where the boys are at practice and hit up the meeting.

I loaned my monster socks to the boys for today. It is day two of Red Ribbon Week. Apparently they wear wacky socks to “sock it to drugs”. Yeah. No real words for that, peeps. Are we really trying to make light on a week in which they are supposed to be having a real conversation about the perils of drug use?

I wrote something else on Red Ribbon Week, about my problem with it on other levels, but just haven’t posted it yet. Not sure if I was proud of it.

Let’s place bets on how long I stay today. LOL!

paint

10-21-13

We are ready.

The floors are cleared off so that tomorrow they can begin on the sanding. I also managed to paint a couple of things. I was planning on painting some more trim this afternoon, but it occurs to me that I actually should concentrate on the door frames. I got part of our bedroom done. I can most likely tape everything off this afternoon and get the yellow part done on 4 of the doors. That would be good since I want to get what paint needs to be done near the floors done quickly.

Saturday was exhausting. Soccer days really do take it out of me. Especially when it was hot and I had snacks to do for Dax’s game. And really, Dax’s games just kill me. I love these boys all so much and I want them to do well. I felt like they were not listening to me during the game, but maybe they were just so into the game they didn’t hear me. It got frustrating at times. It was a good game and honestly, I kind of fibbed to them and told them they won. They don’t know the difference. They did so freaking good!

It looks to be another week of crazy. If they are working on the floors all week, it does mean we probably cannot go in most of Steve. However, I can probably work in the family room and get things done in there.

Tonight I have PTA training. It is some kind of workshop on the newsletter, which is something I am doing for the school. Hopefully the training isn’t too long. I really don’t want to be there all dang night.

If all goes well, the floors should be done this week which means we can set up beds this weekend. Yay! I need to work on a way to empty the boys’ dresser since that is going to be ours. I want to move that over soon so I can figure out spacing. This means we should probably try to get Frank’s truck.

When I told the boys we might have the beds set up this weekend they were excited at the prospect of sleeping at Steve. I don’t know that we will do that just yet since I would kind of like our first night at Steve to be when we are truly moved. That date keeps looking closer, but man it seems so far away.

I have to go to a Halloween store. I had ordered a yellow wig for my costume from Amazon but it looks to not get here until Nov, which doesn’t do me much good. It is cool though since I need to go get some face paint, too. I also need to figure out a way to color the lenses of my goggles white, but still be able to see out of them.

Pretty Bathroom

10-18-13

My boss is looking to be hit in the head with something heavy.

Yesterday was full of frustration at his ignorance and stupidity. I was grumbling all day and was thrilled when I was finally free of his nonsense. He looks to be on another set of annoying today, but thankfully with it being Friday I know I get a few days of rest. I can’t complain too much since I did manage to not have to deal with him for almost a week. He sure does try to make up for it, though.

Yesterday was mostly an Eydie day. I cleaned house, tackled a bit of the laundry mountain and got the cats high with the bag of nip I found in my cleaning. I also got incredibly mad at One10 who has taken to randomly peeing on things. Sigh. My old animals are losing their functions and it is frustrating.

When I went to the pharmacy last night I was both appalled and amused at the question the pharmacist asked me. As she was getting the bottle for my Venlafaxine, she looked at me and asked very puzzled, “Why are you taking anti-depressants? You are always so happy?” Without missing a beat, I answered, “I guess the meds are working, then!” Seriously, how clueless do you have to be to think that a person smiling means everything is peachy?

Ken got on the shower door and my bathroom is freaking awesome! We looked through Amazon for some cool towel racks and other accessories for it. I am quite pleased. I will need to find some artwork for in there, but for now I am pleased with it being the way it is. How it is on to the other bathroom! I figure tonight I will try to paint brown trim. We also need to go get some door knobs. I am getting so excited!

I am thinking of taking Dax to this soccer clinic our region sponsors. It is only an hour, but it is working with professionals and I know that he would love it. He is getting better and better by the minute. He unveiled his new throw in on Tuesday and it is stunning. This kid is such a natural. I need to go down to Wilson Park anyway since I need to track down our RC for some signatures, so I might as well let Dax play a bit and learn at the same time. It means I will pretty much pick them up from school and head over there, but it may be well worth it. Plus, it’s free!

Steve is colorful

10-17-13

So freaking sore!

I played hooky yesterday and painted. I painted all of the doors, both front and back, in all kinds of color. I painted yellow, blue, lavender and red. I even painted some brown in the window sill. It was lots of paint. My arms hurt. I also cleaned up the house a bit since there is always debris that just gets discarded on the floor. It was a full day of Steve.

I felt so bad about Grandfriends’ Day at the school. It looks like just about everyone had a grandparent show. I only know this because people who had family ended up leaving early. When we showed up to get the boys, there were very few people getting kids. Next year we are going to get like 20 family members to go with them to make up for this year.

The toilet is in the front bathroom and the tile and grout is all done. At this point we need to put up the shower door and the bathroom is pretty much done. Then it is on to the next bathroom.

This weekend we essentially need to make sure everything in the house is not on the floor since the floor people come Tuesday. Most of this is done, but there is some painting that still needs to be done in the form of more trim, so I need to get a lot of that done over the next few days so that I have a spot for them. It is going to be crazy!

Conundrum

Family is a funny thing.

We have the ones we get because they share our blood line. We don’t choose them. We have the ones that married into the mix. We may have been the one to choose one or two of them, but for the most part, they are someone else’s choice. But there is the third set of family. They are the ones that somewhere along the line the entered our hearts and in many ways, became even more important than the peeps with the same last name as us. They are the family by choice.

These people have a unique hold on our lives. We cry when they cry, we laugh when they laugh and they represent extensions of us that we will never shake. Even in the worst storm, we will see the light breaking through the clouds, ready for the calm and the cleanup.

What happens when that bond is irreparable? Is it really over? Do you really move on from this relationship or does time heal all wounds?

It has always been hard for me to completely walk away from people. Sure, I close the door often but it is never locked. Yet each time I deal with the door, I hurt. I can’t say I regret having closed any of the doors. I did it for a reason and much of the time was done to protect myself. I push a person out of the room so I no longer have to be frustrated or tired or even in some ways, abused.

So what happens when I have to close that door on the family by choice?

I don’t regret it. I have been frustrated for years and in particular I have found that the last 8 years have been the hardest. Why 8? 8 years ago my son was born. It was the beginning of the end.

Motherhood had given me a new life. I am not suggesting I didn't like my old life, nor do I feel like all that is old needs to go away. If anything, I have a new appreciation for things. I find humor in the smallest things and will sacrifice huge if it means a better minute for my kids.

It also means that I may be out of touch with other things. I used to be a better friend. I used to be more inclined to drop everything to be there for someone when they needed me. Now, it is like playing Twister on my calendar, trying to put one hand on red and a foot on green, getting all tangled up and making sure all the events are covered.

One would think my patience would have improved since having kids means tolerating a whole lot of crazy. Instead, I have a higher standard for the people I am with. I need open minds from them and when they do not, or simply cannot, I lose my patience. I love the idea of discussion concerning some hot button item, especially with someone who disagrees with me. That open dialogue is stimulating and intriguing since it gives me insight on both sides of a coin. Sadly, when someone cannot see my side, despite my attempts at seeing theirs, the discussion turns to an argument.

I try very hard to not dwell on what has taken place. Sadly, my mind doesn’t work like that. I can tell others, and even myself, over and over that I am ok, but really, I am not. I will go back and forth between being angry and disappointed. The part of me that doesn’t like to let things go will consider reaching out. The part of me that is pissed is slapping the other part of me.

This door needed to be closed. It needed to allow me time to regroup and in some ways, move on. Do I grieve? I do. Am I relieved? Yes. How can I feel both? 

This is the conundrum I deal with this morning.

Dead Weight

10-15-13

I freaking rule!

I packed up most of my baking cupboard (leaving things like measuring cups since I use those a lot) and took it over to Steve. I was having so much fun getting rid of crap I haven’t used in ages and being able to put stuff in my brand new kitchen. It was awesome! I think I can pack up another cupboard for today. I’m thinking Tupperware.

While at Steve, I managed to paint all but 2 of the trim boards the first coat of paint. I would have done the other two, but there was no room on my painting table. Lame. That’s ok. I need to paint the copper coat today and maybe get the other two set up somewhere else for their coats. I wasn’t going to do a second coat of copper on the ones I did over the weekend, but Ken thinks we still need it.

I went back to Eydie and there I did a bunch of laundry and fed Hal. I also embarked on operation dog wash. I hate bathing Lycos only because she has a hard enough time with gravity now and here I am putting her in a situation she hates, with a slippery floor, and to top it off I make her take the bath with Luna. We managed, though, and I am glad I did it. She was coated in gross. Now both my pups are all shiny and clean, which was good, too, since they needed the next flea treatment.

The boys came and went having spent the day with Ken due to the Columbus Day holiday. They stopped in after Ken’s class to change into soccer gear and then went back out to practice. I cooked dinner and then took a bit to sit and relax. I discovered that in fact I did love a show I knew I would. The B in Apt 23 was one that looked like my cup of tea was something I never got to record and it has since been canceled. Thankfully shows don’t die; they just go to Netflix, where I was able to catch a couple of episodes of this fantastic programing. Yay!

Ken’s folks are not coming after all, citing an installation appointment that they had forgotten about. I don’t know if the boys will be disappointed or not since this does mean no grandparents at Grandfriends’ Day, but hopefully there will be lots of kids in the same boat. Plus, we will be able to go to the book fair after school, which always pleases them.

We got an email at work yesterday that indicated details would follow. When I read further down, it was a forwarded message that was between someone in our Accounting Department inquiring to our travel coordinator as to the dates in which my boss would be out of the country since no one in AR was aware of his trip. Yeah, my boss is in Chile and no one knew about it. Neat.

Someone is coming to pick up our old bed today and someone else may get the kids’ old bed. Yay! I didn’t get any money but at this point, I so don’t care. I need to go out and take some pics of the 3 strollers I have and post those. I will try for money, but honestly, I don’t care. I am in the market of getting rid of shit these days. I have to get rid of all of this dead weight. There is so much junk in my life that I have no place for. Sure, Steve is bigger than Eydie, but Steve also represents a clean slate. I can really evaluate each item and decide if it is worth holding on to. If I am just going to box it up, it had better be really important. I really mean it when I say Steve is the place I hope to be when I die. So if Steve doesn’t have a place for something, I need to get rid of it.

I may need a bigger trash can. 

so much paint!

10-14-13

Too much going on!

That being said, I would like to say most of it was all good. It was productive and tiring and for the most part, rather satisfying.

Riley is now with her mama, which is awesome. Sarah came and picked her up on Saturday and it sounds as though everyone is doing great! It really is a wonderful match. As much as I will miss her, I know I get to see her grow up. Plus, I told Sarah that if she goes out of town, she can always have Riley bunk with us. Yay!

I managed to paint three of the hallway doors. I did the easy ones. LOL! They were the ones that could be yellow all over. I couldn’t do the other ones yet since two doors are being redone since they are too high, and the others I didn’t want to mess up the color schemes. Hopefully I can get to those this week.

Ken finished the tile in our bathroom and is working on the grout. That part seems to be going easier. He had to stop on some since there was still tile that needed to dry. It should be done Tuesday and Ken will also install the toilet which means bye bye port a potty! YAY!

The gas was turned back on and everything is good there again. We also have a new water heater, which is awesome. Since the boys don’t have homework tonight, I think I will spend time at Steve after work and do some more painting of trim. I have one more coat of copper on one set I was working on yesterday. I need to paint the rest, too. I just don’t have room. LOL!

We have to have the floors all cleared off by the 22^nd, which is when they come to sand the floors. I think that this week perhaps I can clear some room for painting on the table in the family room. We will see.

The Brenans come on Wednesday to attend Grandfriend’s Day at the school. I had considered taking the day off but it doesn’t look like this is possible. I have a flu shot scheduled at work on Wednesday so I don’t think I can make it. We will see. I was hoping to also get some blood work done in the morning, so who knows.

Mr. Dax has either pulled a muscle in his upper thigh or is dealing with some growing pains. I could see either one. He has been playing soccer non-stop. So he and I are now working on stretching together. I may even try to do some yoga with him or something. It would be good for both of us. Also, Alyssa challenged me to the 30 day squat challenge again, so he will do a handful of my squats with me each day to help strengthen him. I did ice his leg last night, and I put some icy hot on his leg, too. On Saturday night we woke up at like 3 am screaming because he had a muscle spasm. It was awful. I understand those pains all too well. We also picked him up some bananas for some extra potassium.

We went by a puppy adoption that was at the Petco in Redondo. I had seen this one pup online and thought she was adorable. She really would have been great, but once again, we were disenchanted with rescue groups. This was a pup they had only had for 2 weeks. She wasn’t spayed yet, nor had she received any vaccinations. Yet they wanted $300 for this dog. No joke. I told them that we would handle all of the doctor stuff, but they were clearly not interested in negotiation. Plus, I had the money discussion with them and only after they were clearly not budging did they mention someone had already filled out an app for her. They also mentioned a home visit, which I refuse to allow. So it means when I am ready I will either luck out at a shelter or go the Luna route.

My folks are going to China tomorrow! Crazy! I have them on strict orders to take pictures, but they are not as crazy about the pics as I am. Really, is anyone?

being bored on a Friday sucks

10-11-13

I am BOOORRREEEEDDD!!!!

Yeah, so when I am bored, I chatter on in typing.

I am going to go back to brown hair soon. Nothing against the purple. It is a ton of fun but it is taking a lot more to maintain since it needs a light treatment soon. Sure, I could probably just lighten the top next time it fades, but it may be time for a change. I think I have been purple for some time now.

I have been going over options for my Halloween costume. Specifically the headwear. I did find on Etsy a crocheted head that would work, but I think it is too pale in color to match my crazy bright dress. I am thinking that I can get a bright yellow wig (which Halloween stores all have) and a unicorn head piece I found at Hot Topic. I also found these awesome goggles which will work well for her eyes. I picked up a couple of bright yellow hair things at Dollar Tree for the tail. It is coming along! I may need to get some purple face paint, too, since she is lavender in color. I can do my face like that.

It has occurred to me that we have done nothing yet for the boys and their costumes. I need to touch base with them this weekend to see what needs to be done. If Bobby still wants to be a Creeper, then I need to order that mask.

I am really bummed that we have not received the class photos yet. I kind of hoped they would be here by now. Oh well. I suppose we will get them when we do.

I need to find a new style of foundation. The product I have been using for years and years just doesn’t seem to do a good job. I think I may hit up Target this weekend to also get a new kind of face cleanser. I really have neglected myself lately and I need to get my face in a better way.

I am nervous for Dax tomorrow. His game is a big deal. I really want him to win. I know, bad mom, but this kid is so excited to play and he is really good. I think he is going to be on fire tomorrow. He is ready. The team will hopefully be ready. I feel bad, but I am not going to pull him at all during tomorrow. I only have one sub. That being said, I may have none. One kid won’t be there, and another is in a cast, so it may be an all in type of game. I am nervous!!!!!

I only ever worry at Bobby’s game that his coach doesn’t have a fight with the ref.

If Kevin and Bean were not on this morning, I would just go and hide in the bathroom all day and play Candy Crush. No joke. I know, sad, but I just have zero motivation today.

Plans Change

10-11-13

So much for those plans.

The entire afternoon and evening was spent changing my ideas for what I wanted to accomplish. It wasn’t too horrid, but it was a little frustrating. I ended up picking up the boys from school, which was not too bad as it allowed me to go get a new soccer ball for Dax beforehand. I also ended up having to take the boys to practice since Ken got stuck in traffic. This worked ok since it meant Miss Luna could go on a car ride. It did mean getting stuck by a train, but it just allowed some puppy dog scritching time. So even though there was a handful of curves thrown at me, I managed to make the most of them.

I did get to also see the beautiful bathroom we are going to have. Ken has up all but one wall and I gotta say, WOW! It is gorgeous! I love the tile we picked and it matches the light fixtures and paint beautifully. I am quite pleased and anxious to see the finished product. He will hopefully get the tile done today/tomorrow and then he can grout. Once that is done, we can put in the toilet, which itself is a victory since it means I can pee inside Steve instead of in the port a potty outside. Bleah.

Flooring has been scheduled. They come on the 22^nd. Woo! This gives us a countdown to getting these rooms done and cleared so they can work. Really, we are in the final stages. Trim is one of the biggest things left. Lots of painting is scheduled for this weekend so that it can all be put up in the next week. I have plans to clear out our bedroom tonight of debris making it ready. The lights are in there and it is painted. The only thing needed in there is trim, which doesn’t require the paint paper or other trash in there.

Ken is able to call the gas company back today since the gas leaks have been repaired. Yay! I think before I head to Steve this afternoon I will grab some things from the kitchen to take with me to load in there. I have been wanting to do this for some time but with all of the changing plans, it has been hard.

I just realized I missed a PTA meeting last night. I feel bad, but realistically I don’t think it will be a huge deal. In reality, everyone knows how busy I am so no one is going to fault me.

Riley goes to her new home tomorrow afternoon. She is strong and healthy and a spitfire that Sarah will really enjoy. I will miss her, and in some ways, had Sarah not taken her I would have considered keeping her for Breezer and Lucy since they really enjoy having her around. I am very glad that I didn’t have to make that decision. LOL!

Lycos seems to be back to herself pre stroke. She does seem to be struggling with balance a bit more, but is eating and managing. I am watching for any sign that she may give to tell me she is throwing in the towel. I don’t want to miss it. I don’t want her to spend her last days suffering. That is one of my biggest fears.

love the cold

10-10-13

I sometimes wonder why I bother with protocol.

I am so loving this cold weather!! I love being able to wear sweaters and be cozy at night. I almost put on an additional comforter! It was divine. I am looking at the weather for the next couple days and it looks like Fall may be here to stay. This is truly my favorite time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I love winter, but Fall just feels right with me.

I did have to rush around quite a bit yesterday to prep for this rain, though. I got home and had to cover some things in the back yard. I kept arguing with the clouds since it would look like there was no chance of rain so I would decide not to worry about things outside. I would then walk in and watch the whole house go dark because the clouds would come in again. Thankfully I opted to get it all done since it ended up pouring at around 4. Yay!

Ken said that the rain sounds at Steve are awesome. I can’t wait! He was there installing the garage door opener. I had errands to do, so I was not there for the downpour. I am ok with this if only because I got a lot done.

With my mom helping out in the classrooms on Tuesdays and Thursdays I don’t have to rush over to Steve in the afternoons. She is bringing them home to me when she leaves. It is awesome! I got crap tons done on Tuesday, so it means today I can continue laundry and more importantly, pack some of my kitchen! WOO! This way when I go over tomorrow, I can put some things away.

Bobby got a copy of his school picture yesterday that is a card for parents to have in case they get kidnapped. I don’t know how I feel about his picture. It isn’t great. Sure, I could have him retake them, but school pictures don’t have to be perfect. Also, he really likes it, so I am not going to stress. I am hoping we get them all today since we get Thursday communication packets.

Mr. Chin got back to me regarding homework questions. I feel much better now. I had been stressing about small things, still in the LAUSD mode I am sure. In reality we don’t need to do much, just a couple things I wasn’t sure on. Hopefully this week we have it down.

I am wondering if today at work will be as crazy busy as yesterday was. On the plus side, my day flew by. That being said, I think I am ok with some boring. 

Too busy this morning

10-9-13

Cold weather! YAY!

Lycos seems hell bent on staying with us for a while longer. She hung out at Steve with Ken yesterday and enjoyed her little spot in the yard that she stays in. She ate like normal last night and seems ok so far. We are keeping an eye on her since it is hard to say when that line will be crossed.

I spent the afternoon cleaning Eydie. I worked on laundry and got a lot of things done. I also let Riley run around the house, which stressed her guardians out terribly. Breezer was like a helicopter mom, running after the curious kitten with spaz in her eyes. It was awesome. Thankfully Riley kept out of trouble and when I finally put her back in her cage, I think I actually watched Breezer sigh out of relief for the break.

Soccer practice was hectic what with all the kids being incredibly distracted for one reason or another. I am also incredibly hopeful for a win this Saturday. Dax really needs it. Even in the scrimmage he was getting frustrated to the point of tears when he was on the losing side. Let’s face it, not being on a winning team for as long as he has been is not easy for even the most well-adjusted kid.

I love Wednesdays right now. It is an early release day and I have no practice to worry about. The boys always get more done with their homework and I have time to cook. I have only one outing tonight, which is only to the grocery store. That isn’t bad at all! And that is really just to do a deposit and get some taco sauce. I think I will also hit up the post office to finally get those damn stamps I need.

Damn Dog

10-8-13

Damn dog.

Lycos isn’t sure what she wants to do. I came home yesterday with big plans on cleaning and packing and instead I found myself comforting my tweaked dog.

She was lying down, but something wasn’t quite right. It was in the way she was holding her head. It looked crooked. I went over, assuming she had simply fallen and had been stuck. It was more than that. I tried to help her up, but she was even stiffer than normal. She couldn’t stand. Her whole body would roll over when we tried. Her balance was shot. When I turned her over, she curled up in an awkward way that was clearly not something she was trying to do.

She had pissed herself and I also discovered a pile of semi loose poo by her. It was not a good scene. I quickly texted Ken to come home from Steve. He was there shockingly quick. He also assessed the situation and it was pretty clear; Lycos had suffered a stroke. Her eyes were twitchy and he body was just a crumpled mess.

We called Dr. Steinam’s office in order to make arrangements. We assumed this was game over. She is 13 and a half, and has been getting increasingly worse. We knew this day was coming. We decided to go get the kids and then we could go over to the office. Luna came with us.

We arrived at Steve when I got the call from Kathy at Dr. Steinam’s. Apparently they had recently lost Dr. Wang so they were kind of swamped. We would not be able to come until 5:30. No problem. Lycos was not having difficulty breathing and if anything, she looked ok enough to just rest. We brought her inside.

I had 15 minutes before I had to go get the boys. Apparently Lycos heard the phone calls and she decided she wasn’t ready.

Over the course of those 15 minutes, she decided to work towards getting up. It was slightly comical at first since she was still suffering from the balance issues, but she got up with some help and then trotted in a drunken stagger to the door. We let her out and she walked over to the lawn and peed. She seemed pretty normal at this point. What the hell, dog?

When I looked up her symptoms online, it looked like not only was this kind of episode common for old dogs, it was common in lab dogs. Plus, it was something that dogs do often bounce back from. It certainly doesn’t mean they won’t have this happen again, nor does it mean she isn’t nearing the end of her days. It just means she isn’t in Death’s waiting room. She is just out in the parking lot.

We called back and canceled the emergency visit and Ken is going to keep an eye on her today. She ate fine last night and thankfully we were able to find Lion, her beloved toy from when she was a tiny pup. She looked ok this morning. Of course, perhaps she is just fucking with us.

Bobby has forbidden me from giving him any more bad animal news right after school. I am totally ok with this since I am tired of giving bad animal news.

The Lycos adventure did take me out quite a bit. Ken took the boys to practice, much to Bobby’s chagrin. He was pretty pleased when I had made arrangements for him not to go when we thought we had a dog emergency on our hands. Instead, they made it through their homework in enough time and with Lycos being better, it seemed appropriate to go. Dax was thrilled since all he wants to do these days is play soccer.

So much for a relatively quiet week. 

Class of 1993

10-7-13

Nostalgia overload!!!! YAY!!!!!!

Rest is clearly not in my future. That being said, I am ok with being totally wiped out today. Sine Thursday night I have been on overdrive. I like that every night I would hit that pillow and be pretty damn sound (well, except for Saturday night when the party across the street felt the need to have people belch into the microphone at 3 am. Sigh).

I feel so very vindicated when it comes to soccer. I was seriously stressed about the board meeting since I was sure I would get a stern talking to when it came to my confrontation with the coach’s wife the previous weekend. Thankfully, no one even mentioned it. In fact, when I spoke to the RC he told me I was totally fine in what I did. In addition to this, a list went around showing volunteers who had not turned in all of their paperwork, which meant they should not be on the field with the kids in a coaching capacity. Guess who’s name was on that list? Yep, the guy I yelled at. My registrar, the one who was there at the field was livid. I am telling you, I have never felt such relief over something that was so intense.

I was so glad I had opted to sleep in. I would have had to leave work early, anyway, but I was able to get some extra Z’s before I headed to the school for the Fitness for Funds event. I would need any extra energy I could find. I was about to be an exercise instructor!

The event was 12 stations in which the kids would be at for one minute each. They would do an exercise for that minute, led by us volunteers. There also was a warm up and cool down. It was going to be a fair amount of activity. I had station number 2, which were arm circles. I chose this since I figured I do those a fair amount and it seemed like a good plan. It was getting hotter by the minute and in hind sight, I wonder if I shouldn’t have chosen one of the exercises that happened to be on the blacktop. Oh well, it would be fun.

The lower class kids were first and they broke them up into small groups of about 20. We were constantly moving. I had a new group quickly since the distance between my station and the one before was only like 100 feet. Sadly, the distance between 12 and 1 was a fair amount which meant they had their kids almost right when they would sound the air horn to start on the minute. This screwed me up a bit in the beginning, and I ended up having the kids start too soon. LOL! Yeah, kids in my group worked harder.

I had a routine down. It was awesome. We did 10 standard circles. Then we did it backwards. Then in a W. Then in the mighty M, which allowed me to really get the kids motivated into yelling the count loudly. Lastly, we did the Superman, where our arms were out in front and we did circles. Sure, I could have just done the plain way, but I added the other ones. It allowed for a nice change in the routine. Plus, I had it down where we would do all of those in that minute along with the shake out of our arms in between each set. I had these kids cheering and laughing and I was really into it. I had other teachers and parents telling me how great I was doing. Yay!

In between the lower classmen and the upper classmen, I ended up chatting with Lu, who is part of soccer and a big part of the PTA at Adams. We were just talking when it ended up coming up that he went to Costa! He was even there when I was there!! What the heck??!?!? LOL! He was in ROTC and actually graduated from Redondo in 1994. He transferred over there when ROTC went away at Costa. It is so funny how you find this small world thing happening.

I was at the school from abut 8:30 to noon. I have to admit I bailed on cleanup, but that was mostly because it looked like they had it under control. I went and picked up some lunch and headed home to feed Riley. After that, I laid down on the bed and ended up falling asleep for a half an hour. I suppose being out in the sun, cheering for that many hours, and just being tired from a long board meeting the night before will take it out of you.

Saturday morning was Bobby’s game. The coach really wanted Bobby to score a goal. We were playing a much weaker team so he was putting up our weaker players so they could maybe get a goal. It was a fun game to watch at first, but the score was getting so lopsided I was sad for the other team.

After the game, we hitched a ride to Steve from my folks. I had left my car there the night before. They didn’t end up staying long, but the boys and I did. I cleaned the shit out of the kitchen and living room. I also cleared off my desk. The kitchen is pretty much done. In fact, today I plan on packing up some stuff and bringing it over. All of the new hall doors are in, and the windows are in. Ken worked on tile yesterday. He is going to Lowe’s today to order the carpet and he will also contact the flooring guy. We are on the countdown! YAY!

Saturday evening was the big event of the weekend, though. It was reunion time! YAY! I was so excited at all the people I got to see!!! Scott Maynard showed up, which was fab since I haven’t seen him in ages! Minje was there! Ok, yes, he goes by Mike now, but it was so cool to see him! Grace and Lorell and Darcy and so many people!! I was amused since I didn’t think someone like Stacey Strong would know who I was but she not only seemed truly thrilled to see me, she friend requested me on FB yesterday. Yay!

I hung out a lot with Erica and Jeannie and Jessie. I did wander around and chat with people all over. It was so much wonderful all packed into the ballroom. I had been nervous I wouldn’t know what to talk about, but it was never an issue.

The photo booth they had was a lot of fun, too. I am hoping they put them up on the web site soon so I can download them instead of just scanning the ones I got. They were fantastic!!

I didn’t end up going to the bar after, mostly because I was beat. I am not too upset, but it would have been nice to see Kristie. Thankfully she is local so perhaps I will see her at some point.

The nicest compliment of the evening was from Darcy. She came up and told me how much she loves looking at my Facebook since she feels like she knows my family and just loves it. I was so touched that my posts make people happy.

Sunday morning came much too quick.

We retrieved the children and headed over to the Hometown Fair. We wanted to get there before the heat and crowds. It was perfect, really. We picked up a Christmas gift for Andy and a couple of snarky signs for my kitchen. The boys got to have some funnel cake, too, which was great. Of course, the best part of the day was the sign at the beer garden that announced proudly that every pour goes to the following, which included all youth sports. Yep, our booze is for the children.

I dropped Ken and the boys off at Steve and actually headed back down near the fair. I was meeting up with Kenway and Mike at the Kettle for lunch. Yay! We had an amazing time catching up and chatting about Madison and beyond. I loved that Mike and I got to point out to Kenway that Miss Cahn was gay. LOL! He had no idea. They were shocked at two things with me. One, they were amazed at the amount of details and memories I could conjure up about our past. They couldn’t believe how many names I knew and beyond that, how many people I knew about as far as where they were now. The other thing that blew their mind was that I told them I could be a real bitch. They weren’t buying it. I guess my cover is safe. LOL!!

I went back to Steve to find Ken frustrated at tile, kids off destroying stuff and Luna knee deep in a mud puddle. Seemed pretty standard. Ha! I cleaned up the dog and then watched both boys slip and fall in the mud. It was a fun set of crazy, really. Luckily it was all ok and we got things in order before we bid Steve a goodnight.

I have plans on cleaning up a bunch of stuff at home tonight while everyone is at practice. I figure I will also pack some things up and bring them over to Steve each day. Thankfully it looks to be a quiet week in terms of responsibility. My mom is working at the school on Tuesday and Thursday and will pick up the boys from school and walk them to Steve. This just gives me more time in the afternoon to get things in order at home.

I plan on hitting up the gym again. I need to walk. I am looking forward to it. It will most likely help me feel less stressed, too. Although I do feel better than I have but it will still be nice to let off some steam.

Now I get to deal with the pain of work. Bleah. 

busy busy busy busy

10-3-13

The busy day starts.

I’m already tired. LOL!

Yesterday was actually quite productive. I managed to find a dress rather easily. I also picked up some shorts that were on clearance which made me super happy. I had worried that I would have some difficulty in this shopping adventure and chose my mall carefully so that I had the most options. Turned out the very first place I went, and the very first dress I picked out, was the one. Yay!

I went across to Target with my next list. I managed to find a small purse for Saturday. It isn’t fancy, but I wanted something little to use. All my purses are currently boxed up. I also found a pair of clearance shoes for Bobby. It was another successful outing that took very little time.

Sarah came by and visited with Riley. She is still not ready to take her back. She stressed out so much on the dehydration that took place and she blames herself, even though it wasn’t her fault. Either way, she wants to wait until she is closer to 7 weeks old, which is fine with me. I don’t mind. I would rather everyone be comfortable.

After dinner, Ken colored my hair. During this time we let the boys play with Riley. It was good use of time since it tired out kitten and boys. While my hair set, Ken read the last couple chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban to the boys and I worked on my soccer financial report. I didn’t get to bed till close to 9, but all in all, the day was well filled.

The board meeting tonight looks to have a million things going, which sucks since it will be harder to duck out early. Katie is coming with us and will end up watching the boys there at the park. It will get dark, but they can hang out. I meant to bring my iPad to charge it today so they have that option. Either way, I don’t want them staying too late, so I may have Katie take them home around 8. We will see.

Tomorrow is the Fitness for Funds activity at the school. I guess they need the volunteers around 8:30. I am not going to take the boys to school. I will just park down at Steve and walk up there. I guess I will leave work around 7:30. I am debating on just not coming in at all. It would allow me to sleep in. LOL!

The blog posts despite the government shut down

10-2-13

How come I had to work harder yesterday when the government was shutdown?

Bobby fell off the monkey bars and injured himself. Monday night he came home and told me his chest really hurt. He would lift his arms and you could tell how much it hurt him. When Ken was checking him out, poor kid went into his standard form of shock and felt all nauseous and started crying. Ken took him to the doc yesterday and they don’t think he cracked a rib, however they did say he bruised himself pretty good. No PE until Friday.

It was actually nice, though in the idea that we didn’t go to soccer practice. It meant I could leisurely make dinner, work on homework with the boys and not feel rushed. In fact, I was able to sit in on our bed with the boys and Riley, let Bobby read to me his story, and then we could discuss it. It was really great.

Speaking of Riley, she is doing fantastic. She is all kinds of active and chipper and is eating well. Last night I got her some of the KMR second stage formula and some more kitten grub. She really enjoyed the KMR. I think she likes it better than the first stage stuff. It is thicker, which is awesome. She plays with the girls and doesn’t take their crap. Lucy was pretty annoyed that I had picked up 2 small toys for Riley. She wanted to know why I didn’t get her one. She kept stealing it from Riley. When we move I need to stock up on some fuzzy mice.

My living room has been painted and the bathroom windows are in. The big gash on Steve’s backside is also almost all filled in. The hallway needs painted. It has already been given the primer coat, so it just needs the color. Kitchen is fully painted, only requiring some touch up. I need to get a new door for the living room to the back yard which means I may need to pick out a color for that. I think the white doesn’t look right. I could paint it the same color as the room, but I am not sure yet.

Ken needs to cap off the gas lines where the leaks are. Hopefully we can get this done quickly so Mark, our plumber, can get things done.  That light at the end keeps blinking and it is making me anxious.

Today brings a shit ton of errands. Thank goodness for early release day. We will get to work on homework and then I have to go get an outfit for Saturday. Plus, I need to get statements for the financial report that I need to do. I have a lot of soccer paperwork to do this evening. On the plus side, the meeting is something I should be able to duck out of sort of early since the boys will end up being there with us. We have a photo session there before hand in which Martin Chevrolet wants to take some pics of soccer kids. Yay!

Now we are planning Thanksgiving. It has been decided to invite about 20 people. Most will not show, but it is at least putting it out there. I will not do invites until we move, though. I want to make sure we are in. I know we will be, but still, I don’t need that kind of stress on top of everything else.

We seem to have done something right with Ittles. Her loose poo has decreased and she is no longer dripping. Yay! She seems to feel better, too. I am excited since I know how much she hurt. The meds were a three day treatment and so far so good. We need to wait a little while longer to make sure things are working properly, but she may be able to be out of isolation soon.

I do want to go to the fair on Saturday, but I feel like I need to do some work at Steve. The fair will not be a long outing, but it isn’t all that often that we get a longer day to work on things. I really am anxious to move.