worried

10-30-14

Now I am worried.

Ken just texted me this morning that Dax woke up saying he had to throw up. He didn’t, but did go poo. He then broke down sobbing because he said he couldn’t see. He said it was all black. It passed in a few minutes, but still, very scary shit. I wonder if he had kind of a migraine since the symptoms sound reasonable. He also could have still been mostly asleep. It doesn’t help that he gets rather dramatic when he is hurt or sick. Either way, I am in a bit of a tizzy this morning.

Dax was fine yesterday when we went in search of a school costume for Bobby. We managed to find a farmer looking shirt and hat along with a basket with fake oranges. It all kind of came together rather easily. His “expert card” is on farming and crops, one of which was oranges. His costume and props are really pretty perfect, and I got all of them at Savers and Goodwill so spent less than $20. Yay!

Bobby also picked up a whip. Apparently Miss Van Wie always says she will whip the kids into shape so Bobby thought she needed a whip for this. I wish I could see her reaction. Luckily I can ask her about it tomorrow.

I am hoping today goes by quickly. I need to go by Sally’s on my way home to get my hair color. Then I need to do a house touch up. I am thankful for my long weekend even though it will most likely be chaotic. Of course, I don’t know how to have one of those non-chaotic weekends. 

Playoffs

10-28-14

My house is clean.

I got home yesterday and ended up in super mode. I did the dishes, I did most of the laundry in the house. I vacuumed. The only thing I didn’t get to was sending out Mo the Roomba to do sweeping duties. I may send him out today. I wanted to get as much done as possible early in the week just in case things come up that keep me from doing a thorough cleaning before Friday.

I got all of this mostly done before the boys arrived from school. I did work on a bit of laundry during the homework, but much of homework was spent keeping them on task. Luckily it was a light night so they were done in an ok time frame.

I was supposed to be working on reports today but we had to push back close by a day. I don’t mind too much, but I do prefer to get everything done. I don’t want to have to wait. I should be able to complete some of the minor ones, so that will be good.

I have tons of school paperwork in front of me. Bobby has a California presentation on Thursday in which it looks like he needs a costume. It apparently isn’t mandatory. I was going to email Miss Van Wie, but I re-read it this morning and it is only strongly recommended. Thankfully it is Halloween, so there should be tons of costumes out there that would work. I may need to go look on Wednesday.

It looks like we will get to go to playoffs for soccer. This means we get some additional games. We are in 4^th place right now. We could go to Area Playoffs, too. If the teams above us don’t have enough referee points they take the next top team with points. We will most likely have enough, so we are more than likely going to Area, too. I have a bit more soccer in my future.

Productive Grownup

10-27-14

I painted my nails. They are all sparkly now!

It was a good weekend! I managed to not only get everything done that I set out to do, I even got to sit on my tushie a good chunk of time! Yay me!

My soccer time was way fun. The boys and I went over to Torrance El armed with the Playso costume and flyers. Dax decided he would be Playso, and Bobby wanted to be my Board Member in Training. They both were a huge help! Dax/Playso was mobbed by 30 little kids. He held his ground and Bobby helped a great deal while gobs of pictures were taken. It was really cute! Bobby also reminded people to use the hashtags, which I was super impressed that he remembered!! It was 30 minutes of crazy, and then the kids were all gone. It went so quickly, but it was way worthwhile.

We came back to Hull to get ready for the Firefoxes game. This was probably one of the best games our team has played. They took so many shots on goal. They passed, they followed through. It was fantastic! We came from behind and won 5 to 4. Dax was outrunning every player, and Bobby was my little brick wall, not letting anyone past him. I have never been so proud! My boys kick ass!!!!!

After the game, we took the kids to get their flu shots. There was no wait, and it was quick. Sadly, the nurse who handled Dax’s shot wasn’t as good at it. Spike hardly felt his, whereas Dax ended up with swelling and he was quite bruised. We were actually a little concerned he was having an allergic reaction, but we gave him some Benadryl and iced his arm and by morning it looked much better. It didn’t help that Dax looked exhausted by the end of the day so a sore arm seemed worse than it probably was.

We also managed to find a staff for Bobby’s costume along with some items for me. Since I have been unable to put together either one of my two costume ideas, I did realize I have a set of amazing demon wings so I am going to put together clothing I already own to make myself into a cool devil looking creature. Should be fun, and simple overall.

Sunday morning took us to a couple of interesting estate sales. One of them was up by Rocketship park, so the boys played while Ken and I looked at the sale. Estate sales are always interesting since you also get to go through their house. I love seeing how other people live and to look at what they had kept all these years. Plus, looking at houses and how they use certain space is always cool. It is like a live version of the Home and Garden network.

Sadly, Sally’s was out of my purple hair color, so hopefully Ken will be able to pick some up at the other location that is on his way home. If not, I will have to wait until Wednesday. I would like my hair done for Halloween since I think the darker color will work better for my costume.

We went to this adorable little thrift shop I have been wanting to go to. I need to take Stephanie there, now. They had the best stuff! Most of the things there were also not over-priced, which made it even better. I am anxious to check them out during non Halloween times.

I have a lot to work on today when I get home. I need to get my house in order for the weekend. It being Halloween time, I am know people will be at my home, so I need to make it nice.

We started draining the pool, which was good for our backyard which got to soak up the water. It was pretty swampish at first, but I think the ground was happy to have that much moisture. Ken will need to clean the pool so we can store it. Dax will be happy to have it down if only because he can kick the ball around even more.

Once Halloween is done, I want to work on some outside projects. I want to clean the side of the house and the backyard. I need to prep for winter weather and holiday fun. Christmas decorations don’t go up until Thanksgiving weekend, but I need to make sure my house is ready for it.

We went on Saturday to the dispensary. The lady there was quite thrilled to see us, which made me happy that we are welcomed customers. She also had gotten in the balm Ken wanted, which was way happy making for Ken. We also got some for my mom. I got some more of my crème brule and was quite pleased with this for Saturday night. We watched Catching Fire and while stoned, I gotta say, it feels like you are in Panem. It is nuts! I also got wonderful sleep because of it.

Now I need to be a productive grownup. Bleah. 

Recharged

10-24-14

I feel happy this morning.

I know there like a million things I need to do this weekend. I know that I am a little frustrated with the chores. I know that I still have to face work this morning. That all being said, I feel, well, for lack of a better descriptor, happy!

I left work yesterday at 8 in the morning because I didn’t feel great. Clearly it was just I needed sleep. I crawled into bed and slept until about noon. It was amazing. I didn’t even move in my sleep. I think that something like once every couple of months I need to do this just to recharge.

I watched a couple of the new fall shows. I deleted one, set up a season pass for another and sat back and felt good chilling with Toph on the couch.

Sadly, homework was a nightmare. As much as I enjoy soccer season, I will be happy when it is done if only so I don’t have to keep on them as much to finish their homework timely.

I am realizing that there are even more things scheduled for tomorrow than I remembered. Sheesh! Flu shots, key return, Joanne’s! It is nuts!!! How will I get through it all?!?!?!

Better Late than Never

10-22-14

I suppose I should have written this several hours ago.

Yeah, I am starting this at 10:30. I had a handful of things to work on this morning so I didn’t have a chance to just sit and do my own thing. I suppose that is because truly if you are at work you would think you shouldn’t have time to do things like write down the things that happen to you, but of course we know that my work isn’t quite like that.

It has been an interesting couple of days in regards to the team. The coach and his wife have been suspended. Coach was suspended for an outburst of “This is bullshit” on the sideline that was caught on video. Swearing is a big no no on the fields. His wife made threatening remarks to a kid on the other team that had pushed her kid during a play. In all fairness, the game was a bit rough and the referee that was there was oblivious to many of the obvious fouls. His attitude was poor as well. Sadly, this meant that our sideline was getting more worked up, concerned for their kids’ safety.

I personally think there were blatantly horrible calls. There was a kid who threw in the ball several times in which he was inside the field and it wasn’t called. I also watched some very fair plays in which the kids were truly playing the ball and it still resulted in a kid going down. This wasn’t a foul and I was glad it wasn’t called. Sadly, not all parents understand the complexities of the game. All they will ever see is their kid hitting the ground.

My issue now is that there are several coaches that are misbehaving. They aren’t as loud as our coach so they don’t get the spotlight on them. There is a coach who is sitting out players half a game and keeping other kids in the whole game. There are coaches who are reducing their players to tears when they don’t quite master goaltending. The over competitive nature of people with sports is in full swing this year.

Of course you want the team, and subsequently, your child to do well and win the game. This age group is in fact more competitive than say last year. I am a firm supporter in the not everyone should get a trophy just for participating. That being said, these are still kids. Many of them are only just finding some athletic ability. Most of these kids will not go on to be a professional athlete. These are just kids who enjoy the game. We can’t treat them like they are in the Hunger Games. We need to encourage them. I don’t like my kid coming off the field saying, “We would have won had it not been for the referees” until he understands better what hell a referee has to go through.

Saturday’s game will be without our normal coach, with Ken filling in since he is the assistant. Coach’s wife will be there since you can’t make both parents sit out the same game. Plus, if she just apologizes the suspension is off altogether. I hope she takes the high rode on this one.

We are playing a team who hasn’t actually won that many games on Saturday. Ken said we were playing an undefeated team, but I just looked and this isn’t the case. I also was told by my dad that the temperatures were in the high 80’s for Saturday but I don’t see that either so I am starting to question where I am getting my information in general.

I am usually happy on Wednesdays if only because it means no practice and an extra hour for homework. We can get things done before it is too late, and the boys have some time to play a bit. I am hoping to take care of some clutter in the back bedroom to make it less chaotic. I should have worked on it yesterday but I opted to sit on my ass and watch Twin Peaks instead.

I am enjoying our new decorations out front. We actually have some kids coming by daily just to admire the dragon. We also are quite pleased at how the black lights look under the roof, so we are talking about getting some LED versions to light up the house permanently. It really highlights the purples and blues.

I just hope that when I arrive home I still feel energized to tackle the house. We have a mostly free weekend aside from working on costumes and chores. It means I don’t have to fret if I am a smidge lazy. I just hate how much this whole cleaning thing seems to be never ending.

Oh, Neil...

10-20-14

The Neil Patrick Harris “Choose Your Own Autobiography” sits inches from my hand which I will admit will make today very difficult simply because I want to be lost in it.

Saturday was much less chaotic than expected despite the heavy itinerary. We did the soccer thing, which resulted in a tough loss for the team. There was a slightly sluggish issue along with the recent loss of our goal keeper. Sadly, the referee was making some questionable calls which had Lou in a tizzy. I agreed that there were several things wrong with the center ref, but I wasn’t about to make this a vocal thing. Plus, I was a tad upset when Dax came off the field at the end of the game saying, “We would have scored three goals but there were bad calls by the referees”. He may have been right, but at 8 he shouldn’t be saying those things. Plus, you really should not only blame referees for a loss. Trust me when I say our team made way more mistakes than even the worst ref. I had to pull my boys aside after the game and explain to them about how referees are just people and if they make mistakes we cannot blame them for the outcome of a game. There are too many other factors. I know this came from Lou getting worked up (which was kind of funny since it was due to Lou yelling at the ref that made them miss calls). Either way, it worked out as a good teaching moment.

After soccer we went and visited Riley to check on her for Sarah. Normally when I go over, Riley doesn’t exactly warm up to me, so it was nice that she was out and more than willing to be loved. The boys also enjoyed seeing this cat that they remember as a tiny kitten.

We dropped of the boys with my folks and we headed home. Since it occurred to us we had not eaten, we stopped at this little place we had been meaning to try called Yellow Fever. Really, the name it what cracked me up. It was essentially this Asian cuisine that was rice or noodles with meat and veggies. It was tasty, but pricey for what it was. I am glad we checked it out, but I don’t see any need to go back. Plus, I am glad we went without subjecting the boys to it.

Since our next outing was scheduled until 6:30, we mostly sat around the house for a few hours. We had to be at Frank’s house between 6:30 and 7:30. It was a surprise party for what turned out to be Frank’s new boyfriend. We took a Cars2Go car so that we could call for Uber in case we both drank. It was an intimate affair in the backyard. We were two of the first to arrive. We chatted it up with the bartenders a bit since we really didn’t know anyone. We knew Brandon, so that was nice to have a friendly face.

Of course, I think we were there for less than 30 minutes before I injured myself. I tripped over the back of a bench. Luckily it didn’t result in pushing Ken into the pond that was next to us. I was somewhat vindicated when I watched two other people trip over it later. Of course, they didn’t do it with as much pizzazz.

Frank had gotten Vic’s (the boyfriend) favorite singer to come to the house and he played a bunch of songs for the party. Vic even got to sing with him, which was very sweet to watch. That being said, in a lot of ways I felt almost like I was intruding on this whole scene. We sat on one side of the yard with a bunch of client/friends of Franks who did not know Vic. We talked with this one couple who has known Frank since the 80’s, which was cool. I was very touched that Frank wanted us there and I could tell it meant the world to him that we showed up. We didn’t stay too late, heading out at about 9:30. We could have probably gone and done something else, taking advantage of a Saturday night with a sitter, but I think the clear advantage was being able to go home and sleep.

We had a few errands to run on Sunday, but most of yesterday was actually spent making Steve all Halloween ready. We put up decorations and used our new spider web gun, which looks really cool. Andy sent us some cool zombie and demon flamingos along with a zombie gnome for the yard. He also sent this cool doormat sensor that has screams and other things when you step on it. I wired it up to make it look like this ghoul I hung by the door was making the noises, which is awesome! I really enjoyed all the people driving by the house that would slow down, smiling at the decorations. Some of them even yelled out how cool it looked. Yay!

I let the boys eat dinner while watching their computer videos so that Ken and I could watch Clerks. It was 20 years ago yesterday that Clerks came out, so it was nice to sit back and enjoy a movie that in so many ways really transformed me. It was a totally different kind of movie for me to completely enjoy and want to watch over and over again. The dialogue, although rather raunchy for me at the time, was incredible and smart and it made me want to hear or read anything that came from the writer, Kevin Smith. I could truly listen to Kevin for hours on end. He is amazing!

It looks to be a pretty basic week with no extra activities for school or soccer. Our game is at noon on Saturday so I am thinking of taking the PLAYSO costume down to Torrance El Saturday morning to hang out with the U5 game since I know the little kids would love the costume guy.

I now have to continue to resist NPH staring at me and get some form of work done. Maryann is back today so I am not responsible for her portfolio anymore. Trusty will hopefully keep away from me today since I am rather annoyed with him right now after he released an order to a brand new customer that has never paid any of their invoices and they are now 120 days out. Yeah, that happened. It is a long story, and really by telling it not only will annoy me further, it will simply make anyone reading about it want to come down here and kick him.

Here we go.

So ready for the weekend

10-17-14

I suppose I should put together a costume this weekend.

I scored some drugs at my parents’ house a few days before Red Ribbon Week. This is why my parents are awesome. I had gone by there after being at Sarah’s to get a key for tomorrow. I had just stopped by to give them a hug.

My shoulder still hurts very bad. This is in addition to the raging headache I have this morning.

I am quite pleased for it to be Friday. It will mean when I get home there is no homework, no soccer, no responsibilities. Yay!

Toph, who doesn’t seem to be much of a lap cat actually curled up in my lap and fell asleep while I napped. It was incredibly wonderful.

Busy day ahead of me tomorrow which includes soccer, checking in on Riley and then hitting up a shin dig at Frank Kenny’s house. I am glad that the boys can stay at my folks’ since they will most likely be bored at the party. I wonder if we will know anyone there.

I just found something to get the boys for Christmas. I have been coming up with ideas since they are going to be impossible this year. I may need to start ordering things now so I can store them to be ready.

I really wish I was home.

Burgers

10-16-14

Only I could hurt myself by taking a picture of a cat.

I am not sure this is what actually took place, but it seems to be the origin of my horrid pains in my shoulder and subsequently, arm. I was downstairs, noting how cute Lucy and Toph were when they played. I got down to their level with the intent of getting a couple of good pictures. I must have pulled something when I got back up. I have had horrid arm pain since that time. I seem to be able to be ok if I don’t do certain movements, but sleeping would be one of the movements that was a no no.

Luckily this was after I walked up to the school. I think I confused the boys by being there what with them having been walking home alone. I brought up their wallets so they could hit up the book fair. The school was practically deserted what with the majority of the school having left early due to Grandfriend’s Day. It was the perfect time to hit up the book fair which can get some big crowds.

Dax was thrilled to find a drawing book on how to sketch Pokemon. He has recently decided he wants to be an artist when he grows up. Bobby found a set that you could crack open your own geodes. He may be destined to some form of science in his career of choice. I found lots of things, but opted to not purchase any of them since let’s face it; I am a little old to buy a kitten poster.

Despite there being a fair amount of homework, we did ok. Dax did seem off all afternoon. At one point he was tangled up in his folding chair which prompted me to tell him to not do that lest he become paralyzed from snapping his back in two. I then proceeded to point out that he would have a hard time coming down the stairs to his computer if he was in a wheelchair. This made him cry and he said I was mean. Sigh. It was this outburst from him that I knew was evidence that he was off. The rest of the evening was spent trying to keep him from crying over little things.

Once Ken got home, we headed over to Burger City Grill. The region was having their fundraiser night. It was crowded, but it wasn’t region traffic. When we did get there, Jerry and Nicole had just arrived so we got to sit with them. Boss man and his son showed up not long after, so we all hung out. Jimmy and Denise with their crowd showed and a handful of other peeps. Ken had to go to soccer, so the boys and I stayed and chatted with everyone. It was a lot of fun! We vented, we laughed, we discussed next season. All in all, I had a lot of fun. Jerry and Nicole gave us a ride home and we all crawled into bed around 9.

When the boys and I did get home I had to fulfill my promise of ice cream. During this time, we discussed friendships and the concepts behind growing apart and being there even after you haven’t talked with someone in a while. I am always impressed with how insightful Bobby is when it comes to discussions like this. He truly gets people on different levels and he seems to understand things better than a lot of grownups. I know that as he gets older, he will most likely find that he will be the confidant for many of his peers and I know he will handle this role well.

Tonight I need to run out to Redondo to get a key and a rundown on what needs to be done for Riley while Sarah is gone. I would do dinner with her, but truly I need to get back to make food for the family for when they get home from practice. I may even see about coming out tomorrow instead just so I don’t have to stress today what with practice being a little earlier. We shall see how it all goes.

Until that time, I will continue my work with Maryann’s portfolio. Since she has been out this week, I have taken it upon myself to look through it. I like this because it is new puzzles for me to work. Plus, I know how much she appreciates the help. It is a win win!

Puppy Pride

10-15-14

Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is how I feel about cleaning my house. I know I did a fair amount yesterday before the children got home. When I left this morning it felt like my house was a mess again. Sigh.

I did manage to do something other than clean house. The boys had their practice at Wilson Park instead of Hull so I got to take the pups. I walked around the park twice at a pretty quick pace. I probably could have gone one more, but I didn’t want to break myself.

The walk allowed me to work on Lily. Luna and I have a nice stride. We both know where we need to be and we can walk at a good pace with no issues. Lily is still figuring out where she should be. She wants to lean up against Luna, which doesn’t work well at Wilson since it makes us too large of a gang walking down the sidewalk. I ended up bringing her over to my right side and we managed to get a good groove going. She only had issues with the tennis courts and batting cages. With the tennis courts, she could hear the sounds of tennis balls bouncing around and she clearly wanted a ball. With the batting cages, she was sure people were trying to kill her with the balls.

The pups and I then watched practice for a bit. I gotta say, as much as I adored Lycos, it is nice to have two dogs who love kids. All of the team would come up and hug Luna and she didn’t bat an eye. She is such a good girl. Lily was super excited about people coming to say hi so she was a little wild, but it is also very puppy of her. Luna used to be more like that.

I also got lots of compliments on how pretty my girls are. I take a lot of pride in knowing my dogs are sweethearts. I need to bathe them soon. I like it when the shine!

Our main goalie on the team broke his arm which means he can’t play the rest of the season. Dax has really been leery of going back in goal, which is good since I think he is better on the field. They started training another kid last night who seems to be ok, which is good. It means Dax and Isaiah will be more able to be defense. I asked Bobby if he was interested in goalie and he was very against it, which also is ok with me. I don’t want them in a position they aren’t comfortable in.

I was able to go to the park in sweats last night. The cooler temperatures are finally upon us. Yay!

Today is Grandfriends day at the school. My mom will be with Dax and my dad with Bobby. The boys are quite excited. They get to sit in class for a bit and then they do lunch with the kids. Super awesome! I think the book fair is open after school, too, so I am planning on coming up to the school to meet them when they get out of class so we can go look.

We have a fair amount of homework tonight. I am hoping to get ahead since practice starts at 5:30 tomorrow instead of 5:45. It means I need to hopefully get more than tonight’s done today. I just hope Dax doesn’t have more tears with math.

I have been busy the last day at work what with Maryann out of the office. Plus, some projects have been coming up that I have been involved in. I don’t like it only because it means dealing with Trusty, but then again, the day flies by. I am hoping for another quick turnaround today. 

LACMA

10-14-14

I don’t get art.

We went to the LACMA yesterday and there was so much awesome in many of the galleries we went through. There were actual Picasso’s and Warhol’s. There were some amazing cloth pieces that had been hand made. There was a light exhibit that was like being inside a Willy Wonka movie. That being said, there were some sections that truly were odd.

I am not even talking about the paintings that looked like something a 2 year old could do. I am talking about the really out there projects. One was this huge room that had a giant screen in the middle. It was split, top and bottom with two sets of hands. They were doing random motions in time to the person that you could hear counting. No joke, this was like a horrific Sesame street bit gone very wrong. Even the security guard noted that it was a little maddening.

We also found one “piece” that was like 5 small screens, all showing random things. One image was this guy in thigh high water boots wading around in a stream. One was the view of naked feet on the accelerator and brake pedal in a car. There was one in which you see someone blowing up a balloon or a ball or something that looked like it was ready to pop at any time.

I have saved the strangest screen image for last. I am going to say, if this was women’s feet instead of a guy, it would have been a foot fetish film. The feet were crushing eggs, both raw and hard boiled. I am telling you, it was funny, especially when you start looking at it as fetish films.

We also hit up the Tar Pits, which made Bobby quite happy. There were all kinds of gems and sloth talk which was all in his wheel house. I actually came up with some good Christmas presents for him because of this trip.

Dax finally decided on his costume. It took a lot to convince him to give up on the idea of using a character from this game they are playing now days called 5 nights at Freddies. Instead, he has opted to be Groot, which is way cooler. The costumer was ordered and should arrive soon. We also managed to find a coat for Bobby at Savers. Now he just needs a staff and a buckle shirt.

Sadly, I waited too long for my default costume. This means I need to get to work on the other idea, which wasn’t nearly as good. Either that or I come up with something else entirely. I need to get my ass in gear.

I can tell I scaled a lot of stairs yesterday. My legs are a little sore.

hallelujah day

10-10-14

Thank goodness for caffeine.

Homework went better than expected yesterday. Granted, Dax had about a half an hour of work to do when he got back from practice, but that can be chalked up to him forgetting his work earlier in the week.

I am lacking in patience for stupid people this morning. I haven’t even dealt with anyone yet, but I just know that I don’t have it in me to deal.

Good news on the soccer front; there had been a rash decision made regarding the amount of players allowed on the field during the U10 games. This was due to our hot headed coach who had sadly annoyed the RC in the past enough times that the knee-jerk reaction was to just put a stop to privilege. You see, the national rules state it needs to be 7v7. We had been playing 8v8, especially this year due to how many kids are on each team with our surge in player signup. Last week we were playing 8v8 since both coaches agreed up front. At half time the other coach decided to go back to 7v7. Unfortunately it was poorly explained to our side and it came across as them almost requesting a mercy rule due to our 3-0 lead. In reality it was due to them having a sick player which meant with 8v8 they had no subs. Emails have flown back and forth over the past week and thankfully it sounds like after some discussion from reasonable people (and not so reasonable), we will most likely go back to 8v8.

I got to hear all the emails that were sent and it just reinforces the idea that some people just don’t know how to present their case in a rational manner. Some do, don’t get me wrong, but some are just complete idiots. Of course, the one who was the biggest idiot was the same coach I tore into last year for tossing his kid. Why am I not surprised?

I had a lovely evening last night with Sarah and Alyssa. I felt bad since I got there late, but it was all good. It was a night in which they talked more than me, which bums me out only in the idea that sometimes I wish I could vent, but then again, I always feel bad when I do.

With Ken in gimp mode, the boys and I will most likely go down early to the field tomorrow to help get things set up. I am planning on getting home today and taking full advantage of not having to be anywhere. We were supposed to watch Korra last week but did not, so the good news is we have two episodes to watch, which makes me happy. I may also watch Parenthood when I get home since it means I can cry with no one home. Ha!

heel troubles

10-9-14

I spent the day at the doctor.

This is only shocking in the idea that it wasn’t for me. Ken had complained to me in the morning before I went to work that he had been up all night because his heel hurt. Later when he went to get up, he couldn’t put any weight on his foot.

I got home a little after 8 in order to drive him to the doctor. I was able to say good morning to the boys which was a nice treat. We got to the doctor around 8:30 and didn’t leave until almost noon. He has swelling and it was salmon red (apparently this makes a different because cherry red would be bad). The doc said it could be a number of things. Gout, a bruise, a fracture, or something dealing with his Achilles tendon. So we took him down to X-Ray. He also had some blood drawn to check some levels in order to rule out gout.

While we waited, Ken also got a flu shot, which actually made him shout, causing Iliana (our normal nurse) to jump a little. Yeah, Iliana and I kinda teased poor Ken about his needle phobia. We are not nice people.

The X-Rays showed that it was most likely a heel spur made up of calcium. He probably did bang his heel at one point which broke up some of the scarring from a previous injury, which meant that he was going to hurt a bit. She prescribed some anti-inflammatory meds and pain killers.

After hitting up the store for the meds and some groceries (Ken got to use the cool motorized shopping carts, which was pretty entertaining), we got home maybe only 40 minutes before the boys arrived home.

Homework was tended to and I fixed dinner while Ken napped. The rest of the afternoon/evening was pretty uneventful, which was welcomed since the morning had been busy enough for us.

Today will most likely be a little more chaotic, especially with homework. Thursdays seem to be more packed with papers to complete, and on top of that they have practice. I also have plans to go to dinner with Sarah and Alyssa, which means I know I will be more stressed to get things done so I can get out the door. I have to leave around 5:20, so hopefully with my help they can get everything done before that point.

walking

10-8-14

The fact that I came into work and didn’t stay in my cozy bed speaks volumes.

I even managed to tough it out yesterday. I did relax on my couch when I got home. I watched the pilot of Twin Peaks since I am still all jazzed about the new episodes coming soon. It still holds up in its fantastic-ness. Agent Cooper is quirky and adorable and all the other characters are wonderfully complex and goofy and interesting all around.

When I took the boys to practice, the pups and I walked around the block, which is much larger than I thought. We then hung out in the car while I read a book. The walk I think helped my back. I am hoping to keep up with a walk a day, even if it isn’t super far. I know the pups enjoyed the outing.

Dax was rather stressed yesterday afternoon because he forgot his folder at the school that had his homework in it. I told him not to freak out. The packet isn’t due until Friday and he was able to spend time on his science packet that he did bring home. I resisted the urge to drive up to the school with him to get it. Both boys need to have some consequences to forgetting things like homework. They also need to know it isn’t the end of the world.

Back

10-7-14

Whimper

Seriously, I am dying here. I must have tweaked my back in my cleaning activities yesterday. I know it hurt when we went on a walk, so it could have happened doing laundry or something like that. All I know is that I hurt. I am not real thrilled with sitting right now. I will get a pain that actually takes my breath away. If I leave, it will be after some people get in so that things are covered.

I kicked ass yesterday. I should have taken more time to sit and enjoy the beauty that is clean Steve. Mind you, it doesn’t get that bad, but just having the floors cleaned and some clutter picked up really makes me chipper.

Our dragon has been drawing crowds! Ok, not tons of people, but enough that have slowed to look at it and little kids are getting their picture taken with him. We have dubbed him Piff due to a Penn and Teller show we watched. It was a guy dressed in a dragon costume and he said his name was Piff the Magic Dragon. His brother was named Steve. It works on multiple levels.

This morning I was reading through the South Bay History blog from the Daily Breeze. There was an article on the Rolling Hills Theatre murders. I found some more info on it and was shocked to hear some of the rumors, including one that a man who knew a Torrance police officer who has indicated that the killer didn’t actually OD in his cell but was hung by officers. Shocking hearsay if you ask me.

I need to write up a procedure list for AYSO for processing invoices. I need to indicate the reconciliation process as well. It shouldn’t be too hard, but I want to make sure it is clear and concise. I don’t think it should ruffle any feathers, but one never knows. With the change in management here shortly, we want to make sure everything happens together so there is less issue.

Have I mentioned I hurt? Sheesh this sucks.

I need to buy some dog toys in bulk. Miss Lily needs more things to keep her amused during the day. She plays with Luna, but one can only play for so long. Luna likes to just hang out sometimes. Lily then turns all destructive. Ken cleaned up gobs of pool noodle shards and other items from the yard yesterday. I think if I can get her things like bones and squeaky toys with no filler she will be less likely to be bad. We shall see.

The purple in my hair seems to have mostly gone away. I am now left with a deep blue in the back and brown/gray/purple in the front. I think I need to try to lighten my hair again. We will see. I am also considering using Manic Panic instead of the ion product.

I am taking the boys to practice tonight so I am thinking I will try to walk the track. It is either that or sitting in my car playing Card Wars.

new trumps old

10-6-14

I watch a lot of youth soccer.

This past weekend was Old Hometown Faire in Manhattan Beach. I think I have been going to this fair since 1989, back when I started at Costa. It is an event in which many people from MB even come from out of town to. Reunions are held this weekend and overall it is a time in which you visit your past.

The irony in all of this is that it is the first year that I haven’t gone. It is the first year I didn’t mind. I spent Saturday at the field, first watching the boys’ play, and then visiting with new friends. Jerry hangs out at the field, and Nicole came down, too, so I got to chat with them for a couple hours. It was awesome! Then, in the afternoon, we went to Levy for some more soccer things, but we also got to hang out with people like Jimmy and Denise, new friends also. I loved the juxtaposition of an old weekend that was actually spent with new. I am someone who can’t let go of the past, so this is a huge and amazing thing for me.

The game was great. Dax was outrunning every kid on the other team, including some super fast kids from the Creepers team last year. We were up 3 zero at the half. Sadly, due to some rule changes and other things, Dax ended up in goal the last half. This left the defense short handed. Cody would have been better in goal, especially when 2 of the goals they made were high shots that were taller than Dax. We tied, which was still amazing since it is one of the top two teams. Bobby was also amazing in the game. He ran down one kid at one point and was making fantastic passes. He was really getting into the game, bragging to me how he has a new way of running so he knew he would be faster.

Last night sleep was impossible. It was hot and icky. I truly contemplated calling out just because. Then I remembered I didn’t have a boss to deal with so I was happy to get up.

On Sunday I got to go to Don Jose’s, which is always happy making. My folks had got back from their trip, so the boys and I got to hear a bit about that.

In the afternoon, we went to pick up Ken from reffing and I got to chat with my coworker, Sunshine, who has a son on the BU14 Extra team. It was a nice time and watching the older kids play is always interesting. Both the boys watched a little, but mostly ran off to play. I was happy about that since it meant they were outside and not just sitting in front of the computer.

The boys have next Monday off. Perhaps I need to take the day off, too, and we can go to the LACMA since the boys now have free passes for us. That sounds like a great day! Plus, Bobby really wants to go to the tar pits, which is next door. This sounds like a good plan!

I made it through to Friday!

10-3-14

I survived my Thursday, even if it was only barely.

The training I had turned out to be awesome. The ladies who came to show us the system were really sweet and funny. The system is amazing. It has way more than I knew about and I ended up staying at work an extra 45 minutes just to hear more. I only left because if I didn’t leave when I did, the boys would have beaten me home! I have both of their business cards and I am going to make sure to write a nice feedback letter to them.

Things did not go as planned. I know, what a shock, right? Thursday night homework seemed to go longer than normal nights. Luckily they were home an hour early, but still. We got through it all and I managed to get them ready for soccer. The issue was that they didn’t listen to me. Sigh. They were supposed to put their iPads in their soccer bags since they would be meeting me at the school. No one listened and when we did meet up at the school they didn’t have iPads to keep them occupied for Back To School night.

Since it wasn’t super late, we convinced the boys to walk home. They called me when they arrived and just ended up on the computers. We tried to get them to make some dinner in the form of sandwiches, but instead they munched on Doritos.

I really like Mrs. Van Wie. Super nice, energetic, and seems to really love teaching. I know Bobby adores her. 4^th grade seems to be an awesome year since they get to do all the California History stuff along with lots of amazing science and writing and well, just about everything. At one point they are going to get to dissect owl vomit! How freaking cool is that????? I may need to volunteer to help that day.

I had hoped to go to the Fitness for Funds thing today, but I opted against it. Dax told me he really wanted me to go, but he was ok with me not going. I am kind of relieved if only because it is supposed to be really freaking hot today and doing some kind of exercise in the sun for 2 hours doesn’t exactly sound fun. Then again, I LOVE helping with the kids, and I am not just talking about my own. Oh well, perhaps next year.

I didn’t end up going back to the board meeting. After an extensive argument, it was agreed that I would go back home to make sure the boys were fed. I managed to scrounge up some food and I waited up since Ken went to the meeting. I had stopped by before it started and took care of a lot of my stuff. Boss man even told me to not worry about coming back, but I still felt bad if I didn’t. It turned out I didn’t need to be there, but still. Hopefully next month won’t be as chaotic.

Thankfully, today when I get home I don’t think I need to do anything. My plan is to get comfy, watch the Korra premire and maybe use something to get nice and fuzzy headed. I need to relax this evening.

Our game is at 9 tomorrow, which is nice since the first game always is better. I guess we are playing the top team. I know tonight I also need to print some game cards.

On Sunday, we get to go to Don Jose’s. My folks are back from their trip and I am anxious to hear how it was. Plus, chips and salsa for the win!

Next week there is no Trusty! He is out visiting customers, which is all kinds of happy making. Granted, he will be back east, which means he will most likely be contacting me early when he needs invoices or crap for these customers. I am not happy about that, but at least it should be minor.

It only looks like one of the plants we put in the front yard isn’t going to make it. They were so dry when we got them, but most seem to have benefited greatly from the drip system Ken installed. Even our tree is sprouting! Yay! Maybe this weekend we can put out the dragon and the other Halloween decorations.

I would also like to take down the pool this weekend. We are hoping to re-route the water to the front to start that process of softening that dirt up there. I would also like to go get some worms in order to put them in the plants to help things.

Ken has some reffing on Sunday. I know he wants to do two games, one being Ally’s. Hopefully that is the one after Don Jose’s. We shall see. I am hoping to be productive on Sunday in the form of yard work.

Now I just need to get through 8 hours of work. I am done with 2 of those 8, so I am part way there!

the busy thursday

10-2-14

I don’t know how, but somehow the foul and mysterious odor is back in my car.

I am supposed to be putting together a financial report for tonight’s meeting. Of course, the online system isn’t working. Sigh. Luckily I have time, but it annoys me when I need to use something and it doesn’t work. It seems to be the story of this week. The idea of calling out and going to the school tomorrow to help out is sounding more and more appealing.

The boys finished homework in a reasonable amount of time yesterday so I sent them out to go in the pool since we are taking it down this weekend. You would have thought they had to hike 1000 miles to get to the pool and that it contained a radioactive sludge and was filled with man eating monsters. Dax was excited, but the whole process turned them into sniveling little whiny butts. The pool was too dirty, the dogs were too dirty, my goodness their reaction to dirt was nuts. It was especially odd when I had literally just had a conversation with them about how I was glad they were not little girls since it meant I didn’t have to deal with some of the prissy that comes with little girls. Turns out, dirt all of the sudden offends my boys. Sigh.

It was entertaining later when they started asking me how long I had known Ken and were in awe of the amount of time.  They also were impressed with how long I have been living with him. They are easily impressed.

I took time yesterday to watch Parenthood which came back for its final season. I anticipate lots of tears, so I am making sure I am properly hydrated while watching.

We also watched the Family Guy/Simpsons crossover special. Holy crap, that was funny. We also watched the first episode of the 26^th season of Simpsons. We don’t watch it regularly anymore, but clearly that is a mistake since for being on this many years, it is still fantastic.

It is the beginning of my very long and over full day. I am hopeful that I can keep up.

An amusing observation; smoking pot and then watching pharmaceutical commercials will really make said ads quite artsy.

The boys have been more and more excited about me playing Card Wars. I don’t tend to play a lot of games on the iPad, and although I do still play my dragon game, it is far more passive. Card Wars is quite entertaining, and they are getting a kick out of mom playing an actual video game that they play. It also is a nice way to pass the time when they are working on homework.

So I am thinking that I will have Ken take the boys to practice and then I will meet them up at the school. I can walk up there and then hitch a ride with them to the board meeting. I will need to pack sandwiches since I don’t know what the food at the meeting is, and I don’t want to assume there will still be food since we are showing up so late.