I was tagged with this meme by the weirdgirl and I'm supposed to tell you six things you don't know about me. Although there's hundreds of things you don't know (or care) about me, it's really hard to come up with six of them. Well, six interesting ones at least. So, here we go...
1. The first concert I went to was to see Shawn Cassidy. It was the late 70's, and he was the major teen idol. If going to see him isn't funny enough, I actually flew from California to Chicago to do it. Yep! My parents stuck me on a plane (my first time flying alone) and off I went to hear "Da Do Ron Ron" and "Morning Girl" over the screams and crying of thousands of other crazed teen girls.
2. I was a football fanatic. Is it any wonder why my kid is too? My first favorite team was the Miami Dolphins - because they had 'pretty' uniforms. Then I grew up and picked a real team - the San Francisco Forty Niners. My dad had season tickets and every home game we'd be there cheering them on. If you know anything about football in the 80's, you know about "The Catch". I was there, sitting six rows up from the field, at the endzone where the infamous catch was made. Even twenty-five years later I'm still in awe.
3. I used to travel, a lot. Both my parents worked for major airlines and we definitely took advantage of the perks. On one trip home from England, Whitesnake happened to be on my flight. They were heading to the US on tour, and I had tickets to see them just two weeks later. We were flying on a 747 and I was sitting in the upper cabin. At one point during the flight, David Coverdale came upstairs to 'relieve himself' and we started chatting. A few minutes into our conversation his wife at the time, Tawny Kitaen, came screaming through the airplane, looking for him, thus ending our blissful time together. I later found out that she was deathly afraid of flying, had been given a sedative just before boarding the plane, and had woken up finding him gone and freaked out. Bitch!
4. I don't wear skirts or dresses. I'm a jeans girl! I can dress 'em up, go casual, or completely bummy. The versatility is endless!
5. I used to be afraid of public speaking. No more. I was cured by being forced with five minutes notice to present a website rebuild I'd done to a crowd of over 200 telecommunications industry leaders. The 7 & 7's waiting for me at the end of the presentation were good motivation!
6. I too (like the weirdgirl) was on a runaway horse but don't remember how old I was. Maybe 8 or 9? We'd come to Washington to visit family and my cousin took me out riding. It was shortly before feeding time, and my horse was begrudgingly sauntering out to the back pasture. When we got to the property line and turned the horses around, my horse knowing we were heading back to the stable where his dinner awaited took off galloping across the field, faster and faster. I held on as tight as I could, laughing hysterically the entire way. It was then I realized how much of a speed fanatic I am, but that story will have to wait for a future meme.
So there you have it. Six things you probably didn't know (or care) about me. Now I get to tag six others to share their stories. How about Stacie, Creative-Type Dad, that Lesley girl, Norman, Liss, and Groove (even though he probably won't do it cuz he doesn't like to share anything too personal about himself).
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And I can't leave you without today's Joke of the Day...
Personnel Director: So if you get this job, who should we notify in case of an accident?
Stupid Steve: A good doctor.
Wednesday, January 31
Tuesday, January 30
Heh*
* aka 'notsomuch'; not to be confused with 'hehe'
As in I have 'heh' to say today.
Kinda funny that the Joke of the Day is taking the alternate route. LOL
Blanche: I just read a statistic that says that the average person speaks ten thousand words a day.
Herb: Yes, but you are far above average.
Monday, January 29
Monday again? sheesh!
The weekend flew by. Again. After the week of productivity, I took a couple of days off. Until last night, that is. Started making my plan for the week by measuring my room and all the furniture to see if I could rearrange it. The good news: I can! The bad news: First I have to clean out the junk room, move furniture out of my room to the junk room, swap furniture with WJ, and then it'll all work out. Basically it'll end up being an upstairs redo except for the bathrooms and guest bedroom. I made a good dent in it today, but am too embarrassed to post any pics of the awful mess I'm wading through to do it.
Anyway, while I was digging through the mountains of shit that'd accumulated, I came across a desk calendar from 2001 that'd never been opened. The Original Jokes! PUNS & Riddles Calendar. Guess what? 2001 had the same schedule as 2007. So, I can actually use it. Hehe! Not that I'll really "use" the calendar, but I will subject you to the stupidity of it on a daily basis. So without further ado, I bring you the.....
Joke of the Day
Did you hear the one about the termite?
He walked into a saloon and asked, "Is the bar tender here?"
Oh c'mon! It's funny!! Sheesh, tough crowd.
In other news...
Work Watch
Received my "thanksbutnothanks" letter from state agency today. Talk about a tough crowd. Oh well! There's gotta be something out there for me. Right?
That's about it for today. Time to go crack open a cold one. Enjoy!
Anyway, while I was digging through the mountains of shit that'd accumulated, I came across a desk calendar from 2001 that'd never been opened. The Original Jokes! PUNS & Riddles Calendar. Guess what? 2001 had the same schedule as 2007. So, I can actually use it. Hehe! Not that I'll really "use" the calendar, but I will subject you to the stupidity of it on a daily basis. So without further ado, I bring you the.....
Joke of the Day
Did you hear the one about the termite?
He walked into a saloon and asked, "Is the bar tender here?"
Oh c'mon! It's funny!! Sheesh, tough crowd.
In other news...
Work Watch
Received my "thanksbutnothanks" letter from state agency today. Talk about a tough crowd. Oh well! There's gotta be something out there for me. Right?
That's about it for today. Time to go crack open a cold one. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 27
afternoon at the movies
Yep. I did it. I dragged the kid to see Night at the Museum. And, just as predicted, he loved it! It seriously is a great movie. If you haven't seen it yet, get out there while you can. For those of you who don't "go" to the movies (you know who you are), put it on your list for when it comes out on rental.We laughed so hard! The special effects with animals and statues is terrific, but the allstar casting of Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, and Brad Garrett really puts it over the edge. All incredibly talented and equally hysterical. Williams plays President Teddy Roosevelt, and (yes Stacie) I now can't imagine anyone else in the world filling that role. Wilson is Jedediah (the little guy in the picture above), a cowboy out to run Stiller over with a train. He may have been little in the movie, but his character proves to be bigger than life.
On the way home I was told "I loved that movie! Can we go rent it?" For a kid that had to be hogtied to go, he certainly had a good time. This one will definitely be on our must buy list when it's released.
Friday, January 26
and on this next page, I wrote about...
The past couple of days I've been really productive. Not sure what bit me in the ass, but I'm going with it. Or at least I was until last night.
See, there's this little thing I might have mentioned once or twice before. I need a job! What? You didn't hear me? I need a job!! Yeah, we're back to that again. Actually, we never left, but I'm sure you get tired of hearing me complain about it as much as I get tired of bringing it up.
Never heard back from state agency after the last we haven't scheduled second round interviews yet email. Uh huh. Well, the first round was two weeks ago, so I'm pretty sure that one's in the toilet now. Submission deadline for corporate computer giant is today, so now I start the panicky jump every time the phone rings hoping it's a call for an interview feeling again.
In the meantime, I keep looking. Surfing the web. Printing out job descriptions. Filling out applications. I've reworked my resume and cover letter again, because let's face it there's obviously something they just aren't seeing that's really important to them. I wish I knew what it was.
Anyway, so back to yesterday. I finished the updates, had my stack of job reqs in front of me, and started going through collecting the various information each requires for its application process. Typically it's the standard cover letter, resume, references, and most times (government) an application. Let me share with you the application process I encountered in yesterday's stack:
APPLICATION PROCESS
In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit the following:
There you have it. It's no wonder I can't find a damn job with obscure requests like that. Now if they'd asked me to create a scrapbook for them, I'd have had it sealed.
See, there's this little thing I might have mentioned once or twice before. I need a job! What? You didn't hear me? I need a job!! Yeah, we're back to that again. Actually, we never left, but I'm sure you get tired of hearing me complain about it as much as I get tired of bringing it up.
Never heard back from state agency after the last we haven't scheduled second round interviews yet email. Uh huh. Well, the first round was two weeks ago, so I'm pretty sure that one's in the toilet now. Submission deadline for corporate computer giant is today, so now I start the panicky jump every time the phone rings hoping it's a call for an interview feeling again.
In the meantime, I keep looking. Surfing the web. Printing out job descriptions. Filling out applications. I've reworked my resume and cover letter again, because let's face it there's obviously something they just aren't seeing that's really important to them. I wish I knew what it was.
Anyway, so back to yesterday. I finished the updates, had my stack of job reqs in front of me, and started going through collecting the various information each requires for its application process. Typically it's the standard cover letter, resume, references, and most times (government) an application. Let me share with you the application process I encountered in yesterday's stack:
APPLICATION PROCESS
In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit the following:
- A cover letter that clearly describes how your experience and education have prepared you for the duties of this position and the requirements listed on this announcement. CHECK - tweeked the letter to include key words from the announcement
- A resume that provides clear, detailed information about your job-related education and experience. CHECK - just reworked that one!
- A certificate with your typing speed and accuracy. What the? Ok. Not to worry. I can get one of those.
- The names of three or more professional references including contact information and a statement from you granting permission to contact them. CHECK
- Three or four writing samples demonstrating your ability to write clearly, concisely, with proper grammer and spelling.
There you have it. It's no wonder I can't find a damn job with obscure requests like that. Now if they'd asked me to create a scrapbook for them, I'd have had it sealed.
Wednesday, January 24
the best banana muffins ever
Or so I've been told by WJ's first grade class. Hehe!So you remember the other day I was making banana muffins for WJ's un-birthday at school? Apparently they were a big hit. How big a hit you ask? A half dozen or so of them asked for the recipe. Yes! You read that right. First graders asked for the recipe for my banana muffins. Too funny! I typed it up, took it to school, and made copies for the teacher to handout. I'm sure their parents will be thrilled.
For those of you who might want to try the best banana muffins ever, here's my secret recipe. Enjoy!
Banana (Nut*) Muffins
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas**
(3 to 4 medium)
1/3 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
½ cup chopped nuts (omit nuts if desired)*
Heat oven to 400◦. Grease bottom only of muffin tins (or loaf pan to make bread). Mix sugar and margarine. Stir in eggs until blended. Add bananas and water; mix thoroughly. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts just until moistened; stir in nuts. Pour into tins (or loaf pan). Bake approximately 23 minutes or until dark golden brown.
*I use chopped walnuts in mine, but you can also use pecans or omit the nuts entirely.
**I take bananas that have started to turn and throw them in the freezer until I’m ready to make muffins (bread). Thaw in a bowl the day before. Note: The banana skins will turn black while in the freezer, but the soft, ripened bananas are the best for this recipe.
Tuesday, January 23
and the blood spew forth from the spawn in rivers
There's this little game called basketball. The one where you take a round, orange ball and hurl it towards this little hoop hoping to make it in. Have you heard of it? Here in our house we have three forms of said game: 1) watching it on TV, 2) shooting with a regulation sized hard ball into the hoop purchased by The Rents residing in our garage, and 3) shooting the mini sized Nerf soft ball into the mini hoop hanging on the laundry room door. The latter being the most used at this time of the year and apparently also the most dangerous of all.
Last month, after donning the house with Christmas cheer, I entered the family room to find WJ sitting on the couch, extremely upset and fighting back tears. After asking what the problem was I was told about how the soft Nerf basketball had bounced off the rim of the cheap plastic hoop hanging off aforementioned door and careened into one of the equally cheap plastic candles adorning the mantle. Said candle then toppled off the mantle, crashed to the floor, and smashed the glass bulb to smithereens. Was WJ hurt? Had glass shards ricocheted off the train table and flown into his eyes causing him sudden and permanent blindness? Of course not. The problem wasn't pain inflicted by the breaking of the bulb, or the candle for that matter. It was fear that the revered hoop would be removed, dismantled, and potentially thrown away because this soft Nerf basketball had smashed the cheap ass piece of shit candle. If you haven't gotten the correlation yet, maybe last night's incident of epic proportions will clear things up for you.
After playing a few rounds of "first to ten" on the cheap plastic hoop with the soft Nerf basketball, I retreated to the comforts of my barstool. No. I do not have a bar in my house. It's what I sit on while working on the computer that's perched on the breakfast bar between the kitchen and family room. Though putting in a bar isn't a bad idea. Anyway, I digress. The TV was playing some college basketball game and WJ continued to shoot hoops while occassionally glancing at the screen. I lost myself in the world of Internet surfing and tuned out the dull noises permeating from the background.
I vaguely remember WJ telling me he needed a Kleenex and telling him to go to the bathroom to get one. But when your kid steps out of the bathroom door and says, "Hey Mom! There's blood on my Kleenex." your entire being jumps to ready attention and heightened sense of alert. I got up, wandered into the bathroom to investigate, and just as I turned to look at his nose the river of bright red blood spew forth dropping onto the floor. Thank God for linoleum. I grabbed a tissue, held it to his nose, and saw the pristine white paper product turn into a soggy red mess in my hands. WTF? How did this happen with a soft Nerf basketball? And more important, how the hell do I get it to stop?
A nose bleeder I am not. Never had one in my life. Not even after getting smacked so hard in the nose with an elbow coming straight down on the bridge during a (say it with me now) basketball game. I had no freakin clue how to get the river to subside, so after bringing WJ out to the couch, having him lay down while holding several more pristine white tissues to his nose, I returned to my post at the computer to search for some advice. I also sent an IM to a friend I'd been chatting with only minutes before. No response. And trying to read the various do this but don't do that articles online was taking too long when your kid is asking if he's going to die and you feel like you've just been dealt a hand you have no idea how to play.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I made the panic call. The oh my God, WJ's got a river of blood spewing from his nose and I have no idea in hell how to stop it call. I called the only person I could think might have a solution. A friend who's kid plays sports and, by the way, who's wife is a nurse. It's great to have friends in high places. Cold compress, light pressure. Seemed so logical after hearing it. And guess what? It worked. Within minutes the incident of epic proportions was over and peace was once again restored to our little kingdom.
Oh, one last thing. I think Nerf needs to come up with a different adjective to describe their toys because soft just ain't doing it in this household.
Last month, after donning the house with Christmas cheer, I entered the family room to find WJ sitting on the couch, extremely upset and fighting back tears. After asking what the problem was I was told about how the soft Nerf basketball had bounced off the rim of the cheap plastic hoop hanging off aforementioned door and careened into one of the equally cheap plastic candles adorning the mantle. Said candle then toppled off the mantle, crashed to the floor, and smashed the glass bulb to smithereens. Was WJ hurt? Had glass shards ricocheted off the train table and flown into his eyes causing him sudden and permanent blindness? Of course not. The problem wasn't pain inflicted by the breaking of the bulb, or the candle for that matter. It was fear that the revered hoop would be removed, dismantled, and potentially thrown away because this soft Nerf basketball had smashed the cheap ass piece of shit candle. If you haven't gotten the correlation yet, maybe last night's incident of epic proportions will clear things up for you.
After playing a few rounds of "first to ten" on the cheap plastic hoop with the soft Nerf basketball, I retreated to the comforts of my barstool. No. I do not have a bar in my house. It's what I sit on while working on the computer that's perched on the breakfast bar between the kitchen and family room. Though putting in a bar isn't a bad idea. Anyway, I digress. The TV was playing some college basketball game and WJ continued to shoot hoops while occassionally glancing at the screen. I lost myself in the world of Internet surfing and tuned out the dull noises permeating from the background.
I vaguely remember WJ telling me he needed a Kleenex and telling him to go to the bathroom to get one. But when your kid steps out of the bathroom door and says, "Hey Mom! There's blood on my Kleenex." your entire being jumps to ready attention and heightened sense of alert. I got up, wandered into the bathroom to investigate, and just as I turned to look at his nose the river of bright red blood spew forth dropping onto the floor. Thank God for linoleum. I grabbed a tissue, held it to his nose, and saw the pristine white paper product turn into a soggy red mess in my hands. WTF? How did this happen with a soft Nerf basketball? And more important, how the hell do I get it to stop?
A nose bleeder I am not. Never had one in my life. Not even after getting smacked so hard in the nose with an elbow coming straight down on the bridge during a (say it with me now) basketball game. I had no freakin clue how to get the river to subside, so after bringing WJ out to the couch, having him lay down while holding several more pristine white tissues to his nose, I returned to my post at the computer to search for some advice. I also sent an IM to a friend I'd been chatting with only minutes before. No response. And trying to read the various do this but don't do that articles online was taking too long when your kid is asking if he's going to die and you feel like you've just been dealt a hand you have no idea how to play.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I made the panic call. The oh my God, WJ's got a river of blood spewing from his nose and I have no idea in hell how to stop it call. I called the only person I could think might have a solution. A friend who's kid plays sports and, by the way, who's wife is a nurse. It's great to have friends in high places. Cold compress, light pressure. Seemed so logical after hearing it. And guess what? It worked. Within minutes the incident of epic proportions was over and peace was once again restored to our little kingdom.
Oh, one last thing. I think Nerf needs to come up with a different adjective to describe their toys because soft just ain't doing it in this household.
Monday, January 22
how the hell is it Monday already?
What did I do all weekend that I didn't even have time to blog? The answer is nothing. Nothing at all. Well, not really nothing. But that's neither here nor there. Here it is. Monday. The start of a new week. My "to do" list is getting longer so I thought I'd better at least pop on here and say "hey" before I wake up and it's Friday already.
So, borrowing a phrase from Chag, here's some stuff only I care about. (If you haven't read Cynical Dad yet, go now and check it out. Seriously. This can wait until you come back as it truly is stuff only I care about.)
Work Watch
Going into the second week of waiting to hear whether I'll get a call back from state agency for a second interview. I have to tell you. Waiting sucks. I can't possibly imagine why I wouldn't get a call back on this one, but hell. I've thought that way before and been slammed. Also counting the days till the end of open filing for the spot at corporate computer giant. Again, assuming they aren't just fishing, or that someone internally doesn't jump on this one, I can't imagine why I wouldn't at the very least get a call. Again though. We wait. Oh, and one more thing to wait for, but this one is worth it. Finally got my UI claim restarted and should be getting a check this week. We'll see.
Get Out the Party Hats
No. For those of you who really know me, this isn't another pity party. Sheesh! Give me some credit. Today is WJ's un-birthday party at school. Yeah. The shitter about having a summer birthday. And being that his half birthday was right in the middle of Christmas vacation, here we are on some random Monday in January celebrating his un-birthday at school. What this means for me is I have to make banana muffins. Yes, you read right, banana muffins. My kid doesn't like cake, or cupcakes. He likes homemade banana muffins. Whatever. I'll do it. He'll be happy. Enough said. Hey! Speaking of party hats, have you looked at the counter lately? We're in the eighties now. 86 days! Woohoo!!
Quarter Million Dollar Tenements
With all the supposedly perceived potential break-ins across the street, neighbors have officially vacated. The "for rent" sign went up this weekend. This could go either way. Though previous neighbors were nice enough, some of the shit that was going on over there (or supposedly going on over there) during the past few months is now over. Done. Gone. This is a good thing. Problem is who might move in. It sucks having rentals around the neighborhood. You'd think with the cost of the homes in this area (yes, I've seen a recent valuation thanks to someone not taking into account that a personal follow-up might happen) the rentals wouldn't stay rentals for long. First, the owners could sell and run in this area. Not as quickly as a few months ago, but still. And, second, if you're going to pay that much in rent, why the hell don't you just go out and buy a house. At least then you have something of your own.
Okay, that's it for this morning's stuff only I care about. Time to get this week rolling. Happy Monday ya'll!
So, borrowing a phrase from Chag, here's some stuff only I care about. (If you haven't read Cynical Dad yet, go now and check it out. Seriously. This can wait until you come back as it truly is stuff only I care about.)
Work Watch
Going into the second week of waiting to hear whether I'll get a call back from state agency for a second interview. I have to tell you. Waiting sucks. I can't possibly imagine why I wouldn't get a call back on this one, but hell. I've thought that way before and been slammed. Also counting the days till the end of open filing for the spot at corporate computer giant. Again, assuming they aren't just fishing, or that someone internally doesn't jump on this one, I can't imagine why I wouldn't at the very least get a call. Again though. We wait. Oh, and one more thing to wait for, but this one is worth it. Finally got my UI claim restarted and should be getting a check this week. We'll see.
Get Out the Party Hats
No. For those of you who really know me, this isn't another pity party. Sheesh! Give me some credit. Today is WJ's un-birthday party at school. Yeah. The shitter about having a summer birthday. And being that his half birthday was right in the middle of Christmas vacation, here we are on some random Monday in January celebrating his un-birthday at school. What this means for me is I have to make banana muffins. Yes, you read right, banana muffins. My kid doesn't like cake, or cupcakes. He likes homemade banana muffins. Whatever. I'll do it. He'll be happy. Enough said. Hey! Speaking of party hats, have you looked at the counter lately? We're in the eighties now. 86 days! Woohoo!!
Quarter Million Dollar Tenements
With all the supposedly perceived potential break-ins across the street, neighbors have officially vacated. The "for rent" sign went up this weekend. This could go either way. Though previous neighbors were nice enough, some of the shit that was going on over there (or supposedly going on over there) during the past few months is now over. Done. Gone. This is a good thing. Problem is who might move in. It sucks having rentals around the neighborhood. You'd think with the cost of the homes in this area (yes, I've seen a recent valuation thanks to someone not taking into account that a personal follow-up might happen) the rentals wouldn't stay rentals for long. First, the owners could sell and run in this area. Not as quickly as a few months ago, but still. And, second, if you're going to pay that much in rent, why the hell don't you just go out and buy a house. At least then you have something of your own.
Okay, that's it for this morning's stuff only I care about. Time to get this week rolling. Happy Monday ya'll!
Thursday, January 18
oh, the weather outside is...
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but...
It's raining!!! YAY!!!
After a week of snow and ice and school closures, we are FINALLY back to our normal weather pattern. Including rain. Halleluia! Of course, if the rain keeps up for too many days, I'll start bitching about it again, but for now, I'm thrilled.
In other news, it's been a week now since my interview with state agency. No calls. No emails. No form letters. Nada. This could be going one of two ways. After the first interview she said there would be a second round. They'd hoped to have that second round this week, but with Monday being a federal holiday it might not be until next week. So, maybe they haven't scheduled them yet? More than likely, however, they've scheduled the second round and I just haven't heard anything because I'm not being invited back for the second round. That's just the way my job search seems to be going right now. We'll see.
Interestingly enough, I found out on Tuesday that there's an opening at corporate computer giant. Of course I jumped all over that one, submitting my resume and contacting my former manager. She put in a sparkling recommendation. And my super sleuth friend, Groove, is keeping his ears open as well. I was asked to send my info directly to the hiring managers and am now in the pool waiting to hear something. Seems like I do a lot of waiting!
Well, that's the news of the day. Nothing earthshattering. And now, I'm off to get the little man to school and me a desparately needed haircut. Never know what style I might be sporting by this afternoon given the mood I'm in lately. Stay tuned to find out.
[UPDATE: I emailed state worker to ask about the second round interviews. They haven't been scheduled, so there may be hope yet.]
It's raining!!! YAY!!!
After a week of snow and ice and school closures, we are FINALLY back to our normal weather pattern. Including rain. Halleluia! Of course, if the rain keeps up for too many days, I'll start bitching about it again, but for now, I'm thrilled.
In other news, it's been a week now since my interview with state agency. No calls. No emails. No form letters. Nada. This could be going one of two ways. After the first interview she said there would be a second round. They'd hoped to have that second round this week, but with Monday being a federal holiday it might not be until next week. So, maybe they haven't scheduled them yet? More than likely, however, they've scheduled the second round and I just haven't heard anything because I'm not being invited back for the second round. That's just the way my job search seems to be going right now. We'll see.
Interestingly enough, I found out on Tuesday that there's an opening at corporate computer giant. Of course I jumped all over that one, submitting my resume and contacting my former manager. She put in a sparkling recommendation. And my super sleuth friend, Groove, is keeping his ears open as well. I was asked to send my info directly to the hiring managers and am now in the pool waiting to hear something. Seems like I do a lot of waiting!
Well, that's the news of the day. Nothing earthshattering. And now, I'm off to get the little man to school and me a desparately needed haircut. Never know what style I might be sporting by this afternoon given the mood I'm in lately. Stay tuned to find out.
[UPDATE: I emailed state worker to ask about the second round interviews. They haven't been scheduled, so there may be hope yet.]
Monday, January 15
nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo doo
I'm sure you were all in the same boat - a no school day. Normally it would've been no big deal. Except, if you recall from my rantings last week, there was barely any school because of the snow and ice. Certainly made for the long holiday weekend to seem even that much longer. With the snow and ice still hanging on, and the ever so slight snow flurries from this morning combined with my totally pitiful, apathetic outlook on life today - we did nothing.
After waking with a massive headache which I can only assume was stress related seeing as I had more than enough sleep, though fitful, last night, I was pleasantly surprised to find some Fandango bucks in my email. A gift from a friend so WJ and I could head out to a movie today. After insane amounts of caffeine to try and rid myself of the pounding ache in my head, neck, and shoulders, I pulled up the Fandango site to check out the movie schedule and make our purchase. Sights were set on Happy Feet. But since it's been out for so long now, there was only one showing. At 11:30am. Less than an hour from the time it was then. Bah!
When we went to see Charlotte's Web a few weeks back, we'd seen the previews for Night at the Museum and it looked pretty good. Plus, the neighbor kids just went with their grandpa on Friday and gave it a thumbs up. So, I pulled open the trailer, and called WJ over to watch it.
"Yeah, I've seen this already, Mom!"
"I know," I replied, "doesn't it look good?"
"I guess," he said.
Without hesitation I told him, "Hold on a sec!" and pulled up the trailer for Arthur and the Invisibles.
"I've seen this one too," he mumbled, all the time looking across the room at whatever was playing on the TV.
"It looks good," I pressed. "Would you rather see this one?"
"Nah, not really."
I was dumbfounded.
"Well, we have some Fandango bucks to go to the movies today. Which one do you want to see?" I asked.
"Do we have to go to the movies?"
"Well... no!? I guess not."
"Okay, good. Can I go play now?"
"Uh, yeah."
And with that, he was gone.
I was frustrated, baffled, and pretty much disappointed. My kid, who asks me to do things with him, take him places, and buy him things, while noting that I don't always have the time or money to do so, was given the opportunity to do all three things at once thanks to the generosity of a friend. And he turns it down. I don't get it? I know if I'd just told him we were going and didn't give him the choice he'd have complained the whole way there but enjoyed it in the long run. But I wanted it to be something he wanted to do - not something I was making him do. Was I asking too much?
Maybe I was being selfish? I really needed this outing. Needed to get out of the house. Needed the distraction from the chaos of my life. Instead we did nothing. He played and I puttered around aimlessly trying to get things done but finding roadblocks in my way.
Tomorrow's another day. The normalcy will return. School will be open. There won't be some stupid federal holiday shutting things down, keeping me from taking care of issues that will hopefully relieve some of my stress. And, with any luck, I won't have another massive headache to contend with.
After waking with a massive headache which I can only assume was stress related seeing as I had more than enough sleep, though fitful, last night, I was pleasantly surprised to find some Fandango bucks in my email. A gift from a friend so WJ and I could head out to a movie today. After insane amounts of caffeine to try and rid myself of the pounding ache in my head, neck, and shoulders, I pulled up the Fandango site to check out the movie schedule and make our purchase. Sights were set on Happy Feet. But since it's been out for so long now, there was only one showing. At 11:30am. Less than an hour from the time it was then. Bah!
When we went to see Charlotte's Web a few weeks back, we'd seen the previews for Night at the Museum and it looked pretty good. Plus, the neighbor kids just went with their grandpa on Friday and gave it a thumbs up. So, I pulled open the trailer, and called WJ over to watch it.
"Yeah, I've seen this already, Mom!"
"I know," I replied, "doesn't it look good?"
"I guess," he said.
Without hesitation I told him, "Hold on a sec!" and pulled up the trailer for Arthur and the Invisibles.
"I've seen this one too," he mumbled, all the time looking across the room at whatever was playing on the TV.
"It looks good," I pressed. "Would you rather see this one?"
"Nah, not really."
I was dumbfounded.
"Well, we have some Fandango bucks to go to the movies today. Which one do you want to see?" I asked.
"Do we have to go to the movies?"
"Well... no!? I guess not."
"Okay, good. Can I go play now?"
"Uh, yeah."
And with that, he was gone.
I was frustrated, baffled, and pretty much disappointed. My kid, who asks me to do things with him, take him places, and buy him things, while noting that I don't always have the time or money to do so, was given the opportunity to do all three things at once thanks to the generosity of a friend. And he turns it down. I don't get it? I know if I'd just told him we were going and didn't give him the choice he'd have complained the whole way there but enjoyed it in the long run. But I wanted it to be something he wanted to do - not something I was making him do. Was I asking too much?
Maybe I was being selfish? I really needed this outing. Needed to get out of the house. Needed the distraction from the chaos of my life. Instead we did nothing. He played and I puttered around aimlessly trying to get things done but finding roadblocks in my way.
Tomorrow's another day. The normalcy will return. School will be open. There won't be some stupid federal holiday shutting things down, keeping me from taking care of issues that will hopefully relieve some of my stress. And, with any luck, I won't have another massive headache to contend with.
Saturday, January 13
somewhere between childhood and becoming an adult
At some point on the road of parenting you expect to have conversations with your children about being a parent. Not at the age of six and a half (the "half" being very important to acknowledge to this six year old)!
The other day, while driving WJ to school, he was in a chatty mood. Normally he's quiet on the morning drives - one of the very few times he's quiet all day long. Our drive is only 10 minutes long so we don't usually get into deep conversations, but on this morning (after having been forced to be home for two days because apparently "some" people live too far from school to be able to get there safely when there's a mere 2" of snow on the ground) he chose to talk about parenting.
"When I am a father I will drive my children to school and pick them up too."
"Uhm... maybe," I mumbled.
"I don't know whether I'll have more than one or just one kid though," he continued.
"....." (Huh? I'm trying to concentrate on looking for ice patches on the roadway and he's talking about having kids???)
"And I don't know what I'll name them either."
Peering in the rear view mirror and seeing him lost in thought, looking out the side window, I say, "Well, you have a long time to think about that."
"Mmmhmm."
As I've later been informed by another parent of the male species, he won't have to worry about the naming. I think I'll leave that discussion for sometime in the very distant future.
The other day, while driving WJ to school, he was in a chatty mood. Normally he's quiet on the morning drives - one of the very few times he's quiet all day long. Our drive is only 10 minutes long so we don't usually get into deep conversations, but on this morning (after having been forced to be home for two days because apparently "some" people live too far from school to be able to get there safely when there's a mere 2" of snow on the ground) he chose to talk about parenting.
"When I am a father I will drive my children to school and pick them up too."
"Uhm... maybe," I mumbled.
"I don't know whether I'll have more than one or just one kid though," he continued.
"....." (Huh? I'm trying to concentrate on looking for ice patches on the roadway and he's talking about having kids???)
"And I don't know what I'll name them either."
Peering in the rear view mirror and seeing him lost in thought, looking out the side window, I say, "Well, you have a long time to think about that."
"Mmmhmm."
As I've later been informed by another parent of the male species, he won't have to worry about the naming. I think I'll leave that discussion for sometime in the very distant future.
Thursday, January 11
day of complete insanity
School closed. AGAIN. Only one in the entire district and surrounding districts. What crap! Public school is looking more and more appealing.
Another possible house break in. Same house. Same black from head to toe clad thugs. Thankfully they're moving so hopefully they'll take their thugs with them.
Interview is done. Now the wait starts to hear if I get a call back for round two - maybe to be done next week, or possibly the week after. They "hope" to have a decision made by the end of the month.
Also got a call from the contract place for an opening back up at computer company I worked at last year. Resume submitted, so we'll see if there's an interview to follow.
So that's my day. Now that the insanity is done it's time to de-stress and grab a cold one.
Another possible house break in. Same house. Same black from head to toe clad thugs. Thankfully they're moving so hopefully they'll take their thugs with them.
Interview is done. Now the wait starts to hear if I get a call back for round two - maybe to be done next week, or possibly the week after. They "hope" to have a decision made by the end of the month.
Also got a call from the contract place for an opening back up at computer company I worked at last year. Resume submitted, so we'll see if there's an interview to follow.
So that's my day. Now that the insanity is done it's time to de-stress and grab a cold one.
Wednesday, January 10
our morning
Woke up this morning to a few inches of snow, and more falling. School was cancelled. Of. Course. So, we bundled up and headed out to have some fun.
Now it's time to get stuff done around the house and get ready for the interview tomorrow. I just hope we don't get more snow, or worse yet, ice.
Tuesday, January 9
damn storm isn't even here yet and already the crooks are out
Apparently some people are either very stupid or very selfish. Feeling entitled even.
I headed up to bed around 10:20pm after watching the weather. Another big storm is on the way - this one supposedly bringing snow and another cold front. By 10:45pm it was clear I wasn't going to fall to sleep any time soon, so I got back up and came down to putz on the computer. At midnight I was finally ready for sleep, stopped out in the garage for a quick smoke (yes, I know I need to quit, so no lectures please!), and when I walked in the house the phone was ringing.
WTH?
Turned out to be my neighbor across the street.
Around the time I got back out of bed, he heard what sounded like footsteps on his roof and quiet talking over his garage. While sneaking around the house investigating he spotted two people in his back yard - one male, one female - dressed from head to toe in all black. He called the cops. Of course by the time they arrived, the crooks were gone.
After the last winter storm neighbor went out and bought a generator. With two small children at home he didn't want to be stuck without power again. He was storing the generator on the back patio. Probably not the best place to store it, but with both gates padlocked I guess he figured no one would be able to get to it.
Obviously the crooks don't want to be without power again either.
Needless to say, it was a long night.
I headed up to bed around 10:20pm after watching the weather. Another big storm is on the way - this one supposedly bringing snow and another cold front. By 10:45pm it was clear I wasn't going to fall to sleep any time soon, so I got back up and came down to putz on the computer. At midnight I was finally ready for sleep, stopped out in the garage for a quick smoke (yes, I know I need to quit, so no lectures please!), and when I walked in the house the phone was ringing.
WTH?
Turned out to be my neighbor across the street.
Around the time I got back out of bed, he heard what sounded like footsteps on his roof and quiet talking over his garage. While sneaking around the house investigating he spotted two people in his back yard - one male, one female - dressed from head to toe in all black. He called the cops. Of course by the time they arrived, the crooks were gone.
After the last winter storm neighbor went out and bought a generator. With two small children at home he didn't want to be stuck without power again. He was storing the generator on the back patio. Probably not the best place to store it, but with both gates padlocked I guess he figured no one would be able to get to it.
Obviously the crooks don't want to be without power again either.
Needless to say, it was a long night.
Monday, January 8
so it wasn't a prank
"State worker" returned my call this morning. Apparently it wasn't a prank call on Friday. At 12:30pm this Thursday I have an honest to goodness interview for a state job. I can still hardly believe it.
Other than that, it's Monday. I need to make a list of things I need to get done cuz I keep getting sidetracked and didn't get much accomplished over the weekend. The weekend was good. And the Seahawks held on to advance to the next round for the playoffs. (Of course short of a miracle, they'll be out of the game next weekend.)
Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!
Other than that, it's Monday. I need to make a list of things I need to get done cuz I keep getting sidetracked and didn't get much accomplished over the weekend. The weekend was good. And the Seahawks held on to advance to the next round for the playoffs. (Of course short of a miracle, they'll be out of the game next weekend.)
Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!
Saturday, January 6
someone pinch me!
They say bad things happen in 3's, right? Well they usually do in my life at least. What about good things?? Do they happen in 3's too? If so, then I'm due one more good thing. But I'm insanely happy with the two I just received yesterday, so if there's no 3 I'm fine with it.
As you can see from yesterday's post, my super incredible friend Stacie is coming out to see me in April! (WOOOOHOOOO!!!!) For those of you who don't know our background, Stacie and I met several years ago at an on-line scrapping forum. We became friends, and over the last few years have gone through SO much together - good, bad, happy, sad, and everything in between. But we've never had the chance to actually be in the same place at the same time. At some point in the last week I said, "So you'd better get going on booking that trip for April!" or some other sassy tease. (Why April? Because I'll be officially crossing into another decade of years I've graced the earth with my presence.)
Yesterday started off like any other except that WJ's class was finally performing the short play they were supposed to have done before Christmas vacation, so I promised him I would go and watch. (It was very cute, but I'll do another post on that later.) Shortly after getting home I called my girl, Stacie, to see how her day was going, and the conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey, what's going on?
Stacie: Same ole. How's your day?
Me: Good....
Stacie: Hey... I've got a question for you!
Me: OK, shoot.
Stacie: What are you doing at 9:10PM Wednesday, April 18th?
Me: Hopefully picking up your ass from the Seattle airport!? (oozing sassiness)
Stacie: That's not too late? (giggle giggle)
Me: What??? Are you serious??? OMG!!!!!!!!!!!
Stacie: (laughing)
Me: OMG!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, you get the gist. She was booking the flight while on the phone with me and I was bouncing off the walls. Once she got the flight booked and my feet were on the ground again, I got to hear how she hit up Steve to make the trip. (She's very tricky!) Thank you Steve!!!! You rock!! And thanks Stacie's mom (can't remember if Stacie's ever actually used her mom's real name on her blog, so I won't throw it out there just in case she hasn't) for watching the kids so Stace can make this trip "kid free" (of course, they are always welcome to come!).
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon floating on air. What a great way to start my 2007! A few hours later I ran out to do some errands and meet up with a friend for a couple hours. On my way home, I decided to call and check my voicemail (can't miss any of my fans calling! lol). There was one new message. And what do I hear?
"Hello, this is (state worker's name) calling from the (state agency's name). We would like you to come in on Thursday for an interview......." OMG!! I almost drove off the road. Two awesome phone calls in one day!
At the beginning of December I'd finally gotten off my ass and uploaded all my info into the state's new on-line hiring system. The Friday before New Year's, I'd received an email from one of the agencies asking me to complete an additional questionnaire for one of the posted jobs, so I was optimistic that someone was actually looking at my stuff. And now this call from yet another agency! Someone pinch me!!
I called State Worker back, but since it was Friday at 4:15PM I didn't expect to get her. Which was right. So, I left a message and am now waiting on a return call on Monday with the time and location. But I HAVE AN INTERVIEW!!! And with "the State" no less!
Well, that was my Friday! If my weekend ends up completely uneventful, it won't matter cuz yesterday rocked and two out of three ain't bad odds!!
As you can see from yesterday's post, my super incredible friend Stacie is coming out to see me in April! (WOOOOHOOOO!!!!) For those of you who don't know our background, Stacie and I met several years ago at an on-line scrapping forum. We became friends, and over the last few years have gone through SO much together - good, bad, happy, sad, and everything in between. But we've never had the chance to actually be in the same place at the same time. At some point in the last week I said, "So you'd better get going on booking that trip for April!" or some other sassy tease. (Why April? Because I'll be officially crossing into another decade of years I've graced the earth with my presence.)
Yesterday started off like any other except that WJ's class was finally performing the short play they were supposed to have done before Christmas vacation, so I promised him I would go and watch. (It was very cute, but I'll do another post on that later.) Shortly after getting home I called my girl, Stacie, to see how her day was going, and the conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey, what's going on?
Stacie: Same ole. How's your day?
Me: Good....
Stacie: Hey... I've got a question for you!
Me: OK, shoot.
Stacie: What are you doing at 9:10PM Wednesday, April 18th?
Me: Hopefully picking up your ass from the Seattle airport!? (oozing sassiness)
Stacie: That's not too late? (giggle giggle)
Me: What??? Are you serious??? OMG!!!!!!!!!!!
Stacie: (laughing)
Me: OMG!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, you get the gist. She was booking the flight while on the phone with me and I was bouncing off the walls. Once she got the flight booked and my feet were on the ground again, I got to hear how she hit up Steve to make the trip. (She's very tricky!) Thank you Steve!!!! You rock!! And thanks Stacie's mom (can't remember if Stacie's ever actually used her mom's real name on her blog, so I won't throw it out there just in case she hasn't) for watching the kids so Stace can make this trip "kid free" (of course, they are always welcome to come!).
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon floating on air. What a great way to start my 2007! A few hours later I ran out to do some errands and meet up with a friend for a couple hours. On my way home, I decided to call and check my voicemail (can't miss any of my fans calling! lol). There was one new message. And what do I hear?
"Hello, this is (state worker's name) calling from the (state agency's name). We would like you to come in on Thursday for an interview......." OMG!! I almost drove off the road. Two awesome phone calls in one day!
At the beginning of December I'd finally gotten off my ass and uploaded all my info into the state's new on-line hiring system. The Friday before New Year's, I'd received an email from one of the agencies asking me to complete an additional questionnaire for one of the posted jobs, so I was optimistic that someone was actually looking at my stuff. And now this call from yet another agency! Someone pinch me!!
I called State Worker back, but since it was Friday at 4:15PM I didn't expect to get her. Which was right. So, I left a message and am now waiting on a return call on Monday with the time and location. But I HAVE AN INTERVIEW!!! And with "the State" no less!
Well, that was my Friday! If my weekend ends up completely uneventful, it won't matter cuz yesterday rocked and two out of three ain't bad odds!!
Friday, January 5
WooooooFREAKINhooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Do you see the counter? Over there on the sidebar! Take a look.
It's counting down to PARTY time!!
What party, you ask?
The forking HUGE party my girl Stacie and I are gonna have when she arrives here in Seattle!!!
WooooooFREAKINhooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
It's counting down to PARTY time!!
What party, you ask?
The forking HUGE party my girl Stacie and I are gonna have when she arrives here in Seattle!!!
WooooooFREAKINhooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, January 4
Thursday Thirteen - Round 12
Thirteen Things I'd Like to Do in 2007
1. Get a job! (really, I need one. this is getting ridiculous!)
2. Pay down my credit cards (obviously I'll need a job first)
3. Start working out again (ever since I got laid off, I haven't been doing much in the way of exercise. are we sensing a theme here?)
4. Travel back East to see Stacie & Liss (it's about time... dontcha think?)
5. Get rid of the Mazda (yeah yeah... shoulda done that last year!)
6. Do some housepainting (all the white walls are making me feel like I live in a sanitarium)
7. Get the fourth bedroom cleaned out once and for all (and not use it anymore as a dumping ground for shit I don't know what to do with)
8. Go to Vegas (in March!)
9. Get a tattoo (my birthday present to myself)
10. Take WJ to Disneyland (it's time to share the magic!)
11. Read lots of books (I'm so happy I started reading again!)
12. See the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie (at the theater)
13. Continue blogging (because when I get busy with other stuff, it's one of the first things that I slack on)
Wednesday, January 3
Happy New Year!
Yes, I know I'm a few days late in wishing everyone a Happy New Year, but with doing NaBloPoMo all November, Holidailies most of December, and then having the craziness of the holidays and the Rents here for two weeks I guess I've gotten a little burned out on blogging and am lacking much in the way of creativity.
But I will be back, hopefully later this week, with more stories, rants, and whatever else comes to mind. In the meantime, I hope everyone's 2007 is starting off well!
Cheers!!
But I will be back, hopefully later this week, with more stories, rants, and whatever else comes to mind. In the meantime, I hope everyone's 2007 is starting off well!
Cheers!!
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