monday madness

It's gonna be a long week!

After goofing around with my girls - Stacie and Liss - last night, I settled in front of the TV to watch Desparate Housewives. Towards the end, I sensed (but not heard) something in the hallway and looked over completely startled seeing WJ wandering toward me. At first I thought he was sleepwalking again. But, no. He was wide awake. Well, maybe not wide awake. But lucid enough to tell me he couldn't sleep. I let him sit with me for a little bit, then took him back up to bed. Shortly after 10:00pm, I heard him up again. WTH? Poor kid just couldn't sleep last night. So, I shut everything down, went upstairs, and stuck him in bed with me. (No. I never, ever do that unless he's really sick and I feel like I need to keep an eye on him.) He fell asleep almost immediately, but it was a fitful sleep - tossing, turning, wiggling. Needless to say, I wasn't sleeping because of it. Around 11:30pm the winds were so high I thought the roof was going to blow right off the house, or at the very least, the tree in my backyard neighbor's yard was going to fall over and come crashing through my bedroom ceiling. And I still wasn't sleeping. I took WJ back to his bed, climbed under the covers and was out within seconds. Not sure what the sleeping problem was, but at least we both finally got some.

So, I mentioned it's gonna be a long week, didn't I? Yep. Well, as if early release last Thursday, followed by no school on Friday wasn't enough, this week is early release all week long. Conference week. Why on earth they need an entire week for conferences is beyond me? (I'll save you my diatribe on early release/holiday/vacation closures for the rest of the year!) When I was a kid, we didn't have time off for conferences. They were scheduled in the late afternoons and evenings. Just like mine for WJ. My parent-teacher conference isn't even until 3:30pm this afternoon, so why must I pick up my son at 11:00am every day this week? And, to top it off, his dad is leaving tomorrow for a conference and will be gone the entire week.

It's only Monday, but I have a bad feeling about this week. Did I mention it's gonna be a long one?

'tis the season

Have you been out shopping recently? Just barely into the middle of November and every store in town is fully decked out with holiday garb. Starbuck's has their holiday cups, sleeves, gift cards, and specialty drinks. Even the city has started to put up their holiday decor. Christmas carols (yes... Christmas! not holiday... I'm not politically correct and I don't care) are blaring from every speaker. And stores are holding pre-holiday sales right and left. Sheesh! I like Christmas as much as the next guy, but why do they have to start things up so early?

I started my Christmas shopping a couple weeks ago. Yep! Very early for me this year. WJ found a Seahawks helmet he just *had to have* and since he was with me, I had to go back the next day to pick it up. Then Thursday night while at Best Buy I picked up the Cars DVD. So, two down. Need to head back to Costco this week and get a set of Star Wars light sabers. He's been wanting some since his birthday (after asking his Aunt for some when she called to see what he wanted and then sent some stupid Star Wars transformer thingies he never plays with). So not too shabby a start. Already know what I'm getting my parents too. Just need to get out there and get them. At this rate, I'll be done before the end of the month. Yay me!

I guess it'll be time to get out all the Christmas decorations soon too. When is too early to decorate the house? Seems like most years I wait until after Thanksgiving and then feel like I've gone through all the set-up for such a short enjoyment time. Maybe I'll get everything out this next week while WJ has hald-days at school so he can help. Besides... I want us to enjoy them together sooner since WJ won't be here this Christmas. (Not going into that torrent of emotions right now though.)

Mmm... off to finish enjoying my Starbucks Eggnog Latte.

saturday sass

How is it after 2pm already? And where did the past 48 hours go?

Every time I get a long weekend with WJ gone, I make all sorts of plans (in my head). But mostly things just take on a form of their own and move on a different time continuum. I always have so many things I want to do, start, accomplish. And there should definitely be enough time for all of them. In theory.

Instead I sit here finishing my morning coffee and breakfast at almost 2:30pm.

now that's more like it

Grande non-fat peppermint mocha in hand. Mmmm!!! Flood stock refreshed. Tunes playing. Candles lit.

All good now.

fork around friday

I have a shitload of stuff I need to get done. But it's Friday. So guess what? It's not getting done. I've decided to fork around instead.

Day started with little Miss Stacie waking my ass at 0830. Thanks chica! Has it been 5 minutes yet???

After a pot of coffee, blog chasing and forking around on the phone and IM, I warmed up. This put me after 1100. Trying to figure out WTH to blog about and getting useless suggestions from my evil duo, more forking around, and needing food I decided it's too late to do anything but fork around and babble about nothing so I can fulfill my NaBloPoMo requirement for the day.

Blasted wind and rain are back again. And, NO, the damn vent isn't blocked. But the towels are down to catch the steady stream of water I'm sure is forthcoming.

On the playlist right now:
All the Same - Sick Puppies
Anything But Ordinary - Avril Lavigne
Lips of an Angel - Hinder
Ever the Same - Rob Thomas
You Get Me - Michelle Branch
Only One - Lifehouse
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Fix You - Coldplay

Need to head to Safeway to stock up on the essentials in preparation for the flood. Got pizza and ice cream. Oh, and cheesecake filling. Yum!! Beer and wine at the top of the list. (Groove, get the ark!)

Enough random blather for now. Maybe some drunkin forking blather later... if you're lucky!

Thursday Thirteen - Round 4

Thirteen of My Favorite Movies
(in no particular order)

1. Thelma & Louise
2. Braveheart
3. Remember the Titans
4. The Sound of Music
5. Nine 1/2 Weeks
6. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
8. Dances with Wolves
9. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
10. Field of Dreams
11. Ladyhawke
12. First Knight
13. Willow

black friday

Are you one of those crazies that goes shopping on Black Friday to save a few bucks? Me... Not. So. Much.

My mom keeps sending me sale announcements for notebooks that are going to be sold on the dreaded day. (Yes, I'm looking for a notebook.) And I know if I really want to get a great deal on one, I'd get my sorry butt out there with the throngs of other crazies. But is it really worth it? Besides, this is my year to have WJ on Thanksgiving (he goes to his dad for Christmas this year - my first Christmas without him - an entirely separate post that will be forthcoming) and I just can't see dragging him out of his warm bed to join me in the madness and mayhem.

Then again... I'm a cheapass! And, if I can save a few bucks and get something I really want...

What am I saying? Someone. Anyone. Talk some sense into me.

anyone up for the Bahamas?

I seriously need a vacation! A real vacation too. Not going to see family. Not even going to visit friends. I'm talking about going somewhere sunny and warm, with sprawling beaches, crystal blue waters, and HOT scantily clad waiters delivering umbrella capped drinks. Thats. What. I. Need.

Yesterday was completely insane. It started with yet another visit to the dentist for WJ (3rd in two months - kid's got cavities galore). What should have been an easy fix was met with fear and tears. Not surprising after the last two visits. Funny thing about going to this dentist is it's the hygenist that does all the *yucky* stuff. So WJ really *likes* the dentist... just not the poor hygenist. Then it was off to school for him, and home for me to try to recruit the last of the volunteers needed for our school Emergency Call Tree System. Between working on that, talking on the phone, and getting the kitchen cleaned up I was ready for a nap. But no! There's more.

After picking up WJ and coming home to what I thought was going to be a quiet night, as I'm talking on the phone with a friend, the neighbor's 13 year old son comes over and tells me, "My Dad needs you to call him." So I get off the phone, call the dad, and find him in a panic. He's stuck in traffic (and trying to get around flooded streets) and his kids are stranded at daycare. So, I tell another friend that I'm IMing with *I gotta go!* and we jump in the car to rescue the kids. Think I'm done? Nope. There's. More.

Now it's going on 6:00pm, I call the friend I was IMing, make WJ some dinner, and sit down to relax. In the middle of dinner WJ tells me his mouth is sore. He says it hurts to open, so I figured it was just from having his jaw held open for so long at the dentist. He finishes his dinner (after I cut it in small pieces so he doesn't have to open is mouth so big) and when he's done I look at him. His bottom lip is huge! We're talking *someone who wants to have Botox injections is very jealous of him right now* huge. So, again, we jump in the car, this time heading for the Safeway pharmacy. The pharmacist recommends either Oragel or Benedryl, so I take the Oragel and head home. (After stopping at Bux to pick up a grande non-fat pumpkin spice latte with light whip.)

Now I've got two voicemail messages, make my return calls, gel up the kid, then sit to read with him before bedtime. I come back downstairs to find two friends IMing me, chat with them for awhile, and now it's 9:00pm. How. The. Hell. Is. It. Nine? I say goodnight, eat some dinner (yes, at 9:00pm - when else did I have time?), then plop in front of the tube. Back to IM and surfing a bit later, and at 11:30pm my head flops on the pillow and I'm out.

Oh, and did I mention I'm PMSing right now?

I. Seriously. Need. A. Vacation!

send a boat... and a paddle too

Another day of RAIN, RAIN and... did I mention... RAIN!! Our ball fields now look like lakes, with water almost up to the knees of the kids out playing in it. The roads are flooding. And my bay window roof is leaking... again. Ugh!

Finished the 4th Undead series book yesterday. So now the waiting begins until December for the 5th one to come out in paperback.

On a good note, after I assemble the binders for the ECTS (Emergency Call Tree System) I'll be done with my mandatory volunteer time* for the school year. That'll take about an hour. Yay! Now to get busy on planning the technology event I've been hired to plan.

*mandatory - obligatory; voluntary - given freely; without compulsion: hence... OXYMORON

books & stuff

I finally got my hands on Undead and Unappreciated on Thursday, but didn't really get much time to read until yesterday. Done! Again. These books are just so addicting. Really. I also picked up Undead and Unreturnable and immediately started it. I'm sure it'll be done by the end of the day, which is kinda sad because the 5th in the series - Undead and Unpoplular - doesn't come out in paperback until December and I'm just way too cheap to buy a hardcover.

As I think I mentioned before, it's not like I don't have a bunch of other books to read. In fact, I have four other books in various stages of unread that I can go back to - The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., and The Celestine Prophecy: An Experential Guide by James Redfield. Plus, I'm still waiting on the latest Stephanie Plum book (Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich) to come out in paperback, and have been casually looking for The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton. So, never a shortage of reading material... just never enough hours. And, with some of the books I'm reading, I have to be in a certain mindset to really absorb the info. At least I'm not the only one who's like this! When Stacie and I talked about all the books we were each reading, I think her last active read count was up to 14. Yikes!

In other news (which there really isn't that much of!) it absolutely DUMPED rain ALL day yesterday! I swear I thought I was going to need a boat. We went out to a birthday party for a little girl in WJ's class in the early afternoon, and by the time we headed home 2.5 hours later the roads were flooding, our new soccer and baseball fields looked like ponds, and it was still coming down. It was insane! I don't know when it stopped since I headed to bed early (well, early for me) but so far this morning, no rain. It's really nice to see the sun trying to peek out.

Today will just be the usual Sunday - laundry, house cleaning, football, vegging out and reading. Oh, and making phone calls to other school parents trying to finish up this stupid volunteer project I agreed to do. Ugh! Guess I'd better get a move-on.

is anybody out there?

Okay, let me just say this is NOT a plea for comments or anything! That would sound whiney... and I certainly wouldn't want to be accused of doing that. Pfffft!!!

But seriously. I know there are three of you who read my blog updates. How? Because you leave me comments. Of course sometimes they're just taunts, or evil thoughts. But whatever! At least I know you've been here.

But after agreeing to join Stacie in the NaBloPoMo posting frenzy, I'm seriously wondering if it's even worth it? I mean most of the stuff I post about YOU already know! I'm sure there are lurkers out there reading, but since my posts have become mostly gibberish, I'm thinking it may be time to "move on". (Speaking of which... I'm still debating on moving over to WordPress. Seems to be a lot more user friendly, from what I can tell.)

Anyway, just wondering.

But not whining!

could be

"Why is it raining, Mom?"

"Because it's that time of year again," I answer.

"You know why I think it's raining?" WJ asks.

"No... why?"

"Because we live in Washington. It always rains in Washington. You know... WASHington. Wash. Rain."

{insert eye roll here}

old & new

So, I've been wanting to do this for a long, long time now! Don't know that you can see the difference very well here, but I'm no longer a blonde. LOL On the left... the old me. On the right... the NEW me!

(If you click on the pics to enlarge them, you can really see the difference in color.)

Thursday Thirteen - Round 3

Thirteen Countries I've Visited

1. UK
2. Austria
3. Luxembourg
4. The Netherlands
5. Germany
6. France
7. Italy
8. Spain
9. Belgium
10. Mexico
11. Switzerland
12. Cyprus
13. US

how the hell is it november already?

Holy kraut! (as Stacie would say) WJ brought in a HUGE haul of candy last night. I think with it being so cold, and not as many kids out, people were giving out handfuls instead of one piece at a time. (I know we were! But, then again, I just wanted to stop having to get up to answer the door.) We went around our loop with some neighbors, then I pawned him off and retreated back to the warmth of the house to push as much candy as I could. By 7:45 the streets were empty and our candy was gone. Yay!

( Was finally able to post a pic!)

boo!

Happy Halloween!

It's that time again... ding-dong, trick-or-treat, "no we can't go to that house, the lights are off", sugar bugs reeking havoc on the teeth, spooktacular time of year! Oh joy! And this year, we get to wear several layers of clothes, hats, gloves, and big jackets just so we don't get frostbite while walking around in the 23 degree weather. Sheesh! At least it's not raining.

I was informed last night that my darling son had made plans with a classmate to gather the goods together. Uh huh! We already have plans to hoof it with the neighbors. So, classmate's mother calls and I break the news. Trying to be nice I invite them to come with us. She tells me the plan - they're meeting other classmate and mother in a neighborhood none of us live in. Notsomuch! Then, somehow, after hanging up the phone... I realize she's invited herself over an hour after we already go out. WTH? So now I gotta entertain tonight too? Ugh!

I'm sure you remember this from growing up, but it was really funny to hear WJ saying it this morning. (And guess who taught it to him? Classmate he made plans with!)

Trick-or-Treat, smell my feet

give me something good to eat!

If you don't, I don't care

I'll pull down your underwear.

book update

Another one done! I bought the second in the series, Undead and Unemployed, on Saturday around 3:00PM. By 10:00AM the following morning... done.

I knew I should have bought all the remaining ones right away. Now I've been forced to start reading other things. Not that these others are bad (though I am having a hard time getting into one I picked up last night), it's just not the same. Oh well! This looks like it's shaping up to be a busy week, so I probably won't have much reading time anyway. Unless, of course, I break down and get Undead and Unappreciated!

bittersweet

I finished reading Undead and Unwed last night before going out. Awesome book! With any good "series" book, it's always bittersweet when you finish - now you know the ending, but if you don't have the next one to start, it sucks. So, of course, now I'll have to make a trip out today to get Undead and Unemployed. It's not that I don't have a ton of other books around here I can read... I just don't like to wait. Besides, today is a perfect day for curling up on the sofa, under a warm blanket, with a good book.

I've also got to get something made with the big box of apples sitting in my garage. Applesauce is a definite, and I was originally thinking of an apple pie. But there are SO many of them! And then a friend mentioned she was making apple crisp. Yum! I asked her to send me the recipe, and it turns out it's her husband's mother's recipe. And now I can't wait! Family recipes are always SO much better than those from a cookbook. If you want some apple crisp, c'mon over! I certainly don't want to have to eat it all myself.

Thursday Thirteen - Round 2

Thursday Thirteen - Round 2: Thirteen Jobs I've Had

1. bank teller
2. caterer
3. dry cleaner
4. legal secretary
5. receptionist
6. administrative assistant
7. event planner
8. medical office staff
9. inventory counter
10. non-profit association management
11. owner of e-commerce site
12. independent consultant
13. mother

craziness

There's always such craziness when I'm hangin' with Stacie and Liss! Here's our latest wildness. You can check it out and run a picture of yourself... or a friend.

Hitch50

Have you ever wanted to see every state in the US? Well, these two guys, Scotty and Fiddy, are on the move to do it. Check it out!

Looking forward to their arrival in Oly!!

word verification?

There is just something wrong when you go to post a comment on your own damn blog and you have to actually DO the word verification just to post! I mean c'mon... you see it's me... I'm already logged in. Are you too stupid to tell that I am the only owner of this blog?

And, in case you didn't know, it's not really "word" verification! I'm pretty sure that randomly throwing together a bunch of letters does NOT constitute forming a word. Sheesh!

Thursday Thirteen - Round 1

I almost forgot I was going to start Thursday Thirteen this week! Found the idea from Stacie. Thanks chica! Guess it's a blog trend right now, so I might as well jump on the bandwagon. Basic rules: You post it every Thursday (which I almost forgot!), you create the theme (might be hard sometimes), then list thirteen things that fall under that theme. I hope you try it too!

Thursday Thirteen - Round 1: Thirteen Things on My Breakfast Bar

1. Coffee maker
2. Bottle of Merlot
3. Telephone
4. Plant
5. Candles
6. Leaves (collected by Wesley while on a walk)
7. Camera
8. Computer
9. Books
10. Keys
11. Sunglasses
12. Organizer
13. School photos

I was tagged!

That crazy girl Stacie tagged me! So here goes...

Here are the rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but the must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

My seven:
1. You and Me
2. Chasing Cars
3. Fix You
4. Welcome to Wherever You Are
5. Far Away
6. Now Comes the Night
7. Everywhere

Seven people I'm tagging:
Liss
Sara
Groove
Jessica
Terri
Norman
Subservient Worker

I don't really expect anyone to do this... so no pressure!

is this my hell?

It's that wonderful time of the year again when I will be somewhat absent from the world. Why? Tomorrow my mother arrives for a week. {sigh}

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed having her here the last time, this trip was "sprung" on me (read as she booked the damn trip and THEN told me she was coming without asking if it was a good time for me) and it really wasn't a convenient time (had to change around some plans). Regardless, she'll be coming by herself this time... something she needs to do every once in a while to regain whatever sanity she's lost to my father. The other thing that bothers me about this trip is since I'm STILL not working, I'll be expected to spend that much more time with her.

Oh well... maybe this is my hell and I'm off to better places later in life!

back against the wall (update)

My prankster is back!

Well, I don't know if he/she ever left, but there hadn't been any pranks... until I wrote about it. :-)

Wesley goes to bed at 8pm on school nights... and I am ususally a night owl. Last night, however, I headed up around 11pm. Anyway, as you can calculate, I was the only one downstairs and awake for the 3 hours between 8pm-11pm. AND, I know I used the downstairs toilet several times during that time.

When I came down just a few minutes ago and went in to pee, how do you think I found the toilet??? Yep! Lid and seat fully up! LOL

Now does that make you want to sit with your back against the wall?

back against the wall

So, Stacie was asking us to share stories about feeling the need to have our backs against the wall. We talked about this a bit over the weekend, both of us having read Norman's creepy stories. It was actually a revelation to me (after reading them) that what I've experienced throughout my life probably IS attached to me, and not a particular house or location. Anyway, that said, I've got a bunch of creepy stories I can tell, but for now, I'll just stick with one that's sort of funny. (Don't want to creep anyone out too much!)

I have a ghost. Well, I think he/she is still around? Anyway, a little background. We moved into this house in October 2001 (WOW! just realized it's been 5 years yesterday). Wesley was just 16 months at the time. I truly believe children have the ability to see/hear/communicate on a different level that most adults either choose not to recognize or are too embarassed to admit exists.

When he was around 2-1/2, he started "talking" to someone... much in the way children create imaginary friends. He would giggle, smile, and actually "look" at whoever he was communicating with. I tried to ask him questions about his little "friend" not wanting to discourage his awareness, but he never gave me anything more than a playful laugh. I know he saw him/her. I know he played with him/her. Whether he still does now, I'm not sure.

Our ghost isn't a harmful one. He/she is actually a prankster. On one occassion, when The Rents were visiting, he/she played a trick on my mother. For whatever reason (and there always is one... neck pain, pissed off about something, my dad's snoring) my mom decided to sleep on the couch in our family room for the night. As I found out the next morning, she awoke during the night to use the restroom, and when she went to "sit" on the toilet (with the lights off) found herself falling in the bowl since not only the lid, but the toilet seat were up. With three boys in the house (my dad, my ex, and Wesley) this wouldn't be an uncommon experience except for the fact that SHE was the last one to use the toilet the night before and when she went to bed... everything was down.

We asked all the boys if they'd for some reason come downstairs in the middle of the night to use the toilet instead of using one of the two perfectly funcitioning ones upstairs. Of course, they hadn't.

I couldn't help but laugh, and told her it was obviously the ghost playing tricks on her. Not only did she NOT think it was funny... she just looked at me and said, "I can't believe you REALLY think you have a ghost in this house!"

Well... how else do you explain it?

i've never

The real things I have never done are in red.

I've Never French-Kissed A Member Of The Opposite Sex.
I've Never French-Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex.
I'veNever Had Sex With A Member Of The Opposite Sex.
I've Never Had Sex With A Member Of The Same Sex.
I've Never Had A Three-Some.
I've Never Been In Love.
I've Never Had Sex In A Public Place.
I've Never Had Group Intercourse.
I've Never Been Spanked.
I've Never Been Tied Up.
I've Never Regretted Having Sex With Someone.
I've Never Made Out With A Stranger.
I've Never Gone On A Blind Date.
I've Never Had A Crush On A Teacher or Professor.
I've Never Slept With A Co-Worker.
I've Never Had Sex At The Office.
I've Never Been Married.
I've Never Been Divorced.
I've Never Had Sex With More Than One Person Within The Same Week.
I've Never Posed Nude.
I've Never Watched Porn.
I've Never Gotten Someone Drunk Just To Have Sex With Them.
I've Never Received Scars From My Sex Partner.
I've Never Had Sex At A Friend's House While They Were Throwing A Party.
I've Never Had Sex In A Dressing Room.
I've Never Flashed Anyone.
I've Never Met Anyone From Online.
I've Never Cheated On My Significant Other.
I've Never Masturbated.
I've Never Used A Sex Toy On Myself.
I've Never Used A Sex Toy On Someone Else.
I've Never Danced On A Table Or Bar.
I've Never Strip-Teased For Anyone.
I've Never Received A Hand Job.
I've Never Given A Hand Job.
I've Never Had Sex In A Hammock.
I've Never Performed Oral Sex.
I've Never Received Oral Sex.
I've Never Had Anal Sex.
I've Never Had Sex involving a strapon.
I've Never Given/Received A Golden Shower.
I've Never Had Sex With Someone While Fantasizing About Having Sex With Someone Else.
I've Never Had A Sex Dream.
I've Never Had An Orgasm By Myself.
I've Never Had An Orgasm With/By Someone Else.
I've Never Had Phone Sex.
I've Never Had Cyber Sex.
I've Never Role-Played.
I've Never Played Strip Poker.
I've Never Cheated on my Taxes.
I've Never Farted on the TV Screen.
I've Never Fantasized About Having Sex With Carmen Electra.

So... Stacie and Liss (and anyone else who wants to play along)... what have YOU never done?

the Hoff

In our neverending quest to bring joy to Liss, our pink belt, stiletto heel wearing, little people lookin', green tea drinkin', David Hasselhoff lovin' girl, we bring you David Hasselhoff is the Antichrist. No longer will she have to have abandonment issues.... she's got The Hoff.

the interview

It went well.... maybe too well. Now I'm worried I'm getting my hopes up too high. And what if I don't get this? The company sounds great and the two guys I met seem nice. I think it would be really cool to work for a small company again... especially since they're growing. They said they had a couple more candidates to talk to but I sure hope I hear something in the next couple of days.

1st grade

Yesterday was Wesley's first day of school. The 1st grade. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday he was starting Kindergarten.... then summer came and went.... and now he's back to school again.

It was kinda nice to be "off" to see him to school. After getting his stuff put up in the classroom we headed up to the gym for morning prayer. With all the classes in "formation" I noticed just how small the new Kindergarten class looked. It was hard to believe that our kids looked that tiny... that scared... that wondering just a year ago. And now, they stood there confident... ready to face the challenges ahead.

In Wesley's words "My first day was GREAT!" It's good to hear and hope it doesn't change for a long time to come. His teacher this year is a wonderful lady who is both caring and challenging. I just hope Wesley meets the challenge head on.

could it be?

Week 1 - The "forced" vacation. I relaxed, played, slept in and basically had some fun! It was great!!

Week 2 - Time to get in gear. Lots of stuff around the house, a little bit of fun, and lots and lots of hours spent on applications and resumes.

Week 3 - Enough of this SHIT!!!

Last night I hit an alltime low. I was pissy and throwing a pity party for myself. I was in serious hope that after the long holiday weekend I'd start to hear something. And I did. Two "thanks but no thanks letters" arrived from the city and the state patrol. Well pfffft!!! I am SICK of not working. I feel like my brain is rotting away.

Then, today, a glimmer of hope. A call on a resume I sent out two days after my layoff. The guy was more than interested. Kept making reference to "your job" and "what you want to make it"... I've only heard that sort of speak after the interview and before an offer. I have an interview (woohoo!) on Monday morning. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high... so we'll see. Keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks to those of you who've been more than supportive during this chaos and drama filled life of mine. You know who you are... and what it means to me.

round 2

So where was I?

As my wonderful Sis pointed out, I guess it's been awhile since I've updated. You'd think I'd have more time to do this with not working, but life's been pretty crazy the past week.

Well my last day at the big computer company that's STILL cleaning house (or so I've heard) was last Friday. It all went much better than I'd anticipated. Just roamed around saying my good-byes then went out to lunch with a pretty good sized group of (now former) co-workers. Yummy mexican food.... even BETTER margaritas!

The job search is going. Not sure where, but I'm working on it. Back on the 10th I took a "test" for State Farm (I use that term lightly as it was really more of a personality probe filling in the bubbles and then having the big dot reader in the sky determine if I'm full of myself). So after waiting much longer than the 3-5 days they said they would contact people, I finally got a phone call on Tuesday and have the Round 2 stuff to attend to tomorrow morning. Interview with an HR rep, take a typing test, and complete an application. Don't even know what they've got for openings right now, or the pay structure... so we'll see.

Other than that, just getting caught up on the piles around the house. And having a little play time too! It's like being on vacation... until I go to pay the bills and wonder where I'm gonna get the money.

It'll all work out.

pass the hat

Quick update on on a couple things...

Congratulations Steve, Stacie & Michael! Little Piper finally made her appearance this morning around 6:30am ET at a very healthy 7lbs+. Can't wait to see her!!

I've got my walking papers... A couple weeks ago you might remember I posted that I was in the right place at the wrong time. Well, this past Wednesday I was told my end date - Friday, August 18. Even when you know it's coming, it's still sort of surreal. I've never been in this situation before - getting laid off and not knowing where my next job would be. So I've been stressing pretty hard lately. Have a few irons in the fire and am just keeping my fingers crossed one of them turns out. If not, I may have to resort to one of the suggestions made by two friends - pass the hat before leaving on my last day, or get back out and work the street corner. Nice.

observations on the fair

By fair standards, the Thurston County Fair really isn't much of a fair. Oh, they have all the big fair events - livestock auctions, horse riding competitions, vendors, agriculture, art, concerts, food and the carnival - but on the scale of county fairs... it's peanuts.

Nonetheless, Wesley looks forward to going every year, and we made our annual trek last night with Cathy and Cody. This year I got smart and planned ahead.

• Dinner at Cathy's - FREE
• Parking - $2.50 (Cathy paid the other half)
• Entrance - $2.00 (plus two donations for the Thurston County Food Bank)
• Unlimited carnival ride wristband - $15.00 (purchased before the fair started saving an additional $5)

Besides the people we ran into from school, summer camp, or wherever else we know people from, I have to say there are some really weird people that hang out at the fair. Some of my favorites were:

• The couple who wanted to know where the stage was (there's 3) and then argued with me when I told them where each and every one of them were.
• The kid that kept going in the exit and out the entrance of the haunted house after being told by the carnie at least 6 times to go the other way. (Where the hell were the parents?)
• The mother who argued with one of the carnies about 'why would she be allowed to buy tickets for her daughter to ride the rides and then have her daughter not be allowed to ride them'. (The girl had a full cast on her right arm.)
• The man who dropped his cell phone while riding the Zipper and somehow got it stuck inside the fiberglass seat he was riding in causing the ride to be shut down for 15 minutes while they tried to retrieve it for him. (Didn't happen... maybe when they tear things down in the middle of the night on Sunday.)
• And my most favorite... the old fat lady who wanted me to watch her purse and bag while she rode the rides so she wouldn't have to take them on with her.

Of course there were many other skanky, poorly (or barely) dressed people floating about, but it's rare when you can say the carnies looked more normal and approachable than many of the fairgoers. The carnies are on their way to you next week, Stacie. Wish I could send the rest of the underworld with them!

referral denied

It's pretty bad when you have to submit a resume for review by some anonymous person, and they're the one who decides if they will give you a referral to the company looking to hire. I submitted such referral request this morning and by this afternoon I have a lovely email with the subject line "Referral Denied".

Let's take a look at the job posting and how I meet (or EX-freakin-CEED) the damn qualifications, shall we!?!

Job Requirements:
* AA Degree; Check!
* Five (5) years of increasingly responsible administrative support experience; I only have 15+, so apparently this should read "No more than five (5) years..."
* Strong computer skills, including MS Office Suite applications; proficiency w/ MS Access is a plus; MS Office Suite, PageMaker, FrameMaker, Photoshop, PrintShop, Acrobat... just to name a few
* Excellent written & verbal communication and customer service skills; last time I checked English was my first freakin language
* Self-motivated & self-initiating, with the ability to organize & prioritize workload, anticipate, plan and multi-task; uh... yeah... kinda have to have all these to do any freakin job, don't ya!?
* Detail-oriented, able to review & understand general instructions, prepare & provide detailed information, yet flexible and adaptable to change; English... I speak English
* Valid WA State Driver's License and own reliable transportation & telephone; I sure hope so since I'm putting at least 30 miles a day on my car and paying out the ass for all the gas
* Pass pre-employment drug screening and reference check. Check... done that 7 months ago

Maybe Stacie's right... I better go scope out my old street corner.

for terri

Double the YUM!!

right place... wrong time

Accepting the unknown has always been difficult for me. Yet I find myself being taken there again and again (especially in the past 2 years). So far, I think I've done pretty well making my way through all the changes.

So, here I go again. Nothing 'official' yet, but my contract is being terminated. Could be next week... a couple weeks from now... or even a month (highly doubtful). Just another one of those being in the right place at the wrong time situations. In some ways I can understand the 'why', but it doesn't make it any easier to pick myself up and start looking for work again. And the fear of the unknown came roaring in last night. (Which is why I waited until today to try to make any sense of it.)

The sense that I've come to is this... I've proven to myself that I can still do it! I knew going in there were no guarantees. Then again, there never are guarantees in life, so that should have been a no brainer. I tried to keep the mindset of 'if my badge doesn't set off the alarm on the way in the door, and my computer boots with my login... then I'm working today'. Watching 'permanent employees' (what an oxymoron) be walked out the door (some 18 or 20 year workers) was awful. Working side by side with people who I now consider friends facing their own uncertainty has been a strain. But trying to keep a smile on my face and go about 'business as usual' knowing that my business will come to an abrupt end in a matter of days is the worst stress of all. I'll have another notch on my resume for my time spent there. I just hope someone sees that sooner than later.

I spent the night feeling sorry for myself. And today I'll spend some time picking myself up and moving on. But at least I'm not annoying!

holy shit is it ever HOT

Day 4 of 90+ weather here in the Pacific Northwest. Friday... 101, Saturday... 98, Sunday... 99, and as of now it's 95 frickin degrees. This is insane!

My neighbors across the street (who also moved here from AZ) asked on Saturday, "Remind you of Tucson?"

"Hell NO!", I said. "In Tucson I was hibernating in air conditioning." (A luxury I don't have here, but they do. Sheesh!)

At least I got to spend the day in the AC at work. Of course being at work was another story entirely, with org changes still being announced, and stupid people thinking it's thier business to tell me first thing in the morning "I hear you're contract's been cut" when they know NOTHING of the sort and are just bitter and angry that they had the axe lowered on them (as a permanent employee). Cut the dead wood... but watch that it doesn't come back and try to fall on you.

The weekend was pretty good even with the heat. WJ was with his dad and I got the carpets shampooed and went to the movies... by myself. LOL First time for that. But shit... it was hot... and I didn't feel like waiting around for someone to go with me. Saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest. Don't know what it is about Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom as pirates, but they sure are yummy! Good flick. If you haven't seen it, go. Great comedy and action mix.

Also read the 11th in the series of Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. The 12th comes out tomorrow, but I'm cheap so I'll wait for it to come in paperback.

So that's it. Nothing too exciting. Now I'm off to grab another beer and maybe stick my head in the freezer for awhile. Cheers!

exactly

"Never, never, never do the least bit more than what is expected of your job in this business. You will never get anything in reward, and the only gratitude you may sense from superiors is not for you, but that they found someone who would willingly overwork themselves."

- a bitter waitress

i'm back

Sheesh! Didn't mean to be gone for so long. It's been a busy few weeks with the Rents here, Wesley's birthday, Mom's birthday, 4th of July, and all the usual junk. So, here's a quick update and some pics from our past few weeks.

The Rents arrived June 21st and stayed until the 4th. Much to my surprise, it was the best visit we've had in many years. Not a single argument, no walking on eggshells. Just lots of fun, and laughs.

Wesley turned 6 on the 26th. This year's theme was.... (can you guess?).... sports! His favorite gift was a Seattle Sonics jersey I just happened upon at the last minute. In the past week, he's worn it at least 4 days. He spent a whole week celebrating his birthday starting with the weekend prior going camping (in a cabin) at a lake with his Dad, opening his presents from Grandma/Grandpa and me the day before (followed by dinner at his favorite restaurant - the Mayan), then going to see Cars on his actual birthday. Throughout the week, Wesley and the Rents played at the park, went on outings, and had a great time together. The following Saturday was a joint birthday party at the YMCA with his friend Cody (who turned 6 on the 30th). Again, a sports theme complete with basketball, hockey, rock climbing, and adventure zone play.

The holiday weekend was packed with a trip to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Mom's birthday, the Rents heading back to California, and the 4th. Got some great pics at the zoo. These are two of my favorite of the animals.
This crazy walrus came and sat right in front of us, posing for pics. He is 24 years old and weighs 3200 lbs. The look on his face is priceless, like there's 24 years of wisdom bottled up in his little head. My other favorite for the day is this pic of one of the polar bears. It was a hot, sunny day and after spending some time "sun bathing" he jumped in the water and started showing off. At one point, he came down right in front of Wesley and just looked at him (but there were too many people in front of me to get a good pic of it). Don't know how old or big this guy is, but I did learn that male polar bears can get as tall as 10 ft.

Wesley also got to go on stage at the animal show, having an Asian owl swoop down over him.

The 3rd was Mom's birthday... shhh... don't tell anyone. She doesn't like anyone to know. We had a pretty low key day, just hanging out, a little shopping, and the Rents packing to go home.

On the 4th, Wesley and I drove the Rents to the airport, then went to Fred Meyer and picked up some flowers, transplanted them, and kicked back until it got dark. Our neighbors who we normally celebrate the 4th with were gone this year, so we just lit a few fireworks off out front and then watched all the other crazies shoot hundreds of dollars worth of "bang" into the sky. Don't get me wrong, I love to watch, but for all the money spent on fireworks I might as well just roll up a wad a cash and set it on fire.

So, now we're back to the weekly routine of work (ugh!) and summer camp. And I'm missing my friends who are off on vacations themselves. Plans for this weekend: R-E-L-A-X

for all my chai loving friends

Run... don't walk.... to your nearest Baskin Robbins!! I hadn't been there in years, but stopped the other night on the way home from the dance recital (our neighbor's daughter... not Wesley). Anyway, there's a (new) ice cream called Tea of Tranquility and is it ever yum!! Chai tea ice cream with pieces of ginger cookie running through it. One scoop was the perfect ending to a very, very long day.

Enjoy!

for stacie

Heeeeeeyyyy!

for liss

tag.... you're it

favorite color: black... with pink coming in a close second
word i most like to be described as: evil
best meal i cook: spaghetti
favorite dessert: ice cream
favorite movie: thelma & louise
favorite outfit: skinny jeans, little white t, flip flops
usually in bed by: midnight unless there's evil lurking
favorite sounds: quiet
i wish: i try not to
what i crave: not appropriate for this blog
surround me with: silliness

it's you're turn:
Stacie
Liss
Jess
Sara
and anyone else who cares to share

frivilous drivel

It's been one year already since Stacie started this blog for me. One long, eventful year.

It's amazing to think about everything that's happened in that short time. And somehow I've managed to keep posting every now and then about frivilous drivel. Even though I've have fewer hours to post and less and less I can say out loud... here we are a year later.

If you still visit, enjoy!

day from hell

apparently i've been offensive.... work sucked.... so glad that today is only the beginning of the week

now i've got even more crappy days to look forward to

yeah, it's been a week........

And I still haven't said much here. My week's been filled with uncertainty, stupidity, boring drivel, and lots and lots of whining. None of them affecting me (neccessarily), just indirectly affecting me. KWIM?

My three bitches for the week are Johnny Jackass, night terrors and my meds.

Johnny's seen the kid twice in the last two weeks for 2-3 hrs each time. Summer hasn't even started and he's already on his flight plan. Which ties in to bitch #2.... night terrors. In the last week, the kid's had 3 of them. If you (or your kids) have never gone through them, let me just tell you they're AWFUL. Research tells me they're common at this age. It also tells me stress is one of the most common triggers. Yeah, I'd be stressed too if it was "that time" of the year and my Johnny was off playing without me again. Brings all the abandonment issues to the forefront again. And guess who's left holding the bag?

None of this helps with my meds being off. Damn doctors think they know what I need because some medical book gives them a "range". Fuck that! I am not one of the 99 people they tested that live in their freakin' range. But, of course, what do I know since I don't have a medical degree and only know that I was feeling the best I've felt in years and now feel like ass.

Time for another change.

some people

trying to get them to speak up is like pulling teeth...... i'm working on it

going awol

The rents arrive today. They'll be here for a week. That says it all.

catching flak

Nothing new, nothing to say, but don't want to catch flak for being the only one without an updated blog.

Phhhhffffffffffffttttttttttt!!!!!!!!

complicated

Take a look around, this is what I see
Is there anybody else that feels like me
You sweat, you bleed
What you get ain't what you see
Up is down and black is white to me
I'm complicated, I get frustrated
Right or wrong, love or hate it
I'm complicated, you can' t sedate it
I heard that song but I won't play it
It's alreight, i's OK, you wouldn't want me any other way
Momma, keep on praying 'cause I ain't changin'
I'm complicated
I'm smart enough to know what I don't know
I'm fool enough to stay when I should go
You work, you cry
You watch your whole life pass you by
Sometimes you've got to close your eyes to see
Is there anybody out there?
Just like everbody out there
Just one somebody out there, just like me
I'm complicated, I get frustrated
Right or wrong, love or hate it
I'm complicated, you can' t sedate it
I heard that song but I won't play it
Is there anybody out there?
Just like everybody out there
Just one somebody out there
Just like me

(written and sung by Jon Bon Jovi.... posted on this blog for a friend)

just stuff

It's FRIDAY!!!! It could NOT have come any sooner. Work's been hellish, WJ's been driving me nuts, and I am SO ready for the weekend. So here' s the weekly catch up........

Kid gets home from the weekend with his dad. Half hour back home...... fever. 2am........ puking. Next day somewhere around 4pm......... fever breaks and I've got Damien on my hands. Not exactly the way I wanna start out the week. Been fine ever since.

Next day...... just the ssdd at work.

Day after that...... only thing I can kinda remember is staying up WAY WAY too late. Two and a half hours of sleep make the following day very long.

Then there's the day everyone felt the need to visit my cube and tell me about this and that, bitch and gripe, ask opinions, try to get info, want something, need something, and pretty much ANY and EVERY other thing you can think anyone would stop by. The result........ very little accomplished. But, going off of the 2.5 hrs of sleep.......... it was probably a good day for it to happen since not much else was.

Which brings us to today...... freakin' ghost town at work. Wished I'd brought WJ's bowling set with me. It would of helped to pass the time. Left early to take WJ for an eye appointment. Good news is he's now up to 20/20 right and 20/25 left from the original 20/20 right and 20/40 left. The bad news is he still has to wear the specs. Not bad news for any other reason than he SO wants to play sports, so now I'm going to have to invest in a pair of sports specs. Chaching! Got home from the appt and was enjoying my first beer when the phone rings and a friend is having woes. Her husband is a putz. And he's just taken all his frustration out on her. Um, NO!! Deal with your problems instead of trying to place blame on someone else. So, she and her son came over for awhile so she could "get another opinion" on stuff. And now......... food. Need to get some since I've not eaten yet today. Then again, the way the scale's reading these days, I might not eat just so I can watch the numbers continue to plummet.

Have a good one!!! And go update your blog you slacker.

on blogs

The 2006 Bloggies are out. And the other night I think I visited every single winning blog..... and some of the blogs listed on the winning blog sites. All I have to say is there 's some weird shit out in blogs land. Some of my favorites among the winners (soon to be listed in my Places I Visit section) are PostSecret, Waiter Rant, girl with a one-track mind, and Fark. Among the non-winners are Threadbared and Suicide Girls. Check them out.

piercings and tatoos

The other week (I think it was last), Liss and I were IMing and we started talking about piercings and tatoos. I know many people with both - some with few, some with many. I only have double pierced ears, which is a total waste since I never use the second holes and always wear the exact same pair of earrings every day. But if I ever forget to put them in, I truly feel naked all day.

We didn't get into a very long conversation about either, but it's something I've thought about on and off over the years. When I was in my 20's I thought both were pretty cool. Only to look at, on other people. In my early 30's I couldn't figure out why people pierced or tatooed some of the body parts that are now common place areas to adorn. Now, pushing into my 40's (at a much too rapid pace), I once again find myself thinking about how cool the tatoos are and wondering.... would I, could I, should I? I know I won't ever do any more piercings, but the tatoos keep sucking me in.

So, let me hear from you. Do you have piercings? tatoos? How many? When did you get them? And, most important, what do you like most about them?

nothing exciting

Nothing exciting to report from the past week. Work (which apparently is now a taboo subject in blogland), not enough sleep, and being a not so nice mommy yesterday morning. Oh, and then there's the subject of piercings and tattoos... but that'll have to be another entry.

So the work news that I can post without fear of retaliation is that I had a very, very long week. Clocked 36 hours by the end of Thursday, so I bolted at 2:30 on Friday, came home home and had something to eat (since I'd missed lunch), and flopped on the couch to read. Now almost halfway through book four... Four to Score by Janet Evanovich. I'm sure by tomorrow I'll be on book five.

Not enough sleep seems to be a common problem for me. If I go to be too early, I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall asleep again until it's almost time to get up for the day (which is usually at the buttcrack of dawn anyway). Then, if I stay up later, I sleep without interruption, but then don't feel like I've gotten enough sleep to make it through the day. It's a shitty cycle to be on, but haven't found anything that works to change it.

Being a bad mommy always comes back and bites me in the butt. Hopefully this one won't, but I'm sure it will. A little background... Every week that precedes WJ's departure to his father's house for the weekend, I have to hear about how excited he is. Fine. Can't imagine what there is to be so excited about, but hey... I'm bitter. And I know the truth! But I digress. Yesterday morning the excitement just sorta pushed a button in me. Following is our conversation:

"I'm going to Daddy's today!" says WJ.

"Yes, I know."

"I'm so excited!!!" (said while jumping around and procratinating on getting ready for school)

"I'm happy for you," I reply.

"I love going to Daddy's!"

(At this point I am starting to boil. Thoughts of saying "Well, maybe you want to go LIVE with Daddy" are popping up in my head.)

I turn to him and say, "Ya know, I'm happy that you like going to your Dad's. But I have to tell you... hearing about it a hundred times throughout the week is really wearing thin. It makes me feel like you'd rather be there than here and don't like living in this house, with me."

"I love living in this house" he replies. (Totally missing the point, but of course he would... he's 5!)

Quiet for a minute while I dry my hair. I see his mouth moving but can't hear him over the dryer, so I shut it down.

"What?"

"I love you!"

"I love you too."

Fast forward a bit to the drive to school.

"Mommy..."

"Yes."

"I love you. And I love our house."

"That's good."

"I just like to visit my Dad."

"I know."

Having this sort of conversation with anyone can be draining, but when it's with a 5 year old, it's disasterous. He doesn't get it. Hell, I'm not sure I even get it. Maybe one day it will all be clear. Until then, I bite my tongue as much as I can. But sometimes I act like a bad mommy.

Well, enough blathering! All you who've been bugging me to update my blog, got your request. The rest of you... if you've read down to here, you might as well keep reading to the end. I'm off to get a much needed haircut, then maybe a little shopping. Need some new jeans since mine keep insisting on falling off me. Could be worse, eh?

Have a great Saturday!!

it's wednesday, so it must be time for change.... again....

It was nice while it lasted. Extra hours in my day to do whatever I wanted. Read. Screw around on-line. Clean. Talk on the phone. Okay, it wasn't really all that great. And now it's gone again! WTH am I talking about??? My hours at work.

Like the wind (and apparently because it's Wednesday) my hours have changed yet again. I was cornered in a conference room by my manager this afternoon and was told "Okay, so... you know I had to cut your hours. Well, there's too much going on... blah blah blah... need you to work more... blah blah blah... value add to the group... blah blah blah...." So, you get the point without me spelling it all out, right!? The funniest thing to me is it was like day one all over again. "I'm putting you back to 40 hrs... but can you work 45... is 50 pushing too far!?" Uhhhh!!! I'm back to a (more than) full-time schedule, so that's what's important. Crazy busy 9 hour day today too. ;)

well, it's official

Life is funny! One day your hours are reduced, and the next you have a new job title. LOL I am now "officially" no longer an admin. My new position.... Program Support. I was left a message from my manager to change my voicemail to reflect this change. Oh, and also do some administrative tasks for him! Bwaahaahaahaa!!!!

Now the big task.... making sure that the administrative tasks are redirected and that no one gives me a headache over it. At least it's progress, right!?

aaah.... back to the office

Wesley went back to school (yay!) and I went back to the office (woohoo!!). It felt so good to get out of the house and among other adults. Of course I spent the first two hours in a boring meeting, but...

I've also had a bit of a schedule change with work. I'm on a reduced hours shift now... 35 per week. Not too bad since they could have just terminated my contract. And, it will probably work out to my benefit in the long run since I won't have to be paying much (if anything) in extended care costs for Wesley. Don't know how long I'll be on this schedule, but for now it suits me just fine.

Now if I can just get my home computer to stop acting up, I'll be set. Off to do some more tweaking!

only one more day

I never thought I would say this, but............. someone take my child!!!!!!!!!!! Not permanently, just for a little while. He has been on mid-winter break since after school on Thursday and doesn't go back until tomorrow. He's also been talking / making noise / being obnoxious 27/7. (As he will be the first to tell anyone - like the grocery store clerk - "I don't make noise when I'm sleeping.") That's about the only time he doesn't. I just don't know how I did it?? Being a SAHM never seemed this difficult before? Is it me who's changed? Or him???

So, the good news is this is the last of a 24 hour x 5 day stint. And, he will actually be going out with his dad for a little while this afternoon. Of course I'll be doing my other favorite thing.... working from home. Bah! Oh well, there's always tomorrow to look forward to. Going back to the office and sending WJ back to school.

Have a nice day! :D

have a nice day

Pretty much sums up how I'm feeling these days... enjoy! Oh...... and turn it UP!

colder than cold

There is just something wrong with the high for the day being 32 and the low for tonight projected to be 12. I'm beginning to see why Terri lives in Florida! As if my almost $200 heating bills the past three months haven't been bad enough, now it's even colder than it was then. Ugh!!

I worked at home today. Good thing too since the site lost power for several hours and virtually everyone went home to work. Well, those who weren't being slackers anyway! (Not mentioning any names, but they know who they are.) Day went pretty quick, and now we're looking at a nice, relaxing three day weekend. Of course not working on Monday (President's Day) puts a whole in the paycheck, but the way things keep changing around the office, there might not be a paycheck (or at best a dramatically reduced one) coming in for much longer. So I'm going day by day with a "Stacie party smile" plastered to my face. :D

Got the next two books by Janet Evanovich. I'm sure I'll carve out some time this weekend to start diving into book two - Two For The Dough.

Hope everyone is having a good start to their weekend! Stay warm, stay safe and have fun!!!

solo saturday

Wesley gone to his dad's... sleeping until 9:00am... and reading a great book from cover to cover! Who could ask for a better day? Sure, I miss my sweatpea, but a girl's gotta have a break... right!? And sleeping past 7:30am is something I haven't done since before having a child. I guess the week finally caught up with me.

But the best part of today was doing nothing but reading... in my pj's. A coworker loaned me her copy of One For The Money by Janet Evanovich. What a great read! I highly recommend it. I sat down at 11:00am figuring I'd start it to see what I thought and literally couldn't put it down. (Well, when my mom called I did... and that killed two hours.) But even while doing laundry I walked around with the book in hand. It's suspense / drama / humor / and sex all wrapped up in one. And since this is the first in a long series with the same main character, you know what I'll be reading next.

As for the rest of my day... well, that was it! I decided months ago that at least one day when Wesley is with his dad (which is every other weekend) would be my day to do whatever I wanted. So, now I'm gonna go grab a hot shower (no smartass comments Stacie!), crack open a brewski, and maybe watch a little of the Olympics.

Cheers!

long day

So, all my drama fans... no major drama to share with you today. Just a very busy, and very long day.

Still trying to cram in as much training as I can to get out of this admin roll at work. (Thanks Rob, if you're reading! And sorry about being a PITA this afternoon.) The training and workload balance have been a pain. And I kind of came unglued a bit this afternoon at work. Been thinking through it ever since. I think there are multiple issues here...

While I enjoy learning, it's like I've been dealt a second hand of cards in a one hand game. I'm still doing everything I've been doing since I started, and now as I move through the training process, I have an entirely separate set of responsibilities. Imagine working two jobs at the exact same time, all day long. That's what it feels like. Though my managers are working towards "growing" me and moving me through the mill, the rest of the team (except Rob, since he's in on the training) still see me as the go to for all the nitnoid crap. For a group that didn't have dependable support for so long, they surely know how to offload junk they don't want to deal with. It's really hard to be told to "ramp up as fast as you can" by a manager, but the team still sees you in the same roll and haven't been told any different. So, I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't.

Then there's the issue of ownership. In my opinion, if I'm good enough to do the job, I'm also good enough to be named as the owner. I take responsibility for whatever I do... good, bad or indifferent. I would also like to take credit for the good instead of being sent mixed messages and having the ownership (and success) fall into the lap of someone else.

Don't get me wrong. I really like my job. And I hope to be around there for longer than my contract days. But some days, and some actions, and some mixed messages really make me say "hmmmmmmm???". Maybe I just don't understand the game? Or maybe it's just that the rules have changed? When I first started this job I was told "forget everything you thought you ever knew about corporate culture from other jobs..." Maybe that's the problem. I'm overanalyzing. Hell, I don't know?

What I do know is tomorrow is Friday. My son is away for the weekend and I can do (or not do) anything I want. That alone will put my weary mind at ease tonight and get me through another day of whatever crap may come my way.

stolen from a friend

I visit my friend Liss's blog daily. And then I found her MySpace. As someone who's lost touch with the music world over the past few years, not only me, but Wesley too... we're addicted to this song from Jet. So I'm adding it to my blog. Thanks Liss for turning me on to them!

cheers

Anyone care to join me for a cold one? The beer won out!

why do people have to be that way?

What in the hell makes people think that they are better than you? That they can bitch you out, hang up on you, and then fabricate a story to cover their ass??? In case you haven't noticed, I am more than a little pissed right now.

Background: I am on the procurement team for the annual auction committee at my son's school. One of my duties was to call last years live auction doners and see if they were going to procure the same (or similar) item(s) for this years auction. Everyone I was calling is a parent at the school, so it's not like cold calling... or telemarketing. Or is it?

Last night: Call the first parent. Resounding YES!!! I am feeling good. Next person, have to leave a message. Person after that... wrong number, with a somewhat cranky person. Okay... moving on. Then I get to Cathie. (I'd like to post her last name too, but just in case... I won't.) Anyway, phone rings and the automated voice answers with the obligatory "You have reached a number that does not accept solicitations...." message. Well (I think), I am not a solictor. I am another parent from the same school. Push "1".

Cathie: "Hello" (said in your nastiest voice)

Me: "Hello, this is Lisa from (insert school name here). I am on the procurement team for the auction committee and am calling about the (wonderful whatever it was) that you procured last year. We are hoping that we can count on you to procure the same item this year." (sing-songy, trying to sell something voice)

Cathie: "I am on the decorating team for the auction committee. I have been to every committee meeting and I have no idea who you are, but I am NOT procuring anything this year... that is YOUR job!" (again, very nasty)

Again I tried to say that I was just calling based on the list from last year, and.......... click. She hangs up on me.

I sat there with my mouth open, headset on, pen poised to make notes, and then realized what had just happened. I hung up the phone and called my co-procurement person, told her everything (while it was still fresh in my mind), and didn't make any more calls.

Today: My co-procurement person calls and tells me about a conversation at the school. Cathie and another auction committee person tell her that I called last night and said "if you don't do this, you are letting the kids down". Jesus Christ!!! It's the truth, but it didn't pass out of my mouth! Why can't people tell an accurate account of a conversation? Oh, wait a minute.... I know... because it might incriminate them. She proceeds to tell her about how she's "quitting the committee" blah blah blah. Well wah wah wah!!! WHATEVER!!!! If anyone should be quitting, it's me for having to put up with this bullshit.

Tomorrow: Don't know if I'll go to tomorrow nights meeting or not. Part of me wants to go and bitch slap her. But with having to take Wesley with me... that wouldn't be pretty. The other part of me wants to stay home, drink a beer, and forget about the entire auction.

What will I decide? Tune in tomorrow for Part 2!

whew!

What a week this has been! Very long... very tiring... very little sleep.

Working from home on Monday was a total PITA. But you can read about that in the other post I made. Tuesday and Wednesday were just very long days! Lots to do and not enough time to do it all. I thought Thursday would never end between work and "service hour" commitments I have to Wesley's school. I am on the 25th Gala Auction planning committee and somehow got wrangled into procurement. After a 1.5 hour conference call with the other two procurement ladies, we are still discombobulated. I just don't understand how a school expects this much from parents... but that's another blog entry in itself. By the way, thanks to those of you who've already purchased auction raffle tickets! If you haven't purchased yours yet, email me with your order. You could win a $3,000 Disney cruise voucher! Tickets are just $10 each.

Which brings me to today. As you all know, I began working on contract at Intel in mid-November. It was supposed to be a one year contract. But, we all know what "contract" really means... we'll use you for as long as we want and that's it. Around the middle of December the shake down started. An email went out about another admin taking over my group after the first of the year and I started to panic. Every day, passing through the badge detector, I waited for that awful "beep" that comes when your badge stops working for various reasons... including deactivation. Fortunately, I haven't heard that sound come from my badge yet.

So, the holidays come and go, and still there is no more mention of what (if anything) is happening with me (the contingency worker). I start nosing around, talking to as many people as I can, and trying to make it known that I'm not ready to go yet. In fact... I would feel much better if I was offered a "permanent" position (although we all know that the word "permanent" doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things).

My manager (who lives and works from his home in Nashville) is a very, very busy man. But it was time for me to have my time. Since he was coming to our office for a mere 5 hours (to pick up a new laptop) I scheduled a one-on-one with him for this morning. Little did I know (at the time I scheduled it) there was a major re-org going on within our group! Yikes!! But, despite a very tight schedule, I was able to get 30 minutes of face-to-face time with him... and now I can say... whew! So far my contract is safe. There was mention of an attempt at permanency. My sleepless night last night will be filled with many zzzzzzzz's tonight.

Oh, next week doesn't look any better... and so goes the vicous cycle of the ratrace we call life.

and now for something completely different

I was really tired of the old, dark look of my blog, so I went pink! What do you think?

working from home is highly overrated

This is the first job I've had where it's okay to work from home. Almost everyone on my team works from home at least one day a week. I worked from home yesterday because Wesley didn't have school, and I don't have backup child care when the school is closed. I figured I'd be interruped a hundred times with crazy questions and requests, but since I was working from home, I had all day and all night to get things done. He was a dream!! And I am so proud of him.

I started at 6:30am. Why? I was up, didn't have to commute, so why not!? I took my obligatory "stretching" breaks that telecommuters are supposed to take, and at 3:00pm I shut down my laptop. My eyes were burning. My butt was sore from sitting. And my brain was hurting. I accomplished more in one day of working at home than I ever do going to the office. Maybe that's why they like us to work from home? Productivity! Like I said... it's highly overrated. So, today it's back to the office for me. Whew!

24 days and counting

Today marked the 24th consecutive day of measurable rain in the Seattle area. The record was set in 1953 with 33 days... and it's still coming down. We're all a little soggy, and actually had to cover our eyes when there were a couple of attempted sun breaks this afternoon... in between rain showers (or downpours).

In honor of the rain, my picture of the week is a friend's husband... leaving for work! Aren't you glad you aren't living in Washington?

rain and dirt a mudslide make

Normally my drive to work isn't bad. Once I drop off Wesley I head on up to the 109 exit to get on the Interstate. Even though I'm heading a bit out of my way, I avoid all sorts of traffic where they have stupidly built a Home Depot across the street from a Walmart, and are in the process of building a Costco next to the Home Depot.

But today, after last night's rain and winds, was a different story.

7:25 am - I left the school parking lot on my way to the Interstate. The traffic report comes on the radio and they announce there is a mudslide in the right lane of Southbound traffic of I-5. No problem (I'm thinking) since I'm on my way Northbound.

7:30 am - On the ramp at the 109 exit I see a parking lot of cars on Northbound 1-5. An ambulance is coming up behind me, so I'm assuming it's just an accident.

7:35 am - I call a friend at work to tell her I'm stuck in traffic only to find out that the stupid radio traffic report is wrong and the mudslide is in Northbound lanes. Traffic is at a crawl (and a pedestrian walking on the shoulder of the Interstate after breaking down is walking just as fast as I'm driving) and I'm getting no where fast. Almost 20 minutes later I make it to exit 111... the very exit I was trying to avoid in the first place.

Needless to say, by the time I wound my way off the Interstate, across town, and down the back roads, I hit the parking lot of my office building at 8:30 am. It was awful!

If the same happens tomorrow, I'm coming back home and working remotely for the day. Ugh!

don't miss your chance to...

ScrapForums is holding a fantastic progressive contest with some AWESOME prizes! No matter whether you're a paper or digital scrapper, you don't want to miss this one!! Check it out now.

shocker... two posts in one day

I know if I don't do this now, it won't get done. I was tagged at some point on some other questionnaire and never did it. Shock! So, here's this one (from Stac) so that I'm not accused of dissing any more friends.

2 names you go by: Momma and Clarice
2 parts of your heritage: Polish and Irish
2 things that scare you: spiders and death
2 things you are wearing right now: new $12 shoes (yes, I'm a cheapskate) and my new pink shirt (see previous blog entry for the story)
2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment): Aerosmith (thanks Stac!) and Lonestar
2 favorite songs (at the moment): Jesus Take the Wheel and Don't Want To Close My Eyes
2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love): honesty and trust
2 truths: I will survive and I am a good person
2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex): bright eyes and straight teeth (yep, same as Stac)
2 of your favorite hobbies: photography and scrapbooking (more shockers, huh?)
2 things you want really badly: for this year to be better than the last two and for Wesley to realize what a prick his father is
2 places you want to go on vacation: Australia and Egypt
2 things you want to do before you die: Winnebago across the United States with my son (yes, this is why we are friends Stacie... so many similarities!) and raise a happy, and healthy son
2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick: major PMS and cry at sappy movies
2 things you are thinking about now: hoping that I become a permanent Intel employee and how out of the loop I am from my online friends-I miss you guys!
2 stores you shop at: Starbucks and Walmart
3 people you would like to see take the quiz? Teri, Becky and Jessica.

thinking pink

As my life has taken me in a different direction this past year, my clothes have gone through a semi-metamorphosis as well. While black still remains my favorite color (even though it isn't really a color at all, but the absence of color) by choice I introduced green. Not drab green... vibrant, lime green. Then there was orange (at the insistance of Wesley). Shades of red and brown have also always been staples. But pink? I am NOT pink! Or am I??? Apparently this year I am.

During my most recent shopping trip to Walmart, after filling the cart with items for Wesley, I ventured to the clothing department to see if I might find something... anything... And what do I buy? A pink shirt!! Solid pink. Pastel even.

This is DEFINITELY going to be a different year for me.

out with the old, and in with the new...

I can only hope that this year will be better than last!

Though I don't make resolutions anymore, I know there are things that I need to do in this new year to make it better than the last. So, I've decided on the following:

- I refuse to let ANYONE take what little self esteem I have left and trample it any longer! I know I am a good person who puts other's needs in front of my own. If it's not enough for some, then maybe it's time for them to reflect on their own actions.

- I refuse to be bullied! I, and only I, am responsible for my actions. I take full responsibility for the good, the bad and the indifferent that I do. When suggestions are given, I will weigh them carefully... but there are no guarantees that I will take them. I will make the decisions that I feel are the best for me.

- I will not be mislead! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

- I will continue to work hard to provide for myself and my son! I am worth it, he is worth it, and together we will be stronger.

- I will survive! In my own way, in my own time, I will make my way. It won't be your way... it will be MY way.

With that said, I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Good health. Good fortune. And the best year you can have!!

it's been too long!

As my friend Liss pointed out, I've been AWOL... MIA even!

So much has happened in my little world in the past month. So much, in fact, that I didn't think anyone even still read my little blog, so I haven't bothered to say anything. Life has been good, bad and indifferent.

The good - I got a job! It all happened overnight (literally) but I'm working on a one year contract. Despite the rumors, I'm just an Administrative Assistant at this point. No dark and seedy secrets that I've uncovered yet. But, if I do, you'll be the first to know.

The bad - My Aunt passed away on Thanksgiving Day. After suffering from pulmonary fibrosis for four years, she went peacefully in a hospice center. The services were the following Thursday, and sadly enough, it was the first time seeing certain members of the family in years. Why is it that family only gets together for births, graduations and deaths?

The indifferent - Life goes on. Every day is a blur. My parents were here for three weeks, now gone for two, and then back again for two for the holidays. Trying to get on a normal schedule is out until the beginnning of the new year. Wesley is great, adjusting well to mom working and looking forward to Christmas. And me... I'm just taking things one day at a time. The only way to go!

I've missed everyone, and I hope to post more often. But sometimes it takes a friend to poke a stick in my butt to get me going again. Love you Liss!

too little time

Where does it go? I swear I'm not wasting time! I get up at the butt crack of dawn (sometimes earlier) and go all day long. Yet, there are days I feel like I'm never making any headway. And what am I going to do this weekend when the time changes? I'm already having trouble sleeping past 5 am... so that means I'll be awake at 4 am. Ugh!!

So, along with feeling like I'm not making any headway, I've been remiss on blogging. No, I haven't been trying to live up to the name of my blog... I just really can't seem to get everything done anymore.

The Snazzy Scraps November kit is up and selling fast! And I just announced our newest Guest Designer this morning - Kelly Swan. The December kit is coming together nicely. And, we have sponsorships for the months of December and January. WOOHOO!!!

On the "real job" front there is nada to report. Resumes go out, and "Dear John" letters come back. Maybe I've just been out of the 9-5 hustle too long for anyone to even take a chance on me? I certainly hope not!! I need something to pay the mortgage before the end of the spousal maintenance.

Wesley is doing well despite hitting a little girl the other day! Aaaaah!!! According to him, she was "being rude". Being rude? Well, probably knowing this little girl. But not to him. To another little girl. So, he hit her... in the back even. LOL Missed afternoon recess, had to listen to the "why we don't hit" lecture for an hour, had no TV priviledges that night, and was forced to make an "I'm sorry I hit you" card. I sincerely hope this was a one time occurance. Sigh.

Been TOTALLY enjoying the challenges I've been working on the past 8 days at ScrapForums!! What fun!!! It's the most creative I've been in months.

Other than that, it's the same-old-same-old around here. Did you miss my babbling?

whew! what a week

I'm back. Well, back to my normal routine (whatever that is these days). Just trying to get caught up on all the stuff I missed the past week. I've got kits to ship, resumes to mail, and scrapping to get done.

The November kit is almost ready. Just picking up a couple things this afternoon and then it'll be posted at Snazzy Scraps. Yummy Sweetwater paper!

Oh, and I was tagged last week by my little Sis, so I've got to get that done and posted too.

But for now, I'm off to the shower.

just because my sister asked

Although I had a great time at the crop this last weekend, I really didn't get much done... except for hosting three games, playing Nicole's bingo, playing Louise's "Name the Paper" game, and keeping everything on schedule. In fact, the only thing I got done was this Christmas card. The good news is, I got to use my stitching stamp from my dear friend Stacie.

I had really wanted to attend Sandie's Tag Book Make N Take, but wasn't able to. So, I took note of the instructions and spent some time this afternoon making one with items from the Snazzy Scraps October monthly kit.

All items used are from the kit, except:

Eyelet (in small chipboard tag)
Tags
Gingham ribbon

like mother, like son

What a weekend! Fantastic crop at The Decorated Page. If you missed it, don't worry. We'll be having another in the next month or two. Even Wesley joined in the festivities this time. Besides drawing a slew of pictures for me, he created his very first scrapbook layout! The only thing I did was print the photo, and cut it out for him. He did all the rest himself!

no, this pasta is really great!

I've done a lot of cooking in my time. I started when I was just a kid, spending time with my Grandma Smith in the kitchen, watching every move she made. My Mom taught the Girl Scout cooking badge requirements. Then I went to work for the lady across the street who owned her own catering business. (Okay, not a lot of cooking with her. It was mostly bagels and lox, gefilte fish, and blintzes.) Of course I cooked for myself, and roomates, during and after college. And then there was the ocassional "date" cooking (food... not something else). I married, cooked for a husband, and along came Wesley and I cooked for him. Then the divorce, so back to just me with the ocassional coaxing to get a very opinionated five year old to try something new. And back to cooking for others when hosting crops at the LSS.

Like I said, I've done a lot of cooking in my time!

Today I cooked (and served) for 14 Kindergarteners. What does one make for a Kindergarten hot lunch program? Especially when the teacher and assistant teacher are eating too? Pasta. It's the easiest, cheapest, quickest, and most kid friendly thing I can think of all rolled into one. Toss in a green salad with every kid's favorite... ranch dressing, and brownies for dessert, and you've got a crowd pleaser.

So much so, I was shocked:

- 6 came back for seconds on pasta
- 3 came back for seconds on salad
- one of those 3 already mentioned came back for third's on salad
- the teachers wanted the recipe (LOL)
- Wesley said, "Mom, your pasta is great!"
- another boy said, "No, your pasta is REALLY great!!!"

And, to boot, the three year old sister of one of Wesley's classmates told her mom (my serving helper) "Momma... she's pretty" referring to me.

Now those are the best compliments I've had in a long, long time!

Bon appetit!

planning a crop

Mark your calendars now!

When: Saturday, October 1 starting at 9am ET through Sunday, October 2 ending at Noon

Where: The Decorated Page

Games, challenges, make-n-takes, chatter, and, of course, PRIZES!!!! Hope to see you there!

yay

It's a bright new day with endless possibilities! I feel a good day coming on!! :o) Let's hope my gut is right. ;o)

argh!!!

Some people are just stupid! That's it. There's just NO other explaination or definition for it. Stupid. And you want to know my biggest pet peeve in life?????

STUPIDITY!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday morning ramblings

Sheesh! This week sure went by quickly. I guess that happens when you're running here and there and everywhere else. LOL Got a lot accomplished around the house, got the Snazzy Scraps October kit pulled together and sent out to the designers, did a little shopping (and splurged on a new pair of Liz Claiborne short boots for me), and signed up to be "lunch lady" on Sept. 28th for Wesley's class (they do hot lunches once a week). All in all a good week!

Still looking for a "real" job. I was really hoping that I would have heard something from one of the places I sent a resume to, but nada. The one closed on Sept. 2nd, and since I still haven't heard anything, I guess I'm not in the running for that. There's still hope that I'll hear something from The City of Olympia. That didn't close until this past Tuesday, and I have a friend who works there who is hopefully putting in a good word for me. I'll give her a ring early next week to see where they are in the hiring process. Keep your fingers crossed.

Today we're going to the HFS Back to School picnic. Wesley is just loving school and is really looking forward to the picnic. I'm looking forward to seeing all the volunteer opportunities available and getting myself commited to work off my "support" hours (30 hours per family). LOL Not really, but I want to get them signed up for and done as quickly as possible so that I don't have to worry about them later in the year. After the picnic we might head over to the LSS to hang out for a bit. Or, maybe, if the mojo I think is starting to come back actually arrives (dare I say it) I might just try to get some scrapping done tonight. It'll be hard without my scrappin' buddy who's been MIA all week long even after many messages and attempts to contact her. Maybe my Sis will want to "chat and scrap" tonight? We'll see.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! Stay warm, dry, etc. if you're in a climate like mine today (45 degrees and have the heater on already). If you're like some others I know... stay cool and comfortable. Crack open a cold one and enjoy!

Hurricane Katrina Scrapbook Kit e-Bay Auction

Snazzy Scraps, and several other kit clubs, have combined efforts to raise money in aid of the Hurricane Katrina victims. Don't miss out on your chance to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.

View the auction and place your bid today!

stalky mcstalker pants

I see someone finally got a picture of Stacie and Liss and their stalker. Behold Stalky McStalker Pants!!

first day of Kindergarten

Today is Wesley's first day of Kindergarten. I am going to attempt to journal the day on my blog, so keep checking back for updates throughout the day.

6:00am - I am up and trying to wake up. I've checked, and rechecked, that I have all the forms, etc. that I'm supposed to take with me for his first day. The emergency kit is packed and ready.

6:40am - Wesley is still sleeping and I'm trying to calm my nerves. I've got to make his lunch and then get in the shower. Be back in a bit.

7:55am - We're out the door. Stopping to take a couple of pictures before we go.

8:20am - Said goodbye to Wesley as he left the gym with the rest of his class and teacher to head off to the classroom. Didn't cry, but almost.

8:30am - Home again. Jake was looking for Wesley. Mrs. Dohring handed out little gifts to the parents. A small gift bag with a cotton ball, a tissue and a tea bag along with a very sweet note. Now I'm tearing up.

8:32am - Called Grandma and Grandpa to fill them in on the morning's events. Both Grandma and I had a good cry.

9:15am - Tried to call Stacie. She's probably still out getting Michael. So, here I am catching up with the journaling. It sure is quiet around here.