Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts

Sunday, January 20

sunday sweep - volume III

How do the weeks seem to roll by so quickly these days? I swear the days are shorter or else I'm just moving slower and being a big fat lazyass. Nah, it's gotta be the days are shorter. Right? Whatever. Here's the latest edition of Sunday Sweep - all the random crap from the past week that's probably not blog worthy anyway but I still want to yak about.

I hate my job
Yep, you heard me right. I hate my job! Anyone reading this from where I work - you KWIM! It's not the job, per se. It's the way the show is orchestrated. Complete lack of planning on someone elses part DOES NOT, and never will, constitute an emergency on mine. I'm so tired of running in circles and jumping through hoops for these people, especially when you find out your boss is totally badmouthing you to a coworker. Yeah, coworker that heard it was the one who turned around and told me about it. Hah! Stupid bitch. My boss, not my coworker. At least I only have a couple more months of the bullshit unless I can find something else earlier and leave a pile of shit for them to figure out without me there to hold thier hands.

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking...
It's time to kick the job search into high gear.....again. As previously noted, not only do I hate my job, but the clock on my contract is rapidly ticking to an end. See, I told you the days were shorter, and you didn't believe me, did you? The one thing I hate even more than my job is looking for a job. Some of you may recall last year's job search. Ten excruciatingly long months of it. I swear if I have to go through that again I'm gonna string myself up from the ceiling fan this time. I am so tired of being told I'm "over qualified" for the jobs I'm applying for. Jesus Christ! Bring me in, let me do the job, and then we can talk about whatever the hell else I can do for you! Don't just discard me like an old slipper because you don't think I won't stay around for long.

Precariously perched on the fence
Adding to my already full schedule, next week I'll be attending a meeting at school. I am one of who knows how many parents who were invited to meet with the accreditation visiting team during their visit next week. This should prove to be a very interesting and entertaining evening, to say the least. With the drama of last year still fresh in many parent's minds, I'm sure the "hand picked" collection of parents being "cordially invited" to meet with the visiting team will be none other than the superficial blindfold wearing lemmings that constitute a good majority of our school community. It's been mentioned that the visiting team will not lead the discussion or discuss and questionable subject that they may have insider information on until it is broached by one of the parents. This leaves me with a rather ominous decision to make - bite my tongue and listen, or speak my mind and be heard. I have no idea what I'll do, and don't plan on making any discision until the opportunity presents iteslf. Or I present the opportunity. Heh!

Schooldaze
In addition to the accreditation meeting, I need to talk to someone (though still undecided who) about a subject I'm a little more familiar with these days than I care to be - bullying and harrassment. The offender: a snot nosed, second grader in my little man's class. The offense: Repeated bullying and harassment of my little man AND several of the other kids in the class, though I'm only going in on the little man's behalf and the rest of them are gonna have to wait until their parents step up to the plate and say enough is enough. I know "boys will be boys" and all that crap, and I'm all for letting kids "work it out", however when I hear about the same shit happening over and over and over again and don't see anything being done about it. It's time to lay the smackdown! Aimee's going through a similar situation with her little guy, albeit not in the bullying and harrassment realm but in the indiscretions of a teacher, and her list of what to do is very similar to mine.

1. Talk to the parents of the little shit.
2. Talk to the teacher.
3. Talk to the recess duty people.
4. Talk to the principal.
5. Talk to the Policy Action Team.
6. Talk to the PA/BOD.
7. Scare the crap out of the little shit.
8. All of the above.

I know which one I'd like to do. Yeah, probably not the best choice in this situation. So now I'm struggling with which way I'll go with it. I can explain away each and every one of those options and frankly don't think a damned thing will come of this whichever way I turn, but NO ONE bullies my little man and gets away with it. Not on my watch!

Sheesh! I guess I had a lot more to say than I thought I did when I first sat down to write. I just want to thank all of you who commented, emailed or called me with support for my Dad's procedure last week. So far he's doing well and we're all just waiting for results day to get here.

Go now. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend. And GO PACKERS!!! What? I gotta root for someone now that my boys threw their chance in the toilet.

Until the next time. Ciao!

Wednesday, November 21

thanks for the memories*

*If you've come here looking for Fall Out Boy you've been mislead.

Thanksgiving time brings memories of two wonderful women in my family - my paternal grandmother and my maternal aunt. Sadly both of them passed away around Thanksgiving - my grandma in 1983 the day after Thanksgiving and my aunt in 2005 on Thanksgiving day. Both of these ladies holds a very special place in my heart so I want to share some of my favorite memories.

Grandma lived in a flat in San Francisco. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "flat" think apartment, except not in an apartment building. In a house. She had a one bedroom if you could really call it that since the bedroom wasn't really separated from the living room on the top floor. You can somewhat see what I'm talking about in the picture to the left. That's Grandma and the back of my head sitting at the "kid's table" during one of our holiday meals. The place was so small grandma would set up a long table down the middle of the living room crossing over the threshold into her bedroom to accomodate the entire family, yet she always insisted on sitting at the kid's table.

Last year during Holidailies I posted about my Grandma.....see, I told you I think about her during the holidays.....if you want to read more you can go check it out. I'll take a quick break while you go read. Let me know when you're back, k?

So tomorrow's Thanksgiving and I'm going to my neighbor's. Guess what I'm making to take? Honey glazed carrots. I thought about making the red cabbage too, but since it's an acquired taste I don't want to scare them into never inviting me over for another holiday.

The other special woman I think about a lot at this time of year is my Aunt Dolores. She was the eldest of four children on my mom's side of the family. She and my mother were 11 years apart in age but still as close as sisters should be. She raised four boys - the eldest being my little man's namesake - and held a very special place in her heart for me.She also had the talent for cooking and would put out a spread fit for an army, especially at the holidays.

I am thankful not only to have inherited some of the talent for cooking from both of these fine ladies, but many of their recipes as well. Their tradition lives on every holiday season through special additions that have become staples on our holiday table.

Thank you Grandma and Aunt Dolores for your time, your love, your incredible meals, and for gracing our family. You are missed, but never forgotten.

Friday, November 16

field trip day

Today was field trip day for our "team" at work. Well, some of our team, that is. Some decided working was more important than having our little "team building exercise" (aka field trip) of heading out to the Cabela's Grand Opening.


Just for the record I haven't participated in a single "team" activity since starting there, but this one was too good to pass up. Not only were we going to one of the coolest stores I've ever seen on opening day, we were leaving at 3pm on a Friday. Yay team!

Check out some of the features it has:
  • A towering mountain replica, the centerpiece of the store's open showroom, with running waterfalls and streams, a trout pond and trophy animals in re-creations of their distinct habitats. Similar mountains, each called Conservation Mountain, have been built in other Cabela's stores as monuments to wildlife and salutes to the sportsmen and women who support wildlife conservation.
  • A gigantic, walk-through, freshwater aquarium stocked with fish native to the area.
  • Museum-quality representations of many wild-game species.
  • A deli-style restaurant will feature delicious wild-game sandwiches, as well as tamer fare.
  • World-class Gun Library, providing gun collectors and aficionados the opportunity to browse through a collection of examples of the gun-making art.
  • Shooting gallery providing fun along with the opportunity to learn basic shooting skills in a safe environment.
  • Indoor archery range where archers can test and fine-tune their equipment.
  • Bargain Cave, featuring discount prices on returned and discontinued merchandise.
  • A sun-drenched atrium interior featuring authentic fieldstone accents and wood furnishings.
  • Beautifully landscaped grounds featuring native trees and plants.

It really is too cool and a great way to end a very long, very busy, very crazy week!

Wednesday, July 11

brother can you spare an ice cube?

Does anyone have a couple of fans to spare? Even a few dozen bags of ice to throw in the tub would be great. We're burning up here! It's a scorching 94 today after hitting 90 yesterday and never dropping lower than the mid 60's last night. The best thing about today was going to work. Yep, bet you didn't see that one coming. They've got A/C, and lots of it. So much, in fact, that stepping outside every now and then for a smoke actually felt good, defrosting the bones for a few minutes. Coming home to a house with no A/C that only had the windows cracked all day since we can't give the creeps attempting to break in any help, notsomuch good.

Speaking of creeps, I'm confident that the attempted break-in of my front door was definitely someone up to no good. When we (my neighbor and I) changed the locks, we found damage on the door frame and weather stripping obviously made from a sharp object (like a screwdriver or something). Then last weekend, another neighbor from down the block came home from being away over the 4th and told us about thier dog sitter walking in to two young males in zipped up, hooded sweatshirts and sunglasses trying to break in thier backyard windows. She called the cops, but by the time they arrived the culprits were gone (of course!). I'm thinking it's time for a neighborhood watch program and a few lessons in target practice (HINT, HINT!!!).

On the lighter side of things, I finally got my hair cut today. After waking up from my mid-morning migraine nap on Monday I remembered I'd wanted to call and make an appointment. Lucky for me she had an opening this afternoon, which I gladly took. Nothing much different except all the dead ends and scragglies are now gone. Oh, and there's less to tie up off my neck on hot days like this. I just love the feel the first day of a haircut. My whole head feels lighter. No, it's not the air seeping out of my ears!

One last random thought since I've jumped around a lot here and am now hot and sweaty from doing so. I couldn't help myself from checking out my rating. Hehe! I am pleased to announce that I've hit the big time, baby!! This blog is Rated R.

Online Dating

My rating is based on the following:
  • shit (9x)
  • crap (3x)
  • dead (2x)
  • kill (1x)
So now that I'm done rambling about crap you could care less about, I'm gonna go crack another brewski to cool down before this shitty heat kills me dead. Peace out, bitches!

Tuesday, May 8

today's the big day

I'm up at the butt crack of dawn after having slept maybe 4 hours last night. I've been running on nervous, excited energy for the past week, and my sleep schedule's been forked up. My friend Cathy told me I've been "talking fast" all week too. And aside from all that, there's been so much else going on in my little world I haven't even known what to do with it all.

But today's the big day! Back to the ratrace. I've polished my running shoes and am ready to go. Well, after I get a shower and a bit more caffeine in me, that is.

Wednesday, April 18

A 40 Year Reflective – Part II: The Last 20

Tomorrow I will turn “two twenties” as I like to call it. This is the first milestone birthday I’ve actually looked forward to since turning 21. Looking back at the last 20 years, despite major life changes (both good and bad), I can see just how much I’ve changed, grown, and finally learned to accept myself and all my idiosyncrasies.



My early twenties were spent in and out of school, trying to decide “what I wanted to be when I grew up”. I still haven’t quite figured that one out, but I’ve tried my hand at a variety of things over the years – catering, administrative support, event management, consulting. One of my major regrets is not completing my degree. With only 18 credit hours left to complete, you’d think I would have found a way to do so, but I haven’t. I keep telling myself “Someday I’ll finish”, but that someday just never seems to come. There are a million reasons why I never finished – most I don’t want to discuss here – and I have grown to accept my failure and continue to move forward despite it.

The first 29 years of my life were spent living in California. My parents, in fact, still live in the same house I grew up in. Being the wild and crazy, rebellious woman I was at that time, I met someone on-line and moved to Arizona. It was a new adventure for me, living in another state for the first time in my life, and one that (later) became a real introspective discovery.

The year after moving to Arizona, I married the man I moved for, and we began our life as husband and wife. Little did I know then how many curve balls would be thrown my way in the future. After a miscarriage early in marriage, there was a shift – one that I didn’t see then, but have spent countless hours working through in the past few years. Then, in 2000, we were blessed with the birth of our son. It was then I truly realized what “love at first sight” was. I never knew it was possible to love someone so much, without reservation. Unfortunately, it came with a hefty price – the continued distancing in my relationship with my husband.



In April 2001, through the powers of the military relocation demands, we ended up here, in Washington. A place I felt comfortable having visited countless times growing up. A place I knew would be a place to start “anew”. Only I didn’t know the whole world would be starting anew along side me on September 11th. My husband was deployed to the Middle East just 15 days before the attacks, and I was left to fly solo with a one year old toddler. It was preparation I would need for the future.

He returned the following year, and exactly a year and a day after his return, he was deployed again. After another safe return, the shift had grown to epic proportions. We were no longer a family, as family should be. We were no longer husband and wife, as partners. We were simply two individuals living different lives in the same existence. I am still uncertain whether this shift was a continuation of the shift from the early years of our marriage, or whether the perils of war were too much for us to sustain, but we didn’t sustain – and it ended.

In April 2004, ironically exactly 3 years ago today, I found myself faced with being a single parent, without more than an Associates degree, and not having worked out of the home for four years. It was the most painful, scary time of my life, feeling completely lost and alone. The one thing that was both a curse and a blessing was my son. Though I would never, ever even remotely consider him a curse, the simple fact of having him to care for and worry about prevented me from just picking up and moving on with my life without having to take his well being into consideration. But, without him, I would never be the same person I am today – stronger, wiser, more attentive.

I firmly believe that all things in life happen for a reason. It has taken me years to truly embrace that idea, but with the love and support of many friends and family, I do. Without my ex, I wouldn’t have my wonderful son. Without my son, I likely wouldn’t have met my dear friend Stacie. Without being forced to find work, I wouldn’t have met Groove, or any of the other people I still keep in contact with from my last job. And without all of these changes, both good and bad, I would not be the same woman I’ve become in my “two twenties”.

Wednesday, March 28

wednesday wrap-up (version whatever number I'm on at this point)

I can't believe what I stumbled on today. A brand new blog called South Puget Sound Dining. The first blog I've found that reviews restaurants in the South Sound area. I know a lot of you don't live in this area, but you might find the reviews interesting nontheless. Or maybe it's just one of my weirdnesses that draws me to reading food and restaurant reviews. Whatever, check it out. Then you'll know the places to eat at, or avoid, when you come visit me.

Yesterday was a crazy day here in unemployment land. I actually had an interview. It's about time since the last one was in February. It was with another state agency---yep, I'm concentrating on them at this point. And I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get an offer on this one. I know I probably shouldn't be writing this, and I'm probably hexing myself to unemployment hell for the next 20 years, but I'm serious. If this one doesn't come through, there's no hope for me. Why? Well, I'll tell you---1) I'm totally qualified for the job, 2) it's not on my top 3 jobs to get hired for, and 3) I have a friend who knows the hiring manger and has put in a good word for me. Therefore, I feel an offer is imminent. Again, I'm probably hexing myself.


We also started karate yesterday. Well, not me... WJ. But Sensei encouraged the parents to participate too so we can work with the kids outside of class, so I'm totally gonna take him up on it. I've wanted to try out karate for a long time now, and if I can do it for FREE I'm all over that. The class is gonna be great, and WJ loves it. I just hope some of the people drop. There are so many people signed up for this class, and a bunch who already got 'called out' by Sensei. Well, I just hope it pares down a bit so the kids can get more individualized attention. Either way, it's gonna be a good experience for the both of us!
Oh, and one last thing. Went to Safeway today and was very disappointed that I couldn't find the NASCAR harlequin romances that Sarah found. I was sure they'd be there, but notsomuch. Just your run of the mill books and mags. Ah well! I'm sure I'll find them somewhere if I really search around.

Saturday, March 24

enough

My girl Stacie just got home from a trip to Florida. Her first airplane travel toting both of the little ones along. On the way there she had more than enough hands to help "pass the baby" since she was traveling with her parents and sister. But, on the way back---flying solo. And ya know what? Her kids ROCKED! Why? Because she knows what she's doing and is one helluva ROCKIN' mom!

We spend countless hours talking about our kids. Yeah, I know. Boring to some. That's just what we do. But here's the deal. Our kids are SO damn good that when they do something just a little wrong, it seems like a big freakin' deal. It's not really---in comparison to other kids---but in comparison to their normal behavior. Whoa! Oddly enough it usually means something else is coming down the pipeline. Like sickness.

Anyway, we've talked about those kids (and families) you see on Super Nanny. If you've ever watched the show, you know what I'm talkin' about. Monsters. But why? Is it really the kids fault. I don't think so, at least not for the most part. It's the parents. Kids act the way they're taught, or allowed. And if parents don't hand out the crackdown---well, WTF do you expect?

Last night I was flipping channels on the boob tube looking for something to zone out to and found 20/20. It was a special John Stossel report called Enough and had detailed reports on the high cost of sneakers, people having bunches of kids without being married, and the one thing related to my rambling thus far, noisy kids. You really should watch this video.

In case you don't bother watching it, here's the basic story. Mom takes kids to restaurant. Kids behave badly. Really badly---climing on the walls, literally. Mom ignores the behavior. Restaurant owner lets them finish their food, then asks mom to not bring the kids to his restaurant anymore. Restaurant owner later posts a sign on the front door saying something like "Patrons of all ages eating at the restaurant should bring their quiet, indoor voices when walking through the doors". And---shocker, I know---everyone's got an opinion.

The simple fact is this parent allowed her kids to run around screaming, throwing things, climbing the walls, etc. As a parent, I'm appalled. Even if I wasn't a parent I'd be pissed as hell if I were trying to enjoy my meal and there was 'playground behavior' going on around me. Ultimately the restaurant owner took major flak from some, but also got overwhelming support from others.

So, what do you think? Is it the kids fault they behave badly, or is it the parents? And which side of the fence would you choose---supporting the restaurant owner, or never eating there again?

Sunday, February 18

bras, panties, and other assorted feminine things

I am in love!

Yes, you heard me. In love!!

No, not with the girl pictured to the right, though she is stunning. I'm in love with the bra she's wearing. It's one from Vicky's Angels by VS Secret Embrace line. I got two - Poinsettia Red and Black. Okay, mine don't have the cutesy little butterflies on them, just a soft floral applique on the one side, nor do I look as hot and sexy as she does wearing them, but seriously, these are the MOST comfortable bras I've ever owned. And you want to know the best part? Saving $25. That's right - $25 off and a pair of free panties. How can you go wrong with that?

Speaking of panties, good Lord. Could there be any more options out there to choose from? I mean really. Bikinis. Boyshorts. Hiphuggers. Briefs. And my personal favorite - Thongs. Watch this then read on. And don't keep reading figuring you don't need to watch the video, or will watch it later. Look at it now or my story won't be nearly as funny. Even if you've seen it before because I'm sure it's been floating around the internet for awhile now, watch it again.

Okay, see ya in a minute.


Kotex Classic - video powered by Metacafe

Did you watch the video? Don't lie to me. I hate liars. Okay, well then let me tell you a funny story now that you've seen it.

So, I got this video sent to me in email earlier this week from my friend Terri. I then sent it on to a few more friends, including Stacie, who incidently will be here in 59 days. Well Stacie and I, doing what we do best, started talking about the video and laughing our asses off.

I said, "You know what kills me about that video? The clips where the girls are wearing low rise pants and the straps are sticking out the top - like how some girls wear their thongs today." She laughed and said, "I know. It's freakin' hysterical!"

As I said above, my personal favorite style of panties are thongs. Well this video, and my comment, got me going on a complete tangent about thong panties hanging out the back of low-rise pants. I mean really! Is it so hard to adjust your panties so they aren't hanging out? It reminds me of when the guys started wearing their pants ten sizes too big so they were practically hanging off the bottom of their butt cheeks while their boxers poured out over the top of the waist band that was strategically tied with a rope or something just so they wouldn't end up at their ankles. Talk about a poor fashion statement.

So now, here are these girls watching the tacky, bimbos like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan sporting their thong panties pulled fully up their butt cracks so they can be seen hanging out of the back of their ultra low-rise pants. Yes, I'm aware that sometimes when sitting or bending the pants will shift and a bit of the thong panty sticks out over the top, but when you're in an upright position and you see more panty than you should see showing like some sort of tasteless fashion statement, ugh. Really. It's ridiculous.

Of course there is one thing worse than showing off your thong panties. That would be sporting no panties at all. Why, oh why, would girls want to go au naturale under their jeans? Good Lord. I don't know about you, but I wear my jeans to fit. No, they're not painted on, but they fit around all the curves and places they're supposed to. And where do you think the biggest seam in a pair of jeans is? And not only one, but two seams joining together?? Right in the kootch. That's right. Right were if you walk, or sit, or bend the right direction and keep subtly moving around you're likely to find it a pleasurable sensation and then... oooh... aaahh. Um, yeah. All over your jeans. Not. So. Much. If want to walk around pleasuring yourself might I suggest this. It works much better for whenever you want to "make it happy".

But please. Wear some damn panties.

Monday, February 5

Monday again? Part III

Not exactly the most productive Monday I've had. And very long considering I was up at 4:48am. I guess that's what happens when you sleep like the dead for the first three hours of the night. Early wake-up call. I shouldn't complain though. I'd rather be on the sleep like the dead, early wake-up schedule than the can't keep my eyes open past 9:30pm schedule. That just bugs me.

On a good note, it's been an extremely funny day, so that should count for something. Yes? My girl Stacie and I laughed it up pretty good this morning. One subject after another. We even tormented poor Groove for awhile there apparently making his head spin. Now that's something I would have paid money to actually see!

Speaking of funny, did you watch the Super Bowl yesterday? Not the game. That was pitiful. After the opening runback, it just went down hill. Did you watch the commercials? Seeing all the new commercials is always the best part. For the most part, I was really disappointed this year. I'd already seen a bunch of them, and most of the others weren't worth a damn. Except for this one. It was hys-FREAKIN-terical!!!



And I must not forget the Joke of the Day!

Waiter, waiter
Max: Waiter, this soup tastes like sewer water!
Waiter: How do you know?

On that note, time to get the kiddo some grub. With lots of tomatoes!

Sunday, February 4

got any new music lately? or how about a movie?

I did! It all started last week when I saw the new Norah Jones album Not Too Late was released. I already had her other two albums and listen to them frequently, so knew I needed to get the latest. It's awesome! Just like the other two.

But I didn't stop there. Last night I went shopping and picked up a baker's dozen of assorted music from various artists including Rosie Thomas, James Blunt, KT Tunstall, Mark Joseph, and Amos Lee. Some very good stuff! Have you got anything new lately? Tell me about it.

I also saw the most hilarious movie. The Aristocrats. No. Not The Aristocats. Disney would have a heart attack before he's put his name on this movie. You have to see this. If you want raunchy, side-splitting humor beyond measure, rent this movie now. I seriously thought I'd pee my pants. It's a documentary about a private joke that's been passed on from comedian to comedian throughout the years since Vaudeville. It's disgusting, shocking, hysterical fun told by some of the best comedians out there.

Other than that the weekend was pretty much the same as most weekends around here. A little laundry. A little cleaning. A little football. A little craziness. All in all good. Hope yours was the same.

Oh, and lest I forget the Joke of the Day...

Rabbi: Do you know why Moses wandered the desert for 40 years?
Little Joey: Because he wouldn't ask for directions?

Exactly.

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!

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.

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!

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!!

Tuesday, December 12

the hurdle

I truly thought about taking a day off from blogging. In just less than 3 hours I would have succeeded.

With playing catch up on the homefront, I spent the day finishing the Christmas gift wrapping and scrubbing the house from top to bottom to get rid of the nasty cold germs that might be lingering. I am tired. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.

I spent the evening with my son. Initially we were both doing our own thing. He watching TV and playing. Me reading. At some point in the early evening he wandered into the living room and said the words I've been longing to hear. "I'm going to miss you on Christmas Mommy."

We spent the next hour talking about how we would spend our Christmas - apart. How and why his father and I divorced. How much we love and depend on and care for each other. We took silly pictures. Laughed. Cried. Spent much needed time together.

I am drained.

The hurdle I've been avoiding for weeks doesn't seem so high anymore.

Because we have each other.

Monday, December 11

two days behind

The only two things I've kept up with this weekend is my Holidailies posting (if you could call my pitiful whining about being sick worthy posting) and the laundry (well, sort of - it's washed and folded, but hasn't been put away yet). I now have a mountain of things that all need to get done before Sunday.

But first I want to quickly catch up on some of the daily prompts I haven't blogged about yet. I like having the prompts, but don't always use them. So, get ready for the Reader's Digest version to catch me up!

12-01-2006: "Introduce yourself and your website to Holidailies readers."
If you haven't already read mine, you can go here.

12-02-2006: "Appreciating the smallest things"
Did this one too... just a day later than the prompt.

12-03-2006: "Sunny or snowy: Which makes for the better holiday season, and why?"
Short and simple. Snowy. We get enough sun during the summer and I love the change of seasons.

12-04-2006: "Holiday music: essential part of the season, or 'no way, it makes my ears bleed'?"
Another one I used. And on schedule.

12-05-2006: "Tell us your favorite shopping-mall horror story."
I honestly don't have a horror story to tell. I try my damnedest to get my shopping done early, during the week, and NOT at the mall. Why? The cashiers are crabby. The babies are screaming. And the shoppers feel entitled when they shouldn't. Sometimes avoidance is the best course of action.

12-06-2006: "Today is St. Nicholas' Day: Did you believe in Santa Claus/Father Christmas? How did you find out the truth? Would you tell your kids about Santa?"
Yes, there is a Santa Claus!

12-07-2006: "Write about a memorably perfect day in your life."
The only memorably perfect day in my life was the day WJ was born. Since I don't remember all of it, it's perfect! LOL

12-08-2006: "Letter to Santa (or another potentially gift-bearing entity)"

Dear Santa,

Can you do me a favor? Wake me when you get here so I can ride along with you for the rest of the night. I really don't wanna be home this Christmas.

Sincerely,

Lisa

12-09-2006: "Are you blogging to avoid doing something? Release your troubles! "
Yep! Did you read my first paragraph? I'm two days behind on things that MUST get done. Figured I'd procrastinate a little longer. If I keep ingoring it, ya think it'll just go away??

12-10-2006: No prompt today

12-11-2006: "Those mass-produced family holiday newsletters"
Been. There. Done. That. Not this year though. Can't decide whether it's good or bad that there wasn't anything that noteworthy happening in our lives to write an entire holiday newsletter about? Hmmm!

So there it is. All the prompts used. Probably not as those who suggested them intended, but hey. Cut me some slack. I tried!

Saturday, December 9

simply saturday

I am still sick. Therefore, I haven't a creative thought in my head. Nor have I done much of anything today.

The only thing I accomplished (that I've been needing to take care of for awhile now) was filling in all the questionaires/forms for the new government hiring website. Before October 1st, when you wanted to apply to a government job opening you had to fill out individual job applications, hiring questionaires, etc. for each and every department. As of October 1st they streamlined the system so that all of your information is in one central database that is accessed by all state agencies. You still have to search job openings and submit for specific jobs of interest, but by releasing your profile you make your name available to recruiters as they search for candidates to fill vacant positions.

The process was a total PITA. Approximately 2 hrs into it I clicked on the next window button and it took me back to the start. Since I'm feeling like ass and didn't really want to mess with this today anyway (but knew I needed to) I completely lost it. Stomped upstairs (almost in tears), took a hot, hot shower, spent some time reading with WJ, then took a nap. When I came back to figure out what the hell went wrong I realized it was a system glitch, but not a fatal one. All the info I'd already entered was still there. Whew!

Anyway, the good news is I'm now in the system. I also found three jobs to apply to which means I've met my unemployment requirement for the week and can start filing for that again. Now if I can just start getting some interviews. Keep your fingers crossed.

After all that, I need a beer. Cheers!