Bummer. What a bummer.

Well, on February 18, it will be one year since Kevin's brother Steve Fierro, was killed fighting a fire.  It was a horrid day, like none I can remember.  Emotions are riding the line already, with the date quickly approaching.  Then tonight, we had something happen.

The girls like to play waitress.  They get a pad and paper, wear a visor, and ask what we'd like.  Sometimes they bring us a drink or a cookie, and we tip them a quarter or something.  It's a fun game.  Tonight, Natalie went into my closet and shut the door.  Her plan was to write some notes on her note pad.

In this closet is a box of memories of Steve.  Newspaper stories of his death, pictures, his fireman's helmet, etc.  When Monica opened the door to ask her a question, Natalie was in the floor, looking through the box, crying.  Oh. Dear. God.

I asked Kevin if he wanted to take this one.  He did.  He went in, sat in the floor of the closet with her, and cried with her.  They talked about uncle Steve.  Talked about how he was a christian man who is now in heaven.  Talked about how many souls he saved while on earth, talked about how many lives he saved while on earth.  He was a firefighter for 2 towns, drove an ambulance for a hospital in one town, and METS in another.  He worked wrecks, medical calls, fights, and all sorts of other mishaps.  He was very good at what he did. 

Oh. Dear. God.  How hard this is right now.  How much crying is it going to take?  Sometimes we can talk about Steve, laughing and telling crazy tales of his adventures fighting forest fires in California, Colorado, Florida, and many other states.  Other times, his name is spoken and we break down.  How much time is enough time?  I think we'll be crying about Steve for many years to come.  I think that's ok.  I *KNOW* that's ok. 

Why can't I explain it to the kids better?

The Saturday Six

1. Who is the first celebrity you recall having a crush on? I think it was probably Tom Cruise, but I was always infatuated with anyone in the spotlight.  When I was 10 or so, I wanted the guys on stage at the Branson music shows to notice me!
 
2. What was your favorite amusement park ride when you were young?  The Scream Roller at Worlds of Fun.  Compared to the rides that are there now, it'd be boring, but back then it was WILD!
 
3. If you could change your name (first or middle but the name you go by), would you, and if so, what would you change it to? Nah.  I used to think so, but I'm happy with my name.  I am who I am.
 
4. Go to http://kabalarians.com/ and take the "First Name Analysis" test.  Do you agree with what the site comes up with? Heck no!  The whole thing was way off, but this part says it all 

"As Rachel you are rather serious-minded, responsible, and stable. You have the gift of tact and diplomacy"
 
5. Other than Johnny Carson, which former talk show host's tape archives would you most like to visit, and why? I can't think of any, other than Johnny.  There are good ones out there, but nobody can compare to his wit and style.

6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #44  from Jessie:   If you were in good health, would you donate a kidney to a friend who's dying regardless of what your family's opinion are and if yes or no, why or why not? Yeah, possibly.  I guess if my family was dead-set against it, I might not, but it'd be hard to see a friend suffering and not do everything in my power to make it better.

 

The little snowman

We went to mom and dad's today, as we always do on Saturday.  Bought some feed for the Brat, and some wormer, too.  I groomed him a bit, got the tangles out of his mane (they'll be back by morning) and we wormed him.  He's settling down real well.  Blue got some lovin', too.

The snow we got last night didn't amount to much.  The kids made an attempt at sledding down a hill in the pasture.  There was as much grass as snow, but it didn't stop them.  Monica decided to build a snowman.  Yeah, a snowman.  An adult mind thinks, "there isn't enough snow to even attempt a snowman!"  A child's mind thinks, "Wow!  Snow!"

When the snowman was done, it was a snowwoman.  By the time I went outside to look, it was a snowman.  Dad told her that it had an ugly nose, so she decided it must be a boy!  LOL

That's her stocking cap on his head.  Kids don't feel the cold (notice her red cheeks!)  He has horse treats for eyes, and shop rags for a scarf (Grandma said that her scarves are for people, not snowmen...Monica improvised.)  His nose is a half of a carrot, and his mouth is orange string.  Yeah, he's a small little guy, but look how happy she is with her accomplishment!

Owning a horse

I'm scared.  I want a horse, and now I have a horse.  Yeah, it's great.  He's a registerd Arabian, and he's great.  Here's the rub:  He's an expense.  My dad loves me very much, and he loves my kids.  If they asked to keep an elephant there, he'd reluctantly build a higher fence, and tell them to bring the elephant over, to see how it works out.

I now own a horse.  Mom and Dad are boarding him with Mom's horse, Blue.  If something happens or needs to be done, they'll see to it that things are taken care of.  A horse means buying feed, buying wormer, paying for vet visits, putting up hay in the heat of July, mending fence, healing cuts, and avoiding illness. 

A horse also means fun rides, grooming time, the "look" you get when you feed him, and the soft nose against your hand.  Am I blessed? Absolutely. Am I scared?  Oh yeah.  But I'm prepared to do what it takes to keep the monetary burnden off my parents and be realistic about how much we *need* this horse. 

No other parents I know would take this on.  Here's to my Mom and Dad.  The greatest when I was growing up, and more so today.  Here's to the folks who do the real work, while the grandkids swoop in on Saturday and claim to "care for" the horse.  Here's to the man who maintains the tractor to pull the bailer that bales the hay that feeds my horse.  (sound like the house that Jack built?)

I love you, Mom and Dad!  You let me realize my dreams as a girl, and now you're helping me let my girls realize one of their dreams!  I owe you....BIG!

Weekend assignment

Weekend Assignment #45: Karaoke Time

Limber up your windpipes, boys and girls, because this week's Weekend Assignment is getting musical:

Weekend Assignment #45: It's karaoke time. Pick a song to sing and explain why you chose it. Note that not everyone sings the song you expect them to sing: I remember being at a karaoke bar one time and watching a six-foot bald guy with a gravelly voice and a tattoo on his neck sing Olivia Newton John's "Have You Never Been Mellow?" And it was brilliant. So by all means, reach for the stars here. This isn't American Idol.

I would sing something by Trace Adkins.  He's my favorite, and with my smoker's limited range, he has several that I can actually do.  There are so many good ones, it's hard to choose, but probably "Don't Lie".  Good stuff.  I can't sing most women's songs, and usually don't care much for them (although "Redneck Woman"....never mind)

Extra Credit: Recall the worst karaoke performance you ever heard (or, if you're brave, ever performed). You can change the names to protect the guilty if you like.

I've heard some HORRIBLE karaoke!  I'd say it hurts most anytime someone butchers a favorite.  Don't mess with the classics, folks, unless you can sing DANG good.

A better day.

We are getting ready to work with another third-party software company (geez, how many do we need to support?) and this always means testing.  Traditionally, customer service reps such as myself are responsible for the testing.  This time is no exception.

It's a pain to submit a bunch of orders when there are other things to do, but you are allowed to keep the prints, if you use your own images.  I didn't know we were starting today, so I had to work with images I already have at work.  I don't really need any more prints of those, but it works.  The only new ones I had were the ones that I took Sunday of Blue and Brat.  Unfortunately, I am *in* a lot of those pictures, looking like hell.  No contacts, no makeup, stocking cap, gloves, coat, fat-ass, etc.  Anyway, I ordered some.  I hope some of them turn out.  Oh, yeah, there were also some real cool pics of bright-red, evening-sky clouds before a storm.  I think those will look cool on our new metallic paper!

We also had to test the retouching section of the software.  In one of the orders, I had a picture including Brat, and the retouch instruction that I included said, "clean up the little dirty white horse."  Another said, "remove my hand and the lead rope."  We'll see how they interpret my nonsense.

We ordered pizza for dinner.  Yeah, the diet went down the drain around 2 weeks ago.  So be it.  I'm happy fat, right?  Anyway, we ordered Pyramid Pizza and had quite the feast.  I am TOO fond of pizza, that's for sure.  Wow, was it good.  Too much money spent, but dammit, it left me feeling so satisfied! :)

OK, enough rambling.  Life is good, I am more than *just* Rachel, and I had pizza for dinner.  Smurferrific!  (where the heck did *that* word come from?  I'm losing it, I swear!)

Is my ego too big?

I have a chip on my shoulder tonight.  I thought I would be over it by the time I got home, but I'm not.  My family is famous for holding grudges.  I'm trying to fight it, but each time it comes to mind again, I'm seething all over again.

We have this big customer at work.  B.I.G.  He isn't my customer, but I have spoken to him a few times, and his staff a LOT of times.  He is world famous in the industry, and spends a lot of time on lecture tours.  He's in high demand because he's good at what he does.  He really *is* good.  Honest.  Like I said, I don't talk to him often, but when I do, I take very good care of him, just like I do all of our customers.

He was teaching a class at the lab today.  I stayed after to help out with dinner, and to "make nice" with customers.  I like this gig.  It doesn't happen often, and when it does, it's interesting to put a face with the voices that we so often talk to.  I made my rounds for about an hour and a half.  Had a blast.  Cool folks, all of them.  I helped one customer find a computer that had internet access to book a room (since he didn't plan ahead) and everyone LOVED ME!  OK, they at least liked me a lot.

This speaker stopped me as I was leaving.  I thought, "how nice, he actually remembers that we've met twice before, or that we've spoken on the phone!" (I had a name tag on.)  He looked at my name tag and said, "so, you're the one that my staff is upset about...you're leaving customer service, right?"  I said, "No, that's Rebecca.  She's in a new position, and she was great, but she'll do very well at the new job, too.  Trouble shooting and fixing problems." 

Then he said...damn, I'm still mad...he said, "Oh, so you're just Rachel from customer service, huh?"  Then.  He.  Walked.  Away.  No "good bye", "kiss my butt", "you're dismissed", nothing!  Yeah, I'm just Rachel, from customer service.  Nothing more. 

Bull!  I am DAMN good at what I do, and I will NOT stay late to host another one of your classes, butt-head!  I am NOT *just* Rachel.  I do more for my customers than most other reps even CONSIDER!  I am NOT *just* Rachel.  I am very good at what I do, and I will no longer bother myself with trying to impress you, jerk.

Oh, and "Have a good day!"

Bringing home the Brat

Well, although it was super cold today, we all bundled up and went to pick up "The Brat".  That is the name that stuck when his previous owners brought him home.  Although most of his bratty behavior has disappeared, he's still hampered with that name. 

He did really well loading, unloading, and getting aquainted with mom's horse, Blue.  He was excited to have the hay that dad put up last summer, taking great pains to make it perfect for horses. I know squat about hay, so I can't be more specific, but Brat was happy to get it.

Blue sqealed and snorted and tried to act tough, but he wasn't physically agressive, and Brat couldn't have cared less about all the commotion.  Soon after being turned out together, they were enjoying a meal side-by-side.  I created a Snapfish album (since this computer doesn't have AOL, so "I've got Pictures" doesn't work).  It may want you to create a user name to view it.  If you don't want to do that, the second link is to my mom's journal, and you can view the pictures there.

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=716231106526084031/l=39437904/cobrandOid=1000131/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

http://journals.aol.com/mosie1944/MYCOUNTRYLIFE/entries/635

The Saturday Six

1. Which of the following is your favorite store and why?  
A) Wal-Mart
B) Target
C) K Mart
D) Sears

A) Wal-Mart.  I like it because we have a superstore, and I can get groceries while getting everything else.

2. How far does your closest friend who's not in the same town as you live, and when was the last time you saw them in person?

150 miles, and I need to get back down there to visit.  It's been a few months.

3. Have you ever gone on a date with someone you met online?  Would you?

Ummm, no, and no.  I have some that I definately plan to meet (several this year), but I'm happy I'm married, and don't have to think about that stuff.

4. What is your favorite novel and what makes it stand out for you?

Dang, there are so many.  I love just about any book that I can get in to.  I'd say (for a quick answer) it's The Green Mile.  Such darn good writing there.

5. You get snowed in at your home for three days.  You have power and telephone service, but no way to leave the house.  How will you amuse yourself?

Internet, internet, internet.

6. A fellow journaler you consider a friend disappears from J-land.  Visitors leave comments in the journal but they get no response.  You send the journaler an E-mail to make sure everything is okay, and despite the fact that you see that it has been read, you get no reply.  What do you do?  

I've often thought about that, and one part of this question saves me.  If I see that the email has been read, I back off.  Maybe something changed drastically, and a journal isn't plausible.  In my bubble, people don't disappear, so I'm done thinking about it!

Hot time on a Friday night

Wow, you'd think that Kevin and I would slow down at our age.  We are just out of control with the party lifestyle.

At 7:30, Kevin was snoring in bed, I was on the computer, and all journals and message boards had been checked.  I looked around this messy room and started laughing.  The cat looked at me like I was nuts.  I could get up and tidy things in here.  But I won't.

Both computer desks have assorted papers and items left behind by visiting daughters, both have glasses of half-flat Diet Coke, and all of our "end-of-day" collections.

Kevin's collection contains a wallet, checkbook, cell phone, loose change, keys, and a pen.  Mine is a cell phone, lottery ticket (loser!) cigarettes, lighter, and watch.  Over there to the left is my camera, to the right is the laptop.  A box of Kleenex leftover from my cold, sunglasses and a math paper (way to go Sis!). 

There's an awesome CD Rhythm, Country, and Blues, the printer, my last two pay stubs, a screwdriver, thermometer (I catch Natalie checking her temperature quite often...that's why the batteries are often dead when someone IS sick.) There is one of the stereo speakers (the other is on K's desk...stereo is in between on the filing cabinet) and all of the components of the desktop PC.  Sheesh.  How embarassing!

Think I'll post a pic!

This is my mess!  Gross.

This is the view of both messes.  Grosser still!

Oh yeah, I'm signing off now and cleaning this mess!

Dinner Time Conversations

I picked up the girls tonight, since Kevin had to work late.  We got home, started dinner, and did the backpack routine (check for homework, sign the agenda, see graded papers, etc.)  As the girls started eating, we were talking about their day. 

Monica was talking about a mouthy little girl in her class.  She said, "she's sassy and thinks she has to run the show...well, do *I* have news for *HER*!  She's not all that!"  Damn, I about spit Diet Coke over that one.  She had the head bob going, and hands on her hips.  All attitude and priss.  Man, she's gonna be a pill when she becomes a teenager.

Natalie brought up some kid at after school day care who kicked her in the head today.  She said that the teacher grabbed her, but she was (this is such a visual that I'm ruining it...), "trying to get away and stuff." This was demonstrated by Natalie's arms flailing around like crazy, almost knocking over her koolaid.  I asked if the girl got in trouble when her mom picked her up, but Natalie said, "It was her Gramma, and she didn't say *ANYTHING* to her about it!  Oh well, she'll see how she likes it when she winds up in Juvenile Hall!"  Crap, there comes the Diet Coke again.

I wonder where they get their attitude toward butt-heads?  I have zero tolerance for it, so does Kevin.  My poor kids are gonna be hard nosed adults!

Feeling better

I fell asleep at 8 last night (thanks for tucking in the girls, Kevin) and woke up not feeling much better.  Turned out, it was medicine head.  As I turned my body, it took 2.5 seconds for the brain to catch up.  After I got up and around, though, I really felt better.  I'm not 100% yet, but I am way ahead of yesterday.

The kids are being pretty good tonight, we're shopping for DSL/phone service packages (comcast cable TV and internet together is breaking us, with no home phone...cell only), and watching CRAP on TV.  It was warmer today, I was done with everything when I left work, and I'm not sneezing, so life is definately good tonight.

I am going this weekend to pick up the girl's new horse!  There will be pictures posted this weekend, after we get him.  Dad is being soft hearted/sweet/understanding enough to let us board "Brat" at his house, so we'll get everything settled this weekend and see how Brat and Blue get along.  Blue is twice his size, so if there is any pecking order to be established, I have a feeling I know how THAT will go.  This is a "lease/option" type deal...we are going to try him out, and if we decide that he's OK for the girls, we'll buy him this summer.  His owner (a very good friend) is even going to throw in the halter and let us borrow a saddle!

He's very small, so he's for the girls only.  He's not a pony, just a small Arabian.  The girls have already ridden him, and we've all gotten to know him, so we're very excited.  We'll go to Mom and Dad's on Saturday morning, pick up the trailer, and go get him.  A big part of the afternoon will be spent getting to know him better, grooming and such.  Girls might get a short ride if he's not to disoriented.  He's travelled to trail rides, though, so I think he'll be fine.  I'm so excited.  Thanks Dad!

Little annoying cold

Well dang it all!  I caught Kevin's cold.  It's not a major illness, but so annoying.  Sniffle and sneeze, tiny tickle in my throat.  Not sick enough to get pity, but sick enough to be annoyed.  Cold medicine knocks it back most of the way, then it wears off and I grumble a bit more.  Think I'll take some Nyquil and go to bed early.  I can usually knock a cold pretty well and pretty quickly.  No OJ in the house, but I can grab some on the way to work.  I think I'll go over there across the room and crawl into my nice comfy bed, under my nice warm quilts.  See ya tomorrow!

Thankful for a warm home!

I woke up in a nice warm bed, thinking about how much I hate getting up on Monday, more than any other day.  I got out of bed and realized how cold it was.  I spent my "getting ready" time thinking about how cold it was downstairs.  I warmed up the van, but it was still cold most of the way to work (it's so big, it takes a while to warm up inside.)

At work, my area is always cold.  Summer and winter...it's cold in there.  In the winter, if I wear sweats, it's not too bad, but I had to wear jeans and a sweater today, since there was a customer coming in.  I froze all day.  Then, after work, it was the van thing again.  The chill is taken off, but I'm never quite *warm*.  I got home and put on sweats and a warm shirt. 

Ahhhhh, I love having a warm house.  The electric bill is going to suck, but I can sit here without being distracted by the cold.  I have feeling in my fingers, my toes aren't numb, and I'm happy, dangit...HAPPY! (Why is Kevin sweating?)

Weekend Assignment

Weekend Assignment #43: Congratulations, you've become your own soverign state! Design a flag for the United States of You, using no more than three colors and one symbol (the symbol can be of any color). Explain your design choices. Don't worry about actually making the flag -- you can just tell us about it.

My country would be enclosed in my bubble.  I've discussed my bubble before, and it's safety knows no bounds.  Bad things just don't happen to people in the bubble.  Wanna come inside?  The flag is to follow.

Extra credit: make a picture of the flag. Because, let's face it, that's time-intensive.

 

Yeah, purple isn't exactly "me", but it's such a peaceful color. 

What's cool

When I was in Jr. High, Atari was cool. Later, hanging out with my friends and making my own money for the first time in my life was cool.  Then I got older, and it seems that what's "cool" is always evolving.

I am upstairs in my bedroom, playing on the computer, and the 9 year old is downstairs on the kid computer.  She is instant messaging me, asking technical questions and understanding the answers.  That's cool.

Kevin bought a used dryer at this used appliance store here in town.  It is cheap, but a huge step up for us.  He brought it home and hooked it up, and there is a load in there now.  That's cool.

My son is at his dad's, learning to parallel park so that he can get his licence soon.  That's cool.

My parents take my girls 'most every Saturday night, where they hang out, play and enjoy their company...not to mention giving us a free night.  Many grandparents are fine with only seeing their grandkids a couple of times a year...not my folks.  That's cool.

I'm gainfully employed, the family is healthy, the kids are smart and well-adjusted, and my marriage is a great one.  That's cool.

Monica's relief, and comic relief

Monica's teacher dealt with the situation quite nicely.  The boy was called into the hall for a face-to-face with Monica.  He says that he doesn't remember saying it, but he's sorry.  She's happy with that, and he didn't say a word to her this afternoon.  It's all good.  I probably worried too much anyway, but I'm glad it's over.

Today, she had a timed multiplication test.  This is a page of 100 problems, and they have 5 minutes to finish.  The first couple tests were horrible.  She finished *maybe* 30 or 40 problems, and cried and cried.  Today, a mere 4 months later, she brought home a test with all 100 answered, and all 100 correct!  I am so proud!  Add this to the straight "A" report card, and I'm ONE happy Momma!

Now, a funny.  She obviously got her sense of humor from her dad.  They had a spelling bee in her class today.  When it was Monica's turn, the teacher said, "Finalist."  Monica thought hard for a minute, head cocked to the side, then asked, "can you repeat the word, please?"  The teacher said again, (all serious and slow, like a "real" spelling bee) "Finalist".  Monica cocked her head to the side again, then looked at the teacher and asked sweetly, "can you spell it?"

Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at this.  My kids are so freaking funny!

Bullys

Monica has a problem.  There is a kid who is 10, in another third grade class, and he's known for being mean.  From her 9-year-old perception, he's "slow" and a bit of a bully.  While getting on the bus, she bumped into him, then said "sorry!"  He looked at her and said, "I'm gonna beat you up tomorrow."  She is scared shitless.

Granted, she is a drama queen.  This is *her* version of things, and it's probably not half as bad as she makes it sound, but I can't take that chance.  If my daughter has a *slight* chance of being "beat up", I have to do something.  I emailed the teacher.  Yeah, maybe it's lame, but her teacher loves her very much, and would do anything for her/us.  I explained the situation, and hope that someone takes a look.

As I went in to tuck them in to bed, Monica looked at me, all teary eyed, and said "but I've never been beat up before."  Shit.  I told her that she should just move close to an adult when he's around, until someone handles this.  I told her that she should never interrupt an adult conversation, so maybe she could just slide close to a teacher and slip her hand into the teacher's hand.  That will alert them that there is a problem.  I wonder if I should call the bus barn, too?

Maybe this is nothing, but it's my daughter, dammit!  I am thinking about dropping them off at school in the morning and being late to work.  Then, if the teacher hasn't answered my email by midday, I can call to explain.  They don't always have time to check email until after school.  I don't want to be a paranoid mom, but I want to protect my daughter.  Sheesh!  Even Natalie was crying, asking me why Monica couldn't just "kick him in the face."  Violent, but loving.

Kevin hates cats

 

Yeah, this is my cat-hating husband.  Shhhh, don't tell anyone!

The struggle

If you're going to go on a diet on January 1, it's a BAD idea to order Girl Scout cookies from TWO kids a couple months before hand.  ACK!  They were delivered today!

The plan is to freeze them 2 to a bag and have them on WEEKENDS only.  Now, if only I can stick to the plan. 

Boy, I love Girl Scout cookies.

A bit more of a little of nothing.

After we dropped the girls off at mom's house, we headed to Applebee's.  We managed to have a wonderful lunch without straying from the diet.  Mom was cooking spaghetti, we hadn't eaten...it was a bad combination! LOL  Lunch was good, then we headed out for haircuts.

Kevin got his head practically shaved.  He has to wear a stocking cap at work (he's outside all day) and when he takes it off, his hair is quite funny, so he got rid of it.  Very short buzz.  I got most of mine removed, too.  It was out of control.  I like it a lot, and I think the folks that have seen it agree.  I hope they're not just being nice.

It's a tiny picture, since I turned it into an avatar for my message boards, but you can see how short it is.  She cut over HALF the length off!

I did it!

I FIXED THE SOUND ON THE LAPTOP!!!!  Now it's perfect!  I have no idea what setting was wrong...I must have messed with 20 different settings, to no avail.  Then I found IBM's troubleshooting site, and in the process of using the troubleshooting application, it gave the keyboard shortcut for volume control, and when I hit it I got a loud beep!  Now it works great.

One curious thing, though, if I use a slider bar of any program (Windows Media Player, for instance) the sound is muted again.  It only wants me to use it's own volume control.  It's fine, as long as you know that, but I wonder where the conflict is?  Actually, I don't care.  I'm just so happy that I have fixed so many technical issues lately.

Lots of nothing

Well, I've been on the diet for 7 days, and haven't cheated ONE TIME!  WoooHooo for me.  I have lost 9 lbs, and am about where I was before my holiday eating binge.  Maybe my jeans fit again?  I may not know for a while.  I won't wear anything but sweats when it's cold out.  I'm a cold-weather wimp.

I'm still not used to having a whole weekend off.  Not sure what we'll do.  I think I'll get my hair all cut off tomorrow.  We're talking about renting movies...we hardly ever do that any more.  Sunday, we'll probably head to mom and dad's.  A weekend doesn't feel right if we don't go there.  I do the same thing there as I do here, sit around and watch TV, but I love it there.

That's actually quite interesting.  I started thinking of a way to escape that place (the town AND my parent's house) soon after becoming employed at 16.  When I was 18, I found my escape...jumped right into a marriage I wasn't prepared for.  That showed 'em, huh?  The older I get, though, the more that place pulls me back.  I want that place.  I wanna live in that town and in THAT house.  I'd have to make a lot of money, since I'd need to install central heat! :)  I can picture how I'd have it set up and everything.  I guess I just hate living in town that badly.

For a quick subject hop:  Why do people feel OBLIGATED to make small talk?  I mean, at least 4 people a day will say "having fun?" to me at work.  OH MY GOSH, YOU ARE SO CLEVER!  There are also a few who will say, "Hey, how ya doin'?" every time they pass me in the hall at work.  Even if they pass me 3 times in one day, they say "Hey, how ya' doin'?"  I just wanna say, "Ummm, listen idiot, I'm doin' the same as I was 5 minutes ago when you asked me!"  But I don't. 

Well, I've rambled enough.  I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Mine's gonna be filled with a whole lot of laziness!

Isolated

Kevin went to work this morning, after clearing off vehicles and warming them up, and gave me strict instructions not to leave until I heard from him.  He made it to work, but it was getting slicker by the minute the closer he got to work.  Since I have three times the distance to go, he called home and said "Don't leave.  Period."  Dang.  Stupid ice storm is gonna cost me a lot of catching up at work.

"Oh well," I thought, "I can play on the computer and chat with mom."  WRONG.  Mom has no power.  I surf for a while, then get bored because my nearby buddies can't get online.  My out of town buddies are all at work.  WAAAAAA!  (Pity party anyone?)

I did call mom and dad on his cell.  If the roads aren't too bad, they might get out a bit to warm up and have something to do.  I told him to head this way if safely possible.  At least we have power.  Part of me hopes they come over.  Maybe they can even stay for dinner!  The other part of me wants them to stay put.  Dad is the safest driver I've ever met, but still....I'm getting older, so I worry.  I know he won't chance it if it's not safe, though.

I guess I'll peruse the internet some more. :(

My new toy!

I have been wanting a laptop for quite some time.  I couldn't justify the $1000 that it would take to buy a base model, since we HAVE computers, and I only *need* it 4-5 times per year.  Yeah, I'll use it more than that, but I really wanted it for my business trips, and times like this February when we go on vacation to Texas.

I had casually watched ebay, but the thought scared me to death.  There's a big difference between a $10 movie, and a laptop costing hundreds. If I got duped I would be SO depressed.  With my final OT check, I was looking online and Kevin said "buy it" when he saw the one I was looking at.  It was under $300 and the seller had 100% positive feedback.  It has Win2000, which I'm comfortable with, and the battery isn't garaunteed, but comes with AC adapter.

We ordered it, but agreed to not say anything to anyone until we had it and knew the condition.  Well, I'm tellin' ya ain't I?!  It's great.  Had some networking issues at first (big suprise, huh?) but it's all good now.  The even BETTER thing?  The battery works!  I'm running on it now to test duration, but so far so good!

Mom can take it if SHE goes anywhere, too!  I'm so happy.  I'm not allowed to ask for anything for a year, but I'm OK with that.  heh heh

Rainy days and Mondays

This morning, as I was taking the girls to day care, Monica said "I hate rainy days AND Mondays."  I started singing that song, and she was unimpressed.  I understand the feeling sis, I really do.

Kevin had an epidural in his upper back today.  He's supposed to get three over the course of 3 months.  I had to go with him, to drive him home, just in case.  Some people experience numbness sometimes.  He didn't.  It's a 60-75% chance at a fix (not really permanent, but some folks get several years relief from it) and it's a starting point in "pain management".  I nagged him forever to go to the doctor and *really* tell him everything, and he finally did.  There is no reason to spend your whole life in pain.

I have stuck to the diet for 3 days, no slips.  No workout yet...still plotting and planning (sounds like excuses from a fat chick, huh?)

Rainy Days and Mondays The Carpenters

"Talking to myself and feeling old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothing is really wrong
Feeling like I don't belong
Walking around some kind of lonely clown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you
It's nice to know somebody loves me
Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do

To run and find the one who loves me

(*) What I feel is come and gone before
No need to talk it out
We know what it's all about
Hanging around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me

Repeat (*)

Hangin around, nothing do to but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down"

Sunday happenings

I couldn't sleep worth a darn last night.  Not sure why, but I woke up later than usual, so I probably made up for it.  Monica woke up crying a few minutes later. She had a dream that Green Day sang for her school every afternoon, then woke up to realize it was a dream.  She was sobbing, asking why that kind of dream never comes true.  Sheesh!  She is too young to be that hung up on a band.

Kevin and I found out that there is a COPS marathon on today, on FX.  What a treat!  The kids kinda want to go to grandma's house, but it's a grey yucky day outside, and perfect for vegging out all day.  Plus, the diet's kind of new to be tempting it that way.

The kids and I just finished a wild game of hide-and-seek.  This townhouse has 3 floors of hiding places, and we all had to take a turn seeking.  The cats tend to give us away, if you're not careful.  They stand in the middle of the room looking toward you like "why are you cowering there?"  It's a lot of fun, and we haven't played for a while.

All the time that Kevin's had his computer, the email has been set up wrong.  Oooops.  My bad.  I put the mail. where the smtp. should be, and the pop. where the mail. should be.  DUH!  He kept getting email bounced back, but heck, he only sends about one a month, so I kept forgetting to fix it.  Sorry Honey!

All of that excitement before noon!  What will the rest of the day bring?

I want to be a loser!

Well, it's 01/01 again, and I'm dieting again.  Last year I lost a little over 20 lbs, but almost 10 has come back over the past few months.  I went to the store and spent too much money, but if I have a lot of choices around, I'm less likely to cheat.

I'm doing the low-carb thing.  It seems to work really well for me.  Please don't lecture me about the health risks.  There are health risks associated with the "Beer and Pringles" diet, too!  Just think of the money I'll save by not buying beer!  I will probably allow myself a couple of Michelob Ultras every couple of weeks, but that's it.  I'm not gonna bust my but to lose weight, then turn around and partake of liquid carbs!

I need to excersise, too.  The problem is, I'm a cold-weather wuss.  I often think I'd use a treadmill if I had one.  It can be done inside and while watching TV.  The problem is, I fear I'm wrong and it would end up as a clothes rack like in so many other homes.  It's just too big of an expense to take the chance. I have also done workout videos with some success in the past, but our living room set-up isn't ideal for this...not a lot of room to move around.

I like to walk, but the first time it's rainy or cold, I skip it, then it seems I never get back out there.  I've never been able to jog, either.  I think I'm too uncoordinated or something.  It just doesn't feel comfortable or natural to me.  I guess I'll do some hand-weight work and situps and the like, until I figure something out.  I'm very dedicated to the diet, so I hope I find an excersise solution!