Snakes: Two. Caught. In our yard! Husband is my hero. He caught them both. One was living in a wood pile in our back yard. Moved the wood, caught a snake. This one was pretty little. The other was living in the tree right in front of our garage. It was on the tree soaking up sun. This one was bigger. Both were kept safe in a pillow case, shown to the neighbors, then released miles away from here. Bye bye.
Sleaze: The jerk at the car dealer thought he could get away with a tricky move. He offered an extended warranty with stain protection (for all the interior fabric as well as ding protection for the exterior) for x dollars. We agreed. When we read through the contract the next day we realized he charged us the same x dollars PLUS $700 for the protection plan. Hello. We went back today and re-did everything. We still paid x for the warranty, but they took off the 700 and gave us the interior protection for free. I guess they were pretty annoyed with us by the end of it, but if they had done what they promised we wouldn't have had any trouble.
Salesman: Our sales guy (K) was nice. He was very new, but nice and helpful. The other guy (J) 'helping' our sales guy was the definition of car salesman. J was friendly in a jerky way and tried to tell us what we wanted and get us out. We left. Without a car. Then came back and dealt with K. They have a cooler of water bottles to give to customers for free. J asked if we wanted anything. I asked for a soda (the planet dealer gives you soda) and he said "we don't have any, it's just water." OK. Except when I said something to K, he directed me to the repair shop where there is a vending machine. Why couldn't J have said that? K paid for my soda and a candy bar.
Stop it: Peanut has to stop being so helpless. He will drop something and it will be just out of reach. Tears. He can't seem to just reach out two inches and pick it up. The World has ended. I know he is still very young, but he knows how to ask for a snack or drink. Why will he not do this? It's frustrating.
Super: My new van. It's beautiful blue and drives nice. I'm nervous as heck driving it that someone will smash into me. I think this will work out just fine. I kind of miss our other car, but this will grow with our family if we someday choose to grow.
Sucks: The house is still for sale. We haven't had many lookers either. I know with the holidays it's bad timing, but if people need/want a house then it shouldn't matter. We're giving it another couple weeks and then our realtor needs to do something to get some folks looking at it.
Supervision: The dog is in trouble for digging up my landscaping the same night I got it finished. As far as I know the other dog is innocent. Trouble is no longer allowed to be free in the yard without someone out there with her to supervise.
Super Hero: Husband has been a real man lately. He wrangled two snakes, and caught two in our yard. Get it? The first two are the jerks at the dealer. Ha. Anyway, he's been great and deserves a cookie.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Day 22 and The Circle of Life
So it's day 22 of the house for sale. No showings this week. Hello. If you live near me and want a house, ours is fabulous. Really. Come by and then come buy. I think we are waiting for that one person out there currently living in an apartment to buy a house. Then those people will buy and those people will buy and so on. The chain must start. Then our house will sell. Or I'll go crazy, one of the two.
Did you also know we are selling our Vue? Yah. Sort of just decided on that. It's fine, but we could get a good deal on (are you ready for this?) a mini-van. I know. If we have another kid we'll need the space. Two adults, two kids and two semi-big dogs. There is no room. So we're trying to get all we can out of it. So come by and buy our Vue, then fall in love with the house and buy that too. Hey, what more could anyone want? A new house and a new car. Fabulous.
So, in an effort to spruce up the house I planted some grass seed. We have a few bare spots in the yard and I am attempting to fill them in. You might want to peruse the previous post about my green thumb (not) to decide how this will turn out. Anyway, I was outside watering some of the spots when a young bird came crashing/flying out of a nest not two feet above me. This spot was under a tree. So teen bird goes flopping across the street trying to get the flying thing down. It's sort of walking, flopping, kind of flying down the street. Then. The neighbors cat comes out. These cats go out of the house and just stay in the front yard. Weird. Anyway, the cat starts to chase the bird. I briefly thought of going after them and chasing the cat away. Then I realized it was the circle of life. I had to leave. I don't know if the cat got the bird or not. It was starting to fly a little, but couldn't go far. The cat was on the chase. I felt awful. If I hadn't been watering, the bird wouldn't have left at that moment and the cat wouldn't have chased the bird, possibly catching it, but who knows. Of course, it could have just been time.
Did you also know we are selling our Vue? Yah. Sort of just decided on that. It's fine, but we could get a good deal on (are you ready for this?) a mini-van. I know. If we have another kid we'll need the space. Two adults, two kids and two semi-big dogs. There is no room. So we're trying to get all we can out of it. So come by and buy our Vue, then fall in love with the house and buy that too. Hey, what more could anyone want? A new house and a new car. Fabulous.
So, in an effort to spruce up the house I planted some grass seed. We have a few bare spots in the yard and I am attempting to fill them in. You might want to peruse the previous post about my green thumb (not) to decide how this will turn out. Anyway, I was outside watering some of the spots when a young bird came crashing/flying out of a nest not two feet above me. This spot was under a tree. So teen bird goes flopping across the street trying to get the flying thing down. It's sort of walking, flopping, kind of flying down the street. Then. The neighbors cat comes out. These cats go out of the house and just stay in the front yard. Weird. Anyway, the cat starts to chase the bird. I briefly thought of going after them and chasing the cat away. Then I realized it was the circle of life. I had to leave. I don't know if the cat got the bird or not. It was starting to fly a little, but couldn't go far. The cat was on the chase. I felt awful. If I hadn't been watering, the bird wouldn't have left at that moment and the cat wouldn't have chased the bird, possibly catching it, but who knows. Of course, it could have just been time.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Wanted: Green Thumb
I went to the Home a De po today to work on landscaping. The house looks OK from the front, but the back yard is a little plain. I was overwhelmed to say the least. Did you know there are like 4,983 types of soil? I did not. There are also an equal number of fertilizers, plants, flowers, stepping stones, edging options and pots to put said plants in. I had to go home.
After eating lunch and thinking it through I went back. I purchased several pots of various shape and size, a bag of soil (the one the clerk suggested) and a handful of flowers (mostly purple since I like that color). I planted all the flowers and at least today they look lovely. How long do those things last? Oh well. There were a few other things purchased, but I didn't get to those little projects.
The dogs are not helping the yard situation. One or both of them keeps digging little holes. It looks like we have a groundhog or something. They also run through and and lay in the plants. At some point we'll have to contain them or block off the plants.
All in all I enjoyed the day. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. Peanut was at daycare so I didn't have to worry about him for the day. I can't say things are fabulous, but at least I had an OK day. Although, there is one thing that did try to spoil my day. There is a snake living in our yard. It was sunbathing in the front yard this morning and it was in the back yard later on. Ew. The neighbors boys have offered to catch it if I can spot it while they are home. That's the trick. Between school and work they aren't home much. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will catch my critter. Again. Ew.
After eating lunch and thinking it through I went back. I purchased several pots of various shape and size, a bag of soil (the one the clerk suggested) and a handful of flowers (mostly purple since I like that color). I planted all the flowers and at least today they look lovely. How long do those things last? Oh well. There were a few other things purchased, but I didn't get to those little projects.
The dogs are not helping the yard situation. One or both of them keeps digging little holes. It looks like we have a groundhog or something. They also run through and and lay in the plants. At some point we'll have to contain them or block off the plants.
All in all I enjoyed the day. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. Peanut was at daycare so I didn't have to worry about him for the day. I can't say things are fabulous, but at least I had an OK day. Although, there is one thing that did try to spoil my day. There is a snake living in our yard. It was sunbathing in the front yard this morning and it was in the back yard later on. Ew. The neighbors boys have offered to catch it if I can spot it while they are home. That's the trick. Between school and work they aren't home much. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will catch my critter. Again. Ew.
Monday, May 14, 2007
My Smile is Upside Down
I'm tired. I seem to be constantly annoyed and/or angry. I feel slow, sluggish, heavy and foggy. I hate that I feel any of this because my husband and son are paying for it. Part of it is PMS and part of it is depression. The PMS will go away in a while, but I'm not sure what to do about the other.
I tried a therapist and she seemed good, but then she stood me up one day. That's not really something you want to do with someone that is depressed with self-esteem issues. My silly brain said something like "screw you, see how you like it if I never come back". Which is silly because it doesn't really hurt her if I don't come back. It only hurts me (and those around me).
Her logic was that I'm depressed because I am a very creative person with no creative outlet. She said I needed to tap into that to feel fulfilled. OK. I get that. I don't seem to have time. Sure I have some free time twice a week, but then there are usually things I want to do or get done. Creativity seems to take a back seat for the most part. Would that help with my marriage? Would that help deal with my son? I kind of don't think so. Maybe though. I'm in such a horrible place right now. I don't want to be, but I kind of don't give a crap either.
What would do me some good is a swift kick in the butt to get me on my way. You know, like one of those life coaches on tv where they go live in a house and they change their whole lives for the better. I need that, but I'm only free two days a week and I have no money to spend. Other than that, sign me up. Really.
I'd say I need a vacation, but it hasn't been all that long since I took one. I really don't know what I need at this point. A job? A hobby? A friend? A life? Yah. Probably a little of each.
I tried a therapist and she seemed good, but then she stood me up one day. That's not really something you want to do with someone that is depressed with self-esteem issues. My silly brain said something like "screw you, see how you like it if I never come back". Which is silly because it doesn't really hurt her if I don't come back. It only hurts me (and those around me).
Her logic was that I'm depressed because I am a very creative person with no creative outlet. She said I needed to tap into that to feel fulfilled. OK. I get that. I don't seem to have time. Sure I have some free time twice a week, but then there are usually things I want to do or get done. Creativity seems to take a back seat for the most part. Would that help with my marriage? Would that help deal with my son? I kind of don't think so. Maybe though. I'm in such a horrible place right now. I don't want to be, but I kind of don't give a crap either.
What would do me some good is a swift kick in the butt to get me on my way. You know, like one of those life coaches on tv where they go live in a house and they change their whole lives for the better. I need that, but I'm only free two days a week and I have no money to spend. Other than that, sign me up. Really.
I'd say I need a vacation, but it hasn't been all that long since I took one. I really don't know what I need at this point. A job? A hobby? A friend? A life? Yah. Probably a little of each.
Monday, May 07, 2007
One Week
So the house has been officially for sale for over a week. There have been no official showings, but a few people came to an open house yesterday. So far, this sucks. The house has stayed pretty clean and neat, but I'm disappointed we haven't sold it already. I know it's a lot to ask for, but why not?
Before we actually put it on the market I had dreams of it selling the first day. You always hear stories of "it was only on the market 3 days". Why can't that be us? So then it rained. For days upon days. No one seems to want to look at or buy a house in the rain. Last weekend were a lot of graduation days and next weekend is Mother's Day (Happy M Day to everyone!) after that is Memorial Weekend. Bah!! I hope this gets better. What if it never sells? Is it over-priced? Is it nice enough? Why is no one in love with it like I was six years ago?
On the flip side is the new house situation. I haven't looked to seriously, but I've gone to several open model homes and a few 'lived in' homes. There have not been any that I've fallen in love with. There are a few I like, but none I love. Maybe we should design our own house. Maybe we should try to find the land we want and build on that. I don't know. It's exciting and fun and stressful all in one minute.
In other news we went on a mini-vacation. We flew to Texas for a long weekend with family and it was very nice. Peanut did fantastic the whole time. Sure he cried a little during the landing of the first flight. I think it was more because we made him sit down in the seat than he was scared or anything. The flight back was pretty good too. Like I said, he was terrific.
Before we actually put it on the market I had dreams of it selling the first day. You always hear stories of "it was only on the market 3 days". Why can't that be us? So then it rained. For days upon days. No one seems to want to look at or buy a house in the rain. Last weekend were a lot of graduation days and next weekend is Mother's Day (Happy M Day to everyone!) after that is Memorial Weekend. Bah!! I hope this gets better. What if it never sells? Is it over-priced? Is it nice enough? Why is no one in love with it like I was six years ago?
On the flip side is the new house situation. I haven't looked to seriously, but I've gone to several open model homes and a few 'lived in' homes. There have not been any that I've fallen in love with. There are a few I like, but none I love. Maybe we should design our own house. Maybe we should try to find the land we want and build on that. I don't know. It's exciting and fun and stressful all in one minute.
In other news we went on a mini-vacation. We flew to Texas for a long weekend with family and it was very nice. Peanut did fantastic the whole time. Sure he cried a little during the landing of the first flight. I think it was more because we made him sit down in the seat than he was scared or anything. The flight back was pretty good too. Like I said, he was terrific.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
House 4 Sale
Last night our house became officially for sale. The paperwork was signed and the sign went up in the yard. For some reason is doesn't appear to be on-line yet, but I hope that is fixed soon.
There are days I feel quite torn about this decision. On one hand I do want a different house and being close to family and friends will be nice. On the other hand, this is our first house. This is where we lived shortly after getting married. This is where we were when I got pregnant and had our first child. This is Peanut's only home. I feel sentimental towards this house. Plus we have quite awesome neighbors and we are sad to leave them.
The house could be for sale for a long time. I hope it sells soon because keeping it neat and clean with a 1 1/2 year old is not easy. Every where I look there seem to be more and more houses for sale. I hope we aren't too late and the market is getting flooded with houses. This is such a stressful adventure. At least the house is clean and neat. It looks pretty good. Why didn't we do all this 5 years ago? Seems dumb to wait until you sell your house to fix it up. We are vowing to not do that in the next one. I'm not sure everything will get fixed up the day we move in, but maybe we can keep it a little more organized.
So I hope to keep this updated as we go along our real estate journey. Please wish speedy sale thoughts to us.
There are days I feel quite torn about this decision. On one hand I do want a different house and being close to family and friends will be nice. On the other hand, this is our first house. This is where we lived shortly after getting married. This is where we were when I got pregnant and had our first child. This is Peanut's only home. I feel sentimental towards this house. Plus we have quite awesome neighbors and we are sad to leave them.
The house could be for sale for a long time. I hope it sells soon because keeping it neat and clean with a 1 1/2 year old is not easy. Every where I look there seem to be more and more houses for sale. I hope we aren't too late and the market is getting flooded with houses. This is such a stressful adventure. At least the house is clean and neat. It looks pretty good. Why didn't we do all this 5 years ago? Seems dumb to wait until you sell your house to fix it up. We are vowing to not do that in the next one. I'm not sure everything will get fixed up the day we move in, but maybe we can keep it a little more organized.
So I hope to keep this updated as we go along our real estate journey. Please wish speedy sale thoughts to us.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I May Cause You to Cry.
So I started therapy. I have gone only once so far, but there are plans to go again. Because of previous counseling sessions I was a bit hesitant about going. Perhaps if you get the right person it can help you. I'm not sure, I've never gotten that far.
So I get there and she is running late. No one tells me this, not even the 'receptionist'. So I wait. About a half hour later I finally go in. She seems nice. So we sit down and start chatting. I first tell her I have a bit of a cold and it makes it more difficult for me to hear. I have a mild hearing problem anyway and any cold makes it 10 times worse. She looked like that was the craziest thing she had ever heard. AND. She didn't really help me any by talking louder. I must have had her repeat every other sentence.
At one point she looks at me at asks why I'm there. She tells me there doesn't seem to be any reason for me to be depressed. Then she looks at me and says "what do you think?" I think it's time to get the heck out of dodge, but I just sort of stare blankly at her.
So we talk some more. She asks what it was like growing up and I tell her. She asks for my earliest memory. I can't think of anything, but I blurt out a few things. (I remember now). She asks how old I was and I have no idea.
At this point I've painted a horrible picture of this woman. She wasn't that bad. She was trying to dig and find things, but there just isn't one incident that has caused this. It's a lifetime of random things that has shaped me like this.
I am not a person with a lot of joy or happiness. I enjoy doing things and I'm not crying all the time. I just do not get those moments of whoopee. She realized this at some point. It's a little hard to believe, because I can put on a happy face and pretend that things are great. Sure. Sure. Things are lovely. I spend some of my days crying because I have no idea what I'm doing home alone with an 18 month old. My relationship feels a little strained because our Love Bucket is running on empty. I worry about money in every way. Some days I wish lightning would strike and I'd know what it is I'm supposed to be doing. But hey, I can smile and say things are fine when you ask how I'm doing.
At the end she gave me two things to do. List moments I felt real joy and happiness and also list times I thought of things I would like to do. It's only been a day, but I'm having trouble coming up with anything to put on my list.
She believes I am depressed, but doesn't know why. It makes her terribly sad to think I've just been like this all my life. That I've just been floating in some river carrying me along never knowing or caring what's on the shore. She almost cried.
So I get there and she is running late. No one tells me this, not even the 'receptionist'. So I wait. About a half hour later I finally go in. She seems nice. So we sit down and start chatting. I first tell her I have a bit of a cold and it makes it more difficult for me to hear. I have a mild hearing problem anyway and any cold makes it 10 times worse. She looked like that was the craziest thing she had ever heard. AND. She didn't really help me any by talking louder. I must have had her repeat every other sentence.
At one point she looks at me at asks why I'm there. She tells me there doesn't seem to be any reason for me to be depressed. Then she looks at me and says "what do you think?" I think it's time to get the heck out of dodge, but I just sort of stare blankly at her.
So we talk some more. She asks what it was like growing up and I tell her. She asks for my earliest memory. I can't think of anything, but I blurt out a few things. (I remember now). She asks how old I was and I have no idea.
At this point I've painted a horrible picture of this woman. She wasn't that bad. She was trying to dig and find things, but there just isn't one incident that has caused this. It's a lifetime of random things that has shaped me like this.
I am not a person with a lot of joy or happiness. I enjoy doing things and I'm not crying all the time. I just do not get those moments of whoopee. She realized this at some point. It's a little hard to believe, because I can put on a happy face and pretend that things are great. Sure. Sure. Things are lovely. I spend some of my days crying because I have no idea what I'm doing home alone with an 18 month old. My relationship feels a little strained because our Love Bucket is running on empty. I worry about money in every way. Some days I wish lightning would strike and I'd know what it is I'm supposed to be doing. But hey, I can smile and say things are fine when you ask how I'm doing.
At the end she gave me two things to do. List moments I felt real joy and happiness and also list times I thought of things I would like to do. It's only been a day, but I'm having trouble coming up with anything to put on my list.
She believes I am depressed, but doesn't know why. It makes her terribly sad to think I've just been like this all my life. That I've just been floating in some river carrying me along never knowing or caring what's on the shore. She almost cried.
Vacation Part IV
We rode ATV's in Mazatlan and that was really fun. I found two huge sand dollars on the beach. One was even whole. I managed to get it all the way home unharmed. This area seemed really poor and was a bit shabby. We had fun anyway.
The last stop was Cabo San Lucas. This was where we went whale watching. That was awesome. It was a tiny little boat out in the huge ocean. We found two whales and followed them for quite a while. Husband got some good video of them.
Then it was time to head back to L.A.
Overall the trip was fun. It was nice to be away from Peanut for a bit and be an adult. The trouble is I always tend to feel less than thrilled when we spend time with our friends as a group. I don't know how to explain it. I guess I don't feel like I measure up. Like I'm not as good. Honestly I think I do a fantastic job staying home with Peanut. With the exception of two of them (one doesn't have kids) the others could handle it. They tried and were not able to make it. This makes me feel great. But! For the most part they have all done very well in their professional lives. I never really accomplished anything great. There are other reasons I won't get into now. Now that we are home, it's nice to be with Peanut again and not our friends, at least for a while.
Some members of the group are already planning another vacation. I need a while to be able to afford it. Mostly, I'm not ready to leave Peanut for that long again. That was difficult for me. The other moms missed their kids, but I'm the only one that hadn't been away from mine for longer than a day or two. Oh well. Go on a cruise. It's nice.
The last stop was Cabo San Lucas. This was where we went whale watching. That was awesome. It was a tiny little boat out in the huge ocean. We found two whales and followed them for quite a while. Husband got some good video of them.
Then it was time to head back to L.A.
Overall the trip was fun. It was nice to be away from Peanut for a bit and be an adult. The trouble is I always tend to feel less than thrilled when we spend time with our friends as a group. I don't know how to explain it. I guess I don't feel like I measure up. Like I'm not as good. Honestly I think I do a fantastic job staying home with Peanut. With the exception of two of them (one doesn't have kids) the others could handle it. They tried and were not able to make it. This makes me feel great. But! For the most part they have all done very well in their professional lives. I never really accomplished anything great. There are other reasons I won't get into now. Now that we are home, it's nice to be with Peanut again and not our friends, at least for a while.
Some members of the group are already planning another vacation. I need a while to be able to afford it. Mostly, I'm not ready to leave Peanut for that long again. That was difficult for me. The other moms missed their kids, but I'm the only one that hadn't been away from mine for longer than a day or two. Oh well. Go on a cruise. It's nice.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
The Love Bucket
How full is your love bucket?
The question was asked of me in terms of my relationship with Peanut. I would say it's very full. I think he knows how much I love him. We have a pretty healthy relationship. I'm constantly giving him my time and energy, praising him and loving him.
I got to thinking about the one I have with Husband. Sadly, I don't think it's all that full. I haven't put anything in in a long time.
What now?
It's time to do some thinking and maybe something more. Books? Therapy?
How full are your buckets? Do what you can to fill them.
The question was asked of me in terms of my relationship with Peanut. I would say it's very full. I think he knows how much I love him. We have a pretty healthy relationship. I'm constantly giving him my time and energy, praising him and loving him.
I got to thinking about the one I have with Husband. Sadly, I don't think it's all that full. I haven't put anything in in a long time.
What now?
It's time to do some thinking and maybe something more. Books? Therapy?
How full are your buckets? Do what you can to fill them.
Vacation Part III
So we reach Puerto Vallarta. We had booked a shore excursion on a Pirate Ship. As we were getting ready to leave we realized we lost our sunscreen. Turns out another couple had picked it up. Anyway, we left the ship early to buy some since we would be in the sun all day. Wanna guess what we had to pay? $18. Yes. $18 for a regular tube of banana boat sunscreen. Oh well. We would have fried otherwise.
The pirate adventure was OK. The boat was kind of neat and the pirate show was mildly amusing. It was nice to be somewhere other than on the ship. No other couples were with us so it was nice to be just the two of us as well. We got to the destination beach and it took a long time to get everyone off the boat. We parked way out in the water and little speedboats took us to shore. Once we got there is was nice. The beach area was small, but it was again nice to be on land. We weren't here long though. It seems like only an hour after we landed it was time to go. We were sort of bummed about that. I would have liked to have stayed a while longer. The ride back was uneventful but again a nice ride.
We finally docked and for a little bit considered walking around. Since town was 3 miles from port we didn't want to walk or take a cab ride. So we headed back to the ship. I felt so unclean. Our boat had a bathroom, but it didn't feel all that clean. I was happy to be back in our cabin and take a shower. Plus the lunch was ribs and chicken. Two things I usually do not eat. I tend to not eat things on a bone. So I was starving. After the shower we headed for the food. Everyone else was arriving around this time too. We met up at the pool/hot tub area. I felt like we had an OK day, but maybe we would have enjoyed something else equally well. Again I felt a little like I had missed out on something. The rest of the day was fun and dinner was again good. The next stop was Mazatlan.
The pirate adventure was OK. The boat was kind of neat and the pirate show was mildly amusing. It was nice to be somewhere other than on the ship. No other couples were with us so it was nice to be just the two of us as well. We got to the destination beach and it took a long time to get everyone off the boat. We parked way out in the water and little speedboats took us to shore. Once we got there is was nice. The beach area was small, but it was again nice to be on land. We weren't here long though. It seems like only an hour after we landed it was time to go. We were sort of bummed about that. I would have liked to have stayed a while longer. The ride back was uneventful but again a nice ride.
We finally docked and for a little bit considered walking around. Since town was 3 miles from port we didn't want to walk or take a cab ride. So we headed back to the ship. I felt so unclean. Our boat had a bathroom, but it didn't feel all that clean. I was happy to be back in our cabin and take a shower. Plus the lunch was ribs and chicken. Two things I usually do not eat. I tend to not eat things on a bone. So I was starving. After the shower we headed for the food. Everyone else was arriving around this time too. We met up at the pool/hot tub area. I felt like we had an OK day, but maybe we would have enjoyed something else equally well. Again I felt a little like I had missed out on something. The rest of the day was fun and dinner was again good. The next stop was Mazatlan.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
70 and Snow
Yesterday it was 70. Today it is snowing. Gotta love the crazy Midwest. Don't like the weather? Wait ten minutes.
Ever feel like the Universe is trying to tell you something? There are times when it feels like it would be better to stop and rewind because somehow you know going forward isn't going to work.
For example, we went to dinner with some friends a few nights ago. I think it was Sunday. Anyway, we went to the restaurant around 6 so we could eat and get the kids home for a decent bedtime. When we walked in there were three (3) 20 somethings just standing there. They sort of ignored us, but worse yet they were ignoring each other. So after staring at them a bit we asked for a table. They all looked puzzled. Did I mention these were the greeters? Finally they said it would be about 15 minutes. OK. They took our name and handed us a buzzer. There was no one else waiting. So we sat. Twenty minutes later they sort of mumbled that a table was ready.
We looked at where they appeared to be setting up a table. It was a table for 4, but had two chairs and two high chairs. I guess two of us just weren't going to sit. They put the high chairs away and the girl took us to a back table. It was a booth with two tables pushed together with chairs on the other side. Really we could have sat almost 10 people there, but we managed. The waitress wasn't really all that friendly, but wasn't rude either. They messed up my drink order and the kids eventually got pretty cranky since it was very close to bedtime as we were still eating.
No one thing was wrong enough for us to leave, but all together it wasn't all that fun either. The food was OK (my burger was a little underdone for me) and we lived to tell the story. It just feels like maybe the Universe was trying to tell us to go somewhere else.
I guess it doesn't help that the couple we went with is one of the couples from the cruise. Neither of us were really ready to socialize with them again yet. After spending so much time with them we needed a break.
So anyway, does the Universe speak to you too? Do you feel like maybe you chose a wrong path and while you didn't suffer from it, it wasn't what you hoped or expected? I'd love to hear stories.
Ever feel like the Universe is trying to tell you something? There are times when it feels like it would be better to stop and rewind because somehow you know going forward isn't going to work.
For example, we went to dinner with some friends a few nights ago. I think it was Sunday. Anyway, we went to the restaurant around 6 so we could eat and get the kids home for a decent bedtime. When we walked in there were three (3) 20 somethings just standing there. They sort of ignored us, but worse yet they were ignoring each other. So after staring at them a bit we asked for a table. They all looked puzzled. Did I mention these were the greeters? Finally they said it would be about 15 minutes. OK. They took our name and handed us a buzzer. There was no one else waiting. So we sat. Twenty minutes later they sort of mumbled that a table was ready.
We looked at where they appeared to be setting up a table. It was a table for 4, but had two chairs and two high chairs. I guess two of us just weren't going to sit. They put the high chairs away and the girl took us to a back table. It was a booth with two tables pushed together with chairs on the other side. Really we could have sat almost 10 people there, but we managed. The waitress wasn't really all that friendly, but wasn't rude either. They messed up my drink order and the kids eventually got pretty cranky since it was very close to bedtime as we were still eating.
No one thing was wrong enough for us to leave, but all together it wasn't all that fun either. The food was OK (my burger was a little underdone for me) and we lived to tell the story. It just feels like maybe the Universe was trying to tell us to go somewhere else.
I guess it doesn't help that the couple we went with is one of the couples from the cruise. Neither of us were really ready to socialize with them again yet. After spending so much time with them we needed a break.
So anyway, does the Universe speak to you too? Do you feel like maybe you chose a wrong path and while you didn't suffer from it, it wasn't what you hoped or expected? I'd love to hear stories.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Vacation Part II
Saturday morning we get up and head to the gym. Husband and I have a pretty good workout. I thought to myself that this was a good start to continuing some sort of workout on the boat. You will find no mention of exercise in any parts of this saga. So that didn't carry on like I had hoped.
The group caught a bus to the boat and after a bit of confusion as to where to park we finally made it. We got our magic money cards (room key and you can charge anything to your room instead of carrying cash or another credit card) and got through all the other check points OK. Finally we were on the ship.
First thing we did was to find our room. We were next to couple #3. It was us, #3, #5, and #2. Couple 1 was a floor below us as they got a mini-suite. The next item was eating. When on a cruise food is available pretty much 24/7. For some reason we ate all the time. Even when we weren't really hungry. The food was pretty good though.
We were able to open the doors of our balconies so we could walk through to all the other balconies in our group. All of us were outside chatting for the most part. Couple #1 came up and all 5 couples were hanging out. The women were discussing spa treatments. Everyone wanted to get at least 1 thing done. I had gotten my hair cut/colored, a facial and a massage before we left. The cost of these on the ship were almost double what we pay here. I didn't want to spend that much money. At one point I made the comment that we probably weren't going to do any spa treatments. I see this was a mistake now. Anyway, I started to unpack and hang things up when I realized all 4 girls had gone to the spa. I felt very left out. Even though I wasn't going to sign up for anything, I would have liked to have been included. At this point I wasn't sure this had been a good idea. I worried that the whole trip would be like this. Everyone would go and find wonderful things to do and I would be left out. As I finished unpacking I finally let this go. I kept telling myself that I would have fun regardless of what everyone else did. This worked pretty well for me.
So we were on our way. The first few days were at sea so we explored the ship, sat in the hot tub, and played card and board games. Oh yeah, and we ate constantly. The meals at night were very good and you could get as many items as you wanted. We saw a comedian that was almost funny. I think his show was more adult and there were kids in the audience so he might have held back a little. We also saw a hypnotist. He was very entertaining.
At times we could see the coastline of Mexico on our way. The first stop was Puerto Vallarta and that was the most southern stop we made. I'll pick up with that next.
The group caught a bus to the boat and after a bit of confusion as to where to park we finally made it. We got our magic money cards (room key and you can charge anything to your room instead of carrying cash or another credit card) and got through all the other check points OK. Finally we were on the ship.
First thing we did was to find our room. We were next to couple #3. It was us, #3, #5, and #2. Couple 1 was a floor below us as they got a mini-suite. The next item was eating. When on a cruise food is available pretty much 24/7. For some reason we ate all the time. Even when we weren't really hungry. The food was pretty good though.
We were able to open the doors of our balconies so we could walk through to all the other balconies in our group. All of us were outside chatting for the most part. Couple #1 came up and all 5 couples were hanging out. The women were discussing spa treatments. Everyone wanted to get at least 1 thing done. I had gotten my hair cut/colored, a facial and a massage before we left. The cost of these on the ship were almost double what we pay here. I didn't want to spend that much money. At one point I made the comment that we probably weren't going to do any spa treatments. I see this was a mistake now. Anyway, I started to unpack and hang things up when I realized all 4 girls had gone to the spa. I felt very left out. Even though I wasn't going to sign up for anything, I would have liked to have been included. At this point I wasn't sure this had been a good idea. I worried that the whole trip would be like this. Everyone would go and find wonderful things to do and I would be left out. As I finished unpacking I finally let this go. I kept telling myself that I would have fun regardless of what everyone else did. This worked pretty well for me.
So we were on our way. The first few days were at sea so we explored the ship, sat in the hot tub, and played card and board games. Oh yeah, and we ate constantly. The meals at night were very good and you could get as many items as you wanted. We saw a comedian that was almost funny. I think his show was more adult and there were kids in the audience so he might have held back a little. We also saw a hypnotist. He was very entertaining.
At times we could see the coastline of Mexico on our way. The first stop was Puerto Vallarta and that was the most southern stop we made. I'll pick up with that next.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Vacation Part I
Our first vacation since before getting pregnant. Woo hoo. We went on a cruise to Mexico. I was so excited to go on this vacation, but didn't want to say too much out loud. What if something happened. A few days before leaving Peanut got several red bumps on his body. Turned out to be nothing, but my fear was chicken pox. Ugh. Peanut went to stay with his aunt and had a good time as I knew he would.
We started off on Friday morning. First we took the dogs to the vet for boarding, then to the bank and Target. Then we stopped at Burger King for breakfast before heading to the airport. We parked and rode the little shuttle to the airport where we met two other couples that were going with us. Did you know there is a weight limit on baggage? We did not know this until bag number 3 weighed 5 lbs. over. You can pay $25 or switch some stuff to another bag. So I moved a couple shoes and a pair of jeans to a different suitcase. The bags passed and we were on our way. The flight was OK. For some reason the plane got jumpy right when I had to use the bathroom. I got in there and we hit some turbulence. Of course it was gone after I was done and on my way to my seat.
We took a bus from the airport to the hotel. It was a nice hotel and we had a good view of the pool area. We met our friends in the lobby and headed to the hotel restaurant for lunch. L.A. is different. The menu said "club sandwich with a twist". I thought maybe it had sushi or something on it, but the server said it was long way like a sub instead of cut into squares like normal. OK. It was cut into 4 sections and then stacked up and held together with a very long toothpick. It was still a club sandwich. Not sure really what the twist was supposed to be.
We all took the bus to Santa Monica that night. We walked along the pier and through the promenade. There were 4 couples total all walking around. Couple 1 (KH) was hungry since they got in later than us and didn't eat at the hotel. So we found a bar and grill type place and they ate, while the rest of us had drinks. Then we walked more. Couple 2 (JA) left to visit a cousin. Later couple 3 (RK) was hungry so we stopped for sushi. They ate and the rest of us had more to drink. Then we caught the bus back to the hotel and we (couple 4) were hungry again. We went to the sports bar in the hotel and had desert, while the rest had more drinks. It was like a 4 course meal spread out over 4 restaurants. It was fun. Then off to bed.
More later.
We started off on Friday morning. First we took the dogs to the vet for boarding, then to the bank and Target. Then we stopped at Burger King for breakfast before heading to the airport. We parked and rode the little shuttle to the airport where we met two other couples that were going with us. Did you know there is a weight limit on baggage? We did not know this until bag number 3 weighed 5 lbs. over. You can pay $25 or switch some stuff to another bag. So I moved a couple shoes and a pair of jeans to a different suitcase. The bags passed and we were on our way. The flight was OK. For some reason the plane got jumpy right when I had to use the bathroom. I got in there and we hit some turbulence. Of course it was gone after I was done and on my way to my seat.
We took a bus from the airport to the hotel. It was a nice hotel and we had a good view of the pool area. We met our friends in the lobby and headed to the hotel restaurant for lunch. L.A. is different. The menu said "club sandwich with a twist". I thought maybe it had sushi or something on it, but the server said it was long way like a sub instead of cut into squares like normal. OK. It was cut into 4 sections and then stacked up and held together with a very long toothpick. It was still a club sandwich. Not sure really what the twist was supposed to be.
We all took the bus to Santa Monica that night. We walked along the pier and through the promenade. There were 4 couples total all walking around. Couple 1 (KH) was hungry since they got in later than us and didn't eat at the hotel. So we found a bar and grill type place and they ate, while the rest of us had drinks. Then we walked more. Couple 2 (JA) left to visit a cousin. Later couple 3 (RK) was hungry so we stopped for sushi. They ate and the rest of us had more to drink. Then we caught the bus back to the hotel and we (couple 4) were hungry again. We went to the sports bar in the hotel and had desert, while the rest had more drinks. It was like a 4 course meal spread out over 4 restaurants. It was fun. Then off to bed.
More later.
Friday, February 23, 2007
It's Just Not Right
In the last several weeks I've seen it happen too many times. Parents that yell from the sidelines instead of getting close and helping their children. Or they yell at the slightly older sibling to take care of the younger one. I'll give you an example.
We were at the beach in Puerto Vallarta. The area we were at had a short beach so playing meant either being in the sand or fairly deep water. There were two little girls holding hands and playing. One looked to be 2 and the other maybe 4. I am terrible at guessing ages, but the younger one didn't talk much, but could walk well. So they are playing and they get kind of close to the water and go in a bit. The father yells from about 20 feet away for them to get back to the sand. He's not moving toward them, he's just yelling. So finally, he walks over to them and starts yelling at the older girl that she has to watch out for the younger one. He tells her that she can't swim and the tide would just take her away and she would be gone. She was 4. This man expected a 4 yr old to care for a smaller child. I don't trust adults to care for my 16 month old how can he put that on a 4 yr old's shoulders. I was disgusted.
Later on we were walking in the area of the girls playing and they got in pretty far. The mom was nearby with a drink in her hand not really paying attention. The dad started yelling again from the shore. My husband ran over and grabbed one of them and pulled them back to shore. The mom finally decided her child was worth saving and grabbed the other one. Of course the dad started yelling about how they shouldn't be in the water. WTF? Husband and I agreed that the kids were probably not in any danger as they were not in too deep, but he said the kid he grabbed looked pretty scared just the same.
If your child was almost swept away by the tide, wouldn't you go sprinting after them? Well, most of us would be close to them in the first place, but still go with me here. So after you got them, wouldn't you hold them close and be happy to have them in your arms? Wouldn't your first thought be 'thank you'? Wouldn't you then tell them that they scared mommy and daddy and they need to stay in the safe area?
I've seen lots more just like this. Absent parenting. You don't have to be paranoid, but at least try to participate.
We were at the beach in Puerto Vallarta. The area we were at had a short beach so playing meant either being in the sand or fairly deep water. There were two little girls holding hands and playing. One looked to be 2 and the other maybe 4. I am terrible at guessing ages, but the younger one didn't talk much, but could walk well. So they are playing and they get kind of close to the water and go in a bit. The father yells from about 20 feet away for them to get back to the sand. He's not moving toward them, he's just yelling. So finally, he walks over to them and starts yelling at the older girl that she has to watch out for the younger one. He tells her that she can't swim and the tide would just take her away and she would be gone. She was 4. This man expected a 4 yr old to care for a smaller child. I don't trust adults to care for my 16 month old how can he put that on a 4 yr old's shoulders. I was disgusted.
Later on we were walking in the area of the girls playing and they got in pretty far. The mom was nearby with a drink in her hand not really paying attention. The dad started yelling again from the shore. My husband ran over and grabbed one of them and pulled them back to shore. The mom finally decided her child was worth saving and grabbed the other one. Of course the dad started yelling about how they shouldn't be in the water. WTF? Husband and I agreed that the kids were probably not in any danger as they were not in too deep, but he said the kid he grabbed looked pretty scared just the same.
If your child was almost swept away by the tide, wouldn't you go sprinting after them? Well, most of us would be close to them in the first place, but still go with me here. So after you got them, wouldn't you hold them close and be happy to have them in your arms? Wouldn't your first thought be 'thank you'? Wouldn't you then tell them that they scared mommy and daddy and they need to stay in the safe area?
I've seen lots more just like this. Absent parenting. You don't have to be paranoid, but at least try to participate.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Babble Baby, Babble.
Peanut babbles. He will not stop. I understand every 100th word or so, but it's all just sound to me. There must be stories and questions and general narration, but it's all lost on me.
He's starting to talk though. Once in a while he will repeat one of the last words you say.
Me: "Get your shoes".
Peanut: "oooooooes".
We have two sign language videos and we were watching the second one the other night. He repeated almost all the words. He did the signs a little too, but mostly just said the word.
One of my favorites now is 'baby'. He learned the 'eee' sound not long ago and instead of ba ba or ma ma, he can now say baby and mommy. It's music to my ears. He has this little voice. Sometimes I expect to hear a man voice since he is so big, but this little toddler boy voice comes out and it's too cute.
Sometimes I really hate that he is growing up, but mostly I think it's awesome to watch him grow and learn. He does so much for himself now. He can walk and communicate a little. He knows things. He isn't just a blob on the rug anymore (though that stage was wonderful and I have very fond memories of it).
Words he seems to know.
Car, dog, baby, Mommy, ma ma, da da, daddy, pa-pop (grandpa), nana/banana, oat (coat), ooes (shoes), ee (teeth), and t (tv). That's all I can think of, but he'll repeat other things. These seem to be more regular though.
He's starting to talk though. Once in a while he will repeat one of the last words you say.
Me: "Get your shoes".
Peanut: "oooooooes".
We have two sign language videos and we were watching the second one the other night. He repeated almost all the words. He did the signs a little too, but mostly just said the word.
One of my favorites now is 'baby'. He learned the 'eee' sound not long ago and instead of ba ba or ma ma, he can now say baby and mommy. It's music to my ears. He has this little voice. Sometimes I expect to hear a man voice since he is so big, but this little toddler boy voice comes out and it's too cute.
Sometimes I really hate that he is growing up, but mostly I think it's awesome to watch him grow and learn. He does so much for himself now. He can walk and communicate a little. He knows things. He isn't just a blob on the rug anymore (though that stage was wonderful and I have very fond memories of it).
Words he seems to know.
Car, dog, baby, Mommy, ma ma, da da, daddy, pa-pop (grandpa), nana/banana, oat (coat), ooes (shoes), ee (teeth), and t (tv). That's all I can think of, but he'll repeat other things. These seem to be more regular though.
She Kicked My Bum and I Paid Her
I signed up with a personal trainer. Yah, yah yah. I used to be one. So what? I have no motivation anymore. So to help me on my quest to a more healthy me I've hired help. Since we belong to the local YMCA I got one there. It seems expensive, but per session it's pretty cheap compared to other places in town. The whole process of signing up sort of rubbed me the wrong way. This was all a couple weeks ago.
The Y was having a sale on personal training. If you signed up by a certain date you got 10% off. So I figure that's a good time to do it. I called on a Friday (1/26) and the girl was helpful and got me signed up and paid for. She takes the information (what time I want, male/female) and then sends that to the personal trainer director. Then the director is supposed to match me with a trainer and the trainer calls me to set up the appointment. Clear? Fabulous. Normally, this process takes 1-2 days at most.
So I waited. By Tuesday (1/30) I was starting to wonder. So I called and was told the director was on vacation. OK. Who is covering her job? No one. Apparently, she is the only person that does her job. I left a voice mail for her hoping someone might call me back. The next day (1/31) a very inept guy called me and asked me what time I wanted and did I prefer a male or female trainer. I gave my info. again. He said he would find someone and they would call me soon. He also said he would call me on Friday to follow up.
Friday (2/2) comes along and no one has called. Not even the inept guy. I'm starting to think this whole process is some sort of sham. Finally on Saturday (2/3) afternoon inept guy calls me and leaves a message. I tried to call back and got nothing. Apparently he disappeared 5 minutes after calling me.
So now it's been over a week. The director girl is supposed to be back from vacation and I am still in my funk. So on about Tuesday (2/6) she leaves me a voice mail. "Just wanted to make sure a trainer called and you're doing fine". Uhhhm. No. So I call back and finally reach her. She takes my information (AGAIN!) and says she'll have some one call me. I'm not really believing her, but what have I got to lose. Certainly not any flab. I mean at this point I kind of doubt I'll ever see a trainer. Well. Low and behold a trainer calls me the next day (2/7). She sounds nice, but isn't all that excited about the time I wanted. So we make an appointment for 1:00 Tuesday (2/20), two days after we get back from our vacation.
Originally I wanted the appointments to be on Tuesday and Thursday because those are days Peanut is not at daycare. This would be good because he can go to the nursery there and get a different play time, plus it leaves my daycare days free.
Anyway, I pushed the appt. back an hour due to Peanut napping. She can't do anything later than a 2:00 appt. and that seemed pretty close to the end of nap time. I didn't want to have to wake him up to go to the Y. Really I wanted a 3:00 appt. She couldn't do that. So we moved it to Mon. & Wed. at 10. So now on every day off I go to the Y. It's OK, but it also kind of irks me. When I told everyone my schedule I asked for late afternoon in the 2-4 time frame. Now I don't have that. If I was more pushy I would have just asked for a new trainer. I felt sort of stuck with her so I tried to just make it work. Now I kind of wish I would have spoken up. Do I call and try to change? I've had one session and like her OK, but the time just doesn't jive well for me.
Anyway, I finally went to the Y yesterday and met the trainer "J". She is nice, but a little older than I expected. She kicked my butt though. Lunges, squats, thighs, hamstrings, butt and so much more. Every inch of me hurts today. I can barely walk.
The Y was having a sale on personal training. If you signed up by a certain date you got 10% off. So I figure that's a good time to do it. I called on a Friday (1/26) and the girl was helpful and got me signed up and paid for. She takes the information (what time I want, male/female) and then sends that to the personal trainer director. Then the director is supposed to match me with a trainer and the trainer calls me to set up the appointment. Clear? Fabulous. Normally, this process takes 1-2 days at most.
So I waited. By Tuesday (1/30) I was starting to wonder. So I called and was told the director was on vacation. OK. Who is covering her job? No one. Apparently, she is the only person that does her job. I left a voice mail for her hoping someone might call me back. The next day (1/31) a very inept guy called me and asked me what time I wanted and did I prefer a male or female trainer. I gave my info. again. He said he would find someone and they would call me soon. He also said he would call me on Friday to follow up.
Friday (2/2) comes along and no one has called. Not even the inept guy. I'm starting to think this whole process is some sort of sham. Finally on Saturday (2/3) afternoon inept guy calls me and leaves a message. I tried to call back and got nothing. Apparently he disappeared 5 minutes after calling me.
So now it's been over a week. The director girl is supposed to be back from vacation and I am still in my funk. So on about Tuesday (2/6) she leaves me a voice mail. "Just wanted to make sure a trainer called and you're doing fine". Uhhhm. No. So I call back and finally reach her. She takes my information (AGAIN!) and says she'll have some one call me. I'm not really believing her, but what have I got to lose. Certainly not any flab. I mean at this point I kind of doubt I'll ever see a trainer. Well. Low and behold a trainer calls me the next day (2/7). She sounds nice, but isn't all that excited about the time I wanted. So we make an appointment for 1:00 Tuesday (2/20), two days after we get back from our vacation.
Originally I wanted the appointments to be on Tuesday and Thursday because those are days Peanut is not at daycare. This would be good because he can go to the nursery there and get a different play time, plus it leaves my daycare days free.
Anyway, I pushed the appt. back an hour due to Peanut napping. She can't do anything later than a 2:00 appt. and that seemed pretty close to the end of nap time. I didn't want to have to wake him up to go to the Y. Really I wanted a 3:00 appt. She couldn't do that. So we moved it to Mon. & Wed. at 10. So now on every day off I go to the Y. It's OK, but it also kind of irks me. When I told everyone my schedule I asked for late afternoon in the 2-4 time frame. Now I don't have that. If I was more pushy I would have just asked for a new trainer. I felt sort of stuck with her so I tried to just make it work. Now I kind of wish I would have spoken up. Do I call and try to change? I've had one session and like her OK, but the time just doesn't jive well for me.
Anyway, I finally went to the Y yesterday and met the trainer "J". She is nice, but a little older than I expected. She kicked my butt though. Lunges, squats, thighs, hamstrings, butt and so much more. Every inch of me hurts today. I can barely walk.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful
So a week or two ago the Midwest was blasted with ice and snow. My mother (lord help me) lives in an area that got mostly ice with a little snow. She called me on Sunday afternoon and said she was bored. Her power had gone out sometime Saturday evening. She was cold, hungry, bored and lonely. The plan was to barricade herself in her bedroom until the power came back on. For breakfast she had dry cereal (she has this everyday so no big deal), but no eggs or bacon or toast. For lunch she dined on Peanut Butter and Crackers. Dinner was some sort of thawed lunch meat. Yum. Yum.
I told her to get out and go somewhere. The power wasn't expected to be fixed for days as most of the town was without power. My sister lives in the same town and I suggested she go there. Long story short she lost power that night. So now my mom and sister are without power. A friend of my mother's, S. offered to go get my mom and let her stay at her house. S had no power either, but had a wood stove and frequently cooked on it. She also had lanterns and other stuff to make no power a little more cozy. Mom didn't want to go. She didn't want to be stuck out there. I told her to go. Better off stuck somewhere you can eat warm food, sit next to a fire and have a friend to chat with. She still didn't want to go.
I suggested a hotel, but she is so cheap she would never pay the money. At this point I felt like I was talking to a child. Finally I reminded her that this is the type of weather people die in when they try to "wait it out". I did not want my mother to be the one to die because she was too cheap and stubborn to go somewhere or accept help.
Finally, she and my sister went to stay with S. She ended up giving them a truck load of wood and they hid out at my sisters house sitting near the fireplace. At least they were able to make some food over the fire too. Am I the only one that would have just gone to the local Holiday Inn to live in comfort? They were without power for nine (9) days. They were going to 'wait it out' for nine days. I almost lost my mom and sister to stupidity.
P.S. Z is for Zamboni. Everyone needs one of these.
I told her to get out and go somewhere. The power wasn't expected to be fixed for days as most of the town was without power. My sister lives in the same town and I suggested she go there. Long story short she lost power that night. So now my mom and sister are without power. A friend of my mother's, S. offered to go get my mom and let her stay at her house. S had no power either, but had a wood stove and frequently cooked on it. She also had lanterns and other stuff to make no power a little more cozy. Mom didn't want to go. She didn't want to be stuck out there. I told her to go. Better off stuck somewhere you can eat warm food, sit next to a fire and have a friend to chat with. She still didn't want to go.
I suggested a hotel, but she is so cheap she would never pay the money. At this point I felt like I was talking to a child. Finally I reminded her that this is the type of weather people die in when they try to "wait it out". I did not want my mother to be the one to die because she was too cheap and stubborn to go somewhere or accept help.
Finally, she and my sister went to stay with S. She ended up giving them a truck load of wood and they hid out at my sisters house sitting near the fireplace. At least they were able to make some food over the fire too. Am I the only one that would have just gone to the local Holiday Inn to live in comfort? They were without power for nine (9) days. They were going to 'wait it out' for nine days. I almost lost my mom and sister to stupidity.
P.S. Z is for Zamboni. Everyone needs one of these.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sucker
So I bit the bullet and went to Sephora. As I walked through the door a mechanical arm flew at me and stamped the word 'sucker' on my forehead. I'm mostly a cosmetics virgin. Yah, I've tried tons of stuff, but I really don't know this from that. The sales people knew this the instant I walked through the door.
The girl was nice and asked what I was looking for. I thought I should start easy and asked for foundation. I told her of my skin condition and she led me to something called Lorac. Anyway, it's sort of a creamy liquid so this would work for my dry skin. She dabbed a few different shades on me and proclaimed me to be Light. Being the savvy shopper I am I asked for another option. I don't remember the second one, but it was $10 more so I sort of eliminated it based on that. I put my creamy foundation in the giant basket, thanked my sales lady and began browsing.
What is all the rest of the stuff? There were perfumes, creams, lotions, sprays, make up and soaps. That was just in the first isle. I quickly felt out of my league. I shop at Target. I buy CoverGirl. I spend $6 so that when it's the wrong stuff I haven't spent the same amount of money as new sneakers.
Here is the ironic part. I bought the Lorac foundation. I can't get it out of the jar. It is SO creamy that it doesn't pour. The bottle is glass so it doesn't squeeze. So my mondo expensive foundation is stuck in a little bottle. I went back to Target and spent $6 on some whipped foundation by CoverGirl and I love it. The jar is large so you can get the stuff out and it blends really well. The coverage is good. The only downside is the smell. It's awful.
I think I'll stick to not knowing about that other stuff. I may be missing out on something, but my wallet can't handle the testing phase. I'll go broke
The girl was nice and asked what I was looking for. I thought I should start easy and asked for foundation. I told her of my skin condition and she led me to something called Lorac. Anyway, it's sort of a creamy liquid so this would work for my dry skin. She dabbed a few different shades on me and proclaimed me to be Light. Being the savvy shopper I am I asked for another option. I don't remember the second one, but it was $10 more so I sort of eliminated it based on that. I put my creamy foundation in the giant basket, thanked my sales lady and began browsing.
What is all the rest of the stuff? There were perfumes, creams, lotions, sprays, make up and soaps. That was just in the first isle. I quickly felt out of my league. I shop at Target. I buy CoverGirl. I spend $6 so that when it's the wrong stuff I haven't spent the same amount of money as new sneakers.
Here is the ironic part. I bought the Lorac foundation. I can't get it out of the jar. It is SO creamy that it doesn't pour. The bottle is glass so it doesn't squeeze. So my mondo expensive foundation is stuck in a little bottle. I went back to Target and spent $6 on some whipped foundation by CoverGirl and I love it. The jar is large so you can get the stuff out and it blends really well. The coverage is good. The only downside is the smell. It's awful.
I think I'll stick to not knowing about that other stuff. I may be missing out on something, but my wallet can't handle the testing phase. I'll go broke
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Maybe Not.
Maybe it's because I'm more hormonal right now. Maybe it's because of my medicine. Maybe it's because Peanut has entered the realm of the temper tantrum. Maybe it's because I'll be 32 this year and still have no idea what I want out of life. I have always been something other than me. When I was young I did what I was supposed to do, not what I wanted. In college I did what got me out of there, not really what I wanted. Now I do what has to be done, not what I want. Truthfully, I don't know what I want.
I have a great husband and a great kid. We live in a nice house with nice stuff. We have nice friends and family and all that stuff. Then why am I not happy? Why do I feel less than alive? Why do I feel like there is some alternate life out there for me? Is there?
Anyway, Peanut and I went to Borders today. Husband wanted me to get a Zamboni book for Peanut. We went and walked around a lot. I finally got Peanut to go to the kids department. I found the book and a few others. Then it was time to check out. We made it to the check stand and there were a handful of people in line. This is where it all went wrong. Peanut did not want to be held and voiced his opinion about it. Loudly. I couldn't let him go and could not get him to quiet down. I ended up putting the books down and walking out with him. I was so angry. He stopped screaming as soon as we reached the car. We went home anyway. I know in a few years this will be a good punishment for him. Right now he doesn't care. He has no idea what he missed out on. I do though. I was sad and angry. Why couldn't we just buy a book? Anyway, this whole incident got me thinking today.
I have a great husband and a great kid. We live in a nice house with nice stuff. We have nice friends and family and all that stuff. Then why am I not happy? Why do I feel less than alive? Why do I feel like there is some alternate life out there for me? Is there?
Anyway, Peanut and I went to Borders today. Husband wanted me to get a Zamboni book for Peanut. We went and walked around a lot. I finally got Peanut to go to the kids department. I found the book and a few others. Then it was time to check out. We made it to the check stand and there were a handful of people in line. This is where it all went wrong. Peanut did not want to be held and voiced his opinion about it. Loudly. I couldn't let him go and could not get him to quiet down. I ended up putting the books down and walking out with him. I was so angry. He stopped screaming as soon as we reached the car. We went home anyway. I know in a few years this will be a good punishment for him. Right now he doesn't care. He has no idea what he missed out on. I do though. I was sad and angry. Why couldn't we just buy a book? Anyway, this whole incident got me thinking today.
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