I'm really not one for big New Year's shindigs. I'm a total homebody and too old to be very social past ten anyway. The past few years I've spent the evening at my parents' house with some cousins, my aunt and my kids. It's a nice excuse to hang out and eat really good food.
2008 has been sort of a meh year for me. No real highlights, no real lowlights. Very even keel. I'm not in so much of a hurry to see it go as I am to move on and get a so-called fresh start on stuff. My friend Michelle and I have declared that 2009 will be OUR year because we both deserve it for no better reason than we said so. I'm going to be 40 in March, so that alone is reason to direct everything toward me.
Now for a quick NYE poll post:
1. Do you go out on NYE?
2. Do you drink champagne on NYE?
3. Do you kiss someone at midnight?
4. What's your most memorable NYE?
5. Did you watch Dick Clark every NYE growing up?
I'm off to appear helpful and/or maternal for a bit. I'm sure I'll end up trolling on facebook and blogs later tonight. If you're around and bored, email me at kimmmah at gmail dot com (that's THREE m's in kimmmah for the email; the normal spelling will direct you to a kimmah that is not me. bitch took my gmail name) and perhaps we can chit chat.
Go enjoy what is left of 2008--the year that we did NOT elect Sarah Palin to national office, thankyoujesus.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Yet Another Only In Kim's World Story
I've said many times before that my life is like a poorly written sitcom in many ways. I'm like the quirky protagonist who gets into scrapes either by sheer stupidity, lack of responsible thinking skills, unfortunate human circumstance or complete physical incompetence. It's just what I do. Because of this, my trips out in public can fraught with mishaps, accidents and/or hilarity. Trips to Wal Mart are prime settings for stupid and yesterday was no exception.
First of all, I should tell you that I talk to myself. A lot. Out loud. As I get older, I do it more and more. I probably look like Sybil's daughter as I walk up and down the aisles (without a list 9 times out of 10) and try to get things from stores like Wal Mart or Kroger. Inevitably when I get to the back far corner of Super Wal mart, it dawns on me that I need something from the health and beauty section...and that's what happened yesterday. We've had a total Wal Mart redo, so backtracking is even more time-consuming than it should be since I only hit the evil empire every six weeks or so (they remodeled the entire non-food merchandise side in between my visits in the spring--talk about feeling like Alice in the rabbit hole. I walked in and saw a plywood pharmacy in the entrance way and was like wtf??).
Anyway, I was loading four packs of Sugar Free Red Bull (damn, that stuff is expensive, btw, but will be in my fridge for the near future anyway. sorry, true!) when it dawned on me that I had to go get some deodorant because I'd forgotten it the previous two trips. So, talking to myself the whole way, I made my diagonal path to the other side of the stupid enormous Wal Mart and found the proper aisle. W. isn't brand-loyal on deodorant--just low price loyal. This week it was Speed Stick's million varieties on sale. I never can remember what smell to buy because men's deodorant names are just ridiculous. Athletic, sports scent, thunderstorm, clean fresh, power surge, waterfalls...they don't make any sense, really. At least for me. All I know is I never buy unscented because deodorant, IMO, is one of the things that SHOULD be scented artificially because the natural smell is just unfortunate. Faced with the dizzying array of choices, I decided I needed to smell them to make a choice.
I picked up the first choice and smelled. Nothing. Speedstick's package is a weird flat oval shape with a very tight lid that controls the scent Under the lid is this annoying piece of plastic,molded to the top of the stick. It has a very user-unfriendly 'handle' that you have to pull or twist or pry off. WHY can't they just have a sticker like the best girl deodorant in the world, Secret Clinical?
I tug on the little tab/lid to release some scent. No luck. Tug again. Nope. Try to twist. No budge. Pick up another one, repeat. No smelling. In a fit of exasperation, I do a combo pull/twist at about the same time I lean in a bit...and yes, the tab came loose. So loose, in fact, that my hand snapped up uncontrollably and the tab handle thing smacked right into my lip while the opening of the deodorant mashed into my chin. I'm pretty sure I said, "SHIT!" out loud, in Wal Mart, on Christmas Eve, but when one draws blood with a personal hygiene product, it is acceptable, IMO. Needless to say, I got a good whiff of the scent since it was gummed on my chin. At that point, I decided that since it didn't smell of death or bubble gum, that was the chosen one. I gathered what was left of my dignity, rubbed the smear of Speed Stick off my face, ducked my head to hide my slightly split lip and got the hell out of Dodge.
Merry Christmas!
First of all, I should tell you that I talk to myself. A lot. Out loud. As I get older, I do it more and more. I probably look like Sybil's daughter as I walk up and down the aisles (without a list 9 times out of 10) and try to get things from stores like Wal Mart or Kroger. Inevitably when I get to the back far corner of Super Wal mart, it dawns on me that I need something from the health and beauty section...and that's what happened yesterday. We've had a total Wal Mart redo, so backtracking is even more time-consuming than it should be since I only hit the evil empire every six weeks or so (they remodeled the entire non-food merchandise side in between my visits in the spring--talk about feeling like Alice in the rabbit hole. I walked in and saw a plywood pharmacy in the entrance way and was like wtf??).
Anyway, I was loading four packs of Sugar Free Red Bull (damn, that stuff is expensive, btw, but will be in my fridge for the near future anyway. sorry, true!) when it dawned on me that I had to go get some deodorant because I'd forgotten it the previous two trips. So, talking to myself the whole way, I made my diagonal path to the other side of the stupid enormous Wal Mart and found the proper aisle. W. isn't brand-loyal on deodorant--just low price loyal. This week it was Speed Stick's million varieties on sale. I never can remember what smell to buy because men's deodorant names are just ridiculous. Athletic, sports scent, thunderstorm, clean fresh, power surge, waterfalls...they don't make any sense, really. At least for me. All I know is I never buy unscented because deodorant, IMO, is one of the things that SHOULD be scented artificially because the natural smell is just unfortunate. Faced with the dizzying array of choices, I decided I needed to smell them to make a choice.
I picked up the first choice and smelled. Nothing. Speedstick's package is a weird flat oval shape with a very tight lid that controls the scent Under the lid is this annoying piece of plastic,molded to the top of the stick. It has a very user-unfriendly 'handle' that you have to pull or twist or pry off. WHY can't they just have a sticker like the best girl deodorant in the world, Secret Clinical?
I tug on the little tab/lid to release some scent. No luck. Tug again. Nope. Try to twist. No budge. Pick up another one, repeat. No smelling. In a fit of exasperation, I do a combo pull/twist at about the same time I lean in a bit...and yes, the tab came loose. So loose, in fact, that my hand snapped up uncontrollably and the tab handle thing smacked right into my lip while the opening of the deodorant mashed into my chin. I'm pretty sure I said, "SHIT!" out loud, in Wal Mart, on Christmas Eve, but when one draws blood with a personal hygiene product, it is acceptable, IMO. Needless to say, I got a good whiff of the scent since it was gummed on my chin. At that point, I decided that since it didn't smell of death or bubble gum, that was the chosen one. I gathered what was left of my dignity, rubbed the smear of Speed Stick off my face, ducked my head to hide my slightly split lip and got the hell out of Dodge.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Things I Need for Christmas
As I get older and older and older and older...you get the idea that 40 is looming, yes?...I have a harder time trying to figure out what I need for Christmas. W. and I are not lavish gift givers--I usually buy my own gifts from him. We have never really felt the need to spend the big bucks and, for the past few years, we haven't had loads of extra money lying around come holiday time. He humors my annual jaunts to England or New York or Atlanta or Europe (I leave March 31 for a ten-day trip, woohoo!) and I go out in public with him when he wears overalls (handyman stores only. I have my standards). I do, however, have to cough up a list for my sister, my mom and MIL. This year's was particularly exciting--get ready:
1. an electric skillet. I had no idea I needed one until I realized that I didn't have one AND that I can't fry anything on my stove because one side of the pan is always hotter than the other.
2. a ginormous tote bag/purse/carry-on thing that I think will look tres chic in Paris and Rome and will probably only use on such trips. But it's really pretty.
3. a laptop case. Just because.
4. a new travel charger and a steamer
Try not to drool--it's a great list, I know. I also really need new kitchen towels and dishrags as well as all new baking sheets (I do actually cook, thankyouverymuch), but I'll just look for those when I shop a bit after the holidays. The list is pathetic, I know. I started to put some more exciting things on the list like perfume, but A. it's so damned expensive and B. I don't really NEED it. Thus my list is a yawn (better than W.'s which includes new overalls and something for his chainsaw) and that's depressing. I refuse to be depressed during the holidays--especially while there is vodka and my new obsession sugar free Red Bull in the house, so here is my Pretend Christmas List.
I need/want
1. a Scantron machine for grading bubble sheets. yeah, that's geeky gift, but it would be such a HUGE quality of life booster that I'm willing to be a geek for it.
2. a vacuum cleaner that doesn't require unwinding the cord in order to use the hose thingy. But it has to be a Dyson vacuum because I will never own another brand. Ever. They're that good.
3. something that will make my keys findable instantly when I am ready to leave the house. It's pathetic, really, that someone who has graduated from college not one, not two, but FOUR frigging times cannot keep up with keys. Or sunglasses, for that matter. If I was all absent-minded professory and lost in a fog of theorems and policy, that would be one thing, but the most pressing thing on my mind most days is "What should my facebook status update say?" or "Why can't I remember to put the tights that are too short for me in the trash when I take them off instead of putting them with the other ones and then wearing them to work yet again?". So you can see, my shortcomings are not even remotely quirky--just ridiculous. I need a smart person to configure such a device--the key thing, I mean, not something quirky.
4. a highlighting cap that doesn't take forever and a day to pull hair through AND also doesn't cause pain to the wearer. I'm bored with my hair and want to do blonder highlights, but I don't dare just brush them on because I'll end up with transparent chunks if past performance is any indicator. I'd also like a personal hair stylist to come do my hair color monthly, but that would be greedy. Plus, I'd have to clean my house before she came up.
5. my own bowling ball. There. I said it. Laugh, point, jeer. I don't care. Using a house ball is KILLING my old, arthritic hands and making teaching very difficult, not to mention making practicing impossible.
6. a self cleaning refrigerator. They can do this with ovens. Why not step it up and do it for fridges? I realize that ovens use heat for the process, BUT once upon a time, I thought that self-cleaning ovens had some sort of foam in them that you just pushed a button for like that EZ-Off stuff that you spray--you know the stuff. I was utterly shocked to find out that all the supposedly miraculous self-cleaning ovens just got really, really hot. So I'm thinking a fridge that has some sort of dispenser is totally doable...just get one of those professory types to work out all the details.
1. an electric skillet. I had no idea I needed one until I realized that I didn't have one AND that I can't fry anything on my stove because one side of the pan is always hotter than the other.
2. a ginormous tote bag/purse/carry-on thing that I think will look tres chic in Paris and Rome and will probably only use on such trips. But it's really pretty.
3. a laptop case. Just because.
4. a new travel charger and a steamer
Try not to drool--it's a great list, I know. I also really need new kitchen towels and dishrags as well as all new baking sheets (I do actually cook, thankyouverymuch), but I'll just look for those when I shop a bit after the holidays. The list is pathetic, I know. I started to put some more exciting things on the list like perfume, but A. it's so damned expensive and B. I don't really NEED it. Thus my list is a yawn (better than W.'s which includes new overalls and something for his chainsaw) and that's depressing. I refuse to be depressed during the holidays--especially while there is vodka and my new obsession sugar free Red Bull in the house, so here is my Pretend Christmas List.
I need/want
1. a Scantron machine for grading bubble sheets. yeah, that's geeky gift, but it would be such a HUGE quality of life booster that I'm willing to be a geek for it.
2. a vacuum cleaner that doesn't require unwinding the cord in order to use the hose thingy. But it has to be a Dyson vacuum because I will never own another brand. Ever. They're that good.
3. something that will make my keys findable instantly when I am ready to leave the house. It's pathetic, really, that someone who has graduated from college not one, not two, but FOUR frigging times cannot keep up with keys. Or sunglasses, for that matter. If I was all absent-minded professory and lost in a fog of theorems and policy, that would be one thing, but the most pressing thing on my mind most days is "What should my facebook status update say?" or "Why can't I remember to put the tights that are too short for me in the trash when I take them off instead of putting them with the other ones and then wearing them to work yet again?". So you can see, my shortcomings are not even remotely quirky--just ridiculous. I need a smart person to configure such a device--the key thing, I mean, not something quirky.
4. a highlighting cap that doesn't take forever and a day to pull hair through AND also doesn't cause pain to the wearer. I'm bored with my hair and want to do blonder highlights, but I don't dare just brush them on because I'll end up with transparent chunks if past performance is any indicator. I'd also like a personal hair stylist to come do my hair color monthly, but that would be greedy. Plus, I'd have to clean my house before she came up.
5. my own bowling ball. There. I said it. Laugh, point, jeer. I don't care. Using a house ball is KILLING my old, arthritic hands and making teaching very difficult, not to mention making practicing impossible.
6. a self cleaning refrigerator. They can do this with ovens. Why not step it up and do it for fridges? I realize that ovens use heat for the process, BUT once upon a time, I thought that self-cleaning ovens had some sort of foam in them that you just pushed a button for like that EZ-Off stuff that you spray--you know the stuff. I was utterly shocked to find out that all the supposedly miraculous self-cleaning ovens just got really, really hot. So I'm thinking a fridge that has some sort of dispenser is totally doable...just get one of those professory types to work out all the details.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Reclaiming My Sanity
To say I've been in something of a mental rut lately would be an understatement...I've been bordering on batshit crazy. It finally dawned on me today that a great deal of my problem is my abandonment of productive things that I enjoy such as blogging, working out, reading in lieu of total wastes of time like playing Mafia Wars or reading umpteen million political blogs and assessments. So, I've made my resolutions for 2009 and number one on the list is, really, blogging.
I've blogged for years--way back when no one knew what a blog was or how to blog there was Kim, blathering away. And then I got lazy. Lately I've been totally uninspired. Nothing particularly interesting has happened since my unfortunate encounter with the catheter bag in the parking lot last summer, but by golly, I'm going to try to find humor in the mundane. It's what I used to be able to do. Yes? Well, of course it is--my life is the personification of mundane.
I think perhaps that part of my mental overload must be attributed to my most recent teaching adventure: my role as the varsity bowling coach. Yes, I, Kimmah the Uncoordinated, She Whose Only Sport is Fantasty Football, is coaching a sport that she cannot play. Funny how life works that way, isn't it? They needed a coach and Five wanted to bowl, so I thought, "What the hell?". What the hell, indeed.
First of all, I knew nothing--NOTHING--about bowling. I didn't know, for example, that you don't actually aim for the front pin aka the head pin. Who knew? And that you are supposed to spin the ball. Had no idea about scoring, either. Or that it was actually interesting to watch. I'm not ashamed to say that I have now become a high school bowling junkie. This is a good thing since it has engulfed my life this fall. Despite being an unpaid coach, I found myself at the bowling alley three or four times a week. Ostensibly to 'coach', but really just to supervise and be there for moral support. See, our team sort of sucked a bit. Not through much fault of their own--they have had no actual coaching in two years--lots of bad habits, sloppy execution and total cluelessness. Slowly but surely, I've prodded them into shape and encouraged/threatened them to improve. One advantage to being a female coach in a sport coached almost exclusively by bowling league men is being able to play the clueless card. I've had three different coaches from other teams offer to help my boys. We've gotten a coaching clinic lined up for next week to get them ready for the district tournament in January because they know I'm totally in over my head technique-wise.
My boys only won two matches this year, but they were competitive in five other matches. The scoring in bowling is a bit misleading--you get points for head-to-head matches as well as total pin count. We get killed in pin count even when we tie in head-to-heads. You have six bowlers at a time in a match and we cannot seem to get six guys on their game at a time. My top guy, A., is the top bowler in the district--he had a 300 game two weeks ago--so he's not a problem. My other seven starters, though, have been all over the place. Had a kid bowl a 109 one game and a 199 the next. Ugh. Over the season, though, we've had MAJOR improvement and I think next year we will see a great improvement. I've got guys averaging 170 in matches where they used to average 120 or 130. If only we can get all of them on the same page.
My girls' team is much, MUCH weaker than my boys'. They've been savaged in almost every match, blesstheirhearts. I've focused on the boys' team and my assistant/helping coach/assistant principal has been with them during matches. I'm going to be working with them a lot between this season and next to try and get them straightened out. The good thing about them not being as good as the boys is that I can actually teach them and help them--they're not all hook shot and backspin. I've taken a coaching class, so I can help them fix their problems. Maybe.
This has no humor whatsoever, lmao, but at least I've written more than a line or two about how I never blog. It's a start, no?
I've blogged for years--way back when no one knew what a blog was or how to blog there was Kim, blathering away. And then I got lazy. Lately I've been totally uninspired. Nothing particularly interesting has happened since my unfortunate encounter with the catheter bag in the parking lot last summer, but by golly, I'm going to try to find humor in the mundane. It's what I used to be able to do. Yes? Well, of course it is--my life is the personification of mundane.
I think perhaps that part of my mental overload must be attributed to my most recent teaching adventure: my role as the varsity bowling coach. Yes, I, Kimmah the Uncoordinated, She Whose Only Sport is Fantasty Football, is coaching a sport that she cannot play. Funny how life works that way, isn't it? They needed a coach and Five wanted to bowl, so I thought, "What the hell?". What the hell, indeed.
First of all, I knew nothing--NOTHING--about bowling. I didn't know, for example, that you don't actually aim for the front pin aka the head pin. Who knew? And that you are supposed to spin the ball. Had no idea about scoring, either. Or that it was actually interesting to watch. I'm not ashamed to say that I have now become a high school bowling junkie. This is a good thing since it has engulfed my life this fall. Despite being an unpaid coach, I found myself at the bowling alley three or four times a week. Ostensibly to 'coach', but really just to supervise and be there for moral support. See, our team sort of sucked a bit. Not through much fault of their own--they have had no actual coaching in two years--lots of bad habits, sloppy execution and total cluelessness. Slowly but surely, I've prodded them into shape and encouraged/threatened them to improve. One advantage to being a female coach in a sport coached almost exclusively by bowling league men is being able to play the clueless card. I've had three different coaches from other teams offer to help my boys. We've gotten a coaching clinic lined up for next week to get them ready for the district tournament in January because they know I'm totally in over my head technique-wise.
My boys only won two matches this year, but they were competitive in five other matches. The scoring in bowling is a bit misleading--you get points for head-to-head matches as well as total pin count. We get killed in pin count even when we tie in head-to-heads. You have six bowlers at a time in a match and we cannot seem to get six guys on their game at a time. My top guy, A., is the top bowler in the district--he had a 300 game two weeks ago--so he's not a problem. My other seven starters, though, have been all over the place. Had a kid bowl a 109 one game and a 199 the next. Ugh. Over the season, though, we've had MAJOR improvement and I think next year we will see a great improvement. I've got guys averaging 170 in matches where they used to average 120 or 130. If only we can get all of them on the same page.
My girls' team is much, MUCH weaker than my boys'. They've been savaged in almost every match, blesstheirhearts. I've focused on the boys' team and my assistant/helping coach/assistant principal has been with them during matches. I'm going to be working with them a lot between this season and next to try and get them straightened out. The good thing about them not being as good as the boys is that I can actually teach them and help them--they're not all hook shot and backspin. I've taken a coaching class, so I can help them fix their problems. Maybe.
This has no humor whatsoever, lmao, but at least I've written more than a line or two about how I never blog. It's a start, no?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tap, Tap, Tap...
Is this thing on?
My laptop died a little while back and since I've discovered the genius that is a Treo, I wasn't in my usual panic to have the laptop repaired. Then, once I talked to HP about the problem, it took forever to get the FedEx box from them to ship it because it was coming from an Ike-ravenged area. Once the box arrived, I just kept forgetting to send it. Since I able to check email, facebook and various newspapers from my phone along with reading a zillion political sites, it just wasn't a priority. I finally got off my dead arse and set it in. Upon its return (an amazing four day turn around...go HP!!), I have had all sorts of obnoxious cookie and password issues, so I've just sort of avoided going to any site that requires me to log in--WHY will Firefox not remember my effing passwords???? WHY???
But today I'm back--at least for a bit. I'm having some serious Treo-thumb/arthritis problems, which make typing difficult. I had a lovely medical saga that resulted in my dear gastrointerwhateverologist finding a ginormous ulcer in my stomach, so I can't take my beloved NSAIDs anymore. Life is a bit grim. Oh, and Homer the annoying hematoma/cyst has reared his ugly head as well.
Will be reading updates over the next few days--the holiday will be a chance to settle back in, I hope. For now, I'm going to watch my Titans go 11-0, finish highlighting my hair and try to do some de-crapifying of my house.
My laptop died a little while back and since I've discovered the genius that is a Treo, I wasn't in my usual panic to have the laptop repaired. Then, once I talked to HP about the problem, it took forever to get the FedEx box from them to ship it because it was coming from an Ike-ravenged area. Once the box arrived, I just kept forgetting to send it. Since I able to check email, facebook and various newspapers from my phone along with reading a zillion political sites, it just wasn't a priority. I finally got off my dead arse and set it in. Upon its return (an amazing four day turn around...go HP!!), I have had all sorts of obnoxious cookie and password issues, so I've just sort of avoided going to any site that requires me to log in--WHY will Firefox not remember my effing passwords???? WHY???
But today I'm back--at least for a bit. I'm having some serious Treo-thumb/arthritis problems, which make typing difficult. I had a lovely medical saga that resulted in my dear gastrointerwhateverologist finding a ginormous ulcer in my stomach, so I can't take my beloved NSAIDs anymore. Life is a bit grim. Oh, and Homer the annoying hematoma/cyst has reared his ugly head as well.
Will be reading updates over the next few days--the holiday will be a chance to settle back in, I hope. For now, I'm going to watch my Titans go 11-0, finish highlighting my hair and try to do some de-crapifying of my house.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Update for Me, Please
My blogroll is out of date--there are some blogs noticeably missing (Tummy!) and others that are defunct. Add in the fact that blogrolling is up and down and my blogs don't get the ~new~ indicator with any reliability, I'm thinking I should scrap it. So, before I go into the arduous task of adding links in html (assuming I even remember HOW to do so), who do you think I need to add? What links are obsolete? I know some folks have changed sites, but I'm not even sure what the addys are anymore.
This is my first step in becoming a regular blogging person again. I've been far too lazy using Facebook (if you have one and I'm not your friend, add me, dammit. If you don't have one, WHY NOT?) and myspace to catch up on people and rather deserted the blogs and message forums, but I realized this weekend that I miss the longer, more in depth stuff and, more importantly, miss knowing what's going on in my friends' lives.
Fall Break is halfway over and I've still got loads of things on my shitodo list, some of which won't get finished, but the blogging/reading thing? I can do that one...almost with my eyes closed.
This is my first step in becoming a regular blogging person again. I've been far too lazy using Facebook (if you have one and I'm not your friend, add me, dammit. If you don't have one, WHY NOT?) and myspace to catch up on people and rather deserted the blogs and message forums, but I realized this weekend that I miss the longer, more in depth stuff and, more importantly, miss knowing what's going on in my friends' lives.
Fall Break is halfway over and I've still got loads of things on my shitodo list, some of which won't get finished, but the blogging/reading thing? I can do that one...almost with my eyes closed.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Enough with the Serious!
The important issues: what do I really need to add to my clothing and shoe wardrobe for fall? The only purchases I've made thus far are cardis in navy and cream and a really long ameythst sweater tunic that is supposed to be a dress on a 20-something, but I plan to wear with a knee length black skirt and boots.
I'm thinking:
Boots--I have black, but I'm not wild about them. Brown is good, but not exactly sure how to wear them.
Heeled Mary Janes--should have gotten some last year, but I couldn't find any at a decent price. I need something closed-toe that is not too dressy.
Coat--I do not own a winter coat. I did snag a gorgeous black rain trench last May (it was in the lost and found at school and no one claimed it. London Fog, fully lined, classic shape w/ belt. LOVE!). I think I want a 'car coat', but no idea after that.
Black trousers--I only have a couple of pair right now. One is high-waisted/full leg that I adore, but may be a bit snug w/ a tucked in blouse right now (must.do.cardio.tomorrow!) and the other is just a regular ol' pair of black trousers in a lyrca/polyester/non-organic fabric. I love these because they are uber-forgiving and super comfy while not looking like I'm schlepping. Are there any 'must-have' styles this fall?
Trouser jeans--I finally found a pair at Sears of all places, but sadly, they are a wee bit snug. I do intend to be able to wear them by T-giving. I don't want to be a one-trick pony with them, though. Mine are a very dark blue--almost black in some light. Can I get away with a more denim shade?
Flowy blouses--I'm torn on these because I fear I look preggo. I wore a very sack-like dress to work last week--it's adorable: pucci-esque (only in the fact that it is multi-colored blocks not in the actual look of the print, but you get the idea) tunic that has no waist at all. It came with a tie belt, but the loops are low on my hips, so tying the belt made a very unfortunate silhouette. I think if I was about thirty pounds lighter I could wear the belt, but as for now--no belt I bought it at Primark in London on Oxford street--my mecca for cheap, trendy clothes. What the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, blouses. The dress definitely pushed the maternity edge from some angles, so I'm not sure about the blouses. Is that a style one should avoid if not flat-chested? Or super size 4 thin?
Hats--I love hats. I have a hat haircut again. What style? I have a few newsboy style and a couple of what I can only classify as Fidel Castro style caps, but what else? Casual--not dressy. I don't dress up.
I'm off to haunt some blogs--I feel as if I've been away for a year. I have a lot of catching up to do!
I'm thinking:
Boots--I have black, but I'm not wild about them. Brown is good, but not exactly sure how to wear them.
Heeled Mary Janes--should have gotten some last year, but I couldn't find any at a decent price. I need something closed-toe that is not too dressy.
Coat--I do not own a winter coat. I did snag a gorgeous black rain trench last May (it was in the lost and found at school and no one claimed it. London Fog, fully lined, classic shape w/ belt. LOVE!). I think I want a 'car coat', but no idea after that.
Black trousers--I only have a couple of pair right now. One is high-waisted/full leg that I adore, but may be a bit snug w/ a tucked in blouse right now (must.do.cardio.tomorrow!) and the other is just a regular ol' pair of black trousers in a lyrca/polyester/non-organic fabric. I love these because they are uber-forgiving and super comfy while not looking like I'm schlepping. Are there any 'must-have' styles this fall?
Trouser jeans--I finally found a pair at Sears of all places, but sadly, they are a wee bit snug. I do intend to be able to wear them by T-giving. I don't want to be a one-trick pony with them, though. Mine are a very dark blue--almost black in some light. Can I get away with a more denim shade?
Flowy blouses--I'm torn on these because I fear I look preggo. I wore a very sack-like dress to work last week--it's adorable: pucci-esque (only in the fact that it is multi-colored blocks not in the actual look of the print, but you get the idea) tunic that has no waist at all. It came with a tie belt, but the loops are low on my hips, so tying the belt made a very unfortunate silhouette. I think if I was about thirty pounds lighter I could wear the belt, but as for now--no belt I bought it at Primark in London on Oxford street--my mecca for cheap, trendy clothes. What the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, blouses. The dress definitely pushed the maternity edge from some angles, so I'm not sure about the blouses. Is that a style one should avoid if not flat-chested? Or super size 4 thin?
Hats--I love hats. I have a hat haircut again. What style? I have a few newsboy style and a couple of what I can only classify as Fidel Castro style caps, but what else? Casual--not dressy. I don't dress up.
I'm off to haunt some blogs--I feel as if I've been away for a year. I have a lot of catching up to do!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
*sigh*
Sarah Palin is as dumb as a box of rocks. There's just no.nice.way. to frame her. from suggesting that Putin is going to attack us via Alaska or that seeing Russia is adequate foreign policy education to not knowing a SINGLE Supreme Court case by name--let alone one that she disagrees with while railing against legislating from the bench--she is just to fucking stupid for words.
I have lost faith in our system. That she could even be CONSIDERED for president is just mind-numbing.
I have lost faith in our system. That she could even be CONSIDERED for president is just mind-numbing.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Just Wondering....
If I were to be driving along a fairly busy four-lane road and say, accidentally nearly hit a couple of Amish guys standing on the yellow line trying to cross traffic because I wasn't as alert as I should have been...well, nearly hit is such a strong phrase...more like, swerved and potentially startled a couple of Amish men..okay, scared them a bit...not like 'peeing in their pants' scared, but 'OMFG get out of the way' scared...well, without the F and G part of that acronym since I guess they wouldn't say "fucking" or take God's name in vain in a moment of life-or-death fear... although I've seen a couple of those Dateline specials about how wild and crazy some Amish guys can be in their youth and once you've experienced the effectiveness of expressing anger, fear, confusion, disgust and the like by the use of gratuitous swear word, it might be that you can't put that Genie/genie back in the proverbial bottle (slightly OT...would an Amish person get that Genie/genie reference reference?), so who knows what they might say....aw, fuck, I've totally lost my train of thought now....oh, yeah. Would God hold me to a stiffer penalty if I caused life-altering fear/pain/death to the Amish or are they worth the same hellfire as regular people. By regular people I mean you and me, not, say a crackhead or a Ted-Bundy-in-training or a politician or whack job like ol' Rev. Phelps.
Thus endeth my philosophical rambling for today.
Thus endeth my philosophical rambling for today.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Well, Since I Opened the Can of Worms...
Reasons I am no fan of Sarah Palin:
1. Her gratuitous use of her children when it suits her needs. When others try to hold her to some sort of consistent standard, she balks. Any mother who would put her children under the intense media spotlight knowing that it was going to be a messy, torrid affair is selfish and pathetic
2. Her total bullshit lies about everything from the bridge to nowhere to her lobbyist hired to suck at the teat of the DC Cash Cow full-time. She is the personification of Pork Barrel Spending and doesn't have the guts to admit it and move on.
3. She references her state's proximity to Russia as some sort of resume item. I don't give a rat's ass if you can see Putin himself out your igloo window, it doesn't equate experience in diplomacy.
4. She lied about going into Iraq and presented a gas-stop in Ireland as an actual visit to the country.
5. She left Wasilla in debt to the tune of 20 million, despite her own crowing about being a fiscal conservative. She was a terrible personnel manager by many accounts, too. Appointing ANYONE to a state-level position based on her childhood love of cows is a complete farce. Palin embodies everything about cronyism that is wrong with political posts.
6. Being mayor of a tiny-ass town or governor of a sparsely populated state with little interaction with other states in the US is technically 'executive' experience, but hell, GWB had far more executive experience than she has and his presidency has been a total clusterfuck.
7. Not knowing the exact nuances of the so-called Bush Doctrine is fine, but looking as if you've never heard of it or even bothered to study it a bit? Unacceptable. That would be like me running for a school board seat and not knowing what NCLB's basic tenets are. It's part of the damn job, moron.
8. Whining about the mean old press bullying you is not impressive. It is wimpy. Are you going to go hide in Mooseville when you don't want to deal with dudes at the G8? And even the mere appearance of believing the lipstick on a pig comment was directed to a description of her is dirty politicking and old-school DC antics that she is allegedly against--she's a complete hypocrite when she claims to be against the regular politics as usual.
9. I'm all for religion, but when you belong to a church that believes people speak in tongues or one that offers to cure gay people, I think your religion is up for scrutiny and it shows a great deal about one's thought process and level of intellect.
10. I do not respect her sarcastic, holier-than-thou digs made at Obama and Biden simply because she has earned exactly zero right to throw out commentary on anything until she is willing to speak to reporters or be interviewed on her own ideas.
11. She says she was a PTA mom like it is equivalent to a poli sci degree. Sorry, two frigging years in the backwoods PTA when her son was in elementary school is not the type of experience in consensus-building that 99.99999 percent of the the thinking world would imagine when asked to list relevant experience.
12. She named her children Track and Trig. I can overlook a lot of things, but saddling her child with the name Track is just unacceptable. Forever.
Sidenote: if you're bored, you might go check out
Your Palin Baby Name generator. My name is Steam Fangs Palin. Catchy, eh? Thanks to
Other issues:
Troopergate
Her husband's ties to AIP as well as her own participation in their activities
Her ties to Ted Stevens
Her flipping and flopping on everything so that she comes across as believing in nothing other than being a shrill harpy shrew with a terrible hairstyle and glasses that are supposed to make people take her more seriously. Perhaps if she said anything that was seriously intelligent, she might not have to resort to appearing as Miss Beadle's older sis on Little House on the Prarie.
I'm an education snob and six colleges in five years is not impressive to me in the least.
That's it for now--I'm going to go find something other than political news and blogs to read.
PS" Thanks to Sasha for sharing the name generator. Love it.
1. Her gratuitous use of her children when it suits her needs. When others try to hold her to some sort of consistent standard, she balks. Any mother who would put her children under the intense media spotlight knowing that it was going to be a messy, torrid affair is selfish and pathetic
2. Her total bullshit lies about everything from the bridge to nowhere to her lobbyist hired to suck at the teat of the DC Cash Cow full-time. She is the personification of Pork Barrel Spending and doesn't have the guts to admit it and move on.
3. She references her state's proximity to Russia as some sort of resume item. I don't give a rat's ass if you can see Putin himself out your igloo window, it doesn't equate experience in diplomacy.
4. She lied about going into Iraq and presented a gas-stop in Ireland as an actual visit to the country.
5. She left Wasilla in debt to the tune of 20 million, despite her own crowing about being a fiscal conservative. She was a terrible personnel manager by many accounts, too. Appointing ANYONE to a state-level position based on her childhood love of cows is a complete farce. Palin embodies everything about cronyism that is wrong with political posts.
6. Being mayor of a tiny-ass town or governor of a sparsely populated state with little interaction with other states in the US is technically 'executive' experience, but hell, GWB had far more executive experience than she has and his presidency has been a total clusterfuck.
7. Not knowing the exact nuances of the so-called Bush Doctrine is fine, but looking as if you've never heard of it or even bothered to study it a bit? Unacceptable. That would be like me running for a school board seat and not knowing what NCLB's basic tenets are. It's part of the damn job, moron.
8. Whining about the mean old press bullying you is not impressive. It is wimpy. Are you going to go hide in Mooseville when you don't want to deal with dudes at the G8? And even the mere appearance of believing the lipstick on a pig comment was directed to a description of her is dirty politicking and old-school DC antics that she is allegedly against--she's a complete hypocrite when she claims to be against the regular politics as usual.
9. I'm all for religion, but when you belong to a church that believes people speak in tongues or one that offers to cure gay people, I think your religion is up for scrutiny and it shows a great deal about one's thought process and level of intellect.
10. I do not respect her sarcastic, holier-than-thou digs made at Obama and Biden simply because she has earned exactly zero right to throw out commentary on anything until she is willing to speak to reporters or be interviewed on her own ideas.
11. She says she was a PTA mom like it is equivalent to a poli sci degree. Sorry, two frigging years in the backwoods PTA when her son was in elementary school is not the type of experience in consensus-building that 99.99999 percent of the the thinking world would imagine when asked to list relevant experience.
12. She named her children Track and Trig. I can overlook a lot of things, but saddling her child with the name Track is just unacceptable. Forever.
Sidenote: if you're bored, you might go check out
Your Palin Baby Name generator. My name is Steam Fangs Palin. Catchy, eh? Thanks to
Other issues:
Troopergate
Her husband's ties to AIP as well as her own participation in their activities
Her ties to Ted Stevens
Her flipping and flopping on everything so that she comes across as believing in nothing other than being a shrill harpy shrew with a terrible hairstyle and glasses that are supposed to make people take her more seriously. Perhaps if she said anything that was seriously intelligent, she might not have to resort to appearing as Miss Beadle's older sis on Little House on the Prarie.
I'm an education snob and six colleges in five years is not impressive to me in the least.
That's it for now--I'm going to go find something other than political news and blogs to read.
PS" Thanks to Sasha for sharing the name generator. Love it.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
So, Uh, Well, I'm Still Alive....
Damn, I didn't realize that it had been six weeks since I posted anything. Time flies when you're buried alive at work and at home. Yikes.
I don't have anything particularly witty to say at the moment, but I will make a very concerted effort to come up with something this weekend. I have been so infuriated over the idiocy that is the Palin nomination and boggled by John McCain's ability to lie like a rug with not even the slightest appearance that he's being a shit that I haven't been able to focus on the more amusing things in life.
So, if I can get something done about my filthy house I will be back later this evening or tomorrow.
I don't have anything particularly witty to say at the moment, but I will make a very concerted effort to come up with something this weekend. I have been so infuriated over the idiocy that is the Palin nomination and boggled by John McCain's ability to lie like a rug with not even the slightest appearance that he's being a shit that I haven't been able to focus on the more amusing things in life.
So, if I can get something done about my filthy house I will be back later this evening or tomorrow.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Back to Work I Go!
Will post something brilliant or witty or insightful later. For now, I must go be professionally developed to better prepare me for what I am determined will be the best school year ever.
Have a lovely Monday and go blog to amuse me.
Ta ta!!
Have a lovely Monday and go blog to amuse me.
Ta ta!!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Checking In
I've been less computer-oriented the past week or so than I have in years. My laptop had to be sent away because of a motherboard/wireless connection problem that HP's laptops developed. They extended the warranty to cover the problem, thank goodness, so all I had to do was send it in and they're replacing my motherboard. While it's been gone, I've been using the fabulous new Dell desktop that I bought for W. for his bday/Father's Day/you're in nursing school and you need a better computer. Between W. and the kids, there's not much free time online, lol. The nice part is that I've not really missed it, kwim? I run in and check in here and there for a second and then I get up and go do something else. I think that's what my poor manic brain needed.
I've read a LOT of books in the past month. I desperately need to update my Goodreads info. Goodwill had their monthly 50% off everything sale yesterday and I went into book-buying overdrive. I bought 74 books. About 15 or so are for my classroom, the kids or other teachers, but the rest of them? Novels. I had already read all the stuff I bought at McKay's last month, so I needed some more books to read on vacation next week. Once I started piling them in the cart, I couldn't stop. I found lots of good things--some book I'd been wanting to read such as Like Water for Chocolate, Atonement, Snow Falling on Cedars, some Maeve Binchy and Steve Matini titles and the like. I also bought several Patricia Cornwell and Mary Higgins Clark titles and a couple of Sue Grafton's alphabet series as well. I tried to get a good variety so that W. and SIL would have stuff to read, too. I read Atonement yesterday. I've been reading a book a day for the past couple of weeks. I am forcing myself to cut back this week in order to get housework and mommy stuff done. I have seven days next week with nothing to do but cook a few meals, supervise my ornery children and lie on the beach. Such a rough life I lead, lol.
We're going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for a nice stay. SIL and MIL, Lynda (with a friend) and Jeffrey are going, too. The condo will be a bit full, but I think we're going to have fun. It will be a treat to have more adults around so that the kids have more options--I'm very much a lie on the beach and read/nap/people watch kind of chick. W. is all about fishing. The kids like to do both, plus swim in a pool. Usually since we only have one car there, it takes a bit of juggling to get everyone where they want to be, but this time will be a bit easier. Sometimes I take for granted how well-located Tennssee is. We're just a seven-hour or so drive from great beaches on the Gulf, three or four hours from Atlanta or Memphis, a long day's drive from DC, three hours from the Smokey Mountains, etc.
Five is on a mission trip to Kentucky this week. He'll be helping repair homes in a poverty-stricken area. Packing for a week for him was no fun. Just the sheer volume of t-shirts alone was daunting. I used my fabulous Delsey suitcase that my mom gave me for Christmas. When I had all of his stuff packed, I called him in so I could explain what I was sending and the first thing he said was, "Mom, I think the suitcase is a bit too big. I think I'm supposed to bring a small bag." Translated: He was embarrassed that the suitcase was so large. I had quite a time explaining to him that in order to take enough long pants and shorts, t-shirts for working and for hanging out, socks, boxers, towels, medicine, toothbrush and other personal stuff AND a tool belt, measuring tape, nail apron and hammer along with an extra pair of shoes, there really wasn't any way to take a small carry-on sized suitcase. He pondered this and then asked, "Well, can you try to put the sleeping bag in the suitcase?" Uh, no. An adult-sized sleeping bag will NOT fit into an already loaded suitcase. He resigned himself to looking like a tourist and moved on to more important topics--snacks for the trip.
Sam, Jay and I are home on our own this week. W. has to work everyday but Thursday, so the boys and I will be doing a great deal of pool time and maybe a trip or two to the park. They havie swim lessons every day, so that gives us a good reason to get up and get ready at a decent hour. Speaking of swim lessons, I guess I should go get stuff ready. A day at the pool requires much food and drink planning and I'm such a ditz I have to allow enough time to figure out what I've forgotten.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!!
Oh, last thing....my cousin's daughter has a fabulous new online biz--Good Fortune Soap. All her things are handmade with natural ingredients. She's going to be sending me some samples so I can farm them out to some of you. When they arrive, I'll post more info and tiny little presents will be shipped out to those who want some.
I cannot seem to get into a good workout routine. Either something comes up at the last minute or my neck hurts so much that I don't dare do anything strenuous.
I've read a LOT of books in the past month. I desperately need to update my Goodreads info. Goodwill had their monthly 50% off everything sale yesterday and I went into book-buying overdrive. I bought 74 books. About 15 or so are for my classroom, the kids or other teachers, but the rest of them? Novels. I had already read all the stuff I bought at McKay's last month, so I needed some more books to read on vacation next week. Once I started piling them in the cart, I couldn't stop. I found lots of good things--some book I'd been wanting to read such as Like Water for Chocolate, Atonement, Snow Falling on Cedars, some Maeve Binchy and Steve Matini titles and the like. I also bought several Patricia Cornwell and Mary Higgins Clark titles and a couple of Sue Grafton's alphabet series as well. I tried to get a good variety so that W. and SIL would have stuff to read, too. I read Atonement yesterday. I've been reading a book a day for the past couple of weeks. I am forcing myself to cut back this week in order to get housework and mommy stuff done. I have seven days next week with nothing to do but cook a few meals, supervise my ornery children and lie on the beach. Such a rough life I lead, lol.
We're going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for a nice stay. SIL and MIL, Lynda (with a friend) and Jeffrey are going, too. The condo will be a bit full, but I think we're going to have fun. It will be a treat to have more adults around so that the kids have more options--I'm very much a lie on the beach and read/nap/people watch kind of chick. W. is all about fishing. The kids like to do both, plus swim in a pool. Usually since we only have one car there, it takes a bit of juggling to get everyone where they want to be, but this time will be a bit easier. Sometimes I take for granted how well-located Tennssee is. We're just a seven-hour or so drive from great beaches on the Gulf, three or four hours from Atlanta or Memphis, a long day's drive from DC, three hours from the Smokey Mountains, etc.
Five is on a mission trip to Kentucky this week. He'll be helping repair homes in a poverty-stricken area. Packing for a week for him was no fun. Just the sheer volume of t-shirts alone was daunting. I used my fabulous Delsey suitcase that my mom gave me for Christmas. When I had all of his stuff packed, I called him in so I could explain what I was sending and the first thing he said was, "Mom, I think the suitcase is a bit too big. I think I'm supposed to bring a small bag." Translated: He was embarrassed that the suitcase was so large. I had quite a time explaining to him that in order to take enough long pants and shorts, t-shirts for working and for hanging out, socks, boxers, towels, medicine, toothbrush and other personal stuff AND a tool belt, measuring tape, nail apron and hammer along with an extra pair of shoes, there really wasn't any way to take a small carry-on sized suitcase. He pondered this and then asked, "Well, can you try to put the sleeping bag in the suitcase?" Uh, no. An adult-sized sleeping bag will NOT fit into an already loaded suitcase. He resigned himself to looking like a tourist and moved on to more important topics--snacks for the trip.
Sam, Jay and I are home on our own this week. W. has to work everyday but Thursday, so the boys and I will be doing a great deal of pool time and maybe a trip or two to the park. They havie swim lessons every day, so that gives us a good reason to get up and get ready at a decent hour. Speaking of swim lessons, I guess I should go get stuff ready. A day at the pool requires much food and drink planning and I'm such a ditz I have to allow enough time to figure out what I've forgotten.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!!
Oh, last thing....my cousin's daughter has a fabulous new online biz--Good Fortune Soap. All her things are handmade with natural ingredients. She's going to be sending me some samples so I can farm them out to some of you. When they arrive, I'll post more info and tiny little presents will be shipped out to those who want some.
I cannot seem to get into a good workout routine. Either something comes up at the last minute or my neck hurts so much that I don't dare do anything strenuous.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
A Little Offline Time For Me
My laptop wireless card died and when I looked it up online, I found out that it was a hardware malfunction (wireless card and motherboard clash, so new motherboard and card for me) and HP extended the warranty for this problem, which is the good news. The bad news is that it has to be mailed off and will be away from home for 7-9 business days or so. Our desktop is really slow AND I have about a zillion things that I need to do around the house, so this will be a good time to get my arse in gear.
I will pop in different places from time to time and if you have my number, feel free to call.
I will pop in different places from time to time and if you have my number, feel free to call.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I'm Hooked
Tummy suggested that I buy a Ped Egg for my yucky callous (heels have not been kind to my feet this spring. Perhaps 3" is too high for work?). I happened to mention said product at a family thing this week and two people there both insisted that I needed to try it. I left the party and went straight to Walgreens to find one. Lo, there it was on an end cap beckoning me. I had to buy it.
I expected to either gash myself and bleed all over the place or not be able to tell a difference. I was wrong on both counts. My feet are MUCH smoother and the gross tough places are much less noticeable. For some weird reason, I take much pleasure in emptying the egg and seeing all the funky dead skin that has come off the bottom of my foot--sort of like using those Biore strips.
If you haven't already, go buy a Ped Egg. Your feet will thank you.
P.S. Jay thought I had bought a Pet Egg. He couldn't figure out what all the fuss was. Sam, on the hand, saw it and immediately knew it was a Ped Egg and that it was for scraping the dead skin off your feet AND that it was so gentle, you can rub it against a ballon and it won't pop. My little TV geek.
I expected to either gash myself and bleed all over the place or not be able to tell a difference. I was wrong on both counts. My feet are MUCH smoother and the gross tough places are much less noticeable. For some weird reason, I take much pleasure in emptying the egg and seeing all the funky dead skin that has come off the bottom of my foot--sort of like using those Biore strips.
If you haven't already, go buy a Ped Egg. Your feet will thank you.
P.S. Jay thought I had bought a Pet Egg. He couldn't figure out what all the fuss was. Sam, on the hand, saw it and immediately knew it was a Ped Egg and that it was for scraping the dead skin off your feet AND that it was so gentle, you can rub it against a ballon and it won't pop. My little TV geek.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Tagged By Tummy
Random things about me:
1. I am a terrible speller.
2. I have had the worst spring ever. Just a lot of things combined to make it positively horrid. I'm hoping for a better summer, but it doesn't look promising. Some days there just aren't enough drugs to make things look better.
3. I hate blue eyeshadow. I try to wear it--navy, not baby--and it always looks like hell. Boo hiss on blue.
4. I just bought two new lispsticks--that long wear Cover Girl stuff-- and two new tubes of mascara--one regular Lash Blast and another waterproof Lash Something or Other. These are the only Cover Girl products I would ever buy. I have bad memories of everything CG smelling like Noxema, so I have an aversion. I wear a lot of L'Oreal and Milani lately with just a touch of Tarte.
5. I have a callous on the bottom of my foot that is driving me infuckingsane. How do I get rid of this? I've never had one before. I'm guessing it's from wearing high heels so much.
6. I have recently discovered how to email from my cell phone. How did I not know this was possible? I love it.
Am not tagging anyone yet---will go back and do that in a bit.
1. I am a terrible speller.
2. I have had the worst spring ever. Just a lot of things combined to make it positively horrid. I'm hoping for a better summer, but it doesn't look promising. Some days there just aren't enough drugs to make things look better.
3. I hate blue eyeshadow. I try to wear it--navy, not baby--and it always looks like hell. Boo hiss on blue.
4. I just bought two new lispsticks--that long wear Cover Girl stuff-- and two new tubes of mascara--one regular Lash Blast and another waterproof Lash Something or Other. These are the only Cover Girl products I would ever buy. I have bad memories of everything CG smelling like Noxema, so I have an aversion. I wear a lot of L'Oreal and Milani lately with just a touch of Tarte.
5. I have a callous on the bottom of my foot that is driving me infuckingsane. How do I get rid of this? I've never had one before. I'm guessing it's from wearing high heels so much.
6. I have recently discovered how to email from my cell phone. How did I not know this was possible? I love it.
Am not tagging anyone yet---will go back and do that in a bit.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home
*clicks well moisturized and exfoliated heels together while wearing pink Old Navy flip flops**
So it has occurred to me that no matter how much of a sty one's home is, it is still HOME. Gah! I left my house on Thursday, May something, intending to return home the following Monday morning. I went down to participate in the Relay for Life (my faux sister Susan organizes it and my high school friends that now teach at the middle school have a team that I join) that I extended that stay until Wednesday voluntarily--Sarah was moving to Calgary and I wanted to be able to spend some more time with her and her girls. We went so many years without ever seeing each other that I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do with her daughters.
Insert really unflattering photos of me and Sarah's oldest daughter Jackson at last year's Relay here:
And with Austin this year here:
Friends, never let it be said that I am too full of myself to hide the less than attractive photos of myself...it's what keeps me real and in touch with the people.
Anyway, read the other post if you want to know exactly WHY I didn't leave Chattanooga as planned on Wednesday. No, here it is Saturday--NINE frigging days after I left home for a 4.5 day jaunt, and I'm preparing to leave. You can imagine how thrilled W. is with me a this point. He's a good egg no matter how much I bitch about him. Frankly, no matter how much he's complained about me being gone, I think he and Five have actually probably enjoyed having the sty, er house to themselves for the whole week plus.
Since Sarah left, I've had lots of free time. I could have gone out w/ a friend on Thursday night, but I just didn't feel like it. Everyone that I know had to do mundane things such as work or spend time with family, so I had lots of solitude. I went to see Sex and the City. I ate at Panera a lot. I stayed up faaaaar too much (last night was freakish and I went to sleep at SIX a.m.) and watched all sorts of my favorite cable rerun shows, Top Chef, and Regis and Kelly. Good times, but pretty damn boring after awhile.
I miss having something to actually DO. This is a clear sign that the Wellbutrin is kicking in, I think. So, I'm heading home in just a few--meeting the parents in Murfreesboro to pick up my kids on their way home from their trip to Wyoming because I don't want to wait for them to drive all the way here and then leave. I'm that ready to just be home. Weird, but true.
I will update here more often, but if I disappear other places, you understand why. I have summer school for two weeks and many, many weeks worth of housework to deal with. Plus, I have to begin my holy-shit-I'm-almost-40 workout regimine so that I don't cry when I see pictures of the unfortunate event. To quote a smart lady, "Be safe!"
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Want To Feel Better About YOUR Day?
Then read about MY day yesterday--Thursday, June 4, which is evidently the day of Satan.
After staying up waaaay too late, I got up at 4 to get sarah and the girls off to Calgary. She stayed here with me because it's closer to the airport (I'm in Hixon at my parents' house). I went out to check my van because we were afraid that a light had been left on last night--it had not, but I left the keys in it like a dumbass. turned to the kill-the-battery-position and then left them there for close to an hour.
We get outside with the girls to leave and my fucking van wouldn't start. Igo tearing around the house and get dad's Jeep keys, start the jeep--thinking that surely he has jumper cables or we can drive it if we have to. I can't get the back doors unlocked for some reason, so i get out--with it running--and shut the door. as SOON as I shut it, I realised that I had locked it. so now the Jeep is running with the keys locked in it AND the van won't start. Sarah is starting to panic and the girls are getting freaked.
I had to call Daddy and wake him up---3.55 a.m. mountain time. He told me where to find more jeep keys AND that he doesn't have jumper cables here, so I can't jump it off. there are no backseats in the Jeep and it is loaded with tools and stuff. Well, if you know my parents, then you know that means there is only one vehicle left to choose from (techincally, there are three, but the VW Thing isn't running and there's no way in hell I'd drive the 64 1/2 Mustang....that leaves the 15 passenger white Dodge van affectionately known 'round these parts as Big Ugly. It's a leftover from my parents' antique show hauling days and they still use it for camping. I have never driven it before--for good reason.
Sarah and I unloaded her four lead-filled suitcases, along with the biggest jogging stroller on the planet, all the kids' stuff and piled into Big Ugly, which I then proceeded to drive to the airport. My parents' driveway isn't long, but it's got a weird curve, so I always turn around and drive out 'normal' in my own car. Given my luck of the day, I wasn't about to chance turning around--I'm sure I would have hit my van, the house or backed off the edge of the driveway, so with Sarah hanging out one door and me the other, I successfully made it out fhe drive in reverse.Yay for me! Once we got out of the driveway, it was a piece of cake, but my nerves were shot. Got to the airport in plenty of time.
I returned home. Tried my van...it started. I was like, WTF?, but glad that I wouldn't have to bother anyone. Oh, silly Kim, if you'd only known.
I went back in and cleaned up, washed the sheets that we'd used, showered, dressed, packed, etc. Around 10.45 or so I went out and tried the car again--it started. Then, like a complete Simpleton, I turned off the van, plugged my cell phone into the car charger and left the motherfucking side door open. Didn't even cross my feeble mind that I should have left it running.
You can guess what happened next---the damn thing was deader than hell when I went back out. I gave it an hour. Still nothing, so I had to call Aunt Barbara to come jump me off. Bless her heart, she came right over and we managed to get it running. Whew. Off to home.
Or not.
After driving all around southeastern Tennessee, the Check Transmission message started blinking at me and my overdrive light began to flash as I drove down Amnicola Highway. Even a mechanical ignoramous such as myself knew that this was bad. I found a place to pull over, called W. in a panic. He said to check the trans. fluid and add some. (Sidenote--my van had been driving oddly all weekend, but I didn't really put it all together at the time). I made it to a Conoco, which didn't carry the fluid, but I checked my level there and I was almost totally out. Yikes.
Drove a little bit further, praying all the way that the transmission wouldn't just lock up on me. Made it to a Chevron. Bless the lovely man who worked there. He called me "Sunshine" and helped me put the fluid in, check everything. I felt confident that the worst was behind me.
I? am notorious for being inept at judging the future and this? was another example.
I start driving down Amnicola again and get to almost the same exact spot and the frigging transmission light comes on. Fuck me. I managed to pull over and drive up a block or so to an empty parking lot...this involved going up a hill and I wasn't entirely sure I was even going to make it, but I did. I got out and checked. Damn fluid was empty. I looked under the van for the obvious and yes, there where even I, Kim the Automotive Moron, could see it was transmission fluid flowing freely out and making an impressive puddle on the pavement. The black asphalt pavement. The black asphalt pavement that was super heated because it was about 95 degrees outside and there wasn't a lick of shade.
More panicked calls. Clearly I wasn't going anywhere in the van. I'm smart like that. After much, much cursing and such, I had to call Aunt Barbara yet again to come get me. As I waited for her, I got hotter and hotter. I swear I have never sweated so much in my whole entire life. I had sweat rolling down the backs of my legs. Nasty.
To make this incredibly long story a little shorter, I will spare you the details about trying to figure out where to take my car. I knew that the Ford dealership was my last resort because those folks are slow as Christmas and dumber than shit. After calling like a million people that live in and around Chatanooga, friend from high school, David Poe, found me a place to take it, but they didn't advertise transmission work. I was going to call them and see what they suggested, but then my dad remembered that the name of the place where he had the Mustang worked on is called Mr. Transmission. Needless to say, my search for a mechanic was over.
So here I sit in my parents' house with pretty much nothing to do. Car was towed today to Soddy Daisy and will hopefully be repaired cheaply and quickly. I'm just going to stay here until the weekend when the kids get back from their trip out West with Mom and Dad. And I'll probably be driving the Jeep home, which makes my back and knee hurt just thinking about it--stick shift, no frills, three hour trip. Ugh.
I have been to Walgreens and bought mascara and lipstick because they were on sale. Had a prescription for Tramadol transferred here so I won't be forced to go seek out drug dealers w/ Percocet or Demerol downtown. I'm going to ice and heat my back and just listen to the silence for a couple of days. And try not to go bonkers in the process.
So unless you ate accidentally live slug for breakfast or you peed yourself in public yesterday, consider your day much better than mine.
After staying up waaaay too late, I got up at 4 to get sarah and the girls off to Calgary. She stayed here with me because it's closer to the airport (I'm in Hixon at my parents' house). I went out to check my van because we were afraid that a light had been left on last night--it had not, but I left the keys in it like a dumbass. turned to the kill-the-battery-position and then left them there for close to an hour.
We get outside with the girls to leave and my fucking van wouldn't start. Igo tearing around the house and get dad's Jeep keys, start the jeep--thinking that surely he has jumper cables or we can drive it if we have to. I can't get the back doors unlocked for some reason, so i get out--with it running--and shut the door. as SOON as I shut it, I realised that I had locked it. so now the Jeep is running with the keys locked in it AND the van won't start. Sarah is starting to panic and the girls are getting freaked.
I had to call Daddy and wake him up---3.55 a.m. mountain time. He told me where to find more jeep keys AND that he doesn't have jumper cables here, so I can't jump it off. there are no backseats in the Jeep and it is loaded with tools and stuff. Well, if you know my parents, then you know that means there is only one vehicle left to choose from (techincally, there are three, but the VW Thing isn't running and there's no way in hell I'd drive the 64 1/2 Mustang....that leaves the 15 passenger white Dodge van affectionately known 'round these parts as Big Ugly. It's a leftover from my parents' antique show hauling days and they still use it for camping. I have never driven it before--for good reason.
Sarah and I unloaded her four lead-filled suitcases, along with the biggest jogging stroller on the planet, all the kids' stuff and piled into Big Ugly, which I then proceeded to drive to the airport. My parents' driveway isn't long, but it's got a weird curve, so I always turn around and drive out 'normal' in my own car. Given my luck of the day, I wasn't about to chance turning around--I'm sure I would have hit my van, the house or backed off the edge of the driveway, so with Sarah hanging out one door and me the other, I successfully made it out fhe drive in reverse.Yay for me! Once we got out of the driveway, it was a piece of cake, but my nerves were shot. Got to the airport in plenty of time.
I returned home. Tried my van...it started. I was like, WTF?, but glad that I wouldn't have to bother anyone. Oh, silly Kim, if you'd only known.
I went back in and cleaned up, washed the sheets that we'd used, showered, dressed, packed, etc. Around 10.45 or so I went out and tried the car again--it started. Then, like a complete Simpleton, I turned off the van, plugged my cell phone into the car charger and left the motherfucking side door open. Didn't even cross my feeble mind that I should have left it running.
You can guess what happened next---the damn thing was deader than hell when I went back out. I gave it an hour. Still nothing, so I had to call Aunt Barbara to come jump me off. Bless her heart, she came right over and we managed to get it running. Whew. Off to home.
Or not.
After driving all around southeastern Tennessee, the Check Transmission message started blinking at me and my overdrive light began to flash as I drove down Amnicola Highway. Even a mechanical ignoramous such as myself knew that this was bad. I found a place to pull over, called W. in a panic. He said to check the trans. fluid and add some. (Sidenote--my van had been driving oddly all weekend, but I didn't really put it all together at the time). I made it to a Conoco, which didn't carry the fluid, but I checked my level there and I was almost totally out. Yikes.
Drove a little bit further, praying all the way that the transmission wouldn't just lock up on me. Made it to a Chevron. Bless the lovely man who worked there. He called me "Sunshine" and helped me put the fluid in, check everything. I felt confident that the worst was behind me.
I? am notorious for being inept at judging the future and this? was another example.
I start driving down Amnicola again and get to almost the same exact spot and the frigging transmission light comes on. Fuck me. I managed to pull over and drive up a block or so to an empty parking lot...this involved going up a hill and I wasn't entirely sure I was even going to make it, but I did. I got out and checked. Damn fluid was empty. I looked under the van for the obvious and yes, there where even I, Kim the Automotive Moron, could see it was transmission fluid flowing freely out and making an impressive puddle on the pavement. The black asphalt pavement. The black asphalt pavement that was super heated because it was about 95 degrees outside and there wasn't a lick of shade.
More panicked calls. Clearly I wasn't going anywhere in the van. I'm smart like that. After much, much cursing and such, I had to call Aunt Barbara yet again to come get me. As I waited for her, I got hotter and hotter. I swear I have never sweated so much in my whole entire life. I had sweat rolling down the backs of my legs. Nasty.
To make this incredibly long story a little shorter, I will spare you the details about trying to figure out where to take my car. I knew that the Ford dealership was my last resort because those folks are slow as Christmas and dumber than shit. After calling like a million people that live in and around Chatanooga, friend from high school, David Poe, found me a place to take it, but they didn't advertise transmission work. I was going to call them and see what they suggested, but then my dad remembered that the name of the place where he had the Mustang worked on is called Mr. Transmission. Needless to say, my search for a mechanic was over.
So here I sit in my parents' house with pretty much nothing to do. Car was towed today to Soddy Daisy and will hopefully be repaired cheaply and quickly. I'm just going to stay here until the weekend when the kids get back from their trip out West with Mom and Dad. And I'll probably be driving the Jeep home, which makes my back and knee hurt just thinking about it--stick shift, no frills, three hour trip. Ugh.
I have been to Walgreens and bought mascara and lipstick because they were on sale. Had a prescription for Tramadol transferred here so I won't be forced to go seek out drug dealers w/ Percocet or Demerol downtown. I'm going to ice and heat my back and just listen to the silence for a couple of days. And try not to go bonkers in the process.
So unless you ate accidentally live slug for breakfast or you peed yourself in public yesterday, consider your day much better than mine.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Summer Is Here, I Will Be Soon, Really.
Ugh. Just super-duper overwhelmed with life. I have been a bad cyberfriend and I apologize profusely. I am just not good at dealing with stress sometimes, and that manifests itself in hermitlike behavior.
I am currenly in Chattanooga helping a friend pack and move for the summer. I'll be home in a couple of days and I hope to be refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of being kimtastic.
I am currenly in Chattanooga helping a friend pack and move for the summer. I'll be home in a couple of days and I hope to be refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of being kimtastic.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
I'm Still Not Dead..But I May Kill Someone
It was a funky, mystery virus. The bloodwork didn't pick up anything except that I have evidently had parvo in the past---wouldn't you know it? I have had the dog disease. How typical. My blood sugar was really low--64 at around 4 in the afternoon after a full day of eating. I have to keep an eye on that and watch my carbs and such because when I eat them it causes my blood sugar to spike and then drop way too low.
Enough of the boring health shit. Who am I going to kill? Well, there's a fairly long list comprised almost exclusively of senior boys. I cannot wait for this year to be over. I've done it to myself--I've let them play around and we joke and really have a very good relationship as far as teacher-senior goes. But because they are 17/18 and male, they can't self-monitor, so I give a foot or two and they take a frigging mile and a half. I totally lost it today and told them exactly what I thought. I yelled, which I rarely do, and I told them I was tired of them acting like jerks and being rude and most of all talking while I was trying to explain something. It was the quietest the room had been all semester. Of course that made them a bit subdued (to say the least), so I had to really work the room in order to get them back on track. On the plus side, two of them apologized for their mouthiness and we did laugh a lot while they were doing their improv scenes. It's just time for them to graduate. As one of the guys said, I've had them in class for at least an hour and a half a day all school year and 11 of them I've had for three hours a day since January. That is enough to make anyone crazy.
I love my job, but I could never do it if there wasn't a generous summer break.
Enough of the boring health shit. Who am I going to kill? Well, there's a fairly long list comprised almost exclusively of senior boys. I cannot wait for this year to be over. I've done it to myself--I've let them play around and we joke and really have a very good relationship as far as teacher-senior goes. But because they are 17/18 and male, they can't self-monitor, so I give a foot or two and they take a frigging mile and a half. I totally lost it today and told them exactly what I thought. I yelled, which I rarely do, and I told them I was tired of them acting like jerks and being rude and most of all talking while I was trying to explain something. It was the quietest the room had been all semester. Of course that made them a bit subdued (to say the least), so I had to really work the room in order to get them back on track. On the plus side, two of them apologized for their mouthiness and we did laugh a lot while they were doing their improv scenes. It's just time for them to graduate. As one of the guys said, I've had them in class for at least an hour and a half a day all school year and 11 of them I've had for three hours a day since January. That is enough to make anyone crazy.
I love my job, but I could never do it if there wasn't a generous summer break.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Be Careful What You Wish For
In theory, being told to go home and sleep for three days sounds good, right? Yeah, well in practice it's not so much fun.
I have a mystery illness. Some sort of virus that makes me ridiculously tired (as in I fell asleep in the doctor's waiting room and am afraid to close my eyes at red lights) has been making my life hell for weeks. It got to the point that I went in early this month and asked for a battery of blood tests because I just knew I had some dread form of anemia that was doing this. I don't. Despite eating almost nothing with substantial iron and avoiding iron supplements like the plague because of side effects, I am not anemic at all. My B vitamin levels are also fine. I still felt like hell.
Went back in last week and asked for more tests because I was still tired and had also developed a weird red rash--like little pin pricks--on my legs. He guessed it was probably some virus that would run its course in 7-10 days. He did a full blood count to check for the basics and those results also showed no problem. Meanwhile, I spent the weekend in bed, barely able to get up and do anything. The doctor had given me a scip for Wellbutrin because we thought maybe it was depression.
I was almost at my wits' end Mondaywhen I got official word that my test results were all normal again --I took off work and went BACK to the doctor Tuesday. This time I saw the nurse practitioner and she asked me a zillion questions, checked the rash, which has increased on my shins, but not spread past my legs yet. She ordered another round of bloodwork--8 vials--checking for everything under the sun from mono (the most obvious) to parvo (I thought this was a dog disease?) to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (no tick bites that I'm aware of) to lupus (btdt with the testing and it was negative the last time, but that was about five years ago). She told me that I could take off the rest of the week and just sleep. Sleep will do as much as anything else to help me recover and getting overly tired will just make it worse.
So yesterday I slept like the dead for three hours in the middle of the day. I only woke up because I had to go pick up the kids. Today I'm at home alone and the thought of just hanging out in bed all day is a little depressing. There is only so much to look at on the internet and television during the day sort of sucks. I'm sure that by 10 I'll be sound asleep, of course because I'm yawning right now. I absolutely must go to the grocery store today. Sadly, that is the highlight of my day and if I don't sleep before I go, I'll be throwing weird things in my basket. Last night I went to just get some must-haves, namely bread, and came home with milk, cheese, bagels, juice bisquick, and totally forgot to get the bread. Ugh.
Yeah, I know--poor Kim. Stay in bed for three days and sleep, watch tv and play online. But seriously, it's not nearly as much fun as I thought it would be.
I have a mystery illness. Some sort of virus that makes me ridiculously tired (as in I fell asleep in the doctor's waiting room and am afraid to close my eyes at red lights) has been making my life hell for weeks. It got to the point that I went in early this month and asked for a battery of blood tests because I just knew I had some dread form of anemia that was doing this. I don't. Despite eating almost nothing with substantial iron and avoiding iron supplements like the plague because of side effects, I am not anemic at all. My B vitamin levels are also fine. I still felt like hell.
Went back in last week and asked for more tests because I was still tired and had also developed a weird red rash--like little pin pricks--on my legs. He guessed it was probably some virus that would run its course in 7-10 days. He did a full blood count to check for the basics and those results also showed no problem. Meanwhile, I spent the weekend in bed, barely able to get up and do anything. The doctor had given me a scip for Wellbutrin because we thought maybe it was depression.
I was almost at my wits' end Mondaywhen I got official word that my test results were all normal again --I took off work and went BACK to the doctor Tuesday. This time I saw the nurse practitioner and she asked me a zillion questions, checked the rash, which has increased on my shins, but not spread past my legs yet. She ordered another round of bloodwork--8 vials--checking for everything under the sun from mono (the most obvious) to parvo (I thought this was a dog disease?) to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (no tick bites that I'm aware of) to lupus (btdt with the testing and it was negative the last time, but that was about five years ago). She told me that I could take off the rest of the week and just sleep. Sleep will do as much as anything else to help me recover and getting overly tired will just make it worse.
So yesterday I slept like the dead for three hours in the middle of the day. I only woke up because I had to go pick up the kids. Today I'm at home alone and the thought of just hanging out in bed all day is a little depressing. There is only so much to look at on the internet and television during the day sort of sucks. I'm sure that by 10 I'll be sound asleep, of course because I'm yawning right now. I absolutely must go to the grocery store today. Sadly, that is the highlight of my day and if I don't sleep before I go, I'll be throwing weird things in my basket. Last night I went to just get some must-haves, namely bread, and came home with milk, cheese, bagels, juice bisquick, and totally forgot to get the bread. Ugh.
Yeah, I know--poor Kim. Stay in bed for three days and sleep, watch tv and play online. But seriously, it's not nearly as much fun as I thought it would be.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Some Random Observations and Musings
1. Stupid is as stupid posts.
2. If you have to tell people you're leaving, you're probably afraid they won't notice.
3. Gloating might make you feel better about yourself, but without concrete proof of your accomplishments for those who you're trying to make feel like shit, you are dangeroulsy close to looking like a delusional idiot.
4. If you call people names, like say, "Mean" for example, well, don't be surprised if they are A.) offended and B.) mean
Thus endeth the lesson from Kimmah for today.
2. If you have to tell people you're leaving, you're probably afraid they won't notice.
3. Gloating might make you feel better about yourself, but without concrete proof of your accomplishments for those who you're trying to make feel like shit, you are dangeroulsy close to looking like a delusional idiot.
4. If you call people names, like say, "Mean" for example, well, don't be surprised if they are A.) offended and B.) mean
Thus endeth the lesson from Kimmah for today.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sweet Jesus, if I make it through this year alive it will be a miracle.
I ran in my really high heels today...we were playing Duck, Duck, Goose (don't ask...Tennessee requires physical movement of high schoolers) and I discovered that I can't corner very well in them. Despite all of the potential ways that I could have rendered myself cripple, THAT did not cause my injury.
Changing a light bulb did.
We were putting new bulbs* in some fixtures in the theater. This requires the climbing of a 25 foot ladder, thankyouverymuch. I have never gone more than 12 feet or so up it...I just get queasy when I'm on a ladder, but Isaac didn't know how to change these bulbs and I've never actually done it, either, so I figured that I might as well suck it up and just conquer my fears (as Sam would say) and headed up said ladder to help Isaac figure out how to change the bulb. We'd already done the 1000 watt fixtures. This was a mere 500. Smaller bulb, same mechanism.
The bulbs are halogen, so you can't touch them with your skin--have to have them wrapped in foam. I was about two feet below Isaac on the other side of the ladder making sure he didn't have trouble. As he was putting the bulb in, I said, "Make sure it's turned off." Someone went to the light board to check it, but before they had it off, he put the bulb in.
500 watts + foam=smoke.
He yelled, "Turn it off!" about the time the smoke started billowing out of the socket. He jerked his hand back because he'd been holding the foam, which melted. I was looking up the whole time and the hot, partially melted foam came straight down and landed on my face...the melty part concentrating itself on my eye. Thankfully, it was on the inner corner and up closer to my eyebrow. At first I thought it had burned my entire eyelid.
Picture this if you will: Me, standing on a 25 foot ladder--about 23 feet or so in the air. Wearing 4" wedge heels (yeah, this was a terrible idea and will never be repeated). With smoking hot foam in my face. I? Did not say a curse word. You can rest assured that I thought one, though.
I batted the stupid foam to the floor and Isaac and I both recovered on the ladder before trying to go down. He was insistant that he get the thing put back together before we stopped, so we got it. I held my eye closed the whole time. I told some girls to go get me a 'piece of ice'.
As I was climbing down the ladder, I saw Taylor burst through the door with a sack of ice you could have cooled a keg in. It was quite funny. I took a piece out and made Isaac use it for his thumb. Minor burn, no blister at the time. Hopefully he'll be well.
Foam smells to high heaven when it burns, ftr.
I have a reddish spot on my eye--not bad. It's still uncomfortable, but not painful really. I am just glad I cut my hair...my old bangs would probably have gone up in smoke.
*for theater-types, I know that the bulbs are really called lamps. It's just less confusing this way.
I ran in my really high heels today...we were playing Duck, Duck, Goose (don't ask...Tennessee requires physical movement of high schoolers) and I discovered that I can't corner very well in them. Despite all of the potential ways that I could have rendered myself cripple, THAT did not cause my injury.
Changing a light bulb did.
We were putting new bulbs* in some fixtures in the theater. This requires the climbing of a 25 foot ladder, thankyouverymuch. I have never gone more than 12 feet or so up it...I just get queasy when I'm on a ladder, but Isaac didn't know how to change these bulbs and I've never actually done it, either, so I figured that I might as well suck it up and just conquer my fears (as Sam would say) and headed up said ladder to help Isaac figure out how to change the bulb. We'd already done the 1000 watt fixtures. This was a mere 500. Smaller bulb, same mechanism.
The bulbs are halogen, so you can't touch them with your skin--have to have them wrapped in foam. I was about two feet below Isaac on the other side of the ladder making sure he didn't have trouble. As he was putting the bulb in, I said, "Make sure it's turned off." Someone went to the light board to check it, but before they had it off, he put the bulb in.
500 watts + foam=smoke.
He yelled, "Turn it off!" about the time the smoke started billowing out of the socket. He jerked his hand back because he'd been holding the foam, which melted. I was looking up the whole time and the hot, partially melted foam came straight down and landed on my face...the melty part concentrating itself on my eye. Thankfully, it was on the inner corner and up closer to my eyebrow. At first I thought it had burned my entire eyelid.
Picture this if you will: Me, standing on a 25 foot ladder--about 23 feet or so in the air. Wearing 4" wedge heels (yeah, this was a terrible idea and will never be repeated). With smoking hot foam in my face. I? Did not say a curse word. You can rest assured that I thought one, though.
I batted the stupid foam to the floor and Isaac and I both recovered on the ladder before trying to go down. He was insistant that he get the thing put back together before we stopped, so we got it. I held my eye closed the whole time. I told some girls to go get me a 'piece of ice'.
As I was climbing down the ladder, I saw Taylor burst through the door with a sack of ice you could have cooled a keg in. It was quite funny. I took a piece out and made Isaac use it for his thumb. Minor burn, no blister at the time. Hopefully he'll be well.
Foam smells to high heaven when it burns, ftr.
I have a reddish spot on my eye--not bad. It's still uncomfortable, but not painful really. I am just glad I cut my hair...my old bangs would probably have gone up in smoke.
*for theater-types, I know that the bulbs are really called lamps. It's just less confusing this way.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Let's Play the Feud!
From one of my former students via Myspace.
******my original directions were bad, so sportzmom's answers aren't in the correct format. Skip her and she'll come back and put hers in now that I've (hopefully) made it more clear.******
food wrappers
2) EXCUSE SOMEONE WOULD GIVE TO GET OUT OF WORK:
not enough sleep
sick kid
3) REASON A COUPLE WOULD WANT TO GET MARRIED:
they love each other!
green card
4) SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND IN A BATHROOM:
hair dryer
toilet
5) A PHRASE WITH THE WORD "SHOW" IN IT:
"Show me tha money!"
"There's no business like show business!"
6) SOMETHING YOU WOULD BUY IN A HURRY:
airplane tickets
fast food
7) ANOTHER NAME FOR "SEX":
doin' the hippety dippety
screwing
8) SOMETHING A PERSON WOULD PREFER TO HAVE "HOT":
"hot" chocolate
coffee
9) A REASON WHY SOMEONE MIGHT BREAK UP WITH THEIR B/F OR G/F
The boyfriend's a dumbass??
Infidelity
10) SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN TO DO:
eat...can't stand to eat on the go!
drive
11) WHY AN OLDER WOMAN WOULD PREFER A YOUNGER MAN?
he's at his prime for sure!
to control him
12) REASON YOU WOULD WEAR A HELMET :
riding a bicycle...
skateboarding
13) REASON A PERSON WOULD USE A COMPUTER:
travel plans
email
14) REASON A PERSON WOULD GO TO A DOCTOR :
pneumonia
sore throat
15) SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND AT A BAR :
alcohol!!!
beer mats
16) WHAT A WOMAN MIGHT BUY BEFORE A DATE:
hair services, such as up-do's...things like that...
new bra
17) SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES BATTERIES :
remote control...always loose ours...
smoke detector
******my original directions were bad, so sportzmom's answers aren't in the correct format. Skip her and she'll come back and put hers in now that I've (hopefully) made it more clear.******
- Cut and paste the poll using the the most recent commentor in my comments area (or from me if you're first).
- Add your answers to the bottom of each list (so the first person will have my friend Mekia's answer, then mine, then hers listed for each question). You cannot duplicate any previous answer.
- You may PASS if you can't think of an answer.
- Tell other people to come here and play my game.
1) SOMETHING YOU MIGHT FIND UNDER THE SEAT OF A CAR:
water bottlesfood wrappers
2) EXCUSE SOMEONE WOULD GIVE TO GET OUT OF WORK:
not enough sleep
sick kid
3) REASON A COUPLE WOULD WANT TO GET MARRIED:
they love each other!
green card
4) SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND IN A BATHROOM:
hair dryer
toilet
5) A PHRASE WITH THE WORD "SHOW" IN IT:
"Show me tha money!"
"There's no business like show business!"
6) SOMETHING YOU WOULD BUY IN A HURRY:
airplane tickets
fast food
7) ANOTHER NAME FOR "SEX":
doin' the hippety dippety
screwing
8) SOMETHING A PERSON WOULD PREFER TO HAVE "HOT":
"hot" chocolate
coffee
9) A REASON WHY SOMEONE MIGHT BREAK UP WITH THEIR B/F OR G/F
The boyfriend's a dumbass??
Infidelity
10) SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN TO DO:
eat...can't stand to eat on the go!
drive
11) WHY AN OLDER WOMAN WOULD PREFER A YOUNGER MAN?
he's at his prime for sure!
to control him
12) REASON YOU WOULD WEAR A HELMET :
riding a bicycle...
skateboarding
13) REASON A PERSON WOULD USE A COMPUTER:
travel plans
14) REASON A PERSON WOULD GO TO A DOCTOR :
pneumonia
sore throat
15) SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND AT A BAR :
alcohol!!!
beer mats
16) WHAT A WOMAN MIGHT BUY BEFORE A DATE:
hair services, such as up-do's...things like that...
new bra
17) SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES BATTERIES :
remote control...always loose ours...
smoke detector
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Can Someone Please Explain?
Why is it that when I tan, my stomach goes to the most gorgeous shade of brown while my legs and arms stay about three shades paler and sort of splotchy? Oh, and the space between my boobs is also super dark. Needless to say, the general viewing public doesn't get to admire my tan.
And yes, I know that tanning is unhealthy. I do. I don't burn, though, and I will limit it to April and May, then hang out in the sun with sunscreen on.
And yes, I know that tanning is unhealthy. I do. I don't burn, though, and I will limit it to April and May, then hang out in the sun with sunscreen on.
Monday, April 14, 2008
T Shirt of the Day
One of my favorite senior boys showed up at school with a shirt that had a big cartoon Earth on it and some wording that started with Keep...I just assumed it was some free Earth day promo tee and didn't pay it much attention for the first part of class. As we were leaving lunch, though, I noticed that there was a smaller, brown 'planet' and suddenly the rest of the text jumped out at me like a beacon. Turns out that it was from Hot Topic, not a tree-hugger and said:
Keep Earth clean...it's not URANUS.
I love my job.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
1.We have mice in our sunroom. I was freaked out several times yesterday. Now I'm just annoyed. Mousetraps freak me out and W. is working all day today. He told me to have Five deal with the catch, but I can't even set the damn thing. *shudder*
2. I'm suddenly freakishly addicted to eating biscuit dough. WTF this came from I have no idea. Probably some vitamin deficiency or something (how that can be, I have no idea since I eat such a healthy, balanced diet of bagels, popcorn, swiss cheese and grilled chicken I have no idea).
3. In a probably-not-unrelated note, I had to pull out my 'fat' jeans Friday. Pissed me the fuck off like you cannot imagine. Did I go work out? No. I ordered a chicken sandwich combo and chocolate chip cookie dough pie at Burger King. I did give away the drink. most of the fries and half the sandwich to people (thank you, John, for saving me from the sandwich). The pie? I ate the whole damn thing myself. It is a little slice of heave loaded with high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum (no, I don't know what that is), white flour and up to 2% choclate liquor. Buy it. Eat it. Live it.
4. I do not like the way the tanning bed smells. Every tanning bed smells the same...is it the scent of cooking flesh? I know it is unhealthy. I know this, but I have tried the tanning lotions and just don't like them. I like to be tan. I'm vain in my old age. I can't help it. I don't have the pretty porcelain (I can't spell for jack) skin that some pale people do. I have the pasty, shut-in look instead.
5. Saturday School was a colassal waste of my time--I didn't do anything useful until the last hour, when I cleaned up my classroom.
6. I'm tired of television.
7. I've also read the entire internet this weekend. Am bored shitless this morning and too cold and sore (my back is going to be the death of me) to do anything productive at home.
8. I need a new hairstyle. I'm trying curly this weekend. I might take pics and get feedback.
9. Am skipping the prom for the Cornbread Festival this year. I think this officially makes me a redneck nerd.
10. I am more than ready for school to be DONE. I have to proctor TCAPS four days next week, which means no planning period for me for those four days. Thank God I stocked up on books. I will have six hours that I am forced to sit in a room and look around every fifteen minutes or so. I didn't grade yesterday because I decided to save it for that time.
2. I'm suddenly freakishly addicted to eating biscuit dough. WTF this came from I have no idea. Probably some vitamin deficiency or something (how that can be, I have no idea since I eat such a healthy, balanced diet of bagels, popcorn, swiss cheese and grilled chicken I have no idea).
3. In a probably-not-unrelated note, I had to pull out my 'fat' jeans Friday. Pissed me the fuck off like you cannot imagine. Did I go work out? No. I ordered a chicken sandwich combo and chocolate chip cookie dough pie at Burger King. I did give away the drink. most of the fries and half the sandwich to people (thank you, John, for saving me from the sandwich). The pie? I ate the whole damn thing myself. It is a little slice of heave loaded with high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum (no, I don't know what that is), white flour and up to 2% choclate liquor. Buy it. Eat it. Live it.
4. I do not like the way the tanning bed smells. Every tanning bed smells the same...is it the scent of cooking flesh? I know it is unhealthy. I know this, but I have tried the tanning lotions and just don't like them. I like to be tan. I'm vain in my old age. I can't help it. I don't have the pretty porcelain (I can't spell for jack) skin that some pale people do. I have the pasty, shut-in look instead.
5. Saturday School was a colassal waste of my time--I didn't do anything useful until the last hour, when I cleaned up my classroom.
6. I'm tired of television.
7. I've also read the entire internet this weekend. Am bored shitless this morning and too cold and sore (my back is going to be the death of me) to do anything productive at home.
8. I need a new hairstyle. I'm trying curly this weekend. I might take pics and get feedback.
9. Am skipping the prom for the Cornbread Festival this year. I think this officially makes me a redneck nerd.
10. I am more than ready for school to be DONE. I have to proctor TCAPS four days next week, which means no planning period for me for those four days. Thank God I stocked up on books. I will have six hours that I am forced to sit in a room and look around every fifteen minutes or so. I didn't grade yesterday because I decided to save it for that time.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Moving On From The Serious
We need lists! Lists are fun!! Random Meme list--copy and paste on your blog post haste:
1. Are you a righty or a lefty?
2. What is your official job title.
3. You can only watch one show---there are limitless episodes. What do you pick?
4. What color eyeshadow do you wear most often?
5. Describe your current favorite outfit.
6. What color is your kitchen?
7. Who was your first kiss and what was the situation?
8. Who is the smartest person you know online?
9. Why do you not have a myspace if you don't have one? When are you going to get one? If you DO have one--how long have you had it?
10. Who is the most annoying famous person?
My answers are going to be in comments so that you can copy and paste more easily.
Oh, and one more thing. Would you be interested in joining a snarky blog with me? One for quick rants and snarky things--not OT related, just life in general. If so, email me at kimmmah at gmail. I expect email, folks.
1. Are you a righty or a lefty?
2. What is your official job title.
3. You can only watch one show---there are limitless episodes. What do you pick?
4. What color eyeshadow do you wear most often?
5. Describe your current favorite outfit.
6. What color is your kitchen?
7. Who was your first kiss and what was the situation?
8. Who is the smartest person you know online?
9. Why do you not have a myspace if you don't have one? When are you going to get one? If you DO have one--how long have you had it?
10. Who is the most annoying famous person?
My answers are going to be in comments so that you can copy and paste more easily.
Oh, and one more thing. Would you be interested in joining a snarky blog with me? One for quick rants and snarky things--not OT related, just life in general. If so, email me at kimmmah at gmail. I expect email, folks.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
World Autism Awareness Day
First of all, don't believe a damn thing you hear on Larry King. Oy. He managed to find two of the biggest wingnuts in all of the US to be the voices of autism. Fucker.
Landru has summed up my feelings on most of the issues brilliantly here. Then, if you just want to understand the concept of nerodiversity and why it's a good thing, not a bad thing, go to Kathleen Seidel's site here. I will warn you, though, some of her research will make you want to throw things at men named Grier and others. The UK perspective--and a damn smart one at that--can be found at Kevin Leitch's site here. For one of the all-around best medical/science bullshit debunking blogs on the planet, go read Orac here.
Then go hug your kid. I would hug mine right now, but he's at the Chattanooga Aquarium, checking out God only knows what and telling who knows what kind of stories to perfect strangers. Yesterday, my Asperger-diagnosed son, who is seven, used the words "clever" and "alas" in conversation on his own. Just because they were the best words he could think of. "Wow, Mom, those egg hiding places sure are clever!" and "Alas, my mom never lets me have those". Cure? Hell, no. I want what he has. I think I might have used the word clever conversationally for the first time as an adult and I'm not sure I've ever use alas unless I was being an overdramatic smartass.
Landru has summed up my feelings on most of the issues brilliantly here. Then, if you just want to understand the concept of nerodiversity and why it's a good thing, not a bad thing, go to Kathleen Seidel's site here. I will warn you, though, some of her research will make you want to throw things at men named Grier and others. The UK perspective--and a damn smart one at that--can be found at Kevin Leitch's site here. For one of the all-around best medical/science bullshit debunking blogs on the planet, go read Orac here.
Then go hug your kid. I would hug mine right now, but he's at the Chattanooga Aquarium, checking out God only knows what and telling who knows what kind of stories to perfect strangers. Yesterday, my Asperger-diagnosed son, who is seven, used the words "clever" and "alas" in conversation on his own. Just because they were the best words he could think of. "Wow, Mom, those egg hiding places sure are clever!" and "Alas, my mom never lets me have those". Cure? Hell, no. I want what he has. I think I might have used the word clever conversationally for the first time as an adult and I'm not sure I've ever use alas unless I was being an overdramatic smartass.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Here's A Moral Dilemma For You
Say you are walking through the parking lot of a fairly large strip mall-type place in your fair city. It is pretty full of cars, the weather is iffy and you're in a hurry to get your Goodwill purchases home so you can do laundry. Because you are a natural klutz, you have a tendancy to look down toward the ground while walking, lest you step in gum, smack into a sideview mirror, trip over a curb or just fall down. Since you are looking down (in hindsight, thank God you were), you happen to notice a rather odd-looking, rectangular pillowy-looking object directly in your path, a little ways ahead (I'd give you a feet/yards estimate, but I've tried to put a number on it and I can't really seem to get it quite right since I have almost no sense of length perception. I can do football field (this was not that long) and arm's length (this was longer) ). You ponder this and wonder what it is...
1. A sack of flour? You are in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot, after all (it's next door to the Goodwill and brand-spanking new. I have only been in there once because Sam needed to pee and the Goodwill doesn't have public restrooms--not that I would let him use it if they did).
2. A pillow? Stranger things have fallen from your own vehicle.
3. A swim float? It's a little early, but you never know.....
4. A balloon? Some people buy that kind of shit for Easter. None of these really capture the true essence of the object, so you speed up and peer closely as you approach. You notice that there is a rope, no, it's tubing attached to the pillowy thing. And the tubing is hanging from the Jeep Cherokee right beside the object..........WTF? It isn't. It can't be. No.freaking.way.
By now, you are within spitting distance of said object and, having had three c-sections as well as major abdominal surgery and visited several old folks in the hospital, you are sure. There can be no doubt. What we have here, in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly/Goodwill/new tanning salon with absolutley awesome beds that was running a special for $18.95/tan all you want for a month so you signed up/new Mexican restaurant/24-hour gym that you joined and went to once, thus paying $40 for one trip to said gym/over price sporting goods place and appliance store from which you will never make a purchase/your dentist....where was I? Oh, yeah, lying in this parking lot with the tubing still attached, and much to your disgust is a FULL CATHETER BAG. You know...the thing with pee in it? And there's still pee in the tube.
Seeing the pee in the tube, you immediately look to see (from a comfortably hygenic distance) if your worst suspicions are true. You hope in vain that it has somehow been discarded due to fullness or inadvertently dropped and left behind (the thought of this makes you almost convulse in pain), but your worst fears are confirmed---it appears to be attached to the man who is slumped over asleep in passenger seat. He is moving as he breathes, so you're assured he is not dead. The door is slightly ajar to allow the tubing some room. So now what. Who the hell puts their catheter bag out in the freaking parking lot? Obviously, this is in error, right? It has to be. So, do you knock on the car door and point out to the man that his urine-collection device is lying in the parking lot for all the world to see? OR do you just walk on by, saving both of you a little emotional distress. I mean, the thing might have been in the way, so he just put it on the ground. Maybe it needed to be significantly lower than the bladder area in order to work at optimum efficiency (judging by the content, the thing is DEFINITELY working).
As you chose the latter and make your way quickly to the car, you are suddenly wracked with guilt. What if the driver of the Jeep comes out of the Piggly Wiggly and, seeing the passenger is asleep, starts the car and quietly drives off without waking him, never realizing, until it's too late, that trailing alongside the car, much like some macabre Just Married regalia is a full catheter bag bouncing along the highway...until a wrong turn or a close pass from another vehicle or gravity and some sort of physics laws (I didn't take physics, but I'm assuming one of the laws would apply here, yes?) intervene and the bag or tube or everything is suddenly detached and left to fly into the windshield of a passing car? Or bounce into the path of a local biker? Or be lobbed into the air and land in a brilliant yellow explosion at the feet of a local homeless woman searching the shoulder of the road for cans or 20 million in cash lying in a ditch (okay, if that were guaranteed to happen, this would be no dilemma).
You are tempted to stay in your van and wait for the driver to emerge, but sadly, you must haul ass across town to pick up the middle child from bball at the Y, so you cannot stay. As you leave, you wonder, what happend? What should I have said? What should I have done? Is there a right answer for such an obviously WRONG situation?
WWYD?
PS: if you have any stray catheter bag stories you'd like to share, please feel free to do so in comments.
1. A sack of flour? You are in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot, after all (it's next door to the Goodwill and brand-spanking new. I have only been in there once because Sam needed to pee and the Goodwill doesn't have public restrooms--not that I would let him use it if they did).
2. A pillow? Stranger things have fallen from your own vehicle.
3. A swim float? It's a little early, but you never know.....
4. A balloon? Some people buy that kind of shit for Easter. None of these really capture the true essence of the object, so you speed up and peer closely as you approach. You notice that there is a rope, no, it's tubing attached to the pillowy thing. And the tubing is hanging from the Jeep Cherokee right beside the object..........WTF? It isn't. It can't be. No.freaking.way.
By now, you are within spitting distance of said object and, having had three c-sections as well as major abdominal surgery and visited several old folks in the hospital, you are sure. There can be no doubt. What we have here, in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly/Goodwill/new tanning salon with absolutley awesome beds that was running a special for $18.95/tan all you want for a month so you signed up/new Mexican restaurant/24-hour gym that you joined and went to once, thus paying $40 for one trip to said gym/over price sporting goods place and appliance store from which you will never make a purchase/your dentist....where was I? Oh, yeah, lying in this parking lot with the tubing still attached, and much to your disgust is a FULL CATHETER BAG. You know...the thing with pee in it? And there's still pee in the tube.
Seeing the pee in the tube, you immediately look to see (from a comfortably hygenic distance) if your worst suspicions are true. You hope in vain that it has somehow been discarded due to fullness or inadvertently dropped and left behind (the thought of this makes you almost convulse in pain), but your worst fears are confirmed---it appears to be attached to the man who is slumped over asleep in passenger seat. He is moving as he breathes, so you're assured he is not dead. The door is slightly ajar to allow the tubing some room. So now what. Who the hell puts their catheter bag out in the freaking parking lot? Obviously, this is in error, right? It has to be. So, do you knock on the car door and point out to the man that his urine-collection device is lying in the parking lot for all the world to see? OR do you just walk on by, saving both of you a little emotional distress. I mean, the thing might have been in the way, so he just put it on the ground. Maybe it needed to be significantly lower than the bladder area in order to work at optimum efficiency (judging by the content, the thing is DEFINITELY working).
As you chose the latter and make your way quickly to the car, you are suddenly wracked with guilt. What if the driver of the Jeep comes out of the Piggly Wiggly and, seeing the passenger is asleep, starts the car and quietly drives off without waking him, never realizing, until it's too late, that trailing alongside the car, much like some macabre Just Married regalia is a full catheter bag bouncing along the highway...until a wrong turn or a close pass from another vehicle or gravity and some sort of physics laws (I didn't take physics, but I'm assuming one of the laws would apply here, yes?) intervene and the bag or tube or everything is suddenly detached and left to fly into the windshield of a passing car? Or bounce into the path of a local biker? Or be lobbed into the air and land in a brilliant yellow explosion at the feet of a local homeless woman searching the shoulder of the road for cans or 20 million in cash lying in a ditch (okay, if that were guaranteed to happen, this would be no dilemma).
You are tempted to stay in your van and wait for the driver to emerge, but sadly, you must haul ass across town to pick up the middle child from bball at the Y, so you cannot stay. As you leave, you wonder, what happend? What should I have said? What should I have done? Is there a right answer for such an obviously WRONG situation?
WWYD?
PS: if you have any stray catheter bag stories you'd like to share, please feel free to do so in comments.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Gorge, Binge, Inhale, Repeat.
I'm glad the holidays are officially over. From Thanksgiving thru Easter there seem to be a million different reasons to eat candy and other junk food. Now it has all passed. Fourth of July candy doesn't really appeal to me, lol.
It's Spring Break, but I'm working a few hours each day Monday-Thursday. The kids have lots of things going on this week and we'll be fairly crazed leading up to our trip to Chatt. I'm hoping I can just get my act together and get some things done house-wise. That's the plan, anyway.
It's Spring Break, but I'm working a few hours each day Monday-Thursday. The kids have lots of things going on this week and we'll be fairly crazed leading up to our trip to Chatt. I'm hoping I can just get my act together and get some things done house-wise. That's the plan, anyway.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
I Am Not Sick Now
Well, I have a nagging on-again, off-again earache/headache, but I'm otherwise okay healthwise. Now I'm just paralyzed with a severe case of the lazy. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of the lazy--I have a load of stuff to do next week including working, hauling kids to the orthodontist, basketball camp and weightlifting class, finding spring clothes, putting up most of the long sleeves, packing to go out of town and cleaning up the worst parts of my house. I'm glad it's Spring Break, but I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I Am Sick
Hellishly sick. I had to go to a thing for work today and it was pure misery. We're working on this online thing that it too tedious to go into detail about, but requires using the most assbackwards, poorly designed software to 'build' courseware for students to use online. Seriously, it's unreal how low tech this is--and it's the new rollout. If there is a list of 10 lessons and you only want one of them? You must delete the other nine one.at.a.time. The screen must refresh in between. Painful. And if you want to make item number 10 the first item? You must move it up the list one.at.a.time. The screen must refresh each time. Still painful. How the fuck myspace or snapfish can use drag and drop technology, but Plato can't is beyond me. It's ridiculous.
So anyway, after tediously creating senior English courses, I needed to go back and edit one of them because I finally unearthed the damn basic literature information which was hidden in a file called "Misellaneous Language Arts Resources". Wellllllllllllll, I managed to delete the damn course instead of just unpublish it. At that point, I knew that I was done. Sitting in a computer lab that had no air circulation with a fever in an uncomfortable chair using a keyboard that didn't have the little feet to tilt it and the slowest internet connection on earth while reaching for a Kleenex every five minutes, I had enough.
So I left. Very brazen of me, actually, because it was only 1.30 and the school day doesn't end until 3:15 on an 8:00 start time. I waited until a couple of other people left first. I tried to find the man in charge--the supervisor of secondary ed.--but he was nowhere to be found, so I made a professional decision and went home. The funny thing is that in most any professional career in the world, if you're sick and need to go home, you can just go. Teaching, though, is a different ballgame. We're used to 22 minute lunches and being ruled by a bell. It was very strange to just be able to LEAVE. I felt guilty, actually, but not guilty enough to stick around. By 2:00, I was in my bed with a bottle of Tylenol at my side. I've been here pretty much all night save for a trip to take W. to work and then to buy a thermomenter at Walgreens (I can't find either of the two that I know we have somewhere) and to McD's drive thru for good homecooking for the two youngest boys.
I just realized I have no idea what the point of this was. I think perhaps maybe it's time for me to make another professional decision and go to bed. Or at least quit blogging while I'm still forming something resembling sentences. I have to go back for one more day tomorrow. It will be the longest day ever. Ugh.
So anyway, after tediously creating senior English courses, I needed to go back and edit one of them because I finally unearthed the damn basic literature information which was hidden in a file called "Misellaneous Language Arts Resources". Wellllllllllllll, I managed to delete the damn course instead of just unpublish it. At that point, I knew that I was done. Sitting in a computer lab that had no air circulation with a fever in an uncomfortable chair using a keyboard that didn't have the little feet to tilt it and the slowest internet connection on earth while reaching for a Kleenex every five minutes, I had enough.
So I left. Very brazen of me, actually, because it was only 1.30 and the school day doesn't end until 3:15 on an 8:00 start time. I waited until a couple of other people left first. I tried to find the man in charge--the supervisor of secondary ed.--but he was nowhere to be found, so I made a professional decision and went home. The funny thing is that in most any professional career in the world, if you're sick and need to go home, you can just go. Teaching, though, is a different ballgame. We're used to 22 minute lunches and being ruled by a bell. It was very strange to just be able to LEAVE. I felt guilty, actually, but not guilty enough to stick around. By 2:00, I was in my bed with a bottle of Tylenol at my side. I've been here pretty much all night save for a trip to take W. to work and then to buy a thermomenter at Walgreens (I can't find either of the two that I know we have somewhere) and to McD's drive thru for good homecooking for the two youngest boys.
I just realized I have no idea what the point of this was. I think perhaps maybe it's time for me to make another professional decision and go to bed. Or at least quit blogging while I'm still forming something resembling sentences. I have to go back for one more day tomorrow. It will be the longest day ever. Ugh.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Do You Ever.......
~~wonder what the turning point in your life really was? What was the moment that changed your path and took you to the place you are now?
~~talk to yourself in public places?
~~use medications in methods other than those they were intended for?
~~just break into dance randomly?
~~fear farting in public?
~~sit and mindlessly watch television that you don't pay attention to?
~~wonder if you would find Gordon Ramsey hot IRL or just incredibly pompous and annoying?
~~speaking of Gordon, do you ever want to tell him to shut the fuck up about rustic, honest, authentic food?
~~fight the urge to cut your own hair?
~~wonder if you spend too much time at work?
~~think you could totally pull off being famous better than the nitwits who are?
~~avoid answering the phone because you just don't want to talk to someone?
~~curse when you shouldn't?
~~wonder how the hell people can believe junk science about things such as autism being linked to vaccinations just because they read it on the internet?
~~wish you could fast forward your life?
~~talk to yourself in public places?
~~use medications in methods other than those they were intended for?
~~just break into dance randomly?
~~fear farting in public?
~~sit and mindlessly watch television that you don't pay attention to?
~~wonder if you would find Gordon Ramsey hot IRL or just incredibly pompous and annoying?
~~speaking of Gordon, do you ever want to tell him to shut the fuck up about rustic, honest, authentic food?
~~fight the urge to cut your own hair?
~~wonder if you spend too much time at work?
~~think you could totally pull off being famous better than the nitwits who are?
~~avoid answering the phone because you just don't want to talk to someone?
~~curse when you shouldn't?
~~wonder how the hell people can believe junk science about things such as autism being linked to vaccinations just because they read it on the internet?
~~wish you could fast forward your life?
I Bought Myself Some Prezzies!
MIL gave me 100 bucks to add to my cash stash, so today SIL and I headed out to the new Super Target at the crack of dawn so I could spend it.
I found THE most gorgeously fun shoes for only $22, but I didn't get them because I realized that I didn't really have anything to actually wear them with. I'm going to go back, though. I need them. They are linen and brown 'leather' with like a 3" or so heel that is covered with brown textured stuff. Love them. I also found some really comfy black platform heels that were probably 3.5", but they had an open toe and I really don't need yet another pair of open-toed heels, so I put them back. I will be watching for them on clearance, though.
I didn't buy anything for myself at Target other than a pair of St. Patrick's Day socks from the 1.00 bin and a beach towel for 4.00. I managed to spend $82.00 on family stuff, including Sam's Easter basket present. When we left there, we hit the new Kohl's, which has just opened this week. There I managed to find two pair of shoes that actually met my footwear needs--a pair of slightly rounded-toe (closed, obviously) black pumps with a high enough heel to be dressy, but not so high I can't wear them to work and a really cute pair of brown slingbacks with a faux wooden heel. Both were Vera Wang's brand and on sale. Then I found a couple of pair of earrings (more on the earring developments later) and with the $10 gift card that SIL gave me (thank you, J!), I spent $99.18. Woohooo!!
Then I went to TJ Maxx and bought a great little Pucciesque print knit dress--BCBG--for a mere $29.00 and a basic white shirt--high waisted with a little belt to break it up--for $16.00. I had an exchange to make, so it came out to like $32.00 for those.
Finally, I hit the Wal Mart and grabbed up a couple more pair of earrings. I had $30 in GC for there, but I ended up spending them mostly on Easter candy and some groceries and frigging $10 worth of light bulbs for Jay's reading lamp. I decided that I'd consider using my money for that a trade off for spending at TJ Maxx, so I still have about $25 or so in my cash stash to put toward sandals or girly things.
I feel very shopped out and I still have to buy more groceries, but now I have lots of earrings to choose from when I go.
Tonight I have to go chaperone a dance for about an hour. Wooo.Hooo. Not. Then I think I'm going to go out to dinner with friends for my bday. W. isn't going to go because he's sick, so it won't be a late night, nor a particularly inebriated one, I suppose. That's a good thing, though. I tried on clothes at Target and felt enormously fat. Blech. Oh, that reminds me, I did buy myself something at Target--whoops. I got some khaki Bermudas. I lvoe Target's brand because they are totally vanity sized.
I found THE most gorgeously fun shoes for only $22, but I didn't get them because I realized that I didn't really have anything to actually wear them with. I'm going to go back, though. I need them. They are linen and brown 'leather' with like a 3" or so heel that is covered with brown textured stuff. Love them. I also found some really comfy black platform heels that were probably 3.5", but they had an open toe and I really don't need yet another pair of open-toed heels, so I put them back. I will be watching for them on clearance, though.
I didn't buy anything for myself at Target other than a pair of St. Patrick's Day socks from the 1.00 bin and a beach towel for 4.00. I managed to spend $82.00 on family stuff, including Sam's Easter basket present. When we left there, we hit the new Kohl's, which has just opened this week. There I managed to find two pair of shoes that actually met my footwear needs--a pair of slightly rounded-toe (closed, obviously) black pumps with a high enough heel to be dressy, but not so high I can't wear them to work and a really cute pair of brown slingbacks with a faux wooden heel. Both were Vera Wang's brand and on sale. Then I found a couple of pair of earrings (more on the earring developments later) and with the $10 gift card that SIL gave me (thank you, J!), I spent $99.18. Woohooo!!
Then I went to TJ Maxx and bought a great little Pucciesque print knit dress--BCBG--for a mere $29.00 and a basic white shirt--high waisted with a little belt to break it up--for $16.00. I had an exchange to make, so it came out to like $32.00 for those.
Finally, I hit the Wal Mart and grabbed up a couple more pair of earrings. I had $30 in GC for there, but I ended up spending them mostly on Easter candy and some groceries and frigging $10 worth of light bulbs for Jay's reading lamp. I decided that I'd consider using my money for that a trade off for spending at TJ Maxx, so I still have about $25 or so in my cash stash to put toward sandals or girly things.
I feel very shopped out and I still have to buy more groceries, but now I have lots of earrings to choose from when I go.
Tonight I have to go chaperone a dance for about an hour. Wooo.Hooo. Not. Then I think I'm going to go out to dinner with friends for my bday. W. isn't going to go because he's sick, so it won't be a late night, nor a particularly inebriated one, I suppose. That's a good thing, though. I tried on clothes at Target and felt enormously fat. Blech. Oh, that reminds me, I did buy myself something at Target--whoops. I got some khaki Bermudas. I lvoe Target's brand because they are totally vanity sized.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Random
1. I'm tired of being tired.
2. I have strained my left tricep. I'm beginning to think that this whole exercise thing is just too dangerous for some people.
3. I love biscuits.
4. I also love lima beans.
5. And meatloaf.
6. Stupidity really makes my head hurt lately.
7. I do not feel 39 at all.
8. I wish it was NFL time. Basketball sucks.
9. One of my couch cushions is noticeably cleaner than the others. I wonder if that Resolve upholstery cleaner is any good?
10. We had a cow slaughtered and processed- $196 for 585 pounds of beef. That is .34 per pound--steaks, roasts, and loads of ground beef. Guess what we'll be eating this spring and summer? I've been paying $2.00+ per pound for ground round.
11. I have fifty dollars in my cash stash drawer. This is pathetic, but I cannot remember the last time that I intentionally set aside cash to have for miscellaneous purposes. I'm soooo bad with money. This fifty makes me feel very happy. I'm putting ten bucks per week in the drawer. I think I will use it to buy myself a new swimsuit. Or some really great spring/summer shoes. Or to pay school fees for next year. Ugh. Kids are so expensive.
12. Our school has a new dress code next year--the kids have to wear solid shirts w/ a collar in one of six colors--navy and white are the county-wide colors and then our school added light blue, red, black and pink. Naturally we have approximately five shirts between three kids that will meet these regulations. I imagine part of #11 will also be used to purchase school shirts. I'm conflicted about this--I like the idea of being able to dress them easier and in the long run, it will make life easier because we won't have so many clothes, but I also hate the idea of seeing nothing but blue and red and the occassional pink. It's going to be weird.
13. My parents' 41st anniversary is coming up and I want to send them something because I never do. I'm thinking about an edible fruit bouquet, but they're sort of pricey and my mother could make one of them on her own for far less and that nags at the one frugal bone I have. But the idea of presents is to splurge on a treat, right? Ugh. I don't know.
14. I cannot believe that The Closer won't start new episodes until frigging JULY. Pisses me off.
2. I have strained my left tricep. I'm beginning to think that this whole exercise thing is just too dangerous for some people.
3. I love biscuits.
4. I also love lima beans.
5. And meatloaf.
6. Stupidity really makes my head hurt lately.
7. I do not feel 39 at all.
8. I wish it was NFL time. Basketball sucks.
9. One of my couch cushions is noticeably cleaner than the others. I wonder if that Resolve upholstery cleaner is any good?
10. We had a cow slaughtered and processed- $196 for 585 pounds of beef. That is .34 per pound--steaks, roasts, and loads of ground beef. Guess what we'll be eating this spring and summer? I've been paying $2.00+ per pound for ground round.
11. I have fifty dollars in my cash stash drawer. This is pathetic, but I cannot remember the last time that I intentionally set aside cash to have for miscellaneous purposes. I'm soooo bad with money. This fifty makes me feel very happy. I'm putting ten bucks per week in the drawer. I think I will use it to buy myself a new swimsuit. Or some really great spring/summer shoes. Or to pay school fees for next year. Ugh. Kids are so expensive.
12. Our school has a new dress code next year--the kids have to wear solid shirts w/ a collar in one of six colors--navy and white are the county-wide colors and then our school added light blue, red, black and pink. Naturally we have approximately five shirts between three kids that will meet these regulations. I imagine part of #11 will also be used to purchase school shirts. I'm conflicted about this--I like the idea of being able to dress them easier and in the long run, it will make life easier because we won't have so many clothes, but I also hate the idea of seeing nothing but blue and red and the occassional pink. It's going to be weird.
13. My parents' 41st anniversary is coming up and I want to send them something because I never do. I'm thinking about an edible fruit bouquet, but they're sort of pricey and my mother could make one of them on her own for far less and that nags at the one frugal bone I have. But the idea of presents is to splurge on a treat, right? Ugh. I don't know.
14. I cannot believe that The Closer won't start new episodes until frigging JULY. Pisses me off.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Help Me Update, Por Favor
My links are bad and my address book is way old, so if you don't mind, if you're reading here, could you pretty please shoot me an email from the addy that you use AND if you're the proud owner of a private blog, send me the linky, too? If you blog and I don't have you listed, you can comment me here or email me that as well. I can't keep up with everyone because I've got the information in about a dozen places.
Email me a kimmmah at gmail...and note, that's three m's because some bitch took my gmail name.
Email me a kimmmah at gmail...and note, that's three m's because some bitch took my gmail name.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Birthday Gifts
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm 39 today. It is a weird number for me--it seems sooooo fucking old to me. Sort of 'final' in a way. And I know, it's really not a big deal and that 40 is not technically OLD, but it's my brain and I can't make it think any other way. See, I don't actually feel like an adult most of the time. It is almost foreign to me that I have a child about to start high school and I don't have anymore babies...and never will. I am insanely immature. When I see someone like Heidi Klum or some wunderkid business magnate and realize that I am OLDER than them, it just blows my mind. I simply do not feel like a grown-up. I realized the other day that I don't refer to myself as a woman, but as a girl. There's some therapy need, ya think?
W. and I do low key birthdays mainly because we're pretty much always wiped out in March (property taxes) and June (summer, no pay, live off savings), so I don't really get gifts much anymore, which is okay by me. I was given some gift cards yesterday at work by three co-workers (Itunes and Wal Mart), which was very sweet and really made my day. I do love to shop, of course. MIL and my parents will give me money unless I specify something that I really want, but I can never think of anything that I truly NEED. This year is no different. I can't think of what to ask for, so I always end up with cash. I think this year I will pick a store and ask for gift cards if I can't think of an object; otherwise, I know myself well enough to know that my birthday gift will end up being my cell phone bill or groceries or something like that. I rather feel like I should begin looking to acquire more grown-up things...I just can't think what they might be, lol. I have no hobbies to speak of, I don't need any clothes other than a winter coat and a new bathing suit, I have enough makeup for three women (see, I'm trying)...what to get?
So here's my question--what would you ask for as a bday gift? A realistic one--not an Italian villa or Brad Pitt. Give me some ideas---I need to be inspired.
I'm going to make this year positively awesome. I am bound and determined to be one of those people that everyone hates--"No way she's forty...she doesn't look 30!"--okay, that may be a bit optimistic, lol, but I'm going to work my ass off figuratively and literally this year and make forty look fabtabulous...after I finish eating the cookies that W. made for me, of course.
W. and I do low key birthdays mainly because we're pretty much always wiped out in March (property taxes) and June (summer, no pay, live off savings), so I don't really get gifts much anymore, which is okay by me. I was given some gift cards yesterday at work by three co-workers (Itunes and Wal Mart), which was very sweet and really made my day. I do love to shop, of course. MIL and my parents will give me money unless I specify something that I really want, but I can never think of anything that I truly NEED. This year is no different. I can't think of what to ask for, so I always end up with cash. I think this year I will pick a store and ask for gift cards if I can't think of an object; otherwise, I know myself well enough to know that my birthday gift will end up being my cell phone bill or groceries or something like that. I rather feel like I should begin looking to acquire more grown-up things...I just can't think what they might be, lol. I have no hobbies to speak of, I don't need any clothes other than a winter coat and a new bathing suit, I have enough makeup for three women (see, I'm trying)...what to get?
So here's my question--what would you ask for as a bday gift? A realistic one--not an Italian villa or Brad Pitt. Give me some ideas---I need to be inspired.
I'm going to make this year positively awesome. I am bound and determined to be one of those people that everyone hates--"No way she's forty...she doesn't look 30!"--okay, that may be a bit optimistic, lol, but I'm going to work my ass off figuratively and literally this year and make forty look fabtabulous...after I finish eating the cookies that W. made for me, of course.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Ass? Kicked.
Back to the Y tonight for my favorite muscle sculpting class. Lighter weights, lots of reps. One hour. I've not been to it since November and right now? I feel every 'muscle' in my body screaming. Getting old and decrepit just really SUCKS.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Your Day Might Suck If...
- Your husband has to turn your water on and off at the meter due to a broken pipe that was discovered just before dark.
- Your heater blew a fuse and you made not one, but two trips in the freezing cold to go buy replacements.
- You did that in your slippers.
- You have a very unfortunate gas problem of such proportion that your husband complains loudly and bitterly, which will undoubtedly make work incredibly miserable if not resolved.
- The oil light flashed off and on and then off again while you were trekking out in the elements to get fuses.
- Your microwave popcorn smells foul when popping.
- You have an obscene amount of laundry that needs to be folded or washed or dealt with.
- You need to wash your hair, but the whole water and heat thing make that task unpleasant.
- The only person in a worse mood than you is your hateful, snippy spouse.
- You have three final exams due to the principal by noon tomorrow, but you only have one completed and you have a meeting during your planning period.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Why It Didn't Smell Like Ass Is Anyone's Guess
So, I'm a grocery-shopping FIEND lately. I've been trying to make a budget and a menu and actually stick to it--I figure I've done things the half-assed, slapdash method for 15 years with terrible results, so why not take the advice of the gazillion people that get paid to give spazzes like me the tools to make life easier. Where was I? Grocery shopping, that's it. Okay.
Last week, I did my requisite Kroger and Aldi runs on the weekend--Saturday, if memory serves me correctly. One of the must-have items is always yogurt. Specifically Kroger yogurt. The kids and W. fight over the damn stuff, so I try to buy specific flavors for each of them. Jay and Five like strawberry banana, Sam like plan strawberry, and W. likes the more exotic flavors like key lime pie, bananas foster, cherry vanilla, etc. I dragged all the groceries in (or so I thought) and put everything away. I've had some previous experiences w/ leaving groceries out (raw chicken, a pork roast, eggs) either on top of the fridge or in the car, so I'm usually very careful to make sure I have everything. Little did I know......
Back to today---ran outto grab some groceries because I realized that I'm not going to want to worry about it the next two days. When I went to put the groceries in the van, I was horrified to find a key lime pie yogurt that had been left behind and then, even worse, the little practically useless foil top had burst wide open and there was a puddle of yogurt water in the little well where my captain's chair fastens down (I have one of them out). Then, sliding down the side of the well above the lake o' yogurt slime, was the 'solid' part of the yogurt--a particularlly vile shade of green slime just sitting there. Mocking me. At first I thought it was some slime toy that had gone awry, but when I moved the pile of kids' van crap away, the container was revealed.
Now, the title question comes in--why DIDN'T it smell like ass? Or at least reek of lime? I had not noticed a damn thing and I'd been driving around with a festering pool of yogurt vomit in my van. It was underneath a plastic bag of some sort, which had shielded it all that time, but would that negate the smell? And why didn't it stink when I unearthed the unholy nearly-flourescent mess?
The only upside to this whole sitch is the fact that it didn't spew all over the carpet. If you're going to have a yogurt blow out in a minivan, the chair-hooking well, which is lined with plastic, is the best place for it to occur.
The only upside to this whole sitch is the fact that it didn't spew all over the carpet. If you're going to have a yogurt blow out in a minivan, the chair-hooking well, which is lined with plastic, is the best place for it to occur.
Lazy Sundays
I hate it when football season is over and there's nothing to really DO on a Sunday. Yeah, I can watch NASCAR, but it just doesn't have the same attraction that the NFL does to me for some reason. I like to nap on Sundays. A lot. I used to go to the Y every Sunday, but I've gotten out of the one good habit that I had. What to do today?
I have lots that NEEDS to be done--laundry is piled to Mt. Laundrymore proportions (waves to frodis), we need groceries, every floor in the house could use a vac, a broom or a mop, and the fridge really needs to be wiped out. I don't want to do any of it. I hate housework--vehemently.
So, the question of the day is: How do you tackle the household stuff? Do you have certain tasks for certain days or do you just sort of muddle through putting out fires? I really need to get on a plan, but I can't ever seem to get it together.
I have lots that NEEDS to be done--laundry is piled to Mt. Laundrymore proportions (waves to frodis), we need groceries, every floor in the house could use a vac, a broom or a mop, and the fridge really needs to be wiped out. I don't want to do any of it. I hate housework--vehemently.
So, the question of the day is: How do you tackle the household stuff? Do you have certain tasks for certain days or do you just sort of muddle through putting out fires? I really need to get on a plan, but I can't ever seem to get it together.
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Meme from Survey's Blog
I was digging around in her archives and thought I'd pull this out and share it with whomever would like to respond. RIP Survey, hon.
I AM: struggling with career issues and trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my professional life.
I WANT: to go to New York City soon.
I WISH: my head would stop hurting.
I HATE: dealing with laundry!
I MISS: some very dear friends from past phases of my life.
I FEAR: water at night.
I HEAR: way more than my students want me to--they say I have bionic hearing.
I WONDER: if I will ever be able to wear this skirt from Banana Republic that a friend sent me (it's a size FOUR? I think it's unlikely).
I REGRET: being indecisive at key points in my life.
I AM NOT: an organized person.
I DANCE: when alcohol and loud music are involved.
I SING: a lot and loudly.
I CRY: at graduation.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: frugal.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: lots and lots of messes.
I WRITE: because it is second nature to me.
I CONFUSE: lots and lots of ninth graders.
Happy Leap Day!
I'm going to start blogging in March. I've been such a blog slacker lately, but I haven't really had much to say. I've been very wrapped up in myself and hermitesque. I'm determined to burst free from the chains of my warped brain and get back into life. I have upped the vitamins and I'm really TRYING to shake the depressive and oppressive mood that has been overtaking me.
I posted on another place that I'm bipolar. It's something that I've sort of dismissed for the most part because I've never really had the extreme highs or lows that are so often associated with bipolar. However, I'm starting realize that the mini-lows can be pretty damn crippling. I started sliding down in November, but it was so subtle that I didn't really pick up on it. I just stopped working out--bad knee, bad back. Lots of excuses. Then I started slacking off at work--papers piling up, less creative lesson planning, etc. Then I started eating sweets and junky carbs because of the holidays (my current holiday season is Leap Day, soon to blend into my birthday then St. Patricks Day, then Easter--the holiday season never ends for me). Then after I had the knee surgery, I stopped worrying about what I wore and my clothes are just in piles everywhere. I haven't done a thorough house cleainging in months. Then I stopped posting on blogs or boards and just sealed myself off. Suddenly, I'm realizing the magnitude of the change and the slide and it sort of freaks me out. I'd much rather be all ADHD/manic than like this.
So here's to a Manic March--only one where I don't spend much money. For the first time in ages, I haven't had to touch my savings account and I have a little money left over at the end of every two weeks, plus some 'mad money' stashed away. I feel very proud of myself for once when it comes to money.
I turn 39 very soon...too soon. That's one of those 'old' numbers that really unnerves me a bit. I feel as if I have a helluva lot to do in the next year because 40 is something of a new chapter. I don't want to leave this chapter unfinished...I just have to figure out exactly what the plot is going to be.
I posted on another place that I'm bipolar. It's something that I've sort of dismissed for the most part because I've never really had the extreme highs or lows that are so often associated with bipolar. However, I'm starting realize that the mini-lows can be pretty damn crippling. I started sliding down in November, but it was so subtle that I didn't really pick up on it. I just stopped working out--bad knee, bad back. Lots of excuses. Then I started slacking off at work--papers piling up, less creative lesson planning, etc. Then I started eating sweets and junky carbs because of the holidays (my current holiday season is Leap Day, soon to blend into my birthday then St. Patricks Day, then Easter--the holiday season never ends for me). Then after I had the knee surgery, I stopped worrying about what I wore and my clothes are just in piles everywhere. I haven't done a thorough house cleainging in months. Then I stopped posting on blogs or boards and just sealed myself off. Suddenly, I'm realizing the magnitude of the change and the slide and it sort of freaks me out. I'd much rather be all ADHD/manic than like this.
So here's to a Manic March--only one where I don't spend much money. For the first time in ages, I haven't had to touch my savings account and I have a little money left over at the end of every two weeks, plus some 'mad money' stashed away. I feel very proud of myself for once when it comes to money.
I turn 39 very soon...too soon. That's one of those 'old' numbers that really unnerves me a bit. I feel as if I have a helluva lot to do in the next year because 40 is something of a new chapter. I don't want to leave this chapter unfinished...I just have to figure out exactly what the plot is going to be.
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Few Things
1. My neice gave birth at 21 weeks this morning. Needless to say, the baby did not survive. While a baby was positively the LAST thing this child needed (she's 20 and already has a 5-year-old with mega special needs), I am so sad that a beautiful baby girl is an angel now.
2. Tomorrow my mini-me turns nine. NINE. I just do not see HOW this is possible; I mean, come on, there is no way that I am anywhere near old enough to have a nine-year-old as one of my 'little' boys. If he's nine, that means Sam is seven, which means I am..........shit. Old, that's what I am. Here are Jay and I in a self-portrait at the state fair back in September on some ride that nearly shook our livers out. BTW, that's not my finger in front of me, even though it looks like it is. I'm just doing the Myspace duck lip look...he's got the gangsta fingers flyin'.
2. Tomorrow my mini-me turns nine. NINE. I just do not see HOW this is possible; I mean, come on, there is no way that I am anywhere near old enough to have a nine-year-old as one of my 'little' boys. If he's nine, that means Sam is seven, which means I am..........shit. Old, that's what I am. Here are Jay and I in a self-portrait at the state fair back in September on some ride that nearly shook our livers out. BTW, that's not my finger in front of me, even though it looks like it is. I'm just doing the Myspace duck lip look...he's got the gangsta fingers flyin'.
3. My school collects aluminum pull tabs. Sorry, Estee. It's not a legend.
4. I like wine. A lot. I wish I had more money for it.
5. The people who make policy in education in Tennessee, as well as at a national level, are buffoons. As long as education is a political issue, it will continue to be mired in b.s. Our state is now going to require FOUR years of math and science. Okay. I can almost, sort of, live with that. But the fourth math? Must be higher than Algebra II. Um, okay. That leaves trig, calculus, pre-calculus or statistics. That also means that everyone has to take Algebra II. Quick, think back to high school--do ya think everyone in your class could have/would have passed Algebra II? Uh, not just no, but fuck no. Yet the PTB seem to think that kids have magically gotten smarter over the generations and will just embrace higher-order math skills because they have to. Yeah, right. Their asses will be dropping like flies...hello, NCLB target list. WOOT!
6. I need someone to create a viable protein pill so that I can live off of popcorn and Lorna Doones. Get to work on that, mmmkay smart peeps?
7. I actually had a reason to come post, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it was.
8. Did I mention that I love wine? That probably explains number 7.
9. W. made me chocolate chip cookies. He's ridiculously good to me.
10. I did not get my living room clean per the previous post. I did get the bathroom cabinet and counter and drawers cleaned up and the kitchen sort of straightened. It was cloudy and cold and gloomy and I ended up succombing to the pull of the aforementioned domestic epicenter.
11. For some reason I am leaning back as I type this. Turning my head to the right, too. I'm almost cross-eyed and in a backbend while I sit here. I do believe that it is due to numbers 7 and 4 and thus, I must go to bed.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sunday Plans
I am going to go on record in a mildly public forum and 'fess up to the fact that I have been an utter and complete slug for months. Since I hurt my knee and back in October/November, I have used every excuse in the book to do NOTHING.
At this point, I need to go on record thanking W. for not kicking my slacker ass to the curb because when I say nothing, I mean NOTHING. Nada. Not a damn thing. Our house is the biggest mess it has ever been. Laundry is everywhere. Suitcases and totes from every trip I've taken since summer are strewn around in various places. We still have a Christmas decoration on the coffee table (although in my defense, it was given to us after Christmas and I don't know where to put it because candles are involved).
Part of the problem is the knee--that is true. But that's really only an excuse from December 19 forward. The months before can only be blamed on being overwhelmed and the fact that I worked or had other engagements pretty much every Saturday from August unti I had knee surgery.
So the piles have grown larger, the dust deeper and the chaos great. I started plowing through some of it today, but I just didn't get motivated. It was cold as hell in the house and very gloomy outside, so I kept being drawn to my domestic epicenter, the couch. Tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer and sunnier, so I'm going to jack myself up off the couch and get something done. Homer is still around, but he doesn't really inhibit movement as long as I watch how I turn.
Thus, tomorrow, I clean. I am tired of cringing when someone knocks on the front door, so I'm going to tackle the living room and clean it from top to bottom. Vacuum, dust, freshen, straighten, everything. Once that's cleaned up, I'm going to clean my under my bathroom counter so I can get the piles of junk off of the top and clean that, too. Finally, I'm going to put away all of my clothes that have been thrown in piles here and there. I think it's time to clean out the dresser drawers again so I have room to put the clothes that I actually wear.
I also have to get the kids' stuff ready for the week. I'm tired of running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Tired to death of it.
I will post tomorrow night to be accountable. Perhaps the risk of public humiliation will goad me into action.
At this point, I need to go on record thanking W. for not kicking my slacker ass to the curb because when I say nothing, I mean NOTHING. Nada. Not a damn thing. Our house is the biggest mess it has ever been. Laundry is everywhere. Suitcases and totes from every trip I've taken since summer are strewn around in various places. We still have a Christmas decoration on the coffee table (although in my defense, it was given to us after Christmas and I don't know where to put it because candles are involved).
Part of the problem is the knee--that is true. But that's really only an excuse from December 19 forward. The months before can only be blamed on being overwhelmed and the fact that I worked or had other engagements pretty much every Saturday from August unti I had knee surgery.
So the piles have grown larger, the dust deeper and the chaos great. I started plowing through some of it today, but I just didn't get motivated. It was cold as hell in the house and very gloomy outside, so I kept being drawn to my domestic epicenter, the couch. Tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer and sunnier, so I'm going to jack myself up off the couch and get something done. Homer is still around, but he doesn't really inhibit movement as long as I watch how I turn.
Thus, tomorrow, I clean. I am tired of cringing when someone knocks on the front door, so I'm going to tackle the living room and clean it from top to bottom. Vacuum, dust, freshen, straighten, everything. Once that's cleaned up, I'm going to clean my under my bathroom counter so I can get the piles of junk off of the top and clean that, too. Finally, I'm going to put away all of my clothes that have been thrown in piles here and there. I think it's time to clean out the dresser drawers again so I have room to put the clothes that I actually wear.
I also have to get the kids' stuff ready for the week. I'm tired of running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Tired to death of it.
I will post tomorrow night to be accountable. Perhaps the risk of public humiliation will goad me into action.
Trading Spaces....New is Not Always Better
I was a fan of TS from the very earilest days...and then they lost Ty and brought in new designers that I wasn't crazy about and had that horrible spin off Boy vs Girls and the family version, etc. Getting rid of Paige was the final straw, although I admit that I'd long since quit watching at that point.
Well, I saw that Paige was coming back, so today I tuned in to an episode on one of the digital cable channels...D-something. I was happy to see she was on this one, but almost immediately I realized that TS has sort of lost its oooomph for me.
The obviously scripted/prompted discussions are annoying and fake.
I do not like the new designers--Kia (is that her name?) and Edward. Blech.
I hate, hate, hate a theme room...who the FUCK would want a pyramid a la Egypt in their bedroom? Especially when the rest of the house is already done very tastefully and classicly? EGYPT?
Even the discussions with Amy Wynn are missing something. It just doesn't have the same panache that it used to. I fear that Trading Spaces is dead to me and that is sort of sad....and it really makes me long for the days when BBCAmerica would show my all-time favorite home show, Changing Rooms. Is that one even still on? I need to go check because I'm not going to be watching this drek anymore.
Well, I saw that Paige was coming back, so today I tuned in to an episode on one of the digital cable channels...D-something. I was happy to see she was on this one, but almost immediately I realized that TS has sort of lost its oooomph for me.
The obviously scripted/prompted discussions are annoying and fake.
I do not like the new designers--Kia (is that her name?) and Edward. Blech.
I hate, hate, hate a theme room...who the FUCK would want a pyramid a la Egypt in their bedroom? Especially when the rest of the house is already done very tastefully and classicly? EGYPT?
Even the discussions with Amy Wynn are missing something. It just doesn't have the same panache that it used to. I fear that Trading Spaces is dead to me and that is sort of sad....and it really makes me long for the days when BBCAmerica would show my all-time favorite home show, Changing Rooms. Is that one even still on? I need to go check because I'm not going to be watching this drek anymore.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
What a SHIT Day
1. I didn't get a snow day--damn weather people had me all jacked up thinking that we'd have freezing rain and sleet this morning and traffic would be a nightmare. Yeah, whatever. The roads were WET. Out in the country there was ice on some bridges, but the nimrods in charge don't drive outside of the city limits or off the state roads, so we were in school.
2. Homer 2.0 has appeared. Dandy. Just fucking dandy.
3. Fred Thompson dropped out of the Republican race...oh, wait, that's not a shit thing.
4. I'm freezing.
5. Heath Ledger is dead. I almost wrecked in the parking lot of Kroger when I heard it on the radio.
I just want to go to bed.
2. Homer 2.0 has appeared. Dandy. Just fucking dandy.
3. Fred Thompson dropped out of the Republican race...oh, wait, that's not a shit thing.
4. I'm freezing.
5. Heath Ledger is dead. I almost wrecked in the parking lot of Kroger when I heard it on the radio.
I just want to go to bed.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Ding, Dong, Homer's Gone!
Well, he's greatly reduced, anyway. The doctor took pity on me today and let me walk-in. He was suitably impressed with the size and depth of Homer--he compared it to a small child--and promptly had me on the table and proceeded to numb it, then drain it and then shoot the empty cavern full of cortisone. Nikki the Nurse wrapped me with a compression bandage that I have to leave on for 24 hours (it is bugging to no end right now because the velcro is pokey). There is still a little bit of fluid in there, but hopefully this will take care of him. I go back to see the doctor on the 31st and hopefully Homer will be a distant memory.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
I Think Being Famous Might Suck A Lot
Sure, the money would be fantastic and who WOULDN'T like to be able to go where ever you want, but tonight at Kroger I realized how absolutely sucky it would be to have paps following you around when you are just trying to live.
Why would this revelation come to me, you ask? Well, it's like this. Here in my little corner of Tennessee (metaphoric corner, of course, since I live in Middle Tennessee which is decidedly corner-free), we are experiencing a little Arctic weather--I think the high today was like 23, which, in said metaphoric corner of Tennessee, translates to minus 40 someplace like North Dakota or, for the rest of our Southern or Western friends can best be assessed as butt ass cold. We heat with our woodstove and supplement with our gas central unit. I was gone for the weekend with the boys and W. was at home alone, so in typical Scrooge McW fashion, he kept it pretty darn cold here. I immediately shed my blue jeans and cute Old Navy cotton sweater w/Gap tneck (Goodwill tops and ebay jeans--grand total was less than $25 and I looked very chic with my cute black cap that I grabbed at KMart on clearance for 2.99 and gray scarf that I found at Aeropostale for 70% off the $12.99 sale...I do love bargains) and I threw on some sweats and a sweatshirt, heavy socks, the cold-weather works, you know?
I had to take W. to work (bless his heart, he's working 7-7 night shift tonight) and was freezing even more so in the car. Once I got home, I decided that I really needed some popcorn because I had to watch two episodes of TAR and some other DVR stuff. Naturally, I was out of popcorn. That alone would not have made me brave the cold to make my way to Kroger, but then I realize that we were out of milk, so I decided that I had to make a grocery run. I was wearing deidedly UNCUTE clothing...Five's track pants that are uber wide legged and baggy, one of W.'s xxl seatshirts and then a fleece over that (ftr, when you put a men's small fleece over a men's 2x sweatshirt, the effect is mushy to say the least). Because it was so cold, I wrapped my previously-mentioned gray scarf all around my neck and up to my ears. Add in my cute black hat again and some fuzzy gloves and I was set. As I was walking in, I had a fleeting thought, "I hope I don't see anyone that I know here." And then it hit me--it would SUCK to feel I had to dress up to go to Kroger.
As any teacher will tell you, being seen out IRL can be somewhat unnerving. Since I teach in a K-12 school, the little ones know me. When I'm shopping, I'll hear, "That's her!" or "Look, Mommy, there's Mrs. Sam's Mom!" God forbid anyone have a camera with them.
Anyway, I went into Kroger and caught a glimpse of myself on the overhead tv monitor and suddenly felt sorry for Julia Roberts for a second--I mean, the grocery is a place we should be able to dash in dressed one step up (or down in my case) from pajamas and do your business. I kept pulling my hat down lower and lower as I shopped to keep from being recognized. I can almost sort of see why Britney might go around the bend, kwim? Not that me going to Kroger is an event in anyone's mind, but that feeling that everyone is looking at you is bad enough when you're normal like and in reality no one actually IS looking. For her, though, you know they're looking and photographing and then bitchy chicks like me will be blogging about it. It would take a lot of Hermes bags and sporty Mercedes convertibles to make that all right.
Why would this revelation come to me, you ask? Well, it's like this. Here in my little corner of Tennessee (metaphoric corner, of course, since I live in Middle Tennessee which is decidedly corner-free), we are experiencing a little Arctic weather--I think the high today was like 23, which, in said metaphoric corner of Tennessee, translates to minus 40 someplace like North Dakota or, for the rest of our Southern or Western friends can best be assessed as butt ass cold. We heat with our woodstove and supplement with our gas central unit. I was gone for the weekend with the boys and W. was at home alone, so in typical Scrooge McW fashion, he kept it pretty darn cold here. I immediately shed my blue jeans and cute Old Navy cotton sweater w/Gap tneck (Goodwill tops and ebay jeans--grand total was less than $25 and I looked very chic with my cute black cap that I grabbed at KMart on clearance for 2.99 and gray scarf that I found at Aeropostale for 70% off the $12.99 sale...I do love bargains) and I threw on some sweats and a sweatshirt, heavy socks, the cold-weather works, you know?
I had to take W. to work (bless his heart, he's working 7-7 night shift tonight) and was freezing even more so in the car. Once I got home, I decided that I really needed some popcorn because I had to watch two episodes of TAR and some other DVR stuff. Naturally, I was out of popcorn. That alone would not have made me brave the cold to make my way to Kroger, but then I realize that we were out of milk, so I decided that I had to make a grocery run. I was wearing deidedly UNCUTE clothing...Five's track pants that are uber wide legged and baggy, one of W.'s xxl seatshirts and then a fleece over that (ftr, when you put a men's small fleece over a men's 2x sweatshirt, the effect is mushy to say the least). Because it was so cold, I wrapped my previously-mentioned gray scarf all around my neck and up to my ears. Add in my cute black hat again and some fuzzy gloves and I was set. As I was walking in, I had a fleeting thought, "I hope I don't see anyone that I know here." And then it hit me--it would SUCK to feel I had to dress up to go to Kroger.
As any teacher will tell you, being seen out IRL can be somewhat unnerving. Since I teach in a K-12 school, the little ones know me. When I'm shopping, I'll hear, "That's her!" or "Look, Mommy, there's Mrs. Sam's Mom!" God forbid anyone have a camera with them.
Anyway, I went into Kroger and caught a glimpse of myself on the overhead tv monitor and suddenly felt sorry for Julia Roberts for a second--I mean, the grocery is a place we should be able to dash in dressed one step up (or down in my case) from pajamas and do your business. I kept pulling my hat down lower and lower as I shopped to keep from being recognized. I can almost sort of see why Britney might go around the bend, kwim? Not that me going to Kroger is an event in anyone's mind, but that feeling that everyone is looking at you is bad enough when you're normal like and in reality no one actually IS looking. For her, though, you know they're looking and photographing and then bitchy chicks like me will be blogging about it. It would take a lot of Hermes bags and sporty Mercedes convertibles to make that all right.
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