I'm finished!!!!

I'm finally finished painting! Yippee....I can't believe I finished. Everything that could be painted in this house is done. I absolutely love the way the bathroom turned out. Everyone likes it....the pics just don't do it justice though. The color is off....I really should learn to use this camera correctly....but now that I'm done painting, I suppose I'll have time to read up on it.

I also made cookies this afternoon, and a nice dinner for the family. Man, I am bushed! (And no, that is not a political statement....although I suppose it could work! lol). I didn't actually drink any of the liquor....I'm not a JD girl, I prefer a 7&7, but I don't have the correct beverages. *Sigh.

Okay, it's almost 10 and I'm tired. I'll catch ya all on the flip side!

By popular demand....

For all those who wanted to know where the lamp came from....who knew it was so popular?!

 

 

Amazon.com: Toys & Games: A Christmas Story: 20" Leg Lamp

These are a few of my favorite things....

I couldn't think of anything to write today, so I went around my house and took some terribly blurry pictures of some of my favorite things. I hope this becomes one of those "trends" that runs around j-land. I love looking into other people's lives, and seeing what is important or meaningful to them....

I painted the bathroom yesterday. I did it in white, because I wanted a nice clean look....and when I stepped back to survey my work....I hated it. I am just not a plain white gal! So, I painted halfway up the wall with the glitter paint from Betsy's room, and it looks much better. I'll put the border up today, and finish the rest of the painting. I also have to re-color the grout, which I will save for last. It's such a tedious job!!!!

Wee one came home yesterday and told me that I am the room mother for her class. WooHoo! The teacher told her that I was the only one that signed up for the position....lol, kind of a hollow victory there, but I'll take it. I only have one more year of being a room mother....how sad is that? We have a "tea" in a few weeks to discuss the do's and don'ts of our classrooms. I hope I win a door prize this year. Last year they gave away facials and massages!

I made spaghetti for dinner last night, but I didn't have any. I don't know when it happened, but I can't stand spaghetti anymore. Everyone said it was really good. I made angel hair pasta, which made wee one's day. She loves it. She actually had the left over noodles for breakfast, along with an orange, my other hated food. I hate eating oranges, but love orange juice. Go figure. It's like that skit they used to do on Zoom...."She hates cats, but loves kittens...." Anyone remember that? I used to have the Zoom book. They taught you how to do cat's cradle, and speak ubby-dubby. Man, that takes me back!

Okay, upward and onward....or is is onward and upward....I'm not sure....all I know is it's getting late and the bathroom isn't painting itself! Have a good one....

Ahhhh, Monday.....

Monday morning....is there any better time for the sahm with school aged children? I think not. I've got one gone, one to go. Wee one is enjoying her bagel with cream cheese, watching Arthur. I brought in her clothes for the day, and she immediately complained. I chose a one piece, yellow short outfit that zips up the back. Almost a dress, but not quite. She says, "What if I spill something on it?" My reply, "I'll wash it." I got a dirty look for that one....I tell her that she can wear whatever she wants 4 days out of the week....but on that 5th day, it's "mommy's choice". Betsy always hated that....

Speaking of Betsy, John took her driving yesterday at the high school. When they came in the door I asked Bets how it went. "Great! And dad let me drive home." WHAT? This, mind you, was her first time out. Oh, I had let her move the car out of the garage, and one time let her drive a straight line to the bus stop at the end of our street (which, after that is why I said dad would be teaching her how to drive), but to drive home? I couldn't believe it. I asked John how she did and he said, "She did great. She will do fine." Then he asked what was for dinner....you know, I can't figure that man out. This is a man who goes off if someone wears shoes in the house....yet he lets his 16 year old daughter drive home the first time out? I don't get it....and I probably never will.

I did manage to finish my sewing, and send it off with dh this morning. Now I have a free day to....paint the bathroom! But no, the excitement doesn't end there. Not only do I get to paint BUT, I get to wall paper too! All this and cleaning the house. Could you be any more jealous of me? I didn't think so....

I washed the sheets to out bed yesterday. I just love climbing into a bed that is made with fresh, just from the dryer sheets. They smell so dang good! I kept rearranging my pillow and inhaling deeply....ahhhh, springtime fresh....well, actually it was citrus-y fresh, but you get the point.

Okay, it's time to go brush the tangled mess that is my daughters hair. Have a lovely Monday everyone....

Sew much for Sunday....

As you can see by the graphic, I am spending the day sewing. It keeps sprinkling outside, then getting sunny....so I gave up and decided to stay inside. I've got my portable tv/dvd player next to me, and I'm watching my Kids in the Hall dvds, wee one is at the springs with my aunt and uncle, and dh took Betsy out to drive. I have to say, it's quite relaxing around here right now....I'm just taking a break, trying to decide what to make for Sunday dinner. It's looking like bbq'ed chicken on the grill with salad, baked potatoes and brussel sprouts. Why the sprouts? Well, wee one has been asking me to make them forever. She has never had them and is wanting to try some. I don't know how they will go over, but if my child is asking for veggies, I'm sure as heck going to make them.

The people across the street gave up trying to sell their house by themselves, and are going with a realtor. I haven't seen much action over there lately....our next door neighbor had an open house yesterday. I wonder what kind of neighbors we will get? I hope they are our age, with kids. I would love to live near someone who was friendly and outgoing. It would be so nice to have a friend nearby.

Yesterday I spent the day at John's office, cleaning and organizing. It was a blast. I get such a rush when I take a messy area, and make it workable. I think he was pretty impressed with it as well. We took the big cut-out Homer Simpson and put him in his office with a pair of saftey glasses around his neck....it's perfect!

Okay, I'm off to finish my sewing....have a wonderful Sunday! 

I love Juan Valdez....

I ask you, is there any smell more intoxicating than freshly ground coffee? I bought two of those little sample gourmet coffee packs at the grocery store yesterday. One is "morning blend", and the other (which is brewing now), is called "foglifter". I'm assuming this pot will be of an extremely strong nature. I might even need 13 creams! (Yes Lisa....that little zing was aimed directly at your mug! lol)

Right now wee one and her friend are playing Crash Bandicoot on the Ps2. They have been up since 6:30. Betsy and her friend are still snoring away....who knows how late they were up last night! Dh is at work, slaving away, and here I sit, waiting for my morning cup of joe.

I hear the pitter patter of little feet in my kitchen....I suppose this means they want breakfast. There was a great sale on those dunkable waffles at the store yesterday, so hopefully that is what they will want. With my luck, wee one will say, "Mom, can you make us egg and cheese bagels?" And of course, you know I will do it. But, I do hear them scrounging around in the pantry....which could mean cereal! Yeah!  LOL....they just brough a can of Chef Boyardee to me....ewwwww. That is gross enough at lunch time....no way am I going to make it for breakfast! I remember being young like that and spending the night at a friend's house. It was always so much fun, seeing what different things they had to eat. Betsy and her friend will be easy....they will have a cup of coffee and cold pizza.

I don't know what to do today. Dh wanted me to come into work and help him clean/organize his office. That was before wee one had a friend coming over, so I hope he doesn't expect me to still come in. I'm afraid to call him....lol. I hate the weekends sometimes. If I've had a really busy week, it's nice....but if I've had an easy few days, it seems redundant. Since we finished the girls rooms, I feel like I've been lazy. I do have to work on the bathroom....so I suppose if he doesn't need me, I can start stripping wallpaper....ooooh! Maybe I'll do that!

Okay, I had better get off my butt and get going. I hope everyone gets to do just what they want today....have a good one!

My apologies....

It seems I've stepped on a few toes....and I didn't mean to. I was not in any way putting down southerners for their relaxed attitude toward life. I'm only saying that if you can't be on time for something (whether in the north or the south)....don't be surprised when the bus pulls out without you. That being said, I'd like to post an open letter to one of my newest fans....*enter sarcasm HERE

  You seem a little stressed.  Maybe Southerners have the right idea in not taking life so seriously.  Are you REALLY doing a count down to Christmas already???  Maybe you should take a tip from the flip-flop mentality of Floridians and chill just a bit.
Comment from mathaluvsmemor - 8/27/04 12:32 PM

 Whomever you are,  

 My point is, go ahead and be laid back, that's fine with me....but then don't complain when y'all are late, or your child misses the bus. If you are supposed to be at the bus stop at a certain time, be there. It's not the driver's fault if you are "not taking life so seriously".   And yes, I am doing a countdown for Christmas. Maybe I'll even do one to Groundhog's Day.   Oh, and although I'm sure you received your psychiatric license from a prestigious Ivy League school, I hope you won't mind if I don't take your advice to "chill" until I see your diploma.

   *I wouldn't normally respond in this fashion, however the comment poster deleted their screen name after posting, which leads me to believe they were being rude on purpose. Imagine that!      

The talk about the bus goes round and round....

I went to the bus stop nice and early this morning, so that I wouldn't have to worry about being there at the designated time. Immediately, the first mom down there starts in on the bus being early. Okay, I'll give her a chance, since she was not here yesterday for all the drama, although her daughter did miss it because while trying to run she fell and cut her knee. (Dad was bringing her down). So, she and I are chatting and I try to get out of talking about it by saying, yes, we need to be here within a ten minute window....

Then, up saunters "pc" mom who immediately says, "Are you two chatting about the bus situation?" Oh for pete's sake. Yes, we were, but we could have been talking about anything....why start it again? So, off she goes on her little tangent....man, I am so sick of hearing this whining. Here's my remedy for the situation....

1.) Leave the house 5 minutes before we need to be at the stop.
2.) Shut up.

See? Simple. The thing that I have observed is that being here in the south, people here are a LOT slower than up north. They saunter out of the house, coffe in hand, barefoot, 5 minutes after we are supposed to be there, and expect everyone else to wait! I'm sorry, but I suppose that is part of my northern upbringing that I will never outgrow. I'm on time and usually early for everything. I have no patience for people who are late. It's just disrespectful....(barring an emergency, car trouble, sick child). So, that being said....*end rant.

I'm having trouble deciding what to do first today. Should I clean, then go grocery shop? Or should I make out my list and go first. I hate leaving the house a mess....but today Betsy is bringing a friend home to spend the night, and I won't feel like I can vacuume around her. Although, it's never stopped me before.  Today is also the first day that our local grocery store will be in it's new location. I'm not thrilled with that. The old location was such a cozy, family store. Now it's big and impersonal. I suppose I better get used to it though....sometimes I hate progress.

Alright, I have to decide what I'm doing here. I hope everyone has a lovely day....

Thursday's Entry....

As you can see by the above pictures, the girls were having quite a good time yesterday afternoon. They swam for a few hours, which was nice. They all played together really well, being that it was the first time they had played as a group. I watch the 3rd grader two days a week, and the other girl is in 4th with wee one....however, there were no problems....yay!

I just dropped wee one off at the bus stop. I decided to drive today, since yesterday so many kids missed the bus. Today she was exactly ten minutes early, which means she just made the 10 minute window. Technically, the kids must be at the bus stop ten minutes before the scheduled time. This new driver has been extremely early, and parents have called on her. Well, today she told one of the moms that we have to have the kids here early, and that she is within her minutes. That was true today, but not when 5 kids missed it yesterday. Wee one and I took no chances and drove....

There was one little girl who did start crying as she was running to the bus. She is in kindergarten and just turned 5 last week. I felt so bad for her, but one of the moms walked her the rest of the way, and got her settled down. Poor thing! Then, the "politically correct" mom says, "You know, we can't coddle our kids. They have to be responsible for being here on time. I'm sorry she cried but we have to....yadda, yadda, yadda." For pete's sake, the little girl was CRYING because she was scared! This is no time for a responsibility speech! I just looked at the other mom and rolled my eyes....give me a freaking break.  I have a feeling pc mom just alienated herself further....

Let's see, what does today hold for this sahm....well, I need to finish my sewing, do some laundry, clean out wee one's closet and pick her up from school early for her doctor's appointment. Unfortunately her ocd has become so bad that it is interfering with her school work. I was tucking her in the other night and she started crying about it. She said that she wished she could just be a normal kid for one day. My heart was breaking! So, hopefully today she will get some relief.

Boy, it's humid and muggy already today. I'm looking forward to some cooler weather. Of course, I've got a few months to wait for that! Dang it. Last year I decorated my tree wearing shorts....how un-Christmaslike is that? (Oh no, the dreaded "C" word!) Hmmmm, maybe I'll put the remaining days till Christmas in my entries, just to rile everyone up....lol. That sounds like something I would do....just to be irritating!

Have a good one everybody!

And remember....

days left until Christmas!!!!

Early dismal....I mean "dismissal"....

This year the powers that be of the school administration have decided to give the kids an "early dismissal" every other Wednesday. It has something to do with teachers planning days. Apparently a few years back they tried to do a half day on Fridays, and too many people just wouldn't show up. So, they figure not many people will take off on a Wednesday....hence, the middle of the day release. It's not even a true half day, but an hour earlier....however, just enough of a change to throw a kink in my day. I have a schedule people, why must you interrupt it?

So, I must do my "thing" quicker today....clean up, run errands, etc. This is my living nightmare....you know the dream where you can't remember your locker combination and you know you have a test and you can't get there? Well, my fear is that I'll be out on one of these half-days, then, in the middle of lunchtime traffic, at a red light, I'll suddenly remember that I need to be home because the kids are probably standing at the door, wondering where I am. I'm so terrible at remembering things, I'm going to have to make a schedule and hang it in my car!

I just did not want to wake up this morning. I heard that freaking alarm and wanted to bash it in....however, I gently pushed the button and dutifully got up. Right now I'm at that "either get up and start doing things or go back to bed" state. Of course, I have to walk wee one to the bus stop....so I guess that answers my question.

I've been longing for Indiana lately. Isn't that weird. As I was coming out of the bank yesterday, out of no where I thought to myself, I want to go home. But where is home? I don't feel like I belong here, and I don't feel like I belong there. I miss the memories....but it wouldn't be the same to go back now. I feel lost....*sigh.

Well, Arthur is just about over, which means it's time to get wee one to brush her hair. She's eating waffles with syrup....wish me luck!

*Update....

No syrup in the hair....hooray!
Got a call from one of wee one's friends who has no place to go after school, so what to do???? Call the resident sahm who will surely take your child! *enter sarcasm here. I, of course, said yes because I felt bad for the girl....
Bus came 10 minutes early and 5 kids missed it....when will these stupid bus drivers get their acts together? The other day the bus came at 8:05....today at 7:42????

*End Rant....

Following the crowd....

Okay, it looks like everyone is doing the "list" so, I will play along as well....

IF Could Be ....


If I could be a time of day, I would be:  8:07am, the time I walk in the door after wee one has gotten on the bus and I am blissfully, wonderfully alone....

If I could be a planet, I would be:  Saturn....it's the one that most closely resembles my figure....

If I could be a direction, I would be:  Latitude 51 32N, Longitude 0 5W (yes, it is a place....)

If I could be a piece of furniture, I would be:  A cozy, comfy bed.... 

If I could be a stone, I would be:  Ruby (which is my birthstone)

If I could be a tree, I would be:  Sugar Maple....really, did you expect anything else from the resident sugar addict?

If I could be a bird, I would be:  A turkey....golden brown with big, juicy breasts.... (watch it Lanny!)

If I could be a flower, I would be:  Pillsbury....

If I could be a kind of weather, I would be:  Partly cloudy with a chance of showers, temps in the low 60's, high 50's....

If I could be a musical instrument, I would be: A piano....

If I could be a color, I would be: A shade of orange....

If I could be an emotion, I would be:  Unbridled passion....

If I could be a sound, I would be: A wind chime....starts out pretty but soon becomes annoying....

If I could be a car, I would be:  Financed at 3.2% for 60 months....

If I could be a material, I would be: Well worn cotton....

If I could be a taste, I would be: A fruity wine.....

If I could be a scent, I would be:  Lemon Pine Sol....

If I could be a word, I would be:  Whimsical....

If I could be a facial expression, I would be:  A sweet smile....

And if I could be anyone, I would be:  Me....no more and no less....

Busy, busy, busy....

This is how I feel today....like I have a million things to do, and I can't outrun them. I go and go and go, yet still, I can not get caught up.

Yesterday went very well for my dad....and I thank everyone for their thoughtful comments and prayers! He is resting today, a bit sore, but doing relatively well. John left work early and met us at the hospital, just in time to get dad all "loaded up" into the car. Thank goodness he was there, as dad was a bit on the woozy side, in addition to his usual unsteadiness. On the way home, we stopped and got dad his favorite treat, a chocolate iced Krispy Kreme....he was quite happy with it. His feeding tube is to be used for medication, which he has trouble swallowing, and on those days when he chokes too badly to eat. So, he can still enjoy eating by mouth. He fell asleep over his donut at the table....so I guess the proceedure really wore him out, poor guy. Mom says he's doing better this morning, so I'm happy about that.

Today I need to run to the grocery store for the last day of the buy one get two free meat sale....then come home, finish the laundry, clean the house, start my sewing....the usual stuff that hounds me daily. I don't know why I feel so rushed right now....I just do. And I keep thinking that Christmas is only 122 days and 15 hours away....I should be stocking up now, so I'm not in a crunch. Maybe I'll start buying one gift per payday. That would make sense....but will I do it? I don't know....

Okay, I've GOT to get going here before my laundry catches up with me and bites me in the arse....

Hello Monday....

Today is "hospital Monday". I am going there with my parents to have my dad's feeding tube put in. I'm told it's not a terribly difficult proceedure, however, with his illness, you just never know. I'm staying positive....praying that everything goes smoothly.

Tonight is also wee one's open house at school. She is so excited! She brought home a sample of her work that will be displayed....a descriptive story about the first day of school. I must say, she has definately inherited her mom's love of writing! Right now she is in bed, enjoying waffles and watching Arthur before school. Man, I wish someone would serve me breakfast in bed....

By the way, the paint with the glitter is a special paint from Lowes. It's a granite paint that is texturized, and it comes with a packet of glitter to mix in. It took an entire can to do that one wall, and it was terrible to work with. So, John and I decided to get regular paint in the color that she wanted, and just buy the glitter part to mix in (it said on the package you could mix it into regular paint). So, if you run your hand along the dark wall, it's all bumpy and texturized. The orangey walls aren't bumpy, yet have the glitter. I'm so happy with the results. I actually mixed some of the glitter into the white paint to do wee one's shelf and it turned out great.Gallon Interior 100% Acrylic Granite Finish

Okay, I'm off to showerland....have a good one!

Finally....I'm DONE!!!!

My legs hurt, my arms hurt....I just hurt! But thank God, we are done with the girls rooms! WooHoo Homer Simpson style....

I can't believe how wonderfully the rooms came out. I finished wee one's this morning, and when I brought her home from her party, I made her close her eyes ala Changing Rooms/Trading Spaces. She was so thrilled. She said, "I love it so much I could just die!" she kept running around the room, touching things. The pictures really don't do it justice. I put "jewels" on all her drawer pulls, closet doors, put clothes pins above her desk to hold pictures or papers....it's like a whole other room. Looks so much bigger too. I am thrilled with it.

Betsy's room is absolutely gorgeous. The walls are all sparkled....it's a wonderfully cozy room. You could just grab a cup of coffee, sit on the couch, pop in a cd and read a good book. She is so happy with it. I put her Fairly Odd Parents picture on the back of her door because it didn't go with the "flow" of the room. I am not thrilled with the lei's on her mirror, as it disrupts the "flow" (go ahead, roll your eyes....she did too....), but it is her room, and she should get to put up ONE thing. LOL....

Right now I could just fall asleep. I started at 9 this morning and am just sitting down. Of course, while I'm doing all this, dh decides today is a great day to clean the rust off the grill legs....gee honey, that certainly is a priority while I am slaving away here. I mean, don't do the dishes or anything....sheesh! Okay, he did take down and clean the fan blades and lights for Bets, and he did paint her room....but still....I did 90% of the work! But that is neither here nor there....it's done and I'm so thankful!

I still have to organize wee one's closet....and paint one more shelf for her room. She still has about 100 frog figurines that I have to find places for. I'm going to go through her toys, and most definately make a trip to the Good Will....however, I'll do that while she is in school.

Okay, I'm off to lie down....and probably crash for the night. ZZzzzzzzzzzz....

My day of painting....

If this chick had red hair....she'd be me. That is the color of the 3 ft. stripe in wee one's room. I just finished everything in there....painting is done, things are back on the walls....of course there are other little things that need to be done, but that will have to wait until tomorrow....I'm bushed! However, it looks great. She is going to be so excited when she comes home tomorrow morning. Heck, I'm excited! I'll post pics tomorrow, as tonight, I'm having trouble typing from my paint cramped hands....

Betsy's room is all painted too. John worked all day in there, double coating the three remaining walls. It's gorgeous! Betsy worked on the trim and the door. I can't wait to get things put back together completely. All I have left to do now, paint wise, is to re-do the girls bathroom. Then I can sell the house, and start over in a new one! LOL....

Man, I am exhausted....I've been up since 7 am, and have been working since then. Oh wait, no, I did get a break to go pick up wee one from her first sleep over, take her to the store to pick up a gift for her second, take Betsy's friend home, and drop wee one off at the next party. I also made dinner....however it was just hot dogs. One of those, "take it or leave it but make a comment and I'll kick your butt" dinners. John didn't even balk at having to chop his own onion....

Okay, I've got lots of primping to do before the big ball....that is, if I don't fall asleep first!

My gown....

Here is the dress I'll be wearing to the ball....a 1940's era gown, classy and sexy all at once.

My weakness, ankle strap shoes. I just love these, and they have the vintage feel.

 

And as for my date....hmmmmm, so many men, so little time....

Mmmmm, yummy....Robson Green from Wire in the Blood, and Take Me on the BBC....talk to me with that accent, and the dress is history....oh my, naughty! (We are dreaming here though....right?)

See you at the ball.....

Birthday cake and coffee....

And the winner was....Cracker Barrel! And it was really, really good. John had his usual, the "old timer's" breakfast, and I had their special which was "momma's pancake breakfast". I didn't eat it all....but boy, was it good. And I must say, I love their bacon. I like my bacon with no chewy fat....almost burnt is my preferred cooking menthod. So, after breakfast we headed out to a mall (his choice!) that we had never been to. We shopped a bit, and got him 8 shirts and a pair of pants. They were having a huge sale....as a matter of fact, I had bought him these particular shirts earlier in the year, and he loved them....at $30 a pop. Well....there was a huge markdown and when they rang up they were $4.98 a piece....75% markdowns wtih an extra 10% at the register....yeah baby.

Anyhoo, after that we stopped at a fabric store so I could get some thread. As we were walking down one of the many aisles, John says to me, "You know, as a kid I used to lay in the driveway and look up at the sky, wondering what I would be doing in my 20's or 30's. I never thought I'd be spending my 39th birthday in a fabric store in which I am the only male customer." LMAO....

After that we went to Lowe's to get more paint, then to the grocery store for his birthday dinner ingrediants. We went home and....oh yeah, you know where this is going, kids at school, no one home....he mowed and trimmed the lawn. Then after taking a dip in the pool, he came inside and we had his birthday dinner with the girls. Fried (don't ruin them by putting soup on them) pork chops, homemade au gratin potatoes and corn. Then, he took Betsy to her school open house, while wee one and I cleaned up. When they got back, we sang, had cake and opened gifts. Then, of course, the highlight of his evening....falling asleep in front of the tv....all in all it was a great day.

Today is Friday, and usually I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend....however, I will be running pillar to post for the next four days. My aunt is coming in from NC for two days, Betsy has a lock in at her friend's church tonight, wee one is spending the night at her friend's tonight, will come home in the morning, only to leave again for another slumber/birthday party, which means I have to run out to buy a gift. Between all that, I've got her room completely torn apart, most of it in the living room so I can finish painting, and I don't want to even think about Betsy's room, which is in disarray as well. Then on Monday I go to the hospital with mom and dad to get his feeding tube put in, and that night is wee one's school open house....man, I can't wait till next Tuesday to relax! Have a good one....

Primping and obsession....

As you can see from the above picture, I'm killing some time while the birthday boy primps for our morning date. He got mad when I took the pic, and I told him I deleted it....oops....looks like I may have fibbed a bit! However, now I have proof that I'm not the only one who spends time in front of the mirror, making others wait! I'm still not sure where we are going for breakfast, as it is his choice. It's between our favorite little St. Augustine spot, and Cracker Barrel. Hmmmmm, somehow I think he will pick down home country cookin' over a dainty French pastry....

Now, as for the second pic....as you know, I suffer from OCD. I'm on medication, I have it under control, but sometimes little things pop up that I have a hard time with....this happens to be one of them. One day I was rinsing out a tea container and I absentmindedly threw the lid in the drawer....fast forward six months and my drawer overfloweth. I can't seem to bring myself to throw them away. Every time someone opens the drawer they ask when I will be tossing them out....I know there has to be some sort of crafty thing I can do with them. And you thought I was strange before this little nugget of info....

Ahhhh, I hear the shower turning off so perhaps I can get in there and get ready before lunch. Here's hoping....I'll report back on our morning meal....

 

Pictures of my hair and other things....

Okay, since the alerts aren't working, I wrote an entry this morning....which is below this one. Here are some pics of my dog, my kids and my new "do".

No mail?

It seems as though my alerts are not working today, which of course means....I have no e-mail. Well, I did have some e-mail, but I am not in need of a loan, and I do not have the appropriate appendage needed for "natural enhancement"....

I have got to get to my painting today. I didn't do any of it yesterday, since I had my hair appointment. I was going to put pictures up, however, my darling Betsy used all four sets of rechargeable batteries, yet can not seem to recharge them after draining them. She throws them into the drawer, and I suppose hopes that the "battery fairies" will come along and magically charge them with a touch of their wands....how hard is it to put them into their little grooves and plug the thing in? Of course, if she needs them right away, she can figure it out....perhaps she has short term memory loss....or, perhaps the music she is listening to is slowly rotting her brain. That is the most likely scenerio. I can listen to that, excuse me, CRAP for about one minute before I go completely insane. How do these kids listen to an entire cd of nothing but screaming with the occasional word thrown in? And these "artists" (I am using the term oh so lightly here), are actually paid for this. I could make my own cd of screaming and make millions....

Track 1: "Who Walked on My Carpet?"
Track 2: "Squish My Fluffed Pillows and Die"
Track 3: "Feed the Dog (Doggie gettin thin)"
Track 4: "Separate the Laundry" (feat. Snuggle the Bear)

Anyhoo, I made italian sausage with fried potatoes and onions last night. It was good....but my house still smells like it this morning. I have lit my Yankee candle, hoping to rid the house of the smell....but now I have a kitchen that smells like raspberries and sausage. Not a good combo. I wish I had a coffee maker....I'd brew a pot just to get rid of the odor. I had to pitch mine, and still haven't gotten a new one. It's driving me nuts. Not that I'm a coffee freak, but I do love the smell of a fresh pot. Makes me think of my childhood, and restaurants, and cozy mornings....

Well, I'm off to do my morning chores. Have a good one....

Hello? Hello?

Okay, where did my phone entry go? Very strange....

Well, to recap, not much was said that was interesting or informative. I am still painting in wee-one's room. Yesterday I did half the trim, and today I will start on the color. I have to do it in halves, as her bunk bed is too big to move more than once. John is starting Betsy's room tonight, so I've got that "wing" of the house in complete disarray. You do not know what this is doing to me....

I am going for a cut and color today....here's hoping it turns out. I'll try to get some before/after pic's ala Lisa, but I can't guarantee it. For some reason, no one knows how to style my hair the right way after I get it cut. I always have to come home and re-do it. My mom is the same way. She has taken to not even getting it blown dry anymore....however, I refuse to drive home that way. If I get stopped for any reason, I'd rather have dry, not so gorgeous hair than look like a wet dog.

I haven't eaten anything yet today because I was a bad, bad girl yesterday. I don't know what happened. I had my morning "shake", then about 2 hours later I started grazing, which then turned into full fledged hogging out. I even ate a bowl of cereal before bed! What is up with that? Well, this morning I did find a zit....so that might explain it....hormones are beginning to rage, I'm crabby and eating a lot....you get the picture.

I still haven't gotten hubby anything for his birthday. (Nice wife, huh?) I just don't know what to get him. I suppose I had better get my butt in gear, since I only have 2 days until he turns "39". I can't believe it. 39 years old. Where did our youth go? When did we get so old? I still can't believe I'm 35. Some days that seems to still be young, and others it seems old....

Okay, this old lady is going to go finish up her cleaning, and head out for a day of pampering....(and no, I don't mean Depends!)

I'm walking....yes, indeed....

I just returned from my morning walk, and I'm sitting here cooling down, enjoying my thick, delicious shake. I tell ya, I haven't squeezed so many buns since the day old bread sale at the bakery! I try to walk and squeeze to get the most out of my morning workout. Right now I feel like a limp washrag....the humidity must be 200% out there. It's not hot thankfully, and the sun was under a huge cloud through the sunniest part of my walk, so I was happy about that. Anyway, I'm home, and done....

I have so much to do today, I don't know where to begin. Here's a list for you to enjoy:

1. A mountain-sized pile of ironing

2. A mountain-sized pile of laundry (why do my kids feel it necessary to wear 10 outfits each per weekend?)

3. My house looks like a snow globe after a good shake

4. Those paint cans are still staring at me, begging for me to open them

I'm sure there is more, but for now, that's enough. I guess I'll just prioritize. I'll clean the house while washing, and save the ironing for when I'm watching tv. After the house is in order, I can start painting....although I forgot to get the white paint for the trim in wee-one's room. So, until I get that, I can't start....which means a trip out. See? It all looks good on paper, or should I say monitor, but something always manages to throw a kink into the program.

I'm not sure what to make for dinner tonight. I've been thinking some kind of soup would be nice....yeah, a steaming bowl of soup to warm you up on a 100 degree day....maybe I'll make chicken soup, and chicken salad. That way I have a hot/cold dinner. Sounds tasty I think.

Okay, I have finishedmy "healthy, ready to drink meal", and have the energy of a hundred women, so I had better get going on my house. Hmmmm, a journal entry alert....I suppose I could sit here for just one more minute....

Annoyed....

It is funny to me, how all of a sudden one can go from happy and content, to annoyed as all get out. We started our morning rather well, got up, dressed, went to church then home to have a nice family lunch.  After that it was off to Lowe's to buy paint for the girls rooms (finally). From there we headed to Sonic for an ice cream treat, then home to relax. I ended up falling asleep on the couch with hubby, and woke up to a horrible headache. Things just seemed to go downhill from there. Nothing earth shattering, just annoying.

Wee one kept coming in the room, giving me her walkie talkie in case she needed to ask me something from the computer room (one room away). Then, the girls decided to get out the guitar and "play". It sounded like a mexican restaurant in our living room....on and on and on they played. My head was pounding to a latin beat. Of course hubby was complaining that there is "nothing to eat in this house", even though I had just grocery shopped Thursday. Now, the neighbor kid is blasting his bass so loud my windows are reverberating, and SOMEONE was playing with my computer chair, and it will not go back. It's stuck in a completely upright position. My head is still pounding, the dog is whining, hubby wants to know when we (read "me") can put the bike on eBay (God forbid I sit down to read an e-mail and not actually do something), and now I've got two rooms that need to be painted along with two kids that are fighting over who's room gets done first. Did I mention my head feels like it's going to explode?!

I am looking at my classical music cd and wondering if listening to that will help soothe my frazzled nerves.Okay, the cd is in, and it's starting to work....it's a lovely cd....Bach with the sounds of the ocean waves in the background. Very relaxing....ahhhhhh, now if only I had some wine to go with it....*Cue child running into room whining....

Alright, quick update. I felt bad about writing a depressing entry, so I thought I'd ammend it by saying:

1. Dh made me a cup of strong coffee that all but cured the headache.

2. Wee one kissed me a hundred times and told me she loves me when I tucked her in.

3. Betsy thanked me for today and the paint, and kissed me goodnight as well.

4. I flossed my teeth, which, for some odd reason always makes me feel good.

5. I'm listening to a good song on AOL radio.

Okay, that's it....oh, and I read the comments from all my journal pals, which always makes me feel good....;o)

Saturday cleaning....

I ended up cleaning all day....we started by vacuuming the pool, then I decided to do an extra good job on the porch. I pine-sol'd the walls, vacuumed, powerwashed the furniture, moved things around....and of course replaced all the lawn ornaments. I have to say, the porch is sparkling clean and looks great.

Right now my parents are in the living room, watching tv with wee one, and Betsy just got out of the shower. I told her we "might" go to Sonic later for some ice cream. John is changing the oil in his truck, and running in and out of the house, telling me all about the people looking at our neighbor's house. He goes outside, takes a peek, then runs in here to give me the gossip....I swear....

I made an appointment for a cut and color on Tuesday. I really need to do something with this hair. I have blonde highlights that have grown out. You don't really notice them when I do my hair curly, but when I straighten it I look like crud. I don't like the blonde, as it seems to wash me out. I'm going to go as close to my natural color as I can get, with a little red thrown in to warm it up. Thursday is John's birthday and we are going to go out for the day, so I want to look good. I have no idea what to get him....although he will like anything I come up with.

Okay, I'm outta here for now....have a good one....

The aftermath....

Well, here we are, getting ready to go outside and clean up the aftermath of hurricane Charley. There have to be at least two twigs in the front yard, and a candy wrapper in the middle of the back yard....

Thank God we weren't hit. After my voice entry last night, the sprinkling stopped, and nothing happened. It's a gorgeous, sunny day outside. I'll bet those people at wal-mart yesterday are going to be eating canned soup for months! Honestly, I was getting worried by early evening. CBS had nothing on all day but a harried weather man, telling us that tornadoes and 100 mph wind gusts would be here during the night, and what to do and where to go. Shelters were set up, and people in mobile homes or on oxygen were supposed to evacuate. I guess we are lucky, as one of the counties in Fl. lost many lives and homes. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

On a brighter note, Martha (lifes2odd) is fine. She and her family were evacuated from their home, but were back within a few hours with no damage. I was very worried about her, being so close to where the hurricane hit land! I got an e-mail from her last evening, after she got home and they were all good. And of course Melissa and her family are safe as well....whew. So I guess the journalers of Florida made it through with flying colors....thank God!

Now I'm not sure what to do today. I was planning on a stormy weekend spent inside, lounging about, playing on the computer. Now that it is sunny, I will have to actually do something. I suppose I will get dressed and go outside to replace everything I packed into the porch. Crud. That's gonna take a while. Not to mention the decorative things I pulled out of the ground, and my little gnome....

Okay, I'm off to do some hot, sweaty work (now there's a mental image to start your day off with....). Gretchen....let us know you are okay, and you too Kim (edgebag), as I know SC was having some effects this morning.

Audio entry

And awayyyyy we go.....

I'm going to try to update a few times tonight, for those interested.

John had just put the generator in the porch, I mean litterally seconds before the rain came down. It was amazing....I ran to get my camera, and snapped these two pics, but had to get inside as the rain was coming down so hard I was getting soaked. Right now, it's a gentle shower, so this must be the beginning. Apparently we are in for bands of severe storms before the actual hurricaine. Oh joy.

I ordered pizza for dinner....here's hoping the guy makes it here before another downpour. I'm sure our satellite tv will be out most of the evening, so it will be movie night as well as pizza night....

Right now I'm going to go put my sheets in the dryer before the electric goes out. I highly doubt they will dry by candlelight....

I'm gettin nervous.....

Okay, I'm getting nervous now. They have been reporting on this hurricane all day. We are expecting the tornado warnings to begin around 8. Dh called and said we were going to put up the hurricane shutters when he gets home.

What have I been doing since I got home? Yup....cleaning. If my house is going to blow down, it's gonna damn well go down clean!

I'm praying for Melissa and also Martha (Lifes2odd), as she is in Sarasota where it is expected to hit shore. Prayers for everyone here in Florida would be greatly appreciated!

My visit with Charley....

Oh, come on....you knew what my graphic would be today! Actually, the storm should be on the left side to be accurate, but you get the idea. Well, Bonnie sped by with nothing more than a passing shower....however Charley is promising to be more of a problem. We are scheduled to start feeling the effects around 2 am Saturday morning. However, last evening there was a tornado touch down not far from here that damaged 100 buildings. No one was seriously hurt, thank God. I'm not too worried at this point, however, I am a bit apprehensive. I managed to snag 4 gallons of water at the grocery store yesterday, along with bread and canned goods....and of course the obligatory 3 boxes of sale priced Hostess snack cakes....priorities....

As suspected, the storm is all the kids can talk about, so I spent last evening fielding questions from wee one. "What happens if the electricity goes out? What will we do if we have to go to the bathroom? Will our house blow down?" Poor kid is having anxiety attacks already. I am trying to play it cool with her, letting her know that we will have storms, but that we will do everything we can to stay safe. And if we have to, we will leave the state....that may not have been the best thing to say, as her eyes got really wide at that point. *Sigh. It's hard to explain these things to a kid.

Last night I had to quiz Betsy on her Periodic table elements. Holy crap....she knew them all. I'm trying to guess them with her, "Ca....California?" Needless to say, I have crossed the profession of chemist off my possible career list. I am continuously amazed at Betsy's intelligence. She is one of those people who can read something once, and get it. I just hope that she utilizes this gift that God has blessed her with....she has a bright future ahead.

Well, it's time to get wee one dressed and ready for school. Today is mom's day out with the gal down the street. We are going to head over to Super Wal-Mart (Want to come along Cheezy? pmsl), and have lunch at What-A-Burger....mmmmm, hurricane burgers....

Mow betta blues....

Can you guess what I did today? I burned quite a few calories this morning, mowing my lawn. I was told not to by my dh this morning, as it is Betsy's job, but with the bad weather coming this way, if I didn't do it this morning, it wouldn't get done till Monday. We are supposed to be getting some of Bonnie's effects this afternoon in the form of thunder storms, and Charley will hit us even worse about 12 hours after that....that is if he stays on course. All I know is there is a gorgeous breeze out there, and it's been "cool" for the past two days. (Cool as in 80 instead of 90, and very little humidity).

Good 'ol Jeb has declared a "statewide weather emergency", which means they run the little warnings across the bottom of the tv screen every few minutes. "Stock up on batteries, flashlights, food and water." Seems to me if we are getting a hurricane, we should have plenty of water....dh moved the boat to the side of the house, and although I don't care for it, in a few days I might be glad we have it! LOL....we have our hurricaine shutters ready to go if we need them, and the generator is all gassed up. Frankly, I think we should leave tomorrow for the Carolinas and not look back....but, alas, we can not. Dang it.Of course, the Carolinas are in the path of it too....so I don't know what good that would do.

I'm sure that they will be going over some basic hurricane safety with the kids at school, which should sufficiently freak wee one out. She hasn't said much about it yet....but you know the closer the storms get, the more likely it is she will catch on. Hmmmm, maybe I should put an extra refil of my anxiety medication on my hurricane preparedness list....

I have to grocery shop tomorrow....oh joy. I've got my sales flyer right here. Let's peruse the deals....shall we? Okay, here's grapes for 99 cents a pound, 12 pack Pepsi products 3/$8, or perhaps buy 1 get one free Loreal shampoo....not bad. I was shocked at the prices of food when we first moved here. Up home I could buy a cake mix for .89, while here they are $1.89. Ridiculous! You definately have to wait for sales if you want to bake....well, that or make it from scratch. Which, when it comes to cakes, I usually don't.

I finally got my desk cleaned and organized....go me! I had an entire garbage bag of shredded insurance policies and such when I was finished. I keep opening the drawers to admire my work....how sick is that?

Okay, I've done all the writing I should for now. I have to get going....the bathroom doesn't clean itself you know....

Run, run as fast as you can....

Yes, this is how I feel right now. Since the girls have started back to school, I'm running around like a complete nut! I get up early, I sign papers, I pack lunches....and then of course they come home with the usual; "Your child needs $5/$10/$15 for _____", which means running to the bank for cash (why oh why don't the schools take checks????). Now today I have to go get the school supplies that Betsy needs. I should have known better than to try to pre-buy for her. There are always such specifics....she can have a three ring binder with three dividers OR a three subject notebook, but it must have perferated edges for that "tidy" look. Okay, I've got plenty of time to walk around the school supply section, digging through massive piles of notebooks for just the right one. Good thing I just looked at her paper, as she also needs index cards and a "small pocket calculator capable of scientific notation"....

As for wee one, I need to send in my $5 for the PTA, so that their room can have 100% participation, which I always do. Oh! And they accept checks for this one....great. However, I do need to go buy her a new water bottle for her desk, as she lost hers on the bus yesterday. Actually, she had gotten it free at a church function, and the seal was broken so it leaked....so I suppose she was due for a new one anyway. I'm going to splurge and get her a nice Rubbermaid one. No more wet bookbags this year!

Okay, I've GOT to get off my butt and start my day. I am beginning to get sleepy sitting here. Have a good one....

 

Oh happy day....

Well, the first day of school was a great success. Wee one came home and said as soon as she got off the bus, "MY TEACHERS ARE THE GREATEST IN THE SCHOOL!" Oh man, you don't know how happy I was to hear that. She went on to talk non-stop the entire 1/4 mile walk home. She said that they played "hello bingo" to get to know their fellow classmates, took a pre-spelling test which she only missed one word on (nephew), and everyone told her that her luch box was the "coolest". I bought her two this year, one with a compartment at the bottom for hot or cold items (the one she took today), and one that has Spongebob on it and looks like a bowling bag. I'm so happy that she enjoyed it....however, they moved her teacher from last year to 5th grade, and she went through an entire summer of workshops to learn to teach better....oh joy.

Betsy said her day was great. Her chemistry teacher is a retired military helicopter pilot and has a great sense of humor. She said that she thinks she will enjoy the class. She said her english lit. teacher is also the cheerleading coach, 23, thin, cute....I don't like her already! LOL....just kidding. She said that she is very sweet and personable. Bets has her "skit partner" over right now working on some Drama homework, and as for her photography class, she didn't say how it was. I'm just happy that she is happy.

And what, do you ask, did I do today? Well, I would like to say that it involved lounging by the side of the pool with bon-bons and a good book, however, it really involved Pledge and Windex. I organized a few things, rearranged knick knacks, etc. It was a great day....alone in the house with no one to disturb the freshly fluffed pillows, or walk on the sunburst pattern vacuumed floors. As Mr. Burns might say...."Excellent...."

Well, I'm off to finish dinner. I've made cinnamon rice krispy treats so far, and cooked the bacon. I will be making biscuits and gravy as well as eggs for the kids....yummy....and so very good for my diet.

Little of this, little of that....

Well, it is the eve of the first day of school for the 2004/2005 school year. The girls are tucked snugly into bed, clothes are laid out, backpacks are packed and lunches are made. I just can't believe it's time to return to school! I am rather depressed tonight. I will be so lonely tomorrow. (Okay, give me a week and I'll be over it....) Still, I will miss my girls....

The pool is still green. We went back to the place today and told them, and the guy is going to actually call the company and find out what we should do, as they are "only really equipped to test the water, no one really  knows much about it." WTF? Then why do you sell it? I went on their word that they knew what they were doing! He did, however, say that he would ask if adding the wrong thing (they told me to do it), is causing the right chemicals not to work. Of course, if they tell him yes, there is no guarantee he will pass it on. I think I might give the company a call myself for some ammo of my own. In any case, I will bet by Wednesday we will be draining our pool. *Sigh.

My back hurts! I've been ironing all day and doing last minute wash. I also cleaned out our walk in closet and ended up with 2 bags for good will and one of garbage. I made dh try on all his pants to see what fit, and what didn't. He is such a baby! I threw away half of his crap....things he hasn't worn since we got here, yet wants to keep. Well, don't tell him but when he wasn't looking, I stuffed a bunch of things into the garbage bag. Oooooh, I'm a bad girl! We went to Wal-Mart and I got one of those storage bags where you vacuume out the air for my wedding dress. I had been storing it in a bag inside a stroller box (my baby shower gift for Betsy's birth). Yeah, I know, how sentimental, huh? Wee one was walking around the house in my wedding veil and shoes....Anyway, the closet is gorgeous now and yes, I gave away a ton of my old stuff too. The girls are going back to school, and I need to replace half my wardrobe....COINCIDENCE?  I think not....

By the way, I would like to introduce a new journal that I have recently read. She is a newlywed from Texas, and a real sweetheart. You can find her here, TexasinHeart. She has posted beautiful pics of her wedding....oh to be young and just beginning again! On second thought, I don't think I'd have the patience to train my hubby all over again! LOL....

Okay, I'm off to bed, as my early mornings start again tomorrow. Nighty night!

It's not easy cleaning green....

 Yes, my pool is very green, and very scary. I have spent a small fortune trying to get it clear using algaecide, shock, calcium, alkalinity, and stabalizer. All on the professional recommendation of my local pool store. So, frustrated I go in today and when I take the water to be tested he asks how the pool looks. I say, "CRAPPY!" He nervously laughs and I explain I use REVACIL not CHLORINE and he looks at me with this "awww man" look. He gets the local expert who in turn asks me what I've put into it. I rattle off my list and he stops me. "You put in stabalizer?"...."Yes, they told me to."...."Are you sure you put that in?"...."Yes, right there, those bottles."....he has this look of oh crap on his face. He then explains to me that whoever told me to do that was WRONG. He said it was for chlorinated pools and points it out on the lable. I tell him I realized that, and reminded the guy twice that I was NOT using chlorine, and he still told me to use it. Not once, but TWICE. So, he comps me a bunch of chemicals, and tells me what to do. I walk away with $50 of chemicals and am now in the process of trying to fix the pool again. Sheesh! He promised that by tomorrow, it should be a cloudy blue, then with a few days of filtering, I should be back to crystal clear. What did I tell you? Just in time for the girls to go back to school. Oh, the joys of pool ownership....

Apart from that, nothing much is going on today. I'm waiting for dh to come inside so we can decide if we are going anywhere. The cold front from Canada has swept through, and we are at a chilly 87 right now, so we might as well take advantage of it. Perhaps we will head out to St. Augustine....although with the weather, everyone and his brother probably have the same idea.

Okay, the bell is dinging, and it's time to add 2 gallons of shock....here's hoping....

Yeah Baby!!!!

Guess what came in the mail today....come on, give it a guess....oh yeah, my new freaking computer! It is wonderful. I am online in a flash. Webpages? Better not blink or you will miss them appearing....I'm thrilled. The first thing I did? Got a firewall and virus protection....I don't want anything happening to this guy. I couldn't choose a name for him, but I knew that I wanted it to be representative of the good ol days. When men were men....reliable, dependable....so I named him "BobandBing" As in Hope and Crosby. I think it suits him well.

Today I went with wee one to orientation at her school. I have to say, I am absolutely thrilled with her teachers. She has a class of 34 students, and two teachers who will be team teaching. She has the best of both worlds because one teacher has been teaching 4th grade for 29 years (experience) and the other, a man, is in his second year of teaching (new, creative ideas). They were so personable, and there is obviously a lot of respect between the two. Here's hoping her year is 100 times better than last.

Wee one is having trouble deciding if she should apply for the "safety patrol". They get sashes and get to direct kids through the halls, help visitors find their way, and, most importantly, "correct" fellow classmates who might be running through the halls. She was all excited about it....until we came home and she told Betsy. "Wow, you are going to sign up to be on the weiner patrol?" (This was an Anjelica moment, btw). Now wee one is having second thoughts. Of course, I'll just tell her that Betsy is jealous because the schools back in Indiana didn't have a patrol, and she never was one.

I have wrist cramps from filling out forms, and signing permission slips. I think there is a total of 11 that I will be sending back with her. I was also the only one who signed up to be head room mother. As I was signing the sheet, one woman looks at me and says, "Oh, you are brave....I signed up to be a helper." What she doesn't realize is, as "head room mother", I get to delegate all the "gruntwork" to the helpers, then just sit back and enjoy. Yup, I'm brave alright....smart too.

Well, I think I will close now, and go off to surf the web at lightning speed. OH! I also want to give a big congratulations to Monica for being in the Editor's top 5 this week....she is so deserving! Also, a welcome home to Sully....we missed ya girl! (Links to these two wonderful and smart ladies are to the right....) Night all!

Have patients, have patients, don't be in such a hurry....

8888:^)  <~~~~Marge Simpson

Does anyone remember the song from my subject line? When I was a kid, we had a religious children's album, and I can't remember the name of it. It had to do with some kind of mystery musical machine, and the songs taught lessons. One of the songs, that I can remember most of the lyrics to, was sung by a snail and went, "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry. When you get impatient you only start to worry. Remember, remember, that God has patience too, and think of all the times when others have to wait for you...." That is one of those songs that just sticks with you, and stays in your mind for hours (or in my case, years). Anyway, I should heed those words while using this laptop, as I can't even pull up my mail without sitting here for 10 minutes (per e-mail!) I am trying to use the tracking site for my new computer, however, even that won't pull up! Here's hoping they are still on time, and tomorrow I will receive my precious bundle of technological joy!

I spent the morning vacuuming my pool....it's still green. I got a lot of the algae out, and gave it another whopping dose of the chemicals. It should be back to sparkling blue water just in time for the girls to go back to school. Wee-one has her orientation tomorrow. She has been wearing her new gym shoes in the house today, trying to break them in. I wouldn't let her wear them outside, but she did manage to sneak out of the house and into the car with them, as we headed out to visit my grandmother. Little stinker! I have a huge bag for good will, of clothes she has grown out of. She must have grown a foot over the summer! She put on a pair of jeans and could barely snap them. When she sat down her stomach hung a bit over the waistband. She started laughing and said, "Hey, I look just like Daddy!" Out of the mouths of babes!

I am on day 4 of my "thick, delicious shakes". And, to be honest, they are still "thick" and "palatable".  I really don't mind them at all, but only in the chocolate flavor. I tried the cappuccino flavor, on the advice of my sister....horrible! And the strawberry smells good, but is a bit lacking. No way will I try the banana (gag!). So, I guess I'll just stick with the chocolate. I know I tried vanilla once, but Idon't remember how it was. Chalky probably....

I don't know why I've been feeling old lately. I suppose it's having a sophomore and a 4th grader. I remember so clearly being both of those ages. Perhaps, too, it's the aging of my parents, my dad's sickness, the possibility of alzheimers with my grandmother. And to top it off, I just saw a commercial on Nickelodeon, advertising the Rugrat's special "Angelica turns 13!" 13???? I remember when she was a precocious 3 year old. Where has the time gone? We used to call Betsy "Anjelica" after wee one was born, because she acted so much like her. She would get so mad at us for calling her that. It was cute....how I miss those days!

Well, it's after nine, and I'm going to try to track my purchase one more time....if I start loading the page now, I may get to bed by midnight....

Audio entry

Waiting is the hardest part....

;o)

Like my graphics? I don't pay for these....

I am having trouble with my pool. Have you seen "Vacation", where the kids run up to the pool, only to stop short when they see the lovely green water? Well, that's what's happening here. Between the excessive heat and rain, I've got a cauldrin of some strange elixer, brewing in my back yard. I went to the pool supply place again today, and got the necessary products to bring me back to "sparkling blue" water. All I can say is if $75 worth of chemicals doesn't fix it, I'm going to close it down early! Betsy vacuumed it today and it did look better. Of course, I just finished putting in the last of the new chemicals, and it is thundering outside. *Sigh.

I just got a notice that my new computer shipped today....yee ha! I can't wait to get it. I really shouldn't have spent the money....I feel guilty about it. But, I only got the tower as my moniter is fine, so that cut the price. I also buy reconditioned which usually cuts the price by half. Morty was reconditioned, and lasted over 6 years....and for a few hundred, I could probably have him fixed and use him as a backup. I will probably do that after the new guy is paid for. Hmmmm, I have to think of a new name for this one....I'll have to wait to see him in person in order to name him....

Dh is outside working on my van. Apparently my sway bar didn't have as much "sway" as I thought it did while making a tight u-turn....needless to say since that day I've been hearing an ominous "clunk" under the floorboards whenever I made a left hand turn. Luckily the part was only $28....and the labor is free, being that my hubby is a car whiz. Well, I will probably have to pay him with a good dinner and possibly some special "dessert"....lol....

Okay, I forgot that I was on this laptop and that only one in four of my entries actually save....have a great evening!

 

I'm baaaack.....

 

:o\

Well, it's been almost a week since my last update....

Unfortunately Mortimer, my beloved computer has fallen ill with a nasty virus and it will cost more to fix him than replace him. So, in 3-5 days my new computer will arrive, and Morty will get a short but sweet service and burial....in lieu of flowers, please send cash to help defray the cost of replacing him....

In the mean time, I am on my old lap top with a whopping 32 RAM. For fun, I also set up our old Packard Bell computer, which has 23 RAM. Actually, I think the hard drive runs on a hampster in a wheel....it was fun, though, reading through old documents, looking at old paint pictures Betsy did as a 9 year old....and listening to all the soundwaves I had for my chats in Mom's Online and Parent Soup. Wee-one wants it set up in her room so she can play Mavis Beacon's Typing for Kids. Betsy learned on that program and types 95 wpm.

Okay, I'm going to go and try to save this. Here's hoping! I am keeping up with reading my alerts, and commenting when my computer lets me....