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....