Just a bunch of nothing....

I took some pics of my highlights, but they didn't turn out very well. They look really bright with the flash on, but you couldn't see them without it. Plus, I was taking the pics myself and you know how that goes. I decided to go sans makeup today, so there was no way you were going to get a face shot! LOL....I'll do one later. I'm feeling lazy.

Well, not lazy, but depressed. I don't know why. I just feel like crud. I know that I should be counting all of the wonderful blessings that I have in my life....but all I can seem to focus on are the non-blessings. I'm in such a funk. I knew it was bad when I cried at the end of the show I was watching....Food Network's "Championship Pie Challenge"....when the old lady finally won the coveted blue ribbon she had been after for so long. Yeah, there is definately something wrong when I'm weeping over cherry berry pie....

I spent my Sunday buying tons of Christmas decorations, lights, ornaments, lawn decor....I thought it would make me feel better. It did....for about 3 hours. Now I just feel crappy whilst sitting in a nicely decorated house. Sigh.

I did finish all of my laundry and ironing yesterday, so that was a good thing. I also watched The Secret Window while ironing. Talk about creepy! It was really good though.

Okay, I'm off to finish cleaning then I have a few errands to run....have a good one.

Saturday....

This morning I woke up and decided I would wash my hair with a really detergent-y (is that a word?) shampoo and see what happened. I ended up with lather that looked like scoops of orange sherbet. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. I had to use two different shampoos....one for the top where the color was so bad, and a medicated one for the back since I must have been allergic to whatever she put on my head, and spent the night scratching my scalp to a lovely shade of crimson. The shampoo made no difference....the color remained. Somewhere between copper penny and prison issue orange. So....I called the salon and thank goodness she was working "on call". I had the receptionist give her a jingle....and two hours later she called me back. I went in and she toned it down quite a bit....and I have to say I'm much happier.

She said that when she was in the back mixing her concoction, she had to use more than last time because my hair was so much longer. The stylist with her told her to double the powder....but she didn't think that she should. They discussed it and for some reason....she decided to go ahead and take the other woman's advice. Whatever....just get the flames off my head! LOL....I will take some pics tomorrow, as I just finished watching Madagascar with dh and wee one, and I was laying down, smooshing my do.

I also re-colored Betsy's hair today. Feria came out with a new product for black hair, that is supposed to lighten it up a few shades. We tried it and while her hair is still darker than her normal color, it looks better. That stuff just was NOT washing out. I told her she is never EVER going to color her hair at home again. EVER. I. MEAN. IT.  She is going to have to go in and have a few inches cut off though. It's pretty damaged on the ends now.  Is there an over the counter shampoo that works as good as the professional ones? Every time I ask they try to sell me the $26 per bottle stuff. I know it probably is the best....but can't they just tell me what to use if I don't happen to have $26 for freaking shampoo? Melissa? What do you think?

Anyhoo....Madagascar was a really cute movie. I stopped at Target today to pick up the hair color and it was on sale. Wee one watched it this afternoon, then again with us tonight. I made some homemade potato bacon soup and apple cinnamon cookies, and we had a little picnic in the living room. It was soooo freaking good!

Oh, and yes, the girls made it all night out in the tree house! They said it was "awesome" and "so cool". LOL....JB said that was worth all the hours of work....awwww. Listening to the girls chattering away last night was so funny. I heard, "He was TOTALLY looking at you!" "I know he was!" "He is so TOTALLY CUTE!!!!" They are too funny....even Betsy was laughing. All three girls have blonde hair, and they all had pony tails and hoodies on. They are still in the adorable stage, but you can see that puberty is on the horizon! Sheesh....why do they grow up so fast????

That was pretty much our day. Betsy is at her friend's house for the night and tomorrow they are going to a concert. I suppose the three of us will go to church, and then I'd like to go to the store and get some Christmas lights. We are due for some new ones for the outside. Yippee!!!! I found a Santa gnome today....but I didn't buy it. I don't know why. Well, yes, because I got wee one three tops and a pair of pants instead. Maybe next time.

Okay, I'm going to go braid wee one's hair (dear Lord, please let her have brushed it before she got into the tub!), and relax. I got no sleep last night. Well, I did get some sleep but woke up with two numb shoulders from being squished into the corner, and a bout of seasickness from him tossing and turning all night in the tiny little bed. Then he has the audacity to get up and say, "I slept horribly. I should have slept in our bed." Well duhhhhh.....didn't I tell you to do that in the first place? MEN!

Highlights....

I'm not sure what I think of my new $125.00 highlights. I know....I didn't expect the sticker shock either. Last time I was there she colored and highlighted and it was $95. I don't know what happened since March. I think this time she charged me separately for both processes. I picked out a richer, deeper base color....a lovely deep chocolate color with a hint of red. For the highlights, a brighter red....but not shocking. I think she left me under the dryer too long with the foils....my highlights are looking more pumpkin orange as the night goes on....I'm not sure if I'm happy with it. Not only that, the color seems to be much stronger at the top (where most of the heat was), than at the bottom. I think I may call her and ask that she tone it down a bit. When I picked the girls up from school this afternoon, I didn't mention my hair....and they didn't notice it until I said something. But when I pointed out my copper penny coif, they both looked at me and said, "Ohhhhhh. Yeah, now I see it." They said it looks good....but I still don't know. My mom liked it....and John didn't notice it either. When I pointed it out to him, he walked all around my head, hesitated for a split second, and then said he liked it. Hmmmmm.....I will see what happens over the weekend, as she doesn't work again until Monday. If it doesn't wash out a bit....as red usually does on me....I may be returning on Monday.

In other news....wee one is having two of her girlfriends over to spend the night in the tree house. JB brought home a box heater for the cool evening air, and we put the tv/dvd player up there as well. We stopped at the store after school for the usuals....bagel bites, push ups and grape Crush in bottles....oh, to be a kid again! As Betsy was watching wee one pondering the various bags in the snack aisle, she said to me, "I wish I were a kid again." LOL....welcome to my world....

DH was a sweetie tonight and got some Mickey D's for us. I was not in the mood to cook....but now, I'm regretting it. My tummy doesn't feel too good. That's twice today I didn't have a good feeling about something, did it anyway, and was sorry with the results. Dang it.

We are still waiting for one little girl to get here. I am the designated "waiter"....as you can't hear the doorbell in either end of the house. So here I sit, whilst Betsy is in her room watching a movie, JB is in the living room doing the same, and the girls are in MY room watching Nickelodeon. Tonight I am sleeping in wee one's room, with the window open so that I can hear the girls if they need me. JB was not happy with that idea and has said he is going to sleep with me. I don't know if he is insane or what....but we aren't in the same shape we were back in the day....there is no way both of our "ample butt's" are going to fit on a twin mattress! LOL....He thinks it will be "romantic" and "cozy". I think it will be "cramped" and "annoying"!

I don't think we have any plans for the weekend thus far. Mom is coming over in the morning so that JB can do her brakes, and that's about as far as the plans go. I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving already! I have to get going on the turkey bingo game I promised for wee one's party....not to mention I was chosen to bring mashed potatoes for the dinner at school. No sweat, I thought. I'll just get two containers of the pre-made stuff....badda bing badda bang....we have potatoes! However, wee one said, "Oh mom, pleeeeeeeeease make your homemade ones!" Crap. How can I say no to that?

 

This is so cool....giggle....

Give AOL a "pound"-ing....go HERE!!!!

Whatever....

It's amazing what 24 hours can bring. We have gone from a family community of journaling friends to a community divided over banner ads and privacy. I agree that AOL has made a huge error in judgment in putting the ads in our journals. I can understand why the Aim users would have them, but paying customers? I thought that was part of what I got when I agreed to pay for this service. And the reason I chose AOL in the first place was for the sense of community. I was more than happy to pay my $24.95 for easy to navigate message boards (gone), fun, hosted chats where I could meet with other sahm's for a delightful trivia game on Fridays (gone). I loved the fact that our Journaling community had our own little page of AOL journalers, and the excitement of seeing who would make the top five every week (gone). It was like a little family back in the day....but, alas, like most good things it is coming to an end.

AOL is striving to be like all the other ISP's out there, giving up quality for quantity. Well, I tell you what....if someone came out with a service that was full of the things AOL once had, you can bet I'd be one of the first to sign up. I like the quality....and I will gladly pay for it too. I do not like what has happened, it is wrong on so many levels....however, I don't know that at this point I want to leave and start over somewhere else. I have made friends here....lots of them. They are real friends who I care about. I read about them every day....I feel like I'm a part of their lives, and that they are a part of mine. I like this little world I, and others have created and become a part of. I guess the question is....should I let AOL and their advertising drive me away from my happy place? At this point, I'm saying no. For me, I've decided to sit back and see where things go. I know that the banners are here to stay....the loss of membership will be a drop in the bucket to the revenue they will reap with the advertising. Do I agree with it? No. Will I ever click on one of the ads and give them my business? No. I guess that will be my protest for the time being.

There are so many other issues lately that have gotten me down, that I just want to crawl into a hole, and hide out until it passes by. Then again....it's in the passing by that life happens. The good and the bad. It just seems like it's getting harder and harder to keep a happy attitude.

And so, on that jovial note, I shall go and vacuum something.....my answer to all of life's little foibles!

WTH AOL????

What is going on with AOL???? I click on to my happy place (i.e. this journal), and there is no button to add an entry....yet there is a huge BANNER AD on my PAID AOL ACCOUNT JOURNAL. Hello???? I am not using a freebie AIM account, I do not need advertising on my journal thank you very much. This is getting rather frustrating. I am doing this entry via a different browser, thanks to suggestions on the Journals message board. Hopefully this is a one time glitch and things will be up and running again soon.

Anyhoo....

Yesterday I did a bad, bad thing. I didn't mean to do it, but it was one of those things that you just can't help. I took wee one to school in the morning, and dropped her off at the usual time. I left the parking lot and merged into the usual bumper to bumper traffic that is Jacksonville Florida. I was cruising along at a minimal speed with the usual fellow driver up my butt....I had just looked in my rear view mirror to check on how close she was behind me, when I caught a bit of furry movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and there on the sidewalk was a squirrel, trying to decide if he should cross the street or not.

Furiously, I began sending subliminal messages to him. "No, don't, stay right where you are! I can't stop or I'll be rear ended! Please, for the love of Pete stay where you are!" He must have been receiving them because he would start....stop....step off the curb....turn....go....no....stop....ummmm....turn.....and then things went into slow motion....

::begin tragic music here::

Slowly, my head turned toward the little guy, just as he began his tragic run across the street. As our eyes met, a lifetime of words passed between us, although neither of us could voice them. I saw the anguish in his eyes as he ran, knowing that he would not make it. And in mine, I hope that he read the sorrow I was feeling as I continued on, not being able to break. As we moved closer to one another, I could see a look of acceptance come over him, as if to say, "It was inevitable....if you hadn't gotten me, it would have been someone else. Don't worry....I'll be fine." Silently I nodded and for a moment, we hung there, suspended in space and time, knowing that the world would go on....and then came the sound no one wants to hear. The quick THUD that let me know Mr. Squirrel had gone on to a better place. A paradise of traffic free roads....fields full of nuts and corn cobs....a place where he can run free for the rest of his days. I did sneak a peek in my rear view mirror and saw that indeed, he was....well....no more. I felt horrible.

Later on in the day, when I picked wee one up, I again had to pass over the "spot" where the tragedy happened. However, I did not see a body....my spirits lifted....perhaps I just stunned the little guy and he got up and ran away! I was feeling much better. I could just see him sitting at the dinner table with friends, a little bandage on his head, telling his amazed friends how he cheated death once again. However....this story has a sad ending. This morning after dropping wee one off I realized why I had not seen him....he was really, really flat. Had the sun not been shining down on the pavement, I would have continued to believe that I had missed him and that he had somehow escaped the tragedy that had befallen him.  I know that it was not intentional, yet still, I feel sad.  I called my husband immediately after it happened for support. He said, "You did WHAT????" Wow honey, thanks for the kind words! Sheesh.

Anyway, that is my tragic story for the day. I think I'll spend the rest of the day in quiet contemplation of the meaning of life....sigh.

Sunday night....

Ahhhh, it's a nice, quiet Sunday night....the MIL is back home  again in Indiana and things have gotten back to normal here. We spent the day putzing around the house....which was just what I needed. I cleaned the entire kitchen....moving things around, washing down all of the cabinets and the baseboards, organizing the fridge/freezer and pantry. I keep going in there looking at it and feeling all warm inside. It looks great! I even steam cleaned my rugs. Yesterday I helped Betsy move her room around before she went to work. It was her suggestion, not mine. She came into the computer room and said, "Mom, I just have the urge to move my furniture....I want it to feel cozy for the winter."  Ahhhhh, a girl after my own heart! I have to say we did a great job and it looks wonderful.

 Saturday we saw Wallace and Gromit, The Curse of the Were Rabbit. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly suggest you do. It was wonderful! Both kids and adults will love it. The girls laughed through the entire thing.  The theater was pretty empty, being that Chicken Little was playing at the same time. We saw the previews to that one and it looks pretty entertaining.

I can't believe it's the middle of November already. It seems like it's September with the warm weather. It is supposed to get into the mid 70's at the end of the week....well whoop de do. Wee one and I were just in the bedroom watching Home Alone and when they showed the outside of Kevin's house, she said to me, "Now THAT is what Christmas should be like." I have to agree with her there. It just isn't Christmas without snow....however unless it "freezes over" here (and yes, I am implying something by saying that! LOL), we won't be enjoying a White Christmas.

Well....I suppose I shall be off. Time for the Simpsons and then it's bedtime for the wee one. Night all....