Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Fun With Blogrolls

OR, the one where I was really bored and this is what happened...

There Once Was A Girl who grew into a Busy Mom . It didn't bother her that amongst the other moms she was considered a White Trash Mom . She thought herself, instead, more of an Average Mom with Tightknit Mom tendencies who always aspired to be a laid-back and casual Sweatpants Mom. She would often daydream Of Socks and Men while living her true-life Adventures In Parenting and writing her memoirs titled Chronicles of an Exhausted Mom under the pseudynym of Babaloooo (yes, I know I don't have my own blog on my blogroll, but this is my time wasting, blog filler excuse for a post, so I'll just take that liberty). Most of her life was an Open Book and with her bunch of kids that took up Half of the Sky, she was one Crazy Momcat most of the time.

In other (non-related) news:

Did you hear what's going on in Jodi's World? She left her job as a Socialworker/Frustrated Mom and moved to Vegas to become The Great Sparlini! I mean one minute she's all Debbiedoeslife and the next she's all "Nothing To See Here, I'm moving on and am no longer The Kept Woman."

Yeah, whatever. I'm always the last to know. I mean, things like This Could Only Happen To Me, right? And, can somebody please tell me, What About Mommy? I never get a good answer to that question. You don't have to be a Sarcastic Journalist to do a little Soul Gardening amidst all the Suburban Turmoil. So come on, you can be Mommy Off The Record and tell me. ..
Exactly what is a Niihaus? Is it the kind of Joy Unexpected you experience on your first trip to Mamaritaville?

Luckily (for anyone reading today) I don't have a longer blogroll.

Thanks for playing.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The Joys of Being 7

According to Buzz...

When there is a hundred fun and interesting things to do... there’s nothing to do.

However, when you are stuck at your mom’s office for the day and there is nothing fun or interesting to do... calling mommy on her office phone from her cell phone is the funniest thing ever!!

When you run into your mom’s boss in the restroom, it is fun to describe to your mom the way he washes his hands... even funnier is the pained expression on your mom’s face when you tell her the story...

It isn’t too important to match.

It is fun to put pretzel sticks between your fingers and pretend you are the guy from X-Men.

The thought of going to McDonald’s makes everything okay with the world.

You still love your mom and aren’t ashamed to yell it out in public.

Having an ATM card means you always have money.

You are clever enough to get on the internet with your mom’s cell phone... without being quite accountable for charges that occur.

When you grow up and have a lot of money you want to buy your dad a new car...so when he picks you up you will have air-conditioning.

It is fun to leave yourself messages on the answering machine... so you can hear what your voice sounds like.

Monday, August 07, 2006

And Then There Was One

Well, for one week anyway.

Buzz and I just took Woody to the airport. He is flying up to Portland to visit with my aunt and uncle for one week. This a tradition that started when my daughter was younger. Back then, we used to have a "ladies only" family get together at my aunt's beach house. The boys were allowed because they were little and didn't have to much testoserone pumping through them yet. Or at least not enough to complain about our female oriented activities. The annual event was called the "E (estrogen) Weekend" After the "e weekend" my daughter would stay an extra week with my aunt and get completely spoiled. Now it's Woody's turn. I talked to her last night and she said the first thing they were going to do was go to the grocery store and pick out all his favorite foods. After that, she said, they were going to go to Nike Town. This is all before he unpacks his suitcase! (((sigh))) He'll never want to come home!

The airport was a zoo, but we got him off okay. As we said goodbye, he told me not to cry. When did he start taking care of me? He looked so grown up getting on that plane all by himself. It sure will be quiet without him.

So, Buzz? What do you want to do this week while your brother is gone?

Buzz: Can we go to Denny's?

Denny's?

Buzz: I really want pancakes. Can we go?


So, it will be quiet.... but with pancakes!

Friday, August 04, 2006

Most Quotable Friday - a parable

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength.

Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
"Sensei," the boy finally said, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

- Author unknown

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Kitty Kismet, part 2

So, I ended up taking two kittens. I had the tan colored one, that I picked originally, and the little reddish, orange one whose mom picked me. I learned pretty fast how to take care of them. I learned, for example, that when I found kitty poop in my shoes that meant the litter box needed changing. I learned that the couch will be scratched (and ruined) whether I liked it or not and that I will share my bed and that the areas behind my knee caps are reserved for the cats on especially cold nights.
About 6 months later, on New Year’s Eve, I came home from a night of celebrating only to find that my kitties were gone! The next afternoon, when they didn’t come home my anxiety turned into despair. I combed the neighborhood looking for them but didn’t see any sign. They were gone. Two days later I heard a “meow” outside the window and when I went to look it was PC, the reddish, orange cat! I opened the door and without any invitation he walked in like he had only been gone for 10 minutes! The other one never showed up and I, to this day, never found out what happened to him, nor where PC been for three days.
Fast forward to 3 and-a-half years later. It is summer again and a lot of changes have taken place. I was now married, raising two (step) children and had just given birth to my first child. For many reasons we (hubby and I) decided that we needed to find another home for PC. It was a very hard decision for me to make and I had put it off for as long as I could. Besides being completely overwhelmed with a new baby, taking care of two children and dealing with a lot of extended family strife, we were also keeping the fact that we had a cat on the down-low from the property managers because we were not allowed to have pets. Unfortunately, with everything going on in my life, my precious kitty who used to be number one on my priority list was slowly moving down the totem pole into obscurity as well as becoming a source of conflict between hubby and I. Hubby complained about the smell, the cat hair and the scratching of the furniture and I could not keep justifying it. Things came to a head one evening when hubby went to check on the baby, who was napping in his crib, and found the cat in there with him. He had a fit and I lost my resolve.
I conceded and began asking around to see if anyone could or wanted to take my cat. A former co-worker agreed to take him He had been wanting to get a pet for his 4 year-old daughter and plans were made. We arranged to meet and said our final goodbyes in a Tony Roma’s parking lot. As I stroked his head and looked into his eyes for the last time, I felt the strangest sensation that he understood that we were saying goodbye and that it would be the last time he would see me. With a heavy heart I watched him drive off.

A few hours later the phone rang and it was my former co-worker. “Babaloo,” he said. “Something is wrong with the cat. He is totally throwing up and making gagging noises.”
Hearing the alarm in his voice, I tried my best to calm him and reassure him that the cat hadn’t been sick and that most likely it was his own hair that he was throwing up and to make sure he had plenty of water.

Two hours later he called back. “Babaloo,” he said. “The cat is dead...he’s...totally dead. I don’t know what to do.”
OMG, I totally freaked out. How is that possible? I just had him in my arms. How could he just die like that? He was only 4 years-old. He was never sick a day in his life. Then, it struck me as I remembered that last moment we shared together. He knew he was never going to see me again. Somehow, he knew. Is it possible he died of a broken heart? It was both a disturbing as well as a comforting thought. And? I really didn’t have any other explanation. We had a connection and once it was broke, he broke as well.

The End

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Kitty Kismet, part I

It was the middle of summer and I was staying with friends for a few weeks while the place I was moving into was getting ready. My friends' place was a modest two-bedroom apartment in cozy four-plex style complex. There was a friendly cat that belonged to one of the neighbors that just had kittens. She was very sweet and would come by once and a while for a little attention and an occasional scratch behind the ears when I was sitting outside. After saying hello and making small talk with the neighbors they asked if I would like to take one of their kittens when I moved. I’d never had a cat before (I’d never had any kind of pet before except a gold fish growing up) so with the enthusiasm of someone who didn't know what they’re doing, I excitedly picked out tan colored kitten. I went over a few times a week to check on my new kitten. In the litter was a tiny little reddish/orange ball of fluff that couldn’t open its eyes. He was the runt of the litter, I was told. They weren’t sure if he was even going to make it or if he would ever open his eyes. I felt sorry for the little guy as the other kittens would come over for some attention and he would stay quietly by himself. Once the kittens were old enough to be weaned from their mom they began to leave the apartment one by one to their new homes.
One day, shortly before I was to move into my new place, I was sitting alone in my friend’s living room. It was very warm and I had the sliding door open in hopes of catching a late afternoon breeze. As I looked up from what I was doing, I saw the mom cat walk right in to my friends' apartment. She meowed at me a few times then walked back out. I didn’t know if she wanted me to follow her (like some kitty version of Lassie. Was someone in trouble? Did they need my help?) and I was just about to get up and look for her out of the window when she returned. With her was her littlest kitten, the reddish, orange one that couldn’t open its eyes. It followed right behind her into the apartment. Intrigued, I sat back down and watched as she brought the little thing about four feet away from me and slowly, methodically began cleaning his face. She kept at it until all the build up around his eyes was cleaned away and he opened his eyes, for what was probably the first time. And? They were gorgeous! The most incredible aqua marine color I had ever seen in a feline before. Satisfied with her work, she looked at me one more time, meowed and walked out the door. BY HERSELF. The little kitten and I just stared at eachother in bewilderment. I asked him, “Does that mean you’re mine now?”

To Be Continued...

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Blown Away...


By the news, the gifts, the surprise get-away and the chocolate! Where to start?

The news: I was out with the kids Friday evening when I got a call from #91. He wanted to know if I'd be home later because he had some "stuff" to tell me and wanted to come over. *Groan* He had stuff? That he had to tell me in person? Hmm. My first thought was he needed money. My second thought was that his little brother (from his bio-mom) needed help. As I wondered aloud these two possibilities, Woody (in all his 11 y/o wisdom) said he bet it was because he was getting married. Then? It clicked. I bet his GF is pregnant. I hate it when I'm right.

She is due in April... more to follow.

The gifts: Wow. The boys kept telling me they were going to get me endless varieties of chocolate for my birthday, so imagine my surprise when I peeked in the gift bag they presented and saw... jewelry boxes! They gave me the most beautiful and feminine watch I've ever seen, which hubby said was thoughtfully and carefully picked out by Buzz. In the other box was a gorgeous silver heart pendant with a delicate little design that (I'm told) was equally, thoughtfully picked out by Woody! Hubby also gave me some perfume from Victoria's Secret and, gulp, 40 long stem roses!

The surprise get-away: And, if the gifts weren't enough, Hubby arranged for us to have dinner and spend the night in Monterey. Just the two of us! Alone! What a perfect night. What a perfect surprise. He took me to a French restaurant that overlooked the harbor and old Fisherman's Wharf. The food? To die for. I'm still full, seriously.

The chocolate: Remember this post when I talked about not eating chocolate since the beginning of 2006? 7 months and 29 days. Without chocolate. That all ended on Saturday when I ordered this beautiful thing. It was called sac de chocolat. OMG! It was actually a vanilla/mocha milkshake inside a dark chocolate "sack." My only wish at that moment was that I had forsaken the rest of my meal so I could have been able to do it justice and finish the whole thing. Sadly, I could not. But I sure as hell tried!

Sunday morning after we checked out of the motel we had breakfast in a little place on Fisherman's Wharf. Along with my eggs and potatoes I had a chocolate chip pancake (oh yes I did!). After that we headed home. That night we barbequed grilled some seafood skewers, chicken, garlic bread and corn for dinner, followed by a chocolate/peanut butter ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery. I guess I'm done (with chocolate) until the holidays? We'll see.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend, thanks to hubby (who may or may not be reading today) who really came through and made it so special that I'll remember it, always.

Monday, July 31, 2006

How was your morning?

Cuz... this is how mine started.

We're not sure exactly who is to blame for this. It was either the dog or the infamous "I-don't-know." But, whoever (whomever?) did it, left it for me to find and clean up, (((sigh))).

Shortly after that was my dental appointment, to which I was late. Blame it on traffic, blame it on the kids' camp director who didn't have her sign-in sheet ready or blame it on the fact that I am never meant to be anywhere on time. There is nothing worse then heading into the dentist, on a Monday, in a bad mood, when your late. Oh, wait! There is one thing. When your hygenist is also in a bad mood, on a Monday and her first appointment has put her behind schedule for the entire day. Yeah, no gentle, "sorry if this hurts a little" service-with-a-smile, "so how's your family (?)" treatment for me today. No, today I got the teeth scraping, let-me-show-you-what-this-sharp-tool-really-can-do, Monday smackdown in the chair treatment. Did you know that the little polish, drill-thing has a turbo speed? Yeah, me neither. Apparently it is only for "special" patients. If that was my first ever dental appointment. I'd never go back. Ever.

Anyway, I did have some other news to share and pictures of the chocolate decadence I had over the weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday. But, I'll save that for my next post. Right now my teeth are throbbing and I can't really think strait...

Happy Monday.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Most Quotable Friday


Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young.- Fred Astaire

Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
- Marcus Valerius Martial

We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?- Jean Cocteau

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

The non-weather related post

I never blog about the weather because someone, somewhere always has it worse. I live in California, for cryin' out loud. I can, maybe, get away with complaining to someone who lives in Hawaii. But damn. I just have to say one thing. It is H-O-T. It is F-U-C-K-I-N-G H-O-T!!! And not in the hip, sexy kind of way.

I don't care what anyone's "WeatherChannel.com's" temperature reading was for where I live over the weekend, because I know what my trusty SUV's temperature gage told me. It was 112. (a hundred-and-fucking-twelve-degrees-farenheit) And? My car does not lie. When it tells me I have low fuel, it's because I need gas. When it tells me the cargo door is open, it's because the back door isn't closed all the way. When it tells me I need to change the engine oil, it's because it has been 3,000 miles since its last pampering at Jiffy Lube. My car and its little "right about everything" messages are annoying, sure, but it never lies. Never. It was 112 people! It. was. Hot.

My dog didn't even want to go outside. I made 6 trips out to the car to bring in the groceries and normally he happily follows me out, does his little thing and follows me back in. Sunday he followed me out for the first two trips, stayed in the shade next to the garage on the third trip and watched me from a safe distance inside the house (ready to pounce and dig in if I tried to take him outside) for the remaining three trips.

Y'all who live through this for weeks-on-end? Every year? Have my deepest, deepest respect.

Seriously.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Men I Love...Who Aren't My Husband

There are a couple of men out there that I just have express my love for. Now, hubby, if you are reading this, I don't mean love in that way (these disclaimers could all but cease if you would just admit that you a) found my blog and b) read it once in awhile. Then I wouldn't have to waste time with all these annoying sidebar explanations) because I don't love anyone else in that way except you. ((Sigh)) Where was I? Oh, other men. Umm, that didn't come out right, did it?

Okay the first man that I want to express my love for (other than hubby, whom I love the most!) is named Felipe. I have seen Felipe around many times. He is a bagger at my local grocery store (I won't say which one just in case hubby takes this the wrong way and goes looking for him). He has never really caught my attention before. That is, until today. Today, this morning actually, he saved my life. Okay, maybe that is a bit melodramatic. More like he saved my ass. Just, so we're clear (hubby in case, today, you choose to read) there was no "touching" of the ass, just the "saving" of it. He saved me over $200 in cash, unlimited amounts of anguish, aggrivation and quite possibly my job. Oh, and a really cute pair of sunglasses and my cell phone too. Yes, after stopping at Albertson's the grocery store this morning to pick up donuts and bagels for the office staff I, in all my radiant brilliance, left my purse in the grocery cart. In the middle of the fucking parking lot. UGGGHHH!!! Not only that, drove all the way to work (20-25 minutes) before I realized I didn't have it. I know, I know, but please don't bask in the glory, that is my stupidity. Anyway, I raced drove back to the store. I went in and someone had found it in the parking lot and turned it in. That someone was Felipe the bagger! He saw it sitting there and selflessly picked it up and, without opening it and going through my stuff, turned it in to his manager! There are still honest people out there. I'm sure after I gushed and swooned over Felipe with my undying love gratitude he probably thought I wanted to marry him. But? I was so ecstatic, I just couldn't help myself. I best go shopping somewhere else this week, however, you know, in case it may be awkward for him to see me again (there was a lot of gushing and I think I picked up a hint of fear in his eyes).

The other man I love, that isn't my husband, is my boss (hubby, if you're still reading... ah, forget it). My manager, actually. He went on vacation last week and won't be back until next week. Nearly two weeks without him. Ordinarily this would be ideal, right? The boss gone for two weeks, who hoo! But, no not in this case. Why? Because he takes all the heat from the big boss. The boss who used to make my life hell and make me pull my hair out in frustration. What with him constantly popping into my office, asking questions and feeding his micro-management addiction. His repetitive requests for spreadsheets and eye-brow raising explanations. Requesting inordinate numbers of phone calls, followed by follow-up phone calls. Asking me to order something (but first getting 10 different price quotes) and then turn around and ask, why did I order that? (um, you told me to?) Confirming that, yes, that was his signature on the purchase order. Asking me to explain why our customer hasn't paid their invoice, didn't I send it to them? (ugh. of course I sent it, that is what you pay me to do...) Asking where different people were (hiding from him, I'm sure). "I don't know why they are not at their desk. Yes, they were here today. Yes I have seen them. No, I don't know where they are now." I could (actually still can) hear when he was coming. You know how houses have their creaks and noises. So does my office suite. I can tell when someone is coming towards my office and can distinguish almost everyone's walk. His is very fast and urgent. Like he is in a hurry. I always have enough time to roll my eyes and grimace before he enters my office, you know, brace myself for the impending craziness. Anyway,When he hired "Scott" all that transferred to him and my love for him was born. I was free! I began to like my job again. However, inevitably, "Scott" takes a vacation every now and then and all the spreadsheet producing, assistant micro-managing, employee locating duties fall back to me. Let me leave you with a visual:
Average visits to my office from big boss per day when "Scott" is not on vacation and in his office: 2
Number of visits, so far, today: 21. (it's not even lunch time) Please pass the Excedrin. **Groan*** here he comes again...22.

I don't care if it is inappropriate, I'm sending him a "welcome back" bouquet.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Most Quotable Friday


The giant oak is an acorn that held its ground.- Anonymous

Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.- Voltaire

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.- Ben Williams

Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.- St. Francis de Sales

If you look at zero you see nothing;but look through it and you will see the world.- Robert Kaplan

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Things (a meme, I think)

Thank you Nicole, for tagging me for the "things" meme. Actually, I'm kind of excited because this is my first time being "tagged." So, (in a way) yay.

Things I Want To Do Before I Die:

  • attend my children's high school & college graduations
  • attend my children's weddings
  • visit Europe
  • pay off my house
  • celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary
  • win the lottery
  • see the San Jose Sharks win the Stanley Cup
  • run a marathon

Things I Cannot Do:

  • sing
  • cook
  • dance
  • draw
  • iron (okay, technically I "can" but it takes at least 30 minutes to do one shirt)
  • discipline my youngest child when he gives me the "pitiful" look.
  • believe I got tagged

Things I Can Do:

  • Give hugs
  • Read stories
  • Give kisses
  • Laugh with abandonment
  • Eat
  • See
  • Smell
  • Hear
  • Feel
  • Touch
  • Yell
  • Forgive

Things That Attracted Me To My Husband

  • His wit
  • His charm
  • His looks
  • How he treated me with respect
  • The twinkle in his eye
  • The way he looked at me
  • His character

Things I Say Most Often:

  • We'll see
  • No
  • STOP IT!!!
  • Thank you
  • I love you
  • It is not okay
  • Now!
  • Hurry up
  • We're late
  • I mean it
  • Get in the car
  • Let the dog out
  • Get in the shower
  • Clean up your stuff
  • Stop fighting!
  • I have no problem keeping you here while your brother (cousin, friend, etc.) is off doing x, y, z without you.
  • I don't want to hear it.
  • Don't say you're sorry, show me you're sorry
  • (wow, I didn't know I talked so much)

Books I Love:

  • The Book of Qualities
  • Harry Potter (all)
  • Birthright
  • Witness
  • The Firm
  • Illusions
  • The Little Prince
  • Living, Loving, Learning

Movies I Love:

  • Cousins
  • Tequila Sunrise
  • Sliding Doors
  • Titanic
  • The Notebook
  • Fried Green Tomatoes
  • Shawshenk Redemption
  • Toy Story (hee hee)
  • The Sixth Sense
  • Ghost

At the risk of making blog enemies, I tag Wendy, Jen, Zephra and Valerie. Because I'm sure these busy moms have nothing better to do.

The Road...


to Happiness
to Inner Peace
to Salvation
less traveled
to Satisfaction
to Redemption
to Success
to Delerium
to Contentment
that leads me home
to Self Preservation
to Tranquility
to awareness
to a new beginning
to Freedom
This is my road...

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Snippets

Woody has been not feeling well for two days now. He has a headache and is tired. I just know he is growing again. This must be a whopper growing spurt, even for him. This boy gets serious growing pains. He gets physically sick and the next day all or part of him has grown. Sometimes it is just a shoe size and sometimes it's an inch in height. Think I'm exagerating? Here are two true stories.
1. Last spring (just before turning 10) he goes to soccer practice on a Tuesday, comes home that night feeling nauseous and has a headache. Throws up in the middle of the night. Stays home from school on Wednesday but feels fine by mid-morning. Thursday gets ready to go to soccer again and his shoes (that he wore on Tuesday) don't fit him. He can't get them on.
2. January, this year, age 10 and-a-half. I hadn't measured him in a few months so I took him to the garage where we have their hash marks written on the garage door. I measured him and he had grown about 3/4 of an inch in about a 3 month period. A week later he did the whole headache/nauseous thing and the next day I measured him again (out of curiousity) and he had grown a whole inch. In one week. Somewhere between April and June he grew another inch. I'm going to measure him tomorrow, just to check. I mean two days of this? His whole body could be exploding. **update** yep, he grew half an inch since three weeks ago, and? He has some kind of bug***update*** virus (could me mono) too.

Buzz and I were sitting at the table yesterday. He was telling me about his day and pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. He says, "Here, mommy. This is my friend's cell phone number, he gave it to me." I asked him how old was his friend, and he told me that he was 7. "Oh, so this is his mom's cell phone number?" No, he said. "His dad's?" I asked. "No, he has his own cell phone and that's the number. Can we call him?" (WTF?)

"Summer of No TV" update:
Top 15 things the kids do/have done instead of watch t.v during the week:

15. Play UNO
14. Play "13" (card game)
13. Play Basketball
12. Play Hockey
11. Read books
10. Write in journals
9. Feigned illness and fatigue to get out of reading books and writing in journals
8. Rode bikes to the park
7. Played tag with the dog
6. Taken reeeeeaaaaallly loooooooong showers
5. Played hide and seek with a stuffed animal (take turns trying to find it)
4. Shopped for shoes on the internet (this is a potential problem I am choosing to ignore, hoping it will go away)
3. Invented and practiced secret/celebration handshakes
2. Acted out skits from their favorite television shows
1. Made fun of my singing. Apparently I was singing out loud to my Mp3 player while cleaning their bathroom and they were in their room screaming at the top of their lungs singing the chorus to the Nine Inch Nails song I was listening to (and laughing hysterically). "E-verrry Daaay Is Exac-tly The Same."
(FYI - yes it is. Yes it is.)

Ouch! - Just paid the PG & E (pacific gas & electric) bill for the first time since #91 moved out. That was the bill he paid in lieu of rent. $238.00! Now that hurts.

I'm on to you Wells Fargo - Just because I decline your, very kind, offer of moving me to paperless statements doesn't mean you need to deny me online access to my account. Oh, I know your little tricks. I fell for it the first time when I clicked the "not at this time" button after logging in to check my balance and you so conveniently told me that my account was temporarily unavailable. But the second time? How come, miraculously, after it was temporarily unavailable when I immediately logged in again it was suddenly available? And then the third and fourth time I declined? Hmmm? Nothing to say? What about the fifth time? Do you think I am going to succumb to your pressure and go paperless just because you bug me with that incessant pop up screen standing between me and my account summary? And the e-mails? I don't want paperless statements. I don't even open the paper ones. It's personal now. I will never agree. I will never push that "sign up now" button. And? You can't make me.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Name Your Personalities

A.K.A. More information about me that you needed to know...

I seriously wish I came up with this idea without any help, but, alas I didn’t. I was reading this post by Crazy Momcat in which she was expressing pros and cons of a decision she was trying to make. In the post she (very hysterically I might add) named some of her other personas and wondered what they might think of her decision. Anyway, I decided to take it one step further and make a whole post about my other personalities. So, thank you Crazy Momcat for the idea and without further ado, please step into my brain and take a seat (please don't feed the personalities while you are here-thank you).

Ethyl – has an innate need to explain and justify everything. She divulges way too much information. She wrote the introduction to this post.

Mean Mommy – She’s a dictator, she’s the queen, she is the one everyone (in the household) bows too. She is not well-liked but she is well-respected. When reasoning, bribery and begging don’t work, she’s the one to call.

Joe - the sports fan. He schedules everything around the San Jose Sharks during hockey season. Game intermissions are for dinner time, shower time and light chores if they allow checking the t.v. every two minutes so as not to miss the face off. He invented the phrase "no interruptions when the game is on." He will fold the laundry during a game, but will stop if the team is losing and go sit in his “lucky spot” on the couch. He filled out all the brackets for the 2006 World Cup, just for fun. He also spent way to much money on Stanley Cup playoff tickets and blogged about how great the games were. He is resting until September when pre-season starts and is also waiting for the 49ers and Raiders to be good again.

Annie- the organizer. She plans, she writes lists, she makes schedules, she schedules time to write lists, she cleans out closets, organizes the garage and keeps the family budget. She makes medical appointments, rsvp’s to party invitations, does all the Christmas shopping, birthday shopping, school shopping. She knows when it’s garbage day and when the mortgage is due. The other personalities are all out to get her. She knows this. She treads carefully and isn’t over demanding. Don’t change plans on her at the last minute, though, cuz she'll totally freak out.

Dr. Laura – not to be confused with the radio host. She is the in-house shrink who thinks she knows everything. She likes to sneak out and give advice to other people. If you have ever gotten an “advice” comment from me before on your blog, she most likely wrote it. She doesn’t do much in the way of helping around here, though. Why fix us when she can fix others?

Patty – the procrastinator. She undermines all organizational effort by Annie. She is weak to temptation and thinks Ben and Jerry only exist for her. She is very good at making lists of what she should be doing, just before doing the exact opposite. Her goal is to become a professional “extreme couch potato” and be sponsored by Frito Lay and Diet Coke. The kids love her because she is the one who takes them to McDonalds or orders pizza instead of cooking them dinner. She has also been known to forget about signing field trip permission slips, that it was our turn to bring snacks for the soccer team or to put the "tooth fairy" money under the pillow. She thinks things will work themselves out eventually if she ignores them long enough.

Mother Earth – She’s all “peace & love,” and wonders why we can’t all get a long. Life is beautiful to her. Her kids are perfect, her husband is perfect and her dog is perfect. They are all loving examples to the world of what life can be if we just relaxed and let things be as nature intended. She is usually only allowed out during solitude, moments of reflection or on long solitary bike rides in the hills (where the air is thin and has less oxygen). She is often jolted by reality and goes into hiding.

Maeve – the martyr. She does everything around the house with little or no recognition. She offers to do things even if she doesn’t have the time or the energy, just because she assumes knows no one else will. She suffers alone with her martyrdom. Her menstrual cramps are worse than anyone else, her headaches are worse than anyone else and her problems are worse than everyone as well. Her children are ill-behaved, her husband doesn’t pay attention to her and her parents never understood her. Nothing could ever get done without her. She is the poster-child for “woe is me.”

Stan – the clown. He tries to make everyone laugh and sees humor in everything. He has a big heart and always means well. Sometimes the other personalities use him to serve their own purposes.

Gwen – the worrier. She worries about every decision, every action and every opinion that others have of her. She worries about her appearance, misspelling words and what the neighbors think. She is both weak and strong. She worries that her voice is never heard but also that it is.

Cassandra – the dreamer. She has a rich fantasy life. She dreams of long, white beaches and of dipping her toes in warm, blue tropical waters. She dreams of owning a big house in the hills, with perfect landscaping, gardens and endless rooms that clean themselves. She dreams of running marathons, sleeping all day and having absolutely no responsibilities. She has a perfect body, perfect smile and has the right answer to every question. Her current fantasy is to run off with hubby and spend a lazy weekend wine tasting and sleeping in a quaint Bed & Breakfast.

Garth -the warrior. He is great in a crisis because he keeps a really level head. He is, however, prone to wallowing in denial after the crisis has passed. He has a hard time letting go and not being needed.

There are few others that don't have names. For example I have both a pessimistic and an optimistic personality, but they pretty much cancel each other out. I also have an addictive personality still loose in there somewhere. She apparently came with the genes and refuses to leave. She's not as prevalant as she once was, but I'm sure she'll always be around, just in case. So, I guess that pretty much does it. You can exit out of my brain the same way you came in. Please don't try and entice any of the personalities to come with you. Somehow we all co-exist and make it work. I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Oh, and? BTW, We I have not been clinically diagnosed, yet. We I know what you were thinking. We're all I'm going out for an adult beverage now if you would like to join us me. Cheers!

Friday, July 14, 2006

Most Quotable Friday


Our only security is our ability to change.
- John Lilly

Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.
- Golda Meir

Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius.
- Comte de Buffon

The odds of hitting a target go up dramatically when you aim at it.
- Mal Pancoast

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.
-Margery Williams, "The Velveteen Rabbit"

Thursday, July 13, 2006

The 10 11 Things I Hate

I’m bitchy, I’m cranky and I couldn’t think of anything nice to say. Please share in the misery and read my list. Not a meme. More like a mini bitch-fest.

#11 The irony that what tastes so good is usually so bad...

#10 Anxiety – I know it will pass, but sometimes things seem insurmountable

#9 Identity Theft –been there, done that, not fun

#8 Telemarketing- not so bad after the national “do not call” list, but still worth a mention

#7 The Flu- umm, yeah.

#6 Ear wax – EEEEEWWWWW!!! And? Ear wax with sand. Don’t even go there.

#5 Confrontation – makes me nauseous. Unless it involves one of my kids, then I’ll go loco on your ass you-know-what.

#4 Litter- just pick it up, or throw it away in the first place! It isn’t hard.

#3 Pretentiousness – get over yourself already.

#2 Lies and the lying liars who tell them. – this isn’t political. I’m talking about people (in general), who just, well, lie. Ugh, just stop.

#1 Entitlement Driving- those drivers that, for whatever reason, feel they are entitled to get there before you. They don’t feel they need to wait for others if they can pass everyone and cut in when it suits them.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006