You know what? I really like work email. You know why? Because it's an awesome way for me to cover my ass. I cannot tell you how handy it is to have an email trail when someone is questioning whether or not you did your job correctly. "Of course I did what I was supposed to", I can say confidently "Here are some emails to prove it." Although I'm sure many of you already knew about the trail handiness, I just thought I'd reiterate, since I had cause to break it out yesterday.
******************
I always thought that when I had kids, I would want boys. Less drama, more adoration of their super cool mom. You know, important stuff like that. However, now that I have two little girls to dress and whatnot, well, I've changed my mind. I have the hardest time walking through somewhere like Target and not wanting to spend one meeeeeellion dollars on clothes for them. I had to actually go into the little girls' departments yesterday (even worse, Abby is still in toddler clothes, which of course is EVEN MORE ADORABLE) because they needed some items. The first thing I saw were plaid bermuda shorts in assorted colors with matching tops. I told myself no and I walked away. I then had to tell myself no about 4 more times because I couldn't stop looking at them. I went online today so I could post a link to the cutest capris that I bought for them, and instead, I found a pair of Curious George pajamas that I'm pretty sure Abby MUST HAVE. Because she is a little monkey. And I am an out of control freakshow.
******************
In other news, Janet tagged me to post 8 things about myself that people maybe don't know or might find shocking. After giving it some thought, I couldn't think of anything. Unless you count my above referenced lack of all control when it comes to dressing up the girls. I think I've regaled you with way too much information than you really needed in the past three years already -- so unless you have questions for me that beg to be answered, well, I'm just going to have to come to terms with the fact that I'm an open book. A decidedly un-shocking open book.
******************
In case you were wondering, if you dream about being at a pond and being chased by a bear, it means you have some aggression and are wallowing in negative emotions. I suppose that means I'm going to have to quit being so grrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRR about Chris' ex. I'll have to write more about her one day -- suffice it to say that I'm not her biggest fan. Not because of anything she and Chris have to work out -- he's a big boy and he can handle that however it works for him. I just think she's a shitty mother. And to me, if you care more about yourself than you do about your kids, there's something wrong there. That's just my opinion, and truthfully, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. But I'm going to have to learn how to deal with her without it making me crazy, because I'm going to HAVE to deal with her for a looooong time.
******************
Chris and the girls and I are going to Winter Park for the weekend. My parents have a time share there, and we've been going there every year since I was a little tyke. However, this weekend, my parents won't be there -- they're coming up on Sunday to stay for the rest of the week because it's quieter during the week. Therefore, this is the first time I've been there without my mom and dad. The first time I sleep in the master bedroom, the first time I make a list of all the stuff to bring from home, the first time I'm in charge of groceries and meals. It's almost like I'm an actual grown up! I'll let you know how that foray into actual adulthood works, because clearly I don't spend a lot of time there on a regular basis.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
What is WRONG with me?
Apparently I was hit with a number of different spells this weekend once I purchased the new Harry Potter book. I started reading it late yesterday afternoon and all of the sudden, it was 8 p.m. So I was like "no problem, I'll read until 9:30 or 10". And then it was "ok, I'm don'e reading at 10:30." Then "Ok, 11. 11 tops." This went on until I finally finished the damn book at 2:30 a.m. I got to sleep for 4 hours until I had to get up for work. What is wrong with me? I'll tell you what -- SOMEONE must have placed an Immobulus spell on me, along with a Confundus, an Imperturbable, probably a Petrificus Totalus, and one I just made up, the "oh my god, am I really that big of a nerdalus?" The answer is yes, Nerdalus Totalus. Although, I will say it was worth it -- it wasn't just that I wanted to finish it in order to avoid the possible spoilers sure to be all over the internet today, but I seriously could not stop reading. I talked to Beth yesterday, who read the entire thing in six straight hours (I think it took me longer, but I can't be sure because I can't remember when exactly I started reading) and she even refused to give me her opinion until I read the whole thing, so as not to ruin anything for me. Also, the whole reason she called was to tell me about the new show "Scott Baio is 45 and Single" because we also have an enduring love of all things "Charles in Charge" - related. And HYPOTHETICALLY if I were going to really cement my - and Beth's - Nerdalus Totalus status (besides using made up "spells" to describe us) I would tell you that we used to write "Charles in Charge" Lost Episodes. Hypothetically. Anyway.
***********************
My mom was reading a book about the five senses to Abby on Saturday, and she said "Abby, what are the little hairs on your eyelid called?" and Abby said "Mustache?" And my mom and I started cracking up and my mom said "Nooo, it's eye...?" and Abby said "Eyestache?" And that was it for us.
***********************
You might remember back almost two years ago when my little car was rear ended by a large Expedition. I got it repaired, and sort of soon after that, my trunk stopped opening. I kept forgetting to get it fixed, but since Chris and the girls and I are going away next weekend, I decided I needed to get the trunk fixed in order to be able to carry all our stuff. So my mom took it to be fixed while I was gone and Yay! It worked for about a week until Friday afternoon I went to put something in it and it wouldn't open. Unfortunately, I had stayed at Chris' the night before, and therefore my overnight bag is locked in there. Makeup, hairbrushes and product, makeup. Clearly makeup is my first priority, however, since every time I go to Sephora or Ulta I usually spend 8 million dollars, I happen to have SOME back-up cosmetics. Like a whole drawer.
Again I ask, what is wrong with me? Anyway, tomorrow I have to go lay the smackdown on the service department and get my trunk fixed hopefully for real this time.
***********************
Ok. I suppose it's time to go fake doing work. Or more accurately, fake NOT napping.
***********************
My mom was reading a book about the five senses to Abby on Saturday, and she said "Abby, what are the little hairs on your eyelid called?" and Abby said "Mustache?" And my mom and I started cracking up and my mom said "Nooo, it's eye...?" and Abby said "Eyestache?" And that was it for us.
***********************
You might remember back almost two years ago when my little car was rear ended by a large Expedition. I got it repaired, and sort of soon after that, my trunk stopped opening. I kept forgetting to get it fixed, but since Chris and the girls and I are going away next weekend, I decided I needed to get the trunk fixed in order to be able to carry all our stuff. So my mom took it to be fixed while I was gone and Yay! It worked for about a week until Friday afternoon I went to put something in it and it wouldn't open. Unfortunately, I had stayed at Chris' the night before, and therefore my overnight bag is locked in there. Makeup, hairbrushes and product, makeup. Clearly makeup is my first priority, however, since every time I go to Sephora or Ulta I usually spend 8 million dollars, I happen to have SOME back-up cosmetics. Like a whole drawer.
Again I ask, what is wrong with me? Anyway, tomorrow I have to go lay the smackdown on the service department and get my trunk fixed hopefully for real this time.
***********************
Ok. I suppose it's time to go fake doing work. Or more accurately, fake NOT napping.
Friday, July 20, 2007
What's my age again?
I am thrilled to be home. I really missed my boyfriend (yep, I’m THAT girl) and my little people. That is inclusive of both Chris’ girls and my cats. Chris ever so sweetly volunteered to leave me alone at my house on Saturday when I returned from Montana, knowing that I am a person who needs quiet time alone like some people need air.
My parents were supposed to pick me up from church when we got back, and instead, left my car and car key with one of the parents waiting for their children, because there was some sort of pressing engagement across town that my mom and dad had to go to. Like Bass Pro Shop. Anyway, I realized as I was driving home that while I had a car key, I had no house key. So I went to my parents’ house (I can get in THERE because I know the garage code) and called my dad’s cell from there. The conversation was wholly unproductive and also managed to turn me into a small child.
“Hey dad – maybe you guys could have left me a house key”
“Did you TELL your mom that she should leave you a house key?”
“Well, considering that the car key she gave me was off of my keychain AT MY HOUSE, I guess I figured she’d go ahead and do that.”
“Well, you’ll just have to wait until we get home”
“Well when will that be?”
“About an hour and a half. We’re going to have lunch.”
(cue tears)
“But I want to go hooooooooome!”
“Maybe you should just take a nap”
“But I’m all dirty and sweaaaaaaatyyyyyy!”
“We have showers at our house”
“But I don’t have any clean clooooooooothes!”
“Too bad. You’ll just have to wait.”
I was pretty mad at my dad. So I thought to myself “maybe I WILL take a nap. On HIS side of the bed with my FEET on his PILLOW.” Because being at camp creates the absolute dirtiest feet ever, and the daily shower seemed to not do anything noticeable to fix that. Plus, there were no showers to be taken Saturday morning because we all wanted to get on the road. No showers+14 people in the van+95 degrees+I'm really tired= angry crying dirty person.
Anyway. I decided against that because I’m 31, not 10. Instead, I handled it like a mature 13 year old and when my parents got home (two hours later) I gave them dirty looks, didn’t say a word to either of them, and stalked angrily out of the house. Because I am nothing if not good at projecting righteous anger. Or something. Did I ever mention that I was an only child for a long time and sometimes the spoiled princess makes a surprise appearance?
Luckily, I got home, went straight to the shower and scrubbed my disgusting feet and took a nap. In clean clothes. And then, all was right with the world. Because I had a Corona with dinner.
My parents were supposed to pick me up from church when we got back, and instead, left my car and car key with one of the parents waiting for their children, because there was some sort of pressing engagement across town that my mom and dad had to go to. Like Bass Pro Shop. Anyway, I realized as I was driving home that while I had a car key, I had no house key. So I went to my parents’ house (I can get in THERE because I know the garage code) and called my dad’s cell from there. The conversation was wholly unproductive and also managed to turn me into a small child.
“Hey dad – maybe you guys could have left me a house key”
“Did you TELL your mom that she should leave you a house key?”
“Well, considering that the car key she gave me was off of my keychain AT MY HOUSE, I guess I figured she’d go ahead and do that.”
“Well, you’ll just have to wait until we get home”
“Well when will that be?”
“About an hour and a half. We’re going to have lunch.”
(cue tears)
“But I want to go hooooooooome!”
“Maybe you should just take a nap”
“But I’m all dirty and sweaaaaaaatyyyyyy!”
“We have showers at our house”
“But I don’t have any clean clooooooooothes!”
“Too bad. You’ll just have to wait.”
I was pretty mad at my dad. So I thought to myself “maybe I WILL take a nap. On HIS side of the bed with my FEET on his PILLOW.” Because being at camp creates the absolute dirtiest feet ever, and the daily shower seemed to not do anything noticeable to fix that. Plus, there were no showers to be taken Saturday morning because we all wanted to get on the road. No showers+14 people in the van+95 degrees+I'm really tired= angry crying dirty person.
Anyway. I decided against that because I’m 31, not 10. Instead, I handled it like a mature 13 year old and when my parents got home (two hours later) I gave them dirty looks, didn’t say a word to either of them, and stalked angrily out of the house. Because I am nothing if not good at projecting righteous anger. Or something. Did I ever mention that I was an only child for a long time and sometimes the spoiled princess makes a surprise appearance?
Luckily, I got home, went straight to the shower and scrubbed my disgusting feet and took a nap. In clean clothes. And then, all was right with the world. Because I had a Corona with dinner.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
On a brief hiatus from teenagers
So I'm back for a limited time -- until Saturday, specifically -- at which time I head off for camp in Montana. Yay! Camp!
New Mexico was really f*&%ing hot. Nice language for describing a church trip, right? Actually, it wasn't as bad as all that. In fact, it was like staying at the Four Seasons, compared to previous years spent in Juarez. We were on the campus of what used to be a boarding school, but is now just a regular private school. And when I say private school, I'm not talking fancy like say, Hogwarts. Although wouldn't THAT have been an awesome place to do fix-ups? Yes. Anyway. It's a lower priced private school that is essentialy the one place where kids from that area can go to help keep them from the extremely dangerous public school environment -- and I say that without an ounce of sarcasm. Meth is a huge problem there, and the school is getting broken into constantly by druggies looking for stuff to sell for drugs. There were two break-ins while we were there, if that tells you anything. Another telling item was the sign in the cafeteria that said "Celebrate Survival". I don't know a lot of cafeterias that have that -- the sign had little handwritten notes on it from kids who had lost siblings to violence. Sad. But, the school provides a lot of opportunities for the kids, including sports and tons of scholarships, and most importantly, a safe place to get a good education.
We had an entire wing of a dorm to ourselves, complete with actual beds with actual mattresses and -- get this -- showers. Not just a cinderblock building with spigots coming out of the walls, or bathroom stalls with shower curtains, but actual real bathtubs and not only that? We had our own bathrooms attached to our rooms. We each had one roommate and two suitemates, and it was great! Air conditioning was not one of the amenities, but that was ok -- it was plush by mission trip standards.
As for the work, we spent the first three days tearing up a hardwood gym floor (that had been installed in 1932) and the last couple days doing outside grounds cleanup type work. I got to run a Skilsaw for the first time -- and not just your normal use-around-the-house saw, but the industrial type. I had to call my dad and tell him. I was pretty proud. I love using power tools, and mission trips are a great way to learn how to use them without ruining something expensive or important in your own house.
The staff at the school loved us, because our kids (as usual) busted their asses to get whatever done that they were asked to do. The school didn't think we'd finish the floor as quickly as we did, and they kind of had to scramble everyday to keep us occupied, because things just kept getting done almost as soon as they were assigned. It always makes me proud, because a lot of times, people assume that teenagers will be lazy or mess around all the time, and that's just not our group.
It wasn't all work though -- we had two half days of work, and on those days we went to Santa Fe and Bandelier National Park. We also visited Chimayo and in the evenings, spent a lot of time hanging out playing games, doing puzzles, stuff like that. It was really good.
So. I'm happy to be home, because let me tell you -- it gets a little crowded when you're in a 15- person van with 15 people in it for 6 or so hours. And also hot. Did I mention hot? Although I will say that being home isn't much better -- it was 80 degrees at 8 this morning, and close to 100 when I go home in the afternoon. I'm not complaining though -- it could be worse. Humidity, higher temperatures, and I could be working outside or stuck in a van with stinky boys or in a place with no a/c. So I'm good.
New Mexico was really f*&%ing hot. Nice language for describing a church trip, right? Actually, it wasn't as bad as all that. In fact, it was like staying at the Four Seasons, compared to previous years spent in Juarez. We were on the campus of what used to be a boarding school, but is now just a regular private school. And when I say private school, I'm not talking fancy like say, Hogwarts. Although wouldn't THAT have been an awesome place to do fix-ups? Yes. Anyway. It's a lower priced private school that is essentialy the one place where kids from that area can go to help keep them from the extremely dangerous public school environment -- and I say that without an ounce of sarcasm. Meth is a huge problem there, and the school is getting broken into constantly by druggies looking for stuff to sell for drugs. There were two break-ins while we were there, if that tells you anything. Another telling item was the sign in the cafeteria that said "Celebrate Survival". I don't know a lot of cafeterias that have that -- the sign had little handwritten notes on it from kids who had lost siblings to violence. Sad. But, the school provides a lot of opportunities for the kids, including sports and tons of scholarships, and most importantly, a safe place to get a good education.
We had an entire wing of a dorm to ourselves, complete with actual beds with actual mattresses and -- get this -- showers. Not just a cinderblock building with spigots coming out of the walls, or bathroom stalls with shower curtains, but actual real bathtubs and not only that? We had our own bathrooms attached to our rooms. We each had one roommate and two suitemates, and it was great! Air conditioning was not one of the amenities, but that was ok -- it was plush by mission trip standards.
As for the work, we spent the first three days tearing up a hardwood gym floor (that had been installed in 1932) and the last couple days doing outside grounds cleanup type work. I got to run a Skilsaw for the first time -- and not just your normal use-around-the-house saw, but the industrial type. I had to call my dad and tell him. I was pretty proud. I love using power tools, and mission trips are a great way to learn how to use them without ruining something expensive or important in your own house.
The staff at the school loved us, because our kids (as usual) busted their asses to get whatever done that they were asked to do. The school didn't think we'd finish the floor as quickly as we did, and they kind of had to scramble everyday to keep us occupied, because things just kept getting done almost as soon as they were assigned. It always makes me proud, because a lot of times, people assume that teenagers will be lazy or mess around all the time, and that's just not our group.
It wasn't all work though -- we had two half days of work, and on those days we went to Santa Fe and Bandelier National Park. We also visited Chimayo and in the evenings, spent a lot of time hanging out playing games, doing puzzles, stuff like that. It was really good.
So. I'm happy to be home, because let me tell you -- it gets a little crowded when you're in a 15- person van with 15 people in it for 6 or so hours. And also hot. Did I mention hot? Although I will say that being home isn't much better -- it was 80 degrees at 8 this morning, and close to 100 when I go home in the afternoon. I'm not complaining though -- it could be worse. Humidity, higher temperatures, and I could be working outside or stuck in a van with stinky boys or in a place with no a/c. So I'm good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)