I had a Little Debbie Fudge Brownie for breakfast. It was good.
*tee hee - just for you, Miss R*
Anyway, on to the REAL post.
The past two days have been H.E.C.T.I.C. I spent Tuesday sequestered inside the church basement with my mom, her friend, her friend's mom and her friend's mom's boyfriend. I have to say, out of all of them, I enjoyed the company of the boyfriend the most - older guy, likes to talk, and easy to talk to. He had some fascinating stories about his travels and his children and all the things he's done in his life. Selling stuff in a yard sale is an easy way to bring those stories up, too - there was a lot of "You see that? I got that when I was..." Interesting chap. The other three? Not so much. My mom...man, I'm not even goin' there. Mom's friend? She's loud, she laughs entirely too much (and fake laughter, too, the worse kind) and has very little tolerance for anything. Friend's mother? Well, take that and add a HEALTHY dose of impatience and up the volume by a factor of 10. Add to that the fact that none of them are under 60, and you've got my day on Tuesday. Trapped inside.
Wednesday we moved the yard sale outside. Imagine the above, and now add in 40 degree temperatures in the morning, not more than 60 the rest of the day, and bright, BRIGHT sunlight in the afternoon. I had to chase windblown clothes, and the ambient temperature was cool enough that I didn't realize that my face, neck, and upper back was getting the ultimate sunburn. We're talking slightly under blister-stage. You know the kind - the kind of sunburn that gives you a belly ache and full-body chills. That was my last two days. Yay for me. I'm only hoping that the take (mom gives me the money she makes) is worth the torture of sore joints, muscles, and the mother of all sunburns. Oh, and the annoying people I got to socialize with, too.
Don and everybody else I usually goof off with all day long - I would have much rather been hanging out with y'all.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Just For Fun...
Your Thinking is Abstract and Random |
 You are flexible, adaptable, and creative. There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them. You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups. You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths. You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial. You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals. |
Weekend in Review
So, over the weekend, DH, Conman and I did a "Dinner and a Movie" package at a local hotel. It was Conman's spring break week, and we decided that we needed to do something, no matter how small, to sort of "get away" with him. Y'know, make him feel like he'd actually had a spring break.
We left here at about 11am on Saturday and got there close to noon. We checked into the hotel (four hours early) and got our vouchers for the dinner and the movie. We went to Olive Garden (from here in known as "the OG") and tucked into one of our favorite meals. For a change, the boy ate nearly everything on his plate. My food was good, but there was a considerable absence of gravy on my pasta. I didn't complain, but I did clean my plate. We left and went back to the hotel where DH took a nap (he wasn't feeling 100%) and Conman and I donned our bathing suits and headed to the pool.
The pool was nice - the water was warm, not too crowded - but there was so much chlorine in the water that it was cloudy. After only an hour or so, my skin was itching and I was having trouble breathing in the pool's enclosure. The boy didn't want to leave, but I pulled him outta the pool, dried off, and we headed back to the room. After a few minutes snacking on over-priced vending machine sodas and candy bars, we headed out to do some shopping before hitting the movies. We didn't buy anything, but still - shopping's fun. At about 6:30 or so we hit the movies and watched Horton Hears a Who, which for a cartoon, was really, REALLY good (even though I'm not a backer of Dr. Seuss as a whole). After the movie we hit Maggie Moo's for enormous quantities of "mix-in" ice cream, and then off to Wal-Mart for some sodas (75c for a CAN of soda is just not in my financial picture). By that time, it was 10:30pm, WAY past the boy's bedtime, and he was flagging. We let him sit up and watch tv as long as he could hold his eyes open, but in a half an hour he was snoring. DH and I finished up watching The Matrix: Reloaded and then turned off the boob tube and went to sleep (or tried to).
The next morning, we woke up whenever we damn well felt like it - which translates to about 8am. Conman and I went down to have some complimentary breakfast (and I the most horrible coffee on the planet) and then, when we came back, DH decided he wanted a sausage biscuit. I hit Panera Bread Company for some good coffee, and brought him back a breakfast panini with sausage on it. Got myself some sort of cinnamon bagel thing (which rocked) to share with the boy. As we ate, we planned our day and watched Stewart Little (which the boy LOVED). With all that settled, we packed up and moved out - to Michael's craft store. We got Conman some supplies he needed for school, picked him up a mini-canvas to paint on, and bought me some stuff to make us a new "name plaque" to hang outside. Then, off to the house we went.
I enjoyed our trip. It's nice to shake up the norm a little bit every now and then.
We left here at about 11am on Saturday and got there close to noon. We checked into the hotel (four hours early) and got our vouchers for the dinner and the movie. We went to Olive Garden (from here in known as "the OG") and tucked into one of our favorite meals. For a change, the boy ate nearly everything on his plate. My food was good, but there was a considerable absence of gravy on my pasta. I didn't complain, but I did clean my plate. We left and went back to the hotel where DH took a nap (he wasn't feeling 100%) and Conman and I donned our bathing suits and headed to the pool.
The pool was nice - the water was warm, not too crowded - but there was so much chlorine in the water that it was cloudy. After only an hour or so, my skin was itching and I was having trouble breathing in the pool's enclosure. The boy didn't want to leave, but I pulled him outta the pool, dried off, and we headed back to the room. After a few minutes snacking on over-priced vending machine sodas and candy bars, we headed out to do some shopping before hitting the movies. We didn't buy anything, but still - shopping's fun. At about 6:30 or so we hit the movies and watched Horton Hears a Who, which for a cartoon, was really, REALLY good (even though I'm not a backer of Dr. Seuss as a whole). After the movie we hit Maggie Moo's for enormous quantities of "mix-in" ice cream, and then off to Wal-Mart for some sodas (75c for a CAN of soda is just not in my financial picture). By that time, it was 10:30pm, WAY past the boy's bedtime, and he was flagging. We let him sit up and watch tv as long as he could hold his eyes open, but in a half an hour he was snoring. DH and I finished up watching The Matrix: Reloaded and then turned off the boob tube and went to sleep (or tried to).
The next morning, we woke up whenever we damn well felt like it - which translates to about 8am. Conman and I went down to have some complimentary breakfast (and I the most horrible coffee on the planet) and then, when we came back, DH decided he wanted a sausage biscuit. I hit Panera Bread Company for some good coffee, and brought him back a breakfast panini with sausage on it. Got myself some sort of cinnamon bagel thing (which rocked) to share with the boy. As we ate, we planned our day and watched Stewart Little (which the boy LOVED). With all that settled, we packed up and moved out - to Michael's craft store. We got Conman some supplies he needed for school, picked him up a mini-canvas to paint on, and bought me some stuff to make us a new "name plaque" to hang outside. Then, off to the house we went.
I enjoyed our trip. It's nice to shake up the norm a little bit every now and then.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Signs
I've read over the past two posts, and something seemed to jump out at me. Let me explain for ya:
1. Conman wakes up mumbling about not being left out of something.
2. Conman finds my ring the next day.
Now, it may be a stretch for some of y'all to connect, but it's almost like Conman was dreaming about finding my ring, and couldn't express it, and was trying to tell me that he had dreamed about something that he didn't want to miss. Could that "something" have been my ring?
I'm a believer in signs. I know that a lot of people, this day and age, don't really believe in them. People say, God doesn't send you signs - if he wants to do something for you he'll just do it. That's not the way I look at it, though. I think that with the really, really big stuff, God likes to prepare us, heart and soul, with smaller things. If we have something that we might consider "bad" on the horizon to deal with that we might not be able to see, He sends us a little heartbreak to prepare us for the big stuff. Likewise with the good stuff; if something is on the horizon that will make our heart soar, God's gonna send us a little blessing to get us in the right frame of mind to deal with all the joy He's about to send our way.
So, there's my theory on the past couple of days. Conman found my ring and I felt like I was walking in the clouds. I think it's a sign, and a good one at that. I can feel that there are better things on the horizon, and my heart's in the right place for it. I haven't been this happy, content, joyful, thankful, or felt like I was on the "right path" as I do right now in the past...oh....five or six years. It just feels right.
1. Conman wakes up mumbling about not being left out of something.
2. Conman finds my ring the next day.
Now, it may be a stretch for some of y'all to connect, but it's almost like Conman was dreaming about finding my ring, and couldn't express it, and was trying to tell me that he had dreamed about something that he didn't want to miss. Could that "something" have been my ring?
I'm a believer in signs. I know that a lot of people, this day and age, don't really believe in them. People say, God doesn't send you signs - if he wants to do something for you he'll just do it. That's not the way I look at it, though. I think that with the really, really big stuff, God likes to prepare us, heart and soul, with smaller things. If we have something that we might consider "bad" on the horizon to deal with that we might not be able to see, He sends us a little heartbreak to prepare us for the big stuff. Likewise with the good stuff; if something is on the horizon that will make our heart soar, God's gonna send us a little blessing to get us in the right frame of mind to deal with all the joy He's about to send our way.
So, there's my theory on the past couple of days. Conman found my ring and I felt like I was walking in the clouds. I think it's a sign, and a good one at that. I can feel that there are better things on the horizon, and my heart's in the right place for it. I haven't been this happy, content, joyful, thankful, or felt like I was on the "right path" as I do right now in the past...oh....five or six years. It just feels right.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Saga of The Ring
Aside from the obvious Tolkien reference, I have a story to tell.
Back before Christmas, I lost my wedding band. I know how I lost it, but that's a story I'd rather not relate here (as it's a bit embarrassing), but suffice it to say it was gone. Note I said was - but we'll get to that in a minute.
Anyway, the ring was gone. We tore the house apart; went through the dining room, moved the couch in the computer room, went through every conceivable nook and cranny in my warren of a house looking for my most prized possession, the one piece of jewelry that I rarely take off, the very symbol of my union with DH. We didn't find it, even after several days of searching.
So, a couple of weeks before Christmas, DH and I decide that we're never going to find it, it's been consumed by the "house monster" and that I might as well just accept my heartbreak and go buy a new one. That was my Christmas gift for 2007 - a shiny, new wedding band, engraved this time (we couldn't afford it when we got married - they charged $5 per letter, and that was just WAY out of our budget then), and slightly wider, but still, close enough for the average observer. The point was, though, *I* knew the difference. It wasn't the one blessed by our reverend, it wasn't the one he put on my hand and then kissed me to seal the deal. It just wasn't the one.
I got my new ring and wore it with pride, but with a broken heart. I had given up on finding my ring, the ring, and hoped that maybe, someday, if we ever sell this house and have to move everything out, it might get shaken loose and then I'd have it. Maybe.
Then today came. Conman came in with his newest Lego creation, and was showing me how awesome it was, and how it could jump the wrinkle in the rug that covers the television cord that crosses the floor. I was in my normal mode, answering, "Yeah!" and "That's cool!" without really looking, paying attention but not. All of a sudden, I hear:
"Oh my gosh! Mommy! Mommy! Look! It's your ring!!"
My mouth hit the floor. He slipped it on his hand, on the finger that I wear my rings on - the "Wedding finger" - and rushes to my side. I pull off my engagement ring and the replacement and he, like his father ten years ago, slips the ring onto my finger. I almost cried.
I hugged him and hugged him and showered his face with kisses. I picked up every quarter I could find on my desk (because somehow, kisses didn't seem reward enough) and handed them to him. I hugged him some more, kissed him some more, and professed my undying love for him. He then asked, "What are you going to do with the other one, Mom?", to which I answered, "Well, I'm going to wear them both together. And when you get married some day, I'll give you one of them to give to your wife. How's that?" He said, "I think that would be really neat, Mom. Thanks!"
So there you have the saga of the ring. Miracles do happen...even little ones.
Back before Christmas, I lost my wedding band. I know how I lost it, but that's a story I'd rather not relate here (as it's a bit embarrassing), but suffice it to say it was gone. Note I said was - but we'll get to that in a minute.
Anyway, the ring was gone. We tore the house apart; went through the dining room, moved the couch in the computer room, went through every conceivable nook and cranny in my warren of a house looking for my most prized possession, the one piece of jewelry that I rarely take off, the very symbol of my union with DH. We didn't find it, even after several days of searching.
So, a couple of weeks before Christmas, DH and I decide that we're never going to find it, it's been consumed by the "house monster" and that I might as well just accept my heartbreak and go buy a new one. That was my Christmas gift for 2007 - a shiny, new wedding band, engraved this time (we couldn't afford it when we got married - they charged $5 per letter, and that was just WAY out of our budget then), and slightly wider, but still, close enough for the average observer. The point was, though, *I* knew the difference. It wasn't the one blessed by our reverend, it wasn't the one he put on my hand and then kissed me to seal the deal. It just wasn't the one.
I got my new ring and wore it with pride, but with a broken heart. I had given up on finding my ring, the ring, and hoped that maybe, someday, if we ever sell this house and have to move everything out, it might get shaken loose and then I'd have it. Maybe.
Then today came. Conman came in with his newest Lego creation, and was showing me how awesome it was, and how it could jump the wrinkle in the rug that covers the television cord that crosses the floor. I was in my normal mode, answering, "Yeah!" and "That's cool!" without really looking, paying attention but not. All of a sudden, I hear:
"Oh my gosh! Mommy! Mommy! Look! It's your ring!!"
My mouth hit the floor. He slipped it on his hand, on the finger that I wear my rings on - the "Wedding finger" - and rushes to my side. I pull off my engagement ring and the replacement and he, like his father ten years ago, slips the ring onto my finger. I almost cried.
I hugged him and hugged him and showered his face with kisses. I picked up every quarter I could find on my desk (because somehow, kisses didn't seem reward enough) and handed them to him. I hugged him some more, kissed him some more, and professed my undying love for him. He then asked, "What are you going to do with the other one, Mom?", to which I answered, "Well, I'm going to wear them both together. And when you get married some day, I'll give you one of them to give to your wife. How's that?" He said, "I think that would be really neat, Mom. Thanks!"
So there you have the saga of the ring. Miracles do happen...even little ones.
Feet in the Night
So, it's no secret to those who know me that I'm a chronic insomniac. I thought about something this evening though, that makes that somewhat okay, though.
When Conman was younger, he would trot off to bed at 9PM without so much as a word. He'd crawl in there, happy with a tuck-in, a quick story, a kiss from me and a whispered "I love you, boy." I'd get the sweetest words ever, back; "I love you too, mommy. I'll see ya in the morning. Oh, and mommy? Are you and daddy gonna watch some TV?" My answer would be, "Yes, son, we'll be watching TV for a while." He would then say back to me, "Good. I can't go to sleep if I don't hear it."
Now, I know from way back that "I can't sleep if I don't hear the TV" is Conman-speak for I just want to make sure you and dad are going to be in the next room for a while. I feel better when I know you guys are so close, and can go to sleep. I play along with the TV charade, though, because it makes him feel like a "big boy". Now, though, he's waking up more and more often while I'm watching TV after DH has gone to bed. I don't up the volume (we have a strict "5" rule at our house after 9PM) and often turn it to one of the satellite music channels where the volume is even lower. He gets up and comes to me, climbs in my lap and says something incoherent. This evening the conversation went something like this:
"Mommy....I....wanted to make sure....I won't miss out....on..."
"What honey? What did you say?"
"Are you watching TV?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm watching TV."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Conman, honey, what are you afraid you'll miss out on?"
"Dunno."
"Okay then. Mommy won't let you miss out on anything if I can help it, okay?"
"Okay. Mmm...bed now."
"Okay sweetheart, let's go"
The fella jumped up off my lap and held my hand while I walked him back to the bedroom, helped him climb into bed and tucked him in, safe and sound, next to the stuffed beagle we call "Puppy". Kiss on the forehead from mom, and "I love you, son." / "I love you, mommy." exchange. I close the door with a great, big, huge smile on my face.
Just another day (or night) in paradise.
When Conman was younger, he would trot off to bed at 9PM without so much as a word. He'd crawl in there, happy with a tuck-in, a quick story, a kiss from me and a whispered "I love you, boy." I'd get the sweetest words ever, back; "I love you too, mommy. I'll see ya in the morning. Oh, and mommy? Are you and daddy gonna watch some TV?" My answer would be, "Yes, son, we'll be watching TV for a while." He would then say back to me, "Good. I can't go to sleep if I don't hear it."
Now, I know from way back that "I can't sleep if I don't hear the TV" is Conman-speak for I just want to make sure you and dad are going to be in the next room for a while. I feel better when I know you guys are so close, and can go to sleep. I play along with the TV charade, though, because it makes him feel like a "big boy". Now, though, he's waking up more and more often while I'm watching TV after DH has gone to bed. I don't up the volume (we have a strict "5" rule at our house after 9PM) and often turn it to one of the satellite music channels where the volume is even lower. He gets up and comes to me, climbs in my lap and says something incoherent. This evening the conversation went something like this:
"Mommy....I....wanted to make sure....I won't miss out....on..."
"What honey? What did you say?"
"Are you watching TV?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm watching TV."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Conman, honey, what are you afraid you'll miss out on?"
"Dunno."
"Okay then. Mommy won't let you miss out on anything if I can help it, okay?"
"Okay. Mmm...bed now."
"Okay sweetheart, let's go"
The fella jumped up off my lap and held my hand while I walked him back to the bedroom, helped him climb into bed and tucked him in, safe and sound, next to the stuffed beagle we call "Puppy". Kiss on the forehead from mom, and "I love you, son." / "I love you, mommy." exchange. I close the door with a great, big, huge smile on my face.
Just another day (or night) in paradise.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Okay, Happy Now?
This post is in response to somebody giving me a hard time this morning for NOT posting all week. I don't really have any news to impart, nor any humor to supply, nor any heartaches to share. I'm just kinda....here....
Anyway...DH and Conman and I will be heading "out of town" (I say that tongue-in-cheek) this Saturday for his get away moment for Spring Break. We're taking advantage of a Dinner and a Movie package at a local hotel, just to, well, you know, get outta the house for a night. Sad part is this is quite possibly the only vacation my happy little family will have this year. Oh well - it's a night in a hotel room with an indoor pool, a free (almost - just 2 tickets and we need 3) movie, and a free (up to $30) dinner at the OG. Pretty good deal, eh? All for the low, low price of $140.
I haven't heard back from Pages-O-Thousand yet, even though I emailed them on Monday. Went to price yard sale junk Monday (and yes, it IS mostly junk - think "Grandma Clothes" circa 1972). Patch day for WoW was yesterday, and I have the patch on disk in-transit from a wonderful, fantastic guild mate (thank you M, you totally, completely rock! Like, diamond! 'Cause after all, that's just a rock, right?). Posted a new "Dear Calli" column on the Epic Dolls site today, too.
That's about it...so all y'all complainers out there...hesh up! *grin*wink*
Anyway...DH and Conman and I will be heading "out of town" (I say that tongue-in-cheek) this Saturday for his get away moment for Spring Break. We're taking advantage of a Dinner and a Movie package at a local hotel, just to, well, you know, get outta the house for a night. Sad part is this is quite possibly the only vacation my happy little family will have this year. Oh well - it's a night in a hotel room with an indoor pool, a free (almost - just 2 tickets and we need 3) movie, and a free (up to $30) dinner at the OG. Pretty good deal, eh? All for the low, low price of $140.
I haven't heard back from Pages-O-Thousand yet, even though I emailed them on Monday. Went to price yard sale junk Monday (and yes, it IS mostly junk - think "Grandma Clothes" circa 1972). Patch day for WoW was yesterday, and I have the patch on disk in-transit from a wonderful, fantastic guild mate (thank you M, you totally, completely rock! Like, diamond! 'Cause after all, that's just a rock, right?). Posted a new "Dear Calli" column on the Epic Dolls site today, too.
That's about it...so all y'all complainers out there...hesh up! *grin*wink*
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