Out of ink

I ordered a new printer today. I wanted one that would copy and print, that was it. I don't need photo quality because I'll have those done elsewhere if need be and I have no need to fax. So, I did some quick comparison shopping and read a few reviews. Was I surprised at how cheap you can get these things nowadays. There was a decent brand printer at Walmart (online) for $27.88, although I didn't go that low. It's almost cheaper to buy a new printer than to replace the ink cartridges!

I have a nice Epson at home right now. Nice, but a bit aged. I realized today that I purchased it when Julia was one, so that's six years ago. A lot can change in six years. It's been out of ink for months and months and I've been promising Ali that I'd get some. So, today I was looking around for cartridges and realized that they don't even sell any for my Epson anymore! Wow. Besides the fact that the ink was never cheap in the first place, the unavailability just confirmed my decision.

The new printer will be here next week. Shipping was 97 cents! Boy, is Ali going to be thrilled. The kid has been bugging me for ages. Funny that something like that matters to an 8 year old...

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore

Again with the wind.

I looked out my kitchen window last night (around 10pm) and my gas grill was gone! It was covered and is fairly heavy. I mean, it's surely not anything that I can pick up off the ground with all my muscle. It normally sits on the deck, north of the garage. I remember saying out loud, "Where the hell is my grill?"

I slipped on my soccer sandals and went out. Here it flew off the deck, into the driveway and was lying on its side. Now that's some heavy duty wind. I was able to pull it up, although the winds were not blowing in my favor. I ended up tucking it into the little nook by the back door, which would block it from that NW "breeze". Sheesh. I haven't looked yet to see if it's still there this morn... maybe it took a cruise down FDL Avenue.

When I got back in the house I knew what was in store for me the rest of the eve. VERY rattly windows in my bedroom! No shit, my windows rattled and shook all night... at some points I thought they were actually going to burst right into my room and I'd be covered in shattered glass. It sucked. Not much sleep was had, although the girls are still crashed hard this morn, so good for them.

Ironically, I just ordered new windows yesterday. The six upstairs in the bedrooms and the one in the kitchen that I was peering out last night when my grill disappeared. Timing.

Help Wanted

Speaking of cleaning, the cleaning lady at work decided to up and quit a week or two ago. Not that she did much around here anyway, but there were subtle signs around the building that she existed.

An email was sent out to the company, stating that they were looking for someone new if we had a referral and until then we should keep our areas tidy and clean up after ourselves. Well, I always wipe down the counter after using the nuker and such, but there's no way I'm going to vacuum or take the garbage out. And the bathrooms... sorry. I don't even like using public bathrooms, let along wiping them down. It's just not my job.

Last week there were bags of garbage piling up by the kitchen area and two coworkers took all the stuff down to the dumpster. I think it's great that they're willing to help out and all, but why should the employees be expected to do the cleaning tasks until they find someone new? The bathrooms are going to get ugly, no doubt. I find it hard to believe that someone will jump right on that one. Can you imagine what the men's room must look like??

Shouldn't the cleaning lady have to give two weeks notice like everyone else? The company email stated that the pay was low and rewards were few. Not exactly the best way to advertise for the position.

Where's my fairy Godmother?

I feel like Cinderella. 8:30 on a Saturday night and I'm scrubbing all the floors on my hands and knees. I just vacuumed the rugs, too. Oh, the life...

It's really not that bad. I get out enough and look forward to my time at home. Last night I did dinner/drinks with a group of lady friends and today I had a late lunch with a buddy. Inbetween there I get my chores taken care of, homework, groceries and whatever else the typical mom does. I even did a morning movie in bed... I felt like such a sinner.

There are times when it gets a bit overwhelming, being the one that has to do everything around here. But as I told a friend last night, I'm sort of getting used to it. I'm sure I could figure out how to squeeze a guy into the mix, but it would be a huge adjustment and something that I'm not aggressively looking for right now. Don't get me wrong... sex would be nice and even someone to ask how my day was with a gentle touch on the cheek. (sigh)
It's just something that has to happen naturally... and slowly. Until then, I continue to be the busy bee that I am.

Off to my book...

Your skivvies are showing

Yesterday Dan the Window Man came to give me an estimate (yes, that's what his ad says). He was referred by a friend and must've been one of the nicest guys I've ever met. A real "no BS" kind of guy. The plan is to do a few windows each year and this time it's going to be all the upstairs bedroom windows. That rattling that keeps me up at night is going to stop!

So, he came in to do some measuring. We were chatting in the kitchen when the girls got home from school. We wrapped things up, he left and I went into the dining room by the girls. The first thing Ali said to me was, "Mom, did he see your bras???" I was just about to throw a load of laundry in when Dan showed up, so I set the basket in the dining room. There were two bras on top and Ali was horrified by that. Kinda made me chuckle. There was a pile of socks/undies lying on my bed when he went upstairs, too. Oh well... I have nothing to hide and I'm sure he's seen it all.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Rock on with this.
Something has to be done to help stimulate the economy. I doubt this is the solution, but hell, I'll be greedy and take the check.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/24/economic.stimulus/index.html

Zip up, for crying out loud

I took the girls to school again because of the bitter cold. It's still negative digits with a high of 8 degrees expected today. What a long week this has been. I see there is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. A whomping 20 degrees tomorrow, which will probably feel like paradise.

I went into the school with the girls because I had to drop something off at the office. On my way out I saw a boy crossing the walk... no gloves or hat, jacket wide open with a T underneath. Are you kidding me?? Did his parents drop him off like that? Maybe he was a walker. That's just crazy insane. I know you can't control what your kids do on the way to school. Some tend to take their gloves off or what have you (Ali does when spring starts creeping up), but today??

That really bummed me out. He's a kid and sometimes their common sense gets a bit distorted, but any parent that lets their child even walk across the street like that in this weather needs serious therapy.

C is for cookie overstock

Last night I was adding up the totals on the girls' Girl Scout cookie sheets. I figured I would place my order when I saw the numbers and I'd even them out so everything was fair and square. Everything has to be even in my house... always. So, Ali had 55 boxes sold and Julia had 62. That meant I had to buy seven boxes from Ali to make everyone happy. Then we noticed that if you hit the 65 boxes mark they could get a bigger prize. There are different levels for different totals and the prizes change accordingly. To be honest, the prizes are damn ridiculous. I think for 65 boxes sold you get a choice of lip smackers or a water bottle. If you sell over 1000 boxes you get an ipod. Like that would ever happen. It's a bunch of crap. I told the girls I would rather buy them the dumb prizes for a few dollars than spend the cash on cookies, but that wasn't how it ended up. Grrr.

I had to buy 10 boxes from Ali and 3 from Jules. What the hell am I going to do with 13 boxes of cookies?? I'm not a sweets person by any means and my freezer space is limited. Last year I bought 10 and had them all over the kitchen. Ali took them to school for her birthday treat, I would serve them for dessert when the girls had friends over. I couldn't get rid of them. Now I have 13 boxes??

It's all for a good organization, but if these were pizzas or boxes of chicken wings it would be a whole different story. I'll have to be creative and find little ways to gift them out. Maybe for the teachers and neighborhood helpers, like the girls' crossing guard.

To those of you that purchased from the girls, thank you!! You're loyal supporters that we will keep coming back to. But maybe you could each buy just one more box next year to lighten my load a little bit???

It only looks pretty on trees

Surely you all know how I feel about snow by now. Holy crap, did we get a lot! The (six) plows had me up by 4:30 this morn, so I read a little bit and then decided to head out at 6:00. The snow was higher than my little blower was in spots, so that created a bit of a challenge, but I got it done. It's real light, blowy snow and I was covered by the time I got in the house. My legs were raw and the hot shower felt super.

I had to drive in that miserable business last night. I had my first class and they didn't close the college. I even called the teacher to see if some persuasion would work. It's typically a 15-20 minute drive on the interstate and I believe I got there in just ten minutes over. Class is supposed to run until 9:30p, but at 7:30 there were rumors spreading about how the plows were stopping for the night, so our instructor let us go early. Thank goodness, because my knuckles were white when I got home from gripping the wheel so tight. And my back hurt! I tend to lean forward in a tense, upright position when driving in snow storms.

The interstate had one lane that was fairly clear, but it was hard to judge where you really were at times. Partly because it was dark and partly because there obviously were no lines on the road to follow. I drive fine in snow when I'm the only one I have to worry about. I'm comfortable with where I'm going, but then I have to worry about all the other yahoos that think they are invincible. Most of the cars stayed in a nice line behind me (I was the leader of the pack), but a few decided to plow by in the messy lane. A number of semis FLEW by and gave me complete whiteout conditions...I was pissed! I was driving blindly for almost a minute and that's a long time without sight!

Either way, I made it home safely. My average speed was 40 mph and besides some tense body parts, all was good. I was also able to tuck the girls in due to getting out early and that made everyone happy.

Today is my little mini's birthday. Happy day to you, Jules!!

Party like it's 1999

That's what we did this weekend. We were busy little kids. Besides hanging with Tracy/Mike on and off, we had the neighborhood round robin Sat eve and Julia's bday party on Sunday. After dropping off one of the girls that came to the party we ended up hanging with some friends at her house. We were also invited to stop at another friend's place for the big game, but I was so tired from everything I just wanted to get my jams on. The girls looked 100% wiped out, too. So, we watched the game at home and Jules was crashed before half time. Pretty much figured that. None of us can handle all this excitement!

I have a wicked week ahead of me. Classes start tomorrow eve, I have to meet a client for a new website before class, Julia's bday is Tuesday and Wednesday I am meeting up with the VP of the local cancer care fund to do some database work that they need taken care of. I'm almost glad the girls have scouts on Thursday because I like to bring my laptop and hide in a hallway for 1.5 hours while they have their meetings. It's my new thing and not only is it better than running home during that time, but I'm productive as hell. I have to grab every opportunity for a few free minutes.

Sometimes I wonder if I have too much going on, but I don't think I'd have it any other way. I'm not one to sit around and this weather isn't exactly enhancing my social life. The volunteer work I do for the PTO/school, art center and the cancer fund is all stuff I enjoy. The side jobs provide additional income and the schooling, well, that should provide me additional education to get down the new path I've chosen to take. It's all good. Besides, I've met some fantastic people through all these organizations, most of which have either developed into valuable networking or great friends.

Temporary insanity and lots of socks

Today is a prime example of why I plan to move when the girls are in college. It was -5 (not including wind chill) when I got up this morn. And as I sit here typing, I just saw a neighbor go by on his bicycle, wearing jeans. What the??

Julia has decided to move with me in 11 years and go to ASU. Ali wants to live with Aunt Tracy and go to Berkeley. Sounds like we have it all figured out! Speaking of Aunt Tracy, I still don't understand why they flew here for the game tomorrow. Mike called it a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity, to be at Lambeau with Brett, yadda yadda. I think it's insane. I did the Christmas game in 1993 when it was below zero and although we had fun, it was freezing and miserable. I went with my buddies Poz and Chuck. We drank kamikazes from a flask because the beer would freeze in minutes. Men had icicles hanging from their staches. It was nuts and the only reason I survived it was because I was young, stupid and drinking heavily. Tracy and Mike are paying $1400 to go to this game and they won't be drinking themselves to oblivion to numb the pain. The only way I'd cough up that kind of cash for a Packer game would be if they were playing in the freakin Bahamas and Dr. McSteamy was holding the other ticket.

When factoring in the wind chill, Tracy said there is almost a 100 degree difference from when they left Napa to coming here. Enjoy!

Take it down or I'll shoot

As I drove through town last night I saw a house that was still all lit up with Christmas lights. They had a big ole tree in the living room window with lights on, as well. I commented out loud when I saw it. Am I the only one that finds this odd? It was January 16th. Christmas is over.

I know there are some houses with that straggling wreath hanging on the door until March, or some homes that still have lights hanging outside waiting for warmer weather to take them down. I can understand that (although the brown wreath really is easy enough to remove). But don't we agree that turning the lights off and taking down the tree is expected? I don't think this qualifies me as being a Grinch. Just a realist.

Most of you know how I feel about celebrating one holiday at a time and then being able to move onto the next one. That's all it is. I'm not trying to be a jerk. Really.

The beat goes on

You know how Cher always licked her lips in that way she did? I think I'm starting to develop the habit, although I don't quite do it the same way she does. I seem to have cotton mouth 80% of the time now and I find myself stretching my lips over the braces, licking them, all kinds of weird crap. And I know I'm doing it when talking to people, but it's hard to stop! I suck water all day and it doesn't seem to help. And then when I wear the bite plate it's near impossible to salivate. I have to wear it when I sleep and I'll wake up in the middle of the night with my mouth practically pasted shut, it's so dry! Another hurdle to overcome that I'll eventually get used to, I guess. If you see me doing it though, don't yell at me! I acknowledge it and am making conscious efforts.

On the flip side I've made some huge strides the last few days when it comes to the dinner plate. The other night I had a Taco Bell soft taco (cut up into tiny pieces) and let me tell you - it was the best thing I've ever tasted. I also had some pasta last night with chopped up pieces of soft veggies. Meatballs work well if they're soft and accompanied by mashed pots/gravy, too. My horizons are broadening and when this bite plate is gone I'll probably be back to eating all my non-healthy favorites.

I jumped on the warehouse scale this morn and saw that I lost three pounds since the braces were put on. I sure don't feel it anywhere, but the scales don't lie. Overall I'm getting used to this new lifestyle and although I got the strange mouth movement stuff going on, I don't look like a complete freak.

1800 miles of true fan-hood

Julia's bday party is Sunday afternoon. My mom and friend, Colleen, are coming along to help chaperon the little yard apes. Yesterday my mom called and said she was going to bring a buddy along to J's party. I knew it couldn't be my father, because he just wouldn't do that. Then she tells me it's Tallulah. Tallullah is my niece that's approx. 1 1/2 yrs old and lives in Napa, CA.

Apparently my sister, Tracy, decided to get tickets to Sunday's Packer game. They ordered them after the Giants won and made plans to fly home for 2.5 days. Crazy. She's a pretty huge Brett fan and has always wanted to marry him, plus she's followed sports her whole childhood. She's come home for games in the past, but never on costly whims like this.

So, Tracy and Mike will be coming to Ali's basketball game on Saturday. Then Grandma is watching Baby Tallulah on Sunday while they go cheer on the Pack. It's supposed to be a high of 8 degrees at game time, so I hope they have plenty of warm clothes! I know it doesn't get that frigid in Napa and most of my layers for the elements wouldn't fit her.

Well, good for them. Tracy and Mike are the type that live their dreams and get places. I hope they bring some magic to Lambeau on Sunday and experience the Packer game of their lives.

My boyfriend's back, he's gonna save my reputation

(Sara's going to like this one.)

I'm looking out my window this morn (at work) and I see this guy that I dated back when I was 21 or so. I'm talking eons ago. He was spreading salt on the sidewalks. I saw Bill out there last summer cutting grass, too, and it completely freaked me out. Turns out he works for the landscaping company that we contract through.

So, Bill and I dated for approx. three months. He was never a real classy guy, but hard working and he looked good when he cleaned up. The problem was that he didn't clean up too often. If he would shave and cut his hair short he'd be very attractive. He has great eyes.
One day he showed up at my apartment with a piece of rope tied around his jeans, like a belt. I'm talking regular rope, like one might use on a ranch. I asked him what that was about and he said he couldn't find his belt. Enough said.

I ran into Bill two times before he started landscaping here. Once at my cousin's wedding (they were friends) and it was a bit odd, but he looked decent and we talked. The second time was probably ten years later. I was in the grocery parking lot with my mom and kids. We get in the van and I see this guy staring at me from a car over to the right. My mom said, "Oh my God, you know who that is?? That Bill that you dated, Mike's friend." I tried to lay low but he obviously saw me. He looked like he was a homeless man, not kidding. Long scraggly hair and beard and the car looked like it wouldn't even start. My mom said he'd come to the hospital with his wife a lot. She had some big health issues and they couldn't pay the bills. I think they did a lot of drugs, too. It's all very sad, but we make our own beds, right?

It's nice to know that he has a job, even if it is minimal pay. He's 41 years old and hasn't done squat with his life. I can't imagine how we ever hooked up looking back in hindsight. I always say that we all have a few ex's that we don't brag about.

Black Friday

What an awful day. I felt like I was going to throw up a few times this morn, and not from illness. They're going through a group of layoffs at work today. Starting with office people. None of the people chosen were close friends, but still friends or acquaintances none the less. I wouldn't wish that surprise on my worst enemy. It's just not good. The HR guy was walking around and people were starting to get squeamish when they figured it out. I knew that I wasn't one of them, but it still left me incredibly uneasy knowing that nobody has pure job security. We're all replaceable.

There have been a lot of changes around here lately, for a number of reasons. Ever since the owner passed away the energy has dissipated. We're still coming in each day to get the job done, but the feeling of unity is gone for me. It's sad, because this was my favorite place of employment (besides serving Big Boy burgers at the ripe age of 16).

I was able to talk to one of the people leaving today. He told me that he seems to excel during the low points of his life, so he feels that he'll bounce back from this just fine. What a great attitude. I had to agree with him because I, too, have made some positive decisions during the rough periods in my life. And I wouldn't go back to do anything different.

For those coworkers that received the unfortunate news today, I wish you all nothing but the best. The next phase of your life will work out....

Feeling a little geriatric here

My smoothie maker blew up on me this morn. I was so ticked. I had my fruit, OJ, ice, everything ready for a tasty morning drink... pressed the button and smoke starting bellowing out. And it stunk real bad! The girls were intrigued and watching me as they ate their Cheerios. They let out a few screams and I turned on the fan above the stove. Smart me (just desperate for this frosty drink) thought I'd try it again. I'm like that... always one to try it again to see if it's really broken. I turned it on again and yeah, more smoke and stench. Talk about depressed. I dumped everything out and grabbed an applesauce from the fridge. Not a great start to the day.

After a few attempts at eating normal food yesterday (sucking on bread, gnawing cheese enchiladas) I have decided that I will now be on a very soft diet. The braces aren't the issue, it's the bite plate that I have to wear on my lower palette. It's annoying and it prevents me from chewing like a grown adult. So I went to the grocery last night and devised a new plan. I filled the cart with mashed potatoes, lots of soups, cream of wheat and plenty of makings for fruit smoothies and milk shakes. I had scrambled eggs this morn and that worked fairly well. I'll pick up a new blender today and do fruit tomorrow with cottage cheese and soup for lunch. Maybe I'll even start liking this after a while. Who knows?

Move over Ugly Betty

Umm, yeah. Here you have it... an extremely unattractive picture of me. But, what the hell.
The appt this morn was much more fun than I had anticipated. It was right up there with going through 20 hours of back labor when having Alison. Not kidding. Not only do I dislike ice cold water being squirted on my sensitive teeth, but they put this plastic mouth guard thing in your mouth to hold your lips and cheeks away so they can attach the brackets. The first one put in was too big for my mouth and I winced loudly when she pried on my cheek to put it in. The second one must've been kiddy size, and it fit, but it hurt like hell. Especially when they had to gently 'crank' on it to get at the back teeth. The assistant brace lady must have asked 30 times if I was "doing OK" and after about a dozen inquiries I just started rolling my eyes in the back of my head at her. (A) - I can't answer you! and (B) - no I'm not OK, let's just be the big girl that I am and get this thing wrapped up!! She was a very nice person and I don't fault her for having to inflict pain on me, I was just sick of her asking me. It was like when you're pregnant and every breathing person asks, "How ya feeling??"

If you can see how the wire from the braces goes up and down from each tooth... that pretty much magnifies how crooked the teeth are. Definitely makes things look worse, but I guess that's the point. I have a plastic bite plate stuck to the bottom of my mouth. It puts separation between the upper and lower palette so I don't chip off the braces with my lower teeth. When I bite, I hit the plastic. If I take it out, I can't close my mouth where the sides touch, which means I can't chew. So, it must stay in for approx. 8-10 weeks, or until they can get the under bite fixed. He thinks the upper teeth will pull forward by the end of Feb., knock on wood. Until then, I live with this plate in my mouth and suck on oyster crackers. Good times.

I know I'm not the first one to get braces, but this is all a wicked first for me. It's truly going to be a life changing experience. I'll be bucky at times, but I'll also be thrilled to have the smile that I've always wanted. My teeth suck and this will not only change my appearance for the better, but also improve my health. The jaw clenching, grinding and overall discomfort should come to a halt.

Anyway, I will prevail. My mind is almost being taken off the whole situation already. Ms Gabby Yap outside my office has been chatting nonstop and it's the distraction of a lifetime.

Soup's on

I lied. My mouth does hurt. I got the bands put on Wednesday, and Thursday eve I felt an ache kick in. The intensity comes and goes, but eating is sort of a hassle. I had salad yesterday and it hurt to chew. Salad, which is mostly comprised of lettuce, and lettuce shouldn't hurt!

Tomorrow is the big day.
I may have to drink this weekend.

Rain, rain, don't go away

Just slow down a little.
If it were another month (say April) I'd probably be a little cranky about the rain. Everyone loves a sunny day, right? The fact that it's raining in January makes me happy. I have some leakage in the one corner of my basement and it's making the yard all mucky and messy, but besides that I'm OK with it!! I love the temps!! And the snow is melting as we speak.

I know it'll be 10 degrees again, and we'll get more snow and all that crappy stuff, but this little hiatus gives me and the snow blower a little rest. It's also a nice break for the furnace. I got my Dec. gas bill yesterday and it was a tad higher than I expected. I'm on the budget plan, so there wasn't a huge element of shock, but they show you what your bill would be based on gas used and a little "holy shit" came out of my mouth. What are the people with the big monster homes paying if that's the cost to heat my little abode?? So I adjusted my programmable thermostat last night. Turned it down one degree at night and during the day. We won't freeze... just have to thrown on a sweatshirt is all, which I always do anyway.

Oh, and this morning we found two scarves and hats wallowing in a pile of slush in the backyard. Snowman and Baby Snow have met their fate.

Show me the money

If I said it once I'll say it again, I'm not much of a gambler. But, boy, did I have a great time at the casino on Friday! I thought that I may get bored after a while or run out of money right away, but neither of those were the case. It was a fun-filled 24 hours and the time sure flew.

I did some slots and video poker, along with a few hours at the blackjack table. The cards were my favorite by far, but I had a real good rapport going with the 'Flame Jumper' slot machine and won a little chunk there. I made some new friends at the BJ table. There were five older men playing and they saw me standing on the side watching. One, who was later introduced as Mike, told me to grab a seat because they needed some nice looking young ladies at the table. He became my new best friend.

Overall I just about broke even when I counted my money the next morning. That's fantastic because (a) it meant I pretty much got the whole day of entertainment, food and drink for free and (b) when I got home it felt like I had this wallet full of extra money. I was tickled. I know the goal is to come home with profit, but even is almost as good in my book. Sara came home with a very nice 4-digit profit. But that's her nature. She just looks at a video poker machine and money spits out. Dawn wasn't so lucky, but she still had a great time and a nice big headache to show for it.

I can still say that I'm not much of a gambler, but I will definitely go back as soon as the next group of ladies makes another trip. They've created sort of a mini-monster. Who'd a thunk?

TGIalmostF

When I got to work this morn a buddy of mine walked by and said that I smelled good. How great is that? Definitely a nice start to the day.

I solved two problems today, but still have a pile waiting for my return on Monday. Baby steps.
I'm on vacation tomorrow. Off to Oneida with the gals. I'm not a huge gambler, but I like the cards. I'll play a little blackjack and hang out. I'm pretty good at entertaining myself while the others hit the slots.

I jumped on the huge warehouse scale this morn, the one that we use to weigh packages and pallets. It wasn't pretty. This holiday season has not been kind to me. I attempted to wear my fav jeans on NYears eve and they were tight enough where I was uncomfortable. Not that I couldn't walk or bend over, but I hate the look of tight jeans and as soon as I saw my ass in the mirror I knew I had to change. Now that we're back to schedule and routine I'll be able to get back to exercising a few times per week and eating "normal" food.

Well, wish me luck tomorrow and I'll report the winnings/loss when I return.

A surefire diet plan

I had my first ortho appt this morning. Good times.

They made an impression of my lower palette so they could get a retainer made for next week. I'll have to wear this as much as possible to prevent my lower teeth from pushing on the upper braces (I have a strong underbite). They also inserted some rubberband spacers inbetween the upper teeth, in back. They mentioned (at least 4-6 times) that this is the worst part of the whole process. Most adults have a lot of discomfort and need to take ibuprofen. My ortho told me to down a few adult beverages, but I assured him that I've had enough over the holidays and would rather endure the misery. I was a little spooked out when I left the place. I don't expect this to be a cake walk, but maybe they could ease up a little on the scaring tactics. At least they're being honest, I'll give them that.

So far I feel just peachy. No pain or feeling the need to rip my teeth out. What's all the fuss? Maybe it's early and I'll pay later, or maybe I just have a higher tolerance for this stuff.

I received a letter from the orthodontist two weeks ago. It confirmed my January appts and gave me a brief update on my treatment. Here's the part that worried me a little:

After each visit there may be some discomfort. It may be difficult to eat or speak for a few days as the tongue, lips and cheeks become accustomed to the appliances. Eating a softer diet and use of warm salt water rinses or your pain reliever will help to minimize this discomfort.

Then later on:

We are excited about starting your treatment!

There's something to look forward to. Applesauce, lack of speech and even drier, chapped lips. I'm going to become such a hermit, it's scaring me.

Embracing ole Father Time

New Years. Wow. Let's just say that it's a damn good thing it only comes once a year. I don't think I could do it twice. Bringing in 2007 was a lot of fun and I told myself that I was going to slow down a little when bringing in 2008. That didn't exactly happen. And another thing that didn't happen this year was my silent dancing, but there were a few other events that took it's place. I don't think details are necessary, but Sara told me this morning that she wished she had access to my blog. Unfortunately for you, she doesn't.

Looking back at 2007 I can't say that it was one of my best years. I had some rough times. I lost two friends, one of them who I loved dearly, and my boss, who was a man that I admired. Now that we're getting older I feel death is something I should get used to, but it still doesn't make it any easier. 2007 was also a year of decisions for me. I put a few plans into place... getting braces and going back to school for a business management degree. I also thought about where I want to be in 11 years when the girls are in college. I know the type of job I want to have and where I want to be living, so the goals are set, now I just need to make them happen. If Mr. Wonderful knocks on my door before then, I guess I'll have to make a few alterations. I'm just not holding my breath right now.

I really grew as a person in 2007. Funny how much a tragedy can change someone's life. I've started to appreciate the things I normally take for granted. And I've become more giving, with my time and my money. I make more monetary donations and volunteer my time to organizations that I feel strongly about. I've also decided that I want my obituary to depict the kind of woman that made a difference. One that was loved not only for her spunk and personality, but also for her drive and caring spirit. I'm no Mother Teresa, but I'll do what I can to be a person that the community cared about.

As far as 2008 goes, I only made one resolution that I want to stand by. There's still the basic stuff like staying in shape, being a good person, yadda yadda. But the most important thing is how I raise those two girls. This year (and the rest of our years together) I want to focus on how I shape their lives and create their memories. I want to spend more time "stopping and smelling the roses" with them. Show them new places, teach them new things, concentrate on the simple pleasures in life. Live a little more for the moment instead of being so uptight about what we need to get done for tomorrow. Sure we need to have a plan and build towards our future, but maybe we can also focus on today. It's that whole "live like today is your last" mentality that I'm striving for.

So, here's to putting 2007 behind us and getting prepped for 2008. Let's make it a year to remember.