Don't stop me now

MY Boy-Friend.

I just love this man. I didn't even know that he existed until last week and now he is my fantasy. If I could pick one guy that looks like my type, he would be it. Sometimes personality just doesn't matter.

So last week we were hanging with nothing to do and I wasn't getting much work done due to distractions from fighting children. The girls wanted to watch Dancing With the Stars and I figured what the hell. I only knew one or two "stars" this season and really didn't have much interest, but we turned it on. Then this man walked on stage and started dancing with Cheryl. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Maybe if I closed my eyes I could visualize him touching me. And his dancing... he was good!

Tonight he had a shirt on without sleeves. That's all I'm going to say. OK, there's more. His hair, the eyes, the smile. The way he looked in those black pants. The man is hot. And they danced to a kick-ass Queen tune that I love. The only problem with the whole performance was after they were done - some chick on the side stood up and started clapping. I'm guessing it was his significant other, which didn't make me happy. I didn't like her.

Oh, and his name is Cristián de la Fuente. How hot is that???

Every day is earth day

Looks like we have a good rain coming our way and I'm all for it. We went walking yesterday aft and the roads/sidewalks were just filthy. It's a messy spring and our town could use a little washing.

Yesterday morn the girls were riding their scooters around and wanted to clean up the neighborhood a bit. Alison came in asking for a bag to pick up garbage and "help the environment". There's a lot of dirty crap showing up now that the snow piles have melted. So, they came back 30 min. later with a bag of trash for me. I was proud of them for having that mindset, although I was quick to wash their gloves and remind them that it's not good to pick up all the filth that you see on the sidewalk. This leads me to the second part of the girls' environmental consciousness.

They also informed me that the neighbor on the corner (who is trying to sell his house) has tons and tons of cigarette butts laying in his yard. They wanted to count them and make a little sign with an arrow pointing to them! I explained that this wasn't the best idea. Again, I was proud of them for acknowledging the issue, but the neighbor is allowed to do as he sees fit with his own property, even if it does downgrade the appearance of the neighborhood. Plus, I explained that it might hurt his feelings. When we took our walk later that day I noticed that the girls weren't kidding about the butts. They were everywhere. You have to wonder how he plans to sell a house like that, but to each his own.

Little sippin

Went to the beer/wine tasting event yesterday and had a great time. It was extremely crowded (they sold too many tickets) and it got warm when you were in the middle of the room, but overall the event was well done. We hooked up with a group of friends and hit a few establishments after. Larry's was completely packed, but we got our wings and satisfied the need. Later in the eve we moved closer to home and I switched to sour soda because I was just beer'd out. I had enough and was starting to drag. Jill brought me home and went back to the gang, as they closed the bars. That's not something that I needed to do.

Lots of good laughs yesterday. It was nice to run into so many people that I haven't seen in a while.

On the rocks

Got an email this morning from my buddy, Chad. He's a mechanical engineer that schools with me and is a few years younger. Simply stated:

You’re officially invited to Whiskey Friday. My buddy Dustin that I work with, 26 years old, good looking, recently single… he’ll be there, I already put the good word in for you.

Tempting as Whiskey Friday is... I'll be hanging low with the girls tonight.

Keep on rollin'

I was waiting for the news to come on tonight and caught the last few minutes of "Don't Forget the Lyrics". They had a celebrity version to raise money for charity. Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon was attempting Donna Summer lyrics for $500,000 and couldn't do it.

What blew me away is how he looked! He always had the long brown curly hair like the typical 80s lead singer. I barely recognized the guy with short, tousled gray hair. His face was thin and he looked about 60+ years in age. I mean, he's aged well considering the lifestyle he's had, but I was shocked to see him like this.
[click photo to embiggen]

Well, I looked him up and it turns out that he's 56. Huh. Who'd a thunk. He's definitely trying to stay tied to his youth with the black leather pants and disco top... I'm just not so sure that it's a good look for him. Reminds me of those Mick Jagger images that I try to erase from my head.

When I grow up I want to be an astronaut

I'm really grooving on my classes this semester. I've schooled on and off for the last 15 years, taking some general ed and computer courses, although I never finished that degree because children were born. Then I went back and completed two certification programs in database and web design. Those programs were educational and all, but they didn't float my boat. I wasn't feeling pumped, even after completion. I suppose that's why I decided to go back now, to do something that will generate the missing excitement.

So now I'm taking all my business courses and I love it. Most of the people are working adults like me, which makes communication easier. There's a lot of interaction and working with people my age brings the group projects to a different level. The content of these courses is enlightening, as well. I'm learning so much about the business world and life in general that I find myself wanting more. The other night I completed a paper in Service Operations. Then I posted some comments on the online discussion group and was looking to see what else I could do. I decided to complete more sections on a business plan for another class. It's becoming a prime focus of my life (as it should be) and there's a slight addiction factor. I rarely watch tv anymore and the homework usually creates a second wind for me.

Last night I was feeling motivated during my instructor's group discussion. That whole "I want to do something great with my life" sensation kicked in. On the ride home my wheels were turning. I envision myself working at different places, trying to get a feel for where my talents could best be used. I don't want to work to pay the bills, but work to get fulfillment out of my life.
It excites me... the thought of loving what I do each day. I have a ways to go, but it'll come.

Be friends or I'll lock you in a closet

The kids pushed me over the edge this morn. Again with the fighting and picking at each other. They are only up for 30 minutes before they walk out the door and the fights start at minute #4. It was all about who touched whose glass of milk. Then Ali stuck her finger in her own milk and Julia screamed at her to knock it off. Ugh!! Not kidding, it drives me nuts.

With five minutes left to go - it started again. Jules was brushing teeth and I was combing Ali's hair next to her. Jules sticks her foot out in Ali's way and Ali kicks her, so Jules lets out a scream. It's ridiculous. I could feel the blood rising and I lost it. I yelled at them to start growing up, enough with all this toddler "she touched me" crap. I smacked the brush down on the bathroom counter and it snapped in half, the bristle part flying. Then they got quiet real fast. I absolutely hate losing my temper like that. It's not a side of me that I want them to see or remember. But, it's tough being the single mom at times having to deal with all the problems by yourself. The load is all mine and I just want these two little shits to work with me here!

Whew. So when they were walking out I told them how much I loved them, but also gave a little "so shape up" plug in there. One of my biggest peeves is waking up all happy and ready to start the day, only to be all pissy by the time I leave for work. It's just not a good start.

And then I went to the ortho. I had to tell him that I threw my bite plate away while he put new wires and coils in my mouth. I will be completely sore tonight, but he told me to have a drink and let it ride. And that's exactly what I'll be doing when I stop by Sara's after work.

But hey, I'm still smiling...

Turn the faucet on

Just got the call that my dishwasher is in. Woo hoo! I have a whole pile of dishes sitting in the sink that I kept looking at, but I was blowing it off, waiting for this moment. I have to run it through a test run, right?? Tomorrow....

Speaking of water - Alison is singing in the shower as we speak. I find it quite comical. The kid always belts out tunes, either popular or made up, when in the shower. It's like the stuff you see on TV, but she's louder. Julia complains that it annoys her (of course) but frankly, I get a real kick out of it.

Last week Alison brought home a sheet they worked on in religion class. They were to describe a gift that God gave them. Apparently God gave her the gift of singing and her family appreciates that gift. :)

H_ NGM _ N

The other day I grabbed a bite to eat with my friend, Kuss. After I pushed my plate away he said that he had a story to tell me now that I was done eating. I took a drink of my beer and braced myself. I can handle gruesome stories, but I had no idea where he was going with this.

Few weeks ago he got up about 7:00a on a Sunday morn. Through his kitchen window he noticed his neighbor out on the front porch. Something didn't look right, so he went outside to take a closer look and found that the neighbor had hung himself. Right there on the front porch. By the time he got back into the house to call 911 the sirens were already coming down the street.

Kuss went back outside to talk to the police. The whole time the neighbor was hanging there they never covered him up. Even when they cut him down, the neighbor was lying on the porch not covered. Isn't that awful??? According to the description Kuss gave me, it wasn't a pretty sight. Why wouldn't they throw a blanket over the guy to avoid gawkers and to give the hangee what little dignity there could possibly be left.

As sad as the whole story is, I wonder why he chose the front porch. Of all places... right there in the open. Unless that was his plan, to be found. But if he wanted to be found, why not choose a slower method of suicide? Like pills or car exhaust? His girlfriend was in the house sleeping when this was taking place, so she could have saved him if that was his MO.

You have to wonder how bad life really gets to reach this point. I mean, we all have bad days.

So, NOW is it spring?

And today we're back to normal. Could be a bit warmer, but I'm good with this. I wasn't overly jazzed about having to blow snow this morn, but it's done and the remnants are melting as we speak.

We were fortunate not to get as much as the southern counties did. It was just enough to irritate people and make the roads crappy. I was still able to accomplish a lot, making the day off not seem like a complete waste. We weren't able to go to Trader Joe's, but we hit Target for an assortment of goodies and had lunch at Chili's. In the aft I helped Karen out with her database needs, got my dining room rearranged and cleaned up and had a drink with my mom. (That reminds me, I need to pick up some Limon.)

I watched Into The Wild last night and highly recommend it to all. It's a very powerful movie, based on a true story from 1990-92. A college grad decides to give up everything he has, including his identity, and trek across the country with Alaska as his final destination. It's directed by Sean Penn, based on the book by John Krakauer. The film was well done and Oscar-worthy. (John also wrote Into Thin Air, which is based on a tragic climb of Mt. Everest. John survived the climb to write about it, but many did not. Loved the book.)

So, that's all I know. I hope Brenda got on the plane to Vegas today! They were to leave yesterday morn, but got stuck in a hotel when the airport decided to shut down. Losing 24 hours of Vegas time is a great loss for a 4-day weekend. I don't know if Sara would ever recover from getting booted off a plane that was headed to Sin City.

Me, I have some papers to write now and then I'm going out to dinner this eve. Early to bed, though. You know what they say about it making me healthy, wealthy and wise. I can use all the money and smarts I can get.

You know...

I was really missing the sound of those snow plows anyway.
I sure hope they go by at 4am.

It's the little things

Today is a banner day, people! Let me see... let's talk about the things that are making me happy.

1. Both girls are in school today. This is huge and I never take my children's good health for granted.
   
2. The sun is out, need I say more?
   
3. My new windows were installed yesterday. I can't wait to jump into bed on a blustery night and not hear them rattling.
   
4. I had a shamrock shake last night.
   
5. It's officially spring.
   
6. It's Thursday (which is usually a good thing in itself, but we have off tomorrow for Good Friday, so that makes today a Friday, which is nothing less than fantastic.)
   
7. I have my new dining set in place. Not only did I get free shipping, but 15% off the pieces. I'm all about getting a deal.
   
8. Last night at parent/teacher conferences Julia's teacher said she really shouldn't be saying this, but Julia is definitely her favorite student. The X said he almost cried.
   
9. I talked to my new boss about my long-term career goals. It was a good conversation.
   
10. My dishes are piling up like nobody's business, but I don't care! My dishwasher will be in on Tuesday.
    
11. The girls had breakfast this morn without fighting.

Things that could still use improvement:

1. I have this lingering cold that will not go away, but if this is the worst of my problems, I'll deal with it.


2. Alison never listens to me. The girls watched Survivor last night with Grandma (while I was recording it). I looked Ali right in the eye this morn and said, "I do not want to know who got voted off", and she looked me back in the eye and told me anyway. She's grounded.


3. Grandma insisted on telling me that there's this huge snowstorm coming tomorrow, so we better not drive to Milwaukee in the morning. 3-6" possible in Mke, 1" here. I go nuts when people freak out over the weather forecast, cancelling all plans two days in advance and stocking up at the grocery store. Mellow out people!

Pack your bags

I'm so excited about Obama or Hillary taking the Office, it isn't even funny.

George W - talk about overstaying your welcome.

Diggin through the trash

I could just kick myself sometimes... I'm so stupid. I threw away my bite plate the other day. The thing that helps me eat denser foods and keeps my front teeth from clicking together when I sleep - that bite plate. We were hoping I wouldn't be needing it anymore, but my front teeth aren't quite in place yet for me to successfully close my mouth.

I remember taking it out after I ate lunch on Monday. I usually wash it in the sink when I wash my dish out at work. I washed the bite plate, wrapped it in paper towel and thought I put it in my front pants pocket. Guess not! I must've set it down on the counter where my dirty dishes were, sitting on more paper towel. I think I swooped up all the towel at the end of my cleaning task and tossed it in the garbage. I looked for it at bedtime Monday eve, only to find the case empty. Damn!

Tuesday morn I looked in the garbage up here, but there wasn't much trash to speak of. The cleaning lady came through later Monday aft and went to town. I lose! It should only be a bit longer until the teeth are in place, so until then I have to be careful. I'll stick with softer foods that require less chewing. The sleeping part is tough, though. I try not to clamp my teeth together, which is quite hard when you're tired and want to relax. I woke a few times last night when my front teeth clicked.

It's hard to explain what a pain in the ass this all is, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm just not sure I want to tell my ortho. They specifically told me not to wrap it in paper towel and such because people have accidentally thrown these away! Go figure...

Apologies accepted

Well, I called the X and talked things out with him. It's always easier to look back at how you handled things in hindsight and I wanted to sort through this morning's conversation with him to clear the air. Not that his personal life is my business, but his plans today were not just hanging out with his GF; he had something else going on. He knows that his sick child is more important, of course. I think we both got a bit carried away with our emotions and handled it poorly. He was caught off guard with the way I approached him and I was feeling overwhelmed with the sickness in our house and not having any assistance.

Neither one of us want friction in this relationship and agree that it'll be a looong 11 years if we don't continue to work as a team. We don't need to be best buds, but working together is crucial if these children are going to be raised well in happy homes.

So, he thanked me for calling back and sorting things out.
And I should apologize for bashing him. Nobody is perfect, and that certainly includes me. There will always be times that we want to punch each other in the throat, but I'm finding that we're better at talking things out now than when we were when married.

Some people make me want to drink

I have made conscious efforts not to use this journal as a source for bashing the X. Let me tell you. But today... today I'm pissy.

Both kids went to bed crying last night stating they didn't feel well. One with a stomach ache, the other with a headache. All night I was expecting someone to wake me up, but they didn't. This morn Julia said she had a headache and didn't feel well. She was pretty warm and didn't look good, so I didn't want to send her to school, but on the flip side I really needed to go into work for a while. I called the X twice and no answer. I wanted him to take her in the morn and I would leave work early to pick her up. Right before I was getting ready to send Ali out the door I tried him a third time and he answered. I told him that Jules was sick and I needed help. He replied that he had plans. All I could think was - What? I repeated myself and then asked if his plans were with his girlfriend. He asked if it mattered, and I said yes, it does. You have a sick child. I have plans too, it's called work.

I think he sensed a heated discussion coming on with a no-win for him, so he then asked if I was going to drop her off at his house, which I did.

Call me a bitch, but being a parent has to come first over other "plans". I give up plenty to take care of my kids, and although I get crabby at times, it's my job and responsibility as their mother. There's nothing convenient about being a parent, but that's the decision you make when you have them.

The X has taken advantage of me in a number of ways over the last few years (nothing we need to get into right now) and I'm getting a little tired of accepting it. I've always carried most of the load because I feel it's best for the girls... I guess that's just how it stays.

There... I'm done venting.

What day is it?

This whole weekend was sort of a blur. I was a little hung on Sat morn from the big company bash. Everyone showed up on Friday at 2:00... all primed to drink. Very few people were drinking beer, and if they were, it was a premium one. Most of us went with the mixers. Funny how that happens with an open bar. And who ever counts when you don't have to throw money down?

So, Saturday I wasn't myself. That, and Alison got sick in the middle of the night, which didn't help. I managed to purchase my dishwasher that day because they had a big sale, but otherwise we did very little. We ended up canceling our plans for Sunday, also, because Alison got sick again on Saturday eve. Kinda sucked. It was nice to lay low and get some downtime, because we don't very often, but I could see it was starting to get to all three of us by the end of the weekend. Kind of like a couple caged-in monkeys. We love each other, but....

I promised to make it up to them on Good Friday. No school and no work, so we're going to take a little jaunt down to Trader Joe's and hit Noodles for lunch.

It's going around

Not much to report today, people. Yesterday I was a little down and out. I slept half the day and that helped. I'm finding out that I don't function well when I cut my sleep short a few days in a row. Must be age. When I woke yesterday morn I had a bad headache and almost felt hungover. So back to bed I went. Today I'm feeling Julia's cold, that she just shook, starting to creep up in my throat. Who has time to be sick, right?

All the germs are starting to come out with the big thaw, but it's worth it. Melt away!

Quick side note: Kitty took her pony off. She sat next to me on Wednesday night. She cut her bob shorter and I'm guessing the pony doesn't work anymore with the new length?? Honestly, it looks much better with the bob. I also got an up close and personal look at her makeup. I have to say that it looks professionally done, not like a lot of women that wear too much and it's done in bad taste. I'll give her a few points for good application, although most of us could look good, too, if we spent an hour on our faces. Turns out that her eyebrows don't exist at all, they are completely penciled in, which I'll never understand. She's also very into her shiny-licious lip gloss that she keeps on the table by her books. Guess you never know when there'll be a gloss emergency and you need a quick layer.

We're all connected somehow

Ah. Feeling a little more like myself today. Hands up everyone!

I stayed up fairly late last night trying to get some work done and even found myself cutting up oranges at 11:00p, but I slept well (besides a lot of mysterious sweating) and am raring to go.

The topic of the single guy that Mondo wants to set me up with came up again the last few days. Try to stay with me here because it gets a bit complicated. So, Mondo sent me a picture of single guy and he didn't look familiar. That same day another coworker comes in my office and during conversation mentions that her sister-in-law's brother is single. I start putting the pieces together and realize that KL is talking about the same guy that Mondo is. (Always, my small world.) And now I'm remembering single guy and his ex-wife.

KL then emails her sis-in-law (who I happened to go to school/graduate HS with) and tells her the story. It comes back to me that single guy is fairly quiet and highly religious. I wasn't sure about the religious thing. I go to church, but I'm not a holy roller and don't feel the need to get shunned by someone because I commit sins (I'm outwardly acknowledging that I do sometimes). Also, I have issues with the 'quiet' part. I've been there, done that. Introverts aren't a good fit for me. It's not the whole reason why the X and I are no longer together, but it played a part.

Yesterday aft Mondo stops in and asks what I thought about the photo. It's fine, but I'm iffy on the personality feedback that I got from KL and sis-in-law. Mondo understands and tells me to holler if I decide to meet single guy. This morn KL stops in and said sis-in-law is pumped about setting us up. KL will be seeing single guy at a family party in a few weeks and is going to let me know what he's like. She knows me well enough to judge. Oh, and KL mentioned this to her husband. His response was, "KB and single guy?? No way." Knowing what he does of us two, he doesn't feel we'd hit it off at all.

I'm REAL big on intuition. I'm also a strong believer that my friends know me the best and I trust their opinions. I'm not getting the jive that single guy and I have lifestyles that would click. I'll wait until KL comes back from the party with her report, but I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe if someone would say, "Oh, single guy... he's a lot of fun."
That would help.

I've created a monster (or two)

I'm real bloaty today. Ugh. Sorry if that's a little TMI, but it certainly explains why I was a little edgy on Sunday eve and why I've been eating like a flippin horse the last few days. I get that way. I snack and crave and eat when I'm not hungry. Luckily it only lasts 2-3 days! A large portion of what I had today wasn't junk food (I avoided GS cookies altogether), but even 10 lbs of toast and fruit can catch up to a person after a while.

Not exaggerating at all... I think I had 13 cookies yesterday.

I promised the girls Happy Meals tonight with a little shopping spree after since we rarely go to McD's. Heaven help me that I contain some sort of self control and get the chicken/ranch salad instead of a greasy burger. Guess it all depends on what mood strikes at the time.

I feel like I've developed a few split personalities lately. There's the organized, my-life's-all-together KB. The overwhelmed, running-like-a-chicken-with-no-head KB. And finally the cookie eating, lack-of-sleep, losing-my-patience KB. Maybe we all have a few monsters that we toggle back and forth between.

No good-bye Kitty

Well, faux pony Kitty was up to her old tricks again last night. She did her final presentation on retailing, which most of it pertained to the new-found use of glitter on products like clothing, home interiors, etc. It was a real eye-opener. Our instructor asked that the presentations be 8-12 minutes long and I think Kitty ran into the 20+ range. It was looong and boring.

And do those faux ponytails have to be washed? I would sure think so, just like any other hair. One of these days I'm going to rip it right off her head. It's SO lame. Last night was our final class, but I found out that she's in my next one that starts tomorrow eve. Joy of joys.

Yesterday I received my new spring shoe-boots in the mail and I'm pumped. They're cute. I'll share a pic later this week. I slipped them on last night and walked around the kitchen a bit to get a feel for them. After I put them back in the box I noticed marks all over the floor. I tried to rub them off with my sock and the floor seemed real slick. It looks like the boots have a thin oily coating on the bottom, I'm guessing sort of like a protectant that'll just wear off after first use. I wish that first use wouldn't have been in my kitchen because now there are spots that are like a skating rink. The girls flew around the corner this morn for breakfast with a WHOA! - commenting that the floor was slippery. Ah, yes. Maybe I'll leave it that way for a while, just for fun. (I know... it's all fun and games until someone breaks their neck.)

Arghh!!

I absolutely, completely believe in PMS. It's real. I don't remember it being much of an issue when I was younger, but a few years ago it started becoming part of my monthly schedule, if you will. I tend to get a few days where little things bother me more than they should... the emotions kick in and I either get sad or a bit bucky. It's all chick stuff, not fair, but it is what it is.

Tonight something part of every day life (it was sort of stupid, actually) set me off. The girls sensed my irritation, although I tried not to direct it towards them. I don't know how to explain it to them at this age yet, so I don't even try. Heck, they don't have explanations every time they get cranky with me. Crap happens.

Life just gets a little overwhelming at times and I've made conscious efforts to keep my cool. Doesn't always work out the way I want, but at least I'm trying! I'm so overdue for a vacation.

Breakfast of champions?

Or breakfast of lazy people?

After I colored my hair this morn I had a cup of coffee and five GS thin mints. Probably not the best choice, but I'm saving myself for wings at lunch.

And you people say that my life is exciting...

Twist my arm

I decided to stop in at the happy hour gathering for our X-President last night. It seemed like the thing to do and I figured it would cover my socialness for the weekend. I'm not one to hang in the house the entire weekend.

I'm glad I went. It was a pretty big turnout and there were a lot of laughs. I enjoy seeing the other side of people outside of the workplace. Everyone loosens up and shows their true colors. Somehow we got on the conversation of dating and people were asking me questions about my situation, or lack of. I shared some details of past experiences and tried to get the point across that there just aren't wonderful, single men walking around this area with signs on their backs. I have to bank on friends setting me up (which rarely happens) or fate stepping in, like falling in love with a contractor that I hire.

One of our engineers, Mondo, couldn't believe that I was single and simply stated it: "It doesn't make sense. You're... great."

He became my new best friend! Apparently Mondo thinks I got it going on and men should be falling all over me. Maybe in a perfect world, but not in this small town. I did thank Mondo for his kind words, but also let him know that I have many flaws that get shadowed by my good qualities. But the single men don't need to know that....

A few beer sips later Mondo came up with a guy from our church that is heading down the divorce trail. I'm told he's a great guy and nice looking (they all are) and requested a photo with more information. Mondo's going to get back to me on that and scan a photo from the church directory (this should be good). Who knows. I'm not betting on anything coming out of this, but it doesn't hurt to pop into church on Sunday and scope him out. I was given directions on where he sits...

Tool time

I think I'm pretty handy as far as a chick goes, but sometimes I just make mistakes. This morning I was picking at a wire from my braces that was poking the inside of my cheek. Sometimes I put wax on it if it's getting irritated, but I could SEE this little piece of wire sticking out and wanted it gone. When Alison had the same problem I took one of my jewelry wire cutters and snipped it right off. Today I was standing in the bathroom after shower, with no wire cutter, and decided to use a tweezers to twist the end. Big mistake. I started cranking on the end of the wire and pulled the whole metal bracket right off my tooth. Nice. These brackets are sort of cemented to the teeth (in a nice way) and now I have to go back to the ortho to have it fixed. This means they'll have to grind the old cement stuff off my tooth, and that process really sucks.

I could just kick myself right now.

TGIF

Whoops. My mistake. I thought it was March. It is, isn't it? I wasn't sure when I walked outside this morning.

At least it's Friday. I have a million things on my mind and just want this day to be over. I've planned one of those productive weekends that includes a big check list. The feeling of coloring in the little box after I complete a task... now that's satisfaction.

I figured out how to spend some of my tax money. I think I'm getting a new dining set, dishwasher and a kitchen cart/island. Right now I have a small table in the kitchen and a small table in the dining area. All they're really used for is piling up school papers, mittens, Game Boys, books, etc. I'm just as much to blame as the girls are, but I think it needs to change. We always have to clear the crap off to eat together at a table. So, a little more storage and counter space in place of the kitchen table will help. I also want to enforce more family time sitting around the dining table, whether it's for dinner, homework, games, whatever. Both small tables are like new and will be great for a family room or basement, so I'll store those downstairs for now... possibly for the next future home.

So yeah, some comparison shopping is also on the list for this weekend. I'm anticipating frustration because I can never find what I'm envisioning in my head, but I'm remaining optimistic.

Make mine a double

There have been a lot of changes at work lately. The pot is being stirred.
I mentioned that my buddy/IT mgr left to pursue other opportunities. He emailed this week and said that he missed us already....we're doing lunch next week.

The President of our company was let go last Friday. There were a lot of variables involved in that decision and it's for the best. Dan's not a bad guy, but he's not a good president, either. Although it shook things up a bit, this company will continue on seamlessly with quality management in place. There's a happy hour gathering for Dan this Friday and most of us feel a bit weird about the whole thing. It's not the typical "we had to make cuts, so you're gone" situation. There were specific issues involved with his release...and we all know them. Having cocktails with that white elephant sitting at the bar will be just plain awkward.

I found out yesterday that the IT group (me and Blair) will be reporting to the VP of Operations now. This is a good thing. Jim would be my first choice if I had to pick people I'd like to work for. Besides his fairness, intelligence and high organizational skills, he's also my age and very with the times. He's hip and someone that we can relate to. Sort of a 'cool' manager, if you will.

Since the owner of the company passed away in November, our boat has been rocking back and forth quite a bit. His son stepped aboard as the active CEO and things are starting to fall into place. We definitely have some hurdles to overcome, but I'm feeling better about working here than I have in a long time. I'm extremely motivated about my schooling and career right now and feel that my long term plan is becoming more achievable as each day passes. I think I'm reaching my prime.

The CEO is throwing a big party for the company next Friday. The bar opens at 2:00p and I'll be there with bells on. A little boost of morale with a twist of lemon is good for everyone.

I'll call your bluff

Last night I picked up a bucket of chicken at KFC on the way home. I threw together some mashed potatoes and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and we were all set for dinner.
Conversation at the dinner table:

J: These carrots taste like dish water.

Al: That's not very nice, Julia. You're making mom feel bad about her cooking.

Me: (Thinking - 'The veggies came out of a bag, not real offended.')

J: You know they taste like dish water, you just won't say it.

Me: Did you ever drink dish water, Julia?

J: No.

Me: Then you don't know what you're talking about, so eat the vegetables.

Me: (Thinking - 'What a little shit.')

What chu talkin bout, Willis?

I heard about this a little while ago, but didn't think much of it until I saw the picture. There are no words. Gary Coleman got married. 40-year-old Gary was secretly married to 22-year-old Shannon Price. All I can say is that there's someone out there for everybody.

Posted online:

The newlyweds have now admitted that they have not yet consummated their marriage. In layman’s terms, they’ve never done the horizontal mambo. “It’ll happen when it’ll happen. And it’ll happen for all the right reasons. And no one is going to make it happen any sooner,” Gary says of not getting any ass from his young wife after nearly a year together.

And the quote of the day from Inside Edition that made me laugh out loud for minutes:

"If nobody cares, is it still considered a secret?"

Me-ow, me-ow, me-ow, me-ow

I'm all for being girly when there's a need, but I don't have the time, energy or desire to spend hours on myself in the morning. Many men have told me that they dig the more natural type and that's cool, because hey, that's what they're going to get.

Last night we had to do yet another presentation in my Marketing class. We were to develop a fictional service that we could do for our classmates and price it out with expenses, income, profit, etc. One gal in my class decided she'd start a business to show us how to do our makeup. She went into great detail about how to apply the three types of shadow, foundation, layers of this and that. I don't even know half the crap she was putting on her face, that's how important layers of makeup are to me. Half of the class is men and they sat there without expressions (just like me). I nudged my buddy Chad and told him to pay attention... as he grabbed his pencil and stated that he was taking notes.

When she was finished our instructor asked how long it took her to do her makeup and she said one hour. An hour?? Are you kidding me? And don't even get me started on her hair. She normally has a shorter bob, but the last two weeks she's been slicking her hair back real tight and attaching a fake pony that she flicks around during class. Drives me bat shit crazy. What's up with the fake hair?

When going through a pricing exercise she started talking about tanning. Apparently the place where she goes has the best beds with more bulbs and her tan is just the greatest. When it gets too expensive she asks for tanning gift cards for her birthday. On and on about the tanning beds. Again, I look around at all my pale classmates and see no expressions. Two weeks ago she developed a new product that would dry and curl your hair at the same time. Another edge-of-my-seat presentation.

Don't get me wrong, she's a nice person (although she has sort of a rough edge to her). She's just the most high maintenance person I've ever met. Maybe it's hard for me to understand since most of my friends are the exact opposite. We wear pretty shoes and comb our hair nice, but it takes us ten minutes.

Oh, and the best part, her name is Kitty. I couldn't even make that up.

The weather man knows

I stumbled upon this and had a little chuckle. I think they're about 20 degrees off in most months, and then some. Even in the summer...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Yesterday aft I made the girls clean up their rooms. They're pretty tidy in general, but they tend to store a lot of crap. There's so much crap in their little bins that they never even touch. Every few months I'll go through their rooms when they're gone and fill a bag for the garbage. And you know what... they never even know that I did it. That's how much they treasure all this junk. There has been a time or two where they've seen the garbage bags on the curb and one of their little plastic pieces of crap is showing through the bag and I'm busted. Since then I double bag everything I toss out. Have to be a smart mom.

So, yesterday they started picking through their junk with my assistance. Next thing I know they're getting into it. We boxed up toys that they never touch but we don't want to toss (like the View Master, Polly Pockets, etc.) and we also eliminated a lot of the Happy Meal junk and trinkets from birthday party treat bags. It was all good. After we were done Julia told me that she likes her new organized drawers. See... if there's one thing that I'll teach these kids it'll be organization.

After we finished Ali found a Barbie laptop that had been sitting on a shelf in the closet for two years. There are a lot of spelling and math games on it and those two played with that thing the rest of the night. Couldn't believe it. I guess the key is to rotate games and toys so there's always something new to play with.