Make like a baby

...and head out.

You may have read about the couple that gave birth to a baby girl in a parking lot about a mile from the hospital. That's my friend, John. He used to be my boss, but left the company in February to work at a place down the road from my house.

Anywho, they were on their way to the hospital last night and the baby started coming out as they were driving. He blew a red light, turned onto North Ave and pulled into our parking lot where I work. Minutes later John delivered the baby himself. He said Danica popped right out, literally. How crazy is that??

Maybe the fact that she was only 5+ lbs helped the situation. My kids were big monster babies and "popping out" wasn't an option. They were both over 8 lbs and we even took Jules a week early. That little cherub was an obese infant, though... to say the least.

So, John called me this morning and is all excited. They're famous. The papers and news channels are calling them and their story is all over the place. It's really something that they can talk about as Danica grows up. Being the techie geek that John is, he whipped out the video camera and started shooting coverage right after the baby came. This whole event is something that would only happen to John. Real water cooler material.

Heavy head

I'm a bit sluggish today. First thing I did after shower was walk to the soda machine across the street for a Mellow Yellow. Very thirsty. The headache went away after a few aspirin. Did watch 27 Dresses this aft and quite enjoyed it.

Yesterday was a very long day, but I had a great time. Jill came into town and we headed off to the acoustic music festival in Elkhart. We were a bit disappointed by some of the bands. They seemed better last year, not to mention more attractive. We ran into some people we knew and ended up going to a club with them. I tried dancing but the rhythm wasn't in me at all. And I'm usually pretty on after a few drinks. Just ask Sara.

Ended the eve at Jimmy's. The place was pretty rockin and we knew quite a few people, although it was an odd mix. An old friend from my neighborhood growing up said he had to find me a nice single man. A guy that I dated for a while was there with some chick that he picked up from the 80s. She was tailing him like a lost puppy, it was actually quite sad. I also saw a young kid that has to be 19 or so. He works at the Pig and I always thought he was a cutie, sort of Ashton Kutcherish. He looked very uncomfortable, so I'm guessing he is still a minor. No clue what he was doing there at 2a. I also talked to someone that was a few years younger than me in HS; we partied together once in a while back then. He told me that he always thought I was really hot. Even now with my braces. I just had to laugh. It's so bizarre hearing people tell you that 25 years later. How honest we all get after a few beers. I have to admit that he looks much better now than the HS days. His hair is shorter (he used to be very Motley Crue). I failed to ask him if he ever married. Next time...

Not always a girl's best friend

Well, I did it. I sold my wedding ring. It's not like I hemmed and hawed about the decision or anything, what else would I do with it? I did hear a few suggestions, like making the stone into a pendant. Not for me... I'd feel stupid wearing it, plus a diamond pendant really isn't my style. People suggested making something for the girls, and while there are six smaller diamonds, how would I split the big diamond? None of it seemed to make sense to me, so I figured it would be better to get some cash than let it sit in my jewelry box another three years.

I had no idea what I would get for it, although I did have an idea of how much it cost. Of course I looked everywhere and couldn't find the paperwork. Go figure. Lucky for me one of the places I stopped at was where the X bought the ring, and the guy had our papers on file! It listed the costs, size, clarity, etc. and even had the original sticker that was on the ring. He offered me 1/3 the original price and I wasn't sure if that was good or not, so I had to shop around some.

I had a small ad clipped out from the paper for a place that bought diamonds, gold, clocks and such so I went there next. As soon as I walked in I had a bad feeling. The place was dingy and smelled like a mix of musty Grandma's house and cigars. Not to mention the shit everywhere. Piles of stuff on the shelves and his desk. The old guy was nice enough, but he called me Dear two times and kept asking what I expected to get for the ring. That turned me off. He ended up offering a few hundred less than another guy, so I thanked him for his time and boogied.

End result: I sold it to the guy where it was originally purchased. Best price and he said he'd give me more if I traded it in on another piece. I don't need another expensive ring or necklace right now, so I took the cash. He said he'd give me a discount if I decided to come back and buy something in the future, which I thought was nice. He seems like a decent guy, but he's sporting the same mullet that he was 12 years ago when we got the ring. He wears no jewelry of his own, which I found odd, and no wedding ring. I'm thinking gay.

I'll get much better use out of the money than I ever would the ring. There's no emotional attachment whatsoever and who else would ever wear it?? He said it wasn't even a size 4 (about 3 3/4), so who would buy it? Ebay has hundreds of rings for sale, so that seemed like a lost cause, too. I'm just happy that I got what I did for it.

More drama with the ladder

I talked to Janie this morn. My parents think that they should come over and clean out the gutters for me. First they said that somebody should hold the bottom of the ladder when I climb up, and then they said that the two of them might just walk up to my house and take care of it.

Oh, good grief. Janie is certainly more of a ladder holder than a climber. My dad could climb, but I'll never hear the end of it if something happens. I'd really rather climb the ladder myself and see what's hanging out in the gutters... I can handle it.

This is how the conversation ended:
They're coming over tonight. I told Janie I'll be home about 4:15 because I have to pick the girls up around 4:00. How does she respond? "We'll be there at 4:10."

I'm picking up a bottle of rum on the way home.

Denny's Landscaping

For those of you that know my parents, this will come as no surprise.

I was cutting the lawn last night (I had to cover myself in bug spray to do so) and I see a ladder lying on the west side of my house. I figured it had to be from my dad, but wondered how he got it there. It's a 16-ft extension ladder and even though I did fit one hanging out my CR-V, there is NO way my dad would put one in his Escape. It might scratch some paint or snag fabric or something. Nothing with dirt on it would ever go in his vehicle.

So I called my mom later on and she said they carried it to my house. The two of them. They carried the ladder, walking down the street, from their house to mine. Most of you know where we both live. It's not 15 miles, but it's not two blocks, either. We walk or scooter to their house often enough, but never with an extension ladder under our arms. What the hell? {I just Yahoo! Map'd it... it's just under a mile.}

My mom proceeds to tell me that I better be thankful because they hauled it all the way up there and I'm thinking "What??" Who the heck told them to bring it up? I mentioned more than once (maybe four times) that I'd pick it up, because hey, it fits in my vehicle! And theirs, but they'd have nothing to do with that. I thanked her, cuz I did appreciate it and I know that's what she wanted to hear, but her demand irritated me a bit.

For the record: They've done this before. Their lawnmower died one time, so my dad walked up to borrow mine and then pushed it to his house. He also walked up a spreader once (very light, easily fits in our vehicles) when I needed to fertilize. And then there was the snowstorm of 2006 when I wasn't prepared and didn't have a blower. He walked up with a big shovel. The community must wonder if he has a landscaping business going on the other side of town or something. He's always walking through town with equipment.

Heavy on the drugs, please

The case for today was settled, so I didn't have to show up for court. Big hooray. Instead I got to talk about getting my tooth cut out. The Dr. seemed very nice and recommended that I get put out for the procedure vs using gas. Um, yeah. I'm all about not knowing what's going on, especially since they'll be cutting way up into my gums to chain the big tooth. I was put out for my wisdom teeth (many moons ago) and it was wonderful. Just woke up and everything was done. Karri picked me up from the dentist and took me to her apt so I could sleep until my boyfriend picked me up (I lived in Port at the time). She had to help me up the back staircase at her place and a guy that we know from HS was there shampooing carpets in the hallway. He thought I was completely drunk. At 10:00 in the morning!!

I'm having the surgery done in three weeks. It was tough to schedule with everything I have going on this summer, so I picked a day that Janie had the girls. They can drop me off and Janie can pick me up after it's all over, leaving the girls behind with Grandpa. I don't necessarily want them seeing me all wasted like that. After a few hours of sleeping it off they can come home to pamper me with milk shakes. They'll enjoy taking care of me. :o)

Guilty

I'm scheduled for jury duty tomorrow at the courthouse in the big city. I have to call tonight to see if the case has been canceled or not. As fun as it would be to take someone else's fate into my own hands, I'd really rather not do it tomorrow. I have a 9a appt at the oral surgeon to take care of the nasty baby tooth (that's getting pimped out) and a lot of prep work for physical inventory that we're starting at the end of the week. I never thought I'd hear myself say that I'd rather go to work than squeeze a day off, but here I am. Someone slap me.

Life's little inconveniences

During the last few torrential downpours I've noticed the water overflowing from the gutters on the west side of my house. There has to be something clogged up there. I borrowed a neighbor's ladder, but it was probably 1/2 the height that I needed, so I decided it was time to invest in an extension ladder of my own.

I cruised over to Depot after work yesterday. Picked up a 16-ft ladder... hanging out the back of the CR-V with red flags tied to the end. When I was trying to get it into the vehicle a guy walks by and says, "Looks like you need a truck. Can't you strap it onto the luggage rack?" and then he walks away! What a fricken loser, didn't even help me. I figured screw him... I can handle this.
I ran the ladder home and then went to pick up the girls by Janie. They're all sitting outside reading books, so I decided to grab a soda and hang out for a while. I mention in passing that I just hauled a 16-ft ladder home. My dad hears this and tells me that he has one in the garage that he never uses. I take a look and sure enough, it's the same one I just bought, besides a few cobwebs. He says I can have it since he has a little ranch home with no need to climb high up into the sky.

As much as I didn't feel like taking that other ladder back to Depot, it would save me $94, so why not. So, I grab the girls and we go back home to load up the ladder again... sheesh. Alison had to sit in the front seat with me because I had to tumble her back seat down to get the ladder in. She thought she was extremely cool by sitting in front, but I told her not to get too comfy.

I felt like sort of an idiot telling the girl at the return desk (who happened to be in my HR class) that I bought the ladder an hour ago. But, crap happens. My dad told me not to come pick up his ladder yet because he wants to clean it for me first (part of his OCD). Guess I'll have to wait until the weekend to climb up there and see what creepiness awaits me in the gutter. If you happen to drive down FDL Ave on Saturday, look for a body on the front lawn. It's possible things may not go well.

Carts and ice cream

Saturday was our day to finish up everything we wanted to do, but yet take it easy. We started off with mini-golf and go-carting. I think I'm addicted to the mini-golf... what fun. The course was pretty cool and everyone had a blast. The seven of us all picked different color balls and were fairly patient with taking turns. We had quite a few holes in one, too!

The go-carts - OMG. Loved that as well. There are height requirements, so the middle girls had to take the mini carts while Karen and I took the younger ones. Of course the minis didn't go very fast and the middle girls felt jipped. We promised to take them back this morning for a ride with us since the place was starting to get busier and I even had a slight feeling of motion sickness. Must've been all those sharp corners. So, Maddy and Ali get a ride today before we head out of DC.

The rest of our day consisted of finishing up some last minute shopping, a little rest time and some more swimming in the sun. We really couldn't have asked for better weather. It was perfect. After dinner at a restaurant with the worst service ever we went into Sister Bay for ice cream, where I had the best cone of my life. Homemade english toffee IC in a homemade waffle cone. It sure made up for that crappy dinner experience.

Today we pack up, hit the carts again and head home. Maybe we'll stop somewhere on the way if we see a cool shop, but I think we need to head back to get organized. I have the usual post-vacation crap to take care of... unpacking, laundry, watering plants, mowing grass, figuring out our weekly schedule, calling for jury duty (yes, I'm on deck for a few weeks), etc. It's always good to get back home, but I'm not pumped for what awaits me.

Shopping, sunshine and speedos

Friday was one of the most beautiful days I can remember. Bright sun, blue skies all day, temp around 75ish and no winds. We commented a few times how it just couldn't be any nicer. We decided to spend the morning shopping... and boy, did we shop. All the girls had a set amount of money that they were allowed to spend, but the mom's wallets were a little thicker. We probably hit a few dozen shops and each girl took their time deciding on just the perfect item to purchase. Karen and I were quite impressed not only by how patient they all were with each other, but also by how careful they were with their money. Julia even asked me at one time if she was spending her money wisely. She was quite the little shopper.

We hit the Peninsula State Park after shopping and ate our picnic lunch that we brought along. We climbed the Eagle tower, too. Quite the hike, but worth the spectacular view. Got some great pics up there.

Everyone was exhausted from the day of shopping, so instead of a hike we thought it might be best to head back to our place and go swimming. Wise decision. The girls really needed the time to play and the moms wanted a cold beer in the sun. The highlight was probably the speedo family. An incredibly skinny man in his mid-late 40s wearing a nasty speedo. Then I noticed that his two boys (not so skinny) were wearing them as well. I can't imagine what they're thinking when they put them on. Honestly. Karen and I decided that even a hot guy wouldn't look good in one of those, let alone this man. He has to be single because I can't believe any woman would allow him to walk out in public like that.

We finished off day two by grabbing some dinner at Wilson's, a 50s style diner. Then we each swapped a child and had movie time and sleepovers. It was an incredibly productive day, but tiring. We were all anxious to hit the hay.

Sailboats and cherry trees

Greetings from Door County. We're having a great time so far! We had just as much fun getting here as we did after arrival. And that was only day 1.

On the way up we stopped at "The Farm". It's a big ole animal farm with barns everywhere, filled with various animals for the kids to feed and play with. They got to feed the baby goats and piglets with bottles of milk (the goats are little savages that attack you for more). They also had bags of corn for the older breed. There was a huge bull that opened his mouth and kids just pelted corn at him, seeing how much he could catch. There was also opportunity to milk a goat, which the kids found pretty cool. It was a great place for all ages. Really brought Karen back to her roots.

The lady at the desk suggested that we go to PC Junction for lunch. What an interesting place that was. It's in the middle of nowhere and looks like a rundown shack from the outside. There was a covered porch, where we ate, and a playground area that had a 100-yr old seesaw. The girls played on that thing forever. Karen walked across the gravel parking lot to something called the Sugar Shack. She was curious and discovered a 15 yr old Golden Retriever hanging out by the door and an older, round man that must've owned the place. He welcomed everyone and anyone. There were old pieces of wood in a pile with paints... you could decorate a board and he'd hang them up all over the shack. Plus he had a bunch of pedal go-carts with this dirt trail. There were one-man carts and 4-seaters where the two back people pedaled. They were hard to steer! We did the carts for a while and found a kennel of pigs and boom boxes jamming all over, some in the back woods. It was quite the bizarre place, felt sort of Twilight Zone, to find this out in the boonies. We had a complete blast, though, and best part - it was all free! Wild.

When we got to DC we unpacked all our stuff and hit the outdoor pool first thing. It was sunny and warm and very relaxing. After we cleaned up we hit the road for dinner. Found a cute little pizza place (with mediocre service, but good food). Then we walked down the street to find a book store and the confectionery. The confectionery completely flashed me and Karen back to our childhood!! Everything from slow pokes to candy cigarettes to the dots you eat off paper strips. There were pop rocks, licorice whips and sixlets. The chocolate counter was beyond ridiculous. Stuff that ran $20/pound, but looked like it would melt in your mouth. I got a chocolate pretzel rod and the girls got some rock candy. Karen bought us each a pack of razzles, for old times sake. That place made me smile.

Don't I know you?

Took the Vino on the trail this morn. It's not officially open yet, but I didn't see any crews there kicking me off. It's pretty much complete besides some landscaping that needs to be taken care of. Only peds I ran into were a guy and his two rottweilers. I like the trail because it keeps SUVs off my tail, but I have to get used to it. It's just a different route, is all. Probably took 15 minutes, just like the old route.

An instructor from our new CRM software company came today for the admin training. She saw my name on the emails floating around. First thing she says when she walks in is, "Are you related to Bill B?" I replied, "I used to be." Here she was once a roomie of my X bro-in-law, way back when. Again with my small, small world. She proceeds to tell me and Blair a story. She was engaged 25 yrs ago and they were both living with Bill B. The engagement eventually broke off and she moved away. 23 years later she runs into the old boyfriend and discovers they are both divorced. They ended up getting married... how odd is that? Here I thought my story was unique, where the X and I lived on the same street as kids and played together, eventually marrying 20 years later.

Back to training...

43 hours and counting

Know how some days just draaaaag? Today is like that for me. Keeping busy with little things, but of course I'd rather be elsewhere. Summer days get me day-dreaming. Tomorrow I'll be in this wretched training session all day. And there are only two of us "learning", so I'll actually have to pay attention. Plus I get to listen to a bunch of exciting HR presentations in the eve. Yawn. At least it's my last day of this class. My attention span is very short, so I'm not sure how I'll handle a full day and eve of sitting in an uncomfortable chair, listening to people talk.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. On Thursday morn we're out of here. Finally heading to Door County with Karen and all the girls. I've maximized my organizational skills and researched places to go, things to do. As long as it involves relaxing at the end of the day with a Spotted Cow in my hand, I'll do whatever the girls want when we're up there. This vacation is really for them.

When obstacles get you down

When you're trying to get something accomplished and you hit a roadblock, please consider the following:

• After Fred Astaire's first screen test, a 1933 memo from the MGM testing director said: "Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." Astaire kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home.
• An expert said of famous football coach Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation."
• Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lacking ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before building Disneyland.
• Eighteen publishers turned down Richard Bach's 10,000 word story about a soaring seagull before Macmillan finally published it in 1970. By 1975, Jonathan Livingston Seagull had sold more than seven million copies in the US alone.

I'd rather not honor and obey you

This weekend left me with a few gentle reminders of why I'm single. And it's good. A conversation with friends, comments made from my daughter... all reassuring me that I'm in a much better place right now. Sure, there are times where it would be cool to have that other person around, but where I'm at right now is much better than where I was at five years ago. Maybe I'm less tolerant than others are, but I don't feel that I should have to "deal" with things that I dislike if I don't want to. I'm looking for compatibility and will live my own life until I find it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-marriage. I think it can be a great thing if it works. I have friends that seem very happy, maybe even a couple or two that are actually soul mates. I also have friends that fight with their spouse quite often and I wonder how they obtain the energy to continue with that. How exhausting. And then there are the couples where one person controls the other. I think that's even worse than watching two people fight. One mate wears the pants and tends to belittle the other. Last, but not least, there are the couples that are roommates. They are secure and at a comfort level, but there is no passion what-so-ever.

I know marriage isn't easy and compromise is necessary, but to what point? Do we have to give up who we are and lose our identities? Do we have to tolerate extremely annoying habits or untruths? We shouldn't have to. I only have one life and I don't plan on living it with someone that drags me down. I want to be with that one person that compliments me and settling is no longer an option. Some of you have found that, so I know it's possible.

Threesome - every man's dream

Happy Father's Day to all the men out there that are lucky enough to have children. So far it's shaping up to be a pretty great day.

Yesterday was just beautiful. The bright sun and nice breeze helped dry up some of the soggy spots in my yard and I was able to get the grass cut. I tooled around on the Vino for a while, ran some errands, bumped into a few people. I ended up buying a large checkerboard rug w/jumbo checkers at Karri's garage sale. It reminded me of all the time I spent at the library when I was a kid, playing on their rug. I had to get it for the girls.

Last night I did dinner with a friend and we stopped for a drink after. We hooked up with a guy that we knew from the area. Funny part is that we both dated him for a while at one point in our lives. I think he always had a soft spot for both of us. We were joking about when we dated and I said, "Do you realize that we've all seen each other naked?" The three of us had some good laughs and it was an entertaining way to finish the day.

What in san hell is going on?

Where are these storms coming from? Isn't this supposed to be happening in April? It's as if the whole seasonal approach has shifted a few months. Has the earth's axis changed when I wasn't looking? When I was a kid I remember wearing shorts to school in April, May. Sure it rained, but spring wasn't three months of shitty, miserable weather. We were able to play outside without getting washed away. It's June - and it's wet as hell - and it's not exactly warm. The last days of school are supposed to be fun with picnics and field trips and flip flops. Are we going through a cycle every so many years, or have we been gradually shifting to where we're a month or two off now each season?

Science was far from my best subject, I'll admit it. I do understand that things change over time, but how much? Instead of four seasons divided into three month sections it seems to be all scatter brained. Apparently this year we get five looong months of snow (Nov-March) and two months of summer. I don't even want to know what's going to happen this fall. It's my favorite season and I'm afraid that I'll get screwed somehow and it'll get taken away from me.

Maybe I need to do a little research. I'm sure someone has a theory that explains it. Although I've done plenty of reading and documentary watching on global warming and I still don't know who's telling the truth on that one.

Hello summer, are you there?

Not much going on around here lately. At least nothing real news-worthy. The girls are finishing up their last days of school, tomorrow being the end. That means a new summer schedule and some adjusting. The break will be welcomed with open arms. It'll be nice not having to go through papers and homework each night, recording their reading time and running to pick up things they need for projects.

I've been making a lot of lists, because that's what I do. We're heading to Door County next week and I have to make a shopping/packing list. Our place is a two-story suite with an upstairs loft. There's a full kitchenette, so we can bring food to cook and plenty of snacks. There is an indoor and outdoor pool, playground picnic area with gas grills and a full game room inside for the kids. It'll be great to release for a few days. I'm going with a friend that has three girls, so it'll be major female bonding time. The plan is to shoot from the hip and do whatever we feel like at that time. There's plenty of shopping up there, plus mini-golf, go-carting, hiking in the parks, you name it.

I started an online class this week and each assignment is due on Sunday night. Since I'll be on vacation next week I'll have to get all that work done ahead of time. So, I have to complete eight chapters/quizzes and two papers before next Wed. The majority of it will have to get tackled this weekend, but that's how the ball bounces. Just trying to stay focused.

A little prayer to all those in the Midwest that are suffering from the flood damage. Here's to hoping tonight's storm is minimal.

I put your picture away

Would you believe that Denise knows the dude with the mullet?? She sees him out once in a while and they call him "Kid Rock". I LMAO on that one. I'm sure he sees that as a compliment. She said that his jeans are so tight, you can see the silhouette of his man parts through the denim.

Nuff said.

We're talking apples and oranges

I got done with my homework a little early last night, so I decided to see what kind of singles were looking for love in other parts of the country. In these parts it's very slim pickins. Most of the men are wearing camoflauge or trucker hats. Heck, some even drive dump trucks. I thought it would be fun to dream a little and see what might be available if I lived elsewhere.

Boy oh boy, it's like two different worlds. There are a lot more single men in other cities. Granted, some of the cities are much bigger than where I live, but I think more of them may be open to going online, too. And they look so different! Cleaner cut, less 80s and redneck. A little more hip and with the times. A tee and jeans can be done in many ways. Take for instance these guys:

Both in tees, but that's where the similarity ends. The Midwestern is sporting the typical ball cap and mullet (go figure). The Southwestern is sporting shades and his hotness. The only surprise with these two is that I expected the Midwestern's tee to be black with skulls on the front. Here's another set of guys that are a few years older than the first:

Again, a no-brainer. The Midwestern (code named "campertodd") proudly displays his camo hat. The Southwestern has a nice smile with a casual look about him. Now, I didn't go pick out the most extreme men from each geographical area. This is truly what the average guy looks like. Sure, there are unattractive men wherever you go, but even the ugly ones in the SW were dressed decent and looked showered. I guess you can blame part of it on culture. You have to adapt to the area in which you live. Some people put a little more or less effort into it than others.

There are pros and cons to every part of the country, but lately I've been seeing a whole lot of pros to living elsewhere.

There have been worse days

I took the Vino to work today and as I was tooling down Superior one of those flying helicopter thingies smacked me right in the neck. Stupid thing. That really smarts when you're going 30 mph! I was just relieved that it wasn't a large creepy bug that left its remnants on my neck.

A few happy thoughts today. First, I got a phone call that I won Brewer tickets from the raffle at the golf tourney. Yay me. I never win stuff. Ever. And I lucked out - the game is on a weekend where I'm free and the girls are with their dad. I felt that Karen should have the Brewer tickets since she purchased the raffles and shared with me and Brenda, but she refused. Thank you, Karen!

Also, a big congrats to a friend of mine. She just finished her teaching degree at the ripe ole age of 40 and hasn't been in the job market for years. Apparently teaching jobs are very tough to come by in our area. There can be a few hundred applicants for each open position. Well, she just sent me a message that she got a Kindy teaching job at the school where our children go. Yay Gina! I'm very happy for her. I told her to start working on her patience skills this summer...

Last, but certainly not least, it has stopped raining. For now. My grass is uber long, but was too soggy to cut last night. Figure I'll get it done tonight, get the grill going, etc. We're just fortunate that we didn't have a lot of permanent damage to our homes. Everything I've seen on the news for southern/southwest WI makes me very thankful. This morning I watched footage of a man's home literally collapse and wash away as the man was standing there watching. What an ultimate feeling of helplessness.

These shoes are made for skating

Seriously, how cute are these shoes? I told Denise I got a pair at Target yesterday and she thinks they are ridiculous. $10. Alison did give me a "Mom...." when I tried them on. Jules has a pair of Vans just like these with little pink hearts. I think that's why Ali was giving me crap. I'm going to wear them next time I go skateboarding with her....

(OK, maybe I'm hanging onto my youth just a little.)

I needed that

I haven't laughed this hard at work in a long time. Some emails started flowing with a few friends here and I started spitting out my crackers, I was laughing so hard. Oh, good times.

Hot carpenter wanted - to build my ark

I wasn't going to say anything about all the rain we've been getting, but for the love of Pete. It's getting out of hand. Saturday started out so nice and I thought that it was all behind us... little did we know. When I woke this morn I heard water outside, but figured we had some sprinkles here and then. No biggie. When we were in church I could see rain out the front doors, but again, didn't think much of it. Then the lights flickered about 3 minutes left in the service and I knew that it was going to be an ugly day.

We were absolutely drenched running the short distance from church to the car. And we were freezing in dresses and sandals. I promised them Target shopping and they wanted nothing to do with going home to change, so I cranked the heat and drove through the flooded streets. We did Taco Bell and Target, getting soggy running in and out. I think we spent nearly two hours in Target (haven't been there in a while) so we did dry off a bit before we had to run back out.

When we got home I went downstairs to throw some laundry in and was thrilled to see water in the basement. Not just the little trickle in the one corner that normally occurs during heavy rains... but water from many directions. I had this once before where it started coming from the west side of the walls where the laundry appliances are and it sucks. It sucks because I have a large rug down there and it was drenched.

I spent a lot of time cleaning things up and have the rug drying out now, but there's the steady stream of water slowly running down in three spots. Lucky for me I have everything on metal shelves or in the safe zones down there. Plus the streams all run down to the big drain, so at least they did something right back in 1926 by sloping the floors the right way.

So we go to my cousin's house for a grad party at 5:00p. About 6:30p we see black skies moving in and I figure hey, let's make like a baby and head out. Dropped Grandma off and it starts downpouring. To the point where we could barely see the road. This is just what my basement needs to dry out. Pffft.

The thoughts running through my head today:
First, clean out the basement. Throw away half the shit down there so it can rain all it wants and fish can swim. What do I care?? Be a minimalist and don't own crap that needs to be stored. Second, deal with it for a few years. When the girls are a couple years older and don't need a yard anymore to play, sell the house. Get a condo or something with minor yard work and upkeep. Someplace where I won't have to blow snow (there I go again) and cut grass. Maybe have a nice little patio and that's it. Maybe a place that is basement free so this water stuff isn't even an issue. Third, if I do condo for a few years it would be a good transition for my move to AZ. [Crossing fingers.]

And then I came upstairs to my cute little house and some of those negatives drifted away. The upstairs is so cozy and I love my little screen porch. The house is old and needs some updates, but it has character. And it's ours. I forgot all about that nasty basement.

Bogey wonderland

Yesterday was the golf tourney at T&C that benefited the local cancer care fund. Karen, Brenda and I teamed up and appeared to be the only female team on the course until close to the end when we spotted an androgynous group of some sort. One member had large breasts, so that was the give-away. Another member had a smoke hanging out of her mouth as she was teeing off... how sporty of her.

Overall I was disappointed with how I played. I had a few decent shots, but the second nine wasn't pretty. Granted I was starting to get hot and very hungry, but it's no excuse. I played for crap and have Brenda and Karen to thank for getting us through the second nine. Thank God for best ball.

I got some good rays and we had fun on the course, that's all that matters. Thanks ladies!

Hey little girl, want some candy?

I was downstairs in the lunchroom making a pot of coffee this morn. The production team had just come in for their break. I turned to get some paper towel and one of the Hmong women started laughing out loud... looking at me. I didn't know what the hell was going on and had a hard time understanding what she was saying. Two other people were standing there and after she spoke 2-3 times I figured out she was saying, "You look like a little girl." I can imagine the look of confusion on my face. Granted I don't think I really look 40-something, but I heard "15" come out of her mouth.

I was wearing camo capris, a grey/black T with a Supergirl logo on the front (detailed with pink stones) and my black crocs. And my hair was pulled back. Not exactly the professional business attire, but it's Friday and I rarely dress down. Today was that kind of day for me... you should see what some of these people wear around here.

After I figured out what she was saying (and laughing about) I responded with a smile. No need to get offended, right? I've heard worse! I told her that I'm just fine with that and didn't hear any other comments from the people standing there. I finished my coffee and moved on.

I thought about this for a little while when I got back to my desk. Do I really look young for my age, or is it just that I'm a smaller person? I can definitely see myself aging, but are we more critical of ourselves than others are? Do other people just age more rapidly and not take care of themselves, making me look younger? And then my greatest fear... am I one of those middle aged women that dress like a teen trying to hang onto their youth??? I believe I'm just staying with the times. So many questions.

My future's so bright

I forgot my glasses at home this morn. And the weather was so bad that the thought of turning around and running back home didn't appeal to me at all. So, I'm sitting at my desk, with my prescription shades on. It works. I'll take them off for a meeting I have later, but it's fine when I'm in my office... it prevents headaches.

I was bored to tears last night in my HR class. Like the instructor, but the content isn't working for me. All I see when I'm in that class is what all the other companies are doing in the area, and what mine is not. People talk about their performance reviews, training and development, team building, incentives... we have none of that. It's just depressing. What I am learning is a lot about the other businesses in the area from my classmates, and I'm taking notes.

McCain vs Obama

A very interesting article detailing where the two stand on key issues.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/04/news/economy/mccain_obama_econplans/index.htm?cnn=yes

A mom's job is never done

The day started off a little rough. Besides having this great dream where I was with my new boyfriend, I could not get out of bed. I finally did, was 1/2 ready for work and I saw that Ali had this big zit under her lip. She told me about it last night and we joked a little, but I didn't think it would progress like it did overnight. So I told her we had to take care of it and she freaked. She cried and screamed that it hurt, but there was no way I was going to have my child go to school looking like that. It's much better to have a little red spot or scab on your face than a nasty blemish that went unattended. I think that's gross.

This is the part where you're going to think I'm mean, but sometimes kids need to realize that we're doing what's best for them. I sort of pinned her on the bed (not holding her down with my knees or anything, just holding her arms out of the way). I grabbed a kleenex and took care of the blemish. She was fighting me the whole way, but after the two seconds of pain (and did it really hurt that much?) she got up and I wiped her tears. She was over it by breakfast and I reminded her that she's going to have a ton more of these by the time she reaches HS, so she better get used to it.

When the girls left for school I gave Ali a kiss on the cheek instead of her lips, wanting to avoid catching the plague from her. :o) She gave me sort of a look. Even after all that drama I know that she's still my biggest fan... and I'm hers.

Buying stock in Willy Wonka

I just solved the mystery behind the big cake and M&M cookie splurge. Sure, the salty wings may have had something to do with it, but that's not normally how I roll. I don't typically buy cakes on a whim.

I just finished my salad and ham sammy for lunch, and again, this urge for a piece of chocolate came over me. I haven't satisfied it yet by trotting down to the vending machine, but I'm close. Here's the kicker. As I was reaching for my wallet it dawned on me. These sweet cravings have started occurring approximately once a month, if you catch my drift. DUH! I don't know why I didn't put two and two together earlier. It's not like I've been experiencing this for years; I've only noticed it for a few months or so. Again with the midlife changes. It's not the woman's metabolism that changes over time, but all this other crap that forces us to put a few pounds on the ole ass.

The woman's body works in mysterious ways.

The 58 cent commute

Today was my first ride into work on the scooter. It was a blast. Of course it helped that the weather was fantastic. I did a test run yesterday and timed it out at approx. 15 minutes. This morning was a little less comfortable, seeing that I had 100 pounds strapped onto my back. OK, maybe not that much, but in the backpack I had my laptop, lunch bag, papers, wallet, phone and emergency hair product. Since I don't take the laptop home every day (maybe every other) it'll be a lot easier on the way home tonight. I used Julia's bright hot pink backpack from last year; figured it would make me more noticeable amidst all the big trucks.

Few things that I learned from this morning's ride:

• I need to wear a jacket that is snug at the wrist. The wind blew right up my sleeves.
• I need to pick up some wrap-around sunglasses. My little Perry Ellis prescription sunglasses didn't quite cut it and my eyes watered like mad. They even water in the morn when I'm driving the CR-V, so this is a must. (Walgreens this aft)
• Leaving right at 7:30a is key. That way I avoid all the plumbing people traffic right by Bushwood.
• I should stop by Dave tomorrow and see if I need a different helmet. I called and left him a message. Mine is a medium, but it feels like it's going to fly back when I give 'er past 30-35 mph. Maybe I'll try pushing it forward a bit, but I had the chin strap pretty tight.
• I'll definitely need hair product for damage control when I get to work. Way to think ahead. Denise said it wasn't too bad, but I was having a fairly decent hair day before I left the house and was a little flat after the helmet... but I spruced it up a bit.

One thing I noticed is that I'm getting much more comfortable after just a week of driving. At first I was nervous about tooling around on busier streets with all the cars, but today was a piece of cake. I just have to remember that they're no better than me. Bigger... but not better. I own that road just as much as they do.