Anyone who's lived in the south, along the Gulf, understands the anxiety of hurricane season. Anyone who has had loved ones evacuate during a hurricane understands the anxiety of hurricane season. And this year is no different.
Welcome, Isaac. And how dare you take the same path as the infamous Katrina, on almost the exact same day of the year.
Ya bastid.
No, my folks don't live in Texas anymore, but I still hurt for the people who do. And I'm still feeling the anxiety that I usually do when a storm is so close to Louisiana. Doesn't matter how powerful the storm is, it's still going to flood the area. And it's still going to be devastating.
I sent a note to Seige, who wrote the blog Operation Eden during Katrina (warning: if you read it, you'll need tissues, but it's a wonderful historical account of those days). His mom and brother lived in Pearlington, Mississippi and their ordeal was horrifying. His mom has since rebuilt and is again living in Pearlington, and again, she has evacuated.
What makes a person stay along the Gulf Coast? I'll never know.
Anywho.
Isaac is scheduled to make landfall tonight and thankfully, he's only going to be a Category 1. But there's still going to be too much water.
Send some good juju to the coast. They're going to need it.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Le Sigh...
I miss writing. I miss trying to be funny.
But I worry that writing about how much wine I drink, my addiction to Tom and my obsession with shoes might paint me in an un-hirable light.
I do want you to know that I miss you, dear reader, and I'm constantly thinking of things that I should tell you. Like how I may stop shopping at Sears because every time I go in there I get acosted by someone trying sell me home repair service and, the last time, when I told them I've already signed up for that but my husband was not happy with me because he refuses to use Sears, the woman said "Well, you don't have to tell your husband."
What?
Way to sell it, babe.
Or how we've just gone through our two weeks of summer (i.e. temps over 80 degrees) and I am now ready for fall and owls and Christmas!
Or that I have this new fixation with owls.
No idea.
Once I start a Real Job and am officially hired on, I will write once again! There are a couple of prospects on the horizon, so it shouldn't be long now. You know I just HAVE share the holidays with you!
Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.
I will update you again soon, promise. The we can get back in the swing of things.
Kisses.
But I worry that writing about how much wine I drink, my addiction to Tom and my obsession with shoes might paint me in an un-hirable light.
I do want you to know that I miss you, dear reader, and I'm constantly thinking of things that I should tell you. Like how I may stop shopping at Sears because every time I go in there I get acosted by someone trying sell me home repair service and, the last time, when I told them I've already signed up for that but my husband was not happy with me because he refuses to use Sears, the woman said "Well, you don't have to tell your husband."
What?
Way to sell it, babe.
Or how we've just gone through our two weeks of summer (i.e. temps over 80 degrees) and I am now ready for fall and owls and Christmas!
Or that I have this new fixation with owls.
No idea.
Once I start a Real Job and am officially hired on, I will write once again! There are a couple of prospects on the horizon, so it shouldn't be long now. You know I just HAVE share the holidays with you!
Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.
I will update you again soon, promise. The we can get back in the swing of things.
Kisses.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Visiting the Folks, The Final Day
* Up at 6am. Shoot me.
* Shower, complete the packing, load up Queeny (the Hyundai Veracruz).
* Off to the airport. A three hour drive.
* I make the mistake of checking my voicemail once I'm actually in cell range. Without completely bitching, the call is regarding Kayleigh and her Rainbow Girls group and a planning issue. Which pisses me off because my vacation isn't even officially over and I'm already troubleshooting and dealing with crap from home. Which I am not ready for.
* I text the caller back and ask her to call Todd because I am traveling and can't deal with it. Then I call Todd, and warn him that he'll be receiving a call about Rainbow Girls stuff.
* I board the plane from Pittsburg to Newark. Tiny puddle jumper. I freakin' hate these flights.
* Land in Newark and have THREE FREAKIN' HOURS to kill. So I plop my butt down at Gallergher's, have a BLT and half a bottle of Coppola Merlot. When I'm done eating, I relocate to the bar and finish my bottle. And am entertained by the New Yorker bartenders.
* I call my friend Julie and ask if she's free that night. Apparently, the flight I'm about to board is oversold, so I'm already making preparations to stay in Newark overnight, should I be offered a voucher to give up my seat. Julie is free. I tell her I'll call her if I can't get on my flight.
* I get on my flight!
* And I end up sitting by the most amazing woman. We'll call her Kat. She and her husband spoke French together, but she would turn to me and chat in English. They're from Montreal, and flying to Seattle for a conference. They'll be in town for a week, what should they do?
* We eventually need pen and paper. I am full of ideas. I also give Kat my business card and tell her to call me if she has any questions or would like to do lunch. She gets very excited and said she will.
* Finally, after six hours, we land in Seattle. I show Kat and her husband to baggage claim, and then part ways. But still promise to meet up next week.
* Todd picks me up, we get home and the kids demand attention. Tom doesn't ignore me. Life is good. And I am tired.
**********
Again, no pic. Sorry.
* Shower, complete the packing, load up Queeny (the Hyundai Veracruz).
* Off to the airport. A three hour drive.
* I make the mistake of checking my voicemail once I'm actually in cell range. Without completely bitching, the call is regarding Kayleigh and her Rainbow Girls group and a planning issue. Which pisses me off because my vacation isn't even officially over and I'm already troubleshooting and dealing with crap from home. Which I am not ready for.
* I text the caller back and ask her to call Todd because I am traveling and can't deal with it. Then I call Todd, and warn him that he'll be receiving a call about Rainbow Girls stuff.
* I board the plane from Pittsburg to Newark. Tiny puddle jumper. I freakin' hate these flights.
* Land in Newark and have THREE FREAKIN' HOURS to kill. So I plop my butt down at Gallergher's, have a BLT and half a bottle of Coppola Merlot. When I'm done eating, I relocate to the bar and finish my bottle. And am entertained by the New Yorker bartenders.
* I call my friend Julie and ask if she's free that night. Apparently, the flight I'm about to board is oversold, so I'm already making preparations to stay in Newark overnight, should I be offered a voucher to give up my seat. Julie is free. I tell her I'll call her if I can't get on my flight.
* I get on my flight!
* And I end up sitting by the most amazing woman. We'll call her Kat. She and her husband spoke French together, but she would turn to me and chat in English. They're from Montreal, and flying to Seattle for a conference. They'll be in town for a week, what should they do?
* We eventually need pen and paper. I am full of ideas. I also give Kat my business card and tell her to call me if she has any questions or would like to do lunch. She gets very excited and said she will.
* Finally, after six hours, we land in Seattle. I show Kat and her husband to baggage claim, and then part ways. But still promise to meet up next week.
* Todd picks me up, we get home and the kids demand attention. Tom doesn't ignore me. Life is good. And I am tired.
**********
Again, no pic. Sorry.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 7
* Up at 9am. Because I feel guilty. I hate that.
* Coffee, breakfast, fluff hair, wash face, get dressed. And we're off!
* Take stuff back to K-Mart, buy more stuff. I carry around a cute hoody top that's an XXL, but then realize it's way too big. I put it back.
* Over to Wal-Mart to finally buy mom a netbook. She had a little Android tablet with a keyboard that was supposed to be just fine for surfing the net and emailing while dad was on her computer, but it just wasn't cutting it. Now she has a pretty little blue Acer netbook that even has Skype so she can show me all the new stuff she buys and does to the house.
* Setting that up took most of the afternoon, then it was time for dinner. Steak. Because my fascination with the baby cows has already dissipated. Apparently.
* And then there's clean up and packing and painting my nails and having daddy dig the splinter out of my thumb (farm injury) and now Dancing with the Stars. Gawd help me, I'm enjoying it.
* Okay, enough of the reality stuff. I need to go to bed. Oy.
* Call my honey, curl up, sweet dreams.
**********
No pic of the day because I suck.
* Coffee, breakfast, fluff hair, wash face, get dressed. And we're off!
* Take stuff back to K-Mart, buy more stuff. I carry around a cute hoody top that's an XXL, but then realize it's way too big. I put it back.
* Over to Wal-Mart to finally buy mom a netbook. She had a little Android tablet with a keyboard that was supposed to be just fine for surfing the net and emailing while dad was on her computer, but it just wasn't cutting it. Now she has a pretty little blue Acer netbook that even has Skype so she can show me all the new stuff she buys and does to the house.
* Setting that up took most of the afternoon, then it was time for dinner. Steak. Because my fascination with the baby cows has already dissipated. Apparently.
* And then there's clean up and packing and painting my nails and having daddy dig the splinter out of my thumb (farm injury) and now Dancing with the Stars. Gawd help me, I'm enjoying it.
* Okay, enough of the reality stuff. I need to go to bed. Oy.
* Call my honey, curl up, sweet dreams.
**********
No pic of the day because I suck.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 6
* I finally climb out of bed at 10am. I'm exhausted. Road trip and crying equals wiped out.
* Coffee. It's futile.
* Maybe a shower will help.
* Nope. But I make myself be productive while mom runs to the store. I dust. Whee.
* I snooze in mom's hummer of a recliner while she updates the menu that she makes for the Goody Basket, a little lunch shop in town. It makes me happy that she's doing little jobs around town. She also helped my cousin frame some photographs that she sells in The Goody Basket, and she's made some really pretty walking sticks for a few people.
* Once she finishes the menus, we all watching Finding Nemo. Mom snoozes through the first 45 minutes of it, but then perks up and actually laughs toward the end.
* My uncle Paul arrives for dinner. Grilled chicken, canned green beans, potato salad and rolls. Yum.
* Have a good visit with Paul, then it's time for nighttime TV - Dancing with the Stars and now, The Bachelorette. This is the only part of visiting the folks that ain't for me. But I blog and make snarky comments with mom so we're still bonding.
* Todd just called. He and Kayleigh are attending a play tonight, so he wanted to get the phone call done early. And now I think I'm hungry. Might need a snack.
* Ice cream is a good snack.
* And now it's time for bed. I listen to The Civil Wars as I drift off. Sigh...
**********
Pic of the day:
Sorry. I got nuthin.
* Coffee. It's futile.
* Maybe a shower will help.
* Nope. But I make myself be productive while mom runs to the store. I dust. Whee.
* I snooze in mom's hummer of a recliner while she updates the menu that she makes for the Goody Basket, a little lunch shop in town. It makes me happy that she's doing little jobs around town. She also helped my cousin frame some photographs that she sells in The Goody Basket, and she's made some really pretty walking sticks for a few people.
* Once she finishes the menus, we all watching Finding Nemo. Mom snoozes through the first 45 minutes of it, but then perks up and actually laughs toward the end.
* My uncle Paul arrives for dinner. Grilled chicken, canned green beans, potato salad and rolls. Yum.
* Have a good visit with Paul, then it's time for nighttime TV - Dancing with the Stars and now, The Bachelorette. This is the only part of visiting the folks that ain't for me. But I blog and make snarky comments with mom so we're still bonding.
* Todd just called. He and Kayleigh are attending a play tonight, so he wanted to get the phone call done early. And now I think I'm hungry. Might need a snack.
* Ice cream is a good snack.
* And now it's time for bed. I listen to The Civil Wars as I drift off. Sigh...
**********
Pic of the day:
Sorry. I got nuthin.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 5
* Up at 9am. It's time to leave the farm and go home. Sniff.
* One last trip out to see the cows. One "lady in waiting" is still waiting. She's been laying down for two days now, trying to give birth. Janie swears she's okay, but I still feel bad for her.
* Time to shower and pack up.
* And we're off. But before we head home, we go by my aunt's and meet up with some cousins. Then we caravan to Shoney's for Mother's Day lunch. It's absolutely maddening. Oodles of people and a waitress who, I swear on my shoes, looks like she's going to literally die at any moment. The food, and free Mother's Day dessert is yummy, though, as well as getting to see my cousins again.
* We finally hit the road at almost 3pm. Which puts us back at Pisswilly Ranch at 6:30pm because we have to stop to pick up the pizza that dad called in, only he called the wrong pizza place so the pizza place we stopped at didn't have the order but we were already there, so we just place the order and wait while dad calls the other place and cancels the order.
* Home, eat, change into jammies. Oy. I am pooped.
* Dad and I have a nice chat on the porch. He talks about his paratrooper days and dropping into Iran. He also tells me about the French woman who followed him from country to country. My daddy, the hottie.
* I call it quits at 9pm and go to bed. But I can't sleep so I try to call Todd again. And again, I get voicemail. I had called earlier and gotten voicemail, so I just left a quick message to say love you, don't call back, I'm going to bed. But now I really want to talk to him. I call Kayleigh. I get voicemail. I call Todd's mom because I know they went to Bellingham today, so maybe they're still there and he just doesn't have his phone on. Nope. They left at 5pm. Okay fine. I call Tyler and am in tears. Are they home yet?! Tyler goes into the house, and yes, they're home. Holy shit, what a freakin' panic attack. Guess I really love my husband, huh?
* Well, now my nose is stuffed up and my head hurts from crying so hard, so I can't sleep. Instead, I pull out the picture box and go through old pictures. I realize exactly how much weight I've gained. Crap.
* At 12:30, I'm finally ready for bed.
**********
Pic of the day:
* One last trip out to see the cows. One "lady in waiting" is still waiting. She's been laying down for two days now, trying to give birth. Janie swears she's okay, but I still feel bad for her.
* Time to shower and pack up.
* And we're off. But before we head home, we go by my aunt's and meet up with some cousins. Then we caravan to Shoney's for Mother's Day lunch. It's absolutely maddening. Oodles of people and a waitress who, I swear on my shoes, looks like she's going to literally die at any moment. The food, and free Mother's Day dessert is yummy, though, as well as getting to see my cousins again.
* We finally hit the road at almost 3pm. Which puts us back at Pisswilly Ranch at 6:30pm because we have to stop to pick up the pizza that dad called in, only he called the wrong pizza place so the pizza place we stopped at didn't have the order but we were already there, so we just place the order and wait while dad calls the other place and cancels the order.
* Home, eat, change into jammies. Oy. I am pooped.
* Dad and I have a nice chat on the porch. He talks about his paratrooper days and dropping into Iran. He also tells me about the French woman who followed him from country to country. My daddy, the hottie.
* I call it quits at 9pm and go to bed. But I can't sleep so I try to call Todd again. And again, I get voicemail. I had called earlier and gotten voicemail, so I just left a quick message to say love you, don't call back, I'm going to bed. But now I really want to talk to him. I call Kayleigh. I get voicemail. I call Todd's mom because I know they went to Bellingham today, so maybe they're still there and he just doesn't have his phone on. Nope. They left at 5pm. Okay fine. I call Tyler and am in tears. Are they home yet?! Tyler goes into the house, and yes, they're home. Holy shit, what a freakin' panic attack. Guess I really love my husband, huh?
* Well, now my nose is stuffed up and my head hurts from crying so hard, so I can't sleep. Instead, I pull out the picture box and go through old pictures. I realize exactly how much weight I've gained. Crap.
* At 12:30, I'm finally ready for bed.
**********
Pic of the day:
 |
| Bye, bye cows! |
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 4
* Up at 8:30am. It's a beautiful day on the farm!
* Breakfast, coffee, shower, and off to camp. Camp is actually a very large, handmade cabin in the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous.
* At camp, I walk down to the swimming hole and we have lunch, then sight see on the way back to the farm.
* Once back at the farm, Diane and I walk the farm and say hi to the cows. I learn how the baler works, how the bulls are castrated, why the mama cows all head to the gate at the same time every day.
* And I pet the calves! And the big mama cows! They have very snotty noses. And bulging eyes. But so sweet! When we walk up to the gate, they get curious and walk over to sniff at us.
* I pet the dog, Katie, and the two outdoor cats.
* Time to get ready for the alumni banquet. Shower again (cow snot), doll up and put on my dress.
* And the hot ladies are off!
* The alumni banquet is...frustrating. Not enough seats, not enough servers, bad food, no alcohol. Just shoot me. And while I love the elderly, they tend to tell the exact same 45 minute stories every year. Oy.
* Finally, we escape. Back to the farm to have a glass of wine, watch my wedding video, look at wedding photos, and blog.
* But first, we must wrangle a calf back into the pen. Diane and Janie wrangle, I make sure the three other calves don't get out. Mama cow is not happy that her baby is out.
* Mission accomplished. I am a cowgirl.
* Finish up the blog, call my sweetie and, at 1am, go to bed. Whew.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
* Breakfast, coffee, shower, and off to camp. Camp is actually a very large, handmade cabin in the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous.
* At camp, I walk down to the swimming hole and we have lunch, then sight see on the way back to the farm.
* Once back at the farm, Diane and I walk the farm and say hi to the cows. I learn how the baler works, how the bulls are castrated, why the mama cows all head to the gate at the same time every day.
* And I pet the calves! And the big mama cows! They have very snotty noses. And bulging eyes. But so sweet! When we walk up to the gate, they get curious and walk over to sniff at us.
* I pet the dog, Katie, and the two outdoor cats.
* Time to get ready for the alumni banquet. Shower again (cow snot), doll up and put on my dress.
* And the hot ladies are off!
* The alumni banquet is...frustrating. Not enough seats, not enough servers, bad food, no alcohol. Just shoot me. And while I love the elderly, they tend to tell the exact same 45 minute stories every year. Oy.
* Finally, we escape. Back to the farm to have a glass of wine, watch my wedding video, look at wedding photos, and blog.
* But first, we must wrangle a calf back into the pen. Diane and Janie wrangle, I make sure the three other calves don't get out. Mama cow is not happy that her baby is out.
* Mission accomplished. I am a cowgirl.
* Finish up the blog, call my sweetie and, at 1am, go to bed. Whew.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
 |
| Eating asparagus, straight out of the garden, at camp |
 |
| Brand new calf! |
 |
| Curious cows |
 |
| Hotties |
Friday, May 11, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 3
* Up early. Yuck. 8:30am.
* At 10:30am, my cousin Diane arrives and we take off for Lewisburg. It's mom's 50 year alumni banquet. They do this every year on Mother's Day. I've been to a couple in the past. It's so much fun to see mom revert to a teenager.
* I sleep most of the way. Too many turns. Makes my tummy icky.
* After a mere three hours, we arrive at my aunt's house to say a quick hi and eat homemade apple turnovers. Then we're on to mom's friend Janie's dairy farm, where we will be staying for two nights. I'm itching to pet a cow.
* Janie's farm, excuse me - organic dairy farm - is the real deal. Big tractors, barns, hay, moo cows, manuere. The whole thing.
* We sit and visit for a bit while I give Janie her first manicure.
* Time to get ready and go to the class of 1962's 50th reunion. We visit with mom's high school classmates. All of them are such sweethearts. I sing "Amazing Grace" with the preacher's wife.
* Lots and lots of photos. Gawd bless my cousin Diane and her shutterfly addiction.
* On the way home, we make a quick stop at the Exxon to have the "wino" (me) buy a bottle of the West Virginia wine and try it out. I also buy a bottle of Barefoot Moscato for mom to try. I have yet to find a wine sweet enough for her. I haven't resorted to port yet.
* Back at Janie's, mom tries the Moscato and actually likes it. After the third sip. And after asking if it's okay to drink wine after taking her pain pill. She pours a glass. Janie likes the Riesling (mom tried it, didn't like it) and rather than open my own bottle (I know!) I have a glass of the Mascato. Not my favorite, but it'll do.
* I call my sweetie.
* Mom states, once her glass is empty, "You know, that wine ain't half bad. I think I might have another glass." And so she does (although she will swear up and down the next day that she only had a half a glass).
* Janie, mom, Diane and I share stories and photos and laugh until we're red in the face.
* Around midnight, and after her second glass of wine, mom declares it's bedtime. We say goodnight and I crawl into a freakin' HUGE handmade bed that even Todd could stretch out in. I am in love.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
* At 10:30am, my cousin Diane arrives and we take off for Lewisburg. It's mom's 50 year alumni banquet. They do this every year on Mother's Day. I've been to a couple in the past. It's so much fun to see mom revert to a teenager.
* I sleep most of the way. Too many turns. Makes my tummy icky.
* After a mere three hours, we arrive at my aunt's house to say a quick hi and eat homemade apple turnovers. Then we're on to mom's friend Janie's dairy farm, where we will be staying for two nights. I'm itching to pet a cow.
* Janie's farm, excuse me - organic dairy farm - is the real deal. Big tractors, barns, hay, moo cows, manuere. The whole thing.
* We sit and visit for a bit while I give Janie her first manicure.
* Time to get ready and go to the class of 1962's 50th reunion. We visit with mom's high school classmates. All of them are such sweethearts. I sing "Amazing Grace" with the preacher's wife.
* Lots and lots of photos. Gawd bless my cousin Diane and her shutterfly addiction.
* On the way home, we make a quick stop at the Exxon to have the "wino" (me) buy a bottle of the West Virginia wine and try it out. I also buy a bottle of Barefoot Moscato for mom to try. I have yet to find a wine sweet enough for her. I haven't resorted to port yet.
* Back at Janie's, mom tries the Moscato and actually likes it. After the third sip. And after asking if it's okay to drink wine after taking her pain pill. She pours a glass. Janie likes the Riesling (mom tried it, didn't like it) and rather than open my own bottle (I know!) I have a glass of the Mascato. Not my favorite, but it'll do.
* I call my sweetie.
* Mom states, once her glass is empty, "You know, that wine ain't half bad. I think I might have another glass." And so she does (although she will swear up and down the next day that she only had a half a glass).
* Janie, mom, Diane and I share stories and photos and laugh until we're red in the face.
* Around midnight, and after her second glass of wine, mom declares it's bedtime. We say goodnight and I crawl into a freakin' HUGE handmade bed that even Todd could stretch out in. I am in love.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
 |
| Janie's first manicure |
 |
| Kate, posing. |
 |
| Singing "Amazing Grace" |
 |
| Slumber party, with wine. |
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 2
* Slept until about 9:30am.
* Coffee, English muffin, Live with Kelly. I think I might kind of like the show. Could just be my environment.
* Time to clean up. Get pretty.
* Mom runs off to the store and I clean her shower stall. We got some Oxy Kaboom that just eats through the soap scum on the shower doors. I take a toothbrush to the track and get all that pink crap out. I wipe around the top lip of the surround, I scrub the walls and polish up the fixtures. Oh, and I get absolutely soaked in the process. So that's fun.
* I rest my eyes. Cause I've worked hard.
* Time for lunch! Ham sandwich.
* Bonding with mom. A little computer help. Pretty easy stuff this time. Except the new tablet, complete with keyboard, is proving to be a piece of crap. So there's talk of buying a netbook before I leave.
* Car ride up the cemetery to say hi to granny. No stopping at the creek. No other visiting. Just granny. On the ride home, mom decides she needs her bangs cut. So we head to her salon so Sabrina can trim her up for the alumni banquet that we're attending this weekend.
* Back home, a little snoozing, then time for dinner! Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, apple sauces and Ellen on the TV.
* I honestly cannot remember what we did after dinner. I'm gonna say nap.
* "American Idol" elimination show. Holly is outta here. Good riddance.
* A little HGTV. "Selling LA." I both love and hate this show. My goodness, the houses! But they never make a decision. The ending is always "So and so is still looking for a house" or "So and so decided they weren't ready to buy". Well, then why make a damn show about it? I need closure!
* Time to call my honey and bed down. Sweet, sweet bed.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
* Coffee, English muffin, Live with Kelly. I think I might kind of like the show. Could just be my environment.
* Time to clean up. Get pretty.
* Mom runs off to the store and I clean her shower stall. We got some Oxy Kaboom that just eats through the soap scum on the shower doors. I take a toothbrush to the track and get all that pink crap out. I wipe around the top lip of the surround, I scrub the walls and polish up the fixtures. Oh, and I get absolutely soaked in the process. So that's fun.
* I rest my eyes. Cause I've worked hard.
* Time for lunch! Ham sandwich.
* Bonding with mom. A little computer help. Pretty easy stuff this time. Except the new tablet, complete with keyboard, is proving to be a piece of crap. So there's talk of buying a netbook before I leave.
* Car ride up the cemetery to say hi to granny. No stopping at the creek. No other visiting. Just granny. On the ride home, mom decides she needs her bangs cut. So we head to her salon so Sabrina can trim her up for the alumni banquet that we're attending this weekend.
* Back home, a little snoozing, then time for dinner! Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, apple sauces and Ellen on the TV.
* I honestly cannot remember what we did after dinner. I'm gonna say nap.
* "American Idol" elimination show. Holly is outta here. Good riddance.
* A little HGTV. "Selling LA." I both love and hate this show. My goodness, the houses! But they never make a decision. The ending is always "So and so is still looking for a house" or "So and so decided they weren't ready to buy". Well, then why make a damn show about it? I need closure!
* Time to call my honey and bed down. Sweet, sweet bed.
**********
Pic(s) of the day:
 |
| Blurry pic, but mom is smiling. And that's rare. |
 |
| Me, exercising. Kind of. Not really. But it makes them laugh. |
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Visiting the Folks, Day 1
* Wake up at 8:30am after sleeping like a rock. Wonderful.
* Coffee, with a twist. Mom ran out of milk. But vanilla ice cream works just as well.
* Get dressed, do my hair, brush my teeth, then we're off!
* K-Mart, Wal-Mart, sewing store, post office, grocery store and Burger King for lunch. They bring you mints to your table at BK now. Very fancy. I didn't eat the mint though.
* Back home to sit on the porch and watch the rain. It's been raining off and on since I got here. The high is about 65. I love it.
* Snooze in the big recliner while watching a Lifetime movie. Oddly riveting. With Ally Sheedy.
* Dinnertime! Hot dogs, coleslaw, beans and sweet tea. Welcome to the country.
* On to the couch to snooze a little more.
* American Idol and Survivor. I hate these shows. But I root for Phillip. He does an amazing cover of "Volcano" by Damien Rice. Holy cow.
* Cake time! Spice with caramel frosting. Yum.
* Shows are over. Time for bed. But first, a phone call to my hubby. Miss him.
**********
Pic of the day:
* Coffee, with a twist. Mom ran out of milk. But vanilla ice cream works just as well.
* Get dressed, do my hair, brush my teeth, then we're off!
* K-Mart, Wal-Mart, sewing store, post office, grocery store and Burger King for lunch. They bring you mints to your table at BK now. Very fancy. I didn't eat the mint though.
* Back home to sit on the porch and watch the rain. It's been raining off and on since I got here. The high is about 65. I love it.
* Snooze in the big recliner while watching a Lifetime movie. Oddly riveting. With Ally Sheedy.
* Dinnertime! Hot dogs, coleslaw, beans and sweet tea. Welcome to the country.
* On to the couch to snooze a little more.
* American Idol and Survivor. I hate these shows. But I root for Phillip. He does an amazing cover of "Volcano" by Damien Rice. Holy cow.
* Cake time! Spice with caramel frosting. Yum.
* Shows are over. Time for bed. But first, a phone call to my hubby. Miss him.
**********
Pic of the day:
 |
| Snoozing with Goober |
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Visiting the Folks
It's that time of year again. Time to head to West Virginia to be a country bumpkin for a week.
However, this particular trip wasn't so great. Got to the airport just fine. Got my bag checked just fine. And then came security.
SeaTac now only has two options for the security line - x-ray or pat down. I worked in a Radiology department. I know not to go through the x-ray. So I opted out and got the pat down. Which, honestly, wasn't a big deal. The young girl was cool, so I chatted with her and made some jokes. I got to the gate fine, but my seat got changed. I was very happy in the back row, against the window, but for whatever reason, I was moved to the seventh row. Right behind first class.
And the seat was wet. WTF? I told the attendant, and she apologized profusely. They switched out the cushion, but couldn't do anything about the sticky floor. Apparently, a little girl that was sitting there spilled apple juice. I guess it could have been worse.
I didn't sleep at all on the red-eye, which is odd for me, so by the time I got to Chicago at 5:45am, I was nauseous. I ate a little breakfast, had a little coffee, then hopped on the puddle jumper to Pittsburgh. And, boy howdy, was it a rough ride. Dark clouds and turbulence the whole time. Oy.
So, obviously, I wasn't looking too good by the time I met my folks in Pitt.
But here we are at 7:30pm and I'm satiated and showered and feeling a bit better. I also slipped a nap in there, so that helped.
Tomorrow is a run to Elkins (Wal-Mart, Kroger, K-Mart) and then some computer assistance. I haven't looked at my to-do list yet, but mom assures me it isn't as bad as in the past.
However, this particular trip wasn't so great. Got to the airport just fine. Got my bag checked just fine. And then came security.
SeaTac now only has two options for the security line - x-ray or pat down. I worked in a Radiology department. I know not to go through the x-ray. So I opted out and got the pat down. Which, honestly, wasn't a big deal. The young girl was cool, so I chatted with her and made some jokes. I got to the gate fine, but my seat got changed. I was very happy in the back row, against the window, but for whatever reason, I was moved to the seventh row. Right behind first class.
And the seat was wet. WTF? I told the attendant, and she apologized profusely. They switched out the cushion, but couldn't do anything about the sticky floor. Apparently, a little girl that was sitting there spilled apple juice. I guess it could have been worse.
I didn't sleep at all on the red-eye, which is odd for me, so by the time I got to Chicago at 5:45am, I was nauseous. I ate a little breakfast, had a little coffee, then hopped on the puddle jumper to Pittsburgh. And, boy howdy, was it a rough ride. Dark clouds and turbulence the whole time. Oy.
So, obviously, I wasn't looking too good by the time I met my folks in Pitt.
But here we are at 7:30pm and I'm satiated and showered and feeling a bit better. I also slipped a nap in there, so that helped.
Tomorrow is a run to Elkins (Wal-Mart, Kroger, K-Mart) and then some computer assistance. I haven't looked at my to-do list yet, but mom assures me it isn't as bad as in the past.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Back to Red
I went in to have Jamie, my hair gal, cut my bangs last week. I sat in her chair and as she was taking a look at the shape, she casually said, "So...ya going "natural"?
Very smooth, Jamie. Very smooth.
So, of course, I had to dye it today.
Very smooth, Jamie. Very smooth.
So, of course, I had to dye it today.
 |
| Before - blah |
 | |
| During - Ew |
 |
| After - Rowr (lipstick helps) |
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Breaking News: I'm a Curmudgeon
This may not be news to some of you.
All four of us, the whole fam damily, went to see Flogging Molly last night at the Paramount. Don't know Flogging Molly?
Here:
Hard core Irish band. Loud. And fast.
My first inkling of curmudgeon came as we walked up to the theater and saw the line stretching down the block, around the corner, and out of sight. But we HAD tickets! We shouldn't have to stand in that freakin' line!
Oh, in the snow. For f*%$# sake!
So we sat in a coffee shop, watched the line dissipate and then went in.
Once seating, not so bad. Our friend Brian just happen to be there, so we sat by him, but then tried rearranging seats with our two teenagers. One who didn't want to sit by anyone they didn't know and one who had a grand plan of moving everyone around.
For f*%$# sake! Just skootch!
The opening duo was good - Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss. Odd, but good.
The second band, Suedehead, was damn near booed off the stage. Despite the fact that they were from Southern California, the front man was an Englishman. And they were opening for an Irish band.
Have you seen Braveheart? One line in the movie from Stephen of Ireland to William Wallace, a Scotsman, "If I fight with you, do I get to kill the English?" (The answer is yes)
Irish and English don't mix.
So when Suedhead came home and that bloke opened his mouth, a big, burly Irishman behind us shouted "You suck! Go back to England!" There were some other curses from him throughout their set and we were pretty sure there was going to a riot, but they finally finished up and out came Flogging Molly and it was rockin'.
But I told Todd a couple of times that I didn't need to go to a concert again. I would have much rather been on my couch with a glass of wine and The Walking Dead. Much easier. Less annoying people, quieter, I can wear my jammies.
It's a sign, isn't it? I'm old.
**********
On a different note, I walked down to my stylist, Jamie, yesterday to have her trim my bags. As soon as I sat down, she said "So...are you going "natural?"
Meaning, you've got too much gray. When are you going to color your hair again?
So I'll be coloring my hair soon. Red. Of course.
All four of us, the whole fam damily, went to see Flogging Molly last night at the Paramount. Don't know Flogging Molly?
Here:
Hard core Irish band. Loud. And fast.
My first inkling of curmudgeon came as we walked up to the theater and saw the line stretching down the block, around the corner, and out of sight. But we HAD tickets! We shouldn't have to stand in that freakin' line!
Oh, in the snow. For f*%$# sake!
So we sat in a coffee shop, watched the line dissipate and then went in.
Once seating, not so bad. Our friend Brian just happen to be there, so we sat by him, but then tried rearranging seats with our two teenagers. One who didn't want to sit by anyone they didn't know and one who had a grand plan of moving everyone around.
For f*%$# sake! Just skootch!
The opening duo was good - Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss. Odd, but good.
The second band, Suedehead, was damn near booed off the stage. Despite the fact that they were from Southern California, the front man was an Englishman. And they were opening for an Irish band.
Have you seen Braveheart? One line in the movie from Stephen of Ireland to William Wallace, a Scotsman, "If I fight with you, do I get to kill the English?" (The answer is yes)
Irish and English don't mix.
So when Suedhead came home and that bloke opened his mouth, a big, burly Irishman behind us shouted "You suck! Go back to England!" There were some other curses from him throughout their set and we were pretty sure there was going to a riot, but they finally finished up and out came Flogging Molly and it was rockin'.
But I told Todd a couple of times that I didn't need to go to a concert again. I would have much rather been on my couch with a glass of wine and The Walking Dead. Much easier. Less annoying people, quieter, I can wear my jammies.
It's a sign, isn't it? I'm old.
**********
On a different note, I walked down to my stylist, Jamie, yesterday to have her trim my bags. As soon as I sat down, she said "So...are you going "natural?"
Meaning, you've got too much gray. When are you going to color your hair again?
So I'll be coloring my hair soon. Red. Of course.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
General Life Update
I thought that being unemployed would allow me more time to blog. HA!
It just allows me more time to be social and clean. That's what my life consists of right now. And I am not complaining.
So, here's a few things to update you.
I have not gotten another job yet. Which, of course, is fine with me. We've been busy shooting and marketing The Collectibles and networking so this is the perfect time for me to not have to get up at 6:30 in the morning and try to function at a desk job.
As an example, here's a good visual for you - our Google calendar.
And yes, that dot on Thursday is exactly what you think it is. I'm THAT organized.
We have our premiere at Emerald City Comicon on April 1st, so after that, we'll slow down and I'll pound the internet. So to speak.
**********
I will be picking up some supplemental income by cleaning. Just a few hours here and there. I can't do the six hour deep clean I used to do. But a quick job here and a quick job there would be okay. And a little extra money.
**********
I had my little minor surgery on February 29th. I'm still sore and just about sick of it. I was, however, a very big girl and again, didn't freak out at the IV at all. Look at me! Growing!
**********
I had brunch with Jessica yesterday. That was a nice last minute plan. And quite an eye opener. When we used to get together, we'd talk about drinking and how wasted we used to get and trouble we'd get into. This time, we spent an hour talking about our colonoscopies. She just happen to have one three days before me. We sounded like a couple of 60 year olds.
**********
My productivity at home has fallen slightly, since I can't spend any money on organizing things. So, I'm simply keeping up, rather than starting new projects. But as soon as we get an extra $50, I will paint the bathroom. That's next on my list.
**********
We have revamped the "Green Light" script once again. Hopefully, we can have another table read after ECCC.
**********
Tom has taken to curling around my head at cuddle time.
Yes, I sneeze a little, but come on! How adorable is that?! Sometimes he buries his little nose in my ear and just snores away.
No, I don't have a problem.
And neither does Tom. So there.
It just allows me more time to be social and clean. That's what my life consists of right now. And I am not complaining.
So, here's a few things to update you.
I have not gotten another job yet. Which, of course, is fine with me. We've been busy shooting and marketing The Collectibles and networking so this is the perfect time for me to not have to get up at 6:30 in the morning and try to function at a desk job.
As an example, here's a good visual for you - our Google calendar.
And yes, that dot on Thursday is exactly what you think it is. I'm THAT organized.
We have our premiere at Emerald City Comicon on April 1st, so after that, we'll slow down and I'll pound the internet. So to speak.
**********
I will be picking up some supplemental income by cleaning. Just a few hours here and there. I can't do the six hour deep clean I used to do. But a quick job here and a quick job there would be okay. And a little extra money.
**********
I had my little minor surgery on February 29th. I'm still sore and just about sick of it. I was, however, a very big girl and again, didn't freak out at the IV at all. Look at me! Growing!
**********
I had brunch with Jessica yesterday. That was a nice last minute plan. And quite an eye opener. When we used to get together, we'd talk about drinking and how wasted we used to get and trouble we'd get into. This time, we spent an hour talking about our colonoscopies. She just happen to have one three days before me. We sounded like a couple of 60 year olds.
**********
My productivity at home has fallen slightly, since I can't spend any money on organizing things. So, I'm simply keeping up, rather than starting new projects. But as soon as we get an extra $50, I will paint the bathroom. That's next on my list.
**********
We have revamped the "Green Light" script once again. Hopefully, we can have another table read after ECCC.
**********
Tom has taken to curling around my head at cuddle time.
Yes, I sneeze a little, but come on! How adorable is that?! Sometimes he buries his little nose in my ear and just snores away.
No, I don't have a problem.
And neither does Tom. So there.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Aftermath
"Somebody better stick a camera up my ass today" - Rae-rae, checking into her colonoscopy appointment.
My procedure went swimmingly. To quote my doctor's quick note on my chart "Good colon!"
However, when I tried to check in at 10am, they couldn't seem to find my appointment. That's when I said the witty quote above. They finally found my appointment, and after an hour of waiting, I was whisked away to a lovely prep bay. I changed into my fabulous gown with matching robe and non-slip socks. I answered all of the questions, got my wristband...and then my IV.
And let me tell you I was a big girl. I didn't cry. I didn't sweat. I didn't punch the nurse. She was very proud of me. Because you know I told her she needed to prepare herself. She put the IV in my hand, rather than the center of my elbow, so that helped a lot.
After that, I was escorted down to the procedure suite, where I laid on my side with all kinds of wires attached me. The nurse said, "Okay, you'll start to feel a little sleepy..." I remember blinking twice and noticing that the the computer monitor letters were getting blurry.
And then I woke up with juice in my hand in the recovery room. Poof. The only evidence I have of something being done to me is the extra air in my intestines. My middle is huge. But other than than, nada.
Today, however, is a different story.
My head hurts and is still swimmy. "Gassy" does not begin to describe my innards. And I'm just mad.
It could be because, although I slept from 1:30pm to 6pm yesterday, and then went to bed at 11pm, I was up at 5:30am this morning to film episodes eight through 10 of The Collectibles. In Bothell, which is 45 minutes away, where is was freakin' snowing. I kid you not.
I made it until noon, but I was just angry and it was showing. So I asked Todd to set up a ride home for him and Kayleigh, and I came home. I slept for four hours, which helped the headache, but I'm still mad and still gassy. It was nice to eat pasta for dinner, though.
I just got a text from Todd that they've wrapped and are on their way home, so it will be nice to hear about how things went today and watch a little footage. I'm not sure if I'm up to filming tomorrow - we're looking at another 12 hour day. Guess I'll see how I feel when I wake up at 5:30am tomorrow.
Ug. I tell ya right now - 5:30am doesn't feel too good at all. Maybe I should just go back to bed now.
My procedure went swimmingly. To quote my doctor's quick note on my chart "Good colon!"
However, when I tried to check in at 10am, they couldn't seem to find my appointment. That's when I said the witty quote above. They finally found my appointment, and after an hour of waiting, I was whisked away to a lovely prep bay. I changed into my fabulous gown with matching robe and non-slip socks. I answered all of the questions, got my wristband...and then my IV.
And let me tell you I was a big girl. I didn't cry. I didn't sweat. I didn't punch the nurse. She was very proud of me. Because you know I told her she needed to prepare herself. She put the IV in my hand, rather than the center of my elbow, so that helped a lot.
After that, I was escorted down to the procedure suite, where I laid on my side with all kinds of wires attached me. The nurse said, "Okay, you'll start to feel a little sleepy..." I remember blinking twice and noticing that the the computer monitor letters were getting blurry.
And then I woke up with juice in my hand in the recovery room. Poof. The only evidence I have of something being done to me is the extra air in my intestines. My middle is huge. But other than than, nada.
Today, however, is a different story.
My head hurts and is still swimmy. "Gassy" does not begin to describe my innards. And I'm just mad.
It could be because, although I slept from 1:30pm to 6pm yesterday, and then went to bed at 11pm, I was up at 5:30am this morning to film episodes eight through 10 of The Collectibles. In Bothell, which is 45 minutes away, where is was freakin' snowing. I kid you not.
I made it until noon, but I was just angry and it was showing. So I asked Todd to set up a ride home for him and Kayleigh, and I came home. I slept for four hours, which helped the headache, but I'm still mad and still gassy. It was nice to eat pasta for dinner, though.
I just got a text from Todd that they've wrapped and are on their way home, so it will be nice to hear about how things went today and watch a little footage. I'm not sure if I'm up to filming tomorrow - we're looking at another 12 hour day. Guess I'll see how I feel when I wake up at 5:30am tomorrow.
Ug. I tell ya right now - 5:30am doesn't feel too good at all. Maybe I should just go back to bed now.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Cleansing - A Journey
It is 6:30pm, the night before my colonoscopy. I have just finished my 16oz of gunk and am now working on my two 16oz of water. I have been on a clear liquid diet all day, despite my prepping effort and buying strawberry and cherry Jello. Can't have red or purple liquids. Crap. So my wonderful son and daughter walked down to QFC and got me some lime and orange Jello. It's no substitute for pasta, but it's one day. I can live without solid food for one day.
The bathroom is prepared. My laptop's electrical cord is there, I have a bucket and tons of toilet paper.
I am ready.
Let's cleanse!
**********
Well, that didn't take long at all. One hour exactly and whammo! The cleansing has begun. Also feeling a smidge nauseous just from all of the water I've choked down. Blech.
**********
Hour two. Not so bad. Yes, I've lost all feeling in my toes from sitting, but I've got Netflix streaming and lots of water, so I'm good. It's not as gross as one might think. Very...efficient. And simple. I wonder how I'll know when I'm done?
**********
Okay, it's 9:56pm and I am removed from the bathroom. I think I'm empty. Aside from being REALLY hungry, this is not the horror I was expecting. I pooped. And I'm done. Big deal.
Now talk to me tomorrow after I've got the IV jabbed into me. Ha.
'Night.
The bathroom is prepared. My laptop's electrical cord is there, I have a bucket and tons of toilet paper.
I am ready.
Let's cleanse!
**********
Well, that didn't take long at all. One hour exactly and whammo! The cleansing has begun. Also feeling a smidge nauseous just from all of the water I've choked down. Blech.
**********
Hour two. Not so bad. Yes, I've lost all feeling in my toes from sitting, but I've got Netflix streaming and lots of water, so I'm good. It's not as gross as one might think. Very...efficient. And simple. I wonder how I'll know when I'm done?
**********
Okay, it's 9:56pm and I am removed from the bathroom. I think I'm empty. Aside from being REALLY hungry, this is not the horror I was expecting. I pooped. And I'm done. Big deal.
Now talk to me tomorrow after I've got the IV jabbed into me. Ha.
'Night.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Coming Soon!
You've read about the Boob Scare of '06.
You crossed your legs with me during the Colposcopy Scare of '09.
And now, it's the procedure you've all be waiting for. Coming to this blog, RIGHT HERE, in 10 days...
Colonoscopy 2012.
Yes, folks, it's the big one! The magic, the madness, the sedation, the IV! There will be purging of enormous proportions! There will be fasting, jello, clear liquids and, you can be sure, Valium (there MUST be Valium. Otherwise, ain't no way in hell they're gettin' that IV in me).
I went to see Dr. Pollock (swear ta gawd) because I was having some...*ahem*..."issues" in my buttular region. I have no qualms about these kinds of things. I've had crap going on (HA! CRAP!) all my life. I blame genetics. But a woman can only take so much. It's hard enough feeling sexy in the boudoir with 40 extra pounds on me. Add these frequent "issues", and well, something's gotta give. So since I'm a big girl now, I'm having it taken care of. Before the end of February. When my insurance runs out.
Smart, yes?
Anywho, after examining me and reading about my parents' cancers, Dr. P suggested a colonoscopy prior to the surgery. Just in case there was more going on than we thought. He said, and I quote "I would hate to get in there and mess around, then find out I have to go in again and mess around some more."
I like Dr. P.
So, next Friday, the 24th at 10am, I will be, as my daddy says, roto-rootered (love those hillbillies). Then, on the 29th at 8:30am, I will have, what I like to call, reconstructive surgery. I told Dr. P, "Make me pretty again!" He laughed and said, "I can't guarantee perfection. Just be aware." This is why he works on the nooks and crannies.
Until then, I will clean, clean, clean! I will worry about the IV later...
You crossed your legs with me during the Colposcopy Scare of '09.
And now, it's the procedure you've all be waiting for. Coming to this blog, RIGHT HERE, in 10 days...
Colonoscopy 2012.
Yes, folks, it's the big one! The magic, the madness, the sedation, the IV! There will be purging of enormous proportions! There will be fasting, jello, clear liquids and, you can be sure, Valium (there MUST be Valium. Otherwise, ain't no way in hell they're gettin' that IV in me).
I went to see Dr. Pollock (swear ta gawd) because I was having some...*ahem*..."issues" in my buttular region. I have no qualms about these kinds of things. I've had crap going on (HA! CRAP!) all my life. I blame genetics. But a woman can only take so much. It's hard enough feeling sexy in the boudoir with 40 extra pounds on me. Add these frequent "issues", and well, something's gotta give. So since I'm a big girl now, I'm having it taken care of. Before the end of February. When my insurance runs out.
Smart, yes?
Anywho, after examining me and reading about my parents' cancers, Dr. P suggested a colonoscopy prior to the surgery. Just in case there was more going on than we thought. He said, and I quote "I would hate to get in there and mess around, then find out I have to go in again and mess around some more."
I like Dr. P.
So, next Friday, the 24th at 10am, I will be, as my daddy says, roto-rootered (love those hillbillies). Then, on the 29th at 8:30am, I will have, what I like to call, reconstructive surgery. I told Dr. P, "Make me pretty again!" He laughed and said, "I can't guarantee perfection. Just be aware." This is why he works on the nooks and crannies.
Until then, I will clean, clean, clean! I will worry about the IV later...
Employment Free - Day 1
First and foremost, I slept until 9am. Yeah, baby.
I got up, had a little breakfast, had a little tea, surfed a little of the interwebs, then showered and got into my cleaning clothes. So many projects, so little time!!
First up, under the kitchen sink. It was disgusting. That took all of 20 minutes.
But then, the pantry. And I took pictures!!
This walk in pantry is one of the reason we bought this house. You just can find space like this in old craftsman houses. I don't know what we'd do without this thing.
But, as you can see, it tends to get a little out of control. It's part tool shed, part pantry, part storage. Too much crap.
So I moved the big tools downstairs to the bottom laundry shelf. Which required cleaning the laundry shelf, and pulling out the laundry shelf and vacuuming behind it, then vacuuming the whole downstairs and the stairs themselves. But back to the pantry.
Wala! The goal was to be able to access all of the platters and entertaining stuff I use. I had trays and platters and bowls strewn all over the kitchen. But now, they're on that top shelf. Easy to get to. The toolbox is still down there, with the hammer and mallet and some other handy stuff. All tidy.
For about two hours. Then I went into the pantry to throw something in the compost (that white trashcan on the right) and saw this:
It's like we have gnomes that go behind me and mess stuff up. And I think we know who those gnomes are, don't we? Grrr.
Tomorrow, I think I'll tackle the crawl space at the bottom of the basement stairs. I bet a lot of that crap could go to Goodwill. Look out - Rae-rae's purging!!
I got up, had a little breakfast, had a little tea, surfed a little of the interwebs, then showered and got into my cleaning clothes. So many projects, so little time!!
First up, under the kitchen sink. It was disgusting. That took all of 20 minutes.
But then, the pantry. And I took pictures!!
This walk in pantry is one of the reason we bought this house. You just can find space like this in old craftsman houses. I don't know what we'd do without this thing.
But, as you can see, it tends to get a little out of control. It's part tool shed, part pantry, part storage. Too much crap.
So I moved the big tools downstairs to the bottom laundry shelf. Which required cleaning the laundry shelf, and pulling out the laundry shelf and vacuuming behind it, then vacuuming the whole downstairs and the stairs themselves. But back to the pantry.
Wala! The goal was to be able to access all of the platters and entertaining stuff I use. I had trays and platters and bowls strewn all over the kitchen. But now, they're on that top shelf. Easy to get to. The toolbox is still down there, with the hammer and mallet and some other handy stuff. All tidy.
For about two hours. Then I went into the pantry to throw something in the compost (that white trashcan on the right) and saw this:
It's like we have gnomes that go behind me and mess stuff up. And I think we know who those gnomes are, don't we? Grrr.
Tomorrow, I think I'll tackle the crawl space at the bottom of the basement stairs. I bet a lot of that crap could go to Goodwill. Look out - Rae-rae's purging!!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What's Up With Me
Well, lets see.
I'm getting over a cold. Todd's been sick for a couple of weeks, so of course, I caught it too. Mostly just sinus crap and a cough. Probably from the sinus crap.
**********
I've become addicted to Sons of Anarchy. I'd seen a couple of episodes a while back and thought, eh. It's okay. But then we started thinking about who could play Todd in "Green Light" and Todd thought of Ryan Hurst (below - yum) so, of course, we had to do research. See how Ryan's acting was. And it was during this research, I became officially addicted to this show.
Don't know about it? It's about a motorcycle club in Charming, California. They're a tight family and there's drama and there's killing and there's lots of boys with long hair who drive motorcycles. Love it. And while they seem to be all tough and mean, they really do love their family and protect each other.
We were in the Junction yesterday and I heard a motorcycle drive by and got a little excited. "It's the Sons!"
**********
Oh, I didn't drink for five days. That's worth noting.
**********
I'm on my last leg at work. I have one full week, then the 13th and 14th, then I'm done. And no I don't have another job lined up yet. Two possibilities, but nothing concrete. I am eligible for unemployment (since my position was eliminated) so we won't be destitute by any means. Oddly enough, I like the job better now that Super Boss and the 23 year old are gone. Damn.
**********
We have a date set for the table read of "Green Light". Don't know what a "table read" is? Lemme esplain.
Bunch of actors sit around a table (or, in this case, our living room) and read the script. We have about 15 actors and each actor has been assigned a part (or two). Someone will read the narrative (the setting "Dark apartment - nighttime") and then the actors will chime in and read their lines. I've learned that this is the first step in editing a script. You want to read it aloud, all the way through, to see how it flows. Do some lines seem out of place? Does the jump from one scene to the next make sense? Does that line even work?
Our friend Lisa is spearheading this. We sent her the script, she loved it, she emailed with "Time to schedule the read!!" She contacted most of the actors, she got it scheduled. She's running the show. And Todd and I are just fine with that. We'll listen in on the read (it will be weird to hear someone else saying things I've said) and we'll give our two cents, but this is Lisa's project. It's just easier that way. Todd and I are way too close - we'd be critiquing every little thing and the movie would never get made.
Anywho, I'm super excited. And super nervous. If you'll remember, faithful reader, this movie is (in part) about my horrible year of 2007 when I made The Ginormous Mistake, and then The Fiasco happened. We are telling this story to the public. Yes, my good friends know about that time, and they know that I'm not the same person, but people who don't know me are going to think "What a bitch!"
Hopefully we've written the story in a way that shows how broken I was and how I eventually redeemed myself. Hopefully.
**********
Speaking of movie making, we have a full week of that stuff! The night after the table read, I'm attending a dinner for women in film. I'm going alone. Without Todd. By myself! I KNOW!
Lisa, mentioned above, is hosting this dinner, so I emailed her and said "Tell me I'm going to know some people there!" She assures me I will and she's very excited that I'm coming. Makes me feel loved.
Might need to have Jamie do my hair. I need to look extra spiffy.
And then the night after that, we have a movie premiere, where Lisa will again be in attendance, as well as most of the women who will be at the dinner AND at the reading.
I believe the word you're looking for is "saturated".
**********
So, work, movies, social events, TV shows...what else is going on?
Health is okay. I'm going to start kickboxing class with Trish next week. The instructor assures me she will not have us sparring again. And Trish will be with me so I should be okay.
I am uncomfortably overweight now (but I'm happy, dammit!) so I'm a bit more motivated to try and slim down. I've had chocolate once in the past week. And I don't drink coffee during the week now. I drink green tea at work. Coffee is now a special treat on the weekend (I put lots of sugar in it). I'm walking a bit more because I'm taking the bus every day. It's the little things. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I can quit eating processed foods and carbs and crap. Baby steps to being better.
**********
However, all of that is out the window today. Super Bowl Sunday! We're going over to some friends' where there will be lots of other good friends and food and alcohol, so I give myself a pass today. I'm gonna have fun. Enjoy the day!
I'll be better tomorrow.
I'm getting over a cold. Todd's been sick for a couple of weeks, so of course, I caught it too. Mostly just sinus crap and a cough. Probably from the sinus crap.
**********
I've become addicted to Sons of Anarchy. I'd seen a couple of episodes a while back and thought, eh. It's okay. But then we started thinking about who could play Todd in "Green Light" and Todd thought of Ryan Hurst (below - yum) so, of course, we had to do research. See how Ryan's acting was. And it was during this research, I became officially addicted to this show.
Don't know about it? It's about a motorcycle club in Charming, California. They're a tight family and there's drama and there's killing and there's lots of boys with long hair who drive motorcycles. Love it. And while they seem to be all tough and mean, they really do love their family and protect each other.We were in the Junction yesterday and I heard a motorcycle drive by and got a little excited. "It's the Sons!"
**********
Oh, I didn't drink for five days. That's worth noting.
**********
I'm on my last leg at work. I have one full week, then the 13th and 14th, then I'm done. And no I don't have another job lined up yet. Two possibilities, but nothing concrete. I am eligible for unemployment (since my position was eliminated) so we won't be destitute by any means. Oddly enough, I like the job better now that Super Boss and the 23 year old are gone. Damn.
**********
We have a date set for the table read of "Green Light". Don't know what a "table read" is? Lemme esplain.
Bunch of actors sit around a table (or, in this case, our living room) and read the script. We have about 15 actors and each actor has been assigned a part (or two). Someone will read the narrative (the setting "Dark apartment - nighttime") and then the actors will chime in and read their lines. I've learned that this is the first step in editing a script. You want to read it aloud, all the way through, to see how it flows. Do some lines seem out of place? Does the jump from one scene to the next make sense? Does that line even work?
Our friend Lisa is spearheading this. We sent her the script, she loved it, she emailed with "Time to schedule the read!!" She contacted most of the actors, she got it scheduled. She's running the show. And Todd and I are just fine with that. We'll listen in on the read (it will be weird to hear someone else saying things I've said) and we'll give our two cents, but this is Lisa's project. It's just easier that way. Todd and I are way too close - we'd be critiquing every little thing and the movie would never get made.
Anywho, I'm super excited. And super nervous. If you'll remember, faithful reader, this movie is (in part) about my horrible year of 2007 when I made The Ginormous Mistake, and then The Fiasco happened. We are telling this story to the public. Yes, my good friends know about that time, and they know that I'm not the same person, but people who don't know me are going to think "What a bitch!"
Hopefully we've written the story in a way that shows how broken I was and how I eventually redeemed myself. Hopefully.
**********
Speaking of movie making, we have a full week of that stuff! The night after the table read, I'm attending a dinner for women in film. I'm going alone. Without Todd. By myself! I KNOW!
Lisa, mentioned above, is hosting this dinner, so I emailed her and said "Tell me I'm going to know some people there!" She assures me I will and she's very excited that I'm coming. Makes me feel loved.
Might need to have Jamie do my hair. I need to look extra spiffy.
And then the night after that, we have a movie premiere, where Lisa will again be in attendance, as well as most of the women who will be at the dinner AND at the reading.
I believe the word you're looking for is "saturated".
**********
So, work, movies, social events, TV shows...what else is going on?
Health is okay. I'm going to start kickboxing class with Trish next week. The instructor assures me she will not have us sparring again. And Trish will be with me so I should be okay.
I am uncomfortably overweight now (but I'm happy, dammit!) so I'm a bit more motivated to try and slim down. I've had chocolate once in the past week. And I don't drink coffee during the week now. I drink green tea at work. Coffee is now a special treat on the weekend (I put lots of sugar in it). I'm walking a bit more because I'm taking the bus every day. It's the little things. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I can quit eating processed foods and carbs and crap. Baby steps to being better.
**********
However, all of that is out the window today. Super Bowl Sunday! We're going over to some friends' where there will be lots of other good friends and food and alcohol, so I give myself a pass today. I'm gonna have fun. Enjoy the day!
I'll be better tomorrow.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Free At Last, Free At Last...
So, most of you have seen my Facebook status - my job has been eliminated. Believe it or not, I'm happy about this.
Backstory, now that I can speak freely about it.
You remember that my review back in October was, ahem, less than positive. Things never really rebounded after that. My office manager and I had a follow up meeting in November, and he expressed his "concern" because the boys weren't coming around. Still weren't happy with me.
I actually went into Super Boss' office and asked him - "What's up? How am I doing? Still like me?" He laughed and said, "Yeah, I still like you, but..."
Uh. But?
"But I just don't think this is the right environment for you."
Ah. Because I'm not a 23 year old blond with a 20 inch waist? Honey, you knew that when you met me.
It could also be that I'm respectful (even to people I don't like), I don't act like I'm in high school and I think that answering the phone using the phrase "Hey, you retard! What the f**k, bro?"
Yes. I don't believe this environment is for me.
Regardless, that's not the reason my position has been eliminated.
I had an inkling back in November. Super Boss didn't really give me much work to do. Hell, he didn't really talk to me unless he had to. But he was very concerned about his commissions. What was outstanding? What do we need to bill for? "Why is this so hard for you to grasp?" (direct quote) He had private meetings on his Outlook calendar (but apparently forgot that I can just go into his office and look at his calendar because he never, ever logged out or shut down his computer). He wouldn't give me a gift list for Christmas. He was suddenly closing his door frequently.
December came, and with it came the holiday party. As I said, aside from Todd and the receptionist, no one really talked to me. Including Super Boss. I met his wife briefly - she actually gave me a big hug and said thank you for taking care of her husband. I responded with, "I'm trying."
But then, after months of talking to this woman daily, she started calling Super Boss' cell phone. Never called his office line. Huh.
Then Christmas vacation came. Friday, December 23rd. We had a pizza-and-wine lunch at the office, everyone was jolly, and I gave out little $5 gifts to my people. And at 1pm, we all left for the holiday.
And Super Boss didn't say "Merry Christmas" or "Have a good weekend!" or "Kiss my ass, ya bitch!" He actually left while I was in the bathroom. The receptionist told me.
And, oh, a gift? A card? Nope. Nada.
That was clincher. I was done.
Oh! But not so quickly! Our Branch Manager quit when we returned from the holiday. Jumping ship, they called it. One day notice. And he went to another firm. In the same building. Unbelievable.
I was surprised, but my office manager wasn't. He said it's what they do. Once these brokers make up their mind to leave, they don't really give "notice". And you really don't want them to - just get out.
Well, rumors started flying. Who else was leaving?
Super Boss, apparently. And he was taking a baby broker with him (you remember Chester and Spike from Looney Tunes? Super Boss is Spike and baby broker is Chester. Totally.)
Anywho, Super Boss was jumping ship. Therefore, big salary position was eliminated. That position was specifically for Super Boss. But if Super Boss ain't there, they don't need me. Know what that means?
SEVERANCE PACKAGE! WOOHOO!
Oh but wait. What this NEW rumor going around?
Super Boss is taking the 23 year old with him. The only other admin assistant in the office.
Freakin' crap.
So, they can't get rid of me. They'll have no one at all. But if I take the 23 year old's position, it's a severe pay cut. She's an Administrative Assistant. I'm a Senior Administrative Assistant. That's a few thousand dollars a year difference. What to do, what to do?
I'm resigning my position next Friday. My last day will be February 14. And that's only because I took the 15th, 16th and 17th off - my fantabulous sister-in-law is whisking away to me Palm Springs for five days. Gawd bless her.
Now to hit the pavement!
Again.
Crap.
Backstory, now that I can speak freely about it.
You remember that my review back in October was, ahem, less than positive. Things never really rebounded after that. My office manager and I had a follow up meeting in November, and he expressed his "concern" because the boys weren't coming around. Still weren't happy with me.
I actually went into Super Boss' office and asked him - "What's up? How am I doing? Still like me?" He laughed and said, "Yeah, I still like you, but..."
Uh. But?
"But I just don't think this is the right environment for you."
Ah. Because I'm not a 23 year old blond with a 20 inch waist? Honey, you knew that when you met me.
It could also be that I'm respectful (even to people I don't like), I don't act like I'm in high school and I think that answering the phone using the phrase "Hey, you retard! What the f**k, bro?"
Yes. I don't believe this environment is for me.
Regardless, that's not the reason my position has been eliminated.
I had an inkling back in November. Super Boss didn't really give me much work to do. Hell, he didn't really talk to me unless he had to. But he was very concerned about his commissions. What was outstanding? What do we need to bill for? "Why is this so hard for you to grasp?" (direct quote) He had private meetings on his Outlook calendar (but apparently forgot that I can just go into his office and look at his calendar because he never, ever logged out or shut down his computer). He wouldn't give me a gift list for Christmas. He was suddenly closing his door frequently.
December came, and with it came the holiday party. As I said, aside from Todd and the receptionist, no one really talked to me. Including Super Boss. I met his wife briefly - she actually gave me a big hug and said thank you for taking care of her husband. I responded with, "I'm trying."
But then, after months of talking to this woman daily, she started calling Super Boss' cell phone. Never called his office line. Huh.
Then Christmas vacation came. Friday, December 23rd. We had a pizza-and-wine lunch at the office, everyone was jolly, and I gave out little $5 gifts to my people. And at 1pm, we all left for the holiday.
And Super Boss didn't say "Merry Christmas" or "Have a good weekend!" or "Kiss my ass, ya bitch!" He actually left while I was in the bathroom. The receptionist told me.
And, oh, a gift? A card? Nope. Nada.
That was clincher. I was done.
Oh! But not so quickly! Our Branch Manager quit when we returned from the holiday. Jumping ship, they called it. One day notice. And he went to another firm. In the same building. Unbelievable.
I was surprised, but my office manager wasn't. He said it's what they do. Once these brokers make up their mind to leave, they don't really give "notice". And you really don't want them to - just get out.
Well, rumors started flying. Who else was leaving?
Super Boss, apparently. And he was taking a baby broker with him (you remember Chester and Spike from Looney Tunes? Super Boss is Spike and baby broker is Chester. Totally.)
Anywho, Super Boss was jumping ship. Therefore, big salary position was eliminated. That position was specifically for Super Boss. But if Super Boss ain't there, they don't need me. Know what that means?
SEVERANCE PACKAGE! WOOHOO!
Oh but wait. What this NEW rumor going around?
Super Boss is taking the 23 year old with him. The only other admin assistant in the office.
Freakin' crap.
So, they can't get rid of me. They'll have no one at all. But if I take the 23 year old's position, it's a severe pay cut. She's an Administrative Assistant. I'm a Senior Administrative Assistant. That's a few thousand dollars a year difference. What to do, what to do?
I'm resigning my position next Friday. My last day will be February 14. And that's only because I took the 15th, 16th and 17th off - my fantabulous sister-in-law is whisking away to me Palm Springs for five days. Gawd bless her.
Now to hit the pavement!
Again.
Crap.
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