Thursday, September 16, 2010
Total Tube Immersion
Now I must spend the eve programming my new DVR. Third one from Verizon. I suppose it doesn't matter where they come from they all suck. The newest dude told me it was because our high def TV on vivid messes up the IR from the remote and I need to put the cable box under the TV. Right - so I don't know how to use an F'in remote? Yeah - I've got like 30 years experience. There is no new technology there. And my TV doesn't have a vivid feature.
Speaking of Verizon, this is week four and we haven't gotten a bill yet. Also we are still getting all the extra free preview channels. I have a sinking feeling that that is going to backfire. I better get my butt in gear and call them.
After I catch up on yesterday's episode of DAYS.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Restless Slumber
Not too much time to dwell, I suppose. Today is Monday, so C has a half day and then after that a dentist appointment. Once S gets home from Work I will be hightailing in to NJ for the wake and funeral. Busy day ahead.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Life, On Hold or LIfe, Moving On?
Which is why life just kept going. We heard the news when we were on the way to the movies and when we pulled into the parking lot S asked "Should we be having fun?" I said something about us not going to a party, it is just a movie, and we went in. We watched Salt, which I really liked. My mind wondered back to my grandfather quite a bit, but only to happy memories. The movie stopped a few times during the show, the theater was having technical difficulties. In the end we had about 30 minutes of "breaks" which equated to two free movie tickets on the way out.
On Saturday we had a yard sale. We'd had one last month and still had some left over items. Plus on Friday afternoon before I picked S up from the airport I cleaned out the laundry room. We're getting our cable re-wired and were asked to empty the closet down there. After I pulled out boxes and boxes of junk (that we never unpacked the last time we moved!) I was determined not to shove it back into the storage closet, so I stuck it in the living room and asked S if he minded if we had the sale. We sold a ton of stuff, including our sofa and some old chairs that were in our shed. We filled our yard and driveway and when it was all said in done we headed over to the goodwill to donate our leftovers. The 'leftovers' all fit in the back of S's SUV. We had so little left. In fact we set up for 8:00 and didn't even have a slow moment until after 2:00.
Today Cooper and I are just going to hang out and relax. It is drizzling a little bit and it should make for an easy day for us, but S will still have Wiffle Ball league this afternoon. I may head out to the mall to try to find an outfit to wear to the funeral. Nothing I have seems appropriate. But at the same time, black is black; and I have plenty of that.
Tomorrow after S gets home from work I think I will be heading to Jersey. My little guy and hubby are going to stay here in VA. It took us a few hours to figure out that detail but we think that is what is best for our family. We just feel that C is too young, bottom line. There are tons of factors we could fret over, like is it okay that S won't be there, and what if we leave C with the Neighbors, Could S take a later flight to Denver or fly out of NJ if we needed, but in the end the bottom line is that C is too young. S had a real fondness for my grandfather and over the winter when we all swarmed the Garden State because we thought grandpa would make it through the weekend he was there, he was there when Grandpa could still remember, still talk, still smile. So S is going to call his boss today and see if he can shorten his hours over the next few days and make sure they book his flight to Denver for Thursday not sooner so that he can keep care of C and I can go represent our little family, saying goodbye to Grandpa.
Friday, September 10, 2010
It's What We Signed Up For
Last night a friend called as I was talking to her I mentioned that S wouldn't be back until tomorrow and we had a busy weekend ahead of us. She responded "you're so lucky, oh wait you guys get along" She meant that she'd like it if her husband was away this much. That made me pretty upset. I didn't really notice that was the reason until later, but it was. It made me think of M & S. M is our cousin. He is in the process of getting divorced from S at her request. One of the reasons according to M's mom (I heard it second hand) was that he traveled a lot and S missed him but then after awhile she started to like the time alone more than the time together and things started to fall apart. Not that this would happen here, but I still found it upsetting.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Love It! Hate It!
C and I went out to dinner and apparently we missed her by just a few minutes. We were gone an hour and when we got home she was here. In an effort to just get her on her way as quick as possible I ran inside grabbed the bag and ran out to her car. She handed me the money and said she'd been waiting an hour. It was weird, why didn't she call first, or email me back with a time. I had no idea she was coming today. Not only that she had told me earlier she lived about an hour away in DC. So why wouldn't she call before she left? If she had, we would have been home.
Anyway after she drove away C and I got the puppy ready for her walk and left again. On our walk I just kept thinking I should have offered her a discount for waiting so long. After all that same bag of clothes I had listed at my yard sale for only 7.00. I feel a little guilty over that. Once we got home though I started to think more about the time and figured it really was her fault not mine and that I shouldn't feel guilty. My add said 15.00 Firm, unfortunately my email says "I am home most of the day" and I suppose she could think I was waiting for her. I could keep picking this apart, seriously I put way too much thought into things sometimes. All this put aside, in that hour, she left NINE messages on my machine. The first five or six were only two to three minutes apart!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Aren't We Funny
Just a Thought
The most interesting option is real estate agent. But I am not sure there are jobs out there for that either. Just a thought. I'd have to go to a certification class and take a state test for an agent, but it looks fairly do-able. We'll see.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Kids Are Back In Town
We've had quite the day and it is only 4:00. This morning we all slept in and then went to a few yard sales. I got a few small things including a 5.00 MP3 player, as my shuffle is nutty after getting a surge from the lighting that one time. Anyway, then we went over to Uhaul and rented a truck. For a grand total of 30.00 we rented the truck and picked up our new sofa. The furniture store wanted to charge us 85.00. It was really easy and uneventful. S went to pick up the sofa and C and I went home and made room for it. We got the same one only slightly bigger and brown instead of off-white. And it looks so nice and pretty.
After the sofa switch we dropped off the rental and went out to Subway for lunch and then to Sully Historic Park, where we hiked around the grounds of General Lee's uncles house, who also happened to be the first governor of Virgina. It was pretty neat and fun. The weather is absolutely wonderful today so it was a great hike. We went on one path that wasn't actually a hiking path that brought us to a field with electrical lines (that was pretty funny) but the next path took us all around the grounds and perfectly ended where we parked.
Next we headed over to Walmart to pick up some supplies for the house and dinner. Now were just hanging out and enjoying the day. I love it. I can't believe we don't have anything planned for today - that is just so unusual.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Feeling Better
In other news: I went to Khol's the other night and did a little bit of school clothes shopping for C. To my surprise he grew 6.5" this summer! Sadly that means the hand-me-downs I was saving for him are almost all too small. I figured I head over to the store to see what they had. I was happy to see that for the most part they were cheap, especially since I asked him what he wanted and he said " A red shirt, green pants, comfy pants, and cool stuff." Well, I got him 10 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, 4 pairs of running / track pants, and a coat for 160.00. In the end he asked me to return a few shirt he said were "too babyish", so the bill ended up being only 135.00.
One funny part: C was actually out golf ball hunting with S when I got back from the store, so I set up all the clothes on our bed and when C got home I asked him to go up there and check them out, pick out the ones he wants to keep. He was pretty excited at that prospect and went running up the stairs, then C yelled "MOM SKINNY JEANS!!!! HOW DID YOU KNOW!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!" He was peeling off his shorts and T shirt by the time I made it up stairs so he could try on his new clothes.
So, it is Labor Day weekend. I am looking forward to just hanging out with my family. We were going to go camping, but we opted to stay home and relax. We've been so; go, go, go that we've hardly spent anytime just being at home. This weekend there is a ton of community stuff going on here in Herndon that seems fun. On Monday they have a Bruce Springsteen tribute night, where all these bands only play Bruce songs for 5 hours. I can't wait!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
To Go or Not To Go
I need a flash light - Maybe I have white marks, isn't that the sign of Step? Maybe I should go to the ER? Blah, blah, blah ...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Vacation Days
1. Gymnastics camp for C (2 weeks)
2. Camping at Salomon's Island for the fourth of July
3. Vacation with the S's to the Poconos. (I loved it there)
4. A trip to MA for the week (C went to beach for a week with his cousins)
5. The cousins visited us for a week
6. Skateboarding camp (1 week for C)
7. Friends visited us for a week (Super fun)
8. My parents visited us for week (With in that week we went to Beach for a few days)
9. Camping next weekend for Labor Day (we're working on that)
Crazy and wicked fun. Last week my parents drove down from MA to stay for the week. It was a really nice visit. We went to Salomon's for a few days, went to the waterfall park, visited the skyline caverns (really nice tour), went out for a celebration anniversary dinner (my parents 39th) at a Japanese Steak House, and played a lot of golf. It was so fun and as usual bittersweet to see them leave.
C starts school next week. I think I am going to take him out tomorrow or Wednesday and buy a few school clothes for him. So far all we've picked up is one pair of warm sweat pants and a matching shirt for gym days. It is hard to think warm when the temp is 95. However I did manage to get all of his school list crap. When I say crap, I am being nice. The list is quite detailed and quite ridiculous. Clorox wipes, zip lock bags, 20 glue sticks, 8 boxes of 48 count crayons (never did find those, just bought 16, 24 counts), and so on and so one. But at least this year I was able to get all the stuff. Last year we shopped to late and I couldn't find half the stuff on the darn list. In the end the list cost 25.00. I am sending his same pencil box from last year, rulers that were free from a base event last year, a used binder, and notebooks we already had; at least I saved a few dollars there. Oh well - the life of a soccer mom... minus the soccer.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Dear Procter & Gamble
I am writing you today to inform you that your Crest brand of Glide dental floss is defective. Yes, my pearly whites are gleaming, and yes, I floss daily, however today I have discovered a defect.
I enjoy flossing my teeth in the evening. Last night I opted to floss while having a "seat" in the bathroom. Normally it isn't my practice to kill two birds with one stone (or turd as the case maybe) however, last night my better half was also at the sink brushing his teeth and it was crowded. Before you get all grossed out on me, yes we do all those things in front of each other. But I digress, so there I sit; flossing away when the secondary business ends. So I leave the container of floss on the side of the tub, take care of some paperwork and proceed to the sink to wash my hands and use mouth wash (sorry, that is Target Brand).
Fast forward to this afternoon, when I again use the bathroom and notice that the shower is dripping. As I fiddle with the handle for the water I notice my container of floss. Hmmm, flossing - that sounds like fun I think. (I ate popcorn) So I grab the container and attempt to pull out a huge string, only to find it has adhered to itself and can no longer be pulled through the little hole. No finagling in the world could make my floss unstuck. It is obvious that the mint flavoring was way too sticky for the floss and when it got wet from the shower it dried in one big lump. I would like a refund please.
Also, you may want to write a warning on the side of the packaging that reads "Do not get wet" or "Do not use while pooping" or "Don't be a dumb ass" or "Jamie, don't be a dumb ass" which ever you find most fitting.
Sincerely,
Your Loyal Un-flossed Customer.
Friday, August 20, 2010
I love My House
I wish we could take this house with us when we move next time. I sort of love it. I remember when we looked at it and thought it was so small; we couldn't picture where our furniture would fit or how we'd set up the computer, C's toys, or anything for that matter. But a year later we are comfortably basking in the fact that we make 500 dollars a month extra and that that was more than enough to pay the utilities and the cable all year. In fact according my my spread sheet (such a geek) we actaully made just under 1600.00 in 12 months. So the USAF paid us to live off base and gave us cable. Plus, the house is bigger than we thought, we basically have three living rooms, two small bedrooms and one large, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and two bathrooms; all with a great layout.
Speaking of cable... I ordered Fios the other day. Our cable bill from Cox came last week and I noticed our amount went up by 80.00! WOW, that made the bill 220.00! I wasn't really upset, it was obvious that our promotional rates all expired, so I called the company and canceled all the premium channels, lowered the internet speed, nixed the HD, and still the bill was 178.00. I told the girl that was way too much and asked if there was anything else she could offer. (this is where it gets good)
Cable Girl: "Let me see" (extreme amounts of typing heard and long pause) "Mrs W, yes, I can offer you the same package for a two year agreement at your old rate."
Me: "My original package or the one you just created with no extras?"
Cable Girl: "The new one."
Me: "So, you mean I have to agree to carry Cox for two years for that price and if I don't, what there is a cancellation fee?"
Cable Girl: "Well, military just has to submit orders to get out of the fee"
Me: "Yeah, sounds like extortion to me"
Cable Girl: "I am sorry, what?"
Me: "Extortion"
Cable Girl: "Great, so hold on the line and I will have a supervisor witness the agreement and we will lower your bill to your old rate."
Me: "No, extortion is a bad thing."
Cable Girl: "Huh?"
Me: "No new agreement, please lower my bill to the new package you just created and I will call Verizon when we hang up."
Cable Girl: "Great, so thanks for Calling Cox cable, is there anything else I can help you with?"
Me: "Am I talking to an automated voice system?"
Cable Girl: "I can switch you over to the phone tree if you'd like to access those services"
I hung up.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Chain of Events
- Organize Kitchen Cabinets
- Mop behind the fridge and stove (so nasty!)
- Organize Maggie's food and toys
- Steam Clean the Carpets
- Pick up and reorganize the Office
- Change the sheets in the guest room
- Dust the light fixtures
- Mop the base boards
- Wax living room & Dining room floors
- Clean the bathrooms
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Over Zealous
DC is a nightmare sometimes, zapping the fun out of me. The only solace in the going home traffic was that C and I had just gone to the commissary ( I haven't been to one in months and months) and we had a car full of food to snack on. We opened the chips, the Power-Aid, the fruit snacks, and some mints. The second saving grace is we weren't the ones in the accident. There was a flipped tractor trailer and a smashed mini-van. We heard on the traffic report that there were fatalities. I suppose that was the major point, we weren't the cause, but we did find reprieve in the snacks before we saw the accident, so it isn't as ungodly as it all sounds. Anyway...
Once we got home and starting unloading the car I realized I haven't cleaned out my cupboards in a long, long, long time. They were a mess. Well, they still are. I started cleaning the food cabinet out and realized that job sucks. Granted at some point I'll have to finish it because as it stands right now one cabinet is spotless but the crap that was in it is all over the table and the counter.
In other news: I've had IVF on the brain lately. I so badly want to go back to work but at the same time I am wondering if it might be time to give it another go? Obviously the last round screwed me up, and is still swirling around in unnatural ways in my brain, but it doesn't make me want to crawl under the covers and suck my thumb until my mommy calls anymore. Maybe if I go back to work, I'll have better insurance??? IDK, it is all so expensive and we're still paying for last years rounds. In fact I almost fainted when I added our two credit cards together. Mind you I can tell you how every dollar got onto them, but when you add it up, holy shit! Let's just say - S doesn't make that much in a year. Seriously. Student Loans, IVF, two car repairs, one dermatologist visit, 6 cavities and one crown in two years, and boom a black whole. Yup, still thinking of IVF - surprisingly the money isn't really scaring me - it is more like a hurdle.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
UTD
T & B's visit. We had fun. At night the grown ups stayed up playing Uno. It was pretty funny to see all of us getting so into such a simple game. B and I lost terribly. Still, the great Uno Challenge of 2010 was awesome. Besides being dorks, we also went to see the usual sights and touristy stuff in the area. The kids (they have two boys) all seemed to get along fairly well. C wasn't all that enamored with the pair of them. However, he loved each boy on their own, too much sibling rivalry for his taste. It was cute to see C and D (the youngest boy) get dressed up in costumes and run around for hours playing battle. It was also super cute to see C and CB (their oldest son) curled up on the sofa watching TV together. It was sweet seeing our kids play. It was also bittersweet when they left.
I wished they could have stayed an extra day or two. However, it was nice to have my family to myself again. :) I also proved my theory that after you spend a significant amount of time with another family you really, really appreciate your own. For example, every time we got in the car their was a problem; either someone didn't want to sit in the way back or someone was starving, even though I offered them all snacks just before we left. Nothing to get my panties in a bunch over, really, I can just block out all that stuff, I just noticed the nice calm quiet about it all the next day :) Our friends have a rough road to travel, having one son who has some special needs. It creates a cycle of doing anything just to keep the peace. They do the best they can with what they got; my heart goes out to them.
On the brighter side here are some funny things I overheard during the visit
D: "Cooper you need to just leave"
C: "I like sorta live here."
D: "Well I am not going anywhere in your mom's car!"
C: "Okay, want to play outside?"
D: "I miss Sophie" (that is his 4H cow who is the cutest thing I ever saw and D is sooooo cute when he talks about her)
C: "Me too. Want to play Lego's?"
D: "Sophie is mine!"
C: "Well, I'll be playing Lego's"
I don't think the boys were having the same conversation there. Here is another between CB and D their two sons.
CB: "Cooper is watching stupid music videos."
D: "I like them"
CB: "Mom doesn't want us to watch them."
D: "We're not"
CB: "They are on TV and I am going to tell her to ground you for life because you like them"
D: "JAMIE!"
Me: "Coop, just change the channel"
D: "I am going to go wake up Daddy and tell him you are going to tell Mom on me, Sissy"
D calls CB sissy as if it is his name. It is so wrong that I find that hilarious. I giggle just about every time, especially when CB got upset over it. Mean, Jamie. A few more that I found funny:
CB was sort of pouting one morning and I asked him what was wrong. He said "Well, Maggie looked at me and now won't leave me alone." The dog was sleeping at his feet ....
C was stuck on the swing set. He tried to climb around the outside and got freaked. "Life isn't fair, I want to do all the cool things D can do." Crying and sniffiling. B ( the mommy) is right behind me and says "Now, that is one I haven't heard before." Wicked funny.
D had an afternoon shower after a small mishap. His mom and I were talking about something totally different when he came out and said "Did you tell Jamie!?!?!?" His mom said no and we kept our conversation going and I hear D say "You better not tell her women" under his breath of course. Kids crack me up. He no doubt got that line from C who thinks calling me women is the funniest thing on the planet.
Between CB and T (the dad): "you should just ground D, why don't you ever ground him?!" T: "If we did that we'd never see D." AHAHHAHAHAHAH
A few other details I keep forgetting about:
- I went to a funeral a few weeks ago. My Uncle Ed died after a long battle. I was in Jersey dropping off my cousins and was able to stay for the funeral. It was more like a memorial luncheon, very sweet, and very calm. A few tears but mostly just a lot of good memories being shared.
- My parents are coming to visit next week and we are going to Solomon's Island for a few days. (super excited, although S won't be there)
- S is in Denver this week for work, next week he'll be in Baltimore
- I am actively looking for a full time job ... it is a slow go.
- I am reading the Kite Runner - interrupted the Dead Lie Down - but both are so good.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Mr. Sandman
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Happy Ham Sandwiches
I pissed of a guy named Brent today and am feeling a little bad about that. The story is pretty dull; but I will enlighten my readers with it anyway. Actually I could go quite into detail ...
Once upon a time Jamie wasn't all that in love with her in-laws. In fact she was down right ticked off at them and vowed to stop complaining and even spending an ounce of effort on them. And she actaully did quite a good job at this. Then something happened: They started being nice and stopped being negative and down right mean. I also started ignoring the majority of their behavior. (I have enough self confidence to take my credit in the situation :P) ) So, here we are months later and another something happens. We get screwed by the USAF and out of kindness and no ill will the in-laws help us fix it, with cash, lots of it. And then when we try to give it back to them, they say "Keep it, you need it, buy your self a couch and put the rest in C's college fund." and they meant it.
... Just a side note, the USAF didn't totally screw us, all parties involved made mistakes that ended up delaying a huge payment of over three grand to S's government card. The minimum payment was half of that and if we withdrew our money from our savings account to pay for it we would have had to cancel our trip to Florida and Pennsylvania. S told his parents we were thinking of canceling the Florida trip and they basically told him we'd worked hard for that money and would like to lend us the 1500 bucks until the USAF pays us back. We accepted. Me with a chip on my shoulder (bad Jamie). Being proved wrong, as I thought for sure that it would be a problem later on, especially since we have been vacationing ALL summer, has never been so sweet.
So moving on: I bought our couch used in Minot for 35.00. The person I bought it from asked if her husband could deliver it the day they move out (like a week later) and I agreed. The husband worked for a furniture store and said he'd bring it over after his delivery on base. A week later when they arrived they delivered a similar couch but it was all wrapped in plastic. And it had a tag on it. New. I called the store right away to tell them but they insisted that wouldn't happen. I went back to the house I bought it at but they'd already moved. Almost ten year later and the couch is gross. It is ripped on the side of two cushions, it is missing a leg, and it sort of smells. So we are on the search for a new one.
We've been to a few stores but haven't found anything. All the couches look alike. Brown and expensive. Yesterday I was browsing on Craig's List and found one that looked really nice. I arranged to take a look at it today at 11:00. (this is where I get back to pissing Brent off) So I get to this house with C, who was wearing a nija costume, at this house at 10:50. I called first and got voice mail. So I knock, it was pouring rain, a cute puppy starts barking in the window, and we wait. Nada. So we ring the bell. The dog goes crazy again and we wait. Nada. So we leave.
Once I get home I check my email to see if I missed a reschedule. Nope, the guy is home but his phone is dead. (no word on weather he is deaf or not) So I email him and write :
Morning,
Looks like we missed each other. Cute dog, by the way.
But really, after I remeasured our rooms it looks like unless we could reconfigure the sofa it would block our entire fireplace.
Thanks anyway,
Jamie
Then he writes back:
When did you come? I have been sitting here waiting for like 40 minutes, I had a bunch of other people that wanted to come then but I told them you were coming. The dog in the window is a dog we are dog sitting and has never touched the couch.
Okay, really I could cut and paste the entire banter but basically he thought I was being sarcastic about the dog so I emailed back assuring him we love dogs and we really just missed each other. But in the end I just deleted him because he seemed pissed. Oh well, the search continues.
BTW: Lunch ='s ham sandwiches, and they are delectable.
Monday, August 9, 2010
DC in a Nut Shell
Baseball game tonight. 1.00 tickets and 1.00 hot dogs for the Single A Nationals. I love it, Can't wait.
Friday, August 6, 2010
YippeeKi-i-Ey
So, In the good news department. The guest room took only a few minutes to spruce up. I washed all the bedding yesterday after the puppy decided to sleep there after a rainy afternoon; muddy prints. Shame on me for not closing the door :P) Anyway today I remade the bed, dusted up, and ran a quick vacuum. C's room is going to be done later this afternoon. Then that is it, we are ready for our guests.
In other good news department my sister has a new job starting in a little over a week. For some reason I am finding great joy in her accomplishment. I just know how much she detested working for Boston University and always hoped she'd leave on good terms and find something to make her happy. Sappy, sappy.
More good news; I got an email from an employer that I applied with sometime ago. It takes months and months to get an interview there. Anyway, I received an email asking me to take a few employment tests - so that is a step in the right direction. Also I have a tentative interview with Kaiser in a few weeks. We'll see how that goes. They might not want to wait a month for me to be ready to work. I am going to call them here in a bit.
I think I am going to go walk to pick C up today. It is perfect outside. 85 Sunny, and low humidity; compared to the first half of the week anyway. And on that note, I'd better run. Skateboarding camp is officially over in 11 minutes.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
3:27 PM & I'm In My PJs
The truth of course is that two days in a row I have spent about 12 hours catching up on old Days of Our lives episodes, plus three HUGE episodes, and two Army Wives, so that would be 17 hours of TV in two days. I feel my arteries hardening just thinking about it. My only justifiable action, I had three gym classes this week. I have to catch up on all my shows before B and her family get here, LOL just so I can build the DVR back up again :P) Plus I need some sleep. I've been watching all this crap at night after the boys go to bed. Soooooo Tired.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The M's Go To VA
At the moment I have a quiet house. C is at skate boarding camp. He is loving it. Yesterday was the first day and he wasn't all that excited about it, but as he was getting ready he started to get into it. When I dropped him off he was like "well mom, see you later, I know the guys over there, so you know don't kiss me." Too funny. Then I picked him up later and he actaully rode his board over to me! When I dropped him off he couldn't even stand on the thing! I was super impressed.
Actually C has been really agreeable lately. Three straight weeks of VK served him well I suppose. He's even been going to Taekwondo do with out complaining and actaully doing great.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Loosing It
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Busy Bee's
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Gotcha Day
Life Goes On
We leave for the Pocono's on Saturday Morning. I am really looking forward to it. The other night S and I looked on the campgrounds website and linked around to different "must see & do" things in the area. It put S's mind at ease that there would be entertainment. It annoyed me. I like camping. I like lounging at a dingy lake and hiking through woods. I like revolving the whole day on when you need to start the fire or grill. S likes to know there is something to do. It isn't like this is new news, I have met the man.
You really should have seen him; I equate it to a kid in a candy store. Each site we visited was followed by "oh boy!", "oh, that's cool", "hey J&K might like that too", "ooooh can we do that one?". Some of the activities looked fun. There is a water park with a zip line and there is one restaurant I'd like to go to, but I want to make sure we stay at the lake -you know that cabin on the lake that cost more than six hundred dollars? LOL - we really are a pair.
In other related news: We were going to board Maggie at a local kennel here. It is expensive, but cheap for the area at 29.00 a day plus clean up and bath charges at about 35.00. But I kept whining (more of less) that I really wanted to bring the dog with us. We are going to the lake and then to Massachusetts for a week. All in all she'd be there 13 days. Then suddenly, as if I'd been on a rooftop toilet, I had an epiphany; kennel the dog in PA near the campground and then bring her to Massachusetts with us. Savings: 11.00 per day plus no clean up fees, plus she'd only be there 7 nights. So instead of 412.00 it is costing 126.00.
Of course now, I will have to make at least one kid ride on the roof on the way back home from Mass, since the dog will take up a seat ...
The update there: We are going home, home, after PA. C is going to the beach with my cousins in Maine for the week. S is staying in Worcester until Wednesday and then flying home. I am driving from Worcester with C and three of my cousins and the dog. The kids are staying a week and then I am driving them to NJ to my Grandparent's and meeting C (my cousin with the four kids, but only three are visiting us because one, A, my God Daughter, is going to college in the fall, too old for the family Vk) there to do the switch.
Busy, Busy, just the way I like it. See you in a few weeks my friends! Right now it is time for a bowl of pasta and Days of our Lives. Thank God my DVR is fixed.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Pissy & Pissier
Great, so then he says he is going to bed. Fine. Go. Then he takes at least a hour freaking shower. By the time he is done I am already in bed, reading. Then when he finally gets to bed he is tossing and turning. He wakes up all sweaty, he moans and groans. He turned the AC down to record lows and freezes me out. By this point I was sure my cold shoulder was making the bed a glacier anyway, but no, he has to waste even more money and make a big huffy puffy show of turning down the AC and complaining that the sheets are wet on his side of the bed. So fucking gross. Needless to say I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't; he actaully fell right back to sleep but he was so restless that every time I moved even slightly he'd wake up and whine about it. Eventually I ended up downstairs drinking warm milk and falling asleep to old Cheers re-runs sometime after 2:00.
He woke me up, on his way out the door sometime around six. Four hours of sleep. Four.
What the frick? I apologize when I didn't do anything. He is all high and mighty and doesn't even acknowledge that maybe he could have just gotten me a drink without complaining? I suppose four fitful hours of sleep has done very little for my levels of grace. Whatever. C has camp in a little while. After I take him over there I am just going to run on the treadmill and then get my own icy cold Diet Coke.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Waking Beauty
Tuesdays are busy here, C has camp, I have my gym class, then it is camp pick up and then back to the gym for his Tae Kwon Do class. Recently I had vowed not to use the car as much for these half mile trips, but today it is already 100 degrees - so the car is the winner. The fun side of that is that I had time between C's drop off and my class to read another 50 pages or so of Waking Beauty.
Oh well, tomorrow is a calmer day. I think I am going to load up on goodies for a Vk with a trip to Costco. Hmmm, also I have much blog catching up to do. Oh well - off to the kiddie pool!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Primitive Sites
Today the boys are both off from work and Gymnastics camp. They're watching a Band of Brothers marathon and I am just relaxing and watching a few movies. Currently 500 days of Summer is on. It is interestingly compelling, stupid, funny, and boring all at the same time. Not what I expected, then again movies rarely are.
Tomorrow the temp is suppose to be 101 with humidity levels at unbearable heights. Kiddie pools and ice cream. (Yes that really is its own sentence)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
It Felt Longer
I had so much time on my hands last night that I was actually pacing around looking for something to do. Without the internet distraction, everything was so easy. Laundry got folded the same day it came out of the drier ... seriously huge, Everything was clean, and I had time to start pulling out the camping stuff for tomorrow. I seriously need better time management. Today, C had camp and I had my gym class that meant three complete trips to the community center. I had time to walk C there and walk to pick him up. Plus I went to the store and started cooking for the 4th. The internet has been fixed for about ten minutes. My production is over.
LOL. I need help.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Oh Come On!
It has been so long since we've had these type of meltdowns. Ever since the IEP went into place C has been happy and worry free. Today everything we've worked so hard for just seemed to come tumbling down. I don't want to get in the pattern of a major pep talk every time he cries. If we do, then he cries more because he likes it. It is so hard to strike that balance. And poor C, he just got upset and overwhelmed and he just wanted to hide.
He's fine now, playing a video game and vying for the next snack. But man, what a day. He had camp, I had a strengthening class, then he had taekwondo. I was back and forth to the community center four complete times. Tomorrow, C just has camp; we're riding bikes, so that should be nice. Since; you know; tomorrow is a new day and all.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Shocking
So after the shock of a life time, other than the time I licked the end of an electric blanket just to see what would happen, I tried to boot the computer back up but got nothing. S gave it a try when he came home too, but nothing worked. Well, I had the magic touch I suppose because I flipped the switch on the surge protector and everything came back to life with no damage. S did the same exact things with no luck at all - poor guy. :P)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Burrito Burgers
A pound or more of ground meat or ground turkey
A half cup to a cup of rice (pre-cooked)
A small can of Pinto Beans, or any kind you like
An envelope (more or less) of taco seasoning
Any Tex-Mex seasoning you like. I added Chipotle hamburger seasoning - just because I had it.
Rachel Ray has the same recipe, sort of, but she adds different seasoning and actual Chipotle sauce. She calls them Stretch a buck burrito burgers.
Mix and fry.
Terrible for the grill, they are really messy. But I bet if you cut the rice to just a half cup and the beans to half and add an egg they'd be okay for the grill.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Babble Babble
I told C the new this morning and asked him what he wanted to do tonight for dinner. We normally go out when dad gets home from a long trip. But to my surprise he didn't yell out "Red Robin Yum". He wants something at home. I am glad that is what he chose. And, actaully I am glad we didn't go out last night in the end. I was trying to go an entire week without spending money unless it was needed items at the grocery store. Low and behold, we actaully did it, for the most part. Our only expenditure was a Diet Coke while we were out and we shared and the money came from the ashtray in the car (I don't think that counts as real money)So back to my point; We're making dinner tonight.
We can't decide between Mexican style burrito burgers or tacos. They both sound pretty mouth watering to me. Oh well, three hours till S gets home. I suppose I should clean up a little. Maybe do the dusting and pick up the toys that seem to spill into every room as the day goes on :P)
How to save $24.00
I am a sucker. So, that just has to change. I am tired of complaining about others kids and listening to myself rant and rave on here and my head about them being rude, fighting, and just plain obnoxious, but man - they really are those things! Well there are new rules in the Wagner household. Starting with, the kids aren't coming over unless someone is home at their house. I am not the babysitter. They can play out front in the circle, no in my house eating my food, drinking my drinks, or annoying my puppy.
The straw that broke the camels back: Yesterday after all the hub-bub the boy, A asked if he could sleep over and C was so excited at the prospect that I said yes. So A went home and called his mom and then ran back over to say his mom said yes, but she'd talk to me when she got home. I asked what time she got home and he said 4:30. I know that is what the kids always say, and she really gets home at 7:30 but I thought maybe she'd be home early since they got home at 11:20 from school - last day and all. Anyway, it started to rain a little and every one was back in their respective houses and C and I were looking for something to do, so we decided to go to the movies. I said we could bring A. So we picked a show and saw that it played at 5:30 and 7:30, so I said that when A's mom called I would ask her if it was okay. Well, sure enough she didn't even get home until 7:30 (we saw her drive up). But there was no phone call. So at 8:00 I called over there - they didn't even answer the phone! Needless to say A never came over and we never made it to the movies.
I don't get it. My mom thinks I am complaining too much about it - she's probably right. But in the moment I just don't get it. I just don't remember this much chaos when I was a kid. Maybe my mother possessed more control than me. Or perhaps that is why she was always reading a book - so she didn't hear us all fighting and complaining. Hmmm, now I miss my mommy :P)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Not That I Didn't Already
And not that my kid is perfect or anything but for crying out loud he is the youngest in the group and is the one sharing all his stuff!
Two minutes later: I sent them home after a huge uproar. Apparently the brother / sister duo were fighting and it just trickled in from there. I think I am going to take C to the movies. I need a real break - LOL
Critics Corner
Ghost Hunters Academy proved worth my time this week. They nixed Roslyn which, from the first episode was my least liked 'cadet'. I totally laugh seeing Dave and Tango be hard asses, they are so funny on Ghost Hunters, I never expected them to be any different.
Secret Life has become even worse this season. We're only two episodes in and already another teen is pregnant. Mind you, when this show first aired it was hailed as a modern 7th Heaven! Of the original cast, there is only one virgin left. And they are juniors in high school. Gosh I love me some trashy TV.
Days of our Lives is blahh this month. They are finally killing off Alice Horton. But I swear she hasn't been on in years, so it is rather anticlimactic. However I am glued to the Chloe/ Daniel / Philip love triangle (well not really a triangle) but on Their wedding day Daniel and Chloe find out that Chloe is pregnant. Daniel doesn't know it is probably Philips baby. But here is a soap opera twist you never know. Is Chloe really expecting? Dr Manning, Carly, could have made that up because she Chloe to force Chloe to tell the truth about her one night stand with Philip. Carly doesn't know it is Philip though. So there you have it. These folks have been held up in a hospital room for a week trying to get through an impromptu wedding and keep getting interrupted. Oh, did I mention Chloe was in the hospital because she fell down an elevator shaft after trying to kill Carly but having seconds thoughts so she grabbed Carly out of the way but fell herself. Yes I waste an entire hour on this crap every day.
My newest fave: Pretty Little Liars is proving to be sort of Gossip Girlish with a hint of that 90s' show with Jordon Catalono. I can't think of the name. But you know the one with that girl from Photo Shop, and she has sort of a wild friend and a gay guy friend when that was sort of taboo. Anyway it is full of a big secret, and teenage angst, I don't see where they could go wrong. ... My So Called Life, that was the show. Anyway, they haven't really thrown boys in yet, except a few kissy kissy scenes between a teacher and student. I know - trashy - right? Ahh my new fave.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
17 Days!
The countdown has begun. Only 17 Days left until our Pocono VK with J,K & Baby A! I am so excited. We are going for an entire week. We’ve rented a cabin that is just across the path from the lake. The décor is totally “gramma 70’s”. But there is a fridge, a stove, and a dishwasher so it isn’t like we’re really roughing it. Also, there is a Super Walmart 9.7 miles away. Yup … ROUGHING IT! But let’s see if we can manage a VK without having to go to Walmart the first day.
I asked C last night what he’d like to do at the lake. He let me know he really wanted to go out on a canoe but that Dad and I could do all the work. He then said “wait, are we like going to eat grill food all week?” to which I replied “we are probably going to eat a lot of food from the grill, so yes” then he gets this really goofy smile and says “Okay, but for one; don’t burn my hotdogs and for two; you might want to wear an apron if you are going to grill naked, you know like the volleyball games.” Then we both started laughing. C just thinks that one ‘clothing optional’ campground is so funny. I asked him if he really thought we’d go someplace like that and he said “Mom, I just don’t know these days, I mean look you won’t let me play Gears of War or Halo anymore, what is next, Naked Land roller coasters?”
In other news: We fixed the school bill issue with the bonds. I can’t believe we had that much money just sitting in our firebox. In the end we had enough for the school bill and enough to pay for the tires I put on a credit card a few weeks ago. I suppose, the money wasn’t just sitting there, so many times we contemplating cashing out the bonds but decided that it really wasn’t worth it at that moment. But this time around we knew it made the most sense.
Well, it is suppose to hit 95 again today and 98 tomorrow. I am going to go set up the kiddie pool and maybe mow some of the yard before the temp reaches its peak… maybe on the second part :P)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
25 Things for June
- Hot weather
- The pool
- Camping
- The beach
- Visiting friends
- The extreme usage of the BBQ grill
- Fires on the deck
- Water gun fights
- The end of the Silly Band craze
- Golf
- Hiking
- Taking pictures of trees and water
- Thunder storms after a really hot day
- Playing board games and watching movies on a rainy day
- Riding my bike down hill
- Having a killer yard sale
- Going to killer yard sales :P)
- Getting to know the neighbors
- Sleeping past 6:30 once in a while
- Coffee on the deck
- Baseball games
- Summer concerts in the park
- The farmer's market
- Harvesting my tomatoes, peppers, basil, black berries, and more
- Eating ice cream
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Climb
We went to the driving range tonight and smacked the heck out of a few dozen golf balls. It was cathartic and fun.
We found the answer to our huge school bill in the back of our closet. Savings bonds. 9 years worth. We are going to open a local back account tomorrow and cash them. There will be some left over to put towards the bills. Vacation funds untouched... the real priority of course.
Vacation at Keen Lake is settled, all the deposits have been paid and they even called to apologize, which I thought was nice, not many places do that these days. I can't believe the trip is in less than a month! Something to look forward too.
The cable sucks. We've had three new boxes in two days and as it turns out it is a wiring problem underground. The company is paying to have the wires dug up and replaced within the week; by their estimate. Then we should be back in business. I am going to call and see if I can get a DVR / HD credit for the two weeks total we'd be without. You never know until you ask - right?
My dog is back to crazy. She ate an entire bag of bagels off the counter tonight while we were out. She ate an entire bag of hot dog rolls this morning while I was walking C to the bus stop. I need to call the damn trainers again - at this point, only God knows what I am doing wrong.
Anyway, as dry as this post is, it is a happier one. Once in awhile I get a little crazy and overwhelmed, that's all. One crisis at a time Jamie, that is all you can handle..
One silly note: I gave C a haircut tonight. I did it on the deck, and let the hair just fall all over him, I figured he'd take a shower after anyway. Half way through the cut he looks down at all the hair on his shirt and says "oh no, I am a hairy beast like daddy! Help ME!!". It was pretty funny.
Earlier Riser
Our Father's day plans are foiled, and nothing seems to be able to replace what I had planned. Just timing issues, S leaves on Sunday afternoon for work, C has a birthday party midday on Saturday, and I told the kids they could all come over for movies tonight. Oh well, who says every holiday has to be some huge event. I might bring C to the original plan anyway. A concert at our church in the evening, it looked really good - and I don't want to miss out.
Alright - enough complaining. I can barely keep my eyes open. Even though it is only 9:30 I already mowed half the lawn (I did the other half last night) and cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast - homemade oatmeal and fruit. So it isn't' like I haven't been productive, I am going back to bed.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Pathetic State
- I went to the gym and feel slightly better
- I had a huge bowl of pasta and feel slightly better
- I organized a toy bin and feel slightly better
- I am lounging in the den watching Days and I feel slightly better
- I am going to find chocolate and then feel slightly better
Downward Spiral
- When calling Park University to obtain an obscure GPA for certain set of classes (needed for job application) I easily got the registrar to give me the numbers for my Bachelor's degree, but then I asked, does that include my associates in accounting? And she explains that my application expired for that degree and it wasn't issued. Come to find out I am short three credit in a management finance class.
- I've been telling C for weeks that this Friday is the last day of school. I even checked the FX county website to prove it. Well, apparently the website is wrong. The kids get out next week.
- S called was doing something for his school and found out that they say he owes 3750.00.
- I am so freaking tired of the neighborhood kids and my child's interaction with them! They leave in a week or so for their father's for the summer. But still, last night C invited three kids over for chocolate cake. Homemade cake with real homemade icing that I worked on for hours. He didn't even ask. Well, I had a big talk with him and told him no. Then later he came back inside and was fake crying telling me that I am "making it difficult to keep friends." I seriously yelled at him and sent him to his room.
- The campground we are staying at in July is pissing us off. Not a good sign. I called the other day and paid our deposit, but still didn't get our receipt. Then our friends called to pay their half and weren't treated very professionally. In fact they really weren't treated at all, they were put on hold one time and forgotten about and then another time told they'd be called back. S called and he was told they'd call back too. What the heck is going on?
- Our cable is seriously fucked up. For weeks I thought our TV was dying because we were getting these purple and green lines rolling on the screen. Then our cable box started doing weird things, like loosing the sound, plus a whole bunch of annoying little things like a freezing picture and randomly rebooting. So I called the company and they seemed to fix it from sending a test signal. But the next day it did it all again. So yesterday I had the cable guy here replacing our box. I explained all the trouble and he gave us a brand new one. So yesterday night I sat down to program the new DVR and freaking A, I had the same old problems. So I checked the back of the box and noticed it was a new one, but the cord was used from the old one. So I call back the company and schedule another visit for today. I am so annoyed.
- I need to see a doctor. I have been ignoring a few things, and that plan isn't working. I keep getting these random pains in my body. At first they were like a little pin push towards my skin from a random point in my body and then traveling to a second point. After about a month the pain became more than just the size of a pin and now is effecting larger areas and are actaully stopping me in my tracks. Two days ago I actaully doubled over after having extreme twinging in my right side, that traveled down to my right foot. Yesterday I decided to keep track of the pains, they are really random, and don't seem to follow a nerve pattern. Plus I never feel it in my skin, not always in a muscle, and seriously painful at times; I don't really see any patterns there either.
- I don't have a good doctor.
- I applied for a job that required a very long application and writing test. I think I failed to insert the works cited page. You cannot go back and fix anything. My saving grace is that if it is opened in the newer version of Word the references are there and can be seen.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunny Side Up
A few days ago C and I were tooling around the internet looking for campgrounds in the Poconos when we came across one that looked kind of cool. So we click the link and see a bunch a green trees, a lake, a volleyball court, naked people on the volleyball court, naked people on the beach, and naked people hiking! We accidentally clicked on a nudest camp! You couldn't see anything but a few behinds, but man did we laugh. Just imagine nothing but hiking boots! C was laughing so hard he was crying. Both of us were giggling and as we went back to the main site and looked for regular campgrounds.
Then yesterday C has a friend over and the boys were watching a cartoon. They both started to laugh and then C says "hey A, you want to hear something really funny, my mom and I looked at naked volleyball pictures on the internet." I immediately said "hey, what are you talking about, don't talk like that." I fully expect this kids mother to call soon.
Later when his friend asked for a snack C told him "No, your on my moms last nerve, she can't feed the whole neighborhood."
Saturday, June 12, 2010
On His Way
Right, almost - ha, I cried.
Hot & Steamy
I wonder what to night holds? Last night on a whim we went to the movies. We saw Marmaduke. Super CUTE. I laughed more than the boys, but we all enjoyed it. Not sure it was worth the 32 bucks admission, but it was still fun to see. We skipped the popcorn, making a huge vat of it when we got home. Good times were had by all.
I suppose I could work on my resume tonight. Blahhhh. I so need to go back to work at the end of the summer. I am going to aim for a GS job, but really, I don't have my heart set on anything, I just know I am a good worker and can pick up just about anything business related. Give me a number to crunch, or a program to run, as long as it has numbers I can see and achieve I am happy.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Homecoming
S is home and that helped. I can't exactly pretend I am fine when things are too crazy, and it felt like I could breath again when he called to say he was coming home early. By lunch time yesterday he was back from Florida and we were headed to our favorite pizza place. We were those people, the ones who were having majorly private conversation in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Sometimes you just can't fake happy or put off miserable until after your pizza arrives it just comes out.
Ugggghhh, I gotta go, there has to be something in this house I can clean or scrub and bleach the hell out of.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Emotions Suck
I never use the M word and I haven't even acknowledged that there was a life inside of me at one point, in fact there could very well have been two, I refer to the situation as IVF, either before IVF or after IVF. Even typing these words caused me to find the kleenex. Scarier yet, I haven't been back to the doctor's since. I can't make myself go back to that clinic. I can't make myself call that phone number. I cannot make myself talk about it with someone, even a doctor, that doesn't already know the situation.
And here is the honest truth: Every time I see someone who has that tell tale "pregnancy" belly, I feel like someone kicked me and that they stole my chance for a miracle. Every time I hear of a person conceiving after years of infertility I feel like someone else stole my chance of a miracle and then sent someone to kick me even harder. Neither offers any hope or faith.
I still just love to hear that my friends are expecting though, because I have awesome friends and they want their children. That may sound funny, but there are plenty of people who don't or at least don't want to be pregnant and tell you that much. I always feel so bad when my friends don't even want to tell me that they are pregnant, they can't even enjoy their good news without a feeling bad for me.
And now one of my best and dearest friends, the one who knows the most about me, the one who can always make me feel like I am a gift from God, like I am smart, and pretty , and funny, and caring, and deserving, the friend that always gave more to me than I to her, the one who loves her children more than life itself, who tries to live by example and constantly carries herself with poise and grace is hurting probably worse than I ever knew possible. Why is life like this? I don't want to be reminded of this pain, and I certainly don't want others to feel it.
Her loss isn't about me and yet it has stirred a whole slew of emotions I try very hard to keep in check. Last night I had a nightmare that my friend and I were walking from her church trying to round up all the kids in her huge car and we couldn't find a little one she kept calling Nate. It was really scary. I wonder if she is going to have a funeral for her child, and what she'll name name him or her. I always like the name Nathan - I wonder how that name came in my dream?
I think I need to plan a trip to Iowa.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Blinding
C: Mom, did you know if you look at the sun you will go blind?
Me: I think that is true, we better not look directly at it
C: Yeah because if you are blind you can't see
Me: That is right and then things like walking and driving aren't always possible
C: You could walk with a guide dog
Me: Right, but driving is totally out
C: Right, and the ass circus
Me: The what circus?
C: The ASSSSS circus
Me: What?
C: You know, the circus; elephants, jugglers, and the ass clowns
Me: What?
C: Maaaaaaummmmm, you know what I am talking about
Me: Yeah, the circus, the regular circus with regular clowns and blind people can go they just wouldn't be able to see the acts but they could hear them
C: Whose blind? I am talking about the clowns?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Orlando
The trip was short, only three days, two nights, but we sure packed in the fun. We arrived on Thursday morning and went straight to Walmart. What else is new? Scott forgot a bathing suit. After our side trip we checked into our hotel and went to the pool / waterpark. To my surprise C loved the big water slides. So did we! They had slides, a pool, a lazy river, a kids park, and lots of lounge chairs. We all used 70 proof sunscreen. C is dark, like not white dark, and S is burnt to a crisp. I am somewhere in the middle, even after reapplying the sunscreen a few times. The sun was just so bright. After a few hours at the water park it started to rain and storm so we headed out to explore the town. The rain subsided so we stopped at a Pirate Mini Golf place that was wicked fun. After that we went to Medieval Times. C loved it. We bought him a sword and he actaully fell asleep holding onto it that night. The following day we went to Disney World.
Again, Disney was awesome. We had so much fun and loved all the rides. It was wicked crowded but every time it rained there seemed to be less people. Also, because you can get "fast pass" tickets for some rides for a time to come back later, we could go on one ride while 'virtually' standing in line for another. In the end we never waited more than a half hour for a ride and most times it was less that ten minutes. Our favorites collectively were all the mountains; Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain. We stayed until closing and all promised to go back again sometime.
The last day we played at the hotel water park until around 2:00 and then headed out for a late lunch. C ended up falling asleep in the back seat. We arrived at Olive Garden and couldn't even wake him up. S even tried picking him up, but he didn't even open his eyes. So we decided to let him sleep and we explored Orlando a little bit. Eventually C woke up and we made it to an even later lunch at a different Olive Garden and then headed for the airport.
It was all so much fun, we didn't want it to end. Especially since S had to get right back on the plane and go right back to Orlando this morning. Work related stuff, as usual. I suppose I can't complain too much though. He's been a model husband for the last few weeks. The man came back from 6 weeks of USAF school and suddenly he knows how to do dishes, mow the lawn, and make the bed. Now, if only they had taught him to put the seat down.