I'm Here. That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It.

Wheh. Another tired-y day. I overslept...sort of on purpose. I got up, got the kids up for school, picked out Jo's clothes, made sure he got dressed and when they got on the bus, I laid back down. At that point, in order to be at work on time, I should have either:

A.) Not laid back down at all, since they get on the bus at 7:00 a.m. and I have to be at work at 8:00 a.m., with a 15ish minute drive.

or:

B.) I could have laid down for ten minutes max, taken a quick shower, thrown on clothes and settled for foundation only as makeup for the day. (Foundation is a pre-requisite for leaving the house, as I refuse to scare small children if I leave home without it.)

However, I opted for C.) Forget I have any actual responsibilities, lay down, fall into a deep sleep, wake up at 8:15 a.m., call work, tell them I overslept and will be in before 9 a.m., procede to shower, throw on clothes and some foundation, thus starting out the day a little more rested but rushed.

I kind of feel like I'm coming down with something, though. It may be allergies. Everyone at work has been coughing and sneezing all week, so I think maybe it's a cold going around. I feel sorta wheezy and achey.

Enough whining for now.

Tonight I have a birthday party to take Jo to. It's my friend, Sheila's, son. He's five. It's a Power Ranger's theme. Power Rangers have been around since...maybe before...my 15 year old was born. Will they ever go away? Who knows. Anyway, that should be nice, because it's at a park right by where I work. I like those outdoor parties this time of year. The raised voices of little ones is easier to deal with outside than inside a crowded mall or Chuck E. Cheese venue. Never underestimate the power of five-year-olds combined with bad accoustics and too much icing.

So, that's what my Friday looks like so far. After the party I hope to have enough energy to clean a little at home. Josh wants a friend over for the weekend, so he has pledged to pitch in after school today and do some housework. We will see how that pans out. Yesterday he was griping that I hadn't washed any of his shorts that he likes this week. I laughed and promptly reminded him that he knows how to do laundry and is just as able bodied as I am. I assured him that he can feel free to trot on down to the basement and start a load any time his little heart desires. Boy, did that sound like a Mom-ism or what? In return, I got a disgusted grunt, and he got no further reaction from me. If clean shorts are a priority to him, perhaps he'll get with the program.

Just like my t-shirt says: "Raising Teenagers is Like Being Pecked to Death by a Chicken." Truly. You never actually die, you just get irritated until the end of time.

If I don't get back here any more today, have a great weekend!

Dusting off the Old Email Forwards

Until I wake up enough to put words on paper that make sense, here's another one of the lists I have saved in my computer that amuses me. It may not be quite as good as the last one, but it must have had some merit, or I would have deleted it.

Diplomancy is the art of saying, "nice doggy!" until you can find a rock.

Every morning is the dawn of a new error.

Everyone hates me because I’m paranoid.

Forgive your enemies but remember their names.

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

Be nice to your kids. They’ll choose your nursing home.

Budget: A method for going broke methodically.

Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral, or fattening.

Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

Few women admit their age. Few men act theirs.

Don’t take life too seriously: you won’t get out alive.

And most of all: Don’t look back: they might be gaining on you.

I heard this phrase the other day that was a suggestion for a bumper sticker. At first I was put off by it, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it became to me. It was:

"Jesus Loves You, but Everyone Else Pretty Much Thinks You're a Jerk." How many times have we felt that way? Wanting to love, but struggle with our inner urge to tell someone off....(especially driving!)

One of my favorite quotes from a movie (and I'm really going to mess this up) is from the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy's Auntie Em is talking to the neighbor who has come to take Toto. Auntie Em says something like, "All these years I've been dying to tell you what I think of you....(big pause)...but being a Christian woman....I CAN'T!"

That makes me laugh! How true, how true! If anyone says it's easy to love everyone, they're probably not that easy to love themself! :)

Enough of my goofiness this a.m.

I'll try to get back here later in the day. Until then, have a good morning!

Somebody Loves Me, They Really Love Me!

Administrative Professional's day is almost as fun as a birthday. Almost. It's just nice, the little things people do on that day to make me feel appreciated. (Especially when some days I'm not all that professional! SHHH! Don't let word get out!) :)

In honor of all those who honored me on this auspicious occasion, following are pictures of those "little things" that made my day bright:


Lunch was a bread bowl salad. Yum!

My Admin. flowers were, like usual, live ones that I can enjoy all year....

A nice card with sweet sentiments from our production manager....

as well as $10 in gift certificates for Tim Horton's.

The shipping manager bought me breakfast this a.m. at McDonald's.

That, and it's a beautiful, cloudless day, about 61 calm degrees.

We Have Some Good News and We Have Some Less Than Good News

I guess the dental news can't be construed as bad, really. After all, we are very insured dentally. What Rob's insurance doesn't cover, mine should. So, considering the report we had, that's good.

I got the usual "see you in six months."

Jess has two follow ups scheduled. One is to extract a baby tooth that never fell out because the adult tooth came in under it. The other is to replace a filling that fell out. That's it for her. She had the second best report.

Jo-Jo has one tooth that needs to come out that a filling fell out of and the tooth isn't savable. Fortunately, it's a baby tooth that will be replaced by a permanent tooth eventually...in 3 to 4 years. Because of Jo's age, they are referring me to an oral surgeon for that removal. It turns out, he's the same oral surgeon who took out my wisdom teeth.

The dentist was surprised that neither Jess or Jo had any pain with these basically exposed teeth. Neither one have complained about a toothache at any point. Jo also has three teeth that are pretty "groovy" that are likely to have future problems if they go unchecked, so they are going to do sealants on them in a few weeks.

Josh...my oldest and best brusher has six....count them...six starts to cavities in the back. Just newbies. Here I thought he was going to be the one child who escaped the drill. He was incredulous. "What's all this brushing for if I still get cavities?! Geez!" Could it be too much candy and pop? Who knows? So, he has two follow ups for fillings.

Finally, as predicted, Rob needs one extraction, two root canals and a partridge in a pear tree. Actually, they're going to try to fill the two teeth without doing root canals, but it depends on if the fillings "take." He may end up needing a partial in the back.

Our dentist is a super nice man. I am truly hoping he enjoys the new 5 cd disk changer/MP3 player/personal subwoofer system he will now be able to buy for his vehicle....made possible by the lackluster brushing/flossing and excessive sugar intake of the male population in my family unit.

Oh, and there is light at the end of the dental chair, and it isn't that annoying light they shine in your face while you're leaned back having sharp instruments poked in your mouth.

Josh's teeth are some of the straightest the dentist has ever seen without having had braces. I am now sure that he isn't my child, that he was switched at birth. Looks like Jess won't need braces, either. Jo is a wait and see. So, that's refreshing.

My calendar for May is filling up rapidly. Managing my life: it's like pulling teeth. HA!

More later.

Dental Appointments and Other Insignificant Stuff

Today all five of us have appointments for dental cleanings and exams. That really made the scheduling desk nervous. I am sure they are worried that we're going to cancel and leave their entire afternoon open. What would they do then? Have water gun fights with the little water squirters? Drug themselves with laughing gas and play Twister? Shuffle the X-rays and spend the afternoon playing "Guess those molars?" Who knows? Anyway, they actually called me twice to confirm. Smart business people, they are.

I've never been overly nervous about dentists. I've had three wisdom teeth cut out, some gum surgery when I was in elementary, multiple sealants, a few fillings, as well as braces, retainers, etc., etc. I've pretty much done my time in the dental chair. Usually when I go in these days it's "see you in six months." Other than perhaps one day my old fillings needing replaced, I should be good to go. I wish the same could be said for my poor hubby. It runs in his family to have beautiful, straight, perfect front teeth and bad back teeth. He's had so many problems with his back teeth and they just seem to continue. I can see him ending up with some root canals, a crown or two and maybe even a partial before it's all said and done. Poor guy.

We'll see how the kids do this go. Josh has only had a cavity or two in his 15 years. Jess had a lot of work as a toddler, and so did Jo. Hopefully they'll still be cavity free.

Next on the horizon: Finding an orthodonist. Fun for all involved! :)

So that's all the excitement I can handle for today. I have to play catch up this a.m. so that I can leave here early. Otherwise there could be a catastrophic paper avalanche with ramifications for weeks to come.

They might cancel Administrative Professional's Week and take away my flower planter as well as their promise of a free lunch tomorrow. Egads! I'd lose my status as Office Superstar. :)

Have a good day, all! More later.

If You're in the Mood For Something Melancholy

I was going over some of my old files in my computer and found this poem I wrote way back in 1999. Was I in serious need of therapy this day or what? So, that's how I deal with any dark mood clouds that hover over me. I write. Poetry, usually. Or if I'm extra happy, I write. Again, usually poetry.

Anyway, thought I'd post this poem. I figure, if nothing else, I can read it and think, "At least I'm having a better day today than I was on the day I wrote THAT!"



Run



Days run together like

so many thoughts…

jumbled and restless.

Too many trains

going too many places

at once.

I follow

in my mind

but see no pattern

no end or explanation…

nor a real destination

neither solace nor system;

only whim

and indecision.



Drop me off here.

I don’t care

if it’s nowhere.

At least it’s quiet

in these fields;

they run together

like so many thoughts…

unassembled

without pattern

unprotected by certainty.

Left to ramble

stretched out over

emptiness:

wrapped up in aloneness

hearing echos in the wind

seeing shadows

in the trees

and having nothing

but time

to run nowhere.

Trying My Hand at AudioBlogging! Boy, Am I Moving up In the World!

ugggghhhhh

I'm tired, I'm sore, but I'm here. Need coffee....need a whole tube of muscle rub....wish I was ten years younger.....someone prop me up at my desk, please! ugh. Too tired to capitalize or even do a spell check. Forget the one cup of coffee that is normally my max intake for the a.m. Just start an i.v. drip with sugar and coffee. That's my only hope.

I slept well at night all weekend, (hard work does that to me) but I am still physically tired.

The Maxine cartoon above is appropriate in my little world today. Maybe by noon I'll get my act together. Anything is possible.

What's Good?

My teenagers are in the habit of saying "What's good?" all the time now. It's kind of the cool thing to say, I think, at this point in school. As in, "Jess?" and to that she would reply, "What's good?" If someone called my name, I'd say, "Huh?" or "Yeah?" or "Yes?" or "What?" depending on who was calling me and/or what kind of mood I was in.

When they first starting saying that, it irritated me. Upon further consideration, I think I like the phrase. "What's good?" It indicates that the respondent expects something positive to be said.

Okay, then. What IS good?

Today I completed my second workout in a row. Yesterday was my first. I did one mile each time. I feel great. Nothing like releasing those endorphins to get the day going right. There's just something about Leslie Sansone's DVD's that I can deal with. A lot of the other workout gurus make me want to throw stuff at the t.v. while I'm watching them. But Leslie's personality is one I can live with while I'm trying to get in a workout.

I was working out regularly back in December and January, before I had to stop and ended up having surgery. I think picking back up on the walking has been easier because it wasn't all that long ago that I had been regularly doing 3 mile walks. My body has retained some of the muscle strength that I had been building up in those workouts. I wasn't out of breath or overtired.

So, that's good.

Out of the clear blue sky came an offer for a 16-hour a week second job. What's great about it, is that it's in the same area where our toy shop is, so I would still see my family on the weekends. In fact, they can bring me lunch or I can go hang out with them on my breaks. The person who made the offer is someone we all know and trust. Not only that, but he sought me out, asked me to work, not visa/versa. I had worked for him once when one of his workers called in on a Saturday, and his sales doubled that day. (Maybe it's because I have the gift of gab and I'm a really good salesperson or it's that it got busier than usual that day. Either way, I was there, so I got the credit.)

So, he offered to pay me considerably more than his usual starting wage if I committed to working for him for the next two months. Our shop hours and his shop hours are the same, so we can all ride in together and close up at the same time.

I find this whole thing just another neat example of how God meets our needs if we trust in Him. I didn't go looking for this, but here it is, anyway. The super cool thing is that the extra income ends up being more than the cost of our second house payment each month.

I've got the longest list of these type of experiences in my life. Sometimes things didn't happen in the way I was hoping or as fast as I wanted, but things have always worked out one way or another. I guess if we snapped our fingers and expected God to work for us, he'd just be a cosmic Santa Claus in our lives. I think the whole idea of walking a Christian walk is learning to serve, not be served. But He sure has been better to me than I deserve.

Just now I was typing this, thinking that one of the only drawbacks to the second job thing was that Rob and I had bought tickets to a 2 o'clock game in Columbus this Saturday to watch an OSU football spring game. We ended up giving the tickets to his uncle because we couldn't do both. Plus we have some repairs that we need to get done to BOTH of our cars before we take them on any big trips, so we thought the drive would be pushing the card a little on that. I think both of us just wanted to do something fun with the family, but we thought not only were we blessing his uncle with the tickets, but making the mature decision as well.

Anyway, while I was typing this blog post, an email arrived. It was from my boss' daughter, saying she has tickets (and a parking pass) to Saturday's 7 p.m. Dayton Dragons' game if we would like them. She is in charge of administrating all recreational functions in her office. So she said when no one had signed up for these tickets, she thought of us right away. That's only a 40ish minute ride for us, and we get off work at 5 p.m. on Saturday. We all enjoy those games, having gone to several in the past few years.

I started thinking to myself that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think. This reminds me just how well He knows us and is concerned even with what seems like little stuff in our lives. :) I'm amazed, as always, by His love.

So, that's what's good. Plus the sun is coming out, the fog we had earlier is lifting....and oh yeah: It's Friday!

Hope your weekend is awesome!

One Part Reality Mixed with Two Parts Humor

I got this list in an email forward from a forward from a forward about a year ago. It never fails to make me laugh. So today I thought I'd pull it out, dust it off and post it. I think my favorites on the list are #1, #7, #26 and #27. Although I am sure #28 is absolutely true. :)

There are days I can't imagine laughing at anything. I don't like myself much those days. Without my sense of humor, which I credit Granddad for, I'd surely be tranquilized for my own safety some days. :)

My grandfather was so funny. He laughed in good times and in really crappy ones. About six years before he died, he started going blind from macular degeneration. I took him to the nearby V.A. center for treatment. They tried everything they could to slow the progression of the disease, but eventually he lost his sight entirely.

During one of the appointments, he and I were sitting in the doctor's office and the nurse came in.

She looked at us sitting side by side, and then commented, "Harry, you know, your daughter looks a lot like you. She has your eyes."

Without missing a beat, he looked at her with a sly grin. "Well," he quipped, "If my daughter has my eyes she'd better give 'em back, because I can't see out of these!"

Both the nurse and I cracked up laughing. Yet later, I sat there, shaking my head, amazed at a.) how quickly he came up with that comeback and b.) how easily he could laugh over something so serious. He was such an amazing man. My grandfather: the man who adopted me, parented me from the time I was a toddler, and became my friend in the process. I was 23 when he passed away, but he remains one of the most influential people in my life.

Ahhh. Memories.

Anyway, here's this list that I found so amusing I thought I'd share it with you. Hope you at least crack a grin. :)

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the heck alone.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with broken fan belt and a leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
4. Sex is like air -- it's not important unless you aren't getting any.
5. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
6. No one is listening until you fart.
7. Always remember you are unique -- just like everyone else.
8. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
9. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
10. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes.
11. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
12. Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
13. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
14. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
15. Some days you are the bug; some days you are the windshield.
16. Don't worry--It only seems kinky the first time.
17. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
18. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
19. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
20. Duct tape is like the Force--It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
21. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
22. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.
23. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
24. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
25. We are born naked, wet, and hungry, and get slapped on our butt...then things get worse.
26. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
27. There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
28. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.
29. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday...around age 11.
30. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Have a good day all!

Come Here Often?

I find myself coming back to my blog more and more often. The more I write in my blog, the less I write in my actual diary. Hmmm. Interesting. I've talked to some really cool people as a result of having this blog, so I am counting it all joy.

Anyway, the whole "consolidate our bills" thing fell through. Rats. Bummer. But that's okay. Just time to regroup and formulate a new plan. Part of me wasn't feeling absolutely sure that we were doing the right thing, so this must be God's way of protecting us. I'm going to view it as such. His ways are higher than our ways! Besides, our house is ultra organized and clean from having to get ready for the appraisal! Nothing motivates me quite like a deadline!

Hearing myself say, "His ways are higher than our ways" reminds me of a story from my life.

My husband had taken Josh in to the grocery store when he was around 2 years old. I was out in the car, waiting for them where I could see them come out so I could pick them up at the door. If I recollect, it was probably cold outside and I wanted to keep the car warm for them.

Anyway, on their way out, I could see the two of them having a conversation at the .25 machines. Josh wanted to get a trinket out of the machines, and he was pointing directly in front of his line of vision. Meanwhile, Rob kept pointing at the items in the machines on the second row up. Josh couldn't see that high, so this went on for a few minutes. Josh would insist on the items in the machines on the first level, and Rob kept pointing at the items in the machines on the second level.

Watching from the car, I was getting a kick out of the whole scene. Finally, Rob picked Josh up and showed him the machines that he was looking at. A huge smile came over Josh's little face and he nodded in agreement with his daddy. Indeed, the items on the second row WERE better!

As I sat there, a sense of peace came over me. I instantly realized that this scene plays out in our daily lives with God. We see life through limited vision, unable to see the good things in store for us. Why? Because we aren't as big as God, and we can't see as high as He does. We are stubborn, thinking our way is the right way, the only way. But if we trust in God's word, we know that His ways are higher than our ways, and there is more out there just waiting for us. We just have to believe.

That's my bit of inspiration for the day, hope that uplifted someone out there in a real way.

Having said that, here's my rant. It's trivial, and probably not even worth mentioning, but I'm going to, anyway:

I try not to be negative, just as I try not to talk politics or celebrity gossip, but I have to say this whole Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes thing is rather irritating. I know children are a gift from God, and for that I rejoice with them, but GEEZ! Get a new subject, media, will ya?

Tom Cruise bores me, anyway. I was never one that thought he was all that big of a hunk, even in the "Top Gun" days. I go for the tall, rough around the edges, kind of dangerous looking guy. Tom is none of the above. But how much more can be said about these people? It's like the J-Lo and Ben Affleck thing. It got so old that I didn't even want to turn on the t.v.! Is this what we're reduced to as the viewing public?

Okay, enough of that rant. I wish them all the best. I just wish them all the best out of the public eye!

Just got some paperwork handed to me that I have to take care of. Fun!

More later.

Out with the Cold, In with the Sandals

Last night I boxed up and put away the winter clothes, and started hanging up the summer stuff. Sandals replaced boots, yellows replaced greys, and t-shirts replaced sweaters. I love it! The laundry is going to get so much easier! Despite the pulling out of dusty boxes from the attic, my allergies didn't kick in, which is an accomplishment!

Have I mentioned that I love spring?

Today I came in to work and my boss...who is my dear friend as well...left my usual coffee on my desk as well as a cute little gift. (I live the good life!) :) Anyway, the gift was a measuring spoon set attached to a barn that can be either hung on a wall or placed on a fridge. My whole kitchen theme is barnyard, so this will be a cute addition to my decor. My "city" house had a rooster theme, and Mom had a cow theme in her kitchen. So when Mom passed away and we bought her house, I combined our themes and made a barnyard...or country kitchen theme. This weekend I just found a little magnet set that had a sheep, horse, cow and pig and put it on the fridge. So this is really cool!

It's been a nice start to the day. The sun is shining. It's not raining. I am so thankful for all of my friends; I am loving my job right now. God is good. Life is good. Who could ask for more?

Also Good Therapy: Reading Stuff I Wrote Years Ago

So I've been sitting here reading random blogs and when I got bored with that, I started reading some of the "keepers" in my computer. Much of what I keep is poetry I've written, e-mails that have touched my heart in some way, or stuff that makes me laugh. I try to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Anyway, this poem always makes me smile. I wrote it over six years ago. My baby was 2 at the time, and oldest was 9. It's nice to remember those moments....makes me want to go home and yank the home videos out and watch them. Those were the days, my friend. Sigh.

Anyway, just thinking back on old times made me smile. I didn't even have to listen to Smash Mouth and my mood is back on track.

I have to give the credit to God. I don't know what I would do if I didn't write to vent. I thank Him that He made me that way.

Here's my tribute to my family as I knew it in 2000:

To Give Thanks for My Family

Little toddler fingerprints on the living room door,
orange plastic sunglasses in the car on the floor…
three little smiles are worth waiting for…
How did I live life without them, before?
How could I ask for more?

My partner and husband of a decade by my side,
kids yelling, “Daddy, give me a piggy back ride,”
watching the school play and smiling inside,
attempting, in vain, to squelch my tears of pride…
I couldn’t hold them back if I tried.

My favorite show is on and I can’t hear what’s said,
Two kids are arguing about going to bed.
the other kid is putting mashed potatoes on his head,
and I’m wondering where I’d like to be instead,
but I’ve stayed for love’s sake even when I could’ve fled….

For washing a thousand dishes and buying hundreds of shoes;
packing their lunches and watching “Blues Clues,”
none of these things will make the six o’clock news,
but, in my rainbow of life they are one of the hues;
and if I had to start over, this is the life I’d still choose.

At the end of the day, I know this is right…
I know this is true no matter what the daily plight.
I know some rain will fall before the sun can shine bright;
for I will have a hand to hold when darkness steals the light,
and I will have my loved ones to kiss me goodnight.

I am Such a Sponge!

I hate that about myself! I really am such a sponge! Today I started out the day in a decent mood. The sun was shining, I felt good, and had no complaints.

Then I started listening to a friend of mine who was crying and having a really bad day. She's going through the loss of a loved one, is feeling overwhelmed and is a little lonely. I did my best to lend my ear and not advice, and after awhile she seemed to feel better.

So I came back to work and started to get back into the swing of things. Out of nowhere I realized that I was feeling depressed and was no longer in a great mood.

I do this so often. I get so involved in reaching out to my friends and family that I take on the person's mood that I'm trying to be there for.
UGH! That is not helpful for them or healthy for me.
Now that I recognize what's happened, perhaps I can talk myself out of the blues. Maybe a little music will do the trick. Usually Smash Mouth is a good group for me to listen to when I'm not feeling my best. They're very upbeat.

Music therapy. I'll try that.

Have A Nice Easter!

Just an Easter wish for you, complete with a photo of our attempt at coloring eggs last year. May you have a wonderful holiday!

Feeling Just a Little Superficial...and I'm O.K. with That

That sums it up. I'm feeling a little....no, I lied: downright superficial today. I'm okay with that.

I feel good. My hair looks pretty darn good. It feels silky and is actually behaving itself, having actually responded to the curling iron the way I intended. I'm wearing a shirt that fits me well and compliments my....well rounded curves. To boot, it matches the color green that my eyes are. I am feeling downright...dare I say it... sexy today.

It won't last. I'll get a sideways glance at my profile accidently and it will all turn to crap in 0 to 60. But I'm embracing the "hot to trot" vibes for now. Yesterday I did some spot painting on a ladder around our full length mirror. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling all that hot to trot yesterday during or after. Today I'm trying to put that memory somewhere deep into my subconscious.

Part of this borderline conceited attitude is the weather. It's sunny, 70 something and gorgeous out. My moods are so impacted by the seasons. By winter's end I am usually ready to make some kind of drastic life-changing decision. Then spring comes and the feel-good hormones return...suddenly everything is right in the world again and all the would-be changes fade into oblivion.

Alas, not all is perfect in my little superficial world.

Rob is mad at me...and I am the slightest bit hacked off at him, but this wouldn't be the first time for either of us. We're having an appraiser come to the house for...guess what...an appraisal. We are going to do some financial rearranging, refinancing and whatnot so we can pay off our city house and actually be able to breathe for awhile. The two oldest will be 18....Josh in 3 years' time and Jess in little over 4 years time. If we want to plan any major family vacations anytime soon, we're going to have to do some slight of hand financially. After the kids are (in the law's eyes) adults, it'll be touch and go just how long the family unit as we now know it will remain a cohesive unit. Paying two mortgage payments, even though one will be paid in full next year, is quite a juggling act, so time to act or forever hold our peace.

Anway, we've known about this appraisal for several weeks, but no one seems all that concerned about it but me. Rob sat around watching the Cavs game last night. He gets home from work first and was supposed to have the kids all do some kind of cleaning project. Jess, of course, did hers quickly and efficiently, impressing me as always with her great domestic skill at such a young age. The boys didn't do squat. At eight, Jo-Jo can't be expected to perform miracles, but even he can wipe down the fridge with wipes or tidy up something. Josh, at 15, should be the helping hand we can truly rely on, as he's taller than me and nearly as strong as Rob. But no. He's only interested in t.v., his girlfriend, or his video games at this point.

In conclusion, I blew a gasket. I yelled, and huffed and puffed and ranted. In response, got the eye rolling from Rob with muttered protest under his breath and some smart alleck remarks from Josh. Jo-Jo hopped to doing what I assigned him, and Jess smiled because she was the only one not in trouble at this point. She went out onto the enclosed porch and vacuumed the carpet and then came in asked me what else I needed done, although she was technically done with her assigned chores. Then she followed me around the house chatting about her day while I finished up some tasks I had to do. Eventually, Rob sent Josh off to do some actual work, and I finally went to bed after ten.

I can't get too bent out of shape about this for two reasons: A.) I just can't. I'm the type of person who usually just says what they think right off the bat and gets it over with and moves on. I get mad, explode, then leave it. One of the hardest things for me to do is hold a grudge. It just feels like extra baggage I don't need and it bogs down my relationships. The drawback to forgiving so easily (many people think there are no drawbacks to forgiving easily, but there are) is that people tend to repeat their past behaviors. I end up getting mad over the same stuff time and again, because it never truly gets worked out. I can't stay mad long enough to make a point and follow through with it. B.) I knew Rob was a huge procrastinator when I married him going on 15 years ago. He's never changed and more than likely never will. I can either freak out about it every single time or just do stuff myself. I know he loves me, I don't doubt that. He's a hard worker, does the bulk of the cooking, loves the kids and he is very indulgent of my hobbies and love of animals. Basically, we're pretty well suited and deal well with one another's personality quirks. I could go on and on about his good attributes or go on and on about the trivial bad traits he possesses. Right now the issue that's bugging me is just he's way too laid back to think ahead. Oh well. Noboday's perfect, and if they were, they sure wouldn't want to be married to me. :) Hopefully we'll spend five minutes talking about it, put it behind us as usual, and go on with our week.

Enough of that subject.

Tonight is a crop (scrapbooking) at my dear friend, S.'s house. Many of our circle of friends that normally attend won't be there due to work or having to be out of town. That's okay, though. While I love laughing and joking around with all of them, this might be a good opportunity to hang out with S. and see what's going on in her life these days. It's been several months since I've been to a crop and I'm really looking forward to it.

Okay, I'm going to close this post and do some work. I've been minimizing the screen, working, going back to the blog, then working again. It's time to put this post out of its misery. It was kind of conceited to start with, so I say what goes up must come down.

More later.

What I Say -vs.- What My Teenager Hears

"Go upstairs and clean your room." I said to my fifteen year old son, firmly and with great conviction.

"I'm never going to take the time to walk all the way up the stairs to actually see if your room is clean, therefore bring whatever dirty clothes you can find on the floor down to be washed, and throw the covers half hazardly on your bed and call it a day. Go ahead and talk on the phone, play video games, watch a movie, whatever- because I wouldn't want you to strain yourself by actually working hard."

The second statement is what my son heard, and therefore, that is exactly what he did. How can I fault him? He did what he HEARD me say. In a parallel universe, anyway.

That being said, I spent a good portion of my time after work last night helping my oldest figure out what Mom means when she says "Clean your room." Working with him, I helped him discover that there ARE monsters under the bed; at least that's what dirty socks, pop cans, cd cases, empty candy wrappers and dust bunnies will turn in to if they procreate under the bed. I shared with him how he CAN dust his dressers by simply moving the items on top and putting them back when the task is completed... unless the items are stuck to the dressers by some unknown pop-like spill, in which case more effort may be required.

When we were done, the room, while it didn't look like anything on a home makeover show, it looked....normal. The bed was made, spider webs no longer graced all of the corners of the room, clean clothes were no longer piled at the end of the bed...rather they were all hung up or folded in drawers. Shoes were in the closet, I could actually see myself in his mirror, PS2 games were organized, dvds and videos were organized, and the room no longer smelled like...dusty mildew.

We had a moment. We stood, looking around, and my son looked at me with awe.

"Wow, Mom. I didn't realize my room could look like this. You've got my room looking great!"

Look out, world. With this kind of success, I may find a cure for the common cold next. I'm pretty sure that I might be immune to any and all diseases at this point since I tackled that room and lived to tell about it.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I'm hoping it's done raining for the day. I see sun starting to try to peak through the clouds. Maybe we'll end up with a rainbow....that would make this a great Friday....even though Good Friday isn't until next week. Rob is off next Friday, lucky him. We don't get Good Friday off here. We do get a week off between Christmas and New Year's, so I can't complain. The kids will be off as well, so Rob should have plenty to keep him busy on his day off.

Springtime, what I've been wishing for all these months is getting underway. The signs of springtime are everywhere. The tulips are starting to bloom in the yard. I've painted the bathroom as well as one of the bedrooms. The whole family's all been doing some much needed spring cleaning. I saw a dove nesting in one of our pine trees the other day. I brushed the dogs really good just the other day, as they are shedding their heavy winter coats. Even the colors of the clothing in the stores are pastels and whites again.

I love to see the winter end! It can't come soon enough for me! I truly enjoy the warm weather and get so much more done. To make it even better, with Easter being later in the spring this year, there's a chance for a nice sunny Easter Sunday. One can only hope.