I'm a quitter

No, not smoking.
No, not my great new job.

I called today and put in my notice with my little part time job. The every-other-weekend selling pull tabs. It's just not worth it. The paychecks are small, the tips are nonexistent (recession, anyone?) and it seems like I'm always saying "Aww, damn I have to work that weekend".

With holidays and Emma's hockey schedule, the winter isn't too great, and I KNOW the summer won't be any better. With my current "real" job's schedule, having 4 day weekends all the time, it will be a PITA having to work Saturdays and Sundays of half of those.

I guess I will see how hard it is to NOT have those little checks and those few bucks in tips... if it gets to be noticeably annoying to not have that, I can always look for something else.

In fact, one job I know I could probably fit in is stocking shelves at Menard's. They have a special shift working Mon-Fri only, 5 am to 9am. On Tues, Wed and Thurs, I could leave Menards and head to my bookkeeping job, and on Mondays and Fridays, I could go home, nap, if need be, and then get to my errands and other things that I always seem to have on my "day off" lists.

PLUS: working at Menards would give me an employee discount. Oh, those of you not in this region of the US don't know what Menards is... it's along the lines of Home Depot, Lowe's... huge home store. Everything from plumbing and electrical, to drywall and appliances. You could literally build a house from the dirt up at this place.

I don't know yet, I will wait and see how things go. So as of now, Dec 27th is my last day doing pull tabs, and I WILL be going to Emma's hockey tournament in January (it would have been my weekend to work)

Plus, ending it before the end of the year means that I won't have to dick with it on taxes next year at this time.
It's all about simplifying.
Next year's taxes: No pull tabs, no Guards. Just his job and my job. for now anyway.

nudge

got an email nudge this morning, made me remember my little blog. (Thanks Scott!)

I started this blog back when JP was deployed, and was really very good about posting on it, family updates and all, because from over in Iraq, he would read it and keep up on what we were doing back here at home without him.

After he got home, I slacked a bit, honeymoon stage, I'm sure, but also because it's hard to find time to blog. I always used to post at night before I went to bed, but I don't like to do that around him.

But I have a day off today, and so I have time alone to blog.

My mom is all moved out, she's settled in to her new house, it's a cute little house, perfect for her and her girls, Kate & Chloe.

I am really enjoying working my part time job, having Mondays and Fridays off has really come in handy, kids' appointments, grocery shopping, (CHRISTMAS shopping!) lots of different errands that I never had time for before, I can actually get done!

JP is about to retire from the Guards, he's got his 20 years in, and it's definitely time to get out, he's done a deployment to Bosnia, he did more than enough time in Iraq, and now there are whispers about Afghanistan. Before those whispers become orders, he will be out. I am very relieved.

Speaking of JP, he just called me, and now I've got an errand to run, so I better get going.

I should really try to do better with my posting...

One fourth of a dead cow, and sleep numbers

It's been an interesting few weeks.
JP and I got a call out of the blue, did we want in on a cow killing? HELL YEAH!

This guy knows a guy that JP works with, and through a friend of a friend type thing, we are getting a quarter of beef within the next week to 10 days. Of course, to accommodate this, we bought a chest freezer. Now, before the dead cow arrives, we have to finish the tool room, laundry room so that we can put the freezer down there, instead of the garage, still wrapped in cardboard, like the day we brought it home from Sears.

We also are LOVING our new bed. It's a Sleep Number from Select Comfort. JP is laying ON the bed at a firm 55. I am laying IN my side of the bed, at a cushy 30. It's as if my bed is hugging me, cradling me, not wanting me to leave it. And honestly, I don't want to.

But today is my day off and I cannot stay in bed all day. I've got a list of things to do, already got some of it done. The easy stuff, of course, and now it's time to get going on the P.I.T.A. stuff.

empty nesting!

things are changing around here. for the better.

my mom closes on her own house on december 3. she will be moving out after 3 years with us. it will be hard to get used to not having her here. but as i look around my house, i see something of hers, and realize that soon, it will be gone. that antique chair in the living room. the kennel (for chloe) in the laundry room. the ironing board. the many many rubbermaid tubs of her stuff thats been stored in the porch for 3 years. hell, the entire spare bedroom will be empty! jp and i already have plans for the room. too bad they are conflicting plans.

he wants to turn it into a game room for the kids, couch, tv, and the wii and playstation stuff. i say NO WAY IN HELL. i've seen the way these kids take care of their own stuff, and we just remodeled that room. it's beautiful and clean. i want to install some counters and lower kitchen style cabinets. i plan to use it as a scrapbooking room. that way i have a place to store my stuff and will be able to work on it whenever i want to.

along with my mom's stuff leaving, jp is getting close to ending his guards time... so that means all the camo crap will be gone soon, too.

most of the time i'm not a fan of change, but this kind of change is a welcome thing.

It happens in three's, right?

Wow, I hope bad dreams follow those rules. Bad dreams lately have been plaguing my nights.
I posted them here in reverse order, so as you scroll and read, they're in CORRECT order.

Just awful sad and freaky dreams.... enjoy... I guess!

Bad Dream 1

I walked into a little house, it was empty. Emma was standing up on a box in the middle of a room. Dining room, maybe. No furniture, so I don't know for sure. The sun was shining in the windows, and I could see a bush against the house, it was annoying because it kept banging on the window. As I walked up to Emma, I JUST KNEW (you know, how in dreams, you JUST KNOW stuff??) that she had killed her brother Eric.

I was absolutely distraught... I was so angry and sad at the same time, and I just screamed at her "How could you do that? He was your brother!"

And I remember slapping her. I could actually feel the sting on my hand.

Then I said "Why would you do that to me, don't you realize that he was my favorite"

"Hearing" myself say that was so shocking, I forced myself to wake up. I was damn near hyperventilating, and it just kept playing over and over again in my head.

Bad Dream 2

JP had a friend named Casey. In real life, he does not exist. In this dream, he was real, and a real nutjob. He came to visit us, and we lived in a pretty nice house. Our dining room had a glass ceiling and from there you could see the flat roof over the bedroom which served as a deck.

Somehow I knew (in my dream) and then got horrified and angry and (other such intense emotions here... ) because this guy had skinned my dogs alive. Hailey and Comet had apparently "spoken" to him, him being a bit of a psychic, of course, and told him that they were not happy.

So the reasonable thing to do, of course was to kill them. (???)

I woke up crying because of the last vision: This guy, up on the deck (I'm watching this from the dining room) hanging my dogs' skinned carcasses up on meat hooks.

Bad Dream 3

My husband was dead, I don't know how it happened, it happened in "the past" here. But I just wanted to sit down and bawl, and NOBODY would let me. There was a guy, a friend of Steven's, (that, in real life, does not exist) and he was gay, and he's chatting with me, and we're on a tennis court. He's babbling on and on about how he lost his little dog. I try to interject, MENTION the fact that, perhaps he didn't know, but my husband had just died. He wouldn't let me speak, he just kept droning on about his little poopsie mutt.

People just kept me moving around, dragging me here and there, and even my own mom, wouldn't just let me sit and cry!

The last thing of it, that really made me wake up, was sitting in these bleacher type seats. Emma was sitting on my right, and Alex was sitting one row up, between Em and I. I reached over and put my arm around Em and leaned over and kissed the top of her head. It was so real, I could feel the texture of her hair and smell her shampoo. And then I started to cry.

I found it odd, upon waking (my face and pillow were wet from crying) that in the end, after all these bizarre dreams, that it was only Alex, Emma and I that were left. Not JP. Not Eric. and not Hailey and Comet.

considering thinking about maybe sticking my neck out...

So I got a book a couple of weeks ago. It's more a reference book than a novel. It lists writer's conferences all across the country. I marked about 6 that I'm going to look into further.

Maybe if I go to one of these, get my excitement up, maybe get some networking with other wannabes, MAYBE find an agent...

It's scary, thinking about doing things I haven't done before. No, it's not scary THINKING about them, it's scary DOING things I haven't done before. But I've done it in the past, and with good results, the majority of the time.

My current job is a great example: I was nervous; Can I actually DO this? It's way different to do it in classes vs doing it in real life, for a real company. In classes, I had other students to turn to, if things got too... buggery. Worst case, I'd ask a teacher. But this job? All on my own, nobody to blame for screw ups but ME! And I'm doing it... and if I do say so myself, I am kicking butt at this job. I am doing a very good job of being the go-to girl, the one who can take the stress and crap off your plate and pile it on mine. And so far (knock on wood) it's not stress and crap on my plate.

So maybe I can stick my neck out one more time... As the great George Eliot once said "It is never too late to be what you might have been."

The next big thing

He tried the snoring, but I fought back with earplugs. I just know he's been over there, in the dark, laying next to me, plotting his next move; the next big thing to disrupt my sleep. He's evil like that, ya know! haha

Last night he brought out the big guns: Hiccups. I couldn't tell you if they were audible... earplugs. But it was jarring the bed every 10 to 17 seconds. Yes, I counted, much like a small child will count the seconds between the thunder and lightning, trying to see if the storm is heading away or coming closer.

So I am exhausted this morning and I have him to thank.
Touche, my love. You won that round.

A tail of two kitties

We have two cats, Tiny Sue and Nessa Rose.They have... issues.

Each is unique in her own "special" way.

Ok, THEY won't be reading my blog, so I don't have to be nice: They're freaks, both of 'em!

I was just sitting here with Tiny Sue Tinerson (JP came up with her last name... whatever, he's a freak, too) and noticed yet another balding spot on her... she is an overweight tabby cat, and we got her when she was about a year old, from the Humane Society. She had been recently spayed, so I didn't think anything of her bald tummy at that time. And of course, back then, she was Tiny... thus the name. They had given her the name Tiny, I added the Sue, and there ya have it.

So now it's been.... 6 years I suppose. Her tummy is STILL bald. And cottage cheese fat, too. She's been to the vet for other things, and I've said "Hey, what's up with Sue's belly? Why doesn't she grow hair back there?"

MY VET SAID "Wow, that IS weird"

It's never a good sign when a vet is stumped by your bizarre animal.

Over the years, she'd get a bald spot on her arm, her side, whatever. So just cuddling with her tonight, I couldn't help but notice that she cleans herself... often. vigorously. harshly. with gusto.

Maybe that's why she never grew hair back on her tumtum... all that sandpaper cat tongue...

Then there's Nessa. She is a long haired calico. About the same age as Tiny Sue. Got her just this spring from a woman I used to work with at the bank. I wanted a friend for Tiny, maybe get her to work off some of the tummy pudge. (Don't ask how THAT'S going... they're just getting fatter together!)

Nessa has a problem with manners. In our home, animals are not allowed on furniture. Well, there are actually separate rules for dogs and cats. Dogs are not allowed on ANY furniture. Cats are allowed on SOFT furniture. Cuddle up next to me on the bed, curl up in my lap on the couch while I watch Letterman, whatever. But cats are not allowed on hard surfaces: dining room table, kitchen counters, not even the end tables and coffee table in the family room, where generally, anything goes (gggrrrrrr issues with that, too, but that's for another day)

Tiny Sue knows this rule, she used to ALWAYS abide by this rule. Ever since Nessa came along, and pretty much thumbed her nose at the rule, I have, on occasion, found Tiny also disobeying the hard surface rule.

But Nessa is the worst. She climbs up on counters for a purpose. She is a pig. She has a serious jones for people food. It's not like we don't feed them... on the contrary, I am pretty sure everyone in the house walks by and sees the empty cat dishES and fills it... all 5 of us, DAILY. And I'm also fairly certain that it's Nessa who empties those dishes more often than Tiny.

So to recap, Nessa is eating 90% of the cat food, and as much people food as she can cram into her fat face. Then she jumps down off the counter and proceeds to vomit. I don't know if it's the jolt of the jump that causes her to yack, or if perhaps she has a medical condition.

So there ya have it, I have two cats, one suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and the other is bulimic.

Damn, why's it gotta be so bizarre around here?

I know why: so I have something to scratch my head about...

Birthday weekend, early

So my birthday isn't until Friday, but we did fun stuff this weekend, since I have to work next Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday morning Mom and I got up and went to an auction. Such Fun! There's a buzz, a thrill... bidding on stuff. Will I get it? Will some dufus take it up over my own personal limit?
So, I didn't get anything... well, not true, I did get a pair of ramps, you know, car ramps for $6.
My mom got a complete bedroom set for a steal. It was a great day, Mom and I always seem to have a good time. And don't even get me started on the bizarre, freaky people watching. It's amazing just going to auctions to see the weirdos!

Then on Sunday, we got up early and drove down to the Cities. I won tickets to the Renaissance Festival at our county fair earlier this summer, so Mom and I went, and we took Kate and Hailey with us. Dogs are very welcome at the RenFest. We had a great day there, too. Spent a ton of money, and got a little too much sun on my shoulders, but it was SO worth it.

I have bowling tonight, first week of the season. I'm sure it will be ugly. I didn't bowl over the summer, so now I have to work on my average all over again. Probably spend all season just to get it back up to where it was at the end of last season.

***sorry, got distracted, just spent the last 5 minutes laughing silently (so as to NOT disrupt the funny) at Chloe charging herself in the mirror in my bedroom. She had the Squeekus in her mouth, and this other puppy, looking very similar to herself was challenging her... that puppy had it's own Squeekus, but was acting like it wanted to take Chloe's from her. I had to sit here on the bed shaking with laughter, not making a sound. You know that laugh, just shaking silently? Yeah, that was me... I didn't want Chloe to stop!

So yeah, bowling tonight. Ugh.
I also got a great picture for my birthday, Mom bought it for me last week. I want to get it hung up but I'm not sure where. It's a black and white photograph of a tree. An oak. A very specific oak. One from Oak Alley. You can see the house in the background, and the tree is just amazing and beautiful.

The job is great, LOVE it... the long weekends are wonderful for getting things done, and money is still good. In fact, tomorrow is my last payday from the bank. Yeah, that long for them to generate a check. AND THEY'RE A BANK. And honestly, they're not even generating checks, they're direct depositing everything. Not just for me, no employee gets a paper check. And it takes them half a month to do their payroll. My new job... I do the payroll. Pay periods end Sunday at midnight. I do payroll Tuesday morning. I print out the checks Tuesday morning. My boss signs every check by hand Tuesday morning. Checks are handed out Tuesday. If I worked on Mondays, I'd do it all then, and Mondays would be payday. But I don't, and that's ok.

My mom and my husband and my children have all noticed that my stress level and bitchiness level have both gone down incredibly. Much more peaceful household.

Part time lover

Yeah, I'm loving working part time!
Friday I got so much done!
All 3 kids got their school supplies (they start on Tuesday) all three kids got haircuts, I got some boxes and boxed up all my bank clothes (kept a few that fit, and that I like) and dropped them off at the local charity-run thrift store. Mailed off my "exit interview" from the bank. It goes to the head of HR and it is painfully truthful. I doubt my former boss, if she hears about it, will be smiling. Yeah, so maybe I did burn a bridge, but my former supervisor supplied the fuel, I just flicked my bic.

I also got a nap in yesterday, so it was a great day.

We have no big plans for the final weekend of the summer of 2009. I do have to work pull tabs tonight and tomorrow night, and I guess I'm just hoping for big tips... always makes the night go faster, if people are playing, and winning. Otherwise, I just have my laptop there, no internet, but I can play solitaire at least.

What I'm really looking forward to is NEXT Friday... my first day off after the kids go back to school. The whole day, to myself, alone, peace and quiet. I could get up and clean the house first thing, then just sit around and watch it STAY clean for hours!! That sounds a bit dull, and I'm sure I can come up with something better, but the point is that I can do WHATEVER I want!

First day of the rest of my life

I started my new job today.
It was nothing short of amazing! All that stuff I learned in college came flooding back (ok, some of it was " wait, I remember knowing something about this once") and it was exciting and a little scary. I remember myself in my computer classes, HATING the idea of screwing up an entry, because if I did, that would mean that I would have to go back through it, reverse journal entries, fix the booboo and then redo journal entries. I lived that today, and lived to tell the tale, nobody died, the business did not crumble around me... I fixed it, breathed a sigh of relief and moved on.

So at the end of the day today, everything was fine, everything balanced, including 2 months of bank statements. Invoices were entered, deposits are ready to go (I will drop them at the bank in the A.M. before heading to work tomorrow).

When I got done, at shortly after 4, I stopped at Mom's bar. I wanted to tell her about my day, and besides, my dear Gina was coming in shortly, and she just got a ton of great news herself, so we needed to gush a bit! Gina got engaged over the weekend (to a SUPER guy) and then this morning, she was offered the Assistant Manager position at Mom's bar.

Then after we left the bar, we grabbed JP and took him to get his opinion on a house that Mom is considering. Cute little house, great (big) fenced in back yard, some issues, but definitely the best we've looked at for her so far. So my Mom may be leaving us, but it's all good, she won't go far, but she will have something to call her own... as will I: our own homes.

So between my job, Gina's job, Gina's ring and Mom's (possible) housing options... I've decided that the three of us are THE CHARMED ONES. Yeah, that's right, everything is coming up roses for the three of us, and ya know what? Good! About time! We deserve it!

just a 4 day bug

Yesterday I realized that I had come down with a pretty serious case of the Fukits.
Four days left of work, fuck it. What are they gonna do? Fire me? HAHAHAHA

I'm trying to fight it, I think I have a pretty good work ethic, and in the banking field, it's important to give a damn. So I'm trying to fight it, I'm trying to suppress it. And I think I'm doing a fairly good job. But I can recognize that it's there... in the back of my mind... fuck it.

It's getting down to the wire on Summer ending, and of course, nothing going on all summer, but August is jam-packed. Trying to get the kids ready for school, this weekend we are taking a trip to visit extended family, starting a new job next week (!!!) and it just seems like I'm running out of time, and I cannot wait for Friday. I don't have a job on Friday. Monday either. It's my first of several 4 day weekends. Hopefully I can accomplish stuff and relieve the strain and stress before I start working... because I'm sure that will entail it's own set of strain and stress.

Top this all off with the annoying stress of this situation: I borrowed a bunch of CD's from a coworker, one of the few that I like alot, and will miss terribly. I got them to download onto our external hard drive so that I can eventually put them on my iPod. Now I'm missing one of the cases for the CD. We listened to some of them on a drive recently, so I think the van has been checked pretty good, but of course, I will search it like a bloodhound myself, but I just feel like crap that I may have lost this.

wow, I suck

ok, lots going on, and I'm tired, so I'll SUPER compress it all:

August 27th is my last day at the bank, September 1 is my first day at my new job. It's great, and I'm really looking forward to it, although I am nervous. It's a bookkeeping job, it's part time, for pretty much the same pay as my full time (shitty) job at the bank.

Maybe I'll be a good girl and backdate a few posts, because things HAVE been going on, some interesting, some not so much, but things that I would have normally blogged about. Just been sort of blah lately.

And after Sept 1, I will have 4 day weekends ALWAYS so I will have more quiet time during the days Monday and Friday to catch up on stuff.

So this is it, a pledge to do better and get caught up and details to follow... all that crap, you know.
Now I have to go to bed, this crap of going to bed at 11:30/midnight is really starting to take it's toll on me.

Selling myself

Today at work, I told a local business owner that he needed a bookkeeper. Seriously, his deposits are a mess, and he can't keep all his employees' paychecks straight... and then I proceeded to tell him that he not only needed a bookkeeper, he needs ME!

He took my number, and I expect to hear from him soon.
He said that he didn't want to advertise in the paper, he'd get all sorts of losers who aren't qualified applying and just wasting his time... to which I said "I have a degree in accounting"

He leaned in and said "really?"
We discussed dress codes (there isn't one, I can wear jeans and tennis shoes!!! woohoo! that right there makes it worth it) and hours... thinking it would be 3 days a week. After he left, my dearest friend at work told me that he's a really great guy, and he treats his employees VERY well. If/when he calls, I will have to let him know that I have financial requirements for a paycheck... and if he can meet them then I will put in my notice the next day. I don't have any benefits from my current employer (they're available, I just don't partake... we get our bene's through JP's job) so that's not even an issue.

Time for bed, I have to get up for an early meeting at work tomorrow... stupid meeting, but it's an extra half hour of paid time to sit and listen to bankers talk... lord they do love to hear themselves talk...

Dog day of Summer

Today we drove 420 miles (round trip, mind you) leaving home at 6am to go down to Minneapolis to the dog park. Mom and I, Alex and Emma, and Hailey, Kate and Chloe.

Eric stayed home with Comet. She got spayed on Wednesday, and although she's feeling fine, she's under strict doctor's orders: no water until the sutures come out... 10 to 14 days. In other words: NO FUN until the stitches are out. We could not imagine taking her along, and having to keep her on a leash in the dog park, where dogs are allowed to roam free, to keep her out of the Mississippi River while her mom, aunt, sister and daughter all go play like water babies. Wouldn't be fair, and there's no way to explain it to a dog... Eric volunteered to stay home with her, and although he is the youngest of my children, he is also the one I trust most to stay home alone. I did not worry that he would bail on her and go spend the day with his friends (Alex) or invite a bunch of his friends into my home to create a mess, and again, ignore the dog (Emma).

So we went, and it was wonderful... after I got over the initial worry of Hailey. See, she is my dog, and she listens to me, only me, and only MOST of the time. She's also slightly nervous aggressive... nervous dominant, I guess. I was concerned how she'd be at the park with strange dogs, unleashed and roaming free.

Not a problem, not at all. So I relaxed. She was wonderful, she came whenever I called, and she played in the mud, and ran (FAST!) up ahead on the trails, and then came back to make sure I was still there, and she jumped in the river and swam out after rocks that Emma skipped and she had this smile (yes, dogs DO smile!) plastered on her face the entire time.

You see, yesterday, July 24th was Hailey and Kate's birthday... they turned 7 years old.

I will be posting pictures soon, I'm too tired to upload, view and resize, save and publish them tonight. But it was great, it was so much fun, and next time, JP and Comet will join us.

Speaking of JP, he'll be home next weekend... home from his last summer 2 week camp. Then we just need to get through the next year of drill weekends, and then he's no longer Staff Sergeant Honeybear, he's just my husband, Honeybear. Officially retired at the age of 38 (well, he will be 38 by next July!) Just one more week... and then one more year.

the old and the restless

ok, so I'm bored, husband is gone, nothing good on TV, I'm too bored to go to bed early.
You know what I want to do? Write. Haven't done that in quite awhile. I "finished" the book back in January.

I don't feel like revisiting it, working on rewrites or revisions.

I just don't know that I have it in me to start a new project. and honestly, I think I would feel like a fake.a.a.a.... a hypocrite if I DID start something new without having done anything with what I already have.

I'm just feeling antsy and uneasy... and in the past, when I felt like that, I would write... well, not always exactly WRITE, as in words, sometimes I would pick up a pen and write out a budget, work with numbers, sometimes all it took to relax me was to put everything on an Excel spreadsheet. Sometimes I make lists of projects I want to do, remodeling, things around the house. Sometimes I can make a shopping list... or even a shopping wish list.

but none of that sounds appealing right now. Tiny Sue is is hanging out with me, but she's really no help. She's sweet, and cuddly, but that's about it.

I also want to reread the Harry Potter book The Half Blood Prince... it's been ages since I read it, and after just seeing the movie, I want to see how it compares.

But after all this venting, I will probably just end up finishing my bored-seen-it-a-million-times movie marathon and falling asleep. I've been flipping channels since I got home from work at noon.
So far today, I've seen:
10 things I hate about you
Carrie
She's all that
(incidentally, all three of these movies contain Prom scenes... weird, right?)
Edward Scissorhands
Made of Honor
and now I'm watching
My cousin Vinny

damn, 36 sure as hell is boring on a Saturday night.

this is good

I can't even begin to express how excited I am when I think about the future... IF things go as planned.
Of course things are planned, that's what I do, THAT is how I survive... I plan shit out.

The money plan, of course. I originally asked JP to give me until the end of the summer to work this thing, prove to him that it would work... paying off everything. He really does seem to be getting the idea, too. After refinancing the mortgage and the truck, and getting lower payment amounts, I've been throwing the savings from those at bills.

Off track here, but still on subject, that's something that annoys me... people who think they're saving money when they... buy something on sale, for example... you're not SAVING money when you buy a TV at a 10% off sale... unless you literally put that 10% amount into a savings account. Otherwise, all you're doing is NOT spending it... at least not at the TV store.

Saving money, to me, is a budgeted amount put aside every pay period into an interest bearing account, or some other means of putting it away, out of the reach of SPENDING it.

Ok, back to the subject at hand... my budget is looking wonderful on paper, and so far, so good, on keeping the reality of it in check with the paper version.

Anyway, work sucks, and JP is away at Guard camp for 2 weeks, but I am still able to grin a bit.

wishful thinking

Ed: My goodness dear, you get through my transactions so much faster than the other girls, that really makes me happy.

Me: Well, Ed, I'll tell you why... I do your banking so quickly because I can't stand to be around you very long. You've got a horribly bad toupee, and scarily large teeth that I'm almost certain are made of wood, much like George Washington's, in fact, I'd be willing to bet they were a gift to you from him on his deathbed. Your skin reminds me of Pennywise the clown from the novel IT by Stephen King, reaching out from a gutter to grab small children. It wouldn't surprise me to see an alien pull open your jaws from the inside, like a kid opening a bag of potato chips, and come plopping out onto my counter, sitting briefly to get it's wits about it before lunging at me to sink it's razor sharp teeth into my jugular vein.

Being responsible sucks

I worked pull tabs last night, picked up a shift to cover someone who's sick.
It is my weekend to work, so I am scheduled to work tonight and tomorrow night, too. Nicer paycheck, so whatever.

Today my friend Gina and her boyfriend are going tubing down the river. Gina tried her damnedest to get me to call in *cough*sick and go with her.

JP is doing a major housecleaning today because he's invited his little friends over tonight for some stupid Ultimate Fighting thing on Pay Per View. He asked me to make my famous BBQs to feed them. So I'm supposed to help him clean, fix the BBQs, put them in the crockpot to cook all afternoon, then GO TO WORK... and NOT get any of my own damn yummy supper.

Gina's offer was really good... tubing, sunshine, booze... I even said yes for a few minutes. Then I got to thinking about having to call Carol to tell her that I'm *cough*sick, and I got to thinking about everything wonderful that JP does for me, and about how I was bailing on helping him. I felt like shit. So instead of calling Carol, I called Gina back.

I did drive them out there though. Drunk driving after tubing is a bad thing... we always got rides, or had a sober tuber with us.

But now I am back home, finishing up what I can do to help JP, then I have to shower and get ready for work, and all I can think about it Gina and Mike floating down the river enjoying a beautiful summer day.

When do I get to enjoy it? Huh?
Fuck, being a responsible adult really blows.

Random thoughts brought to you by UV Blue

with lemonade, of course.

You know what's annoying? having decent thighs when standing, only to find that they squish out to twice their size when you sit... that's a shame.

all I can think about is the day I can quit my job. Not the day I get a better job, but the day I quit. I never wanted to be a stay at home mom when my kids were little, they were whiny and annoying... so damn needy. and smelly. But now, I would LOVE to be able to not work. I imagine all the things I could do if I had every day... I could do the laundry and the dishes, the remodeling projects, the furniture refinishing, the scrap booking, the simple errands that I always seem to be too damn tired to do after work. I could make meals that would be better than fish sticks and tater tots at the end of a long mentally exhausting day.

I have given this a ton of thought... all I have to do is pay off all the debt, the discover card, the military credit card, the Menard's acct, and the student loans... and then JP's check would be enough to cover the mortgage and the truck payment... and since this is a 5 year plan, even the truck payment would be gone by then.

And 5 years from now, my kids will be 16, 17 & 20... THAT alone is incentive enough, huh?

Also, I've noticed how incredibly smart Chloe is... you know Chloe, my mom's puppy... Comet's baby... the girl is wicked smart... she knows how to Kennel, she can sit, and she is potty trained. And of course, she is OBMYGOD cute, to boot!

I tell you what, I LOVES me some UV Blue & lemonade...

Mom and I are going out rummaging tomorrow morning, I went out this morning and got her a couch. She is house hunting, and doesn't have a ton of furniture... I picked it out, and just hoped she'd like it... and I think it will work great... now all she needs is a house... so she's looking for furniture and household stuff, and I am determined to find work clothes for summer THAT FIT my smaller ass... I am sick of wearing pants that, without a belt, could be pulled down without unzipping.... I am sick of swimming in my clothes.

which is nice... it is much more normal in my life to bitch about clothes being too tight... I'm liking this whole skinnier Nik thing. I think JP prefers more cushin' for the... yeah, anyway (HI MOM) but I don't care, I like me in a size 4, not a 12.

Now it's time to go put the fish sticks and tater tots in the oven... I need food or I'll be a sick unhappy girl in the morning!

money stress

Money stress
Money stress
Oh, money money money
Money stress
(to the tune of Lollipop... )

Yeah, well, not really. things are looking better. on paper anyway.
But i still can't seem to break the stress part... headaches.
and that creates the problem of "not tonight honey, i have a headache"

except of course, that i don't have to say that... because i am not
asked, nudged, rubbed or propositioned in any way.

funny... he was all over me a year ago, when i was fat... ok, not 'fat', but 25 pounds bigger.
now that i actually am pleased (getting there anyway) with my body image, he
doesn't seem to want anything to do with me. or maybe we are both just tired.

i need Excedrin and a brownie... maybe i can get rid of my headache, get fat and get laid.
hehehe. sorry, just in a sarcastic bitch mood.

Learning from reality

Last night I was so thrilled that 1. the Twins were not playing and 2. JP was. He plays ball on an "Old Timer's" league on Monday nights.

I was happy because those two things meant that I was able to watch Jon & Kate without interruption. Because I am a voyeuristic slave to crap like that.

But as I watched it, it just made me sad. I made it about 3/4 through it before I jumped up and grabbed my car keys. I went down to the ball field to watch my husband play ball.

I was there to support him and cheer for him. and love him. Because that's what we need to do. For each other. For us.

I hope I wasn't the only one in the country affected that way. Seeing their marriage falling apart made me look at mine. Made me know that THAT is not what I want for me. for us.

It was a small step, going down to watch him hit a line drive that looked incredible... until it went directly into the glove of the outfielder. A small step, but isn't that what life is about? Taking those steps, doing those little things, showing those you love that you love them.

Besides, he looks so good in his baseball jersey and sunglasses. very sexy.
;-)

Chloe pictures

Eric's room: DONE!

This is what Eric came home to last Tuesday, after his week with Grandma and Grandpa. When he left, it was subfloor, drywall was taped and mudded, the flooring was still in packages in the family room... he had NO bed, a crappy dresser and all his belongings were crammed in corners of the family room and the laundry room. He was incredibly happy, very surprised.

The other room, the 'spare' bedroom is almost done, and I will post pics of it, but it won't be fully done for awhile. This had been Mom's room before the flood, now she's living upstairs in the formal living room. Since she is house hunting now, we are going to just put her stuff back in the spare room, and she will leave her bed upstairs, and continue to sleep there until she moves out. We won't have the 'spare' room to normal until she is in her new home. I have big plans for it, so does JP... we have some compromising to do here!

Happy to be wrong

I went to work Friday with a plan... a plan that some would consider mean. I intentionally mislead my daughter as to my lunch hour. Told her I would be home at 12:30, not true, my lunch was at 12. Expected her to be out and about (she asked if she could and I said no, the lawn needed to be mowed as soon as it dried up) and expected to catch her coming home to arrive just before me.

I had also told the boys to take the puppies out for the majority of the morning, it was pretty nasty and rainy on Thursday, so Chloe and Annie didn't get alot of outside time, so when Friday was a beautiful morning, I wanted those babies out enjoying it as much as possible.

I drove down the street towards the house and was pleasantly surprised to see Emma, almost done mowing the front yard... I gave her a thumbs up as I pulled into the driveway. "Yeah," I thought, "but the boys will not have had the puppies out all morning"

Not so. As I got to the house, I saw two puppies romping in the back yard. Eric was with them. He informed me that they (the boys) had arranged to take turns, half hour shifts each. Alex had already had one, and Eric's was almost over. They intended to keep switching off until the babies fell asleep.

Sometimes it's good to be wrong. Not often, mind you... but in that case, I was happy to be wrong. I felt a bit bad that I underestimated my kids, but the past has shown that I had about a 90% chance of being right...

good kids. that day.

It's a great week

Not only is my boss out of work all week (actually, she's out of the STATE! even better!)
But I also get my Eric back tomorrow!

He left for his annual week at Grandma and Grandpa's... each kid goes down south for a week or so, and Eric was first this summer.

While he's been gone, we have FINISHED his room. He will be so surprised when he comes home. New textured and painted walls, laminate wood floors, window treatments, new BED, new dresser, mattress, new posters on his walls, new area rug, lamp and nightstand... we just completely redid his room.

This poor boy has been bunking with his older brother for the past 3 months or so.

I will take pictures tomorrow and post them, I'm really excited for him to see it!

We also got the truck refinanced today... taking it out of MOM's and my name, and the new loan is in JP's and my name. Mom is planning on house hunting and buying, and having an extra vehicle loan in her name could be a bugger on her credit availability.

New loan is 6.2%... old one was 8.9%... nice.
New payment is $327... old one was $ 464... nicer.
New payment will remain the $500 I've always sent... lower interest, it'll be gone faster, and it's out of mom's name... things are good.

New Owners

Here's Melanie and her husband, they took Billy from me, and they're keeping his name Billy!

This is Jenny, she picked up Ted, now Pete, for her brother Matt.

This is Laurie, she got Thelma, renamed her Lucy... she works at the same bank as me, different branch!
Here's Alissa and Hannah, they got Daphne, but weren't sure what her name would be.

Nina, her husband and their son, Dominic got Thomas, and changed his name to Mauer (after Joe Mauer, a current Minnesota Twins player!)

I didn't get a picture of Jamie and Phil who took Jack, and will be calling him Rusty. And of course, there's Kara, who got Louise, renamed her Annie Louise, and Annie is still with us. Kara will be picking her up around the 20th, after a trip she had planned prior to deciding to get a puppy!

It's sad, but it's over. No more puppy posts... except Chloe, of course!

4th one is the charm

I took 3 calls this morning with people who wanted a female puppy. Nope, sorry they're all gone... just got the one boy left.

About half an hour ago, I took the 4th call of the day. "Do you have any males left?"

I wanted to say "Nope, sorry, all gone"

But I didn't. The longer I keep Billy around, the harder it will be to say goodbye to him.

I sent this guy pictures of Billy, and Comet (mommy) and Winston (daddy) and am waiting to hear if he wants to come over, it's a 50 mile drive ...

I'm torn, I want to get rid of ALL the puppies this weekend... but I wuvs my Billy.

Going part 2

It's not even noon and we are down to 4 puppies.

Well, technically, just one.

Chloe lives here, she's mom's baby.
Annie is staying here; we are babysitting.
Jack is leaving tomorrow.

AND BILLY IS STILL HERE!

Yes... it's true... fate has intervened and kept my sweet baby boy with me for a little longer. The girl who came this morning to chose a boy for her brother... she had Bill and Ted to chose from... she made a wise decision, she took Ted and renamed him Pete. Good.

I wuvs my billy. Yes I do... yes I do!

Going...

Last night I said goodbye to Daphne and Thomas. They both went to nice families, and I took pictures of the new family with their baby, because, yes, I AM that dork.

I will post them in a big "off they go" post at the end of the weekend.

Funny how six puppies are so much easier to handle than 8. By tonight, it will be down to 4. I think that will seem just sad... like we don't have near enough babies around here!

But my bank account is getting happy, so it's all good!

The puppy formerly known as Louise

A lady came last night and we sold our first baby... other than my mom getting Chloe, of course.

Somehow I knew right from birth that Louise would be, if not first, then one of the first, to be picked.

She had a bath on Sunday, and Monday evening, she got a new mommy...

I feel great about this home for this puppy. She has had Goldens before, and she is just a wonderful lady, and I know Louise will be well cared for and well loved.

Little sad, but... it happens, and hopefully, it will happen again Thursday night, when some other people are coming to "look" at puppies.

I love Bill

Gang, this is Bill. He is my favorite of all the puppies. And I can honestly say that I love him. Or, as I say to his widdle face "I wuvs my Billy... yes I do... yes I do!"

See, it's ok for me to fall in love with him, because I know I will not keep him. As much as I wuvs my Billy, I do not own male dogs. I will wuvs him while I haves him, then I will cash the check and say goodbye to him... with a tear in my eye, I'm sure.

In a slump

Those of you who read this and also see my Facebook snips will notice that I have been having issues with stupid the last week or so. Just feeling very bitter towards stupid people and how they insist on coming in to my personal space and being stupid near me.

I really wish I could hear something on that job I applied for, something to shake things up, maybe make me get excited about getting up in the morning.

Going back to the gym for the month of May has helped me get up in the morning, so that's one little thing.

We got our mortgage refinanced last week, other than the immense stupidity that I faced dealing with those people, it was a good thing... good now that it's over, and my mortgage payment has gone down. The savings will be thrown at the truck payment to knock that down... gotta put that on the fast track for a few months, get us out of being upside down on it, so we can refi the loan, and get it out of my mom's name. After we do that, it's back to the plan.

Speaking of the plan, it's one step forward, two steps back. Remember (not that long ago!) I was all happy because the first one bit the dust... our anytime credit account attached to our checking was paid off... well, with the refi and the remodeling, it's back to damn near maxed out... as of today. SONOFABIATCH...

So I've been in the dumps lately about finances, but I am trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

The pups will be ready to leave us in about 10 days... seems like just yesterday they were born, and now they're so big, and eating puppy food soaked in milk, and their mommy is no longer needed for nourishment... they're big kids now!

So all I need is to finish the bedrooms downstairs, pay off the bill I JUST HAD PAID OFF, (little bitter there, too!) get a new job, and get caught up on the bill paying plan, then maybe I will be a little more cheerful...

Hey, a girl can dream!

Does Michael Vick deserve a second chance?

I saw a story on him this morning on the TV at the gym... they're discussing whether he deserves a second chance... in the NFL.

I believe that he does deserve a second chance... at being a human being.
Not in the NFL. Why? Because kids look up to NFL players, hell, ANY sports figures. I practically have to wrestle my 11 year old son down to remove his Adrian Peterson Vikings jersey once a week to wash it!

Michael Vick deserves a chance, yes... but go be an insurance salesman, work in a factory... not in the public eye where someone might think you're a great guy. Because you're not.

I watch the show "Dog Town" on NatGeo. They got some of the Vick dogs, trying to rehabilitate them, trying to save them. It rips my heart out every time I see one of them, scarred and scared, damaged beyond what we can imagine. And my heart leaps when I see one of them come back from such a dark place to become what they were meant to be... dogs. Not warriors, not disposable commodities used for income.

Michael Vick makes my stomach turn, I believe that serving time in prison is a mere pittance. I will not go so far as to say some of the things I have heard, what kind of punishment would be fitting the crime... I don't agree that two wrongs make a right. But I don't believe that he deserves to be put on a pedestal EVER again.

Go sell insurance Michael... leave the limelight to those who deserve it.

Rockin' robin

I had a battle this weekend with a robin... you know, tweet, tweet, bird.

Bitch decided that the light under my awning, right by my back door was the PERFECT spot for her to build a nest. Not.

I wouldn't mind if she was just going to have the little robin eggs and sweet little baby birds... THAT would be fine.

But she would sit on the edge of the nest and poo off the side. Right onto my back steps.

So I put a pop can up there on Friday, trying to block her constant efforts to create the nest.

She kept trying to work around the can, and I kept knocking it down... using a hockey stick.

By Sunday afternoon, the silly bitch gave it up and moved it to the pine tree in the back yard.

I win.

Battle Royale

That's what my kids called what I photographed this morning... see for yourself! They were 3 weeks old on Friday... just a few more weeks and they'll be gone!

puppy update

They opened their eyes over the weekend... and they're learning to growl and bark (It's so cute when they start... they look like they actually startle/scare themselves when they let out a big bark!)

I have to go back to work today, haven't been there since last Thursday! I had Friday off, it was our 16th anniversary, and I had Monday off, then Tuesday and Wednesday I had to go to Fargo for work related training. The two longest most boring days of my life... I'll never get those back.

Thanks.

Driving Miss Nikky

That's what I got for Mother's Day.
My oldest son, Alex took me for a drive. My mom has been letting him practice in her truck, for the past month or so on Sundays. Today I got to ride along. Of course, I got the backseat. I felt about as old as Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy.

My SON was driving... you know, the one that just a mere short 15 Mother's Days ago was spewing rice cereal on me and shitting his pampers? Yeah, THAT son. DRIVING.

I had him drive to the local Dairy Queen and bought him a Blizzard. He did good. He's certainly not ready for real driving, but it's good practice until June when he takes Drivers Education.

We had a couple of Puppy Owner-wannabe's visit today, too. So that is always nice... they want to wait to see the 'kids' fully up and running around, see their personalities and how they interact with each other and with people.

JP and I got a ton done on the downstairs bedrooms this weekend, too. We are on schedule to drywall NEXT WEEKEND!! We even bought the flooring for Mom's bedroom. There was a sale, but there wasn't enough to do both bedrooms, so I decided to make the most of the sale price and get enough to do the bigger bedroom. We won't put down the laminate wood flooring until the walls are painted and all the trim (except the base molding) are done... less chance of damage or spills on the new floor! So for now, the new flooring will sit in the corner of the family room... a good price that was too good to pass up. It will probably be 2 to 3 weeks before it goes in, but at least when we're ready for it, we won't have to wait for the next payday to get it!

My Mother's Day was NOT relaxing, I was NOT pampered, but it was a very productive day, and I'm happy with that. Besides, I have tomorrow off work, so if I want to relax and pamper myself, I can do it then, when everyone else is at work and school... the house to myself... hell, that ALONE is relaxing!

Boys vs Girls

I had to take pictures (HAD TO! lol) of the pups tonight to send to JP's sister... she's got friends interested in buying some of them. I seperated the kids out and snapped a few.

Here are the 4 boys, one of them in spoken for, just not chosen yet...Jack, Bill & Ted and Thomas.

And there are the 3 girls... Daphne, Thelma & Louise... Chloe is not in the picture since she is already spoken for and therefor not in the "for sale" picture.

Another one bites the dust!

OK, so it's not ANOTHER one, it's the FIRST one. And it's gone. And it feels amazing!
Yesterday I made the FINAL payment to our credit line. Today it showed up on my online banking accts.

On January 1 the balance of this account was $1,268.48. The Balance is now ZERO!
So now the money that had been thrown at that...my pull tab paychecks and my "left over after the mortgage payment" extra from my regular paychecks can be pooled and added to the already $200 payment going to Menards. THAT balance is just under $600 after the payment made yesterday goes through. So I doubt it will take long to kill that one either.

So then after that's gone, I add: $200 (from Menards) to the pull tabs monthly checks: $140, with the "extra after Mortgage" amounts of roughly $180 for a total of $520... ADD THAT TO the already $200 payments to the military credit card... and I will be sending them $720 PER MONTH... nice.

Balance on that sucker is (hang on, lemme grab the last month's statement)....$4189.99... not counting the $200 I sent them yesterday... so figure roughly $4000.... won't take long for $720 per month to kick that one either... ( I grabbed a calculator, figure 6 or 7 months!) even with the 9.99% interest. And THAT is the highest interest rate we are paying on all things... mortgage, truck, Discover card, student loans... 9.99% is the worst interest we have... not bad considering...

Between that and the immense job of housecleaning I did today (with the kids' help) AND the fact that I got my butt into a size 4 jeans finally AND the phone call I got this morning, my SIL has (sight unseen, mind you!) SOLD 3 of our puppies! She's got someone who wants a male, and someone else who wants TWO girls... I am feeling fine and dandy today.

Oh, and later today I am going to print out my resume and prep it for sending off... so THAT helps, too!
It's just a good day to be ME!!

A 37 year old man

Tomorrow I will be married to a 37 year old man.

No, not getting married tomorrow, my husband of 15 years, 359 days will be turning 37 tomorrow. And he's not here. He's at Camp Ripley. He's got Guards. I think that's unfair. You shouldn't have to do yucky stuff on your birthday.

I just love him.

Pics from Monday morning

I just snapped a quick couple of pics Monday morning before I went to work.

Just now getting a minute to post them, sorry!

The close up one is Ted... aka Mooseboy! You can see him in the 'group shot' he's in the front, sleeping. He's bigger than his brothers and sisters, so it's always easy to pick him out!

Looking into other options

Ad in the paper.
Another bank.
Not sure of any details, but I'm going to submit my resume to find out.
Depends on job description (if it's a teller at a different bank, why bother?)
Depends on the pay (if it's the same or more, I'm THERE!)
Depends on the hours (banker's hours, shouldn't be too tough! Unless more Saturdays are involved)
I'll keep y'all posted.

In the meantime, the puppies are WONDERFUL, so cute, and fat and happy. I cannot believe how much they've changed, not even a week old. They've grown so much already. Pictures coming soon.

The family grows

Our family increased by 8 on Friday. Miss Comet has 4 sons and 4 daughters (see post below for their temporary names!)

They're about the size of small guinea pigs right now, and their eyes are closed but they are still cute as all hell, and as soon as they get a bit bigger (and cuter) I will be posting more pics.

This photo also shows just a little bit of my husband's skills at building a whelping box... which we did Wednesday night... just in time!

I will wait a week, then go online and register the litter at the AKC website. They'll send out papers for me to give to each new puppy owner, so they can name and register their new baby... after they pay me, of course!

Six to eight weeks from now, they'll all be gone! Except Chloe, of course... the one that my mom is keeping... so I won't have total puppy withdrawals! Thank goodness!

Eight is enough

Comet was acting 'weird' this morning. Bloodshot eyes, droopy tail, ears cocked different. Not as springy and silly and wiggly as usual.

Hmmm... could she be telling us that she's going into labor?

Yes!

Her water broke (I didn't realize that dogs' water breaks, just like humans!) about 10:40... Jack was born at 11. Then the wait began... Jack had alot of 'mommy and me' time. Chloe and Daphne came along about 11:50... followed quickly by Ted, who was enormous. No kidding, Ted's a moose. Then came Bill. Followed by Thelma and Louise. Finally Thomas showed up around 2 in the afternoon.

This was my first time seeing puppies being born, and as Jack came spewing into the world, in all the mucus and slimy glory of birth, I got tears in my eyes. I was so proud of Comet, she knew exactly what to do, and she is just the most wonderful attentive Mommy.

So, now, of the 8, I have homes for 2 of the girls, and one of the boys, which leaves me with 2 females and 3 males that need homes... I'm going to make up fliers to put up at a few places, pet food store, kennel, Mom's bar and probably one for the lunch room at my bank.

Anyway, now I am exhausted and I am NOT cooking dinner. Taking a nap!

Welcome to Nessa Rose!

Nessa is on the highest shelf, Tiny is below her. They're getting along much better now. I ended up getting Nessa Rose from a lady I work with, she read on FB that I was having trouble finding a rescue kitty that fit my requirements, female, spayed AND declawed AND free... since I had already piled money into Naughty... which, btw, I won't get any thing back from... sunuvubiatch...

The pic is pretty dark, but she's a calico... tortoise shell coloring, dark, and long soft hair. She's really not that big, it's just all that hair! She is very sweet, she loves to cuddle.. she loves to be held and she does NOT meow! She opens her mouth, she goes through the motions, but no sound comes out... not to worry, I know she is capable of making noise... the first week or so she and Tiny had several fights... loud cat fights... in the middle of the night!

Thank goodness they're over it now, and getting along pretty well. The dogs were also a new thing for Nessa, and after a few days of hissing and smacking them, I think everyone knows where everyone stands on the issue: Don't touch me, and I won't smack you...deal? good.

My Aunt Jeanne

http://okiejontheroad.blogspot.com/

I got an email today from my favorite aunt, Jeanne. She lives in Oklahoma. She has started a blog, with destinations of travels to little known locations as her main theme...

I was just there, it's a hoot, she's the best, and I highly recommend checking it out... there's only 4 posts so far, so it won't take long, but check back periodically for updates.

I am also in the process of adding her to my blogroll (and updating it, all together!) So that's the plan for the night.

Oh, and uploading here and on FB the pics I took over the weekend, of Tiny Sue and Nessa Rose AND a great pic of the Momma Comet... her due date is Sunday April 26th... she's really big!

Some good news

We finally got some good money news!

We got an insurance quote from where I work (banking, trust, investments and insurance all in one building).

By changing our auto (2 vehicles, full coverage on both) and our homeowners policy, we will save $1410 PER YEAR!!

So the plan is the $40 per month savings on the auto premiums will be allocated to a fund to be sent periodically to 'the bill of the day'... whomever is next in line for payoff.

The savings on our mortgage (we escrow our insurance) will stay there. My mortgage payment WILL go down... but the payment I send will remain the same.

OH! And adding to the mortgage payment going down is the refi we are starting the process of doing. We will be going from 7.25% to 5.25% interest... and that will substantially lower the monthly payment, too. Again, keeping the payment sent the same... will drop us from a 30 year payoff date, to something closer to 18.

Things like this make me happy... for a couple of days there, it was like people were coming out of the woodwork offering to save us money! Thanks!

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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 alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt or 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. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you 're alive, try missing a couple of house payments.

8. 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.

9. If at first you don't succeed...... skydiving is not for you.

10. 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.

11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

12. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.

13. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

14. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

16. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

17. There are two theories to arguing with a woman - Neither one works.

18. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

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

I need help

I think I may have found a solution to the financial dilemmas.
But in order to even give this a shot, I need input... help.
From YOU.

I've decided to try sending off my book to publishers. But I'm assuming that first I need a literary agent. (Do I?) dunno.

I've been doing some research online, and getting the runaround. Yes, you MUST have a literary agent (say the literary agent websites) No, you can make it without one (say the people who have... after countless rejections)

I just don't know where to start. Suggestions? Leads?

Thing is, it may not lead to a check, and a book deal... but if nothing else it will keep my mind off the things that drive me nuts... and give me something else to stress about, right?!!

Oh well, what the hell.

Been a bad month

For blogging, anyway. I haven't had much of a couple of things that blogging requires: Time and things to talk about.

But I got a new kitty on Easter Sunday. A lady I work with needed to get rid of her kitty, since her boyfriend is moving in, and he's allergic. So LeAnn brought Nessa Rose over to meet us all.

Yeah, the new kitty's name is Nessa Rose. As in Elphaba's sister from WICKED... it was too perfect to pass up, and she is just a dream.

She's a tortoise/calico long haired kitty. She's no kitten either. She is not a fan of the dogs, she's already smacked Hailey and Comet. But she doesn't have front claws, so they were more surprised and scared than hurt. She and Tiny aren't on speaking terms yet... well, that's not really true, they "chat", but they have yet to find their 'inside voices' when conversing.

I think Tiny is pissed that Nessa doesn't back down the way Naughty did.
The conversations now heard meowling are more like this:

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE

Bite me, Fatty...they like me and I'm staying.

I'm sure they'll eventually come to an agreement, but for now, it seems as though we have an upstairs cat (Tiny Sue) and a downstairs cat (Nessa)

On another pet related topic, Comet is just about done cooking her mini corn dogs... that's what we call the lumps in her belly. She is due in just about 2 weeks. I will be posting pictures as soon as we have pups!

That's all on the animal front, everything else is pretty dull, so I'll spare you the details...
Later.

Marley & Me

We got the kids this movie for Easter. Just watched it.
I know, I know, we are like the last people on the planet to see it. That's why this is not a review of the movie... y'all know how it ends.

I really liked it. But I will never watch it again. I hate crying THAT much over a movie. Real life, that's worth crying THAT much about. But not a movie.

If you haven't seen it, I do recommend it, I think everyone who's ever had a dog will relate to it (thus the crying) and anyone who's never had a dog (those few poor bastards left on the planet) will benefit from knowing how it feels to love someone that much and have to say goodbye.

Really really good movie, but never gonna watch it again... can't.

Any ideas?

I'm trying. Really I am. Trying to get our financial house in order. But then things happen. Flooded basement. Braces for 2/3 of my offspring. Hours cut at work.

It's hard to get ahead when just making it under normal circumstances is the norm. Throw a curve ball at us and I don't know how long we can keep our heads above water.

I have a full time job. And I have a part time job. I work every other weekend. That little bit only gets me about $80 per weekend, not counting tips. Hardly seems worth it. I considered asking for more hours with the part time job, but the other people who work don't really want to give up their hours either. All the slots are full...

JP has a full time job. And he has a part time job. One weekend a month (my ass) and 2 weeks in the summer. His weekends pay much better than mine. Well, his full time job pays about 3 times as much as my full time job, too, so that seems reasonable.

I just want to do more. But I don't know what else I can do. I need something that pays me but doesn't take me away from home any more than I already am. I need something that pays me but doesn't take up too much time, since I don't have a ton of free time to spare.

That kind of job doesn't exist, does it? Oh, and I should say that I'd prefer a job that's LEGAL... that really narrows it down, huh? LOL

Man, this economy really blows.
*sigh*

He is a good man

That hubby of mine.
He just called from the flood zone. I asked him if he knew how long he'd be activated, how long he'd be there. After all, we have reservations for the 7-9 of April for our little getaway. He said that he already told them that he would be able to stay until the 5th...

I have to work at the bank on the 4th... a week from today, then the 5th starts my vacation. I'm off until the 13th.

I'm exhausted, I put off going to bed when he's not here, and then I don't sleep well. It's 20 to 10 and I am going to try to go to sleep. Last night I was up til 1:30... watching stupid movies and just avoiding sleep. Stupid.

ok, that's it. a week without him, and then it's all good.

No more Naughtiness

Today I was working in the laundry room, prepping the area for Comet's whelping box. I found more cat shit.

I went upstairs, put on my shoes, told the kids they could come along if they wanted to say goodbye to her.

I now have to go out and buy more bleach for scrubbing. I talked to the people who got their shitty kitty back and in a week or so, after I have removed the bad kitty smell from areas that kitties are not allowed to go potty, then we can get a new one. Free. Already spayed. Already declawed. Not gonna pay for that again. And with a guarantee that the new one will be litter box trained.

I will get a new kitty, since Tiny really seemed to enjoy the company. After she got over hating her, of course.

The kids are pretty upset, Emma was crying. I do feel bad about it, but I cannot have that going on in my house.
Maybe I'll name the next one "perfect kitty" so when she lives up to her name, I will be happy.

Activated

I'm sure many people across the country have heard about the flooding in the Fargo Moorhead area. The incredible story is really the volunteers though. We live 45 miles away and have been busing people... adults after working a full day, students getting out of class (college AND high school students) to go over there and help fill sand bags, to form lines to haul those sandbags from trucks to the levees. Building walls of sandbags to try to protect the cities from the Red River. People are coming from all over the area, because that's what we do here. We help each other.

Last night my husband got a call. The Minnesota National Guard was called out to help. He left this morning at 5:30 am. I don't know when he will be back. I don't know anything. I'm sure he's busy and when he has time he will call to let me know something. Until then, I can comfort myself with the fact that at the very least, I don't have to worry about him being shot, like I did the last time the National Guard took him from me.

He's doing a wonderful thing, and I am very proud of him. I also worry about him. I'm sure he's exhausted, I'm sure he's cold and I'm sure he's wet and filthy. And I'm sure he's worried about our situation here. We had our own little levee break, although an ant hill in comparison to the Mount Everest they're fighting over there. JP was in the process of getting the two bedrooms we lost ready to be sumped, pumped and drain tiled. That will have to wait until he gets back.

I have this weekend off. Entirely. No bank, no pull tabs. We were going to have a fun family weekend. Maybe another time. We can wait. The people of Fargo/Moorhead cannot.

Kept the naughty kitty

Yeah, she's still here. I called the place I got her from, basically telling them that I was at my wit's end, and if it didn't stop, I'd be bringing her back. They had some suggestions, some cheap fixes and some pretty expensive. I told them that I had already spent quite a bit on a cat I didn't like very much, so I sure as hell wasn't going to shell out much more. I tried the cheap fix, getting a second litter box... apparently the little snot doesn't like to share a bathroom.
Fine.
Don't share.
Just use one.
Either one.
I don't care which.

She seems to be okay now. We still have to shoo her off the dining room table if we leave the room, little bitch, but we are getting better about clearing off anything that we would rather she not nibble on.

Besides, Tiny loves her now... just like Naughty told her she would when they first met.

In the trenches

In a couple of ways, we are in the trenches.
First, JP rented the jackhammer and got the concrete floor broke up at the outside edges of the affected rooms, so we are in the process of cleaning up broken concrete and then we can do the drain tile thingy and the sump pump thingy (I use the word "thingy" when I don't fully understand stuff, so bear with me!)

We (and by that, I mean ME!) are also in the trenches of this whole bill pay-off thingy. I'm happy to see the first two targets shrinking... our anytime credit 'loan' attached to our checking account is down to roughly $600 (usually maxed out at $1500) and the Menard's bill (which funny, was also $1500 in January when we got the dishwasher and double ovens) is at $1000, with a $400 payment scheduled for 2 weeks from now.

I decided to attack 2 bills at a time, because I pay bills twice a month, every two weeks, really. So I grabbed the two smallest ones, that are normally paid on opposite paydays.

When those two are done, roughly by May, I will pop the Menard's money to the military card, and the anytime payment to Discover. Those two are bigger, both around 4K... so those will take longer. But getting rid of the two little ones first will feel good.

But in the back of my mind, I have to keep thinking about how expensive this remodel is going to be, AND the fact that both my sons had consultations with my old Orthodontist last week.

Insurance covers SOME of it, better than they did with me (because they DIDN'T cover me... YOU SUCK BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD!) ... oh, sorry, tangent... anyway, even with part of it covered by insurance, that still leaves a big chunk for us to make up... so instead of things getting easier, they just keep coming at me making simply living more difficult.

I'm tired, worked at the bank this morning, and pull tabs tonight. JP is gone all weekend, so at least I have the bed to myself, without ear plugs. Mom and I are going to Fargo in the morning, then I work pull tabs again tomorrow.
And the hits just keep on comin'!!

How come nobody told ME to build a friggin' ark!?

We had blizzards last week, Tuesday was pretty bad, kids were out of school. Wednesday was all about blowing it around, zero visibility, kids were out of school. Starting Saturday, it was warming up. Today was in the mid 40's.

And the water started POURING into the basement. We have a finished basement, in fact, my Mom's bedroom, and Eric's bedroom are both down here, as is the family room. On the west end of the house, where the two bedrooms are located we now have a wading pool.

I was upset about mom's room, but it does happen there darn near every spring, but NEVER this bad. I felt awful for her, we have to move her out of there to get the sump thing going that we've been putting off. Kind of forced the issue now.

But when I walked in to Eric's room to check his... I just burst into tears. That poor kid. The entire room is soaked. You squish when you walk across the carpet. His room has NEVER flooded before... well, it wasn't even his room last time we worried about flooding.

He just got moved into this room last summer. It was Alex's room, but he was a naughty mischief maker who snuck out the egress window and got his room swapped with Eric's... upstairs. Right across the hall from Mom and Dad's room. So he could be watched closer. So Mr. Eric, once thrilled to have a MUCH bigger room is now crushed. He will also be moved out so that clean up and repairs can be done.

It's after midnight, Mom and Eric are sleeping upstairs, Mom on the sofa and Eric on the loveseat. I am in Mom's room, taking the first shift. The first shift of running the shop vac to suck up the water... we finally got ahead of it. It's still coming in, but instead of a river, it's down to a stream...It's a 12 gallon shop vac and I lost count of how many times we have emptied it. The water is coming in from several points along the outside walls... where the wall meets the floor.

Needless to say, I put in a call to my boss, at home, around 7 pm asking if I could take a vacation day tomorrow. JP is also taking the day off, as is Mom. We three adults will finish getting Mom's stuff out of here, and get Eric's room emptied out, too. Then JP can start doing this trough thing along the walls, leading the water to the sump pump area we have designated in the bathroom that shares a wall with Mom's bedroom.

Oh, and also tomorrow, I am taking Naughty back from whence she came. She IS living up to her name. I have never in all my life of owing cats had a problem teaching a cat to shit in the litter box. On Saturday we decided to "super clean" the laundry room. Found piles of cat shit behind the laundry table, some 'fresh' some not so fresh... not happy. Got the cats all set up with their own little area, fresh litter and their food, all set up, their own private area, with NO easy access for the dogs... within HOURS of doing this (this is after scrubbing the floor with odor killer etc) I found a pile of cat shit WITHIN A FOOT... yes, 12 inches away from the litter box.
With all the problems I am having living on the Titanic, I don't need to deal with cat shit, too.
My biggest concern now is the money. First off, I paid $70 to "rescue" this little bitch. Then I paid $165 for the spay and declaw just over a week ago. Now, with her being "defective"... am I going to get any kind of refund???

Probably not... the way things have been going for me lately... probably not.
Oh. And I smoked my last cigarette at about 6pm Sunday night. By 7:30 I had bummed a pack off my mom. This stress shit is not the best time for me to be bitchy and jonesin' for a smoke...