So Minnesota. (Yah, you betcha!)

still kickin

2009-06-18T19:07:00.002-05:00

just stopping in quick to say i'm still alive...i know you were all probably really worried. (ha!) i've been busy getting acclimated to my new job and new schedule. for the most part i am loving it...but the getting up an hour early not so much! i'm trying to slowly shift my bedtime earlier, which has been hard. the bf is a night owl and i am a "reformed" night owl. it's definitely a work in progress.

in other news, i have recently become a bona fide soccer mom. with the changes to my schedule as well as soccer practices and games for both kids we are busy busy busy. i will start school again in 2 weeks and that will only add to the chaos. here's to hoping i can handle it all and still retain my sanity. (whatever sanity i have left, that is!)

another change is that the bf's two boys are spending more time here for the summer. we are currently in the middle of a 12 day stint with them. it definitely shakes things up around here in both good and bad ways. for example, i came home today to heaps of wet clothes on my laundry room floor and two "good" bath towels that have mysterious dirt stains all over them. lol. but they also help with some household chores which is nice. i guess we just need to work on finding a good balance. and i'm sure we will.

bittersweet goodbyes

2009-05-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

kyleigh, upon learning i am getting a new job:

"but you are going to miss your FRIENDS mom!"

young but wise, that one. young but wise.

search and ye shall find

2009-05-19T13:47:00.002-05:00

how sad is it that i turn up on the first page of results when someone types this:

employment law "pay decrease" minnesota

all i can say is: sigh.

2.5 days and counting...

2009-05-19T09:12:00.002-05:00

in true company t fashion, there has been some confusion regarding who will be taking over my responsibilities when i leave. i was told one thing, and other people were told something else. gah!

yesterday i sat through an absolutely excruciating meeting with a very high strung girl from another company who is going to be helping out with my stuff while i am gone. the problem is, i was told she will be "helping out" and she was told she will be "taking over". i asked my manager to clarify last week and was given the "helping out" response. but she is gone this week on furlough and is unable to re-clarify. so i am stuck with ms. high strung and her: WHY? BUT WHY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND? BUT HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? WHERE DOES THAT GO? WHY? WHY? HOW COME? about every little thing. and i am not exaggerating. during our meeting i was dreaming up reasons to get the hell away, like faking a bathroom emergency. it would have been worth any embarrassment. trust me.

of course questions are good when you are learning something new. i'm okay with that. but this girl focuses in on the wrong things and totally freaks out. kind of gets angry, really. i am normally a pretty calm person, but i came very close to flipping my lid completely yesterday afternoon. to top it off, this girl has the most whiny, breathless voice i have ever heard from an adult human being. this is not an exaggeration either...everyone who meets her comments on how her voice is kind of like fingernails on a chalkboard. she almost gave me a panic attack. i've never had one before, but meeting with her was the closest i've ever come to one, i'm sure of it.

i was looking forward to a last week of packing, organizing and goodbyes. and now? well, now i'm dreaming up ways to escape even sooner. swine flu, anyone?

3.5 days and counting...

2009-05-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

only 3.5 days left for me at company t! and of course, i am getting requests up the wazoo when all i really want to do is tidy and pack. it's funny how some people decide to bombard you at the last minute. ; )

i am soooo looking forward to having my week off in between jobs. it will probably be the last real time off i get for a while. i guess my starting a new job over the summer is kind of bad timing! it will suck not to really have any days off when the weather is nice. oh well, it's the price i have to pay.

employees at our parent company were told on friday that they are getting a temporary pay decrease for june and july that is equivalent to a week off unpaid. they can take 5 days off during june and july in return. it just adds fuel to the fire for me and makes me even more glad i am leaving. as i was cleaning out my emails i found more than 50 notices of plant closings and layoffs within our corporation from the last year and a half. probably kind of morbid for me to have saved them, but again...more fuel for the fire!

i know things are rough pretty much everywhere, but i stopped respecting the leadership at company t a long time ago, and it feels really good to know i will soon be free of it all. i just wish i could take all of my friends along with me!

vacation!

2009-05-18T09:22:00.003-05:00

four days from now the bf and i will be heading to the airport, ready for a little weekend vacation here:

i can't wait! what a way to kick off my departure from company t!!!

california dreamin'...(or maybe hawaiian dreamin'?)

2009-05-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

fingers crossed!

2009-05-15T10:54:00.004-05:00

today my brother-in-law is interviewing for a job with my new employer. they still have two positions to fill for another catalog and i think he would be perfect for the job. keep your fingers crossed for him!

i don't know if i ever ran down the list of hoops i had to go through in order to get this position...but here is a (long, long) list.

1. contacted by recruiter on linkedin
2. phone interview with recruiter
3. interview in minneapolis with recruiter
4. complete assessment tests and 6 interview questions (excel and word)
5. interview in edina with my soon to be manager
6. interviews in owatonna:
a. other manager
b. creative dept (2 people)
c. procurement dept (2 people)
d. category managers (2 people)
7. assessment tests on computer (same day as owatonna interviews)
8. psychological evaluation / assessment testing in downtown minneapolis
9. interview with president of the company in edina.

and these were only the physical things i had to do. there was also calling of my references, background checks and more!

so yeah....there is no doubt that i earned this one. it was a pain in the arse during the process, but it sure feels good now!

a welcome "basket"

2009-05-13T17:42:00.005-05:00

okay, so i am posting this all over the place, but i'm so excited!!! i came home to this today:

definitely makes me feel that all the hoops i had to jump through to get this job were very well worth it. what company does this??? none i have worked for, that's for sure! what a great way to make a new employee feel welcome. i am impressed and even more excited to start my new position june 1st!!

2009-05-12T09:58:00.000-05:00

I got a new job!! Starting June 1st, I will be working as a Category Manager on this line: Play with a Purpose

My last day of my current job is Thursday, May 21. On May 22 the bf and I fly to Chicago for a little weekend getaway. The following week I have off, and then will start the new job on Monday, June 1st.

We have started to get our townhouse ready to try and sell it. Putting up shelving in the garage, sheet rock and shelving in the laundry room, painting and redoing the downstairs bathroom. We want to move to a bigger house that is closer to the kids' school. It won't be any closer to my new job (45 minutes away) but it would still save driving time since I wouldn't have to travel 15 minutes every morning just to get the kids dropped off.

I'm not sure how well the selling will go, there are a lot of homes exactly like ours and the value has gone down. But ours will have some special "perks" that the others don't. Hopefully it won't take more than 6 months to sell, but even if it takes that long or longer, we'll make it work somehow!!!

cinco de mayo from a 7 year old's perspective

2009-05-06T09:56:00.005-05:00

last night my kids were talking about cinco de mayo at the dinner table. i listened in as my 7 year old described the holiday to her younger brother. pretty cute and not too far off, either!

"cinco de mayo is celebrated in mexico because the mexicans fought the french. i think it was because the french said that mexico owed them some money. and the french were busy building the statue of liberty. and then the mexicans and the french fought a battle in mexico because the french wanted money. and the mexicans won. so that is why they celebrate cinco de mayo."

not too shabby! the statue of liberty part was funny, and it was pretty cute listening to her lecturing tone while she was explaining this to her brother. : )

toothless wonder!

2009-05-04T08:25:00.005-05:00

my baby boy lost his two front teeth yesterday! they were both loose, but not quite ready to come out...until the boys started wrestling around yesterday afternoon and one of them rolled over poor kolby's head! he came upstairs bleeding and crying with teeth even more loose than they were before. it took some work on the part of the bf and some bravery on the part of my poor boy, but both teeth came out. after the initial shock, my boy was so proud of those two teeth!

kolby was even more excited this morning when he looked under his pillow and found a prize from the tooth fairy. he woke me up this morning by standing in front of me holding his loot. it's so fun to see the kids get so excited!

Pioneer Woman Rolls = YUM!!!!

2009-04-29T09:24:00.004-05:00

I made these last night and they were SOOO goooood!!!

(Image from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

The recipe came from The Pioneer Woman and you can find it here.

Mine were a little different, I used cream cheese frosting because I do not care for maple. Also, I cut the recipe in half. It STILL made five round pans full of gooey luscious cinnamon rolls! I dropped some off for my sis and her family on the way to work this morning. I left some for the "day care ladies" at my son's daycare center. I brought some to share at work. I left a pan full at home. Cinnamon rolls everywhere! Death by cinnamon rolls...doesn't sound too bad!

fortune

2009-04-28T13:15:00.001-05:00

I opened this fortune from a yummy little fortune cookie today:

"Your present plans are going to succeed."

If this is true, my friends, then I am destined to be a very happy girl indeed!

just a little (but much needed) vaca...

2009-04-28T09:48:00.004-05:00

today i finalized the plans and reservations for a little memorial weekend trip to chicago for the bf and i. we will take the day off work that friday and fly out from the twin cities at 11:30. (should give us time to get the kids dropped off at school/daycare and then head for the airport.) we will fly back in to mn around 8:00 on sunday night...which will give us monday to recover before heading back to work on tuesday.

it's been too long since the bf and i had a nice little vacation together. and this one is CHEAP. i LOVE LOVE LOVE that southwest has started flying out of the twin cities. round trip to chicago for about $120!!! can't beat it!!

the bf's sister lives in chicago too, so we will definitely spend some time with her. the bf has never been to chicago and i've only been there for a business trip, so it should be fun. it's always nice to just get away though, no matter what we do!

does anyone have any tips on "must see" or "must do" while we are there for the weekend?

too funny not to share!

2009-04-21T22:20:00.002-05:00

This is courtesy of my sister tonight while she was trying to explain her genealogy to my Niece B:

Sis: "So I'm 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 German, 1/4 Norwegian, and 1/4 English."

Niece M: "And I'm 1/2 Chinese!"

Nephew E: "And I'll have macaroni and chicken!"

*honestly? i nearly peed my pants over this.

growing up

2009-04-21T08:25:00.003-05:00

yet another sign this morning of how fast my kids are growing up. this heard in the back seat on the way to school and work this morning:

"raise your hand if you HATE dora the explorer!"

(two hands go up)

guess it's time to pack away the dora umbrella and other lingering dora items of yesteryear. sigh...

mixed emotions

2009-04-16T09:36:00.001-05:00

i am trying to write an email to kolby's current daycare telling them that he will be leaving there in june to attend daycare at the elementary school with his sister. since he is going into kindergarten in the fall, he is eligible to go to the same daycare as kyleigh, and this is what he wants to do. believe me, i've asked repeatedly. because even though it will be more convenient having them together, it makes me so SAD that he is leaving GH!

kolby has been at his current daycare (GH) since he was just under two...about four years ago now! we have had a few minor rough patches but overall it has been a wonderful place for the kids! (kyleigh went there for a couple of years too.)

so i am seriously tearing up writing the email. moving kolby out of GH daycare is just another sign of how fast the kids are growing up. that and the fact that i now have to literally chase kolby down for a hug when i drop him off in the mornings. (this from the kid who would kiss my cheek just a few months ago.) they will have preschool graduation in a month or so too, and i shudder to think of the wreck i will be on that day. i may just have to wear sunglasses.

there are so many things in life that i manage to NOT get emotional about. but when it comes to my kids i can be reduced to a big puddle of mush. now...i suppose i should get back to that email. sigh. *sob*

don't you just hate it when...

2009-04-15T21:31:00.004-05:00

don't you just hate it when you are paying for your food at subway...and you pick up your change only to notice that you have dropped a pantyliner from your purse onto the counter while putting said change away? and then the poor guy at the cash register looks at you like you have two heads?

not that i know what this feels like, of course...

things heard (and seen) while watching 5 kids...

2009-04-10T10:42:00.003-05:00

yesterday i had the day off work to watch three of my sister's kids as well as my own two. we went to their house at 8:00 and were scheduled to be there till 5:00. let me start by saying i love these kids. all of them. my nieces and nephews all have their own wonderful personalities and traits, as do my own children. the ages of the kids i had yesterday were 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. do you know how LOUD that can get? just checkin. and also pretty funny. i loved the moments of "raise your hand if you want to eat dessert pizza every day!" or "i had to come inside and go potty cuz i was starting to do the potty dance outside." i also got a pretty good chuckle out of catching my 4 year old nephew in the wide open spaces of the neighbor's yard with his pants down around his ankles, ready to relive himself in front of God and everybody. oh, the stories we will have to tell these kids when they get older!

as much as i enjoyed my time with the kiddos, i have to admit to being somewhat relieved to be back to the grind today. i am one of those people who would go nuts staying home with the kids every day. kudos to those of you who do!

fitness update

2009-04-08T08:23:00.003-05:00

my fitness rebirth continues to go well! i really rock it during the week, getting some form of exercise in daily. here is what this week looks like:

monday: 30 min walk, 40 minute exercise dvd
tuesday: 30 min walk, 2 mile outdoor run
wednesday: 30 min walk, 30 min elliptical, 30 min dvd
thursday: 30 min walk, 2 mile outdoor run
friday: 30 min walk, 30 min elliptical
saturday: 2.5 mile outdoor run
sunday: easter pigging out! (well, i'll try not to eat TOO much.)

i continue to watch calories very carefully during the week too. it's definitely not fun, but the more i exercise the more i crave the healthy stuff, so that helps. i am finally starting to see some results on the scale, so that helps with motivation too! i still have quite a way to go until i reach my ultimate goal, but i think i can get there!

weekend of fun

2009-04-06T08:39:00.006-05:00

we took the kids to stay in a hotel in the twin cities this weekend. it's always a challenge for us to find a place the we and our four (combined) kids can stay for a decent price and all fit in the same room! i did some research though and came up with this place:

Residence Inn Minneapolis / Edina

the reviews i read stated that the hotel was "dated", but had a huge pool and also a great indoor kids play area attached.

it was a bit of a hassle to get to the pool. the hotel is connected to some senior apartments and there is a whole indoor courtyard that has indoor picnic and play areas, swimming pool and awesome indoor running track and exercise room. this part is available to the public, so you have to get special passes to get down there. the pool and exercise area was included with our room, but the play area was extra. $6 per kid for all day, but definitely worth it!

our room was awesome. a separate bedroom with two double beds, a living room area with a couch bed. full kitchen area including a dishwasher. there was a great free breakfast in the morning. the front desk staff was amazingly friendly. we were very close to our beloved southdale mall...who could ask for anything more??

the price we paid was less than $100, so it was an awesome deal overall. the kids were super happy with everything and i could definitely see us going back there again!

up and running!

2009-04-03T09:01:00.005-05:00

i finally got up the nerve to tell the bf that my old ipod nano was either lost and/or stolen a few months ago. i figured i better tell him, since i bought this last night to aid me in getting back to running:

the bf wasn't mad at all, his only worry was that i got a good enough deal on it. being the "mac guru" and all, he wanted to make sure that i hadn't gotten gypped. when he was satisfied that i got a decent price, he helped me stock up on some good workout tunes. very sweet.

i took it out on a test run last night. i still had this from a couple of years ago, and it works great with this new nano:

it keeps track of distance, pace, calories and more. i love it!

a good friend asked me yesterday if i'd be interested in running a 10k with her on Memorial Day. i'm not sure whether or not i'll be ready for that...based on last night's pace it seems not. but i'll go another week or so before i make a final decision. either way, i'm excited to get back to it!

are you sure you want someone impatient?

2009-04-01T16:53:00.004-05:00

not that i was looking for me, of course, but i happened to come across this job listing and got a huge laugh out of it. so i thought i'd share. i can be generous like that sometimes.

Job Title: Impatient DRG Coder

Salary: N/A / Yearly

Location: Mancato, MN

Type: Full-Time

Zip Code: 56001

Description:
A minimum of two years inpatient coding experience required.
A minimum of five years inpatient coding experience preferred.

Education:
RHIT (Registered Health Information
Technician) or RHIT eligible, RHIA
(Registered Health Information
Administrator) or RHIA eligible, CCS
(Certified Coding Specialist) or CCA
required. Extensive experience or successful
completion of the AHIMA coding course
may be substituted for required education or
passage of the exam within one year of hire.
Training
Special Skills
Licensure
CCA,CCS,RHIA,RHIT

Note: Please mention Get Medical Records Jobs (GetMedicalRecordsJobs.com) in your cover letter when applying.

my house of cards

2009-04-01T08:59:00.005-05:00

i'm having some definite issues with work-life-school balance lately. the days are filled and flying by.

work
school
kids
housework
boyfriend
working out
family

there are times i feel so strong, and like i can handle anything. and there are other times that i feel like i am a delicate house of cards, just blow and i will tumble to the ground. sometimes i feel like i have bitten off more than i can chew, single parenting and full time work along with school and everything else is tough. i have no social life to speak of. (friends? what friends?) my house needs a serious once-over and reorganization. the scrapbooks and materials i bought for the kids have not seen the light of day in a year. i need to get spring/summer clothing out and winter clothing packed away.

while there is a lot i am getting done, there is also so much more that i'm not.

i am learning that while i can do a lot, i can't do it all. and really i hate that i can't do it all. it drives my inner overachiever crazy. and it think it drives the bf even crazier.

every other weekend

2009-03-27T15:55:00.004-05:00

it's not very often that i actually have to watch the kids leave for their weekends with their dad. usually he picks them up directly from school on fridays, which is convenient for me and also avoids emotional responses on my part.

in the early days of our divorce, i had a really hard time dropping the kids off at daycare on his fridays, knowing that i wouldn't be seeing them again until sunday night. they were so little then, just 2 and 4. and i hated the thought of not seeing them for two days.

these days it's gotten a little easier. the kids are 5 and 7, and though of course i love them just as much as ever, and there are times when i am frankly quite READY to have a little break from them. sometimes i swear they are purposely extra bratty as their "dad weekends" approach. like it's their way of making it easier on me.

but, this time around, i've been home with sick little kolby for two days. he is doing better this afternoon, and his dad stopped here to pick him up a few minutes ago for their weekend together. and just as soon as they walked out the door the waterworks began! i am sitting here feeling sad and lonely and already missing my boy. :(

so yeah, the one "perk" of divorce is sometimes the worst part. being without the kids for an entire weekend. i guess i should feel lucky that their dad has no real interest in anything beyond every other weekend. it would kill me not to see them for a week at a time, like some parents do, trading out every other week. because as much as they can be a big pain in my tush, there is no way i could live without them for that long!

*sob*

home sick

2009-03-27T11:42:00.002-05:00

i've been home with a sickie the past two days, but haven't really felt compelled to write anything. i think my brain sort of goes to mush when i don't get out and interact enough in the adult world! i can't take the puker anywhere of course, so it's just to two of us chillin on the couch and taking in yet another viewing of "Toy Story 2", his movie of choice for the moment.

now, i should be taking this opportunity to get some things done around the house. the laundry is calling my name, and i can hear it very clearly. the rest of the house could use some tidying as well. and i have bucketloads of homework i need to work on. but somehow, i am absorbing the tendencies of the sickie next to me on the couch and am totally vegging out.

i see that the sun is making an appearance, however brief it may be. hopefully that will snap me out of my funk and into some sort of productive action yet this afternoon!

antisocial tendencies

2009-03-21T22:59:00.005-05:00

back in high school, i was all about partying. i was a joker in class, i could be pretty loud and obnoxious at times. i loved being around a crowd of people and lived for parties on the weekends.

in college, this tendency to party waned somewhat, but being part of group activities on the weekends was still a pretty regular part of life. i drank less than most of my friends, but still took part in their shenanigans.

these days, i am reluctant to attend group gatherings. i hate committing to any kind of outing. what usually sounds the best to me is spending time with family or hanging out alone with the bf. no pressure, just pure relaxation and the chance to be nothing but myself. the bf tries to push me to do more things, but honestly i am happy to be somewhat antisocial. but...

when an event comes up and i actually get myself to go, i nearly always have fun. like the outing with my work group a couple of weeks ago. i dragged my feet about going and yet ended up having a blast! or the shower i went to this weekend. i was reluctant to leave the kids and the bf but ended up having a great time laughing with the girls and ooohhhing and aaahhhhing over adorable baby stuff.

note to self: just try it, you'll like it!

aged

2009-03-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

last night on the drive home the kids were chattering as usual. for some reason, kyleigh asked me if I had a webkinz (stuffed toy with an internet component, for those who aren't familiar with it) when i was little. i told her no, we didn't even have the internet when i was her age. in great disbelief she replied, WHOA! she then asked me if we had nintendo ds when i was little, to which i also replied no. she then started on a whole list items, which made me realize two things.

1) Life sure has changed a lot since i was younger.
2) Yep, it's official. I am OLD!

well, hell....

2009-03-13T08:55:00.003-05:00

when i look back on my big to do list of plans for this week, i can't say i'm not a little disappointed at my progress. (or lack thereof)

i did tackle #2 on the list, and have photographic evidence of that fact:

i should have taken a "before" picture for the full effect, but let's just suffice to say this project took me nearly all day yesterday.

the only other thing i have been able to knock off this list is #9. this one wasn't at the top of my priority list though. ;-P

i have 8 hours left and am hoping to work on #3, #4 and possibly #1. this would be in addition to dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing every room in the house, as well as laundry and possibly steam cleaning the carpets. i know if i get my butt off the couch right this minute and get to work i actually have some hope of accomplishing these tasks. the key is getting my butt off the couch.

also, i bought myself these for motivation:

okay, okay, so now i am off to get shit done!

furlough update

2009-03-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

i'm back from rochester. mom's surgery went very well, though the tumor was a bit larger than they originally thought. it ended up being the size of a grapefruit! the surgeons thought it looked benign, but we won't know for sure until the biopsy results come back on monday. keep your fingers crossed that it turns out well!

i am WAY behind on my "to do" list for the week, but i'm very glad i went to spend the day with mom, of course. she was in great spirits and was actually pretty funny hopped up on her narcotic painkillers. mom always has a great sense of humor, and she was funnier than ever when the surgery was over.

the diet plan hasn't been going so well this week either, but i'm keeping up on the exercise as much as possible. i am finding it more difficult to hold to a healthy diet without the routine of work...i imagine when i get back next week it will be easier to stick to a plan.

i have some dreaded accounting homework tonight, and then i'm going to try and tackle something from my list. i plan to work my butt off for the next two days getting as much done as possible before the bf comes home friday night. wish me luck, i'll need it!

change of plans

2009-03-07T09:18:00.003-06:00

yesterday i got a phone call that changed my "big plans" for next week. you see, my mom has been really sick for a few months. she can't eat without her body retaliating with excruciating stomach pain. she has missed work a lot, on and off here and there, depending on when her body decides to attack. i saw her last weekend and she looked gaunt and downright haggard. even so, she was in great spirits, as my mom nearly always is. she is one of those very good at "smiling through the pain."

mom has gone to the doctor. the pain was bad enough one night that she went to the emergency room. she suspected it was her gallbladder, which she'd had problems with in the past, but the tests came out okay...so the doctors just scratched their heads and sent her on her way. she was turned down for an appointment to a specialist that her regular doctor referred her to. all the while she was feeling miserable. the rest of us were outraged and angry that the doctors were letting her continue on this way, when there was clearly something very wrong.

finally this week mom was able to meet with her savior. she called yesterday to let me know the results. her gallbladder is in fact diseased and needs to be removed. it is likely the reason for the majority of her symptoms. but along with that, she has a baseball sized tumor near an ovary. they don't know yet whether it is cancerous. she is having surgery on tuesday to have both removed. we will know more about the tumor then.

i am very glad that they finally found out what was wrong. i am very angry that it took them so long and they made her suffer longer than was necessary. i am very terrified that the tumor could be cancerous, since it runs in our family and my mom's brother had it.

tuesday i will be at mayo in rochester, sitting with my stepdad while the surgery takes place. praying that everything goes well and that there is no cancer. mom's parents are 79 and 84, and i'm counting on her to be around for a hell of a lot longer.

big plans

2009-03-06T11:48:00.004-06:00

i can't believe next week is my furlough already! the bf is going to be out of town for work, so it's just me and the kids all week. i have a feeling the week will fly by, i have so many plans!

here is a partial list:

1. finish painting the entryway. (for the love of pete, this has been "partially" done for like, a year now. i should post a pic of how awful it looks. maybe i will have to do before/after shots.)

2. clean/organize the pantry. (this seems to be a yearly task. again, i should do before and after pics.)

3. clean/orgainze the kids' rooms. thin out the clothes and toys and donate some. (it's disgraceful how much stuff they have right now, really)

4. clean/organize my bedroom closet. (no pics. seriously, no one should be exposed to this.)

5. list entertainment center on craigslist. (probably take a big loss, but will gain room in the garage.)

6. hang up pictures. (i have been in my house for over two years and the walls are still quite sparse. i have a hard time hanging things because i'm afraid i won't like it, will need to move it, and will then have holes all over the walls. it's an issue, really.)

7. go to the Y every day. (two days are cycling class anyway.)

8. have a fun "playing hooky" day with the kids one day.

9. read the new book the bf bought for me.

10. research and cook healthy meals.

11. hang out at barnes & noble for an hour or two.

12. visit with my baby sis, maybe walk the mall with her a bit.

seriously, this is just a partial list. i'll let you know how it goes!

a new challenge

2009-03-05T16:04:00.005-06:00

i bought these over my lunch hour today:
Asics Kayano 15

i am thinking i might use them to do this:

Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon/Half Marathon, December 6th 2009

teacher sis and her friend are planning to go. this would be my first marathon experience...i would probably go for the half. makes me nervous thinking about it; what a goal! but if little sis can do it, i can too, right?

no use crying over spilled....coffee?

2009-03-03T09:45:00.003-06:00

this morning i awoke feeling extra groggy and tired. I got out of bed and plodded up the stairs to rouse the kids and get their breakfast ready. both kids were curled snug in their beds and seemed just as happy about getting up as i was. after getting their breakfast on the table, i got my morning coffee going and plodded back down the stairs to hop into the shower.

after rushing through my morning hygiene, (we were running a little late) i went back upstairs to pour my coffee into my beloved migo. upon arriving in the kitchen, i noticed that there was coffee and grounds all over the counter. a closer look revealed that i had forgotten to actually place the POT in it's place, thus causing the coffee to brew itself all over the countertop. what a mess! depressed about no morning coffee and running even more far behind, i rounded up the kids and headed out for work and school.

i am hoping this isn't a sign of what my entire day is going to be like...

Mankato Food Coop?

2009-02-27T15:21:00.003-06:00

If you live in the Mankato area and think this would be a good idea:

Please fill out the survey here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0xjrPMo0Dxe2BkqQY7_2bTkg_3d_3d

furlough

2009-02-24T13:22:00.000-06:00

so, i signed up to take my week-long, pay-free furlough. march 9th through march 13th i am to have absolutely no contact with work. no phone calls, no checking emails, no contact at all. i don’t remember the last time I took off work without checking emails at the very least, so this should be very interesting!

i’m really not angry or bitter about the unpaid furlough like some people are. i wouldn’t say I’m happy about it either, but I understand the reasoning behind it. and i would rather take some time off unpaid than lose my job completely, you know? plus, at our location, most of our non-salaried employees have had to make sacrifices in their hours already. i guess this just feels like my turn to do my part.

so far I don’t really have any big plans for the furlough. i am thinking about possibly taking one day and keeping the kids out of school to have a “fun” day together. maybe go swimming at the Y and then visit the huge new arcade/bowling/mini golf, etc. place in town. or, head up to the zoo if the weather is decent. (i think kyleigh can miss out on one day of 1st grade without worrying too much, right?) i also plan to tackle some household chores during that week, which is not fun but is satisfying nonetheless.

oddly, i’m almost looking forward to this time away from work, even though it will put a strain on my dwindling savings account. i have had some huge motivation issues lately with everything that is going on in the corporation. it might just be nice to get away for a week with “no contact”.

fitness update

2009-02-23T22:00:00.003-06:00

well, one workout down!

tonight i did my "wedding workout" video from women's health. the video has always been tough for me, but holy crappers did tonight prove i'm SO out of shape! ugh!

but i made it through, and i'm ready to tackle cycling class tomorrow!

weekend reflection

2009-02-23T08:42:00.003-06:00

our weekend was remarkably good! it was a "kid" weekend and we had a full house with the bf's two kids and mine. things can get crowded and tense on "kid weekends", but this weekend was actually really good.

saturday we took them all ice skating at the indoor rink in our area. it was the first time skating for my two, and the second for his two. i fell on my arse once, as did the bf. (but only once!) the kids fell a ton, but they had a blast! (i guess it's not as big of a deal to fall when you don't have so far to go.) unfortunately, we brought the camera and the batteries AND extra batteries were dead. so we don't have any pics. but it was definitely a good time! i think we'll do it again.

yesterday we met the bf's dad in a nearby town and went bowling. that was quite fun too! i had two of the best bowling games of my life. well over 100, which is great for me. i generally struggle to hit 100 at all. (though it's not like we bowl a lot) we all had a lot of fun and will have to do that again soon.

the bf's youngest child has his birthday coming up this week. we will be getting together with them this week to celebrate. i'm kind of bummed that i will have to miss my second cycling session though. (my first one is tuesday and the second one is supposed to be thursday.) but of course a birthday is more important than fixing my jiggling thighs. ; ) i'll just have to do something else this week to make up for it.

i suppose i should get some work done. hope you all had a great weekend!

in need of shrinkage

2009-02-20T15:43:00.005-06:00

as a kick start to my MUCH needed fitness rebirth, i have signed up for cycling classes at the local YMCA. starting next week, i am going to have my but kicked every tuesday and thursday after work. friends who have taken the class literally describe it as a butt kicking workout. just what i need.

in addition, i am trying to work out a schedule to keep me moving a few other days a week as well. it goes something like this:

monday: workout dvd or hour long walk or ride outside, weather allowing.
tuesday: cycling
wednesday: rest...homework
thursday: cycling
friday: rest
saturday: elliptical or treadmill or both (at the Y)
sunday: outside activity, weather allowing

i need to work out some kind of rules about my laptop in the evenings, too. ever since i got it about a year ago i have been spending way too much time with my butt on the couch. granted, some of the time is spent doing homework, which is necessary. but a lot of time is also spent wasting time on the internet and widening my ass. it must stop!

so, i pledge to you my intention to get off my ass and shrink it some. wish me luck!

happy friday

2009-02-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

can i just say that i'm SOOOOO glad it's friday?

okay, thanks!

I'M SO GLAD IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

furlough

2009-02-19T08:49:00.002-06:00

one one hand, i'm not happy about the furlough.

on the other hand, it can't happen soon enough.

so...

2009-02-18T10:59:00.001-06:00

i'm back.

i have decided to go back to a public blog...kind of pointless to have a private one when everyone is on it anyway! i didn't realize so many of you loved me so much! *sniff*

to be continued!

you know it's minnesota cold when...

2009-01-15T08:44:00.002-06:00

schools close because of the -24 temp and -40 windchill.

your furnace can't keep up and instead of the 68 you set it at, it reads 62 and falling...

you know it's minnesota cold when...

2009-01-14T16:43:00.001-06:00

Things I've learned from the bf's absence...

2009-01-08T23:18:00.004-06:00

If you aren't a fan off "sappy", then quick...leave this page before it's too late!! :)

He makes me a better parent: the bf is notorious for his impatience and irrational reactions to the kids. When he is around, I am forced to be more patient and calm, because if I loose my cool it can really set him off.

He lets me be the “good cop”: We have gone through a lot of struggles in parenting over the last two years, but I think we are finally starting to really “get” it. We truly are both better parents with the other one around.

He gives me a reason to be neater: The house without him here is a bit of a disaster. I am not by nature an overly neat person, and I can turn off the lights and ignore a mess and decide to deal with it later. Then it just builds and builds! When he is here I WANT to keep things neat and clean. So without him, I am a slob!

He helps me sleep: I am finding that it is nearly impossible for me to sleep well without the bf home with me. I can’t fall sleep and I can’t stay asleep. Subsequently, I have looked like hell all week.

He keeps me sober: I am by no means an alcoholic and typically months can go by before any alcohol passes through these lips. But…due to my difficulties getting to sleep this week this is the THIRD night in a row I have resorted to a “nightcap” to try and help me get some Zzzz’s.

He is my best friend: We have talked on the phone the last two nights for over an hour. I couldn’t believe we had so much to say! But it made me realize how much time we do spend together, talking about everything under the sun. I miss our nightly “unwinding” as we sit on the couch together, (with our laptops, of course!) :-P

He gives me laughter: laughing at him, laughing with him, either way, he makes life more fun.

This trip has been good for both of us. I can’t wait for him to come home tomorrow night! I just pray that the weather will allow him to make it safely and not make him too late. I really miss him and want him back here!

surviving

2009-01-08T20:31:00.002-06:00

after all was said and done yesterday, a total of 188 people corporation wide were let go from their jobs. this affects several companies in a few states, but most of the layoffs were right here at home.

this morning at work was rough going, but it did get better as the day progressed. there are so many emotions that come with layoffs like this. these are people i worked VERY closely with every day. they sit right next to me in our cozy little room of 6 cubicles. i know about their lives, i know about their families, and we have all become good friends. we were a tight team, and i ache for the rough times i know are ahead for them. despite this though, they are all strong, capable people and i have no doubt they will bounce back. i just wish it didn't have to be like this.

and so it goes

2009-01-07T21:04:00.004-06:00

grand total of layoffs at "our" companies today was somewhere close to 100. at least 4 locations were affected that i know of. random people have been emailing me here and there to see if i made the cut. i did get a chance to go for a few drinks with co-workers and one soon to be ex-coworker :( it felt good to get together and vent but it was bittersweet. our small group is very close-knit and i will be very sorry to see this particular person go.

i am sitting home alone now after getting the kids to bed. i am missing the bf and wishing he was here to talk to! it's just me and the dog, and she doesn't have much to say. i have not slept well the past two nights with him gone and then worries about work, and i'm not sure tonight will be any better. i am not much of a drinker but am considering a very strong nightcap to put this mind of mine to rest!

random updates

2009-01-06T17:22:00.003-06:00

The bf’s ex wife got engaged over New Years. They are planning for a February 14th wedding. In 2009! Yep. Planning a wedding in less than two months just to do it on the sappiest of sappy days of the year. Brilliant.

The impending marriage of the bf’s ex puts a bit of a damper on my “I won’t marry you until your ex is married” excuse. Dang.

School starts again next week. I have thoroughly enjoyed the time off and have taken advantage of it by reading several “just for fun” books. I will miss reading books for fun. Because, Economics? Not so much fun.

I have officially succumbed to the cultural “phenomenon” that is “Twilight”. One of my gifts from the bf for Christmas was the first book in the series. And then he bought me the second. I am now partway through the third book…and the fourth is awaiting me on the bookshelf. It hurts me to admit this.

The bf is on his very first “big” trip for work. He is in Atlanta this week. When I am traveling away from home without him, I actually sleep very well. When I am at home alone without him, apparently not so much. I did not get to sleep easily last night nor did I sleep well once I finally did drift off into the land of slumber.

I’m still fairly certain layoffs are coming tomorrow. There have been many, many signs (as well as the usual rumors). It’s hard to be productive today and tomorrow will be worse, not knowing exactly what is coming. I would prefer that they rip the band-aid off quickly, but I have a feeling it will be a long, drawn out afternoon of paranoia.

My New Year’s resolution to get healthy is off to a bit of a stumbling start. Lack of sleep is making a workout seem like an unbearable idea. Right now all I can think of is sleep. I am eating okay but not great. I have a feeling this will be a slow process…

2008-12-23T08:45:00.000-06:00

2008-12-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

What does it say about me that I find this absolutely friggin hilarious? And what of the fact that I can think of at least three people I would love to give this too?

Find it here.

Happy Holidays!
-Ang

happy holidays!

2008-12-19T09:06:00.002-06:00

my apologies...

2008-12-12T08:32:00.003-06:00

my apologies that this blog has become kind of a grump fest lately! i'm really not an unhappy person, but i've sure come across that way lately. i tend to use the blog as a more of a venting tool than anything. but, i decided i need to post some positives, just to prove i'm not a sour grapes all the time person!

1. the bf came home early (for him) last night bearing gifts (a dairy queen blizzard). we settled in on the couch to catch up on a couple of episodes of dexter, one of our fave shows. (sick, right? i know, but i love it anyway!)

2. i am working through a refinance of my house that would mean a normal, fixed rate 30 year mortgage at a very good rate. i'm keeping my fingers crossed for the appraisal today!

3. i got a 30/20 on a school paper. yes, you read that right. 30/20. that has NEVER happened. never. yahoo!

3. school for this session is over on sunday, and then i have four weeks off! i am sooo looking forward to the break!

4. we found out last week that we are getting paid for THREE extra days off during the holiday that we were originally told would be off without pay. this means i have SIX paid days off over christmas and new years (and two VERY long weekends)! Hurrah!

5. i made it to the playoffs in fantasy football, and i think i have a good chance of winning this week. even if i don't win, i made it to the playoffs! yay!

6. i was able to see my bff from kansas a few weeks ago while she was staying with her parents in iowa. i got to play with her adorable little boy and spend some time catching up with her.

7. had time last night to get a new lasagna recipe put together to bake tonight. also tried out a new sugar cookie recipe. cookies were yum, hopefully the lasagna is just as good tonight!

8. did i mention i have SIX DAYS OFF over the holidays? okay, just checkin.

would you like fries with that? too bad!

2008-12-09T10:48:00.007-06:00

i got sick over the weekend. saturday was the day i knew i would be coming down with something. my throat was raw all day. not sore exactly, but raw. and i was SO tired. more tired than usual and not all that interested in shopping with the bf, which is VERY out of character for me.

at about 5:00 am on sunday morning i was awakened with severe soreness in my throat. even swallowing my own saliva made me shudder with pain. i took several rounds of advil to no avail. i was tired and cold and shaking. i waited until about noon and decided to take a trip to Now Care, where after a two hour wait i was diagnosed with strep throat for the first time in about 15 years.

pretty much all i could "eat" was chocolate shakes. last night i decided to go through the drive thru at our local wendy's, because there is nothing quite like a chocolate frosty when battling a sore throat. i also decided to pick up some real food for the kids and the bf.

i don't eat at wendy's very often, so i wasn't sure what i would order and asked the guy for a minute to decide. there was no one behind me on line. i will spare you the details, but the drive thru guy was beyond rude and condescending to me. when i got up to the window, he barked the amount at me and plucked my credit card out of my hands and gave it back without even looking at me or saying a word.

i get to the window to retrieve my food and decide not to complain...it doesn't look like any of these people are going to care anyway, and they might even spit in my food. when i get home i realize they forgot my daughter's chicken sandwich.

now, i know these people don't have the most wonderful job in the world. but at least they have a job, right? and with so many people searching for jobs right now, how can anyone justify keeping on workers with attitudes like that? right?

to relieve the guilt...

2008-12-03T00:08:00.004-06:00

okay, so i've been feeling guilty that i haven't posted for two weeks after you all ever so kindly responded to my "quiz" question. and i hate to break it to you but there really was no earth-shattering reason for the quiz. just this:

the bf goes in spurts where he gets home REALLY late. like, after 11:00 late. and not just one night, but several nights. this generally upsets me and depresses me not for any particular reason other than that i enjoy having him around and therefore i hate it when he gets home so late. sometimes i realize it isn't his fault, but sometimes? well, sometimes it is.

thanks again for all of your responses! i have been reading them to the bf to give him an idea of what "normal" might be. (he doesn't understand why it upsets me when he is home late so often.)

quiz of the day

2008-11-18T21:07:00.004-06:00

1. what time do you get home from work? (on average)

2. what time does your "partner" get home from work? (on average)

thank you for your participation. (and you better participate, dammit!)

i promise there is a reason for this to be revealed at a later date. bet you can hardly take the suspense!?!?

my thoughts and prayers are with you...

2008-11-13T15:11:00.004-06:00

...you know who you are. i'm sorry for what you are going through today, it is completely unfair. i feel for each and every one of you that were affected by this.

i fear that this will not be the last of it, either.

random monday musings

2008-11-10T10:58:00.002-06:00

*my good friend bbmg got married on saturday! she was a beautiful bride and all went well. she and her new husband are off for a wonderful, warm and sunny wedding trip. here's to hoping they have a blast!

*went to my very first play at t his place last night. the food was good. the play/musical was not my style. apparently i am not a fan of mel brooks humor. who knew?

*new thermostats were installed at work. am wearing my coat and gloves as i type this. apparently our company is doing so shittily that their plan is to either a: freeze us into quitting or b: save a few bucks by keeping the temperature low enough to see your breath. or both.

*more layoffs, closings and other general work rumors have been floating around recently. sometimes i think it would be better to just get laid off than to keep stressing day by day that i will still have a job tomorrow.

*school is hard. i also have a lot to do this week to "catch up" from having a busy week/weekend. i feel like i need to take a day off from work again to study, but don't want to a: draw more attention to myself than necessary b: take off another day without pay since my PTO hasn't caught up yet.

*having a hard time getting much accomplished today. my eyes are burning and tired. really felt like i needed another day added on to my weekend. am starting to go into "hibernation mode" what with the snow and all. winter weight gain, here i come!

*am looking forward to going to this guy's concert in 1.5 weeks. am not looking forward to the day after, as i will probably be nodding off at my desk all day.

*now that i have pretty much wasted a good third of my day, i need a break from it all for lunch. happy monday all!

come together

2008-11-05T16:34:00.001-06:00

I probably shouldn’t be reading comments on news articles right now, because I am overwhelmed and depressed by the level of negativity that is out there. The non-Obama fans are flocking to the comment boards in droves and they are putting us down left, right and every which way they can. I’d like to think that if McCain had won, we wouldn’t be quite so mean and immature as they are being right now, but I guess I can’t say that for sure. Hopefully they will expunge all of their negativity on these boards over the next few days and then swallow their pride and offer help and cooperation instead of negativity and scorn.

McCain was graceful and positive in his concession speech last night. I’m sure even he would cringe at some of the comments expressed by his supporters right now. I know that they are angry and feel disillusioned, but wow, there is some downright hateful stuff out there. None of it is going to help us bring our nation together for the greater good. Because that’s what we need to do and this would have been true no matter the winner.

Some of the hateful quotes I’ve seen:

“hope this economy collapses and every osama supporter starves.”

“I don't want to make this statement to sound racist, but in Obama's speech his accent sounded a little more like that of one used commonly by African-Americans than the one I believe Obama speaks naturally. After all, Obama did not grow up in the typical African-American community, but was largely raised by white relatives. His father was from Africa, and not a native-born African-American, and therefore did not speak with that accent either. My question is, am I hearing something that is not there, or is his accent affected? And if so, to what purpose?”

“There is no reason to try and defend bush and last republican congress. This drubbing is their own creation. But anytime you see a politician adored and revered the way obama has been, there is no where to go but down. Many (if not most) of the people who voted for him truly have no grasp of economics, wages, taxes, etc. They have bought it all hook, line, and sinker. The welfare check is in the mail, and job killing will begin soon. I hope the top 5% of wage earners are flexible enough to reach their toes while being incessantly raped.”

“Unfortunately the kool-aid drinking and uneducated populace that elected this terrorist loving, tax and spend socialist, in sheep's clothing, don't realize what they've done. At least, I said No to BO. I am the Rightguard against this BO! Long live the USA and not the U.S.S.A.!”

I am appalled at these statements and could write rebuttals to them for hours, but I don’t have that kind of time and I’m not sure it’s even worth it.

As an Obama supporter, I do not expect that he will fix things over night. Or that he can fix things alone. Or that he will be the miracle answer to all of our problems. I have never believed that. And no, I don’t believe he will follow through with everything he has talked about during his campaign, and frankly I wouldn’t even want him to. What I want is for him to do what is best for our country, even if it goes against his original thoughts or plans. I want him to go into this with his eyes and ears wide open. I want him to listen to all of us, supporters and non, rich and poor, black and white. I want him to act for the greater good.

And I really believe that he will.

change is near

2008-11-05T10:47:00.004-06:00

Last night, I cried the first tears I have ever cried over politics. (And I’m still a little emotional even writing about this.) They were tears of joy and tears of hope. Tears celebrating the fact that we have finally overcome party lines, race and religion and brought together people from all walks of life to vote with hope rather than with fear. Tears of joy over the fact that I finally feel we have a shot at turning things around for our children and grandchildren, handing down to them a country we can be proud of. This election was historical not because Mr. Obama is black, but because of his message of hope. We may not agree with everything he does in the next four years but I trust that he has in mind the best interests of each and every one of us.

I have seen Facebook statuses in the last 12 hours from conservative Christians implying the end of the world is near. What? The end of the world is near because we elected a black president? The end of the world is near because we elected a sincere and extremely intelligent man to lead our country? How can it be the end of the world when the entire world is celebrating with us? Tell me how this makes sense?

I grew up Christian…both Methodist and Lutheran at different points in my life. But in the last several years I have been extremely disillusioned by the church. I do believe in a higher power. And to me that higher power is about love and acceptance of all peoples and religions. I have a hard time with right-wing Christians who feel their way is the only way and the rest of us are damned. I cringe at bible verses telling us we are evil. And if anyone knows of a Christian church where they don’t try to make you FEAR God but LOVE God please let me know. Because I haven’t found one yet. Oh and P.S.: Barack Obama is a CHRISTIAN, in case you haven’t heard.

Finally, I am not ignorant for voting for Mr. Obama, and I resent those of you who think I am. I did not only vote with my heart but with my head as well. I am very well educated, so please don’t insult my intelligence by insinuating I don’t know what I am doing by supporting Barack Obama. Because you know what? I am proud that I voted out of hope and not out of fear. And I will be proud to call Mr. Obama PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA in January. I can say I am truly looking forward to the next four years. It’s going to be a hell of a ride, but also a good one.

p.s.
i have every right to express my views, political or otherwise on MY BLOG. if you don't like my views, please don't read MY BLOG. thank you.

p.p.s.
i realize my "guest" blogger was a little over the top a few days ago. for the record, i am christian (though a rather disillusioned one). and the person who wrote the guest blog has had people at work picking at him for his views and he finally decided to fight back. it was not a personal attack on anyone and if you read it as such, i am sorry.

Dear Diary,

2008-11-04T08:48:00.001-06:00

My daughter told me to vote for Obama this morning. So I did.

Love,
Angie

random thoughts for halloween

2008-10-31T09:02:00.005-05:00

1. dogs don't like halloween costumes. ours won't move when we put the costume on.

2. high school girls dressing up for halloween as school girls is a bit redundant, no?

3. tastefully simple beer bread made with bud light lime is rather excellent.

4. it's even better served with tastefully simple spinach and herb dip.

5. spritz cookies shaped like pumpkins are buttery yumgoodness.

6. always have a halloween t-shirt for your daughter to wear.

7. workplaces on halloween can actually be kind of fun.

8. fun but kind of slow. is it 5:00 yet? please???

9. halloween is a dieters worst nightmare.

10. happy halloween everyone!!!!!!!!!

the future of health care?

2008-10-28T11:38:00.003-05:00

is anyone else a little bit alarmed about john mccain's health care proposal?

here is a little tidbit from business week describing his plan: if you don't want to read the whole thing, the highlights are this:

McCain wants to do away with the tax exemption on employer-provided insurance. Instead, he would give a $2,500 annual tax credit to individuals, and $5,000 to families, to purchase their own coverage.

McCain's plan is meant to encourage individuals to purchase their insurance and free companies from the heavy cost of providing coverage. His theory is that employees would take their tax credit and flock to the open market, where they could shop around for the plan that best meets their needs. Insurance companies would have to become more competitive to win their business.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey released last year found the average annual premium of an employer-based insurance policy is $12,000, of which employees pay about one-third.

so let me get this straight...my current individual health care plan is paid partially by myself and partially thorough my employer. under mccain's plan, my employer would probably not cover employees anymore due to loss of the tax credit. and then i'm supposed to go out and shop for private insurance with a measely $2,500? what the? has anyone seen the prices for private health care insurance? do you think $2,500 is going to cover it? did you see the survey they quoted where the average policy is $12,000? not sure if that is family or individual, but either way mccain's tax credits aren't even close to that number.

insurance companies are NOT going to lower their premiums that much just because you let people loose on the market. gah! i don't understand how anyone can think this is a good idea? if i'm missing something here please feel free to comment. but i have a hard time believing mccain's plan isn't going to cost families MORE in the long run, not less. in fact, if you look at the example from the article, insurance costs about $12,000 per year. currently employees pay about $4,000 of that if the figure of 1/3 is accurate. under mccain's plan, if the cost of insurance is $12,000 and you apply the mccain tax credit of $5,000, you are now paying $7,000 per year out of pocket instead of $4,000. That's actually $3,000 MORE! hello????????

try this quiz

2008-10-27T10:22:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/obama-mccain-quiz-47091507?click=pp

things overheard at my 7 year old's birthday party

2008-10-26T18:59:00.002-05:00

why didn't you invite any other boys? (from the lone boy invited who had only my son and to ally with.)

this is the WORST party ever!! (from a very bratty girl, upon learning she could only choose a wacky bear in a certain price range.)

hey, i thought we were having cake! (from an ungrateful child upon learning we were having cupCAKES instead of a traditional cake.)

this is so unfair! (from yet another child, upon learning that the birthday girl got her choice of animals instead of being limited to the same price range as the rest.)

ky, you can't cut in line! (a child yelling at the birthday girl choosing a place in the game line.)

hey, how come she gets to go first?!? (complaining that the birthday girl was invited to stuff her wacky bear first.)

oddly enough, most of the complaining came from just a couple of the TEN kids invited. there were others that were really quite sweet. there is one girl in particular (the one with the "this is the worst party ever" comment), that will never be invited to another party for my child. i realize she is just a kid, but in my opinion there is just no excuse for that huge of a lack of manners. if i ever learned my daughter had said something so bratty at a friend's party i would skin her hide and never allow her to attend another birthday party.

i was sweating for the entire two hours of the party trying to keep ten children under control with the occasional assistance of the wacky bear staff. the party was deemed a success overall and i am sooooo glad it is over until next year. note to self: cut guest list in half for the next party. ; )

guest blogger and he doesn't even know it...

2008-10-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

the bf sent out an interesting email today. it sounds to me like he's getting kind of pissy with some of his uber conservative friends. i'm not sure i agree with every point he makes here, but i'm proud of him for expressing his views anyway. (p.s. though he is quite liberal in his politics, please know that because he is asian i think he sometimes goes a little too far where race is concerned and is definitely not very p.c. at times.)

here is his email:

So I’ve gotten tons of emails lately about Palin and McCain and all the military stuff and crap. Here is my response.

In the early 1980’s the United States government supported the Taliban in their efforts to wage war against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. By 1987, it is reported that the United States was exporting 65,000 tons of US made weapons to help in the war. In 1984, the United States allowed the networking of recruiting offices here in the US by Osama Bin Laden and his contributors. A special agent of the FBI, Ali Mohamed, is actually considered Osama Bin Laden’s first trainer.

Why does any of this history matter? Ronald Regan was President for two terms during the 80’s and during his time, he proceeded to evoke the Soviet Union in an Nuclear Arms race that eventually lead to the INF Treaty in which both countries stated that they would reduce the number of nuclear weapons. Instead of using education and understanding and listening, Mr. Regan used his military background to oversee the military aid to Afghanistan, Grenada, and the bombing of Libya.

I have nothing but the highest amount of respect to those who serve in the military. Anyone who is willing to put their life on the line to save the lives of someone else deserves at the least our respect and undying gratitude. Saving our assess is what they go out and do every single day and they do it because they believe in us and our country. Having said that though, having military background or being in the military does not automatically put you in position to be trusted or in a position to be a leader of any kind. Being in the middle of a war does not teach you how to handle a crisis situation, it teaches you how to shoot before getting killed. Ever wonder how terrorists get all that information to make bombs and create nuclear weapons? They get them from traitors in our own military. Agents of our CIA and FBI have been known to sell high level secure information to the highest bidder. So, it’s great that the Governor of Alaska has one of the “highest” security positions in the US. But then again, so has every other Governor of Alaska and none of them were close to being qualified to run for VP. Matter of fact, every person who is in the running for Vice President is sworn to secrecy or they will not even have the opportunity to become the running mate of any Presidential hopeful.

The United States did not come into being because we decided to wage war on other nations. We won because we defended our country on our own land. Ever since then, we have done nothing but put our big assess into conflicts that have nothing to do with us. We don’t help wage war because it helps protect our nation, we do it for only one reason and one reason only, to gain in our own interests. If we really wanted to stop Osama we could have. If we really were worried about the safety of people at home, we would have killed him already. In reality, our government uses catch phrases such as “war on terrorism” to make us feel good. If it really was a war on terrorism, why are the terrorists still out there running around?

Why is it so hard for Regan backers to see that someone with a Havard degree, the ability to listen, and someone who has an expanded mind about how the world works, could not make a great leader? Should all prisoners of war that have charming good looks run for some type of office? Are we supposed to send all our children off to war so they can become someone someday?

If we want a safer America, get rid of all the f’n terrorist here on our own soil. Get rid of all the rednecks who believe that their way is the only way and that people shouldn’t think for themselves. Get rid of all the Blacks who hate being here and blame everyone else for their shitty situation. Get rid of all the gun-toting arse-holes who shoot things because it’s fun and its’ their God given right (even though most of those effers don’t even go to church). Get rid of all of the humongous turds that call themselves “Christens” and then think that their belief is the only belief because when you think about it, the terrorists have the same way of thinking.

I don’t give two craps if our President is a Muslim or a former Prisoner of War. What really matters is are they smart enough to run the country with respect and honor, are they smart enough to make sure that they take care of the majority of the citizens who are middle income or less, are they willing to look forward and realize that we need to save this weird planet that we live on so we don’t piss it off and it ends up taking us all out, are they smart enough to understand economics and do what it takes to keeps jobs here in America and not send jobs oversees or to effing Mexico, and is that person smart enough to realize that it’s not all about how big our dick is but more about how we present ourselves in a manner that allows communication with those who disagree with us?

-The BF

I'll have to find out tonight what it was that pushed him over the edge today. ; )

quotes from the birthday girl

2008-10-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

"if i were a dog mom, i wouldn't lick my butt, would you?"

...to be continued

Obama Tax Plan Truth

2008-10-16T16:23:00.003-05:00

Click Here.

i. hate. laundry.

2008-10-13T10:41:00.004-05:00

there, i said it. i HATE doing the laundry. what i hate most about the laundry is putting it away. because of this, clean clothes hang out in baskets way longer than they should, and that sometimes causes a backup in the washer, which can cause that lovely "musty" smell and sometimes mean re-washing a load. not exactly a "green" practice.

laundry also gets backed up due to time constraints. by the time i get home at 6:00, make dinner, do dishes, clean up, get kids bathed, read to and down to bed, it is after 8:00. which means i have been going, going, going for well over 13 hours. at this point i like to sit down and enjoy me some facebook, check email and possibly read some blogs. after this i often do homework. homework lasts till 11:00 or 12:00.

i am sick of hearing about how someone has no socks or underwear. i am sooo tired of the overactive nose of the bf whining over clothes that sometimes smell less than fresh. (perhaps a load that sat too long in the washer and wasn't re-washed.)

today an IM conversation went like this:

the bf: did you start using a new type of softener or something?
me: no, same as always, why?
the bf: my sweatshirt that i got out of the dryer smells like wet dog.

eff eff eff eff eff!!!!! do your own effing laundry!!!

but the bf has this complex where he thinks i don't do shit. and he is SOOOOO busy all the time and working SOOOOO hard. which is why he knows the ins and outs of the social life of every one of his co-workers and ends up working past 10:00 on a regular basis to make up for the fact that he chatted and web surfed too much during the work day. gah!!!! just because he is AT work until 10:00 doesn't mean he is WORKING that whole time. i'm smarter than that, bucko.

Pro Life? Yeah, right...

2008-10-13T09:21:00.002-05:00

Read the Saturday, October 11th post from Green Tea MN.

More political hypocrisy.

woooooooooohooooooo!

2008-10-12T00:44:00.003-05:00

...brown chicken brown cow...brown chicken brown cow...

(it's a VERY rare night of durrrrnkeeedddnesss.) tee hee!

return to sender

2008-10-09T18:29:00.004-05:00

please no more mccain palin propaganda, people! nothing you send me is going to sway my mind, it will only serve to annoy me immensely. i promise not to send you politically motivated material (unless i know you are on MY side) if you refrain from sending me yours.

politics is a touchy subject for many of us, and i know many of us are very set in our beliefs. i will sometimes use this blog as a forum for my political thoughts, and if i do so in this very public manner you are more than welcome to comment in any way you choose. please just don't email me your crap. if you do, it's a waste of time, because i probably won't open it/view the material.

thank you.

Bailout Wisdom a la Michael Moore

2008-10-02T08:40:00.001-05:00

Love him or hate him, this makes a hell of a lot of sense to me!

1. APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money is expended, Congress must commit, by resolution, to criminally prosecute anyone who had anything to do with the attempted sacking of our economy. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse must go to jail. This Congress must call for a Special Prosecutor who will vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in the future.

2. THE RICH MUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT. They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than $2,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class are going to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.

If they truly need the $700 billion they say they need, well, here is an easy way they can raise it:

a) Every couple who makes over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over $500,000 a year will pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It's the Senator Sanders plan. He's like Colonel Sanders, only he's out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich will still be paying less income tax than when Carter was president. This will raise a total of $300 billion.

b) Like nearly every other democracy, charge a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This will raise more than $200 billion in a year.

c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders will forgo receiving a dividend check for one quarter and instead this money will go the treasury to help pay for the bailout.

d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raise the corporate income tax back to the level of the 1950s, that gives us an extra $500 billion.

All of this combined should be enough to end the calamity. The rich will get to keep their mansions and their servants, and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") will have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools.

3. BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME. There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, pay down each of these mortgages by $100,000. Force the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner can pay on its current value. To insure that this help does no go to speculators and those who have tried to make money by flipping houses, this bailout is only for people's primary residence. And in return for the $100K paydown on the existing mortgage, the government gets to share in the holding of the mortgage so that it can get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is $150 billion, not $700 billion.

And let's set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want and most of us still get: a home to call their own. But during the Bush years, millions of them lost the decent paying jobs they had. Six million fell into poverty. Seven million lost their health insurance. And every one of them saw their real wages go down by $2,000. Those who dare to look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ashamed. We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home that they own.

4. IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GETS ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that's how it's done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back -- with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk -- and necessary for the good of the country -- then you can get a loan, but we will own you. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.

5. ALL REGULATIONS MUST BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD. This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the henhouse. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here's what Sen. Phil Gramm, McCain's chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:

"In the 1930s ... it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.

"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.

"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."

This bill must be repealed. Bill Clinton can help by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they're done with that, they can restore the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" must have enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.

6. IF IT'S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S TOO BIG TO EXIST. Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No one or two companies should have this kind of power. The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can't happen when you have hundreds -- thousands -- of institutions where people have their money. When you have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we don't face a national disaster. If you have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can't call all the shots (I know... What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a strong and free press!). Laws must be enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the giant falls and dies. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that no one can understand. If you can't explain it in two sentences, you shouldn't be taking anyone's money.

7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How this can happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it's only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an outrage. We have created the mess we're in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. This has to stop. Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be fired before the company receives any help.

8. STRENGTHEN THE FDIC AND MAKE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE'S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct yesterday to propose expanding FDIC protection of people's savings in their banks to $250,000. But this same sort of government insurance must be given to our nation's pension funds. People should never have to worry about whether or not the money they've put away for their old age will be there. This will mean strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees' funds -- or perhaps it means that the companies will have to turn over those funds and their management to the government. People's private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it's time to consider not having one's retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market. Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about ending up destitute.

9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off the TV! We are not in the Second Great Depression. The sky is not falling. Pundits and politicians are lying to us so fast and furious it's hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I, yesterday, wrote to you and repeated what I heard on the news, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that's true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the '80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn't go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into the Jacuzzi.

As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan this week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. Life has gone on. Not a single person has lost any of their money if it's in a bank or a treasury note or a CD. And the most amazing thing is that the American public hasn't bought the scare campaign. The citizens didn't blink, and instead told Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn't the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say 'Saddam has da bomb' so many times before the people realize you're a lying sack of shite. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can't take it any longer.

10. CREATE A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE'S BANK." If we really are itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don't we give it to ourselves? Now that we own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a people's bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And now that we own AIG, the country's largest insurance company, let's take the next step and provide health insurance for everyone. Medicare for all. It will save us so much money in the long run. And we won't be 12th on the life expectancy list. We'll be able to have a longer life, enjoying our government-protected pension, and living to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused so much misery are let out of prison so that we can help reacclimate them to civilian life -- a life with one nice home and a gas-free car that was invented with help from the People's Bank.

(Copied from an email created by Michael Moore.)

leg

2008-09-29T20:26:00.002-05:00

so i ended up canceling the doctor's appointment for kolby on friday and scheduled an appointment with a chiropracter instead. we waited for about 45 minutes to be told this:

1. she would not do an adjustment because she didn't want to flare anything up.
2. if kolby got any worse over the weekend, we were to take him to the emergency room.
3. if kolby developed a fever over the weekend, we were to take him to the emergency room.
4. she wanted him to see a medical doctor and get x-rays.
5. she wouldn't charge us for the visit. (thank GOD.)

my little gimpy boy limped all weekend long. he seemed to be improving yesterday though and today woke up with no limp and no pain. i did schedule an appointment for him with my family practice doctor at the smaller clinic on wednesday for a physical. we will of course tell her about the leg but i don't know if she will be able to tell much now that he is feeling better. but, at least she will meet him and we will begin to acclimate him to the new clinic.

i am hoping this was a fluke and the pain won't flare up again. keep your fingers crossed for us!

mothering

2008-09-26T08:50:00.005-05:00

so...gimpy is at work with me today. i was awakened at 6:30 this morning by the sound of his crying at the top of the stairs. crying because his leg hurt. it was very alarming. i gave him some tylenol and had him lay down for a while. i made the decision not to take him to daycare today.

currently the clinic i take him to is quite large. he sees a different doc every time we go in, and i don't remember the last time he saw "his" doc. i've never even heard of the doc we took him to see yesterday!

i recently started seeing a new doc at a much smaller clinic in town. the clinic is affiliated with mayo and i know they are good. the are part of a larger network of several clinics as well as the hospital in town. there are only a few doctors there. i called this morning and got him an appointment there for this afternoon. my hope is that we can actually get some consistency in his medical care. i'm tired of explaining things over and over to different doctors. (prior to the leg issue i was taking him in all the time for respiratory issues which he seems to be growing out of, knock on wood!)

so i am trying to get in a few hours of work this morning. thankfully gimpy is fairly easily entertained and hopefully won't bother my co-workers too much. i plan to leave around lunch time and then take him to his 2:30 appointment. i don't know that this doc will find anything either, but i think it will be a step in the right direction. i think i am also going to set up a chiropractic appointment. we have had luck with that for other things in the past.

please send your positive thoughts my way today as i try to muddle my way through this mothering business!

to believe or not to believe...

2008-09-25T18:28:00.003-05:00

i had to go and pick my son up from daycare today. they called me in the morning to tell me that he was limping and had leg pain. i knew this, since he started it last night. i knew this, because i just took him to the doctor for the very same thing six weeks ago and it turned out to be NOTHING. i reminded daycare of this and got off the phone.

at 2:00 this afternoon i received an email from daycare, saying my son had woken from his nap and still seemed to be in a lot of pain. they listed out their evidence and i knew i'd have to end up going to get him. i also knew i'd have to take him to the doctor again or risk being called a crappy parent or worse yet, have them scream child abuse.

we waited in the doctors office for over an hour before being seen. the diagnosis? nothing. my son actually giggled when the doc squeezed different parts of his leg to see if it hurt. when he walked down the hallway for her it looked contrived. once again i left the doctor's office feeling annoyed at my child.

the bf and i are arguing over it. he thinks my son is manipulative and should be punished. i do believe my son is quite possibly faking it, but also feel there has to be a meaningful reason why. either his leg really does or has ached, or there is something else bothering him. i got the doc to say that he shouldn't do anything for the rest of the day but lay down. even playing legos would be bad. my son was visably upset at this pronouncement.

when we got home, i made him lay in bed. i let him know i was not happy about the situation. he cried for a few minutes and then fell asleep. i made the decision to miss my daughter's open house at school and her dad took her instead. i didn't want to lug gimpy all over the school. i also decided he would not participate in swimming lessons tonight. i had him go to the daycare room alone while i worked out on the elliptical and ky went to swimming lessons. he cried when we left him and i felt horrible, but i wasn't going to give in. by the time i came to pick him up he was playing happily with another boy, so hopefully i didn't do too much damage.

i really don't know what to think or do. the bf thinks i should be harder on him. we fought on the phone after the doctor's appointment and i hung up on him i was so mad. he called back later and seemed to want to make up, but then proceeded to go off again and said something to the effect of "you've been played by a five year old." so i hung up after uttering some "choice" words.

i am not coddling my son, but i am also not going to be overly mean. what if there really is something wrong? i'm not going to give him special treatment, but i'm not going to yell at him either. it's not my style and i think it does more harm than good. still, it is a frustrating situation and i'm just not sure what is the right thing to do!?!?!?!

stuff and things

2008-09-25T13:03:00.001-05:00

is it the weekend yet? cuz i am sooooo ready for it. it will be semi-busy, we have a baptism for my niece on sunday. which means getting up gosh damn early to drive the 1.5 hours to be at church at 9:30. but it will be a lovely time of hanging out with family, so i won't complain. ; )

i also have to study stats this weekend. i've pretty much been slacking off on it this week, and i'm pretty sure i will regret that if i don't make up for it. but for some reason the last two nights i have been so incredibly tired...and i'm not sure why. we've had a really busy week but i have been ready for bed at 9:30 the last couple of nights, and that is unusual.

fitness update: i weighed myself on wednesday morning and i am down 7 pounds from when i started trying three weeks ago. i have been eating very well during the week and keeping track of my calories. i have also been exercising a lot: walks at work, biking with the kids, walks with the bf, elliptical at the gym...it feels really good and i am hoping i can keep it up. three weeks builds a habit, right?

National "Talk Like a Pirate Day"

2008-09-19T14:25:00.002-05:00

did you know that today is national talk like a pirate day? me either, until the end of the day yesterday when one of my co-workers suggested we celebrate it. we've had quite a lot of fun with the whole thing, even though the rest of the building thinks we are nuts. (well, okay...they already thought that anyway.)

happy birthday kolby!

2008-09-16T08:14:00.006-05:00

today my sweet little boy turns 5. oh how the time has flown! and next month my little girl turns 7. i swear just yesterday they were 2 and 4. absolutely amazing how quickly they grow up.

it was funny dropping kolby off at daycare this morning. apparently one of his best buds turns 5 today too. they both were wearing paper crowns and grinning like crazy. kolby's friend kept hugging him and they were both so incredibly excited! i wish i could bottle that and save it for rainy day. there is nothing more healing than the laughter and excitement of a child!

i will be eating lunch at daycare with kolby and his crown today. i think it's something really delicious like ham pot pie? (gag!) but the kids love to have their parents come and eat with them...makes them feel like a star for a day. the less than gourmet food is worth seeing the happiness on his face.

parenting is a funny thing...some days you can't wait until they grow up...and others you are tearing up at the thought of them leaving some day...

the politics of a 6 year old girl...

2008-09-04T07:27:00.000-05:00

“Mom, dad still wants John McCain to win. Why do we want “Brock O Bama” to win? Cuz he’s taller? All John McCain does is talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. He’s a chatterbox. He just chats and chats and chats. Brock O Bama has plans. John McCain just talks and talks. Doesn’t he mom? And he doesn’t have any plans. He’s just a chatterbox. Brock O Bama has plans. That’s why we want him to win, right?”

How can you argue with that logic?

minnesota nice?

2008-08-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

the bf and i spent some time in the lovely city of grand marais today. the weather was absolutely perfect. sunny with a slight breeze and about 70 degrees. love. it. we took some time to do the tourist thing and visit the local shops. i bought an awesome necklace from one of the vendors at the local "farmers" market. (they might as well call it a flea market or craft fair, but that's another post.)

so, bf and i were relaxing on the rocky beach looking out at the lake. it was so calm and serene there today. absolutely gorgeous. unfortunately there were of course quite a few people around us sharing the experience. noisy kids throwing rocks in the water, asian tourists snapping pics and angry looking locals trying to avoid the throng of tourists invading their city.

i was sitting on a bench with the bf, soaking in the glorious sun and watching the ducks and geese float around close to the shore and eating an ice cream. yum. total contentment. and then we saw her: plunk, plunk, plink, a little girl throwing rocks into the water and AT the duck. wtf? are you kidding me? and her parents were nearby just watching the show. n and i grumbled about the people and i narrowly avoided his going up to the family and giving them a lecture. though they definitely would have deserved it.

we grumbled a bit more and settled back into relaxation for a few more minutes until we saw them: another family a little further down the shore, throwing rocks AT some geese. wtf is the matter with people? as we watched them in total disbelief and disgust, one of the rocks hit its target. the poor goose honked and fled the rock throwing idiot family.

tell me, what the hell is the matter with people? how is it okay to throw a rock at the wildlife? and it's not like it was a mass of naughty little boys, looking for trouble. these were families. with very young children. THROWING ROCKS at the birds! unbelievable. as we picked up our things and packed up to head back to lutsen, i was a little bit confused and saddened by the idiotic actions of those horrible families with no respect for nature.

top secret

2008-08-27T14:10:00.004-05:00

i have added yet another blog to my list...this one is private but i will invite you if you email me and let me know you want to read my pathetic words. ; )

the new blog is called The Real Me. it's sure to be a barrel of laughs. or something.

p.s.
for those of you who just aren't interested in anything beyond this lovely public blog, no worries...i plan to try to keep this one updated as well.

one last hurrah...

2008-08-26T14:25:00.001-05:00

Just under 72 hours and counting until we hit the road…I am SO looking forward to our mini vacation trip coming up this weekend! The bf and I are heading to the MN North Shore, my favorite place on earth! After a five-ish hour drive, we will be arriving in the Northland on Friday night for some hiking, biking, lake viewing, shopping and relaxing. We will make the trip back “down south” on Monday. My only lament besides the short time frame of our trip is the fact that I have to bring my laptop along: I am in the first week of my Statistics class and will need to do some homework while we are there. Ugh.

The problem with having a vacation to look forward to is that in my mind I’m already there. I have am really not accomplishing much of anything besides daydreaming about our trip and thinking about what to pack. It also sucks to know this is really the last time I will have vacation until the holidays. Due to the all too frequent illnesses of myself and the kids as well as an overabundance of time off for sanity sake I have burned up my vacation time already. NOT GOOD.

So…I will savor this time of looking forward to one last vacation for the year, productivity be damned!

The next President of the United States of America

2008-08-21T22:50:00.001-05:00

Click here to see the video!

olympic conversations

2008-08-18T20:09:00.005-05:00

on beach volleyball:

why are they wearing swimsuits mom? cuz they might fall in the water? or maybe cuz the ball might fall in the water? where is the water mom? is it under them? what are they standing on mom? sand? oh...i thought that was cookie dough. mom, why do people have whistles? go, go, go american! you can do it! yeah! mom, look how much points we have! mom, why do we have 7 points? we aren't supposed to have that much! we're supposed to have 21 points. what happened? oh...did we start over? mom, do we 'merican have ten points?

on their olympic futures:

i think i'll be in track or gymnastics in the olympics. gymnastics is only for girls. oh for the love of paint, i didn't know boys could do olympics too. i can't do volleyball. maybe i can do swimming. do you think swimming is better for me mom? you need to wear a head thing. for swimming. in the olympics. i am going to be an american. i don't want my brother to be in the same thing as me. but he can be an american. but i don't think they will allow me to do the olympics. what do you really want me to do in the olympics? for real? no, i'm serious on this mom.

on olympic softball:

is this the olympics? i thought it wasn't. why is it baseball olympics? why is it softball olympics? i know red is china. it looks like baseball, why is it called softball, because they have helmets on? why do they have helmets on? why does the pitcher have no helmet? because the pitcher wants to get hurt on its head?

on handball:

isn't that just for woman? it was just for woman last time. then why was it man? boys aren't supposed to be in the girls zone. this is the boys zone? it's not a girl zone? why is it a boy zone? what happened to that guy? probably got bonked his forehead. why are a lot of people getting hurt? why are the people getting hurt? they're playing soccer. soccer throw ball. i think it's kind of like volleyball except don't go like volleyball, you just throw it. you pass it to people. mom, did you see that guy? he was funny! there was fuzz all over his face.

on being olympic fanatics:

when does it end mom? i think it never ends. it probably ends some time, but i'm going to stay awake till the end. i'm going to watch it until i fall asleep. until i have to go potty and poop in my pants.

on a band-aid commercial:

why are those so special?

linky love

2008-08-15T12:53:00.003-05:00

as you may notice, i have links to my favorite blogs down the side of my blog page. if i have your blog listed on here and you would like me to remove it, please let me know.

i do have a couple of blogs i read where the authors have specifically requested that i don't list their links here. i am fine with that. if you want to be removed just shoot me an email and i will take your link off.

word to the wise: if you really want to protect your blog from the public, maybe you should consider making it open to "members" only. just a suggestion. : )

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!!!!!

and we're off...

2008-08-08T18:22:00.004-05:00

we're getting off on a great start for the weekend! i am currently on the couch with my laptop while my children are both in their rooms screaming and crying. because i sent them to their rooms without finishing their dinner. because i asked them literally 8 times to stop messing around at the table and just eat their GD food already! because i am so tired of them not listening to me! if the bf was here, they wouldn't dare.

but they sure as heck aren't going to learn anything if there is no discipline, right?

i guess moms are just too soft... i feel bad making them leave the table. i'll probably end up letting them go back.

lacking motivation

2008-08-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

i am severely lacking in motivation today. yesterday we unexpectedly had the day off at work. a quick, powerful storm came through the area and wiped out the power at our plant. all. day. long. so we were granted a day to lounge at home eating bon bons and watching soaps.

it has messed with my schedule. yesterday felt like friday. today feels like torture. ugh.

only 6 hours till quittin' time...

freelance writing, anyone?

2008-07-29T16:36:00.002-05:00

calling all freelance writers:

i am in need of a back-up blog article writer for this site. basically it's a blog offering tips and advice to restaurants and food service businesses. (with a little marketing for my brand sprinkled in.) i currently have one freelance writer and myself. i do most of the editing and very little writing.

i am willing to pay per hour for your writing and research time. if anyone is interested email me! or, if you know of someone who might be interested, send them my way.

thanks bunches!

Road Trippin! Final Destination: KC

2008-07-25T09:16:00.004-05:00

the kids and i survived the first half of our trip down to KC. the dvd players we borrowed from a friend were an absolute life saver! i'm not sure what we would have done without them. wait, i know...i would have been driven absolutely nuts.

we arrived in des moines last night and had some time to enjoy the pool before bed. of course this morning the kids were up bright and early, even though they went to bed two hours later than normal. enjoyed breakfast and then they were ready for the pool again! i think the theme of this trip will be SWIMMING. this morning i am staying out of the pool and doing "homework". ha. i'm suppose to be doing homework but i am blogging and photo uploading and facebooking instead. i'm really going to regret it tonight and tomorrow night when i am cramming to finish two papers!

here she is!

2008-07-24T22:43:00.004-05:00

meet my newest niece!

i now have three nephews and three nieces! (from two sisters) crazy!

MaKenna Joy

2008-07-24T13:11:00.005-05:00

sis had her baby! i told her i was sorry i won't be able to make it to the hospital but made plans to go up and visit her on monday. she sounded like she was okay with that, but we'll see. i also ordered this to be delivered to her in the hospital:

hopefully that helps to redeem me.

family matters part 2

2008-07-24T08:13:00.005-05:00

so, i got a phone call from my mom this morning. my sister's water broke and she is on her way to the hospital. so...the kids and i are leaving town after work tonight for a long weekend trip to kansas city. which means i won't be here when the baby is born. which means i won't be able to visit them in the hospital. ugh. i had a strong feeling this was going to happen.

family matters

2008-07-20T20:59:00.002-05:00

i haven't spoken to my father in over two years. it wasn't so much a concious decision at first, it was more a matter of self-preservation.

my parents divorced when i was very young. my father has always been an alcoholic. i have always been the peacemaker. i shielded my younger sisters and even my mom from as much as i could. in my teenage years, i moved in with my dad. i was always the "favorite". being the favorite meant that i was the one who got to pick my dad up from the law enforcement center when he got picked up for a dwi. being the favorite meant i got to sober cab for my dad when he was too drunk to drive. being the favorite meant i got to carry him into the house and make sure he didn't drown in his own vomit or burn down the house when falling asleep with a cigarette in his mouth. being the favorite meant visiting him in jail and bringing him money. being the favorite sucked.

during most of our lives, my two younger sisters kept their distance from dad. they ignored his calls and refused his requests. i was always the one who talked to him multiple times a day and did pretty much whatever he asked. i envied that my sisters could so effectively keep him out of their lives. i had a huge guilt factor that let me become a door mat to him. the burden of stress it put on my life and my relationships was enormous. there was rarely a day that passed where i wasn't sick over something i had to do for him.

around the time of my divorce there came a breaking point. i needed to keep my strength for myself and for my children. i couldn't be his "handler" anymore. and when he asked me to "loan" him a large sum of money i finally snapped. i stopped taking his calls and answering his requests. i slowly cut him out of my life. and while at times i felt guilty, most of the time i marveled at the burden of stress that was lifted from my shoulders.

fast forward to a few weeks ago. one of my sisters called me to say that my dad had been diagnosed with liver disease. the doctors said he will only have about a year to live if he doesn't quit drinking. one of my sisters decided to stage an intervention with my alcoholic father. for a lot of reasons, i decided not to attend and pushed it out of my mind.

about a week before the intervention was to occur, my brother-in-law sent me some text messages designed to make me feel guilty for not going. basically telling me that if i don't go, i don't love my family. i was furious and did not answer his messages, nor did i attend the intervention. i couldn't believe the audacity of him trying to make me feel shitty about this. where was he, where was my sister, when i was going though years of hell with my dad? did i try to make any of them feel guilty for their choice to stay removed from my father's life for all of those years while i shouldered the responsibility on my own? no. because i figured it was my choice. just as the choice to stay out of it was theirs.

my brother-in-laws messages begged me to go for my sister, if nothing else. but the thing is, i knew it wouldn't be the healthy thing for me to do for ME or my kids. and i figured it was about high time i do something for ME for once.

i am writing about this now because this same sister and brother-in-law are having a baby any day now. and they are basically not speaking to me. i thought we had a bit of a breakthrough a few weeks ago, but apparently not. my sister used to call me once in a while and now my phone is silent. i left her a phone message a while ago and she hasn't called back. i left messages on their facebook pages and have gotten no response. i am really hurt by all of this and am at a loss about what to do. there are so many times over the years i could have been angry with them for not helping me but i never was. the unfairness of it all truly astounds me.

and though i am not generally one to say i told you so, the intervention with my father was short-lived. they talked him into treatment where he stayed for two days before calling someone to pick him up. from what i hear, he is back to drinking heavily again. i have no doubt that he will pass away within a year. and while it hurts to think of it, i feel like he was dead to me a long time ago.

argh!

2008-07-16T22:55:00.003-05:00

so...the school thing is kinda sorta killing me this session. i hardly have time to breathe! the housework is behind, the laundry is piling up, the dishes need to be done, i haven't been to the gym in almost a week...and on and on and on!

my instructor this session is a lot harder on us. expects a lot more. i am putting in a lot more hours. consequently i will probably learn more from her. but right now it's hard finding a good balance between home-work-school.

work has been a bit stressful. there have been some rumblings about my place of employment closing by the end of the year. i'm hoping it's just rumors, but i honestly don't feel it's out of the realm of possibility. and neither do my co-workers. i'm not going to panic about it, there isn't much i can do. just continue to work my ass off and hope that sales come in, even though restaurants are struggling and they are my main customers.

finally had a chance to take a breather and get a bit caught up tonight, hope all is well with everyone!

hello

2008-07-10T21:30:00.002-05:00

i'm super sick of everything online-related (thanks online mba program!) but wanted to say hi. so, hi all!

freedom rocks!

2008-06-30T22:21:00.005-05:00

today marked the first day of my week long vacation. i don't remember the last time i took vacation like this...usually the only time i get time off is to care for sick kids!

i didn't waste a second of this day. i was actually up EARLIER than normal! i got the kids off to their daycares and headed for target...LOVE target. i was there at 8:30 and they were OPEN! after a few more stores and dollars later, and i headed home to begin my organization projects. i tackled kolby's room first. it took a bit longer than i had anticipated, but it's looking good!

i managed to get a few other odds and ends done, including planting grass seed in the front yard. AGAIN. damn dog. i also took my darling doggy to the vet today. set me back $75! just as much or more than when i take the kids to the doctor!

i joined a local 24 hour fitness place today. joined today but didn't get a chance to USE it today. ugh. i am going to make use of it tomorrow though! my original plan was to purchase an elliptical machine but was talked into trying this first. it is within biking distance of home, which is nice. now i just need to find the time to go! i am trying this for a month. if it doesn't work out it's back to elliptical shopping for me.

my list for the next couple of days is probably way to extensive. but i'm still going to do my best to tackle it. it feels so good to get some of these things done! then wednesday night the kids and i are heading to my mom's until the 4th. going to mom's is always relaxing for me. mostly cuz they help out with the kids, and they let me sleep in!!! : )

i could never be a stay at home mom. i love my work and the challenges it brings. but...right now; FREEDOM ROCKS!!!

how she sleeps...

2008-06-28T22:21:00.001-05:00

yes, she was really sleeping like this!

busy, busy, busy...

2008-06-23T23:18:00.002-05:00

starting class two today! no real breaks in store, classes run in 8 week sessions one after the other! but we do get a week off over the 4th of july, which i found pleasantly surprising!

hope all are having a wonderful summer, i've been trying to keep up reading your blogs but haven't done well writing on mine!

cheers!

plane story

2008-06-14T23:14:00.005-05:00

sunday night i flew to chicago for work. our flight was due to leave at 7:00/board at 6:40. we arrived at the airport in record time, made it through security, and sat down to grab dinner before our flight. we ordered our food at around 6:00. there wasn't much that looked great on the menu, but I ordered a fajita quesedilla. we figured the restaurant would be fairly quick, they are in an airport, for eff sakes! 10 minutes after ordering my bosses' food arrived, and the waitress informed me that mine was 5th back in the food line. shit. 10 minutes later (and 10 minutes before we needed to leave for our flight) my food arrived. i literally SCARFED it and we RAN for our plane, on a concourse about as far away as it could possibly be from our chosen restaurant.

upon arrival at our gate, we learned that our plane was being delayed due to a mechanical problem. great. my gross quesedilla was a lump of cheese and tortilla in my stomach from our sprint to the gate. and our plane is faulty. wonderful.

our delay ended up being only about a half an hour, and we were allowed to board the plane. i sat in an aisle seat, a younger guy in the middle next to me and an older guy next to the window.

the flight was bumpy, and i was sick to my stomach the entire time. i couldn't even read. i sat back and took deep, even breaths. about an hour and a half into it, we learned that we were flying into a very intense thunderstorm. we had to circle to detroit and back into chicago. this would extend our flight an hour. i thought i would die then and there. i had been hanging in there knowing it was just about over. i had no idea how i would make another hour.

about 40 more minutes of deep breaths and the real scare started. the pilot announced that everyone should make sure their seat-belts were fastened tightly. lightening was lighting up the sky all around our plane. the plan started some pretty rough drops, worse than any roller coaster you could imagine. i didn't think we were going to land.

10 minutes before our arrival, i was scrambling around in the seat pocket, frantically search out an air sickness bag. i clued in my poor seat neighbor and he joined the search. bags were nowhere to be found. the poor young guy started rubbing my back and telling me "it's okay, we're almost there." poor guy. i wanted so badly to hold it in, for him if for nothing else. but alas, it was all too much. i leaned forward and wretched into my hands.

the poor guy next to me kept telling me it was okay. he dug though my purse for me to find tissues and wet wipes. he made me laugh by saying he had two little ones at home and was used to puke. thank God i sat next to such a nice guy. if it was me in his position i probably would have lept out of the seat and gotten about as far away as possible.

funny, after i got done puking and had both hands full. (eeew) the guy across the aisle from me found two bags and set them in front of me. here i am, handless, trying to grab the bag with my mouth...i'm sure i was quite the sight.

the flight home had it's issues as well but i managed to hold in my oookies.

hopefully that was the last (as well as the first) time i will puke on a plane!