400th POST! and Paint Angst

According to Blogger, this is my 400th post! Woot! Can't believe it! Although, content importance wise, this is probably only about my 100th post. I'm not the most relevant writer to the world - most of my writing has to do with me and mine, rather than the state of affairs in the world or rants about the frickin' media being so yakity-yak about Michelle Obama's fashion sense, but practically ignore the fact that she's one smart cookie and has made many decisions and changes at the White House that are soooooo relevant to the financial mess we're in right now (my favorite: the White House vegetable garden)! But don't get me started on that. I'll blow a gasket. I have to turn off the stupid news anytime someone starts gushing about her clothes and acts like that's all there is to her.....ARRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Now I'm all batty thinking about it. I'll just stop now.

The rest of this post will be dedicated to the bedrooms of the new house, and the heart attack I had over the weekend regarding the price of paint. Ai yi yi! Yes, the landlord is going to reimburse me, but DAMN paint is expensive! I'm looking at about a $200-$300 investment, and that's just for the low end stuff. But paint is a necessity. This house is ugly, and I will go batshit insane (to steal a phrase from Suze) if I have to sit in my living room and stare at shit-brown walls. (Upon close inspection of the walls over the weekend, I've decided they aren't pretty enough to be chocolate brown. Instead, it looks like shiny poo has been smeared all over the place. I refuse to sit and look at poo all day!) So, since the investment is more than I thought it would be, instead I'm painting the whole house one color and all the trim a bright white, then as I have money I'll add the accent walls in one room at a time. It won't be as pretty in the meantime, but I'll be there two years. I think I'll live. Besides, even the one color I choose to paint it will be soooo much better than poo. I don't like feeling like I'm sitting on the inside of a dirty diaper.

Anyhoo, here's pics of the smallest bedroom, which will act as our office/music room/playroom/guest room, as the need arises. Normally, I would like this pretty shade of yellow; however, it is too yellow for the tone of the rest of the house, so it will be painted over, as well.

Bathroom & Hallway

Here's the teensy little hallway area and pics of the teeny tiny bathroom. At least the floor in here is ceramic tile put in within the last year, and it matches the color scheme I'm going for in the whole house. My shower curtain is beige with itty bitty little palm trees on it (and the occassional monkey), and my bath rug is a light beige. Since the palm trees have a nice neutral green in them, the bathroom will have green accents to make the beige/tan/whatever neutral color I pick walls and white trim "pop". Oh, and in the picture where Jamie is lurking outside the door, you can see what pitiful shape the bathroom door is in. All the interior doors in the house are like that. They all need to be replaced.

The hallway will probably be a slightly lighter shade of whatever color goes in the bathroom, (since the hallway is so small), well.... maybe. That one wall between the doors to my room and Jamie's room is crying out for some artwork, pictures of Jamie, maybe a tall bookshelf, SOMETHING right there. It's such a natural focal point that I want to take advantage of it. I only have the one picture of the hallway; it was so teensy, I didn't see much point in getting it from several angles. It's basically just big enough to turn around in and decide which door you want to enter.

Kitchen/Dining Room

So, the kitchen/dining room has a lot of potential, but it also needs some work. Luckily, the creamy yellow countertops will work with my "theme" for the kitchen (blue/white plates, yellow and beige accents). Also luckily, my side-by-side frige will fit in the designated frige space (whew!). Paint and putting drawer pulls and door knobs on the cabinets will help a bunch in this room. And that paneled wall has got to be painted! I'll be taking down the lateral blinds from the back sliding glass door and the blinds from the window above the sink. I'm torn between my light blocking curtains or installing some of that super-duper dark window film and not putting any curtains up at all back there. I know for a fact that, even at night, you can't see inside that tint stuff, and it does a great job of keeping out the heat and UV rays. I've also got an insulated doggie door panel and brace I'll be installing on the back door. I'm SOOOOO tired of having to let the dogs in and out! Also, you can't tell very well in the pictures, but at some point in time they apparently had a leak under the bathroom sink, so they had to cut out a large square from the paneled wall. It's being held in place with packing tape! That definitely needs fixing! Also, if I can find some cheap, the whole house would look better with some plain crown molding up by the ceiling. Don't you think so?

The Living Room

We begin with the living room. Note that the walls currently look like they've been Hersheyed. Great in your food; awful on your living room walls.

Note how the high gloss (supposed-to-be-exterior) paint reflects the light on the walls. Not only does the dark color make the room feel tinier than it already is, but the high gloss makes every single imperfection and nail hole stand out. It also shows the fine layer of dust and dirt on the walls, and where other people have swiped their fingers through it. Furthermore, the warm undertones of the paint do not really go well with the cool undertones of the carpet. At least, I don't think so.

My couch and reclining loveseat set is oatmeal colored, maybe only a couple of shades lighter than the carpet. The other furniture (TV stand, media tower, end table) is black. The light-blocking curtains (a necessity with South Texas sunshine) are a dark red. I have accent pillows and a throw afghan on the couch that pick up the deep red color. I'm also planning to get a large floor carpet that picks up the red and black with various shades of browns in it, as well. I'm thinking the walls in here should be a creme color to make the room lighter and seem bigger. Should I do an accent wall in this room, since it's so small, or would the red curtains and pillows/accessories be enough to make it "pop" in such a small room. It's so tiny, I'm afraid an accent wall (or two) might overwhelm the room a bit.

I appreciate the comments on the last post. Really. Please don't be afraid to tell me your opinion. I don't expect expert advice, just gut feelings would be great. So please, give me your "two cents worth" on this room. Accent wall, yea or nay? Would it overwhelm the room or make it look fantastic? Opinions on wall colors, throw rugs, and your great Aunt Myrtle's secret recipe you had last night for dinner would all be welcome. Thanks!

Makin' Pretties (and Reader Opinion Poll)

The realty company gave me the key code to the house and have agreed to let me start painting the interior of the house before we move in, and will pay for 1/2 the cost of the paint. I took a bunch of "before" pictures when we went by the house today. Tomorrow we go look at paint and make final selections. When I get the opportunity, I'll post the pics we took tonight. I can't post them now, because I don't have a card reader here at home. I'll try to go to work early tomorrow so I can post them.

Now, here's a question for all my faithful readers:

I'm leaning toward natural tones, like beiges, cremes, sage, brown, etc. Jamie and I have a debate going right now on whether we should paint each room in different colors that complement each other(which looks really lovely but can get expensive), or if we should paint the whole house all the same wall and trim colors, then paint two walls in each room an accent color (which all happen to complement each other and look really lovely, but winds up being less expensive). So tell me your thoughts. What do you think we should do?

MOVING!

We got the house! Can start moving in stuff the last weekend of this month. Pray that someone else rents my old house before my lease is up so I don't have to pay rent on two houses at the same time. Also pray for me to have the energy to get the old house cleaned up and stuff packed where we can allow the realtor to start showing it by June 15!

Moving!?!?

My lease is up July 31. I've been panicking about what I should do, because it's a bit early to start looking for a new rental, but if I wait until closer to when the lease is up, there will be NO. HOUSES. AVAILABLE. That's when EVERYONE and their Aunt Patricia moves, so every house will be taken.

Before you ask, "Why don't you just stay in your current house?" The answer is, it's too big for two people and two dogs, I'm throwing away money in many ways by renting this house: heating/air conditioning such a large space (even with vents closed in the rooms we don't use), paying rent for 1600 sq. ft. of house when we'll do just fine with about half that, the unused rooms, the huge task of cleaning so much space... you get the idea. It's wasted money. Sure, it's great to have an extra bedroom and bed when you have company come, but - barring tragic family circumstances and the sorting out of boucoup crap due to said family tragedy - we typically don't need two extra bedrooms. We have a couch that folds out into a double bed, and we also now have an air mattress, so we should be able to keep company fairly comfy with less than four bedrooms.

Anyway, a house came up for rent down the street from Jamie's elementary school (which also happens to be really close to 95% of his friends). And the rent is $225 cheaper a month than I'm currently paying. But, there's all kinds of people with appointments to go look at the house on Saturday and Sunday. So, I scootched to the head of the line by asking to see it today, right after work. The lady brought the application with her, and after looking over the house top to bottom and making notes of many many things that need some TLC and attention... I filled out the application.

It is almost half the size of the house we currently rent - 3 BR, 1 BA, 1 car garage, 894 sq. feet. The rooms are tiny, the previous tenants scribbled all over the doors with Sharpies, punched holes in the doors, took doors off hinges, and for some unknown reason painted the living room chocolate brown. It looks like somebody poured old Hershey's syrup all over the walls and let it dry there. I love chocolate, but not chocolate-looking walls. The fence needs repairing in several sections, the carpet is trashed in part of the house, the closets have those awful metal bifolding doors with the funky slats on them, the yard has barely any grass, they left DEER ANTLERS in the back yard, for goodness sakes! This house was darn near pitiful.

But. BUT! It has potential. Yes, it's small. But that means that the insulated curtains will work better at keeping out the heat, and the a/c and heating will be less expensive. The rent is MUCH less expensive. A new coat of paint, steam cleaned carpeting, and some new tile in the kitchen will go a long way to make the house cute. Plus, the owner has agreed to consider a 2 year lease, which means she can't jack the rent up on me next year, and it's near 95% of Jamie's friends, still less than 5 minutes from my work, and is just down the street from a public park with basketball goals and a baseball diamond on one side, and his elementary school on the other. True, he won't be actually attending this elementary school next year, but he can still go up there and play on the playground and the soccer field. And the street dead-ends at the park, so there is very little traffic. And, it has some really large, nice shade trees in the front and back, where my current house does not have any shade in the front, and weirdly placed shade in the back.

One big drawback about moving now is that I'll be (temporarily) paying rent on TWO houses, because I can't break my lease. They are way more strict about it down here than they are in back home. But, my current rental company will waive the remaining two months on my lease if someone else rents the house before my rental term is up. If I've already paid that month's rent, they'll give me a prorated rebate. And, by moving during summer, it increases the chances that someone else WILL rent the house before my term is up at the end of July.

So, I went ahead and gave my current company notice that I am not renewing the lease and will be vacating the property before the term is up. I also told them that the house will be ready to show to prospective renters by June 15. This presents a bit of a problem, though, as the house is a. freaking. mess. This semester kicked my butt, so the house looks like crap. I need to do some major trash hauling, and some series going over what I have. See, if we're moving to a house half the size of this one, I have a lot of stuff to get rid of. I'm thinking garage sale, a LARGE garage sale!

Do Re Mi Me me meme

I cheerfully stole this meme from Suze, but I have also seen it circulating via e-mail with my other Internet "family." If you like it, consider yourself tagged.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know of. My parents needed another "J" name for a female, and needed a "D" name for the middle name so that all the kids would have the initials "JDH" - so Jennifer Dawn it was.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? last night

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay. It can get sloppy, though.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey breast.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, I have three boys, Jamie, Ziggy and Buddy. Only one is my biological child. Guess which one?

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably not. I'm a little psycho sometimes.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Ummm.... Yeah!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not even if you offered me a million dollars.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Generic maple and brown sugar frosted bite-sized wheat cereal.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Never

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically or mentally? I think so, or at least, I hope so.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Ben and Jerry's Dublin Mudslide.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes.

15. RED OR PINK? Depends on what mood I'm in.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my temper.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my mom

18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? black soccer slides

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? banana

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The scanning electron microscope pumping down

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? purple

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? fresh brewed coffee

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my brother

24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Absitively posolutely

25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? soccer, figure skating.

26. Hair Color? brown, black, red and gray.

27. EYE COLOR? blue/gray/green, depending on my mood

28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no way

29. FAVORITE FOOD? California roll sushi

30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings

31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Kim Possible: So the Drama (I was watching it with Jamie)

32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? bright green

33. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter!

34. HUGS OR KISSES? I'll take either

35. FAVORITE DESSERT? cheesecake

36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? words

40. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Nothing

41. FAVORITE SOUND? Jamie's giggle

42. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? both

43. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? San Antonio, Tx

44. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I've got a few.

45. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Defiance, Ohio

Graduation Plans

I've been thinking a lot about graduation (obviously, otherwise why would I have put a graduation day countdown calendar on my blog?). My original plans for graduation weekend was that Jamie and I would drive or fly up, spend Friday night in a hotel, go to graduation Saturday morning, go out to eat to celebrate, then go home. But then I got thinking. Jamie can't stay with me when it's time to line up. He can't sit with me with the graduates. He'd have to sit in the stands and wait for me. From everything I've read on the school's website, the stands are pretty large. I don't know anybody there, and I don't want Jamie sitting by himself.

At one time, it was important to me for Jamie to see me graduate. It was important for him to see all my hard work pay off. It still is important, but Jamie's safety is more important. So now I think we aren't going to attend the graduation ceremony. We can take the money we would have used for gas, food and hotel, and instead do something together to celebrate that weekend. I'm still hoping we can go to Disney World to celebrate - I just don't know what to do about the dogs. The main problem is not Ziggy, but Buddy. I'll think on this more, and get back to you.

My Mother's Day...

…was not exactly the best day I’ve ever had.  Through convoluted circumstances, we wound up having a friend of Jamie’s spend the night Saturday night.  We all stayed up way too late watching cartoons and such and playing Monopoly, so I wanted to sleep in Sunday morning.  Unfortunately, instead, I got this about every 10-15 minutes:

§  “Mom, can Jackson and I eat ____________?”

§  “Mom, can Jackson and I go outside and play with ______________?”

§  “Mom, can Jackson and I play with _________________ in the living room?”

§  “Oh, sorry, happy mother’s day, and can Jackson and I watch __________________?”

§  “I’m hungry, can I fix ________________?”

 

Over and over again, in an endless loop, starting at 7:00 a.m. After the fifth or sixth time of him waking me up, I sat up, grabbed one of the many pillows next to the bed and threw it at him.  After that, he got the hint and left me alone until I was ready to get up on my own.  I mean, for Pete’s sake, they’re 11!  They should know how to keep themselves entertained and not keep waking me up for permission for things that they know perfectly well if it is or is not okay to do while I’m sleeping (food is always okay, playing with toys quietly or watching approved TV channels in the living room are perfectly okay while I am sleeping, while going outside is definitely NOT okay if I’m asleep.  Jamie knows this.  So I woke up grumpy.

 

Then, we took Jackson home and headed for Starbucks for a little treat to celebrate the day.  We were supposed to go out to eat to Jamie’s favorite place (Incredible’s Pizza, which has a giant game room and go-karts, putt-putt golf, skeeball, bowling, etc.), but my professor was supposed to post my exam yesterday, and I really wanted to get it done over the weekend so I wouldn’t be mentally fatigued from work before starting the test.  So we waited around all dang day… and waited…. And waited…. No exam. 

 

Around 8 p.m., I decided that – hungry or not – Jamie needed to eat some supper.  We both go into the kitchen, and while I’m digging around for something to fix out of the freezer, Jamie moans a little bit, then projectile vomits all over me.  Nice.

 

I get him (and me) cleaned up, then I run to the store for Gatorade, Sprite, crackers and soup.  Get home, fix him some good old chicken noodle and crackers, then get him settled into bed.  Check the computer, STILL NO EXAM. 

 

By this time, I’m tired, cranky, and too darn tired to take the exam anyway, so I get ready for bed.  Get e-mail notification on my phone (that wakes me up) that the exam was finally posted – at 11:30 at night!  Then I get teed off, because this creates an unfair advantage for the students who don’t work full-time, because they effectively get more time to finish the exam than those of us who do have kids, families and full-time jobs (and there are quite a few of us in that class).  I go back to bed, but I’m so mad about the test situation that I toss and turn for a while before I can go back to sleep.

 

So, my mother’s day wasn’t spectacular, but at least I got to spend it with my kid (sick or not).

The Concert

As promised, Jamie's concert (in three parts - because I goofed up and hit the "stop" button)






Hope you enjoy! Jamie is planning on sticking with the violin and looks forward to having Mr. Prado as his orchestra teacher in middle school next year. As Jamie says, "Yay! I get to be an 'orch dork' next year!"

Mountain Dew Throwback

I am a self-professed caffeine junkie. I have to have two HUGE cups of coffee in the morning before I can even start getting ready for work. I’ve been a good girl and made myself drink more water of late, but IMHO, if it isn’t caffeinated, then I have no use for it (unless we’re talking alcohol; that’s a whole different ballgame, folks!). But there comes a quandary. I love caffeine, but hate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). So, imagine my utmost delight when I went to the store the other day and found 20 oz. bottles of –

It’s Mountain Dew, but it is made with natural sugar instead of HFCS. To me, it tastes so much better than regular Mountain Dew with HCFS. I did some Internet research, and discovered that this stuff just came out mid-April. The sad thing is, there hasn’t been much news about how long it will be available for purchase, nor in what quantities. So far, I’ve only been able to find it in 20 oz bottles. If I could find it in cans or 2 liters, I’d stock up. But it’s a bit cost prohibitive for me to keep buying 20 oz bottles that cost more than a 2 liter bottle would. So if any of you spot this product in cans or 2 liters, drop me a line to tell me where you found it and in what sizes, so I can go haunt my local store and beg them to get some!

Oh, and for those of you who hate HFCS but don’t like Mountain Dew, there’s also Pepsi Throwback, using natural sugar. Enjoy!

LOL

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Insomnia

I've been well acquained with the wee hours of the morning my whole life. My mother used to tell stories about how, as a baby, I never wanted to go to sleep - my little motor just kept on going, wouldn't sit still, couldn't go to sleep, my eyes would be droopy, I'd be cranky as hell, but I just would NOT (or was it COULD NOT?) go to sleep, so Mom would have to "spank" me to make me cry so I would finally, FINALLY cry myself to sleep. (By "spank", I mean she basically just swatted me on the butt once just loud enough to make a noise that scared me and hurt my feelings, then I would cry myself to sleep). This means I figure I've been an insomniac my whole life.

The most insidious, horrible thing about insomnia, surprisingly, seems to me to not be the actual lack of sleep. For the most part, I feel better after 2 or 3 hours of sleep than I do after 8 straight. True, eventually my body crashes and just has to get more sleep, but - for the most part - the lack of actual sleeping hours isn't what makes insomnia suck so bad. It's the doubt, the self-recriminations at 3 a.m. that come slinking into my room to torment me. In the bright light of day, I'm fairly able to put one foot in front of the other and not stress too much about past, stupid mistakes. At three a.m., though, every mistake I ever made, all the way back to when I was in elementary school, comes to perch on the side of my bed and tell me what a dumbass I am. "You broke up with so-and-so, and now you're all alone. What if he was supposed to be the one, and YOU screwed it up? I mean, look at you, when's the last time you were on an actual date?" is a familiar refrain. As is, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you actually think you can be a good mother when you can't even manage to do the dishes consistently every night?" is another. I even get flogged for stupid or mean things I said to my sister and mother as a child, things I never meant in a million years, idle childish threats and spewage that - if only I'd known how quickly they'd be gone - I never would have said or done. So I go back over (and over and over and over) these same mistakes, wondering if they ever forgave me. And of course, it's too late to ask them now. Yet in the light of day, these are not thoughts I would normally have. I get so tired of my own thoughts, mistakes and what-ifs that I grab a book and dive in, struggling to block out all those voices in the wee hours until finally, FINALLY, at 4 or 5 a.m. the book slips out of my hands and I fall asleep, only to have to get up 2 hours later.

I sometimes don't know whether I should laugh or cry when I come to work and all I hear from coworkers is "Gee, you look tired." No, I'm not tired. I wish that's all it was. I'm drained. I'd give anything to only be tired for once. I'll take tired over being sucked dry from things I said or did eons ago anyday. At least you can do something about being tired.

Last Night's Concert

Jamie's strings concert last night was great. Not only was his group performing, but ALL the strings students from 43 schools were performing! This consisted of about half of his school district. So imagine a gymnasium filled with more than 1,300 orchestra students, and that's what I heard last night. Performing were 5th grade string students from 20-some elementary schools, 12 middle school orchestras, and 5 high school orchestras. The high schoolers started us off with "The Star Spangled Banner." Then the 5th graders got to perform "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music and "All That Jazz" from Chicago. The evening's theme was "Broadway;" every school performed at least one song from a Broadway musical. In addition to the aforementioned musicals, we heard selections from The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, and Phantom of the Opera. Phantom was the finale performed together by all five high schools (one of which was the districts performing arts magnet school). It was a medley of the more popular songs. What was neat about it was that about halfway through, the middle school bands joined in on "Music of the Night," then the last 25 bars, the 5th graders joined in, as well. There's something pretty powerful about hearing 1,300+ musicians play together that'll give you goosebumps everytime.

Unfortunately, a transportation snafu meant that, at the last minute, I had to get Jamie from the house and go pick up another student and rush them over to the concert. I didn't have time to find my digital camera to record the concert. However, I was able to catch some of the 5th graders' performance on my cell phone camera. As luck would have it, I chose exactly the perfect spot to sit, as I was almost directly across the aisle from where Jamie wound up sitting, so at least you can see him. The bad thing, though, is that for some reason my camera recorded the video sideways and I can't figure out how to rotate it, the sound quality stinks and seems to be a bit faster than the video, and the memory ran out before I could get any of the rest of the concert. Naturally, after I got home from the concert I found the good camera right away (figures). I plan on recording Jamie playing solo sometime this weekend and posting it for you.

For now, here's the less-than-stellar video from last night.

Family

A lot of times, I feel like the odd man out when it comes to family. Both my mother and my father came from fairly large, close-knit families. Dad had a gazillion siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. My mom had only two siblings, but a lot of cousins, aunts, uncles and multiple generations living within a few miles of each other. It was only natural that they all would be close. However, when my siblings and I were small, we lived hundreds (if not more than a thousand) miles from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sure, once a year each side of the family would hold reunions our parents would drag us to, but for the most part, my brother and I stayed pretty much to ourselves. Jodi was always game to play with cousins and chat with extended generations, but she had the benefit of being older and having had more time to get to know them. Once she died, Joel and I were pretty much the weirdos in the family and preferred to stay away from everyone else, unless forced by one or the other parent to "make nice" and visit. At least, I'm pretty sure Joel felt the same way I did, but since I'm not a mind reader, I won't pretend to speak for him, and the rest of this post is about me and my thoughts only.

When Jodi got sick, we moved closer to Mom's family and most of Dad's relations. It just so happened that University of Kentucky Med Center was one of three hospitals in the country at that time who were willing to conduct this "experimental" treatment called a bone marrow transplant for people with leukemia. This meant Dad's insurance wouldn't pay for it, though, which also meant we had to find a way to raise the money to pay for it. I don't know exact figures, but I do know Mom paid on that surgery for YEARS after Jodi died.

Our moving got us closer physically to Mom's family, but not emotionally. Mom's parenting style was vastly different from everyone else's - plus, she was wrapped up in trying to get Jodi well, so she didn't really have time to take us to each relative's house for visits. Pretty much we saw family at the yearly reunions, occassional brief visits when they'd come to the house or the hospital, and then again at Jodi's funeral. The only exception to this was my mom's mom, Granny, who stayed with us during the day so Mom could spend a lot of time at the hospital with Jodi, and later Granny stayed with Joel while I was also in the hospital donating the bone marrow. But Granny was more of the "children should be seen, not heard, and ask no questions" variety. This was in direct opposition to what my mom believed.

After Jodi died, and my parents split up, we didn't see much of family because Mom - understandably - was often working her butt off to keep us fed and a roof over our heads. When Mom was home, she was generally too tired to go driving all over the country to visit family. So this meant we grew up with limited contact with our families. Yeah, we knew (pretty much) everyone's names and the general area where they lived. We knew (basically) their "begats" (Gordon begat Gordie, Randy, Danny, etc.; Dean begat Deanna, Tonya, etc.) and who was married to whom, but that was the end of it for most of them. No knowledge really of their religious beliefs, political stance (other than that the older half were conservatives, and the younger ones were uber-liberal) - no real sense of who they WERE. Hell, I didn't even know until AFTER my son was three years old that my Uncle Dean (one of the few I had gotten to spend some time with and liked) was actually my Godfather as well as my uncle.

I feel bad for Jamie that I'm the only (biological) family he really knows, although he loves his Uncle Joel an awful lot. He yearns to know more about his uncles and aunts. He didn't know he had cousins until 2005, when he met my Uncle Alvin's grandkids on a visit back to Kentucky for my friend Ann's wedding. My ingrained habits of isolationism and stubborn independence (well, mostly) have negatively affected him. For that I am sorry. However, I am grateful to those of you who haven't given up on me and, biological or not, have insisted that we are family and are loved by others. You are wonderful gifts to both me and Jamie. Words cannot express how much you are loved and appreciated.

School

My OFFICIAL graduation date is December 19, 2009! Yippeeeee!

Just a quick note to let you know recent developments. Only ~4 more weeks of school left. Currently, I'm borderline between A's and B's in the grades department in all my classes. These should go up once I turn in my papers and such that are due in the next few weeks. Also, I recently got official word that my requirement that 30 of the last 36 hours be at TWU has been waived. This means I can take two required classes at San Antonio College this summer, and four this fall at TWU, then I'm DONE! Woo hoo! Now the only question is what the hell to DO with my degree in the current job market, and how long I should wait before starting up my Master's degree. I guess before I do that, though, I should decide what graduate degree program I'm interested in! Decisions, decisions!

In Jamie's school news, he has about two months of school left, and is trucking right along. We turned in his class choice slips for the media magnet school today. Since we haven't heard from the rocket science magnet school, we're assuming he didn't get in. That's okay, though; he can always reapply next year. No big deal. Both magnet schools are housed in the same campus (and even share some of the required pre-requisite classes), so it won't be difficult to transfer later. Jamie took his math standardized test last week, and is confident he did well. He has only one standardized test left; he'll be taking his science test at the end of this month.

Brief Update

Once again, I'm in a hurry and don't really have time for an in-depth post, but I want to bring my loyal readers (all 10 of you) up to speed on what's going on in S.A. So here goes:

1. Becca, Tom and Christopher arrived late Saturday night/early Sunday morning after a long drive and a few mishaps along the way. I'm SOOOOO excited to see Becca! It's been something like 13 years since we last saw each other!
2. Jamie and Christopher are getting along great, and got to have a premature Easter egg hunt in the back yard on Sunday. This allowed the kids to have fun and the adults that had been driving for two days to unwind.
3. My degree plan at TWU now officially states that I am 12 credits shy of graduating. WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. I've been pushing really hard, trying to earn high enough marks in my classes to graduate cum laude, but I don't think it will happen. I think I may be a few points shy, but really close. However, I'm trying not to be disappointed; I think the fact that a single mother working full-time and going to school is graduating at all is cause to celebrate. But there's still this little tiny bit of me that is sad that I won't be able to claim graduation with honors.
5. Jamie got accepted into an interactive media magnet middle school! He had applied to two (both on the same campus) - one dealing mainly with computers and media (graphic design, web page design, student news broadcasts, etc.) and one dealing with science (building and launching rockets, chemistry, aerospace design, etc.). He's really excited, but is eagerly awaiting word from the science magnet school before making a decision. I'm VERY proud of him!
6. Jamie's report card came out this week, and he brought all of his grades back up to his normal range (in one case, this involved raising a grade more than 30 points!) He is more like his old self, and seems to be working through the issues he had with Papaw's death, and the trauma of everything. Did I mention I'm proud of my boy? I did? Well, I'll say it again - I'm proud of my boy!
7. I've scheduled Jamie's appointment to get his braces on for this June. Dad's house is sold, and I have the money now to pay for it all at once (you get a discount). To keep me from spending it, and to allow it to make some money (a very little) in the mean time, I put it into a risk-free CD at my bank to allow it to earn some interest between now and June. Once he gets them on, I'll be sure to post a picture so you guys can see him in all his metal glory. :-)

Okay, it's after midnight and I have to be at work early tomorrow so I can get off work early. I must say good night now!

I'm a Cruel Mommy

I got Jamie good this morning.  It was rather chilly this morning (down in the 40’s) and Jamie was complaining he was soooo cold, so tired, etc. etc.  Seeing as how it is April Fool’s Day, I decided to play a little prank.  I told him that we had a freak snow storm in the middle of the night, and that school was cancelled because the roads were covered.  I think he only believed me because he was still half asleep when I told him this.  The fact that it was freezing cold in the house helped back up my claim.  Jamie jumped up out of bed and ran to the front door to look outside.  Of course, when he opened the door, there was no snow, just a very cool wind.  When I yelled “April Fool’s” he gave me the look.  The one that I’m sure I’ll be seeing much more of as he enters his teenaged years.  This look clearly states, “My mother is a freak, and I am a long-suffering saint for putting up with her shenanigans.”  Seeing as how we’re going to be stuck here for another 2 years or so while Jamie is undergoing his orthodontic treatment, I figured today would be the only chance he has for the wild hope elicited by the words “snow day.”  May today be filled with lots of great, harmless pranks for you and yours.

I'm So Excited! (And I Just Can't Hide It!)

FOUR DAYS until Becca, Tom and CJ get here!  I’m so excited I could pee my pants (literally, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much coffee this morning!).  I haven’t seen Becca since she left for Arizona umpteen billion years ago.  But I’m also in a panic now, as my lofty intentions to clean the house a little bit at a time fell all to Hell, and I’ve got a major exam this week and a paper to write, and an extremely messy house to boot.  But I work best under pressure, so I should have the house at least presentable (and the Christmas tree finally down) by the time they get in late Saturday night.  I’ve been putting in overtime at work, and next week’s a holiday, so I’ve tentatively arranged to take Thursday off as my last vacation day, Friday is a holiday, and my extra hours hopefully will allow me to leave early Monday-Wednesday.  I’m so happy and excited I’m practically bouncing in my seat (this is making my boss look at me funny)!

 

Gotta go!

Mom, ca. 1967

I found this picture of my mother, from March 1967, in my dad's stuff. Mom was stationed down here at Randolph Air Force Base, just a few miles from where I now live. Dad was also stationed there. That's how they met. Let me just say - my mother was a fox! The picture quality is terrible because the original is all faded and had a very pronounced green tinge. I did the best I could with Photoshop to correct it, but it's still really grainy.

Lazy Bones

I'll admit right now that I have been ULTRA lazy this week, and it carried over into the weekend. I had grand plans to take down the Christmas tree, take out the stinky furniture to the curb, clean the house and do a whole bunch of cooking for the next week. Instead, I've read - spy thrillers, cheesy romance novels, cheesy spy thriller romance novels, and generally anything I could get my hands on that I hadn't read yet and interested me even the slightest bit. I also took my spiffy new bike for a long ride with Jamie and a few of his friends yesterday. Best thing about the bike was it was the last one they had, and it was dented in several spots and scratched minorly in others, but still fully functional, so I persuaded a manager to take $20 off the price!

I haven't looked at anything related to school work, other than to keep checking on my degree requirements to see if a bunch of the papers I'd filed for substitutions and waivers had been accepted. I discovered today that they had, with one minor glitch. There was a minor mistake that should be easy to fix, but once that is fixed, I'll only need FOUR classes to finish my degree and graduate in December: a Spanish class (the "D" in my last Spanish class still counted towards my degree, yay!), a class on crime trends in America, a class on juvenile delinquency, and Intro to Criminal Justice. As per usual, I was ornery and took all the advanced courses before I took the introductory course. So, once this semester wraps up, I'll be 12 hours away from graduating. Woo hoo!

Randomness

I'm thoroughly enjoying lolling around this week. It's my spring break, so I have not even cracked open a text book this week. I've just been enjoying stuff as it happens. Staying true to that fashion, here's a bulletted list of random junk that has happened, is about to happen, or flitted its way through my brain this week:

• Received notice (a sign hanging from my house doorknob) that brush/large item trash pick up day is coming soon. Yay! The first items to go out will be the VERY stinky couch and matching armchairs from Dad's house. Currently, they are bestowing their very special perfume on my garage - old beer, stale beer sweat, and dirty dog. Dad slept on his couch, ate on his couch, and even - apparently - peed on his couch once or twice. I'm looking forward to that NOT being in my garage anymore.
• Received a letter yesterday addressed to my father that his application for increased disability benefits from the VA was still being processed, and to have patience. I called them and told them Dad had all the time and patience in the world, seeing as how he was dead and all. The lady I talked to was very apologetic that word didn't trickle through all the departments yet that he died. She was also horrified that the records weren't expunged to weed out all the applications of servicemembers who had died.
• Ziggy got a bath and all his fur shaved off. Poor thing was so dirty and matted it couldn't be saved. Off it went. Now he looks VERY comical. Buddy is next on the bath list, but he won't require shaving as he's got such short hair.
• I think I'm going to buy myself a bike. Nothing fancy, just a single-speed with a wide seat and back-pedal brakes. I want something comfy to ride back and forth to work when it isn't too hot or too cold. I have a very economical car, but I feel so wasteful driving the very short distance between work and home. If I ride a bike, it won't take very long for me to dash home for the car if Jamie gets sick at school or I have to run an errand for work. Plus, this is an easy way to save more money and get in some exercise, too.
• As stated in a recent tweet, my Christmas tree, fully decorated, is still gracing my den. It must come down. I can't stand it any more. It will be accomplished no later than this weekend, I promise it!
• The weather has turned absolutely GORGEOUS! It's in the low 80s to high 70s, the sun is shining, the lilac trees are blooming, I've got some really pretty pink flowers growing along the side of my driveway (have no idea what they are) and all the trees are green and leafy. Spring is here!

MOY/EOY

I nominate myself for BOTH Mother of the Year (MOY) and Employee of the Year (EOY) awards*.  It’s almost 8 p.m. CST, and I’m sitting at work finishing a “rush” report my boss wants out tonight.  Just one thing, I’m sitting here typing in the near-dark so that my son can sleep in peace on the couch across from my desk.  What’s a little eyestrain when you can accomplish being a good mom AND a good employee, when the two often seem to be at cross purposes?

*BTW – Just in case any of you are horrified that I would think something this small actually qualifies me for MOY or EOY, take heart.  I’m kidding.  Maybe just Mom or Employee of the Month.  J

As of 45 Minutes Ago...

I completed my midterm for one class, and the assignments for the other two. So, as of 45 minutes ago, I'm on SPRING BREAK! Tomorrow, I'm taking Jamie to see a double feature of Paul Blart: Mall Cop (if it's still playing) and Race to Witch Mountain. He (and I) was really bummed that I couldn't take any time off work last week on his spring break due to no one being available to cover for me. I'm going to try to make it up to him tomorrow. I'm also planning some surprise activities next week, such as hiking at a park nearby, a trip to the 1/2 price bookstore, and a trip to the railway museum (it even offers train rides).

An odd thing I've noticed, ever since it sank in that - after this semester - I only need five (possibly four, depending on how convincing I can be on the applicability of a prior clss) more classes to complete my major, I've procrastinated even more. I would have thought the opposite would be true and I'd be more motivated, but that has not been the case. I've never denied I'm fairly contrary by nature.

Ch' Ch' Ch' Changes.... and An LOLCat

There've been a lot of changes happening lately to people I care about. Make ups, break ups, shake offs, lay offs, pay cuts, hour cuts, hair cuts, birthdays, mind haze, death, life, and everything else under the sun seems to be happening all at once. I just want you all to know that, while I am crazily mixed up in the goo that got shat (this is my new favorite word) on me in the past couple of months, I do still care, I am still thinking of you, and I am still wishing you all well - I just may not have time to go to the phone/computer and call/e-mail you to tell you so. Consider this notification that you are, indeed, loved. :-)

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Saw this just now and had to post it:


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Driving to Podunk After Work

I’m driving down to Podunk today after work so I can pick up the last few remaining things from Dad’s house that I want/need, and leave the papers on the counter the buyer needs so he can get the lawyer started drawing up the necessary items to revert ownership of the home.  This should be the last trip down there.  It’s both a relief and a burden.  No matter that the house is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a bunch of nosy provincials who refer to the area as “the ranch” and view it as paradise on earth, only to be left for the procurement of food at the grocery store – an hour’s drive away.  Yes, the area is pretty, sort of.  Yes, it’s kind of nice to stand on the banks of the pond and throw food to the catfish.  It’s also nice to wake up early and see the deer gathered around the pond for a drink.  But It’s nicer to not have the worry of it over my head.  To not stress over paying house payments, and keeping vandals out of the house.  And DEFINITELY it’s nice to not have your every movement examined and flocks of people coming over so they can observe you like a damn animal in a zoo there for their viewing pleasure. It’s nice to know that, after I split everything with my son and brother, there will be just about enough left to pay for the orthodontia Jamie desperately needs.  It’s nice to know that I won’t be eating up the gas and putting undue stress on my car to go down there.  It’s also nice to know I live in a neighborhood that is not completely isolated and the breeding ground for rabid ignorance and hatred of all things “different.”  It’s nice to know that it will not take me an hour to get to the nearest movie theater, nor will it take me two hours to reach the nearest museum or cultural event.  It’s nice to know my water is not brown and stinky, and does not turn all my white things the color of dog turds when washed in it.  So long, little house.  It’s been nice knowing you, but it’ll be even nicer to be rid of you.

At the End of a Long, Stressful Day, Do Not...

At the end of a long, stressful day, in which legal problems almost arose, the lawyer you'd already paid too much admits he doesn't know his arse from a hole in the ground, and you vehemently wished the whole world in hell (and the opportunity to dig your da up just to spit on him and bury him again), do not... I repeat, DO NOT:

1. Walk in from work and glug down half of a huge bottle of wine you'd bought to use for making that awesome shrimp scampi recipe you'd come up with (especially not on an empty stomach);
2. Turn the a/c temp control back up near 80 because you figure you're not going to have any extra money for electric bills or whatnot after you get done paying off all your da's creditors;
3. Start cooking said shrimp scampi, with the heat from the stove adding to the humidity and general misery in the house;
4. Nibble on the (cooked) shrimp while you're making the dinner;
5. Glug more wine;
6. Get so mad about everything that you start crying, producing a veritable snot factory to compete with the mucus already being produced due to allergy season.

So, we have heat, alcohol, seafood, and snot. Mix those ingredients for a while, and you wind up yakking a pile on the floor that looks oddly a lot like Fancy Feast - Seafood Feast variety.

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Jamie walks in from playing:

"OMG, Mom, what happened? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

- No baby, the cat got sick on the rug, that's all.

"Ummmm... Mom? We don't have a cat.

(a beat)

"Have you been drinking?"

Dropping (Again) and Other News

I admit defeat. I'm dropping a class. Four classes is just waaaay to many at this point. I feel bad about it, but I'm facing reality. I simply cannot go back to getting too few hours of sleep a night. Even when I am awake, I'm too brain dead to concentrate enough to do homework. So, I'm dropping one of my courses. By some stroke of luck, though, it turns out the class I am most behind in, the one that I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing in, is one I don't need for my major, but thought I did. It seems I got a bit confused and was looking at the requirements for the wrong calendar year. So, I'm going to drop that one.

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In other news:

1. Jamie is having a blast taking tennis lessons from my boss' daughter, Michal. She won't let me pay her anything for it, but I did insist on regularly giving her some gas money. She picks Jamie up from school on Mondays and some Wednesdays and takes him to practice. How on earth did I wind up with a jock for a son? Oh, well, it keeps him in shape and makes him tired enough to sleep at night.
2. I'm making some progress in getting Dad's affairs in order. Joel was a HUGE help to me when he came down for a week. He boxed up everything that looked like it was usable, so all I have to do this weekend is load my car and lug it home. Yay, Joel!
3. The leftovers that we don't want/need, or is obviously trash have presented a bit of a problem. However, we've made a deal with the man who is buying the place. He and I are going to do a walk through on Saturday and come up with a figure of what it would cost him to take care of the junk, the A/C and replace the carpet. That sum will be deducted from what he said he'd pay for the place. This way, it's not coming directly out of my pocket, and we can hurry up and get the sale done. This would be one less thing I have to worry about, so I'm all for it. Joel agrees.
   

Clovis People Tools Found

Reading the news this morning, I came across this article. It seems some 83 ancient artifacts of the Clovis people, dating back 13,000 years, were found in a Boulder, CO, man’s yard. What struck me as interesting is the fact that the blood traces on the tools were identified as belonging to sheep, bears, horses and camels. Wait a minute – bears and sheep I can see, but horses and camels? It’s kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around. Everything I’ve ever read indicates that horses were brought to America by the Spanish, and the only sheep I knew that was native to America was the Bighorn sheep, and the sheep commonly found in America today were (again) brought by the Spanish and later European explorers. Furthermore, camels? Camels? The American Camel became extinct after the Ice Age (the above information came from this site). Stuff like this blows my mind, because it makes me wonder how exactly the land on Earth was situated when the Clovis people were alive. What was it like? How did they hunt and eat? How far did they have to go to find food? What was their family life like?

I’ve always had an interest in archaeology and anthropology. I've always been interested in how cities were built, what tools they used, how societies were constructed - the whole nine yards. I never chose either as a college major though because I figured they weren’t exactly the most in-demand career choice one could make. But, oh, finds like this make me wish I had the money to study in school more for multiple degrees so I could find out more about these people and other past civilizations! I've always said, if I had the money, I would stay in school forever and get degrees in everything. I really would. Now, anyone want to finance that dream? LOL

YES!

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Odds 'n Ends

I don't have time or brain cells to have one long, coherent, related post today, so I'm just going to toss out a bunch of bullet points at you.

• Joel arrives tonight to spend a week helping me out with getting Dad's crap in order. I have managed to sell several items to get them out of the way so we can sell the house and land faster. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is, I had to sell them at waaaay less than I had hoped. I've made just about enough to pay myself back for Joel's plane ticket and Dad's electric bill - both of which I paid out of my own (bare) pockets.
• I came to the realization that the last time I had been on an actual date was back before my son was born. However, I've also come to the realization that that's okay, because I don't have time for a relationship anyway. The longer I'm single, the more I wonder if I would mind so much if I stayed that way for the rest of my life. I've got my boy, I've got my dogs and I have my adopted family and friends whom I all love. I may just be okay with that.
• Work is going okay, I guess. The load has slowed down considerably, but we're still in business, and I still have a job, so that's better than what others are experiencing right now.
• Despite the fact that Jamie is off his ADHD meds completely, he seems to be doing okay in school. One grade has me mad that it's so low, but the others are two A's, a B and a C. I can live with that. At least, as long as the one bad grade comes up.
• We are in the middle of an extreme drought here in South Texas, and that has me worried. Once-thriving lawns are now dirt, ponds and creeks are going dry, and the forecast doesn't give any hope of rain for the foreseeable future.
• Despite the fact that I want the heck out of Texas, I may be stuck here for a while longer. The economy is tanking more and more elsewhere in the country, but here in Texas the economy is actually growing (albeit slowly). Also, Jamie's orthodontist has informed me he needs braces very SOON, and he'll have to wear them for two years. Need to get them soon so that problems with his jaw can be fixed before he gets so old that things can't be reformed. If we do it now, it's a lot less expensive and a lot easier time on Jamie painwise.
• I was determined to get rid of Buddy, Dad's little terrier. Took him back to the lady Dad got him from on Saturday, only for me and Jamie both to burst into tears and realize we made a mistake. We turned around and got him back. She's a professional dog trainer, so she gave me some training tips and advice on how to get Buddy to stop his bad behaviors. There have been some major improvements! I've been assured the biting and nipping problems will disappear with time, patience and treats.
• I'm really behind on my school work. Here mid-term exams are just around the corner, and I couldn't begin to tell you what we've covered so far this semester. I think I'll be happy with B's this semester, and won't stress if I don't have straight-A's. If I tried for that, I think I'd wind up killing myself or having a brain implosion. Not even going to worry about it, as there are too many other things needing my worries right now. :-)

That's all I can think of right now. And now it's time for me to run home and use my lunch break to scrub down the kitchen really good. Hugs and sugars to all.

Speaking of Bad Smells...

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Gack! What is that SMELL?!?!?

I haven't really had the energy to do the things I need to do. The house looks like crap, the dogs are in desperate need of baths and fur trims, etc. etc. I haven't had time to devote as much time as I need to packing up Dad's house and getting it ready to sell back to the original owner. I hadn't been down there in a couple of weeks, so Jamie and I went down there today. As soon as we opened the door, we could smell it. It was disgusting, horrendous, and immediately sent us both into coughing/sneezing/itching fits. It would seem that Dad had stopped a load of laundry in the middle of the cycle, leaving the washer full of water and clothes.... sometime prior to December 26. After nearly two months of being full of water and clothes, with the lid shut.... Can we say "Mold and mildew infestation?" I finished out the load, dumped the clothes into the trash and sealed the bag, then filled up the washer with nothing but water, bleach and pine sol. The house and the washing machine smelled much better after that. But can I just say, there for a while, "EWWWWWWW!"

Flowers for His Valentine

My boss’ college-aged daughter has been giving Jamie tennis lessons for the past couple of weeks.  She also has attention deficit issues, so she understands how to best teach Jamie and keep him engaged.  She’s very sweet and truly enjoys working with kids.  Jamie enjoys the physical activity (since he gave up soccer this season), as well as the chance to work his budding flirting skills on an “older woman.”  Today, when I go pick Jamie up from his lesson, I’ve been instructed to stop by the store first and buy her a bouquet of flowers.  “Not roses or any mushy stuff.  Just something pretty that smells good,” he said.  He wants to present these to her to say “thanks” for teaching him tennis.  Somebody’s going to be conquering hearts left and right when he gets older!

Knitting Update

I've now mastered both the knit and purl stitches. Still have not figured out how to bind off. I'm making a simple dishrag just to practice my stitches. I guess when I've made it big enough to suit me, I'll figure out how to bind off. The great thing about it is - it's a dishcloth. It doesn't matter if it's pretty or not, it will still be functional. Once I finish the dishcloth, I'll probably try my hand at a lap robe of the fuzzy brown yarn. I'll probably just make it really simple knit and purl stitches just to practice.

Jamie has put aside his knitting for a bit. He hasn't had much time to practice between catching up on missed school work, doing his eye exercises on the computer, and helping me pick up the house. Our being sick combined with general laziness and business with school work means the house is a wreck and is in desperate need of a good scrubbing. Jamie says he hopes to get back to his knitting soon. At least this time I'll be able to help him, instead of not having a clue!

Eye Candy

Jamie's BB Bill took the picture below for a photography class he's taking. There are more pics that he'll be sending me, so I'll post them, as well. Bill is a much better photog than I! Or maybe he can get Jamie to pose more willingly for him (plus, Bill lets Jamie wear his cool hats!)

Here's the same picture, except I Photoshopped it some to lighten the shadows so you could see Jamie's face a bit better. I'll post more when Bill sends them to me.

Knitting Needles and Stomach Viruses

Inspired by Tooz' craftiness when she came to visit, I went to Wally World and bought one of those "teach yourself to knit" kits that comes with two sets of knitting needles, an instruction book, and some tools for knitting that I have no clue what they're for yet. Anyhoo, I decided I wanted to learn to knit. I struggled for several days to figure out what the heck the instructions meant (those illustrations look NOTHING like what the yarn in my hands was actually doing), and finally had success! Yay! I then looked over and noticed that Jamie had calmly taken over the second set of knitting needles and taught himself how to cast on, and is in the process of teaching himself how to add rows. So we now have an activity we do together. Which is good, because for the past two days, we've been home together, hibernating and shivering our way through fevers and a stomach virus while the rest of the world is at work and/or school. We sleep for a while, get some fresh OJ and some soup, knit for a little while, go back to sleep for a while, take stomach medicine and fever reducer, then start the cycle over again with a nap. I'm happy to report that we are both now sufficiently recovered to go to work and school tomorrow. Knitting together has been nice, and (although neither of us will win any prizes for what we've started making) plan to keep at it. It's nice to look down at something and be able to say, "Hey, I made this with my very own hands!" It's also been a great confidence booster to Jamie that he was able to figure out quite easily something Mommy had to struggle with!

2/5/09 Update:

As I was leaving for work this morning, I realized I've only just begun to knit (and haven't even started doing it well yet), but I have already started falling prey to a knitting vice. I've already got the beginnings of a stash of yarn. I'm still learning to knit, have no completed projects and no way of completing anything (since I still don't know how to do anything other than a knit stitch and have yet to figure out how to bind off a row), yet I already have two partial skeins left over from Tooz's visit, two small skeins of cotton in a pretty green and white variation (got on sale for $1 each!), a full skein of a deep teal yarn made from recycled soda bottles, two skeins of a nice chunky yarn in a rich brown variegation, and Jamie insisted on his own skein of a bright bright BRIGHT red. Oh well, at least this gives me lots of options of what yarn I want to mess up by continuously knitting and frogging it!

Monday Eye Candy

Normally, I wait until Fridays to put up pictures of my boy. But seeing as how he was all dressed up over the weekend, I couldn't wait until Friday to put these up! Jamie went to see Joshua Bell's recital here with his BB Bill. He looks more like a young man than a little boy... (sigh).

First photo - smile's a little stiff. C'mon! Where's that personality?

Ah-ha! THERE it is!

GQ cover shot material.

Apparently, Mom is hilarious.


"Ugh! How can guys stand wearing these ties?"


"Okay, Mom. That's it, that's the LAST picture!"

Eye Candy Friday

Being the scatterbrain that I am here lately, I couldn’t find my camera for Jamie’s birthday party. So, sorry, no pics of them bouncing in the bounce house, nor of them demolishing the piñata. However, Julie D., mother of Jamie’s friend Spencer and all-around SuperMom, brought her camera, in addition to baking this awesome cake. Jamie LOVES Mars Mission Legos. So she made this cake, crafting it to look kinda like Mars. Then they assembled and placed his Lego presents on the cake as the cake toppers. Pretty cool, no?

Been a Little Too Busy to Blog..

Sorry about that.  There have been so many things that needed my immediate attention that it was too much to have to come up with blog posts, too.  I’m still up to my armpits in things that I have to do VERY VERY SOON, plus now I have homework on top of it, so this will neither be a particularly lengthy post, nor a particularly well planned one.  This is mainly some snippets of thoughts and experiences I’ve had over the past two or so weeks.

·         At Dad’s funeral, I found myself suddenly in the middle of that Mary Tyler Moore Show episode where Chuckles the Clown dies and Mary & friends wind up snickering the whole way through his eulogy.  When the military honor guard began the flag folding, with all its ceremony and reverent stroking of the flag, all I could think was “I will love him and pet him and call him George,” and consequently couldn’t stop laughing.  I held it in as best as I could, and everyone assumed I was shaking because I was sobbing so hard.

·         There is sweet irony in the fact that my father, who could be quite racist at times, was buried on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.  His Presidential Certificates of Honor for his service in the military will also be signed by President Obama.  This is funny for two reasons – the obvious aforementioned personality trait, as well as the fact that Dad was very VERY Republican.

·         Don’t get me wrong.  I love my father, and am sad that he will never see my son grow up.  But still, the previous items are funny, yes?

·         I realized today that I will be the first person in my immediate family to get my bachelor’s degree, and yet neither of my parents lived to see it.  At least Jamie’s shining face will still look out at me from the crowd when I receive my degree this December.

·         Speaking of Jamie – the issue about which I had e-mailed some of you (and had been consequently passed on to others in a prayer/good vibes/etc. chain) seems to be getting better.  Drastic steps wound up not being necessary, but steps are being taken to alleviate the situation in a manner agreeable to us both.  If you got the e-mails, hopefully you know what I mean.  If you didn’t, hopefully you can’t guess.  No offense to anyone, but I’m trying to protect some privacy issues here.  If you know what happened, and are confused about what the heck I mean here, e-mail me, and I’ll fill you in.

·         I also have realized that I am now an adult orphan.  Not sure how I feel about this – or at least, I can’t put the feeling into words.

·         Dad’s dog is proving to be a major pain in the butt.  Haven’t decided what to do about him yet – take him back to the rescue organization, or keep him and try to acclimate him to our expectations?

·         Work is going well.  I’ve had some major productivity, thereby lessening the stress on me.  Yay!

·         School is already spanking my butt.  I’m taking four very challenging classes this semester.  Ay yi yi!

·         While most of my friends and family are hunkered down in cold, snow and/or ice, I’m enjoying temperatures in the mid-60s today.  Yes, I miss snow.  But I sure as hell don’t miss winter storms!  J

Thankful for My "Momma"

Momma Tooz leaves bright and early tomorrow morning to journey back to Kentucky.  Please pray that she has a safe and easy journey back home - in the air, while waiting and transferring planes at her layover, and while driving back to Georgetown from Louisville. 

 

I am soooooo thankful that she came down.  Tooz may not be my momma by blood, but she’s been a mother to me for many years now.  I felt stronger and more settled during all this ordeal just knowing she was here, knowing she was available for a quick hug, an encouraging word, or even a bit of parenting advice on how to handle an active boy with ADHD who is acting out a bit because he misses his Papaw.  I felt more calm and able to handle stress better knowing she was here.  I am grateful that she came down, and am grateful to her family for “loaning” her to me.  Thank you, Momma Tooz!  We love you great big bunches and are going to miss you when you leave tomorrow.

Dad's Gone

I got a phone call from the hospital this morning at ~11:40 a.m. that Dad had died in his sleep.  At least he isn't in pain anymore.  Please keep Jamie in your thoughts and prayers, as he's taking this pretty hard.  Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words as we've dealt with this.

 

 

He Knows... But He Doesn't

We went to see Dad tonight. He was the most talkative and aware he's been in a long time... and yet, he wasn't. See, Dad was chatting with me, holding my hand, telling me he loves me. Then he stopped in the middle of a sentence with a puzzled look on his face. Then he said, "You know what? You remind me of somebody I met sometime. Yeah, you look like my daughter. She's a pretty girl like you. I haven't seen her in a while." Then he dozed off for a minute. When he woke up, he knew who I was again. But then he asked, "Who's the kid?" He meant Jamie. When I said that that's my son, he looked again and said, "Oh. Have I met him?" I'm really glad Jamie had on headphones and was listening to music and didn't hear what Dad said.

As we were getting ready to leave, Dad looked me in the eyes and said, "I know I don't have much time left. I'm not going to live long." The he said something to the effect that he didn't want to spend his last days in the hospital, and I had to tell him he had to stay because he was very sick and I couldn't take care of him like he needed. He started to cry, and said, "Please please please take me home." I held his hand for a minute while he dozed off, then he woke back up and said, "You're a nice girl. Come back and see me sometime."

I will, Daddy. For however long you have left, I'll keep on coming back to see you.

Too Drained to Post Much

This has been the week from hell. Even on a "full" night's sleep, I'm tired when I wake up in the morning, tired as I trudge through my day and attempt to get everything done, tired when I fall into bed at night.... then I can't fall asleep because my brain won't shut the hell up.

Dad is not legally competent to sign over power of attorney to me. Can't get access to his bank accounts, bills, or anything until I get guardianship. For which I have to get a lawyer. Which I cannot afford. I've got a call in to the JAG office at Lackland AFB (where Dad received most of his medical care prior to now). They were closed today, but I'm going to pester them first thing Monday morning. In the mean time, there are bills that need to be paid, and I discovered that someone had gotten hold of Dad's debit card number and had charged thousands of dollars to Pocket Communications over the last two months. I was able to get the bank to cancel the card and turn it over to the fraud department. Other than that, I can't do anything legally until I have guardianship.

Jamie is out with friends tonight. The house is halfway quiet. Think I'll go take a nap for a while. More when I'm in the mood to post.

Fears Confirmed

Just spoke with one of Dad’s doctors at the V.A. hospital.  The mass in his neck is very large and very invasive.  It has invaded his esophagus, his brain, his spine, his shoulder bones, his lungs, his sinus cavities.  It is inoperable.  He is unable to eat, drink or swallow, but a feeding tube cannot be put in because he is delirious much of the time and keeps trying to pull out his various tubes and medical monitors.  He has already half starved himself, so he is not strong enough to undergo chemo or radiation treatment.  He will never be able to go back to a home setting; it would be a “miracle” in the doctor’s estimation if he lives long enough to be able to leave the hospital.  She gives him days, maybe weeks, of life left.  This may be horrible to say, but I hope he dies quickly.  Less suffering for him, and the less Jamie will have to see him suffer and be traumatized by it.  I’ll keep you informed as to how things progress.

I Need One of These Machines

Maybe I Should Transfer Here....

more the engrish!