So the preschool staff starts up at church today. I’m excited. They’re a great bunch of women – funny, smart, really nice (because you have to be nice to be a preschool teacher or assistant which is why I work in the office upstairs). We also have a new Director and she’s been awesome to work with. I was sad when Leanne, the previous Director resigned so she could go back to her real love – teaching – but I knew it was the right thing for her and her family. The new Director, Shannon, is great, too. So while I miss Leanne in the cubicle, I now have Shannon in the cubicle. Poor Shannon.
Katie started her year as a sophomore today. A sophomore. That would be 10th grade. That means she only has three years of school left. This is my baby. How is it I’m old enough to have a kid in college and my baby in the 10th grade? I must have been comatose for a while because I don’t remember this happening!
Todd had sinus surgery last Friday. His third. The last one was probably 11 years ago or so and thankfully they don’t pack the sinuses anymore. That’s so disgusting! Poor guy, though. It’s swollen all up in there and he so desperately wants to blow his nose, but that would be a huge no-no. He has to breathe through his mouth and in the morning he says, “Yum! Fresh turd!” (because, you know, it tastes like he has poo in his mouth.) I’m happy to report that I’ve been a decent nurse. Not a great nurse. I would never aspire to be totally nurturing because it would just be a set up for failure. But I have been patient with him and waiting on him and actually nice. And I even feel sorry for him. I know! Me – the soulless wench I mentioned in my previous post. I do have it in me to feel compassion. Who knew?
Taylor is still enjoying camp. I keep forgetting to ask him which camp craft he likes the best. (Note to self: ask Tay which camp craft he likes the best.) I’ll be sure to let you know what I find out.
Sookie is still Sookie. A pain in the rear, but a cute pain so we’ll keep her. Lucky for her she has redeeming qualities such as snuggly and funny. Otherwise I’d have to give her the boot.
That’s what’s going on in my part of the world. And now I’m off to make coffee for the preschool ladies. We get to eat and party just a little this week before the kids start next week. This is probably my favorite week of the year.
SO HAPPY MONDAY!
Look. Two days and I’m back. I’ve even written the next Trippin’ post and have scheduled it to be published on the 5th. I’m really rocking my New Year’s plans.
I think I figured out part of my non-blogging problem. My blog has been referred to as the Seinfeld of blogs by certain people (you know who you are). You know. A blog about nothing. Which is really easy to write about. But for some reason I started thinking I needed to actually write about something. I have no idea why. I do much better writing about nothing. So here I am. Writing a post about nothing.
It’s good to be back.
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For those of you who thought I was jesting, we really did have black eyed peas and hog jowls on New Year’s Day. Except I didn’t eat any of the hog jowls. That would be gross. The black eyed peas, however, were absolutely delicious. Even Todd, non-bean eater that he is, keeps asking his dad to show me how he made them because he had two bowls. Yes, they were THAT good.
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New Year’s Eve was kind of lame this year. I stayed in my room and slept most of the day because I was sick with what seemed to be a horrible head cold. Todd and his visiting parents stayed downstairs and watched movies or something. And Taylor and Katie went to Countdown, the youth group’s annual New Year’s Eve party. The band plays at 12:00 and this year Katie sang lead for Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” while Taylor played electric bass for all the songs. We were going to go watch, but thankfully they’re doing it again tonight at the regular youth group so we don’t have to stay up all night. And thankfully my cold was very short lived so I actually feel like going.
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I’m not looking forward to getting up for work tomorrow. The work itself is fine, the people are fine – I love my job. I just hate getting up early when it’s so bitterly cold. Oh, who am I kidding? I hate getting up early any time, but especially when it’s cold outside. Does anybody know how to trick myself into not minding getting up early? I’d really like to be able to get up around 5:30 every morning and go swimming or walking and get some things done around here before I go to work. But if I do that I’ll just want to come home and go back to bed which would be bad for job longevity. If anybody has any ideas, please do tell.
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Please do not mistake this for a New Year’s Resolution, but tomorrow I’m going to start eating healthier. Really, I am. I’ll let you know how that goes.
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Sookie has been very naughty lately. She has a thing for Reid, the adorable Irish Setter puppy who lives across and down the street just a little bit. I know. She’s stepping out on Brady and I don’t agree with this lifestyle choice, but what am I to do? She’s escaped the yard several times lately and Todd had to take her collar to the invisible fence people yesterday and turn it up. I think possibly her thicker winter coat was insulating her neck against the zap. Not so anymore. Hopefully she’ll stay in the yard now. Trollop.
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My Mother-In-Law and I went into Philadelphia Wednesday to see the Princess Diana Exhibit at the National Constitutional Center. We got there about 10:30 and the first available tour was at 4:30. So we found a movie theater and saw It’s Complicated, then we found a quaint little Italian trattoria for a late lunch and finally it was time for the tour.
I’m glad I saw it, but I wouldn’t go see it again. It was waaaay too crowded. What I did enjoy were all her dresses and outfits I remember seeing her in and especially her wedding gown. I remember watching the wedding while I was at church camp so it was kind of surreal to see that dress in real life. Wanna know a secret? It wasn’t all that pretty.
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Oh, look at the time! I must be on my way to do more nothing so I’ll have nothing to write about later!
Today was the first day of the 2009/2010 preschool year. For those of you not in the know, I am the administrative assistant for my church’s children’s ministry department which includes our preschool. I do a lot of the paperwork to free up Leanne, the Director, to do other, more directory-type things and to help the teachers out. That’s the general description of my preschool duties anyway.
My plan was to get in the shower at 7:00 this morning, leaving me enough time to eat breakfast and pack a lunch before I headed out early for work. Sookie had other plans, however.
The kids had left for school; Todd ran to Wawa for breakfast for himself, coffee for me; and the dog was outside. We have an invisible fence and I don’t like leaving her outside while I’m in the shower if no one else is home so I opened the door and called her in. She spared a glance for me and then went back to whatever it was she had been doing. Stalking small children, no doubt.
After pleading and cajoling and trying to rationalize with a dog I finally had to go out to the yard to get her. Our side yard on the corner which is very visible. In my warm, pink robe and my fuzzy pink slippers.
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Go ahead. Get that picture firmly established in your head.
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So there I was, in the middle of the yard – the very dewy yard – arguing with a canine with the neighbors driving by and waving and I’m pretty sure they were laughing. At what, I have no idea. But Sookie thought I was out there to play. Because, you know, I often go out in public covered from head to toe in pink fluff.
I thought maybe I could lure her in with one of her toys. The purple ball. Yes! That’s it! So I grabbed the ball and dangled it in front of her as though it was a carrot. Dangit if she’s not so stealthy and quick because before I knew it she was running away with the purple ball.
Then I tried the new blue ball that she has become enamored with and taunted her with that. She stood over the purple ball and looked at the blue ball, clearly undecided as to what she should do. As she tried to make up her mind I slowly crept closer to her, careful to dodge the poop, thinking she was so confusiated that I could grab her collar and be done with it. She waited until I almost reached her and then she took off running, wanting me to chase after her. I had to disappoint her there. I rarely chase her when I’m dressed. I certainly wasn’t going to chase her in my bathrobe. The neighbors had had enough entertainment for one morning.
So I stomped back to the house, muttering something about stupid dogs and showers that should have been finished by now. There were other things muttered as well, but I’m not going to share those with you because I don’t want you to know the real me.
Then it happened. One of those rare flashes of genius that only come along every great once in a while. Cheese puffs. She’s a hairy, four-legged cheese puff fiend. I stood on the deck, noisily opened the bag and barely got, “cheese puff” out of my mouth before she was sitting at my feet with that glazed look reserved for drug addicts jonesing for a hit. Score!
Finally I got her in the house and took my shower. I didn’t have time to eat breakfast or pack my lunch, but I did get a delicious 26 oz. coffee out of the deal so I couldn’t complain too much. And I made it to work on time and got everything printed and distributed and the day went pretty smoothly.
Now that I know the secret I need to keep a steady supply of cheesepuffs to keep her in her habit. Then she’ll be helpless against my will. Mwahahahahahahaha….
This is what happens when you leave your puppy at her BFF’s while you’re gone.
Or O’ What A Terrible Morning.
O’ what a terrible morning
O’ what a horrible day
I’ve got a wonderful feeling
Nothing is going my way
[An appropriate song considering Todd is in Tulsa. If you don't get the connection then you either: One) don't live in America; B) have not been exposed to the great musical classics; or THIRD) ...I got nuthin. Just One or B.]
The morning started out pretty good. I got up around 6:35 so I could hang out with Taylor for about ten minutes, give or take, before he left for school. Katie made a small pot of coffee for me and we turned on the news to catch the weather. The entire eighth grade had a field trip to Dorney Park – an amusement/water park in Allentown – and yesterday’s news forecasted some pretty wild stuff today.
Taylor left for the bus stop and it was pretty cloudy out, but no sign of precipitation. I figured I could jump in the shower after he left and be out in time to drive Katie and Shelby to the corner if the storm hit. But just then the jovial meteorologist came on and showed the line of severe thunderstorms with almost constant lightening strikes headed our way – the worst of which was scheduled to hit our area in four more minutes.
Now, as you all know, I lived in the South for 18 years. I don’t mind a good thunderstorm now and then. In fact I kind of like them. But there are two things I won’t do when we’re in the middle of a cluster of lightening. I won’t talk on the phone and I won’t do anything with water. And I AM a girl which means my showers last more than four minutes. So I decided I’d wait to take my shower until after I took the girls to the bus stop.
The weatherman was true to his word and at 6:52 the skies opened up, complete with a spectacular fireworks display and a grand bass drum concert. I had my coffee and was snuggled into the oversized chair while we watched the weather when Katie decided she needed to sit with me. So there we both were, stuffed into the chair while Sookie wandered around the living room anxiously. Finally she just sank down in her crate, watching Katie and me from her safe place.
We sat like that for nearly 30 minutes until it was time to go get Shelby and wait for the bus. Thankfully by then the storm had settled down some – no lightening right overhead, anyway. The bus was late and when it showed up the girls jumped out of the car and I sped the half a block home so I could hit the shower.
But before I could get in the shower Katie texted me because I forgot to give her the money I told her I would. It wasn’t like I could just drop it off on my way to work because they would be leaving for Dorney Park before I could get there. *sigh* My shower was going to have to be put on hold again. Then I got another text, this time from Taylor, asking if I could bring him a t-shirt, socks and another pair of shoes because he was drenched. Apparently he had gotten a ride from his friend, Josh, up the street. That was really nice. Except for the fact that Josh’s parking space (they’re assigned) is across the street from the high school – almost to Katie’s school. They had to run from there to the high school in the pouring rain, hence the soaked clothing.
Off came my jammy bottoms and on came a pair of knit exercise Capri’s. I kept the tank top and light sweatshirt on, slipped on my flip flops, ran a hand through my hair and took off. First to drop off Katie’s money and then to drop off dry clothes for Taylor. I was looking hawt! Really. I’m sure the kids are glad none of the students who saw me associated me with my offspring.
I got home, let out the dog and sent an email to my ladies at work so they would know I was going to be late. Sookie came in and followed me upstairs – me into the bathroom and she into my sitting room to sniff around. Except when I then walked into the sitting room I saw that she hadn’t been sniffing around. She’d been peeing! On my carpet! That’s just weird. She never pees in the house. What’s up with that??? I obviously had to clean it up before I could get in the shower and I began to question if I’d ever make it to work. My enjoyable morning had quickly slid downhill.
But I did make it to work and it was delightful. The last couple of weeks have been crazy hectic – I’ll have to tell you about it in the next day or two. Today, however, was great. I had plenty to do, but I wasn’t running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I feel like I accomplished more today than I have in a while – probably because it was a lot of little things that I could check off my list. Ahhhh…
I just hope tomorrow morning runs a little smoother.
Friday was a cool and rainy day. I spent the day doing work work and house work and drying off Sookie after she’d spent ten minutes or so outside in the wet and muddy yard. As I came out of the laundry room this is where I found her.
She was just chillin in one of her favorite spots where she can survey all her minions. Trying to look all nonchalant and all, I could tell there was something going on in that puppy brain of hers.
What? 
That’s an interesting spot on the floor down there.
Later she followed me into my room while I dumped a basket of clean towels onto the bed and filled it with the next load to be washed. Usually she follows me back out, but after I’d gone downstairs and filled the washer I realized she wasn’t there. So I went back upstairs to my room.
Did I mention it was a rainy day?
Or that our yard was wet and muddy?
Or even that the towels were clean?
Apparently my less than gentle rebuke and the photo session wore her out. Because this is where she ended up after I chased her out of my room.
It’s a rough life.
A week or so ago Todd was cutting Sookie’s nails when she jerked her left front paw and he clipped her dewclaw. It bled quite a bit, but he was able to get it staunched. Pretty soon she went outside to play, running around and just being her usual puppyish self. Unfortunately she started bleeding again and this time we couldn’t get it stopped. So we took her to the vet and made it with just minutes to spare before after hours emergency fees. They took her in the back and she came out with her pretty little green-wrapped foot.
When we brought her home Todd sprayed the wrapping with bitter apple spray so she wouldn’t chew on it. She loathes that stuff and does a little hyper freak out when she smells it, but she doesn’t chew on whatever is sprayed.
The next morning when we took it off she was as good as new AND she had forgiven Todd!
Do you know what this is?
Or this?
I’ll tell you what it is. It’s tiger slipper guts! Poor little tiger slipper was totally eviscerated by our vicious, stuffing-hungry hound.
That’s what Taylor gets for leaving his door open.
Last year we had a cute little brown bunny living under our shed. This year that cute little brown bunny is a cute big brown bunny and it likes to taunt Sookie. She goes absolutely nuts because she can see the bunny sitting in front of the shed but she can’t get to it. The way she barks and carries on with her hackles raised to attention you’d think it’s the killer rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. (Run away! Run away!) Or maybe a rogue cottontail from Night of the Lepus.
My poor mother had to call me today because I haven’t been keeping up with my blog so she didn’t know what was going on with me. Sadder words have never been typed! So I’m going to give you a bit of random…
We had Chinese food the other day and check out my fortune:
Todd was pretty smug when I read it to him because every time I complain about my weight or any other cruddy side effect of having cancer he says pretty much the same thing. This is the part where I usually say something flippant and roll my eyes, but Mothers with Cancer lost one of our own last night so I’m going to embrace these simple words and be grateful for what I have.
This upcoming Friday I am going to the spa with my friends; Kris, Laura and Sheri. Last year for each birthday we chipped in and bought a gift card for a one hour massage and we’re finally getting around to cashing in on them. It’s going to be exactly like Sex in the City, except there will be no sex going on and the spa is actually in a pretty rural, yet quaint, little town. But there will be four exceptionally beautiful and fashion savvy women. Really.
Laura made the reservations for us, but we each had to call in and give them our GC number. So I called and gave my number to the receptionist and then I took a deep breath and said, “I have a rather embarrassing question to ask you.” She was very nice as I told her I had breast reconstruction a couple of years ago and am unable to lay on my stomach. My obvious concern was that I wouldn’t be able to get the massage. After relaying the information to the massage therapist she came back and told me it wouldn’t be a problem.
Here again I would like to complain about the inconvenience of cancer, but I remember Lisa and my fortune so I won’t.
Sookie is much better. Poor, neglected dog.
Todd, on the other hand, is still sick. His fever broke a week ago and his doctor put him on a steroid dose pack to clear the chest congestion so he could breathe, but he’s still under the weather. He’s going back to the doctor on Monday and I just hope he doesn’t have pneumonia because: A) He has another business trip next week and he gets to visit his brother’s family; B) He’s tired of feeling miserable; and C) I don’t do well with sick people in my house.
We had a little taste of spring yesterday. It was delightful. First of all, I have instituted a new “below freezing” rule which says if it’s not below freezing I’m not driving the kids to the bus stop. Now the bus stop is only a half a block away and it’s not the walking in the cold weather I’m opposed to. It’s them standing there for 20 minutes in the below freezing temps that I don’t like. Let’s face it – I’ll always be a Southern California beach girl at heart. But yesterday morning it was around 38 – well above freezing.
And when I opened the back door to let Sookie out it smelled wondermus. I don’t remember this smell in California, but you Southerners know exactly what I’m talking about. The smell of early spring. It’s in my top ten favorite smells ever, maybe top five.
It was just nice to leave the house for some Homie Hang time and not have to bundle up like Randy in A Christmas Story. But guess what. We are now expected snow. Not just a little, either. Depending on who you listen to we could get up to 10 inches of snow between tomorrow night and Monday morning. Of course, I’ll believe it when I see it.
I have mixed emotions here. On one hand, we’ve had a lot of snow events this year, but no measurable snow to speak of. It would be nice to have one good sledding snow. On the other hand I’m ready for spring. I’m ready to have the windows open and take the dog for walks without freezing.
There is much more random in my life, but this is all you get today. Who knows? Maybe I’ll write more tomorrow!!
I am usually proud of the fact that I’m pretty laid back and don’t let things stress me out too much. But to say I never stress out would be such a lie. This week, for example, has pushed me nearly to the breaking point. This morning all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed with the covers over my head and cry until I fell asleep. But who has time for such behaviors?
Todd has had a crazy insane travel schedule since the beginning of the year. Every week he’s been somewhere other than home. Not the norm for his job which I’m very glad for, but it’s made for a less than great January and February.
I’ve always had admiration and sympathy for single parents, but that admiration and sympathy has grown ten-fold. Both the kids are involved in their school plays, Katie acting in the 8th grade play and Taylor doing stage crew in the high school play. Unfortunately, their practice schedules are not compatible with each other. If it weren’t for my friend, Kris, picking up Katie and Shelby (Kris’ daughter) on the late nights I think I truly would be insane by now.
So not only am I working all day and then running the kids here or there, Sookie is now sick. Poor baby. She has another fever virus or something. So far they’ve run blood work and it all came back good except for a high white blood count, but they have no idea why she’s running the fever. I’m boiling her chicken and trying to get her to drink water and take pills and watch her every time she goes outside to make sure she’s still taking care of her business. Between my worry for her – she hasn’t shown much in the way of improvement since Monday – and the thought of whatever tests they’re going to run if we have to take her back in that we can’t really afford right now, I’m stressed.
Which brings me to last night. Cleaning out the refrigerator, I poured two small containers of old spaghetti noodles down the garbage disposal. All of a sudden gross water started filling up the sink. When I’d try to turn on the disposal it would make a funny noise and water would come back up into the sink. I had all manner of disgusting things sitting out on the counter that I couldn’t get rid of because the sink was backed up. I was afraid to run the dishwasher and again, the cost of a plumber made me want to curl up into the fetal position and rock back and forth while gazing without focusing into the corner.
I finally just left it, ignoring the stuff all over the place. I decided I’d go to bed early and work on it in the morning. But Taylor was working on a project and needed my help with the printer so I didn’t get to bed as early as I had hoped to.
This morning I called the garbage disposal people and the lady tried to walk me through checking the disposal. She told me to plug up the other side of the sink and plunge the drain slowly. I tried. Disgusting, chunky water splashed up all over me. So it was decided I needed a plumber. I called my neighbor, Laura, to see if she could recommend a plumber and her husband, Bill, answered the phone. He ended up coming down and took the pipes apart.
Guess what we found! Scads of chopped up spaghetti packed in the pipes from the disposal to the elbow. He cleaned them out, put everything back together and voila! I have a working sink again!
Since I didn’t have to wait around on a plumber today I was able to make it to my biannual oncology appointment. It was such a nonevent. Blood pressure – good. Blood work – good. Everything else – good. Every time I go I think to myself, “The next time I’ll weigh X-amount of pounds lighter.” It hasn’t come true yet. In fact, I weigh more every single time. That’s bad! But nobody there seems to care. They tell me I look great which probably has more to do with the fact I was seriously the only person in there under 80 today.
In the grand scheme of things I don’t have much to be stressed out about. But all of it adds up and I think I’m doing fine until just one more thing and then I snap. As of this moment I don’t have anywhere I have to go after I get the kids from play practice at 5:30. (One of the only nights they actually had it at the same time). Hopefully Sookie’s medicine will start to kick in and she’ll show marked improvement by tomorrow. Maybe I’ll even get the kitchen cleaned up. And before I know it Saturday will be here and I can sleep in and Todd will be around to help run people to their places and Saturday night we’ll go hang out with the neighbors for wine club and all will be right in my world again.
And before somebody asks – no, I haven’t been praying for patience. I learned not to do that a LOOOONG time ago. 
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