Cannons rumble in the distance.
The smell of gunsmoke fills the air.

It's the Battle of Vienna!

A couple interesting things that happened today...

1. The Egyptian busboy at Panera tried to pick me up today. Apparently I have broken his heart by being already married. I did get some free coffee out of the deal though! It has been awhile since a guy has hit on me...

2. Found a dead robin on the porch after school. There have been quite a few birds hitting the window lately. Guess this guy (or gal?) hit it a bit too hard. Luckily I spotted it before I let Darby out so I could remove the body before he tried to eat it. Ick!


*****


In other news...
*We are estimated to be 2,000 lbs overweight for our upcoming move. Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to go on a diet - our house does too! Makes me think of that book "Does this clutter make my butt look big?"

*Only two days left for me at school. We have had the best class on the planet this year (so blessed!) and I am just so sad to see it end. I'm going to miss all my kids and my teacher SO SO much!

*The stress is getting to me. I've cried four times in the past two days. I can only imagine how many more tears there are to come before it's all said and done.

*My sick and dying laptop is scheduled to be ready for pickup by Friday. Hope all my stuff survived! Now I need to get to work on a client digi book right away amongst all the other stuff I have to do.

*I think someone needs to just come and take my kids and my schedule away for the next month so I can focus on the thousands upon thousands of things I have yet to do in preparation for the move. I'm never going to make it!

*I had a bad compost experience today. Made me want to yak! Guess it's time to put the compost crock away until we get to the new place. Neglecting it makes for bad news!

*I'm ready to empty my freezer. Who wants it? (The food, not the freezer!)

Darby's Vocational Future

Felisa said today, "If Darby worked at a movie theater, he would be the vacuum."

So funny!

Update for April

So what's up around here these days? House repair projects mostly. Yard sale is done. Sold a bit. The rest is stacked in the carport waiting for charity pickup. The bathroom downstairs has walls again so that's progress. And the dining room also has walls. The drywall finisher is due back any minute for the last step then the ball is back in our court for painting. Waiting for the tile guy to bring my sample so I can pick the paint for the bathroom.

Big scrapbook yard sale coming up on Saturday. I'm really hoping I'll sell most of what I'm bringing up there. It's all quite heavy and I don't really want to load and unload it more times than necessary.

And those are the highlights. Moving is hard on so many levels. Not really enjoying it much at all.

New Levels of Disgusting

Seriously. If I hadn't seen the evidence with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. It is so gross I can hardly type the words but I must record it or else I will believe it was just a bad dream. Of course, that may be better than the truth.

Darby just tried to eat Bella's poop out of the toilet. No, really. He did. Makes me nauseous just thinking about it. He licks the floor. Constantly. He eats dirt. All weird and annoying but whatever. But this- this is DISGUSTING!!!

Blech.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Perigee and apogee... do those words sound familiar at all? Aren't they some of the words that are used in Bedknobs and Broomsticks for the magic school spells? (I love that movie, by the way!)

Well, apparently they refer to points in the lunar orbit. Perigee is when the moon is closest to earth and apogee is when it is farthest away.

Fascinating.

Okay, you may now resume your regular daily activities. Thank you for stopping by to "learn something new every day!"

Socks for Sale!

So I cleaned out my sock drawer this morning... I was looking for a particular pair of socks and couldn't find it. My drawer has been overstuffed and annoying for awhile now (plus it won't close all the way because socks are lost in the back) and I decided that today was the day. Seize the moment! Darby, of course, was wondering why on earth I decided to do this now. After all, couldn't I see that he was positively wasting away? He had been waiting patiently while I showered (which took longer than usual since I was cleaning it a bit as well) and while I got dressed, but really... this was just too much for a dog to survive.

So it's done. A handful of socks to the trash, another large handful to the donation bin, a divider box to hopefully keep those crazy socks organized, and I even pulled the drawer out and rescued the lost socks who had fallen overboard. Oh and I did find the socks I was looking for - on the very bottom in the way back corner of the drawer. So, really, I couldn't have found them any other way!

(Oh and I did finally feed my poor, starving dog...)

On the agenda for today... a menu plan (?), a trip to the grocery store, more laundry (seriously - didn't I just do the laundry?! Where is it all coming from?), and more sorting and packing of photos and other stuff from the pantry room/black hole. Did you know we have a floor in that room? I know! Amazing!!!

Happy Spring Forward everyone!

A little of this, a little of that

For a split second, I thought Darby had snatched 1/2 of a raw chicken breast from the counter and eaten it while I wasn't looking. I wasn't sure how he had done it without creating some sort of commotion and if he had indeed done it, I wasn't sure why he stopped at one when there were 4 available. Luckily for both of us, two of the halves were double-stacked. Whew!

An actual instruction given to the kids yesterday morning... Be careful! Don't get run over by a snowplow!

A new nephew! Mark was born last Wednesday. Can't wait to visit and get my baby fix. Not sure if I'll make it out there before summer though at which point he may be sitting up already and getting ready to crawl away.

Cub Scouts is almost over! A den meeting this week then bridging rehearsal in two weeks and bridging in three weeks. Whatever will I do with all my extra time? Oh yeah - drive Ryan to his weekly Boy Scout meetings. Oh well. At least I'm hanging up the uniform and "retiring" from a uniformed leader position.

It's official - we're moving to California in July. We've lived in this house for 10 years. So far I have cleaned out one drawer. At this rate I should be ready for the movers by 2015!

Nothing else of interest to post... Just thought the world might like to know that I'm still alive.

Quote

I don't have issues - I have entire subscriptions!

(stolen from a friend's Facebook wall)

Thanks for the laugh Stephanie! :)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Things are going downhill around here. I'm thinking of posting a sign on the door, "Beware of Germs".

But not to be too negative... let's play Good News, Bad News.

The Bad News- Ryan and Felisa are both sick now as well.
The Good News- well, I'm not sure if there is good news to this one. Family bonding perhaps? Oh wait, there is some good news. Bella is less sick than she was yesterday.

The Bad News- Ryan threw up all over the bedroom floor.
The Good News- Ron's side of the room has now been steam-cleaned. Now there are even fewer dog allergens hiding to attack him upon his return.

The Bad News- Bella has had multiple bloody noses today.
The Good News- I put clean sheets on the bed. Of course, I'll need to do it again before Ron comes back what will all the germs hanging around here. So maybe this one doesn't have such good news either.

The Bad News- I can't find my humidifier. Wanted to set it up, thinking it might help Bella's nose.
The Good News- The carpet is damp from the steam-cleaning. As it dries, it will act as a humidifier for the room.

The Bad News- There is ice on the front porch.
The Good News- most of the 1/2 inch of snow that fell today already melted and I didn't have to shovel a thing.

The Bad News- I'm exhausted.
The Good News- I still have one more day to lie about and rest. I hope. Can someone please tell the kids to behave so I can rest? Thanks!

So there you have it... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh wait, I forgot the ugly. Or did I? Haven't you been paying attention? This whole situation is ugly and stinky! Well, not so much stinky. I'm still so congested I can't smell a thing!

Until next time...

Hat Trick

Or possibly a home run... depending on whether or not I believe the doctor!

I've had a cough so long I can't remember when it started exactly. I didn't really feel bad, per se. It was mostly just a nuisance. But I decided that I would try to really rest and relax over Christmas break so that I could maybe finally get rid of it.

Well, needless to say, that plan didn't work AT ALL! Bella came down with a cold a day or two after Christmas. A week later, I had it. So now, two days before school starts again, I'm feeling worse than when the break started. Fine then. I'll try to actively fight it off now by resting even more (when I can) and taking lots of vitamins and drinking OJ and water and... Still didn't work. Still feel bad.

So... now it's just a few days before Ron returns from his latest business trip and I'd really like to not feel like crap so I call the doctor to make an appointment. Maybe I need antibiotics... it's time for a second opinion anyway.

So that was yesterday afternoon that I finally threw in the towel and called the doctor. Yesterday after school Bella said she had been coughing all day. So I decide to keep an eye on her - maybe her cold is acting up, getting worse. We went to our Brownie meeting but by the end of the meeting, both of us were going downhill fast. Home to put on our jammies and take temperatures. We're both at 99. I call my boss to tell her I won't be at school tomorrow. Bella's breathing a little shallow so I give her a breathing treatment. If the cold has gone to her lungs, this should help. The kids all watch Winter Wipeout then before bed (they've been waiting for this episode for weeks now!) After the show, I check Bella again. She's up to 100. Something tells me this might not just be her cold. Good thing I already called in sick.

Off to bed with all of us. Sleep is my prescription for all! At about 11:30 last night, I woke up with my bad ear just aching like crazy. That is NOT good! I took a sudafed and some advil and put in some homeopathic earache drops and try to go back to sleep. Since it's not even midnight yet, I could be in for a long night.

Bella tossed and turned and moaned all night. I woke up at 4 a.m. with my other ear hurting. More sudafed, more water.

Up for the day at 7:15. Bella's temp is up to 102. I get the other two ready for school and dropped off then I call the doctor to see if I can bump my appointment up to an earlier time. My ears are hurting and I'd hate to have my eardrum rupture AGAIN. I score a 1015 appointment.

So the doctor says... double ear infection but even though there is a little blood in the bad ear he doesn't think it's ruptured (I'm not sure if I agree since my hearing is off even now). He even said, "wow -that must really hurt!" when he was looking in my ears. Also, I have a sinus infection. And wheezing in my lungs so probably a bit of mild bronchitis. Joy! 3 for the price of one! He gave me a prescription for antibiotics and I came home and we went back to bed for the rest of the day.

Bella's fever got pretty high this evening - hope she's feeling better in the morning.

I hope I'm feeling better in the morning too!

My strength

I did an online test at a Positive Psychology site... these are my top 5 strengths. Your Top Strength

Kindness and generosity You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Your Second Strength

Humor and playfulness You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Third Strength

Capacity to love and be loved You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

Your Fourth Strength

Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

Your Fifth Strength

Forgiveness and mercy You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

The Great Grasshopper Uprising

It's November... time for the annual Cub Scout Bake Off. Ryan's entry - Grasshopper Pie (the under-21 version!)

It's time to go to the meeting... the kids are headed out the door and I'm gathering my keys and purse... I hear Ryan say, with some seriousness, "Uh oh!"

Uh-oh what?

I come to the front door to see Ryan and the front porch covered in minty green grasshopper creme. Greeeaaaaatttt. It's a Grasshopper Mutiny! I take the pie to the kitchen to see if it could be salvaged (luckily it could). Ryan washed his hands and wiped off his clothes then I sent him out to the porch with a big cup of water to try to wash the creme away. It wasn't going away easily so I decided to just leave it as it was and deal with it when we got back. I could let Darby, the very hungry dog, lick it up but think it could give him a tummy ache.

Fast forward an hour or so... we're back from the bake - off with a certificate for the Most Flavorsome. The porch is still a mess. I try again to rinse it off but think I need a broom to scrub or a hose to spray. I think the broom is probably locked in the shed. I check the hose but it has been disconnected for the winter already. And did I mention that it is dark now and most definitely time for bed after another long day? I again consider the option of Darby, the very hungry dog, but I think he would probably lick his tongue raw on the cement and then we'd have to add a vet bill to the disaster cleanup tally!

Also, the weird worms are back. Not as many as the other night. Maybe they like Grasshopper Pie?

I can only hope that they eat it all up before I wake up tomorrow and have to face the mess of the Great Grasshopper Uprising in the light of day...

Life just isn't fair. It's Pajama Day in Mrs. Pant's class. That part is good. The part that isn't so good is the part where I woke up at 0545 to go work out then walk the dog then take a shower so that I could put my pajamas back on to go to work. When the kids went to pajama day, they always got to sleep in then go to school in the pj's they already had on. Not fair!

In other news... there was apparently a Rubber Duckie Convention in the shower last night. This morning they were all still there. Uncle Sam with his 3 Secret Service Ducks wearing sunglasses. A random duck. And Party Duck. Who apparently had a GREAT time at the convention last night because he was head down in the shower bucket. Ha! For whatever reason, I find that very funny. Maybe that's why I love working in a preschool - it takes so little to entertain me!

So now I'm off to work in my PJ's followed by lunch at Sonic! Woo hoo!

Michael Jackson vs. Elvis

I was putting some music on Ryan's MP3 player earlier this afternoon. I was checking the James Taylor list of songs to see if there was anything I thought he'd like. Hound Dog was there. Perfect. Ryan was watching over my shoulder. He said, Oh it's his version of Michael Jackson's Hound Dog song. Uh, no. That would be Elvis' Hound Dog song. Oh. I get them confused. They're both dead. And famous! (and singers of course.)

That just cracked me up.

Edited to add:
Ryan's favorite songs, in order, on his MP3 player...
1. Beer for my Horses - Toby Keith
2. 12 Days of Christmas (an a capella version that is quite funny, plus it is his favorite Christmas song in any version)
3. A Boy Named Sue
4. Istanbul, Not Constantinople - They Might Be Giants
5. (aw shucks... I can't remember now what number 5 was)

Watermelon with a death wish

Why do my baby watermelons have a death wish? Why do they only want to grow ON the driveway and not in the garden boxes next to the driveway? I moved one baby's vine back to the box area the other day. Today I found two more babies growing in the vines still on the driveway. Argh! Oh and don't forget... anyone who grows out into the neighbor's grass on the other side of the garden boxes also has a death wish but seem to prefer death by lawnmower. My neighbor has been very kind and patient with my out-of-control, not hardly producing, vines.

The good news - the garden, it is producing again. Yay! I had chalked it all up as dead or dying already but was too lazy to pull it all out. It seems as though it was merely biding its time, waiting for the weather to drop out of the 90s and 100s. Now I have 3 zucchini growing, a second watermelon well-established (the first - and I thought only - watermelon is waiting to be harvested), and potentially three more watermelon babies (will they survive?). Even the tomatoes (the few that I have) are ripening.

Now if I can just keep all the suicidal fruits and veggies from the Driveway of Doom, I'll have some home-grown produce in a couple weeks. Yay!

Stop the Ride!

Stop the ride - I want off!!!

Seriously? Neither school nor sports have begun yet and already I'm feeling overwhelmed and behind the curve. Ack! Today I spent several hours and way too much money stocking up on school supplies, new shoes, and new backpacks for the kids. A mid-day break for lunch at Red Robin was the best part of the day.

I just got back from an emergency milk run. How did we get from 2 cartons down to zero cartons in the blink of an eye? I decided to skip the library and postpone the dry cleaners/milk shopping that would normally be done on Wednesday so that I would have time to spend hanging out with Allie and her family as well as time to work on my many administrative to-dos. And looking back at yesterday - I'm not sure how many to-dos I actually to-did. Today was the best day for shopping so that took priority. And then surprise! No milk!

So here's the question - will things get better once school starts or worse? Better would be nice but I'm fearing the latter.

(I told Ron that it was all his fault. He's out of town, therefore I am unable to function properly. Doesn't bode well for next week does it?!?)

My Bucket

My goals... my values... my bucket of time...

Spending some time today working through this. It's a new year (the fall always seems like a second New Year to me, a chance to start over AGAIN and hopefully get it right this time) and time to think about how I'd like it to go.

My values...
*Home and Family, Love and Friends... these are a source of encouragement, joy, laughter, and support as well as a refuge from the wild and crazy world. I tend to be a home-body. I want to be at home, in my home, surrounded by the people (family AND friends) who love me. Home is comfortable. Home can be relaxing and quiet or it can be filled with laughter and good company. Home is where my heart is. It is where I start from and where I come back to.

*Responsibility... I have a responsibility to fulfill my obligations. I have a responsibility to care for my world and those that are in it. We have a responsibility to each other as human beings to help each other out. We're in this together.

*Flexibility, Patience, Politeness, Helpfulness, and a Sense of Humor... all key ingredients to a successful, harmonious existence on this wild ride known as life.

*Nature... being outside (in non-humid, non-mosquito infested weather!) in the quiet and peace of nature brings peace to my soul. I'm trying my best to tread lightly and to help others to do the same.

My goals...
(compiled via a quick-n-dirty 60-second write-down-the-first-thing-that-comes-to-mind session)

*Lose 10-15 pounds (always a goal of mine, especially at the end of each summer when I have gained lots of road trip vacation weight and haven't been exercising regularly!). Related goals: Training for the Turkey Trot 5k in November. I can't remember the last time I actually went out jogging...

*Create and maintain a clean, workable scrapbook workspace so that I can use it whenever I feel so inspired, rather than dreading it or avoiding it altogether. This one feels particularly daunting and impossible. Very Mount Everest-ish.

*Spend more time on various personal scrapbook projects. There are so many things on my list that I'd love to scrap but never seem to have the time. When I do have the time (or the inspiration), I am thwarted by the Scrapbooking Pit of Despair (see prior goal).

*Create and maintain a more orderly home environment. (Talk about shooting for the moon! This is also a very Mount Everest-ish task in my mind. I'm not the best housekeeper and the clutter has been building up for 10 years now.)

*Spend quality time with myself and with my family without constantly thinking about what else I need to be or should be doing, those undone tasks on my to-do list looming over me. Essentially I think I am looking for BALANCE. I don't wish to give up my activities outside the home (at least not all of them) because they satisfy my need to contribute, to help out, to be involved, and to be with people. But I also need to be at home and be mentally engaged with my family. I think finding a balance that works for me and works for my family will be a tough one.

I need to be more aware of each moment and how I am spending my time. Try to keep in mind where I'm at and where I'm trying to go and whether or not my choices will get me there. Specifically I need to better manage my time alone, my time not spent on household chores and other calendar commitments. I often have difficulty in just getting started as well as difficulty in maintaining forward progress continuously over time. I am an object at rest, that if given a choice, would prefer to stay at rest. Somehow I need to apply force regularly to overcome that inherent inertia. Deadlines help me ultimately finish a job but more specifically, deadlines set by others (rather than by me). Accountability to others. A sense of "we're in this together" and positive encouragement also help.

I want to be able to do it all. But I can't. It's impossible. All I can hope for is the ability to do it better. And so I am hoping by being more conscious of my time and how I am spending it, I will better balance what I have going at the moment without having to give too much up.

Is it hopeless?


[Why I enjoy scrapbooking...
(thought I should expand on this since it is mentioned twice in my goals above)

I enjoy the beauty and asthetics of it - putting together all the pretty papers and colors and accents. I also really enjoy the relationship aspect of it. When I'm working in my scrapbooks, I am also spending time with family and friends and loved ones, via the memories in my mind. It is a form of time together, or at least so it seems to me. An extension of the pleasure I get from spending time hanging out with people and being together with people. Capturing the stories and the memories then being able to share them again each time the books are reviewed. Why I enjoy doing books for others? I want them to have the same opportunity to open a book and share the memories.]

The Age of the Telephone

Apparently 10 is the age when you start talking on the phone to your friends...

So Ryan was talking to Owen earlier today. He hasn't seen or spoken to him since before we left on our trip.

The beginning of the conversation...

Ryan: "Hi Owen, how are you?"
-very brief pause-
Ryan: "Banana"

That just cracks me up with how random it is!

The last 3 days of Big Trip 5

Day 29 – Monday – July 19, 2010

0730 Get up. Felisa is up already but Ryan and Bella are sleeping in.

Lana and Mike go to a doctor’s appointment while the kids and I hang out and be lazy. The kids watch TV and I work on blog updates.

Lana is done at the doctor so we head out for errands and lunch at Jack in the Box.

After lunch back home. I remember that I need to pay some bills.

Dinner tonight is chicken and yummy homemade noodles!



Day 30 – Tuesday – July 20, 2010

Wake up. Eat breakfast. Then get ready for our field trip to the South Carolina State Museum.

Our favorite parts:
Felisa – pushing buttons on the displays
Bella – the pirate exhibit
Ryan – the optical illusions
Lana – getting lost and the variety of displays
Sheila – the variety of displays

After the museum, lunch at McD’s.

Back home I work on my scrapbook while the kids watch tv.

Dinner tonight is macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Yum!


Day 31 –Wednesday – July 21, 2010

0650 Wake up. Get loaded and ready to go.

0737 Leaving.

0750 Gas, $2.39/gallon

0756 Sonic for a breakfast burrito

0813 North Carolina

1024 Virginia

1127 Gas, $2.49/gallon

1134 McD’s drive-thru for lunch and iced coffee

1158 Cows. Mountains. No traffic. Coming back via Highway 29 is pretty good so far.

1127 Waltons Mountain Museum. I wonder if it is any relation to the tv show?

12:30 p.m. Albemarle, VA established in 1744. Wow – that was a long time ago!

2:25 p.m. I-66 from Warrenton. Slow as expected. 

2:46 p.m. Home sweet home! Our total mileage for the trip is 6,972. Wow – if I had realized we were that close to being over 7,000 miles I would’ve gone the long way around just to make it over 7,000! Drat!