Ice storms

I do not care for snow. I have no desire to live anywhere that requires you shovel off the driveway before you can leave your house. That is one of the many reasons that I live in the middle of Georgia. We do not experience much of the frozen stuff, but believe me when we do people act like fools. So on Friday the weatherman was calling for a wintery mix of ice and snow. So of course everyone in the area has to run to the store to buy batteries, milk, bread, you know all the things that you can't live without if you had to be stuck at home. We spent the night with hubby's family Friday night (they live about 30 minutes from us). I got up in time Saturday to make a pot of coffee before the power went off. The trees were frozen and limbs were falling everywhere, especially on the power lines. I called our house and the answering machine picked up, you know what that meant? Yep, we had power. So we loaded our cars and defrosted the inch thick ice off of the windows and headed south to our house. Well when we got there our power was off too. We still had some hot water, which meant that the power had not been out for long. So I ran and took a HOT shower. It felt wonderful. Did I mention that we had our child this weekend? Yeah we had her and I tell you it is no fun being without power and being an adult, just imagine being an 8 year old in the dark. Oh the things we take for granted. No power means no heat. So we were all bundled up in our warm clothes and layers of socks waiting for the power to come back on. We were lucky because we do have a fireplace with gaslogs and we have a kerosene heater from our days of living in the country. After we filled the kerosene heater and turned it on, the house was warm again. About 3 hours of that and the power came back on, so I took advantage of it. I cleaned the house and washed dishes and clothes and cooked supper. We were just sitting down to eat supper about 8:30p.m. when the power went off again. This time it was dark outside and much colder than it had been earlier. So here we were, lots of candles burning, bored! We talked for a little bit and we played Monopoly Jr. It was nearly midnight when I suggested going to bed. I for one was extremely sleeply, I did not sleep well at the in-laws the night before and I got up early. We went to bed finally, but it was not a restful sleep. I was paranoid about sleeping with the gas logs on, you know carbon monoxide poisoning and all really freaks me out. It also got very chilly once we turned off the kerosene heater, so I was awake more than I slept. I kept opening my eyes to see if the power was on and of course it wasn't. So after not sleeping most of the night and awakening to still no power I was not a very happy person. On top of all that I was having major mood swings, don't you feel bad for my hubby? He was having to deal with moody me and a panicked child. I got out of the bed Sunday morning around 7:30 and decided I would leave the others sleeping while I read the paper. Well something was missing, my morning coffee. I am not real happy until I have some coffee. Finally the power came back on about 10:00 in the morning. The first thing I did was make some coffee. The rest of the day was a little better, but not much. I finally took a nap about 7 p.m. So needless to say I am trying very hard to keep my eyes open today.

Realizations

I came to a realization Wednesday night. Hubby and I had taken the child home and we were talking about what all I had to do on my day off and I realized something. Ususally when I take a day off I spend some time, even if it is just for coffee or tea, with my best friend. Well this is the first day that I have taken off since she moved so I was very sad. So sad in fact that I cried. I tried not to cry, but I miss her and she is too far to just go and have coffee or tea with. I have missed her since she left, but I don't think it had really hit me until then. I may be going to the country next weekend even if just for a few hours with my best friend.

Domestic Goddess

I am a domestic goddess. I am keeping up the tradition of doing it all since Martha is still away. I took yesterday off work because I had so much to do before tonight's birthday party. I got up early partly because I had lots to do but mostly because hubby got up to get ready for work and turned the bedroom light on to look for something to wear. Then he turned on the iron and the bathroom light and left them on while he was in the kitchen. So while it would have been nice to get to at least sleep in on my day off, it just didn't happen. I am sure that the people at the power company appreciate our (his) wasting of power on a daily basis.

Once I got up and had a cup of coffee, I was raring to go. I baked mini muffins for my hubby to take to work and made his coffee and got him out the door to work. The I blasted the stereo and got to work on the matter at hand, a fish shaped cake. No not a mold, but a 3-D one that you cut out of a round cake and decorate with candy. Yeah so how creative is that? So I cleaned the kitchen and mixed up the cake and popped it in the oven to cook. While it was in the oven I washed some laundry and watched A Baby Story on TLC. I love that show. It was a really sweet episode. After removing the cake from the oven, I decided to bathe my inside dog. She smells like corn chips when she is dirty. Isn't that just strange, maybe we should have named her Frito. Anywho after I bathed her, I took a shower and got dressed for the day.

Then it was time for me to prepare lunch for my hubby, who was coming home to eat with me. I love eating lunch with him. When I first started this job almost 5 years ago and he worked near me we had lunch almost everyday together. While lunch was cooking, I swept the kitchen floor and mopped and painted my nails. I had lunch with hubby and he went back to work.

Then it was time for part 2 of my day, errands. I had to do one errand for work, but I decided that while I was out I would go and meet a few of the clients that I talk to on the phone all the time but have never met face to face. Yes I was working on my off day, but only because it was something that I wanted to do. So I met 2 of the ladies that I talk to on the phone all the time and visited with them for a few minutes then I was on the next errand. Finally all the errands were done and it was time to shop. I had one more gift to buy at the mall. So I decided to look at the clothes for me while I was there. You know everyone is having such great clearance sales right now trying to get rid of the winter stuff. So I picked myself up 2 new pairs of pants and a new sweater. I almost bought a new purse, but I talked myself out of it.

Well with all that done it was time to go back home and assemble the cake and decorate it. Hubby got home as I was chopping up the cake trying to decide how it should be put together so it would stand up. He basically took over as I pouted and whined because it wasn't as easy as it looked in the picture. Well duh! Most things aren't as easy as they look. An hour later the fish was decorated and it was time to transport said fish cake to the in-laws, where we are having the party. You didn't think we were having this thing at our house did you? After we got all the gifts and decorations and cake and jell-o "aquariums" loaded into the car we were on our way. We get to his mom's house and they oohed and ahhed over the fish cake and aquariums, oh yeah and the blue kool-aid. Then we went with them to shop for other gifts for the party and to eat supper. Well we arrived back at his mom's at nearly 11p.m. and still had to decorate. We got home close to 1a.m. this morning and then we had a little sex to end the day. That was how I spent my day off, truly being a domestic goddess. I was ready to come back to work today so I could rest and relax.

Tea Parties, Tickets, and Tributes

That is what my weekend consited of. My child's birthday was Sunday so her mom's birthday party was Saturday and it was a tea party. It was at this tea party place in a little town about 30 minutes from where we live. My hubby's mom and sister came to our house and rode with us to the party. It was the cutest little place. It was in a little cottage that had been renovated and decorated in all frilly and girly stuff. Of course it had lots of teapots and teacups and stuff. There were also frilly dresses, hats, gloves, high-heeled shoes, jewelry, etc. for the kids to dress-up in before the party began. It was really one of the most creative party places that I have ever been to. We are thinking of going back there to have hubby's Grandmother's 85th birthday party. How fun. The kids got all dolled up and had a tea party, complete with finger sandwiches and tea. We all had a great time.

On the way home from the tea party hubby was driving. He was clocked by a Georgia State Patrolman going about 70 miles an hour. Well he was going 72 to be exact. So he got a big fat ticket. All I can say is thank goodness that I wasn't driving. He is always fussing at me about how fast I drive, who is the speed demon now?

Then on Sunday I learn about the death of Johnny Carson. What a funny man. He will be sadly missed. Oh yeah and the Falcons and Steelers both lost on Sunday. What a sad day.

Singing in the shower

I had such a good day yesterday. I had lunch with my best friend at a mexican restaurant. What could be better than that? I got to hear all about their trials and tribulations of getting moved and until their house is ready staying with the in-laws. I don't envy her a bit right now. Then last night was the tryout part of American Idol. Personally I don't care for the show, but the auditions really crack me up. How can you get up there knowing you might possibly be broadcast to millions of viewers and make a complete fool of yourself? Those people have to have some idea that they cannot sing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy singing very much, but I know that I don't sound good, so I limit my singing to the shower and in the car. Some of those people were just freakin hilarious. The last woman that they showed was PSYCO! She was truly crazy. If I were Simon I would be watching my back for that crazy woman. Tonight is one hour more of the auditions, I can't wait!

It's still looking a lot like Christmas.

Yes you heard me correctly, CHRISTMAS. Okay I have to admit this year I have been slow taking down the decorations from the fabulous holiday season that we just celebrated. We just took the tree out of the living room Sunday night. It has been barren from decoration for a week now, but it took me that long to decide to take the lights off. I am so glad that it it out of my living room. We have so much space now without that huge dead thing lingering in front of the window. I still have some wintery decorations up in the dining room and in one of the bathrooms, but for the most part Christmas is gone at my house. Although there is a house around the corner from mine that still has up every single Christmas light that they could find and they still turn them on every night. When is enough enough? C'mon people, take your damn lights down or at least turn them off. Better yet, take them down and pack them away for next Christmas, it will be here before you know it.

On a lighter note, I got some tires put on my car Saturday. I woke up early Saturday morning, took my shower and woke my hubby and told him that I was going to get tires. The hell with buying groceries, we need to lose some weight anyway. I went and got 2 used tires that are better than the ones that they replaced and way better than the one with the nail in it. So I am driving my car again. I love my car. It was like spending time with an old friend when I got behind the wheel. My car just knows me and she loves me with all my imperfections. She doesn't mind when I hit curbs or have to slam on the brakes really hard. She is very forgiving and she loves to drive really fast. Anywho I am so glad to have that little crisis over with for now.

Happy Friday

I am in a much better mood today. Amazing what some sex and a good nights sleep will do for you. Hey I don't want to hear any of that, I am having lots of sex trying to conceive this baby. Hubby has been laughing at me because everytime we have sex I prop my rear end up on pillows so the sperm will know which way to swim. I had a doctors appointment this morning with my General Practice doctor, just a routine check-up for my meds refill. I love my doctorm he is so nice. I told him about trying to start a family and he was very reassuring. He said the same thing my OB/GYN said, try for a year, if nothing then we start testing for the problem. Anyway so I have a few months left before we get to that point. On my way to the doctor my assistant called me to let me know that we were having Steak Out for lunch. One word, Yummy! It is my co-workers 50th birthday so my boss decided that we should have lunch as well as pineapple upside down cake. Could my day get any better? Glad you asked, because yes it can. My assistant left after lunch, her dad is in the hospital. My boss left shortly before my assistant and then his wife left. So what does that mean? Yes you guessed it I get the afternoon off to write in my blog and catch up on some reading. Not really off, I have to stay in the office and pretend to work so my co-workers don't get jealous, but it will be a nice quiet stress-free afternoon. I am loving it. Oh yeah and we are going to hubby's grandparents for supper so I don't have to cook. Happy Friday to me. I am doing a little happy Friday dance in my chair. I hope everyone else is having a happy Friday as well.

Going home

I go there now and it is so cold and stale, nothing like the warm comfy house that I grew up in. I see the backyard where I spent so many days playing with my sister and my friends. The trampoline that I jumped on for hours at a time is gone, the grass has grown over the bare spot that for so long was beneath it. The swingset that propelled me to the sky is gone. The yard that looked so big when I was a child now seems small. The shed where I parked my bike is now falling down, the roof has caved in. I look around at the house and the yard and I can close my eyes and remember exactly what it looked like in my childhood. I can remember getting off the bus running into the yard, so glad to be at home after a long day of learning. I can remember being scared during thunderstorms and sleeping on the floor beside my parents bed. It was so comforting as a child just being near them. I realized the day that I moved that you can never really go home again. you can go back to the neighborhood, the house even, but it is not home anymore. Home is where your loved ones are. Home is where you take off your shoes and relax after work. Home is where you want to run when you are sick or scared. To me home is where my husband, child, and dog are. I wish I was there right now.

And my day just keeps getting better

I got a call before lunch from my best friend, who if you have been reading me you know is moving to a farm in the middle of nowhere. She was calling to give me her new address and phone number and to tell me that she will no longer be staying in the old house, which is only about 10 minutes from my house. The new house is like over an hour away down a dirt road. I am excited for her and her family, but I am sad for me and for her. I was crying before I got off the phone, this is so permanent. The U-haul will be here Saturday to move the rest of their belongings and they will offiicially be moved. I am very sad, I just want to cry. Best friend I will miss you very much! Is it acceptable in the office environment to throw yourself down in the floor and bawl like a baby? I guess not, that will just have to wait until I get home.

What was I doing then?

Several other people have done this and I have meant to do it and then I get distracted by other things to post about, so here goes my look back in time...

20 years ago, I was....
1. 8 years old.
2. My dad was in and out of the hospital with cancer
3. spending every weekend with my Granny.
4. in the third grade.
5. the spoiled rotten baby of the family.

15 years ago, I was...
1. 13 years old.
2. babysitting every week day after school.
3. talking on the phone all the time to my friends.
4. driving my sister's car all over the neighborhood.
5. making straight A's in school.

10 years ago, I was...
1. 18 years old.
2. working in a factory on second shift.
3. living with my high school sweetheart.
4. charging everything I bought on credit cards.
5. wearing a size 7 in jeans.

5 years ago, I was...
1. 23 years old.
2. divorcing my first husband.
3. letting my hair grow out.
4. working part-time at Blockbuster.
5. going to college full-time.

Last year, I was...
1. still unpacking boxes after our move.
2. newly married.
3. wearing a size 14 jeans.
4. loving my job.
5. adjusting to being a step-mom.

Yesterday, I was...
1. tired.
2. eating Almond Crescent cookies for lunch.
3. shopping for party supplies for my child's birthday on my lunch break.
4. aggravated with some things at work.
5. talking to my mom twice on the phone.

Today, I am...
1. tired.
2. still aggravated at work.
3. sad that our shredder is broken.
4. wearing my favorite black pants.
5. looking for party supplies for my chilld's birthday party.

Tomorrow, I will be...
1. happy, finally Friday.
2. going to my family doctor for the last time at 8:45am. He is moving.
3. wearing jeans to work.
4. having pineapple upside down cake for a co-worker's birthday.
4. eating supper at hubby's grandparents. (I just love those old people.)

Yes I would like some cheese with my whine!

This year is not starting out very well for me. Circumstances are making it very hard for me to be my happy smiling self. Let's see what is going on in my life that could be making me a little unhappy and a lot stressed. My co-workers husband had to spend nearly a week in the hospital which meant that she had to miss work those days, as well as worry about her hubby. He has been released but not with a very good prognosis for a full recovery. My best friend is packing to move to the country. My hubby and I have been trying to come up with a solution to solve my tire delima. I thought I had it figured out then the person that I thought would help me won't so now I still do not have new tires and do not know how I am going to get them. If you hear of a tire store being robbed, just know that I had no other alternative. I get to work this morning only to find out that a co-worker of mine is in the hospital, they think she might have had a stroke. This co-worker of mine gets on my nerves, but deep down I do like her and I do not want her to be sick. Oh yeah and the whole baby thing. I have been on the verge of a meldown all day. I just hope that I can keep myself together lomng enough to get home to my loving husband.

Tire store drama

I normally dress nice for work but when I get off work I want to be comfy. Last night after work I was going to my best friend's house to help her pack for the upcoming move. After I got home from work I put on some pajama pants and a t-shirt and my tennis shoes to go help her pack. On my way out the door I noticed my tire was a little flat so I got hubby to come and look at it and it has a nail or something in it. He calls one of the local tire stores and they were still open, so off I go to get my tire fixed and then go to best friend's house. I get there and tell them my problem with my tire and I sit in the little waiting area watching the news and waiting for my tire to be fixed. So a few minutes later the young guy came rolling my tire into the waiting area. He proceeds to tell me that I need new tires at least 2. So I give him my most pitiful look and tell him that I just can't afford new tires right now, to please just fix the hole in my flat tire. So he rolls my tire back out to the shop and comes back a few minutes later. He proceeds to tell me that his manager has told him that they cannot fix my tire because it is unsafe for me to drive with that tire on my car. Okay mind you I do need new tires, but not today. The tire is not slick, it is not showing threads, just a little worn on one side. Oh yeah my car does needs a front end alignment so it causes the tires to wear unevenly. Well duh, I knew that. Anyway it pissed me off. I could feel my blood pressure rising. I looked at the little guy and said, "What?" He told me that they could be held liable if I were to get in an accident if they fixed that tire. Well I think they are more liable if they don't fix it and I get in an accident. Is it more dangerous to ride around with a bad tire that is flat or full of air? HHHMMMMM, I wonder. I called my hubby to tell him that they would not fix my tire and he was aggravated. The little guy offered to put my spare on for me, I looked at him in the best pissed look that I have and told him to put my tire back on my car, I don't want that stupid spare on my car. My hubby was still on the phone as I told him this and was trying to tell me to let them put the spare on. Well I was having no part of it, I told my husband that I did not want them to do anything else to my car. I looked at the guy again and made sure that he understood that I wanted the tire with the nail in it back on my car. They promptly put the tire back on my car and gave me the keys and I got in my car and left. I went the few blocks back to my house and got hubby's car and went to best friend's house.

Short attention spans

(try to read this very fast, it is the way I think)

Hello my name is... Awe look at that puppy. I suffer from a short attention span. Can you believe it? I have known it for quite sometime. I find it difficult to concentrate on one thing for very long and the least little thing can break my concentration. Oh I love that song. Back to what I was saying, my mind is constantly running in circles. I can be in the middle of doing the deed with my hubby and I will remember something that I needed to tell him and I have to stop myself from telling him this nonimportant fact then because he may think that I am not interested in what we are doing. It is not that I am not interested in what I am doing it is just that there are many things going on in my mind. That is the reason that I feel that I never get much accomplished at work is because I am constantly interrupted. brb phone call... Anywho, my phone rings constantly and I must talk with enthusiasm to the clients that call me. Most of them I really do like. So when I get home in the afternoons I completely avoid the phone, that means not catching up with friends and family and not gossiping all night long. I HATE TO TALK on the phone, partly because I get bored easily and I tend to zone out on the phone and do other things and then when the person that I am talking to finally lets me go, I have no idea what we talked about. Are you with me? Am I losing anyone? My desk sits facing a window and often times I find myself staring out the window at the passing cars and people walking their dogs. It is not because I ... sorry interrupted again. This time my co-worker wanted to know if I watched Who's Your Daddy?, Well no as a matter of fact I did not, sorry. What was I writing about oh yeah here I am. It is not because I don't like my job, it is because I am just distracted. I also move constantly, whether it be shaking my foot or bouncing in my chair. I thought at one time that I wanted to be a computer programmer, boy was I wrong. Well I did go back to school for a little while and took a few classes. I was in a computer class one time and I was just bouncing around in my chair and moving all around and I looked around me and I was like the only person moving in the entire room. I immediately told myself to be still and just sit there. I hate being still and just sitting there. I just thought I would share my attention span or lack thereof with you.

Pierced ears and other things

I have pierces ears. My mom got them pierced when I was like 3 or something. It was all the rage when I was little, all the girls had their ears pierced. People are still getting their little girls ears pierces, but now they are waiting until the child is old enough to decide that they want to get it done. Anywho all that said I got home from work yesterday and my child comes running up to me to show me her new pierced ears. You could have knocked me over with a feather. This child who is afraid to ride the elevator to the 12th floor of a hotel has gotten her ears pierced with a real piercing gun. I acted excited about it, but I was fuming under the surface. Apparently she was at the mall with her mom and decided that she wanted to get them pierced and she let her, with no thought of even calling my hubby and asking him if he thought it was okay. If we had gotten her ears pierced her mom would have shit a cow, but it was okay because she had it done. He was not even considered in the decision. That just really pisses me off. Ex-wife has done quite a few things lately that have really gotten under my skin. I don't get involved though. I am a good wife and step-mom. I just tell my hubby what I think and I drop it. What are divorced men that want to be a part of their child's life supposed to do? He has never seen a report card on her. Last year we never got a school calender. This year I have decided to be more active in her school so we have been notified of things like fund raisers and school functions, but it still sucks being us where that is concerned. Just because she does not live with us does not mean that we would not like to know when she is out of school, when she has doctors appointments, etc. Divorced men who try to be good fathers are just pushed aside and cast out. I know men who live with their children and do not spend as much quality time with thier child as my hubby does. He tries to call every night and tell her good night, (and when I say tries I mean that most of the time either the phone is not answered or they are on the internet), he goes to everything that he is told about at school, he truly does whatever he can to be a part of her life. I am just pissed and maybe I should not be, but it hurts my feelings for him.

Que sera, sera

That is my New Year's resolution. Whatever will be, will be. If I lose weight, so be it. If I exercise regularly, so be it. Whatever happens I will deal with it and make the best of it. I had a great New Year's eve. We went out to eat Mexican food with my Mother in law and sister in law and all went back to our house for the countdown to the New Year. I was so tired I could barely hold my eyes open, but I did. I stayed up until 1 or so and then I went to bed.

I still had not started my period on Friday or Saturday, so we were getting exciting thinking the New Year would bring us a baby. We decided that we would take a pregnancy test Sunday morning when we woke up. I woke up Sunday morning about 8:30 and let the dog out and woke my hubby up and asked if he was ready to do the test. He said yes, with a huge grin. I went into the bathroom and peed on the stick, put the top back on and left it laying on the counter. We waited and waited and waited. It seemed like an eternity. We decided that it was time to go and look. So we ran into the bathroom and I let him flip the test back over and guess what? Yep you guessed it negative. I was crushed. I was 6 days late and still not pregnant. What is the matter with my body? So all day on Sunday my hubby kept asking me if I had started yet? The answer was no everytime. I think he was just hoping that the test was wrong. I slept most of the day partly because I was tired and partly because I was depressed about still not conceiving. So my monthly visitor came to see me this morning with a vengence, bringing with her horrible cramps and a backache.

I am trying to keep my chin up about this whole thing, but I am not getting any younger and neither is my husband. I think we will try one more month on our own and if still no success this month we will seek some medical testing to be sure that we aren't trying in vain. So thank you to everyone who kept their fingers crossed for us this month. Keep them crossed and maybe next month I will have good news.