Introducing: The Gingerbread…HOVEL…

Okay, this is slightly embarrassing. We decorated our Gingerbread House last night. At least, it was supposed to be a house. Apparently the gingerbread kit I got was SO fresh, one side of the roof caved in after we decorated it. The weight of too many gumdrops I suppose.
Hence, we have more of a hovel, than a house. But it was fun putting it together and eating more gumdrops than we put on it.
It’s truly a mess, but the kids had a blast. And you can get the kits for $9.99 at Target. Fun!

And on a sour note, I'm experiencing my first pangs of of what we Retail People call Holiday Jeer. It’s all coming back to me now, as I’ve been working at this store.

I worked retail for years and years, and I remember HATING Christmas. Christmas to me was just tired feet and endless hours of bitchy customers and Floor moves and re-arranging floor displays when they sold out. Not to mention the endless stocking of merchandise and calls to deal with upset customers.

I am seeing such people at my work now. Tired, burned-out “over it” people, and they just want the Holidays to be over.
Since little pee-on me just works about four or five hours a day, I can afford to have a little Holiday cheer. But these poor souls who put in long days, all I can say is UGH. I remember those days, and may they always remain in my memory only. May I never have to re-live them. Luckily the store I’m working at is pretty well run. Not too much chaos.

Oh, and a note to shoppers…please, don’t be a piggy and leave all your clothes inside the fitting room—inside-out on the floor. We will curse your name and stick pins in Voodoo dolls that resemble you. You SUCK when you leave those kinds of messes for us Fitting Room people. Yeah, we may seem cheerful, and unperturbed by it all, but we really REALLY hate lazy people like you. While we’re smiling at you, we secretly want to run at you and push you over a very jagged cliff.
Just in case you wondered.

Time to get going! Just one question: Why is it that all my really comfy shoes are older than my kids, and out of style? Why is fashion so uncomfortable these days? We went and bought me some “comfy” shoes, and my feet are worse off than before. Maybe it's because my toes don't naturally go to a point, and DO NOT enjoy feeling like they're being pushed through the end of a ball-point pen.

Hmmmm…….

One Down, Two to Go...

Status: Feeling pregnant and a tad overwhelmed but happy because I found Applets and Cotlets in the Christmas candy section at Target.

I got the Main Tree up yesterday. The same artificial tree we, as newlyweds, spent way too much on at Dillards when I worked there. (I'll never forget that day, it was the day after Christmas, and people were CRAZY over the Christmas trees--luckily I grabbed mine up fast, but it was still $400 at half price...and one man, he was fighting over a tree with another man, and suddenly he pointed at the man and shouted (at the top of his lungs, mind you) :
"I CURSE YOU FOR YOUR SELFISHNESS!! I CURSE YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY! MAY YOU NEVER HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS WITH THIS TREE!!!"

And no, I'm NOT kiddding. It was that crazy. But anyway, we got the tree, and here we are, ten years later and it still looks fabulous. And I still have all the same decorations I bought ten years ago, including the ribbon. This tree has looked the same for a decade, and it's practically an antique. I lurve it.)

ANYWAY, it looks very nice in the Great Room.

So, one down, two to go. But sadly, I have to work today, tomorrow, and the next day (tis' Christmas time you know!) and I won't be able to get any more trees up until the weekend, at the earliest.

I found all the Christmas CD's, and I was listening to them as I trimmed the tree (I sort of ran out of lights at the top) and it was really nice. I just think it's funny because my kids LOVE Johnny Mathis. I grew up listening to him at Christmas, and so are they. Luckily Hubby likes him too. But even if he didn't, I'd still play my Johnny CD. ;-)

Ugh, the boys are running around in their underwear upstairs and whacking each other with their shirts. Time to intervene!

WOWZA.

I suspect this might be some sort of record for me...not blogging for an entire week is so...unlike me. I usually have something to say.
But then again, I usually have the TIME to say it.

This past week was busy, crazy, fun, and draining, all wrapped into one. Yesterday was not-so-fun because Hubby was home sick (we suspected flu but he's better and on his way to work today) and I had to work yesterday.

So, the highlights of last week: we convect-roasted our 20-pound turkey in half the normal time, and I have to say, it was delectable. I even took pictures. I'll spare the vegans among you and I won't post them, but let me say, the turkey was perfect.

Another highlight: can I just say that I'm a bit hoarse and I have shin splints from jumping around and screaming at the tail end of what was probably the BEST BYU/U of U Game ever? I was so stressed at the end, I was on the sofa, cowering under the blanket with one eye peeking out at that last play, and when it was over I was hitting the ceiling. (Can I just say I've never actually moshed with my In-Laws before? It was weird.)
But the game was Amazing. It reminded me of the "old days", when no matter what, it seemed BYU could pull it out. What a great game.

We got a lot of shopping done, spent insane amounts of money, and basically had a blast. I guess that's what you do this time of year. I am determined to get Christmas cards out this year...maybe not with a family picture this time because with Hubby's work there's about 500 to send out, but I want to let people know I care, you know?

I'm off work today (my only day off this week) and I want to get our main tree up. I'm only doing three trees this year. The BIG One, the "Front Show Window" one, and the upstairs "Hi Look At Me" one. That's it.

Oh, and Hubby and FIL did the Griswald Christmas light thing...our house is now covered in these huge snowflake icicle lights. It only took them two days. And I drew the line at doing the upper roof, because it was too high and too stressful. But it sure is pretty.

Time to run to Target! I need to see if they have any Gingerbread House Kits left. Man, I love the holidays!

EEEEEK!!!

No time to blog today! In the middle of CRAZINESS!!!!

Wish me luck!!!

It SUNNED!!!

Okay, yes, thank you-- I'm aware that "Sunned" is not a word. Thing Three coined that phrase this weekend. Why?
Sunday was GORGEOUS...the sun came out, and it shined all day, and the sky was blue with puffy white clouds.
(Thing One couldn't resist singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" every five minutes until I had to threaten her with pain to get her to cease and desist)
It was freezing cold, but it was sunny. And today the sun is out too, it's streaming over my face as I type this. WOO HOO!

I fully expect Craziness to ensue this week...the In Laws decided to come for Thanksgiving last minute (as in YESTERDAY) and so I have roughly today and tomorrow before they Descend. Not that I'm stressed or wanting to yank my hair out in frustration or anything. I'm always up for a challenge. Luckily I have today off, so I can run around like a head with my chicken cut off for one day, and then pace myself tomorrow. And yes, that switch about the chicken was intentional.

We saw "Happy Feet" this weekend, and although the middle was a tad weird, it was a good movie. Hubby and I have to keep reminding ourselves that we are ADULTS watching a movie geared for LITTLE KIDS so there are going to be some "far-fetched" storylines.

The only freak-out for me was Elijah Wood as Mumble (I've always been freaked out by Elijah Wood, ever since LOTR, so watching his face come out as a talking fuzzy penguin didn't help much in the Freakish Department) but everything else was very cleverly done.

But the HARRY POTTER TRAILER was awesome! Granted, it went WAYYYY too fast for me and when it was over I was like "That's IT? I'VE BEEN ROBBED!!!" but other than that, it was pretty cool. A Teaser if you will. But it looks like it's shaping up to be a good movie. (Although all my harping on Dan Radcliffe to cut his hair has backfired, he finally did and now he looks TWELVE again. Careful what you wish for, right?)

Ooh, the clock is ticking. Time for Craziness! Wish me luck!

Where's the Sun?

Okay, I'm not typically one to whine, but WHERE IS THE SUN IN THIS PLACE LATELY??? Coming from Denver, where the sun was nearly ALWAYS out, and the sky was ALWAYS this bright pretty blue, I am now finding myself in Sun-less Purgatory.

AKA Wisconsin. Gray, flat, drab, gloomy, dark, and did I mention windy and cold? Granted, we haven't had a true snowfall yet, which is really strange (I read something about Global Warming affecting WI the other day) but this lack of sun is really affecting me lately. I prefer snow. Then at least you have light outside your windows. I am feeling really depressed lately. I wilt when there isn't sun.

I've heard of those lamps that mimic the sun's natural light. I think I need to invest in a couple of those, and put them in the house. Hubby says it's time to plan a vacation, in January or February, to someplace warm and tropical, and sunny. It would be nice if we sold our house in Denver first! UGH. I heard that after November 15th, the market goes dead and we won't have a chance to sell until after the new year.
A lot to be depressed about, but I'm still going to try and have faith. Otherwise I'll end up shuffling around in my bathrobe somewhere, which isn't what I want.

We are staying home for Thanksgiving, and for the first time in a long time, we aren't having houseguests. So we get to prepare all the food ourselves. I am actually looking forward to it. Hubby and I have great fun when we're in the kitchen cooking together, and he is really good at cleaning up after me. He has this little chant: "Lara messes it up, Hubby cleans it up..." and he always sings it when we cook. Sometimes I want to whack him, but it's all in fun.

I love the Holidays. I think next week will be the perfect week to get up all my Christmas stuff. Lights and trees and bows and Christmas music will be the perfect remedy for all this...depression. Nothing like Holiday Cheer!

Hopefully I can be "cheerful" during all the sales they have at work. People go CRAZY over sales here. I mean seriously mental. Which reminds, me, I have to work today! Time to go!

Have a good weekend, all, and be HAPPY!

A Sad but Obvious Truth...

I read an article in which Dan Radcliffe, the kid who plays Harry Potter in the movies, gave an interview about his thoughts on the end of Book Seven. Much of what he said makes sense, sadly:

"I'd like to think that I'll be playing a Death Scene at the end. I think, personally, that's the only way J.K. (Rowling) could ever halt any call for her to keep writing Potter books, because, I mean, if Harry survives, she'll just be getting plagued by requests to write an eighth book the rest of her life."

I hate to admit it, but it rings true. So it will be interesting to see what happens in the last Book. I mean, it IS the last book. It's THE END. Harry could very well die. But readers who have stayed with him through every adventure, every close call, will feel a sense of loss. We've all grown "rather fond" of the boy wizard (as evidenced by a poll conducted by the Leaky Cauldron in which people were asked to rate who they wanted to survive in Book Seven the most, and guess who the clear winner was).

I have the day off today, which is good because the kids have a half day at school. I am going to do about 12 loads of laundry that have piled up over the last two weeks. I have been bad and let it accumulate. I guess the Laundry Fairy decided to fly over my house and skip it. ;-)

Well, got to get the kids to the school bus stop! Why does it feel like Friday?

ps---It's Freezing!!!

Exhausted.

Being a current "baby-maker" I am seriously NO GOOD past ten o'clock at night. But when Hubby travels, I can't sleep.
So, last night, around ten pm, I went downstairs and picked a movie to watch to get me to sleep. Of course I picked a really cool one with snappy music: Sahara.
So, around Midnight just as it was ending, and I was concluding that Matthew McConaughey has suspisciously stubby arms, I started feeling sleepy.
Now, six hours later, I am dead. And my day is full. Dr.'s appt. at 9:30, work from 11-3, and then I have to run home and clean up the mess I left in the mud room with all the leftover junk and empty boxes.
I cleaned the guest room yesterday. Well, UNPACKED the guest room. It looks fabulous. But it took me four hours, from nine to noon. So, now, the only thing left is the basement. But the basement is the daunting part. Granted, my office in the basement is done (hey, I PRIORITIZED!) but now I have to do the family room, gameroom, Movie Theatre room, bathroom, 2nd kitchen, and the back area needs to be organized so I can have my little craft room.
Yeah, did I mention my basement is GINORMOUS? This project will take a month or so. But when I'm done, I'll be done with the whole house.

The age old question: How do you eat an elephant?

I've got to look at it that way. I'm almost there! We are having houseguests for Christmas so I have a deadline.

I was reading in the news that there is a new massage that was invented specifically for "Blackberry Thumb." I laughed and laughed. Hubby had a blackberry for his last job, and all he did was stand like a Greek statue and scroll with his thumb, all the time. He had to have that clean inbox. He was checking it constantly, in restaurants, at home, everywhere.Now he has a Treo and he's just as bad, but at least he doesn't have Blackberry (aka CRACKberry) Thumb.These poor Crackberry addicts! But I can joke about it because I don't have one. I can imagine it's highly addictive.

Time to make lunches and run. I am so dang tired, I think the kids can have hot lunch today. Yes, I'm a bad mommy. *Yawn*

Tuesday Toast Day II

The kids love today. Instead of cereal, they get toast, or english muffins, or bagels. Hubby thinks it's not the most nutritious breakfast, and he's right, but it's only one day a week and frankly, they're kids, they have to have SOME fun to break up the monotony of cold cereal.

Oooh, I was sooo mad about "Heroes" last night. We DVR it and watch it after the kids are in bed, and lately it's been running "over" time. Well, I keep forgetting to set the timer to tape a few minutes later, and for the SECOND week in a row, the ending has been cut off. I was livid. I mean, the ending is "kind of" important, right? All we saw was Hiro's friend sitting by himself in the cafe, and CUT! Would you like to erase this program now? flashed on the screen.

*GRRRR*

I have remedied the problem, and let me tell you it won't happen again. If anyone has any insight as to what happened at the end last night, please feel free to let me know!

Okay, to clarify about my boys singing songs from the musical "Annie" yesterday, it doesn't bug ME so much, but I know if HUBBY hears them, he'll freak out. It's just a man thing.

Today I'm off from work (had a close call yesterday when a lady asked me to cover her shift, I said no and I felt so bad but I need these days off) and I intend to fully work on the first floor Guest Room. We got lucky with this house. First floor Master, and First Floor Guest room, with it's own full bath. But unfortunately, it's currently full with about 50 boxes, all of which either go in there, or I just didn't want to unpack and moved in there. So, this will be a chore. And I have to change the curtains. They put these really nice draperies in there, but they are PINK and BLUE and YELLOW flowers and I have no idea what they were thinking. The rest of the house is so earth-toned and subdued and...dignified. So I bought some khaki-colored draperies and they should look good on the windows. I hate to change them out, because they really are nice, but they just don't match anything I have.

Okay, rambling. I'm off to Sendiks for the weeks' groceries (and I promised the kids they could have Sushi tonight (although Thing Two won't go near it and so he'll have a corn dog, how's that for dysfunction) and then it's KNOCK OUT THE GUEST ROOM time. And I will officially be done with the first floor.

Go me.

Da Vinci and the Mask of Atreus...

Da Vinci Code is out this week! I heard somewhere they were filming the Prequel: Angels and Demons, but I wonder if they have even started. I LOVE those two Dan Brown books. Sheer Entertainment, if you take it all with a grain of salt.

Currently reading THE MASK OF ATREUS by A.J. Hartley and I'm smitten. It has everything I love in it: Adventure, Travel, Mystery, Archaeology, Greek lore and... Treasure. I'm in deep "smit" over this one. But alas I have to put it down because Mondays are a bit errand-heavy.

Okay, I'm a little worried. Thing One is heavily into "Annie" so I bought her the original Broadway Soundtrack (1977--the BEST version, in my opinion) and the movie, and she has been entranced. (Well, she bounces back and forth between that and "High School Musical"--enough to drive even the most patient mother--which I'm not--bonkers.) The cause of the worry? My SONS are now singing "Maybe" under their breath, and "Tomorrow." And listening to my five year old son hum "it's a hard knock life" while putting together a puzzle yesterday inspired me to limit Thing One's viewing/listening of Annie to her bedroom only. Yikes. Where's the Football?

Time to pack lunches. Hopefully I have gotten over the clumsiness of yesterday (see previous post) and will be able to function normally. Although I did drop the toast jam-side-down this morning.

Not a good sign.

I'm a Spaz...

Today was weird. I was totally clumsy and spazzy and...embarrasing at church. I don't know if it's the "pregnant lady = uncoordinated" thing or WHAT.

So, we're in church, taking the Sacrament. I take my piece of bread and unwittingly take another piece with it and it goes flying into the lap of my son next to me. I heard the people in the pew behind me chuckling. Ugh.

Then, about 20 minutes later, I take off my wedding ring because for some reason it's itching my finger, and when I try to put it on it flies out of my hands and bounces on the floor, rolling and finally coming to a stop two pews ahead of us. (Of course I didn't know this, I just assumed it was lost forever and acted accordingly.)
Some poor missionary was at the most emotional part of his "farewell" talk, and I had about six people on their knees searching for the ring right in the middle of the floor for me. I wanted to die. Hubby was completely mortified.

THEN during singing time I clumsily ran into the music stand and scattered about 27892 sheets of paper and instead of just falling, of course they fanned out until they covered the entire front of the room.

To top it off, I rolled my ankle in my spikey black boots as I was going out the concrete steps to the parking lot. A farewell gesture, if you will.

I'm glad I'm home and I'm just sitting still.

At least I didn't burn the lasagna.

No Work Today!! WOO!

Today is weird, because I've gotten so used to flying around on my broomstick every morning, so I can get to work at 8am. I'm off today, and the kids are out of school, and we just had waffles to celebrate. (Poor Hubby. He had Total Raisin Bran before he left.)
I told the kids: "You'd better sleep in today!" Turns out they woke up at their normal time...6:30, but they played quietly in their rooms and let me sleep. Sweethearts.

So BYU SPANKED Wyoming 55-7 last night. We don't get the game here, but we had the realtime scoreboard and while we were sitting around Hubby had the laptop and was giving us a play-by-play. It was hilarious. I was thinking of those poor cheerleaders...all the times they had to do the Fight Song. (hee hee).
I remember a few games in High School, (yes, I admit to being a cheerleader) one football game in particular, we seemed to get a lot of touchdowns. Soon I felt like if I had to do the fight song one more time, my arms would fall off. And of course it didn't help that the band hated us (and us them) and they played the Fight Song at Mach 10 just to piss us off. Ah, those were the days!

Today is "knock out the house" day. I've unpacked everything on the first and second floors, now it's time to organize, clean, set, and finish. The kids are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and making their beds (we have central vac, and they're always begging me to vacuum, so I'll let them) and I'll take care of the Guest room, Kitchen, dining room, formal dining, Great room and entryway and Master. Hmmm, maybe I'll have them help me a little. ;-) I have a lot to do!

This weekend we are finally getting to see "Flushed Away" and next weekend I'll let the kids drag me to "Happy Feet" but only because the trailer for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be debuting before the movie. July can't come soon enough!

I have a funny Harry Potter story to tell. My brother, who is "too cool" for Potter (aka he's never read the books and is suffering in ignorance) called me up a few weeks ago and asked me if I could recommend some good reading material. Of course the first words out of my mouth were "Have you read any of the Harry Potter books?" He hemmed and hawed and said he really wasn't "into that sort of stuff," which is EXACTLY what I said four years ago when *I* was "too cool" to read Potter.
I told him to go and buy the first book, and give it 1/2 an hour of reading. If he still wasn't interested, fine. He promised me he would.
So, a week and a half passed by, and I called him, and we made small talk, and I finally asked him, "so, did you try reading the first Harry Potter book?" His response:

"Oh, that. I've already read that and Chamber of Secrets and I'm halfway through Prisoner of Azkaban."

I laughed and laughed and laughed at him. He sheepishly admitted that he was hooked after the first chapter, and he was no longer "embarrassed" to buy the books at the bookstore. As of now he's read all of the first five books and he's "gathering his strength" to read the sixth book.

Another one bites the dust. I knew he'd like it. But I digress.

Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend, and to NaNoer's: keep it up! My hat is off to you guys!

I'M SAVED.

Or rather, my FEET are! I just got home from a seven hour shift, and frankly, even the most comfortable shoes weren't going to save me. I ripped this thing out of it's box as soon as I got in the door and used it, and it's AWESOME. It has two settings, cool and heat. My feet loved it. Whew!

I've had a trying day. I got some really bad news today. We found out my SIL may be losing her baby. She was only five weeks, but that is just terrible. I've been sick all day for her. But she's strong. Stronger than me.

The kids are bringing home all sorts of cute little things. Thanksgiving "turkeys" made from pinecones, turkey picture frames, and pins, everything you can think of that is Turkey themed. So cute. But no idea where I'm going to put all this stuff.

Short post because I have to hobble around and tidy up. Tomorrow I'm off, and the kids are home from school. It should be interesting. I just can't get over this weather. It's 60 degrees outside, but tomorrow, the high is supposed to be 34 or something crazy like that. That's Wisconsin for you!

I'm going to curl up tonight with a friend's WIP, and take it easy. I love my new foot massager! (Thing Two came in from school and asked "Mom, did you buy a new radio?")
*Snort*

Is it Friday yet?

Just finished my 8-12 today. I wore really comfy shoes so all is well. But I am going for a power nap after this post.

Voted yesterday, and I have to say, the results this year are...interesting. And that's all I have to say about that.

I was going to make my yummy scratch Clam Chowder tonight, but it's supposed to be 70 degrees today. It's sunny and hot. IN WISCONSIN. We still haven't sold our house in Denver, and apparently our realtor has been shoveling snow on our driveway himself. What is up with that? Wonky weather, for sure.

Okay, I never get "emotionally involved" in these things, but I had to let out a whoop of joy when I read yesterday that Britney Spears filed for divorce from that blood-sucking overly-fertile leech she called a husband. Good move, girl, you go!

In lighter news, a writer acquaintance of mine just sold a two-book deal for seven figures. WHEW. It was pretty amazing to hear. Stories like that give a writer hope, you know? I had to laugh though. She's going to meet all the cousins she never knew she had, with that kind of money in her bank account. Good for her, I say.

I'm still currently writing novels in my head. Hubby and I sort of got into it last night, when I was talking about my lack of writing time. He was like "why can't you write now?" I looked at him (somewhat incredulously) and asked: "you really wouldn't give me a hard time about writing with half the house still in boxes?"

His response: "You can always make time to write."

I rolled my eyes at him. Yeah. He says that now, but I know myself better. I am not a good juggler. I either write and neglect pretty much everything, or I do everything and writing falls to the wayside. That is it with me. I am not good at balancing.

But I am good at sleeping...nap time!

Happy Voting Day...

Get out and VOTE, Y'all! Let your voice be heard!

*ahem* I'm glad I'm not alone in the disgust I voiced over yesterday's post. As for the Movies, we never got to see "Flushed Away" last weekend because of sick kids. We are planning on it this weekend. I think I'm as excited to see it as the kids! ;-)

I have to work again today, 11-3. I like the short shifts. Just enough to where my feet are screaming in their shoes by the last hour. I am SO not used to being on my feet for hours on end anymore. But it builds character, right? I'm off tomorrow, so I will definitely be doing house unpacking stuff. Eating the Elephant One Bite At A Time.

I am miffed. Our house came with a 50-inch plasma TV, set into the wall (and they very cleverly put an ornate picture frame around it, to make it look like a large mirror in the Great Room) and Hubby was just watching the TV on Sunday and it winked out. We couldn't get it to turn back on. Just a little blinking red light. We tried the breaker switches, then unplugging it and plugging it back in. Nothing. So I get to call and find out what's wrong, with this basically BRAND NEW TV. Is Mercury still Retrograde? Because I was enjoying a bath with the jets on and when I reached over to turn them off on Sunday the jets wouldn't turn off. Hubby had to pop the breaker switch in the master closet to turn the jets off. LAME.

So, it would seem my brand-new house is tempermental. Or at least the electrical stuff in it!

Well, time to run errands. Vote, Kinko's, store, then work, then run the kids to their DR's appts after school. Oh, and I have to squeeze in a Dry Cleaning drop-off somewhere in there.

Ah, yes, my life is full right now. Full of crappy errands! ;-)

Sickie Weekend...

Well, that was one weekend I could have done without. The boys and I had sore throats and stuffy noses (and thing Two had a fever and a wonky pink eye) all of Saturday and Sunay. And Hubby and Thing One spent the weekend staying away from us, so they wouldn't get sick.
At least the boys could take Motrin and cold medicine. I couldn't take anything, because of the baby. And I am not exactly a "tough" sick person. I did my share of whining this weekend.

Hubby just left for NYC. He'll be there until the end of the week. Yes, he was just in L.A. Don't worry, he's got a trip next week too. But it's only three days, instead of five.

I have to work every day this week except Wednesday. Wow. It must be the holidays again! I'll have to resurrect my "Retail Woes" blogs from a couple of years ago one of these days. Maybe I'll post them on my website for your reading enjoyment. Few people realize the hell retail people go through during the Holiday Rush. It's indescribable. It's like being in a SAW Movie, and nearly twice as painful.

Speaking of the SAW movies, my daughter was telling me about one of her friends at school, a boy; and he was asking her if she'd seen SAW III yet. She told him she wasn't allowed to watch rated R movies, and he replied: "I just saw it with my parents. It was SOOO cool!"

Okay. This boy is eight years old. I have read about the SAW movies, and frankly, it makes me sick. And this young kid is watching them? Shame on his parents. I'm sorry, but I would never let my kids watch a movie where some deranged butcher named Jigsaw tortures/mutilates/chops up people for the sheer enjoyment of it. NO SIR.

I told Thing One to be wary of this boy. I'm sure he's a nice kid, but if he is so desensitized as to think a movie like that is "cool," well, I worry for him.

And yes, I'm overprotective. It's my right as a parent.

Well, time to go have some lemon herbal tea with honey and get the kids off to school! I hope I don't have this cold for long.

*sniff*

FRIDAY.

Short post today, I just got called in to work. Wasn't expecting it, but I am a sucker and can't say no. It's only 9-3. But it's the longest shift I've worked yet. I'll just have to pack a really nutritious lunch. Being on my feet for six hours will be interesting...;-)

We're taking the kids to see "Flushed Away" this Saturday, Hubby gets home from L.A. and it should be a relaxing weekend. We have to stop going to the Original Pancake House every Saturday morning though. Or I'm going to blow up like a balloon. There is nothing like their Buckwheat pancakes. To DIE for. And their bacon. Don't even get me started on their potatoes and omelettes. MMM.

Okay, time to get my bowl of Grape Nuts and shut up. Have a good weekend, all, and be good!

Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!!

And no, I'm not practicing to be a pirate. It's called FRUSTRATION with moving, yet again.
Case in point: I have a big-screen TV in the basement with all sorts of stereo equipment and surround sound system, etc etc and I don't have the foggiest idea how to set it all up. So I called Flanners and they were to send a couple of guys out to hook it all up for me, and get it all set. So, I find the box that says "Basement Entertainment/Stereo Components" on it, and think I'm ready for them.

Well, pregnant lady that I am, I totally spaced the appointment, so when they arrived on my doorstep I wondered who the heck they were until I saw one of them had "Flanners" on his shirt. So we went down to the basement (I prefer to call it the "Graveyard of unpacked boxes) and I showed them where all the speakers were and where I wanted everything and opened up the box with all the stuff in it.

What was in the box? A pinball machine, workout room towels, and a half-empty bottle of water.

"Um...excuse me for a moment guys, I apparently have the wrong box."

They were super nice. They admired my stuff while I frantically searched the description of every box, and found nothing that said "Stereo stuff." After about five minutes I started ripping open boxes. And we're talking these HUGE dish-pack boxes. I had about 15 of them, and the intall guys were soon breaking out their pocket knives and helping me open up boxes. 10 minutes and 15 searched boxes later, we were still out of luck. I was starting to get pissed off. I excused myself and went into the back storage room, where I kid you not, the movers put every box that didn't have a place. We're talking about 100+ boxes in there. I looked through about five of them, and they were stacked three high, and about six deep. There was no way.

I went back out and apologized to the guys for coming all the way out, but I couldn't find my stuff. They volunteered to bring in their own stuff, but I wasn't born yesterday. I wasn't going to pay for wires and components when I had it all, already. So I told them I was sorry but I would have to reschedule.

They left, and I became a Madwoman Possessed. I pulled every single box out of the stack and looked at them. No Stereo stuff. Not even a box that said "Pinball Machine." I worked my way to the boxes down the hall, and in the other storage room. Finally, I got to the other end of the basement, cursing and sweaty, and saw one huge box sitting by itself by the sump pump. It was the VERY last box that was untouched. I walked over to it, and read the description:

"Pinball Machine, Towels, etc. Basement."

I tore it open and there it all was: the receiver, the mass of wires, the DVD player, etc. It was all there. I hurried up to the phone and called and rescheduled the hookup for today. Thank heaven they were nice and didn't charge me the $79 trip fee for yesterday.

But I'm sure they had a good laugh about it. I'm not exactly laughing. I HATE moving!

Ready, Set, GO!!!

A Shout Out to all you NaNoers out there, Good Luck!

I have always admired the drive NaNoers have...one day I will do NaNo too.

I forgot I had to work yesterday, and I was tired when I got home. Hubby has a huge meeting with the CEO of the company today, he wore a suit to work and I have to say, they have to love his presentation based on the suit and tie alone. He looked pretty dang hot. (Hey, I can say that about my own hubby!) Power suits look good on him.
Then he's off to California tomorrow. Next week, it's NYC. The week after that, it's Minneapolis. Then, he travels the week after that, but I've lost track of where he'll be.

At least he'll be home for Thanksgiving. And he'll be home for the day AFTER, which I will have to work. It's mandatory. That's the only thing that sucks about working a retail job during the Holidays, even if it's WAY part time. I still am required to work the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. But its ok, we aren't going anywhere this year, family is coming to us.
The only downer is Hubby wanted me to go to New York with him in December--I've never seen Times Square at Christmas, and he's going to be there an entire week. I was all for it until I realized I had to work. D'OH!!!
And yes, I could quit, but that would nullify my credibility with my employers. I told them I was a hard worker and dependable, and I am. I'm not a flake who doesn't show up or shows up and talks the whole time and can't be bothered to work, like SOME people at that store. Besides, it's been nice to get out of the house. It forces me to stay active, as this baby grows. And I need that. Oh, and this store is fun, it gets all the celebrity visits. Last week it was Vera Wang. Next week it will be...oops, I almost spilled the beans! I'll tell later, after she's visited.

Happy Hump Day (Wednesday), everyone!
(Why does that sound faintly vulgar?)