I have a plan.

As some of you know, Jeff gave me drumsticks and a drum pad for Christmas. He used to play and is going to teach ME how to drum, too. We've already started lessons and he says that I'm a drumming genius. (He didn't actually use those words, of course. I had to read between the lines a bit.)

So here's my plan. I'll play the drums and Jeff can start playing the guitar again (yes, he used to play that too). Then we'll have like 7 kids and go on the road. Kind of like the Osmonds, only we'll play 80s rock ballads and stuff (a little Bon Jovi, anyone?). We'll be livin' on a prayer. AND, I can still use my teaching degree to homeschool our kids.

I really think I'm onto something here.

Tragedy.

I can't NOT talk about the tsunami that has wiped out tens of thousands of people in Asia.

I thought it was bad enough last night, when they reported that 22,000 were dead. But every time I get online today, I find that the death toll keeps rising--by the THOUSANDS. Right now, they say that 53,000 people have died, but I know that that number, sadly, will keep climbing.

Frankly, although this historic event is heartbreaking, my mind is having such a hard time grasping the enormity of this that it almost doesn't even seem REAL, you know? It's almost like watching a movie unfold--you can sit back and watch the tragedy, but you keep an objective distance from it. I know that sounds cold, but I don't know how else to put it.

We, as a nation and as a WORLD, are going to feel the effects of this for months and years to come. I think I read that the U.S. is pledging $35 million in aid-and that's only about a portion of what these countries are going to need to rebuild.

53,000. Seriously, I can't even wrap my mind around that. I read a couple of news stories on Yahoo yesterday evening that actually posted pictures of the dead, including children. I didn't sleep very well last night, I can tell you that much.

I'm just...flabbergasted. Yet here I am, going about my daily routine, cooking dinner and reading and playing Ms. PacMan. I feel selfish and self-absorbed....but in a disaster of this magnitude, I don't know what else I CAN do.

Christmas in Holland.

We arrived on Christmas Eve night amidst much drama (a fight with my sister; she was wrong and I was right, of course). After worrying for about 2 hours, Dad finally arrived much later than he had planned to. Spent a very interesting Christmas Eve with Mom, my stepdad, my dad, my sister and my niece Paige.

Christmas day, I woke up at about 6:30 and ran out in the living room to get my stocking. I excitedly brought it back to the bedroom and woke up Jeff so he could share in my joy. He told me to go back to bed (quite grumpily, I might add).

Later in the day, we woke up and prepared for the arrival of The Family. For only-child Jeff, I knew this would be a Christmas to remember. All together, besides us, my mom and my stepdad, we celebrated with:

Steph (stepsister), Dave and their 3 boys
Nikki and Ron (her boyfriend, on and off, of several years now)
Missy and her 2 boys
Katey, Nick (no comment) and her 3 kids

That's 15 people, if you're counting. Plus those of us who were already there. (And that's just the immediate family.)

I expected Jeff to be overwhelmed the whole thing, but he really loved it. My family, who were polite to him the first time, now treated him like one of their own (which he loved). My mom showered him with more presents than she gave me. Paige has taken to calling him Uncle Jeff.

Today, his parents and son came over and we did the Morgan Christmas experience over here. (Yes, they came to OUR place, which, thankfully, was still pretty clean from the Cookie Swap of '04 last weekend.)

All in all, our first Christmas together was wonderful. We managed to see both families in the 3 days he had off (shut up, Kishelle). ;) I feel truly blessed.

And now, I must prepare for a Very Loaded New Years (two words: "open bar"). But first: I would like to begin a conversation about Our Favorite Christmas Gifts. Yes, I know Christmas is about family and friends and Jesus's birth...but I also know that you got a gift or two you're dying to brag about. My favorite gift is probably the Ryan Newman jacket I got from Jeff. How about all of you?

I'm old, part deux.

I just got an email about my upcoming 10-year high school reunion. (Stephanie A. and Mike S. are starting to plan it, Kishelle.)

Crap, now I gotta lose like 20 lbs. Or 30, depending on exactly how long I have. But hell, I was gonna do it for our wedding anyway, so I guess now I just have double the motivation.

I only have a few months to get married, have kids, establish a fabulous career and become rich. I guess I better get started.

Merry, Merry, Merry Frickin' Christmas.

This is my Christmas wish to you...

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/frickin_a/artist.jhtml

(Listen to the song under "Check It Out.")

I'm old.

Now that I'm unemployed (or "on vacation"), I've gotten hooked on old reruns of Who's the Boss on Nick at Night (from 1-2 am--hey, it's not like *I* have anywhere to be the next day). Anyway, according to our cable guide, these episodes are just about 20 years old. TWENTY. (1985, to be exact.) And I remember them airing the FIRST time.

End o' the Year

La la la la la. It's the end of the year. Everyone is off work and on vacation but me.

Jen's home with the guinea pig. Renee & Kishelle are home with their boys. Just me & Lisa bumming around the office.

What are ya'll doing while I sit here in my cube?

A new MasterCard commercial.

Trigonometry book: $85.00
3 full notebooks: $5.00
Gas to drive back and forth for 15 weeks: $75
FINALLY being done with trig: PRICELESS.

UPDATE: 5 PM - I just got an email from my professor. Somehow, I went and got a 100% on the final. She said I finished the class with a 3.6. In TRIG. ME.

The best kid story. Ever.

I just realized that I'm one of those parents who think their kid is the funniest, cutest and smartest kid ever--except that I'm a parent with 30 kids to tell stories about.

But really, this story is AWESOME.

It was calender time, and I was explaining to the kids that we would have a new month when I saw them again. Some of them have a hard time pronouncing "January," so I was saying it particularly exaggerated. "C, look at my mouth," I said. "Say JAN-YOU-ARY."

"JAN-ME-ARY," he promptly replied.

"No!" I said through my laughter. "It's YOU. Jan-YOU-ary."

"That's what I said," he said. "Jan-ME-ary."

And on that note--I'm off for two weeks!!

Baby fever.

I just read a post at Kishelle's blog that prompted the following (go ahead and read it. I'll wait).

Ready?

You want to talk baby fever? I have it bad. It's been 12 YEARS since my last kid. And with my sisters constantly popping them out, there's always a baby to hold...and being around the kids at the preschool and having so much fun with them...they just bring me pure joy, you know? And I'm getting older, and I've met someone who is absolutely fabulous, who I'm totally in love with, and who is going to be a great daddy (hell, he is NOW). Plus, I've been able to keep Fancy alive since APRIL. That's got to count for SOMETHING, right?

At the same time, though...I mean, I still like to sleep in. A LOT. And at the end of the day, I get to go home. To an apartment with no kids (unless you count the guinea pig). And it's pretty nice.
And I like having alone time. Which you don't get when you have a kid.

Still, the rewards of HAVING kids are priceless.

But at the same time....oooohhhhh, they can be little shits, can't they? As Kishelle knows, they can try your patience and just INFURIATE you to no end.

Still, I really kinda want one. Too bad Jeff wants to be "married" and "financially stable" first. (HELLO? Has he MET my family?!)

Awwww.

We were making ornaments at work today. At one point, while I was hard at work with the glitter and glue, I sensed someone standing behind me. It was Z, one of the kinders, who was carefully pouring glitter onto my head. "WHAT are you doing??" I exasperatedly asked him.

"I'm making you look fancy," he said, grinning at me.

Needless to say, I laughed for about 10 minutes. And I went to trig class looking VERY fancy.

Checking in.

I've had a pretty busy week, finishing up my semester (I'm now down with my education classes; the unofficial grades look pretty good. Jeff calls me his "little nerd"). I still have trig to get through; I have one more chapter test on Monday (which I am going to bomb, but I've done well enough this term that one bad test won't totally sink me); after that, we have review day for our final and then, on the 20th, we have our final and we're DONE.

I'm trying to find work for the two weeks the preschool is closed (the week before and after Christmas); I've been talking to the parents, seeing if anyone needs a babysitter for those two weeks, but a lot of parents have time off, too. Losing my piddly little child care income for 10 (working) days won't exactly leave us out on the street, but it'd be nice to keep SOME money coming in.

On a side note, I'm having a bitch of a time coming up with Christmas presents for Jeffrey. I know what he likes: NASCAR, gaming, beer and music, not necessarily in that order. But I don't want to get him Tony Stewart stuff because that's been done; I don't know which CD's or video games he has and which ones he would want; and somehow, I don't think a 6-pack of Bud will cut it. I'm about to resort to asking him to just provide me with a list. (I've always prided myself on being able to provide significant others with personal, un-prompted holiday gifts; I've never needed a "cheat sheet" before.) If anyone has any ideas, please email me. (Don't post them here, ya dillholes.)

Ho, ho, ho.

Adopt a soldier.

For those of you who wish there was more you could do for our men and women overseas....now there is.

http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php

All they ask is that you write to your soldier at least once a week and send a care package at least once a month.

I figure, it's the LEAST I can do.

Rice and Jello?!

I fear that this was lost in the Thanksgiving shuffle (I just discovered it tonight), so I needed to make sure I brought this to everyone's attention.

Lisa posted an idea for a dish she calls "glorified rice." It was passed down from her late grandmother and is comprised of orange Jello, whipped cream and rice. MIXED TOGETHER. IN THE SAME BOWL.

JELLO. And RICE.

I'm not making this up, guys. It's in the "Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving" thread.

Am I the only one who is thrown off by this? Or is everyone else but me eating Jello and rice? Also: what weird things do YOU all eat?

Happy Birthday Rudolph!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer turns 40 this year!

I heard on the radio that the Rudolph Christmas Special is running this season for the 40th consecutive year! It's the longest continuously running Christmas Special ever.

I love that campy stop-animation special, along with the others about Jack Frost, the Abominable Snow Man, how Santa Claus came to be and the rest! Growing up I'd watch them every year.

What Christmas Specials are your favorites?

Stay safe, JD.

Someone very important to me is leaving for Iraq on Friday. I ask you to keep him, and all of our other soldiers, in your thoughts and prayers.

The next 6-9 months or so can't go by fast enough.

Blog Party!

So when does everyone want to get together for the blog party?

It'll be a chance to meet in person the people we've been chatting with for months and have a good ol' time with the girls (and possibly a few boys, too)!

After The Holidays? January? February?

New Kids on the Block.

Okay, so after reading the eBay/New Kids conversation, I did some research myself...and I am reminded of how much I JUST LOVE the New Kids!

I forgot about one of their last albums (No More Games) that was actually probably my favorite...just looking at the song listings made me laugh.

SONG LIST :1. Games - (The Kids Get Hard mix) 2. Call It What You Want - (THe C&C Pump-It mix) 3. Please Don't Go Girl 4. Cover Girl 5. Baby I Believe In You - (The Love mix) 6. Hangin' Tough (In A Funky Way) 7. Step By Step - (The C&C Vocal Club mix) 8. Favorite Girl 9. Valentine Girl - (The C&C Quiet mix) 10. Right Stuff, The - (The New Kids In The House mix) 11. What'cha Gonna Do (About It) 12. Never Gonna Fall In Love Again - (The C&C Music Factory mix)

If anyone is interested (Jeff), this would make an excellent Christmas gift!! I think I've forgotten how much I loved "Cover Girl."

(Update: after doing some more eBay research, I have decided to make their Greatest Hits album my official Christmas request.)

For Kishelle:
Christmas songs that DON'T piss me off. ;)

1) All I Want For Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
2) Santa Clause is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen's version
3) The First Noel
4) Silent Night
5) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
6) O Holy Night

And my favorite one is also called "All I Want for Christmas is You," but it's different from the one Mariah sings. This one (at least the version I love) is by Vince Vance & The Valiants. To jog your memory...

I don't need expensive things
They don't matter to me
All that I want, can't be found
Underneath the Christmas tree

You are the angel atop my tree
You are my dream come true
Santa can't bring me what I need
'Cuz all I want for Christmas is you

Christmas songs that piss me off.

Since there are stations here in metro Detroit that have been playing NOTHING BUT CHRISTMAS SONGS SINCE NOV. 7--and since I spend an obscene amount of time in my car-- I have already spent quite a bit of time this season listening to holiday music. Some of the songs, quite frankly, irritate the hell out of me. Here are the top 3 Christmas songs that I cannot freakin' stand:

1) O Christmas Tree
First of all, does anyone really know any of the words to this song besides "O Christmas Tree"? Seriously, I dare any of you to give me even the second line (WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP--and you're on your honor here).

Secondly, this song gets stuck in your mind and YOU CANNOT GET IT OUT. In fact, I bet you're singing it right now. And that's unfortunate for those around you, since, if you're like most people, you're either a) singing the first line over and over or b) singing the first line and humming the rest.

2) Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Have you ever "rocked" around the Christmas tree? I mean, seriously? This song just pisses me off cuz it's so--I can't even say "gay," because even GAY people don't "rock" around the Christmas tree.

3) The Hippopotamus Song
The girl who sings it just irritates the living piss out of me. Even more so than that little unattractive blonde girl who used to do the commercials for Welch's Grape Juice. Plus, the song is just STUPID.

(You can't tell that I'm PMSing, can you?)

C-Day.

Today's the day I attempt to cook a meal more in-depth than Hamburger Helper. Whether you're "religious" or not, I hope you all pray for me this evening. ;)

(However, we'll be having apple pie instead of pumpkin pie for dessert, as SOMEONE seems to have eaten the pumpkin one already... )

Update: Post-dinner analysis

Wow. WOW. As it turns out, I can COOK.

Second update: I like cooking now!

I want to make more stuff! If you have any good, intermediate-type recipes, send them my way, please. Also, I'd love to do a "cookie swap" for Christmas this year. Anna, are you interested in something like that? We can get some girls from DMX together--everyone makes a dozen cookies or so, and then we get together at someone's house and divide them up so that everyone goes home with a variety plate. (I think alcohol needs to be involved somehow, too.) What do ya think?

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving...

(I actually had another pre-Thanksgiving post up for about 3 hours, but then I came up with something MUCH better to write about besides the usual here's-what-I'm-thankful-for crap. I'm thankful for friends, family, Jeff, a place to live, a job, school, my Ryan Newman jersey and Bath and Body Works. There, now let's move on.)

It's almost 10 pm and I just got home from doing my Thanksgiving grocery shopping. (Again, let me remind you that we're not having our home-cooked Thanksgiving until Friday or Saturday, so this little shopping trip was not nearly as last-minute as it may seem. In fact, since I bought everything two or three days AHEAD OF TIME, I'd say that I was actually quite prompt.)

However, there ARE a lot of last-minute shoppers out on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Based on my Extensive Research (a Farmer Jack in Hillbillyville, MI), two types of people do their shopping the night before: clueless husbands and equally clueless single people.

It was quite heartwarming, really, the way we all banded together. We would ask each other random questions (my contributions to the conversations: "Is this less than 15 pounds?"and "Can I make au gratin potatoes in this?")

My most ambitious dish this year is yams (canned) with brown sugar and marshmallows. Next year, I think I'll try actually BAKING a pie.

Somehow, I spent $85--amazing, considering that I'm just cooking for two (three, if you count Fancy). Jeff's gonna shit bricks--but hey, isn't that what Thanksgiving's all about?

Happy Anniversary.

On Saturday--in just a couple of hours--it will be the 4-week anniversary of my quitting smoking. (Notice that I'm counting in weeks rather than months. I quit smoking on Oct. 23, so it won't be a full month until November 23.) I have to say, too, that I'm doing pretty well. In the entire 4 weeks, I only slipped up once--and that was last Wednesday, the day I both went to court for my "financial issues" and Jeff and I had a particularly heinous fight. All in all, it was a pretty rough day. I actually bought a pack that day, but I only smoked about 6 of them before I tossed the pack out. So I'm actually pretty proud of myself--this is the longest I've gone in quite some time and with the fewest slip-ups (by far). (My record for quitting was set in my junior year of college, when I lasted about 2 months--until finals hit, that is.)

November 23 is special for another reason, too. It's Jeff and my's six month anniversary. Six months. Half a year. Can you believe it? In a lot of ways, it seems so much longer than that. Right from our first date, I've felt so comfortable with him, so natural, so "settled," that I've had to keep reminding myself that we HAVEN'T been together forever. At the same time, though, part of me feels like--holy shit, six months ALREADY?

So here's to Jeff (a few days early) and here's to not smoking. (If I can make it through the end of this uber-stressful semester as a non-smoker, then I'm pretty sure I can make it through anything.)

The Great Honeymoon of '04

At long last, here is your Anna's honeymoon post (So you can quite your bitchin' you vultures! ;)

Tim & I went to the Dominican Republic to an all-inclusive resort called Melia Caribe Tropical near Punta Cana. It was beautiful with thousands of palm trees, white sand beach, huge pool (with bar IN the pool!), unlimited food & drinks, warm weather- the works!

We sat on the beach and by the pool and got sun-burned. Tim windsurfed and took me out sailing in a little sail boat. We golfed and got massaged at the spa. Tim taught me to play roulette at the casino (I'm either good or just have beginner's luck). We did a little haggling to get souvenirs. I read 4 books. We watched their movie channels when it rained and spent a lot of time, ahem, in our room. We ate and drank a lot.

We met people from all over the world- only about 20% American, the rest were from Europe, other Spanish-speaking places, Canada, etc. There were a lot of Russians- We spent an afternoon drinking with a guy from Siberia who we talked to through a Romanian couple who spoke both Russian & English- cool, huh?

A good time was had by all!

Star Wars Stuff

ok So I went and searched for the new star wars trailer.. And honestly.. I wasnt impressed... I mean I am still going to see it.. But I dont know.. this is the first time I have ever and I mean EVER just looked at a star wars anything and just went "hmmmm".. Check it out.. see what you think.. But if you havent seen Episode 1 or 2 you really prolly wont care *COUGH RENEE AND JEN COUGH* :-P

See it here

Things that make you go hmmm.

At work today, we were talking about oceans and sharks when M. told me that her mommy and daddy saw sharks on their honeymoon. "That's pretty cool!" I told her. "Where'd they go on their honeymoon?"

"I don't know," M. replied. "I was in my mommy's tummy."

Miss T went, "Oh, REALLY?" while I laughed so hard that I had tears rolling down my face. "What?" M. kept innocently asking. "What's so funny, Miss Krzys?"

LOLOL. It was easily the highlight of my day.

Hey, Anna!

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say...

Tell us about the honeymoon, dammit!!

(Oh, yeah--and we missed you.)

Weird.

I woke up this morning with "Leaving on a Jet Plane" running through my head. There was no reason for it; it wasn't the song playing when my alarm went off, I hadn't heard it all that recently--but this morning, for some reason, I couldn't stop singing it. (Actually, I couldn't stop singing part of the chorus, since that's all I really know: specifically, "Leaving on a jet plane; don't know when I'll back again."

Anyway, I went out to my car, still singing those lines, and turned on the radio--and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" was the song playing at that precise moment. Even weirder, it was at the exact part of the song that had been running through my mind all morning ("Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again"). Weirder STILL, I had left the radio tuned to a station I rarely listen to. Normally, my radio never would have been set to that particular station.

I don't know what it all means, but it has to mean SOMETHING.

The dorkier HE is, the cooler *I* look.

Guess who stood in line last night at midnight, with MORE THAN 100 OTHER PEOPLE (and that was just at this ONE store!), for the release of a new VIDEO GAME?

I love him. That's all I'm going to say about this little incident. And we won't speak of it again.

;)

Who's driving?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&e=1&u=/nm/20041105/od_nm/canada_usa_dc

Get your Kleenex ready.

I saw an ad on HBO for a special that's going to be on next Thursday, Veterans Day, called "Letters From Home." Information on the show itself can be found at http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/lastlettershome/ . I have class that night, but I'm going to tape it (assuming we can tape HBO).

In the meantime, you can read some of the letters at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/11/opinion/11INTRO.html?ex=1101009600&en=2b8140f7741544c4&ei=5087 . I got pretty choked up, but I think we owe it to all of the servicemen and -women to read them.

Oh, and by the way...

Happy Birthday, Kishelle!

(It was actually on the 1st, but y'all know that I'm a little "slow.") ;)

I'm sick. (Really.)

After feeling like ass for two weeks, I finally went to the doctor (which I've been putting off because I'm currently among America's uninsured). I have a sinus infection, an upper respiratory infection--and PINK EYE, which I didn't know anyone got after elementary school. (Stupid preschoolers.) Luckily, the doctor I went to gave me a lot of the antibiotics I needed, so the whole thing "only" cost me $55 plus $12 for the eye drops.

I haven't really slept right for about a week (coughing, headache, earache, sore throat, not being able to swallow), so here I am, at 6 am, on a day I have a medically-approved reason to not be at work, and I'm just waiting another day or so for the meds to kick in so I can finally, FINALLY, sleep for more than an hour at a time.

And how are all of YOU?

Adios Amigas!

I'm off to my honeymoon tomorrow! We'll be gone from the 5th to the 12th in the beautiful Dominican Republic!

You may remember that my originally planned honeymoon was rescheduled due to the myriad of hurricanes in September. But we're going now and plan to have a great time!

Holy f*ck, where did he learn THAT from?

We had an incident in the preschool on Tuesday that I neglacted to tell you about, since our focus yesterday was on election stuff.

A new student came in with her parents yesterday morning. As they were filling out the paperwork, one of our 4 year olds (who, quite frankly, is a handful, and it's damn lucky he's so cute or I would have killed him by now) looked at her and said, in his innocent little voice,

"Who the f*ck is that?"

This happened about two seconds before I walked in for the day. Miss E. was mortified, the parents were shocked and the little Trucker-in-Training wasn't sure why everyone was so upset. Miss E. apologized profusely to the parents while I took J. out into the hall and explained to him that that isn't a nice word to use and that it's especially, especially bad to use at school.

Thanksgiving

We're having my parents and one of my grandmas (and possibly my other grandma, my sister, my cousin and her boyfriend... not for sure yet) over for Thanksgiving, and I'm SO EXCITED :-) We usually do Thanksgiving with John's family, but since his parents are in Florida, *I* get to do it this year!

John and I were planning a menu yesterday, talking about what each of us just can't live without on Thanksgiving (besides the turkey), and what our families ALWAYS had on the table each year. My favorite item is baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon-honey-butter. John's is mashed potatoes with gravy. So here's what we're having:

Turkey with Stuffing
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Baked sweet potatoes
Rolls from Great Harvest Bread Co.
Cranberry sauce
Green Bean Casserole
Steamed Carrots
Cranberry-Apple Streusel Pie
Pumpkin Pie (if my sister is coming)
Chocolate Silk Pie

Too many desserts, I'm aware, but my last year my dad fell in love with my sugar-free Cran-Apple Struesel pie (he's diabetic and can't have sugar). My sister's can't-live-without item is Pumpking pie. John doesn't like either of the other two, and his mom ALWAYS makes him a chocolate silk pie on Thanksgiving.

Anyway, all the reminiscing yesterday got me wondering what all of you are doing for Thanksgiving, any family traditions you have (food or otherwise), and what your dream menu would be :-) Discuss!

Voting Day!

Today's the day to

Get Out and VOTE!!!

Don't leave our children's future to someone else to decide-
Cast your vote today!

Horrible, horrible little people.

Working in a preschool the day after Halloween--when the kids are all hopped up on candy--is as close to Hell as I ever hope to get.

Happy Bday to my sexy lady..
May we have many more Bdays together.. And may we share many more colds together.. Although the cold part sucks.. Lova ya lots

Happy Birthday!!!

Our own Jen was born 20-some-odd years ago today :)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby!!!

While you're at it, why not just tell them that I have sex for money?

In one short visit with Jeff's parents, he managed to tell them that I sell sex toys RIGHT BEFORE entertaining them with stories of our adventures in the Adults Only room of Mammoth Video last weekend. ("So there we were in the porn room, right?") And then he couldn't understand why, once we got back into his Jeep, I (repeatedly) whacked him upside the head with the birthday card I had just received.

I mean, I'm not ashamed of my job with Pure Romance--not by any means--but does his father really need to know about it?? And I'm not sure that his mom needs to hear stories of me dragging her only child, her precious little boy, into the Smut Room--because yes, he DID tell them that I'M the one who suggested going in there! (Granted, I WAS, but again, he didn't have to tell his MOTHER that!)

It's a good thing I love him so much.

Baby momma drama.

Here's the update on the situation with "my baby's momma." I know it's been a few days but frankly, I was pretty upset and didn't want to talk about it.

Basically, when we talked, she told me that she "wasn't ready for Amanda to know the truth" and she "was Amanda's mom and didn't want that to change" and she "didn't want to have to share Amanda"--which apparently is what she thinks is going to happen once Amanda finds out. Notice that it's all about HER and not about what might be best for the actual kid involved. The closest she came to being concerned about Amanda's best interest was stating that she had just started middle school and she was just getting settled and she didn't want to throw this kind of upheaval into her life. Oh--and there is a divorce and a bankruptcy in their near future, and she thinks that Amanda will have enough to deal with with all of that.

So, not only am I upset about ANOTHER mind change but now I got to hear all the details about the crap that's been going on in their family. Sure looks like I picked a healthy, stable environment for my daughter, huh? No money and a broken home? Shit, *I* could have given her that.

Anyway, as I said, it looks like she WON'T be told any time soon, after all. Oh--and apparently, Amanda witnessed various acts of domestic violence between her parents. Lovely. (Although, I must say, if there was ever a justifiable reason for hitting a woman, I'd say that Juan has it.)

And that's all I have to say about that.

On a positive note--I'm back on the patch. 24 hours cigarette free--and counting!

Actual phrases that came out of my mouth today.

"Take the Play Doh off your head."

"Use a Kleenex. Don't eat your boogers."

"It's not nice to call people dumb-dumb heads."

"Bologna doesn't go in your pocket."

The Grinch who Stole Halloween

The company I work at always celebrates holidays in big ways. Halloween has always been one of the biggest with a Pumpkin Carving Contest, a Costume Contest and a Pot Luck Party. We adults look forward to the fun of the Halloween party, slacking off for the afternoon to have fun.

This year, because some people in the company don't want to participate in the team event, our president has decided that we won't have any festivities at all.

I have always been a big supporter of tolerance for all beliefs, but (you knew there’d be a but, right?) now that it’s effecting me personally I’m wondering why is it that “tolerance” means no one gets to celebrate anything? I support people not participating in things they don’t believe in, but why does that mean that I don’t get to do them either? A variety of traditions should make our lives more fun with more things to celebrate, not leave us with nothing to celebrate at all. :(

Is this just how the world is going to be from now on?

Possible big daughter news.

Andrea left me a message saying that Amanda has been constantly asking if she's adopted and that Andrea thinks it's almost time to "do this." (Really, ya think?) I'll let you guys know more after I talk to her (hopefully later tonight).

I knew he was too good to be true.

I know many of you love Jeff as much as I do--and that's why I am saddened to tell you that, after five months, I have stumbled across his fatal flaw. I woke up from my Sunday nap today and found him on the couch doing something so perverse, so unnatural, that I know wonder if I ever really knew him at all. And to do it while his girlfriend was home--it's like he almost WANTED to get caught, you know?

I walked out into the living room today...this is so hard to talk about. I mean, he was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn't even notice me at first.

He was watching FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY.

I know, I know. Right now, you're all trying to get that horrible image out of your heads, aren't you? Trust me, the picture is seared into my brain. I'm sure I'll see it when I lay down to go to sleep tonight.

Now, in his defense, he says that he was watching American Wedding and that this was just the next movie to come on.

Sure, buddy. People with deviant desires such as yours ALWAYS have an excuse.

Alas, the dream is over.

FYI.

After numerous complaints, I have changed the settings back to allow ANYONE to post comments on my blog--you do NOT need to register with Blogger first.

Happy now? Sheesh.

I'm sorry...

...but I HAVE to post this link I found on Eric's blog. I tried to restrain myself, I really did...

http://www.thatsuncalledfor.com/debate_notes/

Hopefully, even you crazy Republican kids will get a kick out of it.

Amanda.

I talked to my daughter's mom today. For those of you who have lost count, she is now 11 (12 this January) and in 6th grade. Right now she has straight A's (4 As, 2 A+s and 2 A-s). All of her coaches say she's a natural athlete (BIG surprise there, no idea where THAT is coming from). She's really good at basketball (she recently made 25 baskets in a row), swimming and softball. The gym teacher also wants her to play football but Andrea doesn't want her too. Amanda is active with her church--the Latter Day Saints--and I guess if she maintains a 4.0 all through high school, she gets a full ride to Bringham Young University. She has a job (paper route) and is already saving for her first car, a VW Beetle.

And I forgot to mention: Andrea says that Amanda laughs just like me. Isn't that weird? Mom and I have the same laugh, but I grew up around her. Isn't it crazy that my child, who was raised in a completely separate household environment, STILL has my same exact laugh?

I just had to brag, since I hardly ever get to do that. ;)

Could I get a Darwin Award, please?

Yeah, I'm still alive, but this might qualify anyway...

Yesterday I had to change Brent's pull-up in the van. We have a Dodge Caravan, the kind where the seats fold down into the floor. One of the 3rd row seats was folded down, the other side was not. So while INSIDE the van already, I decided there wasn't enough room and wanted the other side folded down as well. And being too lazy to get OUT and do it the right way (from outside at the back of the van), I decided I was cool enough to be able to do it from the inside, in front of the seat. I had to reach WAY around to pull the release thing and, in doing so, was all scrunched up against the seat.

This may be hard to visualize, especially if you aren't familiar with the folding seats, but just TRY.

Brent and I were talking, so half of my attention was on the seat, half on our conversation. I finally reached the release thing and the back of the seat came FLYING down on the top of my head, snapping my mouth shut so hard I chipped a fucking tooth.

I'll give you a second to stop laughing at me before I continue...

It's not noticeable to anyone but me (not even John); it's on the back of one of my bottom teeth. Still, I can feel it and it's bugging the hell out of me. And I had a BITCH of a headache the rest of the day.

John has taken to calling me Hillbilly. I think, if I don't win a Darwin for this brilliant act, I may move down-river so I can be at peace with my Hillbilly-toothless-ness...

Damn.

The worst part about being wrong is having to kiss some serious ass in the ensuing days.

Cubed

I'm trapped in my cube at work. I've been bored for a couple of days now.

Does anyone have any ways to entertain me or ideas for how to entertain myself?

Random thought.

Why is it called the "Middle East"? There's no "Upper East" or "Lower East" or "High East." If there's no other similarly named geographic locations that we need to differentiate it from, couldn't we just call it the "East"?

Just an observation...

Brent and I went to IHOP for lunch today (his favorite restaurant, even over McDonalds and stuff). We were sitting in a corner by a fire extinguisher and I noticed it was adorned with a sticker, which announced in huge uppercase black letters: "Not flammable".

Really, are you sure?! I would hope to HELL that anything used to PUT OUT a fire would not contain flammable ingredients.

Renee

The best time ever..

Just wanted to take this time to say what a great weekend I had and how happy I am to have Jen in my life.. You know, you never really know what love is untill it lives with you.. The way we can turn any kind of activity into something fun is just amazing.. It shows me how much in love we really are and it just gets stronger and stronger each day.. So I say let the good times roll.. Because I am having a blast..

Oops, I did it again.

I accidentally got a new tattoo today.

I've been thinking about getting another one for the last couple of years and today, at the Gibralter Trade Center, I finally did it. I actually designed this one myself (well, the guy is the one who actually drew it out for me, but I knew exactly what I wanted and described it to him). My fourth (yes, fourth) tattoo is on my left upper thigh/ hip area, and, as an ode to teaching, I have three square blocks in a pyramid with "A," "B" and "C" on them. I think it turned out really nice.

I also think I'm done with the body art now. I have one on each shoulder blade and now, one on each hip. In true feng shui style, I now have "balance." Or something.

My new ring.

No, it's not "the" ring...but it's still damn beautiful. Jeff got me an opal (my birthstone) ring and pendant at Kay's today while we at the mall. AND he came home with a dozen roses again last night. (As our asshole friend from the old blog would say: he must be screwing somebody else. But hell, if he keeps doing shit like this--then I say, MORE POWER TO HIM.) ;)

I told him he is TOTALLY off the hook for Sweetest Day next weekend.

Here's what the ring and necklace look like...

It’s the first picture

More debates.

After tonight's debate, I'm definitely more supportive of Kerry. I was probably already going to vote for him, but that was based solely on particular issues (like education and abortion); frankly, up till now, I was never too thrilled about Kerry as an individual. I just didn't LIKE him all that much. After watching him tonight, I feel much better. It really was a good debate, though. It focused on a LOT of issues, rather than being a one-topic discussion. Did any of you see it? What did you think?

On a related note, here's an interesting article about the current European view of the U.S. and our candidates:

People think we suck now

Agree or disagree?

"Those who are reasonable about love are not capable of it."

Discuss.

Everyone sing along now!!

http://budlight.whipnet.com/

What's in a Name? Take 2

Last week I got my Marriage License with my new name "Anna Elise K O" I took it to the Secretary of State with our good friend Jen to change my name. They wouldn't let me write all names out or have two last names, so I ended up having to hyphenating K-O. I was happy it was so easy. Tim was happy it was done. Jen was happy because she won the bet over "would we be in & out of the Sec of St just once without having to go back later" and so I bought dinner.

On Saturday Tim & I bought plane tickets and we had to enter our names as they would appear on our tickets. I entered Anna E. K-O, as it will appear on my driver's license. My easy-going, non-dramatic new husband threw a small fit. It's vitally important to him that I have only 1 last name and that it be his. We argued a bit. We ignored each other a bit. Then I, as the giving woman and smart wife, gave in for the good and happiness of my young marriage. (1 month today-Congrats to me!)

So I'll be going back to the Sec of St this Wednesday to make what was a simple, easy process into something entirely more drawn-out and complicated. I will officially be Anna K. (middle initial ONLY) O (full and ONLY last name). Jen, I think you owe me dinner.

A Kindergarten Cop moment.

Some of the kindergarten girls were talking about their "boyfriends" today ("So-and-so is my boyfriend"). Miss Carrie told them that they had plenty of time to worry about boyfriends and that they didn't want a boyfriend right now--and anyway, she said, "Boys have cooties."

"No," said Nicole patiently. "Boys have PENISES. And girls have vaginas."

Needless to say, we were dying.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

What do I say to someone who means as much to me as you do? "Happy Birthday" just doesn't seem good enough. As you start this new decade (which I, personally, am still two years and 3.5 weeks away from), I hope you find everything that you're looking for to make your 30s the best years of your life. I wish you love, luck, happiness, good health and lots of beer.

I love you!

A disturbing trend.

I have lost my Sleeping-In Mojo.

I used to be the QUEEN of sleeping in. Before I started this new job, "getting up early" meant "before noon." Since late August, though, my usual wake-up time has been 5:15, and sleeping in means 6:45 because I don't have to start till 8 on that day.

Well, lately--I haven't been able to sleep in on the weekends. Last weekend, I was up at 9 on both days. This morning, I got up with Jeff when he got up for work at 8 and, two hours later, I'm still wide awake. Now, granted, I did take a nap both days last weekend, and I'm sure I'll go back to sleep for an hour or so at SOME point today--but I've lost my ability to sleep in! This isn't good!!

I remember that Missy, who used to be my co-queen, stopped being able to sleep in once she had Donovan. Even when he was gone for the weekend or she was visiting me, she would still wake up ungodly early (again, by "ungodly early" I mean like 9 or 10). She told me that once you start waking up early on a regular basis, it becomes a habit. I thought that was bullshit at the time. "Not me," I promised her. "Even once I have kids, I will never lose the ability to sleep late."

Crap.

Wild Kingdom.

Some of you got my email about this already, but around 11 this morning we were informed by some kind of state conservation officer that a cougar had been spotted just up the road. (And I'm talking like a quarter mile away.) We, obviously, were encouraged to keep the kids in for recess. This also affected our afterschool program, where we had to entertain 50 cooped-up kids. (I spent my one break today making a run to the video store.) The older kids, luckily, did find a way to entertain themselves: by terrifying the younger kids with tales of the Killer Cougar.

Helicoptors have been circling all day; animal control keeps cruising by; and officers are searching the fields. TV crews have been out, too. I'm definitely watching the news tonight.

Hey, could we get a little MORE drama up in here?

I'm going to register to vote today (I've always been registered, but I have to officially change my address and get registered at my new location) and, frankly, I'm torn. I've declared myself as an independent, though I generally vote Democrat; however, in this election, I keep going back and forth. For example, the abortion issue is a big one to me (I believe they should remain legal and that every woman should be able to decide for herself what she wants to do; just because *I* wouldn't have one doesn't mean that NO woman should be able to have one) and, if Bush is elected, there's a good chance that Roe v. Wade would be overturned--not by him directly, but by the Supreme Court justices that this next President will most likely appoint in the coming term. (Bush is notoriously pro-life and will appoint justices that share his point ov view.) However, I don't know if I should base my vote solely on that one issue. Is that wrong? Granted, I've read both candidates' platforms at their respective websites and I agree with a lot of what Kerry has to say--but shit, a candidate's plan and platform always SOUND good. Whether or not they actually follow through on them is something else entirely.

So, I was just wondering:

1) Do you consider yourself Republican, Democratic or Independent?
2) What issues are most important to you in this election season?
3) Are you voting based on party alone (for example, you're Republican so you're voting Republican), or are you looking at specific issues?

I don't want to bash anyone for their choice of candidate; I'm just trying to get a more balanced picture of both sides to aid in making my decision. So let's have a lively yet respectful dialogue, shall we?

Seriously, folks

I know everyone's bent over the Target-Salvation Army thing. And by everyone, I don't mean just YOU guys, but lots of people. But I cannot stress my point enough: Target is an excellent corporation who, among many other things, gives back over $2 MILLION EVERY WEEK to the community. The stores have Good Neighbor programs where the team members volunteer for certain projects; ie: highway clean up, Habitat for Humanity... the district John was in before we moved down here had an annual one for Camp O'Malley in GR. It's a camp for high-risk kids, and I'm not sure if they're non-profit or very low-profit or what, but the place gets torn UP every year. And every fall, after the kids have gone back to school, HUNDREDS of people from the stores in that district (and their families, friends, as well as other companies) go in and clean it up. Paint, repair windows, doors, cabins, plumbing, clean clean clean. It's my favorite one to do.

Anyway, there are too many to list, but Target is constantly giving back. Here's a couple links if you're interested in seeing some of the many things Target IS doing for our communities.

http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/index.jhtml

http://target.com/target_group/stores_services/redhotshop.jhtml

Again, there is nothing *I* can do about Target's decision; I am sorry, however, that is has so many people so put-off. I love Target; they have gone above and beyond many times for my family. They treat their employees VERY well and we're fortunate to be a part of it.

Thanks for listening to my side :-)

Target bans Salvation Army

I heard on the news this morning that Target won't allow the Salvation Army Bell Ringers this Christmas season!

The reason given by both the Target Corp's representative on National Public Radio this morning and by the representative at Target when I called was that Target wants to stick closer to their non-solicitation policy. They had always made an exception for the Salvation Army but won't be making any exceptions from now on.
Bell Ringers outside Target stores raised the second largest total amount of money for the Salvation Army last year. (Walmart raised the most.) This is going to hit the Salvation Army and the people they help hard in a year when money for charities and non-profits continues to be cut and more Americans are living in poverty than in many years before. I think this is so sad in a time when people need to help each other more than ever.
Target's always been one of my favorite stores! I didn't believe it until I called the corporate office and asked myself. I'm not sure what to do.

Jen, what do your Salvation Army grandparents have to say about this?
Renee, what do you and your family think about this?

Oh, and by the way...

Ryan Newman (#12) won the race on Sunday, which puts him ahead of Tony Stewart (#20, Jeff's driver) in the points.

YEAH BABY.

That's what I'M talkin' about.

Today JEFF went grocery shopping and *I* stayed home playing video games. (I truly meant to do homework, though. It just kind of worked out that way. Still, a bit ironic, eh?)

F*ckin doorknob.

I got stuck in the bedroom today. As Renee well knows, our bedroom door knob is stripped, so that when the door closes all the way, it's a bitch to get it open again--the knob turns and turns but doesn't "catch." (So obviously, we just never close our bedroom door all the way; although accidentally and without thinking, one of us--usually me--will forget and completely shut it.) Well, that happened again today, and this time, Jeff had a bitch of a time getting it open again. (Usually Home Depot Boy can get it open without too much trouble, but not this time.) I was stuck in there FOREVER. At one point, I started singing "All By Myself" in honor of my isolation (at which point Jeff threatened to leave me in there if I didn't stop singing).

Needless to say, we made a trip to the Depot for a new f*ckin doorknob (as we, mostly I, began to refer to it).

Talk about Sex and the City.

Anna might be the only one who can truly appreciate this story.

http://entertainment.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=168920

What has my life become?

I actually referred to Friday's ten-hour work shift as my "easy day."

On a positive note, a little birdie told me that she overhead some of the preschool parents talking. According to my new best friend, one of the parents said that all of the preschool kids "love Miss Krzys" and that I'm "really good with them."

So...I guess busting my ass is worth it.

What?!

I was watching "The Most Awesomely Bad Songs of All Time" on VH-1 today, and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was the #2 Worst Metal Ballad ever. Um, huh?! I LOVED (and still, to this day, love) that song. Am I only one?

And, for the record, I also don't think that "We Built This City on Rock n Roll" was the worst song EVER. That one is kind of catchy, frankly. I actually turn it up if I'm lucky enough to hear it in my car.

Maybe that's just me, though.

Keeping it old school.

Well it's party time.. The Nintendo has arrived.. and honestly, it rocks!! Who would have thought that Mario Bros could be such a cool game after all these years.. And on an even stranger note... Me and Jen were looking thru some of my old stuff at my mom's house a few weeks ago and you will never guess what we found... An old Men At Work record.. now if that doesn't rule I don't know what does..

The Dreaded Earwig.

This link SHOULD go right to the page with the picture... you'll quickly understand why we called them "ugly bugs". I still DO call them that. They're hideous.

http://www.terminix.com/Pest/Library/Identify/index.cfm

Just type "earwig" in the search bar and you'll see him. Along with some interesting facts about him... I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THEM LIVING IN LANDSCAPING MULCH, WHICH I HAVE AROUND THE WHOLE PERIMITER OF MY HOUSE!

She passed!! She passed!!

(Does anyone else have "she bangs! she bangs!" running through their head now?)

But on to the important news: Missy recently retook those sections of the state board--and she kicked ass!!!!!! She has now offically passed her state certification exam!!!

GREAT JOB, TRAMP!!!!

Great topic.

Hey ya'll. Just wanted to share that Kishelle has a really interesting topic on her blog right now... Pet peeves. Come join! http://www.blondofficewench.blogspot.com

Renee

Holy crap.

We just watched the Blair Witch Project. (It was my first time seeing it; Jeff has seen it quite a few times.) And, let me just say, that it was scary as hell. I remember hearing, when it first came out, that it's the kind of movie you either love or hate. I LOVED it.

But I'm sure not going to sleep very well tonight.

And you can forget about me ever going camping again.

Damn preschoolers and their drinking problems.

M., one of my 4-year-olds, came up to me today. "Miss Krzys, my grandma taught me a new song! You wanna hear it?" I told her sure, I'd love to. She started singing the first part but, although I recognized the melody, I couldn't quite place the song...until she got to the end of the first stanza and into the chorus.

Well it's Sunday morning
And the sun is shining in my
Eye that is open
And my head is spinning
Was I the life of the party
I can't stop grinning
I had too much tequllia last night

Jose Quervo
You are a friend of mine
I like to drink you with
A little salt and lime

(Here, she stopped singing to ask, "Miss Krzys, what's so funny?")

It's things like this that make my job AWESOME.

Holy crap, how accurate is THAT?

Check out my results to the "What people really think of you" quiz. ;)

And then share your results here.

More Quizzes, Please

I found a couple more really funny quizzes but I can't, for the life of me, get them to copy and paste correctly to your blog.

My favorite one is "What people really think about you" or something like that. Jen, if you can find that one and post it, it's hilarious.

My new blog addition.

As you've undoubtedly noticed, I've added a "Which superhero are you?" thing-a-ma-jiggy (I believe that's the technical term for it). You guys all see mine....so show (or tell) me yours!

AND NOW--also find out about your inner gangsta!!

I spoke too soon.

Yeah, trig REALLY started to suck today.

Trigonomic functions? Tangents? The only thing I know about tangents is that I go off on one every time I get pissed off or upset about something.

And there's about 6 different trig functions that I have to memorize, like, NOW.

And then she started talking about quadrantal--which sounds like one of Bush's made-up words--and I'm still figuring out what THAT means.

Oy vey.

Degrees and angles and cosines, oh my.

Just to quickly update you: as many of you know, in addition to my education classes, I'm taking a math (trig, to be exact) course this semester. I have been DREADING it because I am not very good at math, to say the least (I attempted a college algebra, which is like advanced algebra, one semester and had to drop it; however, I HAVE to take a math class this semester and I have to get at least a C. And it can't be like "consumer math," the class I had my senior year of college, which taught you how to make change and write a check and stuff. (I ROCKED in that class.)

Anyway, I've had a couple of trig sessions so far and last night we had our first homework assignment. Out of approximately 25 questions, I was able to complete all but 3 relatively confidently. And I'm not really too worried about the ones I couldn't figure out, as I'm pretty sure I'll never had to compute the amount of material needed to construct a tent that's 4 ft. high, 6 ft. long and meets the ground at a 40 degree angle. (However, if any of you can figure out the answer, let me know.)

Granted, this is only section 1-1, but if I can keep it up all semester, I'll do okay. I just can't let myself fall behind (and I HAVE to go to every class). I'm going to be treading water just to stay afloat till December, but I'll do it. I don't have a choice. I MUST CONQUER THIS CLASS.

That is all.

And to think we're still together.

I took Jeff to Holland this weekend so he could meet my dad, sisters and nieces and nephews (the only relatives he had met so far were my mom and Steve). Overall, things went pretty well, I think (though I'd like to hear JEFF'S version of events). ;)

On Friday night, we met Dad for dinner. They seemed to like each other well enough; afterwards, Jeff mentioned that Dad was "a little goofy" and I had to break the news that, actually, that was Dad in his "normal" mode--Jeff hasn't even SEEN goofy yet. On Saturday, he met Katey, Missy, Nikki and 4 of their 5 kids (Paige was spending the day with her "dad"). That evening involved dinner at my favorite South Haven restuarant; later, at the beach, we watched the sun set from the pier. (I think this was MY favorite part of the weekend.) The next day, we were in full Tourist Effect at Dutch Village; he also met Paige before we headed back out of town.

For those who are bitter that I didn't call whilst in town...let's just say that I was so focused on getting all of my family into the weekend (and for only-child Jeff, that was enough of an overload for him, I think) that it didn't even OCCUR to me to try to throw friends into the mix, too. Yes, I suck.

I'm Ba-a-ack!

My wedding went great :) The bachelorette party was fun, the rehearsal and dinner went well, the ceremony was perfect and the reception was a lot of fun! As Renee predicted, everyone reveled in my glowing beauty ;) What? Not enough detail, you say? We'll give you a couple more, then:

The morning of the wedding was busy but good, not too much stress. I got dressed and went up to see my Tim in the beautiful sanctuary. We had some time to ourselves and cried over how excited we were and how great the other looked. We took LOTS of pictures, which I'll post as soon as I get some. The ceremony went perfectly, complete with a little crying over our vows but not so much that I looked anything less than beautiful ;) We took more pictures after the ceremony (too many) and got into the limo for a ride around in the rain. The reception had great food and kept people dancing until the end of the night at midnight. Even though we were exhausted, my new husband and I still managed to make a good night of it ;)

We rushed home to get on the plane to go to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon; however, Hurricane Ivan had different plans for us. We're back at work and I'm back at the blog, and we'll plan a new honeymoon for later this fall soon.

My name is Jen, and I'm a gamer.

Last night, the Best Boyfriend in the World dug out his old Sega (I THINK it was Sega) game system because he remembered that he had--you might want to sit down for this--MS PACMAN!!! Oh my God, you guys, I am so excited. Renee, you remember how much I loved playing that game, right? (All of our recent "arcade talk" has brought me back, and while I was telling Jeff about it, it occured to him that he might still OWN My Favorite Game Ever). Anyway, I decided to play it for a "few minutes" (which, of course, stretched into an hour or so) last night before I went to bed, and frankly, I can't wait to get home to play it again.

We've got me playing video games in the front room and him playing video games in the back room. Yeah, we're kind of dorky, but we're dorky TOGETHER. (And I even bought him a new game last night, to thank him for indulging me for a full hour as I browsed through the bookstore--or, as he refers to it, Hell.)

Where To Start, Even?

Hope everyone had a swell Labor Day weekend. We had a big family get-together thing at my in-laws' cottage this weekend, for many reasons:
1) They're leaving for Florida for the "winter" on Sept. 15, in spite of all the hurricanes
2) John's mom's birthday was on the 1st
3) John's brother's (we'll call him Todd, since that's his name) birthday was on the 4th
4) His wife's birthday is on the 11th
5) Our (SIXTH) anniversary is on the 12th
And finally,
6) Todd is a career Army man, and his unit was activated just recently. They will be leaving on Nov. 11 for... I can't remember the name of his camp, but it's between Faluja and Baghdad; not such a great place to be :-( Thank GOD he's a computer guy. He's pretty sure that's what he'll be doing over there, but it's not a guarantee. A group of engineers he works with were sent over as M.P.'s :-(

He didn't go to the meeting last week where they get all their information (who needs to go to THAT anyway?) cuz one of his kids had a soccer game. So unfortunately, I'm not laden with details, but it's very sad. He has a wife of 13 years and three boys, ages 8, 10 and 12... Ugh, I'm just sick over it! I cannot FATHOM the heartache. And he (most likely) won't even be home for CHRISTMAS!

However, John's family is not outwardly emotional; I was the only one who cried about it this weekend... at least in front of anyone :-) I just can't stop thinking about our nephews without their dad for that long (one year min., two years max.). It's killing me.

So anyway. It was, for the most part, a happy weekend, despite this being the last time we'll all be together again until he gets back. John, Todd and their dad went golfing in the morning, which was followed by much food (always a good thing) and just talking and stuff. The boys just ADORE Brent and play with him constantly. They bought him a little fishing pole so they could teach him how to fish (while I was in the shower this morning, Brent caught his first fish all by himself; hooked it and reeled it in and everything. Daddy had to take it off the hook, though cuz "it's all wiggly and slippery").

They played with him in the shallow water, and when they wanted to go deeper, they put him in a tube and gave him rides in the water. At one point, they were at the end of the dock, and the youngest one picked Brent up to plop him into the tube and accidentally dropped him in the lake. He was wearing a life jacket, so he only went under for a second, but it scared the holy hell out of him for a few minutes. About a half hour later, I asked him if he wanted something to drink and he said "No thanks, I just already took a big drink of the lake when I fell in, so I'm not thirsty right now". LOLOLOL. It was hilarious.

Alright, I know I've written a book. I mainly just wanted to let everyone know about Todd and ask that you keep him (and family) in your thoughts. Thanks!

Renee

Happy Almost Wedding Day!

This is my shout-out to Anna and Tim, who will soon be enjoying the best and most memorable day of their lives. Here's to Anna and her really long new name. This shot of cough syrup is for you guys!

Meanwhile, Jeff and I are playing old 80s arcade games (like PacMan and Donkey Kong) here. (Hey--we're poor and easily entertained.) Is Tetris REALLY from the 80s, though? Could it--and we--actually be that old?

This is my last day at work for 2 weeks! Yay!

I leave for the wedding in MN today after work and don't come back to my cube prison until Sept.16th. I'm almost FFRRREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm off to get married and sit on the beach :)

A little TOO ironic, I really do think.

Smoking saved my life.

As anyone who has heard my car in the last six months or so knows, I need a new muffler. I took it in today to get an estimate of how much repairs are going to run me. Apparently, the hole is right below the car's ventilation system--and apparently, such a hole creates a carbon monoxide situation. Well, according to the mechanic (who saw the cigarettes in my car as he was pulling it in), had I been driving around with my windows up (running the air conditioning, for example), this carbon monoxide would have been in from the muffler, through my car's ventolation system and into my car through the vents. At this point, the mechanic said, I would have "gone to sleep and never woken up." It was only driving around with my windows down (from the smoking) that allowed this Death Gas to escape.

Weird, huh?

I am a stress-ball.

My wedding is 5 days away and I am an emotional ball of stress. I have a list of last things to do that keeps growing longer everyday. Our families keep changing the counts for the reception & groom's dinner, which adds up to hundreds of dollars for their whims. My fiance is changing the ceremony that he said I was totally in charge of. I have to work but my brain fell out some time last week and won't back until after the honeymoon.

And now my fiance emailed me to see if I want to play softball tonight. Who the hell is this guy and what planet has he been living on that he thinks I have time to play softball?! I am not marrying him. New guy, please!

I know that none of this stuff is a huge deal, it's all going to be ok, it's going to be a great day no matter what, that logically all of this stuff is easily handled, but right now I'm feeling pretty emotional and stressed about it!

Here's your update. Sheesh.

Since Renee is pretty close to inflicting bodily harm if I don't provide a wedding update, here you go.

Everything went just fine. It was a lovely evening.

Thanks for reading!

What? Not enough details?

The highlights:

We had to start about 15 minutes before sunset, as it was starting to sprinkle. (Luckily, the truly heavy rain held off until my mom and I were walking home from the bar. Yes, you read that correctly.) Of course, because of the clouds, we never really SAW a "sunset" per se, but the location was beautiful anyway.

Bobby, instead of wearing a mack daddy orange suit with a matching tophat as he had been threatening to, showed up in a very sharp white tux/suit thing. He looked SHARP. April cried when she saw him for the first time, since she had no idea he was going to do that.

The ceremony itself went great. It was, as desired by the bride and groom, very laid back, fun and casual. Bobby's self-written vows were entitled, "Our love is like a pancake mix." Instead of "I do," he replied with "Word."

It was truly a great, personal ceremony. I've always envisioned a large, relatively formal (ie, in a church, with flowers and a wedding dress and a reception and bridesmaids and all that) wedding for myself, but I am really inspired by how Bobby and April decided they wanted to get married--and then just DID it, on a South Haven beach with the people who really mattered to them.

Oh--and the officiant received a lot of very positive feedback on her performance. Everyone said I did a great job, that I didn't seem nervous at all (which is good, since I was pretty sure I was going to puke) and that I came off as very professional. It was actually a lot of fun. And I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Who's next?

Thinking holy thoughts.

Exactly 24 hours from now, I will be officiating April and Bobby's marriage on a South Haven beach at sunset.

I'm pretty nervous--but excited, too. All jokes aside, I am truly honored that they've chosen me to participate in what will hopefully be the best day of their lives. To be able to join two people in marriage--wow. It's even more significant to me, as April and I have become closer over the last few months. We're not just work acquaintances any more; we're FRIENDS. (Anna, April and I even had a Girl's Night Out last weekend.)

Wish me luck--and even more importantly, please join me in wishing April and Bobby a lifetime of happiness.

What's in a Name?

I've only got 10 days left until my wedding. Yay & Eeek!

I've decided to take his last name. I'm not getting rid of my original last name, just adding his. No, not hyphenating it, just adding it. I feel a little bit like who I am, who I've always been, is wrapped up in my name so I don't want to lose it. But I want to add his to join with him together in name as well as in life.

I'm wondering who this woman with the new name will be. Yes, she'll be like me, but she'll be different. She'll be a married person. She'll sign her name differently. Will I like her? What will she be like?

Welcome to my personal identity crisis. It's lovely to have you. ;)

I am my mother's daughter.

As most of you know, my mom is very--how you say--sesitive. Well, I had an incident yesterday at work that made even HER look like an emotional rock.

Tuesday was the first day of kindergarten for the afternoon kinder class (Monday was a half day and school was dismissed at 11). Well, one of our afternoon kinders was dropped off in the morning by her parents, who both work, and we were responsible for bringing her down to her class at 12:15. I was the staff member who was appointed to deliver her to Mrs. M's room.

I showed N. her classroom, including the number 2 on the door so she knows how to make sure she has the right room, took her to her cubby and desk, introduced her to her teacher, stood in the back of the room with the other "parents" to make sure she was adjusting okay, and then snuck out.

And promptly starting bawling in the hallway.

Again, this was Tuesday. Mind you, my first time meeting this kid was on Monday.

One of the parents looked at my sympathetically. "It's hard when your kids start school, isn't it?" she asked understandingly.

"She's not my kid!" I sobbed.

I chalk it up to PMS.

Even so, when our future child(ren) start school...Jeff's going to have to be the one to drop them off.

My first day of preschool.

Today we switched from summer camp to our pre-K program. I am now an assistant teacher (I don't know if that's my official title, but it's what I'm calling myself) to 3 and 4 year olds.

First of all, getting a group of kids that age to just sit DOWN is a major accomplishment. (I was much more successful once I got out the duct tape, though.) And they wander around. And cry. And talk when they aren't supposed to. And tug on your shirt, saying, "Teacher, guess what?" over and over until you either answer them or drive a pencil into your eye.

But having said all that...I really had a great day. Even though I have the early shift and have to be there at 6:30. Yes, that's the time I have to BE THERE. At 6:30. In the MORNING. If you've known me longer than a day, you know that I'm not a morning person. Let alone a get-up-at-5-in-the-morning person.

Good times.

My fiancé had his bachelor party last weekend.

He left at noon on Saturday and got home around 6pm on Sunday. When I heard from him for the first time in over 24 hours at 2pm on Sunday I joyously greeted him with "You're alive!" To which he replied "No, not quite, but not quite dead either." He seemed to be mostly recovered by Monday morning.

So I ask you: If the groom-to-be dies at the bachelor party so that he can't marry the bride-to-be, doesn't that defeat the purpose of the bachelor party in the first place?

I am NOT addicted.

On Friday, Jeff showed me this online game called Bejeweled (it can also be found on certain cell phone models). The object is to line up 3 or more identical jewels in a row, either horizontally or vertically. The goal is to make lines, horizontally or vertically, of three or more matching gems by swapping two adjacent pieces (just click once on each of the two pieces you want to switch around). It's a problem-solving, puzzle-type game, and I have spent an obscene amount of time this weekend in intense competition with Jeff.

I will give you the link; however, please be careful. This is a very powerful game. It has the ability to tear you away from your family and friends. It can isolate you from the outside world. It can cause you to neglect your significant other. Hell, you may very well forget that you HAVE a significant other.

That doesn't mean I'm addicted, though. I can quit any time I want to. Really.

Now if you'll excuse me....I have something I have to go do.

Bejeweled...if you dare

Goodbye, summer.

Today is our last day of summer camp already, and school (and our pre-K program) starts on Monday. I'm so excited that it's back-to-school time again (although I must say that this was one of the best summers of my life). ;) Leaves changing colors, Jeff's birthday, my birthday, Halloween and Thanksgiving, carving pumpkins, picking apples (okay, I've only actually done that once in my life), drinking cider....

What's YOUR favorite part of fall?

Viva la Sex.

The best part about having cable again has got to be the Sex and the City reruns on TBS (Tues. and Wed. nights, Anna, starting at 10.) Obviously the episodes are edited for television, but it still provides the Sex fix that I've been so desperately needing.

How many of you watch (or used to watch) SATC? If you weren't able to catch it on HBO, I highly suggest you catch these broadcast cable reruns.

I went to the movie Garden State last night, done by the guy from Scrubs. I thought it was quite good.

Has anyone else seen any good movies lately?

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.

Did I do it? Am I a blogger?

Look, look, I AM a blogger!

Woo-Hoo!

Random thought.

In the illustration for how to properly take a home pregnancy test, why is the woman always standing up? Do a lot of women regularly pee while standing up?

Dang, somehow I was creating my own blog and then I thought it was a good idea, and then I thought it was a bad idea, so I deleted it. Now I am wondering if it would be a good idea again :). But for now, Jen was kind enough to let us post on her Blog, so I was going to see how many comments I would get from my first "formal" post.

I was wondering what stress reliever remedies work for you?

Sometimes at the end of a long day at work, or after being with a toddler all day, or after the housework has piled up, I just feel tired, sore, and cranky. Sometimes I unwind with a good book, or a hot bath, but generally I am too tired even for that. What works for you all and what stressed you out?

Thanks for your suggestions,

Kishelle

I really don't have anything to say right now; I'm just seeing if this will really post.

Anna, I keep forgetting to email you, but I had a WONDERFUL time at the honky tonk bar! Thank you SO much for inviting me!

Life is good.

I got home today and their was a single red rose waiting for me on my computer monitor.

Seriously, I don't think life gets much better than this.

Knock yourselves out.

I've invited a couple of you to become "team members" on this here blog. Basically, that means that you can create actual posts and not just comments. Remember when I was offline whilst moving and you all started that Favorite Movie Actor thread in the comments section of an existing post? Well, now you can make that kind of stuff an actual blog entry.

I'm not sure EXACTLY how it works, but you should be receiving an email about it from the Blogger site. If you're so inclined, follow the instructions and we'll see what happens.

Dish pan hands.

Jeff doesn't have a dishwasher. I'm pretty sure that even the AMISH have dishwashers by now. I'm not sure I can handle this primitive living environment. Granted, the digital cable and internet access helps to make it a bit more tolerable, but still. ;)

Speaking of Amish...I watched part of that show the other night, Anna, but didn't see the infamous Hot Amish Boy--and certainly not a Hot Amish Boy without his shirt.

Bullriding makes your legs sore.

Here, Kishelle, I got rid of my original entry. I do, however, need to keep my shout out to Renee for her help on Sunday. AND, of course, for the mint chocolate cheesecake.

Rumor has it that Renee's hurtin' a bit from Saturday night. Anna, how are ya feeling?

Everything is pretty much out of my old apartment (everything that we're taking, anyway). Now it's just time to unpack and wait for "his" place to start feeling like "our" place.

Stuff.

Fine, Anna, here's your new blog entry.

I'm looking forward to this weekend and our big Girls Night Out. Alcohol and mechanical bulls...nothing bad could possibly come of THAT combination, I'm sure.

I'm just feeling really..."blah" lately. Not depressed, necessarily. Just unexcited.

I'm really pissed off that, once again, the husband of a missing pregnant woman has been arrested for her murder. I've already asked Jeff, very politely, not to kill ME if I ever get pregnant. He said he would try not to. So that's good to know.

It's scary, though. I mean, you all think that Jeff is in love with me and could NEVER do something like that, right? Well, at first, that's what the families and friends of these other couples all said. He couldn't POSSIBLY be involved in her disappearance. They're so much in love. He adores her.

Chances are that these women never imagined that their husbands could do something like that to them. I'm willing to bet that they trusted them with all of their hearts and souls. So maybe you never really know ANYONE.

And on THAT happy note...how are all of YOU?

Come ON.
 
Those of you who remember my recent low-carb rant are going to LOVE this one. This Yahoo news story caught my eye today (

School Cafeterias Resist Low-Carb Pressure

). I swear, I thought my head was going to explode. The article discussed requests by parents for schools to include Atkins-friendly and other low-carb options in school lunch programs.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all about students eating healthy, especially since childhood obesity is at an all-time high. But if you feel the need to jump on every Fad Diet Bandwagon that comes along, then at the very least, LEAVE YOUR KID OUT OF IT.  If you don't know that "such diets aren't appropriate for growing children and active teenagers," then you probably shouldn't be responsible for a PLANT, let alone a kid. If you're worried about your kid's health, then don't send him to school with a "low carb candy bar"--shit, don't send candy with him at all. Give him a freakin' apple.  Have them turn off the goddamn Xbox every now and then and go outside. And I swear to you, if your kid goes through the lunch line and requests a "bunless hamburger," I am going to come to your house and step on your head.

I have a ten-year-old girl at camp who always says, "I hate my thighs. Look how big they are." (They're not.)  And at school this past year, a FIRST GRADER--who, by the way, is skin and bones--always talked about how "fat" she was. KIDS SHOULD NOT BE WORRYING ABOUT THIS STUFF. If you have body-image problems, fine. But don't pass them on to your kids.

Yee haw.
 
Taylor, one of the cities Downriver, is having a Pickup Parade this weekend, which involves people driving their pickups up and down the street. I am not even making this up. In a situation like this, me making Downriver jokes is just unnecessary.

Congratulations to...
 
Missy, who passed her state cosmotology test!! (Pretty much. She has to retake two of those mandatory sections, but she passed the test overall.)

Jeff, who was named Department Head of the Month at his store. I'm so proud of you, babe!

Me, who rollerbladed today for the first time in years. Wednesdays are Wheels Days at camp, so I busted out the blades today. I did pretty good, too--except for when I was skating over to help one of the little boys who fell off his bike. I was being the ambulance (which involved making ambulance noises as I skated over). Unfortunately, I was on a downhill grade. Also unfortunately, I don't really know how to stop. Good thing there was a fence there to help. However, the kids all got a kick out of my "Oooooo eeeeee ooooo eeeeee oooooo eeeeee ---OOOOF." (I didn't really know how to spell the sound one makes when getting the wind knocked out of them, but that's pretty close.)

Damn cat part two.
 
Guess who else is back?

Yep. Beavis, who apparently decided to stage a hunger strike until his new mom told me to just come and get him because she was so worried about him. Of course, once he got back here again, he was totally fine. Hmmmm...

Spoiled ass cats.

Damn cat.
 
Well, one of my cats is back. We got a call last night that she had bitten everyone in the house, including the kids. They kept Beavis but we had to go pick up Snowflake. Once she saw me, she started purring and licking my hand and I was able to pet her with no problems (she's NEVER bitten me). Apparently, she doesn't do well with kids.

Jeff said I could keep one cat but there's no way that we can have two.  So now, sinceI have to find a home for either Snowflake or Tweak before I can relocate, it looks like The Big Move may be pushed back a month. There's so much to do and only 5 days to do it.

Happy Birthday, Cable Guy!

I forgot to wish Jim a happy birthday, what with my frantic packing and cat-relinquishing and all. I don't know why you had to have your birthday right in the middle of my Big Move and all (some people are just selfish) but whatever.

Hey Jim--I told Jeff that we should take you out for a drink for your birthday. His response:

"Babe, there's no such thing as taking Jim out for *a* drink."

Happy Birthday!!!

Take me out to the ballgame.
 
Our field trip today was to Comerica Park for a Tigers game. A lot of our 30+ kids (yes, it was a big group today) had never been to a "real" baseball game before, and seeing the look of wonder and amazement in their eyes as they entered the stadium was truly touching. We sat down in our seats and gazed down in awestruck silence at the diamond before us.

For about 30 seconds.

Then:

"Miss Krzys, I'm hungry."

"Miss Krzys, I'm thirsty."

"Miss Krzys, I want to go to the gift shop."

"Miss Krzys, I have to go potty."

"Miss Krzys, we are going to carefully time our requests so that you don't get more than 5 seconds of peace and quiet at any given time."

(Okay, they didn't actually SAY this last one, but I'm pretty sure they were all thinking it.)

Seriously. I saw about a minute and a half of the game. The rest of my time was spent escorting various groups of kids to the bathroom, food stand, gift shop and then back to the bathroom.

It sounded like a good game, though. Loud cheers kept erupting from the stadium.

I couldn't even tell you who won.

Ah, happy times.

Oh, and one other thing.

I'm moving. In like 10 days. There will be a moving party sometime next week, most likely in the evening (under cover of darkness). If you would like to attend the Social Event of the Season, please let me know. (This will be an easy move. Jeff and I are setting up a household together, so I'm not taking half my furniture. Most of the move will just be boxes.)

Please RSVP at your earliest convenience. Black tie optional.

A plea to parents everywhere.
 
Please, please, PLEASE do not spoil your kids. If they grow up thinking that the sun rises and sets on them, then their innocent childcare providers will have to be the ones to inform them that the world does not, in fact, revolve around them. At which point the spoiled brat will scream bloody murder FOR AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES.

Do not let this become your child.

Damned old rodeo.
 
I am proud to announce that I was able to check off another item on my "things to do before I die" list. On Saturday, I rode a mechanical bull.
 
And it kicked my ass.
 
Y'all (I can say that, since I'm a cowgirl now), I am SO SORE. The secret to staying on is to grip with your inner thighs and knees and to keep your upper body relaxed. Well, I sure felt the effects of all that gripping when I woke up on Sunday. And today, the pain is even worse. I can barely walk. My arms hurt, too, from--well, from all the times I went flying off the bull.
 
I reckon that I'm getting too old for bullriding.

Back in the Real World.
 
This guy I know (okay, it was Jeff, but I don't want to feel like he's all I talk about) just got In Demand (or On Demand, I can't ever remember) through Comcast (mad shout out to Jim). It is so cool. Among other things, it has an archive of old cable shows. Under "MTV", you can find past seasons of Real World. I've gotten quite hooked (rehooked?) on the San Francisco season during the past couple of days. I have to say, I'm almost crushing on Puck again. Yes, he may be an asshole, but *I* can change him! It would be different with me! He just needs the love of a good woman!
 
Um...anyway. What was your favorite season of RW and why? Who was your favorite cast member?
 
Anna, does this post meet your approval?