Deja Vu

It was like a step back in time, "Funky Town" on the PA system, carpeted seating areas and a young girl in white skates with POM POMs tied to the laces! Yesterday I took Kyle roller skating and it was awesome! It really hasn't changed much since I was a kid, except now there are speed skates and roller blades mixed in with the quads. They still do the hokey pokey, the limbo, the chicken dance and speed races. The concession stand is filled with all the usuals - including the giant pickles I just love!

Kyle had been skating once over the summer on a camp field trip, but I had never taken him before so I was a bit doubtful about his promises of being a speed skater...well, as it turns out he is a speed skater - on the carpeted areas! I noticed right away that he was really skating, not just clomping around like a lot of the other kids so I was anxious to get him into the rink. I learned to walk, then I learned to skate. My dad was a competitive roller skater in his youth (though you wouldn't know it to see him now!) so my brother and I were on skates as toddlers - it was one of the few things that came easy to me. I took Kyle around the rink a few times and although he lost his footing a lot I could see it wasn't going to take much for him to "get it" - all it really took was a friend showing up who was a tiny bit better than Kyle and loved being on the rink - that was it...Mr. Competitive was on his way! I was thrilled!

Of course today we're both sore and Kyle took quite a tumble toward the end - even hitting his head, but he's ready to go again and for $6 for the two of us (including skates!) it's bargain exercise on a rainy post-Christmas weekend!

On another note - today Kyle made the long walk down the aisle at church to profess his faith and accept Jesus as his savior! During the service he had drawn a picture that said, "Thank you Jesus...for all you've done for us" Amen to that little man, Amen to that!

What Christmas is all about!

May you have a blessed Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Today, despite being...uh...in a mood, Kyle and I had a great time decorating a gingerbread house.  It was a bit of a sugar rush for all of us!

eBay

Man - you can't help but love eBay!  I got this great Land's End wool suit with Talbot Kids shirt and silk tie for...get this...$25!  That's right, wool suit, shirt and silk tie for $25!  Hurray!  Oh, and doesn't he look just awesome?  I'm so glad he still likes to dress up!

Gratitude

At the moment I'm just thankful to be feeling better. Honestly, I rarely get sick so it's always such a shock to me when I do. And of course like most moms, I run and run and run even when sick, which can make it worse since I'm not resting and getting annoyed with everyone! Anyway, the general ick of this cold is winding down...just in time to go back to work. Oh lucky me!

I was reading my post from last November, about our lack of tradition and I would like to say we did something different this year, but we didn't.  A lot of it had to do with me being sick and some it had to do with money since we're planning a trip to visit a certain mouse in Florida in January, but...well...I honestly couldn't think of anywhere to go or anything special to do.

But, reading that post made me realize that a lot has really happened over the last year, lots of good stuff that makes me happy and grateful.  I'm counting the days until the inauguration (which is a difficult word to spell) and I got to spend time with friends and family in some fun locations in the last year.  We are both employed, have all our bills paid, food in the house and gas in the cars.  We're still carpooling and nobody has been left along the side of the road (yet!) Much to be thankful for!

Oh, and my Twilight book arrives from Amazon tomorrow...now I'll see first-hand what all the fuss is about!

Interesting

Thanks to my friend Melissa, I got started on Facebook. What I should say is Melissa got me HOOKED on Facebook. I had avoided all the social networking sites because I just didn't think there would be anything on them for me...how wrong I was! I have reconnected with people I haven't spoken with since high school (and that's been 23 years ago!) and got back in touch with others who kind of slipped away over time. You can kind of keep up with their lives on a day to day basis and send little tid bits back and forth. Anyway, all that to say that I've been neglecting my blogging duties and my loyal readers sure let me know about it! Sorry about that...I'll get back to writing more this weekend.

In the meantime, feel free to add me as a friend in Facebook! LOL

Good times...

I spent the last week in Knoxville, Tennessee for work and although it was rough at times, it was a beautiful time of year to be in that area of the country!

Abundance

As I've said before, we tend to move a lot, whether it's job related or because I've grown bored and need to shake things up. This kind of moving tends to keep you from being a card-carrying, crazy-type pack rat (yes, Judy, I'm referring to you!) but that doesn't mean I'm without sentiment - I have scraps of paper, things from my youth, things from my parents' youth and other assorted memorabilia. Yesterday David motivated all of us to clean out the shed...the shed...the place where all that "memorabilia" is stored. Eeeek! Bugs and junk! Well, as it turns out it wasn't bad at all. We blessed Goodwill with a lot of stuff and threw out even more. But get this - in one box I found goody bags and assorted goody bag fillings from 12 YEARS AGO! That's right, from Tony's 7th birthday party. Tony is 19! In those goody bags? Hot Wheels fruit snacks! 12 year old fruit snacks! Really? I kept those? What? Now I'm mad I didn't take a picture of them! So, now you know, I am a bit of a pack rat!

Hotlanta

I'm hooked on The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Bravo.  

I don't watch reality television...really, I don't!  But oh how I love this show.  I'm really just stunned that there are women who blow $68k on a Cadillac Escalade on a whim - just because they can.  They throw $18,000 birthday parties for 11 year olds and tithe $15,000 a week at church!  WHAT???  Seriously there is one woman who has her very own salon in her home and a hairdresser and make-up artist who arrive at her house each morning!  WHAT???  I could go on and on.  I just can't begin to think what it would be like to have your own shoe stylist who brought over the latest styles from New York just for you to try and then picking four or five pair that added up to $6500!  WHAT???

Oh and an update on my going to hell for reading this book.  We had book club last night and although attendance was low, the ones who attended and read the book enjoyed it as much as I did...so I guess I'll have some company in hell!

Wedded Bliss

David and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary yesterday.  We included Kyle in our celebration by taking a weekend family trip to Greenville, South Carolina and a good time was definitely had by all.  Although it's kind of annoying that parts of South Carolina still have "blue laws" that keep many places (mostly non-grocery stores) closed until well past noon on Sundays so we didn't get a chance to check out the Haywood mall (which has a Pottery Barn!) because it seemed kind of silly to wait around for several hours for a mall to open!  Anyway, we enjoyed the Greenville zoo's "Boo in the Zoo" and Kyle had a chance to wear his costume early.  (Hint, it's Mario from Nintendo again, but with a twist.) 

The past 12 years have certainly seen a lot of changes (we've lived in three different states and six different houses since we got married) but I can't imagine a better partner to share my life with! 

Daily Commute

Yesterday in my rear-view mirror I watched a guy eat cereal...while driving, then again at a stop light.  Cereal!  Geez buddy, if  you're that late grab a granola bar.

Previous sightings include: Man shaving with electric razor, woman applying mascara and talking on cell phone, and man reading paper while "glancing" at the road!

You all know my love of the talk and drive, but that's it...I talk, I drive!  No beauty regimen while tooling down the parkway at 55 mph!

Home again

It's taken me awhile to put my mind on the task of posting after my trip to Nebraska.  I had a really good time and it just flew by so quickly that I sort of want to head right back and do it all over again.  My parents were doing well, but it is hard to see them getting older and slowing down.  I spent a lot of time with my brother's family and even had a one-on-one lunch with my brother - who has a lot of good things to say when you can get him to slow down long enough to talk!  I also spent time with good friends and (best of all) myself.  The trip always involves renting a car and a 3.5 hour drive from the airport so I get to crank up the music and just...well, chill.  No stress, no conversation, and no "are we there yet?" from the back seat.

I had meant to take a lot of pictures while I was home so I could put together a slideshow and somehow only managed to get two (!) pictures taken - one of the river near our home and the other of my old junior high, which is now a middle school.  I guess I'll have to go back just to take photos!

Fire and Brimstone

So, I'm going to hell.  Apparently for reading this book.  I have laughed myself silly and then felt bad for how blasphemous it is.  And oy vey, has it got my book club up in arms!  Several members have decided to not read it for October and not attend the meeting because of their beliefs (as a side note, let me just say I'm ever-so-happy to live in a country where we can express our beliefs without fear) and others are reading it just like any other book.  Whew- and I'm hosting for October - either it will be loud and heated or it will just be another book...we'll see!

On another note - I am leaving bright and early in the morning for Nebraska.  I'll post pix when I get back!

Curse the Tooth Fairy!

Why oh why does the tooth fairy leave money?  And why did I allow said money to be used today to purchase a Slinky and a...a...whoopee cushion?!?!?  That's right, I am typing this post with some seriously nasty pooting sounds going on behind me - and those sounds are coupled with hysterical laughter and lots of "excuse me"!  In fact, just now he shouted, "It's awesome!"

I seriously doubt girls ever buy whoopee cushions with THEIR tooth fairy money! 

100th Post!

When I popped on blogger just now I had no idea that I would be entering my 100th post!  Wow - I should get a cake or something!  Geez, now I feel some sort of pressure to blog about something meaningful or worthwhile instead of my original post idea about how much I love my new iPod nano (This one, in purple).  I had my previous iPod (a mini) since April of 2004 - a dinosaur in iPod time.  I sort of felt bad retiring the old girl - although it seems as though Kyle may get a few more months out of her if he has his way.  Couple the new iPod with the new television I bought for the playroom and I've pretty much tapped out on the overtime money I made this summer!

On another note, I'm heading back to Nebraska on the 27th and I'm so excited!  I haven't been home in over a year and I'll get to see my family and friends for a few days.  I scored a great deal on a plane ticket from Augusta to Denver and then I'll drive from there to North Platte - about a 3.5 hour drive.  Woo hoo!

So anyway, happy 100th post to me and thanks for reading!

Word!

Oh help us!  I guess the most we can hope for is a talent scout...

On the Rocks

I've started drinking again - not in an AA, twelve-steps kind of way, just a post-work, pre-dinner kind of way.  I've always enjoyed a cocktail, a beer, or a glass of wine and I've certainly been known to drink in excess on a number of occasions, but once Kyle was born, I sort of stopped drinking at home.  I can't even say it was a conscious decision to not drink, but somehow I felt the need to stay sharp...maybe it was the trips to the ER with a bleeding kid that made me realize life could turn on a dime and I might want to be completely sober for it!  Anyway, now that Kyle's seven, more self-sufficient and our life is humming along nicely, I have a cocktail whenever I want it.  Oh and we have a bit more money in the bank these days too, so it's easier to splurge on a nice bottle of Grey Goose vodka or Patron tequila.  I almost always order a Cosmopolitan when I'm out, because really that's one of my favorite drinks so at home, I experiment with all kinds of things.  Hmm...now that I've read this over, I'm wondering if people are going to THINK I have a drinking problem!  LOL.  

So, to make me feel better about myself, tell me in the comments what you like to drink - at home and when you're out for the evening.

Shower Me!

I love baby showers!  There is just something special about seeing a mom-to-be open up all those beautiful little blankets, binkies, sleepers and doo-hickeys!  I mean every time I go to a shower there seems to be some new gizmo or gadget that is the "must have" for new moms!  Of course I admit that I'm the first to laugh at a first time mom's baby registry...you know, the ones who register for stuff any current mom KNOWS you never, ever use.  But hey, that doesn't stop me from wanting to see it or buy it for a shower.

We had a shower at work this evening for an attorney who is expecting her first little one in about six weeks - the food, dessert and company were all you hope a shower will be.  And the presents - I mean she was seriously "showered" with presents.  (Which, as a side note, apparently means that you drop presents on the mom's head...according to Kyle anyway.)  I have never seen so many adorable onesies, burp cloths, photo frames, and dresses.  Goodness.

I started thinking about what other cultures do for a new baby.  I think I'll have to Google that!

Need a Laugh?

Give the Cake Wreck blog a try!

I'm H O M E

After nearly four weeks in a hotel and countless hours of work, I am home.  What an experience it has been, I have never worked harder or been more amply rewarded for my hard work in that WE WON THE CASE!  That's right...won it!  The jury awarded plaintiff nothing!  And I could type and type and never be able to tell you what a joy that was - I have worked on this case almost exclusively for four years and when the verdict was read I could scarcely believe it. This case was truly the kind of case that if I told you about it, you would shake your head and talk about abuses in the American justice system.

I think Kyle grew a foot while I was away although the marks on the wall say differently and I still can't stop myself from hugging him and kissing his head even though he gets tired of it pretty quickly these days.  My boys survived just as I knew they would.

Now I plan to spend some of my hard-earned overtime money and Holiday Inn points on a lovely long weekend in Hilton Head right after Labor Day - give Kyle that tiny bit of summer vacation he didn't get this year...and give myself a lot of cocktails at the Tiki bar that is right on the beach!

I know I promised a long rambling post about the annoying OTHER paralegal, but right now my joy over it being over and winning is too great to whine about someone else so that will have to wait.  Thank you all for your encouraging emails while I was away - it meant so much to me!

Quick Post

Hi!  I managed to slip away for a whole 24 hours to see my family...I was so happy to hug both my guys!  Trial is going well - 16-18 hour days, that include crazy bursts of activity that make my brain hurt.  Plaintiff's still have at least five more days of their case then it will be our turn and it will be even more crazy when we're prepping witnesses and typing out examinations.  I'm sure I will be thrilled when I see that next paycheck packed with overtime, but right now I'm just plain tired.  

I'm leaving at noon today to drive back to Walterboro, SC and my home away from home at the Holiday Inn Express - where I already know the names of all the front desk personnel, when their days off are and when their shifts begin.  The housekeeping staff leaves me little notes of encouragement and chocolate treats each afternoon, so that makes me feel good.

But believe you me, there is going to be one heck of a venting post when this is over because there is another paralegal (not from my firm) who is driving me CRAZY!

Talk at you soon!

And we're off

This is my last day at home for a month - starting tomorrow I'll be living at a hotel in Walterboro, SC.  I'll be answering to a whole lot of attorneys who want everything one minute ago.  I'll be making sure everybody has what they need, when they need it, oh and read minds about what they really want, not what they ask for!  I've never been away from my family this long and I doubt I'll be able to come home until maybe the 2nd or 3rd weekend.  I know they will do just fine without me, but I can't help but feel a bit sad and distraught about Kyle starting 2nd grade while I'm away (school starts August 11...doesn't that seem crazy early?) and that David gets to do the back-to-school and school supply shopping.

BUT...I get to spend a month doing what I love, doing what I swear I was born to do.  Organize, orchestrate and handle anything that comes my way.  Anyway, I'll post if I can while I'm away, but while I'm away please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

*****

Psalm 121

15 minutes of Fame?

Andy Warhol, right?  That's who said we each get 15 minutes of fame?  Apparently I'm getting someone else's 15 minutes as well as my own.  I've been interviewed several times by newspapers in towns where I was living and I was recently interviewed by the Augusta paper regarding my reading and techno-based reading habits.  The reporter came across my reading list on GoodReads.com and sent me an email asking if she could interview me.  They had planned to include a picture from my book club, but we never ended up connecting on the photographer thing.  I had no idea when the piece was going to run and it had kind of slipped my mind until yesterday at work when people were talking to me about it and giving me a hard time.  So here's my 15 minutes of fame...again! 

Birthday Boy

He looks 7 doesn't he?  

My Heaven

I'm currently reading The Lovely Bones and it has me thinking a lot about "my heaven" and what it would be like. My heaven would be at the beach in a big open house with a wide balcony and airy, open rooms. And people, there would be people. Loads and loads of people eating, talking, playing games, running through the house on the way to the beach and napping lazily on the balcony. In this life I have missed out on having a big extended family that bickers and loves in the same breath. I would want that in my heaven. A sort of never-ending Norman Rockwell painting that I was a part of. Kite flying, sand castle building, dog walking and fire works...an eternal summer.

A new chapter

"Chapter 8, the adventure continues..." this is what Kyle said a little bit ago on our way home from his day camp.  We had just celebrated his 7th birthday (which is tomorrow) with his summer friends, a bunch of cupcakes, oodles of chips, and some drink pouches.  I mentioned on the way home that it was the last time he would go to Sunshine House as a six-year-old and of course Kyle who always thinks of things in terms of books and adventure realized he was starting a new chapter in his own life.  So far I think his book is a best seller!  Not a day goes by when that kid doesn't say or do something that either makes me laugh like a loon or stare at him in amazement.  

Seven seems like a magic age, a time when he's on the cusp of turning into a bit of a gangly, big-toothed kid but for the moment he's all glowing skin, lovely eyes and never-ending imagination.  Our friend Reid had is golden birthday at age seven.  In case you're unfamiliar with the golden birthday it's the year your age matches the day of your birth.  So I had my golden birthday at age eight since I was born on April 8.  Of course Kyle will have to wait for his golden birthday until he's 28!  

We're celebrating his birthday with Kyle's grandparents and a fun-filled day tomorrow.  A coffee house breakfast followed by the present opening at our house.  Lunch at home followed by Wall-E the new Pixar movie.  For dinner Kyle wants Pizza Joint pizza, root beer floats for dessert and sparklers after dark.  I think we'll all be exhausted!!!

Updates

So lots of people have been asking how the carpool thing is going.  So far, so good.  This week is pretty much a zero carpool week as I was out of town yesterday and David is out of town until Thursday...BUT I can already see a bit of difference in our budget and a huge reduction in my post-work cell phone usage!  LOL.

*****

It has been so hot here lately - over 100 for day after day after day.  It just seems too early for all this heat and humidity.  The heat here can be just as crippling as the cold and snow in Nebraska were - you get worn out just going out to the car, cooling it down, and then getting out and starting all over again later.  Thank goodness for air conditioning!

*****

Kyle's alien picture was chosen for a student art display at the Morris Museum of Art!  We are very excited.  The show is supposed to start in August and run for eight weeks so I'll let you know how it goes.

Tooth Man

Kyle has now lost his top front teeth - a sight that still makes me giggle.  He just cracks me up with this little toothless grin.  At dinner tonight I was telling him about the song "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and he immediately took to the song giving it his typical Kyle twist.  It ended up sounding more like a rock song.  During his shower he continued to sing about teeth, the lyrics went something like this (sung loosely to the tune of "Bad to the Bone"...whatever): "I went to the store to buy some teeth.  I went to Dollar Tree and went to the tooth aisle, but all they had was molars.  I went to Dollar General but they had incisors, I said no, I need front teeth.  Give me some teeth...give me some teeth."  Man I wish I had my video camera going at that moment.  However tomorrow I'll see if he'll let me video him doing the Christmas song!

Goodness

I'm not posting as much as I was, am I?  I think it's a combination of too much to do at work and no direction to my life on the weekends.  I'm slowly getting used to school being out, the days being longer and spending more time at the pool.  This is the second summer we have joined our neighborhood pool and I love it there.  Augusta has a couple parks and rec pools, but they are in lower-income areas and the Y pool has a water park, but from what I hear you have to be waiting at the gate the moment they open to have a hope of getting a lounge chair.  Our pool club is busy, but you can usually find a chair if you're there before 2:00 or 3:00 - after that it gets pretty crowded.  I love watching all the people - the soccer moms, the new moms, the on-the-cusp teenage girls trying to catch the eye of the gangly, pimply boys.  It all just fascinates me.  

David and I have started car pooling to work and with gas creeping closer and closer to $4 a gallon, it only makes sense.  We work within blocks of each other, travel 20 miles round trip each day and my car definitely gets better gas mileage.  Of course we're both making sacrifices - David has had to change his work hours to meet mine and he's without a car during the day since I have an assigned parking spot and his office is on a first-come basis, and I (of course) have had to cut down on my cell phone use while in the car.  We're just starting week two, but I'll keep you informed!

Pomp and Circumstance

David's son, Tony, graduated from high school in Nebraska on Sunday.  Woo hoo...it was a bit of a long road the past couple years, but he did it.  He now plans to go on to college and major in horticulture and golf course maintenance.  If anyone can do it, he can.  We have been lucky through the years to have a good blended family relationship - I know we're lucky because I've seen other families that nothing ever seems to work out and everyone is in turmoil.  Tony has been in my life since he was 5 (which seems like only yesterday) and he started calling me "mom" the day after David and I were married (Tony was his best man at age 7).  I don't know what the future is going to bring, but I am so thankful to have had these years watching Tony grow into such a great young man.

Meet Peaches!

Peaches is my very own Webkinz!  Kyle got her for me for Mother's Day and I've already established her online account, started furnishing a room for her and put her in a pair of stylish yoga pants and t-shirt!  I wonder if Kyle thinks I was spending too much time with his two Webkinz?

If you have a chance, check out Trace Adkins performing "You're Going To Miss This" at the Opry here.  I realize that I am definitely going to miss chatterbox Kyle at dinner, especially when he's been replaced by monosyllabic Kyle with hair hanging in his eyes.  I'm going to miss the toy strewn playroom and impromptu hugs and kisses.  Although I will say I do NOT miss the hassle of having to load Kyle into the car (toting a giant bag of baby junk) - I love that he can himself in the car and buckle his own seatbelt.  Oh and I don't miss toting around all that junk!

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

Holy Cow

I saw this commercial last night during Desperate Housewives. If someone had told me about it, I would have thought it was a joke. I mean really!

Money

Like a lot of people, money is on my mind lately.  It occurred to me last night when we were shopping and I asked David, "How much does that cost?" after he put the gallon of milk in our cart.  Milk.  We need milk, we will buy the milk, now suddenly I want to know how much it costs?  ($3.48 if you're interested.)  I don't know that the economic stimulus check coming is going to do us much good in the end (buried deep in the language of the bill that created the package there's a clause about getting less when we file our taxes...a sort of advance on tax returns) but I'm looking forward to its arrival - our pool club membership is due and I plan to swim the summer away.  Oh and we just bought a lawn mower and I want a grill.  Hmm...I guess we are stimulating the economy!  But you know, we're paying more for gas and groceries than we ever have and I doubt any raise we get over this summer is going to put a dent in those increased expenses.  I think we're all going to learn to economize more and waste less so maybe this is the economy's way of righting itself, regaining its balance so to speak.

Kyle is hearing us say more and more, "No, that costs too much money."  We're trying to do things as a family that don't cost as much money, but Kyle has money, lots of money in his eyes.  He just traded me quarters that he earns for positive behavior at school for dollars.  He now has $9.00 and thoughts of nine things at the $1 store are spinning in his brain!

I'm terrible at thinking of things to cut back on - they all seem like necessities to me.  Give up my cell phone...don't think so.  No more cable or high speed internet...uh, necessity!  Stop buying Orbit gum in bulk...not if you want me to be pleasant to you.  See my quandary?

Water Play

A Day In The Life...Of Me!

I got this idea from Melissa and I decided to use Saturday since I seriously doubt you would want a play-by-play of me summarizing depositions and preparing medical chronologies, which is what a typical day at work would be like.  Although there's a good chance you could care less what we do on a Saturday!

• 7:11 a.m.  Woke up to a heavy rain.  The first thing I thought about was the fact that the American Cancer Society Relay for Life was from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. last night - hope everyone got out before the rain started!
• 7:22 a.m.  Reading my favorite blogs.  Realized that several blogs that I read regularly I found using the "Next Blog" button.
• 7:45 a.m.  Finishing up the first entry in my "Day in the Life" post.
• 8:40 to 11:40 a.m.  The busiest part of any of our Saturdays.  We've all showered and head out to Panera Bread for coffee and whatever pastry tempts us.  Then it's off to Walmart for our weekly shopping trip or as I like to call it "paying for a migraine".  Today after the groceries were put away and the garbage gathered and taken out we worked on cleaning Kyle's playroom.  Whew.  That child uses more paper, tape, crayons and pencils than anyone I know. Managing all that artwork is difficult.  Some of it is so good I really don't want to throw it away and other pieces are just scribbles.  Plus then there are the assorted prizes he gets for good behavior at school - also known as crap!
• 12:15  Another paralegal that I know, Jennifer, is trying to get out of the paralegal industry (what is she thinking?!?!?) and about a year and a half ago she started a business on the side called Fairytale Adventures  It's doing so well that she was able to open her own location outside her home and held an open house today, so we went to check it out.
• 12:45  Ever heard of Captain Underpants?  Kyle loves these books so we stopped at Barnes & Noble so he could get the latest collection.  The guy certainly know what boys want to read about...boogers, toilets, wedgies, and super heros.
• 1:11  Lunch at Chili's.
• 2:21 Updating Blog.  Thinking about a nap - slept lousy last night.
• 5:48 No nap.  Watched a bit of television then we all watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Getting ready for Indiana Jones IV!  Kyle played in the kitchen sink with various bowls and toys, I took a video that I'll post at a later time.  Hmm...I'm beginning to think our Saturdays run to the boring side!
• 6:00 Kyle and I went for a walk.  We had planned to go a lot farther, but the sky looked like it might open up at any minute and there was a lot of thunder.  Interestingly, it never did rain.
• 7:10 The good thing about going to lunch on Saturday is nobody is hungry for dinner on Saturday night, so no cooking!  
• 8:15 Got Kyle put to bed and started watching Sweeny Todd.  
• 10:10 Sweeny Todd was great - Johnny Depp is a surprisingly good singer.  Obviously not a feel-good movie, but Tim Burton's crazy mind never ceases to amaze me.  Off to bed!

So there you have it - a day in my life.  And really, my Saturdays don't vary a whole lot.  I used to think the whole world was doing something far more interesting that us, but really I think our days are pretty much alike. 

Pharmacy Mania!

Kyle has strep throat - it's the third time in four months.  A couple more rounds and we'll have to consider an ENT referral and the possibility of his tonsils coming out.  The doctor said it's been a busy year for strep and that it wasn't that Kyle was particularly susceptible to it, he just had bad luck!  

So another round of antibiotics - and a trip to Walgreen's to pick it up.  Ah Walgreen's.  I love it there...it's a tad pricey in the health and beauty department but man oh man, they have everything.  I could spend hours walking up and down the aisles picking up this 'n that.  They work so hard to fill up their seasonal aisles with any kind of holiday crap that's out there.  They also have weird stuff you really can only find there...I mean where else can you find hair oil that looks like it's been on the market since the 1800's?  And really, that means there are people out there buying that stuff!

How about you?  What is your favorite place to wander aimlessly?  Buying or not buying?

Crafty Cathy

I tend to call them "crap fairs" as opposed to craft fairs.  Could be because I'm the least crafty person you may meet or it could be because I sometimes wonder how someone could screw a couple cup hooks onto a wooden dowel and call it a craft.  Uh, I'm prepared to eat my words.  But only because I now want something from the world of the crafty.  Years ago my grandfather made a beautiful necklace organizer for my grandmother.  Red velvet (my grandmother's number one favorite color) covering a wooden shape (was it a heart?)  I think it may have been slightly padded.  Anyway, he screwed in some strategically placed cup hooks and my grandmother hung some of her never-ending supply of necklaces from the hooks - her favored necklaces made it onto the hooks because the whole thing was hung on the wall near her closet.  I'm pretty sure my mother is now in possession of the necklace organizer.  I WANT ONE!  I've seen standing ones, but they never seem quiet tall enough to handle some of my longer necklaces.  I want it to go on the back of my hall closet door.  I've googled, I've eBayed.  Nothing.  You would think some enlightened crafter would make a killing on the internet.  Nope.  

Does this mean I'm going to have to start watching the newspaper for (gulp!) craft fairs?

It's My Party...

Okay, I admit it...in fact, I'm shameless about it.  I love my birthday.  I start annoying my husband with a countdown to the big day at least a month in advance.  I can even (for the day) ignore the fact that the very celebration I adore is also the one that is going to make me one year older (41, thank you very much!)  

I have dubbed today, "Day of Fun!"  It's the Master's golf tournament in Augusta right now and at my office we each get a freebie day off during the week since it's a slow week and a lot of regulars are out of town and a lot of irregulars are in town.  I chose today for my day and I plan to enjoy it to the fullest!  David went to work, Kyle went off to hang with his buddies at daycare...leaving just me.  That's right - me, alone in my own house!  I'm having my nails done later, shopping for a new pair of sandals, going wherever I want for lunch...I might even lounge around later and watch Oprah AND Dr. Phil.  

Oh yeah...it's going to be a great day!

UPDATE:  Well, the afternoon took a turn for the different when I got a call saying there were two tickets to the Masters waiting for me!  So, I abandoned all plans for the afternoon and met my hubby for an afternoon of strolling the links.  Even if you're not into golf you can't help but fall in love with the beauty and history that is Augusta National.  

September 29

That's when the trial that was looming over me for April 14 has been continued to.  What a relief!  I was one worker bee surrounded by too many queen bees for this particular trial and I feel a lot better having more time to get ready.  A whole summer in fact!  I'll probably be just as stressed come September, but at least I have time!

Saturday.  We have this whole rainy day stretched out in front of us and I feel good about it, which is kind of unusual for me.  I'm not good with unstructured time.  Honestly, I think the fact that we have date night with another couple tonight is what's making the day a good one.  Something to look forward to.   We're going to a place called Sheehan's Pub to use gift certificates we got from the firm at Christmas.  

Forgiveness

"My heart felt like a volcano mommy, so I had to go to sleep to feel better."  Oh. My.  Kyle stole a piece of gum from a store on Saturday.  I knew something was wrong the minute we got in the car and I turned to do my usual double-check of Kyle's seatbelt.  Kyle was pale and looked like he might throw up at any second.  The words actually thundered in my head, "Ask him what he has!"  Oh. My.  His little hand unfurled and there it was - a piece of sour apple gum in the wrapper.  The tears started immediately.  The sorrowful wailing.  A calm, rational voice (was it really mine?) telling him that we had to go back.  He had to admit to another grown up what he had done.  He would be punished.  Not only by us, but maybe by the store.  It was a long walk across that parking lot.  He was sobbing and begging me to help him tell what had happened.  Luck was with us, there was an older employee right inside the door.  I think she knew what was coming the minute we walked in the door.  He told her.  Oh. My.  She started to cry a little over this heartbroken little boy, but she did not say, "It's okay."  She did not say, "It's alright."  She did say, "Thank you for telling the truth."  She glanced at me with those mommy tears in her eyes echoing my own and nodded at me.  We left.  It was a quiet ride home, with a lot of sniffing and tissues for both of us.  He told his dad what happened and went to his room.  The sobs didn't last long.  He slept.  Slept some more.  When I went to wake him up, that's what he said.  "My heart felt like a volcano mommy, so I had to go to sleep to feel better."  I am so very glad his heart hurt, because I don't think I could have stood it if it hadn't.

His time

I recently finished reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and one thing Lily talks about is the different stages in a woman's life.  "Daughter Days," "Hair-Pinning Days," and "Rice-and-Salt Days" are some examples.  I have firmly decided that for Kyle, these are the "Sand Days" - we could start a desert with the sand that comes home with that boy each day when the weather turns warm.  Sand in his hair, sand in his shoes and sand in his pockets.  Our nightly ritual upon returning home involves dumping out shoes, shaking out hair and washing hands.  It was only tonight that I realized I needed to add "remove pants and empty all pockets" to that list - and that was only after a pound of sand was left on my sofa.  

Of course I will admit that while emptying the assorted pockets on his carpenter jeans (why so many pockets?) I realized I needed to treasure these "Sand Days" as soon they would give way to the "You are not the boss of me" days.

Peep Show...

HAPPY EASTER!  Thanks to Peggie for the hilarious email!

See?

I told you posts were going to be few and far between for awhile!  

Before I forget though, the Michael Buble concert in Charlotte on Tuesday night was beyond awesome.  He is truly an amazing entertainer with that rare gift of turning an arena filled with 10,000 people into a small and intimate affair.  I feel so lucky to have been able to go.  Oh and Angela and I ate some good food and did some serious shopping while she was here.  The shopping was funny because it was short and intense bursts with the frenzied buying of clearance clothing...there are some serious deals out there right now!

The trial is still scheduled to begin April 14 so we continue to work and work like crazy.  There is a slim (oh-so-slim) chance that it may be continued to August, but we don't have time to waste sitting around waiting for the Judge to rule on the continuance so we march on.  I have those moments of HOLY SH*T where I wonder how I can fit all that needs to be done into each day between now and then, but for the most part the highly organized part of my brain has kicked in and I spend a good deal of the time feeling pretty good about our progress. Now if I can just get through it all without crying at work anymore, we'll be just fine!  ;-)

Ha!

I crack myself up!  I was coloring at the table with Kyle after dinner (a form of PMS therapy...for me, not Kyle) and out of his box of 120 crayons I picked out a sickly greenish color, whose name was wholly unoriginal for this particular box of crayons, it was "yellow green."  So anyway, I look at it and start to giggle (did I mention the PMS?) and Kyle asks me what's so funny.  So I tell him, "This crayon looks like pee."  Oh that did it - he was off and running with that one.  Worse still?  I then looked at the label and thought how funny it would be if it said, "urine" on it.  Uh, apparently I said "urine" out loud because the next thing I know Kyle is asking what urine is.  So I tell him (oh wise one that I am) that it's another name for pee.  Again, he was off and running - even going so far as to ask David if he could "urine" on him.  Needless to say, David did not find this nearly as amusing as we did!

I mentioned the PMS, right?

Bathroom - After!

Woo hoo!  We did it...a few minor decorative touches and the bathroom we stalled out on (after starting in August) will finally be finished!  Here's before and during pictures to show you how far we've come!  I'm still stunned that someone put a full-size vanity in this teeny-tiny bathroom! 

I've also started on the hallway bath, but that vanity will have to stay for now.  We're just painting and installing a new toilet until our home-improvement budget gets bigger.  It's good to see things coming together!

 

Whew

This has been a hard week.  I've struggled to keep my head above water at work - I'm in constant fear of forgetting something or messing something up.  It's not going to get better either...full on trial prep from now on.  But (and I'm going to brag on my husband now) David has always been so great at times like this.  He knows what our life schedule is and who has to be where when.  Last night while I was making dinner I looked down in the family room and there he was folding the laundry that he had started.  He cleaned up after dinner.  He just seems to know when I'm beat down and ready to fall apart.  He is a true participant in this family and I'm so grateful for it!  Love you, honey!

So, all that to say that my posts may grow few and far between for awhile as I dig in and get ready for this trial.  Although I will say that there will be some interesting "during trial" posts come mid-April!

Oh and my bestest friend in the whole world will be here next Friday!  Shopping, eating, drinking wine and a Michael Buble concert!!!

It's a good kind of tired!

New York City.  Rockefeller Center.  Late '80s.  That was the last time I went ice skating - until yesterday!  Kyle had a cub scout outing yesterday so David and I joined in the fun.  And it was fun.  Of course by last night it hurt to get up, it hurt to walk, and I woke up several times during the night with my legs aching.  But, we'll go again.  Plus, Kyle was such a trooper.  It was his first time so he fell down a lot, but he didn't give up and was having a great time.  I think we'll sign him up for lessons since some of the moms were saying that the skating rink was a favorite place to have birthday parties for the older kids...he would definitely have a better time if he has some basic skills under his belt.  Heck, I'm even considering lessons - I figure it's good exercise and something we can all do together in the middle of the H O T Georgia summer!  Sorry there are no pictures - didn't want to chance falling and breaking the camera!  (But just for the record, I didn't fall once!)

  

Oh and Kyle placed 2nd in the Pinewood Derby!

Making progress!

So we started a half-bath remodel job several months ago (okay, August 25 to be exact) and stalled out.  Here are the before pictures. But now we're moving forward!  We had a neighbor put the tile down and hopefully this weekend we'll get the toilet and pedestal sink installed!  Of course this still leaves the upstairs hallway bath in complete disarray, but at least it's functional!

Now and latte

So, did you hear about this?  Every single Starbucks closed for three hours this afternoon.  Apparently for some sort of "come to Jesus" meeting about customer service, etc.  Starbucks...closed for three hours (5:30 to 8:30 pm local time) AND IT IS NEWSWORTHY.  Really?  I mean I love Starbucks as much as the next guy, but I really think I would have been just fine not even knowing that I was unable to get myself a double-shot soy vanilla latte at a time when I have no interest in buying one.  BUT when I found out I couldn't get one I was somehow heartbroken and wanted it even more!

Sorry -

I can't help bragging a bit on my kid.  Kyle's alien picture has been entered into the art contest at school - with 4th and 5th graders!  We'll see what happens.

And the winning numbers are...

One of my favorite things to do on a long drive is to imagine what I would do if I suddenly became rich.  I've been playing the game with myself for as long as I can remember.  And let me tell you, my idea of "rich" has certainly changed!  As a kid on the BORING drive from Nebraska to Utah (think Wyoming, wind and sagebrush), I would contemplate what I would do with $100 since that seemed to me to be a huge sum of money.  I'm pretty sure most of that imaginary money was spent on Barbie accessories and new roller skates.  Oh and of course pom poms to put on the skates!  Obviously as I grew older I started thinking about buying cars, clothes, and crazy amounts of music, but the amount of imaginary money was still not that big.  

Now, as an adult, I realize that I am just crazy-greedy in my mind!  I start out with whatever Powerball amount I decide sounds good and begin ticking off what I would do.  Initially I give my brother and his family like a million bucks, ditto for David's brother and his family.  I buy my parents a couple new cars (really, what else do they need in life?) and splurge on high speed internet for my dad (oy vey, that's a whole other post).  I also buy David's parents new cars.  Then of course I put money away for education, donate to some of my favorite charities, and pay off the bills.  Then the fun begins...but wait, do I really need to give my brother a million dollars?  Ditto for David's brother.  I mean I won the money right?  They should be happy with whatever I give them!  (See?  I'm already getting greedy in my mind!)  My sworn sisters, Carol, Peggy, and Angela - well, they'll each get money (in an amount to be determined at a later date) and my friends Daniel and Shonny who I have known the longest will also get some cash.  

So now I've divided up the money and I get what's left.  But wait, how will I know if I gave too much away?  That I might not have enough for all the life-changing things I want to do for me?  See?  Now I start all over and redistribute money in smaller amounts - leaving more for me!  Me and Italy.  Me and Australia.  Me and my dream house.  Me and that BMW 325i.  

I'm not sure why I do this to myself.  I mean really, it's all pretend and I won't ever win the lottery mainly because I don't actually PLAY the lottery.  The game never changes though.  I start out being all generous then slowly but surely I start taking back money for me!  Perhaps I need to talk with someone about this...know any therapists?

Imagination

Grandma Mussman sent Kyle a big envelope full of great art supplies for Valentine's Day: stickers, craft sticks, glue, a stapler, glitter construction paper, etc. and Kyle immediately constructed a robot with some of the items and an empty Kleenex box!  Let the battle begin...

GULP!

In my job we spend a lot of time defending corporations and insurance companies against people who do ridiculous things, hurt themselves, and then look around for someone to blame.  I've worked on it all: falls from balconies, accidents at water parks, idiots at railroad crossings and in go-carts.  I could go on and on.  Sure, there are definitely times when the company really is to blame, when a product is defective, etc. but so often it's just somebody doing something stupid.

All that to say, yesterday we met Kyle's cub scout pack to have Kyle's Pinewood Derby car cut out at a guy's house who had a workshop with all the tools, etc. - he also had a trampoline in the back yard.  I immediately went into panic mode, Kyle has not been on a regular, outdoor trampoline before and Kyle is an emergency room magnet!  I mean I was trembling with fear watching one of the other kids bounce around, do flips, etc.  Kyle could not get out of his shoes fast enough.  He was so excited and I was such a downer!  This trampoline was just so scary to me - it didn't have one of those net things around it, it wasn't that far from the cement of the basketball area and the other kid has a mom who is...uh...less attentive to what her kids do than I am.  It was a horrible situation to be in.  

I certainly didn't lead a life of ultra-safety...we jumped on trampolines, even jumped from the trampoline into the neighbor's swimming pool, rode dirt bikes, ran wild at the river and swam in sandpit lakes that we had no business being in.  But darn it all, this is my kid!  He runs headlong into every activity with such wild abandon then seems perplexed when things fall down or are knocked over.  I could just picture him landing on that concrete.

Sigh - I became the trampoline safety monitor.  I positioned myself between the trampoline and the concrete so I could stop any kid from flying off (right, like that would have worked!) and started spouting off rules about "no dog pile" and "hands to yourself" and I don't know how many times I admonished some boy to stay away from the springs.  BUT - Kyle got to jump and jump he did.  He didn't try any flips or fancy tricks - I think he saw I was really fearful of the whole situation and everyone survived.  Whew!

And the Pinewood Derby car is going to be very cool!

Gorgeous!

This is our new kitchen work center.  It's made from beautiful wood and has a gorgeous butcher block top - David put it together and did a great job!  We just happen to have a kitchen with a really poor layout and very, very little counter space.  This work center now gives us more storage space and another placed for food prep, etc.

The Note

I have no patience for the library's web site or for putting myself on waiting lists for books, so although I regularly visit the library, I never borrow my book club books.  I always buy them from half.com  

Over the past 18 months or so, I have found some seriously interesting and/or intriguing things tucked inside the pages...a grocery receipt, a business card, a band-aid (in the wrapper, thank God!), an index card written on in some language I couldn't decipher, a credit card bill (duh!) and even an emery board (ick!).  Because the items are so esoteric, I can only assume they were used as bookmarks by some previous owner.  Today, when I received my latest book, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" I found a  long, thin piece of paper - lined like for a grocery list with a drawing of a smiling pig and the caption "Take time to smell the flowers."  On the reverse was written "For the woman I will always love most." with a smiley face and the initials "CB."  I was instantly intrigued!  It was definitely a woman's handwriting but it didn't look like it was written with any undue care - just a quick note jotted down to someone they loved.

My question to you?  Should I contact the woman who sold me the book and ask her if she wants the note returned?  I mean, could this just be one of a million love notes that "CB" has written to her over the years or could this be the only one?  What to do, what to do!!!!

Wasting Away

Sometimes I think the most difficult part of writing my blog is coming up with a title for each post.  I mean there are only so many times I can call an entry "Uh..." before it starts to get old!

I'm not really a waster - I don't waste money (much!), I try to conserve gasoline, energy, water and food and I've certainly never been accused of being a time waster.  But this afternoon was a GIANT waste of a lot of things for me!  (In fact, you probably heard a giant sucking sound from your current location.)  After our usual trip to the big-box super center for groceries I thought it would be fun to drive over to Columbia, South Carolina for lunch  and a trip to Carolina Pottery.  I've never been to Carolina Pottery, but had seen the billboards on the highway and talked to people who have been there.  I thought it was going to be like a Hobby Lobby or Michael's on steroids.  I also figured there would be a lot of choices for restaurants since it's right off the exit on I-26 coming north from Charleston.  Wrong on so many levels.  First the highway was bumper-to-bumper traffic because of several flea markets along the way, then there were zero restaurants of interest so we ended up at an Applebee's which in my opinion is a money waster when two people had chicken strips and I had chicken strips on a salad.  I can make THAT at home.  Then we had to drive away from Carolina Pottery (which was right across the street from Applebee's) in order to turn around because the traffic was horrible.  The store turned out to be a whole lot of nothing - I did buy two picture frames and a plant stand, things I could have found just as easily in Augusta.  So basically, we wasted gas, money, and time.  That will teach me to do more research in advance.  Plus, I get really down on myself when things go south - it's a bad habit of mine...like somehow I'm personally responsible for always being the maker of fun!

20/20

The surgery went perfectly!  Here I am hopped up on Valium "to take the edge off" - uh, can I get some of this every day?  I mean really, I have an "edge" every day!

We went in at 8:00 am and I was on my way home by 9:45.  I took a pain pill and a sleeping pill and that was pretty much it for the rest of the day.  I woke up every couple hours on my own and would put in some plain drops just to keep things moist, then I would drift off to sleep again.  Then around 6:30 I got up to get something to eat and was stunned...I mean stunned at how well I was seeing!

Now for the graphic portion - to be honest, the worst is when they cut your cornea to make a flap for the laser to work on your actual eye - at the moment they pull back the flap you are blind - it all goes dark.  I had some panic at that moment, but they give you these squeeze balls and I really gave them a work out!  You feel some pressure while they're cutting the flap, but there's no pain - the numbing eye drops take care of that. 

This morning when I went for my follow-up visit I was told the flap was perfectly aligned and already healing nicely and that my vision was 20/20.  Yep, 20/20 the very next day.  I'm giddy!  Of course now I'm going to treat myself for some seriously cool sunglasses!  So, it has certainly been worth it for me.  Now I just have do prescription drops for a week, regular eye drops for a few weeks as needed, and sleep in eye goggles (quite lovely!) for a week.  By summer I'll be cruising at the pool glasses-free!

Here goes

It's 7:03 am and in just one hour I'll be swallowing a Valium and getting ready for my LASIK surgery.  Wish me luck!  I probably won't report on it until tomorrow since I anticipate using the sleeping pills they prescribed me to waste my whole day with my eyes closed!

Lori, In Real Life

First, sorry about the changes to the look of my blog - I tried something new and did NOT like it.  I think I'll stick with this one until I figure out how to do a more custom look.

Today is my first day sans eye makeup in anticipation of my Lasik surgery on Thursday.  I promise you that by the end of my work day I will have had no less than a half dozen people ask me if I feel okay.  I have zero facial personality without eye makeup and I don't even feel like I wear that much!  

Last night as I was wearing a grubby t-shirt from "Budro's Rib Joint" and had color in my hair, I was thinking about the fact that they never show you that part of life in the movies.  The part where you've taken off your bra, you're wearing really old yoga pants and a nasty t-shirt and wandering around waiting for 30 minutes to go by so you can rinse color from your hair.  Maybe that's why we go to movies - because really, who would go see a movie entitled, "Lori Colors Her Hair"????  Okay, I guess with the trend toward independent films with tight budgets somebody might actually want to make and/or see a movie like that, but I don't think that's the movie I'll write!  

Super Sunday

We had some friends over to watch the Super Bowl yesterday - although I don't seem to recall actually seeing any of the game until after they had left, but still. Anyway, they're friends of ours who moved here from Kansas at the same time we did so we arrived in Augusta with built-in friends, which was such a blessing. At least I thought it was a blessing until they came tonight with a bottle of wine JUST FOR ME...and my wine has a screw-top.  Nice!

I'm re-thinking this friendship!

Everything old...

Kyle started watching Schoolhouse Rock and is already loving it. I figured he would. It kind of has all of his favorite things - catchy music, interesting characters and new word concepts. Of course the "catchy music" is now circulating in my head non-stop!

INTERJECTIONS

When Reginald was home with flu, uh-huh-huh,
The doctor knew just what to do-hoo.
He cured the infection
With one small injection
While Reginald uttered some interjections..

Hey! That smarts!
Ouch! That hurts!
Yow! That's not fair givin' a guy a shot down there!

Interjections (Hey!) show excitement (Yow!) or emotion (Ouch!).
They're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point,
Or by a comma when the feeling's not as strong.

Here it is on You Tube

Here, there, and everywhere

There is just always something that needs to be done, isn't there? A book to return to the library, a bill that needs to be paid, a phone call to return. Couple the "somethings" with a full-time job and family and it can seem like life really is that cliche of a wheel in a hamster cage. It can wear you down. I've become so forgetful lately - I have a mental to-do list of things that I need to follow-up on and I only actually remember the to-do list at...oh, let's say 3:00 am. When I don't think the tile guy would appreciate a phone call! My office is a true disaster - we are currently overwhelmed with 200+ last-minute lawsuit filings that are a result of a train derailment. Plus I'm working on an ever-growing, hardly shrinking "work in progress" list for a trial I have coming up in mid-April.

BUT -

I still found time to host book club last night, make a killer quiche with green chilies and monterrey jack cheese, and laugh myself silly with the girls in the club. Of course the "laugh myself silly" may have been due in part to the fact that book club WAS at my house and I could have that extra glass of wine. I still found time to read some of another book I picked up on Saturday at the library. I found time to snuggle on the couch with Kyle while he read a full-on version of "Small Pig" which included character voices and editorial comments about how cute the pig is. And, I made time to pay the household bills, read all of my favorite blogs (keep 'em coming Melissa) and now I'm going to lie on the couch and watch some of a movie with David.

I guess that's just life - a whole lot of "somethings" that need to get done. And hey, doing nothing IS doing something, it's doing NOTHING!

The last of 100 things

19. I love my book club.
18. I don't always like the books that are chosen, but it has expanded what I read.
17. My favorite food is Italian.
16. I prefer Diet Pepsi to Diet Coke, but really love Diet Dr. Pepper.
15. I don't follow baseball, but of all the sports, I enjoying going to baseball games the most.
14. I sometimes think about writing a movie.
13. I was really shocked when I found out I was pregnant.
12. I was scared to death when I went to the hospital five weeks early and Kyle only weighed 4 pounds 10 oz.
11. I'm sad I'm getting to the end of my 100 list
10. I am great at roller skating.
9. I need to get Kyle in skating lessons.
8. I could easily be a vegetarian.
7. I hate doing yard work.
6. I love doing laundry.
5. I like myself a lot more now than I used to - maybe that's why I stopped biting my nails.
4. I color my hair.
3. I want to take the exam to become an American Bar Association-certified paralegal - it's a lot like taking the bar exam. Very intense.
2. I am so in awe of all the things my brother can do,make or fix. He is so talented.
1. The hardest thing I have ever had to say is, "I don't love you."

Getting to the end -

29. I have owned eleven cars.
28. I used to have my motorcycle license.
27. My favorite cocktail is a Ketel One Cosmopolitan
26. I also love red wine.
25. I have been an assistant at a hair salon, a daycare worker, a waitress, a clerk in a convenience store, a sales associate in electronics, a nanny (three times!), an assistant at a nanny placement agency, a custom drapery sales associate, a receptionist, a real estate title insurance agent, a legal secretary, and a paralegal. Oh, I also worked in an ice cream store and a deli. Geez, I'm well-rounded aren't I?
24. Some of the best times I've ever had were when I was traveling alone.
23. I've been to Disney Land once and Disney World once.
22. I've never been to Sea World.
21. I've been fascinated with otters my whole life and would love to see one in the wild.
20. Pot-bellied pigs freak me out.

Counting down

59. I can peel an apple in one long continuous ribbon.
58. I still love to color.
57. And play with play doh.
56. I can't wink.
55. I love shoes, but have wide feet so they almost never fit me.
54. I remember getting my Quick Curl Cathy doll for Christmas.
53. My best Christmas present when I was young was my own phone.
52. I lettered in debate in high school.
51. I was one of three speakers at my high school graduation.
50. I was crazy nervous.
49. I don't really like clean sheets.
48. I love staying in hotels though (clean sheets a must!)
47. I want to get a dog.
46. I had tons of Barbies and Barbie accessories growing up.
45. My favorite was my Barbie townhouse.
44. I don't like hazelnut anything.
43. I love coffee.
42. I have my dream house sketched out in my mind and it doesn't change much anytime I try to improve on it.
41. I dream mostly in black and white.
40. I'm having laser eye surgery in February.
39. The thing that bothers me most about the surgery is not being able to wear eye make-up for a long time.
38. Growing up I spent a lot of my summer with my grandparents in Utah.
37. I want to take my son to Utah soon.
36. I took a helicopter ride from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and had champagne in the Canyon when we landed.
35. Las Vegas is like some alternate universe.
34. I don't think I'm smart enough to go to law school.
33. I love my hands.
32. I hate my butt.
31. I can't do sudoku.
30. I'm really good with kids.

More about me

79. I like Drake & Josh on Nickelodeon.
78. I've picked up a hitchhiker before.
77. My favorite ice cream is Breyer's mint chip.
76. I've been para-sailing, water-skiing, wake boarding, and rock climbing.
75. I've been to England, Mexico, Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico.
74. My friend Daniel and I have been friends since kindergarten.
73. His son, Luke, is my Godson.
72. I drive too fast.
71. I have slept in an airport and a train station.
70. I love Justin Timberlake (there, I admitted it.)
69. I used to bite my nails.
68. I often forget to check my gas gauge until it's almost too late.
67. I'm not sure how I miss that "need fuel" light.
66. I don't feel like I have "style" or a "look".
65. I hated school lunch...except pizza and chicken fried steak day.
64. I used my lunch money to buy junk. Not junk food, just junk.
63. I was a nanny for two years in Chappaqua, New York (that's where the Clintons live now).
62. One of the girls I nannied for is now the director of a widely-recognized children's theatre group in New York.
61. Her sister is in college.
60. Now I feel old!

Me, me, me

94. I have naturally curly hair.
93. I hate food on the bone, it just freaks me out.
92. My favorite place to be is at the beach.
91. I wanted to be a nurse until I started volunteering at the hospital.
90. Yes, I was a candy-striper.
89. I initially spelled it "candy-stripper"
88. I have two tattoos.
87. I'm a math dyslexic (Jamie in Missouri - I need help!)
86. My favorite author is John Steinbeck.
85. I cry too easily.
84. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
83. We moved to North Platte, Nebraska when I was 3.
82. I used to love to snow ski.
81. I haven't been skiing since I was in a car accident.
80. The money from the lawsuit after the aforementioned car accident paid my rent for a long time and helped me get my paralegal degree.

About me

I got this great idea from another blog I read: http://millerfamilymissouri.blogspot.com/ What a great idea! Since I post in bits and pieces, I guess that's how you'll get to know me.

100 Things About Me:

100. I want to live in Italy.
99. Not in a city, but the Italian countryside, fresh fruit, olives, wine, cheese...bliss.
98. Two of my toes are webbed on each of my feet.
97. I was adopted as an infant.
96. I have all the paperwork to start the search to find my birth mother, I keep it in the trunk of my car.
95. I don't know what's stopping me.

Little things...

It really is the little things in life that control our ups and downs, isn't it?? Yesterday we went to the movie "Cloverfield" (just David and I) and it started at 4:00. We arrived to get our tickets at 3:30 - David handed them a $20 and got $1.50 back...that's right, the tickets at 3:30 in the afternoon were $9.25 each! Apparently matinee prices now end at 3:00 pm. Isn't that just crazy? So couple the cost of tickets with what we paid for the babysitter and it was a pricey afternoon/evening out. At least our dinner was free - I won a $50 gift card to Outback at the office Christmas party and apparently Outback and Bonefish Grill are owned by the same company because we could use the gift card at Bonefish. Quite tasty.

Today I scored a B I G bottle of Matrix shampoo for 75% off at Walgreen's. That was definitely an up moment - I mean there was this weird basket of stuff, total odds and ends, on the counter and I started digging through it and actually had a hard time deciding what to buy - but then I saw the shampoo and I thought, "score!" I also spent a relaxing couple hours driving to and from Barnwell, South Carolina (feel free to find that on MapQuest) to check out a motel. We're going to be in trial for two-to-three weeks in April in Allendale, South Carolina (again, MapQuest) and the area is a bit of a travel and leisure wasteland. The motel was okay, but it's older and the rooms all have exterior doors - not so safe. It looks like we'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in lovely Walterboro...Exit 53 off I-95, if you want to stop and see me! LOL.

While I was typing this, Kyle got his first phone call from a girl! Loralei - a cute girl from his class (that's her in the picture above, I don't know how to put the pictures down at the bottom). I really don't know why she called, other than to just say hello to Kyle, but poor Kyle turned a bright shade of red and seemed tongue-tied. And believe me, Kyle tongue-tied is not something we see very often! I spoke with Loralei for awhile then talked to her mom, who really offered no clues as to how the phone call came about. Kyle did want me to inform you that Loralei loves his "guns" - he pushed up his shirt sleeve to allow me to admire his "guns" as well!

Perfecto!

I'm back from Charleston and it was really nice. I fell in love with the TempurPedic mattress, the lovely turn-down service with chocolates on my pillow, the herbal bath salts...and that was just the hotel! Oh and I forgot room service breakfasts and the wine and cheese each evening. I could get used to a life like that! I got a lot of work done, but of course left with a crazy to-do list. We have a two to three week trial coming up in mid-April and I am stunned at how quickly that seems to be arriving.

Oh, while I was gone I missed snow in Augusta! Luckily it wasn't much and didn't stay around long...otherwise the whole town would have shut down!

How-To

Operating instructions. That's what they should give you at the hospital when they're forcing you out the door with a baby and a bag of diapers. A how-to manual, if you will. Something with sections like "Getting Started" or "Main Features" heck, even "Equipment" would be helpful. My DVD manual? Never even cracked open the cover, but the kid manual I would sure like to open it up once is awhile. Especially this weekend when I'm pretty sure I micromanaged Kyle into never wanting to eat a push-pop again. You know the kind - the ice cream on a stick thing that you push up through a cardboard tube? Now personally, I think the ice cream ends up tasting just like the cardboard tube thing, but Kyle's been asking for them for months. He had already eaten one with no trauma while David and I raked a few leaves and just generally enjoyed the outdoors for awhile. At some point he went in for another one - a bold move on his part because I would rarely let him have two of any kind of treat. But the weather must have gotten to me because I said he could have it. Then I proceeded to analyze the way he was eating and actually tried to assist him! What??? I mean it's not like we were inside on some white, zillion dollar sofa - he was outside on the deck! It's ice cream - it washes off. Sigh.

On a lighter note, I get to go to Charleston in the morning for work. Three days and two nights at a fancy hotel paid for by one of our clients! The days will be long, but at the end of the day I get to lounge aimlessly on what I imagine will be a perfectly wonderful bed and read a book or watch whatever I want to watch on television. Ooooh...and what if there's a spa tub? Color me relaxed!

I can see clearly now

Well, to be honest I can't really see clearly right now, but after February 7 my eyes will be kicking ass! That's the day I'm having laser eye surgery! Of course at the moment I'm still dealing with having my eyes dilated at like 9:30 this morning. Apparently I'm crazy-sensitive to the drops because my pupils are still giant! I have no idea why I even went to work after the appointment, I was worthless. I couldn't see the computer screen worth a darn and my main job today was supposed to be summarizing medical records - which on a good day can be nearly impossible to decipher, let alone when I'm half blind!

I've been wearing glasses since I was 10 or 11 and could never do contacts, so this is going to be a welcome change. I think the thing I'm most excited about is waking up in the middle of the night and being able to see the clock without that crazy half-squint. The thing I'm least excited about? The fact that I have to stop wearing eye make-up for the two days prior to the surgery AND not wear any eye make-up for the next TWO WEEKS! Seriously, two weeks! Me without eyeliner is sort of like looking at a bald monkey - not pretty! A co-worker laughed when I said that was what I was least excited about...apparently I should be more worried about the chance of blindness. LOL.

Snow, snow, snow!

Kyle was two the last time he got to play in the snow, BUT when we were in Arkansas it snowed enough for us to have some fun!

Happy New Year!!!

2008 - the year that will go down in history as the year I decided to try my hand at..knitting. Yep, knitting. Me. The same me that has bad depth perception, a complete lack of patience, and zero hand-eye coordination. This should go well, don't you think? I wear a scarf that was my friend Angela's first (and so far only) knitting project and I adore it - I feel comforted wearing it because it was made by her - with love. It's like wearing a hug. I used to know how to crochet, if you call an endless chain actual crocheting so I at least know my hands can move in tandem at something! Don't worry - I'll keep you posted!

Other 2008 projects? Finish the half-bath - in fact that's a January project now that I have my bonus. I had planned to lay the tile myself, but since I can't seem to get that done I'll just get our handyman to do it. He's done a couple other projects for us so what the heck. Also in 2008 I plan to get the hall bath finished as well...by March. Why March you may ask? I have a guest coming then and she probably might like to take a shower! I'm also going to get new sheets and window coverings for the guest bedroom...and a nightstand. Hmmm...it sounds like 2008 is going to be costly!

So far, I haven't really come up with any resolutions for the new year other than to start working on the 15-minute approach to cleaning and straightening my house. Just pick some area of my house to work on for 15 minutes each night during the week. I'm also going to do my best to be in the moment with my family - to realize that we don't have to be doing some fun, fantastic thing outside the house to grow closer.

I hope your new year is off to a great start! Oh, and I'm working on pictures and a post from our trip to Arkansas to share with you - we had a great time and Kyle even got to have a snowball fight!