February 26, 2011

Going back in time .....for a few hours

We are going to be transformed into Princesses, Princes, Lords and Ladies tomorrow. No, we haven't found a time machine that can transport us through time ........ we will be taking a nice trip down to Medieval Times to celebrate the birthdays of my step-son who turned 10 and daughter who is now 17. This is the first time that the children will have gone. I've been there plenty of times but I never tire of the atmosphere....I love that people are in costume and never come out of character!!   I love the tournaments and final battle to win the Princess's heart. It's an experience everyone should at least once....twice.....uhmmmm maybe 5 times???

February 23, 2011

For Dinner : Crow

I know I’ve gained weight. I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’ve put on more than 10 pounds, I see it in my face, I feel it in the tightness of my clothes. I’ve stopped the soda intake and carry my bottle water with me to work and even to restaurants. I will have a glass of wine from time to time but some days it’s just needed.  I’ve stopped taking the PILL with the side effect :MAY CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN and I’ve been more cautious of  not eating due to stress.  So I didn’t need the reminder from the MISTER this morning regarding my recent elephantness. 

For the last few months I’ve been having recurring dreams that I’m pregnant….and when I wake up I’m not too thrilled with this and instantly I do a self assessment. I know I’m not yearning to have a baby….and I know for certain I’m totally content with the 5 we have combined, and when we are out and there is a screaming child in a shopping cart I just Thank God that I’m past that. So this morning I told the MISTER of another dream of me with child and without a breath he stated that maybe it’s because I’ve put on weight and if I lost 5-10 pounds I wouldn’t be having these dreams any longer. “NO HE DIDN'T” ……. He went there. Instead of going there with him, I said that I don’t think that has anything to do with each other. He then trying to pull the crow out of his mouth said “well I think you are still pretty”…. Thank you jackass that makes me feel just wonderful!!!!   I then grabbed my bottle of water and headed off to work……feeling just like I did when my father told me to move from to the other side of the pontoon boat because I was weighing it down.

COPD enters our family

I received a call today from my sister; she informed me that my dad was diagnosed with COPD. Did this surprise me? No, not at all he has been smoking since he was a teenager and it just continued into adulthood. It just doubled and tripled in consumption once he started to bring in the bacon. 
I would have thought that after seeing his brother die from lung cancer that he would have changed his way …some….or lessen the amount of packs he inhaled on a daily basis. No change was ever made.  He never budged on the requests from his children, grandkids or our mother, it was purely his life.  Well….no not really. It may be his life yes, but we are all part of it…..to some degree.  
As children we didn’t know that our clothes were covered in smoke and we smelled like a walking ash tray, we weren’t aware that our backpacks reeked of cigarette smoke. Now as an adult and living in a smoke free home I get disgusted when we receive something in the mail from my parents, the package is covered in cigarettes smell…… and the items inside smell  even worse. At one time when I was visiting my sister and her family, my parents came out to visit. I was dead set against my nephews sitting in the backseat inhaling the smoke, my dad claiming that the window will be down……what he doesn’t realize that it just gets blown to the backseat, ashes included. 
To a point I feel bad that this will be my fathers demise, but I don’t feel sorry for him in the way he may want me too. He choose this life, he choose to continue to make this choice after knowing the possible end result. The physician put him on an inhaler but I believe this will just give him more of a reason to continue smoking and next call I will receive is that my father has been put on oxygen and now he will have to tug along an oxygen tank for the remaining years that he will be here.
The Mister was a little nerved by the news. He stated he was a bit bothered because now he doesn’t think he will ever meet my father and that this could have already been done last month when my parents flew to Vegas which is only a few hours away from our home.  I didn’t have any words for the MISTER except that they made their decision last month not to see their grandkids, daughter and son-in-law and I can’t do anything about that. 
Bottom line….it is what it is.

February 19, 2011

Have a wonderful weekend


My children are with their dad, the Mister is working and it’s just me, the pups and my lap top…..Rain  is falling outside, the news is on in the background and miss Lily is snoring away while she’s laying next to her ball and her mangled bone. 

I find it very entertaining that the weather man is claiming SNOW tonight while “storm watch” flashes above his head.  I would love to wake up and find a winter wonderland in my front yard but that’s highly unlikely.  Now, the weatherman is stating the town that I live in is “dry as a bone”…..hmmmm nope you got that wrong Mr. weatherman!!! It’s raining. 

It's time to log off for the night, grab a cup of hot coco, a warm blanket and the book that I've been trying to finish......with the house this quiet I should take full advantage of "me time". 

I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable weekend!!! 


February 18, 2011

CTRL- ALT- DELETE

I admitted to the Mister today during a heated conversation that in order for me to sleep at night I need to take a sleeping aid otherwise I would be up all night tossing and turning worrying about our finances. I’m simply tired of having to live pay check to pay check, worrying if we are going to be able to pay a bill or two. I worry about if we are going to have enough money to prepare food for the kids. Granted, we always find something to put together, Thank God. 

I’m a planner. I need to have things in check for the week. I’m not overly obsessive about it, but I like to know what the hell is going on. What set of kids are staying for the week and for how long, who has projects due, or places to go. It’s all in my head…….and sometimes I just need for it to shut up. i need my own CTRL ALT DELETE. 

Today we got into it about our finances……and I was accused of being inpatient. INPATIENT? I didn’t see where that played a part in our conversation of the lack there of $$$$. Hell our finances haven’t been so great since his surgery last year and when he was let go from his job. Things got behind….way behind and now it’s time to play catch up.  I’ve been patient for months now……..I’m tired of having to stress about if something is going to be paid, I’m tired of stressing if he’ll make enough tips to cover a bill. 

So to silence the mind I pop a pill and my mind quiets down …..some days I wish I could sleep forever but the reality of it is……this too shall pass and things will eventually get better, but until then sleep is my closest friend. 

February 16, 2011

Here comes the Grouch





I know we all have a tendency of being snippy to the ones we love, even to those we can care less about. I can top Oscar the grouch late at night, because I can get a little snippy myself when it nears bedtime. 

But what I hate…..is when I ask a simple question to the mister and his response is razor sharp. Like this morning, I told him that I was going to deposit money into the account, without warning of the incoming jab he says harshly “I already did”.  Whhoooo settle down ……then I asked “you deposited $100 right”….and I should have known that it was coming again he said “no, $60 I didn’t have $100”. ……ouch, dang I won’t ask him anything again. 

I don’t know what it is, why a simple question can lead to a quick harsh response? …..and does he see it?? No, but do we truly want to acknowledge that “yeah maybe I shouldn’t have said it THAT way”. All I know is it’s getting old!!  I’m either talking to myself, assuming he’s listening…..then I end up answering for him or I get snapped at.

MICHELLE IS GONE!!!!



I have to admit I am a reality show, InTouch magazine, tweeter addict….well I think addict is a bit too harsh. These are just some of the things I enjoy and on my down time I will watch my shows that have been sitting in the DVR queue when the Mister is at work and the kids are with their dad----silence, just me and the remote control theres no one huffing in the background or commenting how stupid the show is. 
 
Last night I couldn’t wait till the house was my own, I just had to find out what happened on the Bachelor. I had seen from twitter posts that  Michelle was sent home.  I could only imagine what sneaky antics she pulled or fight she picked with Brad just to get under his skin. I know she had this plan in her head to be the one to win the final rose, but it was obvious from the previous episode when she stated that “she wanted to be married to someone like Brad”…not “I want to be married to Brad”…..was it slip?? Yep. I’m just happy that Brad had enough of her…….believe me I AM!! 



Next week is the hometown visits……and from the previews it doesn’t look to good for Emily or Chantel N. Hopefully, Emily will manage to get a rose and Brad will overlook the shyness of her daughter, but it doesn’t look good for Chantel N who takes Brad to her mortuary……hmmmm not a great move. 


My prediction is that Chantel O and Emily will be the last 2 left……..but what I’m excited for is the “women tell all” episode!!!  Claws will definitely will come out!!!


February 14, 2011

Valentines day+Married= ALONE???? somethings never change


I had a previous blog written out for today….all about spending my first valentine’s day with my husband and how I couldn’t wait to head off to Karens wedding with him hand and in hand. 

Currently, I’m home alone. 4 glasses of Riesling down and a couple of truffles inhaled….yes, I’m spending valentine’s day alone, well technically I’m not alone I have my puppies beside me. 

The plan was that the Mister was going to come home around 2:30 and we would leave to go to the wedding around 3:30. I had hoped when I answered my phone at 2:21 that it was him saying he was on his way home. Instead he was calling to tell me that he was heading home but that he was going to have to go back around 6:00 to help with the evening shift…..the mister is a currently a waiter, and it being Valentine’s day the restaurant was booked solid. My thought was “so you already put in your time now come home we have plans and I thought you asked for this time off in December”…..I finished getting ready, ran and put gas in the car and waited….an hour passes and he is still not home. I finally reached him around 3:30. I wasn’t having it. I told him that I would meet him at the location with a shirt to change into, he tried to explain again that “they needed him to work”, by this time I was extremely upset and stated “well I’m your wife and I need you here tonight with me, you did your shift”. 

Tears falling, I drove to the location ….yeah we had words, but what was I suppose to do. This wasn’t about me now. It was Karen’s day; I fixed the flawed make-up and put on a happy face…..the whole time thinking “I can’t believe I’m going to spend Valentine’s Day alone”

Seriously, this was supposed to be our first Valentine’s Day together…..you can’t redo “your first”. I had a night planned after the wedding which would have reminded him of last Valentine’s Day in Vegas.
Needless to say the wedding was lovely……and love was spewing out everywhere…..and then 6:00 came and we had to say our good byes. I would have stayed like I had told the mister that I was going to do earlier, but we are “one” as the pastor stated. Therefore, we said good bye to Karen and her family and he went into his car headed back to work and I went in my car headed home. Then the tears fell…

I get his side of it…..that the extra money helps…..but come on it’s VALENTINES DAY….our first as husband and wife. Well…….I’m off to get into some comfy clothes and fold the silky slutty outfit that I had planned and tuck away the massage oil, grab a glass of wine and turn on The Bachelor. Shit…..kind of reminds me of past Valentines day. I guess something’s don’t change. 


February 10, 2011

Interesting day

I feel for my daughter today. After school her father, my ex-husband is taking her to meet with a priest. No,not for an exorcism or to enter her into a convent. He is thinking that going this route will make their relationship better. Yes, their father and daughter relationship is a bit rocky but what he is failing to see if that they have nothing in common. She has told him this, I have told him this and the Mister has told him this.  I offered some helpful hints that may start a father daughter connection but do you think he’ll listen to me….not a chance. I explained to him that she doesn’t like watching him play Madden football or sit and watch some blowout guy flick, he needs to humble himself and maybe do something girly. Go to the mall, watch a chick flick, go get a manicure….this doesn’t make him less of a man but it shows her that he’s trying to understand her. Forcing her into situations where she has to endure long hours bored to death while he’s entertaining himself with Madden football is just not going to bring them closer.
 
Do I think that their meeting will be helpful? Yes and no. I know that if my daughter disagrees with something her father is saying she won’t disrespect him in front of the priest; she won’t feel comfortable enough to voice her thought because of the situation at hand. Do I think that the priest will offer some sound advice? Of course I do; but they aren’t licensed counselors. They are men of God and they go by the Bible.
 
I feel that if my daughter agrees with what the priest and her dad discussed on the fact that she didn’t want to look bad, then at a later date if she doesn’t follow through with what was talked about he will throw it in her face and personally convict her of lying to him and the priest…….and all hell will break loose.

February 09, 2011

Ignoramus----the lawyer

I’m in a profession where attorneys will call in from time to time checking on a clients account. NOW, I don’t know what turnip truck they drove in on but what makes them think that they are at a higher standard than any of us. They call with an arrogant tone, start throwing demands like I’m being paid by him and if they don’t like the answer you give them, they huff. Yes I said huff….like a little toddler not getting their way .

"Whats the account number" I asked." I don’t have one" the ignoramus stated. "Would you have the birth date,social security, or name by chance? I asked. (a huff came from Mr.Lawyerman) I have a name do you want that? …yes sir, please. Once I can see the poor little client that the attorney is asking, about he inquired about the balance…..I did give him what he wanted and also told him that we had sent an itemized billing statement to his office last year; "NO YOU DIDN’T" mister rudeness stated. (hmmmm he just did not accuse us of not doing what was requested), again I told him the date that it was sent…….he then confirmed the balance and said he will pay it in full. I stopped him and said that this account had been forward to collections. 

Then in true lawyer style he said he is only going to pay the $100. I then stopped him and questioned if I heard him right “are you going to leave your client with accrued interest with a collection agency because they were waiting for the case to settle?” he then asked for there number and as I was about to give him that he then asked for the patients account number. NOW…this person was getting on my last nerves….and politely I told him “you will get the account number after I give you the phone number”.

In the spirit of cupid



Last year we took a trip to Vegas and had the most amazing time.  We had the most incredible room at the Paris hotel and romance was oozing out everywhere. This year, no trips will be planned or little romantic trinkets will be shared between the two of us, instead we will be heading to a wedding which romance will be oozing out everywhere.

The pressure to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the Mister would have been too great. So agreeing to not get each other something was a weight off my shoulder. Plus we don’t need a day to express our love and devotion to one another, we have our days when we sneak out for a date…..but believe me if by chance the Mister picked me up a little something I have an “in case of a valentine’s day emergency” present locked away and no it’s not a box of crayola crayons and construction paper in which I will put together a crafty little card, but hey that’s an idea…..i can bust out my crafty Martha Stewart side and come up with something amazing. One trip to Micheals and that card will be full of sparkle.

Tax time......To file together or not ....that is the question



 
"YOU are getting back $76”. Imagine our surprise when the accountant informed of us of our gift back from the government.  I saw it clear as day….REFUND $76 and in my mind I was thinking “he must have made a mistake, there’s no way” then just like that the images of the new flat screen t.v and new air conditioner went up in smokes and just for a brief moment I thought to myself “only if we waited a few months to get married then I would have received a refund for last year”.

The mister wasn’t too thrilled with the news as well, harshly he told the guy that we were through and we were going to talk to our financial adviser. The accountant snapped back and all I wanted to do was hid under the table. “whats your financial adviser going to say? He’s not an accountant”. Back and forth they went and all I wanted to do was disappear.
When we got home the mister wanted me to run the numbers through the other tax sites and the accountant was correct. I explained to the mister that certain credits we use to get while we were single don’t pertain to us now; that we are married and if we were to file married filing separately I would be the one majorly screwed.

So like it or not we have to join the many that don’t get a thing back from the IRS. All the while Uncle Sam and his cronies are smiling all the way to the bank.

February 06, 2011

THE PACKERS WIN IT!!



Yes, I'm a die hard cheesehead and yes I have to admit I got a little teary eyed when I saw Rodgers hold our trophy!

The house was decorated in green and yellow....food lined the tables as we all gathered around to see the Packers come away with a win, and give our opinions on this years newest commercials.



 

Yes, there were some memorable moments and the obvious flubs......yes I'm talking about Christinas National Anthem debacle.


Some have said to lay off of her ........but come on....I don't care who you are but if you have been given the duty to sing our song at one of the most watched shows in America I would think you would have practiced day and night and learn the words. I've heard....."ohhh it was nerves"....this girl has sung in front of millions for years this should have been a walk in the park. I guess no one is perfect.

They should of had Lea Michelle sing the National Anthem because she was amazing!!!

Some have said that the Super Bowl Half time show was less than entertaining, I would have to disagree......this has been the first time in years that we have had someone up there that isn't collecting social security or on Medicare!!! The Black Eyed Peas were great....and the surprise appearance of Slash and Usher was just what we needed to bring us into the 2 half of the game!!!


and if any of you were wondering if mommy and daddy dearest showed up........well, no they didn't. Yes, they did make it to Vegas yesterday and yes they are only 3 1/2 hours away, but they still chose Vegas over celebrating the Green Bay Packer win with their oldest daughter and their grandchildren. 


February 02, 2011

What I would say to my younger self



What would I say, if I could, to my younger self. Like if we were to meet up at the local Berry Star.Would I start off with the do’s and don’t of relationships? Hmmmm probably not….I couldn’t very well tell her that the “pull out method” doesn’t work because that would alter the future, and “don’t take life too seriously” just seems effortless. I couldn’t Dr.Phil it out…..she would see right past me.

Get involved; don’t just sit on the sidelines. Sign up for something, join a club, try a sport….like maybe tennis.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes because you learn so much more when you take risks and push yourself. Push your boundaries, don’t rely on what you know….what is routine. 

Stay away from the drama, it’s really a waste of your time and getting in the middle of the drama just may turn out really bad for you in the long run.

Lose the negative people in your life, they aren’t good for you…..don’t try and change them because unless they want to change they won’t and they will just weigh you down with their negativity.

Don’t be so damn hard on yourself.  Yeah, you screwed up.  You’re not perfect, fine.  Learn from it.  But don’t punish yourself.  Be kind to you, even when you screw up.  You’ll bounce back eventually.  You’ll make up for it. 

Sunblock….wear it. Stay away from the Wesson Oil….and Moisturize!!

Realize your life isn’t like the movies or  a daytime soap opera. We won’t be rescued by a Hugh Jackman or Gerard Butler. The only one who is going to save you is ….you. Prince Charming is better left on the screen.
Speaking of Prince Charming, it’s ok to believe in LOVE….but not every man you meet is Prince Charming. You will kiss a lot of frogs….and jack ass’s but you will also meet some that just knock your socks off but that doesn’t mean HE’S the one.

Heart break – it’s not the end of the world. It will seem that life can’t go on without him…..but it does !!!  Grab your bestfriend, a bowl of ice cream and watch some SEX IN THE CITY episodes!!  

You can do things by yourself. You are not a loser if you go to the movies by yourself or sit in a restaurant with a book over a nice lunch. It’s liberating …… 

Don’t dye your hair black. Keep to auburn or brown…..and don’t over process your hair. Your hair is beautiful….and DON’T cut it short, it’s not a good look.

Learn how to keep track of your spending and realize no amount of shopping will give you real self-esteem.  

Keep a journal, it’s important to write what you are feeling down instead of keep them bottled in. Write about your likes, dislikes, your conversations with your parents and grandparents.

It's ok to be a klutz

Understand that this is your life, not theirs, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself if things don’t work out the way you’d hoped.  At a certain point, you have to stop pointing fingers behind you toward your childhood. You cannot be walking around worried about what people will think of you.  At the end of the day, all that really matters is what YOU think of you.  Even if people say great things.  Horrible things.  Their opinion shouldn’t matter more than your own.