Right 'Round, Baby!

How has it been 2 months since I've blogged?!?!?! I should be ashamed of myself. Really, I've just been so busy I don't even know what day it is! Ready for a crazy ride? And away we go!

• Between rehearsal schedules, co-ops being moved or put off, nasty sick kids and a mama (once, and thank God, only once!), and throw in extras like fund raisers and concerts and life in general, I would actually forget what day it was. How does that happen? Very easily apparently. I let the boy go home from the park with a friend one day. When I was talking to hubby he said, " I thought we were going out for the baby's birthday." Well, crap. We are on spring break this week and I need it! A little down time to rest some. I may go take a nap when I'm done with this!
• I was blog trolling yesterday. One of the blogs promised to blog every day. The last one was in 2010. There was one with a family that stopped blogging in 2014. It's kind of sad. Made me realize how long it had been since I've blogged. I'll try to be better, but refer to the bullet point above and try not to judge too harshly.
• My Christmas present to myself was a yoga series called Namaste Yoga. It's by a woman named Kate Potter and I love it. It's the series that got me into yoga and realized how great it is for your body. I love the way it makes me feel strong. It is the standard to which I judge all other yogas. I may do yoga before I take a nap. Ooo, a nap from shivasana...
• Because I've been doing more yoga, my carpets have never been cleaner. They get vacuumed at least every other day. There are 5 long haired females in this house. The dog and the cat are the worst! We have a Dirt Devil that just works, works, works. The only bad thing is that after each run of the vacuum, the canister has to be emptied. Somebody needs a haircut.
• Ok, let's get political, because you know I'm gonna. This whole religious freedom thing that is going on in 2 states was inevitable. Big Sis and I were having a conversation. I said I don't like being pushed or bullied into something I don't want to do (not from her! She would never do that!) I said it makes me push back. So, what did people think was going to happen? You take away the rights of one group while shoving the rights of other groups down their throats. Did you just think they were just going to sit back and let it happen? We all have rights. Business owners have a right to decide who they want to do business with and who they don't. On the other side of that, consumers have the right to spend their hard earned money where they please. If someone doesn't want to do business with you, move on. So here comes the "But you've never been discriminated against before." Worse than just general discrimination, I've been discriminated against for what people THINK I am. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. Yeah, nobody knows what I am, but they think they do. But I digress. Yes, I understand what this law means. I understand it's not about businesses and consumers. But you can't legislate love and acceptance, to or from either side.
• And on to other topics. Not having cable or satellite means that we don't get to watch a lot of the popular shows. But you would be surprised at what great shows are on the antenna channels. We get a channel called Heartland that plays a lot of old TNN shows like Crook & Chase. They also play music videos and I get to hear a lot of artists I don't usually hear on the radio. One show I really like is Texas Music Scene. They had a band on called the Trishas. They were so good. The band is 5 super talented women. They have one band member that plays guitar and sings while she is playing the bass drum. It sits at her feet and she hits the pedal when she needs to. I highly recommend that you look them up.
• Big Sis, Pop and I are taking a vacation! Good grief, is that like the Clampetts coming to Beverly Hills? We have never, ever taken a vacation just the 3 of us. We are headed to the beach for a few days. That's shocking, right? 3 Hawaiians going to the beach. I am super excited about this trip. The beach, the pool, the shopping, the eating. But, most of all, I am excited about seeing their faces! Oh, I miss their faces. To spend some time. What a precious gift that is, but thrown away so easily.

That's about all I have right now. The scent of cinnamon French toast is coming from the kitchen. I don't eat it, but I can still sit and spend some time!

Perspective

That's what it's all about, right? Well, that and the Hokey Pokey. Now, THAT is what it's ALL about. Hanging with my dance mamas one night, I realized that I have lived in this area for 20 years. Well, crap. How the hell did that happen? It started to clear the picture a little. Or muddy the water. Your choice.

• We lived in 3 places during the first 10 years of marriage. We've lived in our current home for 10 years. That's half of my marriage!! Whoa!!!
• My FIL will be 73 this year. That means when we got married he was 53. Hubby and I are getting closer and closer to that age.
• In the first 12 years of our marriage we owned 10 vehicles between us. It might be 11, but I lost count. In the last 8, we've owned 3.
• When we bought the mini van 8 years ago, it had 70,000 miles on it. We've put 100,000 miles on it on that time. Since it's an '04, we've put less miles on it per year than the previous owner. And we are in the van ALL THE TIME.
• I used to never leave the house without hair done and make up on. Now, y'all are lucky I don't show up everywhere in my "good" pajamas.
• I never wanted to get married or have kids. Then I met a guy. And married him. And had 3 babies with him.
• I always liked small cars. I was afraid to drive large vehicles. We're in the market for a Suburban or Tahoe for me.

I bet you can come up with a couple of things yourself. I'm gonna go shake it all about and turn myself around..

Keeping Up with the 7's

I did a 7 blog on the family side of this, so I guess it's time to get to 7 here. And there's an update to the previous blog. I know you all want to read that!

• Hubby has been out of town. He comes back tonight and I am soooo excited about that. It's been a long 5 days without him. He went fishing with his dad on a trip they used to take every year. His dad has been worried about making the trip by himself so when he asked hubby to go, hubby jumped at the chance. Please spend time with your parents if you can. They are precious and can never be replaced. They had a great trip. They caught fish and got to catch up with some friends that his dad hasn't seen in awhile. The weather was mostly good, just a tad on the chilly side. The norm is for them to have dinner at a seafood place Thursday night, a fish fry Friday night, and you're on your own Saturday night for dinner. Hubby and his dad had some friends invite them for dinner. Awesome. I'm so glad they had a great time. That makes it an even better trip.
• Every October I use that social site to counteract the attacks from Big Pharma about breast cancer awareness. I always get 1 whackadoo that messages me that I am spreading fear to people. No, I'm spreading facts. I always do my research before I say anything. I am not one that just reads it on the internet and takes it as gospel. Thank you, no. Please educate yourself about whatever treatments are available to you. Don't take the doctor's word for it. Do you know how, when, and where your doctor was educated? You should check that out and see what standard of care he was taught. Usually, it's the same old, same old that has been taught for years with no updates. But, please, always do your own research!
• There was a young lady who publicized the fact that she was going to take her own life because of a very aggressive cancer. She said there was no treatment. That is a huge decision. I don't agree with it. There are so many doctors out there that are curing cancer with alternative treatments. Curing. Without debilitating, deadly chemo and radiation. Curing cancers just like the one she had. Curing cancer. How great is that? Now, if the FDA, Big Pharma and the government would get off their case, that would be amazing. But, if they did, there would not be nearly the profits they are making now. It's all about money. And it should be about people like this young woman who thought there was no hope. That's why I do my posts every year.
• For those of you that read the last blog, here's the update. You thought I was going to save it for last, didn't you? I sent out an email of performance dates for my kiddos. She sent me one back saying she would try to get the kids to a couple. Holding my breath for that, but I digress. She also said that my niece was probably singing with her school at 1 of the events my kids are dancing at, but the chorus teacher didn't usually put out a schedule until the last minute. Ok, whatever. When I said that the group had performed before us the year before, all of a sudden there was a schedule. See, I know people that have kids in the same group. There is a schedule. I just don't like to be jacked with, I really don't. That's what pisses me off the most. Stop playing the game, stirring the pot, or whatever you want to call it. Be honest and stop trying to make yourself look like you are the victim. Own your shit. And, please, Thisoldmarine, if you're reading this, I would LOVE it if you would leave a comment. Really, really.
• I am so ready for a break. Our nonstop dance schedule can be exhausting. Our nonstop school schedule is exhausting. I much prefer a more relaxed school atmosphere, but when the kids get older, it's a little harder. There is so much that has to be done. When I start to feel that way, I just remember that this is not the norm for all time. My big girl is a junior this year. I don't know where the time went, and really I don't care. I just know that it's gone. I read an article that said having your kids in all the activities they want to be in is bad for them. I agree. My kids would be in everything if we had the time, money and inclination. But we don't. And guess what? They are happy kids. They are focusing on something they love and it makes me happy that they're happy. They are finding their way through life as well adjusted young women and man. And I wouldn't trade a minute of what we do. 
• The holidays are coming up. This is my time of the year for my mini-meltdown. It seems to start earlier and earlier every year. Thank goodness for self-medication.
• We are thinking about a Christmas without gifts under the tree. Hubby and I have talked about going some places we want to go to and doing some things that we've wanted to do, but just haven't. There is a wonderful luau at Disney that we think the kids would love. I want them to see Cirque Du Soleil. We'll see. Hopefully, it'll work the way we want it to.

That's my 7. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Here's hoping y'all are educating yourselves, taking ownership, and enjoying your lives. Peace! 

Rage Against the Machine

• One night at Disney we met up with some friends. It was my friend's son's 21st birthday and it was the Food and Wine Festival and it was Eat to the Beat, which is the concert series that runs with F&W. While P and I were waiting for everyone to get through Test Track, a very nice man from England sat next to me. He was enamored with my southern accent and liked the fact that I am from Texas. And a conversation about music began. Crazy, right? We started talking about all kinds of music and he asked me about Rage Against the Machine. He asked if I agreed or disagreed with their lyrics. My response, "You know, when you're 18 and uninformed, you kind of follow along with whatever your crowd agrees or disagrees with. But in all honesty, I never really listened to the words and just liked the way the music sounded. I still listen to them, but I couldn't tell you where the politics in their songs lies." All of that to say, it's a random, winding blog!!! But with a title like this one, I just had to tell that story.
• Since my mom died, I have anxiety attacks. It is so hard for me to get out the door and I am squealing into the parking lot in the nick of time. If you need a getaway driver I am sooooo your chick.
• I find it interesting that my dad hasn't called or texted me since his great grandbaby was born. Not even really his. It's my stepmom's. It's almost like he forgot that he has 7 other grand kids that love him and would actually like to hear his voice once in awhile. And wishing your daughter happy birthday on Facebook is just wrong. Try a phone call. Apparently, not only do I have anxiety issues, I have bitchiness issues, too.
• Hubby was at work one day and witnessed a car wreck. It wasn't horrible, and everyone walked away. There were gawkers, including a hairstylist. While watching the cops and firemen work, she struck up a conversation with hubby. She was commenting on how much she really likes firemen, but cops are jerks. They're too macho for her. Y'all should meet pilots and bull riders. I guess when you have a dangerous job, you suddenly think your dick is huge and your shit don't stink. 
• I am still reading through my giant stack of books. I'm down to 5! I actually left one on the hold shelf at the library and didn't pick it up. I knew I wouldn't get to it any time soon, so I can check it out when I have the time. Now to find the time.
• Apparently, the mainstream media has started to place blame for the recent violent rampages and attempted mass killings on the violence in Hollywood. They do this and turn around and praise Hollywood stars for their great performances in the latest blockbuster action flick. What a yucky cycle that is. Is anyone else paying attention? If you aren't, start. The msm wants nothing better than to keep you distracted. From what are they distracting you? Checkout the next bullet point.
• VA scandal and the exchange of prisoners. While I understand that we have to bring everyone home and while I understand that all charges are being investigated (sure they are. I believe everything the government tells me), again, pay attention. I always say "Do your own research." That would apply here as well.
• Has anyone shopped at Aldi's? I've been in there a couple of times and I still have no idea what everyone is talking about. We don't eat much of what they sell. I did find out they have grass fed beef, but have you looked at it? I. Just. Can't. Do. It.
• The storms around here can get pretty powerful in the summer. Yesterday, we lost power 5 times in a 1 hour period. When that happens I have to reset the time and date on our old answering machine or the message light flashes and flashes. We don't use it, but I still have the last birthday message from my mom saved on it. If we lose power and I have to reset the time and date on it, it plays the message. It breaks my heart. It starts out with her slurry voice and I know what is going on. She was dying. And I miss her. And I love her. And I think my anxiety level just went up 1000%. Is medical marijuana available yet?

And that will be a topic for the next blog. You know where I stand on that!
  

Clearinghouse (Oh, How I wish It Were the One Where You Can Win Lots of Money!)

I used to like short titles to my blog posts. It would make me happy that I could wrap up my thoughts in 3 words or less. Like playing "Name That Tune" only with titles instead. Now I find myself looking at my titles and wondering if there's room enough in the header! Anyway, I digress, again. Duh! That's what I do.

• The one thing I don't like about not having satellite or cable is lack of Olympic coverage. I know, we can watch it online. But that means either watching it on the computer and the tiny screen, or, unplugging the Roku to use the HDMI cord and plugging the computer in to the TV. Basically, more effort than I'm willing to put in to it. Of course, it's never too much effort to bitch about it.
• I am almost done with Breaking Bad. I am in the last season on Netflix. There are only 8 episodes of that season on Netflix. The other 8 are supposed to come out some time this month. For those of you that watch that show, is it bad that I have never had any sympathy for Walt? I mean, never. Not even from the beginning? He kind of rubbed me wrong. But now that he is so freaking full of himself, I just want someone to shoot him. Dead. As a door nail. And I hope it's Jessie that does it. Is that wrong? Gosh I hope not, because that's what I want. And I have no problem with spoilers. If you need to tell me what happens I am okie dokie with that. And that wasn't sarcastic, by the way. I know. That's a first. But it was also a hint!
• I have been having this pain in my foot since about December. Do you know how much you use your feet? A lot. Every day! And mine hurts almost too much too walk some days. So I went to the podiatrist. He was a total asshole. I have arthritis, which makes me happy because it wasn't a fracture. Only I could be happy about that. I even said that to the doctor. He said, "No, this is much worse. This stays with you forever." I said, "No it doesn't. I can fix this for the most part. I'm just glad I don't have to wear a boot. Those things are expensive and I can't drive with it."  He basically told me that I have arthritis because I am old and fat. He didn't actually come out and say those words, but he said it differently. In an assholish kind of way. Like you can say that in any way and not come out of that conversation an asshole. So, I am back to minimal sugar and gluten and dairy, which I am used to, and easy on the dancing. That last part is going to kill me. Too much jumping and landing on my feet. And I have to have good, supportive shoes. That means shoe shopping!!! There is always a bright spot! Even from an asshole.
•  Movies like Battleship make me proud to be an American. I love it when the world is in jeopardy and the US saves the day. Go us!! Independence Day is another one of those movies. Who winds up finding out how to defeat he aliens? We do!! Go us!!!
• We got our taxes done. Ours are simple and easy. We don't have many deductions, and we only have 1 W2. We use our tax refund as a savings account. It's money we can't touch until the check gets here. Except this year. This year we had to write a check to the bankruptcy trustee for the full amount. And when all the dust has settled, he'll send part of the check back to us. They have to settle whatever claims our creditors have made against us. We're hoping that we fell through the cracks and we get all of it back. We can hope, right? And pray.
• I started the Blood Type Diet. I hated it. It wasn't hard. It was really easy. But so many veggies!! It's not that I don't like veggies. You should see the haul I bring home from co-op twice a month. And fish played a large roll. I am not a fish eater. I like catfish, which wasn't on my list. I do NOT like tuna, which was a large part of the diet. UGH! I could have meat a couple times a week, and turkey was ok. I am on board with that. I am doing a modified version of it now, not so heavy on the meat, easy on the gluten, and making my own salad dressings. The salad dressings are amazing and don't have added sugar. And my thumb doesn't hurt so much any more. Now to get my foot feeling better.
• Our Disney passes expired and we are sad, sad people. That was one of those things we did when we got our taxes back. Big. Sigh. We're hoping to get enough back that we can get passes and pay for them monthly. We'll see. I'm hoping for paid in full. And praying.

That should be it. I can now delete the note on my phone. And start another one. Because that is how I roll.

The Voices in My Head

I have always said I have voices in my head, but the meds make them manageable. I'm just kidding, though. I don't take meds. I dance to the beat of my own drummer, instead. He's pretty funky. I know, the drummer could be a woman. But he's not. And he is F-I-N-E. Ready to talk to the voices? You don't get to talk to the drummer, though. He is all M-I-N-E!

• My new favorite song: Do My Thing by Estelle featuring Janelle Monae. Yes, I do. It's the big girl's recital song for jazz. It is going to be sooooo good. My friend N looked at me while our girls were dancing and said, "Holy cow, look at your girl! She rocks." Well, duh. Which is what I said to her. The song is about how what I do is what I do. If you don't do my thing, don't hate me because it's what I do. Start doing your own thing. And, again: well, duh. Very empowering with a great beat, You should see me dance around my room to it. I am amazing!
• We have thought about getting Stella a friend. Our schedule is so crazy and we think she has a bit of separation anxiety. Maybe a friend would help with that. Except that means 2 animals to take care of. Do we want that responsibility when you go and read the 2nd sentence of this bullet point? On a bright note, our company schedule for recital practice is pretty light, so we do have some free time we weren't expecting. But, there is that 2nd animal to care for thing.
• My friend T at Hillside Hollow posted a great link on the social site. It was a list of books that are going to be movies. I had read some of the books, but not nearly enough of them. I opened another window on my computer and went straight to the library website. I am so excited for them to come in. I will make time to read. 
• I finished all the episodes of Sons of Anarchy on Netflix. Hubby ended up hooked, too. We have decided that as soon as season 6 comes out on DVD, we shall own it. And there's only 1 more season to go. Say it isn't so! I did start Breaking Bad. Holy cow, what those guys go through. I just finished season 1. I'm hoping to start season 2 tomorrow, but we'll see. I might just read.
• Hubby and I have decided that with every paycheck, we need to do one of the little repair jobs that needs to be done to our vehicles. This week I should get a new linkage for my transmission. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. No more duct tape! I get a little worried when it rains that the duct tape will start to peel and I'll be stuck somewhere until hubby can come retape it. Like at the park. Because we got stuck at the park. And we had to wait for hubby. Which is why I never drive away from my friends if we are the last ones somewhere. And which is why I always try to find a parking spot I can pull straight through or I can back in. At least if I'm stuck in drive, I can drive. I think the next check will be brakes for hubby.
• Our weather has been crazy. We went from possible record lows early in the week to possible record highs by the weekend. I am so confused. And my sinuses are, too! Ugh, the pressure!

I think that's about it for now. It's not exciting or glamorous, but there you go. That's some of the voices. Maybe one day I'll share the drummer. Probably not, though!

Goodbye, and Good Luck

2013 is almost over! Thank God!! What a crappy freakin' year this has been. It has seen:

1. Home mortgage refinance- what a joke that is! Sure our payment is almost cut in half, but Wells Fargo created a 40 year loan for suckers like us and didn't forgive the $55,000 our home is upside down. Our property is worth $45,000 at this time and is unlikely to gain any value in the next 3-5 years. Really, you bunch of crooks? And the refi delayed the bankruptcy. If we had declared, they wouldn't have refinanced us and we would be stuck with an awful payment.
2. Bankruptcy- that is a painful process, for sure. I get it. I really do. But the process itself sucks ass. And to have to delay just threw us for a serious loop and almost left us more broke, and broken, than when we started. The loss of any available overtime hurt our bottom line and almost broke hubby because he has a harpy for a wife and an asshole for a boss.
3. Strife between hubby and wife- yeah, it rhymes. I needed a little joy. The first 2 came between us so badly at times, I wonder that anyone makes it through the process. We have seen some serious stuff during our time together, but the stress from the above can be a killer, for people and a marriage! Hubby sat one weekend and almost had a breakdown. I do not use that term lightly.  
4. Family sucks!- and I mean mine, too. My only bright spot: Big Sis!!! Go, Big Sis!! Hubby's family needs a serious beating, and sometimes so does mine. Forgetting birthdays, judging our choices on raising our family, not taking responsibility for their words and actions. What. Ever.

I am optimistic about 2014. I won't say "It can't be any worse" because that when it rains. For days. And floods the world. But I do have high hopes. High hopes that hubby and I got through 2013 and 18 years of marriage. Hopes that our family can grow stronger and smarter. Hopes that we win the lottery and can buy that island in the South Pacific. Come on, 6 numbers!!!

Happy New Year!!! May it bring you peace, and joy, and fruitfulness, and prosperity, and much, much love!!!!!!!!!

The More Shit Changes, the More Shit Stays the Same

It's a Christmas wonkies, random kind of blog night. I got a little gin and tonic working, so there's no telling what I'm gonna say. Woot, let's get a move on!

• We bought a Roku. Best $50 we ever spent. I am not kidding. One of the channels we added was Netflix. We stream Netflix in the living room through the Wii, and wanted something in the bedroom. I have added so many shows to my list. House of Cards is a great show. I watch that in the morning while I'm taking some quiet time for myself. When I get caught up with that, Breaking Bad is next, followed by Drop Dead Diva. I haven't been able to watch some shows because of our lack of cable, which I am more than ok with, but also because of the kids. Breaking Bad isn't something we can sit down and watch as a family. Some of the channels are added were crap and got deleted almost immediately. I had added a channel of war movies. Yeah, that was a bust. Just a reminder that sometimes, free means crappy.
• One of my favorite shows that I am finally getting caught up on is Sons of Anarchy. Oh my, Jax has an amazing ass!! Sometimes, I just hit pause and stare at it's loveliness. But it's also just a good show. I even have hubby hooked on it. We are almost done with season 5. As soon as 6 comes out on DVD or Netflix,  whichever comes first, hubby and I are all over it. I have a friend that won't spoil the show for me. I am all about spoilers. Which brings us to number 3.
• I am all good with spoilers about Walking Dead on that social site. Again, I have to wait 'til the season updates on Netflix or hits video. The big girl and I are almost done with season 3, I think. We have time over Christmas break to spend snuggled under the covers in my room catching up. I see the spoilers and it gives me an idea of what to expect. I have friends that just can't stand it. I say bring it on!
• Today was the last Christmas performance for my kids dance company. As much as I love my kids dancing, I am looking forward to having a couple of Saturdays off. Rehearsal for recital starts in January, so Saturdays off are a rare thing around here. Hubby and I bought a camera and it took me forever to get the hang of it. I finally got video today, because I am slow. The first or second performance the batteries died. My fault. I forgot to check. Grrrrr. But I got it today. They were amazing...
• So now I get all political, because that's what I do. There is talk of raising minimum wage. Do we all understand what the impact is when minimum wage goes up, especially n this struggling economy? That means that businesses will raise their prices. Why? Because they won't eat the cost of extra wages. We get to do that. If they have to pay people more money, but can't really afford that, guess what happens then. They lay people off. That means higher unemployment. What happens when they've laid off as many people as they can and still can't make it? They close their doors, laying off the rest of their staff, and unemployment goes up again. The price of everything goes up. Transportation prices will go up. If that happens, food prices go up, clothing prices go up, housing prices go up. And at that end, guess what happens? People can't make a living on minimum wage because everything is too expensive. Do you see a big, ugly cycle forming? I do. And in the meantime, let's distract the public with things like naked pop stars on construction equipment and reality stars giving opinions in magazine articles. It's a distraction from the important stuff. Now you know.
• I live in the snowbird capital of the freaking country. Do you know what a snowbird is? It's retired people that live up north, but come down south during the winter. Just like birds, they head for warm weather. I am so ready for them to go home. They clog up our roads. They drive super fucking slow in the fast lane and pull out in front of you because they are 800 years old and don't need to be driving. They fill up the restaurants and stores and complain about having to sit near or be around kids. Just send us a check for the extra tax revenue you give us and stay home please. And thank you.
• I think I am in adrenal fatigue. I looked at the signs and I have all but 2 out of 10. Ugh! I am so tired all of the time. I think part of it is stress. Goodness knows I don't have enough of that! I have been researching and most studies point to magnesium as the thing to help bring the adrenals back to normal function. On a bright note, magnesium also helps during menopause and it helps with headaches. Hopefully, I can kill 3 birds with one pill. My next research project is progesterone. For many years, estrogen was thought to be what women need during peri-menopause and menopause, but research now points to progesterone. It is widely believed that excess estrogen leads to breast cancer. Do not get me started on my mother and estrogen, or I will get super pissed off because that's what she was treated with many years ago. I can't even go there, I get so angry.

That's about all I have for now. I think I need another drink. I'm not going to tell you I already had 2 drinks while I was writing this. Wait, I think I just did. And I need to go wrap some presents. I am excited about this Christmas. I'm almost ready. How about you?
  

Because Big Sis Made Me!

Not really, but I got a text last night. It said, and I quote, "For the love of all that is holy! Blog, woman, blog!!!!" I love that woman like nobody's business! I had planned to blog yesterday, but I ran out of time yesterday. So, to make Big Sis happy (and clear out a note in my phone), here we go.

• My children have lost their minds today. When that happens, their butts usually get sore and their electronics and privileges get taken away. When the dog barks to go out, that should be the cue for all involved to get that done. Apparently, this morning they were clueless, which led to me yelling and dropping the f-bomb a couple of times. My big girl thought she could fuss back at me until I came storming down the hall. That shut her up good and proper. I told them next time they had to go, I should lock their bathroom and not let them in. I'm not really, but it sounds good, doesn't it? Crazy ass kids!
• You know I have to weigh in on this whole insurance debacle. We have the stupidest President ever. I am so scared for this country. Not only did he outright lie about keeping our insurance if we liked it, but now that he got caught, he's telling the insurance companies to give the policies back. Which he can't do. And he's an idiot. The insurance companies said ok, but it's going to cost more money if we do that. Who do you think is going to pay for that? We are!!! Yea!! This whole thing is incredibly stupid. "We have to pass it before we find out what's in it"? And why did we let them pass that? Shouldn't that have been clue number 1? It's not that everyone needs insurance, it's that insurance needs to be revamped. Get a clue, POTUS!
• Our bankruptcy is finally filed. The paralegal called yesterday and said we were assigned a great trustee. Thank. Goodness. The bad news? We have to pay for vehicles. That are already paid off. I hate that part. The good news is that he reduced the amount we have to pay and spread the payments over 12 months instead of 10. Now we wait for a court date. Ugh! I hate driving to the big city. The traffic is horrible and people are crazy. Almost done, almost done! The amount of stress this has caused is insane. But that's for the next bullet point.
• The stress made hubby almost have a mental breakdown. I am not joking at all. He spent one weekend kind of shaking and freaking out. It was a tad scary. I can only imagine the stress he was under with his wife harping about not working overtime, and his boss harping he needed to. So I took myself out of the equation. I realized the pressure was too much, so I backed off. If he had to work it he had to work it. If we had to delay filing because of it, then fine. I wasn't bitching about it anymore. I'm still not. There's not much I can do about it, so what good does it do? And really, overtime only lasted a month anyway and there wasn't that much. But that led to some tension between the 2 of us. I hate that. We've worked through most of it and we'll keep working through the rest. It is what we make it. We can make this a deal breaker or we can not. We choose not, but after 18 years and a ton of crap during that time, we can get through anything and be stronger on the other side.
• I want a camera. A real, bona fide, takes great pics and video camera. My 2 oldest have a ton of performances coming up and I would like to get them on film. My phone is ok for pics and videos, but when there is lighting on the stage like a concert or where they'll be performing, it sucks. Really, really sucks. At the concert series at Epcot this year, I was looking at some of the pics and videos people were taking on their phones, and they were really good. And they were able to get a great pic even when zooming from a pretty good distance away. We've been looking online and in stores and every time we go into a store, I head to electronics. The kids' first performance is the day after Thanksgiving and I don't see it happening. Stupid bankruptcy...
• We did spend a little money and got a Roku. We watch Netflix through our Wii, but it's in the living room. Which means no Netflix in the bedroom. Do you know how many times the kids have been watching something and I just wanted to watch Sons of Anarchy? I can't do that with the kids. Besides, seeing Jax naked is a pleasure I want to have all by myself. Meow!! Now I can. And when hubby is watching crazy people preparing for the apocalypse, the big girl can be watching zombies and the people that fight them. Best $50 we ever spent. Love it!
• I have been revisiting the Blood Type Diet. I like that book. It has been very on target for the way I need to eat. I don't think that because the book says so, but because it highlights things I have already discovered about my body and what is the proper nutrition for it. Hubby started reading it, too. We have discovered we are opposite eaters. He is a B and I am an A. I need a mostly vegetarian diet and he needs a carnivorous diet. There are very few things that are on his list and mine. We're making a list and checking it twice to see what we can eat that's the same and how we need to prepare our meals. It's going to take some time and some work. We're going to try it for a little bit and see how it goes.

That's all I've got for now. I guess that means I need to start a new note!

7 Kinds of Hot Mess

I love that expression: hot mess. What does it really mean? I don't know, but that's what I feel like. It's time to work out the kinks, and I don't mean the 50 Shades kind.

1. Speaking of the trilogy of the year, did you hear who's playing the lead in the movie? Charlie Hunnam. Oh. Hell. Yeah! That man is soooo fine. If you have no idea who he is, watch Sons of Anarchy. He's Jax. I'm not sure the book will translate well to film. If you don't want it to be porn, the sex will have to get toned way down. But the sex plays a major part in the books. And if the truth be told, I may not even see it. It's kind of irritating when they take a popular book and mess it up on screen. We'll see.
2. 2 of my kids didn't get birthday cards OR calls from my side of the family, except for Big Sis, who is awesome at that stuff. If you've spent any time reading my blog, you know that I have a very acrimonious relationship with hubby's family and rarely have anything good to say about them. I always thought my side was the one to step up. WRONG! My kids are heart broken. No call from my dad or my step dad. Not a card. Nothing. I have to say that although the social media site is great for keeping in touch, it is highly impersonal. I may wish lots of people happy birthday on it, but it's not usually the people that are in my life. My kids got NO COMMUNICATION AT ALL!!! What the hell is wrong with you people?!?! These are kids!!!
3. Since we're talking about my step dad, it is time for me to get real about that relationship. The truth is, there is no relationship. I wasn't in Texas while he and my mom were together except for visits. There were a couple of times I was packing my shit to go home when my mom stepped in. He made my mom happy and I will always be grateful for that. But he and I are like oil and water. I could use the excuse that the time difference and our busy schedule make it hard to call and keep in touch and it does. Sometimes, it's 10 o'clock here before I have time to make a call. By then, I'm going to bed. I am not up for conversation. I even asked if the kids could be pen pals with him like they were with my mom. He nixed that idea, saying he wasn't good at writing. So you don't want to try? Nope. Well, put me in my place. I get it. But then I get a voice mail the other day. He's bitching at me because I haven't called. Why would I? You don't bother to call me, but when you do, you're going to shake my tree? Screw. Off.
4. I have been in a depressive rut lately. Between the bankruptcy and the loan modifying, hubby hasn't been able to work any overtime, even when it's available. That makes our budget extremely tight. Like, not making it to the next payday tight. Running the cars on fumes 'til payday, hoping the food lasts since I have hungry people that live here and wondering when the hell this stuff is going to be over. We still owe the attorney $700. Freaking yea. And what did we do? We let the kids take more dance and try out for company. Why? Because we thought it would be ok with the expense, since we got a lower house payment and weren't paying the credit cards. Well, that may backfire with the whole no overtime thing. I have eaten everything I can. Did you know that a 6 piece nugget at McD is a buck? Do you know how much I campaign against them? Do you know how many nuggets I've eaten lately? A lot. In multiples of  6. Or 12, which is a multiple of 6. The stress level is high in our house right now. I quit working out in the morning and I've gained 10 pounds. My dermatitis is back and now I'm mad. Mad enough to get back to eating like I need to and getting this 10 pounds off! I dance one day a week and walk with my friend N while our kids dance. It's so nice to be moving again. All that sweat makes me feel better. Damn endorphins.
5. All of this angst may be a part of the fact that I am not being spiritually fulfilled at church. We haven't been all summer and I don't feel like going back. Except my kids are missing it. I am making an effort to get them to youth even though they are late. They get there in time for the lesson and to hang for a little with their friends, so bonus. Hubby and I don't want to church shop, but we both feel like we need some connection as well. We had thought about starting a bible study group, but when is that going to happen? Like our days aren't busy enough. And just what is a cowboy church? We have a couple in our county, but they aren't that close. Maybe I should call and ask. Anyway, our pastor just isn't doing it for us and neither is the congregation. They are loving and wonderful, but we are just done. The last time we were at church was announcement day, which is when they announce which pastors are staying at the church and who's leaving. Ours is staying. Hubby and I looked at each other and knew that was our last service for awhile. 
6. I know part of the problem is that I have control issues. You would be amazed at what I have let go of over the years. But you would also be surprised at what I hang on to. Like starting sentences with unnecessary conjunctions and ending them with prepositions. Or not letting auto correct fill in the word for me, even when it's right! No, I have to type that bad boy out. I CAN DO IT SO LET ME! At least my kids get to dress themselves now. Mostly. On a good day.
7. This high school stuff is for the birds. There is so much work the big girl has to do, and sometimes not enough time in the day. Our state has great homeschooling laws, but the state agency that regulates the scholarship money apparently thinks we sit around picking our noses all day. We have to jump through hoops that public/private school students don't. And it makes me mad. Like you couldn't tell. Our days are super packed with school work. She has a study/finish my work day. It also coincides with chore day, so she is not happy about that. Neither am I, but it's what we do.

I made 7!! And I feel like a weight has been lifted. Now to get the rest of this weight off. Like off my shoulders, but specially off my hips!

Jumbled Stuff

It is time for a random blog. I've been taking some notes and you get the joy of trying to follow my zig zag trail. I love an adventure. Don't you?

• I am digging Rhianna right now. I have not been a huge fan in the past, and really, I'm not running out buying all her stuff and stalking her on fan pages. She just has some songs that are speaking my language right now. Stay is killing me!! I will always dance to We Found Love no matter where I am. Full out. Like NOBODY is watching me. Or maybe like EVERYBODY is watching me. Hmmm, there's a thought isn't there?
• Hubby and I have found a new source for jigsaw puzzles. We were in the mall, kidless for a couple of days and hit the dollar store for something. We had been wanting to work a puzzle, but have you looked at the prices for puzzles? For grins and giggles we checked the toy aisle. Jackpot! They had several, so we got three. They are 500 piece puzzles and we had a great time working them. And they were $1! I even sent hubby back to the store for 2 more. He ended up going to the big box dollar store where things are not generally a dollar (see what I did there? That was nice) instead of the place where everything is a dollar. Even their 500 piece puzzles were $1. I have to be careful, though. I could $1 us half to death with puzzles.
• We went to Disney for the big girl's birthday last week. That girl turned 15!! What the hell is that? I haven't aged a bit!! Anyway, I have noticed a trend. Those awful high waisted shorts are back in style. I just got to the point I like low rise jeans, don't put me back in mom jeans!! Not only are they ugly, but as far up as they go, is not how far down they go. In other words, the waist may come up to your ribs, but there's 8 miles of ass hanging out of the bottom! What's worse is that parents are letting their tween and young teen daughters wear them. I guess they don't check the back. And again, a trend is a trend because we allow it. Just slap a price tag on it and send it out the door. I was telling hubby this while we were filling our water bottles. And there was a girl wearing them standing there. Well, crap. But know what she did? She adjusted her shorts so they covered her butt more. Thank you!
• I joined a homeschooling Disney group. They are having a meet and greet soon and the kids and I are thinking about going. They've set up a scavenger hunt and a meet and greet then go do what you want at the park. They have several trips a school year or sometimes post that they are going if anyone wants to join. We are so structured this year, it'll be fun to maybe have a little spontaneous down time. 
• And now to get political. I have a friend that sells insurance. She and I were discussing ObamaCare. She mentioned that Native Americans would qualify for free insurance. Free, huh? Not interested. But you know I had to ask. I could say the devil made me do it, but it wasn't him. It was all me. "You know it isn't free, right?" Well, damn. She tried to insist that I wouldn't have to pay anything. Why could she not leave it alone? "Of course I'm paying for it. Every time they take money out of hubby's paycheck, I'm paying for it. The best part, though, is that every body else is paying for it, too. That's where our taxes are going. Thank you for paying for my insurance." And then I changed the subject. Needless to say, we don't talk about insurance anymore. I think that's for the best.

Well, there you go. I get to delete a note in my phone! Yea! And the journey wasn't that bad. There was barely a bump.    

Bringing It Up

I've been taking notes again. Every time I say "I'll remember that when I get home", I don't. Here's what I've got.

• I have noticed an influx of side ponytails. Why? I'm wondering why we thought they were cute. At our weekend confirmation retreat, there were many, many teen and tween girls wearing the infamous hairstyle. To tell the truth, though, I would rather see the side ponytail than the ugly, sloppy bun that a lot of girls are wearing. The sloppy bun says you don't give a crap what you look like. The side ponytail says at least you made an effort.
• 80's fashion is back. I can remember my mom saying something about 60's fashion coming back in style during the 80's. I guess it runs in cycles. My big girl will look at something and ooh and aah. I tell her the 80's called and they want their fashion back. Some of it should have died then. Some of it really isn't that bad. Just, please no ginormo shoulder pads. Yeah, I rocked 'em. But that was then and this is my era of better fashion sense. I even had the jumpsuit in bright, conflicting patterns that was form fitting, but had the huge collar and shoulder pads. Some styles need to stay dead.
• I am losing my boobs. At first, it was kinda cool. I actually went up a cup size. It has to do with the distance of your boobs from your chest, or something like that. I get it. I bought new bras. Now I'm falling out of them. I don't mean spilling over the top like I've been known to do. I mean slipping out underneath. That means the band is too big. That sucks. Now, it's more new bras. Bras are expensive. I hate trying on bras. But maybe now I won't be limited to minimizers and full coverage. I could actually get an add a cup size bra. Please, don't make me have to get a padded bra. That would really send me into a huge depressive mood. Like, for years.
• While we're talking about bras, can we talk about underwear? For a while, I had an issue keeping my undies up. I lost weight, they were too big. And we're back to that. I cannot keep them up. Again. I have even tried making sure the top is under my belt when I put it on. That helps not at all. I've been telling my friends I may just stop wearing undies at all. I don't dare wear a skirt. The only thing keeping my undies on my body most of the time is the fact that my pants have a crotch in them. Without that piece of material, they would hit the floor. And I would step out of them and keep walking like I don't know who in the world just lost their panties at the mall. Or Disney. Or wherever. Can you imagine? Losing you undies, not me without them. Well, if that floats your boat, that's ok, too. Just please imagine me without stretch marks, please and thank you.
• Hubby had the day off yesterday so we went to Disney. Duh. He was wearing his Longhorns t-shirt. A very nice employee asked if we were from Texas. Hubby said no, but I said I was. The very nice man said I was a good woman and hubby should hang on to me. I said I've been telling him that for 18 years. He was a very nice man.
• That conversation started the whole seceeding conversation and moving when it did. Hubby said he wasn't sure he wanted to live in Texas because the limestone under the state made it prone to sink holes. I said a huge sink hole could open under the whole state and it wouldn't matter. He asked why. I said because...Oklahoma sucks hard. Hahahahaha!! I know, old joke, but it had me giggling for the rest of the day. I'm even smiling now! I love a good state rivalry.

All right. That's all you get for now. I have to get ready for school. Oh, yeah, and a puppy. That's on hubby. And that's a story for another time.     

Overwhelmed and Underpaid

So much going on and I'm taking time to blog. How did it get to be Thursday already? I know. Tick tock, baby, as hubby would say. That tick tock needs to slow the hell down. Here's what I got.

• I am teaching the confirmation class at our church again this year. We haven't had one in 4 years. I taught the last one, too. I think hubby and I may be done with "church" as it pertains to going to a building every Sunday. It is not my faith in God that isn't strong, but my faith in people. People are stupid and they piss me off. Not a way to sit in church and praise God. There is always talk about the youth being more present in the church and the church loves seeing the young people. Guess when the celebration of confirmands is happening. Palm Sunday, which is phenomenal, but at our 6 pm service. Which is attended by the band that plays. Not church members, not the general public. There won't be anyone from the church there to see the kids take their oaths. So what's the point? To generate more publicity for the service. Don't use these kids for that. Try advertising. I wrote an email. I had hubby proof read it so it didn't come off too bitchy. If it were up to me, it would be bitchy all the way. Hubby said something about tact, whatever that is. We'll see how that goes.  
• My desk is a mess. It gets that way, which isn't the problem. It's the stuff in the piles that NEEDS to get done. The boy has had his iPod on my desk since Christmas waiting for me to call Apple. He forgot his passcode. I finally called. The fix would have worked if his power button worked. Our new debit cards came in. I haven't activated them in the two weeks since they've been here. I finally got that done. There's a couple more things I need to do as well. I told hubby he needs to help me. I see that huge stack of paper and I freak. It's just easier to not do it than start at the top. Some of it just needs to be filed. Some of it needs to be shredded. It just needs to take care of itself, dammit. The teacher's guide to the big girl's Geometry needs to get on the phone and call for a return authorization. Some pages are falling out of it and it's brand new. I might con hubby into calling.
• I have been clipping coupons for Easter goodies. I do this every year. The Easter Bunny that comes to our house has taken to putting together baskets that are unique to each child. He told me this year he wants to put one together for the big girl that has makeup stuff and nail polish in it. For the boy, he wants to do a Pokemon/Nintendo DS theme. The baby will be fairies or Barbie. He is so cool that way. I'm clipping the coupons to help him get good stuff relatively cheaply. He's a good bunny. I wish he would leave me a basket...
• I am digging Rand Paul. Filibuster all the way, a la Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. If you haven't seen that movie, you are missing a classic. Pop some corn, grab a drink, and snuggle on the couch or in bed and start watching. I admire people that stand up for what they believe in, depite adversity. 13 hours! And thank you to those who helped him get it done. I hope people are more aware of why he did it (opposing a man who would use drones on American citizens, guilty or not). I am a Ron Paul gal. I was a little leary of Rand when he was first elected, but I am liking him more and more. Apples not falling far from the tree and all that.  
• Dinner almost wasn't last night. I am having the hardest time. I just do not want to cook some nights. Hubby cooked 3 times last week. Poor guy, he thinks that's alot. Our schedule went a little wonky last week so lucky hubby. I would go out every night if it didn't cost us an arm and a leg and wasn't so horrible for you. I say that, but I would get tired of other's people cooking after about a week. They just can't make it like mama can make it. The night before we had a lovely dinner of baked chicken breasts, roasted sweet potatoes and golden beets, and black eyed peas. Those peas were super yummy. Last night we ended up with BBQ meatballs, steamed broccoli, and brown rice with amaranth. It was so good there wasn't anything left.
• There's another thing that's on my list: amaranth. I was given about a pound as well as puffed amaranth. I have no idea what to do with either. I added a little amaranth to the brown rice just for giggles. It's small like quinoa, so I'm not sure I'll be able to eat it alone. The puffed amaranth is bigger (and puffier!) so that may not be so bad. It's just one more thing.
• I also get to plot the next 3 years of school for the big girl so I can make sure she's on track. I attended a Finish Well conference and I feel like I'm already behind. I hate that feeling. Already we may be looking at a second computer or lap top for 2 classes she'll be taking next year. Yea! Looking at all the components of her language arts, the rest of her curriculum, and her online classes, we're looking at 8 different things for her for next year. Good thing she has her own planner. Poor girl.

That's about as good as it gets right now. I am trying to focus on those things that did get done as opposed to the rest I still have to do. And naps. Naps help.

Lessons Learned...Well, Until the Next Time

Sorry it's been so long. I am not myself. That makes it hard to write. That and I lack motivation. Just some stuff rambling around my head for your perusal.

• I am having little mini anxiety attacks. If we make plans to go somewhere and hubby ends up not going, it's all I can do to get myself out the door. If I can back out of it, I will. I have gone to making plans with people so I have to force myself to go. Or if it's a paid event, all the better. Then I've paid for it and don't want to waste the money. It doesn't help that I am fighting a depressive episode with all that I have. Hubby has been watching Surviving the Cut on Netflix. It's about what sodliers have to go through to join elite forces in the military. You know, like SEALS, Pararescue (which is what hubby wanted to do), that kind of thing. They go through some tough stuff. Their bodies function on automatic just to make it through. They got nothing on me. Hanging on by a thread...
• You would think after teaching Roman numerals to 2 of my kids, I would remember them. Not so, my friends. I am on child number 3 and at this point I am thankful that I don't have to teach another one what I and V and C mean. Crazy, isn't it? Sometimes, I have to think about the end of movies or shows that have the date in Roman numerals and think about what year it was made and all kinds of stupid stuff to help me remember. I'm just glad that Egyptian numbers didn't take off. Those are pictures. Yeah, give me dots like the ones on dominos any day. I can count those!
•  You would think people would know by now that leggings are NOT pants. Good grief! Saw a girl at Disney one day whose pants were stretched so tight you could see the pretty pink flowers on her black panties. And trust me, it was not because I was looking! Workout pants should be worn by people that work out. And since I'm giving unsolicited and bitchy fashion advice, can we talk about flip flops? They are not appropriate shoes for everything. We spent some time at Downtown Disney and watched people heading for the clubs. Such pretty dresses. And then flip flops. Big. Sigh.
• There has been talk from the POTUS and his minions (I wish they were the cute kind from Despicable Me) that we need to come together as a country and forget racial lines. He's lying, by the way. He is the biggest divisor. My point is that the University of Michigan was teaching a class about how wrong it is to be white. White people apparently have all the advantages in this country. Yeah? Talk to my white, male hubby. He has been denied so many things. Want to know why? Yup, he's white and male. Can't we all just get along?
• I am FINALLY getting over my dermatitis. It has been hell. The scratching is enough to make me want to cut off my hands. I haven't been able to shave since Christmas. I did once and paid the price. Dermatitis doesn't like to be shaved apparently. Shaving made it worse. I didn't think that could happen, but it did. You would think I would have enjoyed the reprieve. Not so when I can braid my leg hair. I finally shaved again yesterday. Just very lightly. Lightly enough to have stubble about 5 minutes after I was done. So much better! I have one more week of cream. Hopefully this crap will go away and leave me alone.
• I downloaded some CD's into iTunes. The big girl asked me about a Bon Jovi song. I had no Bon Jovi. Then I realized I didn't have some other things as well. How can I have no Prince? That's just wrong. And Heart! And Van Halen! What?!?!?! I bought an iTunes gift card the other day. I do not buy music without one. I would max out our already maxed out credit cards. Not doing that! I downloaded Macklemore's Thrift Shop. Love that frickin' song! The beat is crazy cool.
• I went shopping all by myself yesterday. There just wasn't much out there that I was in love with. I found 2 shirts and a pair of shorts. I was wishing Big Sis was with me. That would have been much better. On a bright note, I got my ass in an 8 comfortably (it zipped and fit!) and my boobs in a medium. Not sure how that happened. That's a lie. My boobs are shrinking the more weight I lose and it sucks! I love my boobs.

On that note, I think I'm gonna kick hubby off the TV so I can dance. Dancing always makes me happy. Peace out!

Dis and Dat

I'm back to making lists. Who am I kidding? I have to or it didn't happen. Calendars are my friend. Most of our stuff goes on my phone calendar since I always have it with me. Then they get transferred to paper when I get home. I even add it to the lesson plan book so I know how to plan for each day. Big sigh.

• For the last couple of months, if hubby hasn't been working on a Saturday, he's been hunting. Lazy Saturday mornings are one of my most favoritest things, but I haven't had very many. Even with hubby gone, we've had one activity or another it seems. When I do have a lazy morning, I like to watch Soul Train. That is one of my very favoritest shows. It's all the reruns from a bygone era. I get to hear great music. I get to see so many artists that have gone on to make great music or some we never heard from again. I get to see classic performances. And I get to dance like a fiend in my bedroom! Then I get to collapse in my bed with a cup of coffee when it's all over. This past Saturday it was Elton John before he was Sir Elton and Morris Day and the Nights. I never knew that Philadelphia Freedom was the name of the tennis club where Billy Jean King played. The things you learn from watching Saturday morning TV. It was a lovely morning!
• I almost had a break down at the park the other day. I was talking to friends and the subject of crying came up. I told them that I had cried in front of my kids, but not the deep sobs of mourning. I said the words "When my mom was dying..." I knew she was and there was nothing I could do about it. Not one thing. All those feelings came back and almost swamped me. It was all I could not to just explode into blubbering. I just had to keep talking or I was losing it.  
• We got our taxes done. Yea for refunds! Now we wait for the IRS to start processing returns. We have gotten to the point we don't even itemize anymore. Our deductions aren't enough to matter. When we would take our taxes to people it would cost us an arm and a leg. They don't give you prices up front. $250 later and all for forms that said you didn't qualify. Forget that. I've already been looking at curriculum. Duh.
• It has come to my attention that I am spoiled. Again, duh. I love being spoiled. To quote Big Sis "I didn't spoil me." I could claim it wasn't my fault, but I let it happen. I didn't kick, or scream, or throw a fit. And I'm ok with that. 
• Hubby and I took time for date night last night. We went to dinner and a movie. It sounds cliche, I know, but we had the best time. We got to spend time with each other having real conversations, and not always about the kids. I sat and watched a couple next to us. The guy was watching the basketball game and never took his eyes off the game. The gal was talking, talking, talking. Really? A little courtesy would be great. Hubby said the couple behind us sat playing on their phones the whole time. Why? I just think that's sad. I don't understand it. I'm spending time with my favorite person and I don't want to ignore him. We got to hold hands and rest our hands on each others legs under the table and kiss and stare into each other's eyes. Ok, not so much the eye thing, but normally there is so much going on at our table we don't get to just be. At home, he sits at one end of the table and I sit at the other. That makes it sound like our table is 20 ft long, doesn't it? It's not. I don't understand the need to be distracted. Aren't we distracted enough? Crazy I tell you.

That's about it for now. I think I'm gonna go spend some time with my man. No more distractions.

Scrambled

My mind, not eggs. Although, I did overcook 6 eggs the other day. That's bullet point number 1, so more on that in a minute. I've been trying to be a good girl and keep a list, but that's been hit or miss. We're going all over the place today. Ready?

• I usually try to keep 18 eggs for us. Once we fill a carton, I set it aside and let it sit in the fridge for at least a week. Boiled eggs are one of those things we can take with us that are easy to make, easy to take, easy to eat. They have to sit at least a week, preferably closer to 2, before I can boil them, though. If the egg is too fresh, the white sticks to the shell when you peel it and you're stuck with just yolk. I don't mind that, I'm weird. Well, I have some to boil, so I did. And burned them. What the hell? How do you burn boiled eggs? You leave the pan on high and forget about it. Then, apparently, the eggs will explode when all the water boils out and they get too hot. Thankfully it wasn't an all over my kitchen explosion, more of a busting out of it's shell kind of thing. That was enough. It would have been ok, but I had also turned the toaster oven on to warm up before I put a sweet potato in. I didn't put the potato in, but the toaster oven just warmed it's little heart out. That'll teach me to do history and science with my kids. From now on, they're on their own! Not really, but it was kind of humiliating for me, the kitchen diva. Just goes to show, you should set your kitchen timer to get your attention. Maybe that would work.
• Moisturizing jeans? Really, Wrangler? I know that denim can be a little dehydrating to your legs. What I want to know is what kind of moisturizer is being used? The chemicals can kill you. Think of all the dye, the processing and now moisturizer? I think no, but way to be inventive.
• I made deodorant last night. I'm not sure it will be antiperspirant as well, but we'll see. I have a crystal deodorant I've ben using, but really those are hit and miss. We have one day of dance where we are at the studio for 4 1/2 hours. While I am not dancing that day, (well kind of, but I'll talk about that later), the waiting room gets very crowded, with standing room only being the norm. Many times I've made my kids sit on the floor to open some chairs. You get a room full of women laughing about stuff and watching Mr. Matt dance and the temp goes up. I can usually smell myself after hour 2. I don't want to do that. I have 2 friends that swear by it, so I'm going to try it. And there aren't any chemicals. It's cornstarch, baking soda, and coconut oil. Add essential oil for fragrance if you want. I'll let you know how it works.
• I went to the dermatologist. I have contact dermatitis. How the hell did I get that? You know it's bad when I lift my pant leg to show the doctor and she recoils and says "Ewww!!" Thanks. I needed to know I was gross. Don't try to cash that check. She wrote me a prescription for a cream. It has helped tremendously! I still itch. I'm still sore from the scratching. But it is clearing up, thank God! My legs and elbows are still bad, bad, bad, but not BAD, BAD, BAD. I have a feeling when all this is over, I'll be buff puffing to get rid of the scab scars. That sucks. I think it was all the junk I was eating during the holidays. Nothing else has changed. I think all the junk changed my bodies pH, and voila! But somebody has to eat the Unjunked candy. Why can't it be me? Because sugar no like me...
• I am ready for a new tattoo. I am unhappy with the way the color has faded on mine. I am unhappy with the way the writing has faded. I want to cover it with flowers and have it recolored. On my other arm I want my kids' Hawaiian names with maybe some flowers. We'll see.
• I have put some really unflattering things about our POTUS on the social site. I have a couple of friends that actually like him and voted for him. Why, I don't know, but I didn't say all my friends were well informed. It gets kind of awkward when I see them after I post. It won't stop me. If you want to have an intelligent debate, we can. All I ask is that you bring facts to back up your assertions, not just feelings. I have some feelings, too. He's an idiot. That's how I feel.
• I want a dog. I don't know why, but I do. So there. I don't want huge like a great dane or tiny like a yorkie. I want something in between. And I will walk, it, and feed it, and name it George. Probably not George.

That's it for now. Who knew I had it in me? I did!

I'm Back, For a Minute Anyway

The start to this one is political. I tell you that so you can back out now. Just sayin'.

• I think it is awful that the President is willing to sign an executive order that is illegal. This is to take away a very important right granted to us by the founders of our country. The right to bear and keep arms was given to us to keep this country's government from taking over every aspect of our lives and making this a monarchy. Make yourselves aware of what is going on before you jump my shit. Even if you like him, do the research yourselves. Look up the Constitution, read it, and know what it says before you say anything. I gave you the chance to bail.
• I have a weird rash. Like all over my body. It itches like mad! It started small, as two spots on my shoulders. Next thing you know, it is everywhere. My legs, hips, butt, and back are taking the brunt of it. I have scratched until my hands ache. Thank goodness I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. I've tried to treat it nutritionally, but, really, until I know what it is, I can't treat it. I've been throwing things to the wall and seeing what sticks. So far, nothing but Neosporin and a big ass bandaid have kept me from shredding my left leg.
• I got a Ninja for Christmas and I love it! We make chunkies, which are really thick smoothies. I even made sorbet in it. We went last weekend and picked strawberries. We picked 30 pounds! I thought we only had 20! We froze at least half of them and have been steady eating the rest. The sorbet was strawberries, milk, and honey. So stinking good. It has handled every thing we've managed to throw at it. It came with 2 pitchers, but they're like my two PC bar pans. They are always dirty. Drives me nuts. I have to make sure that each time I run the dishwasher, I have at least one of them in there.
• The season of suckass is over. You can't tell that from the huge pile of Christmas stuff in my kitchen. The tubs are outside, but so far the stuff hasn't made it there. I wish it would sprout legs and pack itself away. That would save me a huge chunk of time. We had a quiet Christmas, which is what I have come to like. For the first time since I don't know when, we skipped the Christmas Eve service. I just did not feel like I could make it through. I would have been a huge slobbery, snotty mess and I was not up for that. I also didn't want to put my family through it. Or anyone else for that matter. I had a slight panic attack, so we just stayed home. We ate dinner and opened presents and watched movies and waited for Santa to come. And I needed that. And my zebra robe. I love my zebra robe.
• Every Christmas since we've had iPods, we all get an iTunes gift card. I am the one that will blow through all the money and nobody else gets anything. I told everyone not to bring me their card unless they had a list. I get whatever's left over, so make it good. I got a couple of new apps, the kids got some new apps, and even hubby got one. I also got music. Sweet, glorious music. I'm listening to Winger's Seventeen right now. I am a child of the '80s and I will forever love my hair bands. I also got some Jason Mraz, Bruno Mars, Rhianna, Run-DMC, and Pitbull. Oh, Pitbull. I had a friend translate part of a song for me. I only speak enough Spanish to get me in to trouble, but not out of it. I read it better than I understand it spoken. He is a bad, bad boy. I also got Chris Wallace's Push Rewind. The big girl and I are really liking that right now.  
• I have actually had time to read and cross stitch. What the hell is that? I finally finished the picture stitching for a piece I started back in 2005. Yeah, I know. Whatever. Now I'm working on the backsticthing. I have really enjoyed it. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. We watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy before we went to see The Hobbit. Yes, I know those were after The Hobbit, but we did it anyway. I had lots of time to stitch then. I have to keep my hands busy or I tend to start to clean and wander off. Or fall asleep. Then we had long mornings of no school or anything else, so I read my brains out. I finally finished the Septimus Heap book, Magyk. I'm requesting the next one. I got a nice stack of books before we took our Christmas break. I also won a $25 gift certificate for Harlequin, so I ordered some books. Those came in about a week before Christmas.

Alright, that's all I've got for now. Felt pretty good.

I Got nothin', Well, a Little Something...

I need to blog, but I just don't know what to blog about. Even my list is boring. There's some political stuff (I canNOT believe that we have to relive all this crap for another 4 years. Really, people? He fucked us the first 4 years with no kiss, and here we go again. If this keeps up, I'm going on the dole. Then the bitches can pay for me!), some school stuff (I have ideas for field trips, it's just getting off my tuckus to make some calls and get it done.), some family stuff (we really are pretty boring. Good grief!), and some random stuff (cricket, cricket, cricket).

I just want to write. I have tons of stuff to keep me occupied, but I'm done with being occupied. I have all these characters and story lines. Sometimes the characters won't get out of my head until I write them down. I started a notebook to put them in. That way I don't lose track and I can get them out of my head. November is write a page a day month or write 1000 words a day or some kind of writer's month. It was also blog every day month, but that didn't happen either. I also haven't had much time for me. We were sick and now we have to play catch up. I know where we need to be by the time we break for Christmas, and by gosh, by golly, we're going to be there. But that cramps my writing time.

I just bought a Ninja. Not the dress in black, Japanese bad ass Ninja, although that would be cool. The food processing, smoothie making, and in this case, dough making Ninja. I don't plan on making a lot of dough and I have a big stand mixer for that anyway. I do like some homemade pretzels, the soft kind with all the salt and a little bit of mustard. Crackers are fun and tasty. They don't last, but they are good. I'm hoping for smoothies that will boost my energy. Hubby is excited about that, too. I have a friend that loves hers. It's my Christmas present, but I'm opening that bad boy today. Look, a spark of interest.

I have to take a nap EVERY DAY. I am old. It gets to be about 2 o'clock and my eyes just want to slam shut. Not good when you're driving, but it keeps me on my toes. It's that whole depression thing. The holidays normally suck for me because I can't be with my family. This year is super sucky. A cave to hide in until it's over would be much appreciated. We finally got the Christmas stuff out, but it took us another 3-4 days to open the tubs and get it done. The tree that I put in our room didn't get decorated for another couple of days. Depression is for the birds.

I think it would have been amazing to win the powerball. Can you imagine the size of the shoe room I would build? Can you imagine the shoes I could buy to fill that bad boy up? Amazing!! I think a Hawaiian/European vacation would be in order. I want to go to Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and I know some of those aren't in Hawaii/Europe, but if I'm planning a vacation, I am going to plan a VACATION!! And somewhere in there I may help some of the poor people, because I'm nice like that.

Reality television is the downfall of our society. Multiple wives, rich housewives that have no idea about the real world, redneck beauty queens, redneck Muslims (what the hell?), and now Amish that "keep the peace" in their towns. Shut up!! Go back into the backwards hole you crawled out of. We need to take our television programming back. There is no way Sugar Woowoo should be such a huge hit. It's the train wreck mentality. It's happening and is so gross you can't look away. Yeah, yeah I can. I just don't watch.

See, it wasn't much, but it was a little something. I'm going to make some oatmeal and get my day going. And bonus, I feel a little better. I love it when that happens!     

Make It or Break It 7

This is a 7 quick takes blog. As long winded as I am, though, it may not be quick. I crack myself up. And cue #1:

1. October is breast cancer awareness month. Really?!? Because we are all too stupid to know it's out there. I have not one good thing to say about this. Last year, I posted on my social media page almost every day trying to make people aware. I want them to be aware that there are alternatives. I want them to be aware that your doctors DO NOT know everything. I want them to know that you have got to take care of yourselves and realize what is going on with the food you put into your body. I want them to be proactive about their own health. I want my mom back.
2. October is also the beginning of cooler weather here. I won't say fall because we really don't have one. We do have a tree out back that changes colors and drops it leaves. We also get pumpkins! I love me some pumpkins. I like to process my own and use it for all kinds of things. I'm looking into buckwheat flour for pumpkin pancakes. I make an awesome pumpkin pie. It's always so much better when it's fresh. I would love to make homemade pumpkin spice lattes. I could drink a million of those every fall, but my body would rebel. All the junk in those things is horrible for me. I have one and that's it. Pumpkin donuts. Oh my giddy aunt, I have got to stop.
3. I was in the Young Republicans club when I was in college. For several years, I couldn't believe I had actually done that. I like to call those my liberal years. Now, I just want everyone to go away and leave us alone. I don't want to have health insurance if I don't want it, I don't want someone telling me I can't have a garden, and I don't want anyone telling me how to raise my kids or love my family. I'm not saying that cave in Tahiti is any closer, but a girl can dream right?
4. I am ready for this election to be over. OB saying what a great job he did and lying left and right. He shouldn't even be running for reelection according to his own words, but I guess that's in the eye of the incumbent. I don't understand why Mr. Hair has to be run down for making money. Isn't that what everyone else wants? To make money and be rich? That seemed to be the trend for so long. Look at reality TV. People want to be famous and make tons of money and live in big houses and have huge parties. All of a sudden it's not OK if you're running for POTUS. I'm confused. He made great investments. He made money. What do you want? Someone who will make you money or someone who will give it away? Soapbox...
5. My van is sitting in my driveway. And it shall stay there until next week, when the part comes in to fix it. Ugh! We skipped school yesterday (don't tell the teacher) and ran errands. The van broke down on Wednesday, leaving us stuck at the house all day Thursday. I took hubby to work Friday morning and we ran errands all day. ALL DAY! We left the house about 10 and didn't get home until after 3. Then there's the putting stuff away and eating lunch. It was 4 o'clock before I got a nap. What kind of junk is that? I did get everything done I needed to. Then off to pick up hubby and back home to make dinner. We have a field trip next week. We wanted to go to Disney after, but instead we'll come home and drop the gas tank and change a fuel filter. You realize that by we, I mean hubby.
6. The 300 or so acres behind us sold. Want to know what they did with it? Fuckers built a mud bog they don't really have a permit for and have concerts they weren't given permission to have without a sound wall. Cave, Tahiti.I just keep repeating that over and over. The mud bog is only permitted for BMX, not the 4 wheelers and trucks that run through it. The sound wall was supposed to go up before the concerts. Instead, our neighbors call the cops every Saturday night when the music goes past the 10 pm curfew and they have to go and shut them down. Cave, Tahiti.
7. Hopefully, in the next week or so, I'll have a new computer. I am so ready. As a loaner, this one isn't bad. As a functioning one that I need for our every day, not so much. I'm trying to hurry before all the Windows 7 computers are gone. I don't want Windows 8. All of our stuff is 7 or XP compatible. If we got 8, we'd have to start all over. I no want to. I am excited about a new computer. I've been taking pics I can't post. There's no room on this computer for it and it doesn't have everything we need to get them transferred online. 

Oh, the worries. I lead a pretty cushy freakin' life, don't I? I should just shut up and get over myself. There are such bigger things to worry about. It's the little things. Think I'll go wake my little things up so we can Saturday school. Yea for Saturday school and pajamas all day!        

Over Stuffed

I'm talking about my brain, not my belly. I should really stop watching so much morning news. I really like GMA even if George is a biased reporter. I think Josh is just as cute as he can be. I miss Robin, and I hope she recovers soon. That isn't what this is about. It's about all the junk that they fill my head with, amongst other things. Ready? Buckled? Let's go.

• October is breast cancer awareness month. Pardon me as I scream "We're fucking aware!! Find a cure, dumb asses!!!" I have a start. Stop putting GMO grains and sugar and chemicals in every little product. Why is there sugar in garlic powder? There should be nothing but garlic in that. How about doctors finally get in touch with the fact that there are many environmental and nutritional reasons for disease? How about we become aware of our environment and our own bodies and recognize that what we put in to them will come out, and not always in good ways? How about doctors and researchers stop chasing the almighty dollar and actually pay attention to patients and what they say? I could go on and on about the FDA, the American Cancer Society (fakers!), the AMA, and big pharm, but you can go back and read all of that on my blog. 
• Mitt Romney is behind in the polls. We cannot do 4 more years of our current POTUS. He even said if he didn't fix the problems in our country he wouldn't run for another term. Lie much? Please don't think I am a Romney fan, by any means. There's that whole pot/kettle thing. He sent jobs to China. That's going to fix the economy. Please just let us get to the election with awareness of the issues and what isn't a solution to them. And please don't give me that crap about not voting. You might as well vote for Obama then, which is what a non-vote becomes. Arm yourselves with information!
• My nephew is coming over this weekend. We are having our first ever youth tailgate party and worship service. I'm hoping it goes over well. I had hubby call his brother and set it up. We skipped the SIL step. Oops! Whatever. We are excited to see A. He just turned 13. I'm not sure how and why the time went so fast. He had an ice cream sandwich cake for his birthday. I'm thinking about making sweet potato chocolate while he's here, turn him on to healthy and delicious. We'll see. 
• I miss my mom. Horribly.
• Roseanne Barr is running for President. She's on the ballot in several states. Well, there you go. That should scare the crap out of people. Can you imagine Roseanne Connor running the country? She would pay bills without signing the checks or mixing up the envelopes on purpose. On the bright side, she'd tell you exactly what she thinks. You might not like it and we may alienate the rest of the world, but really, that isn't a bad thing either.     
• My friend F posted a pic on the social media site of a "new" style of pants. They're from the '80s. The pants with the zipper at the ankle. I never had a pair of those. I was too round to wear those. I would look like an apple propped up by toothpicks. I told her as long as parachute pants didn't make a comeback. I didn't like those. 
• I watched Kid Rock the other night on PBS. They have a concert series that I cannot remember the name of. I know it's not Austin City Limits. I watch that a lot. Kid Rock put on a great show. I would really like to see him live. My tour bus driving friend has driven his bus. She said he was really sweet and very polite and respectful. That is not his public image, is it? His back up singers were amazing! They have such great, powerful voices. They were even choreographed. I'm afraid I'd be too busy rocking out to remember the moves! 
• Our new neighbors. Big sigh. They seem to be nice enough. They have over 30 chickens now. They have a couple of roosters, They have 2 goats. They have 11 dogs. And now they have a 4 wheeler. And they ride it. And it gets loud. We are building a partial fence around the garden eventually. We need a little privacy. They are going to use the entire 3 acres (and really, if we had, we would, too), but that means they encroach on us. We want a little bit of not seeing them. It was so nice not having neighbors...
• My friend Hillside Hollow loves October. I do, too. It has started with temps that are a little cooler, day and night. I can get pie pumpkins, which makes me happy. I use it for almost everything. I'm going to use some in my sweet potato biscuits and make them pumpkin. I saw a recipe yesterday for pumpkin baked oatmeal. Oh, yes, please and thank you. I'm not so sure the rest of the house enjoys it as much as I do, but they tolerate it because they love me. Yea! 

Ok, I think that's good. It wasn't that bad, now was it? It was a little all over the place, so aren't you glad you buckled up? That could have been rough since I don't have air bags. Maybe not so bad since I do have a lot of hot air.